saratogagirl
<font color= CC0066>I need books, and wine and Ian
- Joined
- May 4, 2006
- Messages
- 6,421
With just over three weeks to go, I though it time to get my bits into gear and get my pre trippie done (I only hope it develops into a full blown trippie this time)!
In time honoured tradition I introduce the cast
Jules (Me) - Chief planner and lover of margaritas
Ian (DH) - favourite phrase "make it happen Jules" this has been his year of a million 40ths
Neil - Ians other half
Helen - Neils Other half
Me and Ian
Neil and Hel
Neil and Ian
Me and Hel
We have been friends with Neil and Helen for more years than I can remember, we have taken many holidays and mini breaks with them, but despite all four of us having been to Orlando many times, we have never been together, they like to stay on International Drive, and it has been a long standing joke that Ian and I are the "Disney Guests"..
Rewind to June of last year, and we decide that to celebrate Ians 40th this will be the year when we go together. Ian was desperate to get back on his ship, The Wonder, but Neil was determined that this would not happen, he declares that nobody will get him on some jumped up cruise ship, so we proceed to get him drunk, and a few hours later I have booked two Secret Porthole rooms for October 20th..
In November, the four of us went to Cuba and whilst there I needed to crank up the hotels computer (it was ancient), to try and secure us a Treehouse Villa, my mission was successful, and we enjoyed many cocktails, as we celebrated our good luck..
It was on our return from Cuba, that our plans changed, shortly after returning home Neil and Hel were given care of their three year old grandson Kai. I will be totally honest and tell you that there followed a few weeks of fretting, Ian and I fretting about holidaying with a small child, this would completely change the dynamics of the trip, which was centred around the Food and Wine Festival, Jellyrolls etc, and Neil and Hel fretting about would they still be welcome. We sat down and had a heart to heart with all of us voicing our concerns, it was great to clear the air, the result of the evening being that we have a new addition to our cast, three year old Kai..
Shortly after this Neil booked our flights (I think he was scared we would change our minds)! 19th October with United Airlines from Heathrow via Chicago, returning 6th November via Washingon. He also booked a seven seater van, which we are all desperately hoping will be black, I have already downloaded the A Team theme tune to my i-pod.
I was tasked with finding us accommodation the night before the cruise, and booked the Country Inn at Port Canaveral on Mandys recommendation (it better be nice Mrs Mouse).
This still left us with two nights at the end of the trip with no place to call home, we knew we wanted to be near Universal, and the other three all really wanted to stay at The Hard Rock, but I was stalling, so they returned the favour, and got me drunk, before promptly booking the Hard Rock using my annual pass holder rate!
And so to the plan of attack:
Tuesday 19th October
Neil, Helen and Kai will be staying at the Radisson at Heathrow, while Ian and I are still debating what to do, we will either join them or drive up through the night, which wil help with my fear of being on the motorway.
Wednesday 20th October
Fly from Heathrow at 7.40am via Chicago arriving at MCO 4.55pm, we will then pick up the A Team van, and head for Port Canaveral, and the Country Inn, we hope to eat dinner at Grills, another recommendation from Mandy and Paul.
Thursday 21st October
Ian and I plan to be up at silly o clock to see the Wonder coming home, before we all take the hotels shuttle to the Port and The Wonder, I am so excited for this, as is Helen, her new phrase is "I am going on a Ship". We will register Kai at the childrens club as he is a very social little boy who loves the company of other children, if he doesn't like it, so be it, he will spend his time with us..
Friday 22nd October
Nassau, we all want to go to the Hard Rock to get some t shirts, and Ian wants to stock up on cigars, Neil is fancying a trip to Atlantis, so I think they may head over there.
Saturday 23rd October
Castaway Cay, I am so looking forward to getting Helen here, her dream is to lie on a hamock in paradise, so this is one dream we can make come true. I only hope they love this little piece of paradise as much as we do.
Sunday 24th October
A sad farewell to the ship, before picking up the A Team van, and heading back to the Treehouse Villa, there will be a stop along the way at Publix, to stock up on supplies and alcohol. Dinner is booked at Tokyo Dining.
Monday 25th October
We have an evening planned with the Martindales (did I not mention they would be there at the same time as us, this really was the icing on the cake).
