Our "Grand" Portofino" Trip of a Lifetime -August 2010 (TR Link added)

[Sweet Pea UK]

Friday 4th September 2009
Well here goes – my first attempt at a Pre-Trip Report. I did a trip report after our trip to Disneyland Paris in August 2008 but never for a WDW trip so I am more than a little excited.

To be truthful as I type this it is actually September 4th 2009 and I am truly bored at work. I have no intention of posting yet though as that would be waaaaay to early – wouldn’t it? My plan is to post after Christmas in one lump all that I have written between now and then. I hope some of you will join me for the ride. Lets get started !!!

I’ll start with who is going ..

Who’s who?

Me – Sara – a 34 year old total Disney addict, complete and utter planner for everything I do and when it comes to holidays I am even more obsessive. My first “Disney” trip was to Anaheim in 1979 when I was 4. I can remember snippets and keep meaning to get my parents slides out to see if it jogs my memory any further. First trip to “the world” was April 1982. EPCOT had not long opened and my love affair with all things Disney became apparent. Looking back I obviously get my strict itinerarys (planned months in advance!) from my Dad. He had a strict plan of where we were going every day – in those days it was Circus Circus, Seaworld, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT – and I think we made a trip to Busch Gardens – how things have changed. We then took a break for several years while my Dad tried to establish his business. My family makes all types of sugar confectionery but in particular lettered rock. From 1992 we went every couple of years – staying in a mixture of hotels and complexes. I loved it – every minute of it – from the smell as you arrive at Orlando International – to the feeling you get as you pick up the hire car and know you are truly on your way! Nothing however compares to the feeling I get as I enter the Magic Kingdom and look straight up Main Street – that is truly my happy place! When I close my eyes I can manage to see every little detail of the shops, lights and restaurants that adorn the street. I am thrilled that I have taken DD to Orlando twice before and that she shares the same love of Disney as I do – it is wonderful to share the feeling it brings. This trip has a more special feeling. We’ve dubbed it our “Trip of a Lifetime” partly due to the cost (!!) and partly due to a rather strained holiday in 2007 (more on that later!)

DH – Jonathan. My wonderful husband. Loves me more than words can say and puts up with my Disney addiction. Although he visited Orlando in 2001 for a golfing trip he had never been to Disney!!!!! We made our first trip together in November 2003 – DD stayed home with DM and DF as she was only 2 and we felt too young to appreciate it. We had a wonderful time and Jonathan fell in love with the place. He warmed to the characters (something I didn’t think would happen) loved the magic of the Magic Kingdom and the thrill of the other parks – I had met my perfect match!!! He has visited twice more with me since.

DD – Amber. The light of our life! Amber will celebrate her 9th birthday on our trip and went for the first time in 2005 and then again in 2007. She is a true princess and the characters love her. She is so polite with them and tells every one a different story. She is being more of a help this time with the planning as she has more experience of what she wants to do.

So now you know who we are I will tell you a little more about why this trip means so much.

When we visited in 2005 there were the 3 of us and my Mum and Dad who are also total Disney addicts. We stayed in a Villa which we booked through Virgin Holidays so had no idea of its location until we got there. Unfortunately it was right up on the US27. Although it was nice having our own pool so we could swim late it was such a long way out that by the time we had driven home late afternoon it was a struggle to then face coming all the way back out again with a 4 year old child. I had also not discovered the DISboards at this stage so all my planning was done single handed. We got by by staying in the parks later and eating on the way home but it wasn’t the sort of holiday we had hoped for. There were moments of absolute joy and being Ambers first time it holds memories we will never forget.

It was on this trip that DH and I decided that next time we would be staying on site! I had stayed in the YC in 2000 with my parents and didn’t feel that it held the Disney magic. However I thought that with a child this would be totally different.

When we returned we got straight into planning for 2007 and decided on AKL. All I needed to do was wait to May 2006 so that I could book with Virgin.

May came around pretty quickly and we booked. When I told my parents they said they couldn’t imagine not going and seeing Ambers face with all the characters again and would we mind if they also booked to come. I was over the moon – my Dad takes as much interest in the planning as I do and I wasn’t relishing the thought of not having him to share it with.

