The Sprightly Spud

All the hints, hacks and horrors from a fortnight of Florida fun.

2023 was the first year I entered as an adult. Newly 18 and ready to explore the world from a more mature, and intellectual perspective. Reflecting on this, when asked where I would like to go to celebrate finishing my A Level exams, there was only one possible answer;

Disney.

Day 1

I awoke to the sound of rain splattering against my bedroom’s velux window, and, cocooned within my cozy duvet, I smiled to myself. By tomorrow morning I would be far from the rainy North Wales climate. Surprisingly, we did not have to rouse ourselves at any particularly antisocial hour in order to commence our journey – our airport taxi arrived just before 8am, and the delightful Kevin transported us swiftly to Manchester airport. Where, as expected, it was still drizzling.

After the smooth journey to the airport, Manchester airport did succeed in disappointing us, despite very friendly Virgin check in staff, and an efficient bag drop system, when we reached security, the usual chaos began. Every staff member was unnecessarily aggressive – I do not appreciate being treated as an imbecile with no justification. As much as I accept that managing such a huge volume of travellers is a stressful job, and that the safety of everyone in the airport is of utmost importance, I see no reason why the roles of security staff could not be completed with a smile.

The poor customer service continued when we arrived at the airport lounge. We were made to feel like a severe inconvenience by the lady who checked us in, but I did not let it dampen my mood, and proceeded to take full advantage of the unlimited supply of coffee.

Travelling with my mother means that as soon as the gate number of our flight is displayed, the Hughes family have to sprint through the airport, running over any poor elderly or disabled individuals who stand in our path. After following the signs for ‘all gates’, we arrived at the opposite end of the airport to where we needed to be, so found ourselves taking part in another bout of high intensity exercise as we rocketed down to gate 202. Disappointingly, I was not lucky enough to receive the souvenir bag, containing colouring and inflight activities, that staff were handing to children as we boarded, but I reluctantly refrained from protesting, and sat quietly in my comfy premium economy seat.

Apart from a slightly temperamental headphone socket on my inflight entertainment system, the service provided by virgin was utterly satisfactory. Cabin crew were obliging in my request for a children’s meal – chicken tenders, hummus and veggies, sweetcorn, potatoes and a cookie – which suited my fussy eating habits perfectly. Furthermore, I was, quite frankly, enchanted by the ‘Wonder Wall’. This was an unlimited free snack bar – which I used to pack my rucksack full of treats for later in my holiday. I’m not embarrassed to say that I also stole the plane shaped salt and pepper mills that came with my meal – if its included, I’m having it.

I busied myself for the duration of the 8h 50 flight with films (the selection could have been better), writing, puzzles, and excessive pleasure at the fact that my tea came in an actual mug.

It doesn’t take a lot to impress me.

Finally we landed at Orlando International, and I executed a rapid change of clothes from in my seat (under a blanket), into the fresh set I had packed in my hand luggage. A quick spritz of deodorant, and I strode of the plane feeling like a new woman. Travel hack 101 – no one wants to stay in clothes they’ve festered for 8 hours on a plane in!

My good mood was fortified further when the Virgin staff member at the start of the gangway said to me;
“Killing it girl!”, as I passed her.
This had me beaming all the way through customs, which was a shockingly painless process.

We picked up our stupidly big, FBI style, rental truck, exactly an hour after touching down. Despite being in the ‘standard SUV’ category, I couldn’t see over the dashboard. It was awesome.

Squinting in the Florida sunshine, we emerging from the underground car park, and (attempted to) follow the SatNav to Marriott’s Cypress Harbour villas.

Upon arrival, we were met by the most wonderfully cheerful check-in and concierge staff, who gave us a selection of pieces of paper which we were too tired to read, and directed us to our apartment.

Opening the door of our home for the next 14 nights, we were hit by a tidal wave of aircon, and stumbled into the cavernous space. In classic American style, it was massive, and had the biggest fridge I’d ever seen.

