3dogmom & 1kid's Mother/Daughter Vacation

[3dog2kidmom]

Catching up on Trip Reports this week... Hope you enjoy!

Magical Mother-Daughter Birthday Vacation
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort
June 23-27, 2007

Cast: Me 43, Dear friend, DD 8 and Dear friend's DD8 (we'll call her DFD8) and Dear friend's DS5 (who we'll call DFS5 for consistency)... following so far? Also DH who wasn't coming this time and DS9 who also wasn't coming along.

Since DS9 was spending a week away at Football camp over the summer, DD8and I decided a mother-daughter trip was in order especially since her birthday was in June. Where would we go? It didn’t take long to decide on Disney World! I mentioned it to my good friend in New York to see if she and DD (also turning 8) wanted to join our mother-daughter adventure. They did, and her DS5 came too. So we decided on the moderate resort, Port Orleans Riverside, where we could have 5 people. The girls emailed to get to know each other, much planning ensued, and pretty soon we were down to the day!

DAY 1 – Travel / Downtown Disney / Dinner with Cinderella

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3511.jpg

The long-awaited day was finally here!! My alarm went off at 3:45, and less than an hour later we were on our way to the airport. The morning before I’d printed out Southwest boarding passes and we’d been assigned to group A, which I guess meant we would get a better choice of seats. The check-in and security lines were small and we got an aisle/middle combination which is what I preferred. The flight was uneventful and we were full of anticipation. Once we landed in Orlando, we had nothing to do but make our way to the Magical Express desk and wait for our friends. They were due to land about 45 minutes after us and we had agreed to just wait and ride the bus together. They arrived right when we thought they would and spotted us with no trouble. We had kind of a long wait for the Magical Express bus, but the girls used the time to get reacquainted – they became instant best friends – and DFS5 played his Leapster while DF I paced and fretted over the wait that was keeping us from THE WORLD!!

Eventually they sent us out to the bus (a Disney Cruise Line one which I guess was being used for overflow), that went directly to Port Orleans Riverside. Once on the bus it seemed we arrived at Disney World in no time flat. The resort and grounds were beautiful… we were immediately transported to the Louisiana bayou with the theming of this resort. We checked in, but our room wasn’t ready yet so we grabbed some lunch in the Riverside Mill Food Court. DF & I had salads (they had a cool “create-your-own” station… I had spring greens with steak, feta cheese, cranberries, mushrooms, broccoli & raspberry vinaigrette), DD8 had turkey pinwheels, and the other kids had mac & cheese. The food court set up was kind of cumbersome in that you had to go to multiple stations to get your food. The adults took turns keeping an eye on the kids and getting food, while the kids waited anxiously at the table. It took more time that we would have liked because the kids wanted to check out the pool. The food was delicious and filling though. I have never had a bad meal at Disney.

After lunch, our room still wasn't ready and it was getting to close to our appointments at the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique, so we stored the carry-ons we didn’t really need in the luggage area and made our way to the boat bound for Downtown Disney. It was a leisurely 20-minute ride down the Sassagoula River (in fact DFS5 took a nap), and we arrived with about 30 minutes to spare before the girls’ appointments. We spent that time shopping – what else? – at the World of Disney store. We picked up DD's autograph book, a new stuffed animal “Sam,” and a pin to bring home for DS9. At 3:30 our princesses were called for their makeovers by their Fairy Godmothers-in-Training. DFD got the “Fairytale Princess” hairstyle, DD chose the “Disney Diva” do (her FGIT’s name was Sarah), and DFS even got in on the action with the “Cool Dude” treatment. Both girls also got nails and makeup, and a “Birthday Princess” sash since we were celebrating their June birthdays. The girls loved their makeovers and all the special attention. This was just the beginning of that!

