Ahh pure luxury; There is no Stitch yelling at us to wake us up this morning. We get up when we were good and ready, which turns out to be around 10.00am. Check out time is not until 11.00am so we might as well use the full time available to us. We pack everything up, and wait for the bellman to collect our bags. Unlike Pop where we could just leave the bags, here we have to be in the room for them to collect the bags. Theyll probably say it's for security or something like that, but we all know it's so they get a tip.
We load our day gear into the car, Art the greeter says goodbye to us and we walk out the door. 5 minutes later we come back in to have breakfast in the Riptide lounge, Art says welcome back, couldnt stay away long? We have 2 cinnamon bins, coffee and OJ, and as they are packing up, we take it out onto the patio and sit in the rocking chairs with a view of the lake. What a great way to top off our stay. Art must have gone for a break because he is not at the door when we do finally leave.
We drive over to the Wilderness Lodge to that we can check in and request a room with a king size bed, we have had queens all week, and they were really small queens. The CM checking us in tells me the room is ready and we have a king room with a full bath, and a view of the swimming pool. Hey we got upgraded, thats cool. But no time to go see, no we are on a mission.
On the I4 we are heading for Lakeland airport and Browns seaplane base in Winter Haven. But we never actually make it. Last year we drove past the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, later we read and heard a lot of good things about it. So when we see the signs, we turn off the highway for what we thought would be a quick detour. Well, never actually make it to Lakeland and Browns because we spend over half a day at the Fantasy of Flight.
First stop is the gift shop; of course, we buy two drink holders with the museum logo on it. Wow, we spend a whole $2.00, big spenders!
We take out time wandering through the history of flight area. Starting with the Wright Brothers, and balloons, and onto WWII, it is an interesting mix of static display, short movies and a bomber to walk through.
The north hangar is where the active planes are kept. These planes all belong to Kermit Weeks, the owner of the museum and the collection. All the planes in the north hangar are all in flying condition.
In Fightertown we sit in the cockpit of a Corsair, and fly over the Pacific during WWII, shooting down the enemy. Well Dave does, I think the enemy shoots me down. Its a combat simulator ride, and you can fly as many times as you want, providing there are not others waiting.
As we are looking at some of the planes a guy announces that a tour of the restoration hangar will be starting in 5 minutes. The restoration hangar is not open to just wander through, the only way to see inside is on the tour. It lasts about 45 minutes, so we tag along. Our tour guides are Mac, and Paul. Paul in an aviation mechanic, and is involved in actually restoring the plans.
We are able to see:
A Stinson L1 vigilant. It was used for a variety of missions both in the U.S. and overseas during WW II. Some Vigilants were converted as ambulance aircraft, sometimes fitted with skis or with floats for water take-offs and landings. This particular Vigilant was used in the film the Great Waldo Pepper starring Robert Redford. There are only 7 of this plane left in the world.
A Weeks Special. This is an aerobatic aircraft that Kermit Weeks built.
A P35A Republic {Seversky}. It will take about 10,000 to 15,000 man hours to restore. There are only 3 left in the world.
A Morane A-I. It entered service in the spring of 1918 in time to see combat during the last few months of World War I
N3N Canary was also known as yellow peril. It was used extensively in U.S. Navy flying training schools throughout WWII.
Grumman Hellcat. It was known during WWII as the Ace-Maker. This particular plane was once owned by the Boy Scouts of the USA.
We eat lunch at Compass Rose, the diner in the museum. Its described on the website as: The Compass Roses atmosphere reflects the same characteristics of stylish diners that were associated with airports during the 1930s and early 1940s. Soaring windows, multi-hued terrazzo floors and the unusual rounded shapes associated with the art-deco period popularized in the pre-WWII years provide the Compass Rose a décor that evokes a bygone era in aviation. Dave has a burger, fries and a coke. I have chicken strips, fries and a coke.
After lunch, we go outside to watch the flight demonstration its a Fieseler Fi-156 Storch. The pilot flies for a good 20 minutes or so, and when he lands we get to explore the plane.
Our last stop before we head home is the maintenance hangar. We are able to see a Ford Tri Motor. This particular plane was used in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with Harrison Ford.
We hit the shop one last time before we leave. Dave buys himself a piper cub sign for our hangar, and I get a teddy bear in an airplane for our niece.
We get back to the hotel and navigate the parking lot; we find a spot close to the entrance. The room is gorgeous, and we have a king bed. A full size balcony with a table and chairs, and we can see the pool, the lake and off to our right is Fort Wilderness. Did I mention we have a king size bed! We call for our bags, there is a knock at the door and I send Dave to answer thinking its the bellman, but its a CM with two bunches of balloons. I assume they have been delivered to the wrong room, one says Happy Birthday and one says Happy Anniversary, both have cards attached. We read the cards the Happy Birthday one is for Dave with a signed photo from Mickey and the anniversary one is for both us, with a wishes photo. I had forgotten that I had had the travel agent note on our reservation that it was a belated birthday and anniversary trip. An upgrade, balloons and a king bed! I dont want to leave. Our bags arrive and we unpack. After relaxing for a bit we wander through the Lodge and checked out the lobby, pool, marina, beach, Roaring Snacks etc.