Functioning purely on adrenaline at this point, I unpacked, showered and went out for a brisk walk around the resort to try and get some blood flowing around my poor legs. I then grabbed a pre-packed cobb salad and fruit pot (for the extortionate price of $27) and settled down to refill my vitamin stores. I fell asleep as soon as my eyes closed.

What a way to start the holiday.

Day 2

Morning sunshine! Sort of. It was still dark when I woke the next morning at 5 am, but this did not stop my mouth opening into a grin as soon as my eyes did. I washed my face, put on a pot of filter coffee, and headed over to the resort gym, caffeine in hand.

‘Beyoncé essentials’ playlist, pounding in my ears, I smashed out a workout, leaving me ready to take on the day, as excited as a kid at Dis…

Breakfast was a to-go situation, with even the vast selection of American goodies in the on site mini market proving a little overwhelming for my little Welsh appetite. In the end I decided against instant Cheetos flavoured Mac n cheese for my morning meal, and opted instead for yogurt, fruit and a protein bar.

As a family, we then made our way to Magic Kingdom, where a tram, followed by a monorail, transported us from our car, to the park itself. The journey was made enjoyable by vistas of the famous castle – I could barely contain my infantile excitement.

The highlight of the morning’s theme park antics had to be the ‘Dwarf’s mine train’. Despite having a 50 minute queue time, the ride provided just the right level of thrill for our first day of adrenaline.

Since last we last visited the Disney parks, technology has advanced significantly, with helpful live queue time updates on the Disney app making planning the day much easier.

We obediently exited the park ‘via the gift shop’, and I passed through the magical gates with a key ring and cuddly toy in hand.

After cooling off in the car’s air conditioning for a few minutes, we set off for our next adventure of the day – the supermarket. I love foreign supermarkets. It is genuinely a highlight of any holiday when we visit one, so regardless of being slightly hangry at this point, I revelled in the selection of items available in Publix, and left with a whole selection of novel American snacks to try.

It was now 4.30pm, and I was ravenous. So on our return to Cypress harbour I whipped up a very quick lunch, then ambled over to the pool for a quick bask in the Florida sunshine.

After a short walk outside of the resort, dad and I went to pick up a takeaway for dinner. We made the mistake of not ordering ahead, so did have to wait 20 minutes at ‘Buffalo Wild Wings’ before taking our precious bag of chicken back home. It was totally worth the wait – I’m not a huge meat eater, but the ‘naked tenders’ were absolutely stunning.

Full, shattered and utterly content, I hit my pillow at 10.30, and once again, drifted off immediately.

This holiday shit is flipping tiring.

Day 3

I wasn’t quite so perky when I got up at 5.30 on Sunday, and neither were my coffee making skills. Nevertheless, I was up and in the gym (with an overly strong cup of coffee) by 6am.

I know holiday workouts are controversial, but I personally find that I’m an overall more pleasant person if I get my endorphin hit. This means that for me it’s worth dragging myself out of bed an hour earlier, in order to spike my heart rate a bit before a day of high velocity vacation-ing. In addition to this, my workout was made more exciting by a little frog that had glued itself to the gym window – very cute.

Mum and dad had to attend their annual Marriott sales pitch that morning, as although they had no desire to purchase more timeshare weeks, the $250 they got for turning up was way too good to refuse. This meant a chilled breakfast in the apartment for me, before I got myself ready for the rest of the day.

We eventually headed out to Universal at around midday. I was, of course, buzzing with excitement, but the soaring temperatures were a little challenging even for me. Queue times were long, and crowds were dense, which eventually lead to me having a mild temper tantrum.

Quite frankly, I was sick of queuing, and had wanted to go to the mall that afternoon. A good family fallout ensued.

No holiday is complete without one – right?

On our return to the resort, I took myself for a swim, which cooled me down both mentally and physically. The day concluded with yet another long wait at the on site takeaway food outlet. A mix up with my order meant I stood for 40 minutes before picking up my salad. Although tasty, it did not justify the extensive delay.

