Mike Jones
<font color=993300>....nothing clever to say... ju
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
- Messages
- 1,372
Jones's do Orlando at Christmas and Gulf Coast for New Year - Part 2
The Cast:
Mike, 39, chief organiser, driver and brew maker
Heather, 40, wife and mum
Bethany, 11 (going on 20!), coaster addict, hates getting wet.
Adam, 9, (going on 8!), hates coasters (except BTMRR), LOVES getting wet!
DAY 2 FRIDAY 19TH DECEMBER 2003- (IHOP , Celebration, Downtown Disney & Old Town)
Slept very well until 05:30 got up at 05:45, quickly followed by both kids. We chatted and I had a coffee (the only thing in the villa!) until Heather awoke at 06:50. It was light by 7:00am clear, fresh and about 50 degrees, according to the thermometer on the lanai. Weather forecast for today says it will be up to 60-ish. Chased the missing case with USAirways it has turned up at Tampa and will be delivered this morning- expect a call from delivery driver in next hour. Although we are all starving now, we perform necessary ablutions ( no Adam, you cant go in the pool yet.) and settle down to wait, whilst watching the amazing range of utter rubbish on the 100 or so cable channels. No call by 08:30 so rang again and got patched through to the delivery driver (nice bloke, Adam). Agreed that we would leave for breakfast and return by1030 to meet him. Drove back to the 192 and east for a short distance to International House of Pancakes (kids choice!). Quite busy, but seated immediately. (Where I have recorded in my notes what we all had and how much it cost, I will report it for the detail hungry feel free to skip these lists if you wish!) Mike: OJ, coffee, Fruity Pancake and Bacon/Egg, Heather: OJ, Coffee, Country Griddle P/C with Strawberries, Bethany: OJ, Fruit Pancake and Hash Brown, Adam: OJ, Choc Chip P/C and Hash Brown. Cost:$52 incl 15% tip.
Back towards the villa and stopped at the retail park on the corner of 192 and Formosa Gardens to go in the Winn Dixie supermarket (we always used to seek out Publix stores but discovered last trip that the WD had virtually the same stock and seemed to be a bit cheaper for the basic stuff we needed and its only 2 minutes from Indian Creek community. (it has a slightly bizarre, oriental theme inside not sure if this is because all Winn Dixie stores are like that, or because of its proximity to Splendid China!). Anyway, stocked up on beer, pancakes, cereal, beer, water, coffee filters, OJ and beer and returned to villa by 10:25. Adam (driver not son!) came at 1100. Case gratefully received and quickly emptied!
Brief description of the Villa - (have a look at the web site for pics etc: http://www.worthingtonvilla.com/ ) its a typical, modern bungalow with 4 double or twin bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. We obviously grabbed the Master Suite with its pool deck access and massive bathroom (walk-in shower for 5 or 6, huge bath, twin wash basins and large walk-in wardrobe), the kids had one each of the smaller bedrooms (sharing a shower-room) leaving number 2 empty. This was quickly labelled grandma & grandads room, as it was the one my parents had used in an identical, but mirror-image (that caused some fun after a few beers!) villa at Easter. The gathering room (Lounge) is open to the dining room and dining kitchen and has lofty ceilings. Of course, as all Florida homes, it has air conditioning, but for the first couple of days we used the system to heat the house a bit in the mornings, as it felt cool when we got up. I have to say that not needing the air-con on much was a blessing, as we avoided the dry throats weve had in past trips in hotter seasons. The Lanai (covered patio) is accessible from Master bedroom, Lounge and lobby between beds 3 and 4. Annoyingly, these doors were all fitted with alarms, which prevented us leaving the doors open. This is obviously to prevent awful accidents with small kids, and I suppose to stop wastage of fuel if the air-con is left on, but it would be nice to converse with people inside from the deck. The pool was an acceptable size and equipped with a hot-tub/Jacuzzi. Wed paid for pool heating and it was sufficient for comfort, although we didnt venture in for a few days, as the outside air temps were a bit low. The villa is located in a wide, cul-de-sac with the properties on our side south-facing at the rear, all staggered slightly to allow privacy when in your own pool area (there dont seem to be too many fences on US estates) and looking out across a reasonable lawned area to a wall (beyond which is an open area of ground so no disturbance or noise).
