Taking the Mickey. 14 Nights Disney-Less (May 2018)

[BufordT]

So lets try this again...a bit of a read...

Us:
Matt 38 - Awesome Dad, IT specialist, people person. 13th trip to Orlando
Jo 33- Wife and mother of the 3 young ones. She is mostly ginger
Josh 18 - Likes to drive cars on their sides, and me to pay for it. First time in the US
Samuel 9 - Promised me he will go on EVERY ride, lets see
Gracie-Belle 7 - Apple of my eye, can do no wrong. My Orlando mini-me. Will not go on Hulk, Dr Doom!
Sonny 3 - King of Chicken Nuggets. Everything is a Chicken nugget, 14 nights in his element

I had a pre-trip report but so much has changed I wanted to start fresh.

Here is some background information on our old/updated trip for this year.

After our 2017 trip we decided our next one would be around 2020 and just be My wife, and our 3 young children. Previous years we have been out there for our wedding (2015) and then in 2017 with my mum and sisters and their children. We made a decision we needed a trip with just the 5 of us (I also have an 18 year old son from a previous relationship who was too cool too come with us)

Sitting in a wet caravan in Lincolnshire last year we got a call from my mum who said our 2017 trip had been paid for and we didn't owe her any money (The trip was originally going to be paid out from our inheritance after my Grandfather and father both passed away in 2016).
So we were £10,000 better off. What do sensible adults do with that kind of good news? Get on the internet and book Disney in a wet caravan in Lincolnshire is the correct answer!

After taking the kids out of school in 2015 and 2017 we decided not to chance our arm again and instead book for the last two weeks of August. CBR and its refurb was our original destination in 2017 but the building works got us moved to POR. CBR prices were dirt cheap and the building works should be completed by August 2018 (apart from the Skyliner and new resort of course). So we booked our accommodation, free dining and tickets. Flights would go on when they became available and cheap enough...we also tagged on 4 nights in Kissimmee so we could hire a car and go visit my uncle in Orlando (Who unfortunately passed away before Christmas from a short fight with Lung Cancer)

Flights came in and were not cheap. Indirect was, but after lots of discussion and planning the thought of putting a 3, 7, 9 and my wife who isn't the biggest fan of flying (Cries a bunch on take off) through changes and possible delays just didn't add up. We decided to take the kids out of school for a week and cover a week from the May half term, easy!...

Well not quite. Disney had no accommodation for our dates in May, unless we wanted to pay a massive upgrade for AOA or AKL.

I had mentioned during last years trip I wanted the kids to have one holiday at some point on their life out of the Disney bubble and experience the finer things Orlando has to offer, Like Cici's, Magical Midway and Tattoo parlours...

Disney got their marching orders and the hunt was on for something on i-drive.

We were looking at doing it all DIY. After a couple of weeks I found a good deal with Tui which was 14 Nights at Rosen International and flights for 2 Adults and 3 Children with extra leg room going and out and club on the return trip for £3000.00. Next was the attraction tickets. I went for the floridatix Cyber Monday sale and got us all

flexitickets
Legoland and iDrive 360
Dine With Shamu

for the 5 of use that came to £1800.00 (roughly)

We also pre-purchased tickets for Megacon Orlando which is happening on May 24th-27th. Lots of nerdy fun and nonsense purchases, with added cosplay!


I was on the phone to my eldest son who is 18 and lives about 4 hours from us in Ross-on-Wye. He was not allowed to come with us to our wedding (school and mum) and in 2017 had started a new job and was not allowed the time off. We had asked if he wanted to come this year but he wasn't interested. Well on that call which was about 4 weeks ago, he became interested...

Side Note: You are probably thinking, wow Matt you don't look old enough to have an 18 year old. Let me reply to that
1) You don't have a photo of me
2) I am flattered, you are correct
3) I am 38, but have the boyish good looks of a young Oliver Reed
4) 19 Years old, night clubs, south London = Young dad

A quick call to his boss at 23:00 and a couple of back and fourths about time off at short notice and we were...

Back onto Tui. Rosen Inn International had no availability for another room for our dates! but they had the flights. So a midnight rush around and I managed to change our trip to the Rosen Inn @ Pointe and then book my son in at the same hotel. There was only 1 room showing as remaining so I had the wife on the iPad whilst I was on the laptop and we both hit go at the same time!. I even managed to get him the 1 extra leg room seat with us going out...No club coming back though for him, back there with the common folks!. I then went onto Floridatix and got him added on to our booking, phew!


So after all that as an Introduction, this is where we are at..

3 Adults
3 Children
2 Rooms Rosen Inn @ Pointe Orlando 23 May-6th June
Flights LGW-Sanford
Car hire with Andy and Discount Florida Car Hire so glad we booked a Minivan now!

x6 Orlando Flexi Tickets
x6 Legoland & iDrive 360 Tickets
x6 Dine with Shamu

With those tickets we got some Florida i'm a big deal cards, some kids eat free cards and a Nascar driving experience which includes the attraction, some arcade passes and a meal. We will be making good use of the kids eat free options around iDrive and other areas.

x6 MegaCon Orlando tickets (May 27th)

I would give you a price breakdown, but I will be dammed if I kept track of it. Will have to write this year off as a cheaper alternative to Disney lol

Spending Money wise we have just got $4000.00 cash and then $3000 on Caxton and Fairfx Cards.

Goals for this trip
1) Enjoy it! Our first non Disney Orlando adventure as a family, but more importantly the first for all 6 of us now my eldest is with us.
2) Spend time appreciating all the non-Disney parks
3) Night time air boat ride
4) Eat, eat and eat..without being locked down to ADR times
5) Buy myself some new clothes..I've gone down a t-shirt size or 2. On January 7th 2018 I had my first Slimming World weigh-in at 16 Stone 8. As of April 7th weigh-in I am 14 Stone 9. 1lb away from my 2 Stone award and 2lb away from my original target for the trip.
6) Post food pictures, vlog, make videos. I have the camera's, I have spare batteries. I love this site and all the YouTubers we watch. Finally can I be a vlogger...



Probably Not.

Thanks for reading, if you still are, and if you gave up about 10 minutes ago I don't blame you!

[beanbunny]

Wow! A great pre trip read and what sounds like a fabulous trip. Not long now!