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/CopyofIMG_3542.jpg http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3544.jpg


(to be continued so I can add a few more photos)

[3dog2kidmom]

Day 1, continued

We took a couple of pictures, and left Downtown Disney on a bus bound for the Grand Floridian, where we had dinner reservations at 1900 Park Fare. We stopped to take a few photos in this lovely resort too. The theme for tonight’s dinner was “Cinderella’s Gala Feast.” We arrived a few minutes early and our table was ready right away. We met the Fairy Godmother herself outside the restaurant, and Cinderella, her mice Suzy & Perla, and Prince Charming (who was indeed, charming!) all circled the tables for autographs and photos. The mice each came by twice I think. It was very fun and festive. The girls were given “happy birthday” buttons & placemats, and surprised at the end of the meal with special cupcakes and birthday tiaras. They didn’t mind the attention at all! The meal was very good… I remembered to try the strawberry soup I’d read so much about and it was delicious, as was the prime rib and mashed potatoes and of course the desserts -– if I recall there was some scrumptious bread pudding here. All thoughts of trying to maintain a diet went out the window with that meal.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3560.jpg http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3555.jpg

After dinner we shopped a minute in the gift shop there, where DD fell in love with a Cinderella music box. I talked her out of it (this will be important in my January '08 trip report) because I didn't want her to spend the majority of her money on the first day. So we left and made our way back to our hotel via monorail to the Magic Kingdom and then caught the bus to Port Orleans. The bus service was pretty good all week. They were often crowded but were prompt and we only had to stand for one segment upon leaving from MGM one night.

Our room was in the Alligator Bayou section in building 26. I think next time I need to request a building closer to the bus stop as it seemed like a really long walk at the end of each day. The room was charming, and a towel bunny greeted us on the table. The rooms in the AB section had trundle beds that pulled out from under one of the doubles, so it worked out great for our pseudo-family of 5. It took awhile to settle everyone in and unpack. Our water that I’d ordered from Staples was delivered and DF attempted to wash some of the “not so cool” paint out of her DS' hair, and we fell asleep watching Night at the Museum on the portable DVD player.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3573.jpg http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3572.jpg

[3dog2kidmom]

DAY 2 – MGM-Disney Studios

Morning came much too quickly after our long day of travel and makeovers. We didn’t set an alarm though, and finally made it to MGM at around 10:45. First order of the day --- to get Fastpasses for the Tower of Terror. We watched the High School Musical Pep Rally and then rode the Great Movie Ride before lunchtime. I was surprised that the ride lines weren’t all that long for being June. The lunch line, however, was really long and the restaurant quite chaotic. We found this to be the case at all of the quick service restaurants over the course of the week. We chose the ABC Commissary for lunch this time, and I had a Cuban sandwich and fries while DF had the vegetable noodle stir fry. I believe the kids all had chicken nuggets. Lunch finished, we set out to explore the rest of MGM.

We all rode Tower of Terror --- DF & I and the girls loved this ride… DFS5 not so much. We stopped awhile afterwards for the kids to play in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area -- it was a great way to decompress and let the kids just chill. On the way there, the kids stopped to get misted by a giant Coke bottle. We encouraged the girls not to get their hair wet, though – they had slept in their princess hairdos and all that hairspray and gel would have been a major mess. They had a great time just playing and sliding, but we had to leave as it started to rain (so much for not getting hair wet) – they close this area for safety reasons when it rains. The sprinkles turned into a downpour, so we got out our umbrellas and donned our ponchos and moved on. We stopped for a few minutes under an awning, and then it quit. Five minutes later you’d never have known it rained!

Walking by Al’s Toy Barn we spotted Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story. Since Buzz is DFS5's favorite character, we had to stop for an autograph and photos. We saw a lot of Star Wars characters out since this was the last day of Star Wars Weekends, but didn’t stop for any autographs since none of us were huge fans. Woody’s line was too long so we skipped him. This was the first time I had been on this ride and really enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff. (I was careful to ride on the right side of the tram!) DF and her DFD had Fastpasses for Rock ‘n Roller Coaster with Aerosmith so they rode that, while DD, DFS & I browsed in the RNR shop at the end of the ride since it had started to rain again. I debated buying drumsticks for DS9 but decided against it.

We didn't manage to time it right to be able to see Beauty & the Beast or Lights Motors Action this time, but we had a full day just the same.

Almost time for our dinner reservation, we stopped to see the Muppets 3D show (who doesn’t love the muppets!), and went into Toy Story Pizza Planet where the kids played some air hockey while waiting for our dinner reservation time.

