First EVER Florida Vacation! The 'no planning' PTR! **UPDATE Magic Kingdom!**

[newlittleminnie]

First EVER Florida Vacation! The 'no planning' PTR!

Ok, so this is my first PTR as it's my First EVER trip to Florida!

Not only are we doing WDW!

But we're also visiting Universal!

And SeaWorld!

And I am beyond excited!

I'm not really sure how PTR's work so I'm just gonna go with what feels right and tell you what I can. Please be kind and feel free to give me some pointers if you think I'm going wrong!

The reason this is called the 'no planning' PTR is because I'm not the one who's planned this trip I guess that will make it kind of hard to do a PTR but it's helping me get out some of my excitement and hopefully will lead to some hints, tips, and maybe making some friends on the DIS along the way!

Coming next.....

.....The Cast of My Florida Vacation!

Chapters:
Chapter 1: The Cast of My Vacation
Chapter 2: Where We'll Be Staying
Chapter 3: When and How
Mini Update: One More Payment!
Chapter 4: SeaWorld - One Day with Shamu
Chapter 5: Guess What Day It Is!
Chapter 6: Magic Kingdom​

 

[newlittleminnie]

Chapter 1: The Cast of My Vacation

So I thought it was best to start with the Who before we get into the where and when, I just think it's nice to be able to put faces to the people you're reading about

There's eight of us going on this vacation so this may take a while, but hang on in there and i'll try and keep it brief

This is the only picture I have of all eight of us together; it's from my 21st birthday party last year:

The female on the back row, that's Me
I'm Louise AKA Newlittleminnie and the only person on the trip who isn't actually part of the family lol I'm almost 22 and I'm a huge Disney nut, my favourite character is Donald followed very closely by Dopey.

Next to me on the right is my DBF Richard. We've been together 18 month and are very much in love He's the reason I'm getting to visit the Happiest Place on Earth as its his family I'm going with.

On the back right is Richard's DDad, and middle front is his DMam. These are the main organisers for the trip, as well as the driver lol

On my left is Richard's DGranda, and on the front right is his DGran.

Last but not least are Richard's younger brothers. DB(16) sitting next to his DMam and DB(10) standing to the right.

Their family have been to Florida a LOT of times now, I'm not sure how many exactly but enough for me to know I probably have the best tour guides I could have for my first vacation

So that's all of us I kept it brief and just gave you the bare minimum so we can get to the important stuff in the next chapter

.......Where we'll be staying!​

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

Lousie, looking forward to reading about your holiday plans (and hopefully your holiday... *hint hint *!)

My DBF came with my family (Mum, Dad, Grandparents, brother and sister... and me) in December 2010... and he's still with me now, so it can't have been too bad!

Steffi xx

 

[newlittleminnie]

Lousie, looking forward to reading about your holiday plans (and hopefully your holiday... *hint hint *!)

My DBF came with my family (Mum, Dad, Grandparents, brother and sister... and me) in December 2010... and he's still with me now, so it can't have been too bad!

Steffi xx

Thanks Steffi!

If that's a hint for TR there will definitely be one, I'm actually excited about writing it

I think me (and your DBF) are lucky cz we get our own personal tour guides for our trip lol

I'll do a swap and read your report too

 

[15isto2]

Greeings from Barrow

 

[newlittleminnie]

Greeings from Barrow

Wow small world! Would never have expected to see someone from so close on the DIS

 

[newlittleminnie]

Chapter 2: Where We're Staying!​

So let me re-cap, in the previous post I covered who will be going on this vacation...and now I'm here to tell you about where we'll be staying. Credit for the photos in this post goes to my DBF as they're his photos from a previous trip

For the two weeks that we're in Florida we'll be staying here:

Highlands Reserve!

According to my research Highlands reserve is located in Davenport and is only 12 minutes from Disney! and is incredibly close to Universal and SeaWorld too (but shhhh don't tell Mickey!)

We're staying in a villa which will look something along the lines of this. Beautiful isn't it? or at least I think so this looks like the kind of place I could really feel at home in.

It will fit all eight of us in and has it's own pool, which for someone like me who loves to swim and be in the water is a huge plus

Also has a games room; not sure what games exactly but probably the usual stuff like pool, darts etc.

I'm not totally certain about this one as I don't think it's been confirmed yet but I think this is the sort of view we're aiming for:

Pretty cool huh?

In my opinion a villa like this works out better when there's a big party like ours. I'm sure staying on site works well for some people and with the bonuses of EMH but when there's eight of us, I'm guessing this is the cheapest way. Plus we don't have to compete for space in the pool!

I guess it might not seem as easy to be staying somewhere like this if I was the one doing the booking, planning and organising lol but as my DBF's parents are dealing with all that it seems pretty perfect to me

up next is the important one.......

