Keep Up With Papa Tour 2008 - Pre Trippie

[Carol_G]

WARNING MY REPORTS ARE ALWAYS WAY TOO LONG !

(Just nippping back in to say sorry for ths size of this and its prob not worth reading all the way through so here it is run down for you...

Me, family, Orlando. Yahoo, tickets, blah blah blah, pack case and take off. The End. There saved you 2 days of reading ! )


Bad title but can’t think of what to call it ? Maybe the no more limping tour? See dads description.

Also i dont have time to add lots of photos through this yet but if i get time later i will log on and do it.

Me – Carol Age: erm... ageless. Beautiful, Sexy, Confident, Smart, Witty, Tall, Slim and compulsive liar lol.
DH – Eddie: Age Grumpy Old Fart. Can’t be bothered with parks would rather golf all day. Yawn.


Eddie and I, not the best photo in the world but the most recent with us together - March.


DS1 – Edward: Age 18. Happy to be going back this year as his girlfriend is joining us and won't spend all his time on MSN chatting to her like last year.
Sarah – Age 17: DS1’s GF is so excited she is going to burst. First time to the magic !


Edward & Sarah last year !


The real Sarah

DS2 – Stephen: Age 16. Loves Orlando as much as me and is being dragged for autographs by his GF.


Stephen with Sophie on last years holida- this boy is never in a photo alone!

Siobhan – Age 16. Been once when she was wee. Again excited she is going to pop but really needs a lesson on Disney Characters ! I foresee lots of fun ahead when we lie about who is who during our character meals.


Siobhan at her prom

Mum – Kathleen: Age Oil of Olay. My wee mum, really needs this holiday so much and i am glad to be able to take her. Can’t wait to get her back and see her smile.

Dad – Billy: Age: Pre-Historic. Been a ton of support for mum last few months and deserves this too. Just had 2 hips replaced so this will be his first pain free visit to Orlando in 12 years! Paranoid at leaving the dog behind.


Mum & Dad in Mexico last year.

Niece – Holly: Age Teenager! Loves loves loves WDW, I taught her well. Has not been since she was 5 and I took her. Counting down the seconds.


Holly

Now, some of you may remember the end of my TR from last year and how i said that Christopher DS2’s friend was coming back with us.

Well he is not as Chris is going away 2 weeks after i come back with his mum on holiday to Turkey and taking DS2 with them. So Chris couldn’t get the time off work and considering he works for my husband is bad news. See Eddies age description!

Pre Trip Report

Ok where do I start. Normally i would have my Itinerary here but i don’t have one !
Some of you know that i recently treated myself to a new home in Orlando (yay) well this trippie is going to circle around that. I will try not to have too much in here about the villa as that will bore the life out you but we have planned fun days out too so i promise to keep to those times.

Some background though – short and sweet:

We always wanted to buy, I booked a long weekend for me and Eddie to go to Orlando for HIS birthday in February 2008 and HE bought a Villa. Happy Birthday Eddie!


Did you see what I did? I am a genius. All i had to do was remind him of the glorious golf and that did it. Wish I knew it was going to be that easy 12 years ago! Anyway after Novembers eventful trip a long weekend to the magic was needed.

This year has been eventful to say the least and it all started on my birthday in March and if you know what i am talking about you will understand and nod. I am not the grim reaper as the nickname i ended up with says but it just seemed that people i knew, or loved either left this earth or had a close call to it.

The one person i miss the most is my wee gran, hence why my mum needs this. It was hard on us all but she wakes up every day and gran is not there, she stayed with mum. 3 weeks down the line and she is doing well. I told gran i would take her to see my house but after gran took ill in March – our birthday, she bounced back only to catch a hospital bug that snatched her from us. So although my gran is now not coming to Orlando with me i am taking a part of her, her favourite musical box that plays her favourite tune, Eidleweiss (sp?)and it will get pride of place in my house during my visit.

Ok enough of the morbid stuff, and if i had to write about everything this year i would miss my flight! I kept some notes whilst i attempted to make some sort of plan !

