Today was a day everyone had been looking forward to. We had been watching the weather and he moved this trip as today was predicted the best weather with zero chance of rain.
It's a fair drive to Clearwater so we packed up the car and headed off around 8.45am. It took about 95 minutes to complete the journey with 58 miles being on the I4 before we skirted the outskirts of Tampa. It's fair to say the sun was out in force and we found all day parking and headed for the beach.
We chose a cabana, made ourselves at home and headed for the sea. What can I say other than it is a really beautiful place. There is a real charm about it. Aside from a trip to McDonalds for a quick lunch we spent the day on the beach, mainly in the water floating over the waves. We had taken a couple of inflatables and these certainly help... A pink flamingo and a candy topped doughnut, in case you were wondering.
We left the beach around 6.30 and after browsing a few shops grabbed something to eat before we set off on the trip home.
We were back at the villa just after 9 after a brilliant day at the beach.
Thursday, 31 August 2017
Wednesday, 30 August 2017
Tuesday 29th August
So it's going to be a quick post - we headed back to Universal Studios for the morning. Had lunch at Simpsons before donning ponchos and heading to Osland of Adventure.
We didn't stay too long as the sun had come out and everyone was tired and wanted to Splash in the pool so we headed for the villa.
Shame was that the weather had changed by the time we made the short journey home. Oh well...
We headed to Disney Springs for tea and plumped for Planet Hollywood. This has changed significantly since we were last there. The refurb is fab - shame the same can't be said about the food... We sent all four meals back and the replacements weren't much better!
We mooched round the shops taking in the atmosphere before leaving around 11 to head home.
We didn't stay too long as the sun had come out and everyone was tired and wanted to Splash in the pool so we headed for the villa.
Shame was that the weather had changed by the time we made the short journey home. Oh well...
We headed to Disney Springs for tea and plumped for Planet Hollywood. This has changed significantly since we were last there. The refurb is fab - shame the same can't be said about the food... We sent all four meals back and the replacements weren't much better!
We mooched round the shops taking in the atmosphere before leaving around 11 to head home.
Monday 28th August
Today we returned to Epcot, we had a couple of Fast passes booked - Soarin' and Mission Space. Usually you can't get FPsfor Soarin' and the queue is so long we don't tend to queue. It was good - it has recently been refurbished- but compared to AKs Flight of Passage, it is not in the same league. Mrs J joined us for Mission Space which was a bonus.
So then it was straight to World Showcase, after we had purchased ponchos - yes, the weather was that good. Our dinner reservation was at Via Napoli at 2.25pm. We visited a few of the World expos and then headed to Italy for our lunch.
We went for the half meter pizza to share - you should have seen a pic on journi - it was fab :)
We then wandered round the remaining Worlds, grabbing a quick snack in China, before standing in the rain to watch Illuminations. Glad to have seen it, but the weather could have been kinder.
After the show we headed for home and were back at the villa by 10.
So then it was straight to World Showcase, after we had purchased ponchos - yes, the weather was that good. Our dinner reservation was at Via Napoli at 2.25pm. We visited a few of the World expos and then headed to Italy for our lunch.
We went for the half meter pizza to share - you should have seen a pic on journi - it was fab :)
We then wandered round the remaining Worlds, grabbing a quick snack in China, before standing in the rain to watch Illuminations. Glad to have seen it, but the weather could have been kinder.
After the show we headed for home and were back at the villa by 10.
Monday, 28 August 2017
Sunday 27th August
Not quite sure how this happened but after a long discussion we decided to tackle 3 parks in one day culminating in the Happily Ever After show and fireworks at Magic Kingdom.
We weren't out very early as the weather was awful but eventually we donned the ponchos and headed out. First up was Hollywood Studios where we rode the Tower of Terror and Aerosmith twice. Mrs J joined us on the tower - a really big step as she has refused to ride it since we have been back to Orlando with the girls. Despite being very quiet the first time, she came off the ride beaming before announcing that she wanted to do it again. We were happy to oblige...
We then exited the park and headed for Animal Kingdom. We were on a mission to do Flight of Passage again (apologies for the confusion- I have been calling this Flight of Pandora...) The wait time was 2 hours and proved fairly accurate. We were lucky as the weather turned as we were queuing inside- so some luck there...
We then left the park and headed for the Magic Kingdom. We had managed to snag a few fast passes and headed off to do them - Winne the Pooh and Space Mountain. We managed a fair few other rides before heading to the castle to watch the fireworks.
Splash Mountain closes for refurbishment today so we went for our last ride on this attraction this year - in the dark... The girls then rode Thunder Mountain before the park closed and we joined the masses four our trip back to the car.
It wasn't too bad as we were back in the villa in just over an hour at 11. Shows what you can do in a day! That is likely to be our last trip to these parks as our tickets run out and we have other things planned - but as you know plans can change and often do...
We weren't out very early as the weather was awful but eventually we donned the ponchos and headed out. First up was Hollywood Studios where we rode the Tower of Terror and Aerosmith twice. Mrs J joined us on the tower - a really big step as she has refused to ride it since we have been back to Orlando with the girls. Despite being very quiet the first time, she came off the ride beaming before announcing that she wanted to do it again. We were happy to oblige...
