August 2012 and a Double Dose of Disney

[WileyCoyote]

Originally Posted by Smithkfs

Fantasic update Amanda

Looks like you had a fab time in Alton Towers - I started getting 'use' to large rides at Alton Towers before I went to Florida for the first time

I absoluelty (sp) love Devon and Paignton... tempted to see if DH wants to go down for one weekend in Oct

Looking forward to the next installmant

Take care
Thanks Kath - I am a real ride weenie - the most I did at WDW was TSM and Soarin - didnt even get onto Test Track, I am SO doing more next time - I am determined to do FJ and things like BTMRR. Not sure I will ever be able to cope with the real thrillers at places like IoA , think I might literally die of fright - having high blood pressure doesnt really help Yes , we love Devon too, its just quite long way so we dont get there as much as we would likex

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Originally Posted by Milner

Great update Amanda looks like a great day out at Alton Towers. It was Ryan's birthday on 17th August. Both boys have been back at school now for 2 weeks and Ryan now playing football for 2 teams so it is all go. Still waiting patiently to get out flights booked. Have you decided when you are going yet?

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Hope Ryan had a great birthday - its Connor's birthday today , we are just back from a snowboarding lesson They go back to school next wednesday, I feel like they have been off forever
Re the flights - still undecided , our TA is currently holding Sunday 29th July afternoon flight with Virgin to San Fran but not sure its really my preference - either the Sun pm or Virgin , so we will wait and see what else she can find for us

Originally Posted by Rod1000

Just had to say WileyCoyote, I wish all I had to worry about was the Techie side. My tribe are talking about 2013 I think. 2 weeks in Florida with my daughters fam., then a week in the Keys. My daughter said to be thinking in terms of £7000, for the wife & I. Is this a realistic figure. Oh, I have bought an extra lottery ticket for tonight, and am keeping my fingers xed!

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LOL - did you win the lotto then ? I am in so many syndicates it costs me a fortune Cant help on the costs as not done the Keys so no idea how pricey or not they are - I know it cost about £7k for 7 of us in 2010 for 3 weeks over Easter but that was everything - flights, villa, car, all tickets , inc Dolphin Swim, all food , all shopping etc and we didnt eat out all that much - good luck with your planning

Originally Posted by ppodangel

What a lovely family! Love all your pics snd all your plans! Sounds brilliant doing Cali and Fl in one trip, I'm vey envious!

Looking forward to reading more of your plans

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Thanks for joining in - I am really looking forward to the dual trip but the Cali end is doing my head in - feel I know my way round the FL bit but there is so much to plan and book for CA - I have run a bit out of steam at the moment - once the flights are confirmed it will spur me on to get a move on !

[offtoseemickey]

Helloooo! I'm all caught up on your pre-TR, you're all going to have such an amazing trip. I'm loving all the photos - the boys all look older and your new pooch is gorgeous!

You look so lovely and slim. Well done! There'll be nothing left of you by the time your holiday rolls round! (I need to try harder... *rolls eyes*)

I loved looking at the photos of AT. I wish we lived closer - it's lovely there and we're always so rushed...

I really can't wait to hear what you decide.

Oh - can you post a photo of the Disney Dollars please? I've never really seen them.

Michala xx

[SammyScotland]

Fab photos of your trip to Alton Towers - they brought back some memories. We haven't been to Alton Towers for years.

[WileyCoyote]

Originally Posted by offtoseemickey

Helloooo! I'm all caught up on your pre-TR, you're all going to have such an amazing trip. I'm loving all the photos - the boys all look older and your new pooch is gorgeous!

You look so lovely and slim. Well done! There'll be nothing left of you by the time your holiday rolls round! (I need to try harder... *rolls eyes*)

I loved looking at the photos of AT. I wish we lived closer - it's lovely there and we're always so rushed...

I really can't wait to hear what you decide.

Oh - can you post a photo of the Disney Dollars please? I've never really seen them.

Michala xx

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Michala , thanks , the boys are sure growing up fast - Connor is so much taller than me now and seems to have developed curly hair - which he is quite distressed about as he keeps trying to flatten it - we all tell him that he is starting to look more and more like Harry from OneDirection so he should milk it for all its worth !



These are pics from Jamie's first day at Grammar school - my little one at secondary school - he doesnt look big enough !





And these are Disney Dollars - they have each had $45 Disney Dollars for their birthday as well as $150 ordinary dollars to get them started on their savings

[WileyCoyote]

Originally Posted by SammyScotland

Fab photos of your trip to Alton Towers - they brought back some memories. We haven't been to Alton Towers for years.

