Whenever we eat at Red Lobster, we start off with a couple of appetizers always to include the Lobster, Artichoke and Seafood Dip which is my personal favorite.  It’s served steaming hot with fresh chunks of seafood and lots of warm tortilla chips sprinkled with a tasty seasoning salt.   Our other choice usually varies between the New England Seafood Sampler (seafood stuffed mushrooms, scallops with bacon and clam strips), the Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp which is served with a really delicious pina-colada dipping sauce, or the mozzarella cheese sticks which the kids really enjoy.

The next course is salad or soup and Red Lobster’s signature cheddar bay biscuits.  I always enjoy the Caesar salad, but my daughters love the clam chowder and will normally opt for this instead.   

There are many entrees to choose from including fresh fish, crab, lobster, shrimp, and pastas.  For the main course, I usually order one of the combination meals from the current promotion (“fest”) or  the “Create Your Own Combination” off of the main menu and I always include a lobster tail and some variety of shrimp like shrimp scampi or fried shrimp (I prefer Walt’s Favorite Shrimp because it’s butterflied).  There is always a large selection of fresh fish prepared any way you like it.  My husband loves most kinds of fish and normally orders one of these.  They offer a great kid’s menu as well including the usual kids’ favorites but also crab legs and popcorn shrimp.   My son loves crab and I certainly appreciate that I don’t have to spend a small fortune for him to have it!

Make sure you leave room for dessert!  The selection includes a wonderful Bananas Foster Cheesecake and also a delicious Key Lime pie.  Being a chocolate lover, my personal favorite is the Fudge Overboard that is comprised of a warm pecan brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream covered with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. 

Make sure you join the “Fresh Catch Club”.  It’s Red Lobster’s personal fan club so to speak and they’ll make it worth your while with periodic e-mails about their promotions and sometimes a discount coupon for your next visit!

I did not get official notification from Zoom Airlines until 24-hours later! I had this delay period in order to book a flight home for my family of four.

I paid for my airline tickets by credit card, and hopefully I am covered for a refund. Under section 75 of the Credit Card consumers act if I paid out more than £100 I should get some money back! Watch this space.

This is how I left my last trip to Florida,and my last article on this web site.Having to pay twice to fly home! There is a lot of uncertainty at the moment with big companies going to the wall.Especially where big purchases have been made.I would like to bring to your attention of paying for goods and services on your credit card.

I paid for my airline tickets by credit card in February 2008 for my holiday in August.I submitted my claim to the credit card company the day I got back from the states in early September 2008.I got an official letter back saying that my report was being investigated.I can say that after several phone calls and three months of waiting my credit card account was credited with the cost of the return flight home! This softened the blow to the already stressful experience of having to pay twice for flights home!

Can you imagine if I had not paid in this way with my credit card! I understand that using a debit card there is still some insurance against these circumstances,but the amount returned to use is far less.

I always pay for goods with a credit card for this reason.I hope this helps?

I cannot imagine the effect that this would have made to our holiday if I had not paid in this way.

We then discovered the cd that could be pre prurchsed before the holiday with a 20% discount making the cost $99 which once purchased you can take as many photos in the parks as you want up to 4 discs which means around 400 photos. Once you return you key in your special pre purchase code, sent by email and view the photos you are then given the copyrights to print off as many copies as you want. we took ours to Asda and had enlargements and copies for all the family a great Christmas gift. Also on the Disney website you can put decorative borders around the photo and dates/name of the park.

Also on the disney photo pass site you can order other photo products. We have just had calenders made that feature our 2 boys at various locations and with the characters on each month, you can even add a caption under each month. You can also personalise it with birthdays etc.There are all kinds of things to purchase mugs,mouse mats, t-shirts really great for Christmas gifts with a difference.

