A few updates

Have not had much time to update things over the last month. It seems to have been all go. Christmas in Paris was superb and even the Eurostar ran on time and gave us a totally stress free journey there and back. The pictures are now up in the smugmug gallery through the link on the right. The snow came as something as a surprise last month and provided endless fun for Stitch and Mushu, though I think they wondered where all the grass had gone. Got some great trips lined up for the rest of the year with a couple of concerts at the Albert Hall and a few days in the South of Wales planned for the spring. It's going to be a busy year so bye for now.

Florida WDW - Oct 09 - Day 5 - MK

It's Early Entry in the MK this morning so we're on the motor coach bright and early and without a breakfast. We have a cunning new plan to have a lovely relaxing breakfast on Main street. Its a bit of a gamble because we don't actually know if the words "relaxing" and "breakfast at Main Street" are compatible but the parks have been that quiet it should not be a problem. The Main Street Bakery soon fixes our hunger needs with a breakfast croissant for myself and a slab (slab being the operative word, there's enough cake in this portion to last a week) of hot cinnamon cake for Jackie. The cake in three words is de-lic-ious.



The Halloween decorations are looking very lovely in the bright sunshine. Now I have to admit this park does slightly disappoint me for various reasons. Main Street is looking bright and beautiful, having a slightly grander scale than its counterparts around the globe. However from then on it all seems to go a bit wrong. The 'Lands' seem to lack the careful transitions and theming that the other parks have. I have always put it down to it being the second park built; perhaps there was more of a rush and a sense of let's just make a vague copy of the original rather than the careful Imagineering that developed over time originally in Anaheim and then in the wonderful (spend whatever you want) planning stage at Paris.

I can't help looking for those mysterious hidden streets of New Orleans from Anaheim, or the secret paths and bazaars of Paris with its storytelling theming in the lands themselves. And I can never get over why Fantasy land looks like $10 was spent on the exterior building's theming and it looks like it's just dumped on a car park.



My biggest gripe has to be: What happened to the classic rides, has someone stolen the other 3/4 of Pirates of the Caribbean? It seems wrong to me that the most popular MK in the world only has a half baked version of one of Walt's favourite creations and a Haunted Mansion where a silly design issue in the planning stage means you don't enter through the front door.

Oh dear I sound a grump and a half. But I still walk around with a smile on my face despite all this. Especially after a quick FP ride on the River Cruise, a ride that sends you into familiar territory as you say the script in your head before the CM actually says it, but it's all part of the charm. Anyway the sun#s shining, all the CM are smiling and the good news is in a few years time it should all be fixed up, well Fantasyland should be anyway, Here's a rendering of Eric's Castle from the new Little Mermaid section.

Fantasyland does contain one of my all time favourite attractions though, Philharmagic. So far it exists in Hong Kong and Florida but it is such a classic piece it really should be in all the Parks. I personally think it's the best use of the 3D system combined with that wonderful theatre whose screen eventually envelopes you without you even realising it. Simple but with such beautiful musical pieces and well executed 3D effects it's a beautiful showcase of both the art of animation and the modern 3D technology.



Before lunch we have ridden the Jungle Cruise and traded my head for two of his, got wet on Splash mountain and dried off on Big Thunder Mountain. Flown across London with Peter Pan and fled from the Wicked Witch in my fave dark ghost ride "Snow White". We have then been moved by Philharmagic, missed the Tiki Show (grrrr, I love this) and started to think about lunch itself.

Lunch today is at The Wave in the Contemporary Hotel and consists of a sharing a huge Crab Cake (thanks to Dirk and Jim for the recommendation) lovely and crisp on the outside and full of 100% wonderful juicy meat inside, perfectly spiced and seasoned it's washed down nicely with a crisp Marlborough Sauvignon our server, Michelle, is rather excited about serving. My main is a simple Tuna salad which again is nice and spicy on crisp leaves. Jackie takes a nice fillet of Salmon with a salad. The Wave is a much better experience for lunch than previous offerings in the Contemporary and the decoration, theming etc and attention to detail from the napkins to the cutlery is classy, just a pity it has no windows at all. The dinner menu looks nice as well, definitely one to try in the future.

