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Old 19 Sep 17, 02:39 PM  
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Excitedx4
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Gryffindor's on tour 2017- 7/8 Travel Day

Well after the most disturbed sleep I think I've ever had I finally give up around 3am! I can never sleep before a holiday so it's not unusual but after looking at my Fitbit sleep app I think I managed about 2hrs broken sleep in all! I lay in bed and dibbed for a while until 4.50am when I got up and got in the shower. The alarm was set for 5am anyway, I secretly hoped the shower would wake the rest of them but it didn't

After I emerged from the shower the alarms started going off, I left them so the boys would wake up, it took a while. God sake people we are going on holiday you should be leaping out of bed with excitement! My lot are definitely NOT morning people like myself.

All up, showered, washed and dressed we left the hotel around 5.40pm.







Jacob was saying his prayers hoping that all of our luggage got to America for us (more on this later), only joking, he was having a little strop because he was tired and he's not a morning person, he will stay in bed until 10am on a weekend already at 6, god knows what he'll be like as a teenager! He soon pulled himself out of it after a little telling off and we were ready for the off.

At the premier inn now in Manchester the over night parking price has risen from £5 to £10 per night. I argued that when I booked it was advertised as £5 per night so this is the price I paid in the end. Just had to show confirmation of when the room was booked. £5 better in my pocket hey

We checked into T3 meet and greet at Manchester airport at 5.50am. This was all straight forward, dropped the keys into the hut and into the terminal to BA check in. There was no queue and we were seen to by Matt who was very helpful in sorting out assistance both at Manchester and for our arrival in London Heathrow. All boarding passes in hand we headed through to security and we were in the departures area for 6.35am. All of the security staff were really nice, engaging with the children, especially Evan as he has to be taken to one side to be swapped and body checked due to the wheelchair and unable to walk. One security man was giving us tips on Florida as he goes often and told us not to go to Volcano bay as it was too busy. We were all laughing about the horror stories at V Bay.

We were heading for the Lion and Antelope but when we got there there were no empty tables at all so we headed across to the Italian restaurant instead, Trattoria Milano. We were seated after a 5 minute wait and me and the kids ordered beans and toast, Dave ordered a bacon and egg sandwich along with 2 diet cokes, 1 sprite and 1 tea totalling £28.15.



Whilst we were waiting for the food I ran across to boots to get some sandwiches for on the plane in case we don't get time down in LHR. I picked up 3 sandwiches, tuna, cheese and chicken ranges came to £6 plus a couple of drinks.

Before long our gate and flight were being called so we headed to the gate for our flight down to LHR. It felt like we were literally up and down, I literally only had chance to write up my notes in my notebook from the morning before we were landing again. We landed early at 9.20, we were due to land at 9.45. Our flight to Miami was scheduled for 12.15 giving us ample time to get from T5 to T3 at Heathrow.

We disembarked from the plane and Evan's wheelchair was waiting at the aircraft door for us but there was no assistance so we just followed the purple signs for flight connections. This was very easy. We were security checked at T5 to get the bus to T3, I think this was only for people heading to the USA. Anyway on the bus to T3 and through security to get into terminal. All very smooth and quick, you can tell it is a major connections airport. We were in T3 departures for 10.30am. We headed to the toilets and when we came out our gate had been announced already at 10.45. I said we should head for the gate early, Dave pulled a face, he really is lastminute.com and would wonder up there 10 minutes before the plane was due to take off. I'm glad we got there early as there was a big queue for everyone having to show passports and boarding cards to get into another gate holding room, I was picked for extra security so I gave Dave all the bags apart from my handbag and took that to be inspected. Sheila my security checker never cracked a smile once. I swear to god she was thee most miserable woman on the planet! Whatever Sheila don't be jel because I'm off on my jollies we sat and ate some cookies from subway whilst waiting.

They had us board first with the special assistance people at 11.20am and we took off a bit late at 12.45pm so it felt like we had been on the plane fore ages before we even got anywhere.

Here are the boys all excited on the plane



Dave sat with the boys as it was a 3-4-3 configuration and I ended up with a French couple who couldn't speak English so I didn't have to make small talk the woman kept turning and tutting to the kid every time they talked but I told them it was a day flight, they weren't even being loud and if she had a major problem she could put her headphones on, miserable cow! :angry: now if they were being a PITA I'd be the first people telling them to behave but they were literally doing nothing wrong, just having a conversation with each other.