Once you have purchased your cd on your first visit to a Disney park you need to get the small photo pass card from one of the Disney photographers located in all 4 main parks and the 2 water parks.They are like a credit card size with a unique number on the back. A tip here write this number down somewhere and keep it seperate in case you loose the card.You can always get a new one Disney will place all the card details onto one card before you leave if you have multiple numbers.Then just get the photographers to snap away.The photographers are positioned at the best photo spots in the parks so you will get some fabulous shots and do not forget the character spots. Most of the photographers will take 2/3 shots at each location in case some one moves or closes their eyes.

There are some tips on the website for special photos like cute extras that can appear on you photo magically at certain locations!!!

This is definately one the best purchases we have made from Disney and can highly recommend it.

Website details remeber you have to order it prior to your trip to get the discount code.

www.disneyphotopass/previsitcdplan.aspx

Did you know you can ride up front with the monorail driver?  All you have to do is let the Cast Member at the monorail entrance know that you would like to do this and as long as it is available you can jump in at the front.  You even get given your own Honerary Monorail Drivers License!  On our last visit my children (and of course an accompanying adult!) managed to get to ride the monorail several times.  It is great fun and you get to see the sights from a different view.  The driver may also tell you stories/tales about Walt Disney World which my children really enjoyed.  We decided to get off the monorail at Walt Disney World and change on to the other monorail to visit the various Disney Hotels.  This seems to less busy than the monorail which departs from the Transport Centre to the entrance to Walt Diseny World, so you may stand more of a chance to ride up front!  We took the opportunity to explore the various hotels and restaurants during our monorail trip! 
 
My children really enjoyed this and spent more time telling our friends and family about this, than anything else we had done on our last trip!  Definately worth a go.
 
Take a Free Boat Ride

From the Magic Kingdom take a free boat ride to Disney’s Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness campground.  Enjoy a drink and relaxing walk around the resorts and then takethe boat ride back.
 
Alternatively, cruise from Downtown Disney to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort and back along the river.  The joureny lasts approx. 30 mins.
 
Free Admission on your Birthday to one of the Four Theme Park!

During 2009, if you are visiting Walt Disney World and it happens to be your birthday, you will get free admission into one of the four theme parks.  As long as you have the appropriate ID and proof of your date of birth, you can take advantage of this birthday offer at the gate. All you will need to do is fill in a form at the gate.  Alternatively you can register at http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/disneyparks/en_US/minisites/freeOnYourBirthday/index which will obviously save you some time.  Please note that you only get free entrance to the park on the exact day of your birthday, not any other day. 
 
If you have already purchased a ticket which you will use on your birthday, don’t worry as there are other options available to you.  Please visit the above site which gives you further information.
 
The Lego Store at Downtown Disney - Free Activities

The Lego Store is located in the Marketplace area of Downtown Disney. At the Lego Store, children can build their own Lego creations at tables outside of the store. This is a free activity for children, and parents can join in the fun. The larger-than-life Lego creations outside of the Lego Store are great photo opportunities for families.

Disney’s Boardwalk - Free Entry

Disney’s Boardwalk area is a destination in itself. Guests can visit by car, or by one of the Disney busses that goes to the Boardwalk Resort area. The Disney Boardwalk area has carnival games, shops, restaurants, a bakery, and entertainment. Shows take place outside, right on the  Boardwalk, with magicians and other entertainers. Disney’s Boardwalk can also be reached from Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios.

Watch the Fireworks for Free

Nightly Disney fireworks can be viewed from several of the Disney Resort hotels near Magic Kingdom. Firework schedules vary by season, but generally begin just before park closing at the Magic Kingdom. Epcot features the “Illuminations” fireworks display, and the Magic Kingdom has the “Wishes” fireworks display each night.

If you are visiting Orlando this December, why not visit Celebration and enjoy their “Now Snowing”  & “New Years Eve” Event.

Now Snowing is a month long Winter Wonderland Spectacular featuring strolling Charles Dickens Carolers, photos with Santa, horse drawn carriage rides, and nightly snowfall at 6:00, 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00 PM. This event runs up to New Years Eve and Now Snowing Nightly parking and admission are FREE!
 
