Yesterday was Samuel and Joshua's birthday outing to Wembley, and Nicky and I managed to blag an invite as well to be adult helpers!
We set off from theirs at about quarter past nine - Jake obviously having decided that we cramp his style and choosing to go in the other car - and through a combination of following Chris, using a borrowed sat nav, and ignoring signs on the motorway that wanted us to go round to junction 16, had a smooth journey and got to Wembley a little after half past ten.
Having checked in there was time for coffee and a muffin before our tour, and we still managed to sneak onto one tour earlier than we were booked in for, once the boys had been removed from the football games on the XBoxes.
Our tour group comprised just us (party of 12) plus seven or eight Bulgarians who were obviously on holiday in London - and were Man Utd supporters. We started off up near the top outside the executive boxes (not sure if my firm has one, but one can only hope). Apparently we were just along from the one leased by Roman from Chelsea, which is in line with the centre of the pitch and just above the royal box. Box leases run for ten years and apparently when they were leased for the first time in 2007 they were going for about 2.5 million. Gives us another eight years to be saving up for next time!
Wembley facts - it is the second largest stadium in Europe, narrowly beaten by the Nou Camp in Barcelona. The arch isn't just for decoration - it supports all of the roof on one side and 60 percent of the roof on the other side. Three of the roof sections move so the for matches all of the seating is under cover. The top section of seating is hgher up than the top of the old twin towers. Finally, and one that our guide seemed particularly proud of, it apparently has (at over 2,600) more toilets than any other building in the world!
Entertainingly, it was about midday now and we probably had nearly an hour left of our tour, and the Bulgarians in our party announced that they were supposed to be at Westminster at one o'clock. Our guide radioed for someone to come and collect them and escort them out - meant that we had the rest of the tour to ourselves.
Carrying on our tour, past the entertaining area for the royal box and down the royal staircase, we went to the press room where we watched a film showing a few famous Wembley moments, including the '66 World Cup final, and a couple of favourite Spurs moments - Ricky Villa on his magical run in '81 and Gazza scoring that free kick in the semi final against Arsenal ('91?).
Next up were the changing rooms and opportunities to have a photo next to the England shirt of your choice before lining up in the tunnel ready to go out onto the pitch. As seems to be normal with these tours there's no going on the grass, but then yesterday we couldn't have done anyway as it was all being dug up. Our tour guide had told us at the start that the new turf was being laid (next game is England qualifier - not that we need it - on 14 October) and that it should just about have been finished, and then was really surprised to see it all being dug up again. Looks like someone made a rather expensive mistake.
Once we were out in the dug-out area we were allowed to climb the steps up to the royal box. We were told that it was 107 steps up (I made it 109 up and then 2 back down at the end!), many more than the 39 steps in the old stadium. Then there was a photo opportunity with the FA Cup - albeit a replica. A certain someone was quick to point out where the real one currently resides (Stamford Bridge).
Our final stop was to admire the Bobby Moore statue (and yes, Chelsea really was one of his middle names) before, like all good tours, we finished off at the gift shop. Mind you, I think that I probably did best in there as I found a replica Spurs top from the 1981 FA Cup final - the first game in which I ever supported Spurs - which just had to come home with me.
After Wembley the next stop was the nearest McDonald's for burgers and ice cream before the journey home. A jolly nice day was had by all and thanks very much to Carolyn and Chris for the invite.
To finish things off it was a nearly perfect day on the pitch as well. Spurs scored 5, Liverpool scored 6, Everton (supported by the birthday boys) won, but sadly please could nobody mention Chelsea!
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Friday, 25 September 2009
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Florida 2003
I've just found the notebook that I used for trip reporting from our holidays to Florida in December 2003 and June 2004, so below, for posterity, is the December 2003 one (with a selection of photos added from Flickr). 2004 report to follow later.
Florida - 2 - 16 December 2003
Staying at - Sheraton Vistana Resort
Cast of characters - me, Nicky, Jake, Nanny & Grandad
Tuesday 2 December
A very long day today - we've all settled in to our apartment now though, and we're well and truly ready for bed.
Early impressions of Vistana are not the best, but I think that's caused by a number of factors - arriving in the dark after a long day, and having high expectations based on the brochure blurb. However, I think back to our very first night in Orlando at the Holiday Inn - we really wondered what we'd let ourselves in for, but we ended up loving it and having a fantastic time - so let's reserve judgement for now.
One thing that I think is great is having the kitchen. I doubt if we'll actually cook much, but I really enjoyed being able to simply have a piece of toast when peckish! Also, the apartment is very spacious - lots of room for Jake to play (although I have to confess to being a little bit jealous of John and Margaret's enormous en suite room with the huge bed - but we had to have the smaller second bedroom as its the only one with two beds).
Time for bed now - we're all knackered. It's off to the welcome meeting in the morning.
Wednesday 3 December
Another full up day - it's half past ten and we're all about to turn in becuase we have the Sheraton timeshare presentation to attend in the morning at half past seven (for going we get 5 4-day Disney hoppers for $700 - a really good deal).
We were all up very early this morning - still adjusting to the time difference. Went for a walk around the lake outside our apartment, and then off to find our welcome meeting in reception. But, the Virgin rep didn't show. When I called it turned out that they'd made a mistake between Vistana and Villages and so no Virgin meeting! So, we talked to the Sheraton people and, typical of us, moaned about our first room and got moved to a nicer one (more modern, better location, but a bit less spacious).
Went to Downtown Disney for a look around and a bit of shopping before coming back here to move our stuff. Then, off to the Pointe and FAO Schwartz. Grandad wanted to buy Jake something but, bless him, he couldn't decide. Met Heather and Andy at FAO, then went to IHOP for dinner.
After coming back here (Jake asleep within one minute of getting in the car!) Nicky and I had our first trip of the holiday to Walgreens!
