Our Magical WDW Adventure -24 Days of Food and Fun-Updated 3/8 -Come Join Us

[ariel2007]

Day 4 ~ The One With The Big Hooters

I had really been looking forward to today, we finally got to visit the park we had been hearing about for so long, Aquatica. We got up at 7.45am, got ready and Nick made us one of his speciality Oreo milkshakes for breakfast. We left just after 8.30am, stopping for petrol and a drink which was a bargain at $1.09 for a huge cup (I will never get over how cheap it is for these massive drinks). We arrived at Aquatica around 9.15am, it was quite busy but there was still plenty of parking.

Now when we looked it had said it opened at 10am but we had heard reports it gets really busy so arrive about 9. Well we parked right near the entrance no problems, but the park was already open and people on the slides. It took forever to get through guest services with our DC passes, the normal ticket queue was straight through but the VIP one we had to use was taking forever. Once we finally got in we got a locker and some sunchairs (no problems there were loads left) and headed to the Dolphin Plunge slide.

At the entrance:

The beach area:

Some of the slides:

The Dolphin Plunge:

The queue for the Dolphin Plunge took a little under 30 minutes but it was cool to see the dolphins going round the pool, although you could see didn’t go near the slide much so we didn’t hold out much hope. When it came to our go Nick went down with another bloke and then me. The slide is pretty steep and dark and I started to panic a bit because I had water in my eyes. I got to the dolphin bit pretty quick but didn’t see anything. With that slide over, and a bit disappointed we didn’t see the dolphins we decided to skip the other slides as they all had huge queues and went in the lazy river.
The lazy river was really good but didn’t look much like the photos. The part where it looks like your swimming through an aquarium was just one smallish wall with some fish in. However there was a big window through to the dolphin slide area. The first time round we didn’t see the dolphins much but we went and got our camera from the locker and went back around. This time there were four commerson dolphins and they kept coming up to the glass and swimming past and playing. It was great to see them, they are so beautiful and graceful and quite different to the bottlenose dolphins. I stayed and got lots of pictures, I could watch the dolphins for hours they are so fascinating.

Look how lucky this person was, I hope they had their eyes open:

Nick had floated off so I went around again to find him and then we went in the main pool. It was quite warm in the main pool, it wasn’t that big but it was really nice. The waves soon came on which Nick loves, they were really cool, probably better than the ones at Typhoon Lagoon and not half as busy either. We stayed in the pool for a while and then decided to head out of the park for some lunch.

The main pool:

Some of the cabanas:

We went to the lockers to get dressed and brought a few souvenirs from the shop, although they didn’t really have that much at all. We went and watched the dolphins from the top of the pool, they were just getting fed and the trainers made them do some jumps. The dolphins seemed really friendly and are quite noisy too. Nick really liked the commerson dolphins, he always calls dolphins boring (strange boy) but he found these fascinating.

We then headed back to the car just after 12.30. We both liked Aquatica, although it didn’t really live up to the hype and it was really busy so we didn’t manage to get much done it seems like a really good park and what we did do was very good. The theming is cool, so bright and colorful, the dolphins are amazing to watch but they could do with more sand and better gift shops, which will probably come in time.


Hungry we decided to head to the Hooters by CrossRoads. We had never been to Hooters before but decided to try it as you can’t come to America and not. When we got there were told we could sit anywhere, the theming seemed really cool and it had a nice atmosphere.
Our server came and took our drinks order, a pepsi for Nick and Margarita for me, it was a very good one too. We shared boneless wings in teriyaki sauce and ranch dip to start and then Nick had the BBQ burger and curly fries and I had the philly steak sandwich with potato salad. Both were good although very filling and I couldn’t eat even half of mine.

Ok I have to admit I forgot to take a picture of the mains but here is our starter:

We brought a Hooters shot glass and pin then went back to the car and headed for the villa.

Continued below...

 

[ariel2007]

...Continued from above.

Since we were right by Disney we decided to drive through the gates for the first time as I was just too excited. We went past DTD which seemed pretty busy and I got lots of pictures along the way.

Coming out of Disney Nick got lost and we ended up driving round for a bit which was quite cool to see the sights. It was ok to because we spotted a Krispy Kreme and of course we couldn’t resist. We got a box of assorted donuts, they didn’t seem to have as much choice as last time but they all looked so yummy. We got some drinks too and finally found the right road back to the villa.

