ashleysamericanadventures

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Florida 2020: Accommodation & Restaurants

Accommodation: Regal Oaks Resort, Kissimmee

Restaurants:   Frankie &Benny’s @ Manchester Airport Froggers @ Old Town, Kissimmee

Denny’s @ W Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Kissimmee Shake Shack @ Icon Park Shamu Stadium @ Seaworld Cinnabon @ City Walk

Burger King @ City Walk Rainforest Café @ Disney Springs

Electric Umbrella @ Epcot The Land @ Epcot Kilwin’s @ Celebration

Serengeti Overlook @ Busch Gardens

Whakawaiwai Eats @ Volcano Bay Maccies @ W Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee Voyagers Smokehouse @ Seaworld

Hooters @ Palm Pkwy, Kissimmee Olive Garden @ W Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee Hot Dog Stand @ Springfield

Hard Rock Cafe @ Citywalk

Hot Dog Stand @ Dinoland, Animal Kingdom IHOP @ W Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee

Medieval Times

Pizzerizzo @ Hollywood Studios

Regal Oaks Restaurant D-Luxe Burger @ Disney Springs

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Twenty Two - Disney Springs & Travelling Home

Woke up at 6am this morning. Heard the thunder last night! Dad and Elaine left their bedroom window open so their carpet was a bit wet and so was the car as Seb forgot to shut the back window last night. It was all a bit manic whilst we were all packing this morning. I managed to get everything but my Mac in my case. We checked out at 11am then drove to Disney Springs. Elaine and I walked to Starbucks to get a coffee whilst the boys went to get a burger. We walked back to sit with them and Chris got me some chips too. We split up and went for a mooch. 

Chris and I spent most our time in the massive Disney shop then he went and bought that jacket he loved at the Star Wars shop and treated me to a Cantina badge. 

We strolled round a bit more then left at 2.30pm, got to the airport and dropped off the car just after 3pm.

It was madness trying to get everything out and clear off. As we were walking to the terminal, Dad was walking with his cane and Seb went “he looks more and more like he’s going to take us on a tour of Jurassic Park every day” hahaha and Elaine was laughing so much she had to run and find a toilet! We got straight through security with no issues apart from Elaine’s bag got pulled off, standard! We got another Starbucks and sat on the floor, I got changed and repacked my bag. We boarded the plane late as it was slightly delayed to 6.20pm but once we boarded, they said due to the winds it was only going to be a 6 and a half hr flight! I read for a bit, they came round with food and the choice was a bit naff. I had tomato and garlic gnocci with bread and butter and a bit of salted caramel chocolate mousse. After that I put Judy on and nodded off about 45 mins in to it. I did get a few hours of disturbed sleep which was decent. I watched Judy again from where I fell asleep but then fell asleep again so didn’t see the end. Chris woke me up when they were serving breakfast so I had a warm pain au chocolate and some juice. Felt a bit sick. I read for the rest of the flight and we landed at about 6.15am. Sailed through security and cases weren’t long. We got home about 7.15am and the flight had broken some kind of record about how  quickly it had travelled home because of the storm! 

So so sad it’s over but had a fantastic holiday - bar the illness - and absolutely gutted it’s over! Until next time xx

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Twenty One - Hollywood Studios

We decided to get up even earlier today after seeing how busy it was yesterday so alarm set for 6.15am. We got to the park at 7.40am and we were in pretty much the same place we were parked yesterday. It was madness, so busy! We got through bag-check and ticket queue then had to try and get assigned to a boarding group for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride. It kept saying closed so we had a walk over to that area anyway and eventually I got through and we were assigned reserve group so not even a number. 

I was gutted for the boys. We carried on walking to Star Wars and Chris asked every member of staff we came across what it meant. Star Wars land was amazing. The detail... incredible. 

We jumped straight in the queue for the Millennium Falcon ride which was about an hour long and started right at the front of Star Wars land and went through to the back it was insaaaane. It didn’t take us that long to get on it to be fair, maybe about 40 mins. 

The ride is a simulator but it’s amazing, you’re all assigned roles and the screen is actually part of the ship. We had so much fun especially cos it was just the 6 of us in the simulator. After the ride, we had a proper wander round the area and had some photos taken. Chris tried to make me do the Star Trek sign in front of the Millennium Falcon but I realised just in time! Chris and Fatbob got some Blue Milk. I tried some and it was really nice! 

