# Roll Out Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer:  an August Trip Report (Complete!)



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Welcome to my trip report  .  I always find it difficult to find a starting point for these threads, so I figure Ill just jump right in and start with the obligatory introductions.    While a little background will follow, Ill try to keep it brief (and if not brief, a concept of which is hard for me at the best of times, hopefully it will end up being a least relevant!!).

Moving right along, let me get you acquainted with my little family.  This is us (picture taken August 2012 on our vacation in Orlando):





Im Gina, writer of this report and the official family planner, organizer, and obsesser.  I am not ashamed to admit that I have OCD to a certain degree..depending on the day, that degree can vary from mild to wild .  When it comes to our family getaways, I probably put more time and effort into researching every last little detail than the average mom, but its fun and I enjoy it and quite honestly, I could be doing worse things with my time.  And my fellows are patient with my nightly blabbering about the neat things I have found for us to do on our next trip.  One of the many reason that I love that pair.





DH is Steve.  My Prince Charming, and the total opposite personality from me.  Hes quieter, calmer, and very go with the flow, which normally creates a very happy balance around our house (except for the times where we drive each other NUTS.which thankfully, is normally not very often).  He is one of the hardest workers I know, and his efforts net the surplus finances required to fund our expeditions to Florida.  We celebrated our 20th anniversary this past May.

DS is Jake.  He is 17 (will be turning 18 in January) and an amazing young man.  Hes an honour roll student at school and a talented athlete (volleyball and basketball, as well as ball, inline and ice hockey in his younger years) .  He has worked for a year and a half at our local YMCA in the youth and programming departments, and has a wonderful knack with kids.  Hes our lonely only, and yep, I shamelessly admit to spoiling him from time to time.    He has just kicked off his senior year of high school.  This pic is from June, where he was awarded the Dave Coyer Memorial Trophy for most dedicated senior boys volleyball player:





This trip was our fifth getaway to Orlando.  Our first visit was in January 2009, which was supposed to be our once in a lifetime Disney vacation.  But then something we didnt expect occurred.we were bitten by the bug.  It took us 3 years to return (for various reason), but then we enjoyed 3 separate visits in 2012 (falling in January, August and Christmas week).  With each vacation, we grew to love Orlando (and all the family fun it offers) even more, so it wasnt surprising that we began to plan our 2013 August vacation while on the plane home from our Florida Christmas extravaganza (see the link in my signature for the finished report  of that getaway).

And so began the planning at 40,000 feet in the air.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

It took us a couple of weeks from the time we returned from our Christmas trip until we actually booked our vacation package for August 2013.   Not because we had difficulty narrowing down our dates (we knew it would have to be the last week of August, as Jake works full time during the summers as a counsellor at the summer camps at our local Y, and the last week of summer vacation is historically the week with the lowest enrollment, meaning its generally the easiest for him to book off).  Rather, it took us a couple of weeks to decide where we wanted to stay.

For this trip, we knew we wanted a resort (like last August) as opposed to a hotel (which we had for our Christmas trip).  For the summer trips, we like to take it a little easier, do less parks, and enjoy the amenities generally only available at resort properties (such as multiple pools, mini golf, etc.).  While the Residence Inn SeaWorld was perfect for our winter trip (where parks and attractions were our main focus, and little time was planned on being spent in our room), a similar property wouldnt have worked as well for August.  We wanted a spacious villa with 2 bedrooms that was centrally located with a good reputation.  We also wanted to try somewhere new.

Now, for those that are wondering "why didn't they stay onsite?"....while our onsite accommodations at POR in 2009 were adequate, we quickly learned that cramming us into a small hotel room for a week (even amidst the "magic" of Disney) was not our idea of a vacation.  We love the Disney theming, but we just didn't enjoy those tiny little rooms.   We find the magic in offsite space, amenities and (as an added bonus!) price.   So to be quite honest, we didn't even factor in the option of staying at a Disney resort, though it was fun to compare prices afterward of what we would eventually pay for our beautiful 1200+ square food villa vs. a 260 foot room a value with the most basic amenities.   We are offsite cheerleaders  so that's where our search began.

From our stay at Westgate Lakes last August.....





After two weeks of exhaustive research (and wayyy too many hours on TripAdvisor and the Dis ), we had it narrowed down to Wyndham Bonnet Creek and the Sheraton Vistana Resort.   I went back and forth between the two properties, endlessly discussing with the boys the pros and cons of each.  Their eyes eventually glassed over, and they dutifully handed the decision over to yours truly.....after all, they trust dear ol' Mom  .   In the end, I decided on the Vistana for two very simple reasons:  one, we wouldnt have to go through Vacation Strategy for the villa reservation (even though I knew others had enjoyed great success when booking through them, it was venturing into the unknown for me), and the Jetblue Getaways package of flights plus accommodations for the Vistana was cheaper than flights + a Vacations Strategy booking of Bonnet Creek.   Being the thrifty girl I am, it seemed that if price and convenience were both aligned, I had quite obviously found the answer to my endless search.  The Vistana it was going to be.   

From our stay at the Vistana:









Gosh, I miss it already!!!! 

But I digress.  Back to the report!  

With the getaway package purchased, our dates were set:  flying from Syracuse, New York via our beloved Jetblue, we would arrive in Orlando on Friday, August 23rd and return home on Saturday, August 31st.    The countdown had officially begun!


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## shalom

Yay!  A Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina trip report!  My day is looking UP!  



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I went back and forth between the two properties, endlessly discussing with the boys the pros and cons of each.  Their eyes eventually glassed over, and they dutifully handed the decision over to yours truly.....



Yeah, this sounds familiar.    My boys are just the same.  As are two of the girls, really -- number three will participate, but I think that's partly because she's gone enough she doesn't hear as much of it.    It is a lovely moment when the stars align and you know, "Yep, that's the one."


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## Ted in Halifax

I can see your son grow up in between trip reports!


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## greenclan67

Ready to read!! Get typin!


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## pigletto

I'm in!!!


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## ginny_lynn

Hi! I enjoyed your previous trip reports and look forward to his one!


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## Disneylover99

Love the pics!!! can't wait to read more!  The thought of staying in a 1200 sq. foot villa after vacationing at Pop seems heavenly!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> Yay!  A Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina trip report!  My day is looking UP!



Aw, thanks!    Glad to have you back!



Ted in Halifax said:


> I can see your son grow up in between trip reports!



Isn't it amazing the difference a year (or even just the time since Christmas) makes?    Of course, I also look at the pictures of *myself *and think "holy crap, I look so much older in these pictures than I did on our last vacation!!"  .   So I guess the maturing of my kiddo shouldn't surprise me.



greenclan67 said:


> Ready to read!! Get typin!





pigletto said:


> I'm in!!!



Yay!  Happy to have you both along!



ginny_lynn said:


> Hi! I enjoyed your previous trip reports and look forward to his one!



Thank you!    Welcome back!



Disneylover99 said:


> Love the pics!!! can't wait to read more!  The thought of staying in a 1200 sq. foot villa after vacationing at Pop seems heavenly!



Thanks!     Hopefully Photobucket behaves and I can get lots more photos up for your viewing pleasure.  

More to come shortly!


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## lolale

Love your trip reports!  Although my kids are much younger than your baby, I still take so much useful info from your reports...and they are fun to read... And your from eastern Ontario, too. Looking forward to more updates....


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## Zabnee

Count me in!  (thanks for posting the heads up in the Canadian forum!)


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

So.......lets fast-forward from January to August.  Cause really, no one gives a hoot what happened between the booking of the trip and the departure day .  Lets just say I enjoyed the planning process immensely (as always), and give a big shout out to my fellow Canuck, bankr63, who very patiently answered all my questions and indulged me with photos and PDFs from his March Break getaway at the Vistana to help me pass the waiting time .  I hope he knows how much I appreciated his kindness!!  And for anyone looking for the scoop on the Sheraton Vistana Resort (not the Villages.....different properties), be sure to check out the awesome threads here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3148502

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2088957

So, it was finally departure day!  Even though we had an afternoon flight on the 23rd, we opted to go up the even prior and spend the night at a park-and-fly hotel.  Since Jake had to work until 5 pm on Thursday the 22nd, we didnt get on the road until shortly thereafter.  We stopped about 35 minutes from home in Napanee to feed the boy, who was starving after a long day of entertaining the kiddos at summer camp.  We opted for a quick meal at Wendys, for the sole reason that it was just off the 401 and we could dine speedily and be on our way.   Having no idea how congested the border crossing would be at Alexandria Bay, we really didnt want to dawdle.  

Happily, there was virtually no line at the border (we literally waited behind only two cars) and were through in less than 5 minutes from the time we pulled up.   Woot, woot!   Once onto American soil, we completed the easy commute to Syracuse through the sleepy New York countryside, and we were reminded once again of why we love flying from Syracuse so much more than from Toronto or Buffalo.   Its generally a very peaceful, traffic-free journey.

By early evening, we had arrived.





Despite having a less than stellar experience at the Candlewood Suites Syracuse Airport in August 2012, we ended up there again this year for the sole reason that we could stay the night in a one-bedroom suite at this hotel, pay the additional 7 nights parking fee AND get a free shuttle to the terminal for less than the cost of 8 days parking at the airport (thank you, Priority Club points!).  So we voted (as a family) to give it another shot....after all, it was for only one night, and the location was excellent.  And you know what?  There were definite improvements this time around.  The building didnt have the smoky stench of last year, and our non-smoking suite was sparkling clean and smelled great.   Definitely redeemed itself and was a very acceptable place to stay.  

Some pics of our suite....

The living area:





The kitchen:





The bedroom (holy tiny bed, Batman!  Must have been a double....we elbowed each other all night long!!!):





And finally, the bathroom:









The staff were once again very friendly (as they were last year, too...they were one of the reasons we were willing to give this property a second kick at the cat) and the shuttle drivers were awesome (both to and from the airport).   

We spent a quiet night relaxing and watching TV, then we were off to bed.  In the morning, Steve went across the street and brought back Tim Hortons for breakfast, we showered and packed up, and eventually had lunch at Burger King before beckoning the shuttle for our pilgrimage to the airport.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

lolale said:


> Love your trip reports!  Although my kids are much younger than your baby, I still take so much useful info from your reports...and they are fun to read... And your from eastern Ontario, too. Looking forward to more updates....





Zabnee said:


> Count me in!  (thanks for posting the heads up in the Canadian forum!)



Hello, fellow Canucks!  Welcome aboard!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

We had the shuttle all to ourselves, which was lovely.  Nothing like private airport transportation  .  Having no other guests aboard was particularly nice, as we had lots of room *and *we didn't feel like we needed to be calm and collected for someone else's sake.  We could let all our exuberance spill out and have a little light-hearted fun.  We really are just a trio of very big kids sometimes.  





At the airport, we checked out the interactive flight exhibits that they now have on the first floor of the terminal.    I managed to talk Jake into a pic with the plane, but he flatly refused to climb into the cockpit and pretend he was flying it.   Party pooper! 





We had upgraded our Jetblue seats at the 24-hour mark to the Even More Space section, so the boys were excited about having all the extra legroom.   Turns out the upgrade also entitled us to a special Even More Speed priority security line, which meant we were able to get through security with absolutely zero wait at all....we walked right up, put our stuff in the bins, and were through in a heartbeat.  





That meant we had way more time waiting at the gate than we planned, but no matter....we knew it wouldnt be long until we were on our way.    We all took our Gravol at exactly one hour before departure, and we Facebooked on the laptop to pass the time until boarding.









We boarded and had a very smooth flight, from take-off to landing:





As many of you know, I don't always fly well (yep, I have some very personal experience with those barf bags on the back of the seats ) so we were all thrilled when I experienced no air sickness at all and was feeling mighty fine when we landed.

At 6:30 pm, we touched down at MCO, and were off to collect our luggage and the rental car .  We were finally here!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

First stop was the luggage pick up.  I had hoped that this would go quickly, as I knew Jake was long past the hungry stage and was approaching potentially starving to death .  He is a 17 year old boy, after all.

Sadly, the luggage Gods had other plans, and two of our suitcases were literally the last two pieces of luggage put on the carousel.  Seriously.  The bright spot here was that, by that time, the crowds had dispersed quite a bit so we were able to grab our stuff and make a beeline for the rental car pick up.  I had already done online check-in for our vehicle before leaving home, which meant we could bypass the counter and the kiosk and go straight to the garage.  One of the reasons I adore renting from Alamo. 

We arrived at the garage and headed to the standard SUV aisle, which had a remarkably decent selection of vehicles.  Since I didnt plan on driving the dang thing unless absolutely necessary, I let the boys pick out our wheels.  I knew they would enjoy picking out the one, where quite frankly, I didnt give a hoot.  They settled on a shiny red Jeep Grand Cherokee, which gave us all a comfortable ride (even for Jake in the back seat) and had tons of room for our luggage:





By this point in time, it was starting to get late, we were all growing weary after a day of travelling, and Jake was nearly passing out from malnutrition , so we unanimously agreed on Cicis Pizza for a fast (and filling) dinner.  An added bonus was that it was super close to the Vistana, so once the fellows had their fill, we were literally almost there.   The check-in process was super fast (of course, it was about 8:30 pm at this point, so most of the days arrivals had probably already checked in) and we were elated to find out we had been assigned to the Spas section as we had requested 2 weeks prior via Diamond Lane pre-registration.  In fact, they honoured EVERY request we had...Spas section, top floor, close to pools.  We were welcomed home by a wonderful Sheraton clerk, given maps and activity schedules and a whole selection of information about the resort, then mercifully.....we arrived shortly thereafter at the front door of our building.  





I couldn't wait to get inside!


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## pigletto

Awesome updates!!! And I am so glad you decided to go with the SUV afterall. When I was still following the August rentals you were booked with for a midsize with National. Alamo must have had some more good deals! I love them too! And the Grand Cherokee is way better than a mid size.

Now I can hardly wait to see inside your room either!


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## Debbie

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I couldn't wait to get inside!



Looking forward to seeing pics of the inside, too!


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## My2Qtz0205

I thought your name sounded familiar.  We were both on the December 2012 thread.  I need to find your trip report from that trip.


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## wdwnomad

Hi there Gina.  I was looking forward to your TR.  I always enjoyed following along with your trips.  I started reading them because my family went to Sea World and Aquatica this year and you always had so much insight to those parks.  

However, I do have a confession, we walked right by you when you were in Downtown Disney.  I didn't say anything because well I didn't want to come across as a stalker.  I read lots of trip reports and I always wonder if I would recognize anyone.  Well I finally did!!!  I thought to myself that was Gina Bo-Bo (I am not good with names but got part of it right).  

Anyway, hope you had a good time.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> Awesome updates!!! And I am so glad you decided to go with the SUV afterall. When I was still following the August rentals you were booked with for a midsize with National. Alamo must have had some more good deals! I love them too! And the Grand Cherokee is way better than a mid size.
> 
> Now I can hardly wait to see inside your room either!



The entire time we were watching vehicle prices, I knew DH really wanted Alamo over National, as its "familiar" too him and we know the processes.  Add that to the concern over our eligibility for the KLM Flying Blue code, and we decided it might be worth paying a little more to have peace of mind.  When the rates finally dropped for our dates with Alamo, the standard SUV was cheaper than the midsize, so we snapped up the larger vehicle.  We drive a Dodge Journey at home, and could have had one of those if we wanted.....there were several on the standard SUV aisle when we picked out the Cherokee....but just to try something different, the guys settled on the Jeep.

I just couldn't bring myself to downgrade to the full size car, when I knew DH would love the SUV so much more.  Ah, the things I do for that guy  .

It was a great vehicle and he really enjoyed driving it.  Harder on gas than our Journey, but VERY comfy  . 



Debbie said:


> Looking forward to seeing pics of the inside, too!



Hopefully by later today!  Stay tuned!   And glad to have you along  .



My2Qtz0205 said:


> I thought your name sounded familiar.  We were both on the December 2012 thread.  I need to find your trip report from that trip.



Hey there, good to see you!  

The link to my December report is in my signature as well (the SMALL print), if you want to check it out too.



wdwnomad said:


> Hi there Gina.  I was looking forward to your TR.  I always enjoyed following along with your trips.  I started reading them because my family went to Sea World and Aquatica this year and you always had so much insight to those parks.
> 
> However, I do have a confession, we walked right by you when you were in Downtown Disney.  I didn't say anything because well I didn't want to come across as a stalker.  I read lots of trip reports and I always wonder if I would recognize anyone.  Well I finally did!!!  I thought to myself that was Gina Bo-Bo (I am not good with names but got part of it right).
> 
> Anyway, hope you had a good time.



OMG, you should have TOTALLY said hello!!!!  That would have been so cool!!!  (I never worry about stalkers when I'm out and about with my guys.....lol, you have seen the size of them, right??? )    

We did have a great time.....we thought the weather was pretty spectacular (I will definitely not complain about 3 little afternoon thunderstorms over the course of the week).  I hope you had an enjoyable trip as well!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Not being able to see much of the resort exterior due to the darkness (sometimes late arrivals can really suck), we were very pumped to check out the inside of our villa.  Everything we had read about the Vistanas renovations (which occurred, I think, over a 3-year period from 2009 to 2012) had been so positive, I was almost a little worried that we may have over-hyped the accommodations in our minds and end up being slightly disappointed.   One swing open of the door, however, any worries or concerns that we may have had were immediately swept away&&it was even NICER than we had hoped!!!  

Let me say that the finishings in the villa were absolutely top-notch.  Granite countertops.  Ceramic tile.  Sturdy furniture.  Flat screen TVs.  Warm, earthy colours.  Space.  Space.  And did I mention&..soooo much space???  More than 1200 square feet in all, with a functional layout that worked so very well.    Let me give you the grand tour:

The kitchen offered a view of the front of the unit, or a street/community view.   There was a full size fridge (with an ice maker in the freezer), a large dishwasher, a standard stove and oven, and a microwave.  Amenities also included a double sink, granite countertops, and a breakfast bar with stools (which we loved&&we much preferred grabbing our breakfast there than at the formal dining table).  There were lots of glasses, plates, bowls, cups, silverware, knives and enough pots and pans to create a good meal (if you were so inclined).  There was a coffee maker, a toaster, a blender, and all the small appliances you probably have in your own kitchen, all of which were in great shape.   The only thing I would have said was lacking were good size coffee mugs (they had the small handled cups which matched the plates and bowls, but no regular sized mugs).  We brought our own Tim Hortons coffee for brewing each morning (my  apologies to my American friends, but I am not a fan of Starbucks or Dunkin!) and a big ol mug would have been a little more functional.  We thought about buying a couple of Florida souvenir mugs during one of our shopping expeditions throughout the week but somehow never bothered to do so.  





The main living area was open concept with the kitchen leading into the dining area and living room.  The sofa in the living room was a pull-out (queen size), which raised the sleeping occupancy for the room to 8.  The living room had the largest TV, and patio doors to the screened in balcony.  The living area also had a great view of the small lake behind our building (which you will see in a later post).





The dining area offered a round table and four chairs.





Adjacent to the dining area (just inside the front door), there was a small desk that ended up being our administrative hub for the week.  It was a very convenient place to keep the laptop when not in use, charge our cell phones, and keep our paperwork (shopping receipts for customs, activity schedules, etc.).





The bedrooms were just as spacious as the main living area, and Jake was delighted to have a large rooms with two double beds, a huge closet, and his own flat screen TV.  His room, like the kitchen, also had a community/street view.





He really, really, REALLY enjoyed (as did we!!) having his own personal bathroom (those that have ever had to share with a teenager would know how nice it is for them to have their own space for personal care).  The shower was awesome and housekeeping kept us consistently stocked with a good supply of white, fluffy towels.    Great water pressure (a real sticking point for me) and the temperature of the water got nice and hot (another sticking point&..we like to be lobster-red when were done) .  The beautiful finishings continued in here as well, as did the functional layout.  





Between Jakes bathroom and ours, a large closest opened up to a stackable washer and dryer.  It was apartment sized so I probably ended up doing about a load a day (just so things didnt pile up), which I loved.  Clean and dry swimsuits every time we put them on &. Fabulous.  And coming home with all clean clothing was a dream.  Unpacking has never been so easy.

If we though Jakes bathroom was lovely, the master bath was da bomb.  On the left side of the room, we had our own stand-up shower (very similar to Jakes) with a sink and mirror to the right.   Another awesome supply of towels that was replenished daily.    





We were offered a daily resort credit of $5 per day to forego housekeeping (which was included as part of our Jetblue Getaways rate) but personally, I think it was $5 well spent.  While I love the space afforded by a timeshare property, I also love the housekeeping convenience of a hotel.  This gave us the best of both worlds&..and I was a happy Mom not having to wash linens, make a bed, or even vacuum sand up off the floor the entire trip.  They would even start the dishwasher for us on the days we forgot to do so before leaving the villa.

The right side of the room housed a HUGE therapy tub.  While we didnt use it trip (and probably wouldnt during the summer months when the pools were such wonderful places to hang out), I would have been enjoying those water jets in the winter FOR SURE.





Outside of the bathroom, there was an additional dressing area with a second sink next to a full-length closet (with a safe).   We LOVED having this second area of the master bath, as Steve could shave, shower and use the loo while I unfrizzed (or at least tried to) at the sink and counter in the dressing area.    





The master bedroom boasted a huge king sized bed, a ton of pillows, a view of the lake and had a door to the screened in porch.   There was another flat screen TV in this room, two night tables, and a large dresser.    Might I say that the beds in the villas were soooooo comfortable&&Sheraton has the best beds, ever.    The linens were top-notch as well, great quality and lots of variety in blankets (from a super heavy duvet to light sheets, and a couple of other options in between.





And finally, we have the screened in deck.   A great place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning.  From the balcony, we saw several different birds sunning themselves on the gazebo across the pond, including a gorgeous heron.    





So thats your tour.    Hope you enjoyed it!

Next up:  we've earned ourselves a swim!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Darkness or not, once we were all settled in, we decided to go in search of the nearest pool and grab a moonlight swim.  While we were weary from travelling, we were also a little wired and restless, so we figured a swim was a good way to combat both syndromes.   I let the boys go exploring first (while I finished organizing all the stuff, and worked with the Vistanas front desk team to track down a missing parcel that should have been ready for us at check in..turns out the label was cut off by the shipper and the missing portion was the part that actually had my name on it.doh!) but it wasnt long before they burst back through the door, bubbling with enthusiasm over the amazing pool that was apparently just a hop, skip and jump away from our building.  I jumped into my swimsuit and found myself a the Super Pool in a matter of moments.





This pool turned out to be our favourite among them all (there were 7 pools in total at the resort, with 4 of them being within a 5 minute walk from our door.2 of them a two minute walk away).  We didnt miss a single night of swimming here under the stars (not to mention the multiple afternoons we enjoyed lounging and splashing).    The pool was enormous, with no distinct shape and a pretty consistent depth throughout the entire length.    The guys particularly took advantage of the volleyball net at the far end of the pool and often found other guests eager to take part in their impromptu game.  





Following our swim, we headed back to the villa and eventually hit the sack somewhere between 12:30 and 1 a.m.  Tomorrow was our first full day in Orlando, the kick off to our go-with-the-flow vacation (a first for me) and one of the very few times we had to adhere to any kind of a reservation or time deadline.  We were booked for a tour of a Florida orange grove via a monster truck..so it was off to bed for some much needed rest.  No baggy, dark circles under the eyes permitted..there are vacation pics to be taken, after all!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Since this was our first full day to enjoy (i.e., no travelling as part of the days itinerary), I will call Saturday, August 24th *DAY 1*.

It dawned bright and sunny, a completely picture perfect kick-off to the morning.  Weather was hot, hot, hot, but we didnt find it stiflingly humid.  We had expected worse.

We got our first glimpse of the view from our balcony, and were mighty impressed :





Sorry the pic is a little grainy....its the screen  .

This trip was carefully designed to be a relaxing trip, complete with chunks of time built into the schedule as being unscheduled.  Tough for me to do (relaxing is not one of my best talents, I will admit), but I promised the boys we would have opportunities to enjoy the resort and actually chill out on our vacation.    With that in mind, we were all eager to explore the resort grounds and see what was out there.  Alas, it would have to wait for later, as this day had one of the few commitments of our trip:  we had reservations for a 10 am tour at Showcase of Citrus in Clermont.

I did get a few shots of our villa in the daylight as we piled into the Jeep and headed in search of breakfast.  Its such a pretty resort .





Since we hadnt left ourselves oodles of extra time to make the ½ hour drive, breakfast was going to have to be a quickie.  We settled on Dunkin Donuts conveniently located across SR535 from the resort.  I strongly dislike their coffee (but dont worry, we had enjoyed a pot of our beloved Timmies before we left the villa) as much as Jake strongly enjoys their chicken sandwiches.  I swear his stomach is made of iron .   The boys ate their man-breakfasts and I had a muffin and milk.    Back in the Jeep and we were on our way.





The drive was shorter than I expected and easy..Ms. GPS took us right there, arriving with about 10 minutes to spare .   





We purchased our tickets (half price with a coupon from the Entertainment Book) and were directed to the monster truck boarding area to the rear of the store.





Our driver and tour guide, Chad, was not far behind us.   The bus wasnt full (probably less than 15 of us in total, and two were small children), so we had lots of room to spread out and get comfy in anticipation of the one-hour journey through the 2600 acre orange grove and working farm.  Chad hustled us aboard, gave the horn a good blare, and we rumbled noisily away.





This was a GREAT TOUR.  Jake had been skeptical but we caught him smiling and very much enjoying himself, yes we did .   Chad was a hoot, and his enthusiasm was very contagious.  He knew his stuff, was afraid of nothing, and drove that monster truck with more ease than I drive my beloved little Alero.  

Thanks to an abundance of rain over the summer months, we bogged through some big ol puddles that were more like the size of small ponds.     









We passed rows and rows of orange trees, lemon trees, berry bushes, and some of the most beautiful forest you have ever seen, while Chad filled us in on all sort of neat facts about the day to day operations of such a huge grove.  While none of the oranges were in season at the time of our visit, we could see the thousands of green oranges on the trees as we passed by.   I can only imagine what it would be like to visit when those trees are in blossom.













Showcase of Citrus, "part 2", coming up next.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Continuing right along.......

We stopped along the way to check out some of the wildlife on the farm.  I was kind of disappointed that none of the resident alligators made an appearance, but Chad brought our buggy to an abrupt stop in the middle of the tour, and hopped out like hed been bitten by a spider.  Turns out he had just spotted onea Banana Spider, to be exact, hanging out on one of the palms .  He picked it up and proudly showed it off to everyone on the bus, despite that poor spiders best attempts to escape.  How Chad didnt get bit in the process, I have no idea.





We got to see the resident water buffalo, his wife and baby:









We also had the chance to meet the resident Ankole-Watusi and his lady friend.  Impressive horns on those two.  Chad provided the bus with a huge bucket of animal feed that we could toss out as we grabbed some photos.   Steve had an amazing arm and managed to toss those food pieces so that they landed right in front of their faces.  I, somehow, managed to hit the roof of the bus .  





The farm has its own zebra as well, but he was content to hang out in the field and watch that silly bus drive right on by.





The one-hour expedition flew by, and we had so much fun.  We all agreed that it was most definitely worth the drive and the price of admission, and that it was a wonderful change from the commercial whoopla of the major theme parks.   Even Mr. Skeptic had to admit, with a smile, that it was a darn good time.   Chock one up for Mom .





But our visit didnt stop therewe still had a few more things to do!


----------



## wiigirl

Following along!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

wiigirl said:


> Following along!



Yay!    Welcome aboard!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Back at the store, we took some time to peruse all the homemade jams, jellies, marmalades, honeys and sauces that lined the shelves, and picked up a few items to take home to friends and family (since taking some of their delectable fresh fruit over the border would be a big no-no).   We had a Groupon for $20 worth of food and gifts for $10, so it made for some very thrifty shopping.  Of course, there were lots of opportunities for those crazy touristy photos that I love so much.  I spotted a gator from across the store..and coerced the boy into a picture. 



 

He got rewarded for his easy-goingness with one of these:





Pure heaven in a cup .  A real orange slushie, and quite possibly one of the best things I ate while in Florida.  Oh. So. Good.    Steve opted for the super-deluxe version, the orange creamsicle slushie, which blended vanilla soft serve with the orange slush, and savored every slurp.   A perfect treat on such a warm summer day .  Note to those who might choose to visit here themselves..the slushies are available in souvenir cups for an extra $1.  Would have purchased those myself had I known ahead of time.

We moved on to explore the outside of the store, and guess what?  I found more reasons to take photos!  (not that I needed a reason, I know! ).





Visitors can spend the day fishing in these waters, if they like.    





Perhaps they might catch one of these?  (Okay, maybe not .  Unsure how the shark fit into the theme of Showcase of Citrus , but who am I to pass up the opportunity for another picture?)





But despite the oppressive heat of August, there's no swimming allowedfor good reason  :





By this point in the day, we had arrived at lunch time yet no one was hungry (take my word for it:  those slushies are as filling as they are refreshing).    A short scoot down the street was Kissimmee, so we indulged the boy in not *one* trip to a Nike store





.but *TWO* trips to a Nike store (within a 5 minute drive of each other, I might add!).





It always amazes me how so many retail outlets can survive in the Orlando area.  Not that Im complaining.we get some amazing deals while were in town.    After being outside for the hot morning, it was perfectly okay with me to soak up some air conditioning while we scoped out our first round of bargains.   

By the time we finished shopping, the boys were starting to feel peckish (had to use that word, as it drives Jake crazy.  He thinks it makes me sound weird.  But I am weird, so I dont think it matters).    Next up.lunch at Friendlys.  And were those clouds rolling in?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

We have an unofficial family motto. every vacation should start and end with ice cream.  So it was no surprise when the boys voted to visit Friendlys on International Drive for lunch.  Its a bit of a tradition, and one of those wonderful US chains that we love, and that we wish would expand into Canada.  

On our Christmas trip, we ate at this location and had the most wonderful server.  Imagine our surprise when the very same woman was our waitress once again.  We remembered her, but she didnt remember us (guess we didnt make a lasting impression, lol), but we ended up with some fabulous service again this visit.





Jake ordered his beloved Honey BBQ Chicken Supermelt .   He doesnt even look at the menu anymore.  





I opted for the chicken fingers.  Following this picture, I relegated the coleslaw to Steves plate..Im not a coleslaw girl.  Our dear server offered to bring me double fries in place of the coleslaw, which I declined..no way would I be able to eat all that.





And for Steve?  Oh, Steve.  What he was about to do to himself .





He opted for the Build Your Own Burger.  To this day, I cant even tell you what all was on it, besides the fact that it was topped with a fried egg .  All I know is that he couldnt get his mouth around that sucker, and THAT is saying something!!!  





Sadly, after morning slushies and our Friendlys entrees, our stomachs had reached capacity and not a single one of us had room left for ice cream .   A travesty, let me tell you.   So we took a pass on dessert.  At Friendly's, of all places.  Now doesn't that just seem wrong?  

By the end of lunch, it was nearing 2:30 pm, and the sky was growing really dark.  Full and tired, we opted for a stop for supplies at Walmart, then planned to head back to the Vistana for some resort time.  It rained so hard while we were inside Walmart that I thought the roof might collapse, so we took our time and meandered around the store while Mother Nature unleashed her fury outdoors.  We were in no hurry to walk across the parking lot to the Jeep in a monsoon!!!    Eventually, the skies quieted and we made the short trip back to the resort and unloaded our purchases.  Like magic, the sun came out once again just as if the rain hadnt bothered with us in the first place.  One of the reasons I love Florida  !


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## My2Qtz0205

That citrus farm sounds so neat!  What a find!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Glad to find your report, I read your December one too 

The Sheraton looks wonderful, it's been a while, but we stayed at the villages and enjoyed it there. As you said, the space is great.

Really looking forward to more


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

My2Qtz0205 said:


> That citrus farm sounds so neat!  What a find!



It _*was*_ a great morning  .  I actually initially read about the Showcase of Citrus here on the Dis, mentioned briefly in passing in a few different posts but with enough info that it piqued my interest.  I really like the "off the beaten path" attractions...the airboat ride we did in December was another gem.  I still have a few on my to-do list, so hopefully there will be more trips in the future so I can check them out, too  . 



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Glad to find your report, I read your December one too
> 
> The Sheraton looks wonderful, it's been a while, but we stayed at the villages and enjoyed it there. As you said, the space is great.
> 
> Really looking forward to more



The Vistana was awesome  .  We had considered the Villages vs. the Resort for this trip, but ended up choosing the Resort because of its proximity to Disney (even though we were not doing the theme parks, we knew we wanted to visit both TL and BB).   Might have to keep the Villages in the back of my mind for a SeaWorld trip....the proximity to the SW parks is excellent!


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## shalom

Sheraton Vistana has been on our short list the last two times, so glad to see that.  Also really looking forward to the World of Citrus monster truck ride, which sounds like it could be really neat but I haven't seen many reviews on it.  And I know you'll do it justice.  



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> The only thing I would have said was lacking were good size coffee mugs (they had the small handled cups which matched the plates and bowls, but no regular sized mugs).



This is one reason I collect mugs on vacation.  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> The dining area offered a round table and four chairs.



In a unit that sleeps eight?  How Disney of them.  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> We were offered a daily resort credit of $5 per day to forego housekeeping (which was included as part of our Jetblue Getaways rate) but personally, I think it was $5 well spent.



$5/day for housekeeping is an excellent deal.    Some timeshares charge more than that for an extra towel exchange!

Square footage only tells part of the story, but it looks like they managed their space very well.  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> a Banana Spider, to be exact, hanging out on one of the palms .  He picked it up and proudly showed it off to everyone on the bus, despite that poor spiders best attempts to escape.  How Chad didnt get bit in the process, I have no idea.



We saw one of those "beauties" at Brookgreen, near Myrtle Beach.






They are kind of pretty... for a spider.    Apparently they're pretty mellow and won't bite unless you pinch them. And they're not dangerous poisonous, although their bites still hurt.  I still wouldn't pick one up!



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> So we took a pass on dessert.  At Friendly's, of all places.  Now doesn't that just seem wrong?



  I expected better of you guys.  That's just criminal. 



So how rough was the Showcase of Citrus ride?  Mostly smooth?  Mostly bouncing and jouncing?   If you could compare it to Kilimanjaro Safari or something I'd be most grateful.


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## sympatico

Always like reading your trip reports, Gina. We've been to Showcase of Citrus to pick oranges a few times but have never taken the swamp buggy ride. We usually go in late Oct-Nov and/or late Feb-Mar when oranges are in season.


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## cheerky

Vistana looks beautiful!  I stayed there when I was a senior in high school (which was many, many years ago) but it still ranks as one of my faves!!!  
Looks like a successful day in Clermont... no sinkholes!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

sympatico said:


> Always like reading your trip reports, Gina. We've been to Showcase of Citrus to pick oranges a few times but have never taken the swamp buggy ride. We usually go in late Oct-Nov and/or late Feb-Mar when oranges are in season.



We will be there from 27th October and dd has asked to go (we drove by it in December ) so good to hear oranges will be in season


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## dennise

As usual an A+ for the trip report, keep it coming, thoroughly enjoy it.    I notice Steve must be a Leafs fan, we are planning a Leaf/Tampa game on our April trip.     Not necessarily a Leaf fan, but with 3 hockey players(g-sons), we don't want to go into withdrawal on vacation.    We went to a Pittsburgh/Tampa game in April but Crosby was on the injured list.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> Sheraton Vistana has been on our short list the last two times, so glad to see that.  Also really looking forward to the World of Citrus monster truck ride, which sounds like it could be really neat but I haven't seen many reviews on it.  And I know you'll do it justice.
> 
> This is one reason I collect mugs on vacation.
> 
> In a unit that sleeps eight?  How Disney of them.
> 
> $5/day for housekeeping is an excellent deal.    Some timeshares charge more than that for an extra towel exchange!
> 
> Square footage only tells part of the story, but it looks like they managed their space very well.
> 
> We saw one of those "beauties" at Brookgreen, near Myrtle Beach.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They are kind of pretty... for a spider.    Apparently they're pretty mellow and won't bite unless you pinch them. And they're not dangerous poisonous, although their bites still hurt.  I still wouldn't pick one up!
> 
> I expected better of you guys.  That's just criminal.
> 
> So how rough was the Showcase of Citrus ride?  Mostly smooth?  Mostly bouncing and jouncing?   If you could compare it to Kilimanjaro Safari or something I'd be most grateful.



I was surprised, too, that the table only sat four.  Now granted, I am sure most folks wouldn't put more than 6 people in that unit (unless they use the pullout.... but I would think that would be a FULL villa with that many bodies, luggage, etc.) and then there's seating for two more at the adjacent breakfast bar, but it still seemed like a strange choice.   We wondered if that's why they went with the less plush style of chairs in the living area....making them a little more functional then a standard "easy chair" if they needed to be pulled up to the table for dining?

That banana spider gives me the heebie jeebies.  Just sayin'  .  I mean, Florida has some mighty nifty (and unique) wildlife (I will wholeheartely admit to having a thing for alligators, I find armadillos to be adorable, and I've even learned to live with those teeny little lizards that are EVERYWHERE in Orlando) but spiders?    They freak me out.  Particularly the ones the size of Oreo cookies.

I couldn't believe we blew it on the ice cream too.  I was so ashamed....me, queen of the sweet tooth.  Next time, I am eating dessert FIRST, and that's a promise  .

Roughness of the ride?  I asked DH for his input too, and he thought it was less rough than Kilimanjaro.  The seats were really nicely padded, for a monster truck.    Now, we did get kind of stuck in the mud at one point, which was a bit jiggly to get out of, and it was reasonably bumpy, but nothing too terrible (it definitely didn't bother my aging back, and I've had physiotherapy for it over the course of the year).  

So happy to have all your awesome input and comments on this thread  !


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

cheerky said:


> Vistana looks beautiful!  I stayed there when I was a senior in high school (which was many, many years ago) but it still ranks as one of my faves!!!
> Looks like a successful day in Clermont... no sinkholes!



We drove past Summer Bay on our way to Showcase of Citrus.  It was very humbling to see such a lovely looking resort that has suffered so badly at the hand of nature.  I mean, it looked no different than the Vistana, Westgate Lakes, Orange Lake, or the hundreds of other resorts in the area.  Who would have thought???

How did you guys make out on your vacation?  You ended up moving to a different resort, didn't you?  (as would I have, too!)


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dennise said:


> As usual an A+ for the trip report, keep it coming, thoroughly enjoy it.    I notice Steve must be a Leafs fan, we are planning a Leaf/Tampa game on our April trip.     Not necessarily a Leaf fan, but with 3 hockey players(g-sons), we don't want to go into withdrawal on vacation.    We went to a Pittsburgh/Tampa game in April but Crosby was on the injured list.



Thank you, dennise  .  Yep, Steve and Jake are Leaf fans (what does that say about my boys??   Hopefully its considered a noble quality to root for the underdogs!  But hey, they actually made the playoffs last year....so at least we can say they're "improving"!!! )

I think taking in a sporting event is a great idea when down south.  Its fun to cheer for the opposition in their building.  We went to a Toronto Raptors/Orlando Magic basketball game at the Amway Center on our Christmas trip and had a ball.  As an added bonus...the tickets are cheaper and WAY easier to get as well!

Have a great time!  And glad to have you reading along!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

So.when I last left off,we had arrived back at the Vistana in the late afternoon of day 1.

Moving right along .....

Back at the resort, out came the sun and on came the wonderfully hot summer heat.  The boys and I made a beeline for the Super Pool, eager to explore it by the light of day rather than the moonlight of the previous evening. I had solemnly promised that this trip would involve their much-anticipated rest and relaxation, and give them the resort time we grew to love on our vacation last August.  