We got back to the villa around 2.30 and chilled out by the pool with a beer for a bit (well Hard Lemonade for me which was really good). We had a quick swim, the water was still pretty cold but it was so hot out we couldn’t resist. Refreshed we had a shower and got ready to go out.

We went to Ripleys Believe It Or Not first, we had been meaning to go there the last two times we had been but never had the time to do it. The museum was cool. There were lots of odd things, some things are really clever, some weird, and some just gross. There were 2 headed calves, pictures made of toast, cars made of matchsticks, torture devices, optical illusions and lots more. It was really interesting but the kind of place you only need to go once.

Some Ripleys pictures:

The 2 headed calf:

Mona Lisa made of toast:

Part of the Berlin Wall:

The rotating tunnel at the end:

After an hour or so wondering round the museum we headed out and down to Bahama Breeze on I-drive. It was a 20 minute wait for a table so we grabbed a buzzer and went and got a cocktail from the outside bar. It was a lovely evening and there was a steel band playing, it was really nice and relaxing. I had a Bahamarita cocktail which was a frozen margarita with strawberry, kiwi and mango ices, it was so yummy, really sweet and refreshing. Nick had a mojito which he loved, I tasted it and it was really good too.

After about 10-15 minutes our buzzer went off and we were seated inside in the lovely air-conditioning. We got a bbq chicken flatbread to start which was really nice. It was very big so I’m glad we shared it but had such a nice flavour to it. For mains I got a lite portion of the tequila chicken with cinnamon sweet potato mash instead of rice and Nick had the steak and chicken kabobs. Both were very good but I was so full after even with the smaller portion. I also had a fresh fruit mojito, mango flavoured which was very good.

BBQ chicken flatbread:

Nicks Steak and Chicken kabobs:

My Tequila chicken with sweet potato mash (lite portion):

My fresh mango mojito:

We settled the bill and headed to Walmart for a few supplies. It was then home for a spot of TV and an early night.

Some of todays purchases:

 

[disneydusted]

Wow! Girl, you have beeen busy!!! I am away for 3 days and you've written a novel! I can't believe how much you and Nick did in such a short time.... all so much fun
Ok, you have to tell the truth, did you two really eat all of that lovely American food you bought at Walmart?
Love the ring!
I had a good laugh at the "lobby room", I am thinking that must be the family room? Did you ever find out the "official" name?
Thanks for sharing with all of us!!

 

[KatInHat]

I am really enjoying your report. It sounds like you had a great time. Thank you for sharing. Can't wait to hear about the rest.

 

[VroomVroomLightning]

YAY for Hooter's lol...Whenever we go that is what I get to is the philly sandwich...I always eat it in two halves! I love your pictures of Aquatica it seems like a lot of fun!

 

[lmillercrew]

Thank you for explaining Duty Free. Looks like I'll be wandering into one of the shops in Mexico, in three weeks. You guys were really busy on your trip. Glad you were able to do all of things you wanted to do while in Orlando. Keep going. You're doing a great job on your trip report. That bbq flatbread looked delicious!

 

[ariel2007]

Wow! Girl, you have beeen busy!!! I am away for 3 days and you've written a novel! I can't believe how much you and Nick did in such a short time.... all so much fun
Ok, you have to tell the truth, did you two really eat all of that lovely American food you bought at Walmart?
Love the ring!
I had a good laugh at the "lobby room", I am thinking that must be the family room? Did you ever find out the "official" name?
Thanks for sharing with all of us!!

Unfortunately it was a case of us getting over excited at Walmart and we didnt eat half of it. Although the ice-cream did make good milkshakes for breakfast

No I still dont know what the room is, its not the main sitting area its just an area inside the front door with some sofas and a table and chairs

 

[ariel2007]

Thank you for explaining Duty Free. Looks like I'll be wandering into one of the shops in Mexico, in three weeks. You guys were really busy on your trip. Glad you were able to do all of things you wanted to do while in Orlando. Keep going. You're doing a great job on your trip report. That bbq flatbread looked delicious!

Thats ok, hope you manage to get some bargains in Mexico . Where abouts in Mexico are you going?

 

[TrueEeyore]

No updates today?? Booooo! You make me want to go to SeaWorld one day! (I already wanted to go, but it's nice to actually see what they offer!)

