New York or Orlando?? Heck, let`s do both.....12 nights NYC & Sapphire Falls...July 18 Trip Report

[schumigirl]

 

[disneyAndi14]

How is DD doing getting ready to leave soon.....and you too of course...…..

Andi is organizing upstairs and getting ready for her move on 9/1/18. I am dreading it of course, we have a trip in just 4 days so that really helps!

I love your quiet day, I’m glad the bar was nice, it is always funny when you say Football, we call it soccer, lol!
Those chicken wings look really yummy! I’m hungry right now, ha! I love Harry Potter marathons except for all the dreaded commercials. We have all of the dvd’s And haven’t watched in awhile.

 

[donnajherren]

The Flatiron Building! I love that place so much. My publisher's offices are there. My main aspiration at this point is to be enough of a fish for them to invite me there for strategy meetings. LOL

 

[AussieBritTraveller]

Thanks Matt!!! I appreciate it...….glad you`re still reading along......

I`m very observant apparently...……

Although sometimes I miss the blatantly obvious in front of my nose...…..I really do!!! Some people have no regard for others in any way at times, but then there are the hundreds of others who are just lovely...….

Then there is the lady who approached us in Sapphire...….that's a real doozy!!! Still to come...….

Ha cant wait to hear

back in June when we were at Gatwick going to Kos, I had just said "I'm not going to let other peoples behaviour annoy me"

Some women walks into me, and off course I straight away I say "Sorry" and she has the nerve to look at me like I walked into her!

I walked away but my mother in law and rob were giving her evils all the way through Duty Free as they couldn't believe her attitude

Airport & Theme Park behaviour is something I could write a book about one day

 

[jenrose66]

​

A very warm welcome to anyone who has stumbled across another ramble along from me about our recent trip to the wonderful USA.

We`ve been back less than a week from our last trip, so time to get this one going...although I`m wondering how I`m going to fill a trip report ...as our plan was to do as little as possible on this trip except sip as much champagne as possible and chill out...…..best laid plans and all that...…

In case there is anyone out there who doesn't know who we are from previous trip reports, we are Carole"n"Tom…...so called as we are genuinely joined at the hip!!!!

I`m reliably informed that I don't put enough personal info in the trip reports I write.....but, it`s a trip report and not a life story of my real life....now that would be boring!!!!

But this trip came about for a few reasons...…..

So, last August Tom took early retirement, well, he made the decision earlier but Aug 1st was his first full day after 42 years......quite a shock within his company......but, we didn't want him burned out.....so we are now celebrating a year of freedom. Although he had hardly been in during the previous couple of months before his actual finishing date......best decision ever!!!! I would recommend early retirement for anyone who is in the position to do it....I can`t believe how quickly this year has gone past.

I`m in the lovely position of being what I still like to call a stay at home mum...…..yes our son is 24 and working full time, but I left working life a long time ago and have no intentions of going back into that world again. I did have a couple of lovely jobs, but the freedom not working gives you is much better. I always seem to fill my time with one thing and another and keep busy with many social events and some hobbies...….mainly travelling to the USA this year!!!!

I love writing and spend a lot of time doing that and I try to read...….I adore books and have far too many according to my husband who admittedly doesn't read enough....unless it`s about cars of course!!! But, for those that think women who don't work end up watching tv all day and drinking coffee, they couldn't be more wrong. And now both of us have officially retired......it is so much better....

Kyle is doing great...…..I appreciate all those who have sent PM`s asking about him over the last few years...…..he will be with us on the December trip this year...….although he has 6 weeks vacation a year with his job, he has plans for the rest of the year so we booked a 10 night stay at RP then, which causes him to use 13 days allocation with overnight stay and 2 days to get over a night flight back to the UK. Looking forward to getting him back to Orlando with us again. He is enjoying the world of finance and his company are thrilled with him. He`s happy


In 2017 we had an immediate celebration trip after his retirement with our September adventures to NYC and Orlando...then we had the week long trip in December, followed by two 10 day trips in March and May this year......but, when we looked at our calendar, July looked a little empty!


So after coming back from our September/October trip last year....we put together a little 5 night trip to NYC. We thought we must be crazy.....NYC in the summer with all the noise and crowds that it brings......but we thought oh what the heck let`s just book it...….Anyone who knows me will know I had the flights booked before I could blink!!!