We had a leisurely Italian dinner at Mama Melrose’s and it was a great break for these tired mamas -- I believe we each even had a glass of wine! We started with the breads & spreads appetizer and a tomato & mozzarella salad. DF and I both had the wood-grilled shrimp pasta, and the girls had penne pasta – tomato sauce for one and Alfredo for the other (I can’t remember what DFS had). Dessert was this great Italian cheesecake, and we capped the day with Fantasmic! We had done the Fantasmic Dinner Package which came with priority seating, so we arrived just 30 minutes before showtime instead of the hour or more they recommend without it. The kids had a ball doing the wave before the show started (and I couldn't resist texting DH to tell him where we were!), and the production was wonderful as usual. I think I could see this show over and over and never tire of it. We rode Star Tours on the way out of the park, and practically ran through the line for this ride – there was no wait at all. The bus to POR was quick to come, if crowded, and we made our way “home” in short order to find Stitch & Sam waiting in bed for us. I love the way the housekeepers will arrange your kids' stuffed animals!

A few photos from MGM day:

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3582.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3608.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3611.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3621.jpg

[3dog2kidmom]

DAY 3 – Animal Kingdom

This morning I did set my alarm so we could get on the road a little earlier and have more time at the park. We started the day with Expedition Everest. The line was only about 10 minutes so no Fastpasses were needed. We all loved this ride… DFS5 was so brave -- this was his first roller coaster ever! He was a little undone by the darkness and backwards part though. We grabbed rolls & muffins – note: this snack cart does not take dining plan snack credits but did take Disney Dollars – along with a Fastpass for Kali River Rapids on the way out of Asia and made our way to Camp Minnie Mickey for the Festival of the Lion King show. It was just as wonderful this time as it was when we first saw it!

After FOTLK we had lunch reservations at Rainforest Café. My lunch was delicious – I had a salad and DD had the shrimpkens (fried popcorn shrimp and chicken) basket. We did a little shopping in the Rainforest boutique and bought “friends” for Stripes & Gracie (the stuffed animals my kids had bought at RFC in January) and friendship bracelets for the girls. After lunch we rode Dinosaur, the kids played in the Boneyard area (another great playground), and we tried to see the new Finding Nemo musical but we were at the end of the line in ‘Standing Room Only’ so we opted to leave. We also saw Devine that afternoon – a first for us. And somewhere along the line DFD got a pair of pink & purple Disney Crocs.

DD & I watched the afternoon parade by ourselves and had Mickey ice cream bars, while DF & kids went to ride Kali River Rapids. They had intended to do some of the carnival rides and games in Dinoland, but the lines were just too long so they used the FP's for KRR since we didn't want to go on that anyway. I really enjoyed this parade. We had a good spot (near a bench, too!) outside of Creature Comforts to watch. Beware of one of the floats... when I wasn't paying attention this fish thing was getting in my face, lol!!

Sadly, we didn’t get to Kilimanjaro Safaris as all of the Fastpasses were gone for the day and it was over a 70-minute wait. So that will keep till next time. DD & I stopped in to see It’s Tough to be a Bug on our way out of the park, and at around 5 we met up with DF & family and caught a bus to the Wilderness Lodge for dinner. I feel like we didn’t have a very good plan for Animal Kingdom this time as it seems like we were constantly crossing the park. DF & I had both been there before… that Tour Guide Mike subscription might have helped out and we’ll definitely consider using him next time.

A few photos from Animal Kingdom day:

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3633.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3677.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3716.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3726.jpg

(to be continued... dinner at the Lodge and evening at Fort Wilderness)

[3dog2kidmom]