Thursday 4 December
Well today was really the day the whole holiday was about - Jake and the Magic Kingdom - fantastic!
Early start this morning, and timeshare presentation with a British lady called Maureen - all very nice, but £12k, and they did overstep their 90 mins a bit, but it was worth it to get the 5 4-day Disney passes for $700.
Then off to the Magic Kingdom, and despite not getting there until 10:30 to 11ish, we packed a lot into our day:
- Buzz Lightyear ride
- TTA
- Space Mountain (me only!)
- lunch
- Winnie the Pooh ride
- Carousel
- It's a Small World
- Philharmagic
- Parade (Jake joined in)
- Paddle Steamer (Jake fell asleep)
- Haunted Mansion (me and Nicky only)
- Thunder Mountain (me and Nicky only)
- Peter Pan (Jake woke up).
Also, Jake managed to meet and get autographs from his favourite characters - Buzz and Captain Hook.
May need a second day at MK? Still lots we didn't do - Toontown Fair, Adventureland, Spectromagic (had to leave by 6pm due to separate evening event in MK). We'll have to see if time permits.
Despite being worn out already, Nicky and I went to the Premium Outlets this evening. I got 2 new tops, a CD and some wooden jewellery (!) Nicky got a T-shirt for Jake, and Nicky didn't get anything. I'm sure she'll get her revenge at Belz!
Friday 5 December
A fairly quiet day today after our busy time at the Magic Kingdom. We were up quite late (Jake slept solidly until 9:30) and we didn't leave our apartment until about 11am.
Went to Perkins on the corner of I-Drive and Sand Lake Road for brunch and then on to Belz. Nicky did better in the shopping stakes today, and got a new bag and a new jacket and top. We went over to the new Festival Bay shopping centre, which is a much nicer shopping environment than the main part of Belz, but is still fairly empty - lots of units still to let.
Popped in to Quality Inn to go to the Virgin office and book our Virgin Valet for going home (Downtown Disney check-in) and we were reminded of how much nicer our resort is compared to Quality Inn! Stopped in at Goodings (supermarket on I-Drive near Mercado) and got a few things, and I found my Unique Homes magazine.
John isn't very well, so has retired to bed early with some medicine - hopefully building up his strenght for a visit to Epcot tomorrow.
Saturday 6 December
Change of plan this morning and it was off to Disney Studios rather than Epcot - partly at Jake's request and partly because Grandad wasn't feeling too good and I think he wants to save Epcot until he's on top form. It was a long trousers and fleece day today, and dead cold at times, but the forecast says that it should be getting warmer over the next few days.
Again we managed to fit a lot into the day, and in amongst the rides, Jake managed to meet a load more characters: Tigger, Hercules and Phil, Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Meiko (from Pocahontas), and Mickey Mouse!
Today we did:
- The Little Mermaid
- Playhouse Disney (including Bear!)
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (M&N)
- Muppet Vison
- Great Movie Ride (M&N)
- Beauty and the Beast
We left the Studios at about 5:30 and did think about going over to Epcot for Illuminations, but decided that it was just too cold. So we came back here and Grandad went to bed. The rest of us went to Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, had tea at the food court and had a look at the stores (our favourite - Old Navy!).
Sunday 7 December
Late start today, and we went off to Downtown Disney at about 11am. Had a good look around the Virgin Megastore (a couple of Disney books in there that I might get towards the end of the holiday). Then, having met up with Heather and Andy, we met with Judy and Jo (John and Margaret's friends from their cruise) and their granddaughter Amy. Had lunch with them at the House of Blues, and then had another look around Downtown. Went for drinks again at Ghiradelli's - and got it right this time - had a chocolate malt!
Nicky got Jake another box full of Mr Potato Head bits to go with the other box that Grandad got at MGM yesterday.
Came back to the apartment at about 5ish, and then headed out to dinner at about 6:30. Went along the road to Ponderosa - our first time! Very filling!
Meeting up with H&A again in the morning, and then it's off to Islands of Adventure.
Monday 8 December
Today was Islands of Adventure. We started by meeting Heather and Andy at their hotel (a bit like Quality Inn) and having breakfast at the Village Inn next to it. Then it was off to the park.
We started off with Nicky, Margaret and Jake heading for Seuss Landing whilst the rest of us went to get Universal Express (Fastpass) tickets for the Hulk. There was no queue at all, so John and I had a quick ride before we went back to join the others in Seuss Landing. Jake had discovered the playground - a place we returned to many times! Then it was goes on the Caro-Seuss-el and Cat in the Hat (surprisingly sick-making) before going back to the Hulk to use our Express tickets.
We carried on clockwise around the park - Jake found an arcade which we played in for a while, and then Nicky and I, and Heather and Andy went on the Spiderman ride - great fun! Next everyone else went to the Sinbad show whilst Nicky and I took Jake back to Seuss Landing - lots of fun in the playground plus very wet shoes and trousers for me! I spent most of the afternoon walking around barefoot having changed into my shorts.
At about 4 o'clock I finally plucked up the courage to go on Duelling Dragons - did the red coaster first, and then to my own surprise went straight back and did the blue one! It was so quiet today that there wasn't even a queue for this one (I think that the longest queue of the entire day was Jake and Heather waiting 5 mins for One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish).
I walked back round to the Port of Entry area where everyone else was, and Nicky had decided that she wanted to go on the Hulk again, so we went on one more time (5 coaster rides in one day for me!).
We left the park and did a bit of shopping in the City Walk area (keyring watch for me and opal bangle for Nicky). Jake dozed off and has been asleep ever since! Nicky, Margaret and I went to Zimmie's in our resort for dinner whilst the other boys slept.
Tuesday 9 December
Had a late start today, and went for a look around Celebration. Had lunch at the Boston Town Tavern, and had clam chowder for the second time ever. Maybe not quite as good as Legal Sea Foods in Boston, but still pretty cool! Made the same mistake again of ordering a main course after clam chowder, and could hardly eat any of it.