We looked at our two options......and eventually booked Thomas Cook again as the Virgin Flight had no Premium seats available, and we do like Premium where possible...….it`s a long flight and those seats get a little uncomfortable after several hours......so Premium can be better.....not always though...…...but we hope for the best.

The cabin is quite small and does feel quieter...…..of course if you get noisy people or noisy kids it`s not so quiet......but, it`s the luck of the draw. Seats are wider and there is decent leg room between rows which even though I`m only around 5 foot 7 (ish) I like the legroom...…..as does my 6 foot tall husband.

You get extra luggage allowance which is always ideal, and a welcome glass of sparkling wine as you enter the cabin. Food is more or less the same, but always been decent with them. It`s airplane food at the end of the day, all drinks are free, but in the grand scale it`s not a big difference ...…..you are also first to board and first off the plane which is nice.

​

I managed to get flights with Premium both ways for just under $2,400...…...I mention price as it had been asked how much we pay for flights......yes, of course you can go cheaper, and more expensive too, but when we were booking this was the price and we wanted those dates. We chose our seats and paid for the flights there and then. We were happy with that cost.

Next was an easy decision...…..our hotel in NYC.

Last year we had stayed in the beautiful Lotte New York Palace...…..

​

We had loved our stay there and always said we would go back if we ever went back to NYC......it`s a classic hotel with old fashioned style and a nod back to a time gone by with some of the décor and classic service......it has a stunning lobby and the stairs scream elegance. It is located very conveniently on Madison Avenue and is in a prime position to get to many popular places easily, very central.

When we were there we saw an area to the side of the main lobby called The Towers. We knew when we came back we would be booking a stay in The Towers.

It`s still the same hotel, but with added extras...…..just what we unashamedly like...…..it has it`s own separate check in area which, nice as the main lobby is, this is just beautiful...…..very personal service. The rooms for the Towers all start on the 41st floor and above and are slightly better appointed than the general rooms, although I have to say I loved our room last year...….it was beautiful and very large as we booked a corner room. We did think the bathroom was slightly dated with the shower over the bath, we prefer the walk in shower style.

But, we called them as the website had around 84 prices for different rooms, so it was just easier to call and clarify what we were paying for. They were lovely and saw we had stayed before, and very easily we were booked for 5 nights in The Towers. Our requests were simple, we asked for a view of St Patrick`s Cathedral again and the highest floor possible.

She also asked if we wanted to take advantage of the Maitre D`Etage……..basically a private Butler service who would unpack our suitcases, hang everything up and deal with any laundry requirements within reason, they also repack your clothes on departing the hotel...…..I thought about it for a millisecond and declined their kind offer...…...prefer to handle our own "delicates"...…..

We got our confirmation through immediately...…..we were sorted!!!!

And the added bonus of no rental car this time!!!! In Orlando we always have a car as we like to roam around the state and see all the other things that Florida has to offer...….well, as many as we can....but this trip...….I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to rent a car in the City...….walking is king for us there......with the occasional cab. I`m not ashamed to admit the Subway although marvelous, is not my favourite place to be. And I would rather pay for an overpriced cab than venture down there...….it really is the simplest and quickest way to get around, and I have done it...….but would rather not.

Our travel insurance was still valid so we didn't have to renew that for this trip. Getting a years policy was proving to be well worth the immediate cost, which considering it covers the three of us for as many trips as we can manage, it really was a bargain.

So, with our New York trip set...…….you may wonder how come we ended up going to Orlando too..

Well, isn't there always a story!!!!

Neither Tom or I had mentioned adding on Orlando since we booked NY, but it had been swirling around my tiny little brain in the background all winter...…..turns out Tom had been thinking the same.....

But, Fast Forward to our May trip which was our first stay at Sapphire Falls...…..if you have read the previous trip report you`ll know how much we love that resort...…..as long term RP guests we now have the pleasure of spending time at both resorts over the year. Of course we had spent many an evening in the wonderful StrongWater Bar so we know how fabulous the resort is...….