We decide to go to Celebration for lunch (although everyone is still stuffed from breakfast!) and arrive there before 1200. I love the approach, through picture-postcard residential streets of traditional board clad houses. We parked on the main car-park (parking lot?) and walk into the centre (100 yards or so) from the cinema end, stopping to video the glorious interactive fountain on the lakefront. Its quite warm now, and we are wearing t-shirts, although the legs are still on my zip-offs! We took some photos of the tree (see pics) and went into the Market street Café for lunch quickly decided to settle for milkshakes all round and we sat at the attractive counter rather than in a booth. The café is a lovely, vibrant place, where many of the locals come for anything from coffee to a full meal. $15 for 4, but they were excellent. We left after 20 minutes or so and walked to Barnies Coffee Shop, where Heather and I both got simple, black, coffee of the day. The kids wanted to sit (play?) on the rocking chairs spread along the front, so we adjourned to them forthwith and sat overlooking the lake for quite a while. The trousers quickly became shorts!
We wanted a Disney fix now, but didnt want to waste a ticket on a half day, especially as we anticipated being zombies by early evening and wouldnt benefit from any nightime entertainment. Decided to go to Downtown Disney and take in the vibes. Parked near Cirque and wandered the shops right down to the Rainforest café. It was breezier here and noticeably cooler, so the legs went back on and we all donned our sweaters. Adam got his fix at the Lego store (we couldnt drag him out of here a few years ago, as hes a real Lego freak, but hes a bit better now!) and bought a small motorbike. (Quick note: the kids are expecting $ for Christmas from relatives etc, but we wont let them receive anything before the 25th, as theyd blow it, and both say they want a Gameboy Advance SP, so they only have about $50 each at present which MUST last them until next week!)
Progressed to the Disney Store where Heather bought a Tink purse for $12 and Beth bought small characters as gifts for friends. I reckon I got away quite lightly here! Made a 2nd restroom stop here, (us, not the kids all that coffee!) and then bought soft drinks from a vendor cart and sat near Captain Jacks to drink. We all agreed that the area was a lot less festively decorated than we had expected, quite reserved really, but it is a lovely day and were in Florida, not at work in Lancashire, so were happy anyway! Last call was to the Christmas store, where we bought a white clothed, santa Mickey that sings a version of Jingle Bells, for Agnes, our neighbour, who collects performing santas of all types! It was packed in a box that looked the size of one of our cases and we actually buy another case from Wal-Mart next week to take the surplus purchases!
Everyones getting a bit tired now, so back to the villa for a pee-stop and to collect jackets etc for this evening. We hope to last long enough to take in the car parade at Old Town, as Adam (and his dad!) are keen to see this, having missed during the last couple of visits. We drive to Old Town on the 192 for about 5pm and go first to Flippers pizza place for tea (dinner?). We order a small (big!) Veggie Pie pizza, and a large (HUGE!) meat pie pizza, 2 buds, 2 cokes and some water. Food is served fairly quickly and is lovely. $45 including tip, and we took half of it away with us!
The server said that the parade is not on til 9-930pm, but the cars will line up progressively along the streets from now on, so we wander the shops and indeed have a good look at several of the vehicles. Anything goes, with jacked up sports cars, classics and large 4x4s. Star for me was a DMC Delorean in perfect condition! Great fun! Its gone 6pm now and is suddenly dark. Couple of restroom stops later we are at the far end of the street, near the fairground area, and impulse buy everyone new designer sun glasses from a stall ( Ive left mine at home..pratt!).. $ 32 for 4 pairs. All tired out now, and full of pizza, so back to base by 730 or so. Did some trip notes in the lounge, had a beer and chilled. Kids took baths and were in bed fast asleep by 830pm. I watched The Bounty on TV but kept falling asleep! Gave in at 930 and went to bed. Slept very well.
Tomorrows plan Epcot all day (Mission Space!!) and hopefully Illuminations.