The afternoon is spent back in the MK which is still rather quite, I don't think I have ever walked onto Autopia before with such a small queue. We take a car each and Jackie is given a driving licence by the CM which she will no doubt mix up with her real one. Space Mountain is closed for a refurb which reminds me that I have not mentioned Haunted Mansion's refurb. We love it, the staircase is a superb addition as is the new attic section and everything just seems to look and sound one hell of a lot better.

Tommorow land's latest addition "Monsters Inc Laugh Floor" is a bit of a disappointment. Using the same technology as Stitch Live, Turtle Talk ec etc.. its all a bit flat; the biggest problem being it relies on what I would call minor characters from the film, and the premise that it's going to be funny... It wasn't. I suppose it still needs some fine tuning and really depends on the audience but it's a pity they couldn't have squeezed in the Monsters Inc Dark ride from California Adventure .

Eventually its time to head back after riding everything but it's a Small World, please don't make me get that tune stuck in my head. Tonight we have dinner arranged at Bistro de Paris, World Showcase, Epcot. Mmmm.

Florida WDW - Oct 09 - Day 4 - Eve Coral Reef

As dusk falls we make our way over to the Coral Reef restaurant via Spaceship earth. It's actually a couple of years since we last rode this iconic ride which I am so happy to see is now straddling the entryway in full unmarred glory as intended. The Mickey Arm appendage has finally been removed which seemed to not only give the impression there was an unfinished bit of scaffolding permanently attached to the side of the geodesic sphere, but also seemed to reduce the scale from an impressive 18 storey to Mickey's golf ball.

We are also absolutely delighted to find the refurb has also given the timeline ride inside a whole new breath of fresh air. Dame Judi Dench is a perfect host for us English peasants. The new lighting, animatronics, and projections (the wall paintings in the cave in particular being a superb piece of visual story telling). Also the new music, general clean up, re costume and extra scenes (the Greek classroom fits in seamlessly) work beautifully. This has to be the most sympathetic to the original - breath of fresh air I have seen injected so far into a classic Disney piece of ride history; and they have done so without changing the fundamental nature of the ride; nor felt the need to introduce characters. Well done.

The artwork above is a rendering from the WDI archives showing the Michelangelo and Sistine Chapel section. I really hope most of these original imagineers are still around to ride this restored version.



We make our way over to Coral Reef for dinner around 7.15, we're a little early but looking at the amount of people hanging about in reception I doubt dinner at 7.20 is going to happen. In fact, they're running at least 20 mins behind which does seem to be a recurring theme in all restaurants for dinner despite the fact the parks seem pretty quiet. We take a seat under the trees outside as its a barmy night and wonder what's going on behind the portable hedge that has now appeared between us and The Living Seas and the passage way to Soarin. In fact we were only allowed in this section of the park because we had a reservation tonight. Technically Epcot is closed but they normally allow you to wander around and take photos. There are a lot of security personnel (who all seem to be at least 80) about as well tonight and it seems they are setting up portable bars and DJ booths, when I get past the hedge to take the picture above. It turns out Microsoft are taking over the park for the rest of the night for the Launch of Windows 7. Let's hope they don't spot that all of the tills and reservation systems in Epcot still seem to be running XP.

Eventually we are seated. The Coral Reef is a restaurant we have visited on every trip though oddly never at dinner always at lunch. I have never heard of Tile fish and Margie our server, describes it as a snapper like fish so that's ordered for myself, Jackie orders the Sea Trout. I have to say the menu does seem a little more varied than it was previously though sadly the Lobster starter seems to have disappeared. There seemed to be rather a lot of Southern influenced dishes in previous years which was fine the first time but Blackened catfish and grits did start becoming about the only white fish on the menu some years when we visited. Now there's a good choice of fish and meat dishes, though perhaps it's just more varied at dinner.

My only small criticism with the Coral reef is that I do find it an extremely noisy restaurant. Always a slight problem in some American restaurants anyway where for some reason a game of who can shout loudest seems to be a common table game; for some reason this venue does seem to be one of the worst. Perhaps those glass aquarium walls bounce the sound around even more.

When the food arrives there's a little confusion as the busboy describes my dish as snapper. Well I suppose Margie did say tile fish looked like snapper! Anyway Margie arrives sorts out the dishes and brings the wine, a nice bottle of Casa Grand Pinot Grigio. The Tile fish is served with a dark red wine and port sauce which works quite well, it does have just a hint of sweetness to it from the port but the meat's quite firm and strong and can stand up to it. Jackie's Sea trout is cooked more simply with a buttery sauce but is delicious all the same and nicely seasoned. We finish with the baked cheesecake and strawberries for myself and Jackie has the Creme Brulee.

