The Travellers: Me (Sue) - Planner, mine of information and enforcer of time schedules
Jorge - DH & big kid
Rebecca - DD aged 6 and world class chatterbox
The Rookies: Eileen - My Mum. Disabled ECV driver and biggest kid of them all.
John - My Dad - Disney convert.
Pat - Jorges Mum - not into Disney but wants to get a tan.
Day 10
US and Fantasmic
Mum and Dad missed seeing the shows at US while it was raining and Pat is staying in the villa (again) so we are going back to catch up today. It means foregoing Islands of Adventure but I figure it is better to do one park properly than to do two in bits. It also leaves something new for them next year as I doubt they will be just one time visitors now that they have been bitten by the Disney bug.
On arrival the park is really quiet and we take pictures with the characters who seem to be everywhere this year before we wander over to Fivels playground to take Rebecca on Woody Woodpeckers coaster. Dad comes on but chickens when the CM asks us if wed like to stay on for a second ride. Rebecca and I have a quick go on Back to the Future and then catch the new Animal Planet Live show. This is almost exactly the same as the old Animal Actors Show - we all enjoy it though. Over to MiB where Jorge, Dad and Rebecca save the world from aliens while Mum and I get coffee. Scores: (for those that care) Jorge 140,000 Dad 89,000 and Rebecca 102,000 due to a freak bonus panel. A picture is duly purchased to take pride of place on the toilet wall at home. At $17 a pop we now have officially got the most expensive toilet wallpaper ever - we have 14 of these things hanging there.
We miss Jaws as we want to see Beetlejuices Graveyard Revue and Mum is scared that the cast on her broken arm will get wet. Excuses, Excuses. Beetlejuice has been Rebeccas favourite since she was three and it doesnt disappoint although I may be getting old as the music seemed much LOUDER this year. Rebecca and I wait for the characters to come out for autographs while the others go to the Wild West Stunt Show. While waiting we hitch a ride on the subway in Earthquake and I have to sit on the outside so I get a soaking. Rebecca loves that.
When we meet up with the others again Mum is beaming - apparently she got kissed by one of the stuntmen and its made her day - quite possibly her year!!
Last year I watched Rebecca at Curious Georges with a look of horror on my face as she got completely drenched under the water fountains in full clothing. Well, this year I have come prepared and change her into the swimming costume that I have brought with me along with a towel. I then sit smugly as I watch the faces of the parents who had not been as clever and organised as I. Ha Ha !
US has now been well and truly done and we whizz back along the I4 (at approximately 20mph) to MGM via the villa to collect Pat. Even at 6pm the Fantasmic auditorium is filling up so we stake out seats while Jorge takes Rebecca on ToT for the first time. When they come back she says it was brilliant - he says she was too scared even to scream!
What happened to the preshow comedian?? Last year he got everyone going and started a mexican wave. This year it was left to some bloke in a Manchester United shirt who just kept standing up in the middle with his arms in the air shouting 'whooooo' until everyone else cottoned on and joined in. Good on him I say.
Fantasmic is superb as always with the wonderful steamboat at the end full of all the Characters and is a fitting experience for our last night in Orlando. Tomorrow we go home and we sadly say goodnight to WDW before heading home via the Chinese Buffet for dinner.
Day 12
Sob, Sob, Sob
Early start with much chucking of stuff in suitcases and bags. Amazing how this takes a week to do at home but only 20 minutes to do in Orlando. We drop of the key at the other end of Kissimmee which takes up a precious hour of our last day and head up to Seaworld for our traditional on the way to the airport visit. We feed the Sealions and Dolphins and have a quick go on Kraken with no queue before taking a last peek at the Penguins and returning reluctantly to our van for the journey to the airport.
After dropping off the van we are told at checkin that the queue for security is currently 30 minutes long so we should go through now. So much for lunch at the airport and we're starving! We join the queue which is massive only to be told by a guard that, as mum goes through the disabled entrance it is better to come back in 30 minutes when the queue will be smaller. Great - we can eat!! We head to the food court and feast on Bagel Sandwiches and Cinnibon cinnamon sticks (delicious!! ) Back to the queue and , if anything its longer! The guard spots us and ushers us all through the disabled entrance thereby missing the queue entirely. I felt quite guilty at the angry stares we got from the queue. Not guilty enough to go back to the beginning though!!
The plane ride home is as impressive as the outward one and we are soon snuggled up in our blankets on the transatlantic flight with our seatback TVs and mini bottles of wine. We have a spare seat in our row and Rebecca stretches out on the floor at our feet and falls asleep for four hours. I don't know if this is allowed or not so everytime the stewardess comes along I try to hide her with my foot. Jorge and I end up with four seats between the two of us although we are too depressed to really enjoy it.
All in all, we sure managed to pack a lot into our 10 days in Orlando. Both of our rookies thoroughly enjoyed it and will definately return next year. Pat, alas, will return over my dead body. It wasnt her thing at all. Still, you cant please everyone.
Home at last all thats left now is to catch up with the DIS posts and write the trip reports. And to start planning for next year of course.