Can't wait for the next update!

 

[lmillercrew]

Thats ok, hope you manage to get some bargains in Mexico . Where abouts in Mexico are you going?

Playa del Carmen. Just south of Cancun. My DSIL owns a 3 bdrm condo right on the beach. It's beautiful there. You can see Cozumel from her balcony. Have you been? I thought I read somewhere in your TR that you and DBF have been to Mexico.

 

[OC_stacylace]

Wow! What a fun TR! I'm really enjoying reading all about your adventures both before and during your trip! We were actually there at the same time! You are doing what I would absolutely love to do: spend more than 1 week at WDW! I always feel so rushed to get it all in, and would love to take our time and see all WDW has to offer. Even though I've been a few times I still do something new every visit.

Can't wait to read more!!

 

[retiredkid]

Another great update. You guys sure know how to have fun!!! Thanks for sharing all the pics. Makes me wanna go. I'm keeping a list of places to go and things to do.

 

[ariel2007]

No updates today?? Booooo! You make me want to go to SeaWorld one day! (I already wanted to go, but it's nice to actually see what they offer!)

Can't wait for the next update!

Heya hun, soory for no updates yesterday I was at work till late and then Nick and I just sat and watched the Girls Next Door and I forgot .

You should definitely go to SeaWorld in September, it is so good. Its got a more relaxed atmosphere than the Disney park but still has so much to offer. The only trouble is cause they have so many shows it is hard to fit them all in in one day, thats why we always do 2 . Its one of our favorite parks, its so cool to sea all the dolphins, sea lions, penguins, sharks and of course the killer whales.

Playa del Carmen. Just south of Cancun. My DSIL owns a 3 bdrm condo right on the beach. It's beautiful there. You can see Cozumel from her balcony. Have you been? I thought I read somewhere in your TR that you and DBF have been to Mexico.

No we haven't been to Mexico yet, we have been to Cuba and mean't to go to Mexico last year but then booked Disney for this year so that was that out the window . We are now definitely thinking of going next year as I want to go there so much, its on my list of Top Ten Places To Go . Its just trying to figure out where to stay now...

Wow! What a fun TR! I'm really enjoying reading all about your adventures both before and during your trip! We were actually there at the same time! You are doing what I would absolutely love to do: spend more than 1 week at WDW! I always feel so rushed to get it all in, and would love to take our time and see all WDW has to offer. Even though I've been a few times I still do something new every visit.

Can't wait to read more!!

Thanks very much, I hope you had a good time too . I know what you mean about feeling rushed, we do even when we do 2 or 3 weeks, there is always so much to do and see. Your so lucky you have been so many times, my plan is to go every 2 years but things always get in the way

Another great update. You guys sure know how to have fun!!! Thanks for sharing all the pics. Makes me wanna go. I'm keeping a list of places to go and things to do.

Thanks, we definitely had a lot of fun.

 

[lmillercrew]

Playa is a beautiful place to stay. If you go in Sept/Oct it's the off season and prices are a little cheaper. We went in 2006 towards the middle of the month and temps were still in the upper 80's and not too humid. It was great weather. Playa isn't as much a party town as Cancun. I don't fear for my like walking around town. Anyway, it's great. Hope you get to go next year. I am hopeful I will get to go to Disney next year. I want to go to Disney more than Mexico! Call me crazy, but that's it. That's how I feel. I want to work there. I know that it's probably like every other business with it's drama and politics, but at least I'd be making people happy.
(sorry to ramble)

 

[Villainess]

I've read through your entire report and it is wonderful! We were there the same time as you - Apr 23 - May 8!

 

[manntra]

Ahhh I finally reached the end of your TR to date!! I have been reading it (at work of course) for the past day and a half when no one is looking!!
Such wonderful pictures throughout from both home and here too!
It is funny to me that you look forward to "American tv." I am always watching the BBC America station I have here! Love Top Gear, Not going out, Coupling, Hex, Dr. Who and the Graham Norton show----he is so over the top and you just don't get that here! The way he talks to his guests/audience is unbelievable.
Well it has been so nice getting to know you and now I look forward to the rest of your trip report!