When I told DH – although pleased they were coming he said he wondered whether we ought to suggest to his parents that they come to. I said yes straight away of course – fair was fair – but I knew it wouldn’t be the same – they had never even been to America before let alone done anything Disney – they never watched the films/cartoons and were not theme park people at all. Anyway, they said they would love to come so I telephoned Virgin and booked another 4 adults to our trip.

His parents made it clear that they were happy to do whatever we did.

A couple of days later they called to ask if they could bring our nephew. He was a year older than Amber and had recently been through his parents divorce so they thought this holiday would be great for him. We were thrilled as Amber would have a playmate so I telephoned again and added DN to the booking.

As time went on I then discovered the DIS and became completely obsessed. I did plan after plan making sure it was going to be the perfect trip for everybody. I booked Character meals, MVMCP, Discovery Cove. Golf for DH, DM, DF and DFIL (in all honesty DFIL is golf obsessed – everything was for the golf!)

I gave them the itinerary and long notes attached explaining every little thing.

From the DISboards I then discovered that there was a lot of construction going on at AKL while we were there so I emailed Disney through their website to see how it would effect us. They offered to move us to the Poly! A monorail resort – I couldn’t believe it and my Dad had ALWAYS wanted to stay there but we felt it was a little to expensive. Yippee!!!! This trip was really shaping up to be fantastic!

Then 3 or 4 months before we went tensions started to run a little high. DMIL and DFIL became obsessed with wearing face masks on the aeroplane in case they breathed in germs! (we managed to talk them out of that!) DBIL was playing up about getting DN to the airport – they live in Plymouth – we live in Great Yarmouth – we were flying from Gatwick! It all got messy and I started to panic as if DN didn’t arrive at the airport the night before we flew we couldn’t do Twilight Check In. Anyway it was agreed that DFIL would train down to Gatwick in the morning, DSIL(ex) would fly DN up to Gatwick – they would meet and the rest of us would travel up in the pre-booked mini bus later in the afternoon (DM was Lady captain of the golf club that year and it was the AGM that day so she had to handover to the new Captain so we couldn’t leave before 4pm!)

I tried not to keep thinking that at one point it would only have been the 3 of us to worry about!

Well we all arrived at the airport and there were no problems. We checked the bags in, got something to eat and all slept soundly at the Gatwick Hilton.

We met the next morning – had a nice breakfast at the hotel, a look round the airport and boarded the plane – landed – and things kind of went pear shaped from there! DFIL was not happy that we tipped the porter who helped us with our luggage at Orlando International. On arriving at the Poly (which to us was a dream come true) we said to him joyfully “what do you think” he responded by saying “I don’t know – I’ve got nothing to compare it to?” He later knocked on my DF’s door to see if the tip for the Bellman was coming out of the kitty or were they paying there own! All little things that we have never had to worry about with my parents. I am quite a patient person and at this stage it was not bothering me although it was DH. DFIL face the whole time looked so grumpy. We got collected by a golf cart to be taken to our reservation at Kona and we were taken round by the pool – we saw the Electrical Water Pageant going passed and it was just magical – only we were sat with someone who clearly wasn’t enjoying things!

To cut a long story short although looking back we have happy memories of the holiday there were some ups and awful downs. DN kept tormenting DD who got upset so I obviously kept telling DD off for getting upset and whinging but not once did anybody say to DN not to torment. Nobody liked to upset him – except DH who lost it one day in US!

The holiday just showed that people who have been 10 times don’t really mix with others who have never been before. They didn’t seem to want to take our advice about fastpasses, getting a space to watch the parade early etc etc. I kept getting upset as I felt it was my fault that they weren’t enjoying themselves. It just made everybody uncomfortable. My DM and DF felt stuck in the middle – it came to a head the day in US when I could stand the sulking like a child no longer and said I was sick of it! To be fair, from that point on things improved and by the end of the holiday I think they really appreciated the work I had put into things and said they hoped we hadn’t been put off holidaying with them again! I have no problem if we go on a beach holiday with them but I wouldn’t do Disney with them again.

Because I had gotten so upset and as we were staying at the Poly I kept saying that I would never be able to do this type of holiday again! DH assured me that we would and that if we waited 3 years to come again in stead of 2 we could easily save enough to stay there.

