UKANGEL
Champagne Girls Rule!
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2002
- Messages
- 2,808
Directed by:
Angel (Mandy) Control freak, veteran of 14 trips, organizer extraordinaire
Chunkster20uk (Mark) also a control freak, and chief driver
Produced (& financed) by:
Dad Grandpa Clampet lovable, impatient & grumpy
Mum Grandma Clampet also loveable, much more patient and not so grumpy (but very hard of hearing)
Choreography:
Isobelle (Izzy) age 12, already a Diva
Chief Jester:
Elliott age 14, a lovable 6ft 4inch streak of lightning
..and starring..
Becky 19 my dd, beautiful, talented, takes after her Mum
Paul 22 - Beckys bf, no idea what hes let himself in for .
Tracey my little sis, hates planning, and being told what to do
Chris BIL see above
Jess 17 chief mourner, pining for her bf back in Swindon
All the holidaymakers have done Disney before, sis & family just once in 2001, for Mum & Dad its their 4th visit in 6 years, Paul was here 10 years ago and Mark, Becky and I have racked up nearly 30 trips between us ..
Day 2 Boma, AK & Missing the Rugby...
Wake up at my usual holiday time of 4 am, manage to stay in bed til 5 then its up for a chat with the parents. Dad seems a little more relaxed now, thank goodness! Hes worrying about having to go over to the TCD office this morning to pay the security deposit between 8 9 (what a stupid time on your first day when you want to be off doing things!) No probs though as Mark will drive him over while Chris drives the bus to Boma and well all meet there for breakfast.
Have a peaceful swim in the pool till the kids get up and we start to realise this pool is very small for 11 people!! Try not to make much noise as after the posts we read last month on the board were worried about waking people .but its very hard on your first morning!
By 7.30 were all up and ready: this is the reason I booked Boma for our first day, Im well aware some will not make it up early enough later in the holiday (naming no names, Becky!) Paul seems to be slowly recovering from his trauma last night and is looking forward to seeing Animal Kingdom Lodge.
As we go to step out of the villa we realise theres now torrential rain great stuff! Welcome to Florida! I did NOT plan this, thank you, its not in my itinerary at all. See, you can plan all sorts, but not the weather. All get soaked boarding the bus, we have to push Mum up the step which is really high .we must got to Wallmart later and buy a little plastic step stool for her we decide.
Chris drives the bus very well and we manage to get to AKL with just a small slip up. Park in the car park (glad I remembered ID to show security!) and run for it to the reception, dodging the rain as we go. The journey time is rubbish from our villa, though, it takes a good 35 minutes to here at AKL, and thats the nearest of the Disney property, were not happy with this location. Anyway, were still here just on time thanks to the planning and excellent driving, and we check in at the desk, explaining we have 2 more guests to arrive.
Everyone is very impressed by the hotel, Paul especially loves it and Im glad hes cheered up; I dont think I could cope with another stroppy teenager this holiday! (OK so hes nearly 23 but he doesnt look or act it!) Were seated at our table very quickly and Mark and Dad arrive just as we sit down .good timing guys! Our server is a little grumpy which is unusual for Boma, and he has to be asked several times for more coffee mugs and glasses (theres only 7 set for 11 people) its just like the villa all over again are some of us invisible do you think? We also have to ask 3 times for some milk, I dont think hell be getting a great tip.
Of course, the food is excellent, its such a wonderful selection with something for everyone, even the fussy vegan, who has fruit, cereals and bagel. Love the fruit juice here too and have a couple of glasses of it. Elliott (14 nearly 15) is a typical growing lad (already 64) and manages 3 bowls of cereal and 3 plates of scrambled eggs, bacon and waffles good boy! Us Clampets like to get our moneys worth at buffets and like locusts we hover and dive in for all were worth.
It is a great place to share our first bf with of the holiday and were all very happy. Im a little worried that it may be expensive for sis and her lot, as theyre on a tight budget, but they seem happy too.
