truesdpr
22 Feb 08, 11:12 PM
As some of you may know I left work last September after 22 years and then hubby decided to leave in January after 37 years so this trip is our first with both of us in our new free agent status. We had already booked most of it before Bill decided to leave but it has kind of turned into a bit of a marker between our old stressful lives and our new more relaxed (we hope!) future.
I don't normally do much of an itinerary as we tend to have lots of space that we slot things into so on a lot of days I have simply put "park" and we will decide which one on the day. We have APs for the main parks so we can mix and match as the mood takes us and slot in shopping and time round the villa pool if we feel like it but we do like to have a framework. DH gets a bit panicky if it looks like every minute is accounted for so I like to leave lots of gaps. Same goes for restaurants - we have some booked but I have slotted others in and these are all interchangeable depending on how we feel on the day. We've foudn over the years that we are better not to have the full on American breakfast experience so we tend to restrict that to one or two days preferring to save ourselves for the evening meals. DD will have her fill of mini bagels at the villa and we'll tend to have some juice and fruit - very healthy!!! and a snack at lunch depending on where we are.
Added to all of this I was lucky enough to get 3 UC seats on our flight to Miami with Virgin miles so we are upgraded on the outward flight and have also booked the Virgin limo on arrival for another 12500 miles to take us to the hotel. Still keeping our fingers crossed for a return upgrade but no joy yet!
Wednesday 26/03 - Overnight at Jury's Heathrow
Thursday 27/03 - VIP meet & greet at Terminal 3 and Clubhouse Lounge until VS005 at 09:20. Limo pick up at Miami and off to Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beachfront. Dinner at Bubba Gumps.
Friday 28/03 - Day around Fort Lauderdale. Quick trip to the Galleria Mall. Dinner at Capital Grille.
Saturday 29/03 - Taxi to Port Everglades to board Navigator Of The Seas for 5 night Caribbean cruise. Dinner in main dining room.
Sunday 30/03 - Day at Sea. Dinner at Portofino.
Monday 31/03 - Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Jamaican Dogsled Team Encounter excursion with Dunns River Falls and lunch at Margaritaville. Dinner in main dining room.
Tuesday 01/04 - Georgetown, Cayman Islands. Stingray City excursion. Dinner in main dining room.
Wednesday 02/04 - Day at Sea. Dinner in Chops.
Thursday 03/04 - Disembark at Port Everglades. Pick-up rental car from Budget and drive to villa at Suridge Woods. Steve(highlander447),Jacquie & family coming round to the villa for the evening and some dinner - I'm sure a few celebratory sherbets will be comsumed.
Friday 04/04 - Animal Kingdom chosen by Olivia as the first park purely for Everest. Will probably come back to the villa by lunchtime and have some time by the pool. Dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse with Steve, Jacquie & family followed by IllumiNations cruise for Danny's birthday.
Saturday 05/04 - Fantasy Of Flight (http://www.fantasyofflight.com/)for Mustangs & Mustangs event. This one is for Bill - we're just along for the ride! Dinner at Manny's (http://www.mannyschophouse.com/)
Sunday 06/04 - Park first thing and then up to Winter Garden village for a bit of shopping. We are out this evening with our friends Ray & Margaret to celebrate Ray's birthday. Venue yet to be decided.
Monday 07/04 - Seaworld in the morning and may do a bit of afternoon shopping with early dinner at URL="http://www.cafetututango.com/menu.html"]Cafe TuTu Tango[/URL]
Tuesday 08/04 - Park in the morning, afternoon at the villa and dinner at Red Lobster (http://www.redlobster.com/)
Wednesday 09/04 - Early check-in to Portofino Bay Hotel for 2 nights. Over to Islands of Adventure - may have lunch at Mythos. Universal Studios in the afternoon and evening either in the park or at CityWalk. Probably a snack for dinner if we eat at lunchtime or perhaps a small Margarita at Jimmy's.
Thursday 10/04 - Poolside cabana at PBH. Ray & Margaret comig over in the afternoon and then we will all be having dinner at Mama Della's in the evening.
Friday 11/04 - Check ou to PBH and may go over to the park. Back to villa mid morning for a bit of relaxation before going over to MK for the Pirate & Princes Party around 4pm. Dinner at Tony's Town Square ADR booked for 5.35pm.
Saturday 12/04 - Morning at villa after a late night. Afternoon in Epcot with ADR booked at Teppan Edo for 6.15pm.
Sunday 13/04 - Park probably MGM followed by some shopping and lunch at Earl Of Sandwich. Dinner to be decided. May have take out back at the villa tonight.
Monday 14/04 - Park probably Epcot. Dinner ADR booked at Raglan Road at 6.15pm.
Tuesday 15/04 - Breakfast at First Watch (http://www.firstwatch.com/menu.htm) at Winter Garden Village followed by shopping. Dinner to be decided but probably Columbia (http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/menu.asp) in Celebration for some tapas and a pitcher of that lovely sangria.
Wednesday 16/04 - Park - possibly Seaworld. back to the villa for the afternoon and then ADR for Wolfgang Puck Dining Room at 6pm.
Thursday 17/04 - Park - possibly Universal. Afternoon shopping and back to the villa for the dreaded packing extravaganza. Will likely have pizza in the villa for tea and review our holiday over a few glasses of red.
Friday 18/04 - No doubt there will be a quick jaunt to Animal Kingdom for Olivia's last ride on Everest and then back to pick up our things. Brunch at Market St cafe in Celebration followed by the drive to Miami. Last walk on the beach at Fort Lauderdale and a teatime snack at Lulu's Bait Shack before heading to Miami Airport to check-in for our flight to Heathrow. Till the next time........... October '08.