Tuesday 26th October
Tickets are booked for MNSSHP, with dinner at the Crystal Palace.
Wednesday 27th October
We have dinner booked at Raglan Road
Thursday 28th October
We will be joining Mandy and Paul for breakfast at Ohana, I only hope Mandy and Kai don't fight over Stitch! We will then meet up with Mandy and Paul later in the day for a good old wander around the Food and Wine Festival, I feel a hangover coming on!!
Friday 29th October
No plans
Saturday 30th October
Lunch at The Coral Reef
Sunday 31st October
Dinner at Ohana. Can you keep a secret?? Neil and Helen don't know but I have booked a Wishes Cruise, so after dinner at Ohana and a Lapu Lapu at the Tambu Lounge we will head to the Poly boat dock before heading out to watch Hallowishes from Bay Lake.
Monday 1st November
Neil and Hels "date night"
they will be heading for dinner at The Flying Fish, while Ian and I take Kai to R-Rex, can't wait to build him a dino
Tuesday 2nd November
Our date night, we will be eating at La Hacienda, hopefully seeing Illuminations, and of course there will be a few drinks in the ditch beforehand.
Wednesday 3rd November
Our last night at The Treehouse and we have no plans.
Thursday 4th November
Check out of Saratoga and head for Universal, where we check into The Hard Rock, we have plans for the studios that afternoon, and dinner hopefully at The Hard Rock Cafe.
Friday 5th November
Our last full day, Harry Potter and Islands of Adventure, my beloved Margaritaville in the evening.
Saturday 6th November
Fly home via Washington at 7.00pm
There are many gaps in the schedule, but we have plenty of ideas, Beaches and Cream, various places for lunch. We want to play crazy golf and hire a boat. Our park days are not set in stone, and we will go with the flow. Pizzas and BBQ's at the Treehouse. There will be so many new character experiences with Kai along, and I am looking forward to sharing them with him, as well as spoiling him rotten...
So will this be the end of a beautiful friendship, I really think not, and as I've said to the others, if he won't sleep, surely a margarita would help???
Thanks for reading
(I will add pics, but photobucket is playing up)
In time honoured tradition I introduce the cast
Jules (Me) - Chief planner and lover of margaritas
Ian (DH) - favourite phrase "make it happen Jules" this has been his year of a million 40ths
Neil - Ians other half
Helen - Neils Other half
Me and Ian
Neil and Hel
Neil and Ian
Me and Hel
We have been friends with Neil and Helen for more years than I can remember, we have taken many holidays and mini breaks with them, but despite all four of us having been to Orlando many times, we have never been together, they like to stay on International Drive, and it has been a long standing joke that Ian and I are the "Disney Guests"..
Rewind to June of last year, and we decide that to celebrate Ians 40th this will be the year when we go together. Ian was desperate to get back on his ship, The Wonder, but Neil was determined that this would not happen, he declares that nobody will get him on some jumped up cruise ship, so we proceed to get him drunk, and a few hours later I have booked two Secret Porthole rooms for October 20th..
In November, the four of us went to Cuba and whilst there I needed to crank up the hotels computer (it was ancient), to try and secure us a Treehouse Villa, my mission was successful, and we enjoyed many cocktails, as we celebrated our good luck..
It was on our return from Cuba, that our plans changed, shortly after returning home Neil and Hel were given care of their three year old grandson Kai. I will be totally honest and tell you that there followed a few weeks of fretting, Ian and I fretting about holidaying with a small child, this would completely change the dynamics of the trip, which was centred around the Food and Wine Festival, Jellyrolls etc, and Neil and Hel fretting about would they still be welcome. We sat down and had a heart to heart with all of us voicing our concerns, it was great to clear the air, the result of the evening being that we have a new addition to our cast, three year old Kai..
Shortly after this Neil booked our flights (I think he was scared we would change our minds)! 19th October with United Airlines from Heathrow via Chicago, returning 6th November via Washingon. He also booked a seven seater van, which we are all desperately hoping will be black, I have already downloaded the A Team theme tune to my i-pod.
I was tasked with finding us accommodation the night before the cruise, and booked the Country Inn at Port Canaveral on Mandys recommendation (it better be nice Mrs Mouse).
