saratogagirl
<font color= CC0066>I need books, and wine and Ian
- Joined
- May 4, 2006
- Messages
- 6,421
As is customary I will introduce the cast, although I am well sure you know us by now:
Me (Jules) 36, obsessive planner, compulsive worrier
Ian 37, laid back, lie on the floor, favourite phrase "Make it Happen Jules"
This will be a joint effort, and I am sure we will interrupt and correct each other along the way, so stay with us please
So the plan of attack, our first Christmas and New Year at the World, 5 nights at Saratoga, 3 nights at The DoubleTree Universal, then back to Saratoga for 13 nights and Christmas and New Year....
The Night Before and Day One
December 13th
Ian gets the day off and picks me up at 12.00 for the journey to Gatwick which is uneventful, we make the usual stop at Membury Services for our KFC, you have to stick with tradition. Twilight check in was fab and took just twenty minutes from parking to leaving the airport. We stay overnight at The Castle Lodge in Horley, bargain at 118 pounds with parking for three weeks, it has new owners from last time we stayed and they are really friendly and welcoming I would really recommend it, the room was fine, nice and clean, which is the most important thing. Being the planner I had found out that a Weatherspoons had opened since our last visit, so it would be rude not to visit (Ian really knows how to spoil me). After a couple of wines for me and bud for Ian (getting into the US vibe) we realise it is curry night, so I get the hottest on the menu, whilst Ian gets the chicken Biriani, what a result curry and a pint for just £5.99. We leave at about 10.30 picking up a bottle of wine at the offie on the way back.
December 14th
THE BIG DAY, at last, it was a long time coming... We leave Castle Lodge at about 8.45 get to Gatwick and change the last bit of money, as smokers we were wondering how we would get last one in, so we had a potter around Gatwick Village, a Starbucks coffee and then headed back out of the airport for our last one, before going through security. We were a bit gutted to discover that the big pub is closed, so the small one had to do.... We have a half an hour delay, so do some shopping, mags for us both and ciggies for the trip. We get a big suprise when we board, we had prebooked 2 of the seats at the back of the plane, but we are told we have been moved to the emergency exit seats for free, so plenty of legroom for Ian and I can put my feet up on the door, it made for a nice pouffee.
The flight went well, the films ok, Ian watched Transformers and I watched something with Catherine Zeta Jones the name of which escapes me. The food was much improved from previous trips, no chicken and pasta in sight. Karen (CustardTart) was on our flight and she wandered up to find us, we had a good old chat, before she realised that Samuel may wonder she was lost, it was great to meet you Karen. We land at 5.50 and the nightmare begins, both Gatwick flights and Manchester have got in at the same time, so Customs was packed, it is 8.30 before we are finally on the Magical Exress bus on our way home to Saratoga.
I do a little dance when we get off the bus, it is good to be back, we are allocated a room at Grandstand. After a quick stop at Artists Pallette for some booze, we get to room 9332 which we discover (or we think as its so dark) has a view of the Golf Course, piccies tommorrow, the aforementioned alcohol is consumed and we take our last ciggie of the evening at the Des smoking area, I was pleasantly suprised by the lack of frogs, very impressed, but I later found out that I had been deceived, apparently there were two above my head as I smoked my cigarette, which Ian neglected to tell me about until the next day, I was not impressed that he did not share this with me, and threatened to find Karen and Samuel and share a room with them, however, they are still there the next morning, and I decide to overcome my phobia and make friends, we christen them Matt and Kev, my prince charmings, although I was never brave enough to kiss them.
Tomorrow Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney and my first margarita .....
Me (Jules) 36, obsessive planner, compulsive worrier
Ian 37, laid back, lie on the floor, favourite phrase "Make it Happen Jules"
This will be a joint effort, and I am sure we will interrupt and correct each other along the way, so stay with us please
So the plan of attack, our first Christmas and New Year at the World, 5 nights at Saratoga, 3 nights at The DoubleTree Universal, then back to Saratoga for 13 nights and Christmas and New Year....
The Night Before and Day One
December 13th
Ian gets the day off and picks me up at 12.00 for the journey to Gatwick which is uneventful, we make the usual stop at Membury Services for our KFC, you have to stick with tradition. Twilight check in was fab and took just twenty minutes from parking to leaving the airport. We stay overnight at The Castle Lodge in Horley, bargain at 118 pounds with parking for three weeks, it has new owners from last time we stayed and they are really friendly and welcoming I would really recommend it, the room was fine, nice and clean, which is the most important thing. Being the planner I had found out that a Weatherspoons had opened since our last visit, so it would be rude not to visit (Ian really knows how to spoil me). After a couple of wines for me and bud for Ian (getting into the US vibe) we realise it is curry night, so I get the hottest on the menu, whilst Ian gets the chicken Biriani, what a result curry and a pint for just £5.99. We leave at about 10.30 picking up a bottle of wine at the offie on the way back.
December 14th
THE BIG DAY, at last, it was a long time coming... We leave Castle Lodge at about 8.45 get to Gatwick and change the last bit of money, as smokers we were wondering how we would get last one in, so we had a potter around Gatwick Village, a Starbucks coffee and then headed back out of the airport for our last one, before going through security. We were a bit gutted to discover that the big pub is closed, so the small one had to do.... We have a half an hour delay, so do some shopping, mags for us both and ciggies for the trip. We get a big suprise when we board, we had prebooked 2 of the seats at the back of the plane, but we are told we have been moved to the emergency exit seats for free, so plenty of legroom for Ian and I can put my feet up on the door, it made for a nice pouffee.
The flight went well, the films ok, Ian watched Transformers and I watched something with Catherine Zeta Jones the name of which escapes me. The food was much improved from previous trips, no chicken and pasta in sight. Karen (CustardTart) was on our flight and she wandered up to find us, we had a good old chat, before she realised that Samuel may wonder she was lost, it was great to meet you Karen. We land at 5.50 and the nightmare begins, both Gatwick flights and Manchester have got in at the same time, so Customs was packed, it is 8.30 before we are finally on the Magical Exress bus on our way home to Saratoga.
I do a little dance when we get off the bus, it is good to be back, we are allocated a room at Grandstand. After a quick stop at Artists Pallette for some booze, we get to room 9332 which we discover (or we think as its so dark) has a view of the Golf Course, piccies tommorrow, the aforementioned alcohol is consumed and we take our last ciggie of the evening at the Des smoking area, I was pleasantly suprised by the lack of frogs, very impressed, but I later found out that I had been deceived, apparently there were two above my head as I smoked my cigarette, which Ian neglected to tell me about until the next day, I was not impressed that he did not share this with me, and threatened to find Karen and Samuel and share a room with them, however, they are still there the next morning, and I decide to overcome my phobia and make friends, we christen them Matt and Kev, my prince charmings, although I was never brave enough to kiss them.
Tomorrow Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney and my first margarita .....
Samuel hadn't even noticed I'd been gone for so long as he was too engrossed in a threesome with the inflight movie, iPod and Nintendo DS... 