Anyway, I chilled with my long anticipated meal and a bit of Netflix, then headed to bed, hopeful for a calmer day tomorrow.

Day 4

By now I was pleasantly settled into my morning routine: caffeine, sweat, Disney sparkles. An early opening time at Animal Kingdom (our planned destination for the morning) meant a shorter workout, but that was fine by me.

After analysing the Disney parks app in order to calculate the most effective way of tackling the rides, I constructed a plan of attack. We would begin with ‘Pandora’ (the new ‘Avatar’ themed area), and enjoy a safari last, when the heat would start to sap our energy.

At 8am sharp we were by the park gates, and the morning went exactly to plan. The longest we had to wait for a ride was 25 minutes, and we left the attractions at 12.20, before we started to feel like we were suffering heatstroke.

Even the animal residents of the kingdom seemed to be in on the strategy. We were lucky enough to get up close with giraffes, gorillas, hippos and some very sweet goat-type creatures. The shady, verdant pathways of the park, and ample availability of cold, bottled water, had also made the heat somewhat more tolerable, allowing us to execute our plan with military precision, and jump back into the AC of the truck feeling completely satisfied with the outing.

We had made a group decision to spend the afternoon at a mall, not because we desperately needed any designer goods, but because, the vastness of American shopping centres is an spectacle itself for the British tourist. After a moderate struggle finding parking at ‘Vineland Premium Outlets’ we eventually settled on paying $10 to leave the car in the multi storey.

Hungry after our morning of jungle exploration, we bolted to the food court, which was busy but coping with the volume of customers, and each had a delicious salad at ‘Greenbeat’.

Our first shopping target was the Nike store. Ever since watching the Netflix documentary ‘The Last Dance’, and recent movie ‘Air’, I have been hankering after some Air Jordans. I found the desired pair of trainers in the kids section, and purchased these, along with some new gym kit, at a much more reasonable price than they would have been in the UK.

We strolled around the remaining outlets, each making a few purchases, then went to Publix to grab some bits for tea. We had opted to eat at the apartment again, as having been in the park at 8am, we were all a little jaded. This proved to be a wise decision, as the evening’s whether became quite dramatic…

We observed the lightning, thunder, and torrential downpours from the comfort of our sheltered balcony, and it made for a great night of entertainment.

Day 5

It’s the fifth of July baby!

I decided to celebrate the occasion with my best attempt at a red, white and blue outfit, which although a valid submission into this theme, did not compare to any of the elaborate get ups we saw throughout the rest of the day.

After the gym, I whipped up breakfast to take in the car, and we set off to Epcot. This had been the favourite park of the Hughes family on our previous visit, so we were all keen to get there promptly.

Entering the gates at 8.56 we first soared over the globe on ‘Soaring’, then ditched the 45 minute queue time (and each other) by taking the ‘single riders’ lane at ‘Test Track’. This is a high velocity coaster sponsored by Chevrolet, where the idea is that you test out the performance of a car of your design. We went straight through to our vehicles, and zoomed around the track feeling very proud of our canny trick to skip the line.

Perhaps the most notable feature of Epcot are the individual country stations, which are each expertly designed to provide a full sensory experience of a nation, including music, smells and cuisine. We strolled around these, me clutching my first Mickey Pretzel of the trip, and truly felt like we had been on some sort of express world tour. My personal favourite was France, where a quaint village set up was populated by genuine French cast members, and a very sweet Ratatouille ride.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t face the 75 minute line to experience a new ‘Frozen’ ride in Norway, so we gave this one a miss.

The humidity began to stifle us around 2pm, and the heavens opened, so we hit the gift shop then headed home. Another successful park visit.

The rain temporarily settled later on, so we sat in the children’s pool for a bit, where I had the delightful feeling that I was actually melting into the water – I have never been so sweaty in my life.