Our friend took us up to our room which was The Sapphire Suite and was absolutely beautiful......we were loving this resort already...…..so, we both knew what the other was thinking straight away ...….we looked at each other and nodded.........unspoken words at their best........so we asked him if we could book 7 nights in July at Sapphire and tag it on to our NY trip. Not a problem.

Things were falling into place...…..once we were settled, I got online to JetBlue and booked flights from JFK down to MCO...….isn't the internet wonderful...….. We got the Extra Space Seats we like and we had luggage included in that......I did wonder if we would be overweight with our suitcases.....I would worry about that in July!!! I often wonder how folks manage with hand luggage only for long trips...….although when you see the size of some people`s hand luggage that they try and cram into the overhead bins that's how they manage it...….some of those bags are huge!!!! And causes some trouble on occasion from others who can`t get their regular sized hand luggage in after theirs!!! Seen that many times...….. Nope, I like to have a good choice of clothes and like plenty of room for all our purchases.....

So, 2 one way flights from MCO to JFK for $500 which we were again happy with...…..although I`m told I could be doing with taking some advice for finding cheap fares down to Orlando...……… Our flight would leave JFK at 10am, so we would be in Orlando around 1pm allowing for delays of any kind. Much better than arriving after a 9 hour flight with everything that entails of being at the airport a few hours before.

We had to wait till we got home to amend our flights with Thomas Cook. Instead of flying out of JFK on the 18th, we would be flying home from MCO on the 25th. I checked and there were Premium seats available. Of course we hoped they would still be available in 11 days time...…..

And they were. Soon as we got up the day after we got home I called them and amended the return flights. There was an admin charge of around $130 to change the flight and the payment of the extra cost for the flights themselves. I really can`t remember the difference, but it wasn't too bad.

Now, of course we had to arrange a rental car...….this was easy. We use Alamo and book directly with them now as we have found them to be very helpful when you need to contact them for anything and the price was reasonable.

We usually book a standard SUV, and hope it`s at least something decent...…...this time we booked a Premium SUV...... $650 for 7 days. We didn't realize at this point just how happy we would be with the car we ended up with!!!!

Kyle laughed when we told him we were adding another 7 nights to this July trip...….he had already guessed we would.....he knows us so well

We both just thought it seemed silly to be so close to Orlando as we were in NYC and not fly down for a cheeky week of not doing much at all. And that really was the plan......a lazy do nothing 7 days of just enjoying a little park time, a little driving around and some time enjoying the resort and all it has to offer...…...

We did have the memory of trying this trip last year, we ended up flying down 2 days later due to Irma and all the issues that caused. This time we hoped for no storms or interferences.

If you are still reading...….I hope you enjoy this one...…...

​

Happy to be reading another of your travel adventures! It sounds like you and Tom have had a great first year of retirement. My husband’s goal is to retire early as well. We are working towards that goal as best we can. I just went back to work 4 years ago after taking 6 years off to get my kids through the preschool years. Many days I wish I hadn’t gone back

Looking forward to catching up on your report. I love reading about NYC especially as I’ve only been twice.

You should really start your own trip blog. Do you travel around Europe? Tell us about it and have Tom take lots of pictures

 

[schumigirl]

Andi is organizing upstairs and getting ready for her move on 9/1/18. I am dreading it of course, we have a trip in just 4 days so that really helps!

I love your quiet day, I’m glad the bar was nice, it is always funny when you say Football, we call it soccer, lol!
Those chicken wings look really yummy! I’m hungry right now, ha! I love Harry Potter marathons except for all the dreaded commercials. We have all of the dvd’s And haven’t watched in awhile.

Oh wow I forgot the trip was as close as it is!!! Lovely!!! Don’t think about afterwards.......

I’m looking forward to reading that one a lot!

Yes, football..........lol.......I used to tease my cousins son when he was around 10, he used to say to me oh you mean soccer.........I would look at him seriously and say, no it’s footaball.......he got very frustrated with me after a while

Yes the commercials on American tv are awful.........ours are bad enough but they are more frequent in The States.......yep,we prefer the DVD’s too.....so much easier and you can press pause if need be! We call it wine top up breaks.......

That little place was so cool........but, I genuinely wouldn’t have gone in normally, as I didn’t know it but food was good!