Tomorrow its time to head to the MK for the first time this trip. We're looking forward to seeing the how the refurb work has gone in the haunted mansion.

Florida WDW - Oct 09 - Day 4

We are up at six thirty in the morning and I'm soon joining the joggers around the lake at Saratoga Springs. Actually this is more in the literal than physical sense but I do walk quickly across the bridge and grab some cereals from the store for breakfast. Dinner finished so late last night we really can't face a cooked breakfast so Special K and Frosties suffice in the room. It's noticeably warmer today and looks set to stay this way for the rest of the trip.

Today's bus trip to Epcot sees a discussion on the merits of driving versus flying. A family from Tennessee explaining to a family from New York who would not dream of bringing the car that it's all relative and is an easy drive. I think I'm with the family from New York; the family from Tennessee has two young children and his mother in law which must have been a fun drive.

We are soon at Epcot and making our early entry to the park. After negotiating the graveyard (you got rid of the horrible Mickey arm recently, well done; can you bulldoze this next please) and passing under the iconic spaceship earth we turn right for the traditional early morning Soarin. Despite riding this on countless occasions both here and in Anaheim I think this is the first time we have actually been on the front row; I like the feeling of being higher and not having some annoying foot waver hanging in front of me. I still think the ride lacks repeatability and it does need a new film and a clean of the projector. This doesn't of course stop us grabbing fast passes on the way out, it's just one of those things you have to do.

Crossing all the way over to the opposite side we head straight onto Mission Space and Test Track grabbing extra fast passes for test track again as we exit. It has to be said though that today Epcot is nice and quiet. I manage to leave my Porcupine Tree baseball cap on Testrack after taking the care to sit on it so it didn't blow off. Luckily for me its been handed in next time I ride it so an international burnt head incident is avoided for the rest of the day.

Suddenly out of nowhere (and I seriously mean nowhere as its hard to find a grey cloud in the sky) a small shower starts so we take cover In Ellen's Universe of Energy. I think fellow Bloggers and TR writers Dirk and Jim sum it up best when they describe this as " a nice 45 minute nap, er respite from the heat, er awesome Disney attraction!". In our case it was a quick escape from the rain, though I do love the Ellen pre show sequence and it does make you all nostalgic. I remember first riding this in 1991 and being amazed. When we exit its blazing hot again.

The FP window for another Soarin has arrived and we get the top row again which is nice, though I'm sure the only smell they have turned on is orange, they must have run out of pine scent. Next up is the cutesy Nemo ride which is also empty today; last time we rode this it was brand new and we lined up for almost an hour. I like how each park has its own unique Nemo ride; from the restored Subs in California to our favourite the Crush Coaster at the Studios in Paris. Looking at the plans for the developing Little Mermaid ride I have a suspicion this Floridian Nemo Shell transport system is it's backbone. On exiting the ride we spend some time in the aquariums as it's feeding time for the Manatees; boy there really must be a lot of iceberg lettuce growing wild in the Everglades.

It's approaching time for the World Showcase to open up which means it's fast approaching early lunch time (we breakfasted lightly remember). Today's lunch will be a leisurely stroll around various continents sampling various delights, and no we're not going to the Princesses Buffet.



In no particular order (and bearing in mind some of these portions are only small) we have Lobster and Scallop Fishermans Pie (Ireland),Grilled Lamp Chop with Red Wine Sauce and Murray River Sea Salt (Australia), Escargots Persillade en Brioche (France), Parmentier de Boeuf Braise au Cabernet (France), New England Lobster Roll (USofA), Kefta (Morocco), Lamb Slider with Tomato Chutney (New Zealand), Seared Sea Scallop (New Zealand), Sukiyaki Beef Roll (Japan),Red Snapper Escabeche (Spain).

If we had to pick a couple of winners without doubt it would have to be Ireland's Fishermans Pie and from France the Parmentier de Boeuf Braise au Cabernet which is like a steak pudding :- beautiful rich beef rib meat and a strong wine gravy inside mashed potatoe. As is usual in Epcot both Wine and Beer were both varied and seemed better than ever, as was the entertainment. Whilst we wined and dined our way around we watched the Drummers in Japan, the child acrobats in China, and all the other varied street entertainers in Italy, France and the UK.