Dad tells us of their visit to TCD (the office is at Orange Lake on the 192 btw) where he complained about the villa. Wed found a dirty bowl under the sink too, filled with filthy water, presumable there was a leak of some kind, and the a/c was set so that the rooms were very warm. Told theyd send management co. round asap. Laughed at him when he said there were only 10 chairs .said we were lucky!!!! Great! Mark told us a couple were also there complaining that theyd had rats in their villa, so been moved, then had kids in cars booming out loud music all night riding round the streets of their gated community!!! Maybe we were lucky then? Well be sending in a complaint anyway .
After bf we wandered around the shop and hotel for ages before I managed to muster all the troops together again (it IS like a school trip!) and got them away by 10.15 (were late! The Clampets should be at AK by now!) Its stopped raining but Mark being Mark has valet parked the convertible anyway so were ok, Jack!
Once we get to AK (Becky is thrilled because were in Dinosaur lot) we manage not to lose anyone out of the tram and head for Guest Services, which is blessedly quiet. It still takes a while to swap our TCD vouchers for tickets well there are 11 of us after all .so Im glad its quiet! We all swap our tickets over until were happy with the pictures we have on them this is important you know! I manage to get the Cinderella one so Im very happy it reads where glass slippers always fit....isnt that lovely?
AK isnt on of my own faves but its better now they have Expedition Everest in my opinion. We have devised a cunning plan (of course) and as we head through the gates Mark takes all our tickets and makes his way to EE to grab some fast passes while the rest of the Clampet gang meander through to Harambe and the Kilimanjaro Safari. I know this is one of Dads all time favourites so it seems only fair we should go there first dont you think?
Last time we all came here together in 2001, we managed to lose half the party on the way to Africa, understandable really, its a long way and theres lots to see! This time I feel like a Tour Operator and just need a colourful umbrella to hold aloft as we march the Clampets onward. No stopping guys, you can see it all later!
Manage to arrive at Harambe with all of us present and correct, and Mark is soon with us, complete with 11 FPs. On the way Becky ahs nipped in to a shop and bought a rain poncho. Shes suffering badly with a cold poor love and really doesnt want to catch a chill. She has Discovery Cove (Trainer for the day) booked for next week and is worried shell still be ill. The weather is now ok really, cloudy but quite fresh, a good start for your first day without the humidity you expect.
We sit in the back 3 rows of the jeep and I manage to work my Sony Handycam ok and take some film of the hippos, elephants, giraffe and various other animals which all look very familiar as I look back at my family not saying which is which though!
The massive silverback gorilla we see on our exit is particularly familiar .hmmmmmm. Very, very slowly we wander round to Asia, this part of our holiday drives me nuts, I do like to look at things but Im so spoilt by all my trips I want to get to do the big rides first because I know theyll be busy later try explaining that to the rest of the Clampets though. Every time I look back weve lost someone else, Im sure theyre doing it deliberately! Before we reach EE we decide to ride the rapids first as its quite warm and we have time before our fast passes start. We leave poor Becky sitting at a table nearby with all our bags and cameras and go off to Khali River, dragging Paul with us. He draws the short straw and sits beside me, poor lad, did nobody warn him I always get the wettest? Its a walk on and the 10 of us have a boat to ourselves. How hilarious! We are truly soaked, apart from Izzy who has been sensible enough to borrow Beckys poncho .clever child! Mark looks like someone has pushed him to the river and were all mildly hysterical by the time we finish. We ask if we can go round again but cm is a bit of a jobsworth and tells us to walk round again ..theres hardly anyone on this thing for goodness sake! Oh well!
Becky laughs like a drain when she sees us, til Paul gives her a cuddle and makes her nice and damp! Then Mark, Tracey, Chris, Izzy & Elliott ride again as theyre so wet .the rest of us drink hot chocolate to warm up!
