Miffy2003
<font color=orange>I've got Saratoga Springs - mak
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2003
- Messages
- 12,175
Saturday January 1st 2005
We wake up and see it is a lovely bright sunny day today. Well, that is to be expected as sadly we are heading home today. We have had a lovely long holiday and are very lucky but Im sure everyone reading this can identify with the last day blues. Still, we are determined to make the most of our last day and not think about the journey home until later.
We packed up yesterday so decide to take the cases over to Downtown Disney to Virgin Check In and then have the rest of the day to ourselves. We do this and it goes smoothly and quickly though I do have some concerns over the amount of hand luggage we are intending to check in later. Snowglobe, anyone?!
With the luggage dropped off we consider what to do for the day. Originally there was no debate whatsoever we like to spend our final day at the Magic Kingdom to get a good dose of Disney magic before heading home. However a unanimous decision is made that the day should be spent at Saratoga Springs so back we go. I am a bit sad to hear the Welcome Home from the security guard, as I know it is the last time for this trip.
We enjoy a lovely day round the pool. It is pretty quiet today and there seem to be more Brits than Americans. I dread the thought of another flatbread for lunch
and I fancy a hotdog. As if by magic, the daily special today is hotdogs! I should mention here that all the childrens meals come with Goldfish crackers (which Amber and Erin adore) and a choice of apple sauce or jelly (Jell-O?) for dessert. As with the adult menu there is not a huge variety of choice here and I think the dining options could be made better although you have the huge choice at DTD only a stones throw away. I would love to see a full service restaurant here.
We get dressed and dried off and much to Ambers dismay a pool party begins. She is desperate to join in the fun (and it does look like fun!) but there isnt enough time. I feel like the worst mummy in the world so suggest we check out Community Hall instead (as activities here should not mean a shower is necessary!). Community Hall is fabulous and I so wish we had ventured here sooner. There isnt a huge amount here but there is a lot to do (I realise that is a contradiction in terms!) and we are given an activity sheet for the girls. We werent given one of these at check in unfortunately and I realise there have been quite a few cool activities the girls would have loved. Still, we know for next time and Im sure Amber will get her Pool Party
We spend a little time playing table tennis and the girls check out the Playstations which have a good array of games. There is a nice sofa with a wide screen TV, and a choice of books. Like I say, only a few things but somehow they made it feel quite homely and comfortable with little extras you dont get at normal hotels.
We get into the car and say goodbye to SSR. We cant wait to return and I am so glad we chose to spend these two nights here. It has given us a taste of what life is like at a DVC resort and it is something I would love to get used to!
The journey to the airport passes uneventfully and we drop the car off. I am braced for the Dollar representative to bring up the unlawful toll crossing on the first night but nothing is said so alls well. We stop in the newsagent / store in the main lobby and manage to buy Amber some Dramamine (travel sickness tablets). We have no idea if they will be effective or not but figure desperate times call for desperate measures so we get some. For the record, they worked!
The queue to get through passport control is incredible and it takes a good forty minutes to make our way through. We get through with no obstacles and after the obligatory stop at Duty Free we are soon at our gate. We are still a bit early for our flight so Im surprised to see they are boarding already but our seat numbers are called so we join the queue for Virgin flight VS garble garble mmmmhhhhmmmm to London Gatwick. We are all given boarding passes and make our way down the tunnel. I remark to Jon that I am amazed they are boarding us a good forty minutes early but that hopefully it bodes well for a prompt takeoff. We stop to pick up the Duty Free from the little man in the tunnel and he tells us it isnt yet here. Well, no problem. We are in no hurry to get on the plane. He radios through to the shop and glares suspiciously at our boarding cards. He looks us up and down as if we are simple (how right this proves to be!) and asks me to check our tickets against the boarding card. Well, massive ooops here!! We have managed to almost board the wrong Virgin flight to Gatwick. This is the delayed flight that is timetabled to leave ninety minutes before ours does!!! How terribly embarrassing and Im glad the Duty Free man realised (the Virgin check in clerk is mortified when she realises she issued us boarding passes erroneously and has to issue new ones.) Not as mortified as me though, I hasten to add.
