13 August 2022

London trip July 22 My wife was working in London Wednesday-Friday and we thought why don’t I fly down with the kids on Friday evening to spend the weekend there. I should point out that the weather was roasting and we were there on the hottest day of the year. So we flew down British Airways on Friday evening into London Heathrow Terminal 5, the staff were great and let the kids go in the cockpit and see the pilot. Louise met us at arrivals and we got the free Elizabeth Line service to terminal four where we were booked to stay in the Premier Inn. I had requested led a runway view room as I am a keen airplane photographer and I thought the kids would enjoy watching the planes. You can request a runway view room but they are not guaranteed but we were lucky. The room itself was a double bed and 2 single beds and was perfect for what we needed. Saturday morning we had breakfast at the Premier Inn which was included in our stay, a large hot and cold buffet breakfast and it was great. Set us up for the day. Before we headed into London we had just enough time to head to the infamous Myrtle Avenue and watch a few planes flying very low in front of us. We got the Elizabeth Line from the airport to Paddington and made our way to the Hamleys toy store. We easily spent more than an hour in there venturing through the many floors. There was lots to see and lots of people demonstrating the toys for the moment. The kids loved it, we even saw Blue the Raptor on the way out. We then found a restaurant called Happy London between Piccadilly and Leicester Square. The food was decent and the service was swift. After this, we made our way towards the Sealife Aquarium where we had pre-booked tickets for 3.30 pm. We thought we would be allowed in early but they were dead set against that and you weren’t allowed to join the queue until 3.30 pm. Slightly annoying as it was so hot but understandable since rules must have been put in for covid. Whilst waiting we went to Jubilee Gardens Playground and the kids had a great time. Once we got into the aquarium we were actually surprised at how big it was. The kids really liked it, lots to see and do and we got to touch a starfish. After the aquarium, we made our way back along the river bank the short walk to the London Eye. Now, this London Eye Queue was absolutely massive. No shade and went right past the Jubilee Playpark. Again we had pre-booked these tickets but like the aquarium, you could only join the queue at your time slot which for us was 5 pm. After we eventually got on and the kids had an ice cream whilst waiting we were a bit gutted that the kids weren’t really that impressed by it and couldn’t wait to get off it. We had been on it before so also probably could have done without. Definitely, something to think about there if you take young kids. By this point we were all shattered so made our way back via Sainsbury's for bottles of water due to the heat, (went through a lot of water) to the station and headed back to the hotel. We chose to eat dinner at the hotel. The food was good. The kid's meals were huge and really good value for money. Sunday morning Once ready for the day we got an Uber to take us to Feltham station to board the train to Windsor where we got off at Windsor & Eton Riverside station. We then got another Uber to take us to LegoLand where we were spending the whole day. In hindsight we should have just got an uber to take us straight to Legoland, we did an Uber on the return journey and it Cost us about £40. Legoland on one of the hottest days of the year. What can I say, was difficult. UK theme parks aren’t set up for hot weather, the queues had hardly any shade if any and the ones which did had no air conditioning. It was very hot and sweaty. We were constantly topping up our water bottles. Unfortunately, there were some technical issues due to the heat. Power surges meant that most rides were closed for long periods of time. However, we were eventually able to do most of the rides we wanted to. The splash park was a huge hit ( we took swim shorts and towels with us). Pirate Falls was great fun, we got absolutely soaked but in this heat, we didn’t mind. The kids got their driving licenses however our favorite ride was Flight of the Sky Lion. It was the kids' first simulation ride and it was really magical. We did lots more rides too which were great. We really liked Mini Land which we spent time looking at on the way back to the exit. It was nice seeing Edinburgh and other places all made out of Lego and with lots of moving parts. Once the Uber took us home, we were once again shattered and just wanted to eat dinner at the hotel and go to sleep. Monday - was the actual hottest day of the year. The underground had a speed limit of 25mph when overground which for us travelling into the centre from Heathrow was quite far. A lot of water was drunk. We got the underground to South Kensington and there was a tunnel walkway that took you to the National History Museum and the Science Museum. We went to the National History Museum. We had booked in advance (for free) but you could just turn up as tickets were not checked. We spent the morning there seeing Dippy the Diplodocus and a massive dinosaur display which the boys loved. Once we left there we really had to be careful how far we went outdoors due to the heat, it was just too hot, so we managed to find a McDonald’s and sat in for lunch. We made a quick toilet stop at Harrods before making our way back to the hotel to get our bags for our flight home. Overall it was a very tiring trip but we still enjoyed ourselves