Its time now for our (somewhat squelchy) expedition up the Everest to find that Yeti. Ive managed to convince the kids to all come on, Paul has chickened out, hes not a lover of fast coasters at all, and decides to wait behind with the parents, and Mark is feeling a little sick after the mound of breakfast he ate, but the rest of us .even my sister . rides. Now Tracey doesnt do any of the fast rides usually but for some reason has decided shell give this one a try. Shes actually shaking as she gets in the car with her DH, and I can hear her quaking from my seat in front. Im sat with my niece Jess and we love this! The scariest moment for me is the hike up hill, it seems so high and steep, but I love the rest of it and we scream and holler our way down like good ol Clampets. Tracey screams loudest of all and I swear you could hear her at Magic Kingdom! Mark gets some great footage of our descent and those loud screams woohoo! Thatll be going in my Holiday video to show at Xmas!
Use the remaining FPs to do it all over again (minus sis of course who is lying down hyperventilating) and boy I love this ride! Its now a toss up between this and Rock n Roller Coaster for my favourites I think. Some of us head over to Dinosaur now, Becky is very excited. She wants to study Paleontology at Uni next year and this is the nearest shell get to dinosaurs so far I keep expecting her to start scrabbling around in the sand for bones with the other kids!
The Clampet parents, sis and BIL, plus Izzy all go off to ride Its Tough to be a Bug, while the rest of us ride Dinosaur! It really jolts you around but is a great bit of fun and we all enjoy ourselves even more when we see the picture at the end .Jess looks terrified and is very embarrassed, apparently shes fine with big coasters, just not rides in the dark! Mooch around the Dinosaur shops, mainly for Becky, but there doesnt seem to be much of interest. I do buy some sparkly Mickey headgear though, and Elliott buys a ridiculous furry top hat with ears ..it makes him even taller! (His Mum is not amused when she meets us later, but I figure hes saved his money up so what the heck bad Aunty!)
The plan has been for us to spend the morning here then rush back, change and head out to try and watch the rugby World Cup Final at Festival Bay (The Cricketers Arms) this afternoon. That is, Mark & Paul will watch the rugby while Becky & I shop of course. Problem is the time is getting on and we dont leave AK til well after 2 pm. Its a long haul back to the villa where we quickly change and realize this is not going to happen really. Jess and Chris also want to come, then Chris decides he doesnt, Mark hasnt driven the van yet so is reluctant to do it now (hes only been driving 12 months poor lad) and this means Jess has to stay at home as we only have 4 seats in the convertible (bad choice of car I think). The result is, were very late, Jess is crying but trying to hide it, we all feel very guilty at leaving her and end up having a rubbish time .oh, and miss the rugby completely as it takes an hour to get to Festival Bay from the villa!
No point in Mark & Paul even bothering with the match as theres only 10 minutes to go, and the pubs charging an entrance fee .2 very ticked off lads then, we wander around the few good shops in the mall (there still arent that many open, its a very strange place I think), including Hot Topic, which is disappointing this time, and Ron Jons where Paul instantly cheers up at all the surf gear. Hes big into surfing and has his own custom made board etc. This is surfing heaven for him. Becky manages to sneakily buy him a surfing Xmas stocking which is very cute, and I buy Jess a little bracelet as she couldnt come with us then I feel bad and buy little presents for the other kids too. The sale at HT has some great khaki baggy shorts for just $7 so we grab them for Elliott and hope theyre the right size. Wed stay and have dinner somewhere but phone the villa and theyre expecting us back for pizza so we leave around 7. Were all exhausted and poor Mark especially so; the journey home on a busy Saturday night takes 90 minutes, even via Dr Phillips and through WDW. The villa location is going to be a big issue for us I think.
We arrive at the same time as the pizzas and find out from sis that the little place down the 27 was also showing the rugby how bad do we feel? There is much gnashing of teeth and swearing I can tell you! The food from Mia Pizza is pretty good, more so when youre tired I guess, and a nice big glass of Pimms helps it down.
Our beds are calling us at 10 pm again this is a riotous Clampet holiday for you! MGM tomorrow ..