And then to top off the whole day we had an absolutely wonderful show from none other than Sister Sledge as they performed in the Americans Gardens Theatre for the "Eat to the Beat" concert series to a highly appreciative audience. They may be looking older but their band was tight and they sounded really good.

Also had plenty of time in between courses to ride the boat rides in Norway ( Maelstrom) and Mexico, and some of the pavilions in more detail. Always seems to be a tradition now to buy incense from Japan. Tonight we have a 7.20pm ADR for the Coral Reef but won't bother changing, we simply single rider Test Track and end up in the same car anyway.

Florida WDW - Oct 09 - Day 3 - Eve

California Grill

Its been quite a long time since our last visit to the California Grill, we seem to have missed it out on recent trips so it's time to return.

We have rather a late ADR for nine in the evening so after getting showered and changed we set out for the MK bus depot; the "motor coach" driver taking a completely different route than last night's trip obviously. On arriving we change to the Monorail for one stop only and we are soon in the Contemporary. Checking in at the California Grill's reception we are told they are running 20mins behind and that someone will take us up in the private lift. About ten minutes later the lift finally appears to take us up and the CM explains it's rather a busy night.

As no tables are yet ready and the bar and lounge area is packed to capacity we are shown to some spare chairs which have been lined up along the length of one wall and given a bleeper, giving a signature dining room's lounge area the appearance of a rather depressing doctors waiting area. It's a pity that it's so cold outside because both roof top viewing areas are actually open, we take a quick look at the MK before diving back in for warmth.

Eventually though we are seated on the kitchen side with a nice window seat overlooking the lagoon and park. Things are improving but it's already past ten o'clock.

We start with a lovely flat bread Triple Cheese - Pecorino, Asiago, and Provolone with Sun-dried Tomato and Arugula Pesto. The dough recipe has altered somewhat since last time; the texture used to be almost like a cross between a thin Nan and a Pizza Dough but now it has been refined even more and almost has an element of filo to it. Its absolutely delicious. I can highly recommend the Sushi here but as I practically had raw fish for dinner last night I decide to skip the experience and order the Day boat Scallops with House-made Gnocchi, Sustainable Pears, Brown Butter and Bacon Emulsion which are cooked to perfection, admittedly practically raw inside but soft and heavenly with a wonderful caramelised exterior. The sauce has a strong veal base with a smokey kick from a pancetta reduction. It's powerful and does wonderful things in the mouth whilst never overpowering the scallops.



One thing I admire at The California Grill is the ability for the menu to be kept tight and compact. They do a few main dishes extremely well. However I am going to gently complain here; I was slightly disappointed to see that one of the meat choices tonight is an Ostrich dish. As far as I am concerned Ostrich has no place on a signature restaurants menu; it's a gimmick food along with Alligator and Croc that often gets placed on restaurants menus because they don't have the imagination to create a proper dish. Put it on as an extra or a special (if you must) but don't drop a classic dish in its place please. Rant over.



Jackie chooses a pasta dish tonight, a divine Wild Mushroom Ravioli. Intense is not a strong enough word for the explosion of flavour that occurs with each bite, the sauce is simply heaven. However the Pasta itself could have been a rolled, cut and crimped just a little thinner to balance the dish better.

Dessert for myself is Cheese as usual which is basically a slightly larger selection than last night's at Narcoosees. Jackie has Molten chocolate lava cake which has a slight crunch to the outside but a smoothly oozing interior, very nicely done, perfect. A Bottle of NZ Sauvignon and Sonoma Zinfandel take on the wine duties followed by coffees and espresso.

Looking back over my old review my opinion of the California Grill remains about the same. Great, often superb food in a rather chaotic environment with some elements(the unromantic, over bright, ceiling lighting for instance) that are just not quite good enough for a signature restaurant.

It's after midnight when we leave and though the MK is still open for an EE tonight till 1am, tomorrow morning is an Early Entry at Epcot; so we circle the Lagoon on the Monorail and return from MK Bus depot.