Mike
The Cast:
Mike, 39, chief organiser, driver and brew maker
Heather, 40, wife and mum
Bethany, 11 (going on 20!), coaster addict, hates getting wet.
Adam, 9, (going on 8!), hates coasters (except BTMRR), LOVES getting wet!
DAY 2 FRIDAY 19TH DECEMBER 2003- (IHOP , Celebration, Downtown Disney & Old Town)
Slept very well until 05:30 got up at 05:45, quickly followed by both kids. We chatted and I had a coffee (the only thing in the villa!) until Heather awoke at 06:50. It was light by 7:00am clear, fresh and about 50 degrees, according to the thermometer on the lanai. Weather forecast for today says it will be up to 60-ish. Chased the missing case with USAirways it has turned up at Tampa and will be delivered this morning- expect a call from delivery driver in next hour. Although we are all starving now, we perform necessary ablutions ( no Adam, you cant go in the pool yet.) and settle down to wait, whilst watching the amazing range of utter rubbish on the 100 or so cable channels. No call by 08:30 so rang again and got patched through to the delivery driver (nice bloke, Adam). Agreed that we would leave for breakfast and return by1030 to meet him. Drove back to the 192 and east for a short distance to International House of Pancakes (kids choice!). Quite busy, but seated immediately. (Where I have recorded in my notes what we all had and how much it cost, I will report it for the detail hungry feel free to skip these lists if you wish!) Mike: OJ, coffee, Fruity Pancake and Bacon/Egg, Heather: OJ, Coffee, Country Griddle P/C with Strawberries, Bethany: OJ, Fruit Pancake and Hash Brown, Adam: OJ, Choc Chip P/C and Hash Brown. Cost:$52 incl 15% tip.
Back towards the villa and stopped at the retail park on the corner of 192 and Formosa Gardens to go in the Winn Dixie supermarket (we always used to seek out Publix stores but discovered last trip that the WD had virtually the same stock and seemed to be a bit cheaper for the basic stuff we needed and its only 2 minutes from Indian Creek community. (it has a slightly bizarre, oriental theme inside not sure if this is because all Winn Dixie stores are like that, or because of its proximity to Splendid China!). Anyway, stocked up on beer, pancakes, cereal, beer, water, coffee filters, OJ and beer and returned to villa by 10:25. Adam (driver not son!) came at 1100. Case gratefully received and quickly emptied!
Brief description of the Villa - (have a look at the web site for pics etc: http://www.worthingtonvilla.com/ ) its a typical, modern bungalow with 4 double or twin bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. We obviously grabbed the Master Suite with its pool deck access and massive bathroom (walk-in shower for 5 or 6, huge bath, twin wash basins and large walk-in wardrobe), the kids had one each of the smaller bedrooms (sharing a shower-room) leaving number 2 empty. This was quickly labelled grandma & grandads room, as it was the one my parents had used in an identical, but mirror-image (that caused some fun after a few beers!) villa at Easter. The gathering room (Lounge) is open to the dining room and dining kitchen and has lofty ceilings. Of course, as all Florida homes, it has air conditioning, but for the first couple of days we used the system to heat the house a bit in the mornings, as it felt cool when we got up. I have to say that not needing the air-con on much was a blessing, as we avoided the dry throats weve had in past trips in hotter seasons. The Lanai (covered patio) is accessible from Master bedroom, Lounge and lobby between beds 3 and 4. Annoyingly, these doors were all fitted with alarms, which prevented us leaving the doors open. This is obviously to prevent awful accidents with small kids, and I suppose to stop wastage of fuel if the air-con is left on, but it would be nice to converse with people inside from the deck. The pool was an acceptable size and equipped with a hot-tub/Jacuzzi. Wed paid for pool heating and it was sufficient for comfort, although we didnt venture in for a few days, as the outside air temps were a bit low. The villa is located in a wide, cul-de-sac with the properties on our side south-facing at the rear, all staggered slightly to allow privacy when in your own pool area (there dont seem to be too many fences on US estates) and looking out across a reasonable lawned area to a wall (beyond which is an open area of ground so no disturbance or noise).
