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11 Oct 13, 11:39 AM
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Disney Dreaming :)
 
Join Date: Jan 09
Location: Aberdeenshire
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The "I dunno what to call this yet" May 2014 pre-trip report
Hello and welcome to my latest pre-trip report
 If you don’t already know us from last year, here is a brief introduction:Me: Rachael, 28 (will be 29 by the time we go). This is my 6th trip to Orlando. Complete and utter Disney and Florida junkie. Think about it every day without fail, talk about it most days also. WDW is definitely my happy place, but I also love Universal and IoA. Big fan of American food and will starve myself in the run up to the holiday so I can indulge Fiancé: Chris, 27 (will be 28 by the time we go). It’s his 5th trip to Orlando. Big fan of Orlando, not quite to my extent though! Massive golfer, so I’m sure he will get a few rounds in. He is very excited for the Transformers ride as it wasn’t ready last year! He also loves the food and has a particular passion for chicken wings! Haha Here we both are at the Magic Kingdom earlier this year:  We last visited in April/May 2013 (you can read all about it here http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=706312 !) and as some of you will know Chris proposed on the final night of our holiday at the Polynesian. It was perfect and I actually still can’t believe I have a ring on my finger <3. So, after lots of discussion and changing of minds, we finally decided to go with our hearts and get married in Orlando. Our wedding is booked for 20th October 2015 at The Bohemian Hotel in Celebration, but that’s for the next trippy! So, when we started trying to decide on a holiday for 2014 we originally planned to go back to Abu Dhabi for a nice relaxing sun tanning holiday. Well, I guess you can tell that didn’t happen! The booking of this trip started much like the last one. Chris was offshore in Doha and we were chatting on skype about Orlando and how jealous I was of a guy from work who was flying off soon. Chris said there was no reason we couldn’t go back next year if I wanted to. I think I asked him about 20 times if he was serious! Haha! Well he was and with that, it was decided that we were going back! YAY! It also gives us a chance to meet our wedding coordinator and have a proper look around our venue. Well that’s the excuse and I’m sticking to it! Chris told me to get in touch with Chay (the owner of the villa we stayed in last time) to see if his villa was available for our dates and what the cost would be (he didn’t charge us anything last time and we really didn’t feel right about doing that again!) He replied to me that evening saying the villa was available and how did we feel about £500 for the 16 nights? Bargain! Yes please! Chris is treating me again this year and has told me to concentrate on saving up for spending money and nothing else. I am spoilt rotten I know, but he makes very good money working offshore and likes to look after me Flights The next 2 days were spent frantically researching flights! Living in the north east of Scotland, our options are limited to say the least. We decided that we didn’t fancy flying indirect again, so our choices were narrowed down to:
Now, isn’t that easy? -__- In the end we went for option 5 because we think it’s the least hassle and at least having the car we can just jump in and drive home rather than wait around an airport half the day on our way back. You just want home by this point don’t you? We also get into Orlando at a really decent time - 3.25pm! For the flights and car hire the total for us both was £1600. We are going to drive down to Glasgow on the Sunday night and stay at the Normandy Hotel who offer free parking for the duration of your holiday as well as a shuttle service to the airport. All for the bargain price of £59! Winner! Dates We fly out on Monday 5th May and fly home on Wednesday 21st May. Yes, that is 16 glorious nights Car Hire Car booked via as part of a package with BA. We went for an SUV again (Ford Escape or similar). We get a free additional driver because we are both Executive Club members and I’ve promised Chris I’ll take a turn at driving this time since I failed so miserably last time! Accommodation We will be staying in the same lovely 4 bed villa in Hampton Lakes as we did last year. We absolutely loved it and were very sad when we had to leave it. It will be great knowing exactly how to find it and knowing the area too. We are both excited for the big Publix food shop Here's our lovely villa:  Tickets 14 day Ultimate Disney Tickets combined with 14 Day 2 park Universal tickets from Attraction Tickets Direct. We are not bothering with SeaWorld this year. I think it’s a park you can go to every other trip to be honest. If I could pay a smaller fee to just go and feed the stingrays I would do that though ADRs One of Chris’s stipulations for going back is that we don’t have as many ADRs as last time. *gasp* Haha! He said the only one he wanted to do again was ‘Ohana which I’m actually fine with. As fun as they are, I’m not a fan of being restricted by a military plan and in all honesty, some of the Disney dining is a bit of a rip off if you are paying o.o.p. The character breakfasts are great fun and all, but $70 for a buffet is a tad over the top if you ask me. I guess the main draw is getting in the parks early, which is pretty cool I have to admit. So, I’ll book ‘Ohana at 180 days out (****Now booked for 6.45pm on 13th May!****)and that will be it! Honest So, that's all I have so far. No plans have been made yet, but we will definitley be going back to St Augestine to see Hanne and will probably stay 2 nights this time as we hardly scratched the surface this year. Chris wants the holiday to be a bit more relaxing overall. Well, i'll try  I never know what to name my trip reports until I've been so it shall remain nameless for now! Thanks for reading 14th Nov update - 'Ohana ADR 10th Nov Update - Plans (including something VERY exciting) 20th Nov Update - Sneaky extra ADR 22nd Nov update - KTTK Time Change 17th Dec update - Tickets purchased 3rd Jan update - Business Class Baby! 7th Jan Update - Wee change of plan 9th Jan Update - ESTAs and APIs - CHECK! 