There was a two week gap in bookings in May, so we'd be stupid not to take advantage of it, wouldn't we? We did a few jobs that needed doing, but first things first, there's exciting happenings in Orlando this summer...
We have just received some of the most eagerly awaited news in Orlando for quite a while. It's the opening date for Diagon Alley at Universal Studios
The opening date is 8 July!!
Expanding on the amazing Hogsmeade Village experience in Universal's Islands of Adventure, Universal have spent awhile reconfiguring the sister park to double the Harry Potter experience and (cynics might suggest!) convince you to buy a two-park pass! And you have to if you want to board the incredible Hogwart's Express train!
You enter Kings Cross station and find your way to the platforms. Platform 9¾ is found between platforms 9 and 10 and, using a little movie magic, you (a muggle no less!) enter into a magical world.
At the platform, the Hogwart's Express steam train will be waiting for you to board (and seats up to two hundred guests at a time).
To be fair, the pictures below are of the actual train - the Olton Hall - seen in the movie, taken earlier this year at the National Railway Museum in York - sshh - but the Universal one looks very similar!
Anyway, once on board your compartment - just like in the books and movies! - the train pulls out of the station and if you look out of the window or towards the corridor, you will see your journey and some of your favourite characters, including Harry, Hermione and Ron.
Below is a point of view movie of the ride, so don't watch if you don't want spoilers as this covers the entire length of the ride, from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade. But, if you can't wait...
Enter Gringotts beneath a fire-breathing dragon into Gringotts Bank's grand lobby before entering passageways that lead underground. Here you climb aboard a 3D thrill ride navigating the underground vaults, encountering Harry, Ron and Hermione as well as Bellatrix, Voldemort, trolls and other creatures.
In addition to the Hogwart's Express will be a number of feature shops like Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Ollivanders as well as dining experiences such as the Leaky Cauldron. The Knight Bus will also be here!
Looks exciting doesn't it? Well, it does if you're a Harry Potter fan I think. Will seriously improve Universal Studios and that can only be a good thing - we thought the park was getting pretty tired until this. Anyway, this will bring it a whole new lease of life, and sadly way more crowds! It's what Orlando is all about!
So, are you looking forward to it? Let us know below in our new comments area!
What do you mean, you don't like Harry Potter? How could you say that? Oh, well, okay then, well, if Disney is more your thing, then we have a new ride for you too!
This ride is already open at Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World. We have yet to ride this - hoping to try it in September - but it sounds great! You make your way through a forest to the Dwarfs' cottage, before grabbing your lantern and map and setting off down the mine, which Disney describe as the rockingest, rollingest, twistiest train ride ever!
Orlando Attractions Magazine (for all your Orlando theme park news) shot the following point of view footage of the ride, which looks to be a combination of Big Thunder Mountain and the quieter rides like Pirates of the Caribbean. Once again, this is the whole ride, so don't watch if you want it to be a surprise!
If you want to get in the mood, Disney have supplied a little online mining game to help make you a miner! Click here to answer some questions to get your Miner name.
Then play three different games to gain your skills in Pickin', Rockin' and Singin' - all the attributes of a great miner (apparently!) You can even print off your certificate if you qualify - if you take it to City Hall they'll even endorse your new qualification! Ted tried it and he became a Gem Master - here's his certificate - signed by all the dwarfs!
Still not had enough? You can even download the Miner's Handbook!
SeaWorld: Sea of Surprises
SeaWorld 50th Celebration
This year SeaWorld is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.
For eighteen months, starting March 2014, SeaWorld is celebrating fifty years of family fun.
If visiting the park, you should keep an eye out for the Surprise Squad. They'll be handing out special gifts, from discounts and deals to big surprises, though, to be honest, we didn't see any when we were there!
Discounted Advance Tickets
There is a new discount ticket available at the moment - if you book in advance for a weekday, you can get a one-day ticket for just $65, an any day ticket for $80, instead of the regular price of $95(all prices plus tax). However, there are some restrictions - they are not available at the park, and only for residents of the USA, Canada and Puerto Rico, though I don't know how closely they check (usually you have to have a US billing address).
New Nighttime Shamu Show
Also just started for the summer is Shamu’s Celebration: Light Up The Night nighttime Shamu Show. This high energy show has new, original music and production elements, as well as new killer whale behaviors.