 

[ariel2007]

Ahhh I finally reached the end of your TR to date!! I have been reading it (at work of course) for the past day and a half when no one is looking!!
Such wonderful pictures throughout from both home and here too!
It is funny to me that you look forward to "American tv." I am always watching the BBC America station I have here! Love Top Gear, Not going out, Coupling, Hex, Dr. Who and the Graham Norton show----he is so over the top and you just don't get that here! The way he talks to his guests/audience is unbelievable.
Well it has been so nice getting to know you and now I look forward to the rest of your trip report!

Hiya,thanks for your kind words, glad you are enjoying it .

I didn't know they played BBC in America, how funny. Nick and I love Top Gear, as do most people, it is so popular over here. Its one of Nick's favorite TV programmes, I always get him the DVD's and books for christmas and birthdays and also Clarkson, May and Hammond's books. Clarkson often gets in trouble over here, hes always saying the wrong things, he loves to be controversial but is sooooo funny . Richard Hammond only recently recovered from a major crash, he nearly died when he was test driving a new car for Top Gear and it rolled at some stupidly high speed. He was very lucky that he was only left with a few scratches but was in intensive care for some time.

I see its not long till you go, I am so jealous. Are you staying at AKL villa's?

 

[ariel2007]

Day 5 ~ The One With The Manatee's and The Outback

We were up really early today as we had to be at the Best Western Lakeside on the 192 by 6.45am. The alarm went off at 5.45am, we got up and dressed quickly and we were out the villa by 6.15am. We drove to the Best Western Lakeside in about 10 minutes, much quicker than we thought, and there we met our tour guide for the day. She took our name, gave us a breakfast bag and we got on the mini-bus. After one more couple arrived we were off, it was nice as there was just 3 English couples, 1 a bit younger than us and one middle aged, and one youngish solo girl from Belgium so it was quite a small group. The guide explained to us about what we would be doing during the day and gave us a form to fill in with what we wanted for lunch, it was basket style meals with a choice of burger, chicken burger, Club sandwich or fish burger with fries, pasta with marinara sauce or salad. Then we were on our way. The breakfast bags we were given contained a banana, a small fruit salad, a jam turnover, a muffin, some bread, and a sunny delight. It was ok but all a bit dry and Nick and I didn’t eat much.

Our breakfast bags, sorry about the picture I was too embarrassed:

The journey to our first stop took about 90minutes and we got to see some of Florida along the way, it was nice to see some of the countryside although it was mostly rural. Eventually we pulled into a big car park with some big outdoor shops, one which sold wetsuits and camping equipment and also did manatee tours and diving lessons. Here we were met by another guide, Quinn who took us inside and explained all about the manatee swim. He got us each fitted with a wetsuit and fins and gave us a mask and snorkel and then took us into the shop area where we tried on our wetsuits to make sure they fitted. We kept the wetsuits on but just pulled the top half down and then watched a 15 minute video about the manatees and the do ‘s and dont’s when swimming with them. We were then taken on our bus down to Pete’s Pier where Quinn was waiting to take us out on the boat. Pete’s Pier was very basic with no loos or other facilities, just boats, so we had been told to use the toilet facilities before we left the shop as we wouldn’t another chance till we got back after the swim. Quinn took us out in the boat and told us some more about the manatee’s, where was best to see them and what to do in the water. He was keeping an eye out for signs of manatees all the time, there was one group out already who were swimming with some but he wanted to find somewhere without other people. He saw some manatees and told us he would go in first to see if they would react ok to his interaction and if they did we could then get in too. He called us over but as he did another boat came along with a big group on and by the time we swam over they had been scared away. When we were in the water it was really deep and murky and I kept freaking out that they were below me and I wouldn’t know they were there. Not knowing how to spot one or how they would react around us was quite scary at first.

Pete's Pier:

The lovely waterfront houses:

Fishing boats, there were a few out and they were covered with Pelican's:

