Updated 4/5/18 Big Birthday/No Parks (ok now its two parks lol) - Pre Trip Report May 2018

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Hello Fellow Dibbers.

Its less than 30 days (at the time of writing this 29 days 18 hours 22 minutes and 18 seconds - according to the TUI website countdown). I have been putting off doing this trip report as I was a little in awe of all you fellow Dibbers who have written excellent reports. However I know that time is ticking so best I take the plunge and just get on with it.

First things first so I best introduce you to the 'cast members' of this report!

ME: Paula - Chief planning officer of all holidays. Age 48! Love making lists and get a great satisfaction ticking things off as I go along! Amateur photographer so there aren't many photos of me in front of the lens.

DAD: - David -(Nickname - Fluffy Daddy (FD). Retired. Loves travel, says he loves the heat but gets a bit red and uptight when too hot! Is the Birthday Boy on this trip. He will be 70 on the Monday after we arrive. He is a wonderful Dad and has been known to accompany me on various scary rollercoaster rides even though he isn't very keen on them.

MUM: - Maureen - (Nickname - Wee Ooh - named this due to her height and the noise she makes when she feels she is travelling too fast in the car!) Nervous traveller but is great when she finally gets to her destination. Keen crafter so her mission is to find and shop in as many craft shops as she can on this trip! Hobby Lobby and Joanns look out!:

Alfie Boe Boe & Ella Bella Bumblebee - our rescue cats. This will be the longest time they will have been in a cattery since we have had them. Stressful for both them and us but we now they are going to a wonderful Cattery ( The Old Farm Cattery) and will be spoilt. It also gives the local wildlife a break from them too! Ella could do with going on a bit of a diet too!

The last time we were in Florida was 2013 November/December an we said that would be our last time as we have been at least 14 previous times!

We did look at other options for this years holiday but none seemed to work out on the dates that we wanted so back to the easy choice of Florida. This time thought it was decided that we didn't need to do any parks and that we would just take each day as it came and we would try and see some other parts of the area outside Orlando.

Our plans are that we fly out of Glasgow on the 25th May and return on the 8th June in and our of Glasgow International. We are flying with TUI as it is now called (anyone else irritated with their current advert or is it just me! ? ) and have upgraded to Premium as one member of our party who will remain nameless told us that she wasn't flying that length of time again without an upgrade! Our car hire is with Alamo booked through my Defence Discount Service. We are staying the full two weeks at a two bedroom villa at Orange Lake Resort Kissimmee. We have stayed at this resort numerous times and like it. I have requested our normal villa and hopefully they will be able to honour my request.
We will be driving down the day before to Glasgow and staying at the Holiday Inn Express where we also will leave the car. The furries are going into the cattery on the Wednesday at some point meaning whenever we manage to get them into their travelling boxes!

We have no firm plans on this trip. We may or may not go to Epcot just to do World Showcase but this is not confirmed. We will however be going up to Mount Dora and St Augustine. Possibly also looking into an overnight stay at Jacksonville. Disney Springs (renovated since our last visit will be a must and Celebration for a wander and lunch. I would also like to take the time having a wee nosey around the various Disney hotels - only ever been inside the Grand Floridian whose lobby was just stunning. The only thing I have booked for Dad is the IFly experience (wind-tunnel indoor parachuting thing) which I booked through Groupon which a fellow Dibber had mentioned. We got a good deal, two flights for £30 I think it was. I have been signing up to deals online for example the Longhorn Steakhouse and IHOP. We mostly eat in for breakfast and dinner when we are there but of course there is the 70th birthday meal to consider and I don't think Publix Chicken etc is going to cut it on that day however lovely it is. Getting a birthday cake out of Publix too as they seem to have a great selection. That's the Tuesday morning sorted out.

Anyway that I think is my pre trip report done and dusted. Thanks for reading and I hope it wasn't too boring for you all. Next time it will be the Pre travel day/ Travel day report! I am sure the next few weeks are just going to fly by!

Update: 4th May 2018! Slight change of plan one park has been booked for the Monday 28th EPCOT! Well couldn't have the old boy lol walking around a shopping mall on his 70th Birthday. Birthday dinner at Epcot and then a second birthday dinner at Longhorn which is his favourite steak house on the Tuesday night! We have also upgraded to a standard SUV as we got a great deal for this curtesy of Jenny at Alamo! Possibly have to take over some nice shortbread from home as a wee thank you for that!

Well going to have to change the banner now as we have just booked two days at Parks! Epcot of course and now we made that into a two day ticket! The magic always grabs you again when you are least expecting it. Our tickets include a round of Fantasia golf, the Coco Cola Eye thing, SeaLife world or whatever it is called and Madam Tussauds. They also threw in the Autograph book for Dad bless them - thanks to Jimmy at Attraction Tickets Direct. We paid a total of £567 for three adults in total and they are proper tickets arriving by courier so pretty pleased!