Typhoon Lagoon & More shopping. (Oh Joy!)
Monday 29th August 2005
Joyce is still feeling a little fragile today so her and Cyril decide to stay at the villa this morning while we blast round Typhoon Lagoon again.
I had planned to do Blizzard Beach but we do prefer Typhoon Lagoon and we have not done all the Slusher'n'Gusher rides yet so this must be remedied!
Were at the gate for the opening and without any "baggage" to carry in.
We are the first on the rides.
Its funny seeing people who are so obviously here for the first time.
Looking back to our first visit we must have looked like the Family form Hell! There were eight of us and we brought everything that us Brits usually take for a day at the beach.
Towels, change of clothes, picnic hamper (three picnic hampers actually!), sunglasses, inflatables, blankets, umbrellas, ponchos, deckchairs, knotted hankies, sun cream and just about every different type of camera possible! And that was just in my backpack!
Its great to watch the faces of people when they first catch a glimpse of that wave priceless .
We manage to complete all three slides before anyone else has arrived and had a whale of a time.
I have come to the conclusion that not many people know about these new slide "rides" - or if they do then maybe they are having difficulty in finding them. I must admit - they are not very well signposted at all. Still - this is great for us as we are able to try out all three of the slides. They are all slightly different and quite fast too - great fun.
Mayday, Keelhaul and Gangplank are next.
Then the lazy river for a nice float in the rubber rings. You need to get in here quite early too otherwise it just becomes the Crazy River.
We exit the river at the Shark Reef stationand have another crack at snorkeling across the "Arctic Water".
This is a great place but the water is so cold when I got out I pulled a face and it stayed that way! Wow! My mum was right after all!
I was so cold I had to keep telling lies just so that my pants caught fire and I was able to warm up
I was so cold I spilled hot coffee in my lap to thaw out
OK enough ..!
You can just make out Lena trying to explain to Hannah how to snorkle and Hannah trying to explain to Lena that she can't understand a word she's saying 'cos she doesn't speak "Snorklish"!
Then a brief stop at Typhoon Tillys for out second lesson on Pirate Speak!
I approach the young lady behind the counter -
"Avast ye varmint" I start Gimme a brace of ye best hot toddys, a pair of yonder grogs and a quintuplet of them thar fried potatoes
Sorry sir I dont speak Spanish comes the lame reply!
How'd ye like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?" I offer!
SMACK!!!!
Ok two coffees, two cokes and four French fries please!
Oh well I tried!
I now look like I have sunburn down one side of my face!
After a coffee and fries it's into the main pool for a bit of wave surfing. Brilliant. It's another cracking day today with temperatures up in the 90's.
Were out by 13.00 and back to the villa to pick up Joyce and Cyril before heading off to the Florida Mall.
We stop off at International drive first to take a look at the shops in the Bells Mall. They seem a bit run down looking in places now - hopefully the new owners are going to sort this out soon.
Then on to Florida Mall.
Here we "Late Lunch" in the food court which is surprisingly good! Not like the food courts back in England!
Joyce and Cyril go off in search of Sunday lunch (Yes I know it's Monday but you try telling them!)
Myself and Lena had Chinese - Sweet and Sour Chicken with Chicken Chow Mein Noodles.
Hannah had Japanese - Terror Yukki Chicken (at least that's what the Oriental Gentleman serving behind the counter called it!) with rice.
Ricky had Mexican - a Taco Bell Happy Meal or something.
Joyce and Cyril had some English cuisine (Danish Pastries I expect!).
We wandered around the shops and tried out some of those fantastic massage chairs that have the calf massagers built in to the leg rest. Only $2500 - a snip! I could just see myself in one of those at home after a long hard day at work.
Well - actually - I could see everyone else in the flippin' thing and me getting a strop on because they wont get off!
Maybe not!
After another visit to TJ Maxx and Bed Bath and Beyond on I Drive before we head home.
I can't really remember much more about today - it's one of those "shopping days" that I really could live without! I know there's more to Orlando than the theme parks but I'm here for the kids (me really!) and not to "shop 'til we drop!"
After all - once you've seen one of these shopping centres you've seen a Mall - (Sorry!)
Back at the villa there's time for a quick swim before bed.
The weather channel is now showing full coverage of Hurricane Katrina - it's a massive weather system - the pictures are unbelievable. We are very lucky to have been passed by this time.
Katrina finally made land today over New Orleans as people had feared and even the reporters who are used to seeing hurricane devastation are sounding shocked at the scene.
Back to Disney tomorrow - Chef Mickey's for breakfast, a trip round the resorts and Epcot for the evening is the plan.