We got back on the boat with a little (well probably a lot) of effort (bearing in mind we had wetsuits and flippers on) and Quinn took us out further to a little cove. He spotted some more manatees and went in to check and then we got in again. This time there was a mother and baby which we could see before we got in. The baby was being quite playful when we anchored the boat, and playing with the rope it was moored with. When we got in the water we started interacting with the baby straight away. It was really hard to interact properly as we kept drifting away or towards the manatee with the water and you must not touch the manatee’s tail or face or splash about as it will scare them. This was quite hard when you were drifting into the manatee or you had some pushy guy pushing you out the way. Shortly after we started interacting with the baby the older lady and young girl got out as they were finding it too hard so it was just four of us and the guide. The guide kept telling us where to go and reassuring us, but also making sure we weren’t disturbing the baby. The baby was really friendly and loved to be tickled under its arm and when you did so it would keep rolling over, it was so cute. After a while with the baby it started to go to the bottom to eat, watching them eat is quite incredible, they use their fins (or whatever they are called ?!) to pull up the grass and eat just like humans do. We then left the baby to eat and went over to see the mother who was also on the bottom. The water was not clear at all, it was very hard to see further than about 1m which was quite scary when we were interacting with them cause you don’t know where they are going to pop up or if you are going to bump into them. The water was crystal clear in other parts but because it was quite deep here and the mud on the bottom had been disturbed by boats and the manatees it had got quite murky. This was then our queue to leave. It had been really amazing to interact with the manatees and although a little hard at first, it was well worth it.

Our first sighting of the baby manatee:

Quinn seeing if the manatees would react ok to interaction:

Some underwater photo's of the baby - since the water was murky I couldn't see anything with the camera so just pointed and shot and luckily came out with some quite good pictures:

As we were going back to Pete’s Pier there were lots of boats were coming out so it had been a good time to go. There was one woman guide on another boat and she just followed the other boats as she didn’t know how to spot the manatees herself. She seemed to be annoying the other guides cause she had a boat full of kids and they kept disturbing the manatees for the other boats.


Back at the dock we got our bus back to the place we had started and got dressed (like I said there were no facilities at Pete’s Pier so you have to get changed back at the shop so we made sure we had towels to keep us warm). Once dressed we watched the video Quinn had taken of the interaction, it was quite a nice video but there was hardly any of Nick or I and it was $50 so we didn’t get one. We brought a few gifts from the shop and then said goodbye to Quinn, he had been a very good guide, very knowledgeable and friendly. We then got the bus to the Sea Grass Cafe near Homassasa State Park where we were having lunch.

It was quite a strange place, a bit like a bar and cafe rolled into one, it was quite dark inside but they had a lovely deck and patio area which looked right over the water. For lunch I had the chicken burger and Nick had the club sandwich which both came with fries and both were very good. We also had a choice of soft drinks but of course they did stronger drinks if you wanted.

After lunch we had a bit of time to spare so we sat outside and took pictures overlooking the water and the beautiful waterfront houses, it must be lovely living here, it is so peaceful and beautiful and the water is crystal clear.

Once we had relaxed for 5 minutes we loaded back onto the bus and headed to Homassasa State Park just down the road.

We were given tickets and our guide led us in to make sure we got into the park ok.There was a building at the front of the park with a small shop and cafe, toilets and the ticket desk. Once you go through the ticket bit it is all outside from there.
First there was the manatee’s, there was a large area of crystal clear water with big weeping willow trees around. We spent a bit of time there watching the manatees and cool jumping fish, they leap so far out of the water, they were quite fun to watch.

The flying fish:

We then moved on to the next bit where there was an African hippo named Lou. Lou had been a ‘child’ actor in Florida and after his 15 minutes of fame he became part of the Florida park that is now Homassasa. Homassasa was filled with exotic animals but at some point the person who owned it couldn’t afford to keep it going and was going to sell it for development. The locals petitioned and so the park was brought by the county. However the county couldn’t handle all these exotic animals as they didn’t know how to care for them so it was taken over by the state. State parks normally consist of swimming, canoeing etc and not exotic animals so they didn’t know what to do either and therefore the animals were moved on and replaced with local Floridian animals, except for Lou . Instead Lou was made an honorary Floridian and is aloud to stay at Homassasa forever. It was time for Lou’s feeding and we learnt all about Lou and the park and saw him being fed watermelons which he loved.

Continued below ....

 

[ariel2007]

.... Continued from above.

We then learnt about the alligators opposite, about their lifestyle, behaviour and their place in the park.

It was so, so hot outside so we grabbed a soda and wondered round one side of the park. We visited the reptiles and then stood outside in the sun for a while admiring how peaceful and beautiful it is here and cherishing these few rare peaceful moments. We also talked about how great it would be to live here, although it seems a bit of a trek to the shops and restaurants.

We saw the otter's, pelicans, flamingos, eagles and the bobcat which was barely visible under a tree and the bear who was sleeping in the corner. There was also a cougar which was hiding somewhere.

