FL CA AZ NV UT NM CO. Conclusions on completion of Vacation.

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by esteeds

Loving the trip report

Can I ask a favour... I find it hard to scroll on my phone, can you please add the links to the top post. each post is numbered and has it's own url e.g. tomorrow's post is:

A day at Caspersen (maybe) and another evening in Busch. 17 June 2024

Many thanks

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I have tried to do that via the “ icon at the bottom of each post. The trouble is that it then pastes up the whole vacation thread via the link created… even though each paste had a different number on it.

I am not great at ‘Tech’. I will try and find another way… later 😀.

[ClaireNJ]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

My toe will be just fine. I reckon that the nail will fall off.

The phone is now totally dead. It was time to upgrade now anyway, so I guess that I have simply lost the trade in value. It was not actually submerged in water, merely a feeble attempt to cool it in order to take pictures.

It is just as well that we got those rides in last evening. I have been outvoted 3-1 and we have booked an extra night in Orlando. I am just a tad hacked off with this, but we work in a Democracy within the house… although I personally take the view that only those actually paying in, should have a say in how the money should be paid out… a bit like my view on Politics, really 😀.
This really is a bit of a sketchy area at night and I can actually see why the other three are keen to move on… although it is in my nature to only deal with an issue when it arises, rather than think overmuch about what might happen. I think that the receptionist asserting that he would not personally walk the local streets at night in this area as there are too many vagrants in the area, was the final clincher for Mandie.

Red Lobster disappearing is a sad day for me. Seafood on a reasonable budget is always hard to find. I will miss them and my feelings are with those workers who doubtless now find themselves unemployed.

We move on!

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I think you should have a recount do some more canvassing 😜
Enjoy your extra day in Orlando
More CAKE please on your last few days 😋🙏🏻

[OB1LukeLucas]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

It was a very good day. We like that sort of stuff, other than Dan with beaches and Mandie with her ever present risk of shingles.

Today it is onwards to Orlando, an area that would not even have figured in the vacation, had I totally had my way. I would have done SFO, Monterey, SL Obispo, Barstow, Vegas, Selignon, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Holbrook, Tombstone, Tucson, Home from there…. Or same as we did, but finishing with a slow drive from Tampa, Venice, Naples, Largo down to Key West and home from there via Atlanta.

But we are a democracy ☹️.

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I know Orlando is well and truly ticked off your list but I am sure you will still have a great time and make more great memories there with the boys and Mandie. If they are feeling a bit unsafe at night the comfort of Orlando for an extra day will do no harm. You have plenty of time to do more exploring of the other states, I am certain you have many more itineraries already dreamed up.

[TractorBoy]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

My toe will be just fine. I reckon that the nail will fall off.

The phone is now totally dead. It was time to upgrade now anyway, so I guess that I have simply lost the trade in value. It was not actually submerged in water, merely a feeble attempt to cool it in order to take pictures.

It is just as well that we got those rides in last evening. I have been outvoted 3-1 and we have booked an extra night in Orlando. I am just a tad hacked off with this, but we work in a Democracy within the house… although I personally take the view that only those actually paying in, should have a say in how the money should be paid out… a bit like my view on Politics, really 😀.
This really is a bit of a sketchy area at night and I can actually see why the other three are keen to move on… although it is in my nature to only deal with an issue when it arises, rather than think overmuch about what might happen. I think that the receptionist asserting that he would not personally walk the local streets at night in this area as there are too many vagrants in the area, was the final clincher for Mandie.

Red Lobster disappearing is a sad day for me. Seafood on a reasonable budget is always hard to find. I will miss them and my feelings are with those workers who doubtless now find themselves unemployed.

We move on!

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You should have put your foot down - your good one anyway

As you said you are paying therefore what you say goes!

Should have made the 'rebels' make their own way to Orlando

Read about Red Lobster on the dibb a few weeks ago. Shame we liked the restaurant when in Orlando!

[TheHughesCrew]

Read your whole trip so far over my morning cuppa! Wonderful reading. Thank you. We hope to visit Vegas one day, and the GC.

Enjoy Orlando, at least you know what you're getting there.

We stayed quite a way out when we visited Busch Gardens at the end of our trip last year. Fabulous condo, and we dined at Bahama Breeze on your recommendation! Although sadly missed happy hour 🫣😂

Safe onward travels 👍🏻

ETA
This guy at Phone Shark will help if needs be with your phone. He truly is the nicest guy 🙌🏻
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yqYDTqVvZaWNUTkK9?g_st=ac

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by OB1LukeLucas

I know Orlando is well and truly ticked off your list but I am sure you will still have a great time and make more great memories there with the boys and Mandie. If they are feeling a bit unsafe at night the comfort of Orlando for an extra day will do no harm. You have plenty of time to do more exploring of the other states, I am certain you have many more itineraries already dreamed up.

