Hello anyone who is reading!
Haven't blogged about our travels since last year around this time so thought I'd put up some info on our current trip.
I'm typing this from our hotel room at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida. It never gets even cool here - we've been here for 8 days now and the temperature hasn't dropped below 78 degrees...and that is the night-time temp! We have been out and about every day in temperatures exceeding 95 degrees and very high humidity too - I don't know how people function in these temperatures; not sure I'd ever get used to it. I know it isn't really very environmentally friendly but, honestly, thank goodness for air conditioning!
Our hotel is lovely (couple of photos of room attached). It is set in huge grounds and the rooms are in a number of buildings spread around the place with gardens, pathways and lakes between. There is a posh spa here and also a full-size golf course(!) as well as 5 pools, 2 restaurants and a (very expensive!) bar. We have a room very close to one of the bus stops for Disney's own transport system and are making full use of it. We can also get a water taxi across to Downtown Disney which is a shopping and nightlife area just 10 minutes away.
We have been doing all the Disney stuff that we did 13 years (and more!) ago when we last visited when Katie (our daughter) was young. We came to Disney in 1993, 1995 and, the last time, in 1997. Some things haven't changed at all but we are looking at things with different eyes now. We have more time and more money and can pretty much please ourselves on where we go, what we see and where we eat. It is certainly easier than trying to entertain a young family member but I don't think you can beat the look on kid's faces when they meet Mickey Mouse or one of the other characters - magic!
We've had some fantastic meals so far (and some pretty average ones) but are enjoying a huge variety of restaurants around the whole of Walt Disney World (it covers a huge area!). We had a beautiful meal tonight at the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant at the Hollywood Studios...fillet of beef for Martin and the world's poshest pork chop for me - yummy! We are trying to maintain a balanced diet and we're doing ok so far - just eating far too much!
We've been flung upside down and all over the place on a number of mega-rollercoasters (hurl!), we've been soaked to the skin (literally - photo proof attached!) on the water-rides at Disney and at Universal Studios, we've seen 3D (and 4D!) films, been dropped several storeys at a ride in an "abandoned hotel" (photo of the Tower of Terror ride attached), and generally screamed and laughed ourselves hoarse. I'm not good at some of the rides (mainly the motion simulator things or, especially, one particular rollercoaster (an Everest themed ride complete with Yeti!) which took us forwards, then backwards - uphill! - in complete darkness - yuk!) and have spent quite a bit of time trying to regain my balance and clear a fuzzy head/upset stomach. I guess I'm just too old for some of these things but you only live once (I think!).
We've trekked through jungle and forest walks (photo of Martin in "jungle mode" attached), seen wild animals and dolphins up close, have played crazy golf on a pirate themed course, have visited Harry Potter's school (photo of Hogwarts attached) and been threatened with having to do the washing up as punishment for putting our elbows on the table at a 50's themed diner - we certainly haven't been bored!
Will close now but will probably try for another entry (with more photos) before we head for home in 10 days time.
Hope you've enjoyed it so far....
D&M
xx
