Just back from 3 weeks in Orlando - never again!

JonnyTester

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Well, we arrived back from Orlando after 3 weeks yesterday. It was our ninth trip there, previously without any problems, but I can honestly say that it was a mixed bag this time and there are certain aspects that have really put us off going again.

Firstly, take heed and never travel with US Airways. We had four flights with them, 2 transatlantic and 2 internal. All 4 were delayed on take off and landing with our final flight from Philadelphia to Dublin delayed by almost two and a half hours. When we arrived in Philly from Dublin we had to sit on the plane for 45 minutes due to the jetway being broken. This same excuse was used when we arrived back in Dublin. We only made our connecting flight to Orlando because that flight was delayed by an hour.

Then our luggage wasn't put on the plane and was delivered to our rented villa at 5.30 am. We were advised that our return flight from Orlando to Philly was delayed for 40mins and after standing in a queue that stretched halfway down the check-in area of Orlando Int. for an hour and forty minutes, we were told the flight had been brought FORWARD and we had missed it. Then we were told that if they rushed us through security we would still get it and then when we arrived at the departure gate it WAS delayed.

Then when we finally boarded the flight to Dublin, we were put in the second last row. 2 of the overhead bins were for medical equipment and the next two were filled with the flight attendants' cases. There were 5 of us, with 2 pieces of hand luggage each, plus duty free (of course) and a flight full of returning holidaymakers. There was no room in any of the overhead bins and we were told by a sullen and unhelpful 50-something trolleydolly to put all of our stuff at our feet. She wasn't too happy when I told her that this was a health and safety matter, not to mention illegal. I shall be writing to US Airways and the relevant authority about all of this.

Secondly, on Christmas night we took our youngest two out for takeaway burgers. Traffic was very heavy and a tit in a people carrier decided to switch lanes into mine at the last minute and I clipped his rear bumper as he did so. He got out of the car and I asked him if everyone was alright (I didn't mention his lack of driving skills, I just wanted to get everything over and done with and back home) and he came to the windo of the car, told me that as I had kids in the back of the car I should "just shut up right now". Oh, did I mention he was English? He told me(!) to pull round the corner, which I did, and then his entire party of 7 got out of the car and he grabbed me by the shirt and started pulling me towards them "before we start, just get over here with me a minute". I pulled away from him and told my wife to ring the police. When she did so, she was asked what damage there was and when she said there was none to either car one of the passengers, allegedly aged 15 but who would make a very good professional Buster Bloodvessel lookalike, started pushing down on OUR bumper saying it was damaged. I told him to take his hands off the car and to get back in his own car. At that stage the driver grabbed me and told me that "if we had been in England I would've kicked the !$&# out of you by now". My kids were screaming and crying and he had the nerve to say that it was my fault they were in that state. My 12 year old daughter certainly put him in his place right then. Needless to say, when the police came he was a very diferent person. And you should've seen his face when the cop told him Florida is a "no-fault" state and as we both had insurance it would be sorted out by the rental companies.

Needless to say, this sort of "scum-in-the-sun" has left us with a very bad taste in our mouths. We saw all sorts of car wrecks during our stay and in most of them, the drivers were smiling and laughing as they exchanged details. I think we will be giving Orlando a miss in future.
 
that has nothing to do with florida at all. you got an arsey flight and an arsey tourist.

you'd get that anywhere in the world.

move on
 
awful experience but it shouldnt put others off, i think it was just that, an awful experience that probably wouldn't happen again in exactly the same way, i bet it does put you off though, maybe think about going elsewhere next time after all you mentioned to have been 9 times you lucky devil! :thumbsup:
 
Dpon't think i can afford to feel sorry for anybody that can afford to take their family to Florida 9 times.....

Anyhow, the problems you describe are not the fault of Florida, but the airline company you chose and some chav Brit.
 
Fark doesn't have the
florida.gif
tag for nothing.
 
Yikes! :S 9 times though, you must really like Orlando. Guessing there won't be a tenth trip.
 
that has nothing to do with florida at all. you got an arsey flight and an arsey tourist.

you'd get that anywhere in the world.

move on


^^^ What he said ^^^

where exactly does Orlando fit in to any of the events you describe?


Get a grip, get over it. :)
 
Florida is a concealed carry state. You might want to take advantage of that fact next time.
 
So, did you get your take away burgers in the end then? :D

The things were cold by the time we got home. But as we went to Checkers and a portion of their Chili Cheese Fries was included, I heated those up and ate them when the kids went to bed. Bad daddy!
 
I had similarly traumatic experience in Orlando a couple of months back.

One night as I came stumbling drunk out of the George & Dragon pub on International Drive. I staggered over to the Fish & Chip shop (the only real on on I-Drive the sign says) just outside and ordered me a fish supper, he never understood this term at first but quickly I realised that this was an "English style" fish and chip shop and he would only respond correctly to "fish & chips please?", it was then that my holiday was irrepairably ruined beyond repair.

Instead of asking if I'd like some "salt & vinegar" with my F&C, he didn't only just go and ask me "would I like tartar sauce with that?"

TARTAR SAUCE!?!?!

As if that isn't bad enough, the chips tasted nothing like back home even if they were served up on grease proof fake newspaper. Pah!!
 
Sorry but I don't agree with comments like 'move on, get a grip, get over it'.

The incident with that Brit could have been much worse. Thankfully it wasn't & you returned home safely and in one piece :thumbsup: but I'm nevertheless sorry to hear of all your troubles.