The Super Pool (why its not called the Spas Pool, Im not sure..every other pool at the resort is named after the section in which is lies, with the sole exception being the Super Pool) was even better by day.    









In addition to the main pool, there was a shallow splash pool for the youngest guests:





A family hot tub (which I didn't an individual picture of  but if you can close your eyes and picture it using the picture two photos above, it was located to the left of the stairs into the pool), and a second, more private raised hot tub.:





Zimmies Restaurant and Bar offered an outdoor seating and service area for those wishing to enjoy a poolside beverage.  

At the end of the Super Pool, we found the sand volleyball court:





Beside the pool was the Main Recreation Center , which offered a variety of childrens activities and was the south side hub for lending sports equipment (basketballs, volleyballs, tennis rackets, etc..all free to guests).

On either side of the Rec Center were the tennis courts (and my heavens, there were a lot of them!), and mini golf (more pictures of both to come in a later post).     And just beyond those areas were two more pool areas (Courts and Falls), a playground (next to the Falls pool) and some bee-you-ti-ful basketball courts (enjoyed several times by my guys).  All of this great stuff (along with the Cascades pool and rec areas, which were located to the front of the Spas area as opposed to the side)  was less than a five minute walk from our villa door.  As far as location went, Spas 464 was absolutely prime.

We spent some very refreshing time in the pool, then came back for a rest at the villa before tossing around ideas for dinner.  





Getting adjusted to the heat had taken quite a bit out of us, so no one was eager to hop back in the hot Jeep and head anywhere in search of vittles.   We werent entirely sure how delivery would work with the fabulous gated security at the entrances (I *loved* that access was strictly monitored) so we nixed that idea just because we were too weary to call the front desk and ask.  We remembered seeing a flyer from Zimmies (which was just a couple of buildings down from ours) that said they offered a barbecue buffet on Saturday evenings, so we dug it out of the pile of papers given to us at check in, reviewed the details, and decided wed give it a try.  

This was the ONLY place the Vistana disappointed us over the entire stay.

Let me preface these comments by saying the meal wasnt bad.  It was perfectly palatable.  But for the price we paid in comparison to some of the other amazing meals we had that week, it was truly underwhelming, and the service and ambiance didnt knock our socks off either.  It was very ordinary and very meh.  The buffet consisted of hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, mac and cheese, baked beans, flavoured rice and (maybe?) corn.   Dessert was chocolate pudding and watermelon.  And that was it.  Now, we all got full and the taste of all items was fine, but yet.I dunno.  It just was a let-down.  I didnt even take any photos!!!

We did not return to Zimmies for the rest of the trip.   Lesson learned:  next time we are feeling lazy, figure out how to order in.

The evening we spent splishin and splashin under the stars (the Super Pool was open daily until 1 am), and then we slept like babies.   First day, done.


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## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> a big shout out to my fellow Canuck, bankr63, who very patiently answered all my questions and indulged me with photos and PDFs from his March Break getaway at the Vistana to help me pass the waiting time .  I hope he knows how much I appreciated his kindness!!



 

My goodness, did it just get hot in here!?!  

I'm checking in, a couple of days late on account of I am SWAMPED with work after a few days away camping.  Imagine work getting in the way of my DIS time!

And it is always my pleasure to share a little bit of Disney or Sheraton   Just glad that I could help!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> My goodness, did it just get hot in here!?!
> 
> I'm checking in, a couple of days late on account of I am SWAMPED with work after a few days away camping.  Imagine work getting in the way of my DIS time!
> 
> And it is always my pleasure to share a little bit of Disney or Sheraton   Just glad that I could help!



I just hope you know (and I mean really *KNOW*) how much I appreciated all of your "insider" information.  There was literally no question you couldn't (or wouldn't) answer.   I am sure you wanted to hit the delete button more than once when you saw yet ANOTHER one of my posts  but yet you patiently provided yet another awesome and detailed response.   You rock!


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## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Add that to the concern over our eligibility for the KLM Flying Blue code, and we decided it might be worth paying a little more to have peace of mind.
> 
> OMG, you should have TOTALLY said hello!!!!  That would have been so cool!!!  (I never worry about stalkers when I'm out and about with my guys.....lol, you have seen the size of them, right??? )



The Flying Blue code really did work.  We used it, and had a (guess what?) Dodge Journey.  A bit smaller than our Chevy Traverse, but very comfortable for the week.  

Come to think of it, we bought the Traverse after having rented it for a week on our previous WDW trip.

And speaking of stalkers, I'm starting to worry now.  Your unit is *directly *above the unit we had in March...


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Sunday, August 25th..day 2!  (and the 4-month mark before Christmas)

Today we declared out official shopping day (not that we didnt do some sort of shopping almost every day.or so it seemed.but this day was definitely more retail-centered than the others).  Jake could not be happier.  For those that havent read my past trip reports, let me take a moment to explain that Jake is the girl I will never have when it comes to shopping .  He loves clothes.  He has a shoe thing.  He LOVES to shop.  And he saves and budgets and works his fanny off for months in advance to bring along a substantial budget (and 3 empty carry-ons) to replenish his wardrobe on each trip to Orlando.  To say he was pumped for this day would be like saying its warm in Florida in August.  A tad bit of an understatement .

Since we were up early the day prior in order to get to our monster truck tour reservation, I let the boys sleep in on this day.  They needed it and so did I.  Unfortunately, my early rising tendencies kicked in and I was up at virtually normal time (which is way, way too early when on vacation).  The day had dawned bright and sunny with a fabulous morning, so I decided to take a little tour of the neighbourhood before waking my sleeping beauties.  So this would be a good place to share some of my resort photos.

Spas section:









Cascades section:

















Cascades pool:









Surrey bikes, for rent at the Cascades pool:





Courts main pool:





Courts splash pool (or maybe it was a second hot tub?  Not sure!):





Courts hot tub:





Falls pool:









Falls playground:





Basketball court:





There were ducks EVERYWHERE.  





Some in the water, and some strolling about the grounds.  Some strange looking fellows, black with red faces, were usually hanging out at in the grass in front of our building, and they were NOT afraid of people.

The resort was just so pretty, I could have happily taken photos for HOURS.  But it was time for the guys to get their fannies moving, so I went back to the villa to wake them up.  This might take food as a bribe.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> The Flying Blue code really did work.  We used it, and had a (guess what?) Dodge Journey.  A bit smaller than our Chevy Traverse, but very comfortable for the week.
> 
> Come to think of it, we bought the Traverse after having rented it for a week on our previous WDW trip.
> 
> And speaking of stalkers, I'm starting to worry now.  Your unit is *directly *above the unit we had in March...



Good to know about the KLM code.  I may have to resort to it on a future trip (and yes, I am currently working at batting my eyelashes and cooing to the big guy, so I can book another August getaway when Jetblue releases their schedule  ).     National lets you pick your vehicle, right?

LMAO, I was was looking back at your photos from March and was thinking.....what a co-incidence that you took pictures of Spas building 4.  Then DUH!  It clicks in.....that's where YOU must have stayed  .  And I couldn't help but think that was one bizarre fluke.  Thankfully it wasn't the SAME unit or that would have been just way too weird, even for *my* weirdness scale!    (which is pretty broad at the best of times )


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## shalom

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I was surprised, too, that the table only sat four.



We usually get a place that sleeps eight or more, and six chairs seems to be the standard for 2 BRs, four for 1 BRs.  I don't think we've ever stayed in a place with a studio; we always get at least one bedroom and when we're getting a 2 BR usually get a dedicated.  All the three bedrooms we've been in were combined 1 & 2 BRs, which have seating for 10 at two different tables.

The only time we've ever had a table that sat eight on vacation was in 5 br place that slept 13 -- but the kids liked sitting at the taller table that sat four or at the bar, so I'm not sure we ever all sat at the one table that would have fit us.  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> We drove past Summer Bay on our way to Showcase of Citrus.  It was very humbling to see such a lovely looking resort that has suffered so badly at the hand of nature.



It's unnerving.  I knew sinkholes were an issue in Florida, and that Orlando is either dead in or on the edge of "sinkhole alley" (which, like tornado alley, varies in size depending on who you ask), but it's a lot harder to play "lalala, can't hear you!" when a resort that I've actually researched gets hit with one!  

From all I've heard, Summer Bay is a well-run resort, and, while of course front desk staff was overrun and this was a very unusual circumstance, they seemed to have handled it well.  And I'm so thankful that everyone got out alive.  Which I think is partly due to the fact that the closest (or only) security guard kept his head, figured out what was going on in the early stages, ran into the collapsing building, and started herding people out and helping them through windows and the like.


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## purplekicks

I LOVE reading your trip reports!    This is my first time posting but I have read all of them since joining the DIS.

You are giving me so many ideas of things to do outside of the parks when we take our first family trip to Orlando for 12 days next June.  I will definitely check some of these out.  

I hope you don't mind if I ask a question or two here or there as I start making plans for our trip.


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## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I was surprised, too, that the table only sat four.  Now granted, I am sure most folks wouldn't put more than 6 people in that unit (unless they use the pullout.... but I would think that would be a FULL villa with that many bodies, luggage, etc.) and then there's seating for two more at the adjacent breakfast bar, but it still seemed like a strange choice.   We wondered if that's why they went with the less plush style of chairs in the living area....making them a little more functional then a standard "easy chair" if they needed to be pulled up to the table for dining?



Umm, just wanted to point out that there are actually 6 chairs for the table.  The one at the console table by the door is a match (you see it in your pictures), and there should be a sixth beside the entertainment unit in the living room (don't think it shows in your pic; kind of tucked into the corner).  We have comfortably sat 6 at that table, but the 7th gets a bit difficult as the lucky #7 gets to sit on one of the tall breakfast stools, and real estate at the table starts to get a bit tight.  Unfortunately for OUR Jake (youngest nephew) that was his plight as the smallest of the 7...

Actually this kind of speaks to your comment about the versatility of the unit.  Just about anything you need is close at hand, you just have to stop and think for a second.  I would also bet that the resort would be happy to bring in an extra chair or two if you had a full complement of 8.


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## bankr63

Okay, all caught up!  And I just want to say that you have a really good photographic eye.  Your morning walkabout photos are da bomb.  Makes me feel like I'm back there again.  But I'm not there...  

Seriously, thanks for the flashbacks!

Also, it is nice to see the ponds and fountains fully functional.  Many don't realize that these are more than just pretty features; they are also storm water management.  When we go in March water levels are generally down, sometimes a couple of feet, and fountains may be turned off if there isn't enough water to run them.  It looks so much better with the water levels higher.

As for your red faced ducks (we named them turduckins due to their size), we had one nesting just off our balcony last trip.  She had as many as 8 eggs in there, although some got poached the last night there.  We were hoping to wake up one morning to a new brood, but wasn't to be.  Interesting that mama only sat on the nest at night when it was cold; I guess Florida is warm enough during the day that eggs don't need full time attention.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> The only time we've ever had a table that sat eight on vacation was in 5 br place that slept 13 -- but the kids liked sitting at the taller table that sat four or at the bar, so I'm not sure we ever all sat at the one table that would have fit us.



lol....doesn't that figure? 



purplekicks said:


> I LOVE reading your trip reports!    This is my first time posting but I have read all of them since joining the DIS.
> 
> You are giving me so many ideas of things to do outside of the parks when we take our first family trip to Orlando for 12 days next June.  I will definitely check some of these out.
> 
> I hope you don't mind if I ask a question or two here or there as I start making plans for our trip.



Thanks for the kind compliments  .  I am glad you are finding the trip reports helpful.  And absolutely, if you have any questions, ask away! (don't be shy!)



bankr63 said:


> Umm, just wanted to point out that there are actually 6 chairs for the table.  The one at the console table by the door is a match (you see it in your pictures), and there should be a sixth beside the entertainment unit in the living room (don't think it shows in your pic; kind of tucked into the corner).  We have comfortably sat 6 at that table, but the 7th gets a bit difficult as the lucky #7 gets to sit on one of the tall breakfast stools, and real estate at the table starts to get a bit tight.  Unfortunately for OUR Jake (youngest nephew) that was his plight as the smallest of the 7...
> 
> Actually this kind of speaks to your comment about the versatility of the unit.  Just about anything you need is close at hand, you just have to stop and think for a second.  I would also bet that the resort would be happy to bring in an extra chair or two if you had a full complement of 8.



You are absolutely right!!!  I had totally forgotten about the chair in the corner (we actually commented on it when we arrived, and wondered what it was for).  I completely didn't notice that the desk chair was a match to the dining set either, but now it all makes perfect sense.

Its amazing what we don't notice when we're just a small family of 3.  We always tend to have more than what we need no matter where we go (because almost everything, everywhere is set up for a standard of 4 people at minimum).

Kudos to you for being able to vacation with your relatives.  You are a better man than me!!!   The idea of sharing a villa with any of my family members (with the exception of my mom) makes me want to throw myself to the alligators at Gatorland  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Okay, all caught up!  And I just want to say that you have a really good photographic eye.  Your morning walkabout photos are da bomb.  Makes me feel like I'm back there again.  But I'm not there...
> 
> Seriously, thanks for the flashbacks!
> 
> Also, it is nice to see the ponds and fountains fully functional.  *Many don't realize that these are more than just pretty features; they are also storm water management. * When we go in March water levels are generally down, sometimes a couple of feet, and fountains may be turned off if there isn't enough water to run them.  It looks so much better with the water levels higher.
> 
> As for your red faced ducks (we named them turduckins due to their size), we had one nesting just off our balcony last trip.  She had as many as 8 eggs in there, although some got poached the last night there.  We were hoping to wake up one morning to a new brood, but wasn't to be.  Interesting that mama only sat on the nest at night when it was cold; I guess Florida is warm enough during the day that eggs don't need full time attention.




You are just FULL of fantastic info  .  Here I thought the fountains were just an effort in property beautification  .  Apparently they have had lots of rain down there this summer....one lady we chatted with said it had rained every day for three months....so that likely explains why the water is higher.  

For those who want to see a photo of those homely red-marked ducks, here's one:





The "regular" ducks seemed to stick close to (or would be found swimming in) the various little lakes and ponds around the property, but these guys meandered all around the grounds.  Such unusual markings on their faces!


----------



## pigletto

I'm loving your trip report Gina. You sure have made me interested in Vistana. I even took a gander at some resale timeshare prices last night. You know me, always planning down the road.

Would you ever consider buying into an offsite property? I think for me I like to try all kinds of different places so wouldn't want to be locked in to one place. But it's tempting sometimes. We'll probably always end up going to Florida in some form or another, and I often think it would make more sense to just buy in somewhere. But for now, I don't want to limit my options I guess.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> I'm loving your trip report Gina. You sure have made me interested in Vistana. I even took a gander at some resale timeshare prices last night. You know me, always planning down the road.
> 
> Would you ever consider buying into an offsite property? I think for me I like to try all kinds of different places so wouldn't want to be locked in to one place. But it's tempting sometimes. We'll probably always end up going to Florida in some form or another, and I often think it would make more sense to just buy in somewhere. But for now, I don't want to limit my options I guess.



Ya know, you could always look into trying it out the last week of August next year (that's when we hope to go back).  It would be lovely to enjoy a Long Island iced tea with a friend in a lounger by the pool  .  

In all seriousness, we have many times talked about the potential value of purchasing a timeshare vs. individual bookings for each trip.   That said, while we have very much enjoyed some of the places we have stayed (such as Westgate Lakes) we hadn't really "fallen in love" with one particular property, so to speak.

But I must admit......staying at the Vistana has changed that.

None of us even want to consider a different resort for future trips.  It really had everything that we have ever wanted in a resort property....I can't think of a single thing that was lacking.   It had the right "feel".  The villa had all the right amenities.  It was in our desired location.  It was that "vacation" experience we had been seeking.  Now....we got a super cheap rate through our JetBlue package (after price of $120 per night, taxes included) which isn't that much more than a week of maintenance fees for owners, I don't think (bankr63 can correct me if I'm wrong).  So if we could continue to stay that economically (remember that included daily housekeeping too, which the owners don't get) then I would be happy as a "renter" for the rest of my life.  Something tells me, though, that we may not get that lucky again as far as the room rate goes.

bankr63 offered (way, way back when!) to give me a tutorial on how to purchase Vistana for pennies vs. what Sheraton would sell.  I may have to take him up on the offer for more details.  Its worth weighing the options.  

Steve has been not-so-jokingly tossing out the suggestion that we both apply for jobs there .  He wants to work one of the security booths and he thinks I would be a natural for their customer service desk.  He was also working out Plan B, which involves winning the lottery and then purchasing 52 weeks in Spas and just living at the resort on a permanent basis.  A client of the firm that I work for won 3.3 million last August playing lotto 649, so I guess its technically possible......if we actually every bought lottery tickets  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

For breakfast, Steve and I headed to the Marketplace (he had roused himself without my intervention, and was showered and ready to go), which was super conveniently located just a stones throw away from our building.  Not only did it offer a selection of grocery items, health and beauty aids, alcohol, clothing and gift items, it also featured a full service deli and a Starbucks.  We had noticed (the previous day) on the sign outside that they offered breakfast sandwiches at the Starbucks/deli, so I figured wed give them a whirl.   We had vowed to eat less substantial breakfasts on this trip (too many morning meals spent at buffets on previous trips had us feeling rather bloated by mid-vacation) so a breakfast sandwich seemed just about right.  We had the fridge stocked with healthy beverages in the villa (orange juice and milk) from our expedition to Walmart the day prior, and a supply of Tim Hortons coffee for brewing our favourite taste of home, so we didnt have to pick up anything to drink with the sandwiches.





For $3.99 each ($4.25 with tax), we could select from either a bagel (any flavour), a croissant or an English muffin, add egg and cheese, and our choice of sausage, bacon or ham.  While the friendly staff prepared our order, we explored the offerings of the Marketplace.













With our bag of sandwiches in hand, we headed back to the villa to wake the boy.  As I predicted, it was much easier to get him moving with the smell of sausage wafting past his nostrils.





I waited too long to get the pic, and when I did, Steve's bagel sandwich was gone-zo.  But I fed him.  I promise.  

Breakfast was good. Really good.  Happy family all around. 

Fed and dressed, the boy was eager to embark on his shopping adventures......so we piled into the Jeep and made the short trek to the days first stop:  the Florida Mall.





While we knew we were in for a full mall tour before we were done, we also knew that the first stop had to be one place, and one place only for our basketball-lovin boy:





Remember when I said hes the girl Ill never have?  Well then, it shouldnt surprise you when he made a beeline for this section of the store:





A pair of basketball shoes (in his school colours...very important), new basketball socks, and a pair of trainers later.........we continued our retail therapy at the remainder of the stores.  Hollister.  Champs.  All the places we dont have at home.  Steve got a couple of pair of new sunglasses from one of the little kiosks.   I am sure the stock market must have gone up that day, as Jake in particular worked diligently to stimulate the Florida economy.

Following the Florida Mall, the next stop on Jakes retail wish-list was the Lake Buena Vista Factory Outlet stores.  En route, we stopped at Popeyes (another fast food joint we enjoy but dont have in our little corner of Canada) for lunch but for some reason, I missed getting any photos (bad mother).  After an appropriate amount of Cajun-inspired sustenance (cause shopping can work up quite an appetite, you know) we arrived at our second stop of the day.





This was our first visit to these outlets.  We are loyal fans of the Premium Outlet malls (both locations).  But since this mall was so very close to our resort, there was no reason not to give it a whirl.  Jake had spotted an Under Armor logo on the signage, so we knew if they had nothing more that appealed to him, hed still be happy.





Overall, it was a very successful outing.  Jake and Steve both snagged some GREAT deals at Under Armour.  I got a cheap pair of new Crocs.  We sampled chocolates at the Lindt outlet.  We checked out several other stores as well as we worked our way from one end to the other.  

We made the two-minute drive back to the resort and unloaded all our purchases of the day.

With an hour or two to spare before would embark in search of dinner, we opted to take in one of the activities hosted by the FUN team at the Vistana.  

Did I hear someone yell "BINGO"?


----------



## Nixie

You really should warn a girl before you put big scary pictures of spiders in your trip report    I am really enjoying your review (beside the spider pictures  ) Can't wait for more!


----------



## dancin Disney style

I'm so excited to find your TR.....I had actually thought about it while we were in FL.  That's  puts me into the weird category also.

Just a little bit of info on the timeshare purchase discussion.  I've looked very seriously into making a purchase for our family...we are in FL every year and have been since 2005.  Once you know how to find the deals on renting a villa it makes no sense at all to buy in.  This trip I got 2 weeks at the Marriott Grande Vista for $1080(could have had it for $1000 but I opted to go  through Ebay for security) .  You would have to pay more than that in maintenance fees and by renting you have no life long commitment to ownership. We will continue to rent and probably not ever purchase.

That storm on the 24th was the absolute worst of the 2 weeks we were there.  In fact, there was far less rain and humidity than usual.  We even found a couple of our pools days could have been a little hotter....can't believe I said that but true


----------



## shalom

We silmuposted yesterday, so I'm going to go back to oooh and ahhh over Vistana.  It's a pretty resort.    I love the waterfall in the pool (okay, I pretty much love ANY waterfall in a pool), and I didn't know they had that.    Didn't know they had surrey bikes, either.    And I always approve of a basketball court -- you'd think they're cheap enough they'd be everywhere, especially since you can pair them with a tennis court but, at least in our system, they're kind of unusual.  

Didn't see any in your pics, but I'm guessing the red-faced ducks are feral muscovy.  They're considered an invasive species in the US and a nuisance in Florida, so it's legal to chase them off or to shake the eggs in the nest to ensure there are no new ones.  The only bird I ever let my kids chase (and the only one they ever wanted to) was Canadian geese, but of course muscovys are no problem here (they're native to South American and so much more of an issue in Florida or Texas).




bankr63 said:


> Umm, just wanted to point out that there are actually 6 chairs for the table.



Good to know.  

Although with my broad shouldered brood, not sure we'd be happy sitting six at that round table!




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> For those who want to see a photo of those homely red-marked ducks, here's one:



I guessed rightly; that's a feral muscovy.  I agree that they're homely, but OTOH people definitely notice them! 



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> bankr63 offered (way, way back when!) to give me a tutorial on how to purchase Vistana for pennies vs. what Sheraton would sell.  I may have to take him up on the offer for more details.  Its worth weighing the options.



Seconding *bankr63* that resale is the way to go.  I don't know how Sheraton works, but our resale purchase includes an RCI membership (whether we want it or not ), which gives you access to a lot of good deals, although admittedly they're mostly offseason.    For us, having access to other owners we can rent from and having access to RCI's cash deals has definitely paid for our investment many times over.  But it depends on how much your initial investment and yearly fees are; people who own DVC, for instance, get a good deal when they're staying at Disney, but lose money just about every time they trade out, and their RCI membership doesn't give them access to the cash deals.  

Which last is really peculiar, I think -- everywhere else I've looked into that comes with an RCI membership, it's the same sort of membership we have.  Most RCI cash deals are on par with what you'll find for a rental, but you get that added level of security of dealing with RCI rather than dealing with an individual.    And it's much cheaper to trade INTO a DVC unit than it is to own there, so owning DVC is definitely not the cheapest way of staying there.  But compared even to Disney discount prices, owning DVC is a huge savings for people who go often enough to justify it.  And now I'm wandering.  My original point was just that there's considerable variety in costs and benefits with timeshares, so research the particular one you're interested in.


*The Market Place* looks very roomy and comfortable compared to many a Disney equivalent.  I hadn't consciously thought of the Disney resort stores as crowded, but apparently my subconscious noticed a time or two.  Or maybe it's just that are more low displays in that shot, I dunno.



Nixie said:


> You really should warn a girl before you put big scary pictures of spiders in your trip report



Sorry about that; my fault.    But, in terms of the face, it's a very "Charlotte of Charlotte's Web" looking spider, don't you think?  Kinda benign somehow.

Or not.    I did think about going back and putting in a warning a while after I posted; now I'm just trying to justify my laziness.


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina you're doing a great job of advertising the Vistana, the grounds are beautiful and the Marketplace looks good too 

Really enjoying your report, you certainly seem to be having the promised leisure time


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Nixie said:


> You really should warn a girl before you put big scary pictures of spiders in your trip report    I am really enjoying your review (beside the spider pictures  ) Can't wait for more!



lol, its good to know someone else is creeped out by spiders.  I hate to sound like a big chicken, but I abhor bugs of any kind.   *shalom*, behave yourself from here on out!!!  No more scaring my readers   .



dancin Disney style said:


> I'm so excited to find your TR.....I had actually thought about it while we were in FL.  That's  puts me into the weird category also.
> 
> Just a little bit of info on the timeshare purchase discussion.  I've looked very seriously into making a purchase for our family...we are in FL every year and have been since 2005.  Once you know how to find the deals on renting a villa it makes no sense at all to buy in.  This trip I got 2 weeks at the Marriott Grande Vista for $1080(could have had it for $1000 but I opted to go  through Ebay for security) .  You would have to pay more than that in maintenance fees and by renting you have no life long commitment to ownership. We will continue to rent and probably not ever purchase.
> 
> That storm on the 24th was the absolute worst of the 2 weeks we were there.  In fact, there was far less rain and humidity than usual.  We even found a couple of our pools days could have been a little hotter....can't believe I said that but true



lol, there's lots of room for more friends in my weirdness club.  Glad to hear you were thinking of me while you were on your vacation, 'cause I was actually thinking of YOU and wondering how your trip was going and how you were enjoying the Grande Vista  .

I definitely hear what you are saying about the whole timeshare ownership thing  . We would definitely have to do more pondering before we ever decided to move forward with a purchase.  There are so many pros and cons to both sides to consider!

We did not find the weather to be very oppressive on most days, either.  Hot, yes, but not nearly as humid as we had expected.  The day we left was getting pretty humid, but it was by far the worst day of the week (and since we were headed for the airport by then, it really was not an issue).  No wishing for it to be warmer....DH and DS were certainly hot enough  ... but it was very bearable overall.  And incredible weather!  So much sun and so little rain, except for a couple of afternoon thunderstorms early in our week.  We could not have asked for better!!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> *The Market Place* looks very roomy and comfortable compared to many a Disney equivalent.  I hadn't consciously thought of the Disney resort stores as crowded, but apparently my subconscious noticed a time or two.  Or maybe it's just that are more low displays in that shot, I dunno.



The Marketplace was really an excellent little store.  And the best thing of all....they always had a fresh supply of Krispy Kreme donuts  .  Even the chocolate covered ones with the vanilla cream inside  .  I am pathetic, I know  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Gina you're doing a great job of advertising the Vistana, the grounds are beautiful and the Marketplace looks good too
> 
> Really enjoying your report, you certainly seem to be having the promised leisure time



Thank you  .  And yep, for those first couple of days it was wonderful to keep things low key and very go-with-the-flow.  We kicked things up a notch on the Monday of our visit....which you will hear about soon  ... so stay tuned!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Sufficiently satisfied by our sensational shopping successes, we had a couple of hours to pass before wed be ready to go in search of dinner.   We had reviewed the resorts activity schedule for the day over breakfast that morning, and knew exactly what we wanted to take part in !

We hopped in the Jeep and made the short drive across the resort to the Fountains section for the 4 pm bingo session hosted by the FUN team.  The weather had been rainy on and off over the course of the afternoon, but the sun was trying desperately hard to re-appear when we arrived about 20 minutes before the first number was to be called.  We opted to grab some drinks from the Tacky Tiki Bar and admire some of the various items adorning the walls (Jake was impressed that there was a Canadian $5 bill amidst Tiki Toms tacky treasures).    We purchased two of the Vistanas refillable cups and checked out the Fountains pool, which was lovely as well (forgot to take pictures though....doh!).





Due to the questionable weather, they moved the bingo game into recreation center and we were pleasantly surprised at the number of people who came out.   There had to be more than a dozen, and surprisingly, Jake was the youngest of all the participants.  Cards were $1 each or 6 for $5.   We spent a total of $10 and played two games (opted out of the third) and Jake (the lucky little bugger) bingo-ed on the very first game.   Won himself a Vistana beach mat :





Our table was a hoot, and it made for a fun time.  There was the three of us, a older lady from Las Vegas, a second lady in her mid-fifties, and a young couple who I think may have been on their honeymoon, along with the FUN team host.   The rest of the players, who were taking the games VERY seriously, were all seated at the second table.   I bingo-ed on game two, but unfortunately so did three others, so the FUN team host decided to break the four-way tie with a sudden death number-calling, and I lost out on the prize.  Ah well, it was probably for the best.....the Serious Players at the second table may have declared mutiny if two people from the same family took home 2/3s of the days winnings.

After bingo, the boys decided it was time for dinner.   Tonight was Steves pick, so it was no surprise where we ended up.





Its without a doubt Steves favourite place to eat while in the USA.  





We started, as always, with the Zuppa Toscana soup (that is the best soup in the entire world......seriously!) and a basket of breadsticks.  Steve ordered his usual, the steak gorgonzola.





Jake and I opted for the never ending pasta bowl.  I dont know why I bothered....I couldnt even finish the first serving of my angel hair pasta in asiago garlic alfredo sauce with meatballs , despite the fact that it was absolutely delish (and, strangely enough, cheaper to order the "never ending" version vs. the traditional single entrée....go figure ).  





Jake devoured his Olive Garden favourite, fettuccini alfredo with chicken, then after a short amount of consideration, ordered a round two of penne alfredo with chicken.





Bad idea .

While the food was fab (as always), the service could have used a little something.  Our server really wasnt very good.  So we sat...and sat...and sat and waited for Jakes second bowl to arrive.  The longer we sat, the fuller he felt as his stomach started to digest the first plate of rich and filling pasta.  When the penne finally materialized, he was definitely no longer hungry, and realized his eyes had been WAY bigger than his stomach.  That said, he did his best to a least put a dent in it (he didnt want to appear wasteful, considerate boy that he is) and Steve helped him out by eating a few bites too.  No dessert possible at this meal.....good lord, we were FULL.

We rolled ourselves back to the resort, promptly hopped into the swimsuits, and spent another delightful evening enjoying the merits of the Super Pool.  We retired to those super comfy beds at a reasonable hour, cause we had big plans for the following day..........we were headed here! :


----------



## pigletto

Every picture you post, that property looks more lovely. I won't derail your trip with more timeshare questions but if anyone could point me in the way of a primer, I'm a researching kind of gal and I will read and read. I had heard too that you can get offsite places very very cheaply on the resale market. If I could do that, and still trade into DVC once in awhile I'd really consider it. 

Gina, Jake could star in an ad campaign to get people to come shop the Florida outlets.. He looks so happy to shop in all of those pictures! And here I am with a 16 year old girl who whines and moans her way through trying things on. Sigh.


----------



## LadyBeBop

Loving you trip report, as always, Gina.  We're in RCI, and this might be a good place to trade into.  We're staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek next month (we own at Wyndham).



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> While the food was fab (as always), the service could have used a little something.  Our server really wasnt very good.  So we sat...and sat...and sat and waited for Jakes second bowl to arrive.  The longer we sat, the fuller he felt as his stomach started to digest the first plate of rich and filling pasta.  When the penne finally materialized, he was definitely no longer hungry, and realized his eyes had been WAY bigger than his stomach.  That said, he did his best to a least put a dent in it (he didnt want to appear wasteful, considerate boy that he is) and Steve helped him out by eating a few bites too.  No dessert possible at this meal.....good lord, we were FULL.



Funny, the last time we were at Olive Garden (we're about 10 minutes away), the service was lousy.  Did we just get two bad waiters, or is it a franchise-wise thing?  I dunno.  We'll go there again, but if the service is as bad again, we may stay away.



pigletto said:


> Every picture you post, that property looks more lovely. I won't derail your trip with more timeshare questions but if anyone could point me in the way of a primer, I'm a researching kind of gal and I will read and read. I had heard too that you can get offsite places very very cheaply on the resale market. If I could do that, and still trade into DVC once in awhile I'd really consider it.



TUGS  (Timeshare User Group)

http://www.tug2.net/

Best $15 investment you could make if you're remotely interested in buying a timeshare.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> Every picture you post, that property looks more lovely. I won't derail your trip with more timeshare questions but if anyone could point me in the way of a primer, I'm a researching kind of gal and I will read and read. I had heard too that you can get offsite places very very cheaply on the resale market. If I could do that, and still trade into DVC once in awhile I'd really consider it.
> 
> Gina, Jake could star in an ad campaign to get people to come shop the Florida outlets.. He looks so happy to shop in all of those pictures! And here I am with a 16 year old girl who whines and moans her way through trying things on. Sigh.



You know what the funny thing is?  The boys were looking over our vacation pics, and both of them thought that the photos didn't do the resort justice .  It was hard to capture just how lovely it was.  Definitely nicer than my pictures reflect.....maybe because they just show such small parts, rather than the whole package.

   If Jake did nothing but shop and swim in the resort pool on his vacation, he would still have considered it an amazing getaway.  I honestly have no idea where he got his affinity for clothing......certainly not from either Steve or me  .   He is soooo excited to go to college next year, because he won't have to wear the catholic school uniform and will have the pick of all those wonderful clothes in his closet  .



LadyBeBop said:


> Loving you trip report, as always, Gina.  We're in RCI, and this might be a good place to trade into.  We're staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek next month (we own at Wyndham).
> 
> Funny, the last time we were at Olive Garden (we're about 10 minutes away), the service was lousy.  Did we just get two bad waiters, or is it a franchise-wise thing?  I dunno.  We'll go there again, but if the service is as bad again, we may stay away.
> 
> TUGS  (Timeshare User Group)
> 
> http://www.tug2.net/
> 
> Best $15 investment you could make if you're remotely interested in buying a timeshare.



Thanks, LadyBeBop! 

We have always had wonderful service from Olive Garden, so I am guessing (and hoping!) that this lady was just having a bad day.  Definitely not the same experience as our past visits!!

Thanks so much for the link to TUG.  I am thinking that I might be spending $15 this week  .


----------



## shalom

Does Olive Garden even _have_ desserts?  

I'm looking forward to your Blizzard Beach review, Gina.  One of the first articles I read, waaaay back the first time I was researching an Orlando vacation, listed both Disney water parks as a waste of money; the author thought they just didn't compare to some of the other Orlando options and only survived on the Disney name.  I figure you've got the background to make a fair comparison.  




pigletto said:


> EI won't derail your trip with more timeshare questions but if anyone could point me in the way of a primer, I'm a researching kind of gal and I will read and read. I had heard too that you can get offsite places very very cheaply on the resale market. If I could do that, and still trade into DVC once in awhile I'd really consider it.



As LadyBeBop said, TUG has all the answers.  And you can get a ton of information there without paying the (quite reasonable) fee of $15, but OTOH it might be worth paying the $15 for some people who aren't interested in ever buying a Timeshare, because that gives you access to the resort reviews!  But for some reason I found Timeshare Forums less overwhelming than TUG, or maybe it was just organized in a way I more intuitively understood, so I'll offer that as well:

http://www.timeshareforums.com/forums/forum.php

I usually read a board for a long time before asking questions; if you're more likely to post questions right off, people will respond in both places, but TUG is more active so the response time is faster.  The "onsite versus offsite" question for Timeshares is "weeks versus points."  With points it likely won't matter, but with weeks you need to avoid the Orlando area, because you won't be able to use an Orlando TS to trade into DVC.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> Does Olive Garden even _have_ desserts?
> 
> I'm looking forward to your Blizzard Beach review, Gina.  One of the first articles I read, waaaay back the first time I was researching an Orlando vacation, listed both Disney water parks as a waste of money; the author thought they just didn't compare to some of the other Orlando options and only survived on the Disney name.  I figure you've got the background to make a fair comparison.



LOL, they do indeed have a dessert menu, but sadly we have NEVER ordered from it  .  I am usually hard pressed to finish an entrée, let alone finish the meal with something sweet.  I suppose it would help if I skipped the soup and breadsticks, but honestly....why would I want to do THAT?  

I will hopefully have the BB review up later today or tomorrow (today is my official "cleaning day".....gonna evacuate the dust bunnies and make the bathrooms sparkle.....I know, what an exciting Sunday I have planned  ).  We visited the two Disney waterparks back-to-back on this trip, so BB was done on day 3 while Typhoon Lagoon was our day 4.  Hopefully the posts covering the next few days' activities will be a little more exciting than our "rest and relaxation" days which kicked off our trip  .  Stay tuned!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> lol, there's lots of room for more friends in my weirdness club.  Glad to hear you were thinking of me while you were on your vacation, 'cause I was actually thinking of YOU and wondering how your trip was going and how you were enjoying the Grande Vista


 
Is there a special song or secret handshake for the club?

I found myself a couple of  times thinking that we should have made plans to met up with your family while we were there.  Like yours, our trip was a 'no plan' vacay.  The plan was to hang out at the pool a whole lot....which we did but we could have hung out at the pool with friends.

The Grande Vista was to die for....it will be REALLY hard to not go back there. We are trying to move around a little and try new places.  I really want to vacation in another city but I miss Orlando so much when I'm not there.  Plus, I've come to a point that a one week trip just doesn't cut it....2 weeks in FL costs about the same as a week in most other places.  Anyway, the MGV was a 5 star in almost all areas.  The only thing that I would say was slightly less was the condition of the villa.  It was great(no complaints) but showing signs of wear.  The resort staff could never do enough for you and are the nicest/best we have experienced in Orlando.....even better than the Waldorf.  Onsite food was excellent, there were enough activities that you didn't even have to leave and the grounds were perfection.

One thing that we did decide was that the location of the MGV was a just a little far from where we like to be.  We drove over to the Vistana area about every second day to shop, eat or go to DTD.  That said though, if I was in a rental car I would not have cared at all. For some  reason I didn't like adding the extra mileage to my car......ya, totally weird since we drove 4000km RT to Orlando.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Is there a special song or secret handshake for the club?
> 
> I found myself a couple of  times thinking that we should have made plans to met up with your family while we were there.  Like yours, our trip was a 'no plan' vacay.  The plan was to hang out at the pool a whole lot....which we did but we could have hung out at the pool with friends.
> 
> The Grande Vista was to die for....it will be REALLY hard to not go back there. We are trying to move around a little and try new places.  I really want to vacation in another city but I miss Orlando so much when I'm not there.  Plus, I've come to a point that a one week trip just doesn't cut it....2 weeks in FL costs about the same as a week in most other places.  Anyway, the MGV was a 5 star in almost all areas.  The only thing that I would say was slightly less was the condition of the villa.  It was great(no complaints) but showing signs of wear.  The resort staff could never do enough for you and are the nicest/best we have experienced in Orlando.....even better than the Waldorf.  Onsite food was excellent, there were enough activities that you didn't even have to leave and the grounds were perfection.
> 
> One thing that we did decide was that the location of the MGV was a just a little far from where we like to be.  We drove over to the Vistana area about every second day to shop, eat or go to DTD.  That said though, if I was in a rental car I would not have cared at all. For some  reason I didn't like adding the extra mileage to my car......ya, totally weird since we drove 4000km RT to Orlando.



I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed your Grande Vistas stay!    And that you got in some rest and relaxation by the pool as well......its good for the soul, isn't it?   

If we happen to both be vacationing in Orlando during the last week of August next year, we will have to make a date in advance to get together at least once.  If sitting by the pool isn't your preference or doesn't work out because of weather, I would totally be up for a sundae date at Ghirardelli's!!

That would mean we have 11 months to come up with that secret handshake  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

I must be rather long-winded today.   I think this next write up will have to come in pieces.

*Day 3*.....its Monday, August 26th, and once again we greeted the day with sunny skies!  Mother Nature obviously got my memo about some good weather for our vacation .