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Thanks - we really loved AT - we went to Thorpe for Connors birthday which I will post a bit later - I didnt really like it as much - I think the boys liked the rides as much but I didnt find there was as much to do for the non riding , bag minding wimp of the family (me)
I seemed to spend most of my day at Thorpe looking up at shoes dangling above my head


I am getting nervous now, Shelley at CT has held a late July flight to SF for us and been searching for our internal LA to MCO flights for early August but the puzzle isnt completed until the final return journey of MCO to LHR or LGW is booked and that wont be until flights for 3 Sept are released - on 4 October, which , coincidentally is my birthday and the exact same day in 2009 when I booked our flights for easter 2010 - so I am hoping its all fortuitous omens

I am itching to book the accommodation for the SF to LA leg of the holiday but cant until we have the exact flight details as it may mean one or two days difference to where we are on different days

I have though done some booking

Discovery Cove - 1 Sept 2012 which is the Saturday after Labor Day - I figured the shops and parks would be manic so with limited attendance, this would be a good bet and its almost Connor's birthday so he can have a special day too . No Dolphin swim this time, we may do the seaventure thing but will see when we get there. I am just looking forward to it being a lovely relaxing day. As part of the DC tix we also got SeaWorld and Aquatica and Busch included. Also by dropping back to September rather than August, the price of the tix were lower too - Bargain .In fact , I must go and look up the price now so I can post it !

[WileyCoyote]

Ok , so i just checked
The DC ultimate adventure ( non swim) was £123 each so £615 for the 5 of us - which I thought was pretty good as it gives us the 14 days for the other three parks

I have also bought our Universal tix too - got the 3 park ones as the boys love Wet n Wild and they were £107 each so £535 for all of us

I got these via Orlando Ticket Deals as I used them last time we went and I took out their cancellation policy ( in case of the unthinkable) and also their insurance policy ( we are such a bunch of clutterbucks that loss or damage to tix is highly possible)

So, all the non Disney tix, bought and paid for and with the other policies came to £1206.

Tix have arrived and I have "stored them in a safe place" - which means that I may never find them again as i will either a] forget where they are or b] have put them somewhere so safe, that even my elephantine powers of memory will fail me despite being convinced that they are " most definitely in HERE" after the umpteenth place of looking

I have also booked the RPR for the night of Andys birthday which is 23 August. Club Level - Nice Am thinking here that we can do the WWoHP early start malarky and IoA , splash about in the hotel pool in the afternmoon and then go and see Blue Man Group that evening - but we cant book BMG until 6 months before we go so thats still to be sorted. I havent told Andy but we are actually booked in for 2 nights at RPR as I thought we might like a lie-in after BMG and a night at City Walk so day 2 can be a lazy start and do the Studios park and maybe WWOHP at night - and of course on checkout day we can still benefit from the early start and FOTL benefits - woo hoo

Have to stop now - sun is shining and laundry to be done

[Milner]

Hi Amanda

Great you have all your non Disney tickets organised was going to do ours soon. We have booked our flights now and of course what happens after we book ours the Delta Glitch appears! Oh well nothing we can do about it our tickets are non refundable and we were happy with the price we paid and we are flying from Aberdeen via Paris. Will have to get some sort of plan going.


xx

[Guest]

I'm here, Wiley! All the way from Colorado, lol. If you saw my post on my own TR on easywdw.com you'll know my real name. Looking forward to more posts as your trip for next summer gets closer. The boys sure have grown.

[WileyCoyote]

Hi Carole - i have been reading about that Delta Glitch and getting twitchy as our flights STILL arent booked - contacted the TA who is holding two direct virgin flights for us but waiting for the internal connections for our middle leg to be released. At the moment the flights are about £300 more than I had expected ( total ,not each) but thats direct and with a weekend supplement.I had a quick nose about last night and found indirect flights cheaper with BA and AA so I cant see us going with the Virgin prices unless a miracle happens - I just want to book now so I can start securing some of the SF and LA hotels

Hello Rebecca - I am glad you found me You will be on your way soon - eeek

I have been struggling with the planning but as just went under 300 days ( hooray) , I feel I SHOULD be DOING something - so I am going to book the photopass pre order deal that a kind Dibber posted about recently- that will make me feel better about having another thing booked and paid for

Last night Andy asked if we were doing an airboat tour again , to which I said no, as we did it last time and we agreed once was enough - this time we will try out a shooting range instead - but he seemed a bit disappointed. I did show him some trippies with the idea of driving to Clearwater for either Seascreamer or Little Toot but I am not sure we will get round to it - we are not really beach people at all and although we will drive down to Busch , i cant see another drive to Tampa will materialise - this was meant to be a more relaxing holiday after all

Oh yes best of all , going under 300 "real" days , means we now have less than 200 "work" days, after taking out bank holidays - so that feels better already , hee hee

[Smithkfs]

I love Discovery Cove - We went for the first time last year and sooo want to go back (we plan for 2013 but until we have paid a deposit its still only a dream - we do have Gatwick Hilton booked for the night before though )

Yayyyy to being under 300 days - I hope you can get your internal flights booked soon

Look forward to reading some more

Take care x x x