Day 3 continued

Dinner that evening was at Whispering Canyon Café. We arrived probably half an hour early and asked if we could be seated sooner than our ADR and it was no problem at all. We took a few minutes to explore the cavernous lobby of the Wilderness Lodge – it was absolutely beautiful, and even had a babbling stream with a bridge over it. In just that few minutes our pager went off and our table was ready. Whispering Canyon Café is a really fun restaurant set in an outpost in the North Woods in the old west. The food was delicious and plentiful, and there were fun activities for the kids. DD had fries and I knew what was coming, so when she asked for ketchup I told her she had to ask our server. Our waiter comes by and she tells him what she wants, and she was so confused when he grabbed the microphone and made her say her name into it! Anyway he told the rest of the patrons what she wanted and within 30 seconds we probably had 20 bottles on our table, completely embarrassing DD. They had all the dads get up at one point for a goofy dance, and we all did the hokey pokey for someone’s birthday. The kids had a pony ride on wooden horses, and there was napkin twirling too. I had their signature skillet with cornbread, salad, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken along with corn & mashed potatoes (way too much food for 1 person but I gave it my best!). DF had roast chicken and I think DD had a cheeseburger. I believe DF's kids had mac & cheese again. And we had yet another version of cheesecake (s’mores this time) for dessert. Good thing we walked A LOT on this vacation. I’m proud to report that I did not gain a pound!

After dinner it was time to go to Fort Wilderness for the sing-a-long, Chip & Dale appearance, and campfire. We took a minute to check out the pool and the geyser out behind the Lodge, and then took a boat to the campground and from there a bus to the campfire area. The sing-a-long was fun, and we got to meet Dale but sadly Chip skipped us during the meet & greet. Again we did the hokey pokey, the kids did a fun follow-the-leader activity, sang It’s a Small World up on stage, and the girls went up with everyone else celebrating a birthday (they milked this birthday thing for all it was worth!). We chose not to roast marshmallows because we were all still stuffed from dinner, and we didn’t stay for the movie because we had an early day at the Magic Kingdom tomorrow. Note: you will need insect repellant if you are doing this activity (in June, at least).

Getting back to POR was a bit of a challenge. After walking back to the bus depot and then waiting for a bus to take us to the outpost at the top of the campground (wherever that was!), we were supposed to get another bus to our resort. The driver insisted, though, that there was not a bus to POR, but said he’d take us to Wilderness Lodge. Pulling away from the bus stop that we thought would connect with the bus to POR we actually saw the bus to our resort, but alas he wouldn’t stop and took us back to Wilderness Lodge anyway. From there we were to catch a bus to Downtown Disney and transfer to another bus back to Port Orleans. Instead we opted to have the valet call us a taxi. It was the best $12 ever spent and we were back at our resort in probably 5 minutes.

A couple more photos:

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3744.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3754.jpg

Next up... 16 hours in the Magic Kingdom!

[pbhall13]

Great Report!! I hear you about hiring a cab when 'stuck' at a resort....we did this last may needed to get from Poly to Beach club....we were tired and I couldn't stand in another line or wait for another bus....a cab it was....for me it was the best 10 I ever spent at Disney!!!

Cannot wait to hear about he MK day! Keep it coming.

Pamela

[disney_girl]

I'm enjoying your trip report! Can't wait to read more! Thanks for sharing!

[3dog2kidmom]

Day 4 – Magic Kingdom

Our mission this day was to be at the park for rope drop at 8 a.m. (it was Extra Magic Hours for Disney resort guests). Our bus approached just as we made it to the bus stop (no coffee for me!) and we got to the park at 7:30. We waited along with a crowd of people for the Kingdom to open where Gepetto was making an appearance. Once open DF got a stroller (double one today!) and we quickly made our way to Fantasyland where we rode Peter Pan’s Flight, It’s a Small World, and Snow White’s Scary Adventures all with no wait. We visited Tinkerbell’s Treasures to shop a bit (DD got a hat) and exchange a malfunctioning stroller, and we got into see Mickey’s Philharmagic right after that.

Fantasyland must-do’s out of the way, we were off to conquer Frontierland. We grabbed Fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain and got in a short line (10 minutes at most) for Splash Mountain. This was my first time to ride this – it had been closed for maintenance in January – and it was a great ride. Although I didn’t expect to get as wet as we did, the front row got even more drenched. After I clipped up my sopping hair (hairspray + water = big mess!), we went to see the Country Bears Jamboree and I grabbed a Coke on the way out. Since I hadn’t gotten to finish my coffee before our bus came that morning, I had a slight caffeine withdrawal headache (in fact I spent nearly all of the CB show searching my bag for an advil). Still waiting for our Fastpasses to come due for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, we checked out the Hall of Presidents (and called to leave a message for Daddy) but didn’t stay for the show.

