Has it really been 8 years - Home Time.

[boltyboy]

Trip Index

17th August 2012 - Home Time.

So the sad time has come when we must depart this fantastic place
We are up at 8 to do some last minute packing and get showered for our long journey home.
I go outside and take some early morning photo's, I always do this regardless of where we are holidaying.




While doing this I hear Esther shout "it won't all fit in! "
We did bring extra holdalls with us but even with these it still won't fit, so off to Walmart it is and pretty quick smart, we have to be out of the villa by 10!
On my return with a new suitcase Esther has practically emptied all the cases on the bed and re-packing. The new case helps and we manage to squeeze everything in... phew. I didn't think we bought too much but obviously we did.

After a bit of jigging around I manage to shoehorn the cases in the boot, we say goodbye to the villa and we are away by 10.15.
We head down H27 and onto the 192 to Dunkin Donuts at marker 5 next to the wizard store as Oscar calls it.
We get a box of Munchkins a blueberry muffin, hot choc for Esther a Dunkaccino for me and the boys have chocolate milkshake.
Oscar changes his mind about the muffin and wants a chocolate ring doughnut as we have already paid the guy serving us pops it in the bag for free which was really nice of him.
We eat our stuff inside then we are off to DTD for some last minute shopping.
We don't buy too much just a couple of aerial toppers and a glowing rope thing that Oscar saw during the evening at Epcot.
We still have plenty of time to burn so we get the river boat and go to POR for a look around. Esther and I stayed here in 1998 and to be honest it hasn't changed much just a name change really.





We have a drink and a good look around and before we know it its time to get on our way. The clouds are building so we decide to take the bus back to DTD whhich was a good idea because while we are waiting for the bus the heavens open.
We get back to the car by 2 and start the trip back to Tampa airport. The journey takes us about 1hr 20mins which was a lot quicker than the journey from TPA to the villa.
The car is handed over without a hitch and we check-in then head to Burger King for some well earned food. The service and food at BK was really good and that Whopper tasted so good, saves me eating airline food
We do a bit of duty free shopping to use up our remaining dollars, $15 for a bottle of vodka... bargain.




We board the flight and get pushed back on time, but there is a problem and the captain tells us we have to return to the stand because a light has come up telling him that the hold has been loaded incorrectly. After about an hour or so we get the all clear it was a faulty light and we are in the air.
It was a good flight I managed to watch American Pie Reunion which was laugh out loud funny and after Esthers recommendation Friends With Kids which was equally as funny.
I declined the food on the plane as I was still full but the choice was chicken curry or beef stew, Esther said the curry was ok.
We arrived at Gatwick a little late but we did make some time up during the flight. We had such a lovely greeting 'welcome back to the UK' from the passport person... NOT! The woman didn't even look at us, why do they have to be so rude? Total contrast to the welcome we got when we landed at Tampa.
We boarded the bus back to the car park, put the luggage in the car and headed round the M25 and back home.
It was a really hot day about 25° so it wasn't too much of a shock.
I managed to stay awake till 9.15pm before going to bed exhausted.

So a few thoughts and thanks to my fellow Dibbers.

Firstly thanks to Geoffa who advised people on a thread that you could get free cups of iced water at any counter service, without this advice we would have spent so much money on bottled water.

Thanks too for the advice regarding the express passes and staying at a Universal hotel. I think without the express passes we wouldn't have got half of the things done.

People who recommended restaurants was a great help too, we would never have gone to Mannys but glad we did.

And finally thank you all for reading and commenting it makes all the effort worthwhile

[angelcake71]

What a fantastic report... thanks for mentioning mannys and Ihop 2 places that have gone straight on my to do list.. for next time! really enjoyed reading this...

[P&S]

I have really enjoyed your trippie thank you so much for taking the time to write it

[kinski]

Really enjoyed reading all you trippies. Thanks.

[boltyboy]

Thanks everyone... really glad you have enjoyed reading.

[PrincessCastle]

Great trippie! Really enjoyed reading it. Thank you for sharing your holiday

[anniebee65]

Fab Trippie! So the question is...

When are you going back? Don't make us wait 8 more years for another trippie

[Guest]

Another lovely day.

[nickymouse66]

Great trippie I just read it all in one go - lovely photos & the food pics have made my mouth water! Thanks for taking the time & trouble

[Ariel's Mum]

Really enjoyed your trippie.

Thanks for sharing