 

[schumigirl]

The Flatiron Building! I love that place so much. My publisher's offices are there. My main aspiration at this point is to be enough of a fish for them to invite me there for strategy meetings. LOL

Donna...........so nice to have you along!!!

It is a lovely building!! A guy outside once said we could go in a certain area, but we were leaving at that point for the train........I’d love to see around it!

I saw (don’t laugh) one of the Real Housewives of NY meet her publisher in there.........wonder if you have the same one!! How cool.........

Well, I hope you do get your wish and get inside one day.........send some pictures when you do, would love to see them........

Few days left in NY, hope you enjoy reading along........

 

[schumigirl]

Ha cant wait to hear

back in June when we were at Gatwick going to Kos, I had just said "I'm not going to let other peoples behaviour annoy me"

Some women walks into me, and off course I straight away I say "Sorry" and she has the nerve to look at me like I walked into her!

I walked away but my mother in law and rob were giving her evils all the way through Duty Free as they couldn't believe her attitude

Airport & Theme Park behaviour is something I could write a book about one day

Oh folks are priceless at times!

I hate when someone bumps into you, you say sorry and they look at you like like you just kicked one of the kids!!!

I’m laughing at the image of Rob and his mum “giving evils” to the rude woman lol.........I did that yesterday to the guy who cut us up by pushing into our lane on a roundabout!!! No hand up to apologise just barged in! Our horn was fully utilised.......lol........

Yes, that book would be a best seller!!!

 

[schumigirl]

Happy to be reading another of your travel adventures! It sounds like you and Tom have had a great first year of retirement. My husband’s goal is to retire early as well. We are working towards that goal as best we can. I just went back to work 4 years ago after taking 6 years off to get my kids through the preschool years. Many days I wish I hadn’t gone back

Looking forward to catching up on your report. I love reading about NYC especially as I’ve only been twice.

You should really start your own trip blog. Do you travel around Europe? Tell us about it and have Tom take lots of pictures

Along jenrose...........glad you made it over here!!

I’m so glad you are enjoying reading along.........I’ve enjoyed yours so much........it’s a joy to read!

Yes, early retirement is the best! I hear you on going back to work........I went back as a Practice Manager for my best friend a few years back........nope, interfered too much with doing a lot of stuff........so I hope you both manage to do it whenever you can.......having no schedule to keep is very liberating!! We love it!

As for Europe, we don’t go there any longer. We have been to every country in Europe except Iceland, but have no real desire to go back. Haven’t been to Turkey or Greece, but that’s through choice!!! Last time we went to Paris, it was so different........and we used to love Paris. Next year we think we may have a trip back to Switzerland as we loved it there more than any other......have you been to Europe? I know a lot of Americans who love to travel to Europe.........some of it is beautiful.........

As for a blog.....well, my niece is a journalist and is always saying the same thing to me........I just never seem to get around to it or seem to have the time!!! I’m doing some writing for someone right now and it’s time consuming......but love it!

Couple more of days of NY coming up........

 

[Mabel67]

Hi!
The place you watched the soccer looked interesting to me.....I think it's Turntable Cafe & Lounge.

 

[schumigirl]

Hi!
The place you watched the soccer looked interesting to me.....I think it's Turntable Cafe & Lounge.

Mabel67!!!

And THANK YOU!!!!!

That is exactly the place.........Tom said he thought the name was something to do with turntables.......in all honesty I hadn’t a clue but thought he wrong........ I should have known with all the albums they had........

I was looking for something with a Korean or Chinese type of name........doh!!!

So thank you again, we were a little perplexed what it was.........and hope you enjoy the rest of the report.......nice to have you join along.........

 

[iona]

Upstairs had a massive collection of albums...…..impressive. So I really have no clue what kind of place this was...…..but, friendly staff and nice wine this would do us for a couple of hours...……

And I actually did enjoy the football......although the wrong team won of course!!!!

Wow that was quite a quirky place! Looked like fun though. I agree with you about the final (and not just because I had Croatia in the sweepstake at work...).

We headed towards Grand Central Terminal.

Such a stunning building both inside and out.

….I did write the name down, but lost it. I think this is the only day in any of our trips, we haven't documented anything!!!!

And this is why I don't write trip reports!

 

[schumigirl]

Wow that was quite a quirky place! Looked like fun though. I agree with you about the final (and not just because I had Croatia in the sweepstake at work...).