[Carol_G]

[The Planning

Tuesday May 6th 2008

Ordered Preferred Annual Passes - $3000 for 6 of us. Pick up from Will Call

I couldn’t for the life of me get to buy these online so I phoned them. The Cm I spoke with told me they didn’t ship to the UK but I know that for $10 they would Fed-Ex the voucher but I really couldn’t be bothered with the hassle and accepted Will Call.

I then ordered 3 WDW Ultimate 14 day Passes - Ł492 ATD and was told it would be a 7-8 days delivery.

Finding it murder not being able to plan ADRs, Discovery Cove, Itinerary as right now at this point I don’t know when I am flying out to Orlando! I know I am going end of July or early August but until we get notification of an exact closing date on the house we are in limbo.

So far flight with Virgin, BA or Continental are between Ł800 and Ł1100 each for the dates I want – ish as I don’t know the exact dates.

Sent email to Park Square asking if any closer to a date yet so I can book!

The whole what tickets to buy thing. What this means is WHAT TICKETS TO BUY ARRGGHHHH !

(see prices in notebook) - This here implies I kept a note of all the different prices for the passes from all the usual suspects and I did. I just checked the notebook and I don’t have them. I must have tore them out when I was getting rid of half the bumph in there

So anyway,

Do we do DC and the 14 days at BG, SW and Aquatica. Im not caring about BG and neither is Eddie. Aquatica ? Not really as I love BB and after reading some reviews on Dibb Im put off a bit. Kids and mum want to go to both though.

Seems a better deal to do it this way if we are going to do DC and buy US tickets seperate, but do we buy Preferred AP’sfor Universal at $189.95 plus sales tax with discounted food and drink - non alcohol, parking inc and 1 years entry.

Normal Power pass has blackout dates, Christmas week, New Year, some in June and July and March.

Preferred Power pass includes HHN ticket as well as golf balls and discounted hotels, upgrades, and Express pass entry to all the rides which is a fab extra but only after 4pm. Not sure thats worth it as we won’t be there for HHN this year and unsure of when we are going next year. After 4pm the rides are quieter anyway too.

Should we get DC plus 14 days at SW, BG and AQ and buy Preferred AP?

Or Orlando Flexi ticket plus and never mind DC?

If we went to Discovery Cove I would do a non swim at DC as would others. Should we get a Cabana ?

Phoned mum and spoke over phone but she cant work out what I’m saying in her head, I am confusing myself never mind her at her age.

So excited but frustrated at the same time as I can’t plan a thing, don’t know who I’m flying with or from.

I never do this, I like to be organised with and normally am booked months in advance and ADRs are madeat 180 day mark . Is it Free Dining when I go? Will I be able to get the ADRs I want by the time I get to book them?

I cant book cars either.

Got loads to do for villa as well that I cant get done, Need a date SO bad!

Mentioned passes to Eddie but he said ages to go yet. So I didn’t say anything but said I had spent 2 hours today getting them. 2 hours he said how blinking hard was it! He wasn’t moaning but he has no idea how hard it is to choose the right tickets lol

He said with planning I done in Nov for 16 of us I should know prices off by heart. WDW 14 day pass costs this and AP cost that - work out difference and voila! Look he said I done it in 30 seconds. I wanted to poke him in the eye right there and then.

I said it was Universal ones that were causing the hassle and he said I should know them too and although I did know the 2 day 3rd free pass I knew nothing about the annual passes plus Aquatica is new so SW passes are different from last time around. Men! To think as well that I let him buy me a villa just so he could golf, how ungrateful is he lol.

Spoke to Dad and he wants PAP for US and 2 park SW and Aquatica.

He wanted Busch this morning at his house when I nipped over but now as I don’t want to go he says he will miss it - we all do it or no-one as we all go together. Its not emotional blackmail he just wants to spend time with us. I think !

So I now feel bad that he is not getting.

So I either go to BG or I buy the 3 park ones for mum and dad. I could get kids ones too as mum wont do coasters they could take kids and they can ride with my dad.

Dad also said he is not caring about dolphin swim at DC.

Really don’t know what to do. HELP.

[Carol_G]

7th May 2008

Spoke with mum and dad and they said we will just pay at the gate for Busch if we have time to do it. So I ordered both mum and dads tickets today from Sea World website. I got them the SeaWorld and Aquatica “be a kid again” advance purchase tickets which were $79.95 each which is $159.90 for the 2 but adding tax on them brings them to $170.30.