The otters:

Pelican's:

The bob-cat hiding under the tree:

The bear, he looked so cuddley:

The eagle enclosure which looked really cool:

We then came back round to the middle section where we started (the park is in a kind of figure of eight), grabbed an ice-cream and started to walk around the other side of the park. We had a look at the manatee rescue and research facility which has two very dosile manatees floating there.

We then sat on a little pier for 5 minutes which looked out over the crystal river. The sun was beating down and lots of people were out on their boats. They were having bbq’s, drinking beer and playing games on their boats, swimming and snorkelling in the crystal clear, turquoise water, it looked brilliant and I really wanted to join them.

The water was so crystal clear:

We wandered back to the beginning bit where there was an underwater manatee viewing bit. It was quite weird being down there, there were big glass windows and the water was so deep in places, you couldn’t see the bottom. There were lots of fish swimming around but no manatees unfortunately.
We went and sat by the river trying to spot manatees and relaxing for a bit and then went to the gift shop to get some souvenirs. By now it was only 2pm and we weren’t supposed to be meeting our guide till 4pm yet we had seen all the park already. We grabbed a drink and sat in the cafe where the rest of the group all but one girl were also sitting. Our guide came and said we could leave when she came back and just gone 2pm we left and started driving back to Orlando. It took about 90 minutes again, everyone was really tired from the early morning and fell asleep on the trip back. We got back just before 3.30pm, we said good-bye and headed back to our car.

The manatee tour had been really good and really good value for money. The breakfast bag wasn’t anything special but adequate and the lunch was really good and the portions were huge. Homossasa park was lovely, it was really nice seeing all the native Floridian animals and it had such a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere there, it was really beautiful. And of course there’s the main reason for doing the tour, the manatee swim. It was an amazing experience, I am so glad we did it. Nick really didn’t want to do the swim beforehand (but did it for me, he’s so great) but he really enjoyed himself and loved the baby manatee. I used to think they just looked like giant rocks but they are actually really interesting to look at and to watch, its just a shame they are so endangered :cry:.

When we got back to our car we drove over to World of Denim just opposite. They were closing down and the shop was pretty bare. We didn’t find anything good there so we moved on to Outback Steakhouse just round the corner for tea. We were seated straight away, I was excited about trying Outback as I love steak and had heard some good reports. Our server took a bit of time to come but when she did she was very nice and told us everything about the menu, our choices, drinks, happy hour etc. We ordered and our drinks were brought straight away, a coke for Nick and I had a Strawberry-Kiwi frozen lemonade cocktail which was really good. We had the Bloomin Onion to start which was really good, Nick thought it was better than Chili’s one although I thought they tasted the same. We were then brought a small loaf of honey bread on a chopping board. We both tried it and it was really good but we didn’t want to fill up on this as our mains were coming. I got another drink whilst we waited, a frozen margarita which was 2-4-1 and so good, probably the best margarita so far. For mains Nick had the New York Strip with sweet potato and aussie fries and I had the 7 oz centre cut filet with sweet potato and loaded potato. The sweet potato came a bit like a baked potato but was really soft inside and had cinnamon butter and brown sugar on, it was so good. The baked potato had butter and cheese in with sour cream and bacon bits on top, also very good, I love how they coat their baked potatoes in salt over here (I love salt). The steak itself was perfect, so tender and flavorful. It was overall a very nice meal, our server was very friendly, polite and helpful and brought more drinks regularly, including my second margarita and the food was all so good.

Bloomin Onion:

The honey oat bread:

My center cut filet mignon with sweet potato and loaded baked potato:

Nick's New York strip with sweet potato and aussie fries:

My delicious margarita (and cheap too, especially with 2-4-1):

We paid the bill, left a good tip and then got in the car and headed to Walmart. We brought a few things at Walmart and headed home where we spent a bit of time in the pool which had started to heat up a bit. I then had a bath which was really nice and relaxing, it was so big. We watched some TV, had a few drinks and some ice-cream and then put some washing on and sorted out some of our stuff before bed.

Some of today's purchases:

 

[ariel2007]

Day 6 ~ The One With All The Meat

We were up at 8.30am today, a bit early for my liking considering it was suppose to be our only lie-in. We got ready and then headed to Golden Corral for our first buffet breakfast.