While I was up earlier (as usual) than the boys, they too were up just shortly after 8 am.  I had collected our breakfast again from the Marketplace, so we were all dressed and out the door by about 9:15....not bad.   We punched our destination into Ms. GPS, and it wasnt long before we were passing underneath here:





And a few moments later, we had arrived at our days destination:





Knowing that we planned on doing each of the water parks at least once on this vacation, I had purchased annual water park passes for each of us (cheaper, oddly enough, than purchasing two separate days admission).    I had pre-purchased the passes before the 2013 price increase, so the tickets were only $99 each.  They were assigned to will call for pick-up so our day started out in the ticket line.

What should have been a reasonably short wait was excessively lengthy.....with only 3 families in front of us, we were more than a half hour before we had our tickets in hand and were on our way.  The sole fellow running the ticket booth was dreadfully slow and certainly didnt have any of the magic that Disney CMs are supposed to be so well known for.  Despite the line growing longer and longer, not once did they open the second ticket kiosk to help alleviate the backlog, a fact that was causing some less-than-magical reactions from those waiting quite a way back in the line (they did bring out a CM with a tablet to take ticket purchases by credit card, but most folks must have been pre-paid and requiring will-call because only one couple in the line came forward to utilize that service).  Thankfully, a wonderful, older CM named Ron did make his way to the front of the line to chat with guests and help keep some tempers in check with his sunny disposition and wide smile.  

Finally, we were off to bag check and on our way into the park.













While processing our purchase of a large locker rental, Steve spotted the sign indicating that premium spaces were still available for rent, and asked if I thought it would be a good idea to secure ourselves a set of loungers with an umbrella (at a ridiculous $320 for a polar patio rental, the private loungers for $50 with the locker rental included seemed like a bargain in comparison).   I said sure, what the heck?  It might be nice to have a little more private area to kick back and relax when we needed a break from the sun.  Once being assigned our lounger wristbands and stowing our stuff, we headed over to check out the lounge space and see what our $50 got us.





It was a nice space there....quiet, a little out of the way from the main areas of the park, and nicely shaded (we asked the CM processing our rental to assign us to loungers that would get shade most of the day).  Strangely enough, though, despite us being wrist banded (which was supposed to restrict entry to the area to only those patrons who rented the loungers), we didnt ONCE spot a Disney CM monitoring the area at any point during our visit.   As a result, a large and noisy family with no wrist bands (and therefore who had not paid for the reserved space) move themselves and their brood into the polar lounger area and utilize at least two of the lounge spaces without paying a dime.  I just thought it should have been better monitored (or perhaps somewhat staffed at all) to prevent that kind of abuse.





But I digress.  Back to some constructive feedback on the reserved loungers.....we liked the location, which was right by a fairly quiet entrance to Cross Country Creek.  Being a lazy river kind of gal, this was a nice perk for me.  We were also very close to the Lottawatta Lodge, meaning we had quick access to drink refills and a washroom.





After dumping our beach towels, the rental towels (which come with the lounger rental), our sunscreen, and our sandals off at our reserved space, we set to exploring the park.  Steve and Jake are all about the slides, so they were pumped to tackle the feature ride of the park....Summit Plummet.





They made a beeline for the ski lift to take them to the top of the hill.  Despite it being very soon after opening, the line-up had already started to build.  About 15-20 minutes later, they were on their way up, up, up.









More to come!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed your Grande Vistas stay!    And that you got in some rest and relaxation by the pool as well......its good for the soul, isn't it?
> 
> If we happen to both be vacationing in Orlando during the last week of August next year, we will have to make a date in advance to get together at least once.  If sitting by the pool isn't your preference or doesn't work out because of weather, I would totally be up for a sundae date at Ghirardelli's!!
> 
> That would mean we have 11 months to come up with that secret handshake  .



I will agree right now to a get together next August....if we are both there.  We are not supposed to go  Orlando next summer but I wasn't supposed to go this summer either


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> I will agree right now to a get together next August....if we are both there.  We are not supposed to go  Orlando next summer but I wasn't supposed to go this summer either



It's a date   .

You know, the Vistana would be a great place for your family to try.  Just sayin'    .

(We weren't supposed to go back to Orlando after our "once in a lifetime" Disney trip either, and have added 4 more vacation since 2009....so I totally get where you are coming from! )


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Blizzard Beach, part 2:

While the boys headed to the top of the mountain, I decided to take a little photo tour of the adjacent children’s area, Tikes Peak.  Again, it was clearly posted that any adult *must* have a child under the age of 12 with them or there was no admittance to the children’s area, yet there wasn’t a CM in sight so I was able to walk right in and grab a few photos.  Breaking the rules, I know.....but I was super quick.  I promise.  I did it for my Disboards readers.  I have no idea if there was an issue with staffing that day, or if certain things are just not regularly enforced.  Hard to say as it was our first visit.





Tikes Peak was cutely done, themed as well as the remainder of the park with all the touches of winter  you could want (minus the cold).  Disney does theming better than virtually anyone (though I think Universal gives them a run for their money in certain respects), and this water park was no exception.













On my way back from Tikes Peak, I grabbed some photos of Melt Away Bay, the bobbing wave pool where tubes are permitted (pending availability).   From Melt Away Bay, guests had a great view of Mount Gushmore (where my boys were currently awaiting their ride down Summit Plummet).  













After I had taken enough pictures to satisfy my photography OCD, I stowed the camera in the locker and headed for a full revolution around Cross Country Creek.  I was starting to get rather hot and sticky so this was a great place to cool down.





Disney didn’t disappoint with all the little details, carrying the park theming really well even throughout the more sedate lazy river.  There were multiple “winter” touches such as the Sunshine State snow making machine:





...as well as the home of the “ice gator”, which blew water out the chimney when he sneezed.





After the lengthy tour around the park via my lazy river tube, I returned to the polar loungers to wait up for Steve and Jake.  It wasn’t long before they joined me, with a full rundown of their Summit Plummet experience and the wedgies that followed.  They have both done extreme speed slides before (we have all been to Noah’s Ark, “America’s Largest Waterpark” in Wisconsin Dells, as well as Aquatica in Orlando, Mount Olympus in the Dells, Wild Water Kingdom in Brampton, the waterpark at Canada’s Wonderland, and Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls...plus Jake has also been to the World Waterpark at the West Edmonton Mall), and while they declared it to be a fun ride, it didn’t rate as #1 for them.    Photopass captured some great pictures of them both, so we bought this one when we returned home:





I love it because Jake is screamin’ like a girl from the moment he starts to drop .  Priceless.

The boys opted to hop into the lazy river and do a tour with me, as they filled me in a little more on their Summit Plummet experience, as well as the other slides they had ridden thus far.   The Photopass photographer several more photos of us in the lazy river, which I loved because getting pics of all three of us together is sometimes tough, so we purchased this one as a digital download as well:





For those wondering, we saw more Photopass photographers than we expected while at the water parks.  We had tossed around the idea of pre-purchasing the CD, but wasn’t sure if we’d get the full value out of it after many reports of Photopass photographers being scarce at TL and BB.   Turns out we could have probably made it pay for itself quite well had we moved forward with the pre-purchase, but the digital downloads worked well for our purposes (and were a reasonable value at their limited time promo price of 3 for $30 vs. $15 each) .  

Lunchtime eventually rolled around, and my two sliders became rather peckish.  We opted to grab our mid-day meal at the Lottawatta Lodge.





We found the food options here to be just “okay”.  Nothing spectacular, theme park pricey, but palatable enough.  Definitely not as good as the offerings at the Waterstone Grill at Aquatica (something both of the fellows commented on as we dined.    Knowing we were headed to Typhoon Lagoon the following day, we opted for a refillable cup as our beverage.  Steve had some sort of burger with bacon on it, Jake chose the chicken burger, and I opted for the chicken nuggets.





After lunch, the boys resumed sliding, I returned to my time in the lazy river and wave pool (though riding on those tubes almost made me feel sea sick after a while......so I reverted to body-bobbing instead!) and I took some more time to grab some more pictures of the park.













Around 2:30 or 3-ish, the skies grew dark and a storm blew in.  Rides were closed and the rain came beating down.  We kicked back on our loungers and kept dry under our big ol’ umbrella.  It will pass, we said.

A half hour later, Jake and I went shopping in the gift shop as the rain kept beating down.  He bought himself an O’Neil baseball cap.  We said again....it shouldn’t be long now, and the sun will be out.

Another 30 minutes later, as the rain was absolutely POURING down still, we opted to pack up camp and return to the resort.  Having spent 5 hours riding and sliding and splashing away already, we felt we had sufficiently enjoyed the park highlights enough to head out.  There was nothing left that the guys wanted to re-ride, so we headed in the rain out to the parking lot.

Of course, on our way back to the resort, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  Ah, I love Florida.

Overall, Blizzard Beach was fun.  We spent some very enjoyable family time.  But yet, at the same time.....it just felt lacking (sorry Disney!).  It definitely didn’t stack up to Aquatica for our trio, neither in atmosphere nor ride selection.   Quite honestly, while the ski resort/winter theme was spectacularly applied throughout the park, it just didn’t do anything for us.  I am sure its most certainly because we’re northerners and see enough of the real stuff to make a simulated winter rather unappealing.   I don’t want to sound negative, because we did have a really nice day.   But it just fell a little flat, and didn’t live up to our expectations based on the hype we’ve read here on the Dis.

One more pic....this one taken by a Photopass photographer using my own personal camera:





Back at the resort, we changed into fresh clothes, I dried and straightened my hair (or tried to), then we went off in search of dinner as the weather shifted between scortching sunny breaks and quick, drenching downfalls.   Tonight was Jake’s pick, so I knew full well where we’d be dining .  

And hold onto your mouse ears....we weren't done with Disney just yet, either.  The day is still young!!!


----------



## bankr63

pigletto said:


> Every picture you post, that property looks more lovely. I won't derail your trip with more timeshare questions but if anyone could point me in the way of a primer, I'm a researching kind of gal and I will read and read. I had heard too that you can get offsite places very very cheaply on the resale market. If I could do that, and still trade into DVC once in awhile I'd really consider it.
> 
> Gina, Jake could star in an ad campaign to get people to come shop the Florida outlets.. He looks so happy to shop in all of those pictures! And here I am with a 16 year old girl who whines and moans her way through trying things on. Sigh.



Hi Pigletto,

Timeshare ownership is a VERY complex subject with lots of ins and outs.  With a little prodding, I'll probably post a primer over on the Sheraton Vistana thread in the reviews.  I don't want to hijack Gina's report thread here, but I will suggest to anyone interested in owning timeshares at Vistana or anywhere else that they spend a LOT of time investigating over at www.tugbbs.com before putting any money out.  The folks there are very opinionated, but they (we) are all owners and know how to make the best of the system.

One example of the nuances of ownership: if you want to trade into DVC, you can't use another Orlando timeshare; there is a block on that.  An important thing to know when choosing where to own.

You don't really need to spend the $15 until you are duly impressed with tug.  The BBS and a bit of the information on the main site is free.  The $15 gets you access to rental listings and resort reviews primarily.  It didn't take me long to spring for the $15 however, and I have been a member for several years now.


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## greenclan67

Oh Gina, loving the trip report so far!!! Reading about all of your adventures, Great Wolf, Wild water kingdom, wisonsin Dells. I have to say we did Mt Olympus, and Noahs Ark, last summer. We loved the Dells. Despite the 12 hour drive. But makes me laugh how much we have in common except I have 2 girls. We did Michigan Adventure this summer and loved the waterpark there. I dont do slides much but like you, lazy river is my type of thing. My girls want to try wet n wild this year. We will see.


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## 2Pirates2Princesses

Yay another Gina trip report  I love reading your reports and your photographs are always great! The Sheraton Vistana Resort is absolutely beautiful! My kids have been begging to go to the Disney water parks so I can't wait to read more about your days there and also how you think they compare to Aquatica. I also just have to say that your son is such a remarkable, accomplished young man and that you deserve to be very proud of him.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Timeshare ownership is a VERY complex subject with lots of ins and outs.  With a little prodding, I'll probably post a primer over on the Sheraton Vistana thread in the reviews.  I don't want to hijack Gina's report thread here, but I will suggest to anyone interested in owning timeshares at Vistana or anywhere else that they spend a LOT of time investigating over at www.tugbbs.com before putting any money out.  The folks there are very opinionated, but they (we) are all owners and know how to make the best of the system.



No worries about hijacking the thread, Munro.  Feel free to chip in wherever you see necessary (assuming you want to, of course ).  You have been such a great resource to my family for all things Vistana/timeshare related, you are welcome to use this trip report as a way to help answer the questions of others as well!



greenclan67 said:


> Oh Gina, loving the trip report so far!!! Reading about all of your adventures, Great Wolf, Wild water kingdom, wisonsin Dells. I have to say we did Mt Olympus, and Noahs Ark, last summer. We loved the Dells. Despite the 12 hour drive. But makes me laugh how much we have in common except I have 2 girls. We did Michigan Adventure this summer and loved the waterpark there. I dont do slides much but like you, lazy river is my type of thing. My girls want to try wet n wild this year. We will see.



lol, well are you ready for another similarity?  Wet 'n Wild is on our agenda for the next trip  .  Its the only Orlando waterpark we have yet to experience.  The boys would love to return to the Vistana in August 2014, so if that trip materializes, I do believe we will have to add it to the itinerary!  You can share all your tips with me after your March Break adventures are complete. 



2Pirates2Princesses said:


> Yay another Gina trip report  I love reading your reports and your photographs are always great! The Sheraton Vistana Resort is absolutely beautiful! My kids have been begging to go to the Disney water parks so I can't wait to read more about your days there and also how you think they compare to Aquatica. I also just have to say that your son is such a remarkable, accomplished young man and that you deserve to be very proud of him.



Thank you, 2Pirates2Princesses  .  I will hopefully have the Typhoon Lagoon write up done within the next few days, so you shouldn't have to wait long  .  We love water activities (as you might have guessed!) so I can totally relate to your kiddos wanting to splish and splash their vacation away!

And thank you for the kind compliment on Jake.  He is a wonderful young fellow...Steve and I are truly blessed.   He's quite a character sometimes....as you might have guessed from his expressions in some of my photos  ....but he definitely keeps life interesting.   Steve commented, as we were on the plane ride home, that it won't be that long until just the two of us are vacationing together (now that Jake is in his final year of high school).  Steve grinned and said "can you imagine?  It will be soooo quiet".  Jake laughed and said "yeah, and it will be soooo boring!".  lol, he's probably right.  He's a good source of entertainment  .


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## pigletto

I am loving all the Blizzard Beach photos. In all of our trips we've never made it there. DD and I are not waterpark fans overall, but dh and ds are. So on the two times we've joined them, we've ended up at Typhoon Lagoon. Dh and ds said they really prefer TL over BB.

I'm sorry some loud family parked themselves in the reserved spaces without paying. That is one of my biggest Disney complaints. If you are going to have rules, enforce them for heavens sake. Otherwise they are "suggestions". There will always be someone who will take advantage, and I get really grumpy when I look at how much I've paid for something at Disney while someone else disregards everyone else. However the blame lies purely at Disney's feet on that one. If they wanted to enforce their policies, they would. And now I'll shut up about that.

I LOVE your bathing suit! It's so cute! 
I'm sorry to hear about the rain though. Hopefully the weather was more cooperative for Typhoon Lagoon!


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## richmo

Gina, after going back and forth a few times on the car rental thread, I'm glad to hear you had a great trip!  Hopefully, we'll find some good rates again next time...


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> I am loving all the Blizzard Beach photos. In all of our trips we've never made it there. DD and I are not waterpark fans overall, but dh and ds are. So on the two times we've joined them, we've ended up at Typhoon Lagoon. Dh and ds said they really prefer TL over BB.
> 
> I'm sorry some loud family parked themselves in the reserved spaces without paying. That is one of my biggest Disney complaints. If you are going to have rules, enforce them for heavens sake. Otherwise they are "suggestions". There will always be someone who will take advantage, and I get really grumpy when I look at how much I've paid for something at Disney while someone else disregards everyone else. However the blame lies purely at Disney's feet on that one. If they wanted to enforce their policies, they would. And now I'll shut up about that.
> 
> I LOVE your bathing suit! It's so cute!
> I'm sorry to hear about the rain though. Hopefully the weather was more cooperative for Typhoon Lagoon!



You have never been to BB?    Really?!?  After so many trips, I figured you had done almost everything that Disney offered.  Who knew?

We MUCH preferred TL over BB.....but I think the theming played a huge part in that (as did the difference between the wave pools).   I am so glad we experienced BB, but I'm not sure we will return.   We definitely rank it below both Aquatica and TL, and still have Wet 'n Wild yet to try, and let's face it....there are only so many waterparks a family can hit in one trip! 

Thank you for the kind compliment on my swimsuit  .  I liked it because it hid a lot of my.....imperfections  .  Of all places, I got it from Walmart.  I was placing an order from walmart.com for toiletries to be delivered to the Vistana in time for our arrival, and I added on the swimsuit for a crazy-low $25.  A similar one at Sears would have been $70+ .  I figured I can never have to many swimsuits, and at that price, it was too good to pass up.  Thankfully, I got lucky on the size estimate and it fit quite well.

I share in your rant about the lack of enforcement by Disney.  But I'm a rule follower by nature (and quite honestly expect everyone else to be responsible enough to do the same), so probably that's why the whole issue grates on me so badly.  Not that it ruined our day by any stretch......I am certainly not that thin skinned nor that wrapped up in the actions of others (as long as they aren't hurting anyone else).  But yeah, it annoyed me.  'Nuff said.  



richmo said:


> Gina, after going back and forth a few times on the car rental thread, I'm glad to hear you had a great trip!  Hopefully, we'll find some good rates again next time...



Thanks Rich  .   Having that big, comfy vehicle has certainly spoiled us for future vacations.  That's the tough things about grabbing an upgrade "just this once"....its hard to revert to "normal" on the next trip!  

Alamo was good about fixing the price problem (gmeh1 was awesome to post the local number for Alamo at MCO....that was a huge help!) and we were very pleased overall.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Dried out and spruced up (a least a little) after Blizzard Beach, Steve and I let Jake decide where the family would dine that evening.  Of course, I already knew what the answer would beso the asking was just a formality.  Hes a wing man, through and through.   We made the short jaunt to the Crossroads for dinner here:





Now, the weather was still kind of wonky..pouring one second, scalding sun the next, and sometimes a shower even while the sun was shining.  Everything seemed to last about 5 to 10 minutes, but no longer.  Finally, the sun came out to stay and we enjoyed a very pleasant late afternoon and evening.

The boys love the atmosphere here, but I must admit Im neither a fan of wings nor of the hullaballoo that normally goes on within a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant.  Waaayyyyyy too many distractions and far too much noise for my comfort zone (perhaps Im turning into an old poop after all?).  On a previous trip, we dined at an older location on I-Drive, but the Crossroads restaurant was very new.   There was a plethora of TVs lining every square inch of the perimeter of the room, each of them seemingly on a different channel and the volume on full blast.  My eyes didnt know where to look, my head was throbbing after barely getting by fanny in the booth, and conversation was impossible.  Of course, Jake and Steve noted that they werent there to chit chat, they were there to EAT (silly me).   

Steve, always the burger man (a lot of cows lose their life for him while were on vacation), opted for this concoction:





I went with the chicken sandwich, naked by choice (I dont like toppings):





And Jake opted for the messiest wings he could order..with a side of fries, for good measure:





While the guys devoured their vittles, I could hardly get mine down.  The taste was great, our service was also very good, but OMG..I just couldnt stand the NOISE.  And all those screens with different programs all changing simultaneously.  And the din of people trying to talk over the racket.   My head felt like would explode, which was putting me on the tipping point of nausea .

Thankfully, the boys were understanding (and sensitive to my plight..since my brain surgery almost 15 years ago, theyve become very accommodating to my unavoidable head issues) and didnt waste any time finishing their meals.  They were stuffed to the gills (Jake even had a few wings to take back for a midnight snack) so mercifully there was no need for dessert which would have extended mealtime a little longer.  We paid our bill, and I did everything but run out the door (lol, I think I may have sprinted a little ). 

Outside in the sun (and the quiet.oh, the blissful serenity!) I immediately began to feel normal again, much to everyones relief (but particularly mine).  Since the fresh air seemed to be doing me tremendous good,  the night was still young, and our bellies were rather bloated (demanding some exercise to walk off our gluttony), we unanimously voted for an evening visit to..





*
Downtown Disney! *


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

We were a bit concerned about the parking situation at Downtown Disney, knowing that several of the lots had been closed in preparation of the construction of their new parking garage.    We had read a few posts on the Dis in the weeks prior to our trip that reported quite a bit of congestion in that area, so we wondered if perhaps we might end up giving up and trying again another day.  

Imagine our surprise, then, when we found absolutely an absolutely _*prime*_ space not far from the entrance and parked without difficulty .  I am not sure if the availability of parking was the fact that the weather had been unsettled for a good part of the afternoon, or if was earlier enough in the evening that the masses from the parks hadnt yet arrived, or a combination of both.but either way, it was a nice surprise.    On a side note, in case I forget to mention it earlier, when we left a couple of hours later, the lots were VERY fullso I definitely think our timing was right.





Now, we really dont do much when we visit Downtown Disney.   We visit the shops.  We people-watch.  We snack (on the days that we have room..not on this night, when we arrived immediately following a big dinner).   We soak up the atmosphere.    This generally results in our relatives looking at our post-trip photos and saying.When you dont even do anything, then why do you even bother going? .  And I say to them.because its Downtown Disney!  (like that should explain so much)  And for some reason, its just fun to walk around and soak it all in.  Its oddly entertaining while still being relaxing.  And relaxing was what this trip was all about.

Our previous visits to DTD all focused on the Marketplace.  So its not surprising that thats where we started again this time.    We spent some time enjoying the live performers that were entertaining the crowd:





Surprisingly enough, Jake didnt find anything to purchase at his beloved Team Mickeys.  Their selection of basketball merchandise was rather thin.   A little disappointing, but alas.whats a jock to do?









The little train was in operation for the youngest guests, as well as the carousel.  Someday Im going to take a trip with someone who has little ones so I can ride them both.    One of the downfalls of travelling with a teenager!





We strolled around the area, taking in Once Upon A Toy, and of course World of Disney.









While we didnt go inside the Lego store, we did enjoy the outdoor sculptures.





This picture of the boys made me laugh right out loudit totally looked like the sea serpent is a photobomber.     I loved it!!!





We couldnt miss the chance to stop at Ghirardellis.  They were distributing samples of caramel filled chocolate squares that were absolutely to die for .  We thought about ordering some of their sundaes (and spent some time oohing and aaahing over the dessert menu) but sadly, we were still just too full to enjoy them.  Next time.  I promise.





After meandering around the Marketplace, we continued our stroll over the bridge to somewhere we had never (for reasons unknown) explored before this trip..Downtown Disneys west side.    I guess, perhaps, we have just never had such an open schedule before, which made extending our DTD boundaries a little further.  









We were disappointed to see that the Characters In Flight balloon had been grounded due to the wacky afternoon weather.  I had almost convinced myself to take a journey up, up, up so I could enjoy the view (the Vistana was so close to DTD that the balloon was spotted regularly soaring just over the rear of our buildings in the Spas section.very neat).   





The boys toured the Harley store and couldnt resist posing for a tough photo on one of their bikes.    I hope neither one of them got any long-term ideas!!!!  









We sniffed out the candy store.cause as I have mentioned before, we have some serious sweet tooths in our family.








In the midst of it all, we grabbed some beverages (gotta stay hydrated), walked, took photos, and just explored and meandered and walked off our Buffalo Wild Wing bloat.  It felt good, despite the heat.





Jake treated us to ice cream on our way back to the resort (hes a good kid.and who am I to pass up an offer of ice cream?    After a couple of hours of walking, my tummy could actually handle it) and we spent the remainder of the evening enjoying another wonderful swim at the Super Pool.  This might have even been one of the nights they offered the karaoke party (some of the details have become muddled together with time).where we sang and swam and grooved to some good music and bad singers.    The DJ was a ton of fun on each occasion and made for a fabulous way to end the day.

Tomorrow, the weather was forecasted to be mighty fine (no rain AT ALL.not even an afternoon thunderstorm), which was awesome..cause we were headed to Typhoon Lagoon  .


----------



## richmo

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> We were a bit concerned about the parking situation at Downtown Disney, knowing that several of the lots had been closed in preparation of the construction of their new parking garage.    We had read a few posts on the Dis in the weeks prior to our trip that reported quite a bit of congestion in that area, so we wondered if perhaps we might end up giving up and trying again another day.
> 
> Imagine our surprise, then, when we found absolutely an absolutely _*prime*_ space not far from the entrance and parked without difficulty .  I am not sure if the availability of parking was the fact that the weather had been unsettled for a good part of the afternoon, or if was earlier enough in the evening that the masses from the parks hadnt yet arrived, or a combination of both.but either way, it was a nice surprise.    On a side note, in case I forget to mention it earlier, when we left a couple of hours later, the lots were VERY fullso I definitely think our timing was right.



I was a little concerned about this too when we went a couple of weeks before you.  Unlike your experience, we weren't as lucky finding a spot.  I always go for the smaller Marketplace lot, then the first few rows of the next section (so I would enter the Marketplace anywhere from World of Disney to about Lego).  Anyway, after a real quick search with no spots, we went to the temporary lot across the street.  I think it was the Casting Center lot, but don't hold to me to that.  Actually, I found it quite easy and hassle free parking there.  Its a quick walk from the car to the traffic light, which has a generous pedestrian only timing (although you may have to wait a minute or two), and once you're on the DTD side of the street, its a really easy walk to the Marketplace.  Second time we went there during our trip, I went straight to the same lot and I suspect we easily were in the Marketplace quicker than the usual hunting around for a spot.


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## Lynne G

Hi Gina!
Ok, I'm really late to the party, but so enjoying your pictures and story.  

My DS is going to be 16, and I can't quite believe it.  He is not a shopper by any stretch though.  I guess that' s why I have a DD.  She just turned 12 two weeks ago, and any opportunity to shop is a good one.  Hollister, J Crew, Abercrombie, etc. are now where we shop.  

We are getting excited for our December trip, though DH is not fond of vacationing, so I too have built in some hang time, and are looking for some out of the way fun things to do.


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Well for an old poop you were looking snazzy in your swimming costume 

BB is my favourite water park, but I mainly laze on the lounger, and as we normally go at Christmas it always feels themed for the season. We are going to Aquatica in October.

Loving your report Gina


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

richmo said:


> I was a little concerned about this too when we went a couple of weeks before you.  Unlike your experience, we weren't as lucky finding a spot.  I always go for the smaller Marketplace lot, then the first few rows of the next section (so I would enter the Marketplace anywhere from World of Disney to about Lego).  Anyway, after a real quick search with no spots, we went to the temporary lot across the street.  I think it was the Casting Center lot, but don't hold to me to that.  Actually, I found it quite easy and hassle free parking there.  Its a quick walk from the car to the traffic light, which has a generous pedestrian only timing (although you may have to wait a minute or two), and once you're on the DTD side of the street, its a really easy walk to the Marketplace.  Second time we went there during our trip, I went straight to the same lot and I suspect we easily were in the Marketplace quicker than the usual hunting around for a spot.



I remember you posting about that!  (was it on the August car rental thread?)  We definitely lucked out, I think.   We had it much easier than others have reported.



Lynne G said:


> Hi Gina!
> Ok, I'm really late to the party, but so enjoying your pictures and story.
> 
> My DS is going to be 16, and I can't quite believe it.  He is not a shopper by any stretch though.  I guess that' s why I have a DD.  She just turned 12 two weeks ago, and any opportunity to shop is a good one.  Hollister, J Crew, Abercrombie, etc. are now where we shop.
> 
> We are getting excited for our December trip, though DH is not fond of vacationing, so I too have built in some hang time, and are looking for some out of the way fun things to do.



Welcome, Lynne!  Glad to see one of my friends from the SeaWorld board here! 

Have you considered taking in ICE! at Gaylord Palms during your December trip?  Your DH might enjoy that as a change of pace.  

I am uber jealous that you will be there during the Christmas season (both you and my other buddy, pigletto)......its so pretty and festive and fun.  Are you going to take in SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration while you're in town?



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Well for an old poop you were looking snazzy in your swimming costume
> 
> BB is my favourite water park, but I mainly laze on the lounger, and as we normally go at Christmas it always feels themed for the season. We are going to Aquatica in October.
> 
> Loving your report Gina



Aw, Mrs. Doubtfire, you are too sweet  . 

I do think that BB would be a totally different experience around Christmas.  That snow might actually feel "right", KWIM?    I am a northern girl born in the wrong hemisphere.......if I never saw snow again in my life, I wouldn't miss it one bit.   While I love the True North Strong & Free, I *hate *the winter weather.

Have fun at Aquatica.....we adore that park!     Be sure to do a lap or two around Roa's Rapids for me  .


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## Lynne G

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Welcome, Lynne!  Glad to see one of my friends from the SeaWorld board here!
> 
> Have you considered taking in ICE! at Gaylord Palms during your December trip?  Your DH might enjoy that as a change of pace.
> 
> I am uber jealous that you will be there during the Christmas season (both you and my other buddy, pigletto)......its so pretty and festive and fun.  Are you going to take in SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration?



I was considering ICE!, but I was hoping for a discount, so still considering.  We are doing the Fireside Feast on Christmas Eve at SW, DC on Christmas Day, and the BGT Christmas Town earlier in the week.  I am actually really excited to see decor, as we always vacation when there is nothing of interest.  And, we snagged a Showcase Citrus groupon, and when I called to reserve the buggy ride, the clerk who answered was so excited that we would be there when almost everything is in season.  We'll be picking fruit for sure.  I even think my teen will like walking through the groves of oranges and grapefruit.


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## Dynamoliz

Hi Gina, I just thought I'd pop in to let you know that I too am enjoying your report, as per usual. I always like reports that feature other things than 'and then we went on this ride, and then we grabbed a fast pass and rode ..' Those reports were fun when I had never been to WDW before, but they get a bit same old same old after a while.  As a fellow Ontarian I can appreciate how you enjoy going to the restaurant chains that we don't have. I suspect I'm a few years older than you and in 2010 we had that first trip without 'children' and it was fun, but yes, you'll definitely miss your boy. That trip we did UOR for this first time as well as Boggy Creek, Gatorland and that air balloon thingy at Downtownd Disney ... so you can see how I can relate to your trip reports! We are headed to Orlando in a few weeks, and this time DD2 who is 23 is coming with us, first time as an adult, and we are doing HHN at Universal and MNSSHP for the first time. We're just big kids. I'm sure it will be just as fun as going when she was 10, only different. Someone to enjoy girly cocktails with! I just feel blessed that she still wants to holiday with her Mum & Dad, and I get the feeling Jake will always be game to go to Orlando with you too.Thanks for sharing your family vacation with us.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> I was considering ICE!, but I was hoping for a discount, so still considering.  We are doing the Fireside Feast on Christmas Eve at SW, DC on Christmas Day, and the BGT Christmas Town earlier in the week.  I am actually really excited to see decor, as we always vacation when there is nothing of interest.  And, we snagged a Showcase Citrus groupon, and when I called to reserve the buggy ride, the clerk who answered was so excited that we would be there when almost everything is in season.  We'll be picking fruit for sure.  I even think my teen will like walking through the groves of oranges and grapefruit.



Sounds like a fantastic trip!!!   I can't wait to hear all about Santa's Fireside Feast....that's the one we had to cancel when we all got sick.  I am going to have to return to Orlando some day during the holiday season just to go to that meal! 



Dynamoliz said:


> Hi Gina, I just thought I'd pop in to let you know that I too am enjoying your report, as per usual. I always like reports that feature other things than 'and then we went on this ride, and then we grabbed a fast pass and rode ..' Those reports were fun when I had never been to WDW before, but they get a bit same old same old after a while.  As a fellow Ontarian I can appreciate how you enjoy going to the restaurant chains that we don't have. I suspect I'm a few years older than you and in 2010 we had that first trip without 'children' and it was fun, but yes, you'll definitely miss your boy. That trip we did UOR for this first time as well as Boggy Creek, Gatorland and that air balloon thingy at Downtownd Disney ... so you can see how I can relate to your trip reports! We are headed to Orlando in a few weeks, and this time DD2 who is 23 is coming with us, first time as an adult, and we are doing HHN at Universal and MNSSHP for the first time. We're just big kids. I'm sure it will be just as fun as going when she was 10, only different. Someone to enjoy girly cocktails with! I just feel blessed that she still wants to holiday with her Mum & Dad, and I get the feeling Jake will always be game to go to Orlando with you too.Thanks for sharing your family vacation with us.



Thank YOU for reading along and sharing in my memories  .  How nice to hear of other families who still enjoy vacationing together even when the kids are grown.  That truly warms my heart!

Just out of curiosity....how did you find the balloon ride at DTD?  Scary?  Bouncy or smooth?  Were you high enough up that the view freaked you out, or was it so incredible to see that you kind of forgot you were that high up?    It looks soooo fun, but being (a) afraid of heights and (b) not a good flier, I kind of wonder if I might not be a good candidate for that particular attraction  .  Would love to hear about your experience!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*DAY 4  Tuesday, August 27th* 

As far as August weather in Orlando goes, today was forecasted to be mighty fine.  The sun was shining, there was barely a cloud in the sky, and after our morning Timmies (and another breakfast from the Marketplace....this was becoming a habit!) we found ourselves once again passing under the magical gates:





Thank the Lord, we didnt have to stand in the will-call line today , so we found a parking space for the Jeep and headed straight to the entrance right as the park opened up.    It seemed busier today than at Blizzard Beach the morning prior.....I think everyone saw that sunshine and figured it was a good day to enjoy a wave pool .





We immediately noticed the different feel of this park versus Blizzard Beach, and were quick to note that THIS is the kind of atmosphere that we were looking for at a Florida attraction.   Like Blizzard Beach, the tropical theming was EVERYWHERE and no detail was left undone.





Upon arrival, there were signs posted indicating that premium spaces were available for rent, so I asked Steve if he wanted to rent a set of the loungers for this visit as well.  His answer?  Absolutely .    We spent a scant few moments in line, where a CM hooked us up with loungers in a shady location in Getaway Glen.  With wallets and phones safely stowed in a locker, we were off to dump off our towels and get started on experiencing all the park had to offer.









Getaway Glen, the premium lounger area, was much more popular than its counterpart at Blizzard Beach, and there were already several other families relaxing under their umbrellas by the time we meandered over to that area.  And yes, everyone present was wristbanded, as they were required to be.    The premium spaces actually sold out that day (within less than 45 minutes after the park had opened) so we were glad we arrived early and snagged one for our family. 









Even though we had spotted one heck of an awesome looking wave pool on our way over to Getaway Glen, the boys thought it was prudent to get going on some of the slides before the masses assembled and the lines grew long.  So they headed over to Crush N Gusher for a ride on the much-touted water coaster .   They rated it on par with the similar attraction at our beloved Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls.





Before the end of our day, they made it on all the slides at least once......waterpark success at its best!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

While the guys went on their slide tour, I took the camera on a short stroll to grab some images from around the park.

















The Teen Beach Party was running at various intervals throughout the day, so there was music and limbo and assorted activities all being hosted by a very spirited DJ.  The younger kids, in particular, gravitated toward these events and looked like they were having a ball.  This is the stage they used for the party, during one of the breaks in the action:









By then, I was melting in the summer sunshine, and hopped into the lazy river for a spin around the park.      When I say lazy, I mean reeeallllllyyyyyy lazy.  Holy mackerel, what a docile ride!!   (far more so than even the one at BB)   I thought it might be lunchtime before I made it back to our loungers at Getaway Glen  .









Eventually, my dripping wet duo and I reconvened at the loungers ... where would we head next?


----------



## Dynamoliz

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Just out of curiosity....how did you find the balloon ride at DTD?  Scary?  Bouncy or smooth?  Were you high enough up that the view freaked you out, or was it so incredible to see that you kind of forgot you were that high up?    It looks soooo fun, but being (a) afraid of heights and (b) not a good flier, I kind of wonder if I might not be a good candidate for that particular attraction  .  Would love to hear about your experience!



Not scary at all, and very smooth. Actually in danger of being declared "lame" by some I'm sure.   However we quite enjoyed it.  It was a fun little thing to do on a day that we didn't visit any major park, and were basically just curious about it and decided to give it a go. Honestly I don't think I'd ever have spent the money to do it when we had the girls with us. I don't think it has much bang for the buck for a young family. I guess that doesn't sound like much of an endorsement, LOL, but it was a pleasant diversion. Just don't go expecting excitement


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## Lynne G

Gina,
Though I have never flown in the balloon at DTD, we have a very similar one at our zoo.  I too am not fond of height, and hate the feeling of being up high.  Need drugs to fly in a plane, as I get motion sickeness.  

Anyway, I have no problem flying in the balloon at our zoo.  First, it's on a steel cable that can withstand pretty high winds before it even has the chance to break, and the balloon will not fly with high winds.  Second, it goes up quietly and slowly, so unless you are very motion prone, I do not need my motion sickness medicine for riding it.  Third, the views are really something to look at, and I feel comfortable as there is a solid floor and walls, so I don't feel like I am that high.  I look out more than down when we are at the top height.  

Maybe when you are in DTD again, and it's operating, watch it first, and then mabe take a ride.

Loving the DTD pictures.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Dynamoliz said:


> Not scary at all, and very smooth. Actually in danger of being declared "lame" by some I'm sure.   However we quite enjoyed it.  It was a fun little thing to do on a day that we didn't visit any major park, and were basically just curious about it and decided to give it a go. Honestly I don't think I'd ever have spent the money to do it when we had the girls with us. I don't think it has much bang for the buck for a young family. I guess that doesn't sound like much of an endorsement, LOL, but it was a pleasant diversion. Just don't go expecting excitement





Lynne G said:


> Gina,
> Though I have never flown in the balloon at DTD, we have a very similar one at our zoo.  I too am not fond of height, and hate the feeling of being up high.  Need drugs to fly in a plane, as I get motion sickeness.
> 
> Anyway, I have no problem flying in the balloon at our zoo.  First, it's on a steel cable that can withstand pretty high winds before it even has the chance to break, and the balloon will not fly with high winds.  Second, it goes up quietly and slowly, so unless you are very motion prone, I do not need my motion sickness medicine for riding it.  Third, the views are really something to look at, and I feel comfortable as there is a solid floor and walls, so I don't feel like I am that high.  I look out more than down when we are at the top height.
> 
> Maybe when you are in DTD again, and it's operating, watch it first, and then mabe take a ride.
> 
> Loving the DTD pictures.



Well ladies, I'm sold.  Methinks I'll add this to the itinerary for our next trip.  BEFORE dinner, just to be sure   .


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## Dynamoliz

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Well ladies, I'm sold.  Methinks I'll add this to the itinerary for our next trip.  BEFORE dinner, just to be sure   .



You'll be fine. You barely know you're moving. There was no swaying with the wind or anything like that when we rode it. I get motion sickness on simulators / roller coasters and this didn't even register with my stomach. As to your fear of heights ... it is well enclosed with a wire screening which will make you feel very secure and probably annoy you as you try to take photos! Go on a beautiful clear day!  One day I hope to take a REAL hot air balloon ride.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Sowe left off at sliding and floating and enjoying all the wonderful sunshine of a late summer day.  

After meeting up at the loungers, the guys decided they were hungry (againor maybe still?) so we opted to grab an earlier lunch to avoid the masses.  Didnt work..there were still masses.bu it was manageable.  We were super glad we had the loungers in Getaway Glen that were so close by the restaurant, as even just before noon there was NO restaurant seating to be found.

We had brought our refillable cup today and paid for a recharge, so that saved us a little bit on the overall price of food.  