I used the e-ticket option for quickness - I have been told on Dibb you can exchange this for real ticket at the gate.

Hate carrying big A4 bits of paper about as tickets.


9th May

Today in the post I received the 3 Ultimate tickets that were ordered for Siobhan, Holly and Sarah. Really quick service once again from ATD and once again real tickets not vouchers. Ordered 3 days before - great service. Tickets from ATD come in little wallets which are great because you can keep all your tickets together and its easy to find when you need to get your tickets out. Designs were The Invincables, Mickey, goofy and Donald on the Tea Cups and Mickey Donald and Goofy flying around the castle.

Last year I had 2 wallets. In one I had my Ultimate passes on one side of the wallet and in the other side my Universal ones. The other wallet contained the HHN, MNSSHP and MVMCP tickets.


20th May 08

The last couple of days I have been posting on the dibb about Universal Preferred annual passes and almost bought some but the website as playing up. I had heard about BOGOF and have been advised to wait until the last minute as usually the offer comes on during the summer so this is what I will do for us.

For the other 3 though that don’t want APs I need to get them passes for Sea World, Aquatica, and the Universal Parks. Siobhan, Sarah and Holly.

As my boys will have APs for Universal and with IOA being their fav park they may want to go to the park more than the 3 times and the buy 2 days get 3rd free tickets only allow 3 days. As the park is open late Eddie and I will be busy with villa things then I can imagine the boys maybe wanting to pop in here at night for the coasters with their girlfriends. So I decide the best tickets for the girls would be 14 day passes to universal. We got ones before that was a special offer pay for a 3 day ticket and get 14 days. I was looking for this again and its not on.

Guys sorry some ticket rambling coming up – keep up !

The 2 day with 3rd free is $117 each from the Universal site

3 park bonus ticket at $145.95 that gives 14 days plus Wet n Wild. We would never use Wet n Wild as we love WDW water parks but even just paying that little bit more give you 14 days admission to Universal IOA and Studios so would be worth it.

ATD is charging Ł75 FOR THIS TICKET

Sea World and Aquatica tickets would be $79.95 ea without tax from the SeaWorld website.
Atd are Ł49

So to buy the universal pass we wanted and the SW and AQ it would cost Ł124 for the girls to get 14 days at Universal, SW and AW that are only 7 days consecutive from the first day of use. That’s not really a problem as we will only visit SW and AW the once and to do them both within 7 days is fine.

However the Orlando Flexi Ticket which I have never bought in my life before - 12 visits down and I have not used this pass. We always get the ultimate for WDW, 3 days Universal and pay in at SW if we go - we haven’t been to SW in years though.


ATD are doing the OFT for Ł119 and Ł139 for the plus pass to include Busch. We don’t know if we are doing Busch yet so rule this out. Ł20 more isn’t much but it’s a waste if we don’t go.

I checked Theme Park Tickets Direct as well as other and they are coming in at Ł112. I used them last year for some of our passes - I needed 16 of each last year, but they were very slow at getting the passes to me and I had to phone them loads to chase them up. They told me they don’t hold the tickets that’s why there’s a delay . I was told 14 days when I ordered them but got them almost 2 months later. I had plenty of time to wait but still worried sick until i had them.

That’s when i used ATD and they price matched for me. This year I though about doing the same, phoned ATD and getting them to price match but I though I would give TPTD another chance to redeem themselves.

Phoned TPTD to say I didn’t have start date as you need to choose this on the website to order, what shall I do. They said it was only really so the theme parks could see how many people to expect at at time of year. She told me to choose the earliest date I thought we would be travelling to make sure the tickets got to me in time so I choose July 20th. The tickets are valid through to Dec 2008 anyway so it won’t matter when we fly out & activate them.

So I purchased 3 Orlando Flexi Tickets off the TPTD webiste at Ł112 ea. So saved Ł12 each ticket buying the flexi and it also means the girls will get 14 days unlimited admission not only to Universal parks but wet ‘n’ wild, Aquatica and Sea World.


