Another set of highs and lows.

[jothp]

We got back first thing yesterday after a fabulous trip. Thank you so much to everyone on here who gave advice and helped me plan. I'll get the lows out of the way first as they didn't stop us having a great time.

Lows

Robyn (my oldest - 12) having a meltdown a bit like a toddler tantrum on the outbound flight! I was so embarrassed.

Evie (my youngest - 7) eating very little at most of our meals.

All three of my girls squabbling and being mean to each other most of the time. It seemed that only two of them could ever be nice to each other at the same time.

Driving all the way to kennedy space center to find I'd left the tickets at OKW - oops!

Not really getting any evening time at universal because of the weather.

Highs

Staying club level at RPR. The club lounge was so worth the extra money we paid for it.

The universal parks - Apart from Harry Potter I wasn't really looking forward to universal but we all really enjoyed this part of our holiday.

Dinners at YS and BOG and sunshine seasons.

Breakfasts at CP and BOG.

Animal Kingdom - everything we had read beforehand suggested this was not a great park but we all loved it.

Our villa at OKW - we all really appreciated the extra space instead of just a hotel room and we were in a great location in Turtle pond close to both the pool and the bus stop.

Evie getting to meet Dopey - Snow white has always been her favourite film and Dopey is her favourite dwarf.


To be honest it was difficult to pick out just a few highs as on the whole we had a fabulous time.

 

[joolz1910]

So we were in the same area? I got Turtle Pond, block 40.
Your description of your girls sounds just like mine lol. We should have swapped as my kids always behave better for other people. I would like to try Club Level at Universal next time.

 

[jothp]

We were in building 41 so just around the corner I think. A swap would have been good - my children are always better for other people too.

 

[dixonsontour]

Sounds great. We love turtle pond location at OKW too. Glad you enjoyed Universal.

I'm sure your girls appreciated everything, the heat, late nights etc don't help behaviour.

We love AK, I hate when people say they will miss it out as it is just a zoo. Try it at least.

 

[joolz1910]

We were in building 41 so just around the corner I think. A swap would have been good - my children are always better for other people too.

We probably sat next to each other on the bus lol.

 

[micksn]

Sounds like you had a great time! All these people returning from OKW makes me feel home sick

 

[Elise79]

Glad you had a great trip and enjoyed OKW.

 

[DLPDreams]

Yay - sounds like a great trip.

I think we must be 'odd' as everyone seems to have loved OKW - ha ha! I guess we can't all like the same things though - that is why WDW have so many different hotel options.

As I just said on Joolz's thread, our DDs were great on the whole (unusually so!). The bickering has started now we are back home though - roll on school!

Did you have a car the whole trip? I think this would have made a difference to us if we had. We only had one for 4 days.

I loved RPR - would consider club if we were to return.

We enjoyed BOG too - did you do it twice (different meals?)? We did lunch and dinner and both were good. We managed to eat in two different rooms too so that was good.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it and as you say, many great memories - we have so many photos, it's taken me hours just to go through our camera. I haven't even started the MM ones yet!

 

[jothp]

Yay - sounds like a great trip.

I think we must be 'odd' as everyone seems to have loved OKW - ha ha! I guess we can't all like the same things though - that is why WDW have so many different hotel options.

As I just said on Joolz's thread, our DDs were great on the whole (unusually so!). The bickering has started now we are back home though - roll on school!

Did you have a car the whole trip? I think this would have made a difference to us if we had. We only had one for 4 days.

I loved RPR - would consider club if we were to return.

We enjoyed BOG too - did you do it twice (different meals?)? We did lunch and dinner and both were good. We managed to eat in two different rooms too so that was good.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it and as you say, many great memories - we have so many photos, it's taken me hours just to go through our camera. I haven't even started the MM ones yet!

We did have a car for the whole time we were at WDW. We weren't going to but looked at the cost of a car for the two weeks and it was only very slightly more than the cost of getting to seaworld and kennedy space center so decided we would rather have the convenience of the car for the whole time rather than just pay for those two trips.
We did do BOG twice - once for breakfast which was a great way to get into the park early and then on our last evening for dinner. We too were lucky enough to sit in two different rooms.

 

[Mummycat]

Glad you had a great time we're just back from 3 weeks on what sounds a very similar holiday (including the kids behaviour!) we stayed in block 46 with a beautiful view of the river.
We just need to find something else to look forward to....maybe another trip?!?!

 

[jothp]

Glad you had a great time we're just back from 3 weeks on what sounds a very similar holiday (including the kids behaviour!) we stayed in block 46 with a beautiful view of the river.
We just need to find something else to look forward to....maybe another trip?!?!

I'm glad to know that it's not just my children. We were on the ground floor which meant we didn't really have a view but we didn't mind as the location was so convenient. It also meant that we didn't have to worry about the children sounding like a herd of elephants to anyone staying under us! I work in a school and return to work tomorrow so that along with writing my trip report should keep my mind occupied for a while. I've also got to find us some flights to get to Glasgow in October to see a session of the World Gymnastics Championships. I'm really unsure about what we'll do for holidays for the next few years. I am thinking about another Florida trip but know that it will be at least a few years before we can afford it again.