Steve opted once again for a burger (surprise, surprise), Jake went with the chicken nuggets, and I lived on the wild side and had a chili dog with chips.  Again, all okay, nothing remarkable, most overpriced (as theme park food tends to be).  Virtually identical offers to those at Blizzard Beach. 

Following our meal and some rehydration all around, we set off to experience the wave pool as a family.  I had been in it earlier while the boys were sliding, and manwhat a wave pool!  





Let me be the first to say that we are picky about our wave pools, and hold them to some pretty tough criteria.  After experiencing Poseidons Rage at Mount Olympus in Wisconsin Dells in 2010 (9 foot waves!!), nothing else has even come close.  Until now.  While Typhoon Lagoons surf pool didnt quite get up to a 9 wave size, it was much larger in overall size and equally as fun.   We love, love, LOVED it.  And spent a whole lotta time laughing and splashing and being tossed by the mammoth wave.  Rough?  You bet.   Steve-o landed on me more than once (and many other unsuspecting folkssorry, friends).  But OMG, we had a good time. 





While we could have happily stayed there for the remainder of our day, we decided to head over and check out Shark Reef and see what all the chat was about.





Scuba gearI can see where this is leading!





I was not, personally, overly keen on getting in that water to swim with the sharks.  Im a cold water wuss, and that fact alone was enough to put me off.  Steve saw several snorkelers exiting the attraction after their shark swim that were shrieking about the water temps, and decided he, too would take a pass.  My dear, brave, fearless-in-every-other-situation-and-will-try-almost-anything-once son opted out because hes deathly afraid of sharks.  Like terrified .  No kidding.    





He watches shark week annually like its a religion, and is fascinated by all things shark-related, but I couldnt have bribed him to swim through that pool with nothing separating him from their teeth but a few feet of water.  We are an embarrassment to our courageous forefathers, what can I say.  Wimps, we are!  So we opted to admire the other courageous (and cold-tolerant) folks among us and stood to watch a while as they swam through the shark pool:









We did take advantage of the wonderful underwater viewing area.  Again, awesome theming as it took you into the belly of a ship:





Looking through the portholes, we spied lots of cool sea creatures, from tropical fish to those wonderful sharks:









There were even some stingrays, seemingly oblivious to all those snorkelers above them:





We stayed and watched the fishes down here for quite some time.  Not only was it fascinating, it was blissfully comfortable being out of the strong afternoon sun.  Double bonus! 

Back outside, we couldnt pass up the opportunity for some photo ops in the shark teeth!





For those wondering are they real?!?, this sign might help:


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Following the Shark Reef, the boys beat a bath back to the surf pool, and I was happy to join them. 





The boys took a break for a bit and did a few more slides, then we spent the balance of the time enjoying those amazing waves (which wonderfully never seemed to take a break).     Between soakings, we commented on how much more we enjoyed Typhoon Lagoon over Blizzard Beach, and how it kept pace (on the whole) with our beloved Aquatica.    TL has the surf pool (big points there) where Aquatica has Roas Rapids (the best unlazy river, ever).  They agreed that both Aquatica and TL had great slides.which was a funny comment, as most folks seem to give BB the thumbs up for sliding over TL (for my boys, they felt the opposite).  Both had relaxing, tropical themes.  Aquatica has much better and extensive childrens areas, if thats a factor for some folks (heres one of TLs):





While here is a portion of Aquatica's:





Aquatica has better food at their Waterstone Grill ( I am not factoring in the Banana Beach buffet in this assessment, which I dont recommend for quality but will admit gives you better value than the quick service options at both Disney waterparks).

Typhoon Lagoon ties the theming in a little better.  And another plus was that there were characters there..we saw both Lilo and Stitch, and they were available for Photopass pics if desired.    While both the guys offered to get photos with the duo, which I thought was super sweet, I knew we would see both at breakfast later in the week so we utilized our time in the wave pool instead.  A much better choice for all involved.

Either way, we thought the park was fabulous, even though Aquatica would edge it into a close second place overall.  I could have relaxed there forever.  With these surroundings, can you blame me?  





By about 3:30 or so, we were waterlogged and sun-soaked.    As Jake would say, it was time to peace.  We turned in our locker key, and advised the Getaway Glen staff that we were heading out of the park.  Apparently our departure was going to make someone on the wait list very, very happy.  





Six thumbs up for our day at Typhoon Lagoon!!   (Oy vey, now wheres the aloe gel?!?!? )





Up next..dinner and a little bit of the dark side.


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## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> We MUCH preferred TL over BB.....but I think the theming played a huge part in that (as did the difference between the wave pools).   I am so glad we experienced BB, but I'm not sure we will return.   We definitely rank it below both Aquatica and TL, and still have Wet 'n Wild yet to try, and let's face it....there are only so many waterparks a family can hit in one trip!



Same with our crew.  BB was our first Disney waterpark, and was quite enjoyable, UNTIL we went to TL.  The wave pool at TL is great, and Crush 'n' Gusher is outstanding.  We haven't been back to BB since.  May never get to Aquatica as we still have many extra days left on our 10day WPFAM-NE tix.  

Have to hurry up reading ahead to get to your review...


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## Ruthie5671

I'm totally loving your trip report (and I've read your other ones also)!!  My hubby and I are planning a trip next fall to do the Discovery Cove/Sea World/Aquatica trio and a day at Cocoa Beach.  Your reports have given me tons of fun ideas.  Keep it coming!


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## greenclan67

Thinking I may have to try this waterpark. Mt. Olympus still owes me sunglasses and everyone got a cute glimpse of my rear when the waves took down my bottoms.


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## 2Pirates2Princesses

Thank you for the pics and coverage of each of the two water parks. I think I am sold on TL based on your pics and review . My kids think they would like BB more because the theming is different, but I think TL may win them over once they experience it. I remember reading your review and and all your great pics of Aquatica and that park (along with Sea World) is still on our must do list


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Ruthie5671 said:


> I'm totally loving your trip report (and I've read your other ones also)!!  My hubby and I are planning a trip next fall to do the Discovery Cove/Sea World/Aquatica trio and a day at Cocoa Beach.  Your reports have given me tons of fun ideas.  Keep it coming!



Thank you Ruthie  .  Glad to have you reading along!



greenclan67 said:


> Thinking I may have to try this waterpark. Mt. Olympus still owes me sunglasses and everyone got a cute glimpse of my rear when the waves took down my bottoms.



  I think that would have put me off of wave pools forever!!!      Too funny!! (but after experiencing it myself, I can totally see it happening!  )



2Pirates2Princesses said:


> Thank you for the pics and coverage of each of the two water parks. I think I am sold on TL based on your pics and review . My kids think they would like BB more because the theming is different, but I think TL may win them over once they experience it. I remember reading your review and and all your great pics of Aquatica and that park (along with Sea World) is still on our must do list



I guess I am just a "tropical" girl at heart  .

I still say the kids area at Aquatica can't be beat (except maybe by the sandcastle play area that's now at Wet N Wild.....hopefully I will have a chance to check that out next summer and let you know how it compares).   For your four kiddos, Aquatica will be a great choice someday.  Keep it on the to-do list, for sure!

I feel like I'm somehow foresaking my Canadian Girl heritage by disliking the BB theming .  My apologies to all my fellow northerners!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Back at the room, we tossed our wet swimsuits and towels into the laundry and DROPPED for at least an hour.  There is nothing more tiring, IMHO, than a day at a waterpark during the heat of the summer.   We were completely baked and needed to decompress.    That king sized bed in the blissful air conditioning had my name on it.

Eventually, though, the boys began to feel the rumble of their stomachs and I heard discussions about dinner.   Not only does a day at a waterpark tire you out, it also works up quite an appetite.  So the fellows decided tonight was the perfect opportunity for one of their favourite pig-out places..Golden Corral.  Man-sized appetites deserved a man-sized buffet.





Super conveniently located within the Crossroads area, we were there in flash.    Have I mentioned lately how much we liked the Vistanas location??? 

Funnily enough (considering this is Orlando, after all, the name of which is as synonymous with Disney as peanut butter is with honey) our servers name was Minnie.  Seriously.  That made us laugh .  And that made her laugh .  We were off to a good start.  

For those that have not been to Golden Corral before, I would dare you to name your favourite comfort foods.  They will all be on the buffet.  Then add in some Asian dishes, fresh tacos and fajitas, a salad bar, and enough desserts to reduce Jenny Craig to tears, and you have the Golden Corral line-up.  Its a picky eaters dream.  

Warningmy dear child has some odd food tastes, so some may find this gross.  I know I do.  And I had to eat beside him..gag!  

Jakes first plate





One of Steves creations





And finally, mine (sidenote.I love their meatloaf.  Does that make me weird? ). 





Yes, my guys have a little love affair happening with this restaurant.   As they say, he way to a mans heart is through his stomach.   Steve concurs.





The best part here, though, is the dessert buffet.  If my conscience would allow, I would just start here and skip the main dishes altogether!!!    They have so many delicious options its hard to choose.  Jake, of course, has his favourite:  the make-your-own sundae bar .  Chocolate?  Vanilla? Swirl?  Tough decisions. 





Steves a cake kind of guy:





But Im all about the chocolate fountain .   





Yep, its beautiful, isnt it???   

Pass the marshmallows and the macaroons, please.





I dont even want to talk about the calorie intake of this meal.  It depresses me.  So lets just remember it with fondness and move right along, shall we?  

Looking for the best remedy for over-indulgence, we hopped into the Jeep and headed north on I-Drive.    A CityWalk was in order!   Heaven knows we needed it!!!


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## sk8jdgca

loving your report!!! We too loved TL it is so so much better than BB. One thing we found to eat though was the fruit bowl. you got to pick your favourite fruit to fill up your bowl and then there were fancy sugars to put on it-just the right thing to eat at the water park


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## webcreatrix

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Looking for the best remedy for over-indulgence, we hopped into the Jeep and headed north on I-Drive.    A CityWalk was in order!   Heaven knows we needed it!!!



Hi, Gina. I love your trip reports. We've decided off-site is the best option for our family, except when we are at the Dark Side. I'm looking forward to our June trip next year where we're planning to hit Disney, TL, Aquatica, and US/IOA!

Thank you so much for all your great water park TRs.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

sk8jdgca said:


> loving your report!!! We too loved TL it is so so much better than BB. One thing we found to eat though was the fruit bowl. you got to pick your favourite fruit to fill up your bowl and then there were fancy sugars to put on it-just the right thing to eat at the water park



Thank you sk8jdgca!  

We didn't even see that fruit bowl of which you speak.......I am so disappointed!!!  While I'm not a huge veggie girl, I could LIVE on fruit.  I can easily make that my entire meal vs. a burger or a hot dog.  I will have to keep our eyes peeled for that on our NEXT trip  .  It will give me an excuse to go back  (lol, not that I need one ) 



webcreatrix said:


> Hi, Gina. I love your trip reports. We've decided off-site is the best option for our family, except when we are at the Dark Side. I'm looking forward to our June trip next year where we're planning to hit Disney, TL, Aquatica, and US/IOA!
> 
> Thank you so much for all your great water park TRs.



Thank you so much  .  Glad to hear you are enjoying my report!!

Wow, you have an action-packed trip planned for June!!!!   How many days are you going for?   Have you decided where you are staying, or are you splitting your stay? (offsite for part, and onsite for the Universal portion?)

I always tell the folks who claim "onsite or bust"......don't knock it until you try it  .  Both scenarios can have their merits (depending on your dates of travel, the unique needs of your family, etc.) but for certain, onsite wins out by a LANDSLIDE for me and my fellows.   Its nice to hear others have concluded the same as we have  .


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## kmb584

I have to ask: where the heck do you get your bathing suits?  I love them!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

kmb584 said:


> I have to ask: where the heck do you get your bathing suits?  I love them!



Well, thank you!!!   

The black and red one (that I wore at BB) was new this year.  I purchased it at walmart.com before our trip and had it delivered to the resort.  It was a total shot in the dark as far as sizes go.....I gave it my best guess and lucked out!  I thought it was a FAB deal at $25 at the time....but I see now its on for $15!   (makes me want to order another one and set it aside for next summer!!)

Here's the link:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Catalina-...ertible-Strap-Ruffle-Bottom-Swimsuit/22176134

The blue one (that I wore at TL) I bought for last August's trip at sears.ca.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Somewhere during dessert at Golden Corral, the conversation turned to our schedule for our evening activities.    Since this was a vacation where we had strategically planned to set very few set plans, the next few hours were officially wide open (and surprising even to me, I was actually coming to LOVE this go-with-the-flow, spur-of-the-moment schedule.  It was just so darn relaxing!).  That meant we were open to ideas on how to spend our time.   After visiting Downtown Disney the previous evening, we should not have been shocked when Jake offered his input for something to do:    Mom, how about we go to CityWalk?.     There was no reason why we shouldnt, and it had been a few trips since wed been there..so off we went!

The trek there (surprisingly) was not that bad.  We had wondered if the prime evening hours would mean annoying traffic congestion along the way, but were happy to find otherwise.  It wasnt long before this came into view:





Pulling up to the parking garage, we paid the fee and were on our way to find a space.  A little side note for you to file awayafter 6 pm, the parking fee reduces to $5 (the regular parking cost is $16).    After 10 pm, its free. 





We made the l-o-n-g journey from the garage to CityWalk.  Thankfully, Universal has installed a nifty system of moving sidewalks, so for those suffering from over-indulgence (like us) or who are bothered by the heat (not us.we were getting pretty acclimatized by this point) can take it fairly easy throughout the pilgrimage if desired. 









Now, much as I enjoy a visit to CityWalk, let me say it doesnt offer nearly as many options in the form of entertainment or shopping as Downtown Disney.  Its just not as large.  But like DTD, its a good place to people watch and poke around while you leisurely pass the time.  Lots of people-watching fun.





Jakes request to visit here was not totally innocent.   I knew he had an ulterior motive besides getting us some much-needed exercise.    Call it mothers intuition (or just that fact that hes super-obvious at the best of time ).  So I was well aware that this was the specific destination he had in mind:





His first stop was, not surprisingly to shoot some hoops at the 3-point competition outside.  It cost him $8 (which he paid himself) but he would have paid $20 for the opportunity.  Basketball, as he would tell you, is priceless..and to play outside NBA City is icing on the cake.   





After he was finishing balling, we headed in to the NBA Store (the other destination I knew he had in mind!) for a retail purchase or two.  Despite its very commercial location in a generally over-priced tourist area, he never fails to net (pardon the pun) a great deal or two here on some team-specific merchandise that we cant get back home.  He was delighted to find the store jam-packed with NBA Championship merchandise featuring his beloved Miami Heat.LeBron James would have been proud of the selection.    With purchases made and shopping urges satisfied, we spent the rest of the evening strolling and meandering and soaking up the atmosphere.  Strangely enough, it was rather deserted..perhaps the heat had driven many folks back to their resorts to soak up some pool time.





Jake was searching for a minion souvenir for his girlfriend, and found a vast selection here:





Its a little like the World of Disney for Universal fans, just not on as grand a scale.   Very colourful, though, and full of Shrek, Simpson, Dr. Suess, and Harry Potter merchandise as you would expect.

An hour or so later, we feeling a little scortched an in need of a hydration break, so we stopped for bottled waters at the giant Coke bottle:





Eventually, we made our way back to the parking garage (why the stroll seemed quicker on the way back than it did on the way in, I have no idea..maybe we move faster when our bellies are not so full!) and made the short commute back to the Vistana.   We were plumb tuckeredwhat a busy day!   We spent some time in the pool, had a short soak in the hot tub (yep, we use em even in August!) then were off to bed for a good nights rest.  Tomorrow we were embarking on a road tripand I was going to cross an item off my bucket list .   

This might give you a little hint:






Stay tuned .  Day 5 is coming up next!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Day 5..Wednesday, August 28th.*

We kicked off the day by sleeping in.  Ah, sweet relaxation.  It was marvellous.  And it had everyone rested and recharged and in a sunshiny mood  just like the weather again that day.  One more breakfast from the Marketplace (we would take a bit of a hiatus from their breakfast sandwiches for the next couple of days) and we packed our gear (towels, swimsuits, sunscreen, hats) and loaded up the Jeep.   

Poor Steve got hit by an awful allergic reaction to something this morning, and it never truly left him until after we got home.  We never did determine the offending allergen, but it sure knocked him on his fanny.  Runny eyes, sneezing, head congestion..we felt so sorry for him.  Thankfully, the Marketplace carried Benadryl so he took a couple of tablets with breakfast to try and manage the symptoms.   Of course, that dang Benadryl knocked him completely on his feetI am sure he could have slept away the remainder of the vacation with the fuzzy head it created..so if you see him looking a tad bleary eyed in some of the photos from here, youll know that my big guy was suffering .

Now back to the report......

A quick stop to refuel (the vehicle, not the people) and we were on our way down the highway.  

Which highway?  The Beachline Expressway!  

A scant hour and wayyyy too many toll booth later  (we are totally going with the SunPass on the next trip.it will be a worthwhile investment) we were greeted by a great view as we pulled into Merritt Island:





Before finishing the short journey to our ultimate destination, Cocoa Beach, we opted to grab an early lunch at one of our family favourites, Steak & Shake.

You simply cannot dine at Steak & Shake without having one of their milkshakes.  They are big and yummy and sooooooo cheap.  Learning my lesson from previous visits, I got mine in a to-go cup so I could savor it slowly.  Jake and Steve opted to polish theirs off during lunch and got the standard pretty glasses, all fancied up.

How this franchise survives with meals under $4, I have no idea.  But yet, I am glad they do!  I had the triple (!) steakburger, with seasoned fries, ketchup only (I am not a toppings girl):





Jake went with the Frisco melt and fries:





And Steve opted for the Steakburger Royale  (complete with fried eggan item of which I still cannot figure out who decided was a good idea to put on a hamburger, but hey.he liked it):





We shared an order of onion rings at the suggestion of our very excellent waitress.  With our Entertainment Book coupons, both the onion rings and one of the shakes ended up being no charge.  Add that to the ridiculously low cost of the entrees to begin with, and this was one SUPER value.  And it was delicious.  Soooooo good! 

The remainder of our journey was a short one.  Within just a few minutes, Ms. GPS has us pulling up into here:


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Now, the beach may not seem like a big deal for some, but the moments that follow have long since been on my bucket list.   I had never seen the ocean.   Not in person, anyway.  And I had certainly never dipped my toes in it, tasted the salty water, and squiggled my toes in ocean sand.   Quite honestly, I felt I had been missing out, as both Steve and Jake had long since beat me to this experience.  Steve was part of disaster relief team that travelled to Montserrat in early 1990 following the devastation of Hurricane Hugo to build houses for the residents who were left without shelter.     Jake travelled to the west coast with a friend (and his family) during the summer before grade 9, and got to have his ocean experience off the coast of Vancouver.  But me?  Despite three trips to Florida in 2012 alone, our family had never made it even once to the Atlantic coast, despite loosely including it on virtually each itinerary.    

So this, though it may sound silly, was an emotional moment for yours truly.  













I would have RUN down the pathway to the beach from the parking lot, except it quickly turned from wooden boards into beach sand and that slowed my approach considerably.  Its hard to run in the sand.and OMG!!!!!!!  It was blazin hot!   Ask Steve..he started out on the sand.





.then took to higher ground!!! 





I didnt even take time to change before heading out to the water.  I just wanted to be there for a few minutes, and soak it up.  Breathe it in.  And take some pictures (of course!).













It was just as pretty as I pictured in my mind.but admittedly, far less busy than I expected (which was a nice surprise).   I suspect that school being in session was a big influence in that.





And the water?  Well, let me say it was far, far warmer than I anticipated.    A trip to North Beach Provincial Park (near my home) the week prior to our vacation had me turning BLUE in the water from the cold, and its just a lake..so I figured the ocean would be freakin freezing.  It was beautiful .  Whoda thought?  





The sun was directly overhead and we were starting to get really warm in the sun so Steve and I headed back to change into our swimwear.  Jake, big chicken that he was, decided he would stretch out on a towel and soak up the rays rather than risk his safety in the shark-infested ocean.  I kid you not.   But dont dont feel that he was missing out in any wayhe was in his glory, basking in the Florida rays with the ocean breeze keeping him nice and comfy while he texted everyone he knew to say hey, guess where I am right now? .  





The amusing part here was the towel he grabbed to lounge on.  Looking back over the pictures, it became the family joke that Jake actually did have a shark sighting at Cocoa Beach!!!! 





For the next couple of hours, we splashed and rode the waves (it was a yellow flag day, so the waves and undertow were both in the moderate range.tons of fun for swimming) and I will fully admit, I had the time of my life!  Sooo much fun!  (minus the salt in my mouth and eyes, of course..WAY saltier than I anticipated).  After a while, we felt our skin start to fry, despite multiple breaks for more SPF 100 sunscreen, so we decided it was time to dry off and move onwards.   Jake was near melting so I knew we could all use a little time in an air conditioned environment.

We changed back into dry clothes, worked to desperately rid our sandals of the beach sand (didnt work..Im sure Alamo had a tough job on the car mats of the Jeep!) then made the short trip up the street to one of the most famous of Cocoa Beachs landmarks..Ron Jons Surf Shop!


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## dennise

Loving the report, gave the link to my son and his wife, they are surprising their children(9 and 13) with a two week trip to Orlando in April  and your report is so detailed I thought it would be a good read for them.    They haven't been there since their honeymoon 15 years ago.   That will be their Christmas gift ++.    The ocean part of your trip was interesting, we can see the Bay of Fundy from our house and can be at the ocean in less than an hour, I guess it is something we take for granted.   The Bay has the highest tides in the world.    I was actually looking at your suit on the website, we are going to be in the US next week and can order to be sent to the store,   hmmm do I need another suit??


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## Mrs Doubtfire

We love the sea and have planned a day at Cocoa beach too, so it was great to see your pictures


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dennise said:


> Loving the report, gave the link to my son and his wife, they are surprising their children(9 and 13) with a two week trip to Orlando in April  and your report is so detailed I thought it would be a good read for them.    They haven't been there since their honeymoon 15 years ago.   That will be their Christmas gift ++.    The ocean part of your trip was interesting, we can see the Bay of Fundy from our house and can be at the ocean in less than an hour, I guess it is something we take for granted.   The Bay has the highest tides in the world.    *I was actually looking at your suit on the website, we are going to be in the US next week and can order to be sent to the store,   hmmm do I need another suit*??



Ah heck, go for it and order yourself the suit  .  For $15, you can't lose!

That's awesome about your son's trip  .  I wish my parents had given our family an Orlando vacation for one of our Christmas gifts!!!  lol, we got socks and underwear  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> We love the sea and have planned a day at Cocoa beach too, so it was great to see your pictures



It was so lovely .  I can definitely see us going back again on future trips.  Or maybe we'd try out the Gulf coast the next time, just for a different experience.


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## webcreatrix

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Wow, you have an action-packed trip planned for June!!!!   How many days are you going for?   Have you decided where you are staying, or are you splitting your stay? (offsite for part, and onsite for the Universal portion?)



We plan to spend a week at Windsor Hills/Disney and then are hoping to add two to three nights at the HRH for the US/IOA part of our trip.

So far, we've only stayed onsite at HRH for Universal (3 nights). We did that in 2011 along with four nights at the Polynesian. That was our major blowout trip. The four nights at the Poly were 30% off, but that was probably a once in a lifetime trip for us. 

Otherwise, we have stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and All Star Movies and Music. They were fine. We really LOVED the pool at Hilton, but we enjoyed our stays at Windsor Hills and Wyndham Bonnet Creek more. It's nice to have all the space, being able to do a load of laundry conveniently, having snacks and DRINKS that are good and don't cost a small fortune! 

I think Wyndham Bonnet Creek may be the best of all worlds, like Vistana - space but with the resort feel. Buy my kids wanted to go back to a "Mickey house".


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

webcreatrix said:


> We plan to spend a week at Windsor Hills/Disney and then are hoping to add two to three nights at the HRH for the US/IOA part of our trip.
> 
> So far, we've only stayed onsite at HRH for Universal (3 nights). We did that in 2011 along with four nights at the Polynesian. That was our major blowout trip. The four nights at the Poly were 30% off, but that was probably a once in a lifetime trip for us.
> 
> Otherwise, we have stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and All Star Movies and Music. They were fine. We really LOVED the pool at Hilton, but we enjoyed our stays at Windsor Hills and Wyndham Bonnet Creek more. It's nice to have all the space, being able to do a load of laundry conveniently, having snacks and DRINKS that are good and don't cost a small fortune!
> 
> I think Wyndham Bonnet Creek may be the best of all worlds, like Vistana - space but with the resort feel. Buy my kids wanted to go back to a "Mickey house".



Windsor Hills looks awesome.....its on my short list for a future trip.  We actually checked it out for this past trip as well.  The option of having our own splash pool was very tempting!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Ron Jons was pretty easy to find.....you really cant miss that looming blue and yellow building as you come into town.  There was lots of free parking out back, so we had no problem finding a space for the Jeep.    Jake was pretty pumped for this portion of the day.  Beach + shopping = paradise. 





Outside, there were lots of neat little touches to satisfy my photo cravings, like the super-sized sand sculptures:









There was also a great surf board display:





And of course, there was the vintage Ron Jon car:





The store itself is HUGE.    Merchandise in a rainbow of bright, beachy colours filled every nook and cranny of the two levels.  I think I read somewhere that the store is over 50,000 square feet, and they have used each square inch.  The selection is quite impressive, and the store has some nice little touches like a waterfall and a glass elevator.









Need a surf board?  They have them in every size and colour imaginable.









And skateboards?  They have those, too.  By the hundreds.  





Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Ron Jons never closes.  So if you need a new swimsuit, a beach towel, or some Panama Jack sunscreen at 2:30 am on a Sunday morning, they have you covered.  Cause you never know , right?





Deciding what to buy was hard.....let me tell ya, its easier to pick when there arent so many choices!!  Eventually, we all decided on shirts in our favourite Ron Jon prints, and we headed to the register to pay for our purchases.  The clerk gave us complimentary Ron Jon bumper stickers, and we bid adieu to Cocoa Beach.  But we werent quite ready to head back to Orlando just yet.  We had one more stop to make!


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## richmo

Windsor Hills is great. We've stayed three times now for a total of four weeks. Short travel time to Disney too.

On Cocoa trip: Any Disney Cruise Line sightings?


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

richmo said:


> Windsor Hills is great. We've stayed three times now for a total of four weeks. Short travel time to Disney too.
> 
> *On Cocoa trip: Any Disney Cruise Line sightings*?



Nope....not a one!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

En route back to Orlando, we had one final stop to make.  Groupon in hand, we were here within a few minutes:





The Merritt Square Mall in Merritt Island.

As those who have read my past trip reports know, we are a family of mini golf enthusiasts.  Generally speaking, several rounds (and usually a couple of different courses) are part of every vacation, regardless of where that happens to be.  The boys, in particular, LOVE to play..and its serious business.   There are man-egos and bragging rights at stake .

Knowing we would be in Cocoa Beach on one of our vacation days, I snagged a Groupon for Glow Golf in the Merritt Square Mall a month or so before our travel date.    I figured it would serve two purposes.get us out of the sun for part of our day (if it happened to be a scortcher) or get us out of the rain (in the event that Mother Nature released one of her trademark afternoon thunderstorms).      Happily, it turned out it wasnt required for the latter reason, and the respite from the heat of the late afternoon was much appreciated.

Jake and I took a stroll around the mall before we golfed.  Its pretty small, and shopping opportunities are limited . but the boy did purchase a new Otterbox for his iPhone 5 at a very reasonable cost (much cheaper than here at home).    Theres a little train that runs through the mall, offering rides for $3 per person, which would have been a hit with the kiddo about 14 years ago.





While Jake and I did a little shopping, Steve found a comfy seat and opted for some rest and relaxation.  When we eventually met back up with him, we almost peed our pants laughingcause not only was he having a good siesta, but take a look at what store was behind him:





A little ironic, wasnt it?  

At any rate, we roused Rip Van Winkle and headed here to begin our first 18 holes:





The Groupon gave each of us three 18-hole games, all in a glow-in-the-dark, inside, blissfully air conditioned environment.  We ended up completing only 36 of the holes before we pooped out.  A day at the beach takes a lot of out a person!   For the $4 pp we paid for the Groupon ($12 total), we got our moneys worth and then some.





Back in the Jeep, we made the easy jaunt back to Orlando.  I will say that we saw a dead armadillo on the side of the road, which was kind of weird for this northern girl (we are used to many a dead racoon, but armadillo roadkill was a first for us).  Arriving around 6:30 pm (or thereabouts), we opted to head directly to dinner for simplicitys sake.  I had a feeling when we got back to the resort that day, we would be too tuckered to leave again.      For our evening meal, we were taking a walk on the wild side (well, sorta!) and trying someplace new.  Somewhere we had heard great things about.  

We were dining at Giordanos!


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## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> It was so lovely .  I can definitely see us going back again on future trips.  Or maybe we'd try out the Gulf coast the next time, just for a different experience.



I'll put in a plug for Siesta Key (Sarasota) on the left coast.  It's about 90 minutes from Orlando; 30 minutes South of Tampa.  We go there for a day every trip as we have family retirees who make it their winter home.  The beach is the finest white powder sand (that reflects the sun and crisps you skin in minutes).  March is still swimmable in the gulf; well at least for us thick skinned Canadians   There were probably less than 20 people who swam on our stretch last trip, and we made up four of them.  No colder than Lake Muskoka in June or September tho.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> I'll put in a plug for Siesta Key (Sarasota) on the left coast.  It's about 90 minutes from Orlando; 30 minutes South of Tampa.  We go there for a day every trip as we have family retirees who make it their winter home.  The beach is the finest white powder sand (that reflects the sun and crisps you skin in minutes).  March is still swimmable in the gulf; well at least for us thick skinned Canadians   There were probably less than 20 people who swam on our stretch last trip, and we made up four of them.  No colder than Lake Muskoka in June or September tho.



   I am diligently making notes for the "next trip" (whenever it may be ).  Siesta Key has just been added to the list  .

My dad grew up north of Bancroft.  I have thick skin as part of my DNA.    My grandparents didn't have indoor plumbing until I was about 10, so yep....we used the out house in January.  I often wonder how my relatives survived their childhoods  .


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lets just say that a day of sunshine and swimming and fresh ocean air can really work up an appetite.  By the time we arrived at Giordanos, we were all starting to feel the rumble of our stomachs.  





We knew before we arrived that we wanted to try their signature menu item, the Chicago-style deep dish pizza for which they had become so famous.    It just seemed sacreligious to have anything else!!





First impressions of the restaurant were excellent.  A very Italian atmosphere.   





We were seated immediately by our lovely waitress who provided excellent service from start to finish.    With menus in hand, we set about deciding what we wanted to order.  





Knowing that the deep dish pizza was going to take 40 minutes to bake, we decided to get some appetizers to start.  First to arrive were the garlic parmesan fries and cheesy bread.  HUGE and delicious!!!  





Next up was the Fritto Misto platter.  It included battered mushrooms, fried mozzarella, onion rings, and fried ravioli (the latter of which sounded very strange but were surprisingly super yummy!).    





After devouring each of the appetizers, we were starting to feel a little full.  You can imagine our surprise (horror?) when our main course arrived..the Meat, Meat & More Meat deep dish pizza.  Oh. My. Lord. 





A nice touch by our waitress was to serve each of us our first piece of the pie.   The guys dived in.  I was still trying to come to terms with just how THICK that sucker was!!!





Absolutely the biggest, cheesiest, heaviest pizza you could ever imagine.  We ordered  a large pizza to share, and it was WAY too much food with the appetizers we devoured.  I couldnt finish even one whole slice of the pizza, despite my best efforts.  I think Jake ate one entire slice, and Steve had two (or maybe one and a half).  At any rate, we ended up with half or more of that big  boy to take back to the villa with us.  It would be come breakfast (and snacks) for the next several days.    





We all agreed that Giordanos had officially become a must do on future vacations, but probably (a) without the appetizers&.except maybe the cheesy garlic bread and (b) wed likely get it to go and enjoy it in the comfort of our villa (just because pizza lends itself so well to that).   Definitely a winner!

Back at the resort, we deposited the leftover pizza in the fridge, and spent the balance of that glorious summer night in the Super Pool.  Hard to believe there were only two more full days of our vacation left before we made the sad trek home.


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## Lynne G

That pizza does look good!  I'll have to see if there's one near the Residence Inn.  

My kids are hoping we cruise next year.  They had a really good time with the Disney Fantasy.  I am not sure.  The prices seem so much higher than what I paid last year.  

It'll be just after our holiday vacation that I'll be thinking of our 2014 vacation.  Depending on the crowds and tempature, we may stick to vacationing in the summer, the late summer.  Only thing I have to check is the school calendar, and SW's ticket prices for MCO travel.

There's just so much to do in the Orlando area.  

We actually like the Captiva and Sanibel Islands, in the Gulf, connected by a long bridge from St. Pete.  Beautiful places.  If I am going to the beach, I'd be on the Gulf side or the keys.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> That pizza does look good!  I'll have to see if there's one near the Residence Inn.
> 
> My kids are hoping we cruise next year.  They had a really good time with the Disney Fantasy.  I am not sure.  The prices seem so much higher than what I paid last year.
> 
> It'll be just after our holiday vacation that I'll be thinking of our 2014 vacation.  Depending on the crowds and tempature, we may stick to vacationing in the summer, the late summer.  Only thing I have to check is the school calendar, and SW's ticket prices for MCO travel.
> 
> *There's just so much to do in the Orlando area.  *
> 
> We actually like the Captiva and Sanibel Islands, in the Gulf, connected by a long bridge from St. Pete.  Beautiful places.  If I am going to the beach, I'd be on the Gulf side or the keys.



There _*is*_so much to do in Orlando and vicinity......that's the reason why we love it there, too.     People keep asking us "How can you continue to go back to the same place all the time?  Don't you want to try something new?".  And we keep telling them....we do something new on EVERY visit!

Never tried a cruise just yet....Jake has zero interest (silly boy)....but I can definitely see Steve and I cruisig once the boy is all grown up. 

I checked Google maps, and the closest Giordano's to the RI SW is the one we went to on South Apopka Vineland Road.   It lists it as only 4.2 miles away (but that's via the I4, which might be a nightmare during the holidays).  They very well might deliver, though.  There is also one at Sand  Lake Rd. & Universal Blvd.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Day 6  Thursday, August 29th.*

Every day started bright and sunny.  This one was no different. 

Todays first (and only) commitment was courtesy of the good graces of my boys.   Gosh, I love those two .  Let me give you a little background on how it came about:

Its no secret to anyone that I *love* photos.  I have taken a million of Jake from the day he made his debut in the world, documenting every single memorable milestone (and even some of the more mundane occurrences ) along the way.  I have the camera forever at my side on vacation.  If I came home from vacation with nothing but a memory card full of digital images, Id be a happy girl.  The walls of our home are devoid of expensive paintings by notable artists, but are adorned with photos of our favourite vacation moments, sports accomplishments, school achievements, and loved ones that have passed on before us (RIP Dad.....you are forever in my heart ).    Photographs are my treasures.

We used to have our family photographs taken quite regularly when Jake was small, but those kind of went by the wayside when he was getting yearly pictures done at school.  When we went to Disney in 2009 (our first Orlando trip), we took advantage of the resort sessions that were being offered at the Polynesian, and it was so nice to have formal family portraits done after so many years.

Fast forward to August 2012, and again we had neglected having family photos done for the entire three and half years since the Disney session.   Bad, bad, parents we are.  Before our trip to Orlando that month, I snagged a Groupon for a session at Studio One to One at the Florida Mall which again turned out to be a painless and (dare I say?) enjoyable experience.  The pics turned out gorgeous enough that we ended up spending an additional $300 on the session CD and prints not covered by the Groupon.  And that's saying something...because I *hate* having my picture taken!!  *(for those that share my photo phobia, though, this is article is a must read....and what keeps me agreeing to "get in the picture" on a regular basis:    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allison-tate/mom-pictures-with-kids_b_1926073.html ).*

When we checked in at the Vistana, we picked up one of the flyers at the Welcome Center that advertised the resort photo sessions that were done by the onsite photographers.    They were offering a free 5 x 7 just for having your session done, with no obligation to purchase.  The boys spied the flier and asked if I wanted to have our pics done again this year (they knew how much the others meant to dear old mom).   I hesitated, not wanting to put them out as I know its really not their favourite vacation moment, lol.  But they continued to mention it throughout the week (hey, did you reserve us a time for a photo session yet?) so I figured they really must not mind as much as I thought.  They are good men. 

So&&Thursday morning was the day.  I booked a time for later in the morning, 10:30, so we could all sleep in a bit and give the guys an extra few minutes to shave those fuzzy faces of theirs (Jake, in particular, was lookin a little scruffy by this point in our holiday ).    We arrived at the photography desk and were introduced to Heather, who would be our photographer for the morning.









The pictures were taken around the grounds of the resort, which made for a wonderful, tropical backdrop.  Hot as Hades, though, so Im glad we had a morning session and that Heather kept us mostly in the shade.   We opted for casual clothes in bright colours as last years pics were all white shirts/dark bottoms with black and white backgrounds.  The contrast between the two sessions would be a nice change.









Heather took some family pictures, some individual shots, and some of Steve and I together.  She asked if we had any specific poses or locations that we were looking for, so Im guessing she would have been pretty willing to add in anything special if we so desired. That said, we were happy for her to take the lead and just smile when commanded.









The actual photo taking time took about 30 minutes, then an additional half hour or so to select our pictures for the prints we decided to purchase.  We opted for the largest package at $79, which included the CD of all photos taken (61 different digital images), 6 portrait sheets of our choice (and you could combine multiple poses onto the same sheet, for example two different 5 x 7 images per photo sheet), plus the freebie 5 x 7.  I thought the cost was very reasonable.    Both the CD and the prints were ready for pickup after 6 pm the same day.

Hmmmm&.now what to do for the afternoon??


----------



## dennise

What a great idea.   Most of our pics have one of us, rarely both.    That may be on my list for our next trip.   I had thought about it this fall as we just had our 45th anniversary last week.   A photo with all. Seven Grandkids would be wonderful.


----------



## shalom

I'm woefully behind on the comments front but I did want to say how much I loved the swimsuit you had at BB -- I especially like that "Vanna White" shot of you beside the lazy river, and the last one in your BB report of all three of you.  

But now I think I like the last pic of you and your hubby at the photo session best.  You both looked so relaxed.  Of course, Steve _always_ looks relaxed.  Jake may have a point about your trips without him being, er, a lot quieter.  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> So this, though it may sound silly, was an emotional moment for yours truly.



Looks like the Lori Wilson park was a great choice for "the big reveal."  

Although living near the great lakes, you were more prepared than many.  My brother and I were traveling with a friend from Colorado once, who'd grown up in Missouri, and we took her to Silver Beach in St. Joe, on Lake Michigan.  She looked across the water and said, "Isn't Chicago across there?  I guess it's too cloudy to see it or something."

We said, "No, you can't see it from here; it's too far away."

She _backed_ up the beach three or four feet and said, fervently, "I am _not_ ready for the ocean."  





Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> And the water?  Well, let me say it was far, far warmer than I anticipated.    A trip to North Beach Provincial Park (near my home) the week prior to our vacation had me turning BLUE in the water from the cold, and it’s just a lake…..so I figured the ocean would be freakin’ freezing.  It was beautiful .  Who’da thought?



September is the best time of year to hit the ocean, IMHO.  It's been soaking up the sun all summer! 


Huh, I thought toasted (aka fried) ravioli was a St. Louis thing.  Maybe I need to start looking for them in Chicago!  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> After devouring each of the appetizers, we were starting to feel a little full.  You can imagine our surprise (horror?) when our main course arrived..the Meat, Meat & More Meat deep dish pizza.  Oh. My. Lord.