They had Stormtroopers walking round who could talk and Chewbacca was walking round too. 

We carried on wandering and then went back to Rizzo’s pizza, where we had a sit down and some food. I got a massive cinnamon bun, it was no Cinnabon but still nice! After food, we went on Star Tours which Seb ducked out of cos he wasn’t feeling too well. They’ve changed it all and it was actually quite good and didn’t make me feel half as sick as the old ride! 

We walked over to the main street and watched the Star Wars show all the way through this time then we walked over to Tower of Terror to do our Fastpasses. Dad and Elaine went on Rock & Roller whilst we did Tower of Terror. We ended up on the same lift as last time on the front row again! 

There were some annoying cheerleaders there though and they were being squealy. Still the best ride. It was absolutely boiling and we sat in the heat waiting for Dad and Elaine and James and I got a Mickey Sandwich. We headed over to the main area and Seb decided he was going to get an Uber home for a bit cos he was feeling ill so he went. 

At some point during the day we got assigned group 98 for Rise of the Resistance and in the morning it wasn’t looking promising. By the time Seb left it was on group 67 and was looking much more like we might get on! 

We walked over to the Star Wars main shop to have a look inside and then back over to Star Wars land. We somehow ended up inside the Cantina bar and it was amazing.

 We were told we were only allowed 45 mins and it was mainly standing. I got a Carbon Freeze to drink, a non-alcoholic concoction that was smoking and also had little balls in like the one at Pandora. It was so nice. The music was great and the bar staff were so friendly. Our server Kyle walked off with my phone and started taking pictures of everyone haha. 

Elaine’s drink had a numbing agent in and she accidentally inhaled it and felt like she couldn’t breathe and Kyle had to stand there and talk to her to let her know she was going to be alright. We stayed in there for ages, James and Chris shared some nibbles, Dad treated us to the first round and Elaine treated us to the second and we shared a Jabba Juice. 

We eventually left and by the time we got out it had got to group 85, Seb was on his way back so we decided to ditch our Fastpasses for Indiana Jones and go and wait at Rise of the Resistance as the groups were going so fast. 

We got there as it was at 88 and Seb arrived at 90. I sat on the floor and ate half my caesar wrap. We eventually got called yaaaay so we rushed up to the entrance and Dad couldn’t find his card. It took him a couple of mins then he found it and we went in and queued up for a bit. At first, you get on this big hanger outside with a group of people and its a bit like a standing simulator then the hanger gets commandeered and you get led out to this massive room full of Stormtroopers, it was so good! 

Then you get split off into groups and put into a room - there was just the 6 of us and it looks as though someone is cutting the door open so you go through and get on the ride which is the same setup as March of the Penguins at Seaworld, like a robot car - you wouldn’t believe how many empty carts there were! It was such a good ride, it even went up onto a platform and then turned into a bit of a simulator. So good! After that, Seb wanted to try and get in the Cantina so Dad and Elaine went with him and I went to watch James and Chris make their lightsabres. 

Whilst we were waiting, I sat and finished my caesar wrap and the man next to us told us Fantasmic and The Star Wars night show was cancelled due to the incoming storm. Chris and James got called in and at first I thought they were going to be really rushed - and it was a quick experience but in a very sleek way.

 There was even a woman leading the session, it wasn’t informal as I’d imagined and it was really cool to watch. It took about 20 mins and James ended up with a blue lightsabre and Chris with a green one.

After they’d done, they went and had some more photos outside the Millennium Falcon and we met up with the others. 

We decided to go home and go to Denny’s and on the way the boys found another shop to go in to buy different colours Kyber Crystals. James got a yellow and Chris got a purple. 

The winds were really picking up so I was a bit nervous about driving home. As we were walking out we heard the Star Wars show starting so we went and watched that and they put it on just without any of the fireworks. Seb felt really ill on the way home so we didn’t go to Denny’s, we just went home and I had a hot shower and went to bed.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Twenty - Hollywood Studios and Blizzard Beach

We got up early, got ready quick and got to Hollywood Studios at about 8am. 

When we got into the park, we had a few photos taken at the front then went straight over to Hollywood Tower of Terror and there was already a 50 min queue for it!

