Trip report part 2

Sunday 12th Aug : Had a drive to Clearwater beach, it took 1 hour 45 mins to get there, clear road all the way. We arrived just after 11 and by the time we found a parking spot, ( take plenty of quarters ) and had walked to the beach, which is lovely, it was 11. 45 so we decided to grab a bite to eat before claiming an umbrella. on the beach. We had noticed a few dark clouds about, but had dismissed them, 10 minutes later it was pouring down, thunder, lightening the lot. This lasted for a half hour or so, then just as fast as it came, the rain stopped and the skies cleared and for the rest of our time there it was beautiful. the umbrella cost $20 for the afternoon untill 5 pm. We arrived back at our resort at around 7 pm, then went to the Boardwalk for a look around, very nice place, then back to our place for a nightcap .

Monday: Shopping day, went to the premium stores at the top of i-drive, a lot of building work going on here, went in Tommy Hillfinger and Reebok then moved on to Florida mall. This place is huge and spent a few hours here and spent quite a bit af cash, ( not enough though according to Mrs C ! ).From here went to the Nike outlet store on 192 and treated myself to a new pair of running shoes.In the evening went back to MGM to watch the Fantasmic show For the life of me, I cannot remember where we ate our evening meal these last 2 days, it%26#39;s a total blank.

Tuesday : Epcot : Our friends had arrived the previous Friday, they had paid for an itenery to be done for them and because of this , this was the first day we could have together without us having to duplicate a day. Arrived for 9 am and utilising the fastpass, had done the major rides by lunchtime. We had a great time here and it was really good to spend some time with our friends. We spent quite a bit of time exploring each of the countries, but have to admit, in the U.S. section, we went to see a show about how the u s was made great by certain people, I can%26#39;t remember what it was called, but it was in the big house, we ALL fell asleep during it at one point or another, it was quite a good show as well, what I saw of it! Stayed until Illuminations,which was as good as I remembered it.

Wednesday : To Universal studios today, met our friends again outside the Mummy at 9.15, no queue at all, then worked our way around the park, getting on the major rides with little or no queuing. I have to say, this is my favourite park. There are live entertainers all over the park and I think it is more adult than Disney. We were having a break sittig outside the Cheesecake Factory shop, near the entrance, when a '; reporter '; came over to us and spent a good 10-15 minutes talking to and taking the micky out of us, little things like that can make the day. Loved Shrek 4 D

Thursday: Animal Kingdom, arrived early, got fast pass for Everest, then as advised made our way over to the Safari. Very short wait loads of animal activity, our driver had to stop for a Giraffe, which decided to take a stroll along the path directly in front of our vehicle.Went on Everest twice in quick sucsession as Mrs C decided not to go on, I was quite impressed by the ride. Did It%26#39;s a bugs life, which is great, then after a walk around decided we had seen all we wanted to and headed back to our place to cool down. In the evening went to DD and ate at the Rainforest Cafe, it really is a novel place and the food was OK. From here we went to The Adventurers Club, I really enjoyed it here, I didn%26#39;t know what to expect, it really is different.

Friday: Busch Gardens, Took about 1 hour to get there, me and the lads liked it here, Mrs C didn%26#39;t.as she doesn%26#39;t like coasters. Queued for an hour to get on Sheikra, great ride, Went to go on a safari, what we didn%26#39;t realise, is that you have to pay extra, 35 plus dollars for each one,pp which we couldn%26#39;t go on because I hadn%26#39;t taken enough cash to pay for that and meals and I had left my credit card in the safe at the hotel. Of course it was my fault for not knowing! Went on Kumba, which in my opinion is the best coaster I have been on and watched the Pirates 3D show and left at 4ish.

Saturday: Our last full day,The lads stayed around the hotel, Mrs C and I decided to go back to Universal Studios, did all the major rides again and soaked up the atmosphere. left mid afternoon to get the packing done. Met up with our friends in the evening at DD and had another meal at Rainforest Cafe.

Sunday: Left resort with a heavy heart, dropped bags off at Lake Buena Vista Stores, had a game of crazy golf at the Fantasia course, then headed for DD for a last look around.

The highlight of the holiday: It has to be the resort, we have been to Orlando 4 times in 10 years and 2 years in a row so the parks are not new to us, I would recommend the CBR to anyone,

Ste.

Trip report part 2

Great report, Ste. Totally agree about the CBR.

Trip report part 2

Really enjoyed reading yoru reports. I just love hearing what other folks get up too and am always pleased to see that we have the same issues too - ';where the hell did we eat dinner last night???'; We were at IOA on your first Thursday too and totally agree on the crowds. It was an absolute nightmare. Boiling hot, really crowded and queues for everything. Got to the front of the Dudley Do-Right ride only to be told it had broken down and they could not anticipate when it would start again .. grrrr. We left after seeing a 90 minute queue for Spiderman - my husband%26#39;s favourite but we decided that 90 mins was a bridge too far!

