The Days are off. Live trip report

[jtlover]

We are off this morning 11.15 virgin flight to Orlando.

We went on the train to the airport and I would recommend it, very relaxing way of getting to the airport. We stayed at the Travelodge central at gatwick which has been refurbed, used to be Mercure hotel. We paid £15 a room and it was very good, would definitely stay again. We got taxis to the airport which for the 4 of us was cheaper than the shuttle. Taxi was £10 each way.

We are sat in the No 1 lounge waiting to know when to go to the gate. We have been to the lounge before but it has changed and is not so good now, in my opinion so next time I will eat somwhere else and save my money. We did see John Stapleton in the lounge, news reader who used to be on GMTV think he was going on a business trip.

The duty free lounge is better now more selection and bigger. I bought a lipstick and my ysl mascara.

We are now at the point of just wanting to be in florida

We are then at all star movies for 2 nights and then on the Disney dream cruise and then at Saratoga for a week. Shane wants to be in toy story at all star movies as we have paid extra to be in either toy story or dalmatians so we will see.

Tomorrow we are going shopping as the outlets have labour weekend sale so no doubt will be busy. We will the go to grand Floridian for afternoon tea.

On Sunday we are eating at Ohanas for breakfast and then straight to the cruise

It looks like our plane will be leaving on time as the gates are open shortly. So au reviour and will update when I can

 

[karentan]

sounds awesome, we leave for the airport next week, cant wait!

 

[wayneg]

Have a great trip, look forward to updates

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

looking forward to hearing more .......... please

 

[wen-tom]

see you there

we leave on monday!.. although technically I leave home on sunday so i'm going to say i only have 1 more day

your plans sound very similar to ours, we are 3 nights at BCV then 3 nights on the Dream and then back to AKV

Have fun!

 

[Tony Toon]

Have a fantastic time. Will be following your updates with more than just a little bit of the green eyed monster. (would love to do a Disney cruise again).

Mrs TT

 

[queendisney]

have a fantastic time...

we will be joining you on Monday but are staying at Gatwick on Sunday so we only have one more day!!!!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Have a wonderful trip

 

[Debbyt28]

I'll be there Monday but leaving home Sunday to stay at premier lodge in Manchester

 

[Mouseketeer1974]

have a wonderful trip - we're still in the post trip blues phase (where is the green eyed monster smilie????)

 

[tinkerpea]

Have a amazing time!
hope you have a smooth flight with no delays looking forward to hearing about what the flight was like as we are going with Virgin for the 1st time since i was a child!..

Hope the weather is fab for you

 

[jtlover]

Can't believe I am still up. It is 909 pm and we have been to downtown Disney to look round the shops and ate our first Earls. We then went to Walmart to get some cans. Need to go to bed soon.

Ponderosa in the morning on international drive followed by lots of shopping.

I have to say impressed with the rooms at all star movies. Never stayed in any value hotels and we like it, but only here for 2 nights. I don't think I could stand the buses from this hotel though so would drive everywhere if we stayed here again. Beds are comfy.

 

[jtlover]

By the way wasn't impressed with Alamo wasn't able to go to the machines it isn't work had to go to the counter. They tried to make out that last year we had the extra insurance, as if!!,!, I politely declined but it was annoying tactics

 

[happyj]

Have a magical time

 

[jtlover]

Ok this isn't good, I am wide awake and it is 12.56 here and 5.56 with you at home I need a few more zzzzzzzzs but I seem to be wide awake

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

Ok this isn't good, I am wide awake and it is 12.56 here and 5.56 with you at home I need a few more zzzzzzzzs but I seem to be wide awake

Damn that jetlag !!! Hopefully as you haven't posted anything else you've managed to get back to sleep ..... enjoy your shopping .... at least you'll probably get an early start on those Labor Day sales

 

[wayneg]

Hopefully you are asleep now.
Don't think the Alamo machines work with UK DL, I tried and didn't for me, seen many posts saying the same. Did you fill in their save time?if the machine doesn't work you can go direct to the garage kiosk if you did. When we arrived there was no-one at the desk so didn't bother but we had that option.
I have got to quite enjoy their sales tactics, there isn't a chance of getting any extra out of me.

 

[jtlover]

It is now 4.30 and I don't think there is chance of getting back to sleep, feel like a 5 year old on Christmas morning. WE ARE IN DISNEY

We are going to ponderosa for about 7 and can chill and eat lots before the shopping

Seems weird that we are not going in the parks until we are back from the cruise, we seem to be doing it the opposite way round to what everyone else does

Wayne getting through immigration took 35 minutes as we seems to come in at the same time as the Manchester flight. But we were out of the airport fairly quickly after that: the Alamo tactics are funny but when you are tired you just want to go I think he realised he wasn't getting anything else out of me

 

[2Tiggies]

It is now 4.30 and I don't think there is chance of getting back to sleep, feel like a 5 year old on Christmas morning. WE ARE IN DISNEY

Good to hear you arrived safely. Can't say I've ever had a problem sleeping on arrival night as we usually stay out until around 11 pm or so and sleep solidly until around 5 or 6 am. I have a different problem on day one: waking up I never know where the heck I am

 

[wayneg]

Wayne getting through immigration took 35 minutes as we seems to come in at the same time as the Manchester flight.

I think its a daily race to see who gets there first, we were on the MAN flight in July just as we were pulling into the gate we saw the Gatwick flight touching down so we got a 5 min start thru immigration plus being in PE we were first thru with no wait. Touchdown to leaving the garage was 40 mins, I bet that never happens again.

Good to hear you arrived safely. Can't say I've ever had a problem sleeping on arrival night as we usually stay out until around 11 pm or so and sleep solidly until around 5 or 6 am. I have a different problem on day one: waking up I never know where the heck I am

Same with us, we struggle to stay awake, force ourselves to stay up til after 10 (prefer 11 if we can) then a good early start on first day.