The Fate Definitely Exists Pre-Trip Report

[Guest]

Hi everyone, I have been reading some of the great trip reports on this forum and it has inspired me to try and write something for my upcoming trip to the World. I have never written a trip report before so you might have to bear with me every now and then if I start rambling! Ok so let’s start at the beginning...

The Cast
Me – Kelly 21, this will be my fourth trip to WDW (but my first without the parents!)
DBF – Simon 24, this will be his first trip to WDW.

The Background

A school trip back in 1998 to Disneyland Paris firmly embedded my love for Disney theme parks and so when my mum announced a couple of years later that we were going to Orlando (and that we were going to be out there for my birthday! ) I think the word excited was an understatement. We stayed in the Econolodge in Kissimee and had such an amazing holiday that as soon as we got back my mum (who works in a travel agent which is very handy!) began looking at new deals, and BINGO our second trip was planned for Christmas 2000. This was a really great trip, we stayed at the Quality Inn International on I-Drive and spent Christmas Day in Magic Kingdom, definitely an experience wearing Santa hats with Minnie Mouse ears on in the Florida sun! Anyway we got back to dreary England in the January and again mums eyes started scouring for deals, now by this time she had been with the company for quite a few years and so had racked up a bit of discount so we were able to book for the July and we stayed at the Marriot World Centre in Lake Buena Vista (i think that’s the name I can’t quite remember) this hotel was amazing, although I seem to remember a beauty pageant or something going on at the time and there being lots of preened kids running around!

So anyway by now I was firmly in love with Orlando and all the theme parks, but I was also about to begin my GCSE years at school so anymore trips to the sunshine were out of the question. And now we get to nearly 7 years away from the magic and it feels good to know I am going back!

The History of this trip:

Simon and I are both huge Disney fans, and I have to admit I think he might have more Disney films than I do! And we had been talking about how amazing a trip to WDW would be since pretty much as soon as we started going out (nearly 4 years ago! ) but seeing as I was still in college doing my A Levels the idea remained an idea for a few years. Then we both went to Uni, luckily the same one and with being poor students the trip was moving more and more into the distance.

Now we get to around June last year and both of us had one thing on our minds, my upcoming move to Germany to do my placement year as part of my degree, we both knew this was going to be a tough year and so Simon brought up the idea of going to Florida after my placement as a treat for both of us, well I didn’t need to consider that idea for long!

So in early July I moved out to Stuttgart and started work, this was a really tough month for me, being so far away from home, Simon and my family. Meanwhile Simon was also on the placement hunt and had been pretty much offered a job with a company in the UK, only for them to turn around a week later and say as much as they wanted him they did not have the budget for a placement student! Then one night on the phone Simon said to me jokingly, don’t suppose there are any jobs going out there? The next day I was talking to one of the guys from a different department and what does he say to me “I don’t suppose you know of any UK students looking for a placement out here as we have an opening in our department!” I told Simon about this on the phone that night and he said he would go for it. 2 weeks later and he was over in Stuttgart visiting me when he got an email asking him for a phone interview, he emailed back and said he could go one better and come for a face to face interview, so that’s what he did and here we are 12 months later both finishing our placements in Stuttgart.

Ok there is a point in me explaining all this, and that point is something called an Erasmus grant Now because I was undertaking a work placement abroad I was entitled to receive a grant from the British Council (via my University) for around £4000 (wooo hoooo) but up until November last year the University had received no news about the funding and were not sure if students would receive the funding this year. Then one morning mid-November the email came through saying the Uni now had the funding and that any students that had filled in the forms before starting their placements abroad would receive half the funding soon, of course this was the cue for me to start looking into prices for Orlando and eventually booking our trip

Simon however had not filled in the forms, as he did not think he would be working abroad, so he emailed the Uni and they said all the spaces had been allocated for the funding but he would be put on the reserve list, we thought nothing more of this until he got an email after Xmas saying someone had dropped out of the scheme and that he would now also be receiving the grant! This was just the icing on the cake and the planning could now begin properly.

The Trip and Itinerary:

Ok so we are flying out of Gatwick with Thomson on the 6th of September for 2 weeks and staying at the International Plaza Resort and Spa on International Drive. We have got 7 day Disney Tickets and 14 day Flexitickets including Aquatica, as well as Discovery Cove, MNSSHP, and 3 dinner show tickets.