Stay tuned folks...........
No flippin'!
Monday 29th August 2005
Joyce is still feeling a little fragile today so her and Cyril decide to stay at the villa this morning while we blast round Typhoon Lagoon again.
I had planned to do Blizzard Beach but we do prefer Typhoon Lagoon and we have not done all the Slusher'n'Gusher rides yet so this must be remedied!
Were at the gate for the opening and without any "baggage" to carry in.
We are the first on the rides.
Its funny seeing people who are so obviously here for the first time.
Looking back to our first visit we must have looked like the Family form Hell! There were eight of us and we brought everything that us Brits usually take for a day at the beach.
Towels, change of clothes, picnic hamper (three picnic hampers actually!), sunglasses, inflatables, blankets, umbrellas, ponchos, deckchairs, knotted hankies, sun cream and just about every different type of camera possible! And that was just in my backpack!
Its great to watch the faces of people when they first catch a glimpse of that wave priceless .
We manage to complete all three slides before anyone else has arrived and had a whale of a time.
I have come to the conclusion that not many people know about these new slide "rides" - or if they do then maybe they are having difficulty in finding them. I must admit - they are not very well signposted at all. Still - this is great for us as we are able to try out all three of the slides. They are all slightly different and quite fast too - great fun.
Mayday, Keelhaul and Gangplank are next.
Then the lazy river for a nice float in the rubber rings. You need to get in here quite early too otherwise it just becomes the Crazy River.
We exit the river at the Shark Reef stationand have another crack at snorkeling across the "Arctic Water".
This is a great place but the water is so cold when I got out I pulled a face and it stayed that way! Wow! My mum was right after all!
I was so cold I had to keep telling lies just so that my pants caught fire and I was able to warm up
I was so cold I spilled hot coffee in my lap to thaw out
OK enough ..!
You can just make out Lena trying to explain to Hannah how to snorkle and Hannah trying to explain to Lena that she can't understand a word she's saying 'cos she doesn't speak "Snorklish"!
Then a brief stop at Typhoon Tillys for out second lesson on Pirate Speak!
I approach the young lady behind the counter -
"Avast ye varmint" I start Gimme a brace of ye best hot toddys, a pair of yonder grogs and a quintuplet of them thar fried potatoes
Sorry sir I dont speak Spanish comes the lame reply!
How'd ye like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?" I offer!
SMACK!!!!
Ok two coffees, two cokes and four French fries please!
Oh well I tried!
I now look like I have sunburn down one side of my face!
After a coffee and fries it's into the main pool for a bit of wave surfing. Brilliant. It's another cracking day today with temperatures up in the 90's.
Were out by 13.00 and back to the villa to pick up Joyce and Cyril before heading off to the Florida Mall.
We stop off at International drive first to take a look at the shops in the Bells Mall. They seem a bit run down looking in places now - hopefully the new owners are going to sort this out soon.
Then on to Florida Mall.
Here we "Late Lunch" in the food court which is surprisingly good! Not like the food courts back in England!
Joyce and Cyril go off in search of Sunday lunch (Yes I know it's Monday but you try telling them!)
Myself and Lena had Chinese - Sweet and Sour Chicken with Chicken Chow Mein Noodles.
Hannah had Japanese - Terror Yukki Chicken (at least that's what the Oriental Gentleman serving behind the counter called it!) with rice.
Ricky had Mexican - a Taco Bell Happy Meal or something.
Joyce and Cyril had some English cuisine (Danish Pastries I expect!).
We wandered around the shops and tried out some of those fantastic massage chairs that have the calf massagers built in to the leg rest. Only $2500 - a snip! I could just see myself in one of those at home after a long hard day at work.
Well - actually - I could see everyone else in the flippin' thing and me getting a strop on because they wont get off!
Maybe not!
After another visit to TJ Maxx and Bed Bath and Beyond on I Drive before we head home.
I can't really remember much more about today - it's one of those "shopping days" that I really could live without! I know there's more to Orlando than the theme parks but I'm here for the kids (me really!) and not to "shop 'til we drop!"
After all - once you've seen one of these shopping centres you've seen a Mall - (Sorry!)
Back at the villa there's time for a quick swim before bed.
The weather channel is now showing full coverage of Hurricane Katrina - it's a massive weather system - the pictures are unbelievable. We are very lucky to have been passed by this time.
Katrina finally made land today over New Orleans as people had feared and even the reporters who are used to seeing hurricane devastation are sounding shocked at the scene.
Back to Disney tomorrow - Chef Mickey's for breakfast, a trip round the resorts and Epcot for the evening is the plan.
Stay tuned folks...........
No flippin'!