Our Visit
During our stay in Orlando, Ted took his pals Frank and Theo over to the park for a couple of hours of fun - they hadn't been before.
The bears thought about riding Manta, the big dangly feet roller coaster, but they didn't reach the height requirement, so they had to make do with looking at the rays instead.
They did have time to watch the Shamu One Ocean show, which was great fun, although Theo would've liked to be in the soak zone!
On our way out of the park, we caught the musical fountain show at the lake as we crossed the boardwalk from the Shamu Stadium.
NEW FOR SUMMER 2014:
Bedrail
We were asked by one of our guests to provide a bedrail for the security of his young child during their stay at the house.
We acquired this full-length bedrail. We are storing this underneath one of the twin beds (we left it under a Nemo bed, but it might move!)
The bedrail is fairly easily fitted to any of the twin beds (instructions are provided), though we recommend the bed furthest away from the bedroom door, as you may need to pull the head of the bed away from the wall to allow for the folding motion in front of the chest of drawers.
Once fitted, the bedrail may be left on the bed for the duration of your stay as it has the additional feature of being able to slide under the mattress, tucked away out of sight during the day.
Once the child retires to bed, the bedrail can be pulled out and clicked into place alongside the mattress.
As different families will want the bedrail on different beds, we have left for guests to fit, if required. If used, we appreciate you removing it again at the end of your stay.
Guttering
Having replaced almost all of the pool equipment this year, we were advised to install guttering along that side of the house to stop the rain from falling straight into it.
It wasn't as straightforward as we hoped, but we got it done. We plan to do the other side when we can, but we didn't want to start and leave it half finished!
Disney's New FastPass+ - an update!
Since our last newsletter, some changes have been made to the FastPass+ system. You can find a lot of information on the internet, but here are some of the highlights!
You can now pre-book your FP+ rides up to thirty days before arriving at the park! You can select up to three rides, character greetings, shows, parades and fireworks within a single park, subject to availability.
You can then update these selections using the mobile app or at FP+ kiosks throughout all four parks, if plans change or you find a shorter standby line. Once you have used all three of your initial FP+ experiences (or the arrival window has passed) you can select another experience (in the same or different park), subject to availability. Each time one passes, you can select another, though this must be done at a park kiosk (the experience can be in a different park to the kiosk).
What's a Magic Band? - as you have accommodation outside of the Walt Disney Resort, you have the option to purchase one of these, but you don't have to! They come in various colours and are linked to your ticket. Your ticket, or your Magic Band will allow you access to the parks and activate your FP+ experiences. The Magic Band has little additional functionality beyond this for non-Resort guests (for now anyway).
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to use the comments section below and we will do our best to answer!
Thinking of what to ask for for your birthday? Or even Christmas? Why not try a Villa Southern Dunes Gift Voucher!
We continue to offer Villa Southern Dunes Gift Vouchers. Perhaps you can get your friends and family to pay for your vacation? Ask them for Villa Southern Dunes vouchers! We can send a PDF file for any occasion, by email to the person who contacts us or we can email it directly to the recipient. We offer any amount in US Dollars or GB Pounds, which must be paid for using PayPal (including credit cards) or by bank transfer. Credit card/PayPal payments will incur a 2% administration charge and vouchers will not be sent until payment has cleared but we will endeavour to issue the voucher within 24 hours of receiving cleared payment. If you need a voucher for a particular occasion, or to include a photo of your choice, just ask us at villasoutherndunes@gmail.com
The voucher can be used towards an existing booking (the name on the voucher must be a Named Guest), or towards a deposit, if not yet booked. The name on the voucher may be changed, but this instruction must come from the person whose name is on the voucher. If this is impossible, please contact us at villasoutherndunes@gmail.com
For more information, email villasoutherndunes@gmail.com or call 07952 408964 from the UK (011 44 7952 408964 from the US).
If you'd like to submit a short review of an attraction or restaurant you visited while staying at Villa Southern Dunes, or send some photos of your stay, please email it to villasoutherndunes@gmail.com Please supply your name, email address, dates of stay and age (if under 18). We'll try and include it if we can.
Thinking of what to ask for for your birthday? Or even Christmas? Why not try a 