For our Wedding in Florida in 2000 take a look at Wedding BellsHome | Who's Who? | Short Walkies - Out and About| Meet Family and Friends | Wedding Bells in Florida | Special Events | Very Long Walkies - Holidays | Puppy Pawtraits | How to Contact Us
For our Wedding in Florida in 2000 take a look at Wedding Bells
For our First Visit to Florida take a look at Florida 1997
For our Second Visit to Florida take a look at Florida 2000
We were busy packing our suitcases for our holiday to Florida when the phone rang. It was Adam's dad to ask us if we were still going on holiday as he had seen on the news that Hurricane Francis was heading straight for Florida and that Orlando airport was going to close. After checking various websites we realised that we wouldn't be going on holiday the next day and we were devastated. Instead of travelling to the airport we spent the day at the travel agents trying to rescue our holiday. We re-booked the exact same holiday but 3 weeks later than planned and that was that or so we thought...
For three whole weeks we watched the Hurricane Centre website. Just a few Tropical Storms nothing to worry about until a couple of days before our holiday Tropical Storm Jeanne turned into Hurricane Jeanne. Not again! We headed to the airport not knowing if we were going on holiday or not. When we boarded the plane we thought we were finally on our way but then we were told that there was only a skeleton staff that day as we were one of the last flights into Orlando airport before the curfew. Although if the winds reached 40mph we were to be diverted to Washington.
We landed in Florida with a bump, the winds up to 35mph. We arrived Saturday afternoon and we were under curfew from 11pm that night to 5pm Sunday. Not the best start to our holiday but at least it was a start this time.
It was already windy and rainy when we got to the Rodeway Inn on International Drive. Our first trip out was to the Dairy Queen for Chilli Dogs and an Orio Mint Blizzard.
Hurricane Jeanne hit Florida. We'd never seen anything like it and became mesmorized by the weather from 3am. It was even more spell binding when we started to see electricity transformers exploding against the night sky. By 6.30am the Hurricane was still 70 miles south of Orlando but the winds were up to 70mph, gusting to 79mph and the rain was horizontal. Luckily the hotel was still able to serve breakfast as it had its own generator. We spent the day watching the weather, playing card games and paddling through the water coming into our hotel room!
Finally the curfew ended and we ventured outside. It was still windy and raining but hot. There was losts of devastation. A tree had collapsed in the hotel car park and squashed a car, hotel signs were in pieces all over and the traffic lights were lying smashed on the road. There was debris everywhere.
We ate at the Shogun Restaurant in our hotel. It was one of the few open as most of the hotels had no power. We shared a table with a family who had been evacuated. There we were worrying about missing part of our holiday and we were with people who didn't even know if they had a home to go back to.
The weather was gorgeous, lovely hot and sunny and not a breath of wind. Hurricane, what hurricane! We headed along International Drive to Universal Studios. There was still lots of debris around but Universal Studios was open (with Islands of Adventure due to open at mid day).
We went on Shrek 4D, Revenge of the Mummy, Men in Black (where Adam beat me by just 200 points! Damn I've never been so close at beating him at any game, very annoying), and Back to the Future.
After a quick pit stop at Mel's Drive in for chilli cheese fries which were scrummy, we then went to see Terminator 2: 3D Battle across time (still impressive even though its getting on a bit) and Twister. Then we had a top up bit of Fudge Cake, well a big, hugh piece really, at the Beverly Hills Boulangerie. It was heaven. We tried to go on the Mummy Returns ride again seeing as it was a new one but it broke down! Instead we got to boogie with the Blues Brothers live street show.
Then it happened, Adam found a DDR Extreme machine and I became a DDR widow for a few minutes! Well I knew it had to happen at some point during our holiday. Next it was a go on Earthquake - the big one, a quick stop for a chocolate marshmallow at the San Francisco Candy Factory, then another go on the Mummy which was fixed, hurray.
We finished off with a quick trip around the Universal City Walk shops where Adam found another DDR machine.