Now most flights we fly from Manchester and I couldn't believe how multi-cultural this flight was, there were so many nationalities on the flight, I felt like I'd loved a sheltered life 😂

The drinks service on the AA flight was really good, they were constantly offering a drinks service,very got pretzels with the first service, dinner was mushroom pasta or Shepard pie, I had the pie and it was delicious, along with a tub if vanilla ice cream in the afternoon.





Very pleased with AA service and the IFE was brilliant too, I watched inception but couldn't settle into much else, just kept flicking. I was quite fidgety on the flight and couldn't settle too well.

We landed at 4.30pm and straight off the plane and sailed through immigration with our special assistance lady Guadalupe she was so nice! We were at the luggage carousel and Jacobs prayer worked from this morning because we had all 3 suitcases off and it was only 5pm, praise the lord we can get to the hotel but 6.30pm easily, all we need to do now is get Evan's wheelchair from the oversized luggage area (he was in an airport wheelchair from the plane) so we moved over to the oversized area and we wait, and we waited, and waited and waited some more. We went to the information area for AA, a manager finally comes over and goes to look for it, comes back and nothing. They tell us to go to the lost luggage area for AA. The customer service person dealing with us could not have been more unhelpful if he tried, wondering off not giving us any information or anything. By now it was 7pm so midnight in the uk and my patience was wearing really really thin! I got quite angry and demanded something be done. He then called their partner wheelchair company to bring out a temporary loan chair.



Poor Guadalupe had been with us this whole time as she couldn't leave us with evan being in the airport wheelchair so we gave her $15 tip probably should of given her more in hindsight.

Read my post at the time here https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho... php?t=1039925

We got on the MIA mover at 8.15pm! Nearly 4 hours after landing. We were all so tired!

We got to Avis and picked up our car, a Chrysler Pacifica



And even though I was very tired and stressed I still managed to notice the extra insurance the woman had sneakily added on in hope I wouldn't notice! I made her change it asap! It was nearly $300, I knew the balance should of read Zero but for some first timers they could easily be caught out by this.

We finally got to the hotel, the Hyatt place in Fort Lauderdale by 9pm. The hotel staff were amazing welcoming us in by saying happy birthday to Evan, they had left a card and a cake in the room for him, he was very pleased, well as pleased as a teenager could be

We dived into pj's and bed all exhausted but looking forward to the next 3 weeks of memories to be made!

Edited at 02:43 PM.
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Old 20 Sep 17, 06:14 PM  
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Well it was a great travel day till they lost the wheelchair! Food looks pretty good on the flight too.
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Old 20 Sep 17, 08:11 PM  
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Originally Posted by Pussycat Doll View Post
Well it was a great travel day till they lost the wheelchair! Food looks pretty good on the flight too.
Do you know what it was a perfect travel day until the wheelchair fiasco! Thanks for reading and commenting! X
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Old 20 Sep 17, 08:33 PM  
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It was going so well cant believe they lost your sons wheelchair. Hope it turns up soon and you get on with having a fantastic holiday.
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Old 23 Sep 17, 07:48 AM  
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You were up early... I'm always the same, DH and the kids are snoring and I'm pacing the bathroom floor. I can't understand how they find it so easy to sleep either. Shame about the looonnngggg wait at the end, but it sounds like a warm welcome at your hotel.
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Old 27 Sep 17, 03:53 PM  
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Great travel day

I'd be interested in your thoughts on the Hyatt Place, as we are booked here for 2 nights in December...
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Old 28 Sep 17, 03:37 PM  
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Originally Posted by mrmoo123 View Post
Great travel day

I'd be interested in your thoughts on the Hyatt Place, as we are booked here for 2 nights in December...
It was really nice, the rooms were a decent size too, I wouldn't hesitate in staying there again. The free breakfast was good too.
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Old 29 Sep 17, 09:06 AM  
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The wheelchair thing is a nightmare my daughter has a wheelchair too and this is honestly my idea of hell I felt stressed reading it.what a lovely travel day until then though xx
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Old 2 Oct 17, 08:54 AM  
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Originally Posted by Excitedx4 View Post
It was really nice, the rooms were a decent size too, I wouldn't hesitate in staying there again. The free breakfast was good too.
Thank you for this, it's good to know
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Old 10 Jan 18, 12:19 AM  
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Oh Danielle, and it all started off so well I'm hoping Evan's wheelchair turned up quite quickly!
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