wicket2005
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- Joined
- Mar 31, 2005
- Messages
- 5,959
Monday, 17th July 2006
Dear Friends
Well I am so glad you enjoyed my last letter. I did make a point of saying hello to Mickey for you yesterday, just think you will be able to do that yourself soon when you return. It is nice knowing my letters are helping to evoke memories of past trips for you. I look forward to you doing the same for me after your next trip.
First thing this morning, I sent some emails home. The computer was on a timer so it was handy I could touch type. When we came back up to the room, Ian started hammering on our door because the lock was on. A few minutes later we realised we were at the wrong door and, fortunately, the occupant was in the shower, again we found ourselves legging it. Getting up early to get to the parks can have drawbacks.
I had a quick read of the Brits Guide to Orlando as I waited for the kids to get ready. I love this book and would recommend you get the latest copy for your next trip not long for you now. Exciting.
We had breakfast in the Red Deli, coffee and croissants plus fruit bowls and yoghurt. It made a pleasant change.
We headed over to Islands of Adventure, parking in Spiderman. Spiderman was our first ride. It is still so state of the art. Much better than what Disney, in terms of technology, has to offer though I do have a soft spot for Soarin it is such a pleasant ride.
The park was quite empty as we went to Popeyes Bilge Boat Rapids. I think everyone tends to head to the Hulk first. Popeye is guaranteed to have you laughing it breaks down any language barriers. Somehow watching someone get soaked (usually me) is funny no matter where you come from. We managed 3 goes on this ride on the trot before calling it a day. Those quick drying clothes I mentioned yesterday came in really handy. We bought a lot of Rohan clothes which are excellent in hot weather.
Whilst we were soaked it made sense to tackle the other water rides. A quick blast on Dudley Do Right followed by two goes on Jurassic Park before heading to the Dragons.
Now I used to be scared of rollercoasters till 2000 when we went to Islands for the first time. It seemed a waste of money if I didnt go on all the rides and I discovered I didnt mind them at all, provided I was harnessed in. Ian and Craig were not keen on the Dragons so it was left to me and Gary to fly the flag. We went on both of them, quite quickly, the first time we caught all the near misses which was fantastic.
Gary took us into Posieidons Fury next . I wasnt too bothered about doing it after the long wait we had last year, but you know I am glad we did it I really enjoyed it. My favourite part being the water tunnel. It was pretty cold in there though so I snuggled up as close as I could to Ian to share his heat.
It will be strange when it is only the two of us coming to Orlando but I suppose it will be just another kind of holiday. At the moment, both kids are still keen to come with us. Lets face it, a free holiday to Orlando I think anyone would be mad to turn that down. However, we realise that we are lucky to have them with us for the time being.
Another show followed the Sinbad show. It was nice to sit down for a while even though we are a lot fitter than we used to be, the searing heat of Orlando can still be tiring. We both lost a couple of stones a few years ago which gave us a lot more energy, though a little bit of the weight has creeped back on. I blame my accident for that because it made exercising a little bit difficult. It is nice to be able to enjoy the gorgeous food Orlando has to offer.
Talking about food, it was now time for lunch. We popped over to Thunder Falls restaurant which is right next to the drop of Jurassic Park. I had had a delicious chicken salad there last year and wanted to have another one. Knowing how delicious I had said it was Ian tried it too, he thought it was yummy. Gary and Craig had chicken tortilla wraps.
I know you have enjoyed squirting people from the bridge by Dudley Do Rights, well guess what, we enjoy doing that too! The kids and Ian spent quite a while squirting unsuspecting people when they thought the ride was over and they couldnt get any wetter wrong!
On the way out we tried to go on Dr Dooms, which is Craigs favourite ride, but due to lightening somewhere in the radius it had been shut. Still we knew we would be back later on. The Hulk had a long line so we skipped that.
This year I had tried some of those sandals you recommended. Usually I use trainers but find my feet get hot though they are comfortable. I had bought some Ecco open sandals for walking. They were ideal not only were my feet cool and comfortable but also no more soggy socks/trainers after Islands water rides. The kids especially hate walking around with wet feet but they hadnt thought sandals were particularly cool. However, after getting his feet soaked on Dudleys, Craig really wanted a pair. As I had done a bit of forward planning I knew there was an outlet store at the Premium Outlets and Craig provided me with the excuse to go there. All three of them ended up getting sandals and they thought they were the business. I managed to find another pair of sandals and a pair of trainers, not bad.
For the first time, we had a spot of rain and we decided to head back to the hotel. The hotel in the mean time had been taken over by a load of black religious groups. Please no offence to anyone intended here, there were hundreds of delegates . We did feel a touch out of place. Back in the room we tried our shoes on and Craig had a crafty sleep.