I have 6 SW tickets here from last year that are valid to 2008. I am going to ask SW if its possible to upgrade them to annual passes. That will give Eddie the boys and I our APs plus 2 extra that I will give to mum and dad.

I will email them today and see what they say.

[Carol_G]

Saturday 24th May

We received an email today telling us that closing on house should be 25th July. Due to work we decide we cannot go over however until August as. We decide on a date of 16th August so Siobhan changes dates at work from August 1st to the 16th. Later that day Eddie decides to make it the weekend later a just incase the job he is finishing runs late . SO I text Siobhan again to get her to change her dates, poor girl what is he letting herself in for !


Monday 26th May

Spent morning running about doing the housey things so I could get sat down in front of PC to look for flights. How excited am I !?

I tried all the usual websites - best so far at this point is Globespan from Glasgow Ł484.98 or First Choice from Manchester at Ł530. FC is the better flight - not used globespan but I would imagine FC are better.

However Globespan is direct from Glasgow which is 40mins away from me compared to Manchester at 4hours away from me and Globespan I cheaper also. Virgin is still sitting at Ł607.40 from Manchester.


I emailed Val to see what she can come up with.

I was supposed to phone for an Illuminations cruise but we would only be 2 days into our holiday and would be too soon to do it, it will call on Wednesday I think.

I am however going to book some ADRs, I have no flights booked but I know when I am heading out. I will book a couple and they are easy changed if need be. If I can get availability that is.

I want 1900 Park Fare again - unsure whether to do breakfast again or the lunch.
Crystal Palace as usual. It’s a must.
I will also book Whisperin Canyon if I can too. Spend some time on Dibb and All Ears to check out reviews and menus on other restaurants.


Got prices from Val.

Need to make mind up if we go from Manchester Via philly then to Mco at Ł4158 or Continental from Edinburgh to Newark to MCO for Ł4899.01

I am thinking the flights from Edinburgh but not sure, needs to speak to the rest.


I can get globespan at Ł484 a flight from Glasgow to SFB for Ł4364.82 but wary about globespan after recent dibb threads about service and one about safety.

This is the nearest airport, less travel time and direct. What to do !

Waiting on Eddie coming home to discuss it.

Phoned ADRS and managed to get Princess Storybook in Epcot. This is a credit card booking I didn’t realise that as I only thought CRT was credit card so ran about like a loony whilst on the phone trying to find purse, Not in bag out of puff running about talking to CM and looking for it. Found it in the blinking kitchen drawer ! Forgot I threw it in there after paying for our Chinese last night!

Crystal Palace was a lot harder to secure 3 dates I gave I couldn’t get and and ended up with lunch on Sept 2nd opposed to dinner. 50s Prime Time was a no no on any date but i will keep trying for a cancellation. I managed to get 1900 Park Fare on the date I wanted but not the time. I wanted 10.30 and got 9,25 but beggars cant be choosers.


I still want another couple but not sure what or when. This villa is playing havoc with my planning!

Putting ADRs into thread on Dibb about whos eating where and see that SlinkyDog will be at Storybook on the same morning as us but 1 hours apart … I will look out for her/him though, If I walk past people saying slinky dog I hope I don’t get too many bad looks.

And I see that envoguemia is at 1900 park fare 25 mins before me so should still be there but I am not making a fool of myself trying to say that name !


Tuesday 27th May

Phoned WDW to try and get Coral Reef as I had tried to get it yesterday but I was disappointed when I couldn’t.

I decided today I would just phone up and give my full holiday dates, told the CM I don’t mind if its lunch or dinner lets see if we can get something. Nothing all the way to Sept 4th where they have 4.20pm or 8.20pm.

The latter is the best option but we would miss Illuminations and to be fair I want to try get my illuminations cruise at the end of my holiday so I thought, why now try and get it for this date. Dinner at Coral Reef then Illuminations Cruise! Perfect. Now I just have to work out when i can phone for the cruise.

I see that mad mackem is eating here on this night at and that would have been another dibber there on the same evening but we are eating too early for me too hijack another Dibb members table for hellos. You all got off lightly as you can see – i can talk !