So that’s the plan – 2 weeks at the Poly in August summer holidays so no time off school. Is that what happens? Stay tuned (if I haven’t bored you to tears already!) to find out what we book!!!

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

Once back to a cold and miserable winter in Great Yarmouth I went out and got the brochures to find out roughly what it was going to cost. When I spoke to DH I said that it would only be a few hundred more to stay at the GF and that really was my Dream!!! He agreed that he would also love to stay there and that it would be a kind of “once in a lifetime” thing. Also DD would be getting older and any trips after this one may not see her so in love with the Magic Kingdom.

DH then said that it had been several years since we had been to Busch Gardens and he felt that DD would now be older enough to enjoy it. He also fancied the Kennedy Space Centre! Hmmmm what a dilemma – we have always managed to pack out a fortnight before without any additions – how would we manage as we both wanted to enjoy some resort time too??? Simple – add some nights on to our stay. We agreed on 17 which quickly became 19 nights! I am very good a persuading! We then thought it might be nice to stay for the first 4 nights at a Universal Hotel so that we could enjoy the front on the line access at US and IOA. We decided on Portofino Bay.

Great - I emailed Virgin in April to see when I could book and they said that I could book in 3 days time and that they were offering Free Dining for August next year! YIPPEEEEE !!!

3 days time came and I booked the Portofino Bay, the Grand Floridian, the US/IOA passes, 21 day ultimate Disney passes, Kennedy Space Centre, Discovery Cove (for Ambers birthday) which included Sea World, Aquatica and Busch Gardens and finally Cirque de Soleil!!!

I spent the whole of the next day doing a planner. I also had to fit 4 rounds of golf in for DH! Although I was quite pleased about this as it would give me and DD some time on our own to do girly things!

All we had to do was wait the 16 months! We were all set! Or were we …..



When I told my parents that we had booked for almost 3 weeks they were distraught – how could I take there little Princess away for 3 weeks so I said why don’t you fly out and join us! From the look of joy on their face it was apparent they had been waiting for me to say this. They wouldn’t be able to come from the start of the holiday as being in the tourist industry its not possible for them to be away in August (although if this years figures are anything to go by … !) so they said they would fly out on September 4th for 10 nights so they would get a week with us and 3 nights on their own at the end. They weren’t bothered about doing Disney this time but wanted to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at IOA, ride the Manta at Seaworld and visit Aquatica as it wasn’t there when we last went. They were also going to stay at the Buena Vista Palace as it was more central to their needs and they didn’t want to broach too much on our holiday. They would spend a lot of the time playing golf.

All I had to do was let DH know the new plan! He was pleased they were coming but had reservations that we now wouldn’t do all the things we wanted to do and also what about his parents??? There was no way I was going down that route and nor did he want to so we decided that we really didn’t need to say anything. Its not like my parents are flying with us or even staying at the same hotel – we are just going to meet up in the evenings and have the odd day together. He also said he was pleased as he would have somebody to play the golf with and it would be lovely for Amber to have her Nanny and Grandad with her.

Surely we must be sorted now …….

DF then throws a spanner in the works by mentioning that on this trip he would love to travel up to St Augustine and play golf at Sawgrass! I could see DH’s eyes light up and being the loving wife that I am said that I would be happy to go up there too for a couple of days (there was of course a condition!) I wanted to add an extra night on to the end of our stay so that we would still have the same amount of time in Orlando – 18 nights just wouldn’t be enough!!! So as it stands we are going to travel up to St Augustine one morning – DM and DF will play golf on one course that day while DH, DD and I explore St Augustine visit the beach etc. We are staying at the Marriot Sawgrass that night and then the next day DH, DF and DM will play the Players Stadium Course whilst DD and I relax by the pool before driving back to Orlando.

As far as I can see that is the holiday sorted!! I cannot foresee anymore changes!

We leave on 21st August 2010 to travel to Gatwick and stay at the Hilton (I booked that today) then fly to Orlando on 22nd August with 4 nights at the Portofino Bay Hotel and 16 nights at the Grand Floridian with a night at the Marriot Sawgrass somewhere in that 16 (I know I’ve paid for a night at the GF that I won’t use!) Land back at home on Sunday12th September 2010.