Angel (Mandy) Control freak, veteran of 14 trips, organizer extraordinaire
Chunkster20uk (Mark) also a control freak, and chief driver
Produced (& financed) by:
Dad Grandpa Clampet lovable, impatient & grumpy
Mum Grandma Clampet also loveable, much more patient and not so grumpy (but very hard of hearing)
Choreography:
Isobelle (Izzy) age 12, already a Diva
Chief Jester:
Elliott age 14, a lovable 6ft 4inch streak of lightning
..and starring..
Becky 19 my dd, beautiful, talented, takes after her Mum
Paul 22 - Beckys bf, no idea what hes let himself in for .
Tracey my little sis, hates planning, and being told what to do
Chris BIL see above
Jess 17 chief mourner, pining for her bf back in Swindon
All the holidaymakers have done Disney before, sis & family just once in 2001, for Mum & Dad its their 4th visit in 6 years, Paul was here 10 years ago and Mark, Becky and I have racked up nearly 30 trips between us ..
Day 2 Boma, AK & Missing the Rugby...
Wake up at my usual holiday time of 4 am, manage to stay in bed til 5 then its up for a chat with the parents. Dad seems a little more relaxed now, thank goodness! Hes worrying about having to go over to the TCD office this morning to pay the security deposit between 8 9 (what a stupid time on your first day when you want to be off doing things!) No probs though as Mark will drive him over while Chris drives the bus to Boma and well all meet there for breakfast.
Have a peaceful swim in the pool till the kids get up and we start to realise this pool is very small for 11 people!! Try not to make much noise as after the posts we read last month on the board were worried about waking people .but its very hard on your first morning!
By 7.30 were all up and ready: this is the reason I booked Boma for our first day, Im well aware some will not make it up early enough later in the holiday (naming no names, Becky!) Paul seems to be slowly recovering from his trauma last night and is looking forward to seeing Animal Kingdom Lodge.
As we go to step out of the villa we realise theres now torrential rain great stuff! Welcome to Florida! I did NOT plan this, thank you, its not in my itinerary at all. See, you can plan all sorts, but not the weather. All get soaked boarding the bus, we have to push Mum up the step which is really high .we must got to Wallmart later and buy a little plastic step stool for her we decide.
Chris drives the bus very well and we manage to get to AKL with just a small slip up. Park in the car park (glad I remembered ID to show security!) and run for it to the reception, dodging the rain as we go. The journey time is rubbish from our villa, though, it takes a good 35 minutes to here at AKL, and thats the nearest of the Disney property, were not happy with this location. Anyway, were still here just on time thanks to the planning and excellent driving, and we check in at the desk, explaining we have 2 more guests to arrive.
Everyone is very impressed by the hotel, Paul especially loves it and Im glad hes cheered up; I dont think I could cope with another stroppy teenager this holiday! (OK so hes nearly 23 but he doesnt look or act it!) Were seated at our table very quickly and Mark and Dad arrive just as we sit down .good timing guys! Our server is a little grumpy which is unusual for Boma, and he has to be asked several times for more coffee mugs and glasses (theres only 7 set for 11 people) its just like the villa all over again are some of us invisible do you think? We also have to ask 3 times for some milk, I dont think hell be getting a great tip.
Of course, the food is excellent, its such a wonderful selection with something for everyone, even the fussy vegan, who has fruit, cereals and bagel. Love the fruit juice here too and have a couple of glasses of it. Elliott (14 nearly 15) is a typical growing lad (already 64) and manages 3 bowls of cereal and 3 plates of scrambled eggs, bacon and waffles good boy! Us Clampets like to get our moneys worth at buffets and like locusts we hover and dive in for all were worth.
It is a great place to share our first bf with of the holiday and were all very happy. Im a little worried that it may be expensive for sis and her lot, as theyre on a tight budget, but they seem happy too.
