Follow that Dream! - Day 24 , August 24th 2016 - Orlando City Soccer and a Studios de-tour!

[walt4it]

Welcome back and thanks for your continued reading

Appreciate all of your comments and the PMs too - thank you.

Today was all about the ending and it was a day where once again we had not told the boys about
Surprises don't get as good as this!

if you missed yesterday Day 23 is a click away just here

If you have missed more then the whole index of this trip can be found here.



Our Bruce song of the day is Out in the Street - while you read

Welcome to day 24...

Wednesday 24th August 2016

planned Fp's for today

NONE!


We woke to the sight of clouds, dark ones at that.

However the boys headed into the swimming pool, only to be dragged out (not literally I may add) when my WESH weather alert app pinged up lightning on the locality, how accurate that was as just five minutes later it began.

It rained heavily for around an hour. We just caught up on stuff around the villa and then headed out to Disney Studios. We did use a new ramp to the main entrance that saved a couple of minutes time wise from the Sherbeth Road route in.

And then…We were parked about as far away from the entrance as you can get - Film33 – now I could get a photo of the parking lot and whinge once more about how far away we were but I’m sure nobody but myself is that bothered –Another Mr Grumpy Gills moment
It peeved me once again as there seemed to be a deliberate pushing of parking into parking that previously would never have been used – until they introduced the preferred parking option – front car parks for that were pretty empty and so I took the opportunity to walk off the extra metres and engage in the “ we will beat the tram game “ for anyone who walks to the gate at Epcot, AK or the Studios I am sure you played!

We still walked to the path on the left side of the tram lane - which is now closed ( as mentioned earlier in this report)

By the time we got through bag furtle station – the tram was arriving to drop off. Insert joyful one nil gesture here please!

We were earlier than expected and rather than our usual destinations we went to the Beauty and the Beast show, it was a while since we had been here but it was an enjoyable 25 mins

Before a Single rider Rock and Roller – the screens as you enter the single rider/ Fast pass area seem to be taken with Joe – his name seems to appear always and yet Josh is still to see his name in lights.

We then got a Tower of Terror back row, we usually ask for the front , just to spoil the photos of others ( joke) there is only one pose in the back row – arms aloft so you are not blocking out the faces of anyone ( we do think about this, having been in the middle row so many times with hards, arms and heads in the way of our ride photo.

We also took our time to get a few photos with an excellent photographer- he was brilliant - we have a few of us as a couple which are simply a wonderful reminder of this whole trip - I won't bore you with them.

I was really keen to get the Studios logo in as who knows what this place will be called should we ever get the chance to return.


The Muppets were the next needed stop along the way - for the same reason, they have missed the park cull for now , but with a new Pizza restaurant being built it appears as if Mupppetland will sit somewhere between Star Wars and Toy Story Lands in the future.

followed by Toy Story

...as we exited we saw the most wonderful sight – no trailer on display outside the most amazing place in all of WDW ( and they don’t even know it)

One Mans Dream with the original film not the Petes dragon trailer- result:-) We took great delight in explaining to the CM that they ought to keep this film and just make very single guest watch it at least once.

Why they persist in giving air time to new films instead of the film that explains why this whole place is here is rather beyond me.
We were all captivated for the whole film and just made us all recognise the reason why we work hard and have our own dreams to follow. Inspirational.


This also meant we were a little late in leaving the park and we parked up at the Orlando Ale House near Universal at 6, for a meal that needed eating in a hurry!
Food arrived at a good pace and we were back on the road within 45 mins
Boys shared the steak and chicken fajitas whist Alison and I enjoyed a burger.

The boys had been totally unaware of our plans and just thought we had chosen this Millers as it was one we had been to before – it was on the sat nav from a previous trip – yes devious I know but it helped once more to surprise.

We got the bag out of the boot and handed over their football shirts and scarf. We were off to see Orlando City at the Citrus Bowl ( Camping World Stadium, as it is currently known)


The boys were a little taken aback by the surprise and by the time we parked in the pre booked piece of ticketmaster grass there was an air of total excitement as we soaked up the prematch offerings. ( I will leave my ticket master issues for another time, possibly not this trip report though!)


No need to make any notes about this place as Orlando City SC will be in their new home next season – the only way to describe this place is a concrete jungle from an architecture point of view, from a place to watch the football it was great.


There was a lot of easy parking around the ground ranging from 10 to 20 dollars. People were even parking cars on their from lawn for ten dollars.

Once inside we made our way to the seats bought back in March .

As much as we would have loved to have manned the wall behind the goal with the band - I went for the more expensive option and got a halfway line view from block 108. I do enjoy watching football from there.

The game was marred by a ref who did not have a clue what he was doing but enjoyed by all- the atmosphere was amazing as was the performance of the Orlando goalkeeper Joe Bendik


A disappointing 2-1 loss to a very well organised Toronto side, it perhaps signalled the end of the chance of a play off place for this season. But result aside we had enjoyed the whole experience, and vowed to be back.

I had been warned that the exit from the stadium was often the worst part of the night. We were lucky we were moving and on the I4 within minutes- we arrived back at sunset lakes at 10.20.

Once the boys headed to bed we hot tubbed under the stars with a plastic glass of wine.

It is always great when surprises like this come off and tonight will be remembered forever.

Day 25 Is here

[jemima2]

Amazing day! Love their faces in the pics of the footie xx

[mick]

The boys look really pleased about the surprise

Joan

[collybird]

What an amazing surprise! I actually think I might look into doing the same sometime, my OH would love it!

I cried last year when we went to One Man's Dream and it was the 'proper' film. I felt so lucky to be able to see it again. It should stay forever!

[Taffy1959]

Lovely day followed by a great surprise for the boys.

[Goldia]

It's great that your boys were able to appreciate the Beauty and the beast show and then watch footie on the same day. It seems like a fun day all round.

[Jake71]

A great day and loads done at Hollywood Studios with no pre-planned fastpasses, brilliant. I have to say I'd have been torn between Orlando and Toronto as we love both places, but have family in Toronto and have been to see them before, so I think they might just have won our support! We found the whole experience in Toronto amazing, sounds like it was the same at Orlando.

[Excitedx4]

Great surprise for your boys!

[mossyflossy]

Simply fantastic. Love the photos too, and the smiles.

[walt4it]

Originally Posted by jemima2

Amazing day! Love their faces in the pics of the footie xx

See more...

I am so glad to read your post and hope things with you are good

Days like these are why we work far too hard and for far too long each day. To be able to do see reactions and moments that really define us as a family

Expectation 0 reality 10

Result