Saturday 6th September:
Leave Gatwick at 9.25 am arrive at Sanford at 1.25 pm
Coach transfers to hotel
Explore area around hotel, grab some dinner on I-Drive

Sunday 7th September:
Buffet breakfast somewhere like Sizzler or Golden Corral
Pick up hire car at Disney Dolphin Resort
Downtown Disney
Arabian Nights Dinner Show

Monday 8th September:
ADR at Crystal Palace for breakfast
Magic Kingdom

Tuesday 9th September:
Sea World (including Wild Arctic Tour)

Wednesday 10th September:
Universal Studios
Dinner at Bubba Gumps (we went to the one in New York and loved it)

Thursday 11th September:
Discovery Cove (including Dolphin Swin)

Friday 12th September:
Morning: I have been told I have a surprise but not sure what lol
Afternoon/Evening: Shopping and Old Town Kissimee

Saturday 13th September:
Morning Epcot
Afternoon shopping
Evening Medieval Times Dinner Show

Sunday 14th September:
Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, and Illuminations at Epcot

Monday 15th September:
Hollywood Studios

Tuesday 16th September:
Typhoon Lagoon, MNSSHP (yey)

Wednesday 17th September:
Drop off rental car at Dolphin Resort
Shopping and chilling out day

Thursday 18th September:
Islands of Adventure (aka the day I ride Hulk! )
Pirates Dinner Show

Friday 19th September:
Aquatica/Shopping/Chilling

Saturday 20th September:
Chilling/Last minute shopping
Flight back to Gatwick at 17:50

This could change though and probably will, but hey that’s half the fun! I think that is all for now, I hope I haven’t bored you all to death with my ramblings. Any feedback or suggestions would be really appreciated as I want this to be a great trip for DBF so he decides he has to come back

[voddygirl]

Sounds like a great trip... you will love the dolphin swim at DC its just magical... wonder what your suprise will be makes it even more exciting for you ...have a fab time

[Guest]

sounds like you poor students deserve some fun after all the hard work you have both been doing ! what a nice thing for the uni to pay for you both cant wait to read more

[ely3857]

I can't wait for you to come back; 'cos we go 5 days later!



Jodie

[Guest]

Hi All, I am Simon the DBF!

Thought I would add my two cents! We leave tommorrow for my first trip to Orlando. I can't wait!

I have only been to the Paris DisneyLand before and loved it. Since the age of 5, I always used to order the free DisneyWorld video every year off the tv, and dream about one day going to DisneyWorld, now that day is about to happen.

Since DGF wrote this pre-trip report we have managed to get VIP Tickets to see TNA on 17th September. If you have read DGF post at the start of this thread you will see I have a suprise for her on 12th. This is not the only suprise I have for her... (She won't read this she is asleep now) On 11th We are going to Discovery Cove, where I have organised a VERY special suprise

I'm a little concerned about the weather but I am sure everything will go ok! Wish me luck, and if you are going away I wish you have a great time also!

Thanks

Simon

[ely3857]

Originally Posted by hoody

Hi All, I am Simon the DBF!

Thought I would add my two cents! We leave tommorrow for my first trip to Orlando. I can't wait!

I have only been to the Paris DisneyLand before and loved it. Since the age of 5, I always used to order the free DisneyWorld video every year off the tv, and dream about one day going to DisneyWorld, now that day is about to happen.

Since DGF wrote this pre-trip report we have managed to get VIP Tickets to see TNA on 17th September. If you have read DGF post at the start of this thread you will see I have a suprise for her on 12th. This is not the only suprise I have for her... (She won't read this she is asleep now) On 11th We are going to Discovery Cove, where I have organised a VERY special suprise

I'm a little concerned about the weather but I am sure everything will go ok! Wish me luck, and if you are going away I wish you have a great time also!

Thanks

Simon

See more...

You two have a bundle of fun



Jodie

[purple myra]

oh what a fab pre trippie...
and HOODY... I wonder what that surprise might be?

[Guest]

Thanks guys! One quick question, i'm sure it has been asked many times before... How long do you have to have been a member before your allowed to post photos?

thanks again

[ely3857]

Originally Posted by hoody

Thanks guys! One quick question, i'm sure it has been asked many times before... How long do you have to have been a member before your allowed to post photos?

thanks again

See more...

I think it's 10 but I could be wrong



Jodie

[Guest]

Hope you guys have a wonderful time. Can't wait to find out what your surprise is