Dad tells us of their visit to TCD (the office is at Orange Lake on the 192 btw) where he complained about the villa. Wed found a dirty bowl under the sink too, filled with filthy water, presumable there was a leak of some kind, and the a/c was set so that the rooms were very warm. Told theyd send management co. round asap. Laughed at him when he said there were only 10 chairs .said we were lucky!!!! Great! Mark told us a couple were also there complaining that theyd had rats in their villa, so been moved, then had kids in cars booming out loud music all night riding round the streets of their gated community!!! Maybe we were lucky then? Well be sending in a complaint anyway .
After bf we wandered around the shop and hotel for ages before I managed to muster all the troops together again (it IS like a school trip!) and got them away by 10.15 (were late! The Clampets should be at AK by now!) Its stopped raining but Mark being Mark has valet parked the convertible anyway so were ok, Jack!
Once we get to AK (Becky is thrilled because were in Dinosaur lot) we manage not to lose anyone out of the tram and head for Guest Services, which is blessedly quiet. It still takes a while to swap our TCD vouchers for tickets well there are 11 of us after all .so Im glad its quiet! We all swap our tickets over until were happy with the pictures we have on them this is important you know! I manage to get the Cinderella one so Im very happy it reads where glass slippers always fit....isnt that lovely?
AK isnt on of my own faves but its better now they have Expedition Everest in my opinion. We have devised a cunning plan (of course) and as we head through the gates Mark takes all our tickets and makes his way to EE to grab some fast passes while the rest of the Clampet gang meander through to Harambe and the Kilimanjaro Safari. I know this is one of Dads all time favourites so it seems only fair we should go there first dont you think?
Last time we all came here together in 2001, we managed to lose half the party on the way to Africa, understandable really, its a long way and theres lots to see! This time I feel like a Tour Operator and just need a colourful umbrella to hold aloft as we march the Clampets onward. No stopping guys, you can see it all later!
Manage to arrive at Harambe with all of us present and correct, and Mark is soon with us, complete with 11 FPs. On the way Becky ahs nipped in to a shop and bought a rain poncho. Shes suffering badly with a cold poor love and really doesnt want to catch a chill. She has Discovery Cove (Trainer for the day) booked for next week and is worried shell still be ill. The weather is now ok really, cloudy but quite fresh, a good start for your first day without the humidity you expect.
We sit in the back 3 rows of the jeep and I manage to work my Sony Handycam ok and take some film of the hippos, elephants, giraffe and various other animals which all look very familiar as I look back at my family not saying which is which though!
The massive silverback gorilla we see on our exit is particularly familiar .hmmmmmm. Very, very slowly we wander round to Asia, this part of our holiday drives me nuts, I do like to look at things but Im so spoilt by all my trips I want to get to do the big rides first because I know theyll be busy later try explaining that to the rest of the Clampets though. Every time I look back weve lost someone else, Im sure theyre doing it deliberately! Before we reach EE we decide to ride the rapids first as its quite warm and we have time before our fast passes start. We leave poor Becky sitting at a table nearby with all our bags and cameras and go off to Khali River, dragging Paul with us. He draws the short straw and sits beside me, poor lad, did nobody warn him I always get the wettest? Its a walk on and the 10 of us have a boat to ourselves. How hilarious! We are truly soaked, apart from Izzy who has been sensible enough to borrow Beckys poncho .clever child! Mark looks like someone has pushed him to the river and were all mildly hysterical by the time we finish. We ask if we can go round again but cm is a bit of a jobsworth and tells us to walk round again ..theres hardly anyone on this thing for goodness sake! Oh well!
Becky laughs like a drain when she sees us, til Paul gives her a cuddle and makes her nice and damp! Then Mark, Tracey, Chris, Izzy & Elliott ride again as theyre so wet .the rest of us drink hot chocolate to warm up!