Such a stunning building both inside and out.



And this is why I don't write trip reports!

Lol.....yes it was quirky! Most of the bar seemed to be supporting Croatia.........they have a good story being such a small country and all that.........but hey ho.........another 2 years the European Cup, that’s the only other football we watch!

Yes, it does take a bit of time to do trip reports, but I enjoy them......although coming back to the room after a couple of rums........I may not take note of everything!!!

And yep, Grand Central is amazing!!!

 

[donnajherren]

Donna...........so nice to have you along!!!

It is a lovely building!! A guy outside once said we could go in a certain area, but we were leaving at that point for the train........I’d love to see around it!

I saw (don’t laugh) one of the Real Housewives of NY meet her publisher in there.........wonder if you have the same one!! How cool.........

Well, I hope you do get your wish and get inside one day.........send some pictures when you do, would love to see them........

Few days left in NY, hope you enjoy reading along........

I've so been enjoying reading!

Sadly, I don't think I'm going to get my wish. Macmillan is apparently leaving the Flatiron Building next year for a larger space in the Equitable Life building on Broadway. They're the only current tenant, so the Flatiron will be empty. Word on the street is that the owning group is considering turning it into a hotel.

 

[EvilVillainess]

A very warm to you too EvilVillainess……...great name too!!!

Thank you so much...…...Oh I`m so happy to hear you`re going to Sapphire...…..it is beautiful...….we have actually decided to spend our last 4 nights on our Sept/Oct trip over there...…..we do love it there.

Living so close to NYC must have been amazing growing up...…..do you still live that close or have you moved away now...…..amazing place!!

Hope you enjoy the rest of it and thank you for the lovely comment, I do appreciate it and nice to have you along...…...

We are about 90 minutes from there now but family still lives right outside. We may be at Saphire Falls the same time you are. We are there October 4,5,6. Maybe we will see you for some rum flights at Strong Water Tavern.

 

[schumigirl]

I've so been enjoying reading!

Sadly, I don't think I'm going to get my wish. Macmillan is apparently leaving the Flatiron Building next year for a larger space in the Equitable Life building on Broadway. They're the only current tenant, so the Flatiron will be empty. Word on the street is that the owning group is considering turning it into a hotel.

Oh that’s a shame........

The man we spoke to who may be the doorman/security guy never told us it was almost empty!! I had no idea......what a shame.

Although I can see their idea, turning it into a hotel I imagine would be a huge money maker.........but of course that’s not always the best idea for buildings. At least they won’t be able to change the beautiful exterior!

 

[schumigirl]

We are about 90 minutes from there now but family still lives right outside. We may be at Saphire Falls the same time you are. We are there October 4,5,6. Maybe we will see you for some rum flights at Strong Water Tavern.

Oh that’s still quite close though, how lovely!! And having family there is another excuse to visit........

Oh we leave Oct 2nd A Rum Flight or two would have been lovely!! Seems we are missing a few folks again this year by a day or so...........

I’m sure you’ll love Sapphire all the same..........we can’t wait to get back.......well to both hotels!!

 

[schumigirl]

MONDAY JULY 16TH...…………..


Boy did we sleep good last night...…..one thing we did note about this hotel, is we never heard one sound from the rooms either side of us, nor did we hear any corridor noise...….not sure if that`s because people were being very considerate or it had excellent soundproofing. But, it was blissfully peaceful. We had planned to sleep a little later this morning as we did have a late night last night...…..but, we tend to be early morning people generally......I hate to waste the day away!!!! Even as a teenager, I wasn't one to lay in bed till midday. I think Kyle has inherited that gene from me as he is the same....even on weekends and days off, he is up at the same time as if he was going to work...….although some days I wish he would sleep a little late!!!

I have to say though, we both looked a little like we had definitely burned the candle at both ends this morning

First thing we did this morning was switch the tv on once I had opened the blinds to reveal another gorgeous day with blue skies...….this was going to be another hot one!!!! No Potter movies this morning...….weather channel is always a good choice for us.

So, I always shower first, so I was up and ready before Tom had finished getting ready. We did however notice an issue with the bathroom taps.....there was hardly any pressure coming from the hot one. Although the shower pressure was excellent. We would report that on the way out this morning. We checked the weather channel and yep, it was going to be a hot one!!!