Eventually, thunder claps and warnings of lightning meant the pool gates closed, and we were forced inside to the bar. Here we got chatting to a lovely Texan family, who had astonishingly driven for 16 hours to get here, with three kids! After this dive into American cultural norms, we showered and ate.

I was asleep before the Independence Day fireworks even began.

Day 6

Waking up feeling pretty fresh after my not so wild Independence Day revelling, I rattled my way to the gym, iced coffee in hand. Following a solid session, I prepped breakfast ready for mum’s scheduled 8.15 departure time. My father was not so punctual, much to her irritation.

When we arrived at Universal Studios, for the second occasion this trip, we were not best pleased by the queue in the overwhelming heat and humidity in order to even enter the park. Nevertheless, upon entering the gates, I guided us at speed to the Harry Potter zone of Islands of Adventure, and straight onto ‘Flight of the Hippogriff, which provided an ideal level of thrill for our first conquest of the day.

Dad was already soaked with sweat at this point, and the heat had me feeling a little queasy, but we persevered, and did the ride inside Hogwarts castle, before boarding the Hogwarts Express back to King’s Cross Station, in the other park area.

We had had no desire to spend nearly $1000 dollars on express lane tickets, so had foregone the 120 minute wait for the highly popular ‘Hagrid’s Motorcycle’ attraction. Aside from this we completed all the rides we wanted to of both the Harry Potter, and Dr Seuss themed lands.

The threat of thunderstorms, and beginnings of feelings of weariness, meant we left Universal around 1pm, and headed to Disney Springs.

Described as an ‘eclectic mix of unique shops, one-of-a-kind restaurants and lively entertainment’, the complex provided an ideal afternoon of amusement for the stormy weather. Additionally, we were impressed by the easy, and free, parking system.

I made a selection of purchases, including a vibrant pink M and Ms dressing gown, and we left around 4, clutching bags of goodies, and keen for a return visit later on in the trip.

Once again, we opted to dine in our apartment, as the intense humidity had drained dad (both mentally and in a literally sense). So, after a speedy stop at Publix, mum and I idled away the remainder of the afternoon at the pool bar, while dad napped in the aircon.

Perhaps my biggest takeaway from this day, was that the refillable Coca Cola cup offered at Universal, is worth the investment. The souvenir vessel costs $17.99 on initial purchase, and $10.99 for additional days of refills, but does allow access to a vast selection of both diet and non diet sodas. (Alternatively you can refill any cup with water for free). I drank around 6 litres of sugar free Fanta in the 4 hours we were at the park, so given that a bottle of ‘premium(?)’ water costs $6 in the park, I definitely got my money’s worth. Furthermore, I managed to avoid heatstroke as temperatures soared around 35 degrees C, and humidity sat around 93%.

Shattered again, I fell asleep at 10pm, as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Day 7

It’s another scorcher!

We had decided on Hollywood Studios for today’s escapade, so I only managed a very quick gym session, before heading to the apartment for mum’s scheduled 7.40 departure time. (Hollywood Studios has an 8.30 opening time, rather than 9).

Although I was prepared to leave by 7.40, mum and dad were not. Honestly, so unreliable!

Even arriving at the park before 9am did not help us avoid the crowds. We headed straight for ‘Star Wars’, where the most featured ride already had a 75 minute wait time. We didn’t bother with this one, and instead chose the other two rides with shorter queue lines.

The crowded park made the morning very tiring, and wait times were quite frankly ridiculous for most of the attractions I was interested in. This resulted in us leaving around 12, and heading home.

That afternoon I was plagued by a migraine, which was probably due to dehydration, but nevertheless we went to the pool and chilled there.

When dinner time came around, we attempted to pre-order chicken wings from ‘Buffalo Wild Wings’, again. Unfortunately, I did not double check the pick up location of the order, so we visited the wrong restaurant before being united with our meal at an establishment further along international drive.