After relaxing in the room, laying on our king size bed watching TV we ride the ferry to the Magic Kingdom. Its extra magic hour tonight and the Kingdom is open until 10.00pm.
We arrive half way through Wishes, so I have yet to see from start to end this trip. We stop at Arriba Bros to buy 6 glass mugs with Mickey etched on them, and get Rachael, Dave, Andrea, Sean, Noah and Logan engraved on them. We are having them delivered to the Lodge; I like this not having to lug my shopping round with me.
Dave wants to ride Stitch. After seeing Stitch mooning everyone from the monorails, Dave has become quite enamored with Stitch, even though Dave has no idea who or what Stitch is. I will have to make him watch Lilo and Stitch when we get home. There is very little wait, they have just let one group into the theatre so we will be next. We take our seats and the harnesses come down. I had read bad reviews about this attraction, but we both loved it, well except for the smell! That was rank.
Next stop was Buzz Lightyear. Dave won again, I had told him to where aim for to get the big points and he had over 200,000 points before we left the first room. He was hoping for 999,999 but didnt make it. I offered to let him ride again, but hes hungry.
We choose Cosmic Rays Café for dinner; we have a Q&C voucher with us, but decide its not worth it, so we order our own meals:
2 cheeseburgers with fries $11.58
Coke $1.99
Lemonade $1.99
Tax $1.02
Total $16.58
Next up is the Speedway, and end up on opposite tracks, so Dave wont be able to ram the back of my car. Dave gets a really slow car, because I start after him, but catch up and overtake him. I win!
We have trouble trying to decide what to ride next. I want to ride Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. The queue for Pooh was too long, but Peter Pan was okay. For some reason I love this ride. Then it was onto Pirates of the Caribbean. We had decided we were done and we were heading home, when we walk past Aladdins carpets, there is no queue and they are just getting ready to start the ride so we run on. The seat is really wet, its not raining, so why? Dave is in the front and I am in the back, Dave has control of the up and down, this is fun, I get soaked by the camel, not once, not twice but three times. No wonder the seat was wet. I should have known.
Now we are done and its about 9.30pm so we decide to beat the rush for the ferry back to the Lodge. We grab a chocolate and vanilla swirl Dole whip $2.98 cash to eat on the ride home. We wait about 10 minutes for a ferry. Back at the Lodge I try to go for a swim before bed, but its too cold, and the hot tubs are closed for maintenance. So I do laundry instead. What fun!
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 7
**edited to add detail for Fantasy of Flight visit**
We load our day gear into the car, Art the greeter says goodbye to us and we walk out the door. 5 minutes later we come back in to have breakfast in the Riptide lounge, Art says welcome back, couldnt stay away long? We have 2 cinnamon bins, coffee and OJ, and as they are packing up, we take it out onto the patio and sit in the rocking chairs with a view of the lake. What a great way to top off our stay. Art must have gone for a break because he is not at the door when we do finally leave.
We drive over to the Wilderness Lodge to that we can check in and request a room with a king size bed, we have had queens all week, and they were really small queens. The CM checking us in tells me the room is ready and we have a king room with a full bath, and a view of the swimming pool. Hey we got upgraded, thats cool. But no time to go see, no we are on a mission.
On the I4 we are heading for Lakeland airport and Browns seaplane base in Winter Haven. But we never actually make it. Last year we drove past the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, later we read and heard a lot of good things about it. So when we see the signs, we turn off the highway for what we thought would be a quick detour. Well, never actually make it to Lakeland and Browns because we spend over half a day at the Fantasy of Flight.
First stop is the gift shop; of course, we buy two drink holders with the museum logo on it. Wow, we spend a whole $2.00, big spenders!
We take out time wandering through the history of flight area. Starting with the Wright Brothers, and balloons, and onto WWII, it is an interesting mix of static display, short movies and a bomber to walk through.
The north hangar is where the active planes are kept. These planes all belong to Kermit Weeks, the owner of the museum and the collection. All the planes in the north hangar are all in flying condition.
In Fightertown we sit in the cockpit of a Corsair, and fly over the Pacific during WWII, shooting down the enemy. Well Dave does, I think the enemy shoots me down. Its a combat simulator ride, and you can fly as many times as you want, providing there are not others waiting.
As we are looking at some of the planes a guy announces that a tour of the restoration hangar will be starting in 5 minutes. The restoration hangar is not open to just wander through, the only way to see inside is on the tour. It lasts about 45 minutes, so we tag along. Our tour guides are Mac, and Paul. Paul in an aviation mechanic, and is involved in actually restoring the plans.
We are able to see:
A Stinson L1 vigilant. It was used for a variety of missions both in the U.S. and overseas during WW II. Some Vigilants were converted as ambulance aircraft, sometimes fitted with skis or with floats for water take-offs and landings. This particular Vigilant was used in the film the Great Waldo Pepper starring Robert Redford. There are only 7 of this plane left in the world.
