Lizzy Lemon
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2006
- Messages
- 2,551
Thursday 16th July
John - now loves Disney as much as I do
Wendy - me!
Glen - 16 just finished exams ready to move into 6th form
Ashley - 13 special needs and hormonal teenager - bad combination!
Glen has already finished school for the summer and kept Ashley home for the last few days of term, his year 8 peers are at an adventure camp for the week, he didn't want to go as he has no close friends at mainstream school. He attended a special needs school until 2 years ago and he's found it hard to make any friends at his mainstream school consequently didn't want to have a week away from home. Did on line check in then waited for John to get home from work (he's a postman), had a quick sandwich for lunch then loaded the car for a drive up to Radisson at Manchester Airport. It was a miserable, damp afternoon (rather like the last time we were there in October 2007), asked for runway views and as high up as possible. We were given rooms next to each other but they didn't have an interconnecting door so was in and out taking the lads their clothes/toothbrushes etc. we had rooms 716 and 718. They loved it, when I checked on them they were tucking into the sweets I had packed in their carry on bags and watching Countdown on the TV! I left John to have a nap (early mornings result in him having to have a mid afternoon nap!) and I went into the lads to take them down to the pool while I went in the sauna (lovely).
After a fairly restless night in which I seemed to be looking at the clock every 20 minutes meant I saw our Virgin plane landing with all those poor people coming back of their holidays!
Woke Glen and Ashley and went to drop the suitcases off before returning for breakfast.
Went through security where they took my little bag of liquids away to test (lip salve and hand sanitizer - honestly) and Ashley made the alarm bleep so he was frisked, he looked a bit scared so I had to explain what had happened, the security guard did ask my permission first after I'd explained Ashley wouldn't understand what was going on.
Our plane was Hot Lips and Captain Tweedy, he informed us he expected an 8 1/2 hour flight, took off at 10.40am the 3 chaps had the window aisle and I sat in the middle section with a man and his 2 sons, who I have to say were very, very nice to talk to. Had more of a conversation with them than with my family! Ashley watched Monsters and Aliens about 5 times running as there was very little on for youngsters. I watched Marley and Me and The Boat that Rocks and the sky map for the rest of the journey. Food was awful, it was much better last time, but we had beef stew (very tough meat), a spicy pasta, white wine and orange juice and a dessert (can't remember what it was but whatever it was Ashley had mine) he wasn't impressed with his child's meal either.
We landed at 2.15 and almost straight through immigration, again Ashley hit a problem, he wondered why all three of us were fingerprinted and had pictures taken but he didn't have to. We were being met by FL Tours at the baggage claim but we'd kept our baggage with us after the first claim and then went wrong in the airport! Took us a little while to find him and as we walked past the external doors we could see it was throwing it down with rain! Finally found the guy and he took us to the van we had waiting and had us at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal by 4. We had booked club level, room 7110 right at the end of a corridor - great, no one passing by to get to their room hopefully meant a nice quiet room and it was.
John - now loves Disney as much as I do
Wendy - me!
Glen - 16 just finished exams ready to move into 6th form
Ashley - 13 special needs and hormonal teenager - bad combination!
Glen has already finished school for the summer and kept Ashley home for the last few days of term, his year 8 peers are at an adventure camp for the week, he didn't want to go as he has no close friends at mainstream school. He attended a special needs school until 2 years ago and he's found it hard to make any friends at his mainstream school consequently didn't want to have a week away from home. Did on line check in then waited for John to get home from work (he's a postman), had a quick sandwich for lunch then loaded the car for a drive up to Radisson at Manchester Airport. It was a miserable, damp afternoon (rather like the last time we were there in October 2007), asked for runway views and as high up as possible. We were given rooms next to each other but they didn't have an interconnecting door so was in and out taking the lads their clothes/toothbrushes etc. we had rooms 716 and 718. They loved it, when I checked on them they were tucking into the sweets I had packed in their carry on bags and watching Countdown on the TV! I left John to have a nap (early mornings result in him having to have a mid afternoon nap!) and I went into the lads to take them down to the pool while I went in the sauna (lovely).
After a fairly restless night in which I seemed to be looking at the clock every 20 minutes meant I saw our Virgin plane landing with all those poor people coming back of their holidays!
Woke Glen and Ashley and went to drop the suitcases off before returning for breakfast.
Went through security where they took my little bag of liquids away to test (lip salve and hand sanitizer - honestly) and Ashley made the alarm bleep so he was frisked, he looked a bit scared so I had to explain what had happened, the security guard did ask my permission first after I'd explained Ashley wouldn't understand what was going on.
Our plane was Hot Lips and Captain Tweedy, he informed us he expected an 8 1/2 hour flight, took off at 10.40am the 3 chaps had the window aisle and I sat in the middle section with a man and his 2 sons, who I have to say were very, very nice to talk to. Had more of a conversation with them than with my family! Ashley watched Monsters and Aliens about 5 times running as there was very little on for youngsters. I watched Marley and Me and The Boat that Rocks and the sky map for the rest of the journey. Food was awful, it was much better last time, but we had beef stew (very tough meat), a spicy pasta, white wine and orange juice and a dessert (can't remember what it was but whatever it was Ashley had mine) he wasn't impressed with his child's meal either.
We landed at 2.15 and almost straight through immigration, again Ashley hit a problem, he wondered why all three of us were fingerprinted and had pictures taken but he didn't have to. We were being met by FL Tours at the baggage claim but we'd kept our baggage with us after the first claim and then went wrong in the airport! Took us a little while to find him and as we walked past the external doors we could see it was throwing it down with rain! Finally found the guy and he took us to the van we had waiting and had us at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal by 4. We had booked club level, room 7110 right at the end of a corridor - great, no one passing by to get to their room hopefully meant a nice quiet room and it was.
It really is tasty though!
