We (me, H, 37 and hubby, L, 45) are off to Orlando September 10-13, 2010 and I'm sooo excited! We were there over this past New Year's and I really wasn't optimistic we'd get back in 2010. Then things changed -- for the better!
I got out of a job in which I was miserable at the end of July. I'll spare everyone the gory details, but suffice it to say this is a very, very good thing. So, that left me looking for a job and thinking about what else I'd like to do when I grow up. I'm an attorney by trade but LOVE travel and decided that, while I have time, I'm going to explore a career change. That led me to start a travel blog and start studying to get my travel agent's license. Woo hoo! (I'm also doing some contract work as an attorney.)
Once I started the blog (not knowing one thing about blogging, mind you), I found out about the Travel Blooger Conference that is part of The Trade Show put on by ASTA (America Society of Travel Agents, I believe). Well, as luck would have it, said conference is in Orlando!
It will be a quick trip and of course I wish it could be longer. However, a short trip is better than no trip at all!
Our plans are as follows:
Friday, September 10, 2010: 7:30 a.m. non-stop flight from St. Louis to Orlando on Southwest (we got a really good price -- $196 each which includes tax); we're renting a car from Hertz (hubby is a gold member so we can go straight to the car and skip any line at the counter) and hope to arrive for one night at Port Orleans--French Quarter by about 11:45 a.m.; I've already done on-line check in and we'll go to the resort and get our room keys even if the room isn't ready (we'll need them for EMH at Epcot); this will be our only day at a Disney park and we'll buy one-day tickets for Epcot (our favorite); we intend to snack and cocktail around World Showcase plus ride Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Test Track and anything else we have time for; dinner is at the Flying Fish on the Boardwalk at 8:35 p.m.; we will probably hit the Belle Vue Lounge at the Boardwalk Inn before dinner; after dinner we'll go back to Epcot which is open until midnight for EMH
Saturday, September 11, 2010: up early and drive to Loewe's Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando; check in and get room keys so we can take advantage of Universal's front-of-the-line access for resort guests (there was a great conference rate of $99/night for this awesome hotel); once check-in is accomplished we will get one-day Universal tickets (maybe for only Islands of Adventure, maybe for both parks; that will be a game-time decision) and run (not walk) straight to the new Harry Potter area (I have been looking forward to this since they announced it was being built); I'm hoping we can see everything there by early to mid afternoon; we'll then ride the Hulk, Spiderman, Jurassic Park and anything else that strikes us; if time permits and we have elected the two park pass, we'll head over to Universal Studios (we've been to Islands of Adventure but not Universal Studios); dinner is at Emeril's at CityWalk at 8:00 p.m.; after dinner we'll check out Universal's other two hotels, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific
Sunday, September 12, 2010: I'll attend the Travel Blogger Conference and The Trade Show at the convention center; hubby will watch football somewhere at CityWalk; we'll meet back up for happy hour and dinner though we haven't yet decided where to go (we are considering Mama Della's at Portofino Bay for Italian or Margaritaville at CityWalk for seafood)
Monday, September 13, 2010: I'll attend The Trade Show probably until noon or so; we will then drive to Downtown Disney to hit Basin and World of Disney and have lunch (probably at the bar at Fulton's); our flight leaves at 5:20 p.m. so we'll leave for the airport about 3 p.m.
I'm counting the minutes! I plan to do a blog entry each day we are there and will also post a trip report when we return. I hope to also post photos but we just got the USB cable that allows me to download directly from the camera so we'll see how that goes.
I got out of a job in which I was miserable at the end of July. I'll spare everyone the gory details, but suffice it to say this is a very, very good thing. So, that left me looking for a job and thinking about what else I'd like to do when I grow up. I'm an attorney by trade but LOVE travel and decided that, while I have time, I'm going to explore a career change. That led me to start a travel blog and start studying to get my travel agent's license. Woo hoo! (I'm also doing some contract work as an attorney.)
Once I started the blog (not knowing one thing about blogging, mind you), I found out about the Travel Blooger Conference that is part of The Trade Show put on by ASTA (America Society of Travel Agents, I believe). Well, as luck would have it, said conference is in Orlando!
It will be a quick trip and of course I wish it could be longer. However, a short trip is better than no trip at all!
Our plans are as follows:
Friday, September 10, 2010: 7:30 a.m. non-stop flight from St. Louis to Orlando on Southwest (we got a really good price -- $196 each which includes tax); we're renting a car from Hertz (hubby is a gold member so we can go straight to the car and skip any line at the counter) and hope to arrive for one night at Port Orleans--French Quarter by about 11:45 a.m.; I've already done on-line check in and we'll go to the resort and get our room keys even if the room isn't ready (we'll need them for EMH at Epcot); this will be our only day at a Disney park and we'll buy one-day tickets for Epcot (our favorite); we intend to snack and cocktail around World Showcase plus ride Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Test Track and anything else we have time for; dinner is at the Flying Fish on the Boardwalk at 8:35 p.m.; we will probably hit the Belle Vue Lounge at the Boardwalk Inn before dinner; after dinner we'll go back to Epcot which is open until midnight for EMH
Saturday, September 11, 2010: up early and drive to Loewe's Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando; check in and get room keys so we can take advantage of Universal's front-of-the-line access for resort guests (there was a great conference rate of $99/night for this awesome hotel); once check-in is accomplished we will get one-day Universal tickets (maybe for only Islands of Adventure, maybe for both parks; that will be a game-time decision) and run (not walk) straight to the new Harry Potter area (I have been looking forward to this since they announced it was being built); I'm hoping we can see everything there by early to mid afternoon; we'll then ride the Hulk, Spiderman, Jurassic Park and anything else that strikes us; if time permits and we have elected the two park pass, we'll head over to Universal Studios (we've been to Islands of Adventure but not Universal Studios); dinner is at Emeril's at CityWalk at 8:00 p.m.; after dinner we'll check out Universal's other two hotels, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific
Sunday, September 12, 2010: I'll attend the Travel Blogger Conference and The Trade Show at the convention center; hubby will watch football somewhere at CityWalk; we'll meet back up for happy hour and dinner though we haven't yet decided where to go (we are considering Mama Della's at Portofino Bay for Italian or Margaritaville at CityWalk for seafood)
Monday, September 13, 2010: I'll attend The Trade Show probably until noon or so; we will then drive to Downtown Disney to hit Basin and World of Disney and have lunch (probably at the bar at Fulton's); our flight leaves at 5:20 p.m. so we'll leave for the airport about 3 p.m.
I'm counting the minutes! I plan to do a blog entry each day we are there and will also post a trip report when we return. I hope to also post photos but we just got the USB cable that allows me to download directly from the camera so we'll see how that goes.
off at the pet resort. (A friend was going to keep him but will be out of town for the first couple of days of our trip. He loves the resort so this isn't a big deal.)