We waited in the queue, had some smarties cookies and Seb got more and more nervous. He even read a thread on whether Dr Dooms Fearfall or Tower of Terror was worse. 

Its such a great ride - and longer than I remember! Brilliant. The photo was ace too, Sebs face hahah. 

I went and queued up for a coffee at Starbucks - the queue was massive but it was sooo worth it. First proper coffee of the holiday - the one at Seaworld tasted weird! 

I had a look in the shops and walked over to Star Tours as the boys went on that whilst they waited. When they got off, we had a walk round and caught some of the daytime Star Wars show where all the characters come out. 

We sat and had a bit of lunch on a bench, my mustard chicken wrap was disappointing, it had nachos in boo. After that the boys decided they were still hungry so we went to Rizzos pizza restaurant and I had some of Chris’s pizza it was really tasty. Everything was too busy to queue up for and it was sooo hot so we had a mooch round the shops and then we used our Fastpass for the Rock & Roller Coaster. 

We left Hollywood studios, and drove to Blizzard beach. We got changed and went straight on the lazy river to get to the family slide round the other side of the park. It was a 4 people slide but very tame. We’d done all the slides within about an hour and a half. My favourite was a race one which was a bit of a drop then straight then drop. We got the Chairlift up and I stood on the observation deck whilst the boys did Slusher Gusher then Summit Plummet. Rather them than me! I walked down and we went and got in the wave pool and swam in there for a bit. The boys had rubber rings but I was just swimming and it absolutely knackered me out. I got out and Chris treated me to some hot mini doughnuts with chocolate yum. Chris wanted to go to the Hulk Hogan shop but I was so shattered I didn’t feel up to it and we drove straight home. I ran a bath and washed my hair. Because of the awful service at the start of the holiday, the manager of the resort offered us a free meal at the restaurant so we chose tonight to go, at 7pm. I had one cocktail and was so sleepy and tipsy... I don’t know how I got through my meal. We shared some nachos for starters - I don’t normally like nachos but they were so nice. I had steak for my main with mash and veg. It was very nice. I was so drained when we got in and Seb was too... I wondered if we had got a bit of sunstroke. We went straight to bed when we got in.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Nineteen - Gatorland & Medieval Times

We got up at 6.35am to drop Dad and Elaine at the pickup place for the manatees. The drive was so nice and quiet and the sunrise was beautiful! Got back and tried to go back to sleep but it was too light so I made a coffee and read. It was so nice having a chilled out morning. I tidied the house too and emptied the dishwasher. Chris and I went out about 10am and went to IHOP for breakfast. I has chocolate chip pancakes and mountain dew. Nice and healthy. 

We drove to Gatorland and as soon as we got there we could tell we were in the sticks a bit, it was very American. 

There were SO many Alligators! Pools of small ones and massive ones, we saw some baby ones and some white Alligators. 

We saw Chester - the Alligator who was so big he was going round Tampa eating dogs. 

We walked round the boardwalk then at 1 we walked back and paid $5 to take some pictures with the Tortoises and it was genuinely one of my favourite life experiences so far. 

It was amazing. Their skin felt wrinkly and dry and if you touched their necks they raised their heads, it was soooo cute. They were eating some veg too! Had the best time doing that. 

We also had our photo taken holding a small gator and got to touch its stomach and tail. 

We went into the Budgie room where all these Budgies fly around and land on you. We found someones food stick that they had dropped so we held that and all the Budgies flew to us and on my head and arms and they were landing on my shoes.

They loved chewing the laces! So cute. 

 You had to slide your feet across the floor so you didn’t step on them. It was boiling so we got a nice cold sprite. 

We saw some Goats, Emus and then we picked up our Gator food that we got free with the tickets and went to feed the big Gators on the boardwalk. They were like these weird biscuit things. The Gators were massive but they could chomp quick even if they missed a few times at first. 

We did the swamp walk too - there were loads of signs around saying it was a live swamp and there were venomous Snakes, do not touch them if you see them and alert a member of staff if you need help.

It was a really nice walk, very peaceful and swampy and we even saw where part of a hurricane had snapped some trees. 

