It’s my birthday and I’ll eat if I want to! Offsite/no parks! Food pre-trippie for Sept 17

[Lana Del Love]

It’s my birthday and I’ll eat if I want to….completely offsite, no parks, food pre-trippie for September 2017

WARNING: I don’t do brief….curl up on the sofa, get a cup of coffee and settle down for the night.

It’s my 60th birthday in September so this year’s choice of holiday was mine, all mine. I wanted to go to places I’ve never been before so I decided on a cruise of the Eastern Med visiting Venice, Santorini, Dubrovnik and Kotor to name a few. Very excited by this I spent many a winters’ night googling the frockage and Diamonique I could wear to impress the Captain. However to cut a long story short the travel operator annoyed me by messing the flights and itinerary around so much I had a mega strop one day, rang them up and advised them which way round they could shove their boat….so no cruise

I spent the next few days self-indulgently wailing that my ‘special’ birthday was ruined, then OH suggested Orlando again. We’ve been 7 times before so to me this wasn’t special enough. Didn’t he understand I wanted different? Anyway I grew up and got over myself and starting thinking how a trip to Orlando could be made different. It dawned on me….no parks! In all the other times we had been, it was full on park after park…..great fun as we still go on all the rides but we’d never even been to Celebration!

The seed was planted. Premium economy flights from Manchester to MCO with Thomas Cook were booked, a gorgeous villa on Calabay Parc booked, a night at the Grand Plaza Beachfront Resort in St Pete Beach booked for the night of my birthday and a night at Cocoa Beach Hotel booked for our wedding anniversary. It became very liberating…this was going to be a beach, shopping, sightseeing and eating holiday. We’d been here many times before but not ‘seen’ Florida and this was the time to do some of it.

So now you know me, I better introduce ourselves:

Me: Carol – did you know it’s my birthday!
Don’t like stuffy restaurants but like good food. Will try most things. Love, love, love burgers. Have a ‘thing’ about beach/roadside shacks. Hate tomatoes with a passion.

OH: Paul – it’s NOT his birthday.
A meatatarian, swears blind he doesn’t like cheese but eats pizza! Finds American food strange, visibly shudders at maple syrup near bacon.

We met at four years old at infant’s school, starting dating at 17 and have been married for 36 years (37 years, the second week of the holiday)….the old adage ‘could have been out on good behaviour’ really does apply to us. We’re chalk and cheese, polar opposites on everything and drive each other totally bonkers, but for some reason it works…don’t know how but it does….ok, sloppy stuff over with and never to be repeated!

Cankleometer: during our last visit in 2015, I managed to get a dinner reservation at Be Our Guest and had the obligatory photo with the Beast. Later on that night I was looking at the days photos and noticed my ankles compared to the Beasts…ok, so his were marginally hairier than mine but they were as thick as his thighs…..I officially had cankles! So I’ve decided to report each day on the state of play of my ankles because I know you’ll find it such a fascinating subject

$ spent: we’re not on a budget as such but don’t have a bottomless pit and I absolutely love a coupon, email sign up or Groupon etc so hopefully most meals will be subbed by a lovely free appetiser, stack of pancakes or flatbread!

So at last I’ll get to what you’re actually reading this for….the food. The restaurants in Florida have been chosen very carefully with lots of drooling over menus. Many of you have them as your regulars but we haven’t been to many of them and definitely want to try…following the ‘something different to us’ mantra.

Travel Day minus 1
Dropping dog at son’s in Manchester – lunch at The Refuge at Volta, been here before and thoroughly recommend it.
Premier Inn Warrington M6, J21 – meal deal at Thyme Restaurant onsite. Brilliant deal £79.48 total for bed, 2 course dinner, drink and unlimited breakfast.

Travel Day
Breakfast at Thyme, included with meal deal
Plane – James Martin menu.
Dinner -Cici’s, 1850 Victor Posner Boulevard - free adult buffet for signing up.

Day Two
Breakfast – by pool in villa
Lunch – Pearly’s Beach Eats, 45 Papaya St, Clearwater
Dinner – Bongo’s Beach Bar & Grille, St Pete Beach. Nothing fancy but sitting with my feet in the sand, cocktail in hand watching the sunset on my 60th is perfect to me.
Level 11 Rooftop Lounge – if I’m still awake

Day Three
Breakfast - IHOP, 5001 Gulf Road, St Pete Beach. Free Rooty Tooty Pancake stack
Lunch – at Ellenton Mall, their food court is supposed to be dire so probably a Starbucks for a coffee and muffin type snack.
Dinner – Danny’s All American Diner, 4406 N Falkenburg Road, Tampa. It’s been on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives with Guy Fieri. The ultimate roadside shack!