 

[micksn]

[I'm really unsure about what we'll do for holidays for the next few years. I am thinking about another Florida trip but know that it will be at least a few years before we can afford it again./QUOTE]
I always find a little budget trip to DLP helps to get a little fix of Disney!

 

[jothp]

We have always really enjoyed DLP so might consider a trip there. I'm thinking it might be good combined with one of the French center parcs - prices in Europe are a lot more reasonable than for the UK parcs even when you consider the extra travel costs.

 

[DLPdaft]

i'm just catching up with everyone's highs and lows - you have a whole heap of highs there, and i bet the kids didn't even register that they were bickering with each other, i bet they all go back to school raving about what a great family holiday it was!

 

[DLPDreams]

We have always really enjoyed DLP so might consider a trip there. I'm thinking it might be good combined with one of the French center parcs - prices in Europe are a lot more reasonable than for the UK parcs even when you consider the extra travel costs.

]

I like your thinking. We still want to do a few days in Paris (haven't managed it yet and now the kids are getting older, we feel it could happen!), and have wanted to go to Versailles for ages. I'd like to do DLP mixed with another accommodation base/holiday base.... But DH has announced he probably won't get any holiday next easter or summer, so it's looking like no holiday for us next year. We might manage a week in October half term somewhere but fancy somewhere relaxing and warm - not sure really!

Glad you managed to get into BOG twice, obviously both were very different experiences for us but we enjoyed them both immensely. My DDs were enraptured by the portrait of the Prince in the West Wing - whenever it thundered the portrait changed from the Prince into the Beast - so clever!

If you did go back to Florida, I'd thoroughly recommend Discovery Cove for a day...

 

[jothp]

i'm just catching up with everyone's highs and lows - you have a whole heap of highs there, and i bet the kids didn't even register that they were bickering with each other, i bet they all go back to school raving about what a great family holiday it was!

Yes we did have a lot of highs. Apart from the children arguing the lows were just minor inconveniences really. I just felt like I spent an awful lot of time moaning at them. They still say it is the best holiday ever though.

]

I like your thinking. We still want to do a few days in Paris (haven't managed it yet and now the kids are getting older, we feel it could happen!), and have wanted to go to Versailles for ages. I'd like to do DLP mixed with another accommodation base/holiday base.... But DH has announced he probably won't get any holiday next easter or summer, so it's looking like no holiday for us next year. We might manage a week in October half term somewhere but fancy somewhere relaxing and warm - not sure really!

Glad you managed to get into BOG twice, obviously both were very different experiences for us but we enjoyed them both immensely. My DDs were enraptured by the portrait of the Prince in the West Wing - whenever it thundered the portrait changed from the Prince into the Beast - so clever!

If you did go back to Florida, I'd thoroughly recommend Discovery Cove for a day...

We are very lucky as I work in a school and DH can take his holiday whenever he wants so we are guaranteed to always be able to have the time off together but like you I'm not really sure what we want to do yet. I think if/when we go back to Florida Discovery Cove will definitely be on the list, I decided it might be better to wait until Evie was a little bit older which is why we didn't do it this time. If we went back we would also do SeaWorld and Busch Gardens too and I think Olie would appreciate one of the tours they do at Kennedy Space Center.

 

[bex7583]

sounds a great trip excited to hear what people think of universal as we are doing that next trip for the first time

 

[jothp]

sounds a great trip excited to hear what people think of universal as we are doing that next trip for the first time

We really loved universal. In a lot of ways it reminded us of DLP because everything was so close together.

 

[tinkerpea]

Seriously my 3 boys are the same, the oldest can not get on with both at the same time! Which means one twin is always ganged up on!

We always do ddp at Disney and love it, we was thinking of club level at universal to have some sort of snack/meals paid for, hoping to get away with only paying one meal day oop that way!
How good was the food? Could you make breakfast/ lunch out of it? Thanks

 

[jothp]

Seriously my 3 boys are the same, the oldest can not get on with both at the same time! Which means one twin is always ganged up on!

We always do ddp at Disney and love it, we was thinking of club level at universal to have some sort of snack/meals paid for, hoping to get away with only paying one meal day oop that way!
How good was the food? Could you make breakfast/ lunch out of it? Thanks

I didn't take any pictures of the food but if you look at one of the universal boards on here there was a whole thread about RPR club and the pictures of the food on there were pretty accurate.

For breakfast they served croissants, a small selection of pastries, muffins, fresh melon and pineapple, cold meats, boiled eggs, bread for toast, bagels, tea, coffee and fruit juice.
Across lunch time they served snacks mainly - whole pieces of fruit, cereal bars, fruit/nut mix and crisps.
At dinner time each evening there was a salad and one main course plus vegetable sticks and crackers. Later on in the evening there were two different miniature cakes and cookies.
Apple juice, tea, coffee, pop and water were available anytime 7am-9/10pm.

We always had breakfast in the club room and generally found we bought a meal around lunchtime and then ate in the club room again later. Not all my children liked the main courses on offer but were able to fill up on carrot/pepper and crackers plus a few cookies.