16 nights of Summer fun - Live Trip Report

[mossyflossy]

Great update, winery looks fab!

Like you, O Charleys has been on our radar but we've not yet been. I had some old restaurant coupons on restaurant.com that I'd not used so just got the voucher for here and one for House of Blues for free, can't be bad!

Portugal, this year we used our timeshare in Cyprus to exchange to Hilton Parc Soleil, fee is £169 for a week on RCI. The one bed at HPS is stunning, it's really like staying in a 2 bed apartment as there's a queen size comfy sleeper sofa in the lounge, which is completely closed off to the main bedroom, and loads of space inside and out on the balcony. we really like the location on Palm Parkway too.

Previously we've paid £60 per night to stay at HPS in August: for us it's worth £10 or so extra a night for the extra space, plus HPS has an undercover car park, no resort fee, nice pool areas/shop, free wifi etc.

 

[PJB71]

Can't believe how quick your holiday is going over Wayne

Congratulations Matt on your fantastic result

Look forward to reading more

 

[wayneg]

Sunday we got up with the intentions of visiting Cocoa farmers market for our first stop of the day, but as we approached Port Canaveral we realised it was close to lunch time. Stopped off at Grills and had another great meal there.
We then set off again for the farmers market, as we passed we saw there were only 2 or 3 stalls, we expected a good sized market so didn't bother to stop, continued down the coast and past a massive US Airforce base. Drove a bit more but decided to turn around and find a beach, as we approached the Airforce base we saw a massive plane flying over dropping parachutists so we stopped at Pineda beach across the road and took a few pics. Had a walk on the beach then drove up to Lori Wilson Park, somewhere Karen and I had been before but somewhere new for Matt. I knew there were some Geocaches hidden in there so wanted to find 1 or 2 of those. Couldn't find the first, no problem with the other.
While there we saw a couple of raccoons, first one having a cool off in a small pond, the 2nd raiding a bin and grabbing a McD's bag, we watched it open the bag and eat the contents, both raccoons didn't seem to mind us watching them.
Final stop of the day was Port Canaveral to see the Disney Dream leave port. Had some drinks from Grills Tiki bar and waved 3 ships off. Another great afternoon.
Evening we ate at Santa Fe, eaten here a couple of times before and had good meals, this time I suspected something wasn't right when there were few cars outside & lots of empty tables at peak time. We were told fries were off the menu (how does a restaurant run out of fries?) myself and Matt ordered the Wagon full which is a meat combo, last time we had the same, all good, this time the chicken was good, steak average & the ribs poor, an hour later I had to rush to the bathroom in Walmart, I suspect it was the ribs but OK the following morning. Doubt we will return. A long time since we had a poor meal.
First bottle of vodka empty, onto the 2nd

 

[Pootle]

Some stunning photos again Wayne - and not just the food - loved the raccoon shots.

Enjoy your last few days. I find it comforting to know when I'll next be back and I'm sure the time will pass quickly until September . Shame our paths won't cross this year though.

 

[disneyholic family]

great pictures as always..

about those raccoons - yeah they're adorable, but be careful when you encounter those critters...they can be VERY dangerous and are known carriers of rabies...i believe they're the most prevalent carriers of the disease..

i grew up in an area heavily populated with raccoons....you really don't want to interact with wild raccoons....they have terrible bites (they clamp down on you and yank their head back - taking out a massive chunk of skin)..
and they are very smart (having more than once removed the screen to our chimney and climbed right in....not something you want to encounter inside your house..

anyway....they're cute, but dangerous....anyone who camps where i'm from learns what to do about both raccoons and bears....both dangerous in the middle of the night when they come a scavenging for food

 

[scoobydooby]

Above post noted (I didn't know any of that), but they are great raccoon pictures

 

[wayneg]

We knew they were dangerous, about 15 feet away was close enough.

 

[disneyholic family]

We knew they were dangerous, about 15 feet away was close enough.

but they sure are cute those little bandits..
those two actually look quite small....maybe they grow them small in florida...
(i wouldn't have even guessed they're native to florida, but i guess they are)...