Really enjoyed your trip report Ste, glad you and your family had such a great time. Wasnt universal studios just brill?? Loved all the little music bands playing around the place. Are you going back next year??

Libby Don%26#39;t you hate it when a ride you are waiting for breaks down, it happened to us at Seaworld when Journey to Atlantis broke down, fortunately we had only been waiting for 15 mins.

ilovejimmychoo, We cancelled a trip to Rome for this holiday, so I think next year it%26#39;s a tour of Italy for us, but the year after.... who knows. What about you?

Ste.

Ste

Totally agree about the frustration of the rides breaking down especially when you are in the queue! You always have the shall we wait dilemma. We did a single riders on Dudley Do-Right later so it turned out ok. Luckily we did manage to get on Duelling Dragons (always makes me feel pukey), The Hulk and Jurassic Park River Ride (my fav). I did have time to have a ';livener'; at that nice Watering Hole place so all in all not so bad!

Ste,

dont think we are going next year, think we need a nice quiet holiday. Will certainly being going 2010 for the harry potter park at universal, would like to go 2009 but works holidays wont allow for this. (i work in a school).

enjoyed the trip report a quick ?? about busch garden safari is that were at the end you go on white water (sorry not well explained)

thanks

mj6 am not sure, we never went on it, apparently there are several different types, all varying in price, I%26#39;m sure someone else will know.

Ste.

find horses for sale

sunset key resort or little palm island?

Which one of these resorts would you say is the best, we are honeymooning next July and have narrowed it down to these two resorts, any info and words of advice would be great,

Thanks very much

sunset key resort or little palm island?

Little Palm Island hands down IF you can afford it. There is nothing else like it. Just look under awards and accolades. Its amazing.

littlepalmisland.com/littlepalmisland_home.a鈥?/a>

sunset key resort or little palm island?

I%26#39;ve never stayed either place, but for any length of time I%26#39;d prefer Sunset Key ONLY because it%26#39;s only minutes away from Key West.

From what I%26#39;ve heard of Little Palm, it%26#39;d be heavenly for a couple of days, but after that I%26#39;d want to venture out and do other things and see other places.

For sheer luxury, I%26#39;m sure Little Palm would win every time - and I know it would for food, too.

Any chance you could (or would want to) split your time between the two?

Your question is like me asking ';which is BEST, a Mercedes 500 S or a Lexus 600'; Both are great cars, woujld you turn down a chance to have either car?

If you have to be stuck with one, you CAN%26#39;T go wrong. That goes for both the Palm Island or Sunset Key and Mercedes or Lexus question.

I agree to a degree Buffettguy but LPI is not a chain. Sunset Key, while very nice, is still a very corporate ran hotel. Its a Westin, and yes Westins are nice but it doesn%26#39;t compare to the individuality and exclusiveness of LPI. I also understand they are still having some growing pains since the flag change.

What is the flag change?

Thanks very much for your replys, this website is excellent for getting advice before you go. thanks again!

The owners of the Westin franchise here (who operate the Westin Hotel and Sunset Key) were formerly Hilton franchisees. Nothing changed except the name. Same owners, same staff.

It was simply a ';flag change';.

Actually there were a lot of thing that changed......from room decor to items carried behind the bar. The list is very long.

P.S. I have a family member who works there. Trust me, things changed.

Just to clarify what happens when there is a Flag Change. The potentially new franchise company will go through the hotel from top to bottom and conduct an inspection and create a P.I.P (product improvement plan) usually centered around capital expenditures (furniture, fixtures, equipment and whatever that they are known for. In this case Westin is known for the Heavenly Bed.) From there they they discuss with the owners what would have to change to come up to the new standards of the new flag/company. It is then up to the owner if they want to invest that kind of money into the property and change the flag. From there, there are inspections (2 to 4 times a year depending on the chain) to make sure that the hotel is still up to par. If they find things are slipping, they will issue a notice/warning and so many days to fix whatever is wrong. If things continually slip, they could and do lose their flag.

Trip Report Part 2

Part 2, Shuttle launch, shopping and parks

Wednesday, Retail therapy at Millennium mall in the morning and then over to Titusville to watch the shuttle launch. Following some excellent advice on TA had directions to the park and we all sat there along with a few hundred others to watch the launch. Having tried to go on my own about 4 years ago this was something I had always wanted to do but never managed to get the timing right and when we booked there were no flights due. We arrived about 11/2 hours before lift off with a picnic and kept the kids entertained (lets just say they were not that interested). Was amazing to watch and filled an ambition of mine. Trip back to Orlando was a nightmare and took about 2 hours.

Thursday, Universal IOA. We all agreed that this was the best park on the whole trip with something for everyone. The eldest and I rode the hulk several times (the others were too scared), fast passed all the other rides and soaked on the water rides. We were there from 9am and left at 6pm to eat at Nascar Caf茅. The food was OK and service poor, avoid.

