Homeward Bound

It's two o'clock and we are just being called forwards for boarding.

Farewell US of A...

Miss H's Favorites

Favorite Park Overall - Magic Kingdom

Top Five Rides

The Hulk
Expedition Everest
Rip Ride Rockit
The Mummy
Crush n Gusher

Favorite Restaurant

Bahama Breeze

Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon?

Typhoon Lagoon

Spiderman or The Simpsons?

The Simpsons

Friday - Day 13

As trailed yesterday we headed to Universal for our final day. This time we started with Islands of Adventure.

First up was the Hulk followed by Dr Fear's Free Fall and a final trip on Spiderman.

We had a look at the Jurassic Park water ride but sure they have upped the chances of getting drenched.

The first time we did this ride last time we were as dry as a bone but this year everyone was coming off soaked. Given that we got drenched yesterday we decided to give the water rides a miss.

So we headed to WWOHP to ride the Forbidden Journey. The queue for single riders wasn't too bad at all. Most of the popular rides had wait times of well over an hour.

Next was the Hippogryph ride - a first ride for us as the wait time previously had been too long. It said 25 minutes but wasn't particularly accurate.

We found somewhere in Dr Suess to have a quick snack and a sit down before heading over to Universal Studios. We had wanted to do the Despicable Me ride but that and Rip Rid Rockit were both over a one hour wait even for single riders on RRR.

So we arrived at one of our favorite rides that we never seem to tire off, no matter how many times we do it. The single rider queue took about 20 minutes.

We peered in Diagon Alley but had no intention of queuing for Gringotts Bank again. We just browsed the shops and soaked up the atmosphere.

The girls went on MIB and then we decided to finish our theme park addiction with The Simpsons.

So we headed back to the villa for a final swim and to pack.

We got dressed up and headed back to Bahama Breeze for our final meal.

We need to be out of our villa by 10 tomorrow morning. We have a final visit to Super Target and then we will head off to the airport and drop the car off.

We are due to depart Sanford around 14.45 us time and due to arrive in Gatwick at 4.15 Sunday morning.

Thursday - Day 12

It was our last day at Disney today so we decided to make the most of it. So this morning we headed to Hollywood Studios to re-ride the family favorites - Tower of Terror, Star Tours and Rock n Roll coaster.

After lunch the thunder and lightning struck and we got absolutely drenched getting from the tran to the car. There is no shelter so we got soaked.

We headed straight to Epcot where we had a number of Fast Passes booked. First up was a meet the characters. Just what you need when you resemble drowned rats... We met Mickey, Minnie and Goofy and had our pictures taken.

Our next pass was for Test Track but this was closed due to the weather. To pass the time to our final pass Miss B suggested we experienced Journey Into Imagination with Figment and Captain Eo. Despite the former ride being recommended by a close friend of Miss B - it was a case of 30 minutes of my life gone that I won't get back... With Test Track stilled closed we headed off for Mission Space - Orange Extreme.

Allthough by the time we finished Test Track had reopened but the queue was out of sight so we decided to call it a day.

On the way home we popped into our favorite supermarket - you know the one... And a quick pit stop at Taco Bell for me.

So we have one full day left and given that I said it was our last day at Disney it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out where we are headed... Yes it's off to Universal...

Wednesday - Day 11

No rush this morning as we decided to hit the pool and 'chill out' in the sun.

On the way to the Magic Kingdom we took a detour via IHOP - International House Of Pancakes for lunch.

Having eaten our fill of Buttermilk pancakes it was off to the park.

We had 3 great fast passes today - all the mountains... Space, Thunder and Splash. Good job too as the wait times were mad - all well over the one hour mark.

Today we also did a few of the other attractions - Carousel of Progress, the People Orbiter and the train for a journey round the park.

Tonight we stayed for the shows - first up the Electric Parade, followed by the Magic Castle 'illuminations' followed by Wishes fireworks.

This meant that we didn't start leaving the park until around 10.20pm, finally arriving home just after 11. Fair play to Disney, despite the huge number of people the journey home was well organised and people on the whole well behaved - monorail to the Transportation Center followed by a tram to the parking lot.