We got back about 4ish and got in the hot tub - which was the luke warm tub as Fatbob had switched it on cos for some reason it was turned off and it took ages to heat up. I took about 5 mins then decided to go for a hot bath instead which was lovely. We went out at 6pm to go to Medieval Times. It was actually really cool, it was in a castle with a moat and fire. 

We went in and had our photos taken and got given table 4 and they really nicely saved two tickets for Dad and Elaine who were getting a taxi and meeting us there when they got back from their Manatee swim. 

The boys got a beer and we mooched round and had a look at the photos. We got our seats and got served pepsi and tomato soup pretty much straight away. 

The show was really good, it was a mixture of jousting, a bit of fake fighting, Horses and a Falcon. It was fun! The boys kept booing the blue knight really loudly and he looked at them with such hate hahah. 

We got a piece of garlic bread to go with our soup then for mains it was like a chicken leg which was basically half a chicken, a very seasoned potato slice and corn on the cob followed by a weird coconut ice cream which I gave to Chris. Dad and Elaine didn’t make it until 8pm as their bus journey home got stuck on the toll road which got closed because of an accident. Luckily, they served their food to them as soon as they got there though. 

Chris kept asking the lady to bring the two different photos for us and eventually decided to get the first. They said their Manatee trip was amazing but very much more in the wild compared to Discovery Cove.

We nipped to Walmart after to get a bit of lunch for the day after at Disney. I got a spicy mustard chicken wrap and a chicken caesar for the day after. Pretty much bed when we got in!

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Eighteen - Animal Kingdom

Woke up at 6am because the room was so cold! I watched a bit of Sabrina then went down and made a coffee, got ready and Dad dropped us off at Animal Kingdom. Her and Dad were going to Daytona for the day. We went straight to Avatar and the queue for the main ride was already 210 mins...wtf! 

We jumped on the Avatar River Ride which was meant to be 40 mins but only took about 20, win. It was so nice inside. 

Avatar land is SO impressive. 

We went from there to Kilimanjaro safaris. We saw Giraffes, Hippos, Lions, Cheetahs, Crocs, so many animals! It was really good. 

We did the Harambe Jungle Trek when we got off and saw some more animals then we went and got some food. 

Chris was getting stressed cos everywhere was so busy. The boys already had food so I got a Hot Dog (obviously) we sat and ate in Dino Land. We saw Pluto!

After that, we used our first Fastpass on Its Tough To Be A Bug. Chris got food whilst I went in the shop to have a mooch and got a little magnet frame for the fridge then we went to use our next Fastpass on Dinosaur. 

We walked over to Asia and did the other Jungle Trek and saw Tigers and Bats. 

We used our last Fastpass to get on Expedition Everest which was great! 

We picked up some snacks on the way and decided to brave the queue for Pandora Flight of Passage. 

The queue was 2hrs15 long and halfway through they started to tannoy that they were operating at reduced capacity so we had no idea how long we were going to be but to be fair it wasn’t much more than the original wait time. 

There were some kids in the line though that kept bumping into us all the way through and they couldn’t even follow instructions to get on a number at the ride. 

The ride was amazing. You sit on these sort of motorbikes and it locks you in, you’ve got 3d glasses then its like you’re flying across Pandora, the air and water that blow at you made it seem so realistic and it even smelt like mud then lemon... it was mad. So good! We got out and it had started to go dark and Pandora had started to light up so we stayed up around that area as it looked so pretty and all the floor was lit up in UV lights. 

Chris and I got a frozen non-alcoholic cocktail to share made of apple, pineapple and passionfruit balls. It was so tasty and looked really impressive. 

We got a taxi home as Dad and Elaine were running late due to closed parts of I4. 

Seb asked the taxi man if it was his taxi and the taxi driver was like yep so we all got in then he pointed to his screen and it said Sue so it was not for us hahah. We got out and found our actual taxi and just as we pulled up to CLC saw Dad speed round the roundabout. We got in and decided to try Cheesecake Factory for tea but we got there and it was so rammed. We got takeout cheesecake, Oreo for me and Chris, Victory Chocolate or something for James, Fudge Cake for Seb and Key Lime for Dad and Elaine. 