I answered a few emails I had received and once Tom was ready we headed downstairs to the beautiful lobby area...…..it really is an impressive hotel in many ways...…..we got in the elevator this morning and it made no stops this time, and my ears attested to that!!!!

Tom spoke to the lady on the desk and told her the issue we had in the room and she said it would be sorted by the time we were back. And it was.

The entrance to the private Towers entrance is very discreetly set aside from the main hotel check in desks...…..

But, for a hotel lobby it is very pretty, and the staircase is beautiful...…..I had seen pictures of Christmas in the lobby and staircase area and the tree and decorations they have are very classically beautiful...…….if I liked or enjoyed such cold weather we would be there in a heartbeat then...……..

There are a lot of business people use this hotel, and someone asked me if I felt out of place in vacation clothes...…..the simple answer to that is absolutely not. But, we both feel very comfortable in whatever environment I`m in. Maybe others would.....but the hotel staff certainly won`t make you feel as if you don't belong there. It would be a shame for anyone to feel uncomfortable. But, as I said we really like The New York Palace and if and when we go back to NYC we will stay there again in a heartbeat.

But, for now breakfast was calling...…….


We planned again to spend some time in Central Park.....and maybe even explore a little more, depending on how hot it got later......the lady at the desk did say it was going to be ultra hot today...….but, we had sunscreen on, hats and would buy water when we needed it......also we didn't plan to rush anywhere as usual...…


Stepping out of the hotel doors and in to the early morning heat was something we loved!!!! It was barely 8am if it even was that time...…..but we loved that early morning in the City feeling...…..the Rockefeller Building looked resplendent swathed in sunlight...…..

The outside courtyard area is very pretty. You can order drinks and snacks and enjoy a seat there, but we hadn't managed to do that on either visit here, it just hadn't happened. But it was a lovely area...……

We walked very slowly on to Madison and enjoyed the sights and sounds of a city coming to life again with business after a weekend break......so many were rushing from one place to another, many on phones solemnly swearing they were already in the building......honest, we heard this twice from men rushing past us.....lol...….how they explained the traffic sounds I have no idea. But, we did enjoy our slower paced meander for our breakfast. We were loving this...……..

Astro Diner was a place we discovered last year and had thoroughly enjoyed the real diner experience...…..it was only on 55th, so barely a walk at all to get there...….we liked it as it seemed again to be more locals than tourists, although there was the required tourist trade go in of course.

It does look like it got it`s inspiration from the 1980`s!!!

Last time we had sat at the counter, but today it was full so we opted for a table where the air con was slightly cooler......yep, it was already hot!!! We get seated near the back and are offered coffee and water then handed the menus...….and coffee is good here too and we really needed a load of coffee to get us going this morning...….

I knew what I was having...….my usual option of pancakes with either bacon or sausage......I opted for the sausages as I had enjoyed them last time...…..I usually choose bacon, but at times it is too hard for me to enjoy. ​

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Tom went for the eggs bacon and sausage that came with toast...…..probably too much for breakfast, but he wouldn't eat the toast I assumed...…..and I already said I would "help" him with the bacon as you did get loads...….I`m kind like that...…..​

It was all good!!! Pancakes were exceptional but they had changed the taste of the sausages since last year...…...Tom laughed he was amazed they hadn't called to tell me...…..haha!!!! Sarcasm gets you a little kick under the table at times...… but it was all nice......I ate most of Tom`s bacon and left the sausages......and no one ate the toast. We generally don't eat a lot for breakfast, but on vacation you have to have some of the local places on your list...…

It was nice and we were glad we hadn't finished it all today...…we didn't feel too bagged up as I hadn't eaten all the pancakes either......the lady checked with us everything was alright as we had left so much, but we had enjoyed what we ate.


Coming up...…..Central Park and lunch...……………..

 

[pattyw]

Lovely hotel!! Beautiful pictures!

Good water pressure in a shower is very important! Nice that they were so prompt in rectifying the issue!!

 

[I-4Bound]

I do love a good breakfast place, though it seems we never go out for breakfast on vacation! I don't think the rest of my family enjoys big breakfasts as much as I do.