Florida WDW - Oct 09 - Day 3

The Alarm rings out at 6.15am to welcome in the glorious new day. It's still dark outside, is this really morning? I flick on the T.V. to see what the weather has in store for us today. I have found another T.V. channel with a weather presenter who's hair does not get in the way of the map and whose teeth don't require the use of sunglasses in order to watch her. And besides, the new presenter I have found seems to present the weather two degrees higher than the other channel so that can only be a good thing -right! Now all I have to do next is work out how to stop the T.V. automatically starting up to perky Miss "Let me show you around Disney" every time I turn it on and it will be totally safe to use.

I go for the full bounty breakfast today, I can always use the biscuit as a lethal weapon or a hammer in case of emergencies. Jackie sticks with the strawberry free Mickey waffle and steals my sausage and potatoes (ouch).

It's early entry this morning in my favourite park AK. A bus eventually turns up after rather a good wait and we begin the drive there via Timbuktu. One advantage of getting the bus from the breakfast stop is it's the final or first bus stop depending on which way you look at it; in other words you get on and you're on your way.

It's another cold morning today and the conversation on the bus is pretty similar to yesterday. Today I know the entire contents of a total strangers suitcase and that she only brought slinky tops and shorts. Of course the driver has the air conditioning turned to just above freezing for reasons best known to himself or perhaps he just spotted all the slinky tops on board.

We love this park. I just love the lushness of it all, though the amount of shade today is hardly a plus point when the early morning temps are being a little stubborn. We are ushered in through the Early Entry turnstiles and grab fast passes for the safari. A couple of rides on Everest, which has no queue, should help the breakfast settle quite nicely so on we go. Then it's back to the safari after first grabbing more FPs for Everest. The other thing I actually like about this park, though I know some people don't, is that you have to do a lot of backtracking. When the park's this lovely I don't mind. It's when the theming is non existent and there's more concrete than greenery that I start to get fed up. By the time we reach the Safari the park has only just opened to the general public so the Safari FP saves us nothing. Animal activity is quite good though, probably because of the cool morning.

A warming coffee is called for next and we head slowly back around the lake,via Everest, to take in the first Nemo show of the day. With two enclosed full scale shows this park really does spoil you with its entertainment.

Nemo is as excellent as ever, it's always fun spotting cast you have seen previously and also seeing who has changed. The park actually seems pretty quiet today, the show only just fills by start time. The good news is by the end of the show the sun is fully up and its starting to heat up rapidly. My new weather girl has done herself proud.

We spend some time doing some of the nature trails and then sitting and enjoying a cold drink as it has now actually got pretty hot, rather quickly. Lunch today is an ADR at Yak and Yeti at one thirty so there's time to squeeze in a ride on Dinosaur before heading over there. I'm always a little bemused by this ride and how it constantly seems to churn out screaming children at the end. I like it, though it's not the most comfortable of experiences.

Yak and Yeti is reasonable fare. I actually end up ordering Ribs because I think it's probably going to be the only chance I will get of having them this holiday. They are excellent but I would probably order something from the wok next time. Jackie's Tempura Shrimp and Noodles looks better. We are seated upstairs in the front room which looks a superior option to downstairs which looks a little more noisy and crowded.

After lunch we go to watch the Lion King show which is excellent as usual and in my opinion the two shows in this park are worth the entrance price alone. We then take a relaxing walk through the trails and go to see the Tigers who are quite keen on Jackie's T Shirt and hat it would appear.

After a trip there and back again on the train (just for a sit down) we use a fast pass we picked up earlier for the river rapids and as is our usual luck on these rides get absolutely soaked. We have a late ADR for California Grill tonight so we decide to head back and spend some time by the pool before getting ready.

Florida WDW - Oct 09 - Day 2 - Eve

Narcoossee's

Later that same evening, suitably changed and refreshed we are back at the bus stop waiting to head out for a seven thirty ADR at Narcoossees. I love the journey to Narcoossees from a resort, you have a choice of transportation and we are in good fortune; one of the small steamers is in the dock when we arrive at the MK bus depot after what seems like another circular tour of the entire property. It's a lovely way to cross from the MK concourse area over the Seven Seas Lagoon direct to the the Grand Floridian Dock; which just happens to be next door to Narcoossees restaurant.

The restaurant is buzzing and they are running about 15 minutes behind (as usual). Its a MNSSHP night in the MK tonight and sat at a table for six are the best dressed family we have ever seen. It's the entire Adams family with full make up, props and crisp looking costumes. In fact the costumes are so good they don't look that out of place in the restaurant surrounded by the servers, fine wine and food and could be mistaken for a family of adults out in all there finery until you realise somethings not quite right; doesn't that man at the end look dead. A nice touch is that Uncle Fester has a bulb to place in his mouth and light. I know I should have taken pictures but I didn't , so slapped wrists for not papping them mid dinner.