After lunch and a quick look around the Celebration shops, we went to Mall at Millenia, which is a very nice shopping centre. Had a good look around - Macy's, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany, Gucci ... , and bought Nicky a bracelet from Tiffany's.
Slobbed out here at the apartment this evening. Nicky and I popped out to Wendy's for a takeaway. I think it's off to Seaworld tomorrow - I wonder if anyone will come on Kraken with me!
Wednesday 10 December
Seaworld today, and again it was pretty quiet. Started off going to the Key West Dolphin Show, then over to Shamu Stadium. Fantastic shows as ever, and took loads of photos. Then we went to the circus show, which was a bit different to last time, and a whole lot cheaper than going to La Nouba!
We were hoping to go up the Sky Tower, and we'd paid our money and got to the front of the line, only to be turned back because it was too windy. We also had some rain today, but it didn't matter as we were under cover at shows for a lot of the time.
After lunch we went to the Pets Ahoy show and then the Clyde and Seymour show, both of which Jake loved. Then we went over towards Kraken. On the way we found the sealion and seal feeding pool, and had great fun throwing fish to them. I plucked up the courage and went on the coaster, and it was fantastic - first bit is very high and very steep. Nicky decided to save it for next time!
We got free second day tickets on our way out, so may go back to go up the tower if we get a chance (and Nicky could go on Kraken!).
Went to Denny's for dinner (first time this holiday) and I couldn't resist having Moons over My Hammy (!) and then Heather and Andy came over this evening to admire our lovely apartment.
Thursday 11 December
Once we were all up today we went up to Winter Park for a look around. We wanted to get some lunch there, but everything was either very expensive or didn't look too nice, so we got back in the car and went to the Mercado on I-Drive. We went in to the magic shop as requested by Mark and got him his tricks.
We then went along Sand Lake Road to the Walmart Supercentre - now that's one big shop! Nicky decided to get two 9-foot long Christmas garlands!
Ths evening we left Jake, Nanny and Grandad at the hotel and went out for dinner. We went to the Boardwalk, and after a stroll went to the Big River Grille. Food was lovely - I had meat loaf and Nicky had chicken with a nutty coating, and we shared cheesecake for pudding. For our after dinner stroll, we went to have a look at the Swan and Dolphin hotels - odd places, clearly geared up to big conventions. When we got back Jake was still awake, and has spent the last hour jumping up and down to a parade music CD that we bought this evening!
Friday 12 December
Well if days are to be judged by the number of photos taken then today was fantastic! After a late breakfast at Perkins we went back for our second day at Seaworld. The first thing we did was go up the observation tower - we could definitely see Spaceship Earth and the Tower of Terror. I took loads of photos to study when I can look at them on a bigger screen!
We had a great time with the dolphins, and Nicky fed them - again, lots of photos. I went on Journey to Atlantis and then twice on Kraken whilst everyone else went to see Clyde and Seymour again. Then it was back to feeding the seals and sealions again.
We left Seaworld at about half past three, having only been there for about three hours, but we'd packed a lot in.
Because the weather was so nice, we came back to the hotel (got petrol on the way back - $10 for half a tank - scandalous!) and went for a swim. Jake wasn't too sure at first, but Nicky bought him an inflatable frog / turtle, and very soon he was paddling all around the pool and loving every minute of it.
After we'd had pizza, Judy and Jo came over and we spent the evening with them, as they've got their 9 hour drive home tomorrow.
Saturday 13 December
Today was the Epcot day - well and truly! We had a fairly early start after we'd dragged Jake out of bed following his late night yesterday. We were in the park at about quarter to ten, and first on the list was first on the list was finding Jake's picture in Leave a Legacy. Then we went to the new ride - Mission Space - absolutely amazing simulator ride, and surprisingly not sick-making after all the hype.
Breakfast coffees and pastries were had at our favourite spot - the Fountain View Bakery. Then Nicky, Jake and I went to the Imagination Pavilion, and Jake didn't like the ride (dark bits), but liked the interactive area. We e-mailed ourselves a picture that we took at one of the stands.
Next was meeting lots of characters at the entrance to the World Showcase before heading off to Mexico and Norway. Jake discovered the Viking Ship playground which was a big hit. Going around the World Showcase we took Jake to the Kidcot station in each country, and he now has a mask on a stick with a stamp and a cut-out from each country, and he has his Epcot passport all stamped up.
Did a bit of shopping (new top each for me and Nicky) and then staked out our spot for Illuminations in the Rose & Crown garden and had fish 'n' chips. Jake fell asleep and stayed asleep through all of the Illuminations (wonderful) fireworks. A long day - didn't get back home until 10:30, and unfortunately Jake has woken up!
Sunday 14 December
Very late start today, partly as a result of the late finish yesterday, and partly because it rained all morning anyway. (One piece of non holiday news - today was the day that they announced catching Saddam, so we got to watch President Bush addressing the nation!)
We went over to Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores at about lunchtime, and had lots of fun in the Old Navy store! We bought three tops for me, two tops and a pair of PJ trousers for Nicky, and a top and three pairs of socks for Jake - total cost $76. Then we moved on to the Premium Outlets - bought a couple of T-shirts for Jake (same shirt - different sizes - Nicky liked it!) but otherwise I think the most significant purchase was lunch.
Finally on our shopping day we headed for Downtown and had a fairly major splurge! Jake did very well - Grandad bought the monorail (although Jake doesn't know it yet) and we bought him Buzz, Woody and Zurg, and they had been played with constantly ever since.
Once we were all shopped out we came back here for a while before heading up to I-Drive for a trip to Wild Jack's - and I am excited to report that I finished my full rack of ribs - first time in three attempts!
