The Lightning Mcqueen Trip - The night before.

Guest · 9 Apr 12, 04:06 PM

Hi All,

Ive not done a trip report before, so will do my best.

The Lightning McQueen Gang -

Me 31, Been DLP fair few times! Love Pluto

DP Shaun - 31 Been DLP once when he was 13, Doesnt remember much of it. (we both agree that 'Grumpy' has the most likeness to him

)

DS Harrison aged 4, huge 'Cars' mainly Lightning Mcqueen! Hence the trip title. Harrison's first time going, and the first time us all going as a family.

We went from 26th March to the 29th, Staying in the Cheyenne.

So the day/Night before... (sunday 25th)

We did'nt have a mad rushing day, I had packed all our things the night before, so today was more of taking our time to get ready and have a nice lunch before heading to the train station to get our train into London St Pancras at 3.25pm
So we went to the town, had Subway for Lunch (i love the Meatball one)
We treated Harrison to a Mac Donalds, as it was the last one he would be having in a while! wasnt planning on using it in Disney.

Did last few things around the house then headed to the train station, Its about a 10min walk from our house so we walked there as it was nice outside.
Train ride was uneventful to London, We had first class seats

So we arrived in London in style. It takes just over an hour to get to London, Harrison and Daddy played 'Cars' game on the Ipad, as i was seated on my own
I didnt mind to much, as i was double checking and going over everything in my head! - To late if i had forgotten anything though as was on our way. But all was ok

we had (well i) booked to stay at the Travelodge Royal Scotts Hotel about a 10min walk from St Pancras.
we Hadnt a clue where it was, so Shaun got out this little map on this Mobile to guide us! We soon found it after about a 15min walk with the bags and Harrison's little legs.

Well First impression of the TL, one word - DIVE

( And it really was)
Part of the left handside of the building while walking up to it was boarded up! - Huge ugly boards, like the windows had been smashed in! was thinking great start.
Check in was easy and done within about 2mins, the lobby area was really crowed though with loads of student tourists.

This is where the fun starts, we have room 400 and something, 4th floor! I hate lifts and do not ever use them. so found the stairs! for some reason Shaun wanted to use the stairs to

with all the bags... so let him get on with it!
Found our room, we booked a triple obviously with there being 3 of us

Once inside we seen two of the smallest beds ever! even putting them two together still wouldnt of made a single

. must of been like 1 foot and abit wide! Shaun started flapping straight away,But i wanted to check there wasnt a 3rd bed under one of the others a pull out one.
Then Shaun shouted out there wasnt even a spare quilt etc anyway!
The room was falling to bits, the cabinet the TV was on was falling to bits all the Drawers coming off., the walls were flithy! Bathroom sooo small! Couldnt fit me and Harrison in there unless one stoof in the tiny bath

just a real horrible room.
Shaun went off to reception and explained, came back ten mins later puffed out again (Why he wasnt using the lifts i dont know

) and had a new room for us! Now on the 5th floor.
So off we all go upstairs again!
We Find our room, it has 3 beds so thats a start. Still tiny ones but hey there were 3! ( I always try the TV straight away, as i like to sleep with it on) - wouldnt work! So shaun checks the lights, none of those worked and same with the kettle.
So the whole room had no power at all. Great

So it was my turn to go back down, explained to the guy on reception, Said no power at all but he kept saying "just the kettle not working then" Ermmmm No! everything. "so TV wont work" ermmm No! "lights work?" Again NOOOO i had already said NOTHING works! he just said give us 5mins and we will get the maintence man up to switch a switch somewhere in a box... somwhere in your room... somewhere...

We waited 10mins still nothing, Knock on the door! another guy looking round the room for a box with a switch couldnt find it! Then another man came looking for a box still no hope!
In the end 3 men in our room! but couldnt get anything working, none could find the mysterybox! one of the men was the duty manager and explained how sorry he was for all this! must of been a good hour or so when we eventually got in OUR room.
We went through some secret corridors witht he manager and the secruity guard person who was on the door of the Hotel when we first arrived.
They all took our bags!
Then we came out the 2nd floor! Which looked like a completely different hotel!

the corridors were different wooden walls and nice and clean.
He moved us to the final room thank god! But was much much better! a room that travelodges usually tend to look like Not a Hostel, The manager also gave us free breakfasts to due to the commotion!

- He was a nice bloke all in all.

This is the room we stayed in, in the end!

The secruity did explain to us that we were lucky to be moved, as the 4th and 5th floors of the TL are mainly used by students and gets very noisey and busy?! (thanks) we had a great escape then, By the state of the rooms, you could tell! I dont think housekeeping applied for those two floors.

There are some pics on Shauns ipad of the horrible rooms, will upload some soon.

So we unpacked a few things for the morning, we had arrived the Hotel about 5pm, It was now nearly 7pm and we were all hungry!

So had a look outside close by and couldnt see nothing good to eat, a kebab shop - No thank you.
So Mac Donalds saved us, (didnt want to go in another Mac Donalds already) only place we could see without walking to far from Hotel. So had a quick meal and headed straight back!

