Poor Unfortunate Souls get Cabin Fever - Pre Travel Day - Sept 2017

[TinksTreasure]

Poor Unfortunate Souls get Cabin Fever - September 2017

Index

Pre Travel Day – Monday 4th September 2017

Today was the day! The official start to our holiday! The countdown, all the planning, the shopping, the stressing (on my part) was over and it was finally here. My alarm was set for 8:30am, we were getting the train from Newcastle Central Station to the Clayton at Manchester Airport at 12:50. I got up and took it easy for a bit, checking Instagram etc and then left Richard to have a lie in whilst I showered. I did some extra loud Disney karaoke in the shower and afterwards came back in the room to see that sleeping beauty had awoken from his slumber. I cracked on with doing my hair and makeup. I then started packing away my straighteners, make up and last few bits and bobs once I was done with them.

Richard then got up and showered, he finished his last bits of packing and soon it was time to lock the suitcases up and weigh them with our cheapo Aldi luggage scales - which to be fair aren’t THAT far off. If anything they overestimate the weight rather than under and I much prefer that. My anxiety levels go up if I find we're like a kilo away from the max weight, I like to be safe haha.

So Richards suitcase weighed 16.4kg and mine came out as weighing 20kg on the dot. Now I always thought that I packed light on the way out to Florida but that weight had me shocked! I was considering taking some stuff out (perhaps I didn't need that tub of moisturiser or the not so travel size, very full bottles of shampoo, conditioner and hair mask...ahem) but Richard said to leave it. He reminded me that I had an empty suitcase packed inside of my own suitcase (as we were planning on paying for and checking in a third suitcase on the way home). Good point Richard, and to be fair those toiletries were essential

Richard then carried those hefty cases downstairs whilst I got the final things together (code for faffing about pacing the room thinking I had forgotten to pack something) so I was double checking my packing list, making sure everything was checked off. My mam & dad were kindly driving us to the train station and looking after their grand-dog Oliver whilst we were away (which they jokingly complain about as he is so awkward to sleep with since he lays his little sausage body horizontally, but I know they loved their 2 week sleepover with him!) So anyways, whilst Richard was helping my dad load the cases into the car my mam was helping me go over my list again.

I packed up our hotel room munchies, we said our goodbyes to Oliver (I cried obv) and Tink the family dog (short for Tinkerbell which she aint! She's a massive tank of a chocolate labrador, but she's gorgeous nonetheless haha)

We set off at 12:05 and the journey to the train station was pretty uneventful, we arrived at about 12:20 and we said our goodbyes to my mam & dad and wheeled our suitcases off into the distance! We checked the train was on time, it was on time and it was due at platform 9, the platform that was right in front of us, good stuff! Richard then popped into Sainsburys to get us our usual – we have a tradition that whenever we are at Newcastle Central Station going on a short trip away or holiday we get these gorgeous southern fried BBQ chicken wraps, we're proper foodies so of course we have food related traditions haha

So I'm sat watching the suitcases and soon enough he comes back with drinks, wraps and a freshly toasted ham and cheese panini for himself! We then set off through the ticket gates (I had picked up all train tickets for the journey to Manchester and back a few days earlier, so we didn't have to pick them up at the ticket machines today)

We took a seat on our Platform and a young couple soon followed with about 6 bags between them. It was at that moment I knew we would not be getting our luggage on the luggage rack

We sat people watching for a bit and soon after our train had pulled up, but it stayed closed so the staff could get it cleaned and prepped for our journey. Another couple came up and stood in front of the train doors with their luggage. Then not 5 minutes later an older couple walk up and stand right in front of them as close to the doors as they could get, right behind the safety line.

Then finally a large family with a wheelchair came up and stood close to them, soon the train doors lit up and could be opened, the old couple were first up on that train, or so they thought! The member of staff that was helping lift the luggage up on the train decided to help the family with the wheelchair first and then the old couple after this, so they just had to wait like us other peasants.

So we waited and sure enough there was no space for us on the luggage rack, but he just popped them opposite the luggage rack where the fold down seats were. It just meant that people couldn’t sit on those seats but there were plenty of other unassigned seats for people to sit in, should they need to. So we weren’t worried. We then took our seats and I had my wrap, I basically inhaled the thing, I forgot to have breakfast so it was much needed! The train set off on time and the journey was pretty uneventful, the most interesting thing was that a man had booked a student ticket when he wasn’t a student so had to purchase a full price ticket then and there. I was cringing inside for him at the thought of the new price but the train conductor did him a favour and I think he mentioned he would book a ticket from Newcastle to York, then from York to Manchester Airport and it worked out cheaper this way. It only cost him an extra £33 in the end! I thought he got off lightly with that price, still wouldn’t like to risk buying train tickets on the day though.

When we were about an hour away from Manchester I literally bolted up in my seat and remembered that I had forgot to check in for our flight online with Virgin! So I rummaged for my phone and the passports and logged in, filling out the online forms that they ask you to fill in, we had kept our seats in the bubble (phew!) and were officially checked in, luckily I had just got the confirmation before my signal cut out due to us going through a tunnel - now back to relaxing.

We arrived at Manchester Airport train station at about 15:40 and set about finding the free phone you use to call Clayton and ask them to pick you up. We looked at the ticket purchase desk and thought naaah, we walked past a little kiosk where you order a taxi (if I remember correctly). We then dragged the suitcases over to the coach/bus side and I asked at the desk there, the man then kindly told us to go back where we had came from and it'll be at the exit. So we traipsed back over and there it was, on the wall right next to the exit, the phone we had unknowingly walked past when we were so desperately trying to find it, good one Steph

I called them and a lovely woman picked up, she asked how many were being picked up and which Terminal were we at.