Regardless of the confusion, the chicken was stunning again.

Feeling drained and head pounding, I stumbled into bed at 10pm, ready for a good night’s rest.

Day 8

Thankfully, my migraine had settled by the morning, so I was up and at it as per usual.

We were taking our second trip to Magic Kingdom today, and mum had diligently se her alarm for 6.56, so that we could join the virtual queue for ‘Tron’, a new, ultra high velocity coaster based on the classic film.

We arrived promptly at 9am, and took the ferry over from the car park to the entrance, marvelling at the spectacular view of the infamous castle which graced the horizon. We first did the slower paced ‘Jungle Cruise’ boat ride (not my fave), then speed walked over to ‘Tomorrowland’, where we scanned our virtual queue pass, in order to join a real queue, for Tron.

We next had a 50 minute wait in a futuristic, darkened area, with blue lights streaking along the walls, before we boarded the motorcycle style ride, as part of ‘Team Blue’. The seating position was completely different to any other coaster I had been on, with riders bent forwards in a kneeling position, rather than sat upright. This had me feeling much more secure than the traditional position.

The acceleration was astounding, and we were plunged at breakneck speed into a darkened area, with smooth twists, turns and drops which had my stomach turning in the best way possible.

Exhilarated, on dismounting the motorbike I exclaimed that Tron was my favourite ride yet. Well worth the wait, and a must-do in my opinion.

We all boarded the – much less enjoyable – ‘Barnstormer’ before grabbing lunch at ‘Pinocchio’s Haus’. I scoffed an inoffensive chicken ceasar, then we headed out via the gift shops on ‘Main Street’, as the stormy weather was starting to close in yet again.

We nipped to the apartment to change our damp clothes, then dad and I headed to Walmart. Now, this was an exciting experience…

Not only did the store have a vast array of groceries, but also a selection of more eclectic items, such as a machete, for the affordable price of $6.97. Mind-blowing.

That evening we enjoyed a swim in the tropical rain, before a chilled dinner. After a week of solid park hopping, we were all ready for a day off tomorrow, so did not rush to bed early that night.

I slept soundly once again.

Day 9

A little lie in was much appreciated this morning. We enjoyed a slower start, and I watched the sunrise over the lake before heading to the gym at a bit more of a sociable hour.

The resort had plenty to do, even in today’s inclement weather. Dad and I played pool, and when the tepid drizzle eased, I went for a swim in one of the three available pools.

By the afternoon, the weather had improved enough to sunbathe… temporarily. So after an hour by the pool, we showered and headed out to Disney Springs again, mainly to do some essential souvenir shopping for friends.

Much to my elation, we parked next to a massive dodge ram, which dwarfed our, not unsubstantial, GMB. That made for a great photo – I would have needed a step ladder to get in the vehicle!

We hadn’t anticipated how busy the complex would be, so after a couple of shops, we stopped for an early dinner at BBQ restaurant, ‘The Polite Pig’.

I have never tasted good like it! I’m not a huge meat eater, so their speciality pulled pork and smoked brisket didn’t appeal to me. Instead, I opted for a ceasar salad with smoked chicken (my top ranked ceasar so far), and two market sides; BBQ cauliflower with candied pepitas and BBQ beans. The beans were definitely NOT Heinz, in the most fabulous way. Smoky umami undertones, balanced beautifully with sweet molasses and crispy breadcrumbs. Divine.

We returned to the car after dinner, as the crowds were getting a bit too much for us all. It was only 7.15 when we got home, so I went for an amble round the resort, in hope of spotting some more turtles, which live in the lake.

Although I didn’t spot any exciting aquatic reptiles, I did get the privilege of seeing the sunset, which felt special given that I’d also seen the sunrise this morning. It was a beautiful way to end the day.

Day 10

Feeling somewhat refreshed after our recovery day, we were up early on Sunday morning, ready to hit Universal again.