........when are we going?​

​

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

Chapter 2: Where We're Staying!​

So let me re-cap, in the previous post I covered who will be going on this vacation...and now I'm here to tell you about where we'll be staying. Credit for the photos in this post goes to my DBF as they're his photos from a previous trip

For the two weeks that we're in Florida we'll be staying here:

Highlands Reserve!

According to my research Highlands reserve is located in Davenport and is only 12 minutes from Disney! and is incredibly close to Universal and SeaWorld too (but shhhh don't tell Mickey!)

We're staying in a villa which will look something along the lines of this. Beautiful isn't it? or at least I think so this looks like the kind of place I could really feel at home in.

It will fit all eight of us in and has it's own pool, which for someone like me who loves to swim and be in the water is a huge plus

Also has a games room; not sure what games exactly but probably the usual stuff like pool, darts etc.

I'm not totally certain about this one as I don't think it's been confirmed yet but I think this is the sort of view we're aiming for:

Pretty cool huh?

In my opinion a villa like this works out better when there's a big party like ours. I'm sure staying on site works well for some people and with the bonuses of EMH but when there's eight of us, I'm guessing this is the cheapest way. Plus we don't have to compete for space in the pool!

I guess it might not seem as easy to be staying somewhere like this if I was the one doing the booking, planning and organising lol but as my DBF's parents are dealing with all that it seems pretty perfect to me

up next is the important one.......

........when are we going?​

​

This re-trip report is scarily similar to my last one (see in my signiture for my 2010 reprt!) - we stayed in a villa in Lake Berkley as there was 8 of us!

Keep me updated please xx

 

[newlittleminnie]

This re-trip report is scarily similar to my last one (see in my signiture for my 2010 reprt!) - we stayed in a villa in Lake Berkley as there was 8 of us!

Keep me updated please xx

I'm not copying I promise

More updates coming soon xx

 

[newlittleminnie]

Hoping to get another update up today, just having some technical difficulties with photos

 

[Molyneuxd]

Another Cumbrian dis'er! (Where in Cumbria are you from?)

Enjoy your trip, looks and sounds brilliant!

 

[akclayton]

I'll follow you on this one.

 

[newlittleminnie]

Another Cumbrian dis'er! (Where in Cumbria are you from?)

Enjoy your trip, looks and sounds brilliant!

Thanks! It seems so weird meeting people on here who live in this area. I'm from a village called Seaton just outside Workington, but don't worry if you don't know of it, most people don't Where abouts are you, anywhere near me? lol

I'll follow you on this one.

Hi I'll return the favour if you decide to vent your obsession

 

[Molyneuxd]

Haha, not too far from me at all! I'm from Allonby and my sister lives in Workington.

Probably bumped into you at some point on Washington Street slightly tipsy!

Enjoy planning your trip!

 

[newlittleminnie]

Wow I wasn't expecting that! lol

Yeah probably, if you ever spot me give me a shout

 

[newlittleminnie]

Chapter 3: When and How

So here it is, as far as I'm concerned my holiday starts as soon as I'm on my way to the airport, so probably the most important detail is the when and the how. I'll start off with the when.

Our flight leaves at around 12pm on Saturday August 11th 2012! Which is now only 107 days away! It feels like forever but I just keep reminding myself that when we first booked it was around 300 days away, and that makes me feel a little better

Because we're from the UK we have to be at the airport for check in 3 hours before our flight, which kinda sucks and it also takes us ANOTHER 3 hours (approximately) to get from where we live, to our Airport what a pain! In case you're wondering, we're flying from:

Glasgow International Airport

But what I'm really excited about is who we're flying with. I've heard great things about this airline and the planes just look so comfortable and relaxing. And there's that little TV too We're flying with:

Virgin Airways!

Unfortunately our flight will take approximately 9 hours but I have started creating something to keep us occupied while we're on the plane. But I'll let you in on that later in the PTR. The flight time means we land at around 4pm Florida time at:

Orlando International Airport!

How does an airport manage to look beautiful? Or is that just me lol

Of course this is when we head over to pick up our car. As there are 8 of us and we're staying offsite it makes sense to rent a car, especially when the cost is spread out amongst us. I'm pretty sure we're renting from:

You guessed it, Alamo will be providing us with our transport for the duration of our stay, and all I've heard is positive reviews about them. I'm not massively into cars or anything like that (too girly ) but I'm even excited to help pick out a car

Unfortunately after 2 weeks we have to do it all over again in reverse. On August 25th at around 5:30pm our flight leaves Orlando International for Glasgow Prestwick, landing at around 8am the next morning English time

But let's not dwell on sad things for too long Up next....

....SeaWorld - One Day with Shamu​

 

[Freckleflower]

Sounds great!

You will have to let me know how you all entertained yourselves on the long flight!

 

[newlittleminnie]

Sounds great!

You will have to let me know how you all entertained yourselves on the long flight!

