And Nanny Came Too! Day 15 - Epct, Captain's Grille and the journey home

[zummerzet66]

Saturday 19th April 2008

The Cast:

Me (Matt) 42, though young at heart!
DW (Claire) 41, and ditto
DS11 (Samuel), already a teenager!
DS9 (Tommy), daredevil coaster rider!

And so dawn breaks on the day we must fly home :cry: We packed last night, so we are ready to go straight away, and head for DTD for check-in, where there is already a bit of a queue at 8am. Last time we did this, it started at 8:30 and, although the staff were there well before this time, they would not start till 8:30 on the dot. This time they get going early, and we are all done and checked in by 8:30, with the seats we had pre-requested. The big drawback is that the Virgin lady tells us that the flight is delayed by about an hour and a half. Oh well, gives us more time to enjoy today, I guess!

We had booked an ADR for a 9:45 breakfast at the Captain's Grille at Yacht Club, but that is over an hour away so we decide to go over there anyway and see if we can go in early. The staff are very accommodating, and we are seated by 8:45. This place is lovely :grin:. After our 'Ohana disappointment yesterday, Disney go a very long way to restoring our faith in their dining. The buffet breakfast is excellent, with loads of choice, both hot and cold, and the staff are very friendly and attentive, not even minding when DS11 manages to throw a pot of warm maple syrup all over the table! A very nice experience indeed, coming in at $65 with tip.



We ask on the way out if they might be able to squeeze us in at lunchtime, as we have enjoyed our breakfast so much, and they say sure, that won't be a problem

On the way in to Yacht Club, the nice man on the gate hadn't given us a restricted car park pass, so we are able to leave the car there whilst we head off through the International Gateway to Epcot. It's now 10am, and it's not looking too busy, with Test Track standby showing as 30 minutes, with FP return 11:00 to 12:00. We grab FP and join the queue, so as to ride twice. It turns out that the ride has been experiencing problems, so our 30 minute standby wait ends up being 70 minutes, but we have struck up conversation with a very nice American family in the queue, and the time passes by quickly. Besides which, we're already well into our FP return time when we get off the ride the first time, so we're straight back round and on again! Always a silver lining!

From TT we walk on round to The Land, and have a nice, leisurely cruise around Living With The Land, where we spot some baby gators we hadn't seen the other day.



The morning has slipped away now, so we catch a boat back round to Yacht Club, where the kids have a wander out on the jetty.



And so, back into Captain's Grille for lunch. We're seated straight away and, once again, the staff are very friendly. We choose:

Me: Roasted Turkey Sandwich
DW: Caeser Salad w/Chicken
DS's: Hamburger

Whilst we are eating, our server comes over to us and explains that there will be no charge for our meal today, as a very nice elderly American gentleman has decided that he would like to buy lunch for all the families with young children in the restaurant. We're quite taken aback by this, but he is adamant. It turns out that it is also his last day, and he has had such a good holiday, and is so impressed with the behaviour of the kids in the restaurant, that he wants to do this for us all. His only stipulation is that we "look after" our server, which we do with a $20 tip. What a lovely last meal, and our faith is now well and truly restored.

We can't put off the inevitable any longer so, with heavy hearts, we climb into the Dodge Charger (I have LOVED this car) for the last time and set off for MCO. The fuel gauge is not looking too healthy, and DW is panicking about whether we will make it to the airport and wants to put more fuel in. No, I say, we've got Platinum Insurance, we've paid for this tankful and we don't have to return it full, so it's going back empty! I think it really is nearly empty, too! We make it back, and hand the car in without incident. Inside the airport, the departure boards are all showing our flight as being delayed , so we have a wander around the shops, and I find a place to go online and check how my beloved Norwich City have got on whilst we have been away (badly, as usual :cry

Eventually, we decide to go airside, and so head for Security. Once through, the departure board this side is saying that VS028 to Gatwick has a departure time of 17:55 (the original time). OMG, it's not far off that now!! We sprint to our Gate, where there are lots of people milling around, all confused as to what is happening, and no Virgin staff anywhere to be seen. After a while, I decide to go and find which gate the Manchester flight is going from, to see if the Virgin staff there have any idea what is going on with the Gatwick flight. Oh no, they say, that flight is delayed, they just haven't updated the screens. Oh well, at least we can relax again, and I have time to go to Duty Free to buy DW's poison of choice, Southern Comfort.

Once we actually get going, the flight passes without incident (it must have done, as I've not written any notes about it!) and we end up at Gatwick about an hour later than we should have which, considering we left Orlando an hour and a half late, isn't too bad. Bags are collected quickly, and our taxi driver is waiting for us as we come out of Arrivals. A taxi to Somerset from Gatwick is certainly not the cheapest way of doing things but, after an overnight flight that I cannot sleep on, it's a much better option than trying to drive, and we arrive safely home around lunchtime.

Oh well, that's that. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all after our next trip.

[jamjar84]

What a lovely gesture of the man in the restaurant to buy lunch for everyone, that is lovely.

I've really enjoyed reading this TR, sounds like you all had a great time. Thanks for posting.

[tashasmum]

How nice of the elderly gentleman to buy lunch for everyone.

Really enjoyed reading your trippie, it sounds like you had a great time.

One more question. Did you really take your wife with you? Not seen any pictures with her on.

[suzycute]

Wow - what a great way thing to be able to do by treating unknown people to a bit of pixie dust!

[Kevin Stringer]

The gentleman in the Captain's Grille certainly made up for yesterday's diappointment at 'Ohana. What a nice gesture.

Thanks for the reports Matt.

Kev

[cap'njack.]

What a lovely gesture from the American man to pay for your lunches...stuff like that restores my faith in mankind!

Glad you had a lovely trip and that your return journey passed without incident.

[mandymouse]

What a lovely day, it's nice to finish your holiday on a high note

[jockey]

Really enjoyed your reports thanks for sharing

[wicket2005]

Sad day the last one but you had a lovely time.