The Home In Time For-ty Tour 2010 Day Fifteen 3rd Sept 2010

[mkingdon]

Previously on this tour...

The bit before we go Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Day Ten
Day Eleven
Day Twelve
Day Thirteen
Day Fourteen


Day Fifteen - 3rd September 2010

We’ve made it. Thank you for sticking with me to the bitter end, but I shall attempt to prevent my end from being too bitter, so that no-one is left with a funny taste in their mouth.

These last days are renowned for me having crap notes to refer to. In protest at having to return to the UK I go all sulk like and refuse to jot down what we do. I can’t really describe the feeling of knowing that we have but hours left in our (my) favourite place, but it usually results in a forlorn look on my face, a ridiculous amount of spending, thinking that taking home more stuff with us, will mean there is a little more Florida in our lives. In truth, nothing material can do that. It is not New York that is a state of mind (sorry Ms Keys), no, it is Florida.

Like a comfy pair of slippers, or those elasticated pants (what, is that just me? Oh ok), we just feel right when we are in its sweet embrace.

So our latest last day starts at 8.30. The rest of the packing is done, and it surprises everyone to be out of the door at 9.40.

Having said goodbye to one turtle head in the room, we do the same to many others as we cross the bridge to the car park.





As a parting gift, the state of Florida have ordered the sun extra hot today, and I am nicely moist before we reach the cooling calm of the Dodger’s icy breath.

Perhaps even more amazing than our early departure is the fact that the cases actually fit into the boot. Then again I have left half of my wardrobe somewhere in the Sunshine State.

As fuel for the cruel winter ahead, we feel it is right and proper to “fill up” on some proper US food before the return to reality, and with this in mind we hunt down a….



The service is a bit slow at first as they are quite busy.

Emily, after two weeks of practice almost manages a smile whilst on camera.



However, when it arrives, the food is well worth the wait.

Me – Meat Lover’s Scramble. Just like my underwear, this is all about volume, and I don’t mean noise.

I have to photograph it from an angle to capture all its glory (again like my underwear).



Rebecca & Emily – Double Cheeseburger



Louise – Banana Fosters French Toast. To me Australian lager doesn’t go with banana and French toast, but hey I’m eating pancakes and eggs.



Like all good meals, it came on two plates!



My word we are full.

We waddle to the charger, and are accosted by some woman seeking sponsorship for something. I am so full of food; some of it is in my ears, so I have no idea what. She looks all official like so I just hand her the contents of my front pouch. My, how her eyes lit up! It was good to get rid of all the loose change from my bum bag!

We head for Downtown Disney passing signs for…



And we park up behind the cinema.









We have a wander, looking in the usual shops, admiring the sweeties on offer, even though I would rather lose a limb than eat anything else at this point.



Two weeks in, and thousands of miles of theme park covered, and still I could take down aircraft with these bloody trainers.





The normal entrance to the cinema (for this is where we are heading) is closed and we have to almost do a full loop of the building to get in. I suppose that was a little bit of breakfast walked off!

We call in a shop or two to break the journey.









Continued...

[mkingdon]

The choice of films to watch is quite frankly poo. We quite fancied the Scott Pilgrim film, but the times just didn’t fit in with our inconvenient need to fly home. We are forced then to go for Vampires Suck, and I can assure you, they truly did.

This is a spoof Twilight film. I can just tolerate the real thing, so this was tortuous to be honest.

The girls were happy enough after it though.



We wander some more to the World of Disney, bumping into that Margaret woman again on the bridge near Planet Hollywood.



She was out of her tree on Mojitos again, but we had a nice chat all the same, and said a tentative goodbye, as at the rate we were going there was a good chance we would bump into her again in the hour or two we had left.



Present shopping now. We like the thrill of leaving it to the last minute!

We take some final shots, soak in the final rays of sun and have to leave for the airport.







The traffic was horrific, and we crawled nearly all the way to Sanford. This did not help the mood much.

We all did a quick change in the toilets, into warmer clothes, after battling the check in queues!



Yes, it was that quiet.



After security we go upstairs and have a drink in the bar for a while. We duty free a bit, buy supplies for the flight (sweets and stuff to read of course), and we board the plane, and I have to be dragged kicking and screaming, finger nails scraping down the walls.

The flight is pants, as in we are going the wrong way!



We all attempt a mixture of trying and failing to sleep, music and films.



I really liked how they showed one film during the flight, and then started one just in time for the last ten minutes to be missed for landing. Cheers.

Joyous at our return to the UK, we have our mood improved by a giant queue for passport control. How come I have to queue to get into somewhere I don’t want to go? Really, this queue was horrific. The worst (in every sense) of the holiday. Then again, how on earth could they have predicted this queue? It was just coincidence that it happened just after that huge jumbo landed from Sanford!

So tired, (a bit) grumpy and emotional we go to get the car, which is much better than having to wait for the taxi that only sets off for the airport when you are cowering outside arrivals in the sub zero Manchester wind. “Yes, he’s just turning the corner now” a la Peter Kay!