I was reading about all your appetizers and thinking, "Wow.  Didn't they order a deep dish?"  I haven't had _Giordanos_ deep dish, but I've made Chicago deep dish at home, and we definitely don't have it with appetizers.  



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Never tried a cruise just yet....Jake has zero interest (silly boy)....but I can definitely see Steve and I cruisig once the boy is all grown up.



I'm with Jake -- I'm a claustraphobe, and those cabins are too small.    And I don't like the idea that I can't "escape" if I'm bored or just don't like it.  Which likely aren't Jake's reasons, going on his feelings about sharks.


----------



## webcreatrix

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Jakes request to visit here was not totally innocent.   I knew he had an ulterior motive besides getting us some much-needed exercise.    Call it mothers intuition (or just that fact that hes super-obvious at the best of time ).  So I was well aware that this was the specific destination he had in mind:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> His first stop was, not surprisingly to shoot some hoops at the 3-point competition outside.  It cost him $8 (which he paid himself) but he would have paid $20 for the opportunity.  Basketball, as he would tell you, is priceless..and to play outside NBA City is icing on the cake.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After he was finishing balling, we headed in to the NBA Store (the other destination I knew he had in mind!) for a retail purchase or two.  Despite its very commercial location in a generally over-priced tourist area, he never fails to net (pardon the pun) a great deal or two here on some team-specific merchandise that we cant get back home.  He was delighted to find the store jam-packed with NBA Championship merchandise featuring his beloved Miami Heat.LeBron James would have been proud of the selection.



Ah! I'm so glad I tuned into your report. My son is insane about basketball. I had seen there was an NBA restaurant at CityWalk, but I had no idea about the hoops or the store. He is going to be thrilled!


----------



## webcreatrix

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Windsor Hills looks awesome.....its on my short list for a future trip.  We actually checked it out for this past trip as well.  The option of having our own splash pool was very tempting!



The splash pool is a great perk! My kids almost preferred that to the parks.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dennise said:


> What a great idea.   Most of our pics have one of us, rarely both.    That may be on my list for our next trip.   I had thought about it this fall as we just had our 45th anniversary last week.   A photo with all. Seven Grandkids would be wonderful.



45 years?!?  Wow, that is awesome!!!    Congratulations on such a wonderful milestone   That definitely deserves a photo session in my book! 



webcreatrix said:


> Ah! I'm so glad I tuned into your report. My son is insane about basketball. I had seen there was an NBA restaurant at CityWalk, but I had no idea about the hoops or the store. He is going to be thrilled!



  

You can even get your photo taken "with" your favourite player.  They have one of those green screens where you have you picture taken against it, then when you view the photo, Lebron James (or whomever) is standing next to you.

Outside the restaurant, there are a series of basketballs that bear the handprint of various NBA superstars.  Its kind of humbling to place your hand inside the handprint and see just how HUGE their hands are!   

Definitely a good place to go for basketball fans  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> I'm woefully behind on the comments front but I did want to say how much I loved the swimsuit you had at BB -- I especially like that "Vanna White" shot of you beside the lazy river, and the last one in your BB report of all three of you.
> 
> But now I think I like the last pic of you and your hubby at the photo session best.  You both looked so relaxed.  Of course, Steve _always_ looks relaxed.  Jake may have a point about your trips without him being, er, a lot quieter.
> 
> Looks like the Lori Wilson park was a great choice for "the big reveal."
> 
> Although living near the great lakes, you were more prepared than many.  My brother and I were traveling with a friend from Colorado once, who'd grown up in Missouri, and we took her to Silver Beach in St. Joe, on Lake Michigan.  She looked across the water and said, "Isn't Chicago across there?  I guess it's too cloudy to see it or something."
> 
> We said, "No, you can't see it from here; it's too far away."
> 
> She _backed_ up the beach three or four feet and said, fervently, "I am _not_ ready for the ocean."
> 
> 
> 
> September is the best time of year to hit the ocean, IMHO.  It's been soaking up the sun all summer!
> 
> Huh, I thought toasted (aka fried) ravioli was a St. Louis thing.  Maybe I need to start looking for them in Chicago!
> 
> 
> 
> I was reading about all your appetizers and thinking, "Wow.  Didn't they order a deep dish?"  I haven't had _Giordanos_ deep dish, but I've made Chicago deep dish at home, and we definitely don't have it with appetizers.
> 
> I'm with Jake -- I'm a claustraphobe, and those cabins are too small.    And I don't like the idea that I can't "escape" if I'm bored or just don't like it.  Which likely aren't Jake's reasons, going on his feelings about sharks.



Our server at Giordano's actually laughed at us when we placed our order.....I believe her comment was "wow, you guys are hungry tonight ".  lol, that should have been our first clue that we overdid it a bit.  But ya know, the guys loved having pizza for breakfast for a few days....I mean, its not my cup of tea, but they thought they had died and gone to heaven.

Jake's worries about cruising stem more from having to share a tiny bedroom with his Mom and Snorey McSnorerson (that would be Steve ) than sharks....but let's not remind him of that fact, either .    And I think he wonders if he'd be bored.....I think it would make a huge difference if he had a similarly aged sibling or a friend along.    

You had me laughing right out loud with the Vanna White comparison  .  OMG, I could only wish I bore her any resemblance!!!!!  (but thanks....you are so sweet!)


----------



## Girldreamer02

Hello, I just sat here and read your trip report for almost two hours. I haven't been on the dis forever, but recently there have been some live online streaming by the dis podcast folks and I watched those and my obsession with all things disney is making a strong return. I am enjoying your tr and all of your stories. Its kind of funny to see you eat at places that I just take for granted. I am not big on eating out either since I am trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle more recently. I actually have a strong canadian back round and have visited before. Beautiful! I do have a question though about the mini golf. Was there a winner announced? You left us hanging


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Girldreamer02 said:


> Hello, I just sat here and read your trip report for almost two hours. I haven't been on the dis forever, but recently there have been some live online streaming by the dis podcast folks and I watched those and my obsession with all things disney is making a strong return. I am enjoying your tr and all of your stories. Its kind of funny to see you eat at places that I just take for granted. I am not big on eating out either since I am trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle more recently. I actually have a strong canadian back round and have visited before. Beautiful! I do have a question though about the mini golf. Was there a winner announced? You left us hanging



Welcome, Girldreamer  .  Glad that you dropped in to join us!

lol, I know most of my American friends don't get the thrill from a Friendly's sundae or a bowl of soup from Olive Garden like we do, but let me tell ya, its fun to FINALLY get to eat somewhere that we've seen on TV for months  .  Every time a commercial for a Sonic pretzel dog comes on, the boys are ooohhing and aaaahhhing and making plans to move southward  .    Being so close to the Canadian/US border, well over half of our TV channels are US-based, so they tease and tantalize us with all the good stuff while we're stuck with the lesser variety (and higher prices!!) of our Canadian chains.  That said, its probably good for my waistline that I don't live south of the border   .

Ah yes, the mini golf score  .  Steve won.  By about 5 strokes, dang him  .  I don't even want to talk about MY score......at least he and Jake were relatively close.   I was a disaster  .  

But stay tuned....there would be a few more opportunities for a rematch in the next couple of days  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Following our photo session, no one was hungry for lunch just yet (can you BELIEVE it?!?!?).  That leftover Giordanos pizza was rather filling, to say the least.    So what to do, what to do?

It dawned on me that there was one place I wanted to visit before we headed off propertyI had noticed on the daily activity schedule that it was Farmers Market day at the parking lot of the Marketplace.   I had wanted to check it out and explore what the local vendors had to offer (we spied the tents in the lot on Tuesday as well, but didnt have a chance to get there as we were splishin and splashin at Typhoon Lagoon).  So back to our villa we went, for the guys to have a little rest session in the A/C while I went shopping.





The Farmers Market was tiny but really kind of cute.  The vendors were super friendly and every single one of them would have been quite content to chat with the resort guests endlessly..and I probably would have indulged in that conversation a little longer, but OMG it was hot.   There were wonderful hand crafted jewellery items (I bought a couple for some friends), fruits and veggies fresh from local farms, some unique snacks (boiled peanuts, for example) , and some custom clothing items as well.  Very quaint, and a nice little addition to an otherwise quiet Thursday at the resort .





Following my tour of the market, I made the 60 second walk back to the villa and found the boys happily hydrating and watching the sports updates.  They had missed their daily Sportscentre reports, and needed to know how their Blue Jays had been faring throughout our week.  Still declaring it too early for lunch, Jake asked if we could make a stop at his final must-do shopping destination of the trip..the Premium Outlets on Vineland.  Being a very go-with-the-flow day, we had no reason to say no (and hey, he had been a good sport during the photo session, so this was a nice way to reward him).    So thats where we went.

Now let me tell you, this was a whirlwind tour..he had a few specific stores in mind (Nike, American Eagle, and Lululemon for the girlfriend) and he didnt waste any time.   We valeted the Jeep ($7) as general parking was scarce by high noon, which was worth every penny IMHO.  He actually buzzed round the mall so quickly that this is the only photo I took..the boy was on a mission and it was hard to keep up!





All kidding aside, I was happy this was no marathon shopping session.  It was very warm and very sunny, one of those days that made you tire with each step.  So with bulging bags of purchases in hand, we beckoned the Jeep from the valet and headed up I-Drive for lunch.  

And we ended up here:

*Crap!*  Here is where the Sonic Drive In picture is supposed to be..but apparently, I missed uploading it to Photobucket last night.  I suck.  

Sorry bout that.  You ll just have to picture it in your mind. 

We see the Sonic commercials on TV all the time.  I think I can recite the pretzel dog ones by memory.  The boys were adamant that we squeeze a Sonic meal into our plans, and with vacation time waning, it was almost now or never!  It was delish..and soooo cheap!....and was devoured before I could take any pictures.

With the balance of the afternoon ours for the taking, I asked the boys how they wanted to spend it.  The looked guiltily at each other, and sheepishly declared that they wanted to watch TV.   And nap .  Nap?!?!?!?  *sigh*   Thats guys for ya .  But this was our relaxing vacation, remember, which I wholehearted endorsed..so who was I to say no?

Back at the villa, Steve stretched out on the big king bed, remote in hand, and promptly started to snore.  Apparently the activities of the week had finally caught up with the old guy (or the Benadryl for his allergies was kicking his butt.or both!).  Jake and I did  inventory of his purchases from our various shopping destinations to ensure (a) they would all fit in our luggage and (b) that he hadnt missed anything along the way (how that would have been possible with the number of retail stops we had made this far, I dont know, but I indulged him on the idea anyway).   Having happily surveyed his loot (and basking in the knowledge of how much he had saved versus the same items back home), he stretched out on the couch in the living room to catch up on more sports highlights from the various southern sources.

Me?  Im not a napper.  Nor am I much of a TV person.  So I opted for a stroll.  August afternoon  heat, be darned!  This resort was just too pretty not to fully enjoy.     And you know, with all the family time we had been enjoying, I must admit an hour or so of solitude was actually a little appealing (and Im quite sure the guys were thinking the same thing to themselves).









Most of my walk was spent around the Spas and Cascades areas, as there is ample space around both regions to satisfy my need for some physical activity without taking me too far into the more unfamiliar resort territory.    And both sections are so different yet so pretty.   Absolutely the most relaxing span of time that I spent all week.  













I half contemplated stretching out on one of the hammocks scattered through the resort.  It looked like a might fine place to catch 40 winks, if I had been so inclined.





I stumbled upon the Cascades playground, all nestled in the shade.  Its too bad so many folks dont fully take advantage of some of the great amenities here.   Everything is so nicely done and such a fine quality.





Even the smoker areas have an unexpected sense of beauty to them.   Nicer than many resorts picnic areas!





Eventually, I parked my fanny on a bench and just enjoyed the peacefulness and beauty of the surroundings, because you know, I really dont people do that often enough.  I sent up my little prayer of thanks for the blessings that allowed us to take this trip.  I took a few moments to be grateful.





Late in the afternoon, I returned to the villa to rouse my guys.   Rested and relaxed as promised, it was now time to make the most of the glorious evening ahead and take in an activity or two.    We were Kissimmee-bound!


----------



## Lynne G

Wahoo! Waiting to see what else in in store.

We have a Sonic near our house.  Not our favorite fast food, though we really like the tater tots.  Those are something not found in other fast food places, and I won't cook at home.  DD would just eat those, while DS and I don't mind the burgers.  We usually have a coupon for the ice cream, and DD is usually the one who gets the free ice cream.  Smart girl.

Found a way to  the G's pizza place without having to go on 4, but under it.  It may be a dinner local for us.


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

It's funny how a day on the beach can be so tiring, even if you spend most of it just lazing around 

I did wonder if you would manage the pizza when you pictured all the starters, we have done that before!

Just a little question, how do you manage straight hair in the humidity? Mine just frizzes as soon as I go out, so I give up and go 'natural' (curly that is) 

Loving the report.


----------



## dennise

Gina, Another good place to eat, especially since you like the Golden Corral is the Wood Grill Buffet on International Drive.   We drove by it several times before we ventured in.   They had an antique car display in front of it, so we stopped and checked it out.    One of the car owners approached us, said he didn't want to be insulting, but asked if we were seniors, of course anyone over 60 was a senior.   He said to wait about 5 minutes and the senior prices begin.   Who doesn't want to save a couple of bucks!    He told us it was like an upscale GC, which it was.   The ice cream was so delicious, and having a bit of a candy bar for toppings really sold me.  We ate there 3 times.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> Wahoo! Waiting to see what else in in store.
> 
> We have a Sonic near our house.  Not our favorite fast food, though we really like the tater tots.  Those are something not found in other fast food places, and I won't cook at home.  DD would just eat those, while DS and I don't mind the burgers.  We usually have a coupon for the ice cream, and DD is usually the one who gets the free ice cream.  Smart girl.
> 
> *Found a way to  the G's pizza place without having to go on 4, but under it.  *It may be a dinner local for us.



That is awesome!!!  I4 was a nightmare at times last Christmas....bumper to bumper and soooo slow. 

You know what we enjoyed most about Sonic?  The food delivery via rollerskates....very novel.  Yep, we are easily pleased  .  But I have to agree with you on the tater tots...they were different.  And yummy!  



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> It's funny how a day on the beach can be so tiring, even if you spend most of it just lazing around
> 
> I did wonder if you would manage the pizza when you pictured all the starters, we have done that before!
> 
> Just a little question, how do you manage straight hair in the humidity? Mine just frizzes as soon as I go out, so I give up and go 'natural' (curly that is)
> 
> Loving the report.



Ugh, the hair thing drives me bonkers!!!  I had some pretty frizzy moments, that's for sure (you just don't get to see any of them  ) but I did manage better this year than in past visits. 

I used John Frieda's frizz-ease shampoo and conditioner every morning:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/John-Frieda-Frizz-Ease-Smooth-Start-Shampoo-10-oz/15611065

After I towel dried my hair, I worked in some Dove anti-frizz serum:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dove-Style-Care-Frizz-Free-Shine-Hair-Cream-Serum-3.3-oz/20638711

Then I blow dried it and straightened it using my ceramic hair straightener.

I finished it off with Tresemme anti-humidity hairspray:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/TRESemme-Tres-Two-Extra-Hold-Hair-Spray-4.2-fl-oz/10319230

and overall, I didn't fare to badly  .

One thing I did notice......the frizzyness lessened as the week went on (a direct result of the longer-term effectiveness of the shampoo and conditioner, I think).  On a future summer visit, I would start using it at home about a week before, and build that resistence up before arrival.     A big price difference for us in the cost of the shampoo and conditioner here at home, though, as opposed to in the states.  $5 a bottle there.  $9 here.  Oye!  

Steve and his balding head have it soooooo easy!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dennise said:


> Gina, Another good place to eat, especially since you like the Golden Corral is the Wood Grill Buffet on International Drive.   We drove by it several times before we ventured in.   They had an antique car display in front of it, so we stopped and checked it out.    One of the car owners approached us, said he didn't want to be insulting, but asked if we were seniors, of course anyone over 60 was a senior.   He said to wait about 5 minutes and the senior prices begin.   Who doesn't want to save a couple of bucks!    He told us it was like an upscale GC, which it was.   The ice cream was so delicious, and having a bit of a candy bar for toppings really sold me.  We ate there 3 times.



You know, I am going to start having to book 2-week trips with all these great dining suggestions.   Or go more often.  Hey, there's an idea!  

LOL, poor Steve.  He's going to start taking away my Disboarding privileges if I keep this up!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

The jaunt to Kissimmee is a quick and easy one from the resort, so after the guys combed out their bedheads and refreshed themselves awake, we were there before we knew it.   The dinner hour (or time slot) had arrived, and we were all feelin a little peckish again.  Mercifully, lunch at Sonic hadnt been a huge over-indulgence (for once), so we were actually feeling hungry.  LOL, after 6 days of vacation, really and truly feeling hungry was getting to be a rare sensation.

There was still one major must-do on our dining list, so it was by unanimous vote that we pulled into the parking lot of TGI Fridays.  We LOVE this place!

I have to give the servers here very high praise.  They were, without a doubt, the happiest, most energetic and FUN set of restaurant staff we encountered during the entire trip.  They enjoyed their jobs, they enjoyed their co-workers, and as a result, they provided an awesome dining experience for their guests.  Two thumbs up all around for the four young people who so happily and effectively handled our table for the duration of our meal.





We opted to kick off the meal with some appetizers.  Steve selected something dippy (cant remember what, exactly) and maybe some sort of flat bread too?  I know Jake helped him finish them both, but they werent my style.

Jake and I kept with family vacation tradition and ordered our TGI favourite, fried cheese  .





For those who have not read any of my previous reports, you must know that our bizarre little family has a cheese-stretching thing.  Its something we do, almost without thinking.  A food compulsion, if you will  .

Jake shamelessly considers himself the champion cheese stretcher of all time, and foolishly challenged me to a dual after our appetizers were brought to the table.     I happily accepted.    

He confidently kicked off the dual.    





Not bad..but I can do better. 





The boy was humbled in the face of my cheese stretching awesomeness.  Lesson learned.never mess with the old girl, she has more tricks up her sleeve than the youngun would think.

Dinner arrived promptly after the entrees had been devoured.  Steve went for steak dinner.





Jake opted for chicken tenders .





I had the bruschetta chicken pasta..my favourite TGI dish.





But all that wonderful food aside, lets be honest..we hadnt even made it to our favourite part of the meal yet.    The best was yet to come.  I seriously would make the trip from Canada all the way to Orlando just for this dessertits THAT good.  And Jake and I were giddy when it arrived in all its sweet and chocolately splendour:





Reeses Peanut Butter Pie .  Heaven on a plate .  Go ahead, admire and drool.





Steve, silly boy, went for the vanilla bean cheesecake.  My dad always said if God meant us to eat sour milk, he would have soured it in the cow, so cheesecake is not my style.  Cheese is for pizza.  Cheese is for lasagna.  Cheese is not for cake.  But for Steve, this was his little piece of heaven!





By the end of our indulgence (may God forgive me the calories, and may they not deposit themselves on my hips forever and ever) we needed some exercise.    Time to revisit another family favorite, and inspire a little friendly (maybe!) competition.  Are you up fore it?


----------



## Lynne G

HA! I have never seen so many mini golf courses in my life!

If it wasn't for Groupon and Living Social, our limit may have been 1.  However, our last not Disney vacation, we visited more than a few.  We now have ones we like and ones that one time was enough.

TGIF's is fun.  We like Tony Roma's too.  However, the stretch cheese may be the deal breaker for my DS.

Enjoying this TR!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> HA! I have never seen so many mini golf courses in my life!
> 
> If it wasn't for Groupon and Living Social, our limit may have been 1.  However, our last not Disney vacation, we visited more than a few.  We now have ones we like and ones that one time was enough.
> 
> TGIF's is fun.  We like Tony Roma's too.  However, the stretch cheese may be the deal breaker for my DS.
> 
> Enjoying this TR!




I absolutely adore Groupon and Livingsocial!!!  I get so many fabulous bargains via those sites.  I kind of miss stalking their offers between trips (until we have the next one officially planned and I know dates).  Its like something is missing from my life, LOL!

Tony Roma's, huh?     My "next trip" list is really getting substantial.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Over the course of our trips to Orlando (in particular, the four latter in which we have stayed offsite), we have sampled many of the local mini golf courses that the city has to offer.   Thus far, we had enjoyed a round at Pirates Cove, Hawaiian Rumble, Gator Golf, and Volcano Island (all four of which are located on International Drive), Congo River in Kissimmee, and the onsite pirate-themed course at Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa.   Its a favourite family past-time, and one we try to enjoy on each and every vacation (regardless of the specific destination).

My personal preference of the above list is Congo River:  for the immersive theming, the music throughout the course that makes you want to dance as you move from hole to hole, the extra treasure hunt on each course (which earns you a bonus scratch-off card following the completion of your 18th hole), and the gators.  Yes, Im a gator girl.  Nothing says Florida to me more than palm trees and alligators.  So deciding on Congo River as our course of choice for this evening was easy, considering the guys like golfing there as much as I do.    Their competitive personalities were alive and well.   They were ready to hit the green.





Since we golfed this particular location on our Christmas vacation, we opted to complete the opposite course from our last visit.  Either side is a good choice (I believe they are coined the Stanley and Livingston courses) with interesting holes that pose a challenge without exceeding my frustration levels.  I am happy to report that I think I only earned myself one six-stroke embarrassment this evening.which is pretty darn good for me  !!









Throughout the course, the lead switched regularly from Steve to Jake and back again.   The competition was intense.   I was caught dancing to the music on more than one occasion.  Or enjoying those every-prevalent photo ops.  What can I say?  Its a sickness. 





At the end of the course, the winner was declaredand it was Steve, again .   Poor Jake.  He was soooo close.  





I dont want to talk about my score .  Wheres the gators??





Ah yes, the alligators.  We got our bag of gator food (one wiener, chopped into pieces) and a pole and headed to the gator pen.  They saw us coming and got a little excited, climbing out of the cool water and onto the sand to get ready for their snack.





Each of us took a turn or two with the pole, trying desperately to reward the little patient ones over the grabby and aggressive fellows.    Steve, my farm-boy-turned-city-slicker, did the pole baiting honours because Jake and I were a little grossed out by gator slobber.  





One the gator food had been gobbled up (and Steve vowed that next time, we would bring our own wieners and stretch the experience out a little longer) Jake spied this sign:





Mom, you want to feed the koi?.

To which I answered..I am not sure I have any quarters.    Let me go get some change.

He starts digging in his pockets.  No, dont..I have a million of them!.  





So he and Steve start feeding quarter after quarter into the little dispenser until we have fistfuls of fish food forced into every nook and cranny of our hands .    The fish knew exactly what was coming and they were immediate up to the surface, slurping and sloshing about just waiting for the first morsel s to hit the water.   Jake tosses a wad into the centre of the colour mass of fish bodies and a feeding frenzy ensued:





Turns out the boy DID have a ton of quarters, so we enjoyed this little activity for quite a while.  I bet we spent between $4 and $5 on fish food, but it was fun to watch and stretched out a fun family evening a little longerwhich was A-OK with me.  





Eventually darkness set in and we made the pilgrimage back to the Vistana.  Another blissful summer night in the Super Pool, and we headed to bed at a reasonable hour.  For our final full day in Orlando, we had reservations for breakfast with four old friends  Lilo, Stitch, Pluto, and the Main Mouse himself!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Ugh, the hair thing drives me bonkers!!!  I had some pretty frizzy moments, that's for sure (you just don't get to see any of them  ) but I did manage better this year than in past visits.
> 
> I used John Frieda's frizz-ease shampoo and conditioner every morning:
> 
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/John-Frieda-Frizz-Ease-Smooth-Start-Shampoo-10-oz/15611065
> 
> After I towel dried my hair, I worked in some Dove anti-frizz serum:
> 
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dove-Style-Care-Frizz-Free-Shine-Hair-Cream-Serum-3.3-oz/20638711
> 
> Then I blow dried it and straightened it using my ceramic hair straightener.
> 
> I finished it off with Tresemme anti-humidity hairspray:
> 
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/TRESemme-Tres-Two-Extra-Hold-Hair-Spray-4.2-fl-oz/10319230
> 
> and overall, I didn't fare to badly
> 
> Steve and his balding head have it soooooo easy!



My Dh is balding so I know the feeling ! Your commitment to beautiful hair is impressive  Thanks for the links to the products, can probably get most of those in the UK.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Your commitment to beautiful hair is impressive



LOL, some would say its a sign of madness  .  Talk about an effort in futility at times!!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Friday, August 30th - Day 7.*

Amazingly, more than a week had gone by since we originally left home en route to Syracuse, NY.  It was hard to believe.  Time had passed so shockingly fast!

Poor Jaker was feelin the effects of a week of relaxing.  When I roused the troops in sufficient time for our breakfast date with Mickey, he made it as far as the living room.  Then he collapsed. 





It was solely the promise of POG juice and the best home fries in the world that got him back on his feet.  That child was pooped. 

Finally dressed and ready to roll, we hopped in the Jeep and headed toward here:





It was a *very* easy drive that took far less long than we anticipated.    What a nice surprise, after our traffic-congested pilgrimage to the same location over Christmas where we very nearly missed our reservation time.

The monorail was just pulling into the Polynesian as we made our trek to the entrance of the resort.  Nothing says Disney like the hum of the approaching monorail.    We all resisted the urge to break out singing the song from the Simpsons. 





We checked in for our 8:55 am reservation, received our leis, had the requisite photo taken, then settled in to wait for our pager to go off.   





While we waited, we soaked up the wonderful atmosphere of the Poly (its my favourite deluxe resort) and took some pictures of the atrium:





A surprisingly short time later, our pager was flashing and we were escorted to our table.  

From where we sat, we had an impressive view of the Grand Floridian.





Jake was thrilled when the POG juice arrived.  Our fabulous server noticed Jakes delight over the juice (one of his favourite parts of the meal), and after filling our glasses to the brim with the first carafe, promptly arrived back at the table with a second full carafe to ensure we never ran low.  





Steve sampled the pineapple and raisin (?) breads, but Jake and I took a pass as were not fans.  Steve and I shared the fruit tray, which is one of MY favourite parts of the meal.  I love the fresh fruits of Florida, especially their fresh pineapple.....it just tastes so much better than what we buy in our local grocery stores back home  .

Shortly thereafter, the main skillet arrived.  Jake nearly did a little dance.  Hed been looking forward to the home fries and the breakfast meats since we touched down in Orlando.  I swear he would do this character breakfast every morning if we offered.





Mickey was the first character to pass by our table.  This would have been a great kick-off to the meal, but unfortunately.....he literally passed by our table.  Missed us completely.  Visited the folks on either side and behind us, but whoops!  Walked right on by our little group of 3.  So we mentioned it to our server (no biggie, just wanted to make sure that he dropped by for some photos on his next round) and the server told us he couldnt speak to Mickey himself since Mickey is looked after by a different union.   He said hed go tell someone who could give Mickey orders.  LOL, really?!?  (we honestly didn't know...was he kidding?  Or was he serious?).   A few minutes later, a really angry looking handler came out, pulled Mickey aside, spoke something to him that we couldnt hear, and he came trotting over to visit us.  We felt horrible for Mickey .....judging from the body language and facial expressions of that handler, we are guessing that poor person in the suit got a rather terse reprimand.   Totally unnecessary too....I mean, its easy to miss a table in the midst of all the people and confusion .... so we were in no way upset or unhappy.  At any rate, that woman was never more than 5 feet from Mickey Mouse for the rest of the time we were in the restaurant, and lets just say she wasnt brimming with the trademark Disney magic .

Continued in part 2......


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mickey came over and acted all apologetic and sorry.  We assured him it was totally okay.  I hope he felt better afterward.









Pluto was next.  We love that dog! 









Third to visit was little Lilo.   We teased her about being so short next to my guys.  I can totally relate!









And last to visit was our beloved, rascally Stitch.    So much fun, and such a tease, as always.









After the meal, we took our time meandering around the Polynesian, and admiring the lush gardens and waterfalls.     A CM stopped and offered to take our picture, which we gladly agreed to!









It was only about 10:30 am, so with our awesome breakfast behind us, we had lots of the day left to enjoy.    With our vacation time quickly running out, we didnt want to waste a moment of it.    I knew what the guys would want to do next.   Bet you can guess!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

The forecast was calling for hot, hot, hot temperatures and nothing but sunshine for the entire day, so we knew that if we wanted to do something outdoorsy (that didnt involve water) then our time was now.  Mid-afternoon in August is not our favourite time to be frolicking on dry land!!  

So after breakfast, we opted to head straight to the north end of I-Drive to complete the remaining item on the boys morning wish-list:  another round of mini golf.   Again today we chose Congo River, but opted for the I-Drive location rather than the Kissimmee location (just to be different ).









As was our experience in Kissimmee, the International Drive courses were spectacularly themed, had some catchy tunes playing, and offered a range of fun and interesting holes.  The staff were super friendly and welcomed us warmly on arrival.





By about hole #3, we honestly thought we would melt into three sweaty puddles on the green outdoor carpeting .  That sun was so strong that the staff members were actually warning golfers to use the hydration stations throughout the course for their own safety......it was THAT hot !

One of the early holes was inside a little cave behind the trademark Congo River waterfall.  It was five minutes of paradise and was my favourite part of the whole golfing experience .





Competition was tight that morning.  Shockingly enough, I actually didnt golf that badly (not that well, either , but definitely not badly!) and the guys were neck-and-neck the entire game.  It would come down to the final hole in order to crown the winner.









In the end, Steve nudged Jake out of the top spot by a single stroke.    That officially crowned Steve the ultimate golfing champion of our vacation .    And me??   Well, I lost every game ......but that wasnt at all surprising!!





After golfing, we visited the gators......they were definitely the luckiest creatures at the golf course, being able to beat the summer heat in their private gator pool!









One interesting thing to note about this particularly Congo River location was that they offered the super-unique Ubanki Hoops, which was a twist on traditional basketball with angled backboards and multi-basket hoops.    My two hoopsters would have loved to give it a whirl on a cooler day, but as the morning was giving way to high noon and the sun was growing stronger by the minute, they opted to give it pass this time.    Definitely something to look forward to on the next visit!





En route back to the Vistana, we stopped for a light lunch at Chick-Fil-A .....we were still pretty darn full from our big breakfast, so we took it rather easy for our mid-day meal.  Following lunch, by unanimous vote, we all decided that our final afternoon in Orlando would be spent enjoying the recreational activities at the resort.    After a busy morning out and about, we couldn't think of place wed rather be than splashing the rest of Friday away under the waterfall of the Cascades pool!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Back at the Vistana, we wasted no time in hopping into our swimsuits.   With sunscreen applied, we made the short dash to the Cascades pool.....cause last one in is a rotten egg  .









We chose to spend our swim time that afternoon at the Cascades pool over the Super pool for two reasons.....one, the Cascades pool temperature was lower than the Super pool (making it more refreshing in that scorching heat) and two, the waterfall!    Yep, we really are big kids at heart.





The hours we spent here really were a simply wonderful family time for our trio.  While we splashed and swam and floated in the water, we simply enjoyed each others company and savoured those last precious moments of our vacation .     It embodied the whole spirit of what we wanted the overall theme of this family getaway to be.....relaxing.   









I think somewhere along the way, Steve-o started to get a little too much sun.  He was spotted acting a little nutty.....





What a goof!!!!  

Eventually, waterlogged and refreshed, we headed back to the villa.  We dried off and spruced up, and spent a little time doing some pre-packing to help alleviate the panic of the following morning, when we would be checking out and heading morosely toward the airport.  We checked in with Jetblue online from the villa via our laptop, upgraded our seats again to Even More Space, then headed to the Welcome Center to have our boarding passes printed before leaving the resort in search of dinner (for some reason, the computers at the Marketplace were unable to print only Jetblue boarding passes.....otherwise, we could have done it there).

This would be our final dinner in Orlando......wed better make it special.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Okay, so maybe our dinner destination wasnt unique or extravagant, but it was special in the fact that its a relaxing family favourite, and one that we missed visiting on our last vacation.    We had tossed around giving Bubbalous Bodacious Barbecue a whirl on this final evening, but in the end, familiarity (and proximity to the Vistana) ruled out.  The boys decided on Chilis.





After several hours in the pool, the guys had worked up a reasonable appetite, so we started off with some appetizers to share.  Jake went for (surprise, surprise!) the fried cheese, of which he promptly tested the stretchability:





While it didnt have the stretchiness of those at TGI Fridays the day prior, it was still very good....and quickly disappeared .  The fellows also shared an order of Texas cheese fries, a Chilis tradition:





For entrees, Jake selected the chicken tenders (how many times did he eat these during the course of the week, anyway?!?   Holy moly!) with a side of spicy macaroni and cheese:





Steve opted for the steak, medium rare:





I had the Cajun chicken pasta....so yummy! :





No room left for dessert, we opted to squeeze in one final round of 18 holes .... but Mother Nature would have other plans!


----------



## naomiatx86

Gina! 

I love the trip report. Next year can I just come along? hahaha


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Can't believe your at the end of your trip, your last day sounds great so far


----------



## papertraveller

Hi Gina,
I can't believe you're on page 11 of your trip report already -- and I haven't even managed to download our own trip photos yet! Looks like you guys had a marvellous time. I can't believe that our paths didn't cross.

I got a kick out of your preference of water parks. We visited both this trip, and  hands down, our favourite is Blizzard Beach. We find the waves at Typhoon Lagoon just too rough. We couldn't count the number of people we saw badly scraped and bloody -- one man was hit by the waves and went face down. Not a magical vacation for him. I love the bobbing waves at Blizzard Beach, and really enjoy Teamboat Springs and the slides at the back of the park.

The Sheraton Vistana units look really lovely, quite similar it appears to the units we have had at the Marriott Grande Vista on I-Drive and Imperial Palm, which is just south of Vistana. You sure got a great deal!

We sat in precisely the same section as you at Golden Corral! We stayed at the Fairfield Inn at Marriott Village at the beginning of our vacation, so walked over one night. We'd never been to Golden Corral before, and were quite impressed at the selection. Next trip we'll follow another PP's recommendation and try the Wood Buffet. We wanted to do that last Christmas, but our daughter fell ill so it was chicken soup in the villa instead!

Here's another recommendation for your next strip: Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney. We tried it for the very first time this trip, and went back a few nights later. Quick service, great food.

Thanks again for the information you shared with me about Discovery Cove. In the end, it was just a bit too expensive for this vacation but it's on the list for the future!

Thanks also for all your scouting and posting on the Transportation board. I ended up with a good deal at Alamo for an SUV -- was supposed to get a Jeep, but ended up with an Equinox. For the first time ever my husband and I shared the driving, and it worked out really well. We loved the Equinox a lot, and when we face replacing our aging wheels in the next year or two, that vehicle will be a contender!

Best wishes!


----------



## Girldreamer02

Love the outlets! On vacation to disney though we never leave property since we are dvc members and because we haven't become relaxed enough to have a relaxing non disney day. However, we are working on it and spent a lot more time relaxing and "going with the flow" as you say the last few trips we have gone on. 

 The gators are cute and glad they are well caged. When you said gators at first before I saw pictures...i pictured in my mind gator sitings at the putt putt course. Perhaps by a small pond or something to that effect, which then lead to the thought that ppl may get hurt. Silly me.  No worries about losing. I never win anything, but I always have fun doing what I am doing. It sounds like you did as well! 

You guys could have gotten season passes to the disney parks since you went twice in a year. We did that one year because it was so much cheaper. We love the parks though and do a lot of pin trading. It sounds like you guys like many other attractions in the orlando area as well! 

I have to say when I thought about all the possible places you could eat my guess would of been that cheesecake factory would of made it into one of those selections until I read about you not liking cheesecake. Makes me shutter at the thought...as I love it dearly! 

Love your trip report and all your pictures! I am a picture girl myself!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

naomiatx86 said:


> Gina!
> 
> I love the trip report. Next year can I just come along? hahaha



lol, we'd probably drive you crazy  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Can't believe your at the end of your trip, your last day sounds great so far



I hope to have the final installments up today or tomorrow.  I kind of got sidetracked over the weekend......I spent quite a bit of time uploading my pics to Picaboo and began the entertaining but labourious task of putting my photobook together.  Hopefully I will get back to the business of trip reporting on my lunch hour  .  It drives me batty when people get part way through and don't finish them off, so I promise not to do it to my loyal readers!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

papertraveller said:


> Hi Gina,
> I can't believe you're on page 11 of your trip report already -- and I haven't even managed to download our own trip photos yet! Looks like you guys had a marvellous time. I can't believe that our paths didn't cross.
> 
> I got a kick out of your preference of water parks. We visited both this trip, and  hands down, our favourite is Blizzard Beach. We find the waves at Typhoon Lagoon just too rough. We couldn't count the number of people we saw badly scraped and bloody -- one man was hit by the waves and went face down. Not a magical vacation for him. I love the bobbing waves at Blizzard Beach, and really enjoy Teamboat Springs and the slides at the back of the park.
> 
> The Sheraton Vistana units look really lovely, quite similar it appears to the units we have had at the Marriott Grande Vista on I-Drive and Imperial Palm, which is just south of Vistana. You sure got a great deal!
> 
> We sat in precisely the same section as you at Golden Corral! We stayed at the Fairfield Inn at Marriott Village at the beginning of our vacation, so walked over one night. We'd never been to Golden Corral before, and were quite impressed at the selection. Next trip we'll follow another PP's recommendation and try the Wood Buffet. We wanted to do that last Christmas, but our daughter fell ill so it was chicken soup in the villa instead!
> 
> Here's another recommendation for your next strip: Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney. We tried it for the very first time this trip, and went back a few nights later. Quick service, great food.
> 
> Thanks again for the information you shared with me about Discovery Cove. In the end, it was just a bit too expensive for this vacation but it's on the list for the future!
> 
> Thanks also for all your scouting and posting on the Transportation board. I ended up with a good deal at Alamo for an SUV -- was supposed to get a Jeep, but ended up with an Equinox. For the first time ever my husband and I shared the driving, and it worked out really well. We loved the Equinox a lot, and when we face replacing our aging wheels in the next year or two, that vehicle will be a contender!
> 
> Best wishes!



Hey there papertraveller,

Glad to hear you had a great time as well!   Next time, if our schedules happen to jive and we're there during the same week, we'll have to set up a Dismeet at DTD  .

That's too funny that you sat in the same section of Golden Corral as we did.  I think we may try the Wood Grill Buffet on our next trip as well, just to shake things up a little.  I hear being spontaneous keeps you young.  I need all the help I can get these days  .

We didn't see anyone hurt by the wave pool at TL, but we spent most of our time WAY out in the deep end.  Jake, in particular, liked to be just to the shore side of the rope, and body surf the big ol' wave in as far as it would take him.   I betcha he never even touched bottom  .  I couldn't imagine taking little ones in there, though  .   

Glad to hear you enjoyed Blizzard Beach so much!    I did like the fact that the two waterparks had such a totally different "feel".  Variety, as they say, is the spice of life!! 

Thanks for the Earl of Sandwich recommend.....I believe we may have to add that to our "next trip" list as well  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Girldreamer02 said:


> Love the outlets! On vacation to disney though we never leave property since we are dvc members and because we haven't become relaxed enough to have a relaxing non disney day. However, we are working on it and spent a lot more time relaxing and "going with the flow" as you say the last few trips we have gone on.
> 
> The gators are cute and glad they are well caged. When you said gators at first before I saw pictures...i pictured in my mind gator sitings at the putt putt course. Perhaps by a small pond or something to that effect, which then lead to the thought that ppl may get hurt. Silly me.  No worries about losing. I never win anything, but I always have fun doing what I am doing. It sounds like you did as well!
> 
> You guys could have gotten season passes to the disney parks since you went twice in a year. We did that one year because it was so much cheaper. We love the parks though and do a lot of pin trading. It sounds like you guys like many other attractions in the orlando area as well!
> 
> I have to say when I thought about all the possible places you could eat my guess would of been that cheesecake factory would of made it into one of those selections until I read about you not liking cheesecake. Makes me shutter at the thought...as I love it dearly!
> 
> Love your trip report and all your pictures! I am a picture girl myself!



