TinkTatoo
Has a Tink tattoo on her shoulder
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2004
- Messages
- 2,936
Tinks Summer 2006 Tour the Waffle before
Cast
Me - 44 Chief planner loves all things Disney
DH - 50 Designated driver cant wait for Vero Beach
DS 9 Hunting for Yu-Gi-Oh Cards (again)
DD 8 Minnies number 1 fan also loves Vero Beach
Im a long time lurker and sometimes poster here on the Dis and some of you might know me from elsewhere. Ive been encouraged by a fellow Disser to post my trippie so hear goes.
We are regular Florida goers DH & I first went in the late 80s and again sometime during the 90s on a couple of fly drive holidays. We basically booked the flights and a car and just went wherever we wanted, mainly down the East coast and up the Gulf coast. Spending only a couple of nights in Orlando on each trip. We didnt really do Disney and just visited MK
The kids came along with 16 months between them and in 2000 we thought wed try taking them. We got a deal from the TV Travel Shop which had one free child place and as DD was just under two she was free as well. We stayed in what is now called the Clarion Universal just off International (didnt even realise you could stay on site at this time)
There was one problem we didnt know at the time that both DS and DD had autism and the trip was a complete disaster. DS suffered severe meltdowns as he couldnt cope with all the new situations and to be honest if I could have flown home Id have done so within the first few days.
We made the best of it but only went to MK again, spending just a few hours there in the morning (mainly in Fantasy Land) before it all got too much for DS and spending the rest of the time by the pool (which wasnt that great)
We came home and vowed not to go again. Well, we subsequently found out about the autism and learnt various strategies to help DS and DD cope and in 2003 the lure was too much and we decided to try again.
This time we booked through a local TA here in Ireland and decided to stay for 16 nights in the Caribe Royal, which is a suite hotel. We figured the extra space would let DH & chill out while the kids were asleep.
This was a much more successful trip, we knew to make allowances for DS, we ate mainly in buffet restaurants where he could eat immediately and, as he is fussy, they would have something he could actually eat. We still hit the parks early but found out about the guest assistance card, which made such a big difference. DS could wait away from the crowds for his favourite rides and go on again if he wanted to (something we had major problems with last time.) We still spent a lot of the time at the hotel pool, but it was large and had a great slide so we didnt mind.
Following on from the success of this trip we booked to go back to the Caribe Royal again the following year for 3 weeks. Then I discovered the internet and more importantly Disney related websites. This changed the way we holidayed (sp) for ever. Up until this, I never knew about character breakfasts, Illumination Cruises (wed never even seen the fireworks) staying on site or a whole host of other fantastic things.
During our 2004 trip I arranged an Illumination cruise, which was fantastic, we went to Cape May and Chef Mickeys for our character Breakfasts and we spent a night at the Contemporary with a tower room MK view. I felt like I was home.
So with all this new found knowledge we looked at Disney in a new light and bought into DVC and started booking independently. Last year we stayed in a villa for the first time, had our first trip home at OKW, went to Vero beach and continued to do loads of new and different things including our first ever trip to Universal and back to Seaworld.
So here we are about to embark on our 2006 holiday. This trip is for a month, the cats (Stitch and Simba) are booked in the Cattery.
Stitch has a nasty infection on his leg thanks to a bite from another cat so I am hoping it will be OK by then. We are heading up to Dublin on the train (saving over 200 in airport parking charges for the month) and staying up in Dublin the night before as check in is a 6am for the flight at 9am. We are flying indirect with Continental via Newark and have a 4 hour stop over which is a bit longer than I wanted but it will give DD a chance to get over the first flight before she has to face the second one. (readers of my previous trip reports will know that DD gets sick from the minute the close the cabin doors until they open them again at the other end) We are scheduled to arrive at MCO at around half 6 and plan to pick up our 7 seater Budget van booked through USRentacar.
We are staying at a villa in Sunset Lakes for 16 nights it has an upstairs, which is a novelty for us as we live in a single story house. We are then moving to a 2 bed at Old Key West for 8 nights before heading down to Vero Beach in a 1 bed for the last 4 nights.
So whats different this time? Well, we are doing the dining plan for the 8 nights at OKW so are trying loads of new restaurants. The kids autism means we will be mainly eating at buffet restaurants but DH & I are heading to Le Cellier one evening while the kids are in the kids club.
We are dining with Shamu (hopefully we are not his dinner) and all 4 of us are going to Cirque (only DD and DH went last year.) We are also meeting some Disney internet friends, Barry&Caron + family at DQ, maggs and family at the Florida Mall and Mkindon (Craig, Louise and family) down at Vero Beach. I am looking forward to meeting all of them although they may require counselling afterwards (especially Craig and family who will be subject to the sight of me in swimwear
So thats us. I hope you enjoy the trippies as much as we enjoyed the actual holiday.