It really is our “Trip of a Lifetime” and I can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coming up – how will we ever pay for it!

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

Now that the prilimnary plans were in place I just needed to work out a saving schedule. Now I am very good at putting things on my credit card – in fact I like to think I have a black belt in it but when it comes to saving I am also strangely very good!! So bearing in mind way back at the end of 2007 I had a rough idea how much it was going to cost I started to do a spreadsheet of what I could basically save each month.

Our basic salaries cover all the necessities and the going out etc etc but there wasn’t really too much scope to start saving thousands of pounds over the next couple of years. I already worked a few hours for my Dad in his office on Mondays and Tuesdays – the rest of the week I work part time for the Ministry of Justice. I saved all that money – but what if I worked more hours – I could save more!!! Then there was my husbands overtime. As soon as it went into the joint account – I moved it to our savings account. Then there was our pound coin tub. We put all our pounds in there and I aimed to get at least £30 a month from that (it all adds up!) Not only that though – Dad quite often sent me on errands and never asked for his change – that also went in the tub!! (Don’t panic – he is fully aware of how his precious angel robs him!!!)

I then had a brain wave – if I saved just £1 a day until we went that would be enough for all the passes without even having to think about it. So a new money saving box was purchased!!

I had made a start – I worked out that from this alone we could save approximately £250 a month.

2008 ticked along nicely – the overtime was regular – we had an obundance of pound coins – I was sent on lots of errands so there was lots of change – and business in the shop was going well. Not only did I help Dad in the office – but Mum needed help with packaging in the evenings and I agreed to help out in the actual shop on Saturdays so my hours doubled!! It was hard work but I was enjoying learning a different part of the business. I had worked there on and off since I was 11 but I was now looking at things in a new light.

We also managed to do a few car boot sales and were pleased with what we made. We also started putting things on Ebay instead of storing them in the loft and all these proceeds – even if a sale was for just £5 – went into the Disney account!

So we arrive at 2009 having more than reached our target of what we wanted to have by the end of 2008. Things were looking fairly good. Then the recession hits! Overtime for DH reduces dramatically. I tweak the spreadsheet and realise that even without it we will still have the money saved in time for when it needs to be paid in June 2010 and we will still have enough for spending money – how much will we need – we have Free Dining? DD will have more than enough spending money as she has been saving her pocket money and also we have lots of family and friends who give her holiday money just before we go anywhere.

Then …. I have a brainwave. My fathers business also has a successful chocolate department. Trouble is I felt it needed moving into the 21st Century. The lady who had been making them previously did not intend to come back after Christmas so it left a vacancy. I had big ideas! I spoke to my parents and said that I would like the job. I would need to go on a training course to learn the ropes and I accepted that it was a big responsibility as orders had to be fulfilled, the shop needed to be kept well stocked and I still had my “proper” job of course.

I worked out that with the support of DH and DD I could do this.

I would work Monday mornings as I had been, go and get DD from school, return to the shop and work til 6:30pm. This would work well as DD has Gymnastics til that time. We would have tea at Mums before coming home (Oh yes, shopping savings!!)

Tuesdays I would do exactly the same.

Wednesdays I would go to work at the Court from 7:30am – finish around 4;30pm and then to the shop and work until about 7:30pm. I would do the same on Thursday if the need arose. Fridays I finish at the Court at 1pm and intended to go home and have an evening at home. Saturdays I would work all day and Sundays I would work all day.

DH agreed to help with the housework etc (although it didn’t seem like we would be there much to make a mess!)

I flew up to Scotland with my brother at the end of May (I muddled through until then) and attended the Callebaut Chocolate Course. It was fantastic. I learned lots of new ideas and it was all systems go!!!

I knew I had a lot of leave to take from the Court during the summer so I tried to give DD the best of both worlds by taking her out for at least one day a week and a couple of morning – plus friends etc helped. I then worked all the other available time. I worked my socks off! I got panicky a couple of times when I felt I was in such a muddle at home but as soon as I calmed down and just got on with things we were all back to normal.

DH was a really big help around the house and he still managed to play golf every week – everyone was happy.