We went to Denny’s for tea. I had a cheddar, tomato and mushroom omelette which was soooo nice. Got in and had a bit of cheesecake and a hot shower to warm up then went to bed.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Seventeen - Universals & Hard Rock Cafe

We got up early and Elaine opened her presents. Seb got her a lovely Disney Charm bracelet and we got her a glass Jellyfish ornament from Seaworld. We got to Universal for 9am and headed straight to Hagrid but it was closed when we got there then jumped straight up to an 180 min queue so we sacked that off. We went straight on the Hulk and managed to get Elaine on with us! She didn’t even scream! After Hulk, Dad went and got a Cinnabon and we waited whilst Chris and Seb went on Dr Doom again. We jumped on the Hogwarts train and went over to Universal Studios. 

We all went on Escape from Gringotts and had another mooch round Harry Potter. Chris bought me a Weasley Whizzard Wheezes T-shirt and a Chocolate Frog. Well he bought Nath a chocolate frog and I commandeered it. 

We went over to Men in Black and the boys went on. After that we walked to Springfield and got some lunch. I obviously got a hot dog and a sprite. James and Chris went on the Simpsons ride then we carried on walking and went on ET. After that we queued for Ripriderockit. I got to the front and bottled it cos of the lapbar and the vertical going up bit. I think this holiday has made me realise I’m getting older, I’m not as fearless as I used to be. 

We went on Jimmy Fallon Race Through New York which was a big 3d ride. We went to go on Mummy but it was 45mins so we went on Fast & Furious instead which was another one that was a bit naff. We went in a couple of shops and Chris bought me a Fluffy <3. We went to the Hard Rock for tea. I had a strawberry and basil lemonade and I had the classic club sandwich which was very yummy! We had a really nice time.

It was Superbowl Sunday so we also caught the start of that and everyone was getting loud and lairy and we heard Demi Lovato sing the national anthem. We went in the shop for a pin and Chris got a T-Shirt. 

We left about 7.20pm, called in Cinnabon for a cheeky late night snack then drove home calling at Walmart on the way home. We got in and watched the end of the Superbowl then went to bed.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Sixteen - Discovery Cove

Today was Discovery Cove day and our two year anniversary! The weather was absolutely shocking, so cold and rainy. Even the woman on the desk asked us if we were doubly sure we wanted to stay and not rearrange! We stayed and our Dolphin Swim was at 9.50am so we went and got our wet suits then got a bit of brekkie (scrambles eggs, hash browns and a cinnamon swirl for me). 

After that, we went and got some sunbeds near the Grand Reef, got our snorkels and went in the reef for 10mins. The water wasn’t that cold to be fair! We went to the Sand Dollar Cabana a bit early and watched the video then we went to meet our dolphin Luna. She was gorgeous! She kept sticking her tongue out and she had a really really pink belly. She was so cute. We did our rides first then she did the tricks and swam near us so we could stroke her and we felt her tail. We got a really decent amount of time with her. We did photos then went back to look at them. We decided to share the digital package.

 After we had done the Dolphin Swim, we went back to the Grand Reef and did a full swim around that. We saw so many amazing massive Fish and Rays and the Sharks. Chris loved it - he kept going round! We went on the Lazy River which was nice and warm and we got out and walked round the Aviary. The lady gave us some cups of food and the Birds flew to us to feed off us and we held it up to some really beautiful Birds to feed them. Chris gave a fluffy one some worms. We got back in the Lazy River then I got a hot chocolate to warm up and we went for lunch. I had a hot dog, surprise surprise, the only food i seem to be able to eat properly at the mo! Then grabbed some warm cookies on the way back to the sunbeds. 

We went back to the Reef and had a bit more of a swim in there then we went to find the Otters (they were so cute, one kept taking piles of hay and leaping off the side with it, looked like he was building a nest, and one kept swimming into this hole and putting his head in then swimming back out) and the Marmosets (which we didnt find, booo). I got out after that and had a boiling hot shower cos I was freezing and it was sooo nice. We got home about 4ish then we went out to Cheesecake Factory at 5.30pm. 

When we got there it was a 90min wait so we sacked that off and went to Olive Garden. I had classic lasagne and we got the breadsticks and salad yum yum. Dad drove as well so I had a Watermelon Sangria which was delicious. We got home and dashed into Old Town to catch the end of the car show, had a wander round the shops and had a look at this scary looking wooden roller coaster which the boys want to do. 