Suitably refreshed and in the mood for more shopping we decided to go to the Prime Outlets which are at the opposite end of IDrive to us and approximately 15 minutes away. Foolishly we decided to use the Tom Tom again. It wasnt really the Tom Toms fault but at times it wasnt clear which exit you had to take when there were a couple extremely close together. Then you hit a circular road which totally disorientated you. Some how we ended up on the road to Miami. I remember you telling me about when you had got lost and how scary it felt, well I felt just the same. We seemed to be quickly leaving all civilisation and heading for places I had not heard of. All we could do was to try and get off the road and retrace our steps. It felt scarier because it was getting dark. Eventually we did get back on track to the Prime Outlets. The Tom Tom chimed up You have now reached your destination. Too true we could see the Prime Outlets but we were still on the I4. I ended up putting in the other Mall that is close by and eventually we got there with half an hour to spare before closing. It had only taken us about an hour. Next year I am going back to a map and using the Tom Tom as a back up! We had felt refreshed after our stop off at the hotel but now we did feel a bit tired.
We bought a few bits and pieces but I dont recommend you go unless you fancy having a look around the Disney stores. They are the only real good things there now. Craig was after an IPod Nano to replace his Mini but there wasnt any. Still we knew we would be visiting the Apple shop at the Florida Mall at some point.
Before this trip I had asked everyone for special requests so I could make sure we could do what everyone wanted to do. One of Ians requests was to have steak. As a result, we found ourselves heading to Sizzler for dinner. We picked on Ian again because Craig knew he would point at the menu on the wall as he gave our order in, we all giggled when he did. He does this with every menu and it just tickles us. We ordered 3 Sizzler steaks and one burger for Craig. The steaks sizzled all the way to the table and Gary was amazed to find steak could taste tender and not like old boot leather like I cook it. The steaks were delicious, the Americans certainly know how to cook steak, and we are going there next year.
There was a Congo River Golf just out the back complete with feed the gators. Both being on our to do list. Years ago when we went to Gatorland the presenter said gators have bad eye sight. I am sure he was having us on because these little gators were over in a flash for their hot dog. Gary spied a lone turtle and endeavoured to feed that, the gaters were not too pleased and nearly bit its head off.
We managed to have another detour on the way home. I tell you I am definitely buying a good map next year. We got lost more this year using the Tom Tom than in all the other years put together. It was with so relief we got back to the hotel. The hotel was still full of the religious delegates who ranged from the very young to the very old. It was one huge conference. Still it felt good to be on holiday rather than having to attend a conference.
We got some snacks from the Red Deli and headed back to the room. Again the bed looked extremely inviting. We were all soon asleep.
I will be sending you some more photos soon for your album which I hope you will like. I didnt take too many today because of all those water rides.
Take care.
Love
Bev, Ian, Gary and Craig xxxx
Dear Friends
Well I am so glad you enjoyed my last letter. I did make a point of saying hello to Mickey for you yesterday, just think you will be able to do that yourself soon when you return. It is nice knowing my letters are helping to evoke memories of past trips for you. I look forward to you doing the same for me after your next trip.
First thing this morning, I sent some emails home. The computer was on a timer so it was handy I could touch type. When we came back up to the room, Ian started hammering on our door because the lock was on. A few minutes later we realised we were at the wrong door and, fortunately, the occupant was in the shower, again we found ourselves legging it. Getting up early to get to the parks can have drawbacks.
I had a quick read of the Brits Guide to Orlando as I waited for the kids to get ready. I love this book and would recommend you get the latest copy for your next trip not long for you now. Exciting.
We had breakfast in the Red Deli, coffee and croissants plus fruit bowls and yoghurt. It made a pleasant change.
We headed over to Islands of Adventure, parking in Spiderman. Spiderman was our first ride. It is still so state of the art. Much better than what Disney, in terms of technology, has to offer though I do have a soft spot for Soarin it is such a pleasant ride.
The park was quite empty as we went to Popeyes Bilge Boat Rapids. I think everyone tends to head to the Hulk first. Popeye is guaranteed to have you laughing it breaks down any language barriers. Somehow watching someone get soaked (usually me) is funny no matter where you come from. We managed 3 goes on this ride on the trot before calling it a day. Those quick drying clothes I mentioned yesterday came in really handy. We bought a lot of Rohan clothes which are excellent in hot weather.
Whilst we were soaked it made sense to tackle the other water rides. A quick blast on Dudley Do Right followed by two goes on Jurassic Park before heading to the Dragons.
Now I used to be scared of rollercoasters till 2000 when we went to Islands for the first time. It seemed a waste of money if I didnt go on all the rides and I discovered I didnt mind them at all, provided I was harnessed in. Ian and Craig were not keen on the Dragons so it was left to me and Gary to fly the flag. We went on both of them, quite quickly, the first time we caught all the near misses which was fantastic.
Gary took us into Posieidons Fury next . I wasnt too bothered about doing it after the long wait we had last year, but you know I am glad we did it I really enjoyed it. My favourite part being the water tunnel. It was pretty cold in there though so I snuggled up as close as I could to Ian to share his heat.
It will be strange when it is only the two of us coming to Orlando but I suppose it will be just another kind of holiday. At the moment, both kids are still keen to come with us. Lets face it, a free holiday to Orlando I think anyone would be mad to turn that down. However, we realise that we are lucky to have them with us for the time being.