We did car boots, we sold on EBay, we saved birthday money. We went to Disneyland Paris in January, Turkey in June, DH played golf in France for a few days and DD and I went to Turkey again in October so life did go on – we weren’t in limbo!

I am pleased to say that instead of having the money saved by the end of June 2010 – the money was saved by the end of October 2009!!!

I didn’t even feel that worn out – I had enjoyed every minute of it and am still doing it, although it is out of season now so no where near as intense!

I now had most of 2010 to save the spending money.

Next time: The planning takes place!

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

So like I have said before I am a Compulsive Planner – obsessive – but on here I know that I am in very good company!!

Even before we had “officially” booked I had drafted out an itinerary! Non-Disney goers just don’t understand the importance of fitting everything in and ADR’s etc etc so a lot of my friends thought I was mad!

Once it was all booked and in place though I really felt like I could plan “properly”.

As I am submitting this post months after I have actually typed it I intend to write it as a blog so you can see what I have been up to over the past few months. From now on I will “blog” directly into this thread and if anyone wants to come along for the ride, I’d be happy to have you on board.

4th September 2009
I need to start looking into prices for the hotel at the airport the night before we fly. I knew it was going to be the Gatwick Hilton as the hotel is linked to the airport so we didn’t need to worry about getting all our luggage (oh yes – I already know there will be LOTS of luggage!) onto a shuttle. I figure that if I just book it now I will get an earlybird price and it will be another thing crossed off the list. I look into it and they are offering a family room with breakfast for just over £100 so I go ahead and book.

Whilst trowling through the DISboards I see all the little custom outfits that some children have at Disney. I subscribe to the Disboutique thread and decide there and then that I am going to learn how to sew! I quickly order “Sewing for Dummies” from Amazon and call Mum to tell her to dust off the sewing machine as she is going to teach me to make clothes for Amber. Although a little shocked, I can’t even sew on a button, she agrees that this will be good fun for us and as long as I keep it simple she will be able to help. I like the look of the pillowcase dresses.

5th September 2009
I can barely sleep as I am so excited about the sewing so I nip into the local fabric shop to see what they have for when we actually get going!

8th September 2009
Sewing for Dummies arrives so I nip to bed early to immerse myself in it!!

9th September 2009
I’m not very well today - I have an ear infection so decide to stay indoors. This means I get to spend lots of time on the laptop! I make an amazing discovery today – I discover the Creative Disigns section on the DIS. A whole new world opens up. I begin planning my binder (I nip out to buy and binder and dividers) and then start requesting artwork to personalize everything. DH can’t understand why I am leaping about when he arrives home from work (clutching me ear of course). What is even better is that he is a signwriter so will be able to print everything onto glossy vinyl for me!

Not only that but you can do Digital Scrapbooking! How dim am I to have only just discovered this! I have always wanted to do a scrapbook. In fact when we went to Disney in 2005 I kept every little item to make a scrapbook. I spent £100 on Scrapbook parifinalia when we arrived home but all that ever happened was all the little bits I had collected got put into the plastic wallets of the lovely scrapbook I had bought!

Now I am fine on a PC – I love it and had already enrolled on a Photoshop Course which begins on 23rd September and once I discover that a lot of Digital Scrapbookers are using this programme I already have I am overwhelmed. Another purchase is made from Amazon “Digital Scrabooking for Dummies”.


12th September 2009
We have decided that we want to be taken the 120 mile trip to the airport instead of DH driving and leaving the car there for 3 weeks. Not only will 3 weeks parking really add up but we are always so tired when we land back it worries me about DH then having to make the 2-3 hour drive home. DH and I ring around a few Taxi firms to get some prices. I tell them all my luggage concerns (we also have the damn golf clubs!) and I get prices ranging from £240 - £330. We agree to have a think about it.

14th September 2009
I discover the autograph pages on the Creative Disign threads and download them all to make a book for DD. I upload them all to snapfish.co.uk and hope they will be alright printing them. It’s a late night.

15th September 2009
Start downloading scrapbook pages and fonts. Just can’t wait for my course to begin. I had enrolled on it because I wanted to improve the photos I take. I did a Introduction to Digital Photography Course at the beginning of the year and felt this was the next logical step. I hadn’t realised I would get more excited about designing pages for my binder etc than I would be at airbrushing my photos!!

