Because this is her last week staying here in Central Florida with us, before she goes back to the UK and School, we wanted to give her a really special trip for her memory book, and this is what we chose to do.

A short ride along Highway 192 in Kissimmee took us to mile marker 10, where Helitours Orlando is situated.  Easily noticed from the road because of the helicopter parked on the side, there’s plenty of parking adjacent to the helicopter landing pad.  Using a Jet Bellranger four  seater helicopter, this company has been operating for 15 years or so .  The pilot was in the office when we walked through the door, and luckily was ready to go there and then.

Away we go

No time for her to get nervous or worried about this flight.   We were helped into our seats, and the front seat next to the pilot was given to our grand-daughter.   This is where the best views can be obtained.  We sat in the back, strapped ourselves in and donned our headphones, which are speech activated, so we were all able to converse with each other and with the pilot.   Our pilot was very experienced and obviously knew his stuff.  He told us he’d been a pilot for 22 years.   The helicopter was very comfortable, and once we had our headphones on, the engine noise was totally reduced.

The tour we had chosen to take was to fly over  Epcot, Caribbean Beach Resort, Hollywood Studios, the Swan and Dolphin,  and many other areas around the major attractions.    It is quite amazing just how much can be seen while flying at low speeds  in a helicopter.  Sights that you wouldn’t see in a small plane, are easily visible from the low levels of a sight seeing helicopter tour.

Whilst the people on the ground and in the resort areas looked like ants scurrying round, we were gently flying overhead in an air conditioned helicopter with a  knowledgeable pilot .  He pointed out many of the features of the resorts and parks that are not even visible from the ground.    Something that we were all amazed by were the number of lakes;  we all know there are lakes in our area, but from the air, you can see so many of them, and there seem to be many more than you can imagine.

what a view; Epcot in the distance

The views from this height were amazing.  In the first photo you can see Epcot in the distance, and the second photo shows the Town of Celebration from above.   I didn’t realise there was  a canal running around the town and out into the swamp land.   That’s what makes this helicopter tour so interesting;  you see things from the air that you simply didn’t know about.

Our grand-daughter was speechless, and remained that way for several hours, except for repeating Wow!   every time one of us asked her if she had enjoyed the tour.  I heartily agree with her, it was a Wow! trip, and well worth the cost

We all agreed that this had been a fantastic experience and not one of us wanted it to end.  Sadly all good things come to an end, but I’d love to do it again, and again……………..

And they're off!

The Goofy Challenge is one of the premier events in the marathon runners calendar. Held each year by Disney, the event attracts runners from all walks of life, from the amateur athlete to top marathon runners.

This year’s event was held on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th January, during one of the coldest spells in Central Florida‘s weather for the past decade.   Volunteer helpers, race marshalls and spectators lined the route to cheer on the brave competitors running in below freezing temperatures with sleet, snow and rain.  The weather did take its toll, although the half marathon had just over 17,000 runners complete the course.  The winner of the men’s half marathon finished in 1 hour 7 minutes 2 seconds, and the women’s leader completed the race in just about 1 hour 20 minutes.

A friend of ours, Toni,  who was staying in one of Premier Home Management‘s vacation homes finished her half marathon in just under 2 hours. After returning to her home and relaxing, her preparations began for the full marathon on the next day.

Her start time on Sunday was 5.50 a.m. in an air temperature of 26 degrees. She managed to complete the race in just about 4 hours – while the leaders finished in 2 hours 22 minutes 8 seconds for Adriano Bastos and 2 hours 51 minutes 20 seconds for Lisa Mizutani. Over 16,000 runners completed the course.

Well doing the Goofy Challenge is a challenge in its self, but looking for good accommodation can be more of a challenge! But that’s where Premier Homes are brilliant – as they took the stress out of this for me!

I stayed at Windsor Hills, which was only about a 15 min drive from Epcot, so I didn’t have to leave my resort hotel at 3am to get to the start….. The accommodation was spotless and extremely well kitted out with a wonderful power shower, a tv in all rooms, a full equipped kitchen – just in case you don’t want to travel the 2 mins to the vast array of restaurants. The apartment also had a washer and dryer – which came in very useful for dealing with smelly running kit!

All in all I can only sing the praises of Marilyn and her team, they provided me with a great base to complete this challenge and I would certainly go back to them again even if I wasn’t doing the Goofy!

Thanks, Toni

The final race of the weekend, completed the most magical 26.2 miles on Earth.  The course takes runners through all four Walt Disney World®

Running the Disney Marathon in Orlando, Florida

Theme Parks starting at Epcot®, continuing on to the Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and then back to Epcot® for an exhilarating finish.  The post race celebrations were less well attended this year due to the inclement weather.

For those of you who are so inclined, the Application forms are now open for next year’s Goofy Challenge.

Next year’s Challenge dates are below, if you are a runner, you’ll need to know this.

Before you run off we wanted to tell you all about the 2011 WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA, Thursday, January 6 – Sunday, January 9, 2011.  You’ll want to be here for a weekend of races that are as magical as they are memorable; from Disney’s Health & Fitness Expo to the final mile of the marathon, complete with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy medals.  We know you love running, now imagine a run where every mile is filled with Disney fun.  You’d be, well, goofy to miss it!

Toni, who stayed in one of our vacation homes, was so pleased that she was able to bring her family with her for support – it made all the difference between staying in an hotel by herself and having friends and family living in the vacation home with her. Everyone was able to enjoy themselves in their own way and their own time.

If you’re coming next year for the Disney Goofy Challenge, do let us know. We’ll cheer you on!