A very long day but a fine way to say goodbye to the Magic Kingdom.

Tuesday - Day 10

So it was a game of two halves today. We were up nice and sharp and headed off to Typhoon Lagoon for 9am. It was a glorious day and the park was extremely busy.

This was our last visit to the water park so the girls were keen to make the most of it. We stayed at the park until about 12.30 before heading off to Animal Kingdom where we had booked some Fast Passes.

Before this though there was the small matter of lunch...

By unanimous decision it was a trip back to the Rainforest Cafe. We had a much better table this time but the service was poor - first time this trip we have not tipped properly...

So onto Animal Kingdom where we did the Safari twice - a personal fave of Mrs J and then we headed for Expedition Everest. We have repeatedly tried to get Mrs J to do this ride and failed and it was no different this time. So we queued as single riders and had four rides.

This will definitely be our most ridden attraction of 2014.

Next up was Primeval Whirl - not normally a ride I do but given that we had Fast Passes I gave it a go. Reminds me more of a fairground ride but really good fun.

We had time to kill before our next Fast Pass so it was off to ride Dinosaur before heading back to Expedition Everest.

We had 15 mins before our slot so we queued as standby whilst Mrs J had a cheeky Margerita. Then the moment we had been waiting for... Mrs J announced that she would join us on Everest. Finally... She really enjoyed it and insisted we rode it again, the next time at the front and finally at the back! Photographic proof is available...

We left the park around 8.15 and headed to Publix for a few items of shopping before heading back to the villa.

Monday - Day 9

Not sure if we hit the wall this morning but nobody was in a rush to get moving.

We headed off to Hollywood Studios and arrived about 10.30 and couldn't believe the queues. It was like everyone and his wife decided to head for the Studios.

First up was the Rock n Roll coaster. Standby time was 2 hours so we queued as single riders. We had swapped our plans at the last minute so our Fast Passes were no good and there were no free slots to swap.

Next up was the Great Movie Ride followed by Star Tours - a family favourite. Again it was a forty minute queue.

We then headed back to the villa but not before visiting another new fast food outlet. This choice was Chick Fil A and was very good. Think KFC and you won't be far wrong.

After lunch Miss B went skateboarding - we picked up a long board at our favourite store - Super Target.

So around 4 we headed off to Blizzard Beach as the park was open until 8pm.

We arrived, changed and were in the water by 4.30 but it had started clouding over and then got very dark. We had about 3 hours before once again lightning stopped play.

Not before Miss B and Miss H had both completed Summit Plummet - we have photographic evidence :)

We then headed back to the villa and another detour via Taco Bell.

It was raining so heavily we got soaked from leaving the car on the drive to the front door. The thunder and lightning was unbelievable.

Sunday - Day 8

So today's plan was to head back to Universal and we had decided to avoid the Harry Potter attractions and do as many of the other rides as possible.

We started at the Studios so the first ride had to be a repeat of Despicable Me. We knew this would be the longest wait given the popularity of the ride. It wasn't too bad at the start of the day - a queue of 40 minutes.

Most of the other rides we did were around the 10 minute mark. This was down to everyone heading to Diagon Alley. The wait time for Gringotts Bank was showing as 4 hours. We finished with the Transformers ride before heading off to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. We remembered our preferred seating voucher this time and got a much better table location. Miss H was a little under the weather today and turned down a burger and only had chips. You know she must have been suffering.

After lunch it was time for the Islands of Adventure. However the weather had other ideas and lightning and rain delayed play. This meant that the water rides will need to wait for another day. We still managed a few more indoor rides whilst the weather cleared and soon the mercury started to rise once more.

Around 6 fatigue had kicked in and we headed back to the villa, stopping at the way in Taco Bell. Only Miss B could be tempted to join me in a takeaway. Two meal deals for just over 5 dollars - fab and cheap - what's not to love?

We had a quiet end to the day watching some US telly whilst Miss B and Miss H were in the pool.

