Matt & Sam's Orlando Adventure 2010! Pre-trippie...

[Guest]

Matt & Sam's Orlando Adventure 2010!

Apologies for the cheesy title, but it’s written on the front of my planning folder, so it seemed quite appropriate! Add in the fact that we’re attempting a manic schedule (see planner here) and it seems ideal.

So, the cast:

Sam (me!) 22, trainee journalist.



This was taken back in March, on the day my neice Holly came home!

My first trip to Orlando was in 2000, with the family – my Mum planned an army-style commando trip (not unlike ours!) and we had an amazing two weeks. We then returned with friends in 2004, but I’ve not been since then.
Back in January I began a 12 month print journalism postgraduate course; as we speak I’m desperately cramming for the NCTJ exams, 3 weeks away (eek!). I love the course, and have had some amazing experiences (working with the BBC on election night, writing for the Guardian Leeds local blog), but I’m so ready for a holiday! To say the course is intense is an understatement. Alongside the shorthand, media law, public affairs and news-writing sessions, we produce our own weekly newspaper and have a 6 week placement period in October. I just keep telling myself to get through these next three weeks, the exams, and then I can let off some steam in sunny Florida! I also plan to do my trip report notes in shorthand (just to keep the practice up).

Matt (DBF of 6 years), 26, electrical contractor.



This was taken at Christmas, a few days after neice (on Matt's side) Paige was born.

Matt and I have been together for six years now, and have been living together for just over a year (although during my Uni years I spent all the holidays at his place). He’s one half of Robinson Jennings Ltd along with his business partner Chris, they’ve been running for six years and despite the recession, they’ve managed to keep work coming (although it’s been scary at times).
Matt went to Florida with his own family aged 11 – 15 years ago! I’m so excited for him, so much more will have changed in his eyes compared to my 6 year absence!

Obviously there’s a picture of us in my signature, from my 21st birthday, but here’s a more recent one, taken in June at the Leeds Universities Summer Ball:



And just so you know the entire family, here’s a picture of our furbaby, Rufus, taken at 8 weeks. He’s an 11 week old ‘Chorkie’ (Chihuahua/Yorkie cross), from SIL’s dog’s litter:




Ok, so….the trip.

The decision to go to Florida this August was made last May. On joining the Dibb my countdown was huge, I was reading trip reports left right and centre, and picking up great advice (without which I would be clueless about ADR’s, FOTL passes, Cirque du Soleil and numerous other things!) – but it all seemed so far away. Now we can barely believe it’s coming up, we’ve yet to buy suitcases, need holiday clothes/toiletries…its definitely snuck up on us. I guess its because we’ve both had such a busy year!

Our holiday is thanks, in part, to the taxman. Probably the first (and only) time I’ll ever thank him for anything, but the reason we’re able to go this year is due to a rebate Matt’s business received, which they had no idea about (they’re always the best ones!). Matt decided to spring a trip to Orlando on me and we decided to go in my two-week summer break – I get very little time off on my course, and so to fill the break with a holiday seemed idyllic. This set our dates in August, from the 7th to the 21st.

My parents very kindly let us use their RCI timeshare for this year, and so we booked Orange Lake Resort, Kissimmee. It’s been renamed Holiday Inn Vacation Club Orange Lake or something daft like that, but it’s where I stayed with my family in 2004 so I knew how nice the accommodation was (villa style units) and it’s great location (it has it’s own road to Disney!). We just wanted something self-catered and in a decent location, so both boxes ticked there!

We’ve also got a night at the Hard Rock Hotel, for FOTL passes, and for the onsite experience. Plus I’m a Potter geek (my Grandma bought me the first two books when it was relatively unknown, and I was immediately addicted!) and so WWOHP is a definite must-do for this trip. I’m so excited about it, there are talks of a UK site but I genuinely believe only the US could give a project like this the design, detail and flair it deserves.

Flights were a drama that seemed to fill my every waking moment, from September 2009 to the start of January this year! We wanted to fly from Manchester (we live an hour away, in Bradford) and so I started comparing airlines and prices (resulting in a rather pedantic chart system in my diary). We decided to hold out for the Christmas/January sales as prices were so high, but our dates were in neither. So on New Years Day, after a bottle of wine (which I am now partially blaming!) we caved and booked direct with Virgin, with the flight times we wanted. It was a scary price (I refuse to tell you, its too shameful ) but we were happy with what we booked and could afford it if we tweaked the budget a little. We fly (economy) from Manchester at 10.25 on the 7th, and fly home at 20.25 on the 21st.

