I'm back!!!

[wilma-bride]

Hello everyone

Got back yesterday evening after a gruelling 21 hour journey (including a 6 hour wait for connecting flight at Gatwick).

Will start on my trippies later this week, but meanwhile a few highlights:

Soarin' at Epcot - absolutely fantastic!!!
Wishes - saw it for the first time and, yes, I cried
Skull Kingdom - frightened the bejesus out of us
Dinner at The Plaza Restaurant at Magic Kingdom
My first ever stay on-site (stayed 1 night at Pop Century) - great atmosphere

The weather was pretty poor - rained almost constantly for the first few days, although that didn't stop us hardened Brits

Crowd levels were really low - biggest wait was for Soarin' at just over half an hour each time (during EMH)

Speak to you all later

 

[jen_uk]

Welcome back! Looking forward to your trip report!!

 

[JanElliott]

Hi, welcome back. Bet you wish you were still there - even with the rain. You must have been shattered after that 21 hour journey. Looking forward to the trippies.
Jan

 

[Lisash]

Welcome Back

Glad you had a good time. Look forward to the trip report I'm a big fan of Soarin too

 

[eyoreaud]

Welcome back Joh

Glad you had a great time!!!

Audrey xx

 

[Minniespal]

Welcome home ~ Can't wait for the trip report

 

[Verity Chambers]

Glad you had a great time. Can't wait to hear more about it.

 

[diberry]

Welcome home ~ Can't wait for the trip report

Welcome home!! Sorry to go off-topic Joh but every time I see Florence's ticker I'm totally in awe!!!! You've done a fantastic job!!! Any chance of before and after photos???? You must look like a new person!!!

 

[wicket2005]

Hiya, welcome back. I am glad you had a good time though wish the weather could have been a bit better for you.

 

[carolfoy]

Welcome back Joh, will ditto everyone else and ask for a trip report, glad you loved soarin' I can't wait to try this out in November

 

[mandymouse]

Welcome home Joh, glad you've had a fab time and I can't wait to hear all about it

 

[wils]

Welcome back

Look forward to hearing more!

 

[vicky1bfc]

Welcome back Joh.Can't wait to hear more about it.

 

[logley]

Wilma,

How did you find the Holiday Inn, especially the shuttle buses and location. I only ask as me and my partner are flying in just over a week to the same hotel for 3 weeks.

Thanks

Lee.

 

[wilma-bride]

Wilma,

How did you find the Holiday Inn, especially the shuttle buses and location. I only ask as me and my partner are flying in just over a week to the same hotel for 3 weeks.

Thanks

Lee.

Hi Lee

OK, I will be brutally honest here. The HI was fine, in terms of location. There are lots of restaurants in the near vicinity. The shuttle buses weren't too bad, although we found the Disney shuttles very restrictive. There is one bus a day to each of the parks and one back again, from each of the parks. The shuttles to Universal/Sea World etc. were fine. There was a bus at 8, another at 9 and one more about 10ish. Then 3 buses back at 4, 5 and 7.15

At the weekends they also do late shuttles to/from City Walk.

The thing I didn't like about it was the location of our room. We were in room 2001, which was in the resort area, not the tower (we asked for a tower room but they only had smoking rooms available). Our room was close to the main building and the pool but it was right next to the back of the kitchen/delivery area so we were woken every morning by delivery trucks and staff arriving for work (usually about 4/5 am). That would be my only complaint though - that and the Disney shuttles not being too regular.

I have kept the shuttle times so when I unpack, I'll let you know the exact times. You need to book the shuttles the day before, the Universal ones at a separate desk in the foyer and the Disney ones at reception. They give you tickets/card for the bus and they won't let you on without them.

If you have any more questions, send me a PM and I'll try to answer.

 

[cazzie]

Glad to hear you had a good time Joh, it looks like we left just before the rain started as although we had a few days rain the first week after that it was hot, hot, hot. I would be great if you could post the shuttle times for the HI to Disney as I know someone who is thinking of booking it and would love to know before he does (one of the reasons he is thinking of going to this hotel is that they do a shuttle to Disney).

 

[Scottish_Maleficent]

Welcome back Joh........

 

[KayleeUK]

Joh

That went quickly Glad you had a fab time

 

[wilma-bride]

Glad to hear you had a good time Joh, it looks like we left just before the rain started as although we had a few days rain the first week after that it was hot, hot, hot. I would be great if you could post the shuttle times for the HI to Disney as I know someone who is thinking of booking it and would love to know before he does (one of the reasons he is thinking of going to this hotel is that they do a shuttle to Disney).

OK, for some reason I haven't kept the shuttle times for the Disney buses. From memory, I think they were something like this:

7.20 am - Hotel to Magic Kingdom
8.00 am - Hotel to Animal Kingdom
8.45 am - Hotel to Disney Studios
9.45 am - Hotel to Epcot

6.00 pm - Animal Kingdom to Hotel
8.30 pm - Magic Kingdom to Hotel
9.10 pm - Disney Studios to Hotel
9.50 pm - Epcot to Hotel
10.00 pm - Magic Kingdom to Hotel

There may have been another one to MK in the morning but I can't remember offhand. As I said, we only used it once (to MK on Thursday morning), we stayed at Pop on Thursday night and get a taxi back from Disney Studios on Friday afternoon. For info, a taxi from DS to HI was just shy of $35.

The buses to Universal/Sea World/Wet 'n' Wild were as follows:

8.00 am - HI to US
8.50 am - HI to Sea World/Wet 'n' Wild (dropped off at Sea World first, I think)
9.55 am - HI to US
10.50 am - HI to US
11.40 am - HI to US
6.40 pm - HI to City Walk (Thursday, Friday and Saturday only)

4.00 pm - US to HI
5.00 pm - US to HI
6.00 pm - Wet 'n' Wild to HI
6.10 pm - Sea World to HI
7.15 pm - US to HI
12.00 pm - City Walk to HI (Thursday, Friday and Saturday only)
2.00 am - City Walk to HI (Thursday, Friday and Saturday only)

Hope this helps.

 

[sharon78]

Welcome home