We then exited the park and headed for Animal Kingdom. We were on a mission to do Flight of Passage again (apologies for the confusion- I have been calling this Flight of Pandora...) The wait time was 2 hours and proved fairly accurate. We were lucky as the weather turned as we were queuing inside- so some luck there...
We then left the park and headed for the Magic Kingdom. We had managed to snag a few fast passes and headed off to do them - Winne the Pooh and Space Mountain. We managed a fair few other rides before heading to the castle to watch the fireworks.
Splash Mountain closes for refurbishment today so we went for our last ride on this attraction this year - in the dark... The girls then rode Thunder Mountain before the park closed and we joined the masses four our trip back to the car.
It wasn't too bad as we were back in the villa in just over an hour at 11. Shows what you can do in a day! That is likely to be our last trip to these parks as our tickets run out and we have other things planned - but as you know plans can change and often do...
Saturday 26th August
Today was the day for one of my birthday gifts from earlier in the year. A trip to the Kennedy Space Center. To say I have been looking forward to this is an understatement... It was about an hour and a half drive from the villa. We had hoped to get there for opening but it wasn't to be, arriving at about 9.45, but having said that, none of the attractions started until 9.30 so that was fine.
What can I say about the day, other than WOW... what an experience. Just being there and walking in the footsteps of all those great pioneers. Taken back to a time watching the early shuttle launches and the preparations - all that history...
The day rushed past so quickly - we managed to do everything except the talk by the astronaut timings and the weather jinxed this but we managed to meet him, shake his hand and get an autographed picture. His name is Charles 'Sam' Gemar and travelled on the space shuttle on 3 missions STS-38, 48, 62.
The tour around the spaceport was fantastic seeing where the space shuttles were launched from, together with the changes NASA and SpaceX are making for the next set of missions.
I took more photos on this one day than on the holiday so far...
KSC closes at 6 and we were there pretty much up until the end. The drive back was a bit of a challenge as the weather had got a lot worse with the wipers on the max and speeds reduced due to visibility and the weather, but we made good time anyway stopping off at Manny's Chop House for something to eat, around 8.30. It was very busy and we needed to wait for a table - everyone seems to eat a lot later over here...
A word about the roads - we visited 6 till pay stations each way so needed to have plenty of change on us. Other than that driving is OK - there are still idiots in cars wherever you go...
What can I say about the day, other than WOW... what an experience. Just being there and walking in the footsteps of all those great pioneers. Taken back to a time watching the early shuttle launches and the preparations - all that history...
The day rushed past so quickly - we managed to do everything except the talk by the astronaut timings and the weather jinxed this but we managed to meet him, shake his hand and get an autographed picture. His name is Charles 'Sam' Gemar and travelled on the space shuttle on 3 missions STS-38, 48, 62.
The tour around the spaceport was fantastic seeing where the space shuttles were launched from, together with the changes NASA and SpaceX are making for the next set of missions.
I took more photos on this one day than on the holiday so far...
KSC closes at 6 and we were there pretty much up until the end. The drive back was a bit of a challenge as the weather had got a lot worse with the wipers on the max and speeds reduced due to visibility and the weather, but we made good time anyway stopping off at Manny's Chop House for something to eat, around 8.30. It was very busy and we needed to wait for a table - everyone seems to eat a lot later over here...
A word about the roads - we visited 6 till pay stations each way so needed to have plenty of change on us. Other than that driving is OK - there are still idiots in cars wherever you go...
Saturday, 26 August 2017
Friday 26th August
with the weather not being great we decided to go shopping - this time to Mall at Milennia. Not so much shopping as it is very high end and not an outlet. Having said that bargains can still be found, if you keep your eyes out.
It's a lovely mall to browse round and has the single best incentive for going there - The Cheesecake Factory. You can have a full meal there, but we always just go for the cheesecake. All the choices are gorgeous but very filling and rather rich - but so worth it.
By the time we had finished our cheesecake it was only 1.30pm, and The Florida Mall was only 4 miles away, so we headed there.
According to all the web sites this is the outlet that the locals go to, so we decided to take a look. There wasn't a great difference aside from a larger number of budget shops.
Again one big plus for this location was that it had a Carlo's Bakery. If that doesn't mean anything to you then you haven't seen Cake Boss and need to check it out.
We all purchased something, Mrs J went for Strawberry Cheesecake- yes I know... Miss B and Miss H went for cupcakes and I had a Cannoli.
After a bit more browsing we headed home, however the traffic was a nightmare and added 45 minutes to our return journey. After arriving home and chilling for a bit we headed out to Pizza Hut for tea. Drama ensued when our waiter (who was the manager) disappeared as the girlfriend of the head chef had been in an accident as she brought him to work. Both escaped unhurt but the car was totalled. That would explain the flashing lights outside then...
The rest of the evening was uneventful and we got back to the villa around 10pm.
It's a lovely mall to browse round and has the single best incentive for going there - The Cheesecake Factory. You can have a full meal there, but we always just go for the cheesecake. All the choices are gorgeous but very filling and rather rich - but so worth it.