DH is starting to get annoyed at how long I am on the laptop.

17th September 2009
I am bored at work so type up a list of all the ADR’s we will need (if the itinerary stays as is) and work out the date I can ring for them – 26th February 2010!!! Not long!!
I also contact the travel company who had the £240 price for the airport run and discover that they have a Volvo V70. I check it out on the internet and decide that I will definitely get everything in so I go ahead and book it.

24th September 2009
I email the Sawgrass Marriot and book for one nights stay on Tuesday 7th September. The plan is to travel to St Augustine on the Tuesday, have a look round “Americas oldest City” and then check into the hotel and have a laze around the pool. On the Wednesday DH, DM and DF will play on the Players Course while DD and I have some time at the beach and pool, we will then all travel back together later that afternoon. The hotel price was really reasonable. The golf was a little expensive but it is something you would only do once so they all felt it was worth the price! Besides, it will be more money for me to spend in Disney – fair is fair after all

1st October 2009
Had my second college lesson last night and am really enjoying Photoshop – can’t wait to get started on my binder.

Off to Turkey for a week in 2 weeks so I start to make lists and plan for that.

15th October 2009
Well off to Turkey tomorrow. Its weird. I have spent so much time planning next years holiday I forgot that we were having this one. It is just DM, DF, DD and I. DH wanted to save his leave for next year so that he doesn’t have to use it all for the Disney Vacation. He can still have a few days away playing golf now and we plan to visit Amsterdam around Easter time for a couple of days.

I managed to get everything packed and my Mum came to collect us to stay at theirs for the night. Feel very excited now.

26th October 2009
Well, back from Turkey. It was gorgeous. Lovely and hot and we all had a very relaxing time. DF and DM played golf a few times so DD and I got some quality time together although she couldn’t wait to play in the kids club. This meant I got to lay on my lounger alone and read – I haven’t done that in the 8 years I’ve had her!!! It was nice to get back and see DH. For some reason it made us all the more excited about our holiday next year. Made us appreciate how fantastic 3 weeks together next year will be.

31st October 2009
DD has just been out trick or treating and my parents came for dinner. Kept thinking that this time next year we will have already celebrated Halloween at MNSSHP!!

8th November 2009
Got hit with an awful cold this week and have spent the last 4 days in bed! Even to tired to check out the DISBoards!! Must be bad!

10th November 2009
My parents and I have decided to do our local Christmas Fayre again this year with our chocolates. Been very busy making truffles, fondent creams etc to have at the Fayre. Feel excited about it. It is going to be on 27th November to 29th November so we have a couple of weeks to prepare. Got lots of Christmassy ideas for the Chocolates so be great to see them in action!!

DH has started to show an interest in the Digital Scrapbooking pages and says it will be a great hobby for me. I am keen to get started now as I feel I know just enough about Photoshop to have a go at my own project.

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

December 2009

Well, what with Christmas - holiday plans kind of went out of the window!!

I got a new lens for my camera for Christmas so I will have plenty of time to practise with it before we go. It goes from 18-200mm so I will only need to take the one lens. Very exciting.

DD also got quite a few holiday bits and a new Sammies pull along case which will be great for her carry on baggage.

We have to do some of our ADR's by 23rd February so I have instructed DH and DD to get thinking to make sure we book the ones we all want!

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

Quick Update!!

Postman just arrived and brought the Worlds of Discovery DVD so we are going to pop it on now!!

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

Happy New Year Everyone - can't believe it - we can now say we are going to Disney THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!!

 

[klacey1]

Hi, Sara! I'm the first WOOT! We are most likely going next August, too-- we love this time of year at Disney.
I also am super jealous of your ability to jet to Turkey and Amsterdam! My father is from Ireland, so that's where my brother decided to go to college. He LOVED it-- flying Ryanair all over Europe!
I am very excited to follow along and hear about your plans. I love reading about people's past trips, so I've thoroughly enjoyed your first entries. In 2008, we went with 10 people, including 4 "newbies." It was way too stressful-- never agains!

ETA: Forgot to subscribe!

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

Hi Kylie

I've never been to Ireland but friends and my parents have and loved it so its on our list of places to go!