There will be a future update about my idea for keeping us entertained on our flight, I'm working on it atm but i'm not sure how long it's going to take so who knows when I'll get to write that update

 

[newlittleminnie]

Mini Update: Only ONE More Payment!

I know the next update was going to be about SeaWorld, and it still is, but I just had to do a quick mini update for this because I feel like I've reached a kind of milestone in the build up to my holiday.

I've been giving my DBF's parents a certain amount of money every month since we booked in November to pay off my holiday, and after the payment I gave them on Friday I now only have ONE PAYMENT LEFT!

That means in just a few weeks my flights, accommodation, transport and tickets will all be paid for! Woohoo!

Now to get back into the scheduled programme, coming next (promise )

....SeaWorld - One day with Shamu​

 

[newlittleminnie]

Chapter 4: SeaWorld - One Day with Shamu

So it's been a while since my last proper update but life and job hunting etc got in the way, don't you just hate it when that happens? I still have a while until my trip though so I guess I can afford to take it slow.

From what my DBF has told me, his family aren't the kind of group who decide beforehand what park to go to on what day, what time to arrive and leave, or what rides to do when. So I suppose we'll just kinda go with the flow and do what we want depending on how we feel when we get up in the morning. I know that will be scary to some of you but I don't mind standing in long lines or being in crowds.

However there is one day that I think we are going to have to schedule. Originally we weren't even going to SeaWorld, but I really wanted to go and after my DBF had finished looking at his photos from last year so did he! And once we found out it would only be an extra £50 each for a ticket we were sold

How you're probably wondering why we have to schedule this particular day right? Well that's because we want to visit SeaWorld while Summer Nights is still on!

This year Summer Nights is only on until the day after we get there so I think our first full day is going to be at SeaWorld. For those of you who don't know what it is (and I'm no expert ) I think Summer Nights basically means that the park is open until later (10pm instead of 8pm) and there's music and a fireworks and fountains show called Reflections, and the shows are on until later.

Which leads me on to the main topic of this thread. I though since I'm talking about SeaWorld I might as well tell you my 'must do's'. If anyone has been before please feel free to tell me what you think of my choices or tell me some of your own

(By the way these aren't in any kind of order)

Number 1: Shamu Rocks!

Part of the reason we want to go to SeaWorld while Summer Nights is still on is so that we can see Shamu Rocks the way it is supposed to be seen; at night, in the dark, when the lights and music seem even more amazing! I love the songs in this show and the routines the whales perform are truly amazing. There's something about the introduction music that just gives me goosebumps

Number 2: Kraken and Manta

I guess it's kind of cheating to put two attractions as one must do. But I figure since they're both rides I can get away with it Up until last year I was a total ride wimp, I was afraid of heights and the though of going on a rollercoaster made me feel so sick. Then my DBF convinced me to go to Alton Towers with him and now I love them! So I am determined to go on every ride I possibly can while we're in Orlando. I also love the themes of these two rides. Manta is similar to a ride at Alton Towers (except height ) which I love called Air, so I can't Wait to try Manta.

Number 3: Dolphin Feeding

Now, as you don't know me very well yet, what you won't know is that I LOVE dolphins. I'm not sure where it started but the first I can remember is that when I was little my mam adopted a dolphin for me called Sundance, and I've just always loved them. The elegance, the intelligence, the beauty. When my DBF and I went on holiday last year we had the opportunity to have our photos took with a dolphin before the show and it was one of the best experiences of my life. So when I found out that at SeaWorld I could actually feed them I was all for it! It only costs around $7 and you get a tray of fish to feed them with. I am so excited!

Number 4: Turtle Trek

This si the new attraction at SeaWorld which just opened in April. At first I was a little disappointed in it but since more videos have appeared on youtube I'm really starting to look forward to it. The idea behind it and the technology are actually very impressive and as it's a new attraction it would be a shame not to see it. But I'll reserve my judgement until I've actually experienced it.

Number 5: Clyde and Seamore vs. Blue Horizons

Ok so this one I really can't choose between these two shows. As I've just mentioned I LOVE dolphins so I would really enjoy Blue Horizons. The combination of humans performing acrobatic tricks and dolphins performing water tricks and basically just showing off However, birds totally freak me out, so having them flying over my head I would not enjoy. Blue Horizons is tied with Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island which looks hilarious. The sea lions perform amazingly and I think it would be really interesting to see an animal show which is intended to be humorous. I'm hoping there will be time to do both seeing as though the park will be open later but I'm guessing probably not

So there they are, my must do's for SeaWorld! The one thing I am disappointed with is that they no longer have penguins at SeaWorld. I recently developed a love of penguins (based on a love of Pingu from when I was young and more recently, Wheezy from Toy Story ) But I am really looking forward to my day there and think it will be a great way to start the holiday

Coming next....

....Chapter 5: Guess What Day It Is!​