keith&carol
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2002
- Messages
- 208
Hi Everyone,
I've been scanning our photos to try to put together a report. Forgive me if it's a bit scrappy but here goes:
Our planned trip to Disney in March was not to be but it's Keith's 60th this year so we decide another trip for just the two of us would be a good way to celebrate. We've booked Virgin's Movie Landscapes Tour which will take us thru Nevada, Arizona & Utah. " 2 weeks away together is a rare bliss but this time we have a big challenge! I'm not in good health at the best of times but since Xmas I've had bursitis in my hip and can't walk far at all. It's a 6 month wait to see a Consultant so it's cancel or buy a wheelchair. Our youngest DD is quadriplegic so wheelies are a way of life for us but it's not the same when you have to use on yourself!
We buy a chair, let Virgin know and set off for the Gatwick Hilton. The weather is beautiful as we drive thru the New Forest and we briefly wonder why we're leaving it but the thought soon passes lol.
We decide to use the short term Car Park while we do Twilight Check-in. We've pre-booked our seats but want to change them if possible to the "2" at the rear that we prefer. There's only a few people in front of us and we get the seats changed and go back to the car to check-in at the Hotel. By now I've been in the chair for about half an hour & I've already had enough of it so this should be interesting!
The Hilton offer us an accessible room and it's one of the nicest we've had there. King -size bed with duvet and recently re-furbished so no complaints but we've had some poor meals and service in Amy's Restaurant though so opt to go back to the Terminal and eat at Weatherspoons. Very nice and things seem to be off to a good start.
My favourite bit about Twilight Check-in is seeing everyone else in a queue and sailing past in the morning-wicked ! We've had our flight time changed to 10.20 and opt to eat a quick breakfast in the room so we have time to visit Duty Free. I'm not happy about boarding first cos I hate flying and usually hang on til last but no choice this time so here goes. There are very few Children on the flight so it boards very fast and we pull away from the gate to the minute then sit on the tarmac in the morning queue. By the time we're airborne the warning bells are ringing tho. There are 2 Stag Parties and a Hen Party on Board and they are out for a good time. 1 "Stag" & the "Hen" prove noisy but harmless but the other decides the space behind our seats would make a good bar . They raid Virgin's bar for as long as they can then produce their own supplies and I'm thinking "10 hours of this is not good".
The Cabin Crew do their best but it's a rowdy flight and the language is ripe . In the end we complain to them about it (nicely) and one man apologises and starts talking to us. They are mostly in their 30's with Family at home and I can't fathom why they would want to spend that much on a stag do when they could take their Kids to Disney with the £ but each to his own I suppose.
We hit clear air turbulance early on which is exciting! but apart from that the flight is ok. Food very good and attentive cabin crew for a change. We get some excellent views of the glaciers in Greenland and of the Rockies near the end of the flight. We land on time but sit on the tarmac for nearly an hour waiting for a gate.
Las Vegas Macarren Airport is very busy and not very big but few flights are International and all but 1 gate is empty and that's the one they make us wait for??? At the last minute they send us to another & we finally off-load .
A very sweet Mexican Man takes charge of we 2 Ladies in chairs. He whips us thru Customs and Immigration , helps Keith find the luggage and we're out before we know it. Maybe the chair is not such a bad thing then! The other Lady is alone , English but lives in Vegas & travels a lot. She says the same man always meets her with a hug and she's brought him a big bar of cointreau Chocolate which he puts in his pocket and pats from time to time-sweet!
He stops the Dollar Bus so we can board before the queue and grins at his tip so he's a happy man.
At Dollar we're told an isle number and sent to choose a car. This hasn't happened before but as there are only 2 I2's in the lot we stand wondering why, when a nice man comes up and says " you'd be better in a Suzuki 4 wheel drive with that chair". He puts the back seats down, loads it and gives Keith the keys - why can't it be like this at MCO?????
We're well pleased and drive off to the Excalibur for our first 3 nights. We had planned to crash for a while then go out & eat but I'm so tired Keith fetches sandwiches from the Deli and we call it a night . More tomorrow !