Posted on the dibb for help with SeaWorld eating I fancy Backstage at Believe or Dine with Shamu, or
Shamu Rocks Dinner Buffet


I don’t know which one but I really like the idea of
Shamu Rocks Dinner Buffet


Lets see what the dibbers bring back.

The majority said Dine With Shamu. The Shamu Rocks dinner buffet is not on when we go so that one is ruled out now anyway. Also when booking Dine with Shamu it only said Seating 1. Dibbers said that means only 1 seating and we will be given a time when we turn up on the day.

[Carol_G]

Friday 30th may

Had to nip out this morning and really wanted to phone for Illuminations cruise at 12 noon so run about like a headless chicken to do what I had to. Left Tesco at 11.40am and thought there was no way I was getting home in time as its normally 20 min drive.

The gods were in my favour as once I got off the main road and onto the by pass there was hardly any traffic - plus I used the outside lane a couple of times. I pulled into my driveway at 11.57 ! Ran in house. Left my shopping in the car. Ran by the dogs who were attacking me for attention, grabbed the phone and rang direct to Disney not using the 1p a minute number and lines were still closed. YAY ! So dialled again using tele-discount number this time (1p a minute) and got connected to WDW, chose option 1 and then…… that blinking woman from tele discount spoke again, “calls to this number at charged at 1p a minute please enter the number you………aarrghhhhh ! It had dropped the stinking connection so dialled as fast as I could direct with WDW, lines open but its now 12.00 bang on. What’s my chances, well after holding for 5 mins and 27 seconds I was about to hang up when my call was taken. Hooray, I rattled of at hundred miles an hour, birthday, illuminations,cruise, please, only to be told it was sold out ! There was a wishes one available but I don’t want a wishes one. I want to cry.

Head outside and get the shopping and to cheer me up I opened a can of FULL FAT coke - shock horror, and a packet of chocolate finger biscuits ! See blinking speciality cruises, making me not stick to my diet.

I tell you if I keep getting told “sorry sold out” for the next 12 days I still have left to try I am going to be a half stone heavier before I even get there !

There’s always tomorrow, so plans are I am having my mobile, Eddies mobile and the house phone all ready to go at 11.58am. Surely with 3 phones I can get through for a cruise? Lets see!


Cheered myself up by booking flights and having another chocolate finger Yum !

Opted for Globespan, I will try them. Wary, very very wary after reports recently but its direct from Glasgow and cheapest option so lets see what happens.

9 flights Ł460 ea something. Deposit paid and rest due on 14 June 2008,

Sat tonight and pre booked seats, I booked the 34” pitch seats at Ł50ea - for both ways, Ł25 a journey. It added Ł400 something onto my booking for 9 of them but sod it. I also done something I never do and took seats near the loos. I’m thinking though that we can recline here so may be better for snoozing. Fingers crossed.

Anyway the seats are supposed to be PE and they are 30” ? What’s that about, what the hell is economy seat pitch then? Ridiculous…30 “ That’s why I paid the Ł50 a person more just to get us 34”. I know Globespan is a budget airline but come on!


And on the way home I couldn’t get 2 of the same seats as they were taken so took 3 along the back of the loos and a set of 2. The other seats were 2 rows of 2 in front of the other row of 2 so if anyone wants to recline - a teeny wee bit then they are doing it onto one of our parties laps and not a strangers. See I am soo considerate.

All together now in PussyCat fashion …Don’t you wish your recliner was considerate like me… Don’t cha !

Went onto book meals. Mum went online from her house at the same time to lok at the meal choices, then chose her and my dads then hit confirm. I now can’t get into the meals to select everyone else’s as it says the meals have been selected for this flight. Crap, mum said sorry but I will try again later and if not I will phone up the Glasgow office and sort it out.

Also still no tickets from Theme Park Tickets Direct, Had problems with them last year having to chase tickets up that were very late but as I said earlier gave them the benefit of the doubt and ordered the Flexi Tickets off them this year. ATD sent tickets within 3 days, its now 10 days and no TPTD but I think website says 14 days so wont phone just yet.


