Janice
Super Shopper
- Joined
- Aug 18, 1999
Zipa dee doo dah, Zipa dee day, My oh My, what a wonderful Day
Me (46) and planner of this holiday of a lifetime.
Chris (45) my dear husband who puts up with me.
James (22) our son who has never been to Florida.
Emma (21) James' Girlfriend and known lovingly as Emmylou.
Katie (19) our daughter, also lovingly known as Starlett.
Ian (23) Katies Fiancé been before when much younger.
Day 4 We hit the shops!
We lesuirley get up at 8-30 and just have a cup of tea before we head off for breakfast at one of the many Ponderosas, along the 192. The breakfast buffet at $3.99 each plus drinks, is hard to beat anywhere and the crew liked the relaxed atmosphere. So breakfast (all you can eat Cereal, Bacon, Egg, Sausage, Corned Beef Hash, Fried Potatoes etc. and Cheese, Hams, muffins, cake, fruit) for 6 of us came to about $30. (What on earth did we pay at Gatwick?)
By 10 am we are winding our way along the 192 and I spot a Wal-Mart. Well, from past experience I know that you can get Fruit of the Loom items here (Sweatshirts, Sweatpants, Cotton Briefs etc) at a fraction of the cost that we pay in the UK, so we make a stop here to have a look. (I need jog bottoms by the suitcase-full for Katie for college!!) The boys were not too impressed no designer gear you see! but they were patient with me. We girls got some bargains. Multi-packs of unmentionables! 3 pairs for $4.25 and if you bought a second pack you got it half price. Work it out 6 pairs came to $6.75 which equals about £4.25 (including tax) so at just over 70 pence per pair I seriously thought about buying everyone Panties as a souvenir!! Seriously, we are so ripped off here in the UK you cant wonder at people flocking to the USA to shop, can you. (Sorry soap box issues I know).
Right, we leave Wal-Mart and we head for one of the smaller retail outlets, again along the 192. The crew had spotted a NIKE outlet and wanted to have a look. So, we spent some time here, shedding a few more dollars. Also, Chris paid his annual visit to Van Heusen and picked up a bargain or four(!) while we were here.
Then it was time to let the boys have their day and we head for the Armani Exchange along I/Drive. We intend to shop, check out FAO Swartz and then perhaps go into Wonderworks. We reach FootLocker at about 3 and my oh my, do them boys and girls know how to shop. I must say I was impressed this time. I must have taught them well because it was almost an hour later that we emerged thirsty and a little hungry. So, a quick coffee and soda from the coffee shop and then onwards and upwards looking in absolutely every single shop en-route to the Armani shop. Now, here they came into their own. An hour and 35 minutes later they locate Chris and I by the fountain outside whiling away the time watching the world and his wife go by. I think they must have bought the shop. (Well I know James spent in excess of $800!!) Then they spotted the GAP shop opposite. We all go in and yes youve guessed it about an hour later they locate Chris and I by the founta get the picture? We decide now that we have so many bags that we should return them to the car. I dont really like doing this but if I tell you that the back space of our vehicle which held 6 suitcases on the journey from the airport was full of shopping bags, you will get some idea of how much we had. We could not carry on walking around with this amount it looked silly so, as the vehicle windows are blacked out and you cannot see in we put the bags in.
So now we are hungry again, but we decide to go into FAO Swartz as James cannot wait any longer. I have told him so much about this shop, the Star Wars section in particular, which he really wants to see it now we are here.
The fascination with this store is the fact that they have a dedicated area for 1 subject, and this area is bigger than our average toyshop. The Barbie section is amazing as is the dressing up and Disney sections. We all enjoyed wandering around and had a lot of fun with the stuff out on display.
Its now almost 10 oclock and we are all shopped out! Cannot even muster up enough enthusiasm to go to Wonderworks so we decide we will give it a miss and do it another day and head off home and get something to eat on the way.
We decide on a Burger King I know, I know we can get them here, but it was quick and easy (and cheap) and about all we wanted tonight.
We were back at the villa by 11-30 and when we unloaded the car, we could not stop laughing we had so much shopping. We literally put it all on the floor and it covered the whole lounge area. Katie even took a photograph, there was so much. We quickly distributed it I mean, I think even Argos would have been impressed with our system of distribution and had the inevitable cup of tea and tucked up into bed and boy did I sleep well!
They all thoroughly enjoyed the day and although not a theme park, got an immense buzz out of the difference between shopping in the USA and the UK.
