"Dont worry - It will be worth it!" Pre Trip November 2013

[MissAddictive]

We Are Actually Going To Florida

Who are we?
Hello
I have been fighting the urge to write this pre trip since we booked back in April 2012. I figure now we are in 2013, its acceptable right? Please be gentle with me, i have never done anything remotely similar to this before and im not 100% i even know how to upload pictures on here successfully... time will tell.
Ive been an avid reader of many trip reports for the past couple of years, getting inspiration from Sarahewoods, Libby, James and Mel and more recently Klang_kat and Emma and Scott (minus the wedding of course) - theres many more ive enjoyed but these are the ones that stick in my head.

Me. Nataleigh. -



Seemingly i have no pictures of me either on my own or with my boyfriend - i will look to rectify this!

Ill be 28 at time of going - ive never been to Florida - actually ive never been out of Europe, except Turkey - im never sure if Turkey counts. I digress, this is my first trip long haul.
Self confessed Disney Junkie. My Favourite film is Tangled Ive been to Disneyland Paris twice, once on a day trip and 5 days in 2011 with my boyfriend and we stayed in Disneyland Hotel... I fell in Love
I will be your photographer - writer and planner of this trip.

Steve

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The boyfriend. He will be 36 while in florida. We have been together 7 years and this is our first long break away together. He has been to America, back when he was a teenager... im not actually sure where abouts he went... I do know it wasnt florida haha.
Steve isnt so into the Disney thing... (i know, shame on him) but he is looking forward to the non Disney parks and his birthday that we are spending at discovery cove. He hasnt had alot to do with the planning and he thinks im crazy for working out 180 days before we go so i can book our ADRs... Steve seems to think we can just rock up... no no no

The Plan

The plan started off simple... dont they all? - 2 weeks away staying somewhere on site... DDP and tickets. So i logged onto the official Disney site and started looking.
Decided on 2 weeks from the 10th - 24th November 2013 at the SSR in a 1 bed studio - with tickets and free DDP plus the $200 giftcard. Then i dont know if gluttony took over or spur of the moment, but i then upgraded to the deluxe disney plan, i happily paid my deposit and that was supposed to be it until the flights were released - famous last words.

Next up i ordered tickets for Universal studios (2 week unlimited) as its Steves birthday while we are out there i had planned to book a night at Hard Rock Hotel for one night while we are there, but then Steve expressed his desire for swimming with dolphins, so from here i booked 2x swim with dolphins at discovery cove for the 15th November including seaworld admission. Steves birthday covered i then decided i wanted to stay at Hard Rock Hotel anyway so booked this too. We are staying a double pool view room

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(im not sure how useful a picture of hotel is - but thinks it breaks up my writing a bit haha)

This is when the plan gets more than antipicated... hence the title of this pre trippy and the constant conversation in my house...
Steve: "you spent HOW much?"
Me "Dont worry it will be worth it"

Firstly i upgraded our studio apartment - for a 1 bed villa - i dont even know why.
I then saw an advert for a Disney cruise... my mind started working overtime and when looking at dates one sets sail the day we check out of SSR... before i even knew what had happened i had booked a 3 night cruise on the Disney Dream from the 24th November - 27th November.
We have booked a 05E - Deluxe Oceanview stateroom with Verandah - whatever that means.



So onto flights... first decision was who to fly with, Im in Scotland and Virgin do not fly out after October. British Airways would be indirect via london and United would be indirect via New York. We had pretty much decided on United and were waiting for flights to be released, when we (read i) decided that i couldnt go to New York without going to New York.
So from here we (i) decided a 3 night stay in staybridge suites in Times Square was completely reasonable.



Flights were then booked, we (I) decided we wanted to fly premium ecomony - something United werent able to provide, so in end ended up going with British airways booked through Charter Travel with Car hire as well.

So our simple 2 week holiday has turned into 3 weeks. We fly Premium ecomony from Edinburgh - JFK via Heathrow on the 7th November. Spend 3 nights at Staybridge Suites, while in New York i plan on doing all the touristy things - Top of the Rock - Statue of Liberty - Broadway - Ground Zero etc.
Then on the 10th November we fly to Orlando - pick up rental car and spend 2 weeks in 1 bed villa at SSR with 1 night at Hard Rock Hotel in the middle.

On the 24th November we will take car back to MCO and catch DCL bus to Disney Dream for 3 night Bahamian cruise, then flight back 27th evening to get us back to Scotland (via london) for 28th.


I dont even want to add up everything weve spent - we only have SSR to pay off - plus little extras and spending money. Ironically the first thing i booked is last thing to be paid off.
But everytime i think about it i just think "Dont worry it will be worth it!"

Thanks for reading

Dicovery Cove & Cruise Update
New York Update
ADRS and Plans
Couple Of Musts
Shopping
16 Days To Go

[sth270355]

wow this will be fantastic! Afterall, you only live once... do these things whilst you can

Looking forward to the detailed planning now

[disneydaft70]

WOW what a trip! You've got everything in there I would love to do...excellent choices

Hope you don't think I'm being cheeky but I have put a post up already asking if anyone would be interested in a photopass share? How do you feel about it?

JA x

[MissAddictive]

Originally Posted by sth270355

wow this will be fantastic! Afterall, you only live once... do these thing whilst you can

Looking forward to the detailed planning now

See more...

My boyfriend keeps panicing every time I mention Florida as he keeps wondering what else I could possibly add

This is really meant to be a once in a lifetime trip... I think they are famous last words too

[MissAddictive]

Originally Posted by disneydaft70

WOW what a trip! You've got everything in there I would love to do...excellent choices

Hope you don't think I'm being cheeky but I have put a post up already asking if anyone would be interested in a photopass share? How do you feel about it?

JA x

See more...

Looks like we fly out same day

It's deffo something I'm interested in - neither of us like being in pictures that much - just trying to decide if we want photopass + or a share in standard photopass

[Guest]

It'll certainly be the trip of a lifetime! My DH would LOVE to go via New York! Am looking forward to hearing more updates

[tink3]

Wow, I am liking the sound of your trip. Look forward to reading more.

[redspottyowl]

wow wow wow, looks like we cross over by a few days! holiday looks amazing!

[disneydaft70]

Originally Posted by MissAddictive

Looks like we fly out same day

It's deffo something I'm interested in - neither of us like being in pictures that much - just trying to decide if we want photopass + or a share in standard photopass

See more...

I noticed we had the same countdown

Let me know what you both decide. My son isn't much for his photo taken either but as this is our last trip as mother and child and possibly our last with just the 2 of us...I'd really like to have some photographic memories too. Always difficult when there's just 2 of you.

JA x

[Helen0705]

All sounds fantastic !