Disney's Pop Century Resort Orlando

This was our first trip to a Disney Resort and overall it was pretty good. The room was a bite small and we never seemed to have enough towels for three people. One thing is for sure internet is$9.99 for 24hrs which I find pretty expensive and disappointing. You would think internet would be free but that's not what I went to a Disney resort for so it wasn't a big issue.
We stayed in the 70s building which was a little walk to everything but not too bad. Unfortunately we had very bad neighbors who let their door slam shut constantly including late into the evening. The beds weren't very comfortable but we were up pretty early and in late.
The food in the cafeteria wasn't that great as we prefer to eat on the healthier sides. We also had the dining plan and the children's choices were limited to hamburger, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and pizzem things my son is not really into eating a lot.
It was pretty cold while at we were there but we did try out the pool one evening. It was heated but not very warm. Also either smoking was allowed by the pool or the smoking area was close by as we smelled smoke the whole time trying to enjoy the pool. Make sure you take your towels down with you as there are none pool side.
One thing my family really enjoyed was the arcade. The staff there is super friendly and they went out of their way for my son to enjoy his time there. The games weren't too expensive and we had funny playing their variety. The only issue we had was that one of the pinball machines had a flipper that did not work and the other wasn't that much fun.
The shuttles to Disney came pretty frequently and most of the rides were pretty short. Check-in was super fast but we did a pre-check-in online and then were able to basically walk-up and get our keys.

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JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa Phoenix

We came for a conference and we pleasantly surprised. The room was nice and I really enjoyed the balcony. It was nice to have a separate shower, it made it easier to get my son in and out. I enjoyed the location as I could walk to the outdoor shopping area and enjoy a meal at one of my favorite restaurants, Yard House. The food they provided for the conference was definitely better than expected. My son really enjoyed the lazy river and the water slide, he could have stayed there all day if I’d let him. It is a very big hotel and depending on your location you may have to walk a bit (we were quite a ways from our conference so I definitely got my exercise for the day). I tried to book at the spa but they were very full and couldn’t work around my time. If you are planning on going there I would book in advance. We staff was very friendly and helpful.

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The Maranton House Hotel - London

We stayed here in July for 3 nights and although I have seen worse, I don't think I would go again. We were downstairs in room #1. The carpet needs some major cleaning probably replacement would be better. I would not walk on it barefoot. The shower also had some mold so I wasn't going in there. It smelled freshly cleaned when we walked in but it's just old. The head board is not set-up well, I banged my head several times when waking up and forgetting there was a small shelf above me. The location was great though, close to the tube, lots of stores and restaurants. TV had no channels except one, sometimes but we weren't there to watch TV so not really an issue just would have been nice when trying to relax after a long day. We booked this hotel based on t e reviews as the one we originally chose had only horrible reviews we figured this would at least be better. We didn't eat at the hotel so can't comment on that and we survived our stay but won’t be going back.

Room Tip: Don't take a basement room.

 

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Gasthof Falk Hotel Krumbach

We decided on this hotel as it was about 20-25 minutes to Lego Land. We were nicely surprise once we arrived at the hotel. At first it was hard to find someone to check in with but once that was accomplished we trekked up to our 3rd floor rooms. They were freshly cleaned with a nice large window that could be opened to let the fresh air in. The bathroom was a nice size with a shower stall and the room had enough space to move around although it was a little small.
The breakfast was a nice selection of fresh bread, cereals, fruit, scramble eggs, sausage and juices. You could order coffee, tea and hot chocolate, maybe more but we didn't ask.
We tried the restaurant that is on the first floor of the hotel and the food was very good and nice portion. You wont leave hungry. The service was great throughout the whole stay and everyone was friendly.
Really a great place to stay.
There was a bakery next door but we didn't use it so can't really comment on the food. Parking is a little scarce but we were able to find something.

Room Tip: we booked through the Lego Land website getting a package deal

 

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Montego Bay- Jamaica - 6 nights Nice

This was definitely interesting. I booked this trip with a new website I had never used before so I wasn't quiet sure what I had gotten myself into. I felt comfortable using cheapcaribbean.com for the 1st time after some minor research with the Better Business Bureau but I was still a little anxious on how our trip would turn out.

The first sign that things were going well was when I was able to locate my airline reservation almost immediately after booking my trip. I was able to pick seats and set-up up-dates to my phone via text messages. I had never flown with American Airlines so this was another new experience.

