Well here we go.
Ive not done a trip report (or any thing like it) before, so please bear with me. (I do tend to ramble so feel free to scroll through the boring bits)
Not sure how Ill set this out so will just keep typing away and post what I get done in each session.
WE means ..
Myself Jayne
DH Ivan
DS Aaron (13)
DS Kyle (11)
Wednesday 19th December
The day is here. I cant quite believe it as Ive waited 11 months for this. Up at 4am, quick cup of tea (I need my cuppa even at 4am in the morning).
Check the tickets, passports, money, and travellers cheques.
Quick shower (to wake me up) Ivan is a morning person so hes wide awake showered and ready to go (dont you just hate people like that)
Check the tickets, passports, money, and travellers cheques.
Wake the children. They are surprisingly alert and soon ready to go. (Oh if only school mornings were like this)
Now comes the hard part. I wake the other two children who are not coming to say good-bye. (Most of you will know they are going skiing with the school but dont leave until the 22nd). Lots of hugs and even a few tears later we are on the road to Gatwick.
Quite an uneventful journey later we safely arrive about 9.30am.
Park the car no problem; find American Airlines check in no problem, just a massive queue. But things are not as bad as first seems as there is just one queue for all the AA flights not just ours and there are lots of check in desks so we soon get through. One little bit of a nervous moment (I hope I dont offend anyone here as I do not intend to) in the queue was a Bin Laden look a like. Tall, thin, beard, turban head dress thing the lot. I couldnt help it but thought PLEASE dont let him be on our flight. Then felt bad as he was probably a very nice chap. Still I was pleased I didnt see him again. (Sorry everyone).
Still had a couple of hours wait so went and had a Mc Donalds for breakfast and a wonder around the shops. Then went through another security check and into the departure lounge. Just a few more security checks but I dont mind how many they do. In no time at all we were on the plane.
We had the very back seats which were four in a row and was quite pleased about this as no one could bang our seats etc from behind and we didnt have to ask anyone to move every time we wanted to get out.
First impressions were great. We all had back seat TVs, about 7 or 8 channels, 11 or 12 radio channels and even a phone. (Great I could phone the kids at home later) Perhaps the flight wouldnt be so bad after all.
Quite right . the flight was fine, watched Bubble Boy, Rugrats, ate, drank, watched our route, another film, cant remember what, (now beginning to realise I should have taken notes) ate some more, drank some more etc etc etc.
Arrived on time at Dallas Fort Worth at about 17.30 (11.30pm GMT)
Surprisingly didnt feel too tired and soon got through more security checks and checked in for the next leg. The next flight wasnt until 21.00 so had a bit of a wait and I think this was the killer. We just got more and more tired. The second plane was really old, nothing like the first but never mind. We arrived in Orlando 12.30 (5.30am GMT) passed being tired. Wed been up 25 hours. For some reason we had to wait about ¾ hour for the luggage to come through, getting even more passed being tired. Finally got the luggage went to get the car. Finally got the car, had to pay another $90 for airport charges or something, not expecting that. We decided to go straight to the villa as neither of us felt we would be able to sleep if we went to a hotel so set off to find the office to pick up the villa keys.
What should have taken ½ hour at the most, took about 3. We had directions to the office, which was off 192 on Boggy Creek Road. I still dont really know where we went but several toll booths, confused toll booth operators, and 2 complete lengths of the 192 later WE FOUND IT. Guess where the villa was right up the other end of the 192 so off we went again up the 192. FINALLY found the villa at 4.30am (9.30am GMT) been up 29hours. (I think I forgot to mention our trip included a few VERY quick U turns as we were on the Wrong side of the road!!) For any first timers reading this I dont recommend driving for the first time over there at night when you are very tired!!! Not pleasant.
So to end our first day or day ½ fell into bed and couldnt sleep.!!!
Ive not done a trip report (or any thing like it) before, so please bear with me. (I do tend to ramble so feel free to scroll through the boring bits)
Not sure how Ill set this out so will just keep typing away and post what I get done in each session.
WE means ..
Myself Jayne
DH Ivan
DS Aaron (13)
DS Kyle (11)
Wednesday 19th December
The day is here. I cant quite believe it as Ive waited 11 months for this. Up at 4am, quick cup of tea (I need my cuppa even at 4am in the morning).
Check the tickets, passports, money, and travellers cheques.
Quick shower (to wake me up) Ivan is a morning person so hes wide awake showered and ready to go (dont you just hate people like that)
Check the tickets, passports, money, and travellers cheques.
Wake the children. They are surprisingly alert and soon ready to go. (Oh if only school mornings were like this)
Now comes the hard part. I wake the other two children who are not coming to say good-bye. (Most of you will know they are going skiing with the school but dont leave until the 22nd). Lots of hugs and even a few tears later we are on the road to Gatwick.
Quite an uneventful journey later we safely arrive about 9.30am.
Park the car no problem; find American Airlines check in no problem, just a massive queue. But things are not as bad as first seems as there is just one queue for all the AA flights not just ours and there are lots of check in desks so we soon get through. One little bit of a nervous moment (I hope I dont offend anyone here as I do not intend to) in the queue was a Bin Laden look a like. Tall, thin, beard, turban head dress thing the lot. I couldnt help it but thought PLEASE dont let him be on our flight. Then felt bad as he was probably a very nice chap. Still I was pleased I didnt see him again. (Sorry everyone).
Still had a couple of hours wait so went and had a Mc Donalds for breakfast and a wonder around the shops. Then went through another security check and into the departure lounge. Just a few more security checks but I dont mind how many they do. In no time at all we were on the plane.
We had the very back seats which were four in a row and was quite pleased about this as no one could bang our seats etc from behind and we didnt have to ask anyone to move every time we wanted to get out.
First impressions were great. We all had back seat TVs, about 7 or 8 channels, 11 or 12 radio channels and even a phone. (Great I could phone the kids at home later) Perhaps the flight wouldnt be so bad after all.
Quite right . the flight was fine, watched Bubble Boy, Rugrats, ate, drank, watched our route, another film, cant remember what, (now beginning to realise I should have taken notes) ate some more, drank some more etc etc etc.
Arrived on time at Dallas Fort Worth at about 17.30 (11.30pm GMT)
Surprisingly didnt feel too tired and soon got through more security checks and checked in for the next leg. The next flight wasnt until 21.00 so had a bit of a wait and I think this was the killer. We just got more and more tired. The second plane was really old, nothing like the first but never mind. We arrived in Orlando 12.30 (5.30am GMT) passed being tired. Wed been up 25 hours. For some reason we had to wait about ¾ hour for the luggage to come through, getting even more passed being tired. Finally got the luggage went to get the car. Finally got the car, had to pay another $90 for airport charges or something, not expecting that. We decided to go straight to the villa as neither of us felt we would be able to sleep if we went to a hotel so set off to find the office to pick up the villa keys.
What should have taken ½ hour at the most, took about 3. We had directions to the office, which was off 192 on Boggy Creek Road. I still dont really know where we went but several toll booths, confused toll booth operators, and 2 complete lengths of the 192 later WE FOUND IT. Guess where the villa was right up the other end of the 192 so off we went again up the 192. FINALLY found the villa at 4.30am (9.30am GMT) been up 29hours. (I think I forgot to mention our trip included a few VERY quick U turns as we were on the Wrong side of the road!!) For any first timers reading this I dont recommend driving for the first time over there at night when you are very tired!!! Not pleasant.
So to end our first day or day ½ fell into bed and couldnt sleep.!!!
....... isn't that incredible that after all that you can't sleep??