Friday, started early at Epcot and all headed for the test track best ride of the day and did it twice. Walking round the world it appeared to be every possible stereotype going and an excuse for Disney to try and sell you something. Probably our least favourite park! In the evening went to see the Blue Man Group and kids loved it (we had seen in Vegas last year). Small theatre and all seats looked OK.

Saturday, Kennedy Space centre, Saturn V rocket a must see, the rest a little disappointing. This could be the most educational place in Florida but failed on all counts. Later found out it has nothing to do with NASA and is a private venture. Quick trip back to Orlando and I actually managed to get 13mpg out of the car and to the Florida Mall to visit Sophora where I got a coffee and the girls spend what seamed like forever getting a makeover and buying half the store. At least I was not in there so credit card was spared on this occasion.

On the way out we found an Outback and decided to eat. This restaurant was so much better than the last one with great food and good service. Ribs were demolished in no time.

Sunday, lazy morning and down to Disney Quest and the rest of downtown. We all made light sabres. Designed a roller coaster ride for the girls and then watched as they did it. So funny had to but the DVD. Downtown was very quiet and suggest this is a good time to go. Early dinner at House of Blues, nothing special but OK

Monday, last day. Dropped the keys off and did the downtown check in with Virgin, quick and simple and avoided having to lug cases everywhere. Girls went straight back to Disney Quest and tried their hands at drawing, I stayed on the retro games. Over to Cheesecake Factory for large lunch and retail therapy before heading off to airport. What a pleasure to drive to, easy directions quick drop off and straight through security. BAA could learn a lot !

Flight back on time and no problems.

Trip Report Part 2

Glad you had such a good time and full filled one of your ambitions.

Trip Report Part 2

sound like fun to me

Thanks nice TR....where can I get a man like you who carries bags and uses his credit card so well..........!

where is the cheesecake factory located? I want to try it out.

Cheesecake factory is in the Millenium Mall off I4 at Junction 78

Nick

Nickbitty, Already spoken for !!!!!

eye shadow

construction?

Ive been to indian shores 4 times in the las 2 years and love the area.However all 4 times gulf blvd. was being dug up.No matter where i stayed the consruction seemed to follow mw. Am returning in sept please tell me that the work has been completed?thanks robin160

construction?

I just returned from Indian Shores for the seventh time. I go there every year and have experienced the construction myself. I am pleased to say ';There is currently no construction in the area.'; Enjoy your vacation.

construction?

Thank you for your reply re; the construction at indian shores i appreciate it. robin160.

channel

Best condo rental

Looking for a 2-3 bedroom beachfront rental with washer/dryer in unit and WiFi. I appreciate any suggestions.

Best condo rental

You can look at www.vrbo.com

Best condo rental

I have been looking at vrbo. I am not familiar with the area and it is hard to tell which place is better located. Everyone claims to have the best location. I am looking for something within walking distance to some shopping and restaurants. I like to have the option of walking. Also, a short drive from a good grocery store.

Thanks.

Just about anywhere on Clearwater Beach is walkable to restaurants, shops etc. as long as you don%26#39;t go too far North, past the touristy area where it is mostly residential, quiet, no restaurants, shops etc. You will want to be at about the Palm Pavillion area, Rockaway St, or Bay Esplanade St and South.

Feel free to post some addresses here and I will Google Earth them and see where they are for you. Just list what is important to be walkable. There is a Publix grocery store just a short 5 minute drive from the beach, at the entrance to Island Estates. Exit the Memorial Causeway (connects the beach and mainland) onto Island Way, and the Publix will be just one minute on the Left.

Thank you for the help. I am in the beginning stages of planning a trip in April 08. I have been looking into many areas in Florida. I think Clearwater has everything I am looking for in a spring break vacation. I will check out some rentals and ask you about them.

Does your Myspace reveal your Disney obsessions?

Is your myspace layout wall to wall disney-fied? MIne is not... for now. As soon as I can find an acceptable template, I%26#39;ll be all ears.

Does your Myspace reveal your Disney obsessions?

*BUMP* Travel links and photos? A tinkerbell cursor?

Any antique malls nearby

Are there any antique malls in Bonita Springs or nearby? I am not talking fine antiques but items such as old lunch boxes, old steel toys %26amp; dolls, old books, that type of stuff.

Any antique malls nearby

I have been to a shop on old 41 that sounds like it would be just what you are looking for. I am sorry I can%26#39;t remember the name. If I do I will come back and post it. It has lots of stuff sitting outside and she has a big dog that she has in the shop, and I think his name in also in the name of the shop. I want to say George, but I can%26#39;t be sure.

I am more into thrift and consignment shops but I stumbled into this one last year.

Linda in Bonita

Any antique malls nearby

Big Dog ~`

Is the antique shop you are askin bout called The Mother Load which is now called The Mother Load %26amp; Curious George, located next to the Shell Station on Old 41 just off of Bonita Beach Road? That%26#39;s the only one I know bout cause my wife stops by there on occassion. (:%26lt;)

Thanks, I came here with the information as soon as I saw it on the other site. I%26#39;m happy we got the information to bigdog.

Linda