darthtatty
Been There, Done That, Going Back!
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2008
- Messages
- 3,027
Day 1- Thursday 11th August 2011
We all woke around 4.30 am and decided to get ready.
After checking out we caught the hotels shuttle to the terminal, they sure like to squeeze as much in as they can.
we arrived at the check in desk around 6.40 (second in the queue) however check in didnt open until 7am. When it was about to open they got us to check in using the kiosk they have, I was so pleased we got the seats we had pre assigned ourselves (62 D,F & G)
we usually get moved to the bulkhead seats due to having a wheelchair user, however theyre not suitable for us as we need to keep turning to assist Luke and the location of the tv screen means it would keep getting grabbed by accident.
we still took ages at the desk to drop our cases, to us it didnt feel any quicker.
We went through security quickly and without any problem. After buying some magazines and water at wh smith we brought Luke some aeroplanes at the shop before heading to the V-room.
I thought it looked really cool, lots of different areas. We enjoyed the breakfast and just relaxing until it was time to board our flight.
When we checked in to the V room, they explained how they call you when the gate is open and then remind you again 15 minutes later. however she said they would come and let us know 15 minutes before the announcement so we could be pre-boarded. I did say something to her about we'd never actually been pre boarded as every time we were meant to be, then something went wrong. So she said she was going to shock us this time and make sure we were, she even put a little star next to our name on the list to make sure it happened.
we noticed it was getting late so headed for the disabled toilet but it was in use, at that point the tannoy announced that our plan was now boarding.
So that little star next to our names did nothing for us
we rushed to the gate afterwards and took Lukes wheelchair to the plane door. As Lukes still young and not so heavy we carry him onto the plane and to the seat-however in reality this is becoming a major struggle esp as the aisles were so much narrower and they were full of people and we were at the back of the plane. However once we were in our seats we were happy. I was pleased with our seats, only after booking did we find out the formation of the new A330's. Instead of 3-4-3 the seats were 2-4-2, not great when youre a family of 3. Also we are constantly moving about and didnt want to disturb anyone next to us.
I did consider upgrading to PE but the A330 had a few rows of seats at the back that were in rows of 3, so we chose one of those rows.
I picked the second row of three as I knew the tvs for the row in front wouldnt be in line with the seats. Some have said they are in line but I looked and they were definitely off, only about an inch or two but enough to put me off.
To my left the aisle pretty much doubled, I had loads of room to stretch my legs out.
The flight was ready early and we were taxiing to the runway 15 minutes early at 10.45am
I didnt think the flight was too bad, it was bumpy but didnt bother me. Matt however didnt enjoy it much, he felt sick for most of it. The seatbelt signs were on for a lot of the flight, usually when they were making their rounds.
we had planned to either get Luke something from the v-room or buy him some sandwiches but in the rush forgot. he had a chocolate bar in his bag so survived on that. The flight seemed very long, the extra hour sure made it feel so much longer.
I enjoyed the new entertainment system and watched a few films
we got through immigration but waited ages for our cases which we then got sent to terminal A. After catching the monorail to terminal A, we then waited ages again for our cases-again. we eventually headed to the Virgin desk and caught the bus to the hotel.
When we got to the hotel we checked in and headed for our room. we had an ADR for Kona cafe and didnt have much time to get ready. We usually eat at kona on our first night but plan it later in case of delays, this time we picked an earlier time. Due to new planes and the flight being longer, we were now in a rush.
We got to our room and had a quick look around. I was expecting just a window as it was a car park room view but it had patio doors with seating outside. I couldnt even see the car park as theyd done a great job of planting the area outside. The bathroom however looked small and as it didnt have a hand held shower we suspected we'd been given a standard room. As we were in a rush we freshened up and headed out.
Our ADR was for 6.45pm and we checked in about 5-10 mins early. we were seated within a few minutes.
The server explained the dining plan to us although I pretty much knew everything about it.
Usually at Kona i never seem to make the right choice and dont enjoy my meal, however this time I planned in advance.
we got the bread roll-after having to ask for it.
It was only after sitting down and starting to eat the roll that it hit us-we were exhausted. usually we manage ok with having a meal on our first night but tonight it was a struggle. Im guessing it was the extra flight time that did it.