We speed-walked from the car park to City Walk (stopping at security, of course), then headed straight to ‘Minions’. This had been a favourite of all of us last time we visited, so we were keen to get on without a long wait time. 15 minutes later we were on the ride, and virtually transformed into little yellow alien creatures, supporting supervillain Gru.

After this dad and I bypassed the queues using single rider once again to ride ‘Revenge of the Mummy’, which was a surprisingly intense, but fun, indoor escapade. We rode bicycles with ET, then hopped over to the Islands of Adventure.

Dad had the brilliant idea to go on ‘Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges’. I came off the ride utterly drenched, with my white shorts completely transparent.

Thankfully I found myself a pair of discounted souvenir shorts, and a pair of flip flops to purchase and change into, which protected my dignity. Following this mildly traumatic experience, I didn’t fancy any more thrills, so we decided to head out of the park, via the gift shops in the Studios section.

We scanned our tickets once again, and mum and dad watched the ‘Bourne Spectacular Stunt Show’, giving it rave reviews, whilst I consoled myself with a heavenly Auntie Anne’s pretzel and some retail therapy.

The temperature was beginning to rocket again, so we departed, stopping at Walmart on the way home, to spend the afternoon chilling by the pool.

Another fantastic day.

Day 11

Dodgy prawns. I won’t elaborate.

Thankfully, my stomach recovered by mid morning, but mum had woken up with flu-like symptoms (not prawn induced) so was rendered out of action for most of the day.

As a doctor, my dad has an odd fascination with the range of drugs that are sold over-the-counter in the US. This had us taking a morning stroll to the nearest CVS, where he could indulge his academic interests, and I could marvel at the enormous variety of snacks available. This was an enriching cultural experience for both of us, and I picked up a bag of very tasty mango chips, and a protein bar that I hadn’t seen before in the UK.

After this, we set out on a mission to a Nike outlet store, to find some cheap trainers for family at home. Although we were unsuccessful in finding their highly specific shoes, we did enjoy a wander round the near-deserted outlet village, before returning to the apartment for lunch.

With some more fuel successfully digested, I got in my gym session for the day, then mum emerged and we all decided on an afternoon in Disney Springs. Once again, however, the torrential downpours, fork lightning and deafening thunder, cut our shopping spree a bit short.

Regardless of the atrocious weather, when we got back I took myself for a walk round the resort in the tropical rain. Utterly drenched, I then decided on a dip in the pool (after changing into swimwear, of course). There was something extremely satisfying about floating in the warm pool, watching droplets of tepid rain ping off the surface of the water.

Feeling exhilarating, I showered and enjoyed my chicken tender takeaway – which again did not disappoint on flavour – before chilling for the evening.

Overall, regardless of illness and inclement weather conditions, another brilliant day.

Day 12

Wow. I was tired this morning. Nevertheless I was in the gym and getting my sweat in, before we left for universal at 8.10. We queued for around 20 minutes on arrival to the Islands of Adventure, in fairly blistering heat, before we were able to scan our tickets and fingerprints, and enter the attraction area.

The family in front of us even had an altercation with security staff, as they had mistaken a family being assisted with entry by guest services as queue-jumpers. Inevitably, heat and long wait times are never an ideal combination.

When we finally got through, we donned our very attractive plastic ponchos, then boarded the ‘Jurassic Park River Adventure’ – a log flume style thrill ride. I was grateful to be fully wrapped in sweaty plastic, after the unpleasant soaking I received on the last water ride we did. This time, fortunately, I remained dry.

We wandered around Universal for a bit longer, in order to ensure we had seen everything we wanted to, then the stormy weather started again. We left the park fairly drenched.

A quick stop at Publix preceded lunch at the apartment, then the weather cleared, and we engaged in some highly strenuous sunbathing.

I did peel myself of my sun lounger to make another visit to CVS (I required snacks). Which was equally as exciting as the first trip.