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I folded in the face of the opposition and we moved to Orlando today. We are now in an absolutely fabulous resort and I cannot wait to see more of it, having just checked in.
Stand by for my next update on this trippie!

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by TractorBoy

You should have put your foot down - your good one anyway

As you said you are paying therefore what you say goes!

Should have made the 'rebels' make their own way to Orlando

Read about Red Lobster on the dibb a few weeks ago. Shame we liked the restaurant when in Orlando!

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We are a team in reality.. as every family should be. I say a lot of things that are ‘tongue in cheek’ in order for effect… particularly when writing what is meant to be a trip report with a bit of fun and humour within.

It is a real shame to see the demise of Red Lobster, because whether a fan or otherwise, most would admit that it provided Seafood at an affordable price. We cannot all afford to spend $250 - $300 on a family meal for four.

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by TheHughesCrew

Read your whole trip so far over my morning cuppa! Wonderful reading. Thank you. We hope to visit Vegas one day, and the GC.

Enjoy Orlando, at least you know what you're getting there.

We stayed quite a way out when we visited Busch Gardens at the end of our trip last year. Fabulous condo, and we dined at Bahama Breeze on your recommendation! Although sadly missed happy hour 🫣😂

Safe onward travels 👍🏻

ETA
This guy at Phone Shark will help if needs be with your phone. He truly is the nicest guy 🙌🏻
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yqYDTqVvZaWNUTkK9?g_st=ac

See more...

I will have a look, re the IPhone, but really feel that this is terminal. It is also 3.5 years old and with a trade in of £120 or so.

We started with just Orlando in 2005 and then steadily broadened our approach, identifying that we could actually save money by visiting a major City for a few days on our way in to Florida, such are the cost of direct Florida flights.

Those money saving ways in, became more fun than Orlando, expanding into Fly drives with just a bit of Orlando at the end.

We then and for our last two vacations (just Mandie and I), skipped Florida completely. It is nice to be back in Orlando, but it is likely our very last visit.

Apart from anything else , and it is nothing to do with exchange rates, inflation and greed re tipping is beginning to make the USA, very poor value as a vacation destination, when compared with places in the Far East.

Next January, it is Kuoni on a vacation to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, pretty much like my USA vacations in that there are numerous locations, but we are being flown (5 internal flights) between all locations and all tours (9) are private. We shall see how it goes.

[cornishfrogboy]

Post no 16 now complete. Reporting on change of plan and the very best Accommodation that I have yet resided in whilst in Central Florida.

[ClaireNJ]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

All change, all change… all change!

I caved in at 0800 this morning and Mandie contacted the Star Island Resort in Orlando. Yes, we could stay an extra night. Yes, it would be $130.. plus tax and resort fee. I am, but weak.. but not so weak that I didn’t take $50 of both Dan and Matt and a £50 bank transfer from Mandie.

Without any further ado (well just a little further ado), we were checked out and on the road towards Orlando. Caspersen Beach was not going to happen.. no Fossilised Sharks Teeth tomorrow!
It was of note that whilst checking out, we explained exactly why, a very nice Hotel with good Staff, but in a Toilet of an area. The receptionist replied that she would not have walked up to Burger King and back, even in daylight. It was indeed a poor area, frequented by vagrants and with a Burger King that was known to be notoriously poor. She also said that the cheap, open balcony Hotel next to it was frequented by Prostitutes. I guess that the hourly rate for the rooms must be competitive!
Further, she informed us that we were not the first Family that had checked out on those terms and that in an ideal World, the Hotel would be picked up and placed somewhere else.

The drive went very well. We passed Dinosaur Land..

In fact things went very well.. until we reached Lakeland and traffic slowed to around 10mph. Things did not get any better and on a couple of occasions, it came to a halt. We then hit the very heavy roadworks around the Seaworld turn off, finding that we could not actually take it. Fortunately, the Garmin recalculated and we were at Seaworld for 1315.

When we got out of the Car, it was hot, humid and 91 degrees f. The Seaworld gate was just a short queue and we were in.

First, the standard Orlando arrival photo. We have 13 of these, now. (We have traditionally done Seaworld on our first day).

Seaworld no longer gives out maps, so we photographed a map board instead.. or rather Mandie did, as I no longer have a phone.