Where will tomorrow take us...

Saturday - Day 7

So no one was in a rush to get up this morning. When we checked last night we had covered nearly 8 miles walking, and it felt like it.

The schedule is a bit of a mess at the moment and after much discussion, the decision was to head for the Mall at Milennia. Yes Mum it is spelt with one l. This should be our last shopping trip as Miss B & H must surely have run out of money! However Mrs J's offer to get a few things for Birthdays and Xmas hasn't helped.

After completing the circuit of ground floor shops it was time to hit The Cheesecake Factory. Cheesecake around so will not be needing lunch today...

I went for the Pineapple Upside Down, Miss B the White Chocolate and Raspberry Truffle, Miss H the Vanilla Bean and Mrs J the Strawberry one.

Let's just say that we are now walking it off. It's 12.30 and we have moved up to the first floor shops.

Assuming we have recovered from our Cheesecake the plan is to go back to Typhoon Lagoon this afternoon. We all had such a good time there and the rides are fab.

So we arrived at Typhoon Lagoon at 2.30pm - it was extremely busy and we struggled to find a parking space but eventually found one. It was just as much fun the second time around. We are looking to see if we can schedule an end of day visit as the water park is open to 8pm.

We left around 5.30pm and headed back to the villa to jump in the pool. We then did some replanning for the remainder of the holiday.

After showering we headed off to The Olive Garden for dinner. A lovely meal - the restaurant was extremely busy and it was a 25 minute wait for the table.

We are now back at the villa and have decided on an early start for the morning to get to...

You know the drill...

Friday - Day 6

It goes without saying by now that of was another early start that had us arriving at Epcot well before rope drop at 9am.

First up was the big golf ball and as there was no queue this meant we could walk straight on.

We then headed to Test Track which we haven't ridden before. Unfortunately it was closed due to technical difficulties. So given that we headed for Mission Space and went straight for the extreme option. Well worth it and will probably try and sneak in a return visit if scheduling permits.

We then had a lucky break as we heard one of the CMs saying that Test Track was due to reopen shortly so we joined the line. That meant we only had a wait of around 30 minutes.  What a ride - we all agreed that we will have to do that again.

After Test Track we headed for the World Showcase as we wanted to visit a few of the countries before we left the park.

We walked from Epcot to the Dolphin resort so we could get a bus to Downtown Disney. Miss B and Miss H had not been here before and we had decided to go to Planet Hollywood for lunch.

We finally broke our hoodoo on tables and got a really good table and after we ordered the girls went off sightseeing.

In addition to this we didn't need to queue!

After lunch we had a look round the shops before heading back to the Dolphin by bus before catching the boat back to Epcot.

We arrived back at Epcot at around 5.30 and decided to head off home. The temperature n had soared past 100 and we needed to pop to Super Target.

We then spent the rest of the evening by the pool and succeeded in turning on the whirlpool - magic...

Watching the baseball while I type this with the Marlins trailing 4-1 at the top of the seventh whilst we plan for tomorrow.

You know the drill...

Thursday - Day 5

Another early start as we had a number of Fast Pass rides booked. So we left just after 8.30 for the nearest park to the villa - Animal Kingdom.

First up was the safari a real family favourite although most of the animals were doing what I could have done with - having a lie in.

Next was the Kali River Rapids. I'm not ashamed to admit it but Mrs J and I both 'rocked' our ponchos. For those of you who don't know, this ride basically comes down to luck. There are 8 of you in a round boat in pairs of two. Whichever pair is at the back when the boat goes over the edge gets drenched whilst the rest get wet. Miss B and I were at the back - I emerged virtually completely dry. The same couldn't be said for Miss B :)

Mrs J had promised to ride Expedition Everest but when push came to shove the call of a cold Margerita won hands down.

The ride is just as fan as we remember it and would be very high on my favourite top 5 rides of pur holiday.

I discussed my top 5 today but it needs some thought and refinement. Maybe a topic for a future post.

After Everest it was time for Miss B and Miss H to get there tattoos. Don't panic everyone they are only henna ones...