Its time now for our (somewhat squelchy) expedition up the Everest to find that Yeti. Ive managed to convince the kids to all come on, Paul has chickened out, hes not a lover of fast coasters at all, and decides to wait behind with the parents, and Mark is feeling a little sick after the mound of breakfast he ate, but the rest of us .even my sister . rides. Now Tracey doesnt do any of the fast rides usually but for some reason has decided shell give this one a try. Shes actually shaking as she gets in the car with her DH, and I can hear her quaking from my seat in front. Im sat with my niece Jess and we love this! The scariest moment for me is the hike up hill, it seems so high and steep, but I love the rest of it and we scream and holler our way down like good ol Clampets. Tracey screams loudest of all and I swear you could hear her at Magic Kingdom! Mark gets some great footage of our descent and those loud screams woohoo! Thatll be going in my Holiday video to show at Xmas!
Use the remaining FPs to do it all over again (minus sis of course who is lying down hyperventilating) and boy I love this ride! Its now a toss up between this and Rock n Roller Coaster for my favourites I think. Some of us head over to Dinosaur now, Becky is very excited. She wants to study Paleontology at Uni next year and this is the nearest shell get to dinosaurs so far I keep expecting her to start scrabbling around in the sand for bones with the other kids!
The Clampet parents, sis and BIL, plus Izzy all go off to ride Its Tough to be a Bug, while the rest of us ride Dinosaur! It really jolts you around but is a great bit of fun and we all enjoy ourselves even more when we see the picture at the end .Jess looks terrified and is very embarrassed, apparently shes fine with big coasters, just not rides in the dark! Mooch around the Dinosaur shops, mainly for Becky, but there doesnt seem to be much of interest. I do buy some sparkly Mickey headgear though, and Elliott buys a ridiculous furry top hat with ears ..it makes him even taller! (His Mum is not amused when she meets us later, but I figure hes saved his money up so what the heck bad Aunty!)
The plan has been for us to spend the morning here then rush back, change and head out to try and watch the rugby World Cup Final at Festival Bay (The Cricketers Arms) this afternoon. That is, Mark & Paul will watch the rugby while Becky & I shop of course. Problem is the time is getting on and we dont leave AK til well after 2 pm. Its a long haul back to the villa where we quickly change and realize this is not going to happen really. Jess and Chris also want to come, then Chris decides he doesnt, Mark hasnt driven the van yet so is reluctant to do it now (hes only been driving 12 months poor lad) and this means Jess has to stay at home as we only have 4 seats in the convertible (bad choice of car I think). The result is, were very late, Jess is crying but trying to hide it, we all feel very guilty at leaving her and end up having a rubbish time .oh, and miss the rugby completely as it takes an hour to get to Festival Bay from the villa!
No point in Mark & Paul even bothering with the match as theres only 10 minutes to go, and the pubs charging an entrance fee .2 very ticked off lads then, we wander around the few good shops in the mall (there still arent that many open, its a very strange place I think), including Hot Topic, which is disappointing this time, and Ron Jons where Paul instantly cheers up at all the surf gear. Hes big into surfing and has his own custom made board etc. This is surfing heaven for him. Becky manages to sneakily buy him a surfing Xmas stocking which is very cute, and I buy Jess a little bracelet as she couldnt come with us then I feel bad and buy little presents for the other kids too. The sale at HT has some great khaki baggy shorts for just $7 so we grab them for Elliott and hope theyre the right size. Wed stay and have dinner somewhere but phone the villa and theyre expecting us back for pizza so we leave around 7. Were all exhausted and poor Mark especially so; the journey home on a busy Saturday night takes 90 minutes, even via Dr Phillips and through WDW. The villa location is going to be a big issue for us I think.
We arrive at the same time as the pizzas and find out from sis that the little place down the 27 was also showing the rugby how bad do we feel? There is much gnashing of teeth and swearing I can tell you! The food from Mia Pizza is pretty good, more so when youre tired I guess, and a nice big glass of Pimms helps it down.
Our beds are calling us at 10 pm again this is a riotous Clampet holiday for you! MGM tomorrow ..