Sat 31st May


TPTD flexi tickets arrived.
Tracy from last years trip report brought the tickets into me, the postman has never saw her before in his life and let her sign for them in the street! Hmmm. Our garage is being cleared today as we are having a games room fitted and the doors etc all need to come off house hectic and because of this I
forgot to phone for Illumination Cruise

Sunday June 1st.

Today I said over and over “Illumination Cruise” and constantly watched the clock.
Started phoning from 11.50am just incase the lines opened early. Not the 1p number again after last time. At bang on 12 the lines opened and I got through and got a cruise for Aug 30th.

I also managed to get the Yachtsman Steakhouse for the 9 of us for 5.50pm the same night. Plans are taxi, dinner, couple of drinks and cruise. Boardwalk then home. No Coral Reef before hand now, we will eat here just on a normal day.


Sunday June 8th

Should have phoned for illuminations cruise for Sept 6th but forgot again. This is Edwards 19th birthday. Whisperin Canyon Café is booked so we will just eat there as planned.

Booked our cars - Chrysler 300 and Dodge Durango 7 seater. I was going for 2 7 seaters but we really don’t need that for 9 of us. We thought the extra space would be good for luggage but I decided against it. If 3 of the kids go in the back of the Chrysler then I will have spare seats in the 7 seater I can put luggage into.

Monday June 9th

Phoned for Illuminations cruise and got it for September 7th. Mums birthday. Also booked Yachtsman’s Steakhouse for 5.30pm. Plan will be day at the pool maybe and then dinner, cruise and Boardwalk.

Nobody kows this cruise is booked apart from my Dad and Eddie. The boat will be decorated and it will be a triple celebration, Edward, Mum and Stephens birthday are days apart so this is for all of them

Posted on Dibb saying about to cancel Aug 30th cruise did anyone want it. I cant just give them the booking as we used a CC to secure it and if they didn’t turn up I would be charged for it. Safer to cancel then get them to phone up after I cancel.

Phoned Disney on 407 934 3160 and got put through to speciality dining where I ordered a birthday cake. Mickey Mouse at $45 saying Happy Birthday Edward Stephen and Kathleen. Vanilla centre. I could have had a larger one starting at $40 that came with butter cream, strawberry, chocolate, marble, etc etc but I thought the Mickey Mouse Cake would be better. Also ordered champagne at $55 a bottle. Very Cheap so hope its good !

Tuesday 10th June.

Spoke to Surann, dibber about cruise (Jacqueline) wants just to keep the ADR I have and promises she will turn up. What to do, not that I don’t trust her but I have been bitten before – so I speak to eddie ? Or not as he may say no, oh dear. I have her mobile number and her daughters, and know where she is staying.

What to do?

Also phoned Disney again to book beer I forgot to put on board the cruise. Eddie doesn’t like champagne. Asked what kind I wanted and I had no idea. He likes corona so ordered that and had to ask for lime as you cant have corona without a lime

Wedensday June 11th

Booked MNSSHP - I couldn’t go and miss it. Eddie moans but he will be fine!


Thursday June 12th

Another email from Car Hire 3000 regarding our cars. Chrysler 300 and durango. Booked originally with Virgin card but declined. Thought it may be as I had no confirmation.

I logged back in and re-entered card details but used our Visa this time, knowing there was enough in it to use. Email on 12th June saying that it had been declined again ?

Weird as i just cleared the balance and its at zero so I know it should have went through. I phoned them up and spoke to someone - should have asked name, he read the card back to me that I used to confirm it was my Visa and I entered details correct. He said I wont lose booking but I need to process card again. Im wary about entering another card now. I know the Visa is fine cause I bought MNSSHP tix with it yesterday and that’s the only thing on there. I have saved all emails and web pages incase we have a problem.

I logged in and re-done the payment again. Now I KNOW it should go through if it doesn’t I will need to contact the card issuer and check it out. I am waiting now to see if any confirmation of payment email comes through. Never used Car Hire 3000 before but now I am really worried.

[Carol_G]

This is where my notes stop ! Thank god you all say

Things started getting hectic here at home with stuff and the villa was due to close plus gran was released from hospital so I was visiting a lot.

I have yapped on enough so I will round it up a bit.

Eventually with the same card I had used already I eventually got a confirmed booking from Car3000 for the 2 cars.