After Big Thunder Mountain we had lunch at Pecos Bills… I had a bacon cheeseburger, DF had a veggie burger, and I believe the kids had chicken again. Lunch was good – if you like grilled onions and mushrooms on your burger they have a great “fixins” bar where you can add all that. And you can get your own ketchup without anyone grabbing a microphone... Next stop: Adventureland.

The top thing on both DF and my must-do lists was to ride Pirates of the Caribbean. It had a posted 40-minute wait, but since most of the wait times posted so far had been 20 minutes and we never waited more than 10, we expected a short wait for this too. As we approached the ride, they experienced technical difficulties and we had to wait longer than planned. Probably about an hour, but the time passed quickly despite some pushy people and line cutters. The Pirates queue is very cool as you are going down into the dungeon. The ride has changed in the last year to add Captain Jack Sparrow and some other new stuff. We really enjoyed it, except for the obnoxious guy that ended up sitting next to DF. Yuck! Coming out of POC we spotted Peter Pan and Wendy and got in the short line for their autographs. We had seen Wendy on our Disney cruise but had yet to meet Peter Pan. And luck stayed with us… we saw Captain Hook walking by, and Captain Jack Sparrow & Mac were just starting the Pirate Tutorial as we were leaving POC. After we all learned how to be pirates (aaarrrrgh!), we visited the Tiki Room and flew the Magic Carpets of Aladdin (and got spit on by the camel) with a short wait, used our Fastpasses for the Jungle Cruise (pilot Kendra was very funny!), and stopped to buy new Disney Crocs for DD and DFS. We then cooled off with the famous Dole Whips (vanilla soft-serve for the kids and pineapple floats for DF and me) at Aloha Isle before saying farewell to Adventureland.

We had a little time to get started in Tomorrowland before dinner so we headed in that direction. First we grabbed Fastpasses for Space Mountain and were surprised to get a return time of between 10 and 11 p.m. It was actually perfect though because we wanted to do that after Wishes while everyone else was exiting the park. We rode Buzz Lightyear and saw the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor show. This is a new show this year and it was very funny. Then it was time to head to the Contemporary Resort for our reservation at Chef Mickey’s.

We rode the monorail just one stop to the Contemporary. It still amazes me that the train goes right through this hotel! We checked in at the podium and waited to be called in the Outer Rim lounge. The kids settled in to watch TV, and pretty soon it was time and we were called to be seated. We scored a great table in the middle of the action, close to the buffet. Dinner was great – the kids got pizza, Mickey Mouse shaped Mac & Cheese, chicken strips (again!); and I tried the prime rib (this really was a beef week!), parmesan mashed potatoes, salmon and some salad. Desserts were cheesecake (what else…), cobbler, and an assortment of little cakes. The kids had ice cream from the sundae bar & cookies. At dinner we met Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Mickey. Mickey somehow skipped us (was this a theme too?), and we had to wait for everyone to make a second round to catch him for pictures and autographs. Pluto even stopped by again for an extra hug. There was napkin dancing at this place, too, and the kids all had a great time despite dinner taking much longer than we had planned.

After dinner we grabbed the monorail back to Magic Kingdom, then hopped on the Walt Disney Railroad to Mickey’s Toontown Fair. Our mission: to find a box of Mr. Potato Head parts for DFS to go with Darth Tater he had gotten at MGM, and My Little Pony pieces for DFD. They have an “all-you-can-cram-in-a-box” deal for $19, and had some exclusive Disney World pieces to find. I also found my Tinkerbell mug here that I’d wanted the last 2 trips but never splurged on. I finally bought it tonight (and have used it every day since)! Shopping accomplished, we stopped in Minnie’s house for a few photos, and then rode the train back to the front of the park where Dori grabbed a stroller and we watched the last of the SpectroMagic parade. This is a beautiful nighttime parade but we were too far back to really see it well… yet another reason to go back! We made our way down Main Street and watched the Wishes fireworks from the hub. They call it a fireworks spectacular, and it truly is. The fireworks are set to music and narrated by Jiminy Cricket, and it brings tears to your eyes. After the show, we plowed through the crowd back to Tomorrowland since it was time to ride Space Mountain! DF and DFS5 waited for the girls and me, since we thought it would be too scary for him. And we were right. DD was scared, too, but DFD loved it. Much to my surprise I loved it too. There was a moment when I thought we’d just go out the “chicken exit” since it, also, was experiencing technical difficulties just as we got to the top of the line.