Anyway, new boarding passes issued (for the correct plane this time!) and we soon make it on board and the journey home passes quickly for a change. We collect our bags (thank goodness for Virgin Downtown Disney check in Im so glad we didnt have to lug all these in Orlando) and are soon reunited with Mr Jelly. I am happy to report that I spent most of the journey home asleep so I have no idea how he behaved
I will do a summary in my next post, if you are still awake for it
We wake up and see it is a lovely bright sunny day today. Well, that is to be expected as sadly we are heading home today. We have had a lovely long holiday and are very lucky but Im sure everyone reading this can identify with the last day blues. Still, we are determined to make the most of our last day and not think about the journey home until later.
We packed up yesterday so decide to take the cases over to Downtown Disney to Virgin Check In and then have the rest of the day to ourselves. We do this and it goes smoothly and quickly though I do have some concerns over the amount of hand luggage we are intending to check in later. Snowglobe, anyone?!
With the luggage dropped off we consider what to do for the day. Originally there was no debate whatsoever we like to spend our final day at the Magic Kingdom to get a good dose of Disney magic before heading home. However a unanimous decision is made that the day should be spent at Saratoga Springs so back we go. I am a bit sad to hear the Welcome Home from the security guard, as I know it is the last time for this trip.
We enjoy a lovely day round the pool. It is pretty quiet today and there seem to be more Brits than Americans. I dread the thought of another flatbread for lunch
and I fancy a hotdog. As if by magic, the daily special today is hotdogs! I should mention here that all the childrens meals come with Goldfish crackers (which Amber and Erin adore) and a choice of apple sauce or jelly (Jell-O?) for dessert. As with the adult menu there is not a huge variety of choice here and I think the dining options could be made better although you have the huge choice at DTD only a stones throw away. I would love to see a full service restaurant here.We get dressed and dried off and much to Ambers dismay a pool party begins. She is desperate to join in the fun (and it does look like fun!) but there isnt enough time. I feel like the worst mummy in the world so suggest we check out Community Hall instead (as activities here should not mean a shower is necessary!). Community Hall is fabulous and I so wish we had ventured here sooner. There isnt a huge amount here but there is a lot to do (I realise that is a contradiction in terms!) and we are given an activity sheet for the girls. We werent given one of these at check in unfortunately and I realise there have been quite a few cool activities the girls would have loved. Still, we know for next time and Im sure Amber will get her Pool Party
We spend a little time playing table tennis and the girls check out the Playstations which have a good array of games. There is a nice sofa with a wide screen TV, and a choice of books. Like I say, only a few things but somehow they made it feel quite homely and comfortable with little extras you dont get at normal hotels.We get into the car and say goodbye to SSR. We cant wait to return and I am so glad we chose to spend these two nights here. It has given us a taste of what life is like at a DVC resort and it is something I would love to get used to!
The journey to the airport passes uneventfully and we drop the car off. I am braced for the Dollar representative to bring up the unlawful toll crossing on the first night
but nothing is said so alls well. We stop in the newsagent / store in the main lobby and manage to buy Amber some Dramamine (travel sickness tablets). We have no idea if they will be effective or not but figure desperate times call for desperate measures so we get some. For the record, they worked!The queue to get through passport control is incredible and it takes a good forty minutes to make our way through. We get through with no obstacles and after the obligatory stop at Duty Free we are soon at our gate. We are still a bit early for our flight so Im surprised to see they are boarding already but our seat numbers are called so we join the queue for Virgin flight VS garble garble mmmmhhhhmmmm to London Gatwick. We are all given boarding passes and make our way down the tunnel. I remark to Jon that I am amazed they are boarding us a good forty minutes early but that hopefully it bodes well for a prompt takeoff. We stop to pick up the Duty Free from the little man in the tunnel
and he tells us it isnt yet here. Well, no problem. We are in no hurry to get on the plane. He radios through to the shop and glares suspiciously at our boarding cards. He looks us up and down as if we are simple (how right this proves to be!) and asks me to check our tickets against the boarding card. Well, massive ooops here!! We have managed to almost board the wrong Virgin flight to Gatwick. This is the delayed flight that is timetabled to leave ninety minutes before ours does!!! How terribly embarrassing and Im glad the Duty Free man realised (the Virgin check in clerk is mortified when she realises she issued us boarding passes erroneously and has to issue new ones.) Not as mortified as me though, I hasten to add.Anyway, new boarding passes issued (for the correct plane this time!) and we soon make it on board and the journey home passes quickly for a change. We collect our bags (thank goodness for Virgin Downtown Disney check in Im so glad we didnt have to lug all these in Orlando) and are soon reunited with Mr Jelly. I am happy to report that I spent most of the journey home asleep so I have no idea how he behaved
I will do a summary in my next post, if you are still awake for it