Later that evening Adam bought me Puppers, a Beanie Puppie! He's such a soft cutie but his name had to change - to Tye.
Our wedding anniversary! We had breakfast at the Great Western again. Still the best place to have breakfast on International Drive in our opinion. Then after stuffing our faces we went to Seaworld. We had our picture taken with Shamu, then it was off to ride on the Kracken rollercoaster (twice!). We fed the sting rays, one of Adams favourite activities, fed the dolphins, saw the Shamu Adventure show (and didn't get wet!) and went to the Wild Arctic. Our pit stop was at the Seafire Inn which had fantastic burgers and great entertainment from the Sizzling Pianos.
Next it was off to see the penguins, sea lions and then we met an otter, close up and personal. Next it was off to the shark encounter, clydesdale horse, Key West Dolphin Fest, manatees and alligators.
Today was the day we had booked our day at Discovery Cove where we hadn't been before. We arrived at 8am and were given snorkel, mask, sun block, diving vest and photo id card. Our dolphin swim was booked for 8.45am. There were 7 of us in the group when we got to meet Thelma our dolphin. Thelma was amazing. We got to stroke her, feed her, kiss her and she even took us swimming. It was a wonderful experience.
The day continued with us snorkeling with sting rays and fish. We then had a brilliant lunch which was huge. We then went around the aviary to feed the birds in three different sections. Met Captain Jack who was a very friendly bird and who sat on Adams shoulder and preened him. He must have been full of bugs or something! Then it was one last snorkle before heading off. It had been an amazing day.
There was then time to visit the Mercado Shops, the Festival Bay Mall and the Dairy Queen for chilli cheese hot dogs and strawberry cheesecake blizzard.
Today we walked to the Universal Islands of Adventure. The park was very quiet all day and there were no queues, hurrah. First stop was the Incredible Hulk coaster, Adam made me sit at the front (arghhhhh), the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman (quite a few times, as I like this one!), Duelling Dragons (both fire and ice), and then Poseidons Fury.
Next stop was photo's with our hero's (well almost). Here we are with Thing 1 and Thing 2, Cat in the Hat and The Grinch. We then went on the Cat in the Hat ride which is great fun before heading off to see our Marvel super heros. Here we are with Rogue, Cyclops, Captain America (nice biceps!), Wolverine and Storm.
Lunch was spagetti and meatballs at Circus McGurkus Cafe stoo-pendous.
Next it was off to the Jurassic Park Discovery Centre and a trip on the Jurassic Park River Adventure where we got completely soaked. Next it was the Toon Lagoon where we met Betty Boop and Woody Woodpecker. I then became a DDR Extreme widow for a while. It was then back to the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, I do like that ride!, Storm Force Accelerator, Duelling Dragons, on ice as its the best, and the Flying Unicorn (my choice!).
There was just time to look around the shops on Citywalk, get a spray painted T Shirt, for Adam to go on the DDR extreme at NASCAR, and then it was off to the Hard Rock Cafe for cheeseburgers and a HUGH hot brownie fudge sundae (which we shared), de-licious.
We wondered why we also went to the Best Western for breakfast when there was the Ponderosa just across the road so today we found out. It was awful. Back to the Best Western then! We then set off to the Mecado Shopping Centre to get the free coach to Busch Gardens, another place we hadn't been before. The park was very quiet with no queues. On some rides we had the coaster all to ourselves!
We went on Gwazi (a very impressive wooden rollercoaster, the amount of wood used and the construction of it was as amazing as the ride itself), Python (abit like the corkscrew if you've ever been to Alton Towers), Kumba rollercoaster, Scorpion rollercoaster, Cheetah Chase (wild mouse type ride which was brill!) and then watched RL Stines Haunted Lighthouse which was 4D.
We then took the skyride cable car to Montu (another big coaster). Next we saw a brilliant show that told animal stories involving a monkey, caterpillar, bullfrog and a flood. It was then time for lunch at the Desert Grill Restaurant which put on a great song and dance show called Jukebox at the Grill.
