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#936033 by David
18 Jun 2017, 10:19
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After an exciting trip out viewtopic.php?f=6&t=295648 it was a rather more sedate return home.

The weather had been very warm with little or no rain during daytimes, but the last few days had seen a return to the PM thunderstorms and a bit more cloud with a little cooler temps (which was actually a bit of a relief to be honest)

The Orlando area continues to be rather expensive after the devaluation of the pound with no light at the end of the tunnel even though their current President tries to do his best hourly to create "Breaking News" after "Breaking News"

Don't watch a great deal of TV but the Comey day was interesting watching.

Anyways, after a week at the Hilton GV at SeaWorld and then a week at Disneys Saratoga Springs, it was time for the 2 min drive to Virgins check in at Disney Springs.

As usual, it was a very quick, pain free experience although they are doing their best with roads works to confuse the situation.

The last day was spent at the pool and it was around 4pm that we decided to make tracks for the airport.

The car was handed back to Hertz as easy as it was picked up and all to soon we were using the TSA PreCheck lines with very little queuing.

Up to to Delta lounge for a last beer and the flight back to Gatwick was soon being called.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the new terminal being built at Orlando International will be for international flights so it will be interesting if Virgin eventually give us a much needed Clubhouse at one of their busiest airports outwith the UK.

The flight itself was the usual night time return journey, with a new menu (will post it when I find it) a quick meal and then bedded down.

Unusually, the cabin wasn't its normal roasting temperature but was very pleasant which made for a good few hours sleep. Infact I woke with only 2 hours to go, which was perfect timing to get changed and remake the bed into a seat before grabbing a coffee, a bacon roll and getting ready for landing.

Very quickly through immigration using the emachines and onwards to see if BA was working this time.

My return flight back to Edinburgh was a bit on the bumpy side and was infact around 30 mins late due to landing issues with wind but Tristars driver was still waiting to whisk us home.

All in all, another solid performance from the team at VS. BA seem to have put their hands up and look like they are paying for all the expenses occurred before the outbound flight and the wee bonus of a car with the return flight saved £100 parking at the airport.

Roll on the next one :D

David
#936034 by buns
18 Jun 2017, 10:26
David
Thanks for the TR - I do like the Hilton at Seaworld and would love to stay at he Saratoga Springs ;-)

That blessed exchange rate is becoming a challenge, but I do hope some sanity returns and we go back to 1:50 :-P

buns
#936035 by David
18 Jun 2017, 10:31
buns wrote:David
Thanks for the TR - I do like the Hilton at Seaworld and would love to stay at he Saratoga Springs ;-)

That blessed exchange rate is becoming a challenge, but I do hope some sanity returns and we go back to 1:50 :-P

buns


With the pound being so bad, the "resorts fees" that Hilton now put onto a lot of their propertys in and around Orlando make for what must be the most expensive bottles of water in the world :D
#936054 by David
19 Jun 2017, 11:35
mdhayes wrote:are the resort fees at Hilton compulsory, I can't see any of the benefits for us from the list of things these include.


Unfortunately yes, they would have been more transparent if they had just increased the price of the room,

As I said, most expensive bottle of water on in the world >-(

David
#936055 by mdhayes
19 Jun 2017, 13:24
yep it is very underhand.

We are booked into a hilton GV for next may but are yet to be assigned one as the dates were released when we booked, any consensus which one is "best" were not doing Disney so mainly for universal.
#936057 by David
19 Jun 2017, 14:41
mdhayes wrote:yep it is very underhand.

We are booked into a hilton GV for next may but are yet to be assigned one as the dates were released when we booked, any consensus which one is "best" were not doing Disney so mainly for universal.


I've only done the one that used to be Idrive and now called Tuscany (very nice and pretty close to everyone - really really close to bottom mall ) the one at SeaWorld ( a bit closer to Universal, cheaper but not as "new" although facilities are fine but some bits needing a bit TLC ) and the Parc Soleil one ( felt a bit remote although the new road / bridge means its just mins from international drive - v new facilities but more expensive )

There is now another new one on idrive, hence the Tuscany name change but don't know what that's like

David
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