Friday 29 April 2016. Fran and I decide to have a day at the Grand Floridian Resort in the cool of the grand lounge, reading and relaxing. The temps have reached 94 over the past few days and that's just a bit more than we are used to - even in Blackpool...
We have already visited before during this holiday as they host some of the character meals. We came here on our first morning, boggle-eyed, yawning, tripping up and barging into Winnie the Pooh, Alice and the Mad Hatter etc. Later we will be eating around visits by the cast of Cinderella.
The atrium lounge is an ideal place to relax on a sofa with a good book. I was reading The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and had to hide the cushion I'd been biting as Holmes struggled with Moriarty at the top of the waterfall...
Later in the afternoon we have a turn around the gardens. The resort opened in June 1988 as the Grand Floridian Beach Resort and changed to its current name in 1997. It represents Victorian era opulence. The 867 rooms contained within the six buildings of the resort average at a size of 400 square feet per room, sleeping up to five people.
It is Disney's flagship resort and you can expect prices to start from around £350+ per night. However, when staying at a Disney resort you can use the facilities at any resort and we found it a very pleasant place to be.
The beach fronts onto the Seven Seas Lagoon and here we are looking across to the Polynesian Village Resort. The ferry we see heading towards us calls at both resorts and then crosses the lagoon to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom.
The white sand beach area. it is once again a very hot day and most people are under shade somewhere rather than on the beach.
Twice a week on Mondays and Fridays this resort sees a rather unique event. One of Disney's most secretive parades. It is the Parasol Parade where over fifty housekeeping staff parade with parasols through the resort. They are led by a child guest who is chosen from those staying and they gather at the marina at 8:00am, parading through the courtyard by the pool.
Meanwhile, in the five-storey atrium lounge, Cinderella and her Prince Charming have paraded with a retinue of tinies and the orchestra on the second floor (first floor for us Brits) are playing the waltz.
Once tea time comes round we are joined by the EGGs. Gill creeps round behind me (I having re-immersed myself in the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) and touches the back of my neck, leading me to jump up wildly emitting a rather girly shriek. It's time for Cinders!
Poor Grace was not feeling at all well. The heat was getting to her I think. It had hit 94 degrees again today. She was very quiet and couldn't even be bothered with the characters really.
Miss Franny was more than happy to take over and have her own Prince Charming moment... Well honestly! What does he have that I haven't? Alright... alright... I don't need a list thank you...
I wonder how would-be Ugly Sisters are selected for the part? Does someone take one look, gasp and say "Oh My God! You're perfect!!!"
Lady Tremayne is the wicked stepmother. She was also feeling the temperature a little bit. "I'm hot..." she confided. And actually... she was a little bit hot... I wondered whether to be a little disturbed at that fact...
We finished the meal and decided on a quiet night back at the resort. Before we left we had a look in the gift shop. We only have two days of the holiday left so Fran was stocking up on things to take back. Fridge magnets and so on... I took the plunge and bought my first brand new vinyl album for over 30 years...
We switched the TV on in the room for the first and only time during the holiday and sat transfixed. Not by Jurassic Park III which was showing, but by the adverts. The most gross fast food - sandwiches so stuffed with unhealthy stuff that they were cube shaped, whilst a mix of ketchup, some sort of green sauce, and what looked like liquidised cheese oozed out and ran down the sides.
But the best had to be the advert for an off-the-shelf medication. I can't remember what it was called and I couldn't give the name anyway because of what I'm about to tell you - which is completely true, but... The spiel went something like this: "Worried you may be heading for diabetes? Take LOREM IPSUM to reduce your chances of getting diabetes. Many happy customers have taken LOREM IPSUM and have yet to experience the heartbreak of a diabetes diagnosis. Be aware that LOREM IPSUM can be associated with some side effects. You will experience weight gain, memory loss, pain or restricted movement in your legs and feet, confusion, depression, suicidal thoughts... and actions..."!!! For Pete's sake! Who in their right minds would buy this stuff??? The advert concluded: "If at any time in the future you consult your GP and they diagnose diabetes, they may ask you to stop taking LOREM IPSUM..." No kidding...
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