We are seated twice, the first time on an empty table of six with a high chair which comes as a surprise to us and the maitre 'd who quickly runs over and moves us to another table next to the window looking out over the MK and the Lagoon.
Our server is Steve who is all the way from Orlando and seems a little flustered, he's been having a problem with the Adams family bill. The menu looks great as usual, fish, fish and more fish. Jackie orders the Yellowtail Snapper which Steve is keen to point out is a "whole fish", he says this in a way that suggests some people may not realise "fillets of fish actually come from fish you know" which sounds quite unintentionally funny, next he'll be telling us fish may have bones in it.. I go for the Togarashi Spiced Ahi Tuna, rare. Wine is a bottle of New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon, crisp and perfect.

I think the reason for Steve wanting to talk about the whole fish becomes readily apparent upon its arrival. Either a small whale or an extra from the Nemo show seems to have been substituted for the snapper and artistically placed on the plate. It's absolutely divine, there's an Asian fusion to the sauce and just enough heat in the beautiful crisp batter to give it a light kick. The meat is perfect and translucent.
My tuna is cooked to perfection (that's just the outside then - Jackie) and again shows the same Asian fusion themes going on throughout, my only small criticism would be it is described as having a wasabi accompaniment, but if that green line is the wasabi it has little heat or taste. The tuna is superb though, strong and tender and balanced perfectly by the spices on the outside.

For dessert a mix of Seasonal Fruit Desserts and Chocolate Dessert with espresso for me and Russian earl grey for Jackie is taken followed by the Artisan Cheeses with a bottle of Red Zinfandel.





The night is further enhanced by all the usual extras at Narcoosee's. We went out before the main course to watch the good old Electric Water Pageant do it's stuff, then after coffees spent time on the deck watching the Halloween music and fireworks; they dim all the lights in the restaurant and pipe in the music. These are probably the best fireworks the MK puts on and I always remember last time we saw them inside the park how amazing it was to have them explode all around you rather than just beyond the castle, from this viewpoint you really do get a great idea of how vast an area is being used to display these fireworks.

We return pretty late by taking the Monorail from the Grand Floridian to the MK Bus Depot and switching to our resort Bus; so far the Buses have been pretty good.. Early start tomorrow it's early entry at the Animal Kingdom.

Florida WDW - Oct 09 - Day 2

We are up early and ready for the first day, the weather whilst clear is not exactly promising much heat today due to a prevailing wind from the North drawing cold air down, this should improve in the next day or two according to the weather girl who clearly isn't doing her bit for the ozone layer as her mountain of blond hair never moves a millimetre no matter how much she shakes or turns her head. We are having breakfast in the Artist Palette just after 7.00am. I am making an assumption here but I am guessing they expect most guests actually use the kitchens in the rooms for breakfast at the Saratoga Springs.(do these people realise they're on holiday?); not only is the breakfast room pretty deserted compared to other resorts but the choice is not quite as good as say Port Orleans or even the All Star Resorts. In the end I settle for a cheese omlette and Jackie takes the large Mickey Waffle but it comes sadly for her without the strawberry sauce it is usually served with elsewhere.

It's possible to pick a bus up a short walk from the breakfast room so soon we are heading towards the Studios in time for opening. Most of the conversation on the bus turns to the weather or the snow and storms people have left behind from the more northern states. I'm always a junkie on the bus for observing all the different sociology and human nature that goes on around you; it helps pass the time especially as the bus drivers seem to have an amazing ability to find the longest and never the same way twice route to the parks.

We are held up as we go in for the opening ceremony on Hollywood Blvd but soon we are heading straight down Sunset Blvd for Rock n Roller Coaster and FP followed by ToT and more FPs. Its actually rather quiet today so it doesn't take us to long to amass a few FPs as we choose not to use them on ToT as the Q's are not having any effect just yet and the FP windows are staying nice and low. Slowly it starts to warm up a little as the sun finally climbs up and its time to start glancing at the schedule. Just before we left and we planned our days I was disappointed to notice what had happened to Fantasmic; it was actually only showing on two days a week for the time we were here according to Disney's Calender. Looking at the schedule today it looks like common sense has prevailed; not only is it on every day of the week but its showing twice a night on most nights. Next we visit some old favourites including the Little Mermaid which we decide to see again later as we end up too near the front which never seems to be a great place to see it from and then the Great Movie Ride for a little nostalgia.