Hi Girldreamer,

We couldn't do the theme parks in August if we tried......wayyyyy too hot for us northerners  .  Waterparks, yes.....theme parks?      We don't know how other folks handle being in the parks all day during that kind of heat and humidity.  They are more resilient than we are! 

Now, that said....if we return in August 2014 (as we are hoping to do), we might purchase the DC tickets that would give us free admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica.  If that's the case, we'd try to squeeze in a few hours here or there at SW, but most likely only early morning or the last couple of hours in the day.  Definitely not from 11-5 or we'd melt.  I know the boys would love a ride or two on their beloved Manta.  

Glad to hear you are enjoying the photos.  Stay tuned for the rest of the report and the last of my pics to share  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Friday, August 30th*..continued!

After dinner at Chilis, we figured we should use up one of the Groupons we had pre-purchased and not yet used (thank goodness the price paid for those suckers never expire, and we can use em on our next trip).    It was a wonderful evening (or it had been so far!) so we made the short drive to Kissimmee and pulled into the parking area for Mighty Jungle Mini Golf.





As we hopped out of the Jeep, we noted some pretty dark clouds off in the distance.   Our skies were clear, though, so we figured wed have plenty of time to complete one of the 18-hole courses.  The fellow who greeted us commented that we arrived just in time because a thunderstorm was predicted to hit and as a result hed be closing in one hour (earlier than their normal closing time).  We wasted no time in grabbing our clubs and balls and getting our game underway.





By the end of the first hole, I saw the first fork of lightning flash across the sky.  Oh, oh.  





By the end of hole two, the sky to the east was black, black, black..and the lightning continued. 

By hole three, the thunder was cracking and rolling and I was starting to get kind of nervous (after all, I was holding a metal club!! ).  Then the course attendant came out, apologetically, and said the storm was moving very quickly and the lightening was going to force him to close NOW.  The boys were bummed.  But he asked us to follow him back to the store and he would make it right with us.

After handing in our clubs, the attendant apologized again (and profusely) and gave us each free ice cream for our troubles, which I thought was a kind gesture.  He gave us back the Groupon, and encouraged us to visit tomorrow when the skies had cleared.  He felt even worse when we told him wed be on a plane en route home by then, and that wed have to hold the Groupon over until our next visit.  We assured him it was fine, that we would be sure to come again on our next vacation..we very much liked the course (jungle themed, and designed around a small lake) and getting to and from Kissimmee is pretty convenient.  I think he was utterly relieved that we werent upset or mad.

Since we were already in Kissimmee anyway, Jake asked for one last trip to his beloved Nike Clearance Store, so we indulged him.  Why not?  The night was still young.   And nothing beats the going-home blues like a little retail therapy.  Hopefully we will have space enough in the luggage to accommodate the last minute purchases! 

By the time we headed back to the Vistana after our little shopping break, the skies had cleared and left a gorgeous summer night in its wake.  We hopped into our swimsuits and headed straight for the Super pool..there was no coaxing necessary for any of us!   We had spent at least some time there on every single since our arrival, and we didnt want to break from a tradition we had grown to love.  

One final post to go..we would be off to the airport in the morning.  Please pass the Kleenexes.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Saturday, August 31st*.  Homeward bound.

Check-out time for the Vistana is 10 am, so we were up and at em early.    One final breakfast from the Marketplace for Steve and I.  Jake had the final slice of Giordanos pizza.  One final pot of Tim Hortons coffee.  Tomorrow, we would be sipping from our beloved brown cups once again (actually, we didnt even wait until the following morning, and grabbed one to enjoy as we unloaded the luggage at home.but I digress!...).

Our flight was 12:15 pm, so an early check-out time was really not an issue.  We had to get our fannies in gear regardless.

We stopped and refuelled the Jeep, and dropped it off at MCO.  We hopped the tram to terminal and caught one last glance of that Florida landscape we love so much.  





Why is the airport shuttle ride so much more fun on the day of arrival than the day of departure????  

Then it was up to baggage drop-off at the Jetblue counters.

Oh. My. Lord.     I have never seen a line so long in my life.  I honestly thought we might not have enough time to check our bags and get through security in time to board..and neither did most of the others in line just in front and behind us.  It was so congested.  

At long last, we checked the bags (and none were over weight limitswoo hoo!) and moved our buns swiftly over to security.   No time for our traditional Nathans hot dog on this tour through MCO, which was a bit of a disappointment but what do you do?   Security looked busy upon first glance, but turned out to be MUCH faster than the baggage check (thank heavens).  We went through with no issues, and made a quick dash to the food court to grab some vittles before boarding.  The options were few.so it was burgers and fries from BK, ate hastily at the gate with mere minutes to spare before the call for passengers with the Even More Space Upgrade was announced.





I asked the guys to smile for an airport picture.  Jake did OK, but Steve just wasnt feelin it.  He wasnt anxious to go home at all.  In fact, hed been chatting a lot (even more than usual!) of eventually moving to Florida.    This could get interesting. 





The flight home was blissfully uneventful.  









Before we knew it, we were back on the ground in Syracuse and waiting for our baggage.  





With luggage in hand, we beckoned the shuttle and were soon back at the Candlewood Suites.   We loaded the Journey, and began the final leg of our travel day.

It was nearing dinner when we passed through Watertown, so we decided to dine there rather than risk sitting for heaven knows how long in a line at the border.    To cheer the fellows, Jake decided on Friendlys.  Because every good vacation should start and end with ice cream  .

Turns out Steve and I still couldnt muster enough stomach space after a fried chicken dinner for ice cream:





.but Jake managed to find some room.   One Friend-Z, please and thanks .





Pulling up to the border crossing a short time later, there was absolutely zero wait.    Now THATS the way to end a vacation. 

We rolled into the driveway about 8 pm, tired and admittedly little blue .    They didnt last long, though, when this little face appeared at the French door at the top of our entrance way stairs:





We were home.  

"Don't cry because its over.  Smile because it happened". 

Now..whens the next trip???


----------



## 2Pirates2Princesses

Awesome trip report for an awesome vacation! Thank you so much for sharing your memories and for posting so many great photos!


----------



## Lynne G

Awww!  Vacation endings are all about what fun we had, looking at the pictures taken, and thoughts about what to do next year.  

Just renewed my USO pass, so we may be Orlando bound again next year.  Too early to think next year yet, though.  

I keep looking for those mini golf coupons.  We'll probably go to at least a few of them.  We're hoping to get some pool time in too.


Enjoyed your TR.


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## purplekicks

I really enjoyed reading your trip reports.  Can't wait to hear what you guys are doing next!  You gave me so many ideas for our trip.

On your DC trip, you said you got a discount with your season passes.   I hope it's $69 for us too.  Do you think the dolphin ride was worth it?  I couldn't find your TR for New Years when your family did that.  I've read mixed reviews on that part.  I would rather not waste the money if it isn't.


----------



## kaddjr

Loved your trip report!

We're planning a trip for early June to celebrate DS's hs graduation. He said he didn't want a party- just a trip back to Disney! DH and I talked it over and have decided to go for it.

Anyhow, like your DS, mine is also into retail therapy and I was wondering which outlet mall that Nike Clearance Store is in? We are staying offsite (WBC) and the outlets are definitely on the list of things to do. Thanks!


----------



## Lynne G

purplekicks said:


> I really enjoyed reading your trip reports.  Can't wait to hear what you guys are doing next!  You gave me so many ideas for our trip.
> 
> On your DC trip, you said you got a discount with your season passes.   I hope it's $69 for us too.  Do you think the dolphin ride was worth it?  I couldn't find your TR for New Years when your family did that.  I've read mixed reviews on that part.  I would rather not waste the money if it isn't.



I hope Gina won't mind if I help with this question.  I too have a Platium pass from Sesame Place that gives me discounts at all Busch parks.  The year Gina went, the non-dolphin price for Busch passes was $69, and could be used most dates that year.  This year, the price is $99, and is limited to dates in the spring and December.  You can get all the information on any Busch pass list of inclusives online on their websites.  

We did the DC, including the dolphin swim 3 years ago in August.  My DD still talks about how fun it was.  I enjoyed it too.  So, we are going to do an inclusive day at DC this December.  How much you will enjoy is your decision.  Do you want to feed, take a ride from, kiss, and pet a dolphin?  If so, this is a great way to do it in the U.S.  There isn't many other places in the U.S. to interact with a dolphin and enjoy a whole park other than at DC.

The Sesame Place's platinum pass is the least costly, though it is a resident restricted purchase.  It generally goes on sale at the end of November until the beginning of March.  Be warned though, regardless of when you buy the Sesame Pass, it expires at the end of the year, unlike other park passes. So, our 2013 Super Grover pass (the platinum pass) expires at Sesame Place on October 27, 2013, and all the other Busch parks on December 31, 2013.


----------



## purplekicks

Lynne G said:


> I hope Gina won't mind if I help with this question.  I too have a Platium pass from Sesame Place that gives me discounts at all Busch parks.  The year Gina went, the non-dolphin price for Busch passes was $69, and could be used most dates that year.  This year, the price is $99, and is limited to dates in the spring and December.  You can get all the information on any Busch pass list of inclusives online on their websites.
> 
> We did the DC, including the dolphin swim 3 years ago in August.  My DD still talks about how fun it was.  I enjoyed it too.  So, we are going to do an inclusive day at DC this December.  How much you will enjoy is your decision.  Do you want to feed, take a ride from, kiss, and pet a dolphin?  If so, this is a great way to do it in the U.S.  There isn't many other places in the U.S. to interact with a dolphin and enjoy a whole park other than at DC.
> 
> The Sesame Place's platinum pass is the least costly, though it is a resident restricted purchase.  It generally goes on sale at the end of November until the beginning of March.  Be warned though, regardless of when you buy the Sesame Pass, it expires at the end of the year, unlike other park passes. So, our 2013 Super Grover pass (the platinum pass) expires at Sesame Place on October 27, 2013, and all the other Busch parks on December 31, 2013.



That's the one I plan on getting.  I have called 3 times and spoke to 3 different people and they all said I could get the pass even though I don't live in PA but I needed to come pick it up in PA, which would give me the opportunity to take the kids to Sesame Place too.  They also said I could do the 6 month payment plan.  The one they are selling now is good through December 2014.  She said they wont be offering the one through 2015 until June 2014.


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## Lynne G

purplekicks said:


> That's the one I plan on getting.  I have called 3 times and spoke to 3 different people and they all said I could get the pass even though I don't live in PA but I needed to come pick it up in PA, which would give me the opportunity to take the kids to Sesame Place too.  They also said I could do the 6 month payment plan.  The one they are selling now is good through December 2014.  She said they wont be offering the one through 2015 until June 2014.



Right, you don't have to live in PA, but I read somewhere it's sold to residents of a few states.  

I bought mine at the discounted price of 25% off the price it was last November.  I had no intentions of going to any Busch park in 2012.  I was, however, going to this year.  So, we've used the pass 2 times at Sesame Place (DD and I only), and the family: 1 time at SW San Diego, and will be using it at SW Orlando, DC, Aquadica, and BGT this December.  It's a decent return on what I paid for our family of 4.  Free parking and food and store discounts too is a nice perk.  

If you have never been to Sesame Place, and I don't know the ages of your kids, but my teen will have no parts of going there, and my tween only went there to enjoy the water part, and then we left.  It's a very small park, and half of it is water things.  

Oh, and check out the SW and other parks board.  Many have activated their Super Grover at a different Busch park, and some have paid the shipping fee, and had activated passes shipped to them.  So, unless you want to spend time at Sesame Place, there may be alternatives to having to activate it there.

Have a great time on your vacation!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina a brilliant trip report, shame about the thunderstorm on your last mini golf game, but ice cream and a swim in the pool wasn't too bad a way to end the day 

So glad you all had a good time and thanks for sharing 

I'm really in the mood for our upcoming trip, we are staying at Windsor Hills so will be near Giordanos for a SMALL pizza!

Here's to planning your next one


----------



## purplekicks

Lynne G said:


> Right, you don't have to live in PA, but I read somewhere it's sold to residents of a few states.
> 
> I bought mine at the discounted price of 25% off the price it was last November.  I had no intentions of going to any Busch park in 2012.  I was, however, going to this year.  So, we've used the pass 2 times at Sesame Place (DD and I only), and the family: 1 time at SW San Diego, and will be using it at SW Orlando, DC, Aquadica, and BGT this December.  It's a decent return on what I paid for our family of 4.  Free parking and food and store discounts too is a nice perk.
> 
> If you have never been to Sesame Place, and I don't know the ages of your kids, but my teen will have no parts of going there, and my tween only went there to enjoy the water part, and then we left.  It's a very small park, and half of it is water things.
> 
> Oh, and check out the SW and other parks board.  Many have activated their Super Grover at a different Busch park, and some have paid the shipping fee, and had activated passes shipped to them.  So, unless you want to spend time at Sesame Place, there may be alternatives to having to activate it there.
> 
> Have a great time on your vacation!



I have boy/girl 15 month old twins so they should enjoy the park, which is why I don't really mind going.  The older teens will still be in school when I go get them in May.  The babies will be almost 2 then.


----------



## Lynne G

purplekicks said:


> I have boy/girl 15 month old twins so they should enjoy the park, which is why I don't really mind going.  The older teens will still be in school when I go get them in May.  The babies will be almost 2 then.



Your little kids will have a great time at that age.  What fun, twins!   I'd pack a change of clothes, there's many places to get wet, and depending on when in May, it may be hot enough to enjoy the water areas.  You can easlily do the park in 1 day.  We live less than 1 hour away from it.


----------



## purplekicks

Lynne G said:


> Your little kids will have a great time at that age.  What fun, twins!   I'd pack a change of clothes, there's many places to get wet, and depending on when in May, it may be hot enough to enjoy the water areas.  You can easlily do the park in 1 day.  We live less than 1 hour away from it.



They definitely keep me busy, that's for sure.  

Gina do you do pre trip reports?  Hopefully you guys will plan to come in August so I can follow your planning as you go.  I got lots of good ideas from you.  We are definitely going to Giordano's.  I am stalking Groupon and Living Social for mini golf coupons, and I would like to do the orchard tour in the big truck.

Do you find it better to leave rest days in between or to plan something each day?  I guess I want to get all I can out of Orlando in 12 days.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Wow, there has been some nifty chatting going on here today  .   Sorry I haven't had a chance to respond before now....I've had a couple of _*"those days"*_ at work this week  .  Not much time for Disboarding...not even on my lunch hour! 



2Pirates2Princesses said:


> Awesome trip report for an awesome vacation! Thank you so much for sharing your memories and for posting so many great photos!





Lynne G said:


> Awww!  Vacation endings are all about what fun we had, looking at the pictures taken, and thoughts about what to do next year.
> 
> Just renewed my USO pass, so we may be Orlando bound again next year.  Too early to think next year yet, though.
> 
> I keep looking for those mini golf coupons.  We'll probably go to at least a few of them.  We're hoping to get some pool time in too.
> 
> Enjoyed your TR.





kaddjr said:


> Loved your trip report!
> 
> We're planning a trip for early June to celebrate DS's hs graduation. He said he didn't want a party- just a trip back to Disney! DH and I talked it over and have decided to go for it.
> 
> Anyhow, like your DS, mine is also into retail therapy and I was wondering which outlet mall that Nike Clearance Store is in? We are staying offsite (WBC) and the outlets are definitely on the list of things to do. Thanks!



Thanks all.  It was fun having you revisit my memories right along with me!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

purplekicks said:


> On your DC trip, you said you got a discount with your season passes.   I hope it's $69 for us too.  Do you think the dolphin ride was worth it?  I couldn't find your TR for New Years when your family did that.  I've read mixed reviews on that part.  I would rather not waste the money if it isn't.





Lynne G said:


> I hope Gina won't mind if I help with this question.  I too have a Platium pass from Sesame Place that gives me discounts at all Busch parks.  The year Gina went, the non-dolphin price for Busch passes was $69, and could be used most dates that year.  This year, the price is $99, and is limited to dates in the spring and December.  You can get all the information on any Busch pass list of inclusives online on their websites.
> 
> We did the DC, including the dolphin swim 3 years ago in August.  My DD still talks about how fun it was.  I enjoyed it too.  So, we are going to do an inclusive day at DC this December.  How much you will enjoy is your decision.  Do you want to feed, take a ride from, kiss, and pet a dolphin?  If so, this is a great way to do it in the U.S.  There isn't many other places in the U.S. to interact with a dolphin and enjoy a whole park other than at DC.
> 
> The Sesame Place's platinum pass is the least costly, though it is a resident restricted purchase.  It generally goes on sale at the end of November until the beginning of March.  Be warned though, regardless of when you buy the Sesame Pass, it expires at the end of the year, unlike other park passes. So, our 2013 Super Grover pass (the platinum pass) expires at Sesame Place on October 27, 2013, and all the other Busch parks on December 31, 2013.



Thanks Lynne for chipping in on my behalf!  Much appreciated when I was tied up today! 

We got our passmember rate at DC with annual passes to Aquatica......it was our most cost effective route, and well worth it at $69 pp for DC.  Sadly, that rate seems to be a thing of the past, so for our next trip (which will hopefully be August 2014) we will likely go with the regular priced DC admission ($179 pp for the day resort package) which will give us unlimited admission to both Aquatica and SeaWorld for the duration of our trip.

The dolphin swim was a great experience.  Definitely something to do at least once.  We did DC twice in 2012, once with the dolphin swim and once without (on the "without" trip, we rented a cabana instead ).  If the budget won't allow for the extra cost of the dolphin experience, DC is still an awesome day....but if the finances allow, its really wonderful to do.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Gina a brilliant trip report, shame about the thunderstorm on your last mini golf game, but ice cream and a swim in the pool wasn't too bad a way to end the day
> 
> So glad you all had a good time and thanks for sharing
> 
> I'm really in the mood for our upcoming trip, we are staying at Windsor Hills so will be near Giordanos for a SMALL pizza!
> 
> Here's to planning your next one



Thank you, Mrs Doubtfire!!  You were a fun gal to have as part of this thread  .

Enjoy _*your*_ trip....I see yours is coming up very soon!!!!  I am super jealous  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

purplekicks said:


> They definitely keep me busy, that's for sure.
> 
> Gina do you do pre trip reports?  Hopefully you guys will plan to come in August so I can follow your planning as you go.  I got lots of good ideas from you.  We are definitely going to Giordano's.  I am stalking Groupon and Living Social for mini golf coupons, and I would like to do the orchard tour in the big truck.
> 
> Do you find it better to leave rest days in between or to plan something each day?  I guess I want to get all I can out of Orlando in 12 days.



I have never done a pre-trip report thus far..... I had thought about it on more than one occasion, but couldn't ever come up with enough engaging material to write about during the planning process  . 

We always plan a little something unique for each day, even if its small (like a trip to the outlets, or time at the beach, or mini golf in the evening).  For the big park visits, though, definitely not an every day thing on a summer visit.....its just too hot for us Canucks  .  We find we burn out (pardon the pun ) much more quickly in the heat.  Ideally, I'd do a "busy" day, then a "down day", then a busy day, then a down day, etc.  Go all out, then recover before round two  .  Then you also have some wiggle room if Mother Nature fouls up your outdoor plans.  

It makes a difference for us, too, though, that we have had 4 trips in 2 years (five in total since our first visit in 2009).  It makes us less desperate to fit it all in when we know there's a good likelihood we'll be back.  For those first couple of trips, we were busy every second of every day.  Now, we just try to add something new to each getaway and take the vacations a little slower.  Its an easy approach to take when we've been to each of the major parks at least once, and all the waterparks but Wet N Wild.

On our next vacation, I'd like to visit the Florida Aquarium in Tampa.  There's a dolphin cruise with my name on it  .


----------



## naomiatx86

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> lol, we'd probably drive you crazy  .



You guys can just leave at the water parks- my legs are so white I need all the sun time I can get. lol!


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## Girldreamer02

Say it isn't so, I'm so sad to see your trip report has come to an end, but also super thankful that you finished. So many people leave ya hanging!  I hope to visit a few water parks in orlando someday. Even if they aren't the disney ones. I haven't been to a water park in ages and would love it! 

I have gone in august twice to disney and it is indeed super hot in the parks. The two times I went was with my sister and we would duck out in the hottest part of the day and go hang out by the pool or take a nap in the room. Most often it was a nap. We are kicking around plans to go around the week of christmas in dec 14' My sister and her husband want to go with us and see either bay lake towers or the villas at grand flordian. We haven't made any for sure plans yet. Lots of deciding to do and plenty to be planned since ds has only been in august and her dh has never been. Gasp!


----------



## shalom

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> *Saturday, August 31st*.  Homeward bound.





The only thing I don't like about your trip reports is that they are over too soon.  Although your approach is definitely better than mine, where it can be a month... or more  ... between posts.



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> We stopped and refuelled the Jeep, and dropped it off at MCO.  We hopped the tram to terminal and caught one last glance of that Florida landscape we love so much.



I never saw the appeal of the whole "tropical paradise" thing, but I have to admit Florida's winning me over.    Wouldn't want to live there year 'round, though!    Plus I've lived all over the States and really love the Great Lakes area, especially Lake Michigan.  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> No time for our traditional Nathan’s hot dog on this tour through MCO, which was a bit of a disappointment



Isn't it funny how important family rituals can be?  At least your son's old enough it's just a disappointment -- when my older son was six or so, that kind of thing would be a _disaster_.  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


>



Sorry Steve wasn't ready to go, but that map makes me smile.    I must be easily distracted by the Finger Lakes -- I hadn't noticed before what a big scoop the south east end of Lake Ontario takes out of New York.




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> To cheer the fellows, Jake decided on Friendly’s.  Because every good vacation should start and end with ice cream  .



Hear hear!  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> They didn’t last long, though, when this little face appeared at the French door at the top of our entrance way stairs:



Such an adorable kitty!    And prompt but patient, too.  

Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us.


----------



## pigletto

All caught up. Yet another wonderful trip report my friend!!
I thought of you often on what was supposed to be our vacation week, and hoped you were having a great time!
Looks like you did, and I can't wait to hear your plans for the next one. I personally vote for you to do a pre-trip report. I'd be a reader for sure!
I've considered one but I am one of those people who would start it excitedly, and then I would end up feeling obligated to continue because I started it, and then I would resent it. I have trip report commitment issues.

So get to planning August 2014


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Girldreamer02 said:


> Say it isn't so, I'm so sad to see your trip report has come to an end, but also super thankful that you finished. So many people leave ya hanging!  I hope to visit a few water parks in orlando someday. Even if they aren't the disney ones. I haven't been to a water park in ages and would love it!
> 
> I have gone in august twice to disney and it is indeed super hot in the parks. The two times I went was with my sister and we would duck out in the hottest part of the day and go hang out by the pool or take a nap in the room. Most often it was a nap. We are kicking around plans to go around the week of christmas in dec 14' My sister and her husband want to go with us and see either bay lake towers or the villas at grand flordian. We haven't made any for sure plans yet. Lots of deciding to do and plenty to be planned since ds has only been in august and her dh has never been. Gasp!



Christmas week is spectacular, but bear in mind its BUSY.  Busy-like-you-have-never-seen-it busy  .  The decorations are gorgeous and its just so darn festive, but if you are not prepared for the crowds, its going to be a shocker.  

We met up with a poor young family on the boat to DTD from POR on our Christmas vacation this past year, and they were sooo upset....I just felt horrible for them.  They had been to AK earlier in the day, and got on 3 rides in 9 hours.  They had two wonderful little boys, and I hated seeing them so downtrodden.  The magic got lost for them amidst the masses.

Definitely try to squeeze in a waterpark or two someday.  Well worth a trip!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> The only thing I don't like about your trip reports is that they are over too soon.  Although your approach is definitely better than mine, where it can be a month... or more  ... between posts.
> 
> I never saw the appeal of the whole "tropical paradise" thing, but I have to admit Florida's winning me over.    Wouldn't want to live there year 'round, though!    Plus I've lived all over the States and really love the Great Lakes area, especially Lake Michigan.
> 
> Isn't it funny how important family rituals can be?  At least your son's old enough it's just a disappointment -- when my older son was six or so, that kind of thing would be a _disaster_.
> 
> Sorry Steve wasn't ready to go, but that map makes me smile.    I must be easily distracted by the Finger Lakes -- I hadn't noticed before what a big scoop the south east end of Lake Ontario takes out of New York.
> 
> Hear hear!
> 
> Such an adorable kitty!    And prompt but patient, too.
> 
> Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us.



LOL, I will admit the bypassing of the Nathan's hotdog caused a lot of frowns all around.  I seem to remember Jake muttering "well, how's THAT for ending off the trip on a crappy note!!" as he pulled his carry-on through the airport toward security  .  And I think Steve was equally downtrodden about it!!!!!   Its amazing the parallel between the stresses of arrival day vs. the stresses of departure day.  On the trip there, nothing can get you down....on the trip home, missing a hot dog is a major disappointment  .  First World problems, right there.  

The Great Lakes region is lovely.....in the summer.  I think ideally, I would love to live here at home from Victoria Day (your Memorial Day) until our Canadian Thanksgiving (early October).....then winters in Florida from mid October to the end of May.  Yep, I could happily be a Snowbird.  Hopefully my retirement plan will perform accordingly!!!!  I have about 27 years to make it all happen  .

My wee kitty is anything BUT patient .  The old girl (she's almost 15) was stark raving FURIOUS with us, and boy, was she vocal about it  .  She seemed to forgive us a little when the bag of Temptations was produced, and Momma gave her a big ol' belly rub.  It generally takes her about a week before she's back to normal, and returns to her aloof self.  I always feel so guilty to leave her behind.  Thank goodness our neighbours are incredible people who love her up regularly while we are away.  God love 'em, they even videotaped her on a couple of house visits during this past trip, to let us see how happy she is while we're gone  .  She misses us, sure, but she's not crying in the corner like I pictured in my mind!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> All caught up. Yet another wonderful trip report my friend!!
> I thought of you often on what was supposed to be our vacation week, and hoped you were having a great time!
> Looks like you did, and I can't wait to hear your plans for the next one. I personally vote for you to do a pre-trip report. I'd be a reader for sure!
> I've considered one but I am one of those people who would start it excitedly, and then I would end up feeling obligated to continue because I started it, and then I would resent it. I have trip report commitment issues.
> 
> So get to planning August 2014



Thank you, my dear friend  .  I was thinking of YOU the other day as Christmas hit the 100-days-away mark  .  You must be getting soooooo excited about your holiday trip!  Now that school is back in session, time is going to fly by so quickly for you and your getaway will be here before you know it.

August 2014 is "the plan".....we shall see how that works out for us  .  As always, life is subject to change without warning.  I wish flights would hurry up and be released for that time period so I could book 'em and then say "there...now we HAVE to go!"  .


----------



## Lynne G

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Yep, I could happily be a Snowbird.  Hopefully my retirement plan will perform accordingly!!!!  I have about 27 years to make it all happen  .
> 
> My wee kitty is anything BUT patient .  The old girl (she's almost 15) was stark raving FURIOUS with us, and boy, was she vocal about it  .  She seemed to forgive us a little when the bag of Temptations was produced, and Momma gave her a big ol' belly rub.  It generally takes her about a week before she's back to normal, and returns to her aloof self.  I always feel so guilty to leave her behind.  Thank goodness our neighbours are incredible people who love her up regularly while we are away.  God love 'em, they even videotaped her on a couple of house visits during this past trip, to let us see how happy she is while we're gone  .  She misses us, sure, but she's not crying in the corner like I pictured in my mind!!



Yep, me too.  I could be a snowbird, but after getting 2 kids through college and ensuring they are on their own, I may have to be pretty old before I make that decision. 

We have a dog, and she don't care.  When we get home, she just wiggles the whole day.  We miss her too.  Your cat is cute.  It's funny how our pets have such personalities.

So, can't wait to see what August 2014 is in store for your family.  Kids want to cruise, but I have to see what school needs are for the next year, and we may be August 2014 FLA bound too.


----------



## shalom

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> The Great Lakes region is lovely.....in the summer.





I think it depends on where you're at.  We're in a "sweet spot" where we are close enough to Lake Michigan that we have higher winter lows than places well south of us.  We also get more lake effect snow, but snow doesn't bother us as much as bitter cold.  Plus we just don't get nearly as much snow as places like Buffalo, NY.  We mostly get hit when there's a north east wind; Buffalo gets hit with any wind that's remotely east -- doesn't matter if it's east, south east, or north east, they get slammed.  Plus with the right wind, it's crossing not just the length of Lake Ontario, but the length of Lake Erie as well!    And I would guess it's the same for a much wider area out there.  Once in a while we'll have a front that goes the length of Lake Michigan, but seems like the wind doesn't line up that way nearly so easily as it does Lake Ontario.



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Yep, I could happily be a Snowbird. Hopefully my retirement plan will perform accordingly!!!!



My mom's parents used to take their old Airstream down from Minnesota.  At least back then, it was a pretty cheap option, but I expect even still there's a good variety of options, and knowing your budgeting skills, I expect you'll be able to find something that works for you.  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> My wee kitty is anything BUT patient .  The old girl (she's almost 15) was stark raving FURIOUS with us, and boy, was she vocal about it !



Heh!  I thought I remembered you had one that scolded, but for some reason I'd assumed that was a pic you'd taken when you got back, and I was thinking it'd be hard to get a shot of our outdoor kitties without their mouths open giving us the riot act right then!  In contrast, my indoor kitties hide and sulk and won't even speak to us until we drag them out and convince them to forgive us.   

I worry about our cats, but for years I could comfort myself with the idea that they keep each other company.  Which worked until we ended up with Zelda the Annoying, who hates all other cats and gets outright vicious with the cat sitter if we're gone too long.    But we've started boarding Zelda with our adopted grandma if we're going to be gone more than a week, and now I think everyone's pretty happy.    Plus we set up a camera when we're gone and can often see they're not suffering; good for your neighbors for showing you the same.


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> The Great Lakes region is lovely.....in the summer.  I think ideally, I would love to live here at home from Victoria Day (your Memorial Day) until our Canadian Thanksgiving (early October).....then winters in Florida from mid October to the end of May.  Yep, I could happily be a Snowbird.  Hopefully my retirement plan will perform accordingly!!!!  I have about 27 years to make it all happen  .
> 
> My wee kitty is anything BUT patient .  The old girl (she's almost 15) was stark raving FURIOUS with us, and boy, was she vocal about it  .  She seemed to forgive us a little when the bag of Temptations was produced, and Momma gave her a big ol' belly rub.  It generally takes her about a week before she's back to normal, and returns to her aloof self.  I always feel so guilty to leave her behind.  Thank goodness our neighbours are incredible people who love her up regularly while we are away.  God love 'em, they even videotaped her on a couple of house visits during this past trip, to let us see how happy she is while we're gone  .  She misses us, sure, but she's not crying in the corner like I pictured in my mind!!



We figure that come retirement, we're going to get a job at Disney.  I'm going to drive a parking lot tram, and A is going to ride the back urging everyone to keep their children, bits and bobs inside the tram at all times.  

Thought I'd post a quick shot of our latest family addition; Pixel is about 6 weeks old, and was adopted as a rescue kitten last weekend.  Not sure how patient the little one (Pixel) is going to be the next time we go away.  Moo (the big sister, another adoption last year) doesn't much like our absences either...
Here you see them planning escape routes for the next time we abandon them.


----------



## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Thank you, my dear friend  .  I was thinking of YOU the other day as Christmas hit the 100-days-away mark  .  You must be getting soooooo excited about your holiday trip!  Now that school is back in session, time is going to fly by so quickly for you and your getaway will be here before you know it.
> 
> August 2014 is "the plan".....we shall see how that works out for us  .  As always, life is subject to change without warning.  I wish flights would hurry up and be released for that time period so I could book 'em and then say "there...now we HAVE to go!"  .



Ha! I was thinking as I was typing "August 2014" in this post that I'd be willing to bet money you'll go earlier. I know you can't go for the holidays this year but there's always March Break!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> We figure that come retirement, we're going to get a job at Disney.  I'm going to drive a parking lot tram, and A is going to ride the back urging everyone to keep their children, bits and bobs inside the tram at all times.
> 
> Thought I'd post a quick shot of our latest family addition; Pixel is about 6 weeks old, and was adopted as a rescue kitten last weekend.  Not sure how patient the little one (Pixel) is going to be the next time we go away.  Moo (the big sister, another adoption last year) doesn't much like our absences either...
> Here you see them planning escape routes for the next time we abandon them.



Oh Munro, she (or he?) is absolutely precious!    I have a soft spot for kittens.....they are so engaging and playful.  Our old girl is pretty docile these days.  She has a touch of arthritis and can't jump up on the furniture or the beds any more.  I miss the friskiness of her youth.   I bet little Pixel provides your family with lots of entertainment value!!  

LOL, and I thought you would like to know that you gave me my shock (and then my laugh) for the day.  Let's just say that when I initially read your post, it wasn't bits and "bobs" that I thought you wrote that your wife would ensure were safely inside the tram  .  I almost spit my cranberry juice out on the laptop screen!!!  Then I re-read it and realized my mistake.   Whoops.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> So, can't wait to see what August 2014 is in store for your family.  Kids want to cruise, but I have to see what school needs are for the next year, and we may be August 2014 FLA bound too.



"The Plan" is to do Discovery Cove, Aquatica and SeaWorld.  Last week of August, or *maybe* the 2nd last week...just depending on whether Jake needs to be at college for any freshman events the week before classes start.  But that time period, definitely.  Would you be up for a Dismeet if we both end up in Orlando during the same time?  I would love to enjoy a Ghiradelli sundae with you at DTD!



pigletto said:


> Ha! I was thinking as I was typing "August 2014" in this post that I'd be willing to bet money you'll go earlier. I know you can't go for the holidays this year but there's always March Break!



lol, much as I *wish* we could go earlier (or more than once), its almost a certainty that we'll do just one trip and that it won't be until August.  March Break is out as Jake works the YMCA camp that week.  Christmas is out since we promised my mom we'd be home this year.  Early summer is out as Jake will be working the Y summer camps.  And missing school is an impossibility in his senior year.

Waaahhhh!!!      Now I just made myself sad.  It seems so far away, doesn't it?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> Heh!  I thought I remembered you had one that scolded, but for some reason I'd assumed that was a pic you'd taken when you got back, and I was thinking it'd be hard to get a shot of our outdoor kitties without their mouths open giving us the riot act right then!  In contrast, my indoor kitties hide and sulk and won't even speak to us until we drag them out and convince them to forgive us.



lol, poor Patches was not fit for photos when we returned .  I had to use a "stock photo" of my girl for this report, otherwise I may have scared off my readers .  I swear that cat hadn't groomed herself in DAYS....her fur was stuck up all hither and yon, and she was glaring at me through little slitty eyes while she screeched out her displeasure.   Not one of her shining moments  .  Thankfully, her personal hygiene improved dramatically upon our return.  She has decided to return to using her manners and has all her fur pointing in one direction  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Sooooo.........I have a little news.

After much debate (because I tend to overthink just about everything  ) and enough reading and researching to make my brains to liquid and start leaking out my ears, Steve and I took the plunge.

We bought a timeshare at the Sheraton Vistana Resort.

I am not sure if the thought makes me want to do this:    , or this:   .     

lol, no really.....we are super excited!!! 

Our week is a deeded week 30, with the option to float during weeks 5-35, 40-47 and 50-52.  So it will give us lots of flexibility as we transition our life from parents of a teenager to empty-nesters.  We will use it for the first time on our 2014 vacation, and the boys are so thrilled.   

Our signed documentation has been submitted to the closing company, so now we just wait for the legal process to run its course.  We should hopefully have our final paperwork in hand for about the time I celebrate my 40th birthday.  Best. Gift. Ever. 

So ya'll are the first to know  .  I haven't even told my mom yet!


----------



## Lynne G

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sooooo.........I have a little news.
> 
> After much debate (because I tend to overthink just about everything  ) and enough reading and researching to make my brains to liquid and start leaking out my ears, Steve and I took the plunge.
> 
> We bought a timeshare at the Sheraton Vistana Resort.
> 
> I am not sure if the thought makes me want to do this:    , or this:   .
> 
> lol, no really.....we are super excited!!!
> 
> Our week is a deeded week 30, with the option to float during weeks 5-35, 40-47 and 50-52.  So it will give us lots of flexibility as we transition our life from parents of a teenager to empty-nesters.  We will use it for the first time on our 2014 vacation, and the boys are so thrilled.
> 
> Our signed documentation has been submitted to the closing company, so now we just wait for the legal process to run its course.  We should hopefully have our final paperwork in hand for about the time I celebrate my 40th birthday.  Best. Gift. Ever.
> 
> So ya'll are the first to know  .  I haven't even told my mom yet!





Woot!!!!    Great news, as you seemed to really enjoy that place this year.  

I cannot timeshares yet, DH heard the accountant say they were not a good fit for us.  Maybe when our kids are out of the nest.


I would love a Dis meet.  I am still ready to pull the trigger.  It will be toward the end of August, a lot will depend on what fits.  With our Labor Day so early again, it may be end of third into fourth week.  And we never turn down a chance to eat ice cream!


----------



## purplekicks

Congratulations!  

How exciting!  I tried to understand how timeshares work but its all too confusing.  I went to the presentation at Westgate Lakes before and left out after many hours soooo confused.  I asked my husband if he understood anything the man said and he did exactly this:    We decided that we will just rent a house or a hotel if we ever decided to go.


----------



## Disneylover99

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sooooo.........I have a little news.
> 
> After much debate (because I tend to overthink just about everything  ) and enough reading and researching to make my brains to liquid and start leaking out my ears, Steve and I took the plunge.
> 
> We bought a timeshare at the Sheraton Vistana Resort.
> 
> I am not sure if the thought makes me want to do this:    , or this:   .
> 
> lol, no really.....we are super excited!!!
> 
> Our week is a deeded week 30, with the option to float during weeks 5-35, 40-47 and 50-52.  So it will give us lots of flexibility as we transition our life from parents of a teenager to empty-nesters.  We will use it for the first time on our 2014 vacation, and the boys are so thrilled.
> 
> Our signed documentation has been submitted to the closing company, so now we just wait for the legal process to run its course.  We should hopefully have our final paperwork in hand for about the time I celebrate my 40th birthday.  Best. Gift. Ever.
> 
> So ya'll are the first to know  .  I haven't even told my mom yet!



AMAZING!!!! So happy for you and your family. I loved your trip report! You really do have a way with words, so I could really feel the love you had for the Vistana Resort.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> Woot!!!!    Great news, as you seemed to really enjoy that place this year.
> 
> I cannot timeshares yet, DH heard the accountant say they were not a good fit for us.  Maybe when our kids are out of the nest.
> 
> I would love a Dis meet.  I am still ready to pull the trigger.  It will be toward the end of August, a lot will depend on what fits.  With our Labor Day so early again, it may be end of third into fourth week.  And we never turn down a chance to eat ice cream!



Woohoo!    Then its a (tentative) date!   



purplekicks said:


> Congratulations!
> 
> How exciting!  I tried to understand how timeshares work but its all too confusing.  I went to the presentation at Westgate Lakes before and left out after many hours soooo confused.  I asked my husband if he understood anything the man said and he did exactly this:    We decided that we will just rent a house or a hotel if we ever decided to go.