Cast
Me - 44 Chief planner loves all things Disney
DH - 50 Designated driver cant wait for Vero Beach
DS 9 Hunting for Yu-Gi-Oh Cards (again)
DD 8 Minnies number 1 fan also loves Vero Beach
Im a long time lurker and sometimes poster here on the Dis and some of you might know me from elsewhere. Ive been encouraged by a fellow Disser to post my trippie so hear goes.
We are regular Florida goers DH & I first went in the late 80s and again sometime during the 90s on a couple of fly drive holidays. We basically booked the flights and a car and just went wherever we wanted, mainly down the East coast and up the Gulf coast. Spending only a couple of nights in Orlando on each trip. We didnt really do Disney and just visited MK
The kids came along with 16 months between them and in 2000 we thought wed try taking them. We got a deal from the TV Travel Shop which had one free child place and as DD was just under two she was free as well. We stayed in what is now called the Clarion Universal just off International (didnt even realise you could stay on site at this time)
There was one problem we didnt know at the time that both DS and DD had autism and the trip was a complete disaster. DS suffered severe meltdowns as he couldnt cope with all the new situations and to be honest if I could have flown home Id have done so within the first few days.
We made the best of it but only went to MK again, spending just a few hours there in the morning (mainly in Fantasy Land) before it all got too much for DS and spending the rest of the time by the pool (which wasnt that great)
We came home and vowed not to go again. Well, we subsequently found out about the autism and learnt various strategies to help DS and DD cope and in 2003 the lure was too much and we decided to try again.
This time we booked through a local TA here in Ireland and decided to stay for 16 nights in the Caribe Royal, which is a suite hotel. We figured the extra space would let DH & chill out while the kids were asleep.
This was a much more successful trip, we knew to make allowances for DS, we ate mainly in buffet restaurants where he could eat immediately and, as he is fussy, they would have something he could actually eat. We still hit the parks early but found out about the guest assistance card, which made such a big difference. DS could wait away from the crowds for his favourite rides and go on again if he wanted to (something we had major problems with last time.) We still spent a lot of the time at the hotel pool, but it was large and had a great slide so we didnt mind.
Following on from the success of this trip we booked to go back to the Caribe Royal again the following year for 3 weeks. Then I discovered the internet and more importantly Disney related websites. This changed the way we holidayed (sp) for ever. Up until this, I never knew about character breakfasts, Illumination Cruises (wed never even seen the fireworks) staying on site or a whole host of other fantastic things.
During our 2004 trip I arranged an Illumination cruise, which was fantastic, we went to Cape May and Chef Mickeys for our character Breakfasts and we spent a night at the Contemporary with a tower room MK view. I felt like I was home.
So with all this new found knowledge we looked at Disney in a new light and bought into DVC and started booking independently. Last year we stayed in a villa for the first time, had our first trip home at OKW, went to Vero beach and continued to do loads of new and different things including our first ever trip to Universal and back to Seaworld.
So here we are about to embark on our 2006 holiday. This trip is for a month, the cats (Stitch and Simba) are booked in the Cattery.
Stitch has a nasty infection on his leg thanks to a bite from another cat so I am hoping it will be OK by then. We are heading up to Dublin on the train (saving over 200 in airport parking charges for the month) and staying up in Dublin the night before as check in is a 6am for the flight at 9am. We are flying indirect with Continental via Newark and have a 4 hour stop over which is a bit longer than I wanted but it will give DD a chance to get over the first flight before she has to face the second one. (readers of my previous trip reports will know that DD gets sick from the minute the close the cabin doors until they open them again at the other end) We are scheduled to arrive at MCO at around half 6 and plan to pick up our 7 seater Budget van booked through USRentacar.
We are staying at a villa in Sunset Lakes for 16 nights it has an upstairs, which is a novelty for us as we live in a single story house. We are then moving to a 2 bed at Old Key West for 8 nights before heading down to Vero Beach in a 1 bed for the last 4 nights.
So whats different this time? Well, we are doing the dining plan for the 8 nights at OKW so are trying loads of new restaurants. The kids autism means we will be mainly eating at buffet restaurants but DH & I are heading to Le Cellier one evening while the kids are in the kids club.
We are dining with Shamu (hopefully we are not his dinner) and all 4 of us are going to Cirque (only DD and DH went last year.) We are also meeting some Disney internet friends, Barry&Caron + family at DQ, maggs and family at the Florida Mall and Mkindon (Craig, Louise and family) down at Vero Beach. I am looking forward to meeting all of them although they may require counselling afterwards (especially Craig and family who will be subject to the sight of me in swimwear
So thats us. I hope you enjoy the trippies as much as we enjoyed the actual holiday.