I had a mooch round the shops whilst everyone had a drink in Froggers then Chris and I walked back to the apartment and went to bed.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Fifteen - Seaworld

We got to Seaworld really early this morning as we were expecting it to be busy. 

We got in, went straight on Manta which was only a 10min wait, then straight to Mako which was no wait then over to Penguin ride which was 10 min wait (and a bit of a naff ride to be honest) but seeing the penguins was amazing! 

After the penguins, we went on Kraken and we’d done most the rides by 10.30am! After Kraken, we went to see the baby dolphins then got some lunch, I had some chips and treated myself to a Starbucks coffee (which tasted horrible, so disappointed!). 

We went to watch the Orca show whilst lunch settled and sat in the soak zone of course! 

After that, we walked through Sesame Street and went on Mako again. We went on Infinity Falls which was brilliant, we got absolutely soaked on even with our macs! 

We did Turtle Trek and went to see the Manatees. We tried to get hold of Dad to get picked up as we were finished at 3.30ish but couldn’t get hold of him so we waited a bit whilst Chris and James got funnel cakes to share.

We gave up and jumped in an Uber home cos it was raining. There was so much miscommunication, they didn’t get any of our messages and Dad’s phone was going straight to voicemail then we got a message saying they were at Seaworld entrance... oops. Before they got back though I had a lovely sit in the hot tub and warmed up after being soaked on Infinity Falls then the rain. We got ready and went to Hooters for tea but I just had such a rubbish evening, I wasn’t in the mood and Elaine kicked up a fuss about being asked for ID and not being allowed a drink cos she hadn’t taken it and we were meant to be going to Cheesecake Factory and that had been vitoed.

I tried Chipotle Honey Wings which were ok but a bit rich and saucy for my stomach. 

Was glad to get in and go to bed.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Fourteen - Magic Kingdom

We had a cooked breakfast this morning before we left, egg on toast for me.I wore my new t-shirt from Epcot..

We got out at about 10.45am and drove to Magic Kingdom. The guy gave us free parking when we said where we were from Manchester yay! Got the monorail over and nipped into the shops on Main St as soon as we got in to try and find Seb a big cookie that he was wanting! We wandered further down Main St and had some photos taken by the Memory Maker then went into Adventureland. 

We did Swiss Family Robinson then walked over and queued for Big Thunder Mountain. After that we went back to Pirates of the Caribbean and used our Fastpasses on that. We stopped for our homemade sandwiches then we went over to Tom Sawyers island and had a mooch round there. 

Seb and James actually had a game of checkers! 

Gutted Splash Mountain is shut for refurb! Chris bought me a Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich and we caught the afternoon parade which was cute! 

After the parade, we went on Haunted Mansion then had a walk round to the kids area, still looking for a cookie for Seb. 

We used a Fastpass to go on It’s A Small World then we stopped so Chris and James could get waffles. 

We went over to Tomorrowland and went on the Tomorrowland Speedway then used our last fastpass to go on Space Mountain. 

After that, we queued up to meet Buzz Lightyear!

We went on the Jungle Cruise in the dark which was fun then wandered round the shops and by the time we’d finished it was time for fireworks which were amazing as always!

Rushed to the monorail and were out the park by 8.45pm. We drove home and called at Maccies to pick up some scran and Seb finally got his cookies!

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Thirteen - Busch Gardens

We got up early and left at 8.45am to travel to Busch Gardens. Dad drove as I’m still not feeling tip top. 

We got there for it opening at 10am. We went in and saw Crocs and Cheetahs then walked round to Cheetah Hunt but it wasn’t open yet so we went on Cobra’s Curse then on Montu. 

Back to Cheetah Hunt as that was open so we queued for that then stopped for lunch. I had a cheese pizza and a bit of Chris’s chicken tenders and chips. To let lunch settle, we went on the train ride round the park and saw Giraffes, Rhinos, Zebras, loads! After that, we got off and saw some Elephants, Lions, Penguins and a Hippo! 