Matt=Coconut Almond Chicken - sauteed chicken breast served with Asian greens tossed with honey-lime dressing, golden pineapple, strawberries, and toasted almonds
Matt really enjoyed this, he'd had it on other trips and stuck with it.
Nicky= Shrimp and Scallops - panko breaded shrimp and pan-seared scallops with sticky rice and ponzu, spicy guava-passion fruit and wasabi cream sauces
This was very yummy, although I only managed to eat the shrimps and scallops. I tasted the other bits and they were very nice but couldnt manage it. This time I was pleased with my choice.
Luke=Teriyaki-style New York Strip - sirloin strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried broccolini
Luke didnt really enjoy this. As he is 11 he is considered an adult on the dining plan, however we didnt force him to order adult meals but told him before we wanted him to try a few new things. He ate a couple of bits but was also too tired to eat.
As we were on the dining plan we did however order dessert, even though we were tired.
Matt=Pineapple Upside Down Cake - with Lemongrass and Caramel Sauces
it was only when Matt bit into it he realised it had ground almond in, he hates it. So didnt eat it.
Nicky=Kona Kone
I suspected Luke would get this but he chose something else, so i ordered it as I knew he'd like bits of it and Matt wanted to try it too. It was good, Matt ended up eating most of it.
Luke=Chocolate Fondue
I think Luke ordered this to just eat the chocolate, however he didnt like it. He's such a chocoholic and we always warn him before we come to the USA that their chocolate is different. I tried some of the fruit but it was warm and didnt taste nice. When we had ordered at the start we visited the dessert bar, I noticed that theyd pre assembled the fondue plates with the fruit. So this went to waste.
we'd asked for our bill when she brought the desserts, as she kept disappearing and settled this fairly quickly. We had planned to pop to MK but knew we wouldnt manage it. So we took the monorail back to the hotel and while Matt headed for the reception desk, I got Luke ready for bed. When Matt got back, he said we did have a standard room and nothing else was available until tomorrow. we had to call them if we wanted to swap. So we phoned and arranged to change our room tomorrow and finally went for a much needed sleep.
We all woke around 4.30 am and decided to get ready.
After checking out we caught the hotels shuttle to the terminal, they sure like to squeeze as much in as they can.
we arrived at the check in desk around 6.40 (second in the queue) however check in didnt open until 7am. When it was about to open they got us to check in using the kiosk they have, I was so pleased we got the seats we had pre assigned ourselves (62 D,F & G)
we usually get moved to the bulkhead seats due to having a wheelchair user, however theyre not suitable for us as we need to keep turning to assist Luke and the location of the tv screen means it would keep getting grabbed by accident.
we still took ages at the desk to drop our cases, to us it didnt feel any quicker.
We went through security quickly and without any problem. After buying some magazines and water at wh smith we brought Luke some aeroplanes at the shop before heading to the V-room.
I thought it looked really cool, lots of different areas. We enjoyed the breakfast and just relaxing until it was time to board our flight.
When we checked in to the V room, they explained how they call you when the gate is open and then remind you again 15 minutes later. however she said they would come and let us know 15 minutes before the announcement so we could be pre-boarded. I did say something to her about we'd never actually been pre boarded as every time we were meant to be, then something went wrong. So she said she was going to shock us this time and make sure we were, she even put a little star next to our name on the list to make sure it happened.
we noticed it was getting late so headed for the disabled toilet but it was in use, at that point the tannoy announced that our plan was now boarding.
So that little star next to our names did nothing for us
we rushed to the gate afterwards and took Lukes wheelchair to the plane door. As Lukes still young and not so heavy we carry him onto the plane and to the seat-however in reality this is becoming a major struggle esp as the aisles were so much narrower and they were full of people and we were at the back of the plane. However once we were in our seats we were happy. I was pleased with our seats, only after booking did we find out the formation of the new A330's. Instead of 3-4-3 the seats were 2-4-2, not great when youre a family of 3. Also we are constantly moving about and didnt want to disturb anyone next to us.
I did consider upgrading to PE but the A330 had a few rows of seats at the back that were in rows of 3, so we chose one of those rows.