Tickets were quickly sent from Orlando Attractions (we bought 2 of the Real Deal tickets, great value and fab service!), and we’ve just booked car hire with Budget, an Intermediate 2dr. Kennedy Space Centre tickets have also been procured, again from Orlando Attractions, and for Matt’s birthday (in May) I booked the Shark Deep Dive Tour at Seaworld, as he’s a shark nut. We also bought Cirque du Soleil tickets. We considered Blue Man Group, and I would like to see that at some point, but Cirque was just more awe-inspiring, it looks truly amazing.

So now, all that’s left to do is buy dollars. We’re planning to take approx £1500, mainly on a FairFx card, with the remainder in cash.
After reading both the Unofficial Guide, the Brit’s Guide (for the record I’m an UG fan!) and creating my two week plan, I must admit I now feel a bit like I’m twiddling my thumbs!

For those of you who don’t want to trawl through my planner, these are the basics:
• All four Disney parks, TL and BB, and DTD;
• We’ve got two days of IOA/US;
• Seaworld and Busch;
• Half a day of shopping;
• Kennedy Space Centre;
• And, if we leave KSC early enough, a visit to Cocoa Beach.

ADRS:
• Rainforest Café at DTD on our first evening;
• Boma for breakfast on our first full day, before AK;
• Dinner at O’Hana;
• A Crystal Palace breakfast (before our first MK day);
• Fantasmic Dinner Package at Hollywood Brown Derby;
• Dinner at Teppan Edo (so excited about this one);
• Lunch at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant;
• Lunch at Coral Reef (a nice last day lunch!).

We’re also looking forward to Bubba Gump’s at Citywalk, on the night we stay at HRH. Jellyrolls is also on the itinerary!

So, now we’re creeping into the final month of waiting, I decided to start my trippie officially. Big well done if you made it to the end, I am a serial waffler (complete Achilles heel for a journo, lets hope I get a column so I can waffle to my heart’s content). I am determined to write a detailed trippie with loads of piccies (after reading so many by other people!), so lets just hope I can read my own shorthand.

No doubt I’ll bubble over with excitement and post shopping/packing waffle before we go!

Thanks for reading!

Sam xx

[Irishrover]

Sounds great Sam, gonna be busy and hot hot hot, but you'll have the time of your lives

BTW your baby neice with the red hair is adorable!

Bren

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Irishrover

Sounds great Sam, gonna be busy and hot hot hot, but you'll have the time of your lives

BTW your baby neice with the red hair is adorable!

Bren

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Thankyou, she has so much red hair, its mental! Both my sister and my Mum are redheads so it was inevitable.

Yeah, we're prepared for crowds and heat, but I've been in August before, and Matt is a total sun bunny. Hopefully we'll cope!

[Alyson]

It all sounds wonderful.

Whereabouts in Leeds are you from? I'm originally from Beeston

[Guest]

Oh really? I know Beeston to an extent, my Uni halls were at Clarence Dock so we weren't too far away!
When I joined the Dibb I was still living in Leeds in the student area, Hyde Park/Headingly direction.
I now live in Cleckheaton with DBF (about 8 miles from Bradford centre), but spend most of my life in Leeds!

[christybell]

Oh great pre trippe Sam, For the record I agree UG is my favourite by far

Looking forward to reading all about your trip. And as far as I am concerned you didnt waffle at all

[Guest]

Originally Posted by christybell

Oh great pre trippe Sam, For the record I agree UG is my favourite by far

Looking forward to reading all about your trip. And as far as I am concerned you didnt waffle at all

See more...

Glad someone agrees with me! I just think its far more detailed. Thanks for reading, its nice to know i didn't just blather on!

[joanna23]

Really enjoyed your pre-trip. We might even bump into you as we fly home on the 16th of August. I'll keep a look out!

[macdonald88]

Sounds like you have an amazing holiday planned and a well deserved break for you both. Looking forward to your trippie not long now!

[Guest]

have a really super time sam and matt! we also live in bradford and will be following you out just after you return! i have been manic planning also just dollars to buy now but i am afraid i am in the slump period where its too far away but yet so close! x