Tomorrow is our last full day, so guess what, it's off to the Magic Kingdom!
Monday 15 December
We were up and out at half past eight this morning, in order to make sure that we made the most of our last day at the Magic Kingdom. We got the monorail through the Contemporary Resort to the park, and then went straight on the WDW railroad. We planned to get off at Toontown, but that didn't open until 10am, so ended up doing the full circuit. We wandered down Main Street, and had coffee and a pastry from the bakery, before going back to Adventureland. Jake did the magic carpet ride twice, once with me and Nicky and once with Nanny and Grandad. We did Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise (both without Jake). When me, Nanny and Grandad. When me, Nanny and Grandad got off the Jungle Cruise we found Jake and Mum at the front of the queue to meet Genie!
Nicky and I took Jake over to Toontown whilst Nanny and Grandad did some shopping, then Nicky took Jake on the Dumbo ride before we went for lunch at Crystal Palace with Winnie, Eeyore, Tigger and Piglet.
After lunch, Nicky took Jake on the Asto Orbiter whilst me, Nanny and Grandad went to see Philharmagic again. Then we watched the Cinderella show in front of the castle (Jake went to sleep!). Then some shopping on Main Street and staking out a spot to watch Spectromagic, which Jake woke up just in time for.
Then, sadly it was home to case-packing, for tomorrow we have to go home!
Florida - 2 - 16 December 2003
Staying at - Sheraton Vistana Resort
Cast of characters - me, Nicky, Jake, Nanny & Grandad
Tuesday 2 December
A very long day today - we've all settled in to our apartment now though, and we're well and truly ready for bed.
Early impressions of Vistana are not the best, but I think that's caused by a number of factors - arriving in the dark after a long day, and having high expectations based on the brochure blurb. However, I think back to our very first night in Orlando at the Holiday Inn - we really wondered what we'd let ourselves in for, but we ended up loving it and having a fantastic time - so let's reserve judgement for now.
One thing that I think is great is having the kitchen. I doubt if we'll actually cook much, but I really enjoyed being able to simply have a piece of toast when peckish! Also, the apartment is very spacious - lots of room for Jake to play (although I have to confess to being a little bit jealous of John and Margaret's enormous en suite room with the huge bed - but we had to have the smaller second bedroom as its the only one with two beds).
Time for bed now - we're all knackered. It's off to the welcome meeting in the morning.
Wednesday 3 December
Another full up day - it's half past ten and we're all about to turn in becuase we have the Sheraton timeshare presentation to attend in the morning at half past seven (for going we get 5 4-day Disney hoppers for $700 - a really good deal).
We were all up very early this morning - still adjusting to the time difference. Went for a walk around the lake outside our apartment, and then off to find our welcome meeting in reception. But, the Virgin rep didn't show. When I called it turned out that they'd made a mistake between Vistana and Villages and so no Virgin meeting! So, we talked to the Sheraton people and, typical of us, moaned about our first room and got moved to a nicer one (more modern, better location, but a bit less spacious).Went to Downtown Disney for a look around and a bit of shopping before coming back here to move our stuff. Then, off to the Pointe and FAO Schwartz. Grandad wanted to buy Jake something but, bless him, he couldn't decide. Met Heather and Andy at FAO, then went to IHOP for dinner.
After coming back here (Jake asleep within one minute of getting in the car!) Nicky and I had our first trip of the holiday to Walgreens!
Thursday 4 December
Well today was really the day the whole holiday was about - Jake and the Magic Kingdom - fantastic!
Early start this morning, and timeshare presentation with a British lady called Maureen - all very nice, but £12k, and they did overstep their 90 mins a bit, but it was worth it to get the 5 4-day Disney passes for $700.
Then off to the Magic Kingdom, and despite not getting there until 10:30 to 11ish, we packed a lot into our day:
- Buzz Lightyear ride
- TTA
- Space Mountain (me only!)
- lunch
- Winnie the Pooh ride
- Carousel
- It's a Small World
- Philharmagic
- Parade (Jake joined in)
- Paddle Steamer (Jake fell asleep)
- Haunted Mansion (me and Nicky only)
- Thunder Mountain (me and Nicky only)
- Peter Pan (Jake woke up).
Also, Jake managed to meet and get autographs from his favourite characters - Buzz and Captain Hook.May need a second day at MK? Still lots we didn't do - Toontown Fair, Adventureland, Spectromagic (had to leave by 6pm due to separate evening event in MK). We'll have to see if time permits.
Despite being worn out already, Nicky and I went to the Premium Outlets this evening. I got 2 new tops, a CD and some wooden jewellery (!) Nicky got a T-shirt for Jake, and Nicky didn't get anything. I'm sure she'll get her revenge at Belz!
Friday 5 December
A fairly quiet day today after our busy time at the Magic Kingdom. We were up quite late (Jake slept solidly until 9:30) and we didn't leave our apartment until about 11am.
Went to Perkins on the corner of I-Drive and Sand Lake Road for brunch and then on to Belz. Nicky did better in the shopping stakes today, and got a new bag and a new jacket and top. We went over to the new Festival Bay shopping centre, which is a much nicer shopping environment than the main part of Belz, but is still fairly empty - lots of units still to let.
Popped in to Quality Inn to go to the Virgin office and book our Virgin Valet for going home (Downtown Disney check-in) and we were reminded of how much nicer our resort is compared to Quality Inn! Stopped in at Goodings (supermarket on I-Drive near Mercado) and got a few things, and I found my Unique Homes magazine.
John isn't very well, so has retired to bed early with some medicine - hopefully building up his strenght for a visit to Epcot tomorrow.
Saturday 6 December
Change of plan this morning and it was off to Disney Studios rather than Epcot - partly at Jake's request and partly because Grandad wasn't feeling too good and I think he wants to save Epcot until he's on top form. It was a long trousers and fleece day today, and dead cold at times, but the forecast says that it should be getting warmer over the next few days.