For the price I paid, I was very pleased. My son had a great time and so did I.
It is close to the airport and it was a bit of a wait to check in.

Our room was beside the main pool, first floor. It was very convenient for quick trips to the room while at the pool but noisy at night with the entertainment. Also guests for running around yelling up until 4 in the morning. The other issue was the A/C which was pretty loud but we didn't really need it so no big loss.

The beach although nothing very special was perfect for my son as it was maybe ankle deep. It was a nice view to relax to though and the pool was right there if you wanted water.We did not use the kids club as my son wanted to stay in the pool all the time.

The buffet food was ok and the restaurants were about the same. My son always had something available that he could eat if he wanted and that was the most important things. It is definitely a family resort. There were lots of kids my son made friends with.

The spa is great and the prices are reasonable, not what I expected at all. Usually at hotels, the spa over charges for everything. Just as an example, a pedi is $45 and a body wrap $80-90. They have a wonderful tub you get to soak in after your wrap and it was so relaxing.

Internet is very expensive and I am glad I did not bring my laptop. Besides you're on vacation , who needs it. The gift shop is over -priced but you can go across the street and get some good deals there, which I recommend. It's a small area so don't expect too much. Besides that there really isn't anything close.

The drinks seemed ok but a little watered down. There really wasn't much of a wait if there was, all you have to do is go to the inside bar.

You can't beat this hotel for the price and the room was good enough to sleep in which is all we really did.

Days Inn Airport North Charlotte

The first room we were assigned smell so bad that there was no way we could stay there. The second room smelled fine but when I pulled back the sheets, they were dirty. The third room was fine. The carpets are VERY dirty. I would not step on them barefoot and when my son walked on them with his socks, they became filthy pretty quickly. It is certainly a basic hotel but I was not comfortable with the area based on how it looked. I do have to say the front desk person was very good about switching rooms though.


The hotel's restaurant was under construction but they had a sign that said you could let them know if you want something and they would call the cook. I found this very odd and certainly did not feel that was a way to handle it. I was going to order something but for about 15 minutes the desk was unattended so we just left.

When we checked out in the morning, I had to ask specifically for a receipt. After I made it to the airport and I checked it, they hadn't even officially checked me out of the room as it said on the receipt the cost was still owing. This made me very paranoid and I am still waiting to see if I get charged more than once.

The pictures are of the second room, I got tired of taking pictures of the new room but it gives you an idea of how it looks.

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Courtyard by Marriott Greensboro

I was a little concerned after reading the reviews but as we were in town for the ACC basketball tournament the choices were minimal. I was very pleased with the hotel. The room was nice and clean. Everything worked as it should. The staff was super friendly. The only issue I would have had, was the cost of the breakfast but since we had booked a room that included breakfast as well as movie tickets, I was very pleased. The breakfast both days was good and my son really enjoyed the tables with the TVs.

 

 

First GA speeding ticket

Oh boy am I in trouble, well sort of I think but I'm really not sure.

All I know is that I got caught doing 68 in a 45. But I had good reason, really.

Carnival Fascination Cruise

So we just finished our first cruise with Carnival. I found the ship pretty well set-up. We enjoyed the water slides and the mini-golf. My son really enjoyed Camp Carnival so much so that that's where he wanted to be the whole time. I also liked the fact the the build a bear was not over-priced and my son could get a nice souvenir. The room was pretty nice and the price was good. My son really loved the towel animals they made for him and the people taking care of the room were very friendly although they did forget after the first night that we wanted two schedules everyday. We managed though so no big deal. The food wasn't too impressive and I was not happy that the two things I wanted one evening were both out. There was no asparagus soup or grilled zucchini although both were on the menu and we went to eat pretty early. We stopped at Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas and had a day at sea as well. I'm not a fan of cruises but this one I managed pretty well. I have found that the spas on the ships are a little over-priced as are the pictures but I guess since the prices for the rooms are pretty good if you book early enough you can't complain too much. The service in the Sensation Dinning room was on and off. We had my time dining and were seated quickly. I did like that you could get pizza, coffee/tea and ice cream 24hrs a day.

Is hoping

That this trip home with family will help deal with this new turn of events in our lives. Having a child with a rare disease turns your world upside down and you need the support of family and good friends to help you deal.