Trip report from Aug 2005! All 2 weeks in 1 thread....Enjoy!

[ely3857]

Part 16: Day 13: IOA

Up at 7.00 again. I am back in commando mode now ear infection has cleared up.



Get to IOA very early at 8.00, go to Starbucks for breakfast then in the queue for IOA at 8.30. The park didn’t officially open until 9.00 but they started letting people in at 8.45 despite the crowd not been very large.

Spiderman – Walk on
Ripsaw Falls – Walk on
Bilge Rat Barges – Walk on
River Adventure – Walk on







Wicked! Everything done before 9.30! Seriously we had everything done and dusted in just 45mins!



Had a drink at Cinnabon while sitting in the sun drying out watching hoards and hoards of people arriving. After our rest I needed to buy my friends 5 year old a late birthday present. I had seen a Spiderman watch on our first day here but couldn’t remember where so off we went. On our hunt for the watch we walked past Spiderman the ride. It had a 45min wait and it was only 10.00am!

The watch took forever to locate but eventually we found it. It was worth the effort as his mum says he likes it so much he is sleeping in it!

Decided to leave at 10.45 as we had done everything we wanted to do and the park was heaving.

Please dont take pictures like the ones below. We didnt see the 'no climbing on the rocks' sign until after!



As it was so early we went home via the Titanic exhibition on I-Drive. I had been before and found it interesting and Gavin had been asking where it was ever since we got here.

Lunch was Wendy’s for the last time as we are going home tomorrow. There used to be a Wendy’s in Leeds but it got bought out by McDonalds.

Back home at 13.30 to the horrible task of packing (see pre-trip part 2 for background info on packing). As I didn’t have to make any decisions about what to or not to take (it simple all had to fit) it didn’t take too long, I just chucked everything in slammed the lid down and zipped it shut!

Went downstairs to a snoring DF, woke him up with a cup of tea and then watched TV for a while. Everyone else came in from a day at Epcot (their 3rd day there I think) and MK looking very tired at 17.45 and proceeded to completely ignored Malcom’s instructions to be ready to leave for MK again at 19.30.

Gavin and I went to Chilli’s again. This time the service was not up to scratch but it was down to a different waiter getting our drinks making the girl who should have been serving us think we had been dealt with. After that had been sorted we had a very nice meal of the chips & dip then chicken fajita’s to share. No receipt so no price I’m afraid but this time we did pay for it all!

Back to the villa around 21.00 a few final beers and a general holiday chat then bed around 00.00

[ely3857]

Part 17: Day 14: Travelling home

Up at 8.00 as we were heading to LBV for TCD check-in at 8.30. I had asked Malcom about 4 times the previous evening what time were we leaving the villa and 8.30 had been his consistent answer.

Gavin & I had cases in car and were sat in the living room waiting at 8.20. We waited and waited and waited. Now, I had realised some time ago that whatever time Malcom wanted to leave had to be relayed to the rest of them, as at least 30mins earlier but as neither Gavin nor myself have a reputation for been late by 9.30 I was thoroughly hacked off.

Eventually everyone was ready and off we went. Been in a bad mood due to the earlier than required start, when we got to LBV to check in and everyone started dilly-dallying around again I took charge and marched all 11 of us in ignoring protests of small children and men with heavy suitcases.

After check in (which was well worth $5 each) we all went our separate ways again. Thankgod. They were having a morning at Seaworld, or at least it stared out as a morning but had been reduced to about 1.5 hours! while Gavin & I were off for some breakfast. We went to Perkins on I-Drive. I had enjoyed our previous visit here but didn’t rate my first taste of their breakfast Never mind, not eating it all meant I had room for Lemon Meringue!

We decided to take a slow drive to the airport via publix for some sweets and magazines. We also had a sneaky stop of at our villa because I needed the loo!

It was a very good job we set off early because we got lost! We ended up at Orlando International and almost ran out of petrol. Oops.

Made it to Sanford in good time and by-passed to check-in area feeling very smug as the queues were horrendous! The queue for security was terrible aswell. Probably not that many queueing but it was such a small space to queue in there was a lot on confusion.

When we got to the departure lounge we settled in the pub area with our magazines. The rest of them turned up about 15.30 and by all accounts the security queue was now twice as bad.





Our gate was called about 17.30 for our 18.15 flight so we left Lindsey & Shane and walked through. After walking all the way to our gate I realised I had Lindsey & Shane’s booking reference for the Guest house because I had taken their tickets this morning for check-in. Gavin & I ran all the way back but couldn’t find them anywhere. As Lindsey smokes we braved the outside smoking area but no sign. We eventually gave up and of course immediately spotted them in the duty free shop! That sorted we went back to our gate. The flight was delayed by around 1.5 hours due to technical difficulties but we got back to Manchester in good time and home around 12.00 I have no idea what the food was or what films were shown as we slept most of the way back and I have no notes on our last day.





This is what Gavin was doing...



While I did this...

[ely3857]

Part 18: Day +1: Thoughts & Feelings

We had an amazing time in Orlando but there are so many things that will change next time…

No large group - Gavin & I found any time spent with the rest of our party difficult. The 3 kids had demands prone to children that we weren’t used to and the general time keeping of them all was ridiculous to the point of rude and disrespectful.

Fireworks – Next time I will see one display with no restrictions or moaning from DF.

Ear Infection – Despite been incredibly painful I hadn’t realised how much it impacted on my holiday until I wrote my reports. At first it was a couple of hours to go the hospital but then it became a full day at home resting. Obviously I can’t dictate my health next trip but I really really hope I am never that ill again. I have been to the hospital in Goole twice and my GP twice since returning home and touch wood, six weeks later it seems to have cleared up.

Water-parks – Fingers crossed no ill health I will be going to all 3 water parks wether DF can swim or not!

Weather - It was sooo hot all of the time. It wasnt our decision to go in Aug' Gavins dad had sorted the dates and even though mid-Aug' saw fewer crowds the weather is enough to put us off summer, unless it is Aug' or nothing.

Photo's - We took loads of photo's and camcorder footage the first week but this petered off during the second. I will keep it up all holiday next time as we have decided only to take still's and leave the camcorder behind.

We booked for Pop Century in Sept/Oct '06 a week after we returned. I am always up for WDW but I was very surprised DF had enjoyed himself enough to return.

I was very pleased with how much Gavin tried despite been a big girls blouse most of the time! He loved Spiderman and Test Track and was brave enough to try the Mummy. He was petrified on Rip-Saw Falls because of the huge drop but went on all the water rides (he closed his eye’s for all except one but he still rode!)

[butlers]

Wonderful trip report... so glad you had a wonderful time, even though you had that painful earache