So glad you are reading along. What dates do you go in August? Do you usually get good weather?

 

[ladybugmom]

YAY!! I'm second!! I'm excited to read everything you've posted so far but we're packing up about to head back to TN! Just wanted you to know I'm here and will be reading you PTR, Sara!! Happy New Year my friend!!

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

Yay Becky - you are here! Have a good trip back x

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

Bit of an update today. Firstly I realised whilst laying in bed yesterday morning that when it comes to booking my ADR's I don't have a Disney reservation number as we booked with Virgin HOlidays so I emailed Disney and asked if they would be kind enough to dig it out!

Then I remebered that although the Marriot hotel at Sawgrass was booked they had asked me to email back in a month to confirm the golf tee times. Well, that was in October! So, I emailed my contact there and asked her to book. Well - heard back today and she said the time is no problem but the course will be in poor condition due to maintenance??? I have asked if this will be reflected in the $229 per round price! And also if it means temporary greens and whether they will be able to play all 18 holes. I don't really understand it all but apparently it could be a big deal?? May be that Sawgrass is off the itinerary!!! How will I fill my time back at the Grand Floridian???

 

[klacey1]

There's actually been a change in plans and now we're going to Universal/IOA in May of this year, and then Disney again in late August of 2011.
I don't remember our exact August dates of 2006 or 2008, but in 2009, we stayed Aug. 20-25th. Honestly, the weather just depends. In 2008, it poured buckets all day, every day of our trip. It made the crowds low, so we just plowed through. Last year, however, it was just lovely. It rained maybe for 40 minutes one day, and it was fortunately when we were in our room for our midday break! The rest of the time it was just beautiful-- sunny and maybe 85-90 degrees. Humid, but honestly not unbearable. We were having a fairly cool summer in NY last year, so the heat actually felt nice when we got to Florida. Like I said, the weather really varies, but no matter what, don't let it bring you down! We found midday hotel breaks key to being able to get through the days. I really think it's a great time of year to go. I'm super jealous of you guys!

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

You will be able to let me know what Harry Potter is like then!! I am so excited about that!

 

[klacey1]

I'll definitely give you a full Harry Potter World review!
I vote for no Sawgrass! No point in paying premium prices when your family won't be getting a premium golf course. There's beautiful courses in Orlando that can be enjoyed without you having to leave the Grand Floridian

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

I was outvoted on Sawgrass - we are definately going and I am quite looking forward to seeing a different part of Florida. I have been South several times but never North!!!

How is NY at the moment? I went in December in the year 2000 and it was sooooooo cold! Bit like here at the moment!

 

[klacey1]

NY, at least the Southeast part (I live about a half hour north of NYC) is freezing right now! We have a blanket of snow on the ground, but thankfully it's not too windy. I lived in Rhode Island for awhile, and the constant windchill almost killed me over there!
My brother and his girlfriend are going to be in the UK next week! They're spending a week in Ireland and 4 nights in London. I haven't been to London in years and am incredibly jealous! Should I tell them to pack warmly?? How cold is it that side of the Atlantic?

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

Definately tell them to pack warm clothes. We are currently having the longest spell of snow we have had in about 50 years! Next week the temperatures are expected to drop well below freezing! We don't cope well in the bad weather! Today nearly all our schools have been shut and the roads have been chaos! I would think by the middle/end of next week though it will all be gone and will start warming up slightly! Fingers crossed - although London in the snow is extremely pretty!

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

Quick update on the last week or so!
It has been snowy snowy snowy here although looking at the news we got off lightly.

Schools were shut on Thursday and Friday so on Saturday DH and I played out in the snow with DD. He pulled her along in her sledge (I mostly took pics with the new Christmas present lens! - Getting lots of practise in!)

Then on Sunday we got up and most of the snow had gone!!! We can see roads and grass again!

I then read that they have similar weather in Orlando - maybe not quite as cold but I feel sorry for all the people who are there! We did Disneyland Paris last January and it was FREEEEZZZZZING!!!

Hope the weather picks up for all those there soon!

On Sunday we had dinner at my parents and I said that we really need to start finalizing our ADR's and they need to confirm when they are coming out with us as I can book in a month or so!! Yippee!

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Subbing!