Me: "Richard, which terminal are we at?"
Richard: "Errrm, we're not in a terminal, we're at the train station"

Ah yes, so we were! Good one again, Steph

She gave me a courtesy laugh and said there'd be a shuttle bus round in about 10 minutes to pick us up, so off we went outside to wait. A few minutes later a Clayton shuttle pulled up and a group of 3 people got on, I asked the driver whether we could get on this one even though I was told one would be here in 10 mins. He said he didn't see why not as it would save him the journey so aboard we climbed, gatecrashing this groups private shuttle party! A 5 minute journey later and we were at the Clayton.

While I was checking in the woman behind the desk was talking in a hushed tone to her colleague about how it was coming up on my booking that only a deposit had been paid. I was just getting my booking confirmation paperwork out ready to set the record straight (we had booked and paid for it at the start of the year through Agoda for £80) and then her colleague came over, pressed a few buttons and that was it, sorted and no need for paperwork

She asked me what time I wanted to get the Shuttle tomorrow morning, I plucked 6:30am out of thin air and she said she'd book us on that one. Then I remembered we had the V-room which opened at 7:30am so it was a good job I'd picked that time as we'd want to make the most of it. That was all booked and we were given room 685 and I shall spam some pictures of it below.

When we made our way up to the room I held the door open for a woman and she asked me “is this the right way to room 283?” Well I couldn't be certain but then I spotted a sign next to the lift saying something along the lines of 'Rooms 200 upwards this way'. So I said she could have the lift we just called and we would get the next one. She then started to ask more questions and all I heard was "Oh right ok then, so I just..." and then the doors closed on her and she was never seen again we had a good giggle about it whilst getting into our lift, I'm sure she found her way eventually!

It was a decent room for the price and the location, as you can see its two single beds pushed together but it didn't hinder our sleep at all so we weren’t too bothered. Also when we first got to the room the door was open, we thought it was being cleaned but just turns out that it hadn't shut, I then triple tested the door myself to make sure it actually did shut and it did so that was that

We settled in, I got the stuff out of the suitcases that we'd either be using or wearing tomorrow and then we just lazed about watching TV, we got the snacks out and stuffed our faces a bit.

We then had the discussion of what we were going to do, it was about 6pm and beforehand I was set on having some drinks in the bar downstairs and some food like we did last year but we both agreed that we didn't really fancy it this time (could have something to do with stuffing our faces not 5 mins earlier)

So we agreed we'd have a chilled evening and get room service later on.

I then tried to get the iron working for the maxi dress I was wearing to travel in tomorrow. Ha! No matter how hard I tried it just would not work. I followed the very short instructions that it came with, nothing. I even googled the manual for it but I couldn't find one for the ancient model that it was, in the end I gave up and just hoped that the creases would drop out whilst it was hanging up.

I then spoke on the phone with my sister who asked me to check some prices on a few perfumes for her at Duty Free tomorrow (putting in her orders already!) and then facetimed my mam, dad and Oliver whilst Richard watched the match.

Soon after we ordered room service and got a 12" margarita pizza, a burger and then a portion of chips.

I don't think you'll be able to see the prices that well, so the pizza was £14, the burger was £11 and the chips were £4

We ordered it at about 9pm and the menu stated allow 30 mins for delivery but it took about 50 minutes.

Sorry about the already eaten food, I get better with the food pics, I promise.

The pizza was alright. Richard really enjoyed his burger and the chips were naff, even coating them in an unhealthy amount of salt and dipping them in ketchup couldn't save them, however we were pretty full anyways so no harm done

I then took my make up off, Richard started watching Captain America and I set the alarm for 4:30am. We sat giggling like a pair of schoolgirls. Richard admitted he couldn't get properly excited the night before we flew in June as he didn't fully know what to expect, but he was excited this time and we both couldn't sleep. It was 22:10 when we got into bed properly and we were still so giggly. We were both doing impressions of the old Disney World advert where the little kid says "we're too excited to sleep!" it's such a cute and funny advert!

We were full of beans but soon drifted off, tomorrow was the day we flew to the most magical place on earth

[Michelle]

Someone wanted to go on holiday with you by the looks of things

I can just hear you two giggling away!

Enjoying the report

[kevbrydon]

Great report and pictures and love the Humour...

[Floridaagogo]

Glad it's not just me who face times the dog 😳😳

[TinksTreasure]

Originally Posted by kevbrydon

Great report and pictures and love the Humour...

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Thanks Kev! Aye well you have to have a sense of humour having my parents

[TinksTreasure]

Originally Posted by Floridaagogo

Glad it's not just me who face times the dog 😳😳

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Haha oh no most definitely not, fellow crazy dog lady right here

[Leia77]

Can't believe the scrum for the train!

The night befor is so exciting! Not sure how anyone sleeps

[TinksTreasure]

Originally Posted by Leia77

Can't believe the scrum for the train!

The night befor is so exciting! Not sure how anyone sleeps

See more...

I know! It was funny watching it all unfold though. Yes I agree. If you manage to get a full nights sleep the night before you go to Disney World there’s something wrong

[Zomax25]

Looking forward to reading along! Thanks for sharing.

[cherina99]

Thanks for sharing, looking forward to reading more.

My fiancé is Richard too! They sound like there into the same sort of things! :-)