On Saturday 20 December Celebration hosting the Radio Disney Holiday Concert.  Radio Disney is a 24/7 radio network devoted to kids, tweens and families. Kids help pick the music that is played and are encouraged to interact via a toll-free line to the Radio Disney studio.  The snow starts falling at 6.00 pm and the music begins immediately after with performances by some of the Radio Disny artists. 
Again the event is free and everyone is welcome. 

New Years Eve will be the exciting new family friendly FREE New Years Eve Bash in Celebration Town Center.  On Wednesday December 31st, Celebration Town Center will bring the New Year in with a bang at an all new fun, family friendly celebration like none other. The event will kick off with special performance by Robbie Carrico (American Idol Season 7 Finalist) and Johnny Bulford (Colgate County Music Showdown Challenge winner) followed by the great sounds of multi-talented The Reflections Band and live music throughout the streets. Then as the clock strikes midnight, catch the fireworks spectacular while standing in the final ‘snowfall’ of the year. 
 
I have personally visited the Now Snowing event with my family every Christmas we have been to Orlando.  There is plenty of snow for everyone and the children love playing and throwing the snow at each other.  Christmas music is played whilst snowing and it really makes it a festive occasion.  I actually prefer the snow here than in Disney as a lot more snow falls here and its FREE!  As it takes place on the hour the children get to enjoy it more than once.  We have also visited some of the great restaurants whilst there and it has made a really great evening out.  I would definately recommend a visit if you are visited Orlando during December, Christmas and lead up to New Year.
 
Celebration is conveniently located between Highway 192 and interstate 4 near Walt Disney World.
 
Further information can be obtained by visiting http://celebrationtowncenter.com

My wife and I like to visit Florida in November for Thanksgiving and to take advantage of the After Thanksgiving Sales/Black Friday Sales.This year instead of going to Millenia or Premium Outlets on the first day of the sales we decided to stay local and give Posner a try. 

This year there was not too many clues to what would be on offer usually you can pick up leaflets from the stores a couple of days before to see what will be available. It may have been just advertised to local residents as they cetainly were ready and we actually spotted several tents and a queue forming outside Best Buy Thanksgiving morning! Most of the shops on Posner were due to open betwen 5am and 6am the next day and we thought it would be chaos.

We were pleased to discover everything was very well organised. Some shops did have lines waiting but eveyone was in good spirits with the free coffee and donuts being handed out. There was no running pushing or bad tratment at all. We browsed around several department stores before making a few purchases in JC Penney. These were of course items we hadn’t planned to buy but were at such good prices decided they would make perfect Christmas presents to family at home. Whether or not they are actually given as presents remains to be seen. It is amazing how everything we bought was the perfect size/colour for my wife.

We moved on to Target where we had actually picked out items for our villa the week before. We didn’t know if these would be included in the sale but lucky for us they were so we came away with games and some additional tv’s. The only place that we did hear was extremly busy was Walmart.

After dropping our first load of shopping back at the villa we headed of to Walmart it was still before 8am but Walmart was packed. We were too late for any of the doorbuster items but we looked around and Walmart being Walmart things were still very cheap.

The next day we headed off to Prime Outlets and found it to be extremly quiet. Us being English we tend to go out in the morning where as the American shoppers do not usually appear until the afternoon or at least that’s what the girl in Timberland told us. Prime was decorated really well and had life size reindeers dressed in various outfits and poses thoughout the mall. Christmas songs played throughout but it was difficult to get the Christmas spirit in 75 degrees sunshine. Now I am home in the freezing cold it seems that sunshine was just a dream.

For those heading for Posner there is plenty of parking and still a lot of shops still to open in the Spring. If you are staying on US27 it is very close so certainly worth a look Despite the poor exchange rates there are still a lot of bargains to be had with most things still at least half the price of that in the UK. The sales in Florida seem to be going on longer this year as we were leaving Sears was starting a weeks sale slashing goods between 50 and 70 percent.What are you waiting for ladies ……take advantage.