The day got a good thumbs up from us all except for some flexible friends who mistakenly, thought they had come along just for the ride!!
Me (46) and planner of this holiday of a lifetime.
Chris (45) my dear husband who puts up with me.
James (22) our son who has never been to Florida.
Emma (21) James' Girlfriend and known lovingly as Emmylou.
Katie (19) our daughter, also lovingly known as Starlett.
Ian (23) Katies Fiancé been before when much younger.
Day 4 We hit the shops!
We lesuirley get up at 8-30 and just have a cup of tea before we head off for breakfast at one of the many Ponderosas, along the 192. The breakfast buffet at $3.99 each plus drinks, is hard to beat anywhere and the crew liked the relaxed atmosphere. So breakfast (all you can eat Cereal, Bacon, Egg, Sausage, Corned Beef Hash, Fried Potatoes etc. and Cheese, Hams, muffins, cake, fruit) for 6 of us came to about $30. (What on earth did we pay at Gatwick?)
By 10 am we are winding our way along the 192 and I spot a Wal-Mart. Well, from past experience I know that you can get Fruit of the Loom items here (Sweatshirts, Sweatpants, Cotton Briefs etc) at a fraction of the cost that we pay in the UK, so we make a stop here to have a look. (I need jog bottoms by the suitcase-full for Katie for college!!) The boys were not too impressed no designer gear you see! but they were patient with me. We girls got some bargains. Multi-packs of unmentionables! 3 pairs for $4.25 and if you bought a second pack you got it half price. Work it out 6 pairs came to $6.75 which equals about £4.25 (including tax) so at just over 70 pence per pair I seriously thought about buying everyone Panties as a souvenir!! Seriously, we are so ripped off here in the UK you cant wonder at people flocking to the USA to shop, can you. (Sorry soap box issues I know).
Right, we leave Wal-Mart and we head for one of the smaller retail outlets, again along the 192. The crew had spotted a NIKE outlet and wanted to have a look. So, we spent some time here, shedding a few more dollars. Also, Chris paid his annual visit to Van Heusen and picked up a bargain or four(!) while we were here.
Then it was time to let the boys have their day and we head for the Armani Exchange along I/Drive. We intend to shop, check out FAO Swartz and then perhaps go into Wonderworks. We reach FootLocker at about 3 and my oh my, do them boys and girls know how to shop. I must say I was impressed this time. I must have taught them well because it was almost an hour later that we emerged thirsty and a little hungry. So, a quick coffee and soda from the coffee shop and then onwards and upwards looking in absolutely every single shop en-route to the Armani shop. Now, here they came into their own. An hour and 35 minutes later they locate Chris and I by the fountain outside whiling away the time watching the world and his wife go by. I think they must have bought the shop. (Well I know James spent in excess of $800!!) Then they spotted the GAP shop opposite. We all go in and yes youve guessed it about an hour later they locate Chris and I by the founta get the picture? We decide now that we have so many bags that we should return them to the car. I dont really like doing this but if I tell you that the back space of our vehicle which held 6 suitcases on the journey from the airport was full of shopping bags, you will get some idea of how much we had. We could not carry on walking around with this amount it looked silly so, as the vehicle windows are blacked out and you cannot see in we put the bags in.
So now we are hungry again, but we decide to go into FAO Swartz as James cannot wait any longer. I have told him so much about this shop, the Star Wars section in particular, which he really wants to see it now we are here.
The fascination with this store is the fact that they have a dedicated area for 1 subject, and this area is bigger than our average toyshop. The Barbie section is amazing as is the dressing up and Disney sections. We all enjoyed wandering around and had a lot of fun with the stuff out on display.
Its now almost 10 oclock and we are all shopped out! Cannot even muster up enough enthusiasm to go to Wonderworks so we decide we will give it a miss and do it another day and head off home and get something to eat on the way.
We decide on a Burger King I know, I know we can get them here, but it was quick and easy (and cheap) and about all we wanted tonight.
We were back at the villa by 11-30 and when we unloaded the car, we could not stop laughing we had so much shopping. We literally put it all on the floor and it covered the whole lounge area. Katie even took a photograph, there was so much. We quickly distributed it I mean, I think even Argos would have been impressed with our system of distribution and had the inevitable cup of tea and tucked up into bed and boy did I sleep well!
They all thoroughly enjoyed the day and although not a theme park, got an immense buzz out of the difference between shopping in the USA and the UK.
The day got a good thumbs up from us all except for some flexible friends who mistakenly, thought they had come along just for the ride!!