However, Eddie is insisting I fly to Orlando early to start getting things together so when he flys out with the boys there will be less to do and hopefully more time to do things. I now see this as – You go out early, rush about, stress some more and I will fly over when a load of it as done.

I don’t change the flight just now until I see how my gran is and she id as bright as a button and in no danger. Brill ! I change my flights for me and Holly to go over. Eddie now worried I am driving but its his own fault for never letting me do it before.

Gran now takes very ill and things are put on hold, she passes on July 18th. I have had family staying with me for 2 weeks while we nursed her and life has been one horrible experience right now. She was out of it for the last wee while but she woke once and it was me she turned to and told me she loved me before giving me my usual wee slap on the face, she passed the next morning.

Mum decided last week she would like to come over early with dad too. I think it’s a good idea.

So once more I change the flights and I now remember to change one of the cars for a week longer.

I can also log in and choose the meals again!

The cases came out the loft on Saturday and I spent Sunday this week packing and here I am. Rushing this trippie to get it up before I run out of time. I am taking Eddie and the Boys luggage too with me so they will be travelling bag free, how cool is that! Only Siobhan and Sarah will have a bag each.

I am going to miss my wee hubby and boys like crazy and opening the door to our new home will not be the same, nor will awakening on my first morning in Orlando but they will be having a ball here and I don’t mean work, I mean me not moaning at the mess they make. I can see it now, one week of shoes being kicked off anywhere and not put away in their wardrobes, papers not put in bins, dirty dishes! OMG. The smell !

My poor wee dogs, off to kennels for the first time ever too. I just hope they remember to drop the dogs off and take their things with them.

Next on my list is a list to put up for my lot at home. Lock doors, set alarm, take all the plugs out etc etc.

I don’t know what worries me more, driving in the US, flying or my house being turned upside down here.

So thanks for reading and I am sorry it was not as witty as is should have been but I kind of rushed it.

Dibb meet on Aug 26th at DTD so looking forward to dragging my lot out to that. I look forward to meeting Sue as well who has an Illumination Cruise booked the same night as me Sept 7th.

Get your running shoes on lady lol.

A wee reminder in my bag to get a shirt for my favorite snappers son on the promise of Singing Kettle photos ha!

Catch up with Surann as we have not spoke in ages and we had decided to let her use the original booking number for Aug 30th to save any hassles. Need to make sure she still wants it as I only get to Aug 28th to cancel I think.

And last but not least MNSSHP and our costumes. I will dealing with these just before we lost gran and so far have done nothing about it. We opted for Wizard of Oz theme and also 2 of us are Aladdin and Jasmine. I did try to coax Eddie into wearing tights for Peter Pan but hes not having any of it – see age description lol.

I have probably missed tons out and will log in and add to this already far too long drivel. Speaking of which ……………….. HOI WAKE UP ITS FINISHED !
Oh and remember last years shoes encounter ? I am down to 11 pairs for this trip – go me but I have 35 tops packed instead. I am sure though that loads of you take more.

Ok I am really going this time, thanks for reading.

Oh no here I am again, the diet ?!?! Hmmmmph, what diet, so look out for loads of photos of me with my head only in them and no I will not be stuffing my face !

See ya

Xx

Ps. Decided to call it the no more limping tour just now but I will index my reports incase I change the name !

[Carol_G]

Come on. Who's going to admit logging in and thinking OH MY GOD i am NOT reading that and hitting your back browser

[Guest]

Great pre-trippie Carol. Look forward to meeting you at DTD on the
26th. Don't worry about taking to many clothes, that the beauty of having your own villa, you can leave clothes and other bits like personal towels, tools and tea bags, always take tea bags, in the owners lock up. Take care and have a safe journey. Meet you soon x

[richandlynn]

Sorry about your Gran. It sounds like you need and deserve a holiday. Have fun and I hope everything goes well with your villa

[purple myra]

OMG!
Jake came in from work and I looked up and said 'hiya, be with you in a minute'... that was half an hour ago!
that was one long pre Trippie missus, but it was a belter, can't wait to read all about the villa and all the shenanigans you lot get upto!

p.s 18th July is my birthday