I picked the second row of three as I knew the tvs for the row in front wouldnt be in line with the seats. Some have said they are in line but I looked and they were definitely off, only about an inch or two but enough to put me off.
To my left the aisle pretty much doubled, I had loads of room to stretch my legs out.
The flight was ready early and we were taxiing to the runway 15 minutes early at 10.45am
I didnt think the flight was too bad, it was bumpy but didnt bother me. Matt however didnt enjoy it much, he felt sick for most of it. The seatbelt signs were on for a lot of the flight, usually when they were making their rounds.
we had planned to either get Luke something from the v-room or buy him some sandwiches but in the rush forgot. he had a chocolate bar in his bag so survived on that. The flight seemed very long, the extra hour sure made it feel so much longer.
I enjoyed the new entertainment system and watched a few films
we got through immigration but waited ages for our cases which we then got sent to terminal A. After catching the monorail to terminal A, we then waited ages again for our cases-again. we eventually headed to the Virgin desk and caught the bus to the hotel.
When we got to the hotel we checked in and headed for our room. we had an ADR for Kona cafe and didnt have much time to get ready. We usually eat at kona on our first night but plan it later in case of delays, this time we picked an earlier time. Due to new planes and the flight being longer, we were now in a rush.
We got to our room and had a quick look around. I was expecting just a window as it was a car park room view but it had patio doors with seating outside. I couldnt even see the car park as theyd done a great job of planting the area outside. The bathroom however looked small and as it didnt have a hand held shower we suspected we'd been given a standard room. As we were in a rush we freshened up and headed out.
Our ADR was for 6.45pm and we checked in about 5-10 mins early. we were seated within a few minutes.
The server explained the dining plan to us although I pretty much knew everything about it.
Usually at Kona i never seem to make the right choice and dont enjoy my meal, however this time I planned in advance.
we got the bread roll-after having to ask for it.
It was only after sitting down and starting to eat the roll that it hit us-we were exhausted. usually we manage ok with having a meal on our first night but tonight it was a struggle. Im guessing it was the extra flight time that did it.
Matt=Coconut Almond Chicken - sauteed chicken breast served with Asian greens tossed with honey-lime dressing, golden pineapple, strawberries, and toasted almonds
Matt really enjoyed this, he'd had it on other trips and stuck with it.
Nicky= Shrimp and Scallops - panko breaded shrimp and pan-seared scallops with sticky rice and ponzu, spicy guava-passion fruit and wasabi cream sauces
This was very yummy, although I only managed to eat the shrimps and scallops. I tasted the other bits and they were very nice but couldnt manage it. This time I was pleased with my choice.
Luke=Teriyaki-style New York Strip - sirloin strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried broccolini
Luke didnt really enjoy this. As he is 11 he is considered an adult on the dining plan, however we didnt force him to order adult meals but told him before we wanted him to try a few new things. He ate a couple of bits but was also too tired to eat.
As we were on the dining plan we did however order dessert, even though we were tired.
Matt=Pineapple Upside Down Cake - with Lemongrass and Caramel Sauces
it was only when Matt bit into it he realised it had ground almond in, he hates it. So didnt eat it.
Nicky=Kona Kone
I suspected Luke would get this but he chose something else, so i ordered it as I knew he'd like bits of it and Matt wanted to try it too. It was good, Matt ended up eating most of it.
Luke=Chocolate Fondue
I think Luke ordered this to just eat the chocolate, however he didnt like it. He's such a chocoholic and we always warn him before we come to the USA that their chocolate is different. I tried some of the fruit but it was warm and didnt taste nice. When we had ordered at the start we visited the dessert bar, I noticed that theyd pre assembled the fondue plates with the fruit. So this went to waste.
we'd asked for our bill when she brought the desserts, as she kept disappearing and settled this fairly quickly. We had planned to pop to MK but knew we wouldnt manage it. So we took the monorail back to the hotel and while Matt headed for the reception desk, I got Luke ready for bed. When Matt got back, he said we did have a standard room and nothing else was available until tomorrow. we had to call them if we wanted to swap. So we phoned and arranged to change our room tomorrow and finally went for a much needed sleep.
Last edited:
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can't believe they forgot you even with an asterisk against your name!! 