You will notice their new, standing up ride, Icebreaker in the bottom left hand corner. There was no point in it even being on the map, as it seemingly had been running all day, but with no riders. This remained the case until we left.

We had a quick go on Mako, around a 10 minute wait and then headed off behind the Shamu Stadium to Antarctica (which no longer has that quirky Helicopter Ride to the Ice Station involving the Lunatic Pilot.

The Beautiful Belugas were still swimming aimlessly in circles.

The sign was still there (shamelessly copied from the one at Lands End). Despite my suggestion on our last visit, it still does not have a board with Penryn 4151 miles upon it. Needless to say, I am extremely disappointed that Seaworld Customer Services have ignored my request!

We moved on.. to that adrenaline filled ride… the Carousel. Mandie ducked it as she does not like extreme rides, whilst Matt would sooner die than get on. It reminded me very much of our ride in Monument Valley!

Dan, ever the showman, rode with no hands!

It was on again. The rest of the family drew the line at the Flamingo Pedalo’s and so we entered the Shark Tunnel instead.

Me, looking ‘whimsical’ .

Shark food.

Next came the Penguins.. but without that strange swirling ride about Puck the Baby Penguin, just straight in the door.. albeit, they are in the process of building a Penguin Coaster.. strangely, it is coloured .. White! Let us hope that it is more reliable than ‘Icebreaker’.

It was time for a ride! We chose my favourite, Manta… which was suspended due to a technical fault. Seaworld were not doing very well.

We decided that Happy Hour beckoned at Hooters and that therefore we should leave… but not before I had one last attempt to reunite with my Green Fatface Baseball Cap, that I lost whilst riding Infinity Falls on 19 April 2022 at approximately 1320 hrs.

Last ever photograph of my beloved Baseball Cap, taken at approximately 1319 hrs on that fateful day.
I walked up to the lost and found Property Office by the main gate, where I spoke with a member of Staff, so bored, uninspired, listless and utterly disinterested that she could have interviewed for a job at the Tampa Burger King Restaurant from last night. I asked politely and ever economical with words, she replied “No”. I guess that that is that then, lost for ever.

It was time to leave and head straight to Hooters at LBV. The Staff there were not disinterested. They were friendly, attentive, charming and…. rather lovely. It was somewhat a shame that their Uniforms had seemingly been put through the wash at a very high temperature. They had clearly shrunk to an extent that it must have been a struggle to even pull them on!
The food was well priced and delicious, in my case a Philly Steak Sandwich with Curly Fries.

Bottomless Diet Cokes all round and a bill of $83 (plus a 20 to go towards a uniform that fitted the poor girl). She was clearly also, rather cold!

The girls made a bit of a fuss of Matt, when told that he was soon to join the Army.

I know that some on the DIBB are no great fans of Hooters, but without any tongue in my cheek, I can honestly say that they serve up some of the very best value food around, in very clean surroundings and with fun Staff that seemingly enjoy their work a good deal. The Blonde in particular, was Chatty Confident and very Sharp Witted. We originally had the girl on the left as our Waitress, but it was clear that she was new, inexperienced and struggling. It was of note that the Waitress with the Blonde Hair had noted this, stepped in a couple of times and visibly helped her Colleague and without explanation. They are clearly a Team in this Restaurant!

It was time to Check In at the Star Island Resort. I was a tad nervous on this one, as you don’t normally get a Three Bedroomed Accommodation in June, in LBV at $130/night plus resort fees of $19/night.

I needn’t have worried in the slightest. The Resort is extremely secure and with a Gatehouse containing a very switched on Security Officer. He spoke, made enquiries and only then, allowed us to pass into this gated Resort.
Everything is immaculate, the Reception, the Pools, the buildings, the Grounds, everything.
We went to our Suite. The pictures speak for themselves.

This place is absolutely fabulous! The very best accommodation that we have stayed in over our 15 USA visits, including some large Villas. I reckon that we have 1500 sq feet of living space.
This beats LBV Village resort and Spa out of sight and should we ever return to Orlando, then this is where we shall most certainly stay. I am so knocked back by this, that I have refunded the 50’s to all parties.

We then went to Walmart to buy in for the next few days and upon return, are relaxing over a large Bottle of Pineapple Infused, Barefoot Wine.

Night’ all!

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Good morning yayee you’re in Orlando your favourite 🙈shame about few of the rides at SW at least you got to go on the Carousel though
Matt looks like he’s won the lottery in the pic did he have a burger though
Ps can’t believe you took money off your poor boys & wife too 😱
Your hotel looks 5 star
Enjoy