 

[mackay_j]

Also watch out for Squirrels- One bit my mum on her hand while she was sitting in MK eating a fruit/nut bar- She asked at the medical room if she need to go to hospital but was told no- they just bathed and put cream on it- only a few years later did we find out she should have got rabbies shots-

Moral of the story - don't eat healthy food while on holiday - the rest of us were having icecream and the squirrel left us alone

 

[wayneg]

Not as great deal to say about Monday. Started off with some pool time then lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. Went into MK as we had booked some FP+'s but Thunder & lightning in the area so all the rides were closed, Disney sent me emails to say our FP+ could be used on indoor rides instead. We used one on Buzz Lightyear, tried space Mountain but there were about 50-60 waiting outside the FP+ line so no idea how many inside, everyone was in the same boat, trying to use FP+ on the few rides open. We decided to leave and call for a Pizza to take back to our room.

 

[Pootle]

Do you have any take-out pizza recommendations - that one looks pretty good?

 

[mackay_j]

Thanks for this trip report Wayneg- some of the places you have been looked fab - They have given me ideas of non Disney places to go with my MIL in a few weeks. St Johns Pass and the Winery are now on our list.

 

[cliveywolves]

All looks good and sounds fun Wayne ... Apart from the weather for you.. July is typically the worse month bad for storms and rain but seems worse this year ?

We have family that go out to Florida for 3 months at a time and they said its most rain they have seen in July for years, more than double the norm amount, but hey we crack on and enjoy still ...!

 

[disneyholic family]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm sweet tomatoes....i'm drooling!!! and terribly jealous you go to eat there!!!!!!!!!!!
my favorite eatery in orlando by far!!!!

Also watch out for Squirrels- One bit my mum on her hand while she was sitting in MK eating a fruit/nut bar- She asked at the medical room if she need to go to hospital but was told no- they just bathed and put cream on it- only a few years later did we find out she should have got rabbies shots-

actually squirrels aren't big carriers of rabies....even though growing up they bashed that into our heads to keep us away from all the squirrels...
but from what i understand, though they CAN get rabies, they're not big carriers (as are raccoons, bats, etc)

although i have to say that had i or anyone in my family been bitten by a squirrel, i would have done my damnedest to get rabies shots....
but i know that the authorities would probably discourage it or not permit it (since the shots themselves are rather dangerous)..
i've been there done that with a mouse bite (DS was bitten).
while mice can carry rabies, there has never been a known case of rabies in humans caused by a mouse.
let me tell you that didn't really make us feel any better.
so we were definitely worried during the incubation period.

(and years later again, when my niece was bitten by a rat - again no rabies shot for the same reason and again we worried until the incubation period had passed).

 

[wayneg]

Do you have any take-out pizza recommendations - that one looks pretty good?

We don't eat pizza at home and the only place we have had them from out here is http://www.uppercrustpizzacafe.com/ so nothing to compare them to but we have enjoyed the few we have had from here.
Its in Celebration right next to Market street café.
Just seen they have a 10% voucher on their site, could have saved $2

All looks good and sounds fun Wayne ... Apart from the weather for you.. July is typically the worse month bad for storms and rain but seems worse this year ?

We have family that go out to Florida for 3 months at a time and they said its most rain they have seen in July for years, more than double the norm amount, but hey we crack on and enjoy still ...!

Our worst 2 trips for rain have been in July, although we once had a rainy trip in May. Yesterday was another poor day, started early afternoon with torrential rain then on and off right thru to us getting in at 11pm. Thankfully we didn't get drenched this time, we were given free ponchos at the Harambe nights event but we don't like wearing them, rather get wet.

 

[disney_princess_85]

Glad you're all having such a good time.

 

[DLPDreams]

Sorry to hear about the rain - but it sounds like you are not letting it spoil your trip and just getting on with it .

Have to say, those doughnuts look nice .

 

[clareyfairymouse]

A quick trip to see the Cruise ship ahead of your next trip

Glad you're having a good trip!

 

[wayneg]

Sorry to hear about the rain - but it sounds like you are not letting it spoil your trip and just getting on with it .

Have to say, those doughnuts look nice .

Its put a bit of a downer on today. We went to SeaWorld, got there for the 11am Sealion show and it started raining again, cancelled the show so we were sat in the stadium around 1 hour until it calmed, went for some lunch, still pouring it down so we left. It gave us chance to goto a couple of Walmarts to try find something to get Matt's purchase (Disney art) home. Now 3:30pm and its just showing signs of clearing up. We have coped but it must be spoiling some peoples holidays.

A quick trip to see the Cruise ship ahead of your next trip

Glad you're having a good trip!

Yes, not long to sailing now, had our cabin allocated

 

[RDP]

More fantastic looking food! Thoroughly enjoying following along..