I've been scanning our photos to try to put together a report. Forgive me if it's a bit scrappy but here goes:
Our planned trip to Disney in March was not to be but it's Keith's 60th this year so we decide another trip for just the two of us would be a good way to celebrate. We've booked Virgin's Movie Landscapes Tour which will take us thru Nevada, Arizona & Utah. " 2 weeks away together is a rare bliss but this time we have a big challenge! I'm not in good health at the best of times but since Xmas I've had bursitis in my hip and can't walk far at all. It's a 6 month wait to see a Consultant so it's cancel or buy a wheelchair. Our youngest DD is quadriplegic so wheelies are a way of life for us but it's not the same when you have to use on yourself!
We buy a chair, let Virgin know and set off for the Gatwick Hilton. The weather is beautiful as we drive thru the New Forest and we briefly wonder why we're leaving it but the thought soon passes lol.
We decide to use the short term Car Park while we do Twilight Check-in. We've pre-booked our seats but want to change them if possible to the "2" at the rear that we prefer. There's only a few people in front of us and we get the seats changed and go back to the car to check-in at the Hotel. By now I've been in the chair for about half an hour & I've already had enough of it so this should be interesting!
The Hilton offer us an accessible room and it's one of the nicest we've had there. King -size bed with duvet and recently re-furbished so no complaints but we've had some poor meals and service in Amy's Restaurant though so opt to go back to the Terminal and eat at Weatherspoons. Very nice and things seem to be off to a good start.
My favourite bit about Twilight Check-in is seeing everyone else in a queue and sailing past in the morning-wicked ! We've had our flight time changed to 10.20 and opt to eat a quick breakfast in the room so we have time to visit Duty Free. I'm not happy about boarding first cos I hate flying and usually hang on til last but no choice this time so here goes. There are very few Children on the flight so it boards very fast and we pull away from the gate to the minute then sit on the tarmac in the morning queue. By the time we're airborne the warning bells are ringing tho. There are 2 Stag Parties and a Hen Party on Board and they are out for a good time. 1 "Stag" & the "Hen" prove noisy but harmless but the other decides the space behind our seats would make a good bar . They raid Virgin's bar for as long as they can then produce their own supplies and I'm thinking "10 hours of this is not good".
The Cabin Crew do their best but it's a rowdy flight and the language is ripe . In the end we complain to them about it (nicely) and one man apologises and starts talking to us. They are mostly in their 30's with Family at home and I can't fathom why they would want to spend that much on a stag do when they could take their Kids to Disney with the £ but each to his own I suppose.
We hit clear air turbulance early on which is exciting! but apart from that the flight is ok. Food very good and attentive cabin crew for a change. We get some excellent views of the glaciers in Greenland and of the Rockies near the end of the flight. We land on time but sit on the tarmac for nearly an hour waiting for a gate.
Las Vegas Macarren Airport is very busy and not very big but few flights are International and all but 1 gate is empty and that's the one they make us wait for??? At the last minute they send us to another & we finally off-load .
A very sweet Mexican Man takes charge of we 2 Ladies in chairs. He whips us thru Customs and Immigration , helps Keith find the luggage and we're out before we know it. Maybe the chair is not such a bad thing then! The other Lady is alone , English but lives in Vegas & travels a lot. She says the same man always meets her with a hug and she's brought him a big bar of cointreau Chocolate which he puts in his pocket and pats from time to time-sweet!
He stops the Dollar Bus so we can board before the queue and grins at his tip so he's a happy man.
At Dollar we're told an isle number and sent to choose a car. This hasn't happened before but as there are only 2 I2's in the lot we stand wondering why, when a nice man comes up and says " you'd be better in a Suzuki 4 wheel drive with that chair". He puts the back seats down, loads it and gives Keith the keys - why can't it be like this at MCO?????
We're well pleased and drive off to the Excalibur for our first 3 nights. We had planned to crash for a while then go out & eat but I'm so tired Keith fetches sandwiches from the Deli and we call it a night . More tomorrow !
Know what you mean about those wheelchairs . . . had to use one for one night of our hols last year due to my old bad feet.