Next it was off on the Nairobi train where we saw zebras, giraffes, rhinos, deer and (according to Adam) big pointy things. The rhino rally was closed due to a technical fault so in consulation we bought a cute little fluffy elephant called Ellie. Adam decided to stroke a 15 feet Burmese Python instead. We saw more reptiles and some bats in the Curiosity Caverns, then some turtles at Myombe reserve before getting on the coach to head back home. Busch Gardens didn't have the razzmatazz of the main parks at Disney and Universal but it was still well worth a visit. The coasters and shows were brilliant and as it was a lot quieter we got to fit loads more into a shorter day.
After a buffet breakfast at our favourite place, the Great Western we checked out of the Rodeway Inn Hotel and went to Belz Factory Outlet. It was looking a bit dated but we still managed to find some ice cream and Adam bought some badly needed shorts as he had worn out the ones he had brought. We then drove over to Walt Disney World and checked in to the Yacht and Beach Club Resort. We found out we had been given a free upgrade to the concierge level. It was amazing. We had to use our key card to even make the lift go to that floor. We then had access to the lounge where there was free food and drink throughout the day. Our room was also fantastic and although there was only one bed it was four pillars wide!
Adam ordered us a Disney wedding anniversary cake. He asked for one the same as our wedding cake had been (also by Disney) with chocolate sponge, strawberry mousse filling and white icing. We then used our concierge, Ned, who was lovely and booked tickets to go to the Cirque Du Soleil 'La Nouba' at Downtown Disney that night. The show was truely weird and surreal but brilliant. There was just time after the show for Adam to try the DDR in Disney Quest and a cocktail at Pleasure Island before heading off back to our hotel.
We were up early and headed to the Regatta Club lounge to see what the 'Sunshine Starters' entailed. We were amazed to find bagels, cream cheese, cereal, fruit and donuts. After stuffing our faces we headed off to my favourite park, the Magic Kingdom. We went on Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree, Pirates of the Carribean, Jungle Cruise and The Enchanted Tike Room Under New Management. Phew then it was time for lunch at Colombia Harbour House where the food was lovely. After a spot of shopping it was on with the rides and we went on Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin where Adam wiped the floor with me by shooting thousands more aliens than me! Next it was Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Arcade (where I became a DDR widow again as Adam went on the DDR Disney Rave). Then it was off to Cinderellas castle to watch the Share A Dream Come True Disney Snowglobe Parade.
After a quick rest we went to the fantastic Mickeys Philharmagic 4D ride. We then tried to go on the Winnie the Pooh ride but had to leave it to the little 'uns as the queue was too long. After Adam had been on the DDR again we headed back to the hotel for Twilight Treasures in the lounge (Clam chowder, spare ribs, fruit, cheeses, biscuits, pitta bread, crisps, popcorn and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, delicious).
After refuelling we managed a walk around the board walk which looked beautiful with all the lights and lake and everything. This worked off a bit of space for us to fit in a cake or two in the Regatta Delights section in the lounge. We then went to the World Showcase at Epcot to see the stunning 'Illuminations - Reflections of Earth'.
Adam went jogging around the crescent lake! I stayed in bed a bit longer. After breakfast it was off to the Animal Kingdom. First stop was Kilimanjaro Safaries where we saw baby elephants, rhino, zebra, giraffe, hippo, lions, cheetahs and much more. We walked the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and saw gorillas, then took the Wildlife Express Train to Habitat Habit, Conservation Station and the Affection Section where Adam brushed a goat. The train then took us on to Dinoland USA where we went on the Primeval Whirl spinning coaster and Adam won a frog on a side show.
After lunch at the Chakrandi Chicken shop we went on the Dinosaur ride which I find very, very scarey!, then went to see its tough to be a bug 4D show under the Tree of Life via the Discovery Trails. We also saw the Tarzan Rocks show, then Festival of the Lion King. Finally we saw Mickeys Jammin Jungle Parade. Our highlight for the day was meeting our hero's Lilo and Stitch!