After idling away the rest of the afternoon, I cooked myself dinner in the apartment, whilst mum and dad enjoyed some spectacular looking pizzas from the on site restaurant. Seeing the gigantic Italian pies did make me regret my decision to chef it up myself.

Later that evening we opted to take advantage of the late pool opening hours (7am – 11pm every day), and bubbled away in the hot tub for a while. This is an activity that simply isn’t possible at home, so really put me in the vacation mood.

Exhausted now, I desperately requested a slower morning tomorrow, before bedding down at around 11, and sinking into a deep slumber.

Day 13

I didn’t wake up until 6.50 this morning! This virtually felt like midday given how early I had been up for the rest of the holiday. With the parks ticked off, we could now enjoy slightly slower mornings, with no need to worry about growing ride wait times.

I walked to the gym in daylight, which was a novelty, and took advantage of the peloton bike that the fitness centre was kitted out with. This gave me a really enjoyable sweat, and I was very ready for my breakfast when I finished.

A chilled pool morning and another snack shop at CVS followed, before the family headed out around 5, for an evening at Epcot.

Dad was beginning to find driving around Orlando exhausting, and didn’t fancy the battle to get out of Epcot after the fireworks. So, we summoned an Uber to the hotel. Having only used the app once before, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect, but our driver was friendly and punctual, delivering us safely to Epcot for the reasonable price of $14.

We once again explored Epcot’s World Showcase, before settling down to dinner in British pub themed dining room, ‘The Rose and Crown’. Given the choice of all the international cuisines available, we probably wouldn’t have chosen British fare, but we wanted to book a fireworks dining package, which would allow us to be seated at a table to enjoy the show (avoiding the bustle of the crowds) and the Rose and Crown was all that was available.

The menu, and decor, was definitely stereotypically British. (Albeit reminiscent of a quaint town in the Cotswolds, rather than Rhyl perhaps). Dining options included;

Starters: a scotch egg or dressed salad
Mains: fish and chips, bangers and mash, cottage pie, or a vegan hotpot
Desserts: sticky toffee pudding or a fruit gelato

Mum and dad opted for the scotch egg, fish and chips (which was a giant portion of 3 beer battered fillets), and the sticky toffee pud, along with numerous glasses of red wine. I ended up having a larger portion of the children’s selection of salad, chicken and rice, and fruit salad, in order to accommodate my allergies. Although this sounds bland, it suited me perfectly, and the accommodating nature of the pub to my dietary requirements did not go unnoticed.

Tasty meal, and unlimited drinks, enjoyed, we marvelled at the stunning fireworks display. A myriad of coloured explosions and light displays combined to produce a spectacle of pyrotechnics. For some reason, we found it quite emotional. Our delightful waitress, a lady from Birmingham, also made our evening particularly wonderful, not least by offering us a golden nugget of advice to avoid the rush of guests leaving the park.

She suggested that instead of calling an Uber from the entrance, we should walk to the Disney Beach Club hotel. This was not only a shorter stroll, but also made it much easier for our driver to park, and get us home without traffic delays.

With the fireworks dining package costing $89 per adult, it may seem like an expensive evening activity. However, the unlimited beverages and uninterrupted view of the renowned firework display, do justify the cost in my opinion – and we definitely did not go hungry! Additionally, choosing to use Uber was a wise decision, our fares totalled $30, but with park parking costing $25 anyway, and the value of a much easier evening factored in, it was a very worthwhile expenditure.

We arrived back around 10.15, tired but satisfied once again with a very special night.

Day 14

With our holiday horizon drawing near, we treated ourselves to a relaxing morning, basking in what was probably the best weather of the trip so far.

Following a little, much needed lie in, we positioned ourselves by the stunning lakeside pool of the resort, and enjoyed a day topping up our tans.

Although the ‘on site’ Disney hotels are beautiful, and would inevitably provide a magical experience for any traveller, there is something to be said for having the ability to retreat to somewhere quieter, and less Disney intensive after a long day exploring the parks.

