My Covid delayed 40th now 41st birthday trip August 22 live

[CCFCRJ]

My first ever trip report...been debating doing one or not but here goes...after getting so much help from the guys on the DIBB about all things Florida and Covid at times. So tomorrow is pre travel day, so I'll try and prep and be ready and hopefully keep this up as we go. I love reading others reports so hope it helps at least someone.

We were due to travel in 2021, moved once then again to summer 2022. Covid clearly put pay to that, so build up has gone on forever but means kids are that bit older and should appreciate it a little more. Family of 4, me 41, the other half 32 and two kiddies 2 and 8.

Have spent today splitting our clothes between cases in case anything doesn't make it with us, lots of debating what to take and downloading onto Netflix and Disney plus to entertain the kids. I did the Verifly app forms this morning only to get an email from BA tonight that they are not done. Turns out BA don't use Verifly now and do their own, so did it all again on their app in the manage my booking section. Bit of a faff but got there in the end, I hope.

So tomorrow off to the Premier Inn T5 at Heathrow, then fly following day on BA209 to Miami where we will stay for one night before driving up to Orlando next morning. Still not sure on route to take, some great advice in the car hire section has given good reasons to go on the turnpike via Vero Beach, up the US27 and a great thread on going up Gulf Coast. Thanks to Ed and Mick in the car rental threads.

Our plan beyond is a week at the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake, 11 nights at a Villa booked via VRBO and then back down to Naples for a night before flying home from MIA

Update tomorrow on pre travel day...time to get two very excited boys to bed

[Loobylou_82]

Safe travel day. Will be following along.

[ClaireNJ]

Have an absolutely amazing time
Safe journey

[mick]

Looking forward to reading along

Joan

[Looby123]

Have fun x

[CCFCRJ]

Pre Travel Day

We woke before the kids for a change excited and eager to get prepared. We spent the morning packing and cleaning and going over and over checklists to make sure we had done everything. We had lunch and headed off for Heathrow, which is generally about 1.5hrs max from home, as we live by M40 Banbury junction. Turned out the M40 was closed and it took over 3 hours to get to Heathrow. Exactly why we do pre travel day rather than drive on the day!

We had a good night at the Premier Inn T5. Did the meal deal which was well worth it, plus something to wash it down

We all had a good night's sleep. Parking bit of a nightmare at the Premier Inn T5 and we were fortunate to get the one remaining space. Off to bed ready for big day tomorrow

Travel Day

Well this turned into a bit of a disaster. Woke to an email and text from BA, the infamous BA209 is delayed from 13:30 to 17:20. 🙄 Not the start we'd hoped for. We went down for breakfast and made sure we filled up on the buffet as much as possible knowing we had a long day ahead. Got to the airport as planned for 10.30am bag drop. Dropped car fine at the meet and greet and no queue at all for checking in bags using the self serve. These are easy for check in bags, but a nightmare adding the car seat and push chair if you have kids. The lady trying to help was lovely but couldn't get it work. In the end took two of them but got there in the end. Bags dropped, we were through security within 20 minutes, barely any queue at all. So in departure lounge with at least 6 hours to spare now due to the delay!

We ate at Wetherspoons in the afternoon as couldn't hold out, so £50 we hasn't really planned for. Kids did great considering. We were waiting on incoming flight from Dallas which when I checked was right about our house pretty much!

Boarding took forever and then we had a further delay due to technical issue and took off at 6pm, 4.5hrs late! Flight was okay, nothing much to note. Food wise I had a nice Chicken dish with mashed potatoes. Was edible nothing too great.

Had some weird salad with it but wasn't too bad as was really hungry by this stage, was about 7.15pm when we got the meals.

I didn't get a photo of the kids pre-ordered children meals...but they were dreadful. Pasta that was rock hard and meatballs that were really peppery. Neither of them touched the meals.

Managed to get a couple of films in when kids slept, the new Ghostbusters and then 22 Jump Street to keep me awake. We landed in the end at 9.40pm local time, 2.40am our time.

Quite a small queue at immigration luckily and were it not for a very slow very rude immigration officer we'd have been through really quick. I was called by another officer to a different queue. When I moved to the side the officer from our queue proceeding to give me a right bollocking for standing out of line! I stepped right again to join the line, and he chose to stand and shout at me again, telling me to take another step right! Was like the naughty kid at school. To be honest if I was at home after the day I'd had I've had snapped back and said something, but not the tike or the place.

We had Avis preferred but as we arrived so late garage desk was closed despite screen telling me to go to garage. Back up the escalators to main Avis desk! Then told absolutely no SUVs left...none at all! I'd booked a standard SUV but I was given a very nice Toyota Sienna Hybrid minivan. (They had loads of Chrysler Pacifica's but I turned it down for the hybrid).