All three mountains conquered, sadly, it was time to head home. Easier said than done since the second SpectroMagic parade was just coming down Main Street. We ducked into the confectionary on the way out and spent some more of our snack credits on candy to bring home, and I noted the time when we got on the bus at 11:39 p.m. --- 16 hours in the Magic Kingdom. What a day!

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3836-1.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3842.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3816.jpg

Up next... travel day :(

[3dog2kidmom]

Adding a few more photos:

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3866.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3811.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3840.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/mlhays/IMG_3896.jpg

[3dog2kidmom]

Day 5 – Swimming & Travel

Not much to say about this day… we spent the morning packing – it’s always sad for me to pack up to go home – and had lunch in the food court. Then we FINALLY managed to make it to the pool and spent a few hours there together. The Old Man Island pool at POR is really nice and has a great water slide too. It’s large and has plenty of seating so it never seemed crowded.

The only thing that made this day NOT sad for me was knowing that we’d be back in January, and that I’d see my friend again in Chicago in just a few weeks. DFD was crying as they left as she was going to miss my DD so much. After tearful goodbyes, our friends left and DD & I wandered around and shopped a bit – she chose a small “Tourist Stitch” doll and a sparkly Tink Pin – until it was time to catch our not-so-Magical Express back to the airport. Again we were in a Disney Cruise Line bus… were they taunting us?

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare so we browsed in Disney’s Earport Store, and had dinner at McDonald’s (because we hadn’t eat enough all week!). Our plane was on time and DH and DS met us at the airport. It was good to be home after all.


Closing Thoughts

We had been warned about the heat and crowds at Disney in June but we didn’t think either were too bad. The heat and humidity wasn’t any worse this week than it usually is in St. Louis, and there were plenty of air-conditioned places (and wet rides!) to cool off. The TS dinners we planned each day were also nice breaks. The lines weren’t as long as they had been during Christmas, but longer than they were in January. We utilized EMH – Extra Magic Hours for WDW Resort Guests – at the Magic Kingdom and it really benefited us. The dining plan probably saved us around $400 on food so we will definitely continue to get that whenever we can. We also ordered a case of water from Staples to be delivered to our hotel, so we had chilled water bottles from our refrigerator to start out each day.

Again we brought too many clothes & shoes – next time we could probably consolidate and eliminate 1 entire suitcase. The Dollar Store rain ponchos came in handy though, as did my small travel umbrella so I’ll keep those in the Disney bag. The kids spotted the pressed penny machines in many locations this time – so that may be a good activity to start now that they’ve been a few times and might be interested in doing something different…

And we never seem to have enough time to swim or just hang at the resorts. Someday (it’s always someday, isn’t it!) I would like to have a long enough trip to spend every other or at least every third day as a resort day and still have a day in each park.

So there will be a next time (or many next times!)



--

Thanks for reading!

[wilsonfamily4]

I am really really enjoying your trip report. I so want to be there!!!

[linanglab]

Shelly - great report! Reading the reports are a mixed feeling! It makes me smile and relive it with you, yet sad that I am not there.

And I love your croc picture!

[3dog2kidmom]

I am really really enjoying your trip report. I so want to be there!!!

Thanks, Dee. I enjoyed writing it.

[3dog2kidmom]

Shelly - great report! Reading the reports are a mixed feeling! It makes me smile and relive it with you, yet sad that I am not there.

And I love your croc picture!

Thanks, Angela. I feel the same way when I read trip reports. Isn't the croc pic a hoot? The kids thought that was so funny!