Day Four
Breakfast – by pool in villa (rest day)
Lunch – by pool in villa
Dinner - The Pharmacy, 8060 Via Dellagio Way, Dr Phillips – groupon $80 off bill, cost us £29.26. This place is a hidden restaurant, there is no signage outside. The hidden entrance leads into a speakeasy which makes their own elixirs…got to be tried!

Day Five
Breakfast - Denny’s, 44111 S US27, Davenport. $5 off bill for signing up.
Lunch – snack, if needed at Orlando Premium Outlets - Vineland
Dinner – Bahama Breeze, 8735 Vineland. $10 off $30 spend for signing up.

Day Six
Breakfast – by pool in villa (rest day)
Lunch – by pool in villa
Dinner – Ovation Bistro & Bar, 42605 Hwy 27. Free Margarita Flatbread for signing up.

Day Seven
Breakfast – by pool in villa
Snack – at Celebration Farmers Market. I’d like to try something from the Crumbles and Cream stall.
Dinner – Teak Neighborhood Grill, 6400 Times Square Avenue. 37 signature burgers 19 are on an ‘underground’ secret menu

Day Eight
Breakfast – by pool in villa (rest day)
Lunch – by pool in villa
Dinner – Tony Roma’s, 8560 I Drive. All you can eat ribs on a Monday. Free Onion Loaf for sign up.

Day Nine
Brunch – Beth’s Burger Bar, 9938 Universal Boulevard, Lake Cay.
Dinner – Hash House A Go Go, 5350 International Drive – Travelzoo $20 for $40 off bill

Day Ten
Breakfast – Keke’s, 7512 Dr Phillips Boulevard, ok so we have been to Keke’s many times but not this one!
Dinner – Fat Kahuna’s Oceanview Grille, 8 Minuteman Causeway, Cocoa Beach

Day Eleven
Breakfast – Cocoa Beach Hotel & Suites included in price
Lunch – Rocket Garden Café or Orbit Café at Kennedy Space Center
Dinner – Yellow Dog Eats, 1236 Hempel Avenue, Gotha

Day Twelve
Breakfast – by pool in villa (rest day)
Lunch – by pool in villa (Orlando Eye)
Dinner – Shake Shack, I Drive 360, 8359 International Drive
Snack – Cold Stone Creamery – BOGOF for sign up. Ooops had one of these before too!

Day Thirteen
Breakfast – by pool in villa
Lunch – by pool in villa
Dinner – Longhorns, 8398 Vineland Ave. Free appetiser for signing up.

Day Fourteen
Dinner – Hillstone, 215 South Orlando Ave, Winter Park

Travel Day
Breakfast – fridge & cupboard tapas
Lunch – somewhere depending on where we are
Dinner – plane food, NOT James Martin!

Hope you've enjoyed reading, we're really excited (not good at our age ) so I’m planning on updating each one as it happens. I know that won’t happen so ‘see you in October’

[Goldia]

It sounds like it's going to be a fab trip!

I'm in for the long haul, cuppa in hand, hoping it's going to be full of details!

Hope you have fun

[Floridaagogo]

Can we fastforward to September please.cant wait 😀

[Megandllsmum]

Looking forward to following this... have a great time and happy birthday and anniversary cos come September I'll have forgotten

[zoebums]

Will be following x

[Lana Del Love]

Originally Posted by Goldia

It sounds like it's going to be a fab trip!

I'm in for the long haul, cuppa in hand, hoping it's going to be full of details!

Hope you have fun

See more...

Thank you. I can definitely guarantee there will be detail! Just hoping I remember to take pics might have to waffle so no one notices

[Lana Del Love]

Originally Posted by Floridaagogo

Can we fastforward to September please.cant wait 😀

See more...

I know! Ten weeks yesterday till we go but there again I'm dieting so I need those weeks to be able to fit in anything

[Lana Del Love]

Originally Posted by Megandllsmum

Looking forward to following this... have a great time and happy birthday and anniversary cos come September I'll have forgotten

See more...

Thanks so much. I never let anyone forget my birthday

[Lana Del Love]

Originally Posted by zoebums

Will be following x

See more...

Welcome aboard I'm really looking forward to writing it.

[DisneyDreamer81]

Cankleometer just made me laugh at my desk! Can't wait to read this!