15th Jan update - Must Do's 24th Jan Update - St Augustine change of plan + a bit of wedding planning! 30th Jan Update - FOOD glorious FOOD  6th Feb Update - Spends spends spends! 14th Feb - Flights and car PAID 4th March update - day by day plans! 17th March update - change of airport hotel! 1st April update - BA mooooooooooooovies 3rd April update - Trails End Buffet! 7th April update - first fastpass+ - done and dusted! 8th April update - Disney golf! 9th April - More fastpass+ 10th April update - Illuminations Fastpass+ 11th April - More Epcot fastpasses 14th April update - 'Ohana celebration added 15th April update - Animal Kingdom fastpasses 18th April update - Itinerary change up! 21st April update - more MK fastpasses! 28th April update - hand luggage checklist! 30th April update - Memory Maker and stuff! 1st May update - restaurant vouchers! Edited at 10:10 PM. |
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11 Oct 13, 12:30 PM
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Guest
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hi
 loved reading your pre -trippy, look forward to reading more. I am also a crazy Disney and Orando fan, think about it all the time, talk about it, watch you tube vids, : Popsong 1 vids are awesome. Cant wait for your next instalment
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11 Oct 13, 12:57 PM
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Imagineer
Join Date: Nov 10
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Yay another PTR! I really enjoyed reading through your last TR so look forward to reading about your plans for this one.
Hehe just 1 ADR? That is kind of how we started for our next trip but the number has crept up and up ... although now I am thinking about cancelling some as they are much more expensive than eating offsite, and as you said a bit too strict on the schedule Ohana is currently in our plans for 2 dinners lol. What a fab price for your villa. exciting! xxx
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WDW (We love split stays!) - May 2011 - POR/BLT, Mar 2012 - Dibb Villa, Oct 2012 - SSR/GF/DCL/BLT, Apr 2013 - CSR/WL, Nov 2013 - BWV/AKL/DCL/OKW, May 2015 - OKW, November 2015 - ASMu, November 2016 - BCV/Poly DLP - Oct 2008 - SL, Nov 2011 - Cheyenne, Nov 2014 - Cheyenne Christmas in the Magic Dec 2015 Will We Make A Rope Drop?! - Apr/May 2013 Mr & Mrs V's Wishes Wedding and Disneymoon - October 2012 Our First Magical Trip - May 2011 
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11 Oct 13, 01:33 PM
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Imagineer
Join Date: Apr 11
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Hey Rach! It all sounds great, really pleased for you that you are going back so soon! Plans so great, and I can understand Chris not wanting to get tied down by ADRs so much this time round. When we are there next Christmas, I am only planning on booking one for the Candlelight Processional and most likely Yak and Yeti again
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11 Oct 13, 08:50 PM
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Guest
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So pleased (and very jealous) that you've got a new countdown Rach, not to mention the wedding trip! Looking forward to hearing your plans.
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11 Oct 13, 10:02 PM
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Imagineer
Join Date: Jun 08
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Great read Rachael look forward to more updates. It really is a pain flying from Aberdeen have been looking at flights prices for next year to give me an idea for 2025. Have got our villa booked
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Carole Hampton Lakes - October 2007, The Hamlets, Westhaven - July/August 2009, The Sanctuary, Westhaven - July/August 2012, Dibb Villa Highgate Park & 1 night at HRH - July 2015 2017 6 nights NY, 11 nights in Florida Dibb villa, Westhaven, Xmas 2018 Villa 1 night RPR 2019 7 nights in New York, 2020 Dibb Villa booked in Highlands, 3 nights in Cape Coral |
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12 Oct 13, 10:44 AM
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Staying in the Castle
 Join Date: Jun 13
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So jealous you are getting married in Florida! I wanted to do that when i got married but my parents couldn't afford to pay for flights ( I have 2 brothers and 1 sister) so it was far to expensive!
So instead me and my hubby are going next year to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary! I fly out on the 3rd of May 2014 from Glasgow direct flight with virgin so will be there the same time as you! This will be my 2nd time in Orlando and its all i think about! Im disney mad! Its going to be AMAZING
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12 Oct 13, 11:34 AM
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Thread Starter
Disney Dreaming :)
Join Date: Jan 09
Location: Aberdeenshire
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Thank you!
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Unfortunatley, there isnt a GLA - MCO flight with Virgin on our date! You're lucky! xx Edited at 11:37 AM. |
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12 Oct 13, 11:35 AM
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Excited about Disney
 Join Date: Apr 12
Location: Edinburgh
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Loved your last trip report so definitely looking forward to hearing more of your plans
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12 Oct 13, 11:38 AM
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Thread Starter
Disney Dreaming :)
Join Date: Jan 09
Location: Aberdeenshire
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