wickesy
<font color=royalblue>Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love y
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2006
- Messages
- 3,797
Wednesday 8th April 2009
Despite our best efforts to prevent it the day had come when we had to go home. Neither of us were up until 8:15 but by 9:25 we were at Downtown Disney check-in where there were only 3 or 4 families in the economy queue and nobody in the Premium Economy/Upper Class queue. All of our cases were well under the weight allowance and we were all done and back at the studio by 9:50.
We collected all of our hand luggage and having left the studio for the last time at 10:00 we went up the I-4 to International Drive and stopped at Pirates Cove for our traditional last day round of mini-golf. Dad got round in 53 and I managed a hole-in-one on my way to a score of 47.
We played the Captains Course which is just as good as Disneys courses if not better and next time we are over I would like to try Blackbeards Challenge, which is supposed to be more tricky.
After our round of golf we went back to Downtown Disney and into the Earl of Sandwich for lunch where Dad had the Italian and I had a Ham N Swiss. The sandwiches are really nice here and even though there is a long line it moves fairly quickly and by the time we had reached the cash register our sandwiches were ready.
Once we had eaten we returned to the car and were off property for the last time at 12:35. Just before we reached the Osceola Parkway the low fuel light in the car came on so we stopped off for a quick $5 splash and go. The plan had been to spend the afternoon at Gatorland but when we got there the car park was completely full and even the overflow area we were directed to across the highway was full so we gave it up as a bad job and parked up nearby to decide what to do next. After looking at one of the freebie Orlando area guides we still had we spotted an ad for the Warbird Flights and Museum and as we were only 10 minutes away we decided to give that a go.
The museum was $6 to get in and if you want to do a flight in a T6 that will cost you $220 for 15 minutes so needless to say we didnt opt to go for the flight! They have a few planes to walk around and have the only airworthy model of the Aero car - a car that turns into an aeroplane, or vice versa.
We left the museum shortly before 3:00 and by 3:30 we were back at the airport and the hire car had been returned having done 588 miles since we picked it up. We made our way into the terminal and since we have learnt that American airports have nothing much airside we found a seat so that we could kill some time before going through security.
At 5:05 we decided it was time to make our way through and by 5:30 we were sitting at the gate. Boarding finally began at 7:00 and we took our usual seats and settled back with a glass of sparkling wine. Pushback was just a few minutes late at 7:37 and we left American soil about 10 minutes later.
Soon after takeoff the drinks run began and we both had a whisky and ginger and then for dinner, which was a choice of cajun chicken or beef bourginon, we both had the chicken.
The selection of films wasnt that great - Frost/Nixon, Seven Pounds and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants were the more memorable ones so we both watched our Archos and got a bit of sleep.
Breakfast was served around an hour and a half before we landed but as even the smell of the muffins are enough to make me feel sick I passed and just had an apple juice.
We landed at 8:20 and even though Dad had a bit of trouble being recognised by IRIS because he was looking at the wrong camera we were still walking away from the luggage belts by 9:00. We went through a deserted Customs hall and found our taxi driver almost immediately so we were soon on the road and were back home by 10:20.
So that is it for another year. Thoughts now turn to our holiday in Chicago and the Smoky Mountains in July this year. Our next planned Disney holiday is the Baltic cruise in June 2010 but it is likely that we will slip in a visit to Disneyland Paris earlier that year. That means that our next trip to Florida is not going to be until 2011, which is my 40th birthday year and also WDWs 40th birthday year so I am hoping to book two trips to celebrate both of those birthdays.
Thanks to everyone for reading, and especially to those who have left comments. Even if I havent replied personally all comments have been read and are appreciated.
As well as all the shopping we brought back I also brought back 10 sets of Disney park maps (the ones you get at the entrances to the parks). If anybody would like one send me a private message with your name and address and I will post one out to you.
And finally, like I did last year, I have done a musical slideshow of some of the best photos from the trip. It lasts 7 minutes and if you would like to see it you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CoTMp-T9ps
Here's to the next trip.