In the end we got to the Best Western North Miami Airport at just after midnight local time, 5am our time! Long day...so hopefully things can only get better from here! Tomorrow the drive up to Kissimee!

[CCFCRJ]

After travel days nightmare journey we got to bed after midnight last night so I hoped we might conquer the change to US time pretty quick... but wishful thinking and all that!

DS 7 woke about 3am and shot to the toilet to be sick...and this continued about every 15 minutes for the next couple of hours. No idea what caused it, but we both stayed up whilst DW and DS2 slept till about 6.30am.

The Best Western Plus Miami North was nice enough, good airport view for the kids and a reasonable basic breakfast.

View of Miami from room

We left the hotel about 8am, and chose to take the extra long route up the gulf coast. Logic was we could stop when needed on the more offbeat roads giving DS7 some stops if he felt sick. So Naples first which took about 2 hours. Little man was a trooper and was a lot brighter by mid morning. We had a stop in Naples for a Panda Express/ Chicken Fill A then powered on up for a stop at Venice Beach, before heading then to Ellenton Outlets where we got a couple of.real bargains from Tommy Hilfiger. I got a hoodie for $18 and DW a purse for $24.

We arrived finally at Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake at around 5.30pm after stopping at Walmart on the 27/192 junction. (amazed at the grocery prices by the way but more on that later, and not in a good way).

We are in the East Village at OL. The resort is beautiful, check in was easy no hard sell at all despite expecting the worst, and two bed apartment/ villa is huge. Ground floor facing golf course. Really impressed and happy with our choice for this next week. This point I was running on empty after 3 hrs kip so in bed about 9.30pm, ready to hit the pool for a bit of chill tomorrow

[CCFCRJ]

We decided we'd not push the boys by racing off to parks today, so will spend some time getting to know the resort. Woke to sun just rising and the lovely view outside the window

We had breakfast in the room as have full cooking facilities, and DS7 loves his dippy eggs to start the day! Off to the pool at about 9.30am. We went to the River Island area pool which was lovely, big pool although you have to rent the tube for lazy river which is a bit tight!

After the morning chilling at the pool we spent the the early afternoon exploring the resort then took a trip out to Target as my eldest has been so keen to go after lots of youtube videos! Pretty chilled day nothing too much to note really, but just what we needed. Off to SeaWorld tomorrow

[CCFCRJ]

Still up at 5.30am today! My body clock is sooo confused. The kids better though and didn't wake till 7am which is near normal.

We'd planned to be up and out and to go to Universal Studios initially. We're out about 8am and went to Dennys on the 192 towards the I4. Was a bit disappointed with the service there. Food was great. I had an All American Slam, lad had a build your own slam but wasn't impressed he couldn't have a runny egg! DW had a fit slam (adding a couple of items of fruit doesn't make something fit by the way)! I forgot photos (defo still a trip report rookie). Service wasn't great at all, no coffee refill unheard of in USA...waitresses were far too busy even though restaurant wasn't all that busy really.

We left and headed for Universal...thenas we got to the I4 junction realised we'd forgot to pick up the tickets! Schoolboy error. Back to the hotel to collect them, and we decided on route to do SeaWorld today instead. We got to SeaWorld by about 10am. It was fairly quiet on arrival. We did the dolphin show first which the kids really enjoyed

Then headed over to Seseme Street area as by youngest loves Cookie Monster and Elmo. This is new sine my last trip to SeaWorld and my boys really enjoyed it. Everything a walk on, the little roller coaster is great and DW7 rode it 4 times over. We did all the rides here, youngest played on play area and then met Cookie Moster and was able to spend some time with him and get photos on phone with no selling of photos. Was great for the kids.

We were still adjusting to the heat and by mid afternoon the boys were fading quick so we headed off, stopping by at Vineland Outlets to do a couple of stores. Weve brough cooling towels that are great, and freeze bottle water over night that lasts really well. Still when the sun is out and cloud moves its relentless. We plan to just pop into a couple of stores daily or everywhere rather than drag the boys around loads of stores. No one wins there. DW got some trainers for $26 and sliders for $12 from Adidas, 50% sale on all originals items. I got a trucker cap for $11 to make me look a proper red neck!

Back the Holiday Inn OL for the evening then, had a swim in the East Village pool right next to our block which was very quiet, then made food at the room and quite a few bud lights before bed.

So far so good. Loving the accommodation and the car. Getting good mileage on the hybrid that tends to run on electric in the resort as low speed. Universal tomorrow... tickets in hand ready!