Oh, those Westgate presentations are bad .  We went to one ourselves last summer and O.M.G.  .  

This particular timeshare at SVR should work well for us.  We can float on any one of the above weeks that we want, pending availability (but we will probably book long in advance so availability should be no issue unless we try to go Christmas week one at some point).  The timeshare itself was virtually free (I can't believe people actually buy from the developer!!!), and the seller paid all closing costs.  That means we are basically on the hook for just the yearly maintenance fees, which cost less than a renting a week from an owner (and are less than half the cost of a 7 night "hotel" stay booking directly through Sheraton).  Maintenance fees are due on January 1st each year, so I guess the biggest downfall is having to pay for our maintenance fees right around the expensive holiday season.  But we will plan for that going forward and hopefully it won't be a big deal.  Then we can kick back and relax until our travel date, knowing our summer vacation is paid for at New Years .



Disneylover99 said:


> AMAZING!!!! So happy for you and your family. I loved your trip report! You really do have a way with words, so I could really feel the love you had for the Vistana Resort.



Thank you!!!  We really did fall for SVR  .  And I am so grateful that I could share my excitement with all of you guys.....lord knows our extended families will not share in our joy, so it means a lot that I can celebrate here with all of you!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina, what wonderful news, a cheeky buy by you when I thought your son was the shopper 

Well here's to many more holidays and trip reports


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Gina, what wonderful news, *a cheeky buy by you when I thought your son was the shopper*
> 
> Well here's to many more holidays and trip reports



Thanks so much!  

And what can I say?  It was his Momma that taught him all he knows   .


----------



## Girldreamer02

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Christmas week is spectacular, but bear in mind its BUSY.  Busy-like-you-have-never-seen-it busy  .  The decorations are gorgeous and its just so darn festive, but if you are not prepared for the crowds, its going to be a shocker.
> 
> We met up with a poor young family on the boat to DTD from POR on our Christmas vacation this past year, and they were sooo upset....I just felt horrible for them.  They had been to AK earlier in the day, and got on 3 rides in 9 hours.  They had two wonderful little boys, and I hated seeing them so downtrodden.  The magic got lost for them amidst the masses.
> 
> Definitely try to squeeze in a waterpark or two someday.  Well worth a trip!



Thanks for the warning, but I've actually been to the world on christmas!  I know how crazy busy it is. I'm well aware. Lol. Its not our ideal time to go, but my sister is a teacher so we have to plan around her christmas break so she is able to go.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Girldreamer02 said:


> Thanks for the warning, but I've actually been to the world on christmas!  I know how crazy busy it is. I'm well aware. Lol. *Its not our ideal time to go, but my sister is a teacher so we have to plan around her christmas break so she is able to go.*



I totally get it  .  I look forward to the day that the school calendar doesn't dictate when I can (and cannot) travel.  It's not *that* far off for me!


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sooooo.........I have a little news.
> 
> We bought a timeshare at the Sheraton Vistana Resort.



And as they always say at Sheraton "welcome home!"



> After much debate (because I tend to overthink just about everything  ) and enough reading and researching to make my brains to liquid and start leaking out my ears, Steve and I took the plunge.



See?  I told you the research would be painful!  But since you have done the research, you are going in with eyes wide open.  Congratulations on your purchase, sounds like you got a deal! 




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I totally get it  .  I look forward to the day that the school calendar doesn't dictate when I can (and cannot) travel.  It's not *that* far off for me!



And that's why we are fixed week 10 - DW is a school teacher, so we have many more years of being a slave to the school calendar.  Come retirement, we may regret owning when all the kids are down there, but we can always trade for another time.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> And as they always say at Sheraton "welcome home!"
> 
> See?  I told you the research would be painful!  But since you have done the research, you are going in with eyes wide open.  Congratulations on your purchase, sounds like you got a deal!
> 
> And that's why we are fixed week 10 - DW is a school teacher, so we have many more years of being a slave to the school calendar.  Come retirement, we may regret owning when all the kids are down there, but we can always trade for another time.



Thank you Munro! 

I have a file that's FULL of stuff I printed off, highlighted, circled, and marked.  I have read and read and re-read the TUG boards.   Steve calls my mania my "Timeshare OCD" .  But I had such a huge list of questions that I needed to have answers to before we committed in any form.  You were a huge help in that, BTW....you gave me not only lots of information, but also lots to think about.    So thank you, again, for all your kindness and your patience.  It was great to tap into your resources and your knowledge!

We feel like we have the best of both worlds with our fixed/floating week.  Our deeded week is in the middle of summer, so if and when we have school-aged grandchildren  to consider, we have that summer week secured.  Otherwise we can float throughout pretty much the whole year.  I am secretly dreaming of the other times of year that I'd like to travel .... Halloween is tops on the list, as is mid-December and early May.  My mission is to try each month at least once  .


----------



## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sooooo.........I have a little news.
> 
> After much debate (because I tend to overthink just about everything  ) and enough reading and researching to make my brains to liquid and start leaking out my ears, Steve and I took the plunge.
> 
> We bought a timeshare at the Sheraton Vistana Resort.
> 
> I am not sure if the thought makes me want to do this:    , or this:   .
> 
> lol, no really.....we are super excited!!!
> 
> Our week is a deeded week 30, with the option to float during weeks 5-35, 40-47 and 50-52.  So it will give us lots of flexibility as we transition our life from parents of a teenager to empty-nesters.  We will use it for the first time on our 2014 vacation, and the boys are so thrilled.
> 
> Our signed documentation has been submitted to the closing company, so now we just wait for the legal process to run its course.  We should hopefully have our final paperwork in hand for about the time I celebrate my 40th birthday.  Best. Gift. Ever.
> 
> So ya'll are the first to know  .  I haven't even told my mom yet!




 Get out!!!!!
That is FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!
Congrats Gina!!!
Just think. This is the promise of fabulous vacations for years and years to come! I am just so excited for you. We've looked at it a lot since you started this trip report too. I plan on joining TUG. I don't think it will be for a few more years yet, but an offsite timeshare is starting to look better and better to us too.


----------



## Debbie

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sooooo.........I have a little news.
> 
> After much debate (because I tend to overthink just about everything  ) and enough reading and researching to make my brains to liquid and start leaking out my ears, Steve and I took the plunge.
> 
> We bought a timeshare at the Sheraton Vistana Resort.
> 
> I am not sure if the thought makes me want to do this:    , or this:   .
> 
> lol, no really.....we are super excited!!!
> 
> Our week is a deeded week 30, with the option to float during weeks 5-35, 40-47 and 50-52.  So it will give us lots of flexibility as we transition our life from parents of a teenager to empty-nesters.  We will use it for the first time on our 2014 vacation, and the boys are so thrilled.
> 
> Our signed documentation has been submitted to the closing company, so now we just wait for the legal process to run its course.  We should hopefully have our final paperwork in hand for about the time I celebrate my 40th birthday.  Best. Gift. Ever.
> 
> So ya'll are the first to know  .  I haven't even told my mom yet!


  Congratulations, Gina!  That is wonderful news!



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Thanks so much!
> 
> And what can I say?  It was his Momma that taught him all he knows   .


  Gotta pass that gene along!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> Get out!!!!!
> That is FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!
> Congrats Gina!!!
> Just think. This is the promise of fabulous vacations for years and years to come! I am just so excited for you. We've looked at it a lot since you started this trip report too. I plan on joining TUG. I don't think it will be for a few more years yet, but an offsite timeshare is starting to look better and better to us too.



Thanks pigletto! 

I must admit, I'm rather excited.  I can't wait to have that official deed in my hands.  Hopefully the closing process will be speedy!

TUG is a fantastic resource.  People are so knowledgeable there, particularly about exchanging.  That's not something we'll be doing for at least a few years....we want to use our Vistana week at the Vistana, at least until we tire of it (will that ever happen? )....but it may be something we consider down the road.  

Have you got a particular property in mind?



Debbie said:


> Congratulations, Gina!  That is wonderful news!



Thanks, Debbie!!!


----------



## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Thanks pigletto!
> 
> I must admit, I'm rather excited.  I can't wait to have that official deed in my hands.  Hopefully the closing process will be speedy!
> 
> TUG is a fantastic resource.  People are so knowledgeable there, particularly about exchanging.  That's not something we'll be doing for at least a few years....we want to use our Vistana week at the Vistana, at least until we tire of it (will that ever happen? )....but it may be something we consider down the road.
> 
> Have you got a particular property in mind?



No, not really. I think reading your trip report this time and seeing how nice it was at Vistana was really what got me thinking about it. That and how much we spend every year going to Disney when we could be offsite, see some more of Florida and STILL get to go to Disney for less money? Seems like a no-brainer. We too have dreams of being snowbirds one day. My love of Florida and Disney started as a little girl. My grandparents had a place in Holiday (very near Clearwater) and they spent their winters there. We were able to visit every winter and they are some of the best memories I have. So whether it will be time share for awhile and hopefully a winter home someday.. well who knows. But we sure love to dream about it


----------



## dancin Disney style

So I get caught up on the reading this morning and I find a big surprise in this thread!  

 * Congrats  *

I'm madly in love with the thought of owning my own place, either timeshare or condo, but realistically it doesn't make sense for us right now. 

BTW, after saying that we are really not going to FL next summer I find myself furiously plotting a trip for...... next summer.  Before going this year I knew I would be going through big changes at work before Christmas....hence the trip.  Right after we got back DH was also informed of major changes for himself in the next 6-8 months.   So with all these changes my reaction is...I need to book another vacation.  As much as I want to venture off someplace else I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Florida and get the most bang for my buck there.


----------



## pigletto

> As much as I want to venture off someplace else I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Florida and get the most bang for my buck there.



This is us too. I have a list as long as my arm of other places we want to go. And we will. But when I do the research, and I priced things out for month after our last Disney trip, my money goes further in Florida and we always have an awesome time. We will absolutely do the other trips we dream of, but when I can go to Disney/Florida for thousands less, and everyone has a blast, it's still our number one choice at this time.


----------



## dancin Disney style

pigletto said:


> This is us too. I have a list as long as my arm of other places we want to go. And we will. But when I do the research, and I priced things out for month after our last Disney trip, my money goes further in Florida and we always have an awesome time. We will absolutely do the other trips we dream of, but when I can go to Disney/Florida for thousands less, and everyone has a blast, it's still our number one choice at this time.



I  am very fortunate that I have traveled all over the world but at this point in my life a 1 week vacay just doesn't do it.  The last time I took a week I felt like it was a waste of time and money.  I can stay in FL for 12-14 days the same cost as a week in  other places.   Our August trip cost $2800...3 people, 2 weeks and I brought home $700 worth of stuff (we shop a lot).  It's really hard to pass up a deal like that.


----------



## Ted in Halifax

There is something about Florida with me too. Here I am in brazil reading the disboards.


----------



## shalom

Congratulations on your Sheraton Vistana purchase!  You'll be enjoying that for years to come.  




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Oh, those Westgate presentations are bad .  We went to one ourselves last summer and O.M.G.  .



Westgate is nightmare fuel to people I know who actively seek out TS presentations for the "gifting."  For those of us less experienced...   



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Maintenance fees are due on January 1st each year, so I guess the biggest downfall is having to pay for our maintenance fees right around the expensive holiday season.





What is it with Timeshares?  Ours are due in November, when we try to buy all our gifts so the December budget can cover any travel.    Although I've never understood why NaNoWriMo is in November, either.  Probably because it was set up by someone who doesn't do the U.S. Thanksgiving.  



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Lord knows our extended families will not share in our joy, so it means a lot that I can celebrate here with all of you!



We hauled my parents out on vacation with us just as our purchase was finalized; haven't gotten any grief from them since.  



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Otherwise we can float throughout pretty much the whole year.  I am secretly dreaming of the other times of year that I'd like to travel .... Halloween is tops on the list, as is mid-December and early May.  My mission is to try each month at least once  .





I like that mission!  I think I'll wait until I have fewer kids tied to the school calendar before I tackle it, though.  Fall is my favorite season, and every year I swear I'm going to abandon my middle daughter to vacation then (she's tied to Nutcracker rehearsals all fall).  She's the only one who ties me down the same times every year, though, since we home school and since the other kids rotate or change activities more.


----------



## Debbie

shalom said:


> Although I've never understood why NaNoWriMo is in November, either.  Probably because it was set up by someone who doesn't do the U.S. Thanksgiving.


My daughter does this each year.  She likes that it is after midterms and before exams.  Of course, shopping for the holidays only happens after the term is over.....she didn't get that from ME!


----------



## Planogirl

So you would say that Congo River is the best of the mini-golf places? We LOVE mini-golf but haven't made it to that one yet.

Your report is amazing. You all look like you're having so much fun together.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> No, not really. I think reading your trip report this time and seeing how nice it was at Vistana was really what got me thinking about it. That and how much we spend every year going to Disney when we could be offsite, see some more of Florida and STILL get to go to Disney for less money? Seems like a no-brainer. We too have dreams of being snowbirds one day. My love of Florida and Disney started as a little girl. My grandparents had a place in Holiday (very near Clearwater) and they spent their winters there. We were able to visit every winter and they are some of the best memories I have. So whether it will be time share for awhile and hopefully a winter home someday.. well who knows. But we sure love to dream about it





pigletto said:


> This is us too. I have a list as long as my arm of other places we want to go. And we will. But when I do the research, and I priced things out for month after our last Disney trip, my money goes further in Florida and we always have an awesome time. We will absolutely do the other trips we dream of, *but when I can go to Disney/Florida for thousands less, and everyone has a blast, it's still our number one choice at this time*.



  You have nailed it on the head.   That's exactly how we feel, too!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> So I get caught up on the reading this morning and I find a big surprise in this thread!
> 
> * Congrats  *
> 
> I'm madly in love with the thought of owning my own place, either timeshare or condo, but realistically it doesn't make sense for us right now.
> 
> BTW, after saying that we are really not going to FL next summer I find myself furiously plotting a trip for...... next summer.  Before going this year I knew I would be going through big changes at work before Christmas....hence the trip.  Right after we got back DH was also informed of major changes for himself in the next 6-8 months.   So with all these changes my reaction is...I need to book another vacation.  As much as I want to venture off someplace else I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Florida and get the most bang for my buck there.



Thank you, dancin!!! 

You have to PROMISE me that if you decide to go next summer in late August, we will meet up at some point...even if its just for an afternoon poolside. Or you can join Lynne & I for that Ghirardelli sundae  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Ted in Halifax said:


> There is something about Florida with me too. Here I am in brazil reading the disboards.



LOL Ted, you certainly get around  .  How's the weather in Brazil, anyway?  Its got to be better than here.....we've got rainy, dreary and damp today.  



shalom said:


> Congratulations on your Sheraton Vistana purchase!  You'll be enjoying that for years to come.
> 
> Westgate is nightmare fuel to people I know who actively seek out TS presentations for the "gifting."  For those of us less experienced...
> 
> 
> 
> What is it with Timeshares?  Ours are due in November, when we try to buy all our gifts so the December budget can cover any travel.    Although I've never understood why NaNoWriMo is in November, either.  Probably because it was set up by someone who doesn't do the U.S. Thanksgiving.
> 
> We hauled my parents out on vacation with us just as our purchase was finalized; haven't gotten any grief from them since.
> 
> 
> 
> I like that mission!  I think I'll wait until I have fewer kids tied to the school calendar before I tackle it, though.  Fall is my favorite season, and every year I swear I'm going to abandon my middle daughter to vacation then (she's tied to Nutcracker rehearsals all fall).  She's the only one who ties me down the same times every year, though, since we home school and since the other kids rotate or change activities more.



Thank you, my friend  .

I would love to take my mom with us to the Vistana, but she'd never go.  First, she'd never fly (she's beyond terrified) and second, she'd never leave her beloved cat.   I know she'd have a wonderful time once she got there, but the anxiety of the travel would likely trump any enjoyment she'd get from the meat of the trip.  She enjoys our photos, though, and she's the only one that will be happy about our newest purchase.  She's my best friend, and knows how dear to my heart our family trips are, so she is excited for us (I gave her "the news" this afternoon  ).

My inlaws?  Lord help me.  If I had to go with them on vacation, I'd rather not go.  Don't get me wrong....they are good people....but we are simply not compatible in any way, shape or form.    They already think we're nuts for going to Florida 4 times in the past two years, so knowing we'll be going annually from here on out (God willing) will have them shaking their heads.  

You guys have made me feel much better about it all, I must say.  So a big thanks to each of you.  Its nice not to be told you're crazy.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

And now, my latest update on our timeshare purchase......



...as of this afternoon, it has become "purchases".

Yes, we have bought a second Vistana week!

We secured the second week under the same fabulous deal through the same real estate agent from the same sellers.  Our first week was deeded week 30 with a week 5-35, 40-47 and 50-52 float.  This second week is the same except its week 29 w/the float.  No closing costs in either case.  The total out of pocket cost for BOTH units together was $198 ($99 each....the fee, I assume, was for the RE broker).   We knew the two units were both for sale when we went for the first one, and DH had been at me from the start to get both.  Today, I caved .    We are hoping to do our very first two week trip this summer (which has always been a dream of ours!!) but if that doesn't work, we know we will be able to rent the second with no problems.  

We have decided these two units will be our Christmas gifts this year.  One for me from him, and one for him from me  .  I can think of no better present.  Even if we will be waiting until August to enjoy it  .


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## Lynne G

That's awesome!   What a great early Christmas gift to each other.  

Funny, at DD's soccer game today, one family said they were spending Christmas in Mexico, as that is their family gift.  I said we are doing Florida, and another mom said my kids would never do that, as they want presents.  Ha!  I think this may be our only holiday trip, but ya never know.  

So waiting for SW to open August up, and that may be our Christmas gift for next year.  

Have a great night.  We are waiting for a stormy night.


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## shalom

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I would love to take my mom with us to the Vistana, but she'd never go.  First, she'd never fly (she's beyond terrified) and second, she'd never leave her beloved cat.



We can't get my parents to Florida, either.    But we're in a points system, so they've gone other places with us.    I was thinking trading through RCI or somewhere would help you with the flying thing, but RCI won't help when it comes to the cat!  



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> You guys have made me feel much better about it all, I must say.  So a big thanks to each of you.  Its nice not to be told you're crazy.



Buying a timeshare is rarely crazy, but buying direct from the developer is not usually a financially _wise_ decision, either.    Buying resale, however, different story.  People who buy resale are generally much happier owners, first because they didn't spend a huge amount of money on an impulse buy, and second because they've usually done their research and know what they're getting into. 

The only real downside is that timeshares can be difficult to resell -- but as with the buying from the developer versus resale thing, it's a lot easier for someone who has done their homework to sell than the average owner.  So while that's a concern, we get such great deals as owners that IMHO it's worth the risk.  Not that I know exactly what kinds of deals you get as a Sheraton Vistana owner.   

But in my experience owning a TS expands your options considerable.  When we bought in, we were kind of annoyed that our TS came with an RCI membership, whether we wanted one or not -- now we quite like that aspect.  People who love their timeshares tend to be people who like to research (or at least are willing to), and people who make the most of what they have -- you definitely fit that profile.


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## Ted in Halifax

I'm pleased to report that my area of São Paulo was 34C today. In a few days, I head south where it will be cooler!


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## sympatico

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> And now, my latest update on our timeshare purchase......
> 
> 
> 
> ...as of this afternoon, it has become "purchases".
> 
> Yes, we have bought a second Vistana week!
> 
> We secured the second week under the same fabulous deal through the same real estate agent from the same sellers.  Our first week was deeded week 30 with a week 5-35, 40-47 and 50-52 float.  This second week is the same except its week 29 w/the float.  No closing costs in either case.  The total out of pocket cost for BOTH units together was $198 ($99 each....the fee, I assume, was for the RE broker).   We knew the two units were both for sale when we went for the first one, and DH had been at me from the start to get both.  Today, I caved .    We are hoping to do our very first two week trip this summer (which has always been a dream of ours!!) but if that doesn't work, we know we will be able to rent the second with no problems.
> 
> We have decided these two units will be our Christmas gifts this year.  One for me from him, and one for him from me  .  I can think of no better present.  Even if we will be waiting until August to enjoy it  .



Congratulations Gina !  Fabulous Christmas gifts !  That's the ongoing joke around here when someone asks my husband what he got me for Christmas, he always tells them a trip to Florida (he hates shopping). So now people know the answer they're going to get when they ask. 
Hope you have fun planning you're next trip. Just think: you don't have to wonder where you're going to stay.


----------



## sympatico

Ted in Halifax said:


> I'm pleased to report that my area of São Paulo was 34C today. In a few days, I head south where it will be cooler!



WOW, Ted, this must be your year to travel. Hope you have a great trip.


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## Mysteria

Love the trip report!  Steak and Shake has now been added to our list for November.

Congrats on the timeshare purchase!!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

What can I say, "Merry (early) Christmas


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

sympatico said:


> Congratulations Gina !  Fabulous Christmas gifts !  That's the ongoing joke around here when someone asks my husband what he got me for Christmas, he always tells them a trip to Florida (he hates shopping). So now people know the answer they're going to get when they ask.
> Hope you have fun planning you're next trip. Just think: you don't have to wonder where you're going to stay.





Mysteria said:


> Love the trip report!  Steak and Shake has now been added to our list for November.
> 
> Congrats on the timeshare purchase!!





Mrs Doubtfire said:


> What can I say, "Merry (early) Christmas



Thanks all!


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## BearcatsFan

Hey Gina!    I finally made it over here!    15 pages?!?    Holy moly I've got some reading to do!


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## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Thank you, dancin!!!
> 
> You have to PROMISE me that if you decide to go next summer in late August, we will meet up at some point...even if its just for an afternoon poolside. Or you can join Lynne & I for that Ghirardelli sundae  .





Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> And now, my latest update on our timeshare purchase......
> 
> 
> 
> ...as of this afternoon, it has become "purchases".
> 
> Yes, we have bought a second Vistana week!
> 
> We secured the second week under the same fabulous deal through the same real estate agent from the same sellers.  Our first week was deeded week 30 with a week 5-35, 40-47 and 50-52 float.  This second week is the same except its week 29 w/the float.  No closing costs in either case.  The total out of pocket cost for BOTH units together was $198 ($99 each....the fee, I assume, was for the RE broker).   We knew the two units were both for sale when we went for the first one, and DH had been at me from the start to get both.  Today, I caved .    We are hoping to do our very first two week trip this summer (which has always been a dream of ours!!) but if that doesn't work, we know we will be able to rent the second with no problems.
> 
> We have decided these two units will be our Christmas gifts this year.  One for me from him, and one for him from me  .  I can think of no better present.  Even if we will be waiting until August to enjoy it  .



Ok....I promise.  Raising my right hand  as I promise. It's very difficult to type with only one hand you know.

A.... second week?????   Way to go!!!!  You will absolutely love the added time.  I would actually rather not vacation that to go for any less than 12-13 days.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Ok....I promise.  Raising my right hand  as I promise. It's very difficult to type with only one hand you know.
> 
> A.... second week?????   Way to go!!!!  You will absolutely love the added time.  I would actually rather not vacation that to go for any less than 12-13 days.



That's awesome!  I'm going to hold you to it  .

We're still up in the air as to whether we'll have two one-week vacations or one two-week vacations.....getting two weeks off in one chunk may be hard for the fellows.  In that case, we'll plan two trips rather than one (probably a summer week and around Christmas, assuming there's availability).  But a two-weeker is sooooo appealing.  So I have my fingers crossed for that  .


----------



## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> That's awesome!  I'm going to hold you to it  .
> 
> We're still up in the air as to whether we'll have two one-week vacations or one two-week vacations.....getting two weeks off in one chunk may be hard for the fellows.  In that case, we'll plan two trips rather than one (probably a summer week and around Christmas, assuming there's availability).  But a two-weeker is sooooo appealing.  So I have my fingers crossed for that  .



I think I would be all for the two one week vacations. We've gone on one summer trip and one winter trip the last few years and it's wonderful  having something to look forward to every 6 months. Plus I think at 2 weeks I'd be ready to come home, where one week leaves me wanting more and excited to come back.
We've actually found 10 days to be just about perfect for us.


----------



## dancin Disney style

pigletto said:


> I think I would be all for the two one week vacations. We've gone on one summer trip and one winter trip the last few years and it's wonderful  having something to look forward to every 6 months. Plus I think at 2 weeks I'd be ready to come home, where one week leaves me wanting more and excited to come back.
> We've actually found 10 days to be just about perfect for us.



 even after 2 weeks I'm not ready to come home.   I'm trying to figure out how to convince DH that I should go ahead of him for a week and then he will join us for the 2nd and 3rd week. He can't a take 3 weeks....but I can.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> I think I would be all for the two one week vacations. We've gone on one summer trip and one winter trip the last few years and it's wonderful  having something to look forward to every 6 months. Plus I think at 2 weeks I'd be ready to come home, where one week leaves me wanting more and excited to come back.
> We've actually found 10 days to be just about perfect for us.





dancin Disney style said:


> even after 2 weeks I'm not ready to come home.   I'm trying to figure out how to convince DH that I should go ahead of him for a week and then he will join us for the 2nd and 3rd week. He can't a take 3 weeks....but I can.



lol, I am easy to please  .  I could happily go either way.  Two one weeks, one two week......both are dang appealing.

And might I say....I am SUPER jealous that you two will be spending the Christmas season in Orlando this year while I am suffering through the holidays with my extended family in the cold and the snow.  You are two lucky ladies!!!!


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## sk8jdgca

Hello I just got gator golf on living social. But the trip advisor reviews are bad . What are your thoughts?


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## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> lol, I am easy to please  .  I could happily go either way.  Two one weeks, one two week......both are dang appealing.
> 
> And might I say....I am SUPER jealous that you two will be spending the Christmas season in Orlando this year while I am suffering through the holidays with my extended family in the cold and the snow.  You are two lucky ladies!!!!



Sad to say that we are no longer able to go at Christmas.  I just can't bear to take down the ticker....it has always been my favourite one.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Sad to say that we are no longer able to go at Christmas.  I just can't bear to take down the ticker....it has always been my favourite one.



Noooooooo............say it isn't so!!!!!! 

I am so sorry to hear of your change of plans.  When did things change?


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

sk8jdgca said:


> Hello I just got gator golf on living social. But the trip advisor reviews are bad . What are your thoughts?



We enjoyed it there.  It lacks the finesse of some of the other golf courses (its much more "rustic" and quite a bit smaller than Congo River, Pirates Cove, etc.) but we had a good time nonetheless.  The staff were friendly and there were tons of gators there, both around the golf course and out front by the entrance off I-Drive (where you can buy a baggie of cut up hot dogs and feed them).  You can also hold one and get your picture taken for a small fee.

Here are some pics:

















One word of caution....if you lose your ball in the water, don't go after it!!!





Here's the gator feeding:









They also offer some shows throughout the day, if you time your visit right.

Oh yeah, and there are definitely lots of good gator photo ops  .





OMG....Jake looks so YOUNG!


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## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Noooooooo............say it isn't so!!!!!!
> 
> I am so sorry to hear of your change of plans.  When did things change?



In late June my business partner told me that she was going to cut back at work (semi retire) and that she would be going away for the winter starting in November.  With Christmas being very busy for us there isn't much hope of taking days off then.  I'm already in a bind to find someone to replace her.

So this info was the basis for taking the August trip.  If we didn't go then we would be able to go until next summer.  My partner will be back to work, assuming she doesn't like all the time off, in April and that's when my DD's competition season starts.  We are then tied up until mid June.


----------



## Sparkly

I really enjoyed this trip report! It seemed like you guys got a lot done whilst still relaxing.

I really love the look of the Sheraton Vistana Resort. We drove past the villages every day on our way to Disney from our condo. The resort looks so pretty. I think it might fit the bill for our second week in March 2015. What's the best way to book it and how much approximately was it?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Sparkly said:


> I really enjoyed this trip report! It seemed like you guys got a lot done whilst still relaxing.
> 
> I really love the look of the Sheraton Vistana Resort. We drove past the villages every day on our way to Disney from our condo. The resort looks so pretty. I think it might fit the bill for our second week in March 2015. What's the best way to book it and how much approximately was it?



Just so you are aware, the Sheraton Vistana Resort and the Sheraton Vistana Villages are two different properties (the names are so close, sometimes people think they are the same resort).    The Resort is closer to the Disney parks and the Villages is closer to the SeaWorld parks, but really they are not very far apart from each other (maybe a couple of miles).  The Resort, where we stayed, is very close to Downtown Disney.

We paid $120 per night, taxes included, for our two bed, two bath villa which was a steal IMHO.  Our accommodations were booked as a package along with our flight through JetBlue Getaways, and the rate included daily housekeeping.   You can also rent:

- direct from Sheraton http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=5608

- through a third party like Expedia

- directly from an owner via a site like Ebay  http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_kw=SHERATON+VISTANA+RESORT+2BR+DISNEY+VACATION+TIMESHARE

- direct from an owner via the Timeshare Users Group, or TUG as it is better known  http://tug2.com/rnr/TabResortClassi...sortGUID=943c564c-e9f4-4acd-9880-3894626cf481 ). 

I believe that the sponsor of this board, Dreams Unlimited, also offers a discount at the Vistana, which you can access by clicking here: http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/sheraton/vistana/svr-res.cfm . 

bankr63 has a great thread running that is all about the Sheraton Vistana Resort.  You might want to pop over and check it out!   Here is the link to take you directly there:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3148502

Hope that helps!!!  Have fun planning your trip!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> In late June my business partner told me that she was going to cut back at work (semi retire) and that she would be going away for the winter starting in November.  With Christmas being very busy for us there isn't much hope of taking days off then.  I'm already in a bind to find someone to replace her.
> 
> So this info was the basis for taking the August trip.  If we didn't go then we would be able to go until next summer.  My partner will be back to work, assuming she doesn't like all the time off, in April and that's when my DD's competition season starts.  We are then tied up until mid June.



Well, that stinks  .

Glad to see you have a summer ticker up to give you something to look forward to!


----------



## papertraveller

Wow! Not one week but two! Congratulations! Funny how easy it is to scratch that Orlando itch! Now with a home base you'll discover that your vacation patterns will change yet again.

We are DVC members, and also belong to the Marriott Vacation Club. We find now that we take our time and don't rush, since we always know we'll be back. We tend to eat in the villa for a couple of meals so that we can have lazy evenings. We've discovered favourite restaurants and back road routes to avoid the more congested thoroughfares.

You'll also discover that you're constantly planning -- I'm trying to figure out some weeks all the way through to 2016, if you can believe it. But we're booked for Christmas, for March break (when we're going to do a bit of hopping around to ballparks for spring training), and last week I booked for next August.

Count me in if you have that Downtown Disney meet!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

papertraveller said:


> Wow! Not one week but two! Congratulations! Funny how easy it is to scratch that Orlando itch! Now with a home base you'll discover that your vacation patterns will change yet again.
> 
> Count me in if you have that Downtown Disney meet!



Thanks, papertraveller! 

And I will definitely let you know if we get that Dismeet scheduled.  The more, the merrier!


----------



## shalom

I think taking two weeks at once is more relaxing, but of course if you want to try to do "everything", two weeks still isn't long enough.    But since we like to take two vacations a year, and hubby only gets three weeks vacation time, the years we visit family for Christmas we don't visit Orlando.  You're not looking at quite the same set up, but one way or another, two week trips generally mean you go less often.  

Try two weeks together and see what you think, I guess.    Although I think it makes a bigger difference for people doing the WDW parks.    If you're taking a one-week park and doing WDW, the way the tickets are priced really push you to go-go-go the whole time; kick it up to two weeks and you can relax a bit.  But if you're doing Universal or SeaWorld or other Orlando stuff, shorter trips can be a lot more flexible.  

At this point you could probably plan a one week versus a two week vacation and get a good feel for the difference!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> I think taking two weeks at once is more relaxing, but of course if you want to try to do "everything", two weeks still isn't long enough.    But since we like to take two vacations a year, and hubby only gets three weeks vacation time, the years we visit family for Christmas we don't visit Orlando.  You're not looking at quite the same set up, but one way or another, two week trips generally mean you go less often.
> 
> Try two weeks together and see what you think, I guess.    Although I think it makes a bigger difference for people doing the WDW parks.    If you're taking a one-week park and doing WDW, the way the tickets are priced really push you to go-go-go the whole time; kick it up to two weeks and you can relax a bit.  But if you're doing Universal or SeaWorld or other Orlando stuff, shorter trips can be a lot more flexible.
> 
> At this point you could probably plan a one week versus a two week vacation and get a good feel for the difference!



The two week vs. two one-weeks debate will be solved this year by whether or not the guys can get two weeks off at one time, or not.  If yes, then we'll do a two week stint and see how we like it.  If not, then we'll break it up.  I am hoping they will find out soon so I can start formulating "the plan" in my mind  .

We will definitely save on a two week vacation vs. two one week trips, just based on the airfare cost alone (which will be about an extra $1000 for week number 2).  And we would eat in more on a two week trip than on two one-week vacations, netting another savings.  Our tickets would probably end up being cheaper too....for two one week trips, we will likely purchase AP's of some sort (maybe SeaWorld platinum passes...we're not sure).  For a two week trip, we'd most likely buy admission to DC which would include 14 days at SW and Aquatica (plus we have our Disney waterpark AP's to use until August 26/14).  

If the two week trip doesn't pan out for 2014, we should have no problem scheduling it in for 2015, God willing.  Jake will be in college by then and won't have such a long academic year as he does in high school.   Have I mentioned lately how much I am looking forward to our increased flexibility????   

Jetblue just opened up their flight schedule yesterday to the middle of June.  I am hoping it won't be too long before they release the next block of dates....history says it should be mid December.   I just want to get that first block of dates narrowed down for next August.  What can I say?  I'm not much of a patient soul.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

For anyone interested, here's how the cost of this year's trip boiled down:

Candlewood Suites Syracuse	$       40.00
Syracuse 8 nights extra parking	$       40.00
Jetblue Getaways Package		$   2027.00 (flight + resort)
Jetblue Even More Space upgrades	$     210.00
Car rental (Standard SUV, Alamo)	$     290.00
Fuel for rental car			$     100.00
Toll charges and valet		$       27.00
Food, tips and misc. supplies		$     930.00
Disney waterpark annual passes	$     320.00
Lounger and locker rentals (2 parks)	$     100.00
Showcase of Citrus admission	$       20.00
Congo River mini golf (2 courses)	$       40.00
Bingo at the Vistana		$       10.00

Travel insurance was free (provided under my credit card benefits).  And the gift card for the cat sitter was also free via my Visa reward points.

GRAND TOTAL:  $ 3,944.00 or $131.46 per person, per day, 9 nights/10 days


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> For anyone interested, here's how the cost of this year's trip boiled down:
> 
> Candlewood Suites Syracuse	$       40.00
> Syracuse 8 nights extra parking	$       40.00
> Jetblue Getaways Package		$   2027.00 (flight + resort)
> Jetblue Even More Space upgrades	$     210.00
> Car rental (Standard SUV, Alamo)	$     290.00
> Fuel for rental car			$     100.00
> Toll charges and valet		$       27.00
> Food, tips and misc. supplies		$     930.00
> Disney waterpark annual passes	$     320.00
> Lounger and locker rentals (2 parks)	$     100.00
> Showcase of Citrus admission	$       20.00
> Congo River mini golf (2 courses)	$       40.00
> Bingo at the Vistana		$       10.00
> 
> Travel insurance was free (provided under my credit card benefits).  And the gift card for the cat sitter was also free via my Visa reward points.
> 
> GRAND TOTAL:  $ 3,944.00 or $131.46 per person, per day, 9 nights/10 days



Holy cow sister....our 15 day trip was only $2800 including bringing home $700 worth of stuff.  If we had flown down I would add about $600-$700 to that but no more.  Granted we did not buy any WDW passes.


----------



## Lynne G

I know what you mean for schedules opening!  I am patiently waiting for SW's to open for the end of August.  I think I booked this past August in January 2013.  I couldn't believe how early I had done that.  First time, but I was glad I did, as the rate never went down and went up quite a bit by the time we went.  

I promised my DD we would not leave or come on her birthday this coming year, as she gave me the royal stink eye when we came home from CA this past summer on HER birthday. 

I have never done 2 weeks.  Most of my trips are 10 to 12 days.  I'm thinking 10 this August, but I may see if leaving one or two days ealier than I am thinking of leaving is cheaper, it might turn into 11 or 12.  We need at least 3 days in USO, as we all want to see the new HP area, and my AP expires on 8/22.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Holy cow sister....our 15 day trip was only $2800 including bringing home $700 worth of stuff.  If we had flown down I would add about $600-$700 to that but no more.  Granted we did not buy any WDW passes.



lol, I know......we splurged in several places this trip.  Upgrades to our flight (to the Even More Space seats each way).  An upgrade on our rental to the Jeep Grand Cherokee (which sucked back a lot more gas than we are used to paying....but the boys LOVED that vehicle).  And we had some substantial meals along the way (lots of steak for the big guy  and our very pricey character breakfast at Ohana) which kept our dining budget fairly up there.

We are not very good at doing a "budget" trip  .  We like to splurge too much when we are on vacation.  But we may just reign ourselves in for the next couple of trips to see how much fun we can still have while pinching the pennies a little more.

I am currently exploring a whole whack of ticket options for 2014....and wow, what a difference!  A 5 day Disney ticket with waterpark & more will be $1050 through Undercover Tourist for the three of us  .  Discovery Cove, which includes the length of stay admission to SW and Aquatica, would be under $600.    That extra $450 can go a long way elsewhere and is hard to ignore : .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> I know what you mean for schedules opening!  I am patiently waiting for SW's to open for the end of August.  I think I booked this past August in January 2013.  I couldn't believe how early I had done that.  First time, but I was glad I did, as the rate never went down and went up quite a bit by the time we went.
> 
> I promised my DD we would not leave or come on her birthday this coming year, as she gave me the royal stink eye when we came home from CA this past summer on HER birthday.
> 
> I have never done 2 weeks.  Most of my trips are 10 to 12 days.  I'm thinking 10 this August, but I may see if leaving one or two days ealier than I am thinking of leaving is cheaper, it might turn into 11 or 12.  We need at least 3 days in USO, as we all want to see the new HP area, and my AP expires on 8/22.



Flights for our two August trips have both been booked in January as well....but never right when flights opened up.  So this year, I have vowed to be ready and set to go when those flights are first released.   I want to have it all wrapped up (pardon the pun!) before the holidays.  Wish me luck  .

We have never tried Southwest yet (though we have flown Airtran once).  Its an option for us if we fly from Buffalo.  But DH and DS fear the open seating.....which always leads us back to Jetblue.


----------



## pigletto

You do not even want to know what this Christmas trip is costing us
In fairness, it's a more pricey season for Disney for hotels and food and our flights were a bit more than usual. It's all the little extras I keep adding because I've been dreaming of a Christmas trip for so long. Extra meals, Wishes Dessert Party, Christmas Party tickets, I.C.E. tickets... the list goes on. I usually do really well with our trips, and will be going back to budget planning for the next one though. 
Anyway, your trip totals look great to me and more in line with what I usually spend!