Lunch is a simple affair today at the ABC Commissary but its tasty enough washed down with some Sutters Zinfandel. I think we mixed between the Fish and Chips/Fries and the Chicken Curry with rice, followed by Strawberry Parfait and Chocolate Mousse. For Counter food it's not too bad and does what it says on the tin. The wine obviously makes it taste just that little bit better . Then it's time to use up more FPs on ToT and RnR again in between seeing Beauty and the Beast. You can probably see a theme here, eat a meal then ride coasters. I can only assume we are either mad or have very solid digestive systems. We also start to watch the High School Musical show but its now HSM3 (Was there a 2 or did I blink?) and as Jackie knows none of these songs and can therefore no longer be an active part of the show whether they want her or not we give it a miss

In the Afternoon we waste a little time on the 'backyard' tour, which is getting a little long in the tooth now apart from it's one climax but at least you get to sit down for a while, then we head over for the last show of Indiana Jones passing some rather tiny Jedi recruits giving Vadar a hard time on the way. Indy never changes but it's always good fun, though I am starting now to slightly regret the decision to cut weight and baggage by only deciding to bring one camera lens and body on this trip. I decided on the 10-20mm to give me some different/unusual options but its at times like this a fast 300mm would be more comfortable.

Then it's time to head back to the room have a quick rest, get changed and head back out to Narcoossees for dinner tonight at seven thirty. Its a Halloween night at MK tonight I notice but hopefully we should not look too much like the walking dead.

Florida WDW - Oct 09 - Day 1

We arrived at Manchester in good time and checked in among the shortest queue I have ever seen for a transatlantic flight, in fact there was no body there. Its our first time with Thomas Cook Airlines and to be honest there is some apprehension as they seem to have a reputation for poor service (pretty much like any other airline then). So far so good though; we risked not paying extra for sitting together but are placed together anyway (though oddly people who payed to sit together are not) and they didn't try to charge extra for the seat belt :) using the bathroom or any other ludicrous optional extra. Hand luggage was not weighed which is probably a relief as it contains more snacks, sandwiches, pies and pastries than a small corner shop. You could pay extra for two bowls of gruel but to be honest I have yet to find any airline food in the world that is worth paying for no matter what class you fly; in fact my award for best airline food still goes to Air China's local domestic flights where they hurled delicious fried chicken noodles at you (well they said it was chicken).

The flight soon takes on an hours delay before we eventually board. I remember the days when 767s were pretty new planes, but this one looks pretty worn out now. I personally don't think in this seating configuration (100% charter which must have come as a shock to those who paid extra for premium seating) it's at all suitable for a 9 hour flight but fortunately we have a centre row to ourselves because when we eventually leave and the seat belt light goes off the entire cabin spends 20 minutes re seating itself so every ones sat with family again.I didn't bother with films as you have to pay extra for the headphones which plug into the broken sockets on the chairs, anyway Jackie finds the ipod's headphones work fine once you find an arm that's working; now all you have to do is work out which ceiling monitor you want to watch it on, the one that's tinted red or blue or green, perhaps they could take all the parts from the monitors to get one that works. I hope the equipment in the captains front office is working a bit better.

Nine hours later we arrive at Sanford (which is another first as we normally always fly to MCO). Its a little basic but who cares, we're through quickly and getting our car, something Alamo don't seem to actually be capable of. Remind me not to use them if we ever come to Sanford again; if they're this short of cars at this time of year how on earth do they manage during high season. Eventually a car arrives and we are on are way down the Greenway to Saratoga Springs and into the welcoming arms of Disney. We are checked in quickly and given a 1 bedroom villa in The Paddock building. It's absolutely lovely consisting of a hallway which leads into a full size kitchen (which will never be used) and sitting room. From here you can exit to the balcony or enter the bedroom which manages to contain a super king size bed yet still have plenty of space leftover. Another door leads off to the Spa Jacuzzi bathroom which also allows access to a walk in wardrobe containing a wall safe. Another door from the bathroom takes you through to the second bathroom and its walk in shower. This bathroom also connects back to the sitting room. Between the hallway and the sitting room is a door containing your own washing machine and dryer. A nice touch is that the main Spa bathroom can also be opened up to the main bedroom via some shutters.

