Day 1 - Monday 30 June
Even though we are staying at an airport hotel the night before, there is no doubt we will still get up ridiculously early today! Well Mum and I will
and well drag the boys up kicking and screaming too! Depending on whether or not we have checked in online or checked in the night before, we will make our way to London Gatwick Airport between 2-3hrs prior to the flights departure.
Our flight to Orlando will take approx. 9hrs.
I hate flying and I am NOT looking forward to a 9hr flight at all. Lets hope there are some good movies showing and the upgrade to Premium Economy was worth it!!!
I will probably take one small book, but hate taking hand baggage on flights so try and pack as light as possible for a flight. I bought a baggallini after reading a trip report on here and a girl mentioned it a lot. So I'll be using that!
On arrival at Orlando Airport, well have to go through immigration, collect our bags etc. so we dont expect to be on our way to collect our hire car for at least an hour after we land. Weve booked a luxury sized car but at the moment, dont know who its with. Im hoping to buy some software to download to my hubbys sat nav system so we can do away with tons of maps etc. and just pre-programme all of our Orlando destinations.
We expect to arrive at Ginn Reunion Resort at 5pm ish fingers crossed
well dump our bags and have a brief look around, but I think we need to try and head to the supermarket straight away to stock up on food, drink, snacks etc. We will go to Publix as we LOVE Publix!!! There is also apparantely one very close by.
Day 2 - Tuesday 1 July
We wanted to hit a theme park on our first full day and what theme park is better than the Magic Kingdom!!! Well make it a short day out as we will all still be fairly tired and possibly jet-lagged from the long trip.
I cant wait to arrive on Main Street, you all know there is just nothing like that first feeling when you get there!!! Depending on what time we get up and arrive at the Magic Kingdom, we will have a slow walk up Main Street and I think we will head off to Adventureland to begin with and make Pirates of the Caribbean our first ride! We all love it, its a Disney classic! If its morning snack time, as were here, Ill try a Dole Whip!!! I cant wait!!!
When weve been to Magic Kingdom before, weve tended to go left and work around the park in a clock-wise direction; its worked for us in the past so I think well stick with that and see where things take us. We might sound totally bonkers but were never fussed or obsessed with queues (LINES!) and fastpasses. Well probably skip a ride if the wait is more than an hour, but for us, its all part of the fun and we dont feel in the past weve ever missed out on anything because of big queues. We tend to make our park days very very long!!!
We have an early evening ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern. Im really excited about it and cant wait to try a thanksgiving family style dining character meal!!! Depending on how were feeling, the plan is to head back to the villa after dinner but we might get a second wind and soldier on!
Day 3 - Wednesday 2 July
Today is a fairly relaxing day
we are going to get up early-ish and head over to Gatorland for the morning. On our first ever trip to Orlando, we went to Gatorland and thought it was fun, however it wasnt an attraction we wanted to do again and again! But since this trip is all about doing new (well old) things! We thought it was a good idea and I know what hubby is like, hell really think its cool! All those years ago we brought a plastic / rubber Gator which we named Florigator
and he still keeps guard in Mum and Dads kitchen!!!
After a leisurely morning at Gatorland, the plan is for the boys to go shooting at a gun range. Im not sure what made them want to do this last time, but we all went to one right on the northern outskirts of downtown Orlando. Considering we were random tourists, the chaps in the gun range were incredibly nice to us and very accommodating with our million questions about guns etc. So the boys want to go back! Mum and I are definitely not keen, but we will hang out with them or wander around the area if there is anything for us to look at! Weve found a couple, not too far from Gatorland, around the Orange Blossom Trail area, so well just drive up and see what happens!
Then its back to the villa for showers and a change of clothes as hubby and I are going out!!! Randomly, my friend at work is in Disney with her family too! (although they leave on the 3 July when well have only been there for 3 days). So we are going out with her and her hubby, probably to downtown Disney for a meal and a few drinks. I was thinking about checking out some of the other resort restaurants though, but perhaps we might be too late for an ADR? Maybe Ohanas at the Poly or maybe the Boardwalk might be nice? Anyway, I do need to think about that or itll be too late to arrange anything! Fiona and her hubby are staying at the Grand Floridian and I suggested we meet there, but I think they will have eaten their way through the restaurants so far!!!
Day 4 - Wednesday 3 July
Time for another theme park fix today! Were going to Universal Studios for some movie fun! Rides we MUST do at Universal include: Shrek4D, The MUMMY Returns, Twister, Jaws, Men in Black, ET and probably loads more that I have forgotten. Hubby is REALLY looking forward to riding the Simpsons if it is open by then (I think it will be). Although I might protest and refuse to ride it ever because I am just absolutely gutted that Back to the Future is gone forever! It was possibly one of my all time favourite rides and when I read online it was closing, I was so so sad!!!
With Universal, we tend to just hit all of the big rides that we want to do and then leave. Weve never spent a lot of time just relaxing and wandering around. I think it might be nice to do that a bit more this time depending on how things go.
One thing I must remember to do is look to see if the Psycho House is still there
its probably long gone to Universal Ride heaven along with KONG (but I will forgive Universal for that as I love the MUMMY Returns!) and BTTF
I just have lovely memories of Universal from our first ever trip to Orlando
memories that include taking some really fun, happy pictures in front of the creepy Psycho House! We also brought one of the hotel bells and had it at the bottom of our stairs for years after. Mum and Dad would ring it when they wanted me or my Sister to go downstairs - very effective!!! You know I think we still have it somewhere but its broken and doesnt ring again
Anyway!
Im going to see if I can reserve a table at Margaritaville in City Walk for an early-ish dinner. After reading about it loads on babieemelly's trip reports I am just desperate to try it!
)!
The last two trips to Disney have been over the July Fourth weekend and my Dad has gone nuts because weve never done anything special for it. I know were not Americans, but as they say
when in Rome
!!!!!!!! 
so I said Id be happy to go this time and eventually, good old Mum, bless her, agreed to forego the shopping and come to the beach too!
Yay! We couldnt miss out on this now could we???!!!
Hurrah, yay, whoo hoo!!!
)
!!! but we will see how it goes… Mum gets a bit stressed with packing and being ready to leave on time. She’ll make us be ready super super early so we might be bound by her rules and made to stay at the hotel before its time to go back! 
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