We went on Kumba and then on Congo River Rapids where Fatbob got soaked but we were ok cos of the macs we bought the other day wheeyy! We went onto the log flume next which was so funny, very jerky and Fatbob got even more soaked. After that was Tigris which I was really nervous on... the harness isn’t a proper harness just a lap bar and like a flimsy over-shoulder thing. It was good though, SO fast. We finished on Shriekra where some idiot next to me kept getting his phone out to just hold and film until the woman stopped the ride and made them put it on the side. So daft! We walked round and saw some Birds and Flamingos and we got to stroke some Kangaroos! 

We wandered round the shops then waited for Dad and Elaine to come and pick us up. We started to drive home but stopped at the Hard Rock Hotel in Tampa which was MASSIVE and so fancy! We went up the twisty escalator and had a look in the shop. 

Chris bought a pin and so did Elaine, Dad bought a t-shirt and Fatbob got a massive ice cream.

We drove home then had hot dogs watched a bit of Jurassic Park then went to bed.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Twelve - Volcano Bay

We got up, had a bit of brekkie then went over to Volcano Bay.

I still have a horrendous cough and today, I really struggled, my chest was so tight. It was nice and sunny but a bit chilly. 

We got given out Tapu Tapu’s which are the electronic watches you use to get in virtual queues.

We got our sunbeds and went in the wave pool. Seb, James, Chris and I went on the blue and green slides. I was so out of breath and tight chested when I got to the top of the slides that I gave up going on the high ones. I had a bit of a rest in the sun after the first two rides then we went on the water rollercoaster which was so much fun! We went on twice! After that we went to find lunch and Chris was being an arse. I had a hot dog and almost ate it all... my first full meal since I got ill! I seem to be managing hot dogs more than anything else! 

After lunch we went in the lazy river and then went on a couple of the smaller rides and we went on the rapids lazy river which is like the lazy river but you need a life jacket cos its so fast! It was great! I got out after that as I was knackered and everyone else wasn’t far behind me. 

We got the bus back to the car park then went home via Walmart and I got a really nice MTV top.

Dad made spaghetti and meatballs but I felt so ill, I barely ate anything then went straight up to bed.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Eleven - Islands of Adventure & Universal

We got to Islands of Adventure for opening time this morning and went straight to Hagrid.

It actually opened (yay) and we only queued for about 45 mins to get on (double yay). 

It was SO good! I still feel a bit wavey today though. After that we went straight on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and I managed to actually go on this time! We went and got some food in the Jurassic Park bit but I didn’t feel like eating so I just had a few of Chris’s chilli cheese fries. We bought macs and went on Jurassic Park River Adventure. We thought we might as well carry on on the wet rides and went on Dudley Do Rights Ripsaw Falls. The macs were a lifesaver! I still didn’t feel like eating much but felt like I needed some energy so I grabbed a packet of plain Lays and a Powerade which I felt SO much better for! Everyone else went on the river rapids but I didn’t fancy it so I stayed off and took pictures.

We walked round to Marvel land and got on Spiderman then Chris and Seb went on Dr Dooms Fear Fall. 

Don’t know how they did it - it looks terrifying! We went on Hulk again then we walked through Dr Suess land then went and got the Hogwarts Express over to Universal. Everyone really enjoyed it. 

We had a wander round Diagon Alley then we went and got on the Mummy. 

The boys went on Transformers and Elaine and I had a mooch in the shop then we went home. Elaine and I made hot dogs then we went to bed.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Ten - Universal and Airport Pick Up

We all got up early and went to Universal for just after opening to try and get on the Hagrid ride. 

We got there about 9.30am and it hadn’t opened so we could either wait in the queue not knowing what time it would open or carry on. 

We decided to go on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and waited for about an hour and a half (I have no idea why it’s so busy in January!) and just as we got to the front, I ducked out cos of how bad my stomach was and had a feeling the motion would make me sick. I was gutted.Chris got his wand today! He chose Voldemorts.

We went on Jurassic Park River Adventure which is the best! We had a walk round the rest of the park but I still felt awful, no idea what’s wrong with me. Dad and Elaine went to find coffee so Chris and I went on the Cat in the Hat then went to Burger King so I could get some plain chips, but it had a 40 min queue :/

After food, we went straight to the airport to pick the boys up. As soon as we got there, we found out Kobe Bryant had died in a helicopter crash that morning. We waited for ages then finally found the boys about 4pm. We got in the car and Seb couldn’t find his wallet. We had jokingly taken bets on what he might have lost but no one guessed his wallet, and the last time he remembered having it was at Manchester Airport! It took absolutely ages to get back cos Dad had toll roads turned off on his Sat Nav so we went the longest possible way. 