Another show followed the Sinbad show. It was nice to sit down for a while even though we are a lot fitter than we used to be, the searing heat of Orlando can still be tiring. We both lost a couple of stones a few years ago which gave us a lot more energy, though a little bit of the weight has creeped back on. I blame my accident for that because it made exercising a little bit difficult. It is nice to be able to enjoy the gorgeous food Orlando has to offer.
Talking about food, it was now time for lunch. We popped over to Thunder Falls restaurant which is right next to the drop of Jurassic Park. I had had a delicious chicken salad there last year and wanted to have another one. Knowing how delicious I had said it was Ian tried it too, he thought it was yummy. Gary and Craig had chicken tortilla wraps.
I know you have enjoyed squirting people from the bridge by Dudley Do Rights, well guess what, we enjoy doing that too! The kids and Ian spent quite a while squirting unsuspecting people when they thought the ride was over and they couldnt get any wetter wrong!
On the way out we tried to go on Dr Dooms, which is Craigs favourite ride, but due to lightening somewhere in the radius it had been shut. Still we knew we would be back later on. The Hulk had a long line so we skipped that.
This year I had tried some of those sandals you recommended. Usually I use trainers but find my feet get hot though they are comfortable. I had bought some Ecco open sandals for walking. They were ideal not only were my feet cool and comfortable but also no more soggy socks/trainers after Islands water rides. The kids especially hate walking around with wet feet but they hadnt thought sandals were particularly cool. However, after getting his feet soaked on Dudleys, Craig really wanted a pair. As I had done a bit of forward planning I knew there was an outlet store at the Premium Outlets and Craig provided me with the excuse to go there. All three of them ended up getting sandals and they thought they were the business. I managed to find another pair of sandals and a pair of trainers, not bad.
For the first time, we had a spot of rain and we decided to head back to the hotel. The hotel in the mean time had been taken over by a load of black religious groups. Please no offence to anyone intended here, there were hundreds of delegates . We did feel a touch out of place. Back in the room we tried our shoes on and Craig had a crafty sleep.
Suitably refreshed and in the mood for more shopping we decided to go to the Prime Outlets which are at the opposite end of IDrive to us and approximately 15 minutes away. Foolishly we decided to use the Tom Tom again. It wasnt really the Tom Toms fault but at times it wasnt clear which exit you had to take when there were a couple extremely close together. Then you hit a circular road which totally disorientated you. Some how we ended up on the road to Miami. I remember you telling me about when you had got lost and how scary it felt, well I felt just the same. We seemed to be quickly leaving all civilisation and heading for places I had not heard of. All we could do was to try and get off the road and retrace our steps. It felt scarier because it was getting dark. Eventually we did get back on track to the Prime Outlets. The Tom Tom chimed up You have now reached your destination. Too true we could see the Prime Outlets but we were still on the I4. I ended up putting in the other Mall that is close by and eventually we got there with half an hour to spare before closing. It had only taken us about an hour. Next year I am going back to a map and using the Tom Tom as a back up! We had felt refreshed after our stop off at the hotel but now we did feel a bit tired.
We bought a few bits and pieces but I dont recommend you go unless you fancy having a look around the Disney stores. They are the only real good things there now. Craig was after an IPod Nano to replace his Mini but there wasnt any. Still we knew we would be visiting the Apple shop at the Florida Mall at some point.
Before this trip I had asked everyone for special requests so I could make sure we could do what everyone wanted to do. One of Ians requests was to have steak. As a result, we found ourselves heading to Sizzler for dinner. We picked on Ian again because Craig knew he would point at the menu on the wall as he gave our order in, we all giggled when he did. He does this with every menu and it just tickles us. We ordered 3 Sizzler steaks and one burger for Craig. The steaks sizzled all the way to the table and Gary was amazed to find steak could taste tender and not like old boot leather like I cook it. The steaks were delicious, the Americans certainly know how to cook steak, and we are going there next year.
There was a Congo River Golf just out the back complete with feed the gators. Both being on our to do list. Years ago when we went to Gatorland the presenter said gators have bad eye sight. I am sure he was having us on because these little gators were over in a flash for their hot dog. Gary spied a lone turtle and endeavoured to feed that, the gaters were not too pleased and nearly bit its head off.
We managed to have another detour on the way home. I tell you I am definitely buying a good map next year. We got lost more this year using the Tom Tom than in all the other years put together. It was with so relief we got back to the hotel. The hotel was still full of the religious delegates who ranged from the very young to the very old. It was one huge conference. Still it felt good to be on holiday rather than having to attend a conference.
We got some snacks from the Red Deli and headed back to the room. Again the bed looked extremely inviting. We were all soon asleep.
I will be sending you some more photos soon for your album which I hope you will like. I didnt take too many today because of all those water rides.
Take care.
Love
Bev, Ian, Gary and Craig xxxx
I am gettng quite excited about our trip in 12 days reading about yours
) will not cause a problem.
