Just back- any questions?

[cheryl.UK]

We'll we're finally back from our mammoth hols and I wish I could say that after 5 weeks I was ready to come home but I wasn't.

Below is a rough summary of some of the stuff we did so if you have any q's I'll be glad to answer,

hot air ballooning
sky dining experience on I drive
WDW Dolphin
Hotel Royal Plaza
Villa on Highlands reserve
Victora and Alberts
Caracter Breaky at Chef Mickey's
Ice Cream Social
New Orleans ( the actual place not Port Orleans)
Fun in the Sun Passes
Bumped to Upper class on thre return flight
Executive room at Gatwick Hilton booked through ABC (warning)

There's more but it's all a bit of a blur at the moment.

Suffice to say it was fantastic

 

[Rain]

Welcome back Cheryl,

Can you tell me how you went on with Fun in the Sun passes, I am just about to order them for grandchildren (We have A/Ps)

Are there any downsides to them?

Lynda

 

[cslogg]

Cheryl,
I would like to hear about the Sky Diving on I-Drive and the Gatwick Hilton warning when you get the chance please.

Thanks
cslogg

 

[squitty]

Hi Cheryl,

Welcome home. Glad to hear you had a great time

I too would like to hear about the Hotel Royal Plaza and the Gatwick Hilton warning please

 

[kazzie]

OMG that is an amazing holiday How could you ever top that? I'm interested to hear what you have planned for next year!

PS Cheryl you have a PM from me,not sure if you know how to read them?Let me know if you don't

 

[Clarey]

Sounds like you had a fantastic time Would love to hear about the skydiving when you have the time

 

[cheryl.UK]

There are no downsides to the Fun In The Sun passes. We only ever go once in every 12 months so PAPs are no advantage. You have to pay for parking but we often stay on site so use transport or we pop in after 6 on many days when no-one makes you pay for parking. I can't recommend them highly enough. It's worth it for the Disney entrance alone but when you add in the character breakfast and Kennedy Space Centre it's well worth it. Because we bought at a time when the dollar was weak against the pound we got 2 passes for £408 including postage.

Sky diving was $32 including a $5 discount coupon which we got from Walgreans across from the Ski Dive centre + the chance for an extra 2 minutes for $25. You got to see a video, training including safety and the hand signals, the use of a flight suit, helmet, pads and 2 times 1 minute 'flights' with an instructor in the chamber ensuring your safety. MY DH says safety is very good. He loved it!! It wasn't like anything he'd ever done. It's a lot more difficult than it looks and it's damn god fun. The fans are so strong that they lift you off the ground even if you just stand still. He was there for about 30-40 minutes in total and has a video of him and his friend on PAL.

 

[Muppet]

I'm glad you had a fantastic and wonderfully long holiday.

Why the warning with ABC room at Gatwick Hilton.

 

[Rain]

Thanks Cheryl,

Just ordered the passes, are they vouchers? How do you exchange them if so, especially when they have KSC on them as well as Disney

 

[cheryl.UK]

We have booked executive rooms with them before - no problems but not this time.

Basically ABC have changed their contract with the Hilton AFTER we booked.

The parking is no longer with Holiday Extras, it's with another company which is a 20 minute drive away. I'd heard through the sites that this had happened but when I rang ABC I was told that our parking hadn't changes as our booking was made prior to the change of contract. When we got there this wasn't the case so we had to do some quick reorganising of bags as we had intended to leave our work clothes, which we'd travelled down in, in the car the next morning. We also had to reorganise our hand luggage to take the set of clothes we'd quickly had to change into when we arrived.

Then came the thing that really made me angry. In the past we had used the executive lounge in the hotel, very stylish, free drinks snacks and nibbles, free internet access (I usually send you all a parting message) and a really nice continental breakfast. When we arrived a the hotel we were told that the new contract meant that we only got an executive room, no access to the lounge and we'd have to pay for breakfast. I kicked up a (very calm and polite) stink and got us to access to the loung but we had to pay for breakfast.

Overall I love the Hilton and the newly refurbished rooms (I think this is the cause of the re negotiated contract) are wonderful but I won't book through ABC again.

 

[cheryl.UK]

Just take them to a park ticket window when you get there, we did it in the evening to avoid the morning crouds. They exchange them for a regular Disney ticket with an expiry date in 30 days and then there's a card for you to show at the other places that take them. Just like with the 10 day pass you get a separate voucher for the character breakfast.

 

[kevin harrison]

Thanks for that info Cheryl

We have done the same as you, booked through ABC, and I didn't know they moved the parking to the North Terminal. Anyway I just rang ABC and questioned them about this, they told me I should have been contacted - obviously I wasn't - I told them I just didn't fancy the journey to and from the car park and I wouldn't have booked through them if I'd known, anyway, after a couple of phone calls they have sorted it so I can still park in the South Terminal as planned.

Thanks

 

[matty624]

Glad you had a good time. We too have just returned, this am in fact, we also had fun in the sun passes, great value when you go for an extended period of time (4 weeks in our case). I'm interested to read your experience of car parks after 6! We went on multiple occasions after that and had to pay every single time at Disney parks. However, it is free at Universal after 6 (which didn't help us as we have annual passes!)
Ian

 

[Katies Dad]

Hi,

We have just returned and also used the Fun in the Sun Passes, they were great and would recommend them to anyone.

We popped into the parks on a couple of evenings and had to pay the parking of $7.

 

[Minniespal]

Hiya Cheryl ~

Sounds as though you had a wonderful time.

We are booked to go hot air ballooning in October. Can you tell me anything about your experience?

 

[cheryl.UK]

The trick to getting in free to WDW car parks after 6 is simply to have loads of car park vouchers on the front, no obvious money or wallets and a smile. Worked every time. Never paid once after 6!

 

[cheryl.UK]

We booked through Orange Blossom Balloons and it was fantastic. The hardest part was getting up at 5 to be there for 6.

The pilots were all fantastic and extrmeley enthusiastic. There were 3 balloons all setting off and landing in the same fields. In our ballon were our party of 6 and a couple from NY.

I was more than a little nervous as I've always suffered from vertigo (the type that makes you want to jump!!) but I never felt it once. In fact I think it might have cured me!! as I didn't feel it on the balcony of our room after that on floor 9.

We were in the air for about an hour. It was the most magical experience ever. I'll certainly go again Our landing was perfect. No bumping, very gentle but one of the balloons did hit a tree on the way down. It can't have hurt though cos they were all smiling when they got out!


Deffinitely worth the cost.

 

[Minniespal]

Thanx Cheryl ~

Its Orange Blossom Balloons that we are booked with.

I was a little apprehensive about it but I think I am quite looking forward to it now.

I was thinking about taking my video camera, will I be able to get lots of lovely pix?