Again we managed to fit a lot into the day, and in amongst the rides, Jake managed to meet a load more characters: Tigger, Hercules and Phil, Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Meiko (from Pocahontas), and Mickey Mouse!Today we did:
- The Little Mermaid
- Playhouse Disney (including Bear!)
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (M&N)
- Muppet Vison
- Great Movie Ride (M&N)
- Beauty and the Beast
We left the Studios at about 5:30 and did think about going over to Epcot for Illuminations, but decided that it was just too cold. So we came back here and Grandad went to bed. The rest of us went to Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, had tea at the food court and had a look at the stores (our favourite - Old Navy!).
Sunday 7 December
Late start today, and we went off to Downtown Disney at about 11am. Had a good look around the Virgin Megastore (a couple of Disney books in there that I might get towards the end of the holiday). Then, having met up with Heather and Andy, we met with Judy and Jo (John and Margaret's friends from their cruise) and their granddaughter Amy. Had lunch with them at the House of Blues, and then had another look around Downtown. Went for drinks again at Ghiradelli's - and got it right this time - had a chocolate malt!
Nicky got Jake another box full of Mr Potato Head bits to go with the other box that Grandad got at MGM yesterday.
Came back to the apartment at about 5ish, and then headed out to dinner at about 6:30. Went along the road to Ponderosa - our first time! Very filling!
Meeting up with H&A again in the morning, and then it's off to Islands of Adventure.
Monday 8 December
Today was Islands of Adventure. We started by meeting Heather and Andy at their hotel (a bit like Quality Inn) and having breakfast at the Village Inn next to it. Then it was off to the park.
We started off with Nicky, Margaret and Jake heading for Seuss Landing whilst the rest of us went to get Universal Express (Fastpass) tickets for the Hulk. There was no queue at all, so John and I had a quick ride before we went back to join the others in Seuss Landing. Jake had discovered the playground - a place we returned to many times! Then it was goes on the Caro-Seuss-el and Cat in the Hat (surprisingly sick-making) before going back to the Hulk to use our Express tickets.We carried on clockwise around the park - Jake found an arcade which we played in for a while, and then Nicky and I, and Heather and Andy went on the Spiderman ride - great fun! Next everyone else went to the Sinbad show whilst Nicky and I took Jake back to Seuss Landing - lots of fun in the playground plus very wet shoes and trousers for me! I spent most of the afternoon walking around barefoot having changed into my shorts.
At about 4 o'clock I finally plucked up the courage to go on Duelling Dragons - did the red coaster first, and then to my own surprise went straight back and did the blue one! It was so quiet today that there wasn't even a queue for this one (I think that the longest queue of the entire day was Jake and Heather waiting 5 mins for One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish).
I walked back round to the Port of Entry area where everyone else was, and Nicky had decided that she wanted to go on the Hulk again, so we went on one more time (5 coaster rides in one day for me!).
We left the park and did a bit of shopping in the City Walk area (keyring watch for me and opal bangle for Nicky). Jake dozed off and has been asleep ever since! Nicky, Margaret and I went to Zimmie's in our resort for dinner whilst the other boys slept.Tuesday 9 December
Had a late start today, and went for a look around Celebration. Had lunch at the Boston Town Tavern, and had clam chowder for the second time ever. Maybe not quite as good as Legal Sea Foods in Boston, but still pretty cool! Made the same mistake again of ordering a main course after clam chowder, and could hardly eat any of it.
After lunch and a quick look around the Celebration shops, we went to Mall at Millenia, which is a very nice shopping centre. Had a good look around - Macy's, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany, Gucci ... , and bought Nicky a bracelet from Tiffany's.
Slobbed out here at the apartment this evening. Nicky and I popped out to Wendy's for a takeaway. I think it's off to Seaworld tomorrow - I wonder if anyone will come on Kraken with me!
Wednesday 10 December
Seaworld today, and again it was pretty quiet. Started off going to the Key West Dolphin Show, then over to Shamu Stadium. Fantastic shows as ever, and took loads of photos. Then we went to the circus show, which was a bit different to last time, and a whole lot cheaper than going to La Nouba!We were hoping to go up the Sky Tower, and we'd paid our money and got to the front of the line, only to be turned back because it was too windy. We also had some rain today, but it didn't matter as we were under cover at shows for a lot of the time.
After lunch we went to the Pets Ahoy show and then the Clyde and Seymour show, both of which Jake loved. Then we went over towards Kraken. On the way we found the sealion and seal feeding pool, and had great fun throwing fish to them. I plucked up the courage and went on the coaster, and it was fantastic - first bit is very high and very steep. Nicky decided to save it for next time!
We got free second day tickets on our way out, so may go back to go up the tower if we get a chance (and Nicky could go on Kraken!).
Went to Denny's for dinner (first time this holiday) and I couldn't resist having Moons over My Hammy (!) and then Heather and Andy came over this evening to admire our lovely apartment.
Thursday 11 December
Once we were all up today we went up to Winter Park for a look around. We wanted to get some lunch there, but everything was either very expensive or didn't look too nice, so we got back in the car and went to the Mercado on I-Drive. We went in to the magic shop as requested by Mark and got him his tricks.
We then went along Sand Lake Road to the Walmart Supercentre - now that's one big shop! Nicky decided to get two 9-foot long Christmas garlands!
Ths evening we left Jake, Nanny and Grandad at the hotel and went out for dinner. We went to the Boardwalk, and after a stroll went to the Big River Grille. Food was lovely - I had meat loaf and Nicky had chicken with a nutty coating, and we shared cheesecake for pudding. For our after dinner stroll, we went to have a look at the Swan and Dolphin hotels - odd places, clearly geared up to big conventions. When we got back Jake was still awake, and has spent the last hour jumping up and down to a parade music CD that we bought this evening!