13 August 2022

ESTIVAL EL DORADO Resort & Spa, Cambrils, Spain After having nearly no holidays during covid we decided to book a holiday abroad for May 2022. We had been to ESTIVAL El Dorado before and loved it so we were keen to go back now the kids were a little older and because we knew what was available. Estival Eldorado is located on the beachfront and is a complex that has rooms, suites, and apartments. It has everything you need for your stay. There are restaurants and bars, a Spa and Wellness center, gym and sports areas, swimming pools, and a splash/water park. We went as a family of four. Myself, my wife Louise and our two boys Alex aged 7 and Jack aged 4. We were booked into a Suite which was more than big enough. A massive room for us and the kids had two beds from the sofas in the sitting area, which was also huge. We shared an adjoining bathroom with a separate shower and we had a huge balcony overlooking the main swimming pool/bar area. The room could not be faulted. The hotel has a secure kids club with both indoor and outdoor areas which had a different theme each day for the kids. No booking in advance is needed, just drop them off during the designated times for the club. We spent most days at the main pool, which had plenty of seating areas available including cabanas. Towels are provided in your room by the hotel. There is a water park attached to the hotel so we sometimes wandered over there to let the kids and us adults play in the water park, swim around the lazy river or swim under the waterfalls. This pool is also where the daily water aerobics class is and the gym and spa are here too. We would get a snack here and the kids could get ice creams too. Again plenty of seating areas. We also went to play crazy golf one day. The course was a decent size and was free. Another day we went to Parc Sama - A PLACE TO WALK, HAVE FUN AND RELAX Parc Samà evokes the exuberance of the old colonies and is one of the best examples of romantic gardening. Wide spaces, exotic species, and modernist elements to enjoy. There are lots of little animals around and the kids loved it. So did we as it was really beautiful. We got a taxi, it was 5km from our hotel to the entrance. The kids enjoyed seeing the bird sanctuary with parrots and other little birds, there were peacocks walking around, and we fed some deer, and watched the fish, ducks, and turtles in the water. There were picnic benches to have a seat and a snack. There was also a cafe but it was closed the day we went. We had A 3-day pass for Port Aventura and Ferrari Land included when we bought our holiday and so we knew we were definitely going there. We had been before but the kids were much smaller so we were excited to do a lot more and it did not disappoint. We planned to go on one of the cooler days of our trip and went to Ferrari Land first as we knew it wasn’t too big. The kids enjoyed the Marinello grand race and other rides and we enjoyed having a go at changing the tyres on a Ferrari F1 car at a pit stop. After we finished here we cut through to Port Aventura where we spent the rest of the day. It is split into 6 different worlds, with lots of rides, shops, and food places. My wife and I love the water rides, the kids not so much but we all had a really good day. After dinner each night and before the kid's disco, we went for a walk along the promenade which had play parks scattered along the walkway. It took about 20-30 minutes to walk to the shops in Cambrils. Our kids absolutely loved the kid's disco and the kids club as the entertainment team were really great with the kids. The food in the restaurants was really good, so many options for everyone and the kids were able to do away themselves which they loved. We loved sitting at the outside terrace as there was an enclosed grass area around it which meant the kids could run and play with their friends once finished and we could sit and relax in peace. We really love this hotel, it has everything you could want for a lovely relaxing fun family holiday.