We decide to go to Celebration for lunch (although everyone is still stuffed from breakfast!) and arrive there before 1200. I love the approach, through picture-postcard residential streets of traditional board clad houses. We parked on the main car-park (parking lot?) and walk into the centre (100 yards or so) from the cinema end, stopping to video the glorious interactive fountain on the lakefront. Its quite warm now, and we are wearing t-shirts, although the legs are still on my zip-offs! We took some photos of the tree (see pics) and went into the Market street Café for lunch quickly decided to settle for milkshakes all round and we sat at the attractive counter rather than in a booth. The café is a lovely, vibrant place, where many of the locals come for anything from coffee to a full meal. $15 for 4, but they were excellent. We left after 20 minutes or so and walked to Barnies Coffee Shop, where Heather and I both got simple, black, coffee of the day. The kids wanted to sit (play?) on the rocking chairs spread along the front, so we adjourned to them forthwith and sat overlooking the lake for quite a while. The trousers quickly became shorts!
We wanted a Disney fix now, but didnt want to waste a ticket on a half day, especially as we anticipated being zombies by early evening and wouldnt benefit from any nightime entertainment. Decided to go to Downtown Disney and take in the vibes. Parked near Cirque and wandered the shops right down to the Rainforest café. It was breezier here and noticeably cooler, so the legs went back on and we all donned our sweaters. Adam got his fix at the Lego store (we couldnt drag him out of here a few years ago, as hes a real Lego freak, but hes a bit better now!) and bought a small motorbike. (Quick note: the kids are expecting $ for Christmas from relatives etc, but we wont let them receive anything before the 25th, as theyd blow it, and both say they want a Gameboy Advance SP, so they only have about $50 each at present which MUST last them until next week!)
Progressed to the Disney Store where Heather bought a Tink purse for $12 and Beth bought small characters as gifts for friends. I reckon I got away quite lightly here! Made a 2nd restroom stop here, (us, not the kids all that coffee!) and then bought soft drinks from a vendor cart and sat near Captain Jacks to drink. We all agreed that the area was a lot less festively decorated than we had expected, quite reserved really, but it is a lovely day and were in Florida, not at work in Lancashire, so were happy anyway! Last call was to the Christmas store, where we bought a white clothed, santa Mickey that sings a version of Jingle Bells, for Agnes, our neighbour, who collects performing santas of all types! It was packed in a box that looked the size of one of our cases and we actually buy another case from Wal-Mart next week to take the surplus purchases!
Everyones getting a bit tired now, so back to the villa for a pee-stop and to collect jackets etc for this evening. We hope to last long enough to take in the car parade at Old Town, as Adam (and his dad!) are keen to see this, having missed during the last couple of visits. We drive to Old Town on the 192 for about 5pm and go first to Flippers pizza place for tea (dinner?). We order a small (big!) Veggie Pie pizza, and a large (HUGE!) meat pie pizza, 2 buds, 2 cokes and some water. Food is served fairly quickly and is lovely. $45 including tip, and we took half of it away with us!
The server said that the parade is not on til 9-930pm, but the cars will line up progressively along the streets from now on, so we wander the shops and indeed have a good look at several of the vehicles. Anything goes, with jacked up sports cars, classics and large 4x4s. Star for me was a DMC Delorean in perfect condition! Great fun! Its gone 6pm now and is suddenly dark. Couple of restroom stops later we are at the far end of the street, near the fairground area, and impulse buy everyone new designer sun glasses from a stall ( Ive left mine at home..pratt!).. $ 32 for 4 pairs. All tired out now, and full of pizza, so back to base by 730 or so. Did some trip notes in the lounge, had a beer and chilled. Kids took baths and were in bed fast asleep by 830pm. I watched The Bounty on TV but kept falling asleep! Gave in at 930 and went to bed. Slept very well.
Tomorrows plan Epcot all day (Mission Space!!) and hopefully Illuminations.
Mike
I loved Old Town, we went just on the Friday last year but we're hoping to take in the Saturday night cars this time too 
Will also try not to spend too much money in the General Store - they have all the coca cola memorabilia so came away with a fair bit 
Me thinks you got away quite lightly with the 4 pairs of sunglasses lol!