Jorge - DH & big kid
Rebecca - DD aged 6 and world class chatterbox
The Rookies: Eileen - My Mum. Disabled ECV driver and biggest kid of them all.
John - My Dad - Disney convert.
Pat - Jorges Mum - not into Disney but wants to get a tan.
Day 10
US and Fantasmic
Mum and Dad missed seeing the shows at US while it was raining and Pat is staying in the villa (again) so we are going back to catch up today. It means foregoing Islands of Adventure but I figure it is better to do one park properly than to do two in bits. It also leaves something new for them next year as I doubt they will be just one time visitors now that they have been bitten by the Disney bug.
On arrival the park is really quiet and we take pictures with the characters who seem to be everywhere this year before we wander over to Fivels playground to take Rebecca on Woody Woodpeckers coaster. Dad comes on but chickens when the CM asks us if wed like to stay on for a second ride. Rebecca and I have a quick go on Back to the Future and then catch the new Animal Planet Live show. This is almost exactly the same as the old Animal Actors Show - we all enjoy it though. Over to MiB where Jorge, Dad and Rebecca save the world from aliens while Mum and I get coffee. Scores: (for those that care) Jorge 140,000 Dad 89,000 and Rebecca 102,000 due to a freak bonus panel. A picture is duly purchased to take pride of place on the toilet wall at home. At $17 a pop we now have officially got the most expensive toilet wallpaper ever - we have 14 of these things hanging there.
We miss Jaws as we want to see Beetlejuices Graveyard Revue and Mum is scared that the cast on her broken arm will get wet. Excuses, Excuses. Beetlejuice has been Rebeccas favourite since she was three and it doesnt disappoint although I may be getting old as the music seemed much LOUDER this year. Rebecca and I wait for the characters to come out for autographs while the others go to the Wild West Stunt Show. While waiting we hitch a ride on the subway in Earthquake and I have to sit on the outside so I get a soaking. Rebecca loves that.
When we meet up with the others again Mum is beaming - apparently she got kissed by one of the stuntmen and its made her day - quite possibly her year!!
Last year I watched Rebecca at Curious Georges with a look of horror on my face as she got completely drenched under the water fountains in full clothing. Well, this year I have come prepared and change her into the swimming costume that I have brought with me along with a towel. I then sit smugly as I watch the faces of the parents who had not been as clever and organised as I. Ha Ha !
US has now been well and truly done and we whizz back along the I4 (at approximately 20mph) to MGM via the villa to collect Pat. Even at 6pm the Fantasmic auditorium is filling up so we stake out seats while Jorge takes Rebecca on ToT for the first time. When they come back she says it was brilliant - he says she was too scared even to scream!
What happened to the preshow comedian?? Last year he got everyone going and started a mexican wave. This year it was left to some bloke in a Manchester United shirt who just kept standing up in the middle with his arms in the air shouting 'whooooo' until everyone else cottoned on and joined in. Good on him I say.
Fantasmic is superb as always with the wonderful steamboat at the end full of all the Characters and is a fitting experience for our last night in Orlando. Tomorrow we go home and we sadly say goodnight to WDW before heading home via the Chinese Buffet for dinner.
Day 12
Sob, Sob, Sob
Early start with much chucking of stuff in suitcases and bags. Amazing how this takes a week to do at home but only 20 minutes to do in Orlando. We drop of the key at the other end of Kissimmee which takes up a precious hour of our last day and head up to Seaworld for our traditional on the way to the airport visit. We feed the Sealions and Dolphins and have a quick go on Kraken with no queue before taking a last peek at the Penguins and returning reluctantly to our van for the journey to the airport.
After dropping off the van we are told at checkin that the queue for security is currently 30 minutes long so we should go through now. So much for lunch at the airport and we're starving! We join the queue which is massive only to be told by a guard that, as mum goes through the disabled entrance it is better to come back in 30 minutes when the queue will be smaller. Great - we can eat!! We head to the food court and feast on Bagel Sandwiches and Cinnibon cinnamon sticks (delicious!! ) Back to the queue and , if anything its longer! The guard spots us and ushers us all through the disabled entrance thereby missing the queue entirely. I felt quite guilty at the angry stares we got from the queue. Not guilty enough to go back to the beginning though!!
The plane ride home is as impressive as the outward one and we are soon snuggled up in our blankets on the transatlantic flight with our seatback TVs and mini bottles of wine. We have a spare seat in our row and Rebecca stretches out on the floor at our feet and falls asleep for four hours. I don't know if this is allowed or not so everytime the stewardess comes along I try to hide her with my foot. Jorge and I end up with four seats between the two of us although we are too depressed to really enjoy it.
All in all, we sure managed to pack a lot into our 10 days in Orlando. Both of our rookies thoroughly enjoyed it and will definately return next year. Pat, alas, will return over my dead body. It wasnt her thing at all. Still, you cant please everyone.
Home at last all thats left now is to catch up with the DIS posts and write the trip reports. And to start planning for next year of course.
