The "Are we really going to Florida?" Pre-trip report

[StephJackson]

Introductions

Me, Steph, 34, confirmed Disney Adult. I have been in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2014, and I've spent every holiday in between just wishing it was Orlando.

Gez (my partner), 34, first time in Orlando. Gez loves rollercoasters, and loves seeing how happy Disney makes me. We visited Paris in Feb and he loved it ten times more than I thought he would, which gives me hopes he will be as addicted to Orlando as I am!

We live in North Wales, where we live and work on an Animal Sanctuary with our 4 dogs and 3 cats.

The DRAMAS

Ok, I know everyone has had dramas getting to their happy place this year. I'm so aware, however, I think I have you all beat!
I saved up for this trip from 2016 (I work with animals and I'm not a vet, therefore I'm poor). Back in 2018, I was originally going to Orlando with my ex-partner, who wasn't British, and needed a visa. So we did the whole Visa thing in London, got the visa, and booked the trip of a lifetime for May 2020.
Well of course, that didn't happen! Postponed the trip to early 2021. Late 2020, the relationship ended. I had paid for the whole trip, however it was booked on his credit cards for the insurance, and if I had cancelled it, he confirmed that he would not have given me the money back.
So I was stuck with my trip of a lifetime, and the prospect of going alone, but the travel ban was still in place, so I postponed to September 2022.
In April 2021, I met Gez! Fell madly in love, currently living happily ever after. However... Gez also needed a visa due to a colourful past many many years ago. So off we went to London again, where the Visa was denied, and sent off for a waiver. Lots of weeks waiting, and they asked us back to London for a medical. Fast forward another few weeks and £1200 in total spent on the visa experience and he now has a visa for 5 years of travel to the USA! Yay!
The reason for the name of the trip report... because it feels like this has gone on forever for me, I've been so close to going, and COVID, and then not going at all, and then maybe going if he got the Visa, and then being denied the visa, then eventually granted the visa! Oh. My. God. So I still ask him regularly, "Are we really going to Florida?" and he has to confirm, "Yes Steph, we are really going to Florida" and it just doesn't feel real. I honestly start crying just thinking about being there with him, I cannot wait.

The plans

So what was postponed from 2020 was Disney park tickets, Universal Tickets, and Discovery Cove Non Swim (with Sea World etc included). Staying in Disney was out of our price range, and I failed to see the benefit with most of the perks now sadly gone. So the plans are as follows!

7th September- Evening drive to Manchester Airport, staying in the Radison Blu.
8th September- 11am flight with Virgin Atlantic, to Orlando. Economy Delight
Check into Buena Vista Suites in a Deluxe Queen Suite and stay here for a week
Do all the Disney parks!
15th September, say goodbye to Disney and head to Universal Endless Summers where we stay for 11 days
Spend 11 days in all the non-Disney parks, and a night at Halloween Horror Nights
25th September, fly home to Manchester and enter deep depression.

No car hire as I'm not brave enough to drive in USA, and Gez doesn't have a license. We will be using public transport, shuttle buses and Uber everywhere.

If anyone's interested in the budget side of things...
Flights- £1474
Airport Parking for 20 days and a night in Radison Blu- £270
Buena Vista Suites Hotel 1 week- £840
Universal Studios Endless Summers Resort 10 nights- £1124
Disney, Universal and Discovery Cove Tickets- Bought so long ago I can't remember but I think around £2000 total
Halloween Horror Nights Tickets- £127
Universal 3 day photopass- £78
Spending Money- £3500

Total= £9413

If you think the spends doesn't sound like enough for almost three weeks... we don't drink alcohol so that reduces it alot, and we have breakfast included in the first hotel.

Other things that may or not not interest you about our Trip Report...
I have various physical health issues, so plan to use the DAS and Universal version of this. I've never done this before and only ever used similar in Alton Towers, and Disney Land Paris so I'll include details of this. I hope to not have to rent a mobility scooter, but having not done a theme park holiday in so long, I have no idea how I'll manage yet.
We are tee total! So no late night partying for us, it's off to bed early ready to hit the parks the next day.
We are massive rollercoaster fans, and will be riding everything! I'm a little nervous about GOTG making me feel ill as Crush's Coaster was a big fat nope from me as I hate spinning, but we will see how it goes!
We are always late everywhere. I would be on time, but Gez's special skill is making us late to everything. The reason we have an airport hotel is to reduce his ability to make us late. It's likely we won't see a Rope Drop, at least not together!
Trip report will also be filled with lots of random and mostly pointless information such as every cent we spent that day, Gez's favourite ride of the day, and how many steps we walked.

For now that's all, until 65 days time for the Pre-Travel day! There may be tears on this day, as it's the first time leaving our dogs for so long!

[Custancia]

Sounds like you’re going to have a great trip…definitely worth the wait! We rented a mobility scooter for the first time in Feb, and it was really straightforward.

[Slore]

This sounds amazing and I’m so glad it’s finally happening after all that stress! It’ll soon be here and worth it all.

[StephJackson]

Originally Posted by Custancia

Sounds like you’re going to have a great trip…definitely worth the wait! We rented a mobility scooter for the first time in Feb, and it was really straightforward.

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That's good to know! I've never done it before but I know how much I struggle with one day in Alton Towers so may have to just do it to make sure I don't make myself really poorly.

[StephJackson]

Originally Posted by Slore

This sounds amazing and I’m so glad it’s finally happening after all that stress! It’ll soon be here and worth it all.

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Thank you so much us too! I see you're doing three weeks too, how exciting!