Welcome back
- you made it...I hoped you would!
So many thanks for all of your ongoing reading and messages about this trip report - as much as I posted on earlier days as to how difficult it was to post in the current circumstances, until I had received a number of messages I had not fully understood just how much comfort all of these ramblings and pictures are giving amidst so many cancelled holidays.
As I have replied, I share the understandable heartbreak that happens when all your planning and Disney Dreams are shattered. I feel so much for everyone with holidays already cancelled and everyone booked for July, August and September who are on a Knife Edge and totally unsure of what happens. x
If you missed a big park day which was
Day 18 you can read it here
The whole index for 2019 and a link to all of the previous years of shenanigans is here
For all of those reading and simply wondering when it would happen -
Welcome to Day 19
Sunday 11th August 2019
With the annual challenge firmly set and a very early start, three of us chose to get up very early and prepared ourselves to sweat from places you never thought possible.
Yes – time for golf at the very wonderful free Disney Ultimate Ticket option that is Oak Trail
As always, this becomes a bit of a bargain- just $33 for my club and trolley rental.
The boys get free club hire and rental.
For anyone interested, the rental clubs were top quality Taylor Made M4 irons and woods together with a Taylor made Spyder putter. You might think that such detail is not needed but having played here over a number of years, it has cost us three golf trollies when we have been back in the UK. A Clicgear trolley a few years ago proved so good we now all have one!
Josh already plays Taylor Made irons so I’m thankful that this won’t be a thought for future purchase!
As always, the welcome here was second to none, made to feel special and a huge fuss made of the boys – well worth noting as both of them have become so much better at this game than me and with my previous round of golf being exactly a year ago I was ready for what was to follow.
Clubs all set and the cheap balls bought from Walmart ready to get lost!
On the tee…
It was so hot, the ‘feels like’ temp was 44° c and the actual temperature was around 39° c. and it was just 8.50am!
Put into real terms, it was difficult to even keep a hold of the club, and the many bottles of water we had brought with us were about to get a hammering rather quickly!
For the record- I parred the first and that was about it!
The boys played well and whilst Josh made full use of the golf balls bought, by losing a couple, Joe kept it straight and never lost a ball, he also ensured he wound Josh up by nearly beating him on gross score – which was some feat as his golf handicap is double that of Josh.
By the time we finished we once again realised just how draining this walking course can be, great fun but you frazzle and even on our final hole challenge of nearest to the Pin, there was a shared relief when the final putt was holed.
No matter how much water you take on board, the sweat levels on the golf course become the biggest test of all. I know that does not make for polite reading but it is the only way to describe the feeling!
A quick stop in the golf shop for the aircon plus a stop in the locker room too, where each winner of the old Disney Classic has a locker in their name. We always have to go , just to see the locker of Payne Stewart. Never take a photo as I think it as too intrusive, but his locker is just a wonderful tribute to a man taken so tragically and so soon. Lovely hidden bit of Disney class.
From there the next problem was getting into the car - I had parked it facing the sun so everything was roasting in there - aircon to full blast whilst we grabbed the iced bottle of water from the cool box we had in the boot.
As always a great time was had by nearly all of us, I can't complain about my golf as if you have not put in any practice you get what you turn up with!
On the way back to the Villa, We stopped at the new Walmart on the 192, just by Lake Wilson Rd, to refuel in more ways than one!
A 42oz Coke for 89c and for petrol too! I normally don't like filling up at Walmart but needs must and this new petrol station was a couple of cents cheaper than the Wawa up near Championsgate.
The coke at super size was a laugh though- 89 cents - it was like giving it away!
Once back to a well rested, relaxed and sunbathing Alison, we regaled our stories of good, indifferent and just plain carp golf – at which point she simply turn up the music and stops listening!
The pool was a blissful and much needed cool down and as a flurry of texts were shared, we sorted out the rest of the day. No , those texts were with friends not the picture conjured up of us all texting each other around the pool!
Normally we are good for nothing after the golf, air con and pool usually just about does it. Not today though!
We had a quick lunch of hot dogs, what looks like BBQ chicken ( for Joe) more water before getting an Uber down to Orange Lake Resort on the 192.
I’m now getting to the stage where an Uber/ Lyft driver becomes a review of its own – Steven was the Disney lovers Uber driver – wonderful conversation and a fellow Disney enthusiast meant for some wonderful chat.
We arrived at Orange Lake at 1. 45pm
Our Dibb friends from that first family visit( and from Day 16 of this trip too
) had invited us down to Orange Lake for the afternoon, the place of Alison and I’s very first visit in 2002.