We went to the one on I-drive near the big McDonald’s, the same one we had been to last time. We paid, found a nice booth and then got some food. The choice is really good here, there is one big station with sausages (sausage burgers, thin sausages, fat sausages), bacon, gammon, hash browns, bbq beans, little potato croquets, steak, pancakes, waffles, sauces and more, another station where they make fresh omelettes for you, a bit with fruit and then a bit with cakes, donuts, ice-cream and even apple cobbler. We got coffee brought to us and then there was juice and milk on the buffet. We filled ourselves up (maybe a little too much), the omelettes were especially good and Nick liked the steak.

Rather full headed to Bargain World over the road. We didn’t buy anything but they had some cheap Samsonite suitcases so kept this in mind if we didn’t see any others. We then went to find Premium Outlets which was pretty easy. When we got there the place was packed, luckily we found a space quite quickly and headed in. It is an outside outlet place with lots of shops including, of course, a Disney outlet. We wandered round for a while, we didn’t buy much, a pair of Levi’s for Nick, a few pairs of earrings from Claire’s for Sophie, a DKNY watch for me (only $40, it was a bargain) and of course a few little bits from the Disney Character Premier store.
It was so hot so we grabbed some frappucino’s from Starbucks and then drove to Florida Mall. It was nicer here as it was inside and air-conditioned and they had some good shops. We looked round, mostly in the sunglass places and jewellery stores, Nick brought some Quiksilver sandals and we got 4 Car’s figures from the Disney Store, which were really cute.

By this point I had had enough of shopping and was getting a headache so we headed back to the villa. We made a quick stop at McDonalds to get Nick’s Mum a present, she collects McDonald’s things and they had some really cute salt and pepper shakers shaped like a burger and fries. Then back to the villa.

At the villa I sat by the pool and wrote my diary and then had a nice swim.The pool was now warm, typical as it was our last day at the villa.

It was so warm Nick couldn't wait to get in:

I then started to pack up our stuff, we had already acquired so much new stuff, lucky we had brought an empty case with us. We then got ready and at 6pm left for tea.

We went to Texas De Brazil for tea, this time we had booked a table so we wouldn’t be disappointed again. The restaurant itself looks quite posh, they have a reception desk at the front, inside there is lots of dark wood, racks with bottles of wine, big chandeliers and a nice bar area. We were seated straight away and our server came over and explained everything about the place to us. She told us what to do, the meats that were on tonight and told us if we wanted the meat cooked differently to let her know. We ordered a pitcher of sangria and then went and got some food from the salad buffet. The salad buffet had lots of choice and it was all really good quality. There was a few different salads and dressings, croutons, bacon pieces, different cheeses, various peppers, cold meats, prawns, breads, soup and potato salad – it was hard not taking too much as it all looked really good. We went back to our table and our sangria was waiting along with some water, the sangria was very good and the jug was huge. We had our salad which was all really nice, the prawns were particularly tasty. We were then ready for the main event, the meat. Our server got us some clean plates and then when we were ready for meat we had a coloured disk each which we turned from red to green when we wanted meat. The meat was brought on big skewers to the table and the servers carved bits off of the ones we wanted. There was so many meats, chicken in bacon, filet mignon, filet mignon in bacon, sirloin pieces, carved sirloin, turkey slices, turkey chunks, chicken in parmesan crust, lamb cutlets, ribs, sausage and more. Everything we tried was first class, the steak was especially good, so tender and tasty. The steak was cooked medium rare and everything was cooked rubbed in salt but if you wanted to change either of these you could. We didn’t manage to try everything as there was so much and we didn’t quite realise how much choice there would be when we started eating. We tried to try as much as we could but didn’t manage to try the ribs, some of the steak or the lamb. We also had garlic mash and cinnamon plantains brought to the table along with cheese rolls and Nick got some gratin (there was also rice), all this was delicious too. Once we had finished Nick had a coffee and I tried to finish the sangria although the jug was just too big. Once finished we paid the bill and then drove back to the villa very, very full.

The restaurant:

My salad:

Nick enjoying his meat and sangria:

The meat:

And us:

Back at the villa we packed up the rest of our stuff and then jumped in the pool which was so warm. It was lovely swimming in the dark and it felt like bath water to get in, it was just perfect. It was then time for bed for our last sleep at the villa.