Day 1 - Welcome meeting & Shopping

At the airport our Virgin Holidays (plug! plug! free advertisment!) had given us some paperwork including maps to the hotel and directions to our welcome meeting on the Monday morning. This took place at the Disney Institute, just around the corner from our hotel. We had a great breakfast at the "Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory" and left for the Disney Institute at 9:15am. We found the Institute ok, and then promptly got lost trying to find the cinema, where our welcome meeting was taking place. We eventually found it at 9:45, and snuck in quietly to the seats at the back. The Virgin reps were quite knowledgable about both Disney and the other areas around Orlando and beyond. We watched a10 minute video about the Disney Institute and thought it looked great. Teh Virgin rep then explained that we could do a Day-Visitor programme at $49 each. For that we could each do up to 4 different classes.

We bought tickets for Sea World, Busch Gardens and the Disney Institute from the Virgin reps. She also told about their exclsuive deal with Planet Hollywood, whereby on a Wednesday and Thursday, Virgin holidaymakers can get seats straightaway, instead of waiting in a 2-hour line. We had to buy $40 of vouchers but these would be used against our food bill when we got there. We booked for the Wednesday of the second week (Day 10). We were given our free tickets for King Henry's Feast (we had a choice of Wild Bills or King Henrys, but we've been to Wild Bills before), a dinner show in downtown Orlando for the Tuesday of the seocnd week (Day 9).

Before we left home (our real home in Scotland, that is) we had made a plan for the entire two weeks but because we couldn't get tickets for particular events on our chosen days we had to change it before we had even started! So we left the Disney Institute some $348 lighter of pocket and then went shopping at the famous Florida Mall. Spent about 4 hours there, had a great lunch (big sandwich and fries) at the foodcourt, then drove back to Disney (only 15 minute drive) and went to the new Mini Golf area. We thought our LOS pass included the golf, but apparently not, so we paid $7.50 each, but it was well worth it. The artwork, design and atmosphere was fabulous. Somebody obviously got a real kick out designing the course. It was raining slightly, but the Disney Cast Member who went around with us (I think she was bored!) gave us a good laugh. My wife got a hole-in-one and never let me forget it!

After the golf, we drove to another of Disney's new areas - the Boardwalk. The place is designed to look like an old-style 1920's Antlantic boardwalk - and it does! The rain was getting heavier so we took shelter in a cake shop - surprise surprise!! Had some fabulous soft fudge, watched everbody running past outside in the rain, and just took in the atmosphere. The rain went off and as it was now after 6 o'clock, we decided to go back to the hotel and have dinner at the Dixie Landings resort. This was only a 10 minute walk from PO. We had great spaghetti meatballs and then took a romantic stroll back along the Sassagoula back to PO. Ended up at the video games arcade, and played Round 1 of the great Shuffleboard Competition. I won!