Whey hey 11 days at DLP trip - travel day 2

[Cyrano]

Travel day 2 Wednesday 11th July ‘07

Cast members

Me – Disney fanatic - I stomped through Disneyland Paris in 1994, since why come to a theme park when you’re in Paris, yes really!
Diane (DP) – Long suffering Disney widow, buts loves it all anyway
Morgan (DD9) – 9 year old Disney fan. Favourites BTM, Pirates of the Caribbean
Jack (DS) – 7 year old Disney, Star Wars fan. Favourite Autopia
Robyn (DD5) – 5 year old Disney fan. Loves parades and Casey Jr
Tom - TomTom sat nav that will get a full workout this trip

Up at 7.30hrs and everyone in the car by 9.00hrs.
I think I checked the manse alarm a good few times just to make sure all was well

So Tom where are we off to today Canterbury Holiday Inn Express paid by points on my Privilege card. So total cost including breakfast £0.00
We make excellent time and thankfully the weather is kind and the sun is out. Not AC hot, but warm nevertheless.

By dinnertime we make it to Knutsford. Diane fancies M&S food. Which I think is just to annoy me as I normally refuse to have anything to do with M&S :rolleyes. Long story and everyone needs to have one cause they believe in. Even if it does not make a difference
The food choice is limited so we have to settle for burgers again.
Burger King fayre is … well Burger King. £22.89/€32.29
Filled a hole and after a quick toilet stop and fill the tank up with diesel we are back on the road.
Oh I forgot. We bought another couple of DVD’s from the shop. Batteries not included and Jaws 2. You can see my little darlings are sensitive souls :lol

Took the M6 toll. What a dream We will definitely do this again. £4 was a snip, although I suspect if you travelled this everyday the £8 would seem expensive.

We arrived at HIE, Canterbury at 17.30hrs. This was well ahead of time so we are very pleased with ourselves.
Booked in and everyone had a quick freshen up. There was no point in hanging around the room as we had only taken the overnight bag out of the car.
So it was off to find a Frankie and Benny’s for supper. I had downloaded a number of databases that kind souls have created. So we punch in F&B and there is one 5 miles away.
Well it was maybe there at some time but not now. We try for Pizza Hut, a fairly good substitute, as everyone will give this the thumbs up
We are off in the other direction and arrive at a cinema/entertainment park. Result F&B’s is there also. But Pizza Hut is the first restaurant and I’m not quick enough to take the alternate route, so shouts for Pizza Hut and ice cream factory resound from the back. As Diane joins in I accept defeat... for this time anyway
The works promotion is no longer on and the cinema deal is not much use for us.
We order a mixed combo to share, 2 pizzas (large and medium), drinks and water + 3 ice-cream factory bowls.
£40.08/€56.54

Back to the hotel to shower the troops as we have an early start.

I should have said that we find that although everyone enjoys music in the car, after a while the troops start "tigging" at each other. Not fighting but just enough to be semi annoying. So on went the DVD and because I had bought a load of cheap new DVD's that kept everyone happy - Twins, Monster House, Apollo 13 (which was a massive hit )

 

[meeko cat]

I agree the M6 toll road was GREAT the difference in traffic

levels made it a joy

You certainly know how to get the good deals FREE Holiday Inn

What did we do on journeys with kids before in car dvd

 

[scald]

Have to laugh at the in car DVD's. We took a 14 hour overnight ferry to France. On the car deck the next morning, EVERYONE was busy strapping the screens to the headrests!!!

Hundreds of kilometeres and two days later in Paris we were wondering exactly how we ever managed too.....

 

[Dianetigger]

Travel day 2 Wednesday 11th July ‘07
By dinnertime we make it to Knutsford.

Now why didn't you all pop in for a cuppa at my house? I live around 10 minutes walk from the Knutsford services.

 

[SandraVB79]

Have to laugh at the in car DVD's. We took a 14 hour overnight ferry to France. On the car deck the next morning, EVERYONE was busy strapping the screens to the headrests!!!

Hundreds of kilometeres and two days later in Paris we were wondering exactly how we ever managed too.....

When we returned Sunday night from Disneyland Paris, we saw lots of cars with the DVD screens in the back.

Sorry, but I don't get that. Why do kids always have to be artificially entertained??
We used to vacation in Austria, 6 people in a normal car (not a minivan or so). We would leave at home at 4 am and arrive in Austria around 8pm. No DVDs. No artificial entertainment. We would tell stories, look outside, wave to cars, whatever. I wondered why kids nowadays can't do that.

Maybe I'll understand when I have my own kids

 

[scald]

We too as kids, travelled without this type of entertainment. However, we would travel through beautiful countryside with spectacular views and were old enough that we could read. I have to admit that 6 hours of grey faceless motorway was not exactly exciting for kids so young. And as I had the vital job of navigation, I could not spare much time to entertain them. This was our first time travelling such a distance on the other side of the road and it took everything in us just to keep an eye on the road and figure our way about. Driving in Europe can be stressful if you are not used to it!! Besides, Mary Poppins kept us all singing and built up the excitement for Disney...

 

[Cyrano]

Now why didn't you all pop in for a cuppa at my house? I live around 10 minutes walk from the Knutsford services.

That would have been nice

 

[Cyrano]

We also play games but as reading in the car causes ours to feel sick the car bingo and road signs games are normally out.
Therefore the screens allow them to relax for very long journies. Our nearest main town is 1 hours drive away, but we would never dream of connecting up the DVD screens. SIL on the otherhand can hardly drive 10 mins without hers complaining so DVD goes most places.

Maybe I'll understand when I have my own kids

 

[BRobson]

10 minutes of 1 spy and it is war in the back We haven't used our DVD for ages as Nintendo DS are flavour of the month but depends on the road as they do tend to get motion sick

 

[A Small World]

I agree the M6 toll road was GREAT the difference in traffic

levels made it a joy

Another vote here for the Toll Rd. We use it whenever we head down South now - its the one time DH is guaranteed to ignore what Gladys (Sat nav) tells him

 

[Ware Bears]

Great instalment, looking forward to tomorrow's.

10 minutes of 1 spy

This takes me back!!! We never had a car when I was young so always travelled to our holiday destination by train or coach. I can remember being given the I Spy books to fill in and being so excited doing it