Friday 12 December
Well if days are to be judged by the number of photos taken then today was fantastic! After a late breakfast at Perkins we went back for our second day at Seaworld. The first thing we did was go up the observation tower - we could definitely see Spaceship Earth and the Tower of Terror. I took loads of photos to study when I can look at them on a bigger screen!
We had a great time with the dolphins, and Nicky fed them - again, lots of photos. I went on Journey to Atlantis and then twice on Kraken whilst everyone else went to see Clyde and Seymour again. Then it was back to feeding the seals and sealions again.We left Seaworld at about half past three, having only been there for about three hours, but we'd packed a lot in.
Because the weather was so nice, we came back to the hotel (got petrol on the way back - $10 for half a tank - scandalous!) and went for a swim. Jake wasn't too sure at first, but Nicky bought him an inflatable frog / turtle, and very soon he was paddling all around the pool and loving every minute of it.
After we'd had pizza, Judy and Jo came over and we spent the evening with them, as they've got their 9 hour drive home tomorrow.
Saturday 13 December
Today was the Epcot day - well and truly! We had a fairly early start after we'd dragged Jake out of bed following his late night yesterday. We were in the park at about quarter to ten, and first on the list was first on the list was finding Jake's picture in Leave a Legacy. Then we went to the new ride - Mission Space - absolutely amazing simulator ride, and surprisingly not sick-making after all the hype.Breakfast coffees and pastries were had at our favourite spot - the Fountain View Bakery. Then Nicky, Jake and I went to the Imagination Pavilion, and Jake didn't like the ride (dark bits), but liked the interactive area. We e-mailed ourselves a picture that we took at one of the stands.
Next was meeting lots of characters at the entrance to the World Showcase before heading off to Mexico and Norway. Jake discovered the Viking Ship playground which was a big hit. Going around the World Showcase we took Jake to the Kidcot station in each country, and he now has a mask on a stick with a stamp and a cut-out from each country, and he has his Epcot passport all stamped up.Did a bit of shopping (new top each for me and Nicky) and then staked out our spot for Illuminations in the Rose & Crown garden and had fish 'n' chips. Jake fell asleep and stayed asleep through all of the Illuminations (wonderful) fireworks. A long day - didn't get back home until 10:30, and unfortunately Jake has woken up!
Sunday 14 December
Very late start today, partly as a result of the late finish yesterday, and partly because it rained all morning anyway. (One piece of non holiday news - today was the day that they announced catching Saddam, so we got to watch President Bush addressing the nation!)
We went over to Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores at about lunchtime, and had lots of fun in the Old Navy store! We bought three tops for me, two tops and a pair of PJ trousers for Nicky, and a top and three pairs of socks for Jake - total cost $76. Then we moved on to the Premium Outlets - bought a couple of T-shirts for Jake (same shirt - different sizes - Nicky liked it!) but otherwise I think the most significant purchase was lunch.
Finally on our shopping day we headed for Downtown and had a fairly major splurge! Jake did very well - Grandad bought the monorail (although Jake doesn't know it yet) and we bought him Buzz, Woody and Zurg, and they had been played with constantly ever since.
Once we were all shopped out we came back here for a while before heading up to I-Drive for a trip to Wild Jack's - and I am excited to report that I finished my full rack of ribs - first time in three attempts!
Tomorrow is our last full day, so guess what, it's off to the Magic Kingdom!
Monday 15 December
We were up and out at half past eight this morning, in order to make sure that we made the most of our last day at the Magic Kingdom. We got the monorail through the Contemporary Resort to the park, and then went straight on the WDW railroad. We planned to get off at Toontown, but that didn't open until 10am, so ended up doing the full circuit. We wandered down Main Street, and had coffee and a pastry from the bakery, before going back to Adventureland. Jake did the magic carpet ride twice, once with me and Nicky and once with Nanny and Grandad. We did Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise (both without Jake). When me, Nanny and Grandad. When me, Nanny and Grandad got off the Jungle Cruise we found Jake and Mum at the front of the queue to meet Genie!Nicky and I took Jake over to Toontown whilst Nanny and Grandad did some shopping, then Nicky took Jake on the Dumbo ride before we went for lunch at Crystal Palace with Winnie, Eeyore, Tigger and Piglet.
After lunch, Nicky took Jake on the Asto Orbiter whilst me, Nanny and Grandad went to see Philharmagic again. Then we watched the Cinderella show in front of the castle (Jake went to sleep!). Then some shopping on Main Street and staking out a spot to watch Spectromagic, which Jake woke up just in time for.
Then, sadly it was home to case-packing, for tomorrow we have to go home!
Friday, 11 September 2009
Starting Over
I finished off "Starting Over" on Thursday night, the latest book from Tony Parsons. I was looking at it the day before I had my funny turn (!) and thought that it sounded like an amusing but slightly silly idea about a man who has a heart transplant, and whose personality and outlook on life seems to change completely as a result.
Sensing a small amount of current relevance, Nicky bought it for me on the way down to Southampton to get on our mini cruise, but I didn't get round to starting it until after we'd got home.
The book was a light and entertaining read, all about families and how they change over time as one generation grows up, another finds its way into and through middle age, and how the grandparents start to get properly old! I'm not sure that I can necessarily tell you that the book reached any epic and surprising conclusions, but I think that the overall conclusions were a mixture of carpe-ing the diem and realising and valuing what you've already got.
Today has been a lazy day (for me anyway) and I had a long lie in, got up late, and pretty much all I've done is take the dog on a nice long walk. The house is full of flowers - a sign that 11+ tests are about to happen, and Nicky has just headed off to the shops, taking the IQ out for a spin for the first time. Jake is shouting at the TV because Chelsea are only drawing against Stoke with only a few minutes to go.
