From contemplation to booked vacation in 20 hours - solo trip May 2018

[pinkstargirl]

I’m going back! After an America-free 2017 (the first year since 2010 that I didn’t go across the Atlantic) I decided I needed to return in 2018. But that was as far as my thinking went. I have a long weekend at DLP coming up in September (for the races, my second time doing them and hopefully I’ll actually run this year!) and I had been contemplating November.

The backstory (or how the report got this title)

On Thursday night, I decided to start pricing up trips. I thoughts I’d look at May and November, getting different prices for different dates. I also wanted to see if there was much price difference between flying LGW to MCO (and paying for parking at Gatwick) or flying LHR to MIA and driving up to Orlando (and getting parking for free as I work at LHR). Flying into Miami worked out more expensive even when I factored in airport parking.

Then to the wee small hours of Saturday morning. Around 4am to be precise. I was wide awake, with the sensible side of me fighting the impulsive side - the impulsive side usually wins the battle in these situations. Then before I knew it, I was answering questions on a US government site to see if they would let me into the country. For the first time, I was not automatically approved and it was a tense 15 minutes or so before I refreshed the page and saw that I’d been granted an Esta.

I already had a few days booked off at work for my birthday, so I just had to book another 4 off and that was me off work from 1-14 May! Due to plans I’ve now made, I may also book April 30 off. I got home from work on Saturday at around 10pm and by midnight I had flights, a hotel, car hire and my traditional first morning breakfast booked. (It says a lot about me as a person that the breakfast was booked before the car hire.)

The cast

Me!

With my medals at DLP in September 2017

Stitch was rather impressed with my sweatshirt, and moved the medal out of the way to better admire himself 😂

Heidi, 32, Stitch obsessed, favourite things to do in Florida include walking around Walmart and spending a small fortune, buying yet more hand sanitizer from B&BW when I’m still using the old style bottles and have at least 5 bottles somewhere, and seeing how much Stitch merchandise I can order and collect from Hot Topic. The fact that Primark keep bringing out new items of clothing with Stitch on is both a joy and a problem.

This will be my 7th trip to Florida, twice as a teen with my family, 3 solo (2011, 2x 2015) and a trip in 2016 with my Mum.

The plans

No Disney this trip. I really can’t justify the cost this time. I went to DLP in September 2017 and will do the same this year, so I’ll get my Disney fix although I know it’s not quite the same. I will be doing 2 days at Universal as I haven’t been since my trip for my 30th, and I will be visiting Kennedy Space Center for the very first time!

Dates for my trip are 2-10 May. I have booked the Gatwick Travelodge for May 1st and will travel from Heathrow to Gatwick and back via National Express. The total cost of this was roughly the same as car parking at Gatwick, and it means I get to start the holiday a day earlier AND I don’t have to battle with the M4, M25 and M23 on a Wednesday morning and stress myself out.

Another first is that I’m flying with BA! Virgin had no reward seats for the dates I wanted and BA were cheaper. I fly out at 11:10, landing at 15:30, and return at 19:55, landing the next morning at 09:20. My coach gets to the South Terminal just before 5pm, so I should be able to do twilight bag drop and grab some dinner at the airport before I get the cheap bus to the Travelodge.

I’m staying at the Maingate Lakeside Resort on the 192, which my Mum and I stayed in a couple of years ago and it was good enough for us! I found some other places to stay further down the 192 (towards the Old Town and possibly beyond!) for much the same price but I like staying in familiar surroundings so I was happy to get the MLR for a good price. I know where everything is at that end!

I have my traditional first morning breakfast booked at The Wave, at the Contemporary Hotel.

Other plans include shopping (at least 2 Walmart trips!), a visit to Celebration, a bit of Disney with a visit to Disney Springs and possibly some resort hopping from there, and some chilling out.

I don’t think I’ve actually ever finished one of my trip reports (I do plan to eventually finish the California 2016 TR) so I may make this a live report to make sure I can keep up with it. I’ll see how it goes!

I think that’s everything I have for you currently, so I’ll say TTFN!

[tootsie rolls]

Sounds good 😃😃😃very brave going solo,I could never do that 👍👍😖

[pinkstargirl]

Just a quick update now I’m 3 weeks away (eek!) from being back in one of my favourite places!

I finally got round to booking my Universal and KSC tickets on Sunday morning. I have the US one already as it’s an e-ticket, and the KSC will be sent to me.

I will now be using good old public transport to get myself to Heathrow to get my coach - my original plan had been to park in the long stay for free as I was a member of staff at Heathrow, but I am not an employee any longer and so I don’t have that privilege! The bus stop is a few minutes walk around the corner and the bus goes straight to the Central Bus Station, so I don’t have to faff about.

Other than that, I’m pretty much ready - I just need to work on my plans for the days that I’m out there. I have a small stockpile of tee shirts that I’ve purchased for the trip, good old Primark, along with other boys and pieces. I won’t be able to pack until a few days before I go though as I have no room to have my large suitcase open in my room! (Actually I need to go to the storage unit and get my big suitcase for starters!)

So I may update again before I go, I'm still deciding between doing it as a live trip report or not, so we will see!

[4andcounting]

Looking forward to reading your trip report as I’m planning my first solo trip for Jan 2019 (marathon weekend) 😊😂😂

[pinkstargirl]

Just realised that today is my single digit day! Whoop!

[DisneyDaffodil]

Just found this, looking forward to following your trip. Hope you have a great time 😀

[OB1LukeLucas]

Hope you have a great trip.