From the baggage hall, where all four bags arrive, together almost instantly, I call the company who have our car, using the number from the card the guy in the yellow vest gave me as he nonchalantly took my keys from me two weeks ago. For those with good memories do you recall me flagging this one?

However, it seems, when I call them they don’t. They check and double check and ask that I call back. So we move through customs and phone again from arrivals. Still no sign, but they have a theory.

My car was one of several that day that got left with the wrong company. I kid you not. It seems a company I had not booked with had taken my keys, without checking that I actually had a booking.

Anyway, says I, no matter, we all make mistakes, and I forgive you yours. Where’s my car?

Well, he claims, you owe us sixty pounds now.

You can imagine how the conversation developed from there. To cut a very long story short, I have my car, and he doesn’t have my sixty pounds.

Enjoying being back in the UK a lot, we tackle the M60 back to Bolton, greet the various animals, and try to get used to the fact that we won’t be going to a theme park today in 80 degree heat, followed by a lovely meal.

So there we have it. The end of a journey, and really a journey that started not just in 1999, with our first trip, but back in 1980, when I first became infected by the Disney bug.

I’ve spent a lot of time and money trying to rid myself of the disease, but it just won’t go.

However, as is traditional at this point, I tell you that I don’t know if we will go again next year, and then have it booked before you can all post rude replies saying you know we will.

Not this time. For now, we are done with Florida for a while. We’ve done it a lot (as you know), and we need to do something else. I do feel the addiction may now be under control for a little while, but I do sit here only hours from returning from a sneaky weekend at Disneyland Paris, and I am confident to say that whatever financial fortune comes our way in the coming months, we will be venturing elsewhere next time. Our current preference will be the West Coast of the US, but it may not come to be, and if not we’ll do something else.

These trips over the past ten years have been a huge part of our family life. God knows, I have driven Louise up the wall with my obsession to have a trip booked, and have performed financial miracles to make them possible. Who knew I could be that ambitious?

Having paid out all the money for them, they are ours now, and no-one can take them away from us. The photos and the videos are always there to see, the trip reports are there to go back to and read and the memories of course are locked away somewhere that nobody can get at them.

So it is a nice way to round off this particular chapter of holidays, climaxing (sorry dear) in splendid style with my 40th, in a hotel that, when we started in 1999, I could only dream of staying in.

A journey that started here…



After a few years, included this….



And this…



Often, a couple of these…



A heck of a lot of….



Some of this along the way…



To here…



My thanks as ever to Louise for her patience and understanding of my illness, and to the girls for just being them really. I’ve loved taking them, making them happy, and sharing the joy that I discovered when I was taken there as a child too. I would gladly give life and limb for them, so a few grand on a holiday or two is nothing really.

Having a Disney obsession can’t be all bad, as having had Disney as a large part of their childhoods has seen them turn into polite, respectful, funny and clever young ladies, who make me proud every day just to know them, and thankful that they let me be their Dad (and taxi driver).

So hopefully next time out we will have a whole new adventure, to the country we love, where we feel at home and happy. We will I am sure, return to Florida before too long. We all like it too much not too, but a break is needed, if not for our sakes, then for the sake of The Dibb. The trip reports section can be an innuendo free zone for a little while now.

Thank you to everyone who bothers to read along, and for those who been here since the first one. Seriously, you need to get out more

As ever I extend an invitation tojoin me at my blog for regular ramblings from the mkingdon household. I can’t guarantee excitement, but I can guarantee regularity, a little grumpiness and the occasional rant.

I shall spare you the corny song as a token of my appreciation for experiencing our trips with us.

From all of us, thank you and goodnight.

The Index of all days is here

[Guest]

Brilliant as always Craig, Thank you.

[Guest]

Fab Fab Fab ,I actuallt felt quite emotional reading the last one -eek! Please will someone give you a publising deal so we can read them all again and again!

[Guest]

Oh a sad day for all.

Glad you enjoyed your hols. You'll be back soon!

I would go every year if I could.

[jbrockwell5081]

Awww; so sad to see it finally come to an end. Thank you for letting us enjoy your reports but I must go back in time now and read all your old ones to catch up.

[Clare]

Fantastic as usual!

Loved the photo tour at the end Craig - what a stunning pair of legs you have!

[Disney_Diva]

Wow what an end to your amazing holiday!
I have loved reading your trip reports so thankyou so much for sharing
Loved those special photos at the end
xx

[welsh wizard]

I have to tell you, you've bought a tear to my eye you've summed it up perfectly. When I was little we went to Barry Island for a day trip and DH who was slightly more priveledged than me went to Cornwall because his uncle lived there and that was the highlight of the summer (Barry was 25 miles away) next summer we will take the family once again to Orlando this time staying at the Poly and HRH. We both work really hard to be able to do this but the memories we make are totally worth it.

[spenners]

Wonderful as usual