By the time we had finished our cheesecake it was only 1.30pm, and The Florida Mall was only 4 miles away, so we headed there.
According to all the web sites this is the outlet that the locals go to, so we decided to take a look. There wasn't a great difference aside from a larger number of budget shops.
Again one big plus for this location was that it had a Carlo's Bakery. If that doesn't mean anything to you then you haven't seen Cake Boss and need to check it out.
We all purchased something, Mrs J went for Strawberry Cheesecake- yes I know... Miss B and Miss H went for cupcakes and I had a Cannoli.
After a bit more browsing we headed home, however the traffic was a nightmare and added 45 minutes to our return journey. After arriving home and chilling for a bit we headed out to Pizza Hut for tea. Drama ensued when our waiter (who was the manager) disappeared as the girlfriend of the head chef had been in an accident as she brought him to work. Both escaped unhurt but the car was totalled. That would explain the flashing lights outside then...
The rest of the evening was uneventful and we got back to the villa around 10pm.
Thursday, 24 August 2017
Thursday 24th August
we headed back to Universal today, but it was the turn of Islands of Adventure. Miss B and Miss H started with the Hulk, before we all rode Spider-Man, a great ride. It was scorching hot today and we had taken ponchos as we were all going to take on the water rides. Miss B decided to go sans poncho, a very brave decision.
First up was Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges. All of these rides pretty much guarantee you a drenching, but depending on where you sit, you can come off considerably worse. Miss H and I escaped pretty much but Mrs J and Miss B were soaked.
Next up was Dudley Do-Rights Ripsaw Falls and we all got soaked. My downfall was due to my good wife who grabbed my poncho to cover her legs which left my shorts uncovered. Not happy...
Finally on our trio of water rides was Jurassic Park River Adventure, which really surprised us. In the past we had been absolutely soaked riding this, but this time - nothing. Not that it mattered as we were soaked anyway.
But we had successfully completed the water rides...
We had a late lunch - chicken tenders and chips - far too much but we eat it all as we didn't want it to go to waste...
We had purchased the 1 day refill cup. You pay up front and then can refill it as many times as you like for that day. There is one constraint - you have to wait 10 minutes between visits. There are over 100 different drink combinations and we started working our way through them.
King Kong was next up. It was a 60 minute wait and wouldn't queue that long again but think it has a single rider queue, so we shall see.
We headed into Hogwarts next. We had discussed a game plan and put it into action. As anyone who has ridden this attraction will know, the lockers are a nightmare. So we had decided to ride in pairs as single riders whilst the other pair held on to our belongings. Miss H and I walked straight to the end of the single rider queue and straight onto the ride. What a result - we were back within 10 minutes of leaving. We swapped over and the same result. Why wait 80 minutes when you can walk straight on. The girls rode this once more, and guess what - same result. Whilst they were on the ride the heavens opened - what a downpour but it soon passed and the sun came out again.
A few more rides and we decided to call it a day. It was 6.30pm and we needed to go food shopping and fill up the car at the petrol station. We visited a few shops - some of which are new to me - Ulta Beauty and we ended up at Dollar Tree. You guessed it - like Poundland but everything is a dollar.
Sitting watching Impractical Jokers while I type this. Another fab but very tiring day.
First up was Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges. All of these rides pretty much guarantee you a drenching, but depending on where you sit, you can come off considerably worse. Miss H and I escaped pretty much but Mrs J and Miss B were soaked.
Next up was Dudley Do-Rights Ripsaw Falls and we all got soaked. My downfall was due to my good wife who grabbed my poncho to cover her legs which left my shorts uncovered. Not happy...
Finally on our trio of water rides was Jurassic Park River Adventure, which really surprised us. In the past we had been absolutely soaked riding this, but this time - nothing. Not that it mattered as we were soaked anyway.
But we had successfully completed the water rides...
We had a late lunch - chicken tenders and chips - far too much but we eat it all as we didn't want it to go to waste...
We had purchased the 1 day refill cup. You pay up front and then can refill it as many times as you like for that day. There is one constraint - you have to wait 10 minutes between visits. There are over 100 different drink combinations and we started working our way through them.
King Kong was next up. It was a 60 minute wait and wouldn't queue that long again but think it has a single rider queue, so we shall see.
We headed into Hogwarts next. We had discussed a game plan and put it into action. As anyone who has ridden this attraction will know, the lockers are a nightmare. So we had decided to ride in pairs as single riders whilst the other pair held on to our belongings. Miss H and I walked straight to the end of the single rider queue and straight onto the ride. What a result - we were back within 10 minutes of leaving. We swapped over and the same result. Why wait 80 minutes when you can walk straight on. The girls rode this once more, and guess what - same result. Whilst they were on the ride the heavens opened - what a downpour but it soon passed and the sun came out again.
A few more rides and we decided to call it a day. It was 6.30pm and we needed to go food shopping and fill up the car at the petrol station. We visited a few shops - some of which are new to me - Ulta Beauty and we ended up at Dollar Tree. You guessed it - like Poundland but everything is a dollar.
Sitting watching Impractical Jokers while I type this. Another fab but very tiring day.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)