I've been thinking about things that I failed to mention in my previous post about things to do when we go to Florida in December, and here's a couple more:
Sensing a small amount of current relevance, Nicky bought it for me on the way down to Southampton to get on our mini cruise, but I didn't get round to starting it until after we'd got home.
The book was a light and entertaining read, all about families and how they change over time as one generation grows up, another finds its way into and through middle age, and how the grandparents start to get properly old! I'm not sure that I can necessarily tell you that the book reached any epic and surprising conclusions, but I think that the overall conclusions were a mixture of carpe-ing the diem and realising and valuing what you've already got.
Today has been a lazy day (for me anyway) and I had a long lie in, got up late, and pretty much all I've done is take the dog on a nice long walk. The house is full of flowers - a sign that 11+ tests are about to happen, and Nicky has just headed off to the shops, taking the IQ out for a spin for the first time. Jake is shouting at the TV because Chelsea are only drawing against Stoke with only a few minutes to go.I've been thinking about things that I failed to mention in my previous post about things to do when we go to Florida in December, and here's a couple more:
- have a go on the Segways at Ecpot
- go for a skillet lunch at the Whispering Canyon Cafe.
By the way Chelsea have just scored deep into injury time and so smiles have reappeared on the other sofa!
Monday, 7 September 2009
100 days
Today it is eaxctly 100 days until our next Disney trip. Not that we're counting down or anything, but it is entertaining to note that I also did a post just over 3 months ago called 200 days!
Plans for what we are going to do on this trip seem to be developing, as well as increasing in scope. Looks like we may need to do some fairly careful planning to make sure that we can fit everything in. Mind you, there's a fair likelihood that we will know where to find Grandad at 9pm most evenings, due to our proximity to Epcot!
Unfortunately, All Ears only shows the Extra Magic Hours schedule up to the end of November so far. We need to keep an eye on this page, and hopefully the December hours will appear soon.
Plans for this trip include:
Plans for what we are going to do on this trip seem to be developing, as well as increasing in scope. Looks like we may need to do some fairly careful planning to make sure that we can fit everything in. Mind you, there's a fair likelihood that we will know where to find Grandad at 9pm most evenings, due to our proximity to Epcot!
Unfortunately, All Ears only shows the Extra Magic Hours schedule up to the end of November so far. We need to keep an eye on this page, and hopefully the December hours will appear soon.
Plans for this trip include:
- taking Nanny and Grandad to Teppan Edo (besides which, we really want to go back);
- going on a trip to Kennedy Space Center, as it's been a while since we visited;
- enjoying a nice meal out for our wedding anniversary - Emeril's at City Walk looks rather nice, or possibly Bice at Portofino Bay, which has a yummy looking menu, and the pictures don't look too bad either;
- going to Beaches and Cream and doing justice to a Kitchen Sink!;
- Cape May cafe for a buffet, to include a bowl or two of their clam chowder;
- having discovered how much we like it on our cruise, going for a burger and a malt at Johnny Rocket's (and we have three to choose from in Orlando).
I know that all apart from one of the above list are food-related. It's not that we're obsessed, just that all of the park stuff is assumed to be on the list anyway!
Sunday, 6 September 2009
Swim time
It's Sunday morning, it's September, and so that can mean only one thing - Jake is back in the pool for swimming lessons with Bex. As per usual a fair amount of time seems to be spent on chatting rather than swimming, but already he's practicing front crawl with head in the water, breathing every third stroke.
My time signed off work comes to an end tomorrow and I have an appointment with Dr Nathan in the afternoon to see how I am getting on. Hopefully it will be OK to start getting back to work gradually, and I can go in to the office on Tuesday to catch up with people and then work from home for a day or two. My next blood test is on Thursday morning. Last Thursday's showed that my INR had gone down to 2.0 so I am staying on 3mg for most of this week, with just a couple of days on 4mg, presumably to move it up by a few decimal points. Annoyingly I have a bit of a cold at the moment and I'm not supposed to have Lemsip at the moment, so Nicky is making me honey and lemon drinks. Need to make sure that they don't think I've got swine flu at the doctors or they won't let me in!
Jake and Bex are sat on the side at the moment and Bex is trying to to persuade Jake to try a little dive. No luck so far!
My time signed off work comes to an end tomorrow and I have an appointment with Dr Nathan in the afternoon to see how I am getting on. Hopefully it will be OK to start getting back to work gradually, and I can go in to the office on Tuesday to catch up with people and then work from home for a day or two. My next blood test is on Thursday morning. Last Thursday's showed that my INR had gone down to 2.0 so I am staying on 3mg for most of this week, with just a couple of days on 4mg, presumably to move it up by a few decimal points. Annoyingly I have a bit of a cold at the moment and I'm not supposed to have Lemsip at the moment, so Nicky is making me honey and lemon drinks. Need to make sure that they don't think I've got swine flu at the doctors or they won't let me in!
Jake and Bex are sat on the side at the moment and Bex is trying to to persuade Jake to try a little dive. No luck so far!
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Chelsea tour
Yesterday we took Jake up to London for a rather delayed summer holiday treat - a trip to Stamford Bridge. We got the train from Chatham and hopped in a cab at Victoria, arriving in time to get on the one o'clock tour.
Jake absolutely loved it - highlights being:
- going to the press room and getting a picture at the desk where all of the interviews are done and where all of the players sign their contracts;
- seeing the changing rooms, and in particular getting a picture with Frank Lampard's shirt;
- looking round the museum and getting a picture taken with the FA Cup and the Community Shield;
- and of course a trip to the Chelsea Megastore.
We didn't leave until about half past three, and in all of the excitement lunch had rather passed us by, so we wandered up Fulham Road to Pizza Express for a late lunch /early tea.
The next challenge is going to be getting some tickets for a match some time soon. Apparently, one of the families that Nicky goes to for tutoring are season ticket holders, so this might help!