We headed off to Epcot on the ferry. We headed straight for the new ride Mission Space. It had a big build up but was quite disappointing in the end. The best part was getting to email our friends and family with space postcards. Next we went on Test Track which was much more exciting. We then went to find our Legacy that we left in 2000. Adam then found a Disney DDR in Innoventions. Next we went to see Honey I Shrunk the Audience and the Image works What If labs were we sent some picture emails.
After a quick rest at our hotel we headed back to Epcot to the World Showcase. It was the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.
As well as looking around the worlds we also tried the following foods:
Then it was back to the hotel for steamed mussels and bean and bacon gumbo. It was all eat, eat, eat!
After a quick rest we headed to the Magic Kingdom where Adam had a quick go or two on the Disney DDR before watching the Spectromagic parade, then a quick go on the DDR for Adam (again!) before watching the 'Wishes' Nightime Spectacular fireworks with Tinkerbell fly by.
Adam went for another run around the lake! We had a quick pit stop at Epcot to send more emails before taking the monorail to the Transportation Centre and then on to the Magic Kingdom for 9am as we had booked to go on the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. We were told about the tour by one of the Disney Cast Members. We were taken on a tour of the Magic Kingdom and as we were going round we were told about the history of the park, Walt Disney's ideas and dreams and a few things we had never noticed on previous visits were pointed out to us such as forced perspective and credits in the windows. We learnt how the rides work and after lunch a trip round the Utilidor - the underground world where we saw the workings of the park! and got to hear Disney's secrets. Our lips are sealed!
After the tour we had a large ice cream in a waffle basket - delicious - went on Space Mountain and went to see Mickeys Philharmagic again as we had enjoyed it so much the last time.
After a quick bite to eat at our hotel we went to MGM Studios and went on the Rock n Roll Rollercoaster and my absolutely favouritist ride of all the Tower of Terror. We then saw the Fantasmic show before heading back to the hotel.
Today was 'Adam's Day' as it was his birthday. Adam put on his Mickey Birthday Cake hat and we headed off to the Cape May Cafe for a character breakfast. We met Minnie, Chip and Goofey who signed our table cloth. Adam got a big chocolate muffin with a birthday candle in and a balloon.
There was just time for Adam to open his presents and cards before going to Epcot to have a photo taken before going to the Magic Kingdom to wait at the next bus stop. Adam had decided he wanted to try speedway racing for his birthday treat so we got the bus for the Richard Petty Driving Experience at WDW Speedway. He rode a stock car for 3 laps at 145 mph.
Back at the ticket centre we went to see our brick on the causeway that we had done on our first visit to Florida in 1997. We then went to the Polynesian Hotel and re-lived a bit of our honeymoon by hiring a two person speedboat.
Next stop was MGM Studios where Adam tried DDR USA. We then went to see the Beauty and the Beast Stars and Motor Cars Parade before going back to the hotel for a quick break.
We then went for an evening birthday meal at the San Angel Inn in Mexico at the Epcot World Showcase after a ride on the El Rio Del Tempo.
This morning we both ran round the lake (me once, Adam twice!). Then it was off to MGM Studios where we went on Jim Hensons Muppet Vision 3D, the Tower of Terror (yippee again!), Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Walt Disneys - One Mans Dream and The Great Movie Ride before Adam found another DDR machine. After a quick pit stop at the hotel we went to Epcot for a quick ride on Test Track before heading back to the Boardwalk and hiring a two seat surrey carriage bicycle. It was hard work but great fun trying to dodge the tourists. We then had a massive banana split at the Beaches and Cream near our hotel. We also saw the famous Kitchen Sink sundae.
Up early to finish packing and check in at Downtown Disney. We had lunch at Planet Hollywood and then went to the Cinema to watch Shark Tale. All too soon it was time to head to the airport and home.
Back Home... boo!
Home | Who's Who? | Short Walkies - Out and About| Meet Family and Friends | Wedding Bells in Florida | Special Events | Very Long Walkies - Holidays | Puppy Pawtraits | How to Contact Us