The place has certainly changed since then not just Orange Lake but that whole area of the 192 and down towards US27, unrecognisable and with so many more amenities and housing than you would ever though possible.
I found these pics online rather than taking a photo on arrival
Anyway bags packed with swimming stuff, a change of clothes and towels we were all set for a pool afternoon, when guess what happened…
The whistle sounded and thankfully just after we had got the beers in!
With a storm incoming we decided to sit it out and just enjoy the chat once more – as a result the time zipped away and with the thunder , rain and threat of lightning receding we were soon at 4pm – pool open, full sun and with an added bonus of an Orange Lake happy hour too
The pool at Orange Lake has a huge lazy river and it also allowed a great sharing of Rees’ new bit of underwater kit – I think all of these photos were gleamed from him sending them via WhatsApp – which then reminded me that we had not even unpacked our underwater camera at all!
Time passes quickly when you are having fun and today was no different – those golfing aches, pains and exhaustion exchanged for a blissful stint in the pool and having a great laugh with four children who were getting more drunk on each other’s company, than their parents who were enjoying a few beers and cocktails.
I have said before, but the bond that the four children share is such a special one, they spark off each other and even now an ongoing ‘streak ‘ on the social stuff exists – I love that.
In fact I would sit back as a now grumpy old git and acknowledge the time and effort they spend simply sharing everyday stuff and loads of amazing Disney stuff is one of those things that you only wish that 30+ years ago I had more than just a plug in phone at home that you had to phone people for a chat (or to be a pen pal with those who lived far away!)
At least the phone was push button and not a dial up one! As for pen pals, I’m not even going there – can you imagine that conversation with the kids – "You wrote a letter
"
"... and then waited for a reply possibly weeks later."
Anyway I digress once more – but I would acknowledge that they have a fantastic bond and I hope they manage to keep that friendship as it was all started by the Dibb !
As the evening began to draw upon us, we had a planning meeting!
We had intended on an evening at Millers just close to the East entrance to Orange Lake, however a curve ball option was tabled.
Chinese from next door to Publix and a beer and wine stop too.
Difficult choice, but having got showered and ready to do whatever, we opted for the takeaway option, with the thought of watching Happily Ever After from the balcony.
First job was to navigate the newly broken lift door – wasn’t us but it was funny!
The Rees drove us all down to Publix – well not all of us, Alison and Karen decided that wine was calling and the glasses from Epcot just days ago got another outing,
whilst the rest of us ordered the food at the Chinese and then raided Publix for beer , cider and more wine and soft drinks for the youngsters too!
It worked like clockwork, and a little look at how busy the car park at Millers was, reinforced what a good decision had been made.
We were back in the apartment with food and ready for fireworks , rather than in a queue for a table at Millers!
The view from here is obviously distant, however with the soundtrack playing you get a little closer to the magic and after the day we had enjoyed it was a perfect way to round it off. We also never got any decent pics as we were all eating at the time
You can also tell how hungry we were by this time as food photos were scarce. We did get a nice sunset one though!
Now as you can imagine the evening did roll on and amidst it all, we managed to watch the Premier League highlights from August 2019, which is the season that is still be played out now!
After that , we found the greatest hidden secret of everyone who watches sport in the USA, rained off baseball means for hours of empty screen time?
No way! – not when you have the world series of cornhole tossing to watch.
WOW! The simple detail is to chuck the bean bag in the cut out hole on the board.
The actual detail tells a whole different tale, different ways of throwing the ‘corn’ with or without spin/ rotation speed etc
Allowing bags to collect for extra points etc - this was enthralling stuff, no seriously it was addictively enthralling .
Keep reading for a future mention – but as both Neil and I discussed the intricacies of the game, we also noted just how this could challenge darts in the UK, a world tour perhaps?
No that was possibly just the wine starting to kick in!
The Uber was booked at 11.20.
Nearly 10 hours after we arrived and we could have stayed a whole lot longer, just one thing was stopping that – there were theme parks to be enjoyed!
We decide that we would meet up in The Studios tomorrow afternoon, – and in that moment we actually faced up to the fact we were nearly coming to the end of the Orlando part of this trip and that means that we need to wring every single minute out of what was left!
Another great Uber discussion on the way back about the UK and why we come over to the USA on holiday - after beer , wine and a political discussion that sent others in the car asleep, it was possibly best we arrived back at Lake Wilson Preserve when we did
We were all soon asleep.
Thanks for reading and
See you real soon for Day 20
You can read DAY 20 by simply clicking on these words