I don't normally do much of an itinerary as we tend to have lots of space that we slot things into so on a lot of days I have simply put "park" and we will decide which one on the day. We have APs for the main parks so we can mix and match as the mood takes us and slot in shopping and time round the villa pool if we feel like it but we do like to have a framework. DH gets a bit panicky if it looks like every minute is accounted for so I like to leave lots of gaps. Same goes for restaurants - we have some booked but I have slotted others in and these are all interchangeable depending on how we feel on the day. We've foudn over the years that we are better not to have the full on American breakfast experience so we tend to restrict that to one or two days preferring to save ourselves for the evening meals. DD will have her fill of mini bagels at the villa and we'll tend to have some juice and fruit - very healthy!!! and a snack at lunch depending on where we are.
Added to all of this I was lucky enough to get 3 UC seats on our flight to Miami with Virgin miles so we are upgraded on the outward flight and have also booked the Virgin limo on arrival for another 12500 miles to take us to the hotel. Still keeping our fingers crossed for a return upgrade but no joy yet!
Wednesday 26/03 - Overnight at Jury's Heathrow
Thursday 27/03 - VIP meet & greet at Terminal 3 and Clubhouse Lounge until VS005 at 09:20. Limo pick up at Miami and off to Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beachfront. Dinner at Bubba Gumps.
Friday 28/03 - Day around Fort Lauderdale. Quick trip to the Galleria Mall. Dinner at Capital Grille.
Saturday 29/03 - Taxi to Port Everglades to board Navigator Of The Seas for 5 night Caribbean cruise. Dinner in main dining room.
Sunday 30/03 - Day at Sea. Dinner at Portofino.
Monday 31/03 - Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Jamaican Dogsled Team Encounter excursion with Dunns River Falls and lunch at Margaritaville. Dinner in main dining room.
Tuesday 01/04 - Georgetown, Cayman Islands. Stingray City excursion. Dinner in main dining room.
Wednesday 02/04 - Day at Sea. Dinner in Chops.
Thursday 03/04 - Disembark at Port Everglades. Pick-up rental car from Budget and drive to villa at Suridge Woods. Steve(highlander447),Jacquie & family coming round to the villa for the evening and some dinner - I'm sure a few celebratory sherbets will be comsumed.
Friday 04/04 - Animal Kingdom chosen by Olivia as the first park purely for Everest. Will probably come back to the villa by lunchtime and have some time by the pool. Dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse with Steve, Jacquie & family followed by IllumiNations cruise for Danny's birthday.
Saturday 05/04 - Fantasy Of Flight (http://www.fantasyofflight.com/)for Mustangs & Mustangs event. This one is for Bill - we're just along for the ride! Dinner at Manny's (http://www.mannyschophouse.com/)
Sunday 06/04 - Park first thing and then up to Winter Garden village for a bit of shopping. We are out this evening with our friends Ray & Margaret to celebrate Ray's birthday. Venue yet to be decided.
Monday 07/04 - Seaworld in the morning and may do a bit of afternoon shopping with early dinner at URL="http://www.cafetututango.com/menu.html"]Cafe TuTu Tango[/URL]
Tuesday 08/04 - Park in the morning, afternoon at the villa and dinner at Red Lobster (http://www.redlobster.com/)
Wednesday 09/04 - Early check-in to Portofino Bay Hotel for 2 nights. Over to Islands of Adventure - may have lunch at Mythos. Universal Studios in the afternoon and evening either in the park or at CityWalk. Probably a snack for dinner if we eat at lunchtime or perhaps a small Margarita at Jimmy's.
Thursday 10/04 - Poolside cabana at PBH. Ray & Margaret comig over in the afternoon and then we will all be having dinner at Mama Della's in the evening.
Friday 11/04 - Check ou to PBH and may go over to the park. Back to villa mid morning for a bit of relaxation before going over to MK for the Pirate & Princes Party around 4pm. Dinner at Tony's Town Square ADR booked for 5.35pm.
Saturday 12/04 - Morning at villa after a late night. Afternoon in Epcot with ADR booked at Teppan Edo for 6.15pm.
Sunday 13/04 - Park probably MGM followed by some shopping and lunch at Earl Of Sandwich. Dinner to be decided. May have take out back at the villa tonight.
Monday 14/04 - Park probably Epcot. Dinner ADR booked at Raglan Road at 6.15pm.
Tuesday 15/04 - Breakfast at First Watch (http://www.firstwatch.com/menu.htm) at Winter Garden Village followed by shopping. Dinner to be decided but probably Columbia (http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/menu.asp) in Celebration for some tapas and a pitcher of that lovely sangria.
Wednesday 16/04 - Park - possibly Seaworld. back to the villa for the afternoon and then ADR for Wolfgang Puck Dining Room at 6pm.
Thursday 17/04 - Park - possibly Universal. Afternoon shopping and back to the villa for the dreaded packing extravaganza. Will likely have pizza in the villa for tea and review our holiday over a few glasses of red.
Friday 18/04 - No doubt there will be a quick jaunt to Animal Kingdom for Olivia's last ride on Everest and then back to pick up our things. Brunch at Market St cafe in Celebration followed by the drive to Miami. Last walk on the beach at Fort Lauderdale and a teatime snack at Lulu's Bait Shack before heading to Miami Airport to check-in for our flight to Heathrow. Till the next time........... October '08.