This still left us with two nights at the end of the trip with no place to call home, we knew we wanted to be near Universal, and the other three all really wanted to stay at The Hard Rock, but I was stalling, so they returned the favour, and got me drunk, before promptly booking the Hard Rock using my annual pass holder rate!
And so to the plan of attack:
Tuesday 19th October
Neil, Helen and Kai will be staying at the Radisson at Heathrow, while Ian and I are still debating what to do, we will either join them or drive up through the night, which wil help with my fear of being on the motorway.
Wednesday 20th October
Fly from Heathrow at 7.40am via Chicago arriving at MCO 4.55pm, we will then pick up the A Team van, and head for Port Canaveral, and the Country Inn, we hope to eat dinner at Grills, another recommendation from Mandy and Paul.
Thursday 21st October
Ian and I plan to be up at silly o clock to see the Wonder coming home, before we all take the hotels shuttle to the Port and The Wonder, I am so excited for this, as is Helen, her new phrase is "I am going on a Ship". We will register Kai at the childrens club as he is a very social little boy who loves the company of other children, if he doesn't like it, so be it, he will spend his time with us..
Friday 22nd October
Nassau, we all want to go to the Hard Rock to get some t shirts, and Ian wants to stock up on cigars, Neil is fancying a trip to Atlantis, so I think they may head over there.
Saturday 23rd October
Castaway Cay, I am so looking forward to getting Helen here, her dream is to lie on a hamock in paradise, so this is one dream we can make come true. I only hope they love this little piece of paradise as much as we do.
Sunday 24th October
A sad farewell to the ship, before picking up the A Team van, and heading back to the Treehouse Villa, there will be a stop along the way at Publix, to stock up on supplies and alcohol. Dinner is booked at Tokyo Dining.
Monday 25th October
We have an evening planned with the Martindales (did I not mention they would be there at the same time as us, this really was the icing on the cake).
Tuesday 26th October
Tickets are booked for MNSSHP, with dinner at the Crystal Palace.
Wednesday 27th October
We have dinner booked at Raglan Road
Thursday 28th October
We will be joining Mandy and Paul for breakfast at Ohana, I only hope Mandy and Kai don't fight over Stitch! We will then meet up with Mandy and Paul later in the day for a good old wander around the Food and Wine Festival, I feel a hangover coming on!!
Friday 29th October
No plans
Saturday 30th October
Lunch at The Coral Reef
Sunday 31st October
Dinner at Ohana. Can you keep a secret?? Neil and Helen don't know but I have booked a Wishes Cruise, so after dinner at Ohana and a Lapu Lapu at the Tambu Lounge we will head to the Poly boat dock before heading out to watch Hallowishes from Bay Lake.
Monday 1st November
Neil and Hels "date night"
they will be heading for dinner at The Flying Fish, while Ian and I take Kai to R-Rex, can't wait to build him a dinoTuesday 2nd November
Our date night, we will be eating at La Hacienda, hopefully seeing Illuminations, and of course there will be a few drinks in the ditch beforehand.
Wednesday 3rd November
Our last night at The Treehouse and we have no plans.
Thursday 4th November
Check out of Saratoga and head for Universal, where we check into The Hard Rock, we have plans for the studios that afternoon, and dinner hopefully at The Hard Rock Cafe.
Friday 5th November
Our last full day, Harry Potter and Islands of Adventure, my beloved Margaritaville in the evening.
Saturday 6th November
Fly home via Washington at 7.00pm
There are many gaps in the schedule, but we have plenty of ideas, Beaches and Cream, various places for lunch. We want to play crazy golf and hire a boat. Our park days are not set in stone, and we will go with the flow. Pizzas and BBQ's at the Treehouse. There will be so many new character experiences with Kai along, and I am looking forward to sharing them with him, as well as spoiling him rotten...
So will this be the end of a beautiful friendship, I really think not, and as I've said to the others, if he won't sleep, surely a margarita would help???
Thanks for reading
(I will add pics, but photobucket is playing up)
I must admit I am quite excited at seeing Kai at O'Hanas as we've never been there with small children, though I will be keeping a close eye on Kai and Stitch 