Dad and I did take ourselves on a final trip to Publix to pick up some dinner bits, and I treated myself to an American Starbucks. I don’t quite understand why I find the idea of a US Starbucks so much more exciting than one from home. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed my decaf iced coffee.

Mum and I chilled with our legs in the pool until the final rays of sunshine were beginning to fizzle out, then we headed home to shower and eat.

We had planned on another night time hot tub trip, but the thunder and lightning put a stop to this adventure. Regardless, we were grateful that the weather had been so perfect thus far today (allowing us to take on the necessary lobster-like appearance of any Brit on holiday).

Day 15

Coffee consumed and gym complete, I took my breakfast down to the pool, not wanting to waste a minute of Orange County sunshine. We enjoyed a final morning swimming, reading and soaking up the last rays, before I reluctantly packed and showered, and we checked out of the Marriott at 12.

I was extremely impressed with my use of my last few hours – I was just ready to leave at 11.59.

As it was too early to head to the airport yet, we took a final trip to Disney springs, where we purchased our last few souvenirs, and I enjoyed another, incredibly exciting, American Starbucks. (I feel like I need to start a campaign for the spinach, feta and egg white wrap to be made available in the UK). We departed Disney Springs, and arrived at Orlando international airport 30 minutes later.

We said goodbye to our beloved truck, then entered the terminal. This was when things began to get exciting…

A supposed mistake on the Virgin Website when we were booking our flight meant that upper class had been the same price as premium economy – a fault we took advantage of. As a result of this, we dropped our bags at the dedicated upper class desk, before having a fairly efficient security experience, and wandering up to the ‘Delta Sky Lounge’.

Even this was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. The selection of food and drink far exceeded the usual stale cheese and crackers and lukewarm water that have been available in and lounges I’ve been in before. There was Starbucks coffee on tap, a constantly replenishing selection of fresh crudités, sandwiches, charcuterie and hot items , all of which could be enjoyed on one of the extremely comfortable armchairs, or working desk spaces that adorned the lounge.

We got chatting to two lovely American professionals, and after discussing the various similarities and differences between our relative cultures, we ended up connecting on Facebook.

The luxuries of upper class continued to come into fruition. We boarded before any other passengers, then settled into our very own cubicle style seats. Champagne on arrival was accompanied by a goodie bag, contained miniature toiletries, socks, and a sleep mask, before a delightful delivery of our ‘sleep suits’.

Mum and I changed immediately into our complimentary pjs, before the lead cabin crew member gave us a full guide of how to control our lie flat beds. I was in utter travel heaven.

We were served an impressively elaborate meal, which I enjoyed whilst watching the new ‘Puss in Boots’ film – a dreamy combination – then I tucked myself up in my flat bed and managed to get a fairly reasonable night’s sleep.

I awoke to the sounds, and smells, of cabin crew dishing up breakfast. Personally, I felt like I’d had my dinner about 20 minutes ago, so opted for a couple of apples and a tangerine rather than the full English.

I like to think I’ve got long haul travel down to a fine art by now, I had changed into my clean clothes and underwear, so strolled off the plain feeling pretty fresh. Amazingly, we moved through Manchester airport pretty efficiently, and Kevin met us in arrivals, before delivering us safely back to Wrexham.

In Summary

After 2 weeks of nonstop holiday antics, I’m slightly shattered, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It was a whirlwind rollercoaster, of fun, sun and fantasy characters, and truly allowed me to reconnect with my inner child.

Thank you Disney.

Virgin Atlantic were also an essential ingredient in making this holiday as special as possible. Travelling upper class was an experience I will never forget, and would be honoured to have the opportunity to do again. Unfortunately, I don’t think this will be for a good few years, given that life on a student budget begins in September. Nevertheless, the cabin crew on our flight were angelic, and we were made to feel extremely valued by everyone.

Here’s to the next trip…Once I have recovered from my jet lag.