Dh and I have decided our next Florida trip after this one will likely be October. We'll be using the cottage in the summer. We want to go for Food and Wine at Epcot next year, and see all of the new Harry Potter stuff over at Universal, so that's the plan for now


----------



## Sparkly

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Just so you are aware, the Sheraton Vistana Resort and the Sheraton Vistana Villages are two different properties (the names are so close, sometimes people think they are the same resort).    The Resort is closer to the Disney parks and the Villages is closer to the SeaWorld parks, but really they are not very far apart from each other (maybe a couple of miles).  The Resort, where we stayed, is very close to Downtown Disney.
> 
> We paid $120 per night, taxes included, for our two bed, two bath villa which was a steal IMHO.  Our accommodations were booked as a package along with our flight through JetBlue Getaways, and the rate included daily housekeeping.   You can also rent:
> 
> - direct from Sheraton http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=5608
> 
> - through a third party like Expedia
> 
> - directly from an owner via a site like Ebay  http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_kw=SHERATON+VISTANA+RESORT+2BR+DISNEY+VACATION+TIMESHARE
> 
> - direct from an owner via the Timeshare Users Group, or TUG as it is better known  http://tug2.com/rnr/TabResortClassi...sortGUID=943c564c-e9f4-4acd-9880-3894626cf481 ).
> 
> I believe that the sponsor of this board, Dreams Unlimited, also offers a discount at the Vistana, which you can access by clicking here: http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/sheraton/vistana/svr-res.cfm .
> 
> bankr63 has a great thread running that is all about the Sheraton Vistana Resort.  You might want to pop over and check it out!   Here is the link to take you directly there:
> 
> http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3148502
> 
> Hope that helps!!!  Have fun planning your trip!



Thank you! I'll keep it in mind


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> You do not even want to know what this Christmas trip is costing us
> In fairness, it's a more pricey season for Disney for hotels and food and our flights were a bit more than usual. It's all the little extras I keep adding because I've been dreaming of a Christmas trip for so long. Extra meals, Wishes Dessert Party, Christmas Party tickets, I.C.E. tickets... the list goes on. I usually do really well with our trips, and will be going back to budget planning for the next one though.
> Anyway, your trip totals look great to me and more in line with what I usually spend!
> 
> Dh and I have decided our next Florida trip after this one will likely be October. We'll be using the cottage in the summer. We want to go for Food and Wine at Epcot next year, and see all of the new Harry Potter stuff over at Universal, so that's the plan for now



Our Christmas trip was quite a bit more expensive as well....just over $5100.  But like you, we added on some of those special Christmas touches that really would have been a shame to miss (just in case we never get back for another holiday season).  And considering we had no other Christmas gifts to buy, that helped offset the added costs as well.  I don't regret a cent of it  .  It was worth it and more.

I also include every single expense in my final budget total.  From the time we leave home until the time we walk back in the door, right down to insurance and airport parking and cat care.  So that sometimes makes it seem higher as well.....or at least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it  .

October is on my list of must-do's some day.  I want to see the parks decorated for Halloween and do MNSSHP.    And hopefully it won't be *quite* as hot!!! !


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I am currently exploring a whole whack of ticket options for 2014....and wow, what a difference!  A 5 day Disney ticket with waterpark & more will be $1050 through Undercover Tourist for the three of us  .  Discovery Cove, which includes the length of stay admission to SW and Aquatica, would be under $600.    That extra $450 can go a long way elsewhere and is hard to ignore : .



Hi Gina

This trip in October we have bought the DC with Busch, SW and Aquatica and have not purchased WDW tickets (well apart from a night at MNSSHP) 

We were there at Christmas for 3 weeks so thought we would save a few pounds on the tickets as it soon adds up. If you plan on going a few times an AP might be an option to save on the parking fees.

Happy planning


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> If you plan on going a few times an AP might be an option to save on the parking fees.



That's what we were thinking too  .

For 2014, I think we have it narrowed down to two options.....

If we are going to do one, two-week trip, then we'll purchase Discovery Cove admission (which includes SW & AQ for 14 days) and add on the length of stay parking pass.  That will only be $600 with tax for the three of us.

If we are splitting our two weeks into two separate vacations, then we'll probably opt for the Super Grover passes (which will get us into SW, AQ, BG, AI on BOTH trips and include free parking).  This option should be just over $500 if we can get in on a Black Friday 25% off deal.  But then I miss out on my beloved DC....boo :-( .

DH is hoping for the two-week August trip.  DS wants to split it August & Christmas.  I want two weeks in August *and* a week at Christmas  .


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> lol, I know......we splurged in several places this trip.  Upgrades to our flight (to the Even More Space seats each way).  An upgrade on our rental to the Jeep Grand Cherokee (which sucked back a lot more gas than we are used to paying....but the boys LOVED that vehicle).  And we had some substantial meals along the way (lots of steak for the big guy  and our very pricey character breakfast at Ohana) which kept our dining budget fairly up there.
> 
> We are not very good at doing a "budget" trip  .  We like to splurge too much when we are on vacation.  But we may just reign ourselves in for the next couple of trips to see how much fun we can still have while pinching the pennies a little more.
> 
> I am currently exploring a whole whack of ticket options for 2014....and wow, what a difference!  A 5 day Disney ticket with waterpark & more will be $1050 through Undercover Tourist for the three of us  .  Discovery Cove, which includes the length of stay admission to SW and Aquatica, would be under $600.    That extra $450 can go a long way elsewhere and is hard to ignore : .



I'm all about splurging while on vacay but maybe I just have a knack for finding all the deals   This last trip really did have to be done on the cheap since it was not planned I really had no budget to speak of.  I had about a month to scrape up some cash.....almost made it too.  I was a bit short but it's paid off now.

As far as tickets go....I haven't bought tickets in about 5 years.  I use my airmiles.   There are lots of ways to make the trips less expensive but still the same.  My friends have declared me the Vacation Deal Queen.  I rarely pay full price for anything vacay related.   Example....last summers car rental...13 days(through the July 4th holiday) full size car $138 including all taxes and fees.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> I'm all about splurging while on vacay but maybe I just have a knack for finding all the deals   This last trip really did have to be done on the cheap since it was not planned I really had no budget to speak of.  I had about a month to scrape up some cash.....almost made it too.  I was a bit short but it's paid off now.
> 
> As far as tickets go....I haven't bought tickets in about 5 years.  I use my airmiles.   There are lots of ways to make the trips less expensive but still the same.  My friends have declared me the Vacation Deal Queen.  I rarely pay full price for anything vacay related.   Example....last summers car rental...13 days(through the July 4th holiday) full size car $138 including all taxes and fees.



I am not an Airmiles girl.  I have a card....just most of the stores around here don't offer miles on purchases (except Metro, which is super over-priced on groceries to feed my hungry guys).  So I accumulate VERY slowly.  I will be retired before I get something free from my airmiles card  .

I don't think we did badly on the overall cost....room-only for a two bedroom, two bathroom villa at a Disney resort would have been more than the entire cost of our vacation  .  Under $4 for a 10-day trip was very acceptable for us.  We could easily have cut out another $1000 by going with a full size car, nixing the airline seating upgrades, downgrading to a one-bedroom villa at SVR, and skipping some of the extras like the lounger rentals at the waterparks.  But those are the little things we did that helped make the trip extra special  .  

As Jake would say.....YOLO!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> DH is hoping for the two-week August trip.  DS wants to split it August & Christmas.  I want two weeks in August *and* a week at Christmas  .



I'm with you on this


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I am not an Airmiles girl.  I have a card....just most of the stores around here don't offer miles on purchases (except Metro, which is super over-priced on groceries to feed my hungry guys).  So I accumulate VERY slowly.  I will be retired before I get something free from my airmiles card  .
> 
> I don't think we did badly on the overall cost....room-only for a two bedroom, two bathroom villa at a Disney resort would have been more than the entire cost of our vacation  .  Under $4 for a 10-day trip was very acceptable for us.  We could easily have cut out another $1000 by going with a full size car, nixing the airline seating upgrades, downgrading to a one-bedroom villa at SVR, and skipping some of the extras like the lounger rentals at the waterparks.  But those are the little things we did that helped make the trip extra special  .
> 
> As Jake would say.....YOLO!



With college/university tuition coming up get yourself an Airmiles mastercard.  I've easily earned enough miles from a few years of post secondary to cover 2 WDW passes.  This time around our oldest is paying her own way through university (we paid for the first go) but she's using my CC to pay for things online so that I still get the miles.  It's a brilliant plan   

Ya...metro sucks!  I don't shop there much unless something is on sale or there is a great airmiles bonus offer.  The best way to manipulate Airmiles in your favour is to watch the website and sign up for anything that you can.  Example....I opened a BMO chequing account and only make one $30 transaction per month.  After 3 months I'll earn 1000 airmiles.  Once I have the 1000 AM I'll close the account.  I did the same thing 2 years ago but that time I only had to open a savings account and let some money sit there for a few months.   

Every time I hear someone say YOLO I think of the reality TV show  about the 3 senior sisters.  They have to be at least 75-80 and one of them learned the expression YOLO then proceeded to use it constantly but wouldn't tell her sisters what it meant.  She would even yell it out the car window at people.


----------



## Lynne G

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> I'm with you on this



That's my idea too!  However, DH said 2 vacations?!!!  I said, well, only this year.  He he!  

I am using my SG this year, but not sure I will buy it next year.  We may do USO and WDW, but I have to work the kids on the Disney idea.  When we were at our last day in DL, my teen said, I think we are done Disney.  Sniff!  If no good deals come out, I can still do a military rate, and the BC may be the carrot to entice them to do Disney.  We have to see what happens after the holidays.  

Will have to see if our August dates cross.  Planning is half the fun!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

August flight prices are soooo expensive. To fly direct at he minute is around $1500 each, you have to be on the look out for a good deal


----------



## LadyBeBop

Gina, have you ever thought about driving?  Yeah, I know it's longer, but you save a ton of money.  If you have the time, you could take maybe three days down and two to three days coming home.  I know how you like to go off the beaten path.  By driving down, you can spend time sightseeing around the route.  Wish you crossed the border at Windsor, and not Eastern Ontario.  I can show you how to roadtrip down I-75.  (I live ten minutes from I-75...close to the Creation Museum, Big Bone Lick State Park and the Florence Y'all watertower.)


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Every time I hear someone say YOLO I think of the reality TV show  about the 3 senior sisters.  They have to be at least 75-80 and one of them learned the expression YOLO then proceeded to use it constantly but wouldn't tell her sisters what it meant.  She would even yell it out the car window at people.



OMG, I saw that preview and just about peed myself.   It was awesome!!!!  

And ya know, I had no idea you had an older kiddo.  I thought you just had the little DD who was the dancer.   So I learned something new about you  today!



Lynne G said:


> Will have to see if our August dates cross.  *Planning is half the fun!:* beach:



Amen!!!  



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> August flight prices are soooo expensive. To fly direct at he minute is around $1500 each, you have to be on the look out for a good deal



Lord almighty that is unbelievable!!!  

Our flights for last August were $300 return, non-stop both directions and including our luggage and seat selection.  And here we thought THAT was kind of high!  



LadyBeBop said:


> Gina, have you ever thought about driving?  Yeah, I know it's longer, but you save a ton of money.  If you have the time, you could take maybe three days down and two to three days coming home.  I know how you like to go off the beaten path.  By driving down, you can spend time sightseeing around the route.  Wish you crossed the border at Windsor, and not Eastern Ontario.  I can show you how to roadtrip down I-75.  (I live ten minutes from I-75...close to the Creation Museum, Big Bone Lick State Park and the Florence Y'all watertower.)



We have thought about it.....but as much as we're not fans of flying, we're also not fans of taking so long to get where we're going (fussy little snots, arent we?  ).  We drove from SE Ontario to Wisconsin Dells during the summer of 2010, and it was a neat experience...........but if I ever see another Trivial Pursuit question, it will be too soon  .    The scenery was incredible, we stopped at some rather neat places along the way, and it really did offer a whole different overall experience vs. flying to our destination.....but we determined that spending a couple of days each way with our fannies in the car just wasn't our ideal vacation.   If we can fly for under $1000 (round trip) from Syracuse or Buffalo, then its well worth it for us.  

Happily, I am seem to be developing more tolerance for flying and the transporation part of our trips is getting far less stressful.  No airsickness on either our Christmas voyage nor our most recent August trip....so that's 5 flights in a row where I was A-OK (including our flight home from MCO in August 2012.  I still hate to even think about the flight there ).   I have the Gravol timing down pat  and I am getting pretty good at staring my "I'm being hurtled through the air 40,000 feet above the ground  in a metal tube at high rates of speed" fear in the face and coming out a better person for it.  Not to say I look forward to the flights any longer, but at least I finally don't dread them.  So there's progress  .


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Lord almighty that is unbelievable!!!
> 
> Our flights for last August were $300 return, non-stop both directions and including our luggage and seat selection.  And here we thought THAT was kind of high!  : .



Our October flights were half that price each, but we are having to fly indirect. I think that's why we like to go for 2 to 3 weeks because the extra cost of accommodation for another week isn't that much in the scheme of things. This may be our last trip for a year or two as I don't think I will take DD out of school as she will be in her last couple of years at school.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> OMG, I saw that preview and just about peed myself.   It was awesome!!!!
> 
> And ya know, I had no idea you had an older kiddo.  I thought you just had the little DD who was the dancer.   So I learned something new about you  today!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We have thought about it.....but as much as we're not fans of flying, we're also not fans of taking so long to get where we're going (fussy little snots, arent we?  ).  We drove from SE Ontario to Wisconsin Dells during the summer of 2010, and it was a neat experience...........but if I ever see another Trivial Pursuit question, it will be too soon  .    The scenery was incredible, we stopped at some rather neat places along the way, and it really did offer a whole different overall experience vs. flying to our destination.....but we determined that spending a couple of days each way with our fannies in the car just wasn't our ideal vacation.   If we can fly for under $1000 (round trip) from Syracuse or Buffalo, then its well worth it for us.
> .



Yep...much older DD.  23 to be exact. She also was a dancer in her younger days.  Equally as accomplished as her younger sister has become but in a totally different style.  

I totally do not get the 'I love to drive' thing.   Cause I hate it.  Unless you have 4 or more people in the car you're really not saving any money driving to FL.  We spent $420 on gas driving my Xtrail and then you have to add in food and hotels.  For most people they would also have to add in service before and after the drive....for us it's free. Also, factor in the wear to your car.  With all that added together you're around $800-$900. 

When we make a long drive somewhere it's all about how fast can we get there....no site seeing or delays aloud, says me.  Many, many times I've been in the car on a road trip and all I do is watch the clock and think about how far I could have flown in that same time period.  It's not at all my idea of a fun way to start my vacay.  Plus, all the little things that my DH does that normally are a minor irritation launch me completely into the red zone.  It's amazing that by the time we reach our destination I still have a tongue attached from all the biting I do.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Yep...much older DD.  23 to be exact. She also was a dancer in her younger days.  Equally as accomplished as her younger sister has become but in a totally different style.
> 
> *It's amazing that by the time we reach our destination I still have a tongue attached from all the biting I do*.



I envy your daughters' dancing abilities.  I, personally, have two left feet and absolutely no rhythm  .  The only time I give in to the urge to boogie is in my kitchen, when only my boys are there to witness my ineptitude.  'Cause they will love me regardless  .

Your last comment made me absolutely LOL.  Thanks for my morning chuckle!!!   I have visions of a road trip to Orlando turning out like the Griswold's pilgrimage to Wally World  , so that's probably one of the reasons we fly vs. drive.


----------



## dancin Disney style

So why is it that after you post you zero in on spelling errors that somehow you missed before?  I really need to type a little slower and not rely on spell check....cause it doesn't work.  Actually, thanks to spell check I'm a terrible speller now....not that it was my strongest suit in my pre spell check days but hey, I've gotta' lay the blame somewhere.   DH is unavailable right now.


----------



## EastYorkDisneyFan

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> But all that wonderful food aside, lets be honest..we hadnt even made it to our favourite part of the meal yet.    The best was yet to come.  I seriously would make the trip from Canada all the way to Orlando just for this dessertits THAT good.  And Jake and I were giddy when it arrived in all its sweet and chocolately splendour:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Reeses Peanut Butter Pie .  Heaven on a plate .  Go ahead, admire and drool.




Just found this TR tonight and catching up. The only thing I can say well it looks good Can it out do Billy Minor pie from the Keg?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

EastYorkDisneyFan said:


> Just found this TR tonight and catching up. The only thing I can say well it looks good Can it out do Billy Minor pie from the Keg?



Hmmmmmm..........I have no idea!  No Kegs in our neck of the woods, so its not a restaurant I've ever tried.  But if they might have pie like TGI Fridays, then I will totally have to seek one out!!!!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Billy Miner pie is a whipped, jamocha almond ice cream pie. It is to die for.....I would skip the meal all together for the pie.  They bring you an ENORMOUS slice that you think you will never finish but you do and still want more.  I think they put crack in it or something.

Since I love all things peanut butter and chocolate I would imagine that a Reese's pie would be pretty amazing.  I'm going to tuck that one away in my memory banks.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Billy Miner pie is a whipped, jamocha almond ice cream pie. It is to die for.....I would skip the meal all together for the pie.  They bring you an ENORMOUS slice that you think you will never finish but you do and still want more.  I think they put crack in it or something.





I wonder where our nearest Keg is?  There must be a few in the GTA..... :.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Well, I received some interesting information today  .

On Friday afternoon, I received confirmation that our purchase of the two Vistana units had settled on the resort level, and we were "official" owners   .  We had registered deeds in hand and were ready to go ahead and book for 2014.

Today on my lunch hour, I called Owner Services and chatted with a lovely young lady who went ahead and booked us (tentatively, of course) for the last two weeks of August.    She was super helpful and made an awesome impression, I must say  .  At the end of the call, she grew kind of serious and said "before I let you go, there's something else important that i need to talk to you about".

Oh oh.   

When I said to her..."this sounds serious!  ", she laughed and said "well it is, but in a good way".  Then she proceeded to tell me that we still had both 2013 weeks that were not used by the previous owners, and that were ours to use (or bank with an exchange company).    She wanted to know if she could book me in for another two weeks before the end of this year.

Um, hello, let me pick myself up off the floor.

So I texted Steve at work with the update, and (jokingly) said "hey, you want to spend Christmas in Orlando?".

I got one word back...."YES". 

I said...."um, I was kidding".

And I got back "I'm not".

Lord almighty. 

I know it will never come together (I am sure we'll never be able to co-ordinate vacation time, availability at the Vistana during the two busiest weeks of the year, reasonably priced flights, etc. at this late date) but OMG...isn't it fun to think about?

And either way, we'll have a couple of extra weeks to use between now and June 2015 (assuming we deposit them with an exchange co.).  Or maybe we will rent one and make a little money along the way.  

I will keep ya'll posted  .


----------



## dancin Disney style

Well isn't that great news!!!!!!  Gotta' love that kind of surprise.

I'm starting to feel like I will never vacation again with all my business changes     So of course, all I do is think about a trip.


----------



## Lynne G

HaHa!  Potential 2 times to meet!  Crazy to spend another holiday in Orlando?  I don't think so.  For one, flights actually went down not that long ago, so I have some SW credits to use for our August trip.  You'd only need a rental car, and so far, the KLM rate has not been too bad.  

Stranger things have happened!  See, I told you, planning and scheming is half the fun and since you have Water Park APs, why not use them some more this year?

Congrats on being offical timeshare owners!  Great news!  

Kids are excited about our upcoming trip.  I am too, though the idea of crowds is something I am not looking forward to.  However, the thought of enjoying DC on Christmas is something I am definitely looking forward to.


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Wow that is great news 

It seems like you might be going sooner rather than later


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Well isn't that great news!!!!!!  Gotta' love that kind of surprise.
> 
> I'm starting to feel like I will never vacation again with all my business changes     So of course, all I do is think about a trip.





Lynne G said:


> HaHa!  Potential 2 times to meet!  Crazy to spend another holiday in Orlando?  I don't think so.  For one, flights actually went down not that long ago, so I have some SW credits to use for our August trip.  You'd only need a rental car, and so far, the KLM rate has not been too bad.
> 
> Stranger things have happened!  See, I told you, planning and scheming is half the fun and since you have Water Park APs, why not use them some more this year?
> 
> Congrats on being offical timeshare owners!  Great news!
> 
> Kids are excited about our upcoming trip.  I am too, though the idea of crowds is something I am not looking forward to.  However, the thought of enjoying DC on Christmas is something I am definitely looking forward to.





Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Wow that is great news
> 
> It seems like you might be going sooner rather than later




Thanks ladies  .

I called Sheraton Owner Services, and there's no availability for either Christmas week (as I kind of expected).  So a hastily-planned December trip is a no-go.

We will probably deposit the weeks and use them at a later date.   This will be a lesson in patience for me, lol!   Lord knows I need it!


----------



## disneybound08

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I wonder where our nearest Keg is?  There must be a few in the GTA..... :.



There is a Keg downtown in Kingston, I'm guessing that might be closest to your location given that you flew out of Syracuse, or there are two in Ottawa


----------



## greenclan67

Lynne G said:


> HaHa!  Potential 2 times to meet!  Crazy to spend another holiday in Orlando?  I don't think so.  For one, flights actually went down not that long ago, so I have some SW credits to use for our August trip.  You'd only need a rental car, and so far, the KLM rate has not been too bad.
> 
> Stranger things have happened!  See, I told you, planning and scheming is half the fun and since you have Water Park APs, why not use them some more this year?
> 
> Congrats on being offical timeshare owners!  Great news!
> 
> Kids are excited about our upcoming trip.  I am too, though the idea of crowds is something I am not looking forward to.  However, the thought of enjoying DC on Christmas is something I am definitely looking forward to.



We are going to DC Xmas day as well!!! Very much looking forward to it! Gina maybe you can book my friends in at Orange Lake with us and then you could take their 2 week ressie at Sheraton! LOL Only they are going the 14th to 28th of Dec.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

greenclan67 said:


> We are going to DC Xmas day as well!!! Very much looking forward to it! *Gina maybe you can book my friends in at Orange Lake with us and then you could take their 2 week ressie at Sheraton! LOL *Only they are going the 14th to 28th of Dec.



Now, don't tempt me   .

As I suspected, there was no way we could make a Christmas trip work at this short notice.  Getting confirmed time off for the guys was an issue, reasonably priced flights were an issue, and SVR had no remaining availability.  Not to mention it would have broken my mothers heart to have us away again this year......that was really, really hard for her last Christmas.

So, yesterday I opened an account with Interval International, and after a quick call to Sheraton Owner Services we have successfully deposited both 2013 weeks.  We can now trade them anytime up to June 30th, 2015  .  We have the option of using them virtually anywhere, but I am pretty sure we will end up with more vacation weeks at the Vistana somewhere along the way.  I think it is going to take quite a few trips before the guys get sick of going there!

I am seriously considering a Halloween-inspired trip next October, when Jake would be on reading week at College.  We would LOVE to do Halloween Horror nights at Universal, MNSSHP at MK, Spooktacular at SeaWorld, and Howl-o-Scream at Busch Gardens, and its always been a time period that we couldn't travel in before.  Since we have done a Christmas trip once already, we are kind of leaning toward trying something new and different.  So we shall see!!


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## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Now, don't tempt me   .
> 
> As I suspected, there was no way we could make a Christmas trip work at this short notice.  Getting confirmed time off for the guys was an issue, reasonably priced flights were an issue, and SVR had no remaining availability.  Not to mention it would have broken my mothers heart to have us away again this year......that was really, really hard for her last Christmas.
> 
> So, yesterday I opened an account with Interval International, and after a quick call to Sheraton Owner Services we have successfully deposited both 2013 weeks.  We can now trade them anytime up to June 30th, 2015  .  We have the option of using them virtually anywhere, but I am pretty sure we will end up with more vacation weeks at the Vistana somewhere along the way.  I think it is going to take quite a few trips before the guys get sick of going there!
> 
> I am seriously considering a Halloween-inspired trip next October, when Jake would be on reading week at College.  We would LOVE to do Halloween Horror nights at Universal, MNSSHP at MK, Spooktacular at SeaWorld, and Howl-o-Scream at Busch Gardens, and its always been a time period that we couldn't travel in before.  Since we have done a Christmas trip once already, we are kind of leaning toward trying something new and different.  So we shall see!!




And then we could plan an October 2014 trip at the same time.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> And then we could plan an October 2014 trip at the same time.



Now THAT would be absolutely awesome!!!   

I had a thought earlier today.....if we are there for two weeks in August, then do an October vacation, that would mean we're headed back just 6 weeks after we come home from our longest getaway yet.  Does that make me sound a little...nutty? 

Our other (potentially viable) option is the week before Christmas.....the 13th to the 20th of December '14.  I think that the colleges get out the week before the elementary and secondary school kids, so that week would also then be a possibility.  We would still be home for the actual holiday, would would please my mom.   And we'd have more time between trips, which is a good thing.

Thank goodness I have a while to ponder it all.  I don't know which is worse.....having too few options, or too many options!


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## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Now THAT would be absolutely awesome!!!
> 
> I had a thought earlier today.....if we are there for two weeks in August, then do an October vacation, that would mean we're headed back just 6 weeks after we come home from our longest getaway yet.  Does that make me sound a little...nutty?
> 
> Our other (potentially viable) option is the week before Christmas.....the 13th to the 20th of December '14.  I think that the colleges get out the week before the elementary and secondary school kids, so that week would also then be a possibility.  We would still be home for the actual holiday, would would please my mom.   And we'd have more time between trips, which is a good thing.
> 
> Thank goodness I have a while to ponder it all.  I don't know which is worse.....having too few options, or too many options!



I know Dh's program has the schedule listed for school breaks already.  They are on the college website for 2014/2015. You should be able to see the exam dates and you are safe to book the evening of the last day of exams. At least that's what we've done for the last 3 years.. including this upcoming trip. He'll write his last exam ever on the 13th of December and we leave that night. 3.5 years.. talk about a celebration!!!!. With the reading week in October, the one in February and the week before, during and after Christmas you'll find you have several good weeks to pick from. They are set weeks, but with the exception of Christmas, they are low crowd weeks.
And Jake should be done by the last week of April so you'll have May and June before camp. DH always went straight from work to co-op so we haven't had as much time, but there was usually a week in between.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> I know Dh's program has the schedule listed for school breaks already.  They are on the college website for 2014/2015. You should be able to see the exam dates and you are safe to book the evening of the last day of exams. At least that's what we've done for the last 3 years.. including this upcoming trip. He'll write his last exam ever on the 13th of December and we leave that night. 3.5 years.. talk about a celebration!!!!. With the reading week in October, the one in February and the week before, during and after Christmas you'll find you have several good weeks to pick from. They are set weeks, but with the exception of Christmas, they are low crowd weeks.
> And Jake should be done by the last week of April so you'll have May and June before camp. DH always went straight from work to co-op so we haven't had as much time, but there was usually a week in between.



Its going to be so nice to have the added flexibility  .  I am very much looking forward to enjoying Orlando at different times of the year! 

So when you guys leave for your Christmas trip, is your DH done as in "done, done" (fully completed his program)?  Or just done that semester?   Three and a half years is a long haul.  I can only imagine how much he must enjoy your getaways when he's been working hard on studying and exams right up until departure day.  Makes Disney even more magical!


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## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Its going to be so nice to have the added flexibility  .  I am very much looking forward to enjoying Orlando at different times of the year!
> 
> So when you guys leave for your Christmas trip, is your DH done as in "done, done" (fully completed his program)?  Or just done that semester?   Three and a half years is a long haul.  I can only imagine how much he must enjoy your getaways when he's been working hard on studying and exams right up until departure day.  Makes Disney even more magical!



Done Done Done!!!!!!!!!!!
He's working on a project now that is literally keeping him awake at night. It's huge and he's a perfectionist. Then it's the last push until exams. This trip will be extra special.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> Done Done Done!!!!!!!!!!!
> He's working on a project now that is literally keeping him awake at night. It's huge and he's a perfectionist. Then it's the last push until exams. This trip will be extra special.



Now if that doesn't deserve a Disney "I'm Celebrating!" button, nothin' does!


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## Zeebs

I was wondering if you had the details of the Monster Truck ride thingy you did.  How small were the children that were on it.  I have two boys, and a husband who would love it.

Kirsten


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Zeebs said:


> I was wondering if you had the details of the Monster Truck ride thingy you did.  How small were the children that were on it.  I have two boys, and a husband who would love it.
> 
> Kirsten



This link might help:

http://www.showcaseofcitrus.com/Swamp_Safari_Eco_Tour.html

There was a family on board who had a couple of little ones, the youngest being about 2.  Now, he had the bejeezus scared out of him when the driver blew the horn when the monster truck departed on the tour (poor little guy!) but otherwise, the tour is definitely suitable for all ages.  Its like riding an open air bus......that's rather bumpy  .

Tickets are available at a discount via Groupon right now, if you 're interested:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/showcase-of-citrus-2


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## Zeebs

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> This link might help:
> 
> http://www.showcaseofcitrus.com/Swamp_Safari_Eco_Tour.html
> 
> There was a family on board who had a couple of little ones, the youngest being about 2.  Now, he had the bejeezus scared out of him when the driver blew the horn when the monster truck departed on the tour (poor little guy!) but otherwise, the tour is definitely suitable for all ages.  Its like riding an open air bus......that's rather bumpy  .
> 
> Tickets are available at a discount via Groupon right now, if you 're interested:
> 
> http://www.groupon.com/deals/showcase-of-citrus-2



Thanks you very much for that, I will show to hubby and see what he thinks.  thanks for writing the report, we are spending time at Disney when we are on our trip, but it is very refreshing to hear about other things to do in the Orlando area.

We did Blizzard Beach on our last trip, the lazy river was my favourite as well.  This is a picture of 2 of my three kids, Seth is actually fast asleep on that tube and snored his way around the river pretty much the entire way.





Kirsten


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Zeebs said:


> Thanks you very much for that, I will show to hubby and see what he thinks.  thanks for writing the report, we are spending time at Disney when we are on our trip, but it is very refreshing to hear about other things to do in the Orlando area.
> 
> We did Blizzard Beach on our last trip, the lazy river was my favourite as well.  This is a picture of 2 of my three kids, Seth is actually fast asleep on that tube and snored his way around the river pretty much the entire way.



What a great photo!     Poor little mite was completely pooped!


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## cantoine

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Welcome to my trip report  .  I always find it difficult to find a starting point for these threads, so I figure Ill just jump right in and start with the obligatory introductions.    While a little background will follow, Ill try to keep it brief (and if not brief, a concept of which is hard for me at the best of times, hopefully it will end up being a least relevant!!).
> 
> Moving right along, let me get you acquainted with my little family.  This is us (picture taken August 2012 on our vacation in Orlando):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Im Gina, writer of this report and the official family planner, organizer, and obsesser.  I am not ashamed to admit that I have OCD to a certain degree..depending on the day, that degree can vary from mild to wild .  When it comes to our family getaways, I probably put more time and effort into researching every last little detail than the average mom, but its fun and I enjoy it and quite honestly, I could be doing worse things with my time.  And my fellows are patient with my nightly blabbering about the neat things I have found for us to do on our next trip.  One of the many reason that I love that pair.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DH is Steve.  My Prince Charming, and the total opposite personality from me.  Hes quieter, calmer, and very go with the flow, which normally creates a very happy balance around our house (except for the times where we drive each other NUTS.which thankfully, is normally not very often).  He is one of the hardest workers I know, and his efforts net the surplus finances required to fund our expeditions to Florida.  We celebrated our 20th anniversary this past May.
> 
> DS is Jake.  He is 17 (will be turning 18 in January) and an amazing young man.  Hes an honour roll student at school and a talented athlete (volleyball and basketball, as well as ball, inline and ice hockey in his younger years) .  He has worked for a year and a half at our local YMCA in the youth and programming departments, and has a wonderful knack with kids.  Hes our lonely only, and yep, I shamelessly admit to spoiling him from time to time.    He has just kicked off his senior year of high school.  This pic is from June, where he was awarded the Dave Coyer Memorial Trophy for most dedicated senior boys volleyball player:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This trip was our fifth getaway to Orlando.  Our first visit was in January 2009, which was supposed to be our once in a lifetime Disney vacation.  But then something we didnt expect occurred.we were bitten by the bug.  It took us 3 years to return (for various reason), but then we enjoyed 3 separate visits in 2012 (falling in January, August and Christmas week).  With each vacation, we grew to love Orlando (and all the family fun it offers) even more, so it wasnt surprising that we began to plan our 2013 August vacation while on the plane home from our Florida Christmas extravaganza (see the link in my signature for the finished report  of that getaway).
> 
> And so began the planning at 40,000 feet in the air.



Gina, As I read this to my DH, he stopped and looked up and said "OMG, you have found your twin" Thank you so much for your post, it gives me comfort in knowing I am not alone in the world of family trip planning.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

cantoine said:


> Gina, As I read this to my DH, he stopped and looked up and said "OMG, you have found your twin" Thank you so much for your post, it gives me comfort in knowing I am not alone in the world of family trip planning.



 

LOL, its one of the reasons I am thankful for the Dis.  And truth be told, I think DH is thankful for it too!!!  Its a good venue for us to chat and plan with other like-minded folks without driving our beloveds completely crazy  .


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## cantoine

Gina

I loved reading your trip report. We have actually stayed at the Sheraton Vistana  Villages ourselves in June 2011 and we absolutely loved it. I am hoping to convince the DH to let us become owners one day. We stayed in the St. Augustine section of the resort with the pirate ship pool, the kids loved it. We were going back and forth between the Sheraton or the West gate for our June 2014 trip and have decided on the west gate to try something new. I see you also stayed at the West gate on one of your family trips, how did you guys like it? Thank you again for all your photos and trip planning advice.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

cantoine said:


> Gina
> 
> I loved reading your trip report. We have actually stayed at the Sheraton Vistana  Villages ourselves in June 2011 and we absolutely loved it. I am hoping to convince the DH to let us become owners one day. We stayed in the St. Augustine section of the resort with the pirate ship pool, the kids loved it. We were going back and forth between the Sheraton or the West gate for our June 2014 trip and have decided on the west gate to try something new. I see you also stayed at the West gate on one of your family trips, how did you guys like it? Thank you again for all your photos and trip planning advice.



We stayed at Westgate Lakes in August 2012.

Ya know, we were terrified before we arrived.  So many horror stories.  They seemed to be wherever we looked.

That said.....we had a great vacation.  The room was spacious (we had a two bed/two bath), our villa was in a great location, and we had daily housekeeping.  The resort had lots of good amenities and we very much enjoyed their pool parties.  There was an enormous roman tub in the master and a HUGE shower too.

We did go to the timeshare presentation and it was seriously awful.....almost 4 hours (rather than the 90 minutes we were promised), super hard sell, relentless sales people.  Never, ever, EVER again  .

But honestly?   While we had a very enjoyable getaway, it doesn't compare to the Vistana.  The Vistana has a much nicer feel.  Nicer and much more pleasant staff.  Much, much higher quality (and more modern) finishings on the interiors.  Brighter, cheerier, better amenities.  Everything just seemed a big step up from Westgate.

Which Westgate property are you staying at?  (I know there are several in the Orlando area).  If you are staying at the Lakes Resort & Spa and have any questions, feel free to shout and I will do my best to help  .


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## tgropp

Gina. I do not know how I missed your report but it was a very nice read on a winter morning. So nice to see pics of places that I have never been to. We have been doing Disney/Florida  family vacations for 25 years and I can see that you will be doing the same. You are very blessed to be in that position. Thanks for the report!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

tgropp said:


> Gina. I do not know how I missed your report but it was a very nice read on a winter morning. So nice to see pics of places that I have never been to. We have been doing Disney/Florida  family vacations for 25 years and I can see that you will be doing the same. You are very blessed to be in that position. Thanks for the report!



Thanks Tim  .  I hope to someday have a list of happy family memories in my signature that's as long and awesome as yours  .


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## littleaussie

Loved your TR, thanks for taking the time to post it.  I enjoy reading about the off-site stays, because we are always looking for a new place to try.

It's also fun reading about people doing other things besides Disney.  Now I love Disney. . . a lot!  But my family needs deprogramming sometimes so I enjoy people who post their other experiences.  We may try the mini-golfing


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

littleaussie said:


> Loved your TR, thanks for taking the time to post it.  I enjoy reading about the off-site stays, because we are always looking for a new place to try.
> 
> It's also fun reading about people doing other things besides Disney.  Now I love Disney. . . a lot!  But my family needs deprogramming sometimes so I enjoy people who post their other experiences.  *We may try the mini-golfing*





The Congo River courses are always my favourite......but I'm a sucker for gators.  

Pirates Cove comes in a close second, because the course is so darn nicely themed.


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## MidnightParade

I've slowly been reading your TR for the last week and its wonderful! We are doing an onsite stay at Universal/Disney in October but now I've started plotting for an Orlando non onsite stay(or atleast a split stay) for our next whenever that is vacation because of your very inspiring TR.  Your family is awesome and your trip looks/sounds amazing!  Thanks so much for sharing!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

MidnightParade said:


> I've slowly been reading your TR for the last week and its wonderful! We are doing an onsite stay at Universal/Disney in October but now I've started plotting for an Orlando non onsite stay(or atleast a split stay) for our next whenever that is vacation because of your very inspiring TR.  Your family is awesome and your trip looks/sounds amazing!  Thanks so much for sharing!



Aw, thank you so much for the kind compliments! 

We are currently counting down to our next offsite stay....just over 4 months to go!


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## MidnightParade

Well I hope you do another TR! I will eagerly be awaiting it!


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## Ang1e

I'm a little late to the party  Just sat and read your whole trippie today!  Well, took a break for dinner.

Thanks so much for taking the time to write it.  I've recently book the Vistana and ever since so many reviews on Tripadvisor have been less than 'nice'.  I've scared myself silly but your review has calmed me down 

I've made notes of places to eat too


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Ang1e said:


> Thanks so much for taking the time to write it.  I've recently book the Vistana and ever since so many reviews on Tripadvisor have been less than 'nice'.  I've scared myself silly but your review has calmed me down



The Vistana is absolutely awesome.......I think you are going to be VERY pleased with the resort  .  We are anxiously counting the days until we return (81 to go!!).

Have you check out this thread?   

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3148502

Its all about the Vistana Resort, and there are LOTS of positive reports from past guests that will help you get all excited about your upcoming stay  .  Its also chock full of great "know before you go" tidbits which will help make the most of your vacation.


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## Ang1e

Thanks Gina, I'll check that thread out.  I think we're at 94 days and counting Yay!!


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## reelmom

I wanted to say thank you for recommending the Showcase of Citrus. We went a few days ago and loved it. Even the 4 kids with us (ages 10,11,12,13) loved it. Our driver even let my 10 year old steer the monster truck for about 5 minutes. Was totally the highlight of the whole trip for him. This is truly a fun experience.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

reelmom said:


> I wanted to say thank you for recommending the Showcase of Citrus. We went a few days ago and loved it. Even the 4 kids with us (ages 10,11,12,13) loved it. Our driver even let my 10 year old steer the monster truck for about 5 minutes. Was totally the highlight of the whole trip for him. This is truly a fun experience.



That's awesome......so glad to hear you enjoyed yourself there!      Did you have one of their orange slushies too?

It really is a great little side trip, and such a nice break from the frenetic pace of the theme parks.  I also love that there are always deals available for the monster truck tour, whether via Groupon, Livingsocial or the Entertainment Book.   Its even more fun when its super affordable  .


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## reelmom

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> That's awesome......so glad to hear you enjoyed yourself there!      Did you have one of their orange slushies too?  It really is a great little side trip, and such a nice break from the frenetic pace of the theme parks.  I also love that there are always deals available for the monster truck tour, whether via Groupon, Livingsocial or the Entertainment Book.   Its even more fun when its super affordable  .


We did have the orange slushies. I think they are way better than Dole Whips at Disney.


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## mrsabbott

Oooh!  I just skimmed through your TR (sadly, time keeps me from reading the entire thing) and I'm so excited to put a face with the name!!  Your family is so cute!  And super cool that you have a resort "home" to go to from now on!!  Hubs and I have thought about investing in a vacation home in Florida.. one of these days!  

Looking forward to reading about your next trip!!


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