My dream holiday...????? Part one

[JayneL]

Well here we go.
I’ve not done a trip report (or any thing like it) before, so please bear with me. (I do tend to ramble so feel free to scroll through the boring bits)

Not sure how I’ll set this out so will just keep typing away and post what I get done in each session.
‘WE’ means……..

Myself…Jayne
DH …Ivan
DS… Aaron (13)
DS…Kyle (11)

Wednesday 19th December

The day is here. I can’t quite believe it as I’ve waited 11 months for this. Up at 4am, quick cup of tea (I need my cuppa even at 4am in the morning).
Check the tickets, passports, money, and travellers’ cheques.

Quick shower (to wake me up) Ivan is a morning person so he’s wide awake showered and ready to go (don’t you just hate people like that)

Check the tickets, passports, money, and travellers’ cheques.

Wake the children. They are surprisingly alert and soon ready to go. (Oh if only school mornings were like this)

Now comes the hard part. I wake the other two children who are not coming to say good-bye. (Most of you will know they are going skiing with the school but don’t leave until the 22nd). Lots of hugs and even a few tears later we are on the road to Gatwick.

Quite an uneventful journey later we safely arrive about 9.30am.

Park the car no problem; find American Airlines check in no problem, just a massive queue. But things are not as bad as first seems as there is just one queue for all the AA flights not just ours and there are lots of check in desks so we soon get through. One little bit of a nervous moment (I hope I don’t offend anyone here as I do not intend to) in the queue was a Bin Laden look a like. Tall, thin, beard, turban head dress thing the lot. I couldn’t help it but thought PLEASE don’t let him be on our flight. Then felt bad as he was probably a very nice chap. Still I was pleased I didn’t see him again. (Sorry everyone).

Still had a couple of hours wait so went and had a Mc Donalds for breakfast and a wonder around the shops. Then went through another security check and into the departure lounge. Just a few more security checks but I don’t mind how many they do. In no time at all we were on the plane.

We had the very back seats which were four in a row and was quite pleased about this as no one could bang our seats etc from behind and we didn’t have to ask anyone to move every time we wanted to get out.
First impressions were great. We all had back seat TVs, about 7 or 8 channels, 11 or 12 radio channels and even a phone. (Great I could phone the kids at home later) Perhaps the flight wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Quite right…………. the flight was fine, watched Bubble Boy, Rugrats, ate, drank, watched our route, another film, can’t remember what, (now beginning to realise I should have taken notes) ate some more, drank some more etc etc etc.

Arrived on time at Dallas Fort Worth at about 17.30 (11.30pm GMT)
Surprisingly didn’t feel too tired and soon got through more security checks and checked in for the next leg. The next flight wasn’t until 21.00 so had a bit of a wait and I think this was the killer. We just got more and more tired. The second plane was really old, nothing like the first but never mind. We arrived in Orlando 12.30 (5.30am GMT) passed being tired. We’d been up 25 hours. For some reason we had to wait about ¾ hour for the luggage to come through, getting even more passed being tired. Finally got the luggage went to get the car. Finally got the car, had to pay another $90 for airport charges or something, not expecting that. We decided to go straight to the villa as neither of us felt we would be able to sleep if we went to a hotel so set off to find the office to pick up the villa keys.
What should have taken ½ hour at the most, took about 3. We had directions to the office, which was off 192 on Boggy Creek Road. I still don’t really know where we went but several toll booths, confused toll booth operators, and 2 complete lengths of the 192 later WE FOUND IT. Guess where the villa was right up the other end of the 192 so off we went again up the 192. FINALLY found the villa at 4.30am (9.30am GMT) been up 29hours. (I think I forgot to mention our trip included a few VERY quick U turns as we were on the Wrong side of the road!!) For any first timers reading this I don’t recommend driving for the first time over there at night when you are very tired!!! Not pleasant.
So to end our first day or day ½ fell into bed and couldn’t sleep.!!!

[WDWfan,uk]

... what an exhausting journey ....... isn't that incredible that after all that you can't sleep??
Thanks for reposting Jayne - I was so very behind on the old TR board so it's good to be able to have the reports I hadn't caught up with

[KayleeUK]

Phew what a tiring day :D

Kaylee

[Janice]

Thanks for the trip report Jayne - I too was way behind on the old boards so am glad to have the opportunity of catching up

What a day - well day and a half really! No wonder you couldn't sleep?

Off to next part ...........

[UKDEB]

Oh Jayne - what a nightmare. I really feel for you. I hate flying anyway and I get tired with the length of journey we have (usually about 17 hours from waking to arriving at the villa), so goodness knows how you must have felt.

Funnily enough, I've just posted on one of Sue F's trip reports about the stupid key collection thing. We always stay at west 192 and up until now we've always stayed at villas where the key is in a little receptacle on the wall by the door. In December we had to collect it (and return it) from a management company miles along east 192, which added about an hour to our journey both on arrival and departure. I've added it to the list of questions to ask in future when making booking enquiries. It seems like a small thing when you're sitting at home planning, but from a practical point of view it's actually a big deal!

I do hope your holiday picks up! Off to read the next instalment.......

[Minniespal]

Thanks for the wonderful reports - luv reading them!!!