So, here we go again, for another spin around the Walt Disney World parks in Florida. Yes, yes, yes I know we said that last time was THE last time and that we said that the time before too but we just couldn’t resist. This really is the last time…
The flight was at a reasonable hour so we didn’t need to get up at the crack of dawn or wake the boys prematurely which was a blessing. After a chicken free (for me at any rate) breakfast in Nandos the boys went to the Weatherspoons to get their blood/alcohol levels sorted before being shut in a metal tube for nine hours. Helen and I wandered the rather uninspiring shops that Gatwick South Terminal had to offer.
The plane pushed back right on time and it looked like we were going to get away nice and promptly. We hadn’t even started moving in a forwardly direction when it all came to a grinding halt. One of the passengers had fallen “ill” and we apparently needed to go back to the stand to let him off. Worst was yet to come because not only did we have to let off the passenger they also needed to wrestle around in the hold for his baggage, reaffirm all the baggage in the bins around where he had been sitting and refuel the plane. Wait, what? They need to refuel the plane after having travelled approximately 100 yards? Just how close do they run these things? In the end the wait time wasn’t too bad and we were finally off.
Unsurprisingly a flight to Orlando is full of families and lots of young children. These have never been any particular trouble and they roam freely during the flight. There are two exceptions to this – take off and landing when the plane is filled with the sounds of children being forcibly restrained against their wills. That is a long 20 minutes.
Forward nine hours and we arrived at Orlando and our first snaking queue of the holiday. Despite the multiple lines and volume of people it didn’t take too long to get through, which was a blessing as it is a stressful time stood there wondering if you are going to be allowed in.
We collected the car and made our way out into the sunshine of an overcast Florida and straight into our usual row. Take two tired, stressed individuals and put them in a car with vague navigation instructions and light blue touch paper. It happens everytime. Despite getting lost and having to drive through a $1 toll because it wouldn’t take notes only coins – you would have thought that given the numbers of tourists fresh off the plane on this route that they would make it easy but oh no – we made it to the villa unscathed.
There is a now long established tradition that the first evening half our party has Dominos Pizza while the other half Chinese and this year was no different. Then we all sit around full and tried trying to hold out as long as possible before going to bed.
Tomorrow it’s back to Magic Kingdom.