Next up was lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. The food was fab but like the Hard Rock Cafe the other day our table location was really bad. For the worlds largest Rainforest that holds 800 diners we had the furthest table from the animals. We were by the bar and gift shop sitting by the Elephant where they call you for your safari.

After lunch we checked out Dinosaur land before leaving the park for the day.

It was time for our Mini Golf challenge and this year's course was Congo River on the 192.

The champion this year is Mrs J who played a flawless round including two holes in one. One of these was whilst paying a forfeit of playing with her eyes shut. Well deserved Mrs J. Miss B and I had a decent battle for second which I edged and Miss H... Suffice to say she's no Tiger Woods. When we got back to the car the external temperature was showing as 107.

So I'm sitting here typing this with my feet in the pool whilst the sun sets with a cold beer.

Where will tomorrow take us? You know the drill...

Ride summary

Kilimanjaro Safari FP+
Kali River Rapids FP+
Expedition Everest FP+
Expedition Everest Single Rider
Expedition Everest Single Rider
Lunch at Rainforest Cafe
Dinosaur Standby
Dinosaur Standby
Primevil Whirl

Wednesday - Day 4

So another early start as the weather forecast was showing thunderstorms at 2. As a result we had decided to get to Typhoon Lagoon early. We have previously failed 4 times to get there. The first two times the park was closed for refurbishment. On our last visit we simply couldn't get there. This time, aided by a car we headed off...

The park was fantastic and was certainly worth visiting - there are already discussion s going on about whether we ditch Blizzard Beach and go back again. Only time will tell...

Not sure what was up with the weatherman as it was a real scorcher today and the temperature must have hit 100. Having completed all the rides and bobbed round the lazy river we left the park at 2 and headed back to the villa.

On the way we stopped off at Subway for a quick lunch. Mrs J has only ever had two Subways and they have both been in the States - fact fans.

After a quick shower, we went to have a look at the clubhouse, shop, cinema and swimming pool on site.

Then it was the inevitable question 'what are we going to do now?' And so it was that my worst nightmare came true - the words that followed were that we could go shopping.

We went to the Premium Outlet at the top of International Drive. I kid you not, we were in Victoria's Secret for over an hour. I'm sure you can all feel my pain... And that was just the start.

I'm typing this at five to eight which means there are still three hours until the ships shut. We still have a few more 'must do' shops on the list. I was hoping we could get everything we needed in this effort but I'm starting to realise this might not be the case.

So the shopping expedition was finally halted around 8.45pm and after a quick stop at Super Target (we love that place) we are currently cooking pizza.

Needing to adjust the itinerary due to today so pop back tomorrow to see what we got up to.

Tuesday - Day 3

So the plan for today was to hit Universal so our first task was to get our passes for the studios.

We entered the park at 9.15 and first up was a ride we didn't do last time - Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. This was mainly due to the queue times so when we saw it was 40 mins it was time to try it out.

It's an amazing ride and we will definitely try and do it again before we finish.

We hadn't planned to but today we did all of the new Harry Potter rides, the two train journeys - there and back ( two different experiences, in case you're wondering) and Gringotts Bank. The last took 3 hours but it's fair to say that the rain descended for all that time so we were better off undercover.

We had forgotten our ponchos so decided to give the water rides a miss. Before you accuse us of being softies you should know that a few of these rides will absolutely drench you.

In terms of the photos you have The Mummy which is one of our favorite rides, Hogwarts of course and my Local Legendary Burger from the Hard Rock Cafe. It was two beef patties, smoked bacon and mac'n'cheese in a Brioche bun served with fries - a top burger but not the all time best.

Arrived home and it's just gone 10.30pm so will be off to bed once I've posted this. The weather forecast isn't great for the next few days but it really depends on where you are and timing. As I was reminded earlier we can always spend more time shopping...