We finally got to Old Town about 5.15pm then Elaine wanted to get some Krispy Kremes so we got a box of mixed donuts then went to get petrol and Seb kept shouting Dad through the window hahah. Got in, had a bath and was a bit worried about some of the sounds my chest was making - like a crackling sound, as if you are scrunching tissue paper. I'm desperate to feel better... maybe tomorrow. Dad made a roast dinner and we chilled on the sofa.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Nine - Celebration

Went downstairs for my first coffee in a few days but I felt really lightheaded. Dad made me an egg on toast for breakfast which was really nice but my stomach was not right all day :(

We sorted money and got straight, I sorted my pay and we got ready and went into Celebration. The weather was gorgeous, so warm and sunny. 

We went into the doggy shop, we saw some cute doggies and I got Millie a cuddly fish for when we get home and take her new pal Captain Haddock back.

I treated everyone to a massive ice cream at this cute little ice cream shop then we had a walk round the lake.

We saw loads of birds, a few turtles and two gators! 

We went back to the house and my stomach was so painful. Dad made hot dogs and sent an email to CLC as they still haven’t been with towels or toilet roll. They went to Walmart to shop but I didn’t feel up to it so I stayed in and tidied up. They got back and finally we got some toilet roll from Housekeeping after Chris phoned up again. Dad made pizza for tea but I really didn’t feel like eating much. We had a lazy evening in and I went to bed early as I didn’t feel well at all.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Eight - Epcot

It was nice to feel a bit back to normal after getting ready this morning. We took it easy and left to get an Uber from the front gate at 10ish. The Uber driver got a call from his son on the way who was starting a job at Rainforest Cafe but didn’t know what pant size he was... an Uber ride with an American driver is always interesting!

We got to Epcot at about 10.30am and we spotted Pluto straight away so we queued up to meet him then queued up to meet Goofy too. 

We grabbed a drink and went on Figments Imagination ride. We went on The Seas with Nemo then did Crush’s turtle talk. 

We then used our first fastpass to go on Spaceship Earth. It was SO busy! 

We got some chips and chicken nugs to share but I could barely eat any and we went into a souvenir shop and I got a bit upset, I felt awful and weak. Took a painkiller and felt a bit better. After that we used our second fastpass to go on mission space but the green one so we didn’t have to endure a ride that spins, I definitely would have thrown up. 

We headed to World Showcase but we started backwards, so did Canada and UK. Would you believe it started throwing it down when we got to UK... classic! 

We spotted that Pooh Bear was doing a meet and greet at 3.40pm so we stayed to meet him <3

We headed back to use our last fastpass to go on Soarin’ which was great though some woman was hysterically screaming all the way through it?! We went on Living with the Land then we went back to World Showcase. 

Starting with Mexico with all the day of the dead stuff which is probably my favourite country and we went on the boat ride. 

Then we did Norway to China to Germany to Italy to America to Japan to Morocco to France and then we were back at UK. 

I felt SO much better by this point. We went back to the shop and treated ourselves to a t-shirt each and I found some postcards but they are ridiculously sparse! We went back to The Land and shared a piece of pizza and some pasta salad - our appetite is still not quite there, can you tell!

We went to get a spot for the fireworks and somehow made friends with a lady from Florida in a motorised scooter with 2 girls Adva and Olivia who was telling us their life story, really cute girls and Adva was telling me all about the podcasts she likes. The fireworks were amazing.

Dad picked us up at 20 past 9, we headed home and had a bit of a catch up with them then watched a bit of Sabrina and went to bed.

[ashleysamericanadventures]

Day Seven - Recovering

I felt a bit better today, at least not being sick, but still so drained and Chris still felt rough so we decided to stay in. Dad and Elaine decided to drive to Sarasota for the night and stay over (don’t blame them one bit!) so they left about 10:30am and left us to have the house to ourselves. We had baths and moved downstairs to watch tv in the living room. We watched all of the Aaron Hernendez series on Netflix. We made some chips and then started Peaky Blinders S5. Housekeeping still haven’t been so we’re on day 2 of no toilet roll.