A Weeks Special. This is an aerobatic aircraft that Kermit Weeks built.
A P35A Republic {Seversky}. It will take about 10,000 to 15,000 man hours to restore. There are only 3 left in the world.
A Morane A-I. It entered service in the spring of 1918 in time to see combat during the last few months of World War I
N3N Canary was also known as yellow peril. It was used extensively in U.S. Navy flying training schools throughout WWII.
Grumman Hellcat. It was known during WWII as the Ace-Maker. This particular plane was once owned by the Boy Scouts of the USA.
We eat lunch at Compass Rose, the diner in the museum. Its described on the website as: The Compass Roses atmosphere reflects the same characteristics of stylish diners that were associated with airports during the 1930s and early 1940s. Soaring windows, multi-hued terrazzo floors and the unusual rounded shapes associated with the art-deco period popularized in the pre-WWII years provide the Compass Rose a décor that evokes a bygone era in aviation. Dave has a burger, fries and a coke. I have chicken strips, fries and a coke.
After lunch, we go outside to watch the flight demonstration its a Fieseler Fi-156 Storch. The pilot flies for a good 20 minutes or so, and when he lands we get to explore the plane.
Our last stop before we head home is the maintenance hangar. We are able to see a Ford Tri Motor. This particular plane was used in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with Harrison Ford.
We hit the shop one last time before we leave. Dave buys himself a piper cub sign for our hangar, and I get a teddy bear in an airplane for our niece.
We get back to the hotel and navigate the parking lot; we find a spot close to the entrance. The room is gorgeous, and we have a king bed. A full size balcony with a table and chairs, and we can see the pool, the lake and off to our right is Fort Wilderness. Did I mention we have a king size bed! We call for our bags, there is a knock at the door and I send Dave to answer thinking its the bellman, but its a CM with two bunches of balloons. I assume they have been delivered to the wrong room, one says Happy Birthday and one says Happy Anniversary, both have cards attached. We read the cards the Happy Birthday one is for Dave with a signed photo from Mickey and the anniversary one is for both us, with a wishes photo. I had forgotten that I had had the travel agent note on our reservation that it was a belated birthday and anniversary trip. An upgrade, balloons and a king bed! I dont want to leave. Our bags arrive and we unpack. After relaxing for a bit we wander through the Lodge and checked out the lobby, pool, marina, beach, Roaring Snacks etc.
After relaxing in the room, laying on our king size bed watching TV we ride the ferry to the Magic Kingdom. Its extra magic hour tonight and the Kingdom is open until 10.00pm.
We arrive half way through Wishes, so I have yet to see from start to end this trip. We stop at Arriba Bros to buy 6 glass mugs with Mickey etched on them, and get Rachael, Dave, Andrea, Sean, Noah and Logan engraved on them. We are having them delivered to the Lodge; I like this not having to lug my shopping round with me.
Dave wants to ride Stitch. After seeing Stitch mooning everyone from the monorails, Dave has become quite enamored with Stitch, even though Dave has no idea who or what Stitch is. I will have to make him watch Lilo and Stitch when we get home. There is very little wait, they have just let one group into the theatre so we will be next. We take our seats and the harnesses come down. I had read bad reviews about this attraction, but we both loved it, well except for the smell! That was rank.
Next stop was Buzz Lightyear. Dave won again, I had told him to where aim for to get the big points and he had over 200,000 points before we left the first room. He was hoping for 999,999 but didnt make it. I offered to let him ride again, but hes hungry.
We choose Cosmic Rays Café for dinner; we have a Q&C voucher with us, but decide its not worth it, so we order our own meals:
2 cheeseburgers with fries $11.58
Coke $1.99
Lemonade $1.99
Tax $1.02
Total $16.58
Next up is the Speedway, and end up on opposite tracks, so Dave wont be able to ram the back of my car. Dave gets a really slow car, because I start after him, but catch up and overtake him. I win!
We have trouble trying to decide what to ride next. I want to ride Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. The queue for Pooh was too long, but Peter Pan was okay. For some reason I love this ride. Then it was onto Pirates of the Caribbean. We had decided we were done and we were heading home, when we walk past Aladdins carpets, there is no queue and they are just getting ready to start the ride so we run on. The seat is really wet, its not raining, so why? Dave is in the front and I am in the back, Dave has control of the up and down, this is fun, I get soaked by the camel, not once, not twice but three times. No wonder the seat was wet. I should have known.
Now we are done and its about 9.30pm so we decide to beat the rush for the ferry back to the Lodge. We grab a chocolate and vanilla swirl Dole whip $2.98 cash to eat on the ride home. We wait about 10 minutes for a ferry. Back at the Lodge I try to go for a swim before bed, but its too cold, and the hot tubs are closed for maintenance. So I do laundry instead. What fun!
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 7
**edited to add detail for Fantasy of Flight visit**