We quickly change then run over to the bus stop(30 yards away) and get on the first bus out to EPCOT. It's just starting to go dark now and the plan is to head straight over to the Food and Wine festival and have a few snacks and drinks for supper. We can't resist a quick Mission Space (Intense thanks)though on the way as there is no queue whatsoever so after pulling some Gs we make our way clockwise around the World Showcase. I think it probably felt like 3am for us so I can't fully remember what we ate though I remember a Chicken and Cumin dish washed down with a Tsing Tao from Shanghai, some lovely Barramundi and Lamb Chops from Australia's Counter, I also remember a lovely Scallop dish and a gorgeous Ghoulash from Vienna. We then ended the night watching Illuminations and I think actually enjoying it more than ever before. Then it was back home to what felt like the most comfortable bed ever..

Mallorca - Sep 2009

Lovely villa in the most stunning location; totally private and isolated but with a vineyard at the end of the lane - almost Eden. Driving was fine and the food was glorious, the only real disappointment was the unavoidable fact that some of the larger towns and ports have become concrete horrors.Despite the claims of how unspoilt the North of the Island is compared to the South, Port de Pollenca is only one step removed now from Blackpool. Soller however is nice and the drive through the Mountains quite an experience.

Highlights .. The Lobster, the baby Piglet and Lamb cooked in the villas outdoor wood oven ... Having nothing but the sound of sheep with there bells ringing in the black of night whilst swimming in the pool... The glorious Syrah from the Vineyard down the Lane... The Grand hotel in Soller for the last day where lunch was an absolute delight... Clivia in Pollenca for a superb meal on our first night...

Pics now up in the gallery.

Update Aug 2009

A quick update; things have been busy. I actually started on a TR for China which is progressing quite well. The pic is from Bolton Abbey (about 30mins or so home) and you can see more in the Gallery. In fact we our fair share of heritage every weekend after spotting a quidco deal that practically paid us to join the National Trust. The villa will soon be ready for us in Majorca (can't wait) and have just booked Saratoga Springs and the Royal Pacific for October. Just need to put the final touches to lots of ADRs.

New York, Los Angeles, Burnley

Eddie Izzard arrived at the teeny weeny Burnley Mechanics after his dates in the States to try out some new material before his UK Arena tour this autumn. Tkts were like diamonds but we managed to get enough to also take along our niece and nephew as a surprise present. Greeted like a rock star he started his performance late at night at 10.30pm leading most to believe he would just perform an hours worth of new material to test the water on a new crowd. However he went on to perform a full brilliant show.
A football team newly promoted to the Premiership: Eddie Izzard at the Mechanics and yesterday Marillion announce the Mechanics as a venue for this Autumns unplugged tour. We are half expecting Madonna to announce dates here next week!

Northumberland May 2009

First you will notice there is still no TR for China. So what I have done in the meantime is updated all the photos in the album with more detailed descriptions and finally put the last of the photos in there. When Virgin Holidays satisfy us that they are capable of running a tour and answer some rather simple questions I will get around to putting up a TR.
May saw us in Northumberland and what a lovely area of the country it is. The weather was beautiful and the scenery fantastic. I should have done more research into the food because apart from a lovely lunch in "The Sanctuary" at Alnwick Castle food was a little dissapointing.

China 2009

Just a very quick post on our return from China to point you to the gallery which now has the first few days of images uploaded. All in all there were more than 1600 photographs to sort through and process from their RAW format so I'll tackle them a day at a time in an attempt to hold off temporary insanity. How was the trip your asking. Well it was certainly an experience with many high points and quite a few frustrations which are to be expected in this country. More on those later but for now here's that link.

Click here for China Trip photos

Photographs

The sun came out today so it was a great opportunity to get some photos. The subjects are the local town hall and the view from the new deck in the garden. Both should expand with a simple click on the pictures.


Now its time to get ready to face the flight to Shanghai. The plan is (take a deep breath) to start in London, watch Wicked again as a treat, fly to Shanghai for a couple of days, get the train to Suzhou, head north to Beijing for a few days then go to X'ian followed by Chengdu and Sichuan then move to Guilin and finally end up in Hong Kong for a more relaxing break. I'm sure I have missed something out..