Ride summary

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem 40 minutes standby
The Mummy Standby 20 mins
The Mummy Single Rider no wait
The Mummy Single Rider 10 mins
Hogswarts Express from Kings Cross 15 mins
Forbidden Journey Single Rider
Dragon Challenge
Lunch at Hard Rock Cafe
The Hulk Single Rider - yes you don't need to say it...
Spiderman
Hogwarts Express to Kings Cross
Gringotts Bank 3 hour queue time..
The Simpsons Ride
Twister
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

So pop back tomorrow if you want to see what we did...

Monday - Day 2

So for those of you that didn't know, it is Mrs J's birthday today so cue a noisy rendition of Happy Birthday and It's Your Bear Day... Don't ask...

So what was the plan today I hear you ask? The choice was up to the Birthday Girl. It was a close contest with Animal Kingdom but the final decision had to be.... The Magic Kingdom!

We caught the ferry from the Disney Transportation Center (apologies Mum in advance for the US spelling) and arrived at the MK at around 9am.

First point of call was to pick up a celebration badge for Mrs J. This has provided so much amusement today. Not only have Disney Cast Members been saying Happy Birthday - one even sang to her - but even park visitors got involved. Not sure Mrs J has received so many birthday greetings...

Not sure if it is the Universal effect (Diagonal Alley opening) but MK was extremely quiet this morning but it didn't last...

In terms of what we did...

Flying Carpets next ride
Pirates of the Carribean walked straight on
Thunder Mountain Fast Pass + next ride
Thunder Mountain waited 2 rides
Splash Mountain showing 20 mins
Space Mountain Fast Pass + wait time was 210 minutes
Lunch at Tomorrow...
Waiting for Snow White to open currently broken
Haunted Mansion

After that we decided to head back to the villa for a swim stopping off at a Wallgreens for some essential purchases.

We then showered, got changed and went out for a meal. As it was a birthday treat there was really only one place to go - Bahama Breeze.

Check out our shared starter below - a mountain of onion rings, the batter covered with coconut served with a chilli and pineapple salsa - fantastic...

After eating we visited a Super Target - I know - we really know how to treat Mrs J! You can literally buy almost anything in there.

And finally I got to have a corn dog, it was an interesting experience but is unlikely to be repeated.

Pop back tomorrow to see what we got up to.

Sunday - Day 1

So we were all up quite early this morning, probably a mixture of excitement and adjusting to US time.

So we left the villa at around 8.30 and headed for Hollywood Studios. We did the same on our previous trip as it is a gentle start to the holiday.

First stop was to collect our Disney tickets. We had already decided to get Magic Bands. These for those who don't know are bracelets that act as tickets and much more besides. Once they are linked with your mydisney account you can then book Fast pass rides and use your band to access the ride. Very slick and easy to use.

Mine is gray, Miss B went for pink, Miss H orange and Mrs J went for yellow in case your interested.

So for those of you who are interested in the weather, suffice to say it was HOT...

The picture with the weather info was taken early in the morning shortly after we arrived. We had no rain today unlike the torrential downpour with thunder and lightning we drove through yesterday.

Here's a summary of what we did today in case you want to look up some YouTube videos - other video sharing sites are available. Just a warning some of the names maybe incorrect so bear this in mind but a quick Google on Disney Hollywood Studios will sort you out. Other search engines...

We left the park around 6.30 and stopped off at Publix on the way home.

Currently sat watching baseball on the telly and explaining the rules of the game. Dodgers currently leading the Giants in the sixth 4-3, in case you're interested.

Tomorrow is a special day for someone in the party - I'm sure you can guess who...

Come back tomorrow and see where we went and how we celebrated.

Rock n Roll coaster - single rider queue
Tower of Terror Fast Pass +
Great Movie Ride
Animation Academy
Lunch at Pizza Planet
Muppet 3d Show
Star Tour
Indiana Jones Live Show Fast Pass +
Back Lot Tour
Toy Story 80 mins wait...
Rock n Roll coaster Fast Pass +
Tower of Terror Standby queue 20 mins
Walt Disney Story
Star Tours

Touchdown...

So we've all had a very long day. Everyone was up nice and sharply and we were on the road by 2.30am.

Made good time despite the M3 being closed around Fleet - drove through places I didn't know existed.