28 October 2020

Family Trip to Florida Summer 2019 We decided to take a Family Trip to Florida. It was me, my wife Louise and our 2 boys Alex (4) and Jack (20 months). We were taking advantage of our youngest being under 2 so we didn’t need to pay for a seat on the plane and he was free in all the theme parks. So, we settled for a 10-night trip was in June 2019. We flew with British Airways from London. The service was excellent, and we landed early which was a bonus. On the flight home we got a bassinet baby seat for Jack, giving us a chance to sit without him on our knees the whole time. We hired the car through Avis and Louise found it a very easy drive once she got used to it being an automatic. The car seats provided were excellent and were fitted by the Avis Team for us. We stayed at the Floridays Resort on International Drive and it was excellent. It’s a condo style hotel and the Beds were huge and very comfy. The en-suite bathroom even had a jacuzzi bath. The Condo had everything we needed from fitted kitchen to washer and drier. It was also located perfectly for everything we wanted to do. Just 2 miles to SeaWorld, 6 miles to Disney, 6 miles to Universal Studios and only 11 miles from the airport. They also had a good room service menu which turned out to be a well-used godsend. The weather at that time of the year was Hot and Wet. It was regularly over 30 degrees and it rained almost every afternoon like clockwork but just a short thunderstorm before clearing up for the evenings. Magic Kingdom was the obvious choice for our first park. Seeing Alex’s face when he saw the castle for the first time pretty much made the whole trip worthwhile. Thankfully Alex was tall for his age so despite being only 4, he could go on Splash Mountain and Thunder mountain Railroad. But despite not being quite 2 there was plenty for Jack too and rides we could all go on. Next up was Epcot Centre. This park has more to offer than you’d think, and the Aquarium section was a godsend for when the heavens opened. Both the boys love fish and we spent ages at this part of the park. We also did our first official character meet, although the boys were a bit unsure. They warmed to the characters as the trip went on. Animal Kingdom was the park Alex was waiting for the most as he loves Dinosaurs. It was our first visit too. The big attraction is Pandora and its rides. With Alex not tall enough for Flight of Passage, we didn’t need to follow the crowds to this part of the park. Alex loved Dinoland and he even braved DINOSAUR and loved it – not bad for a 4-year-old. Hollywood Studios was next, and we were unlucky with the weather and I think the boys needed more of a rest, so we only spent half a day. We did go to Toy Story Land which has plenty of rides for young ones and another couple of character visits. But the best bit and one of the trip highlights was the Disney Junior Dance Party. This is a must for young kids, very interactive and, also indoors good for rainy or hot days. Universal Studios and Island of Adventures – We spent a couple of days at these parks, again my son excited for Dinosaur themed rides including Jurassic Park Ride and Pteranodon flyers. But the real reason to visit was for Harry Potter World. New since our last visit and with Louise being a big Harry Potter fan, we were very excited to go. It’s so well designed from the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley. You really get the feel of the films. SeaWorld – For us this was more about the seal life than the rides due to boys’ ages. We caught the Shamu show which was incredible and saw all the sea life on show. We did do the Empire of the Penguin ride which had a great ending of seeing penguins in their own climate, despite being in Florida. Must not forget Disney Springs home of our favourite eating places. TREX restaurant the obvious favourite and an absolute must for kids whether they like dinosaurs or not. Its such a great dining experience and provides plenty distraction for young kids. Also, Gluten Free Options were available, and the chef even came to the table to check exact requirements which was very attentive. Also Blaze Pizza, a bit more relaxed but amazing pizzas including Gluten Free options. The trip was amazing, and we left regretting we hadn’t gone for the full 2 weeks. Because of this, we have rebooked again for 2021 and we are all very excited about going again. With Jack being 3 when we go, he will hopefully get on more rides and Alex will be 6 and will be able to do almost all the rides at the Disney Parks now.