Jake absolutely loved it - highlights being:
- going to the press room and getting a picture at the desk where all of the interviews are done and where all of the players sign their contracts;
- seeing the changing rooms, and in particular getting a picture with Frank Lampard's shirt;
- looking round the museum and getting a picture taken with the FA Cup and the Community Shield;
- and of course a trip to the Chelsea Megastore.
We didn't leave until about half past three, and in all of the excitement lunch had rather passed us by, so we wandered up Fulham Road to Pizza Express for a late lunch /early tea.
The next challenge is going to be getting some tickets for a match some time soon. Apparently, one of the families that Nicky goes to for tutoring are season ticket holders, so this might help!
Thursday, 3 September 2009
A Marvellous idea?
So Disney are buying Marvel for around $4 billion - an interesting and surprising deal. Apparently this will give them access to a catalogue of about 5,000 characters. Not being a big comic book fan, I'm not sure how many of them I could name! (As an aside I wonder how many recognisable characters there are in the Disney stable. I doubt it is as much as 5,000 but I expect that it is more than one would imagine.)
Probably the main reason for the deal relates to cinematic opportunities - look at the success of Spiderman, Iron Man, Hulk and so on movies over the last ten years or so. However for a park junkie and DVC member, the obvious question arising from this deal is what will the impact be on the theme parks? As many have pointed out already Mickey Mouse and Spiderman aren't exactly obvious buddies, and introducing Marvel characters to Disney parks would need to be done with extreme care to avoid muddling and diluting both brands. However, there really must be an opportunity here to do something positive.
Murmurings are increasing about a fifth park at Disney World in Florida, and a park themed around the Marvel characters could be just what is required. Since WDW opened in 1971 there has been a new park opened approximately every ten years, and yet the Animal Kingdom opened more than ten years ago now and there are no obvious plans in the pipeline for gate number five. Also some say that Disney has been focusing on the girls recently at the cost of the boys - think Princesses, High School Musical and Hannah Montana. The Marvel acquisition gives the Mouse an opportunity to redress the balance (look out for Marvel cartoons on the new Disney XD TV channel?) and a Marvel-based theme park in Orlando would no doubt be a big hit with the boys - young and old!
But we come up against a rather large problem here called Universal. They already have the Islands of Adventure park in Orlando and one of their most popular areas is called Marvel Superhero Island which includes some of the park's headline attractions, including the Hulk Coaster, Dr Doom's Fear Fall and Spiderman. Some of the reporting on the deal has stated that Universal have an agreement with Marvel that they have exclusive rights to use the Marvel characters in any theme parks in the US east of the Mississippi. If this is true then this could well scupper any plans that Disney might have to introduce Marvel to the parks. No doubt this agreement would have been reviewed in some depth as part of the due diligence process and Bob Iger will have gone ahead with the deal fully aware of any restrictions in place.
The fact that the agreement apparently only refers to parks in the Eastern USA seems scant consolation. If Disney were to introduce Marvel-based attraction in California, Paris or other locations, wouldn't this only serve to encourage people to visit IOA on their Orlando trips, and Disney could really do without that additional pressure. Seems to me that they have enough of a scrap on with Universal already, especially with the arrival of Harry Potter at Universal in the near future.
So, where does all of this leave us as far as theme parks are concerned? Assuming the reporting of the Universal deal is right, my best guess is that we will see very little, if any, impact on the theme parks in the next few years, but frankly, your guess is as good as mine!
Probably the main reason for the deal relates to cinematic opportunities - look at the success of Spiderman, Iron Man, Hulk and so on movies over the last ten years or so. However for a park junkie and DVC member, the obvious question arising from this deal is what will the impact be on the theme parks? As many have pointed out already Mickey Mouse and Spiderman aren't exactly obvious buddies, and introducing Marvel characters to Disney parks would need to be done with extreme care to avoid muddling and diluting both brands. However, there really must be an opportunity here to do something positive.
Murmurings are increasing about a fifth park at Disney World in Florida, and a park themed around the Marvel characters could be just what is required. Since WDW opened in 1971 there has been a new park opened approximately every ten years, and yet the Animal Kingdom opened more than ten years ago now and there are no obvious plans in the pipeline for gate number five. Also some say that Disney has been focusing on the girls recently at the cost of the boys - think Princesses, High School Musical and Hannah Montana. The Marvel acquisition gives the Mouse an opportunity to redress the balance (look out for Marvel cartoons on the new Disney XD TV channel?) and a Marvel-based theme park in Orlando would no doubt be a big hit with the boys - young and old!
But we come up against a rather large problem here called Universal. They already have the Islands of Adventure park in Orlando and one of their most popular areas is called Marvel Superhero Island which includes some of the park's headline attractions, including the Hulk Coaster, Dr Doom's Fear Fall and Spiderman. Some of the reporting on the deal has stated that Universal have an agreement with Marvel that they have exclusive rights to use the Marvel characters in any theme parks in the US east of the Mississippi. If this is true then this could well scupper any plans that Disney might have to introduce Marvel to the parks. No doubt this agreement would have been reviewed in some depth as part of the due diligence process and Bob Iger will have gone ahead with the deal fully aware of any restrictions in place.
The fact that the agreement apparently only refers to parks in the Eastern USA seems scant consolation. If Disney were to introduce Marvel-based attraction in California, Paris or other locations, wouldn't this only serve to encourage people to visit IOA on their Orlando trips, and Disney could really do without that additional pressure. Seems to me that they have enough of a scrap on with Universal already, especially with the arrival of Harry Potter at Universal in the near future.
So, where does all of this leave us as far as theme parks are concerned? Assuming the reporting of the Universal deal is right, my best guess is that we will see very little, if any, impact on the theme parks in the next few years, but frankly, your guess is as good as mine!
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