Flight was delayed and we didn't take off until 9.30 and due to turbulence had a slow final descent into Sanford.

We had seats in row 8 definitely a gift and a curse - on the plus side lots of leg room due to being by the exit and first off the plane but sat next to the loos. It's amazing how many times some people visit the loo and at times we felt like unpaid toilet attendants...

Picked up the car from Alamo - just pointed at a row and you choose a car - so Miss B chose the white one below. After a nervy start things went well with the car - directions need improvement but we arrived at the villa after picking up the keys and doing a quick shop in Public - pizza for tea and an early night.

So here's a couple of pics - the villas is fab and we'll post more pics soon.

No rush up in the morning - maybe a swim before we head off to...

Where to? You will have to come back and see :)

It's The Final Countdown...

When I set up this blog for this year's holiday we had something like 180 days to go... How time flies...

I hadn't intended to post much ahead of our trip and despite an early flurry, that certainly turned out to be true.

But here we are with one more sleep before Orlando... well for those of us who are intending to go to bed that is.

The alarm clock is set for 2.00am (YAY) and then it is time to get moving... as there are people waiting to see us :)

Assuming wifi is OK we will be trying to blog each day to keep you all informed about what we have been up to. So look after yourselves and we will see you when we get back...

Things To Do #4 - It's All About Food...

So be warned if you are on a diet or just being good this might not be the post for you.

Here are a few things that I will keep an eye out for whilst we are stateside.

So here's a confession... I have never eaten a m&m... I know I could rectify this with a quick trip to Morrisons (other supermarkets are available) but given that I am not a great fan of peanuts I was checking out the US site and found these - Raspberry with Dark Chocolate... mmm mmm.

The next item is Jello - again something I haven't tried and the range of flavours is quite impressive and this one caught my eye.

After two sweet items (no pun intended) it's time to get savoury... A1 Steak Sauce. I meant to bring some back home last time but forgot...

For those of you who read our last Florida blog will know all about my favourite (and still champion) burger... drum roll please...... The Tony Roma Memphis Burger - a classic burger loaded with cheese, bacon, red onions and signature pulled pork and Memphis BBQ sauce.

So I will be on the look out for the following...

The last item is for cheese in a can... I know what I just said... but this needs to be tried just for amusement value.

Quick Update

As you are all no doubt aware, it is quite a long time until we go away and I'm not sure how many posts there will be ahead of departure.

Instead of needing to keep checking back I have consulted my technical advisor, Miss B and we have added a 'Follow by Email' option.

This can be found at the very bottom of the page. If you pop your email address in there and hit submit, then every time I post you will receive an email with the content....

The countdown continues...

Things To Do #3 - Crazy Golf...

So this is something we definitely had on our plans for last time but didn't manage to schedule it in... Which was a great pity as it was virtually outside our apartment. We had one final opportunity to grab a round but the heavens opened and we were treated to a spectacular lightning display.

We can't complain because in the two weeks we were in Orlando, aside from one day at Universal Studios it mainly rained in the evenings which is really preferable to the day time.

There's a good choice of courses to select from and so, on this fairly wet and miserable Sunday, I am having a look at the options and seeing when we can schedule it in.

So I've narrowed it down to three at the moment but can't promise it won't change...

Pirate's Cove

This is where we had intended to go and is still on the list. A major plus for this course is that whilst it is further away from our location, it does happen to be really near this... And if we get our skates on we can use the fact that it is Mrs J's birthday to make it really special...

Congo River Golf

Another choice is this course, which is a bit nearer to our base.

This like the previous course has an added attraction...

Hollywood Drive-In Golf

This has the advantage of being right next door to the Universal Studios complex so fairly easy to tie in with a later finish after the parks, or after something to eat before returning to our base. It's also quite spectacular in the evening when all the lights come on.

Just in case you wanted to explore further yourself, I've included the links to the websites below. Please note other Crazy Golf courses are available.... These links will open up in a new window.

Pirate's Cove
Congo River Golf
Hollywood Drive-In Golf