Gave Harrison his Cars sticker books etc to play with, we did that for a while and was all quite tired! Harrison fell asleep around 9.30pm, then me and shaun around 10.30pm... Had a good nights sleep though which was great

SO TIP OF THE DAY - Do not stay at the Travelodge Royal Scotts Hotel! Unless you can ask for a room upto the 2nd floor! maybe the 3rd (thats the floor we didnt get to experience) Higher than that be prepared...

I have learnt my lesson! I would rather save an extra 20 30pounds and stay at the Premier inn

I did pay �59.00 for the room! Wasnt even worth half of that! ...Ah well...

Day 1 Next...

fifi500 · 9 Apr 12, 04:28 PM

Thanks for the tip we will def avoid that hotel. Hope the rest of your holiday improves and I look forward to reading to reading about it. I love Dlp

Guest · 9 Apr 12, 06:15 PM

OMG!

Can't believe what a nightmare you had with the Travel Lodge - absolutely gobsmacked

but glad you got a good night's sleep in the end! Looking forward to hearing all about the magic you had with Mickey!

Melanie R · 9 Apr 12, 06:58 PM

I hope things get better! Looking forward to the rest of the report

Guest · 9 Apr 12, 07:17 PM

Poor Mrs Pluto

you had an awful start. When you are going to Disney everyone expects everything to be magical but the travel lodge didnt help.At least you had a good nights sleep

and everything got sorted in the end. I hope everything else went ok for you and you had a magical experience in Disneyland

**Gill H** · 11 Apr 12, 05:26 PM

What a nightmare hotel! Glad you got free breakfast though.

Maybe we need a "where to eat near King's Cross" sticky! There really is very little around. In the station there is a branch of Carluccios and a few other options (mostly pricey ones!) and just down the road there is a Pizza Express. Or the M&S Food in the station for a hotel picnic!

Guest · 13 Apr 12, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by fifi500

Thanks for the tip we will def avoid that hotel. Hope the rest of your holiday improves and I look forward to reading to reading about it. I love Dlp

Yeah i would only ever go ack as last resort! Thank you! - This was the only day which was like this thank god

Originally Posted by aliscrapper

OMG!

Can't believe what a nightmare you had with the Travel Lodge - absolutely gobsmacked

but glad you got a good night's sleep in the end! Looking forward to hearing all about the magic you had with Mickey!

Yes quite suprised i had a good nights sleep too! Think all the commotion wore me out

Originally Posted by Melanie R

I hope things get better! Looking forward to the rest of the report

Thank you! Yes this was the only day like this!

Originally Posted by Minnie2610

Poor Mrs Pluto

you had an awful start. When you are going to Disney everyone expects everything to be magical but the travel lodge didnt help.At least you had a good nights sleep

and everything got sorted in the end. I hope everything else went ok for you and you had a magical experience in Disneyland

Thank you Minnie, not the best of starts but i wasnt really classing it as start of our Hols yet, as we were still in London. So soon as we got on the Eurostar forgot all about the TL

Originally Posted by Gill H

What a nightmare hotel! Glad you got free breakfast though.

Maybe we need a "where to eat near King's Cross" sticky! There really is very little around. In the station there is a branch of Carluccios and a few other options (mostly pricey ones!) and just down the road there is a Pizza Express. Or the M&S Food in the station for a hotel picnic!

Yeah wasnt great, i know TL are basic anyway, but it was more like a hostel, def not worth the money you pay for it. Only the Location really.
Yeah that could be helpful, because without wondering to far, there was nothing near by. But there could of been somewhere good a few mins in a different direction. We prob should of done the M&S picnic in the end