Unfortunately air travel & taking holidays to far-flung & interesting destinations has changed. Before it was a 'luxury', now basically anyone can afford to go if the price is right. So with that in mind you are bound to get a less delectable class of individual going & giving a place a 'bad' reputation which seems to have happened in your case.

Of course your experiences as others have said are not the fault of Orlando/Florida as a place. However Orlando seems to be a popular destination and with cheap flights & package holidays now even available from local airports you are bound to come across that 'scum-in-the-sun'.
 
Could I just say to the OP that I was sorry to hear about his troubles. Yobs like the one he was exposed in Orlando to have brought society (on both sides of the Atlantic) to a very sad state indeed. You did the right thing by calling the police, but it must have been a very frightening experience.

My tip would be to go on holiday as a group with friends, it's great for maintaining sanity and if you happen to have a friend that's built like a s***-house brick, then you won't get anyone picking on you :thumbsup:

Although there's a bit of me saying I hope you do go back to Florida, it's such a big world out there that I think you should use the opportunity to break away from Orlando. Your kids might be hooked on Disney/Universal by now of course, so you would have to plan things carefully to make sure wherever you went could offer the same instantaneous thrill fix (Japan is cool !).

Take care.
 
I had similarly traumatic experience in Orlando a couple of months back.

One night as I came stumbling drunk out of the George & Dragon pub on International Drive. I staggered over to the Fish & Chip shop (the only real on on I-Drive the sign says) just outside and ordered me a fish supper, he never understood this term at first but quickly I realised that this was an "English style" fish and chip shop and he would only respond correctly to "fish & chips please?", it was then that my holiday was irrepairably ruined beyond repair.

Instead of asking if I'd like some "salt & vinegar" with my F&C, he didn't only just go and ask me "would I like tartar sauce with that?"

TARTAR SAUCE!?!?!

As if that isn't bad enough, the chips tasted nothing like back home even if they were served up on grease proof fake newspaper. Pah!!

in my experience its not unusual for tartar sauce to be served with fish and chips, generally when its more of a sit in and eat fish and chip shop though.
 
I had similarly traumatic experience in Orlando a couple of months back.

One night as I came stumbling drunk out of the George & Dragon pub on International Drive. I staggered over to the Fish & Chip shop (the only real on on I-Drive the sign says) just outside and ordered me a fish supper, he never understood this term at first but quickly I realised that this was an "English style" fish and chip shop and he would only respond correctly to "fish & chips please?", it was then that my holiday was irrepairably ruined beyond repair.

Instead of asking if I'd like some "salt & vinegar" with my F&C, he didn't only just go and ask me "would I like tartar sauce with that?"

TARTAR SAUCE!?!?!

As if that isn't bad enough, the chips tasted nothing like back home even if they were served up on grease proof fake newspaper. Pah!!


:rotfl:

Tartar sauce with chips? :eek:

That's surely a breach of health & safety regulations, and maybe even illegal? :nono:
 
maybe my comment of move on was rather flippent. I'm full of flu and feel like ****. Sorry

However I still state that its not Orlando's fault you had nasty experiences but as stated the airline and the chav Brit. As the chav Brit said if you'd had bumped into him in the UK it would have been a different story os maybe it was a good job it was Fla.

I'm a Florida Fan. From our honeymoon in '88 we went every year upto 1999 except 1 year when we went to Hawaii and LA for a change. since then its been difficult to get flights organised becuase my wife needs oxygen at the other end (dont we all :)) so we've cruised. We went back for the first time this century in September and we still love it.

dont let these incidents put you off - choose a different airline and go back.

The first time we went in '88 we decided to go North and visit a place in Altamonte Springs. We were to get up at 6am and drive up there ready for the park opening (I think it was Cypress Gardens or such like). Anyway turned on the news at 6am and saw a segment where this guy had been released from prison for robbbing the restraurant he used to work in. He'd gone back to the restaurant, rounded everybody up and shot them all. Nice :eek: "what kind of place have we come to?!"

We drove North, pulled of the I4 and passed a restaurant with lots of police cars outside. THE restaurant. Jeez. Shook us up a bit - it's alright seeing it on telly; you're a bit detached from it - but to see it in real life.

Didnt stop us going back though like I say we've been about a dozen times now. Needless to say we dont "do" Disney anymore :D although we did the highlights in Sept to see what has changed (not much!)

Another time we went the week before there was a shooting at the i-192 and SOBT junction. a guy just pulled up at the side of one car pipped his horn at another driver. When that driver wound down his windows he shot him and drove off.

The week we were there we pulled up at those lights a car at the side of me pipped his horn at me :eek: I was crapping myself. Anyway I wound down the window (a bullet will go through anyway so what was the point of that?). He wanted directions:lesson: The sad thing is I knew exaclty where he wanted to go:smashin:

anyway, dont let it put you off. Return an enjoy.
 
That was the exact context of my comment, I offer no apology because I've nothing to apologise for.

JonnyTester has visited eight times previously, so obviously likes the place, and yet is musing over not returning over two minor incidents, one of which can happen anytime, anywhere on any airline, and to anybody.

The other of which can happen anytime, anywhere, and to anybody.

And in particular to anybody who's prone to 'dressing down' strangers in a foreign country.
If you took that approach with a SA Airways stewardess, you'd be leaving the aircraft before take off. ;)


Rant rant, moan moan.... It's all over now, enjoy your next trip to Orlando. :)
 
I'm still in shock over the "ninth visit there". :eek:

I can see myself lighting up another whale oil candle to find my way home from work on my bicycle after another long, hard day saving the world from itself. :rolleyes:
 

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