Despite our best efforts to prevent it the day had come when we had to go home. Neither of us were up until 8:15 but by 9:25 we were at Downtown Disney check-in where there were only 3 or 4 families in the economy queue and nobody in the Premium Economy/Upper Class queue. All of our cases were well under the weight allowance and we were all done and back at the studio by 9:50.
We collected all of our hand luggage and having left the studio for the last time at 10:00 we went up the I-4 to International Drive and stopped at Pirates Cove for our traditional last day round of mini-golf. Dad got round in 53 and I managed a hole-in-one on my way to a score of 47.
We played the Captains Course which is just as good as Disneys courses if not better and next time we are over I would like to try Blackbeards Challenge, which is supposed to be more tricky.
After our round of golf we went back to Downtown Disney and into the Earl of Sandwich for lunch where Dad had the Italian and I had a Ham N Swiss. The sandwiches are really nice here and even though there is a long line it moves fairly quickly and by the time we had reached the cash register our sandwiches were ready.
Once we had eaten we returned to the car and were off property for the last time at 12:35. Just before we reached the Osceola Parkway the low fuel light in the car came on so we stopped off for a quick $5 splash and go. The plan had been to spend the afternoon at Gatorland but when we got there the car park was completely full and even the overflow area we were directed to across the highway was full so we gave it up as a bad job and parked up nearby to decide what to do next. After looking at one of the freebie Orlando area guides we still had we spotted an ad for the Warbird Flights and Museum and as we were only 10 minutes away we decided to give that a go.
The museum was $6 to get in and if you want to do a flight in a T6 that will cost you $220 for 15 minutes so needless to say we didnt opt to go for the flight! They have a few planes to walk around and have the only airworthy model of the Aero car - a car that turns into an aeroplane, or vice versa.
We left the museum shortly before 3:00 and by 3:30 we were back at the airport and the hire car had been returned having done 588 miles since we picked it up. We made our way into the terminal and since we have learnt that American airports have nothing much airside we found a seat so that we could kill some time before going through security.
At 5:05 we decided it was time to make our way through and by 5:30 we were sitting at the gate. Boarding finally began at 7:00 and we took our usual seats and settled back with a glass of sparkling wine. Pushback was just a few minutes late at 7:37 and we left American soil about 10 minutes later.
Soon after takeoff the drinks run began and we both had a whisky and ginger and then for dinner, which was a choice of cajun chicken or beef bourginon, we both had the chicken.
The selection of films wasnt that great - Frost/Nixon, Seven Pounds and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants were the more memorable ones so we both watched our Archos and got a bit of sleep.
Breakfast was served around an hour and a half before we landed but as even the smell of the muffins are enough to make me feel sick I passed and just had an apple juice.
We landed at 8:20 and even though Dad had a bit of trouble being recognised by IRIS because he was looking at the wrong camera we were still walking away from the luggage belts by 9:00. We went through a deserted Customs hall and found our taxi driver almost immediately so we were soon on the road and were back home by 10:20.
So that is it for another year. Thoughts now turn to our holiday in Chicago and the Smoky Mountains in July this year. Our next planned Disney holiday is the Baltic cruise in June 2010 but it is likely that we will slip in a visit to Disneyland Paris earlier that year. That means that our next trip to Florida is not going to be until 2011, which is my 40th birthday year and also WDWs 40th birthday year so I am hoping to book two trips to celebrate both of those birthdays.
Thanks to everyone for reading, and especially to those who have left comments. Even if I havent replied personally all comments have been read and are appreciated.
As well as all the shopping we brought back I also brought back 10 sets of Disney park maps (the ones you get at the entrances to the parks). If anybody would like one send me a private message with your name and address and I will post one out to you.
And finally, like I did last year, I have done a musical slideshow of some of the best photos from the trip. It lasts 7 minutes and if you would like to see it you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CoTMp-T9ps
Here's to the next trip.
Well if everybody has a whip-round we could stay longer next time. 
