GOS
06-24-2007, 11:53 AM
Saturday 19th May 2007
As with our past trips, Marion Cabs (my good friend) was booked for collection for 4.30am. The trip to Heathrow was an unknown, and with check-in opening at 6.00am we decided on an early start. Heathrow also does not have Twilight Check-in. My sister flew from Heathrow only a month earlier and queued for two hours to check-in and one hour to clear security, so Rick and I wanted to get through to the departure lounge ASAP.
What do you do whilst you’re waiting for the desks to open I hear you ask…well why not weigh your luggage? Yes, Rick takes each case, one by one, over to the scales, just to check.
Our cases were all within our PE allowance, not that we could do anything about the weight, except to wear some of the clothes! On-line check-in worked last night and we had printed off our boarding passes so we only had to check in our luggage – the desks opened promptly at 6.00am and we were in the Departure Lounge by 7.00am.
Breakfast is next, but Heathrow does not have McDonalds – our usual treat – so I suggest that Rick has an Egg & Bacon Panini from Café Italia. It’s delicious and well worth the extra. I have a Starbucks Coffee (Rick just doesn’t understand the attraction of Starbucks) as I wait until I’m on the plane to eat. The anxiety really does strange things to my stomach.
The usual magazines, water, Cadbury’s chocolate are purchased from WH Smith and then we try and find somewhere comfortable and away from screaming kids to sit and wait for the gate to be announced.
The gate for our 11am flight is announced and we walk to the gate. The security is tight but efficiently undertaken, Mustang Sally is waiting and we are onboard quickly. The flight takes off on time. The PE changes on this flight were new packs and metal cutlery. They haven’t got round to changing the seats yet on this plane. The pack contents are no different although it’s now mauve and made of a different material. The blankets have also changed. Meals are good though and dessert is a lovely pot of chocolate GU. Nothing happens during the flight, watch a couple of good movies – Music & Lyrics, Happy Feet,Open Season. I give up on Norbit, as it was rubbish.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/124143CIMG0122-med.JPG
We land at 2.00pm (10.00pm UK time) and we are through to pick up the hotel shuttle within 45 minutes.
By 4.15pm we are in our room at the Courtyard Marriott Fishermans Wharf, which is huge. In order to try to keep awake, Rick and I head out of the room and walk along the Embarcadero. It’s very busy, but as it’s a Saturday, I suppose it’s to be expected. There are loads of people eating Clam Chowder from Sour Dough bowls at the Cannery. Not something I’ve wanted to do, as I don’t like shellfish. We find a Walgreen’s to buy our toiletries and continue on to Pier 39. Last time we were here we visited the Christmas shop and we want some more flickering candle lights, but the shop has closed.
By 7.00pm, we are dead on our feet, so we go back to the hotel and bed. It’s 3.30am UK time for us and I know we will be awake early tomorrow.
As with our past trips, Marion Cabs (my good friend) was booked for collection for 4.30am. The trip to Heathrow was an unknown, and with check-in opening at 6.00am we decided on an early start. Heathrow also does not have Twilight Check-in. My sister flew from Heathrow only a month earlier and queued for two hours to check-in and one hour to clear security, so Rick and I wanted to get through to the departure lounge ASAP.
What do you do whilst you’re waiting for the desks to open I hear you ask…well why not weigh your luggage? Yes, Rick takes each case, one by one, over to the scales, just to check.
Our cases were all within our PE allowance, not that we could do anything about the weight, except to wear some of the clothes! On-line check-in worked last night and we had printed off our boarding passes so we only had to check in our luggage – the desks opened promptly at 6.00am and we were in the Departure Lounge by 7.00am.
Breakfast is next, but Heathrow does not have McDonalds – our usual treat – so I suggest that Rick has an Egg & Bacon Panini from Café Italia. It’s delicious and well worth the extra. I have a Starbucks Coffee (Rick just doesn’t understand the attraction of Starbucks) as I wait until I’m on the plane to eat. The anxiety really does strange things to my stomach.
The usual magazines, water, Cadbury’s chocolate are purchased from WH Smith and then we try and find somewhere comfortable and away from screaming kids to sit and wait for the gate to be announced.
The gate for our 11am flight is announced and we walk to the gate. The security is tight but efficiently undertaken, Mustang Sally is waiting and we are onboard quickly. The flight takes off on time. The PE changes on this flight were new packs and metal cutlery. They haven’t got round to changing the seats yet on this plane. The pack contents are no different although it’s now mauve and made of a different material. The blankets have also changed. Meals are good though and dessert is a lovely pot of chocolate GU. Nothing happens during the flight, watch a couple of good movies – Music & Lyrics, Happy Feet,Open Season. I give up on Norbit, as it was rubbish.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/124143CIMG0122-med.JPG
We land at 2.00pm (10.00pm UK time) and we are through to pick up the hotel shuttle within 45 minutes.
By 4.15pm we are in our room at the Courtyard Marriott Fishermans Wharf, which is huge. In order to try to keep awake, Rick and I head out of the room and walk along the Embarcadero. It’s very busy, but as it’s a Saturday, I suppose it’s to be expected. There are loads of people eating Clam Chowder from Sour Dough bowls at the Cannery. Not something I’ve wanted to do, as I don’t like shellfish. We find a Walgreen’s to buy our toiletries and continue on to Pier 39. Last time we were here we visited the Christmas shop and we want some more flickering candle lights, but the shop has closed.
By 7.00pm, we are dead on our feet, so we go back to the hotel and bed. It’s 3.30am UK time for us and I know we will be awake early tomorrow.