9 Apr 12, 04:06 PM	#1
	9 Apr 12, 04:06 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	The Lightning Mcqueen Trip - The night before. Hi All, Ive not done a trip report before, so will do my best. The Lightning McQueen Gang - Me 31, Been DLP fair few times! Love Pluto DP Shaun - 31 Been DLP once when he was 13, Doesnt remember much of it. (we both agree that 'Grumpy' has the most likeness to him) DS Harrison aged 4, huge 'Cars' mainly Lightning Mcqueen! Hence the trip title. Harrison's first time going, and the first time us all going as a family. We went from 26th March to the 29th, Staying in the Cheyenne. So the day/Night before... (sunday 25th) We did'nt have a mad rushing day, I had packed all our things the night before, so today was more of taking our time to get ready and have a nice lunch before heading to the train station to get our train into London St Pancras at 3.25pm So we went to the town, had Subway for Lunch (i love the Meatball one) We treated Harrison to a Mac Donalds, as it was the last one he would be having in a while! wasnt planning on using it in Disney. Did last few things around the house then headed to the train station, Its about a 10min walk from our house so we walked there as it was nice outside. Train ride was uneventful to London, We had first class seats So we arrived in London in style. It takes just over an hour to get to London, Harrison and Daddy played 'Cars' game on the Ipad, as i was seated on my own I didnt mind to much, as i was double checking and going over everything in my head! - To late if i had forgotten anything though as was on our way. But all was ok we had (well i) booked to stay at the Travelodge Royal Scotts Hotel about a 10min walk from St Pancras. we Hadnt a clue where it was, so Shaun got out this little map on this Mobile to guide us! We soon found it after about a 15min walk with the bags and Harrison's little legs. Well First impression of the TL, one word - DIVE ( And it really was) Part of the left handside of the building while walking up to it was boarded up! - Huge ugly boards, like the windows had been smashed in! was thinking great start. Check in was easy and done within about 2mins, the lobby area was really crowed though with loads of student tourists. This is where the fun starts, we have room 400 and something, 4th floor! I hate lifts and do not ever use them. so found the stairs! for some reason Shaun wanted to use the stairs to with all the bags... so let him get on with it! Found our room, we booked a triple obviously with there being 3 of us Once inside we seen two of the smallest beds ever! even putting them two together still wouldnt of made a single. must of been like 1 foot and abit wide! Shaun started flapping straight away,But i wanted to check there wasnt a 3rd bed under one of the others a pull out one. Then Shaun shouted out there wasnt even a spare quilt etc anyway! The room was falling to bits, the cabinet the TV was on was falling to bits all the Drawers coming off., the walls were flithy! Bathroom sooo small! Couldnt fit me and Harrison in there unless one stoof in the tiny bath just a real horrible room. Shaun went off to reception and explained, came back ten mins later puffed out again (Why he wasnt using the lifts i dont know) and had a new room for us! Now on the 5th floor. So off we all go upstairs again! We Find our room, it has 3 beds so thats a start. Still tiny ones but hey there were 3! ( I always try the TV straight away, as i like to sleep with it on) - wouldnt work! So shaun checks the lights, none of those worked and same with the kettle. So the whole room had no power at all. Great So it was my turn to go back down, explained to the guy on reception, Said no power at all but he kept saying "just the kettle not working then" Ermmmm No! everything. "so TV wont work" ermmm No! "lights work?" Again NOOOO i had already said NOTHING works! he just said give us 5mins and we will get the maintence man up to switch a switch somewhere in a box... somwhere in your room... somewhere... We waited 10mins still nothing, Knock on the door! another guy looking round the room for a box with a switch couldnt find it! Then another man came looking for a box still no hope! In the end 3 men in our room! but couldnt get anything working, none could find the mysterybox! one of the men was the duty manager and explained how sorry he was for all this! must of been a good hour or so when we eventually got in OUR room. We went through some secret corridors witht he manager and the secruity guard person who was on the door of the Hotel when we first arrived. They all took our bags! Then we came out the 2nd floor! Which looked like a completely different hotel! the corridors were different wooden walls and nice and clean. He moved us to the final room thank god! But was much much better! a room that travelodges usually tend to look like Not a Hostel, The manager also gave us free breakfasts to due to the commotion! - He was a nice bloke all in all. This is the room we stayed in, in the end! The secruity did explain to us that we were lucky to be moved, as the 4th and 5th floors of the TL are mainly used by students and gets very noisey and busy?! (thanks) we had a great escape then, By the state of the rooms, you could tell! I dont think housekeeping applied for those two floors. There are some pics on Shauns ipad of the horrible rooms, will upload some soon. So we unpacked a few things for the morning, we had arrived the Hotel about 5pm, It was now nearly 7pm and we were all hungry! So had a look outside close by and couldnt see nothing good to eat, a kebab shop - No thank you. So Mac Donalds saved us, (didnt want to go in another Mac Donalds already) only place we could see without walking to far from Hotel. So had a quick meal and headed straight back! Gave Harrison his Cars sticker books etc to play with, we did that for a while and was all quite tired! Harrison fell asleep around 9.30pm, then me and shaun around 10.30pm... Had a good nights sleep though which was great SO TIP OF THE DAY - Do not stay at the Travelodge Royal Scotts Hotel! Unless you can ask for a room upto the 2nd floor! maybe the 3rd (thats the floor we didnt get to experience) Higher than that be prepared... I have learnt my lesson! I would rather save an extra 20 30pounds and stay at the Premier inn I did pay �59.00 for the room! Wasnt even worth half of that! ...Ah well... Day 1 Next... Edited at 04:56 PM.

9 Apr 12, 06:15 PM	#3
	9 Apr 12, 06:15 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	OMG! Can't believe what a nightmare you had with the Travel Lodge - absolutely gobsmacked but glad you got a good night's sleep in the end! Looking forward to hearing all about the magic you had with Mickey!

9 Apr 12, 07:17 PM	#5
	9 Apr 12, 07:17 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	Poor Mrs Pluto you had an awful start. When you are going to Disney everyone expects everything to be magical but the travel lodge didnt help.At least you had a good nights sleep and everything got sorted in the end. I hope everything else went ok for you and you had a magical experience in Disneyland

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode