# It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – an offsite, non-Disney, Christmas TR



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Happy New Year, friends!  I figured there was no better way to ring in 2016 than to kick off my trip report from our most recent adventures in Orlando.  This vacation fell over Christmas week and led us from our home in Ontario to New York State and finally to sunny Florida .


Just a word of warning for anyone who might be new to my reports:  you’re not going to find much Disney here .  Our accommodations were off property, we visited no Disney parks at all, and all but one of our culinary indulgences occurred outside of the Disney bubble.  With that in mind, I hope the moderators will see fit to leave this trip report right here on the Orlando Hotels & Attractions board....because quite honestly, it doesn’t fit in on either the Disney or Universal trip report boards.  Before this thread eventually concludes, I’ll cover:


-  our offsite stay at Sheraton Vistana Resort (our beloved home away from home) 

-  an assortment of non-park activities including:

o   the Orlando Eye

o  Sea Life Aquarium

o  Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum

o  Kings Bowl

o  the animal park and airboat ride at Wild Florida

o  Fun Spot America & USA

o  both Mighty Jungle and Pirates Cove mini golf

o  Christmas at SeaWorld; and

o  a visit to Aquatica. 


There will be tiny dashes of Universal and Disney thrown in for good measure (Ohana still holds a place in our family’s hearts, and the kiddo needed to see the updated Disney Springs) and yes.....there will detailed dining reviews:  lots and lots of offsite meals, complete with photos, prices, and our honest feedback on what we liked and what we didn’t.   You may want to undo the top button on your pants now .


We left home on December 18th and returned on December 27th.  Our cast includes myself (Gina, the planner of all things Orlando), DH Steve, and our soon-to-be 20 year old DS Jake. 






_(this family pic was taken by one of my bosses just two days before we left on our trip, at the annual Christmas Open House held by the firm where I am employed.....those events are my favourite working days of the year!)_


While Steve and I enjoyed two couples trips earlier this year in May and October, Jake opted not to join us on either of those excursions.  In fact, we hadn’t had a family trip (just the three of us, without a girlfriend along) since August of 2013.  So this festive Christmas trip was *special*.   No outside influences, no interruptions, no work or college schedules, not even the boy’s current girlfriend (who was invited to join us, but got a no from the parents.....though she will be celebrating her birthday with us on our April 2016 expedition.......but that’s a story for my next PTR!) were poised to intrude on some much-needed, much-anticipated, much-valued family time.  That, in itself, had us all very excited about a week together in the southern sun.  After all, isn’t family what the holiday season is all about?  


So for all of those reading along, a big  for joining in.  Feel free to ask questions, add your comments, and join in the chatter.....the more, the merrier, I always say.  I will try to keep the report rolling along as consistently as I can (I despise those big gaps between entries!!) though my progress may suffer a bit of a lag when I return to work on Monday.  After being off since the 17th of December, I am sure I might be working through a lunch hour or two . 


Rest assured, there will be lots of photos to help provide the necessary visuals to my written summaries.  I took well over 1000 pictures over the course of our vacation, and often they tell the story much more accurately than I ever could hope to.  As always, the pictures are my favourite souvenirs of our vacation, and I can’t wait to get started on my next photo book.....but that’s a project for later in the month .

So, without further adieu....  aboard!  Let's get this party started.  Our departure day is coming up next.


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## Hemlock

Anxiously following along!  Our upcoming March 2016 trip includes the Orlando Eye, Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussaud's, so I'm really looking forward to your thoughts/photos on those.  Also looking forward to some new off site dining options.


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## jennasmommyinMS

I'm so excited to read your new trip report!  We'll be doing a few of those things, but we're still undecided about Madame Tussaud's, so that part of your report will certainly help.  And I can't wait to see more about Sea World and Aquatica!


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## Rubbertops

Looking forward to your report!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Hi Gina looking forward to all the details. Happy New Year to you and your family and what better way to start it with a trip report


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Hemlock said:


> Anxiously following along!  Our upcoming March 2016 trip includes the Orlando Eye, Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussaud's, so I'm really looking forward to your thoughts/photos on those.  Also looking forward to some new off site dining options.





jennasmommyinMS said:


> I'm so excited to read your new trip report!  We'll be doing a few of those things, but we're still undecided about Madame Tussaud's, so that part of your report will certainly help.  And I can't wait to see more about Sea World and Aquatica!





Rubbertops said:


> Looking forward to your report!





Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Hi Gina looking forward to all the details. Happy New Year to you and your family and what better way to start it with a trip report



A big welcome to all!    So grateful to have you reading along, and joining me right from day one  .

Hemlock and jennasmommyinMS, you won't have to wait long for the Sea Life and Tussaud's entries, as those fall right near the beginning of the trip  .  A little spoiler before the in-depth coverage:  Tussaud's exceeded our expectations, and Sea Life (which we all expected to be our favourite of the three Merlin attractions) ended up ranking last for each of us.  Not that it wasn't enjoyable (all three venues were great) but it didn't over-perform.  Of course, I will let you see our photos and decide for yourselves which ones your families will appreciate most!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Friday, December 18th:  *


The plan this morning was to get up early, clean the house from top to bottom, do laundry, and be out the door by noon.  Jake had worked an evening shift the night prior, so Steve and I let him sleep a little longer while we got the tasks underway.  It’s amazing how much focus a person can have when there’s a trip poised to begin, and we whistled through our individual responsibilities with exceptional efficiency.  We not only achieved our leave-by-noon target, we beat it by more than an hour:  we pulled out of the driveway at 10:45 am with a nifty head start on our commute to Buffalo.







We have learned from experience that my crew travels the happiest when their tummies are full, so we wheeled into A & W here in our hometown to grab some grub before hitting the highway.  We had higher expectations for our first meal of the trip, but many places weren’t open for lunch at that hour as it wasn’t yet 11 am.  We briefly thought of waiting around, but we were ready and raring to go and just wanted to get the journey underway.  Lunch was swift and filling, and we were buckled up and rolling westward down the 401 in no time flat .


The mood was definitely festive .  Steve put on some holiday tunes from our Christmas iPod , and the merriment wasn’t long spreading through the Journey.












The weather, which is always a concern on our winter trips, was surprisingly favourable for our 4-hour commute.  While thick clouds lined the sky, there was no snow and temperatures were hovering just above the freezing mark.  With our weather worries happily laid aside, it appeared that holiday season traffic would be our only concern over the many miles that lay ahead.  To safeguard against that potential issue, we made the unanimous decision to take the toll highway 407 from Pickering to Hamilton.  While painful to the pocketbook (that little jaunt will cost us about $40 when the bill comes in a month from now ), this is the “traffic” we had to deal with as we cruised down the toll road:












Empty roads?  Priceless  .


We stopped briefly at Tim Hortons in Stoney Creek for beverages, Timbits and a last washroom break and leg stretch before the border crossing.  Traffic remained light through to Lewiston, and it wasn’t long before we were waiting our turn to cross into New York State.







Considering it was the Friday afternoon before Christmas, we were quite pleased that the lines were only about 6 cars deep.  I think we only waited about 10-15 minutes before we were handing our passports over to the Border Agent, and he barely gave us a second glance.  After a quick _where are you from?, where are you headed?_, and _when are you coming home?_, he handed us back our passport documents and we were en route to our park and fly hotel.












We encountered a bit of traffic between Lewiston and Buffalo, but minor slowdowns only....nothing major.  It was growing increasingly dark in the sky.....almost looking like it might snow....so it was a nice relief to pull safely into the parking lot.  Steve parked the car while Jake and I headed into the lobby to check-in and get our room keys.







The lobby was decked out in its Christmas finery, with a large tree all decorated in the entryway and the mantle of the fireplace adorned with garland and ornaments.







Check-in was quick and easy, as our reservation was already pre-paid and having stayed here previously, Steve didn’t need the spiel on how and where to leave our vehicle once it was ready to be placed in the gated lot until we returned from Orlando.  We were assigned a first floor room, #116 just around the corner from the lobby and the pool.







After depositing our luggage in our room, checking messages and emails on the computer, and allowing Jake the opportunity to Facetime with his Sunshine, we decided we should go out in search of dinner before we all became too lazy to move.  Donning our coats, we headed out the door of the hotel and noted with a groan that it had started to snow .







Oh, Orlando.....your sunshine and warmth can’t come soon enough .


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## mmdis

As you can see by my post count I'm really a lurker on the dis. I wanted to come out and let you know how much I enjoy your trip reports. As a mom of two teen boys I love to see your family have  a great time together and I really feel you do a great service to Orlando tourism.  Thanks so much for taking the time to write your reports and please know they are enjoyed by many silent lurker.


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Empty roads are just what you need to when going to the airport (at a price!). I seem to recall that you mentioned a problem so think you have left us on a cliffhanger..............


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## jennasmommyinMS

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Empty roads are just what you need to when going to the airport (at a price!). I seem to recall that you mentioned a problem so think you have left us on a cliffhanger..............



I saw that, too, and I agree--we definitely have a cliffhanger!  I'm on the edge of my seat here!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

mmdis said:


> As you can see by my post count I'm really a lurker on the dis. I wanted to come out and let you know how much I enjoy your trip reports. As a mom of two teen boys I love to see your family have  a great time together and I really feel you do a great service to Orlando tourism.  Thanks so much for taking the time to write your reports and please know they are enjoyed by many silent lurker.



Aw, thank you!!    What kind things to say  .

I am so grateful and appreciative for the chance to share my non-park experiences here on the Dis.  Orlando has so much to offer, its really a shame that so many folks never venture beyond the Disney gates.   So far, we haven't done anything that wasn't worth trying at least once!

It was great to have you come out of lurkdom to join in the conversation here.  Don't be shy, feel free to continue to add your thoughts as we go along....we're just getting started  .,



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Empty roads are just what you need to when going to the airport (at a price!). I seem to recall that you mentioned a problem so think you have left us on a cliffhanger..............



Ah yes, you have a good memory!  We had a few Griswold-like moments on this vacation  ... and our overnight in Buffalo was definitely one of them!!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

jennasmommyinMS said:


> I saw that, too, and I agree--we definitely have a cliffhanger!  I'm on the edge of my seat here!



LOL....you guys don't forget a thing!!  

Which reminds me....I should probably post a link to this trip report on the PTR thread..... .


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## pigletto

I had literally signed in to the Disboards this evening  to go tap my foot in your pre-trip report and try to hurry you into starting this!
No need for me to annoy you.. because it's underway!!
I can't wait to read along! We asked my inlaws to join us on our trip in May this afternoon. I booked a 2bdrm at Bonnet Creek the other day so now I need to change to a three bedroom or they need to get a one bedroom for the same dates. So we are in full vacation planning mode and I can't wait to see what you did and how you liked it.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> I had literally signed in to the Disboards this evening  to go tap my foot in your pre-trip report and try to hurry you into starting this!
> No need for me to annoy you.. because it's underway!!
> I can't wait to read along! We asked my inlaws to join us on our trip in May this afternoon. I booked a 2bdrm at Bonnet Creek the other day so now I need to change to a three bedroom or they need to get a one bedroom for the same dates. So we are in full vacation planning mode and I can't wait to see what you did and how you liked it.



Brave girl.....asking the inlaws to come along!!!     

We spent yesterday and today putting some touches on our April/May trip as well  ... tis the season obviously!  We booked our park and fly hotel (and confirmed the Days reservation was cancelled as requested), booked Jake's flights (since both he and his Sunshine are now coming along....and we had enough Jetblue points that his roundtrip airfare was completely free!), and secured our Orlando hotel for the extra two nights beyond our week at the Vistana.  We also booked a bigger vehicle than the full size car that I originally had reserved, and made a tentative reservation for breakfast at Ohana's (not sure if we'll keep that at this point.....the dollar is KILLING our budget).

Our spring trips really aren't that far away.   We leave in just 113 days!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

It was a sloppy, slippery drive to dinner as the snow came down in huge, wet, wind-blown flakes.  We patted ourselves on the back for having the energy to get up at the crack of dawn that morning and get on the road earlier than expected, otherwise we would have been making the last part of the car trip in the rain and snowy weather.  Sometimes, my OCD actually does end up being beneficial! 


The boys had settled on Olive Garden for our evening meal (a family favourite that we don’t have in Ontario), so it wasn’t a long drive to the restaurant.  We pulled into a parking space, hopped out of the Journey, and wasted no time getting inside.  We were seated immediately and began the arduous task of choosing what to order .  They guys never venture from their “usual” when we dine at Olive Garden, but I was determined to try something different on this visit.












With a few extra minutes granted to us to make the super-tough ordering decisions, we finally were able to select our entrees with confidence and our server whisked away to gather our beverages (soft drinks for the boys, water for moi) and starters.


Jake opted for a Caesar salad_ (who is this child of mine?  since when did he start eating salad....*green things*.....voluntarily?? )_, which paired so well with the warm garlic sticks that one had a bite out of it before I was able to snap the photo:







Steve and I chose the Zuppa Toscana, an Olive Garden favourite of ours, and again the breadsticks didn’t make a picture before they were...uh....sampled for freshness :







Not long after our soups and salad had been enjoyed and the bowls cleared away, our entrees were delivered hot and aromatic from the kitchen.  Steve, as always, had ordered the steak gorgonzola, cooked medium rare:







Jake, a creature of habit like his dad, selected (as always) the chicken fettuccini alfredo (but I have no freaking idea what he was doing in this photo??? ):







Normally a chicken fettuccini alfredo girl myself, I decided to do something wild and crazy and choose something off their menu that I’ve never had (which, for the record, is virtually everything but the fettuccini ).  I was definitely not disappointed by the chicken parmesan that was sat before me in its massive, cheese-covered glory:







We have never yet been let down by the quality and value of a meal at Olive Garden, and today was no exception.  Service was great, the food was delish, and quantities were WAY larger than we could eat (for me especially.....OMG, the portions can be excessively huge ).  Dessert was an absolute no-go....the stomachs just wouldn't allow it.....so we covered the bill ($64.96 including tax, excluding tip) and rolled ourselves back to our vehicle.


Jake spied the Walden Galleria across the street, and asked if we could take a stroll around the mall before returning to the hotel for the night.  He suggested that it might be a way for us to walk off our culinary sins, but he wasn’t fooling us.....we knew he just wanted the chance to peruse the enormous Dick’s Sporting Goods store .







The mall was decked out for the holidays with the most lovely strands of white lights that stretched from the rooftop down to the main level.  It was so pretty and very classy, and with the Christmas music being played throughout the concourse, it was a very festive shopping excursion indeed!  












We milled around for at least an hour or so (it was busy in the mall, but not annoyingly so), then decided to head back to the hotel for a nice long soak in the hot tub.  It was still snowing as we made the trek back, so Steve dropped Jake and I at the hotel door while he secured the Journey in the gated long-term lot and brought in our GPS to be packed in one of the carry-on bags.  We would not be venturing out again before our flight the following morning.


Changing into our swimsuits once we were back in the room, we headed off for a swim knowing that a good soak in the hot tub would make us all sleepy and ready for an early-ish bedtime.  There were a couple of families in the pool when we initially arrived, but they left shortly thereafter so we ended up having the facilities to ourselves. 












Those photos were taken earlier that afternoon (as I milled around the hotel with camera in hand), so the natural light spilling in through the windows had given way to inky, December darkness by the time we were settled into the tub.  It was quiet and subdued and very, very relaxing......as we lounged lazily in the bubbles, we remarked to each other that we would sleep like *rocks* tonight.


Yeah .  Sure .


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## grantclaire

Following along as usual! As you know we were there from the 18th to the 22nd. Which was too short! Looking forward to your report!


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## jump00

Woooohoooo!!!! Another Gina trip report.  I'm in!

Jump00


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## toystoryduo

Yay! So glad you started your trip report!


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## vrajewski10513

Joining in!! Can't wait to hear more about your Christmas trip!!


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## vrajewski10513

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> It was quiet and subdued and very, very relaxing......as we lounged lazily in the bubbles, we remarked to each other that we would sleep like *rocks* tonight.



Here's to hoping you didn't have a repeat of what happened at the hotel for your October trip!


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## Lynne G

So I can take notes for a next year trip,  yep, we might be in Orlando this year for Christmas as the trip to the west coast was too long.  And, cooler weather.

Subbing, wahoo!


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## ArwenMarie

Yay a new trip report! You guys are having an awesome year and I love reading about your trips


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## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Brave girl.....asking the inlaws to come along!!!
> 
> We spent yesterday and today putting some touches on our April/May trip as well  ... tis the season obviously!  We booked our park and fly hotel (and confirmed the Days reservation was cancelled as requested), booked Jake's flights (since both he and his Sunshine are now coming along....and we had enough Jetblue points that his roundtrip airfare was completely free!), and secured our Orlando hotel for the extra two nights beyond our week at the Vistana.  We also booked a bigger vehicle than the full size car that I originally had reserved, and made a tentative reservation for breakfast at Ohana's (not sure if we'll keep that at this point.....the dollar is KILLING our budget).
> 
> Our spring trips really aren't that far away.   We leave in just 113 days!


Where did you decide to book for your park & fly in Buf?


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

grantclaire said:


> Following along as usual! As you know we were there from the 18th to the 22nd. Which was too short! Looking forward to your report!



Welcome, my friend!  Glad to have you reading and following!  

Your little vacay have been short, but your timing was impeccable....you were there for some spectacular weather!!  Did you do the Disney parks on your mini getaway?  How were crowds?



jump00 said:


> Woooohoooo!!!! Another Gina trip report.  I'm in!
> 
> Jump00



Woohoo!  You're here!     Welcome, welcome! 


toystoryduo said:


> Yay! So glad you started your trip report!



Hey toystoryduo, Happy New Year to you!  Thanks for joining in again! 



vrajewski10513 said:


> Joining in!! Can't wait to hear more about your Christmas trip!!





vrajewski10513 said:


> Here's to hoping you didn't have a repeat of what happened at the hotel for your October trip!



Welcome aboard!    And sadly, this trip's park and fly issue was worse than October....which is why we have officially dumped the Days as an option for future trips.  Two strikes, and they're out!  (I know its supposed to be three strikes, but I'm stubborn and don't want to give them another try)



Lynne G said:


> So I can take notes for a next year trip,  yep, we might be in Orlando this year for Christmas as the trip to the west coast was too long.  And, cooler weather.
> 
> Subbing, wahoo!



Orlando was hot, hot, hot this year....way better than we anticipated.  It made coming home hard!

I am so envious that you're already in the planning stages for next Christmas!!  Lucky girl!    I know there will be no Orlando repeat for us during Xmas 2016, but hoping maybe to sneap away to Niagara Falls or something semi-local for the holiday season.  We like avoiding the family drama if at all possible  .



ArwenMarie said:


> Yay a new trip report! You guys are having an awesome year and I love reading about your trips



Welcome back!  I was hoping to see you here  .  Stay tuned, more to come soon!



greenclan67 said:


> Where did you decide to book for your park & fly in Buf?



We booked the brand new Aloft property just adjacent to the Days.  It is new,, modern, gets spectacular reviews, and seems to have great management response.   We're paying a bit more ($129 a night) and there's no free breakfast, but Tim Hortons is right there and its 24 hours.  I am willing to pay more for a restful night!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Probably my only update in this TR that comes without photos....bear with me....

*
After we dragged ourselves out of the hot tub, we returned to our room to ready ourselves for an early lights-out.  We had a 5 am wake-up call arranged with the front desk, so we wanted to be in bed and at least attempting to sleep (excitement often negates our best intentions!) by 10:30 pm or so.  We hung our swimsuits on the shower curtain rod to dry, set our clothing out for the next morning, and settled into bed by 9-ish to watch some Family Guy episodes before drifting off to dreamland.  As soon as we were comfortably under the covers and Stewie Griffin was on the TV, Jake says to us....._Ugh, can you smell that?_


We sniffed the air.  Smell what?


_That’s weed.  Someone is smoking pot.  _


I raise an eyebrow in his direction.  _Geez mom, I’m in college.  Just because I know what it smells like doesn’t mean that I’ve ever smoked it!!  _


We tell him he’s crazy and return our focus to the Family Guy marathon.  The noise from 114 began almost immediately thereafter.


Initially, it was a lot of door slamming and banging against the wall.  Considering it was reasonably early, we gave the occupants the benefit of the doubt and assumed that a less-than-coordinated family was simply moving their things, albeit roughly, into the room.  The shouting and laughing would surely certainly cease as they noted the time.


The minutes wore on, one Family Guy episode transitioned to the next, and the occupants of room 114 steadily escalated to an excessive loudness.  With my boys growing steadily more annoyed, I called the front desk and requested that they intervene and advise the rowdy crew to tone it down.  They assured me they would remedy the racket, and wished us a good night.


Then.....it got worse .


At 11:10 pm, I changed out of my PJ’s and back into my clothes and decided to make a personal visit to the front desk rather than a second call.  Since we were on the main floor, I thought it would be easier (and perhaps have more impact) if I spoke with the night staff in person.  “Shawn” at the front desk apologized and said they would request again that the noise cease immediately.  I returned to our room, changed back into my PJ’s, and settled back into bed with the best intentions of sleep.


That first call to the desk staff, I was very patient.  When the initial visit to the front desk became necessary, I was irritated but still calm and reasonable.  At 11:40, when a second re-dressing and pilgrimage to the front desk was warranted, I was very much annoyed.  But at 12:10, when the screaming/banging/howling became unbearable and our room became filled with marijuana smoke, I marched down to the front desk for the third and final time and DEMANDED  that Shawn accompany me back to the hallway to smell the stench that was now permeating the entire area.  I don’t know if it was my tone, the fact that my hair was likely sticking up in every different direction, or the fact that I was apparently looking at him with my “death glare” (according to Jake), but Shawn came out from behind that counter without delay and began issuing rapid fire apologies before we even reached our hall.   Steve was a few steps behind me (he had stopped to put on pants, at Jake’s suggestion )  but thankfully I didn’t need the back up.


Mercifully and finally, Shawn had the courage to summon the police (cue the hallelujah from the choir! ), the occupants were removed from the property, and he delivered a smoke eater to our room to help remedy the air quality.  By this time, you could cut the smoke in our room with a knife.   We had watched 1 am long since come and go on the clock and we were keyed up and wide awake with a bad case of the giggles.  What a start this vacation was off to!


It was evident that we would need some assistance to sleep, so I handed out a round of Gravol to each of us knowing it would knock us out within 20 minutes to half an hour.  Tucked securely back into bed, I heard Jake start snoring softly first, then Steve joined the chorus.  Relieved to know that my fellows were finally resting comfortably, I flaked out shortly thereafter.


The alarm on Jake’s iPhone 6+ went off much, much too soon.


In my groggy, Gravol-induced slumber, I reached over to hit the snooze button and managed to tip a cup of water (left on the bedside table from the night before’s Gravol dosing) right over on his phone .  I flipped on the light, frantically grabbed the phone (the only one we were travelling with!!) and immediately removed the case so I could dry it thoroughly with a towel from the bathroom.  With the boys now fully awake and running hither and yon to assist, we heaved a collective sigh of relief as the phone appeared to suffer no ill effects from its early morning soaking.  Crisis averted .


We each showered, dressed, packed and locked the suitcases, then headed to the lobby to grab breakfast and arrange for a shuttle to the airport.  I approached Shawn at the front desk to finalize our check out, and he barely looked me in the eye as he quietly told me he had comped the room as a result of last night’s “inconvenience”.  I took the opportunity to cancel our April reservation (sometime around 1 am that morning, the guys and I vowed to never step foot in the hotel again....remember that this was the second sleepless night at this property for Steve and I due to rowdiness in as many trips), took my receipt showing the refund of the pre-paid charges for this stay, and joined the boys in the breakfast room.


A kind older lady tapped me on the shoulder as I made my way to our table.  _“Sweetheart?  You have a sticker on your pants.  I thought you might want to take it off before you head to the airport”_ (yep, I was wearing a pair of brand new jeans and the size sticker was noticeable to everyone but my travelling companions apparently!).  I shot Steve and Jake the death glare and hissed _“why didn’t you tell me there was a sticker on the back of my butt?”_.  They peered at me through puffy, slitted eyes and innocently claimed sleep deprivation.  Sigh .


I wasn’t hungry, but knew I had to eat something to ensure my stomach didn’t roll over from emptiness at 40,000 feet.  I grabbed a slice of toast and a glass of milk, but somehow ended up with a gob of peanut butter in my freshly washed hair.  Steve worked hard to control his laughter as he dutifully grabbed a clean napkin and began the arduous process of removing it as delicately as possible.  At that point in the morning our magical Christmas trip was beginning to feel like a National Lampoon’s sequel .


Looking VERY forward to leaving this disaster of hotel stay behind, we nearly danced onto the shuttle and had to stop ourselves from cheering as the van started in the direction of the airport.  We were on our way, and the excitement was building.  Well, it would be anyway.....once we were fully awake .


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Oh dear...... Well I was laughing at the tale you told but know how irritating it must have been for you all at the time. At least they were eventually escorted from the premises


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## Disneylover99

I was either in room 112 or room 120 that night before we moved to the third floor. I'm not sure if the pot smokers were beside me or on the other side of you. At any rate, maybe the pot smell killed the bugs in my room.


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## grantclaire

Gina, too bad about the hotel nightmare! That is one worry I have about the night before hotel is a lack of sleep! We had good to great weather as well. Shorts and pool time each day.  The one cool day was not really cool by Canadian standards! Only park we did was Typhoon Lagoon waterpark which was a blast!


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## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> *Probably my only update in this TR that comes without photos....bear with me....
> 
> *
> After we dragged ourselves out of the hot tub, we returned to our room to ready ourselves for an early lights-out.  We had a 5 am wake-up call arranged with the front desk, so we wanted to be in bed and at least attempting to sleep (excitement often negates our best intentions!) by 10:30 pm or so.  We hung our swimsuits on the shower curtain rod to dry, set our clothing out for the next morning, and settled into bed by 9-ish to watch some Family Guy episodes before drifting off to dreamland.  As soon as we were comfortably under the covers and Stewie Griffin was on the TV, Jake says to us....._Ugh, can you smell that?_
> 
> 
> We sniffed the air.  Smell what?
> 
> 
> _That’s weed.  Someone is smoking pot.  _
> 
> 
> I raise an eyebrow in his direction.  _Geez mom, I’m in college.  Just because I know what it smells like doesn’t mean that I’ve ever smoked it!!  _
> 
> 
> We tell him he’s crazy and return our focus to the Family Guy marathon.  The noise from 114 began almost immediately thereafter.
> 
> 
> Initially, it was a lot of door slamming and banging against the wall.  Considering it was reasonably early, we gave the occupants the benefit of the doubt and assumed that a less-than-coordinated family was simply moving their things, albeit roughly, into the room.  The shouting and laughing would surely certainly cease as they noted the time.
> 
> 
> The minutes wore on, one Family Guy episode transitioned to the next, and the occupants of room 114 steadily escalated to an excessive loudness.  With my boys growing steadily more annoyed, I called the front desk and requested that they intervene and advise the rowdy crew to tone it down.  They assured me they would remedy the racket, and wished us a good night.
> 
> 
> Then.....it got worse .
> 
> 
> At 11:10 pm, I changed out of my PJ’s and back into my clothes and decided to make a personal visit to the front desk rather than a second call.  Since we were on the main floor, I thought it would be easier (and perhaps have more impact) if I spoke with the night staff in person.  “Shawn” at the front desk apologized and said they would request again that the noise cease immediately.  I returned to our room, changed back into my PJ’s, and settled back into bed with the best intentions of sleep.
> 
> 
> That first call to the desk staff, I was very patient.  When the initial visit to the front desk became necessary, I was irritated but still calm and reasonable.  At 11:40, when a second re-dressing and pilgrimage to the front desk was warranted, I was very much annoyed.  But at 12:10, when the screaming/banging/howling became unbearable and our room became filled with marijuana smoke, I marched down to the front desk for the third and final time and DEMANDED  that Shawn accompany me back to the hallway to smell the stench that was now permeating the entire area.  I don’t know if it was my tone, the fact that my hair was likely sticking up in every different direction, or the fact that I was apparently looking at him with my “death glare” (according to Jake), but Shawn came out from behind that counter without delay and began issuing rapid fire apologies before we even reached our hall.   Steve was a few steps behind me (he had stopped to put on pants, at Jake’s suggestion )  but thankfully I didn’t need the back up.
> 
> 
> Mercifully and finally, Shawn had the courage to summon the police (cue the hallelujah from the choir! ), the occupants were removed from the property, and he delivered a smoke eater to our room to help remedy the air quality.  By this time, you could cut the smoke in our room with a knife.   We had watched 1 am long since come and go on the clock and we were keyed up and wide awake with a bad case of the giggles.  What a start this vacation was off to!
> 
> 
> It was evident that we would need some assistance to sleep, so I handed out a round of Gravol to each of us knowing it would knock us out within 20 minutes to half an hour.  Tucked securely back into bed, I heard Jake start snoring softly first, then Steve joined the chorus.  Relieved to know that my fellows were finally resting comfortably, I flaked out shortly thereafter.
> 
> 
> The alarm on Jake’s iPhone 6+ went off much, much too soon.
> 
> 
> In my groggy, Gravol-induced slumber, I reached over to hit the snooze button and managed to tip a cup of water (left on the bedside table from the night before’s Gravol dosing) right over on his phone .  I flipped on the light, frantically grabbed the phone (the only one we were travelling with!!) and immediately removed the case so I could dry it thoroughly with a towel from the bathroom.  With the boys now fully awake and running hither and yon to assist, we heaved a collective sigh of relief as the phone appeared to suffer no ill effects from its early morning soaking.  Crisis averted .
> 
> 
> We each showered, dressed, packed and locked the suitcases, then headed to the lobby to grab breakfast and arrange for a shuttle to the airport.  I approached Shawn at the front desk to finalize our check out, and he barely looked me in the eye as he quietly told me he had comped the room as a result of last night’s “inconvenience”.  I took the opportunity to cancel our April reservation (sometime around 1 am that morning, the guys and I vowed to never step foot in the hotel again....remember that this was the second sleepless night at this property for Steve and I due to rowdiness in as many trips), took my receipt showing the refund of the pre-paid charges for this stay, and joined the boys in the breakfast room.
> 
> 
> A kind older lady tapped me on the shoulder as I made my way to our table.  _“Sweetheart?  You have a sticker on your pants.  I thought you might want to take it off before you head to the airport”_ (yep, I was wearing a pair of brand new jeans and the size sticker was noticeable to everyone but my travelling companions apparently!).  I shot Steve and Jake the death glare and hissed _“why didn’t you tell me there was a sticker on the back of my butt?”_.  They peered at me through puffy, slitted eyes and innocently claimed sleep deprivation.  Sigh .
> 
> 
> I wasn’t hungry, but knew I had to eat something to ensure my stomach didn’t roll over from emptiness at 40,000 feet.  I grabbed a slice of toast and a glass of milk, but somehow ended up with a gob of peanut butter in my freshly washed hair.  Steve worked hard to control his laughter as he dutifully grabbed a clean napkin and began the arduous process of removing it as delicately as possible.  At that point in the morning our magical Christmas trip was beginning to feel like a National Lampoon’s sequel .
> 
> 
> Looking VERY forward to leaving this disaster of hotel stay behind, we nearly danced onto the shuttle and had to stop ourselves from cheering as the van started in the direction of the airport.  We were on our way, and the excitement was building.  Well, it would be anyway.....once we were fully awake .



Ok only because you, yourself know how mine started and ended, I think I have you trumped in spades!! Lol
 We flew out the morning before Gina, and had to drive 7 hours!! That morning my 16 year old got up and started puking.... And puked all day. We had to drive after her puking 7 hours straight....a few times in the car. Got to the days hotel and I started at 4 am with the same bug. Headed to the airport with gravol on board for all 4 of us and a flight at 8:30 am. 
 We slept the first day of our vacay away in Orlando. Moved to cape Canaveral on Sunday then Tues got stung by a man o war. I have never felt pain like that and it is still driving me insane with the itch.....ok back to Gina's report.


----------



## ArwenMarie

Oh no, another bad night before your flight! My heart sank when you spilled the water on the phone, that would have been the icing on the cake...so glad it was safe. Whew. You think your neighbors would have been more mellow with all that smoke


----------



## pigletto

Good Lord Gina. I would have been LIVID too. Especially given that this is the second time in as many trips that they did nothing to remedy the problem. Knock on Wood we haven't had your experience there yet, but  I am sorry day one of your trip was ruined two trips in a row.


----------



## toystoryduo

Oh no, Gina! I'm so sorry that you guys had issues at this hotel again!  It's good that they comped your room, but I think canceling April's reservation was a very good move on your part.  No reason to give them a chance to earn that 3rd strike. LOL!


----------



## Lynne G

Ahh, the smell of weed.  Yep, even us never took a puff all know what it smells like.  What a comically bad start to your vacation.  Thankfully ours was uneventful though we left at 3:30am.  Had plenty of time to relax.  Kids did sock me with a double priced meal at the McD's when it opened near our gate.  Teens.  The hunger never ends, even at 5am.
If I can get the pictures out of our camera, maybe I will try a trip report.  We had an excellent time and did a ton of things.  My DH's favorite, segwaying in la Joya in the streets, sand, and grass.  It was fun and much easier to learn than I thought.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Oh dear...... Well I was laughing at the tale you told but know how irritating it must have been for you all at the time. At least they were eventually escorted from the premises



Oh, trust me....we were laughing, too  .  I mean, how could we NOT???  It was completely comical in its ridiculousness  .   Jake enjoyed mimicking my "angry face" (the one I apparently used on Shawn the Front Desk Guy) the entire time we ate breakfast.  And ya know, that kid does me almost as well as I do me!!  



Disneylover99 said:


> I was either in room 112 or room 120 that night before we moved to the third floor. I'm not sure if the pot smokers were beside me or on the other side of you. At any rate, maybe the pot smell killed the bugs in my room.



When I got your PM the next day and heard about the bedbugs, our hearts just sank.   I shared your message with the boys, and they both looked at me and said the same thing:  "Well, all of a sudden our pot smokers don't seem so bad!!".   You haven't had any more .... umm, recurrences?  stow-aways? .... since you came home, have you?    And I'm guessing you will also not return to the Days in the future?



grantclaire said:


> Gina, too bad about the hotel nightmare! That is one worry I have about the night before hotel is a lack of sleep! We had good to great weather as well. Shorts and pool time each day.  The one cool day was not really cool by Canadian standards! Only park we did was Typhoon Lagoon waterpark which was a blast!



Yeah, the day we arrived was a shorts and jeans type day too.  But gorgeous in comparsion to the winter we left behind in Buffalo!! 

How was Typhoon Lagoon?  Busy or not so much?  Aquatica was really quiet on the day we visited, despite the very warm temps and even humidity.  We were shocked!



greenclan67 said:


> Ok only because you, yourself know how mine started and ended, I think I have you trumped in spades!! Lol
> We flew out the morning before Gina, and had to drive 7 hours!! That morning my 16 year old got up and started puking.... And puked all day. We had to drive after her puking 7 hours straight....a few times in the car. Got to the days hotel and I started at 4 am with the same bug. Headed to the airport with gravol on board for all 4 of us and a flight at 8:30 am.
> We slept the first day of our vacay away in Orlando. Moved to cape Canaveral on Sunday then Tues got stung by a man o war. I have never felt pain like that and it is still driving me insane with the itch.....ok back to Gina's report.



Yes, you definitely win the award for most challenging vacation!!     Made our frustrations look pretty minor.

Stomach flu's are always my biggest worry for winter trips.  Those pesky tummy bugs seem to be everywhere at that time of year, and can seriously make the travel days difficult and completely ruin vacation plans.  I am so glad you guys got past it reasonably quickly!!

As for the sting.....that is just the rottenest luck.  After seeing your leg, Jake is flatly refusing to swim in the ocean in April.  We finally got him past worrying about sharks, now he's fretting about the jellyfish!! 



ArwenMarie said:


> Oh no, another bad night before your flight! My heart sank when you spilled the water on the phone, that would have been the icing on the cake...so glad it was safe. Whew. You think your neighbors would have been more mellow with all that smoke



Mellow they were DEFINITELY not!!    The worst was the shrieking, piercing, erupting bursts of laughter....followed by the beating on the walls.  

You have no idea how relieved I was when Jake's phone suffered no damage from the impomptu soaking.   You want to know what a vacation disaster looks like?   It's my son without his iPhone  .



pigletto said:


> Good Lord Gina. I would have been LIVID too. Especially given that this is the second time in as many trips that they did nothing to remedy the problem. Knock on Wood we haven't had your experience there yet, but  I am sorry day one of your trip was ruined two trips in a row.



Thankfully, we squeezed out just enough sleep to make us functional that first day.  We did end up hitting the sack fairly early that night (and we slept in a bit the following morning), but we all managed to get through the travel day without any breakdowns.  I think excitement kept us going more than anything  .

Where do you guys normally stay for your park and fly nights?  



toystoryduo said:


> Oh no, Gina! I'm so sorry that you guys had issues at this hotel again!  It's good that they comped your room, but I think canceling April's reservation was a very good move on your part.  No reason to give them a chance to earn that 3rd strike. LOL!



That's exactly what we thought, too.   The place we have chosen for April, while a tad more expensive, gets absolutely excellent reviews.  Its also a much newer hotel.  So....we shall see if the "upgrade" is worth the money.  I surely would have paid an extra $20 on both our October and December trips if it would have meant a good night's sleep while we were there!!



Lynne G said:


> Ahh, the smell of weed.  Yep, even us never took a puff all know what it smells like.  What a comically bad start to your vacation.  Thankfully ours was uneventful though we left at 3:30am.  Had plenty of time to relax.  Kids did sock me with a double priced meal at the McD's when it opened near our gate.  Teens.  The hunger never ends, even at 5am.
> If I can get the pictures out of our camera, maybe I will try a trip report.  We had an excellent time and did a ton of things.  My DH's favorite, segwaying in la Joya in the streets, sand, and grass.  It was fun and much easier to learn than I thought.



Yes, yes, yes to the trip report!  I would LOVE to read along!!  If you decide to kick one off, be sure to post a link here as well so that I know where to find it.

I hear ya on the teenaged appetites.  Jake's first question upon landing in Buffalo at 11 pm on Boxing Day night was "Can we stop at Tim Hortons for a frozen hot chocolate and a bagel?".   

I am so glad to hear you enjoyed yourself so much!!  California has a prominent place on my bucket list .... though I'm not sure when I'll ever have the op ortunity to get there.  Quite obviously I need to start buying more lottery tickets, lol!  Between our Orlando obsession and a tentative plan to visit Holland in 2018 for our 25th anniversary, my travel budget is running thin.  But hey, ya never know.   In the meantime, it doesn't hurt to dream  .

Oh yeah.....I want to see a pic of you on that segway.  Pretty please  .


----------



## Disneylover99

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> When I got your PM the next day and heard about the bedbugs, our hearts just sank.   I shared your message with the boys, and they both looked at me and said the same thing:  "Well, all of a sudden our pot smokers don't seem so bad!!".   You haven't had any more .... umm, recurrences?  stow-aways? .... since you came home, have you?    And I'm guessing you will also not return to the Days in the future?



No stowaways thankfully. We discovered the bedbug as soon as we entered the room, so we hightailed it out of there.  As for the Days? I'm a never say never kind of gal. Right now, the answer would be, probably not, but as my memory fails, I just might book it again. (Crazy right? ) We are creatures of habit (probably to our detriment) and we have had seven excellent stays at the Days prior to the 18th. But I'm definitely interested in researching the other parknfly hotels in the Buffalo area. I wish Shawn was at the desk when we bought the bedbug down though. It was the mean blonde lady instead.


----------



## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Where do you guys normally stay for your park and fly nights?


I'll give you a few guesses.
I have a refundable rate right now with Park/Sleep/Fly. I need to keep that first night cheap or DH will say "Let's drive in the morning and park at the airport". Not a big deal because we are only an hour away. But our flight is at 6:50. We'd need to leave here way too early to make it across the border and give ample airport time. I'm going to see what I can find. The noise issues were bad enough.. but bugs too? NO THANK YOU


----------



## Echo queen

I really enjoy your trip reports.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Disneylover99 said:


> No stowaways thankfully. We discovered the bedbug as soon as we entered the room, so we hightailed it out of there.  As for the Days? I'm a never say never kind of gal. Right now, the answer would be, probably not, but as my memory fails, I just might book it again. (Crazy right? ) We are creatures of habit (probably to our detriment) and we have had seven excellent stays at the Days prior to the 18th. But I'm definitely interested in researching the other parknfly hotels in the Buffalo area. I wish Shawn was at the desk when we bought the bedbug down though. It was the mean blonde lady instead.



Well, that's a relief.  You are so very lucky to have found it so soon after your arrival.

Ah, the mean blonde lady.....I know EXACTLY who you mean, and I have a story about her (which I will share later in this report) from the day we returned from Orlando.  Stay tuned .  

It was funny when Steve came back to the room after running into you at the desk.  I had sent him for extra shampoo and conditioner (that one little bottle of each isn't enough to wash MY hair, let alone for the three of us) while I hung up our wet swimsuits.  He comes back in the room and says _"I think I just met one of your Disboards friends.  A lady just stopped me in the lobby and asked me if I was Steve, saying she recognized me from your reports.  People actually are reading what you post on there!".  _



pigletto said:


> I'll give you a few guesses.
> I have a refundable rate right now with Park/Sleep/Fly. I need to keep that first night cheap or DH will say "Let's drive in the morning and park at the airport". Not a big deal because we are only an hour away. But our flight is at 6:50. We'd need to leave here way too early to make it across the border and give ample airport time. I'm going to see what I can find. The noise issues were bad enough.. but bugs too? NO THANK YOU



Oh, I'm with you totally on getting the park and fly.  With that early of a flight, I wouldn't chance it either.   Murphy's Law almost guarantees that would be the exact time the border agents would choose to tear your car apart.

I am so glad I didn't know about Disneylover99's bedbug encounter while we were still at the hotel.  Sleep would have been impossible with that tidbit of knowledge......rowdy pot smokers or not!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Echo queen said:


> I really enjoy your trip reports.



Aw, thank you!    I appreciate you reading along!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

As the Days Hotel is just across the street from the airport, the shuttle deposited us at the front door of the terminal just a few minutes after pulling out of the hotel lot.  We took our bags and checked them at the Jetblue counter, then made our way to the security checkpoint.






_(the airport was nicely decorated for the holiday season....this was one of their several Christmas trees)_


There was a cluster of folks waiting to pass through the TSA checkpoint, so we used our Jetblue Even More Speed perk (free with the Even More Space seats) to bypass the line and walk right up to an agent.  She scanned our boarding passes, verified our ID, and we breezed through the scanners with no waits or delays.


If anyone wonders why we drive 4 hours to fly from Buffalo (or 3.5 hours to fly from Syracuse) versus the 2+ hour commute to Pearson International Airport in Toronto, these next two photos might help you understand our motivation:












Those are the kind of crowd pics that I* love*.....you would never have guessed that this was the Saturday before Christmas.   “Peace on Earth” indeed!  


To pass the time as we waited at our gate, Steve busied himself on his tablet, Jake was glued to his iPhone, and I took some photos for the memory book.   Jake tried to give me his “I didn’t get enough sleep” grumpy face:







...but he couldn’t keep up the guise very long.  Shortly thereafter, Mr. Cool’s excitement also started to bubble over:







The flight itself was not too bad.  Certainly not the best we’ve experienced, nor was it the worst.  There was a fair bit of turbulence for a large part of the journey (with apologies from the pilots, who apparently had difficulty finding a smooth section of air for many miles) but nothing severe enough to trigger anxiety or discomfort.  We just didn’t get much time with the seatbelt signs off during which we could use the loo.  Steve watched the Fantastic 4 (one of the Jetblue movie selections), I dozed a bit while I caught a few shows on HGTV, and Jake chatted it up with his seatmate (a lovely middle aged lady who talked more than Jake does....and that’s saying something!! ).


Funny story about the lady who had the window seat next to my boy:  at one point during the flight (just after the pilots announced that we would soon begin our descent), while making friendly conversation, she asked Jake when we were all returning home from Orlando.  Jake’s answer to her was “Boxing Day”  .... to which she furrowed her brow, and clearly perplexed, repeated “ Boxing Day?”.  He nods (obviously wondering why she is seeming confused) and then she proceeds to punch her fists in the air (in Mohammed Ali style) and says...._”Do you call it that because Canadians go to boxing matches after Christmas?”._


Uh, what?  


Steve and I are trying not to giggle as now Jake is clearly gobsmacked.  He grins and explains to her.... no, we call it Boxing Day because that’s the day many people box up the Christmas decorations and put them away. 

_Ohhhh_.....she says......._that’s very interesting_ .


So my question to my readers who live south of the border.....do Americans not normally refer to the day after Christmas as Boxing Day?  Or did we just get a very eccentric (though exceptionally sweet and friendly) lady in seat 12D?  (and no...I don't think she was putting us on....if she was, she was an incredible actress)


After deplaning and a quick stop at the washrooms, we collected our bags from the carousel and headed to pick up the rental car.  Jake was (not suprisingly) starving, and was excited for our family trip arrival day tradition:  lunch at Friendly's.   With our reservation paperwork in hand, we headed to the Budget counter for what was _*supposed*_ to be a quick pick-up of an intermediate SUV.

Of course, nothing else had gone right so far, so why should we have expected this to?  

Always remember what your Momma taught you:  *Good things come to those who wait....and wait....and wait...and wait....*..


----------



## JaxDad

Hi Gina!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

JaxDad said:


> Hi Gina!



Well, its about time you showed up!!!  

How was Washington?


----------



## JaxDad

Awesome!  Lots of fun, lots of history. I even had the honor of laying a wreath at George Washington's tomb.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

JaxDad said:


> Awesome!  Lots of fun, lots of history. I even had the honor of laying a wreath at George Washington's tomb.



Very cool!    I hope your young fellow managed to get around okay....did you rent him a scooter like you planned?

You will be VERY proud of us later on in this report .    We managed to FINALLY notice a certain "hot donuts now" sign and have become card carrying members of the Krispy Kreme Donut Lovers Club .   The boys are counting the days until we're back in Orlando, just so they can get more of those hot KK donuts......


----------



## JaxDad

Yes!  I'm so glad you finally had some Hot Doughnuts Now!

We did take a scooter. It was a bit of a pain, but I like to think it may have prevented unnecessary pain and maybe re-injury. My son was a total trooper and did not complain at all. We even met several other scooter riders and compared experiences. We know we are blessed that this is only temporary, and others deal with much worse.


----------



## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Well, that's a relief.  You are so very lucky to have found it so soon after your arrival.
> 
> Ah, the mean blonde lady.....I know EXACTLY who you mean, and I have a story about her (which I will share later in this report) from the day we returned from Orlando.  Stay tuned .
> 
> It was funny when Steve came back to the room after running into you at the desk.  I had sent him for extra shampoo and conditioner (that one little bottle of each isn't enough to wash MY hair, let alone for the three of us) while I hung up our wet swimsuits.  He comes back in the room and says _"I think I just met one of your Disboards friends.  A lady just stopped me in the lobby and asked me if I was Steve, saying she recognized me from your reports.  People actually are reading what you post on there!".  _
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, I'm with you totally on getting the park and fly.  With that early of a flight, I wouldn't chance it either.   Murphy's Law almost guarantees that would be the exact time the border agents would choose to tear your car apart.
> 
> I am so glad I didn't know about Disneylover99's bedbug encounter while we were still at the hotel.  Sleep would have been impossible with that tidbit of knowledge......rowdy pot smokers or not!


Yes and I was freaking out after talking to Gina at the airport because we were staying at the days that night after landing, so I ripped the beds apart before anybody brought anything into the room. We have probably stayed there 11 times in the last 8 years, between summer and winter trips, and the worst we had was the elevators being broken. Our fav park n fly is the staybridge suites, and I book that through trinity reservations.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

JaxDad said:


> Yes!  I'm so glad you finally had some Hot Doughnuts Now!
> 
> We did take a scooter. It was a bit of a pain, but I like to think it may have prevented unnecessary pain and maybe re-injury. My son was a total trooper and did not complain at all. We even met several other scooter riders and compared experiences. We know we are blessed that this is only temporary, and others deal with much worse.



I am so glad he made out so well with the scooter!  I definitely think it was a good choice to bring it.....always err on the side of caution when it comes to the kiddos  .



greenclan67 said:


> Yes and I was freaking out after talking to Gina at the airport because we were staying at the days that night after landing, so I ripped the beds apart before anybody brought anything into the room. We have probably stayed there 11 times in the last 8 years, between summer and winter trips, and the worst we had was the elevators being broken. Our fav park n fly is the staybridge suites, and I book that through trinity reservations.



We considered the Staybridge for April, but being 15 minutes from the airport AND it being a smoking property made it a no-go with the guys.  The price was right ($125 including tax through Trinity Reservations) but we couldn't get past the distance and the smoking  .  Of course, I am always shocked that ANY hotel still allows smoking in some of their rooms!!


----------



## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I am so glad he made out so well with the scooter!  I definitely think it was a good choice to bring it.....always err on the side of caution when it comes to the kiddos  .
> 
> 
> 
> We considered the Staybridge for April, but being 15 minutes from the airport AND it being a smoking property made it a no-go with the guys.  The price was right ($125 including tax through Trinity Reservations) but we couldn't get past the distance and the smoking  .  Of course, I am always shocked that ANY hotel still allows smoking in some of their rooms!!


The ride honestly isn't bad, for an early morning flight we are 10 mins to the airport. And as far as smoking, I used to smoke so the smell would now curdle my stomach and of course am very sensitive to it, and I didn't smell any smoke in there, and I am very surprised it is a smoking property. It is probably our favourite park n'fly. As far as boxing day, NO they don't celebrate that in the US. I think because of Black Friday.


----------



## JaxDad

greenclan67 said:


> As far as boxing day, NO they don't celebrate that in the US. I think because of Black Friday.



Black Friday (for the U.S.) is the day after our Thanksgiving, not Christmas.

I think we don't celebrate Boxing Day here because of our more rebellious parting with the U.K., the origin of the celebration.


----------



## got4boys

Following along! Love your trip reports Gina.


----------



## greenclan67

JaxDad said:


> Black Friday (for the U.S.) is the day after our Thanksgiving, not Christmas.
> 
> I think we don't celebrate Boxing Day here because of our more rebellious parting with the U.K., the origin of the celebration.


Oh I know Black Friday is your Thanksgiving, I just figured it was very big, so wondered if that is why you don't have Boxing Day!


----------



## BellaBaby

Hi Gina!  Another lover of your TRs here!! 

Going back to read!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

greenclan67 said:


> The ride honestly isn't bad, for an early morning flight we are 10 mins to the airport. And as far as smoking, I used to smoke so the smell would now curdle my stomach and of course am very sensitive to it, and I didn't smell any smoke in there, and I am very surprised it is a smoking property. It is probably our favourite park n'fly. As far as boxing day, NO they don't celebrate that in the US. I think because of Black Friday.



I am excited to try the Aloft .... its a Starwood property, and it looks _beautiful_ inside (very modern and different).  I think the kids will really like it, especially.  It checked all of our boxes for location, amenities, reviews, and customer feedback.  The price wasn't bad at $129, and Jake is no fan of the included breakfasts at most hotels (he'd rather have his Tim Hortons, spoiled boy!) so the fact that breakfast isn't provided was the only drawback (and easily compensated for by the 24-hour Tims right outside the front door).  We'll give the Aloft a chance to impress, and if it fails to meet our high expectations, Staybridge Suites might just the nod on the next trip  .



JaxDad said:


> Black Friday (for the U.S.) is the day after our Thanksgiving, not Christmas.
> 
> *I think we don't celebrate Boxing Day here because of our more rebellious parting with the U.K., the origin of the celebration*.



Interesting!

I was sure I had seen American commercials on TV advertising Boxing Day sales at various retailers, though.  I must watch more Canadian TV than I thought!



got4boys said:


> Following along! Love your trip reports Gina.



 my friend, and Happy New Year!  Glad to have you joining me once again!  



BellaBaby said:


> Hi Gina!  Another lover of your TRs here!!
> 
> Going back to read!



 to you to, BellaBaby!  Thanks for reading along!  Feel free to join in with your comments and questions  .  I hope to have another update posted later today.....after some New Year closet cleaning  .


----------



## dancin Disney style

Aw come on.....page 3 already.  I miss all the fun!


----------



## pigletto

The Aloft does look nice! I have Days booked for $89 right now, and Aloft is $40 more, plus no breakfast. Not a huge deal but once we buy breakfast for 4 of us we're spending even more. Staybridge is in between. We've stayed there before and I agree ... no smoke smell and doesn't feel very far. 10 mins in the morning. However I do prefer being as close to airport as I can be at 5 in the morning lol. I'd like to do Sleep Inn as I have heard decent things, but it only includes 7 days parking, and I need 10. Hopefully some more deals open up before decision time.

Can't wait to see what you got up to on Day One Gina. Once we hear the dreaded Budget issue


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Aw come on.....page 3 already.  I miss all the fun!



Well geez woman, where have you been?  I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting.........



pigletto said:


> The Aloft does look nice! I have Days booked for $89 right now, and Aloft is $40 more, plus no breakfast. Not a huge deal but once we buy breakfast for 4 of us we're spending even more. Staybridge is in between. We've stayed there before and I agree ... no smoke smell and doesn't feel very far. 10 mins in the morning. However I do prefer being as close to airport as I can be at 5 in the morning lol. I'd like to do Sleep Inn as I have heard decent things, but it only includes 7 days parking, and I need 10. Hopefully some more deals open up before decision time.
> 
> Can't wait to see what you got up to on Day One Gina. Once we hear the dreaded Budget issue



It definitely is a higher cost for the Aloft (we'll be a foursome for breakfast in April as well, now that Jake and Sunshine have decided to come along) but let me tell ya....when push came to shove on the 18th of December, we would have paid an extra $60 in a heartbeat to have fresh, clean accommodations, no smoke eater running in our room, and no pot-smoking hooligans keeping us awake.   Its always a fine line between keeping the price low but not compromising quality.  I am not a huge fan of the Days Inn/Best Western/Choice Hotels type properties at the best of time (I hate to sound like a hotel snob, but I much prefer the Sheraton/Marriott/Holiday Inn chains) so hopefully the Aloft will just be a better fit for us overall. 

If the dang Canadian dollar wasn't so painfully low right now, that extra $40 and breakfast would definitely not sting so badly.  Alas, I'm trying not to focus on that for April and just keep trundling on.

The Budget update is coming up next!  And yes, despite a disastrous start, it turned out to be a magnificent and amazing trip!  You know what they say..._*poor start, good ending .*_


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*So yay!  We had finally arrived!  *


Orlando International Airport looked so nice and cheery, all festively decorated for the holiday season .







We hopped the shuttle to the main terminal to collect our bags....Jake was quite taken aback by the crowds at MCO versus the Buffalo airport:







While it was cool, dreary and grey at home, the Sunshine State welcomed us with a sparkling blue sky .  We admired the view as the shuttle pulled away:












Our bags were some of the first off the carousel, so with those quickly in hand, the final order of business would be to collect our rental vehicle from Budget.


Some of you may remember that Budget let us down on our Christmas 2012 rental.....we were assigned a high mileage, visibly abused, previously-smoked-in vehicle that had been chemically treated to combat the odour.  The “Stinky SUV” caused Jake to have an asthma attack every time we got inside it, once badly enough that we feared he would need medical care.  After such a rotten initial experience (first impressions last a LONG time), it took us three years to find the courage to give them another kick at the cat.  And it was courage with guarded optimism:  quite honestly, it was just their price that this time convinced us to allow them the chance to redeem themselves.  Booking through RBC Rewards (a perk of our Visa card with the Royal Bank of Canada), we were able to book an SUV in Canadian dollars for less than the price of a full size car in US funds (which would have effectively cost us an additional 40% on top of the American price).


We approached the rental with optimism:  this time would be better.  This time, we would get a great vehicle.  This time, it* would* be different .


Boy, were we wrong!! 


Stepping out of the elevator and into the concourse in front of the rental agency counters, the first thing to stand out was the MASSIVE line for Budget rentals.....and by massive, I mean easily more than 100 people snaking their way down through the queue and spilling out into the walkways of the airport.  There was no notable line at Hertz, Avis, National, Alamo, Dollar, or any other company’s counter.....just Budget.  And it was ridiculously long.


I had tried to add our Fastbreak/Rapid Rez information to our rental after booking it through RBC Rewards, but all of my efforts (via phone and email with Budget directly, and after they flatly refused to assist me, even through RBC) were for naught.  Budget flatly refused to allow us to add the membership number (which would have allowed us to proceed straight to the garage) on a third party rental (I will note that we have been able to add membership numbers to 3rd party bookings with both Alamo and Dollar reservations in the past with absolutely no problems at all).  Without our Fastbreak/RapidRez info added to our reservation, we had no other choice but to join the hoards of others waiting for their rentals and stand in the lengthy line.  After watching a number of folks stomp frustratedly away from the counter announcing to the rest of us in line that we should not expect a vehicle once we finally get served, as Budget was apparently out of cars, I called RBC to see if they would transfer our rental to a different company under the current circumstances.  After almost a half an hour on hold for an agent, my requests and pleas fell on deaf ears and we were forced to wait it out.


After over an hour in the Budget queue, we finally get to the counter to be served by the rudest, snottiest  young  blonde woman who didn’t have the customer service skills to even offer the most basic apology for the enormous backlog and delay.  Instead, she chose to give us the hard sell on insurance (we declined, she argued), a difficult time about the size of our reserved vehicle (she insisted three adults would be too cramped in an intermediate SUV, we shut that down too), and if she had moved any slower in the process, I would have thought she was dead.  Then, she sneers at us smugly and announces with an air of self-satisfaction “we don’t have a vehicle for you right now, you’ll just have to wait until one is ready.  Please have a seat”.


Um, WHAT?!?!?  


By now, it is an hour past when we should have been on the road in the first place.  We were tired, hungry, and every last ounce of our good humour had been long since sourced out.  But yet.....we were completely and utterly unable to do a dang thing about it.  Our reservation was pre-paid in full, they already had our money, so we were stuck waiting it out until a vehicle magically appeared for our use.


Fa la la la la, la la, la, laaaaaaaaa! 


We sat and checked emails, texts and Facebook using the free airport wifi.  We texted our family members to let them know we had arrived safely.   After another half an hour, I walked back over to stand in view of the counter and keep a watchful eye on the CSR who served us.  Jake joined me after a while (Steve stayed with the luggage) and we chatted and laughed (heck, this really was an amusing start to a “magical” Christmas holiday!) while the Ms. Blonde & Arrogant worked hard to avoid my gaze.


She assigned a midsize SUV to the customer whom she was serving, handed them their paperwork, and gave them directions to the garage.  I looked at Jake, and said to him....if she doesn’t call us over right now to tell us she has a vehicle for us, I am going to have a Clarke Griswold meltdown right here in the airport.  He laughed....and she looks in our direction.  She cooly states:  “Your vehicle is ready” and hands me the paperwork.  Now almost 2 hours past our assigned pick up time, there was still no apology, no kindness, no indication that they gave a crap at all.....no NOTHING....just a terse regurgitation of the spot number where we can find our rental and she lazily turns to summon the next person in line.


Never again, Budget.  NEVER. AGAIN  (and that, my friends, is a promise).


Mercifully, once at the garage we were relieved to find we had at least received a nice SUV:  a 2015 Chevy Equinox with good options, low mileage and a clean interior.   It’s a Christmas miracle.  The boys loaded our luggage, we showed our paperwork to the gate agent, and we were on our way as quickly as we could go .


Breakfast was now a long, long time passed and our Blue Chips from the flight had long since worn off.  Jake was looking for an immediate gratification meal, but we also wanted to soon just get to the Vistana and finally check in.  We weighed our options as we drove, and Jake suggested we grab a quick and filling meal at Cici’s Pizza since it was literally across the street from the resort.....it would be an inexpensive, fast, satisfying lunch .   Steve and I readily agreed, so that’s where we headed next.







The guys wasted no time in filling their plates and digging in.  A nice surprise since our last Cici’s visit (which would have been August 2014.....the last time Jake came on vacation with us!) was that stuffed crust pizza was now on the buffet.  Yum! 







They also have changed their garlic bread....for the better.  We got some all hot and cheesy from the oven, so it was really quite tasty.







The boys, in particular, ate an obscene amount of pizza (how Cici’s makes money off the hearty appetites of men, I have no idea) and then we sampled some of their dessert items:  apple cinnamon pizza, brownies, and cinnamon buns.  The brownies and cinnamon buns received top marks and were very, very tasty (those warranted seconds from the buffet)....however the dessert pizza was just “okay”.







I had a coupon for a buy one, get one free buffet so the total cost of our meal (three unlimited buffets and three large beverages) with tax and coupon, was $22.85.


Once the guys had finally had their fill (and everyone’s dispositions had improved dramatically), we piled back into the Equinox and zipped across the street to the Vistana.  Pulling up to the Welcome Center, a calm just came over the whole three of us.  We were finally *“home” .*


----------



## Dynamoliz

Coming out of lurkdom to educate everyone as to the origins of Boxing Day. Back in the day, in the UK, it was when servants of the house would receive their 'Christmas Box' from their employers, and also usually get the day off to enjoy 'Christmas' with their families ... of course always the day after Christmas as I'd assume the masters of the house would need them around on the big day to cook, serve, clean etc so they could enjoy their Christmas! Now it just refers to the day after Christmas, and is a stat holiday here in Canada, and the UK.

I always read along Gina, but rarely post. I enjoy your reports so much I think because a) I'm a fellow Ontarian and b) offsiter and c) like to do and dine other than in the major parks. I live vicariously through your reports as we only get to Orlando every 3 or so years. Last trip was 2013 and we did Halloween Horrors and MNSSHP that trip so I enjoyed hearing about your similar trip.

Happy New Year!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Well what a start, enough to put a first timer off I'm sure! We always go with Alamo or Dollar and walk straight to the garage nowadays where the cars are ready and waiting. We just load our luggage in and the paperwork is checked at the exit, all driver information is given online beforehand. It's gratifyingly quick after normally been stood in the immigration queue for around 1 hour.

Like you we celebrate Boxing Day (normally with leftover turkey), I think it is a tradition to mainly Commonwealth countries. Looking forward to more as I know you all had a wonderful time


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Dynamoliz said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to educate everyone as to the origins of Boxing Day. Back in the day, in the UK, it was when servants of the house would receive their 'Christmas Box' from their employers, and also usually get the day off to enjoy 'Christmas' with their families ... of course always the day after Christmas as I'd assume the masters of the house would need them around on the big day to cook, serve, clean etc so they could enjoy their Christmas! Now it just refers to the day after Christmas, and is a stat holiday here in Canada, and the UK.
> 
> I always read along Gina, but rarely post. I enjoy your reports so much I think because a) I'm a fellow Ontarian and b) offsiter and c) like to do and dine other than in the major parks. I live vicariously through your reports as we only get to Orlando every 3 or so years. Last trip was 2013 and we did Halloween Horrors and MNSSHP that trip so I enjoyed hearing about your similar trip.
> 
> Happy New Year!



Very interesting indeed.   Here my mom always said it called Boxing Day because that's the day we box up the decorations until next year!!  Thanks for the cool history lesson  .

I am glad you came out of lurkdom to join in my report!  For heavens sakes, don't be shy from here onwards....feel free to chip in or comment wherever you like  .   That's what makes these reports fun!



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Well what a start, enough to put a first timer off I'm sure! We always go with Alamo or Dollar and walk straight to the garage nowadays where the cars are ready and waiting. We just load our luggage in and the paperwork is checked at the exit, all driver information is given online beforehand. It's gratifyingly quick after normally been stood in the immigration queue for around 1 hour.
> 
> Like you we celebrate Boxing Day (normally with leftover turkey), I think it is a tradition to mainly Commonwealth countries. Looking forward to more as I know you all had a wonderful time



Sigh...yup, that straight-to-the-garage experience with Budget was what we were SUPPOSED to have too (and what we enjoyed with the stinky rental in 2012, since we are Fastbreak members).  My bad for not knowing that Budget likes to treat 3rd party rentals with less perks....shame on them, seriously!  Defintely lesson learned, and we will be Dollar or Alamo patrons from here on out (we have one reservation with both companies for April....just trying to decide on which one to keep, a full size car or another SUV).


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

The Welcome Center at the Vistana looked absolutely gorgeous.  The gardens were adorned with the most beautiful red poinsettias, and the garland, lights and bows on the building just tied the whole festive effect together.  A completely different “look” than during the other seasons of the year.












_(though I didn’t get a photo of it specifically, it looked quite elegant and spectacular at night as well)_


We were greeted immediately by a very personable young fellow who led us over to his check-in cubicle and provided us with our villa assignment, room keys, parking passes (one for us, and one for my brother and his fiancé who we expected as guests later that week), and an assortment of maps and discount coupons.  Once that initial phase had been completed, we were led over to the Concierge desk where we declined both attraction ticket purchases and the opportunity to take part in an Owners Update (otherwise known as a timeshare pitch meeting).  They took our “no’s” very gracefully, wished us a great stay and a Merry Christmas, then we were off to check into our villa in the Fountains.  I don’t think the whole endeavour, from start to finish, took more than 15 to 20 minutes.....and that was with a lot of friendly chatter mixed in with the “business” items.  Very quick and efficient!


But.....before we headed back to the car, we had to stop for some photos of the Welcome Center Christmas tree:







There was another family taking pictures in front of the tree with their iPhones, so I offered to take a group shot for them with all of them in it.  They were very grateful for the offer, and once I had taken a few shots of them with their camera, they offered to reciprocate with ours.







We all look a bit weary and dopey.  I suppose both were true after the sleepless night and Cici’s indulgences.


With keys in hand, we made no hesitation in heading right to our villa.  After a long 24 hours of “getting there”, we were eager to settle in and RELAX.  







Yes, I think we will!


I loved the Nutcracker lights at the Welcome Center.  I thought they were so unique and well done!







After multiple stays, we know the resort like the back of our hand so locating Building 10, villa 1354 was as easy as pie.  We found a parking spot right in front of the stairs to our building, and began the task of bringing our luggage and supplies to our top-floor unit (exactly as requested....love, love, LOVE that skylight!).


No trip report would be complete without the grand tour, so here we go.....


The living/dining area:












Kitchen:












Master bedroom:







Master ensuite:

















Jake’s bedroom:







Jake’s ensuite:







Screened balcony:







The view:







We spent the next hour our two emptying the suitcases and getting settled in for the week.  Then, we rested......each of us finding a quiet space to stretch out (on the beds, on the sofa) and enjoy some personal time and (in Steve’s case especially) grab a nap.  We felt we had earned it.


The balance of our first day is next.


----------



## bankr63

So yay, I am finally here. 

What an eventful start to your trip.  I laughed out loud at the though of the 3 of you in a room filled with pot smoke with the giggles.  I dare say that second hand smoke may have affected you more than you thought!

+1 on the don't use Budget camp.  They always seem to have long lines and trouble handling the load. 

I have to ask how you manage to get such perfect shots of your unit.  Do you make the boys wait outside until you are done?  We absolutely EXPLODE into the space when we arrive; doesn't take 5 minutes before it looks well lived in.  Your shots look like housekeeping has just finished up. 

Quite the score on the upper units you keep getting.  Those skylights do add a lot of natural light.


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

The apartment looks wonderful and I bet you felt right at home.


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## ArwenMarie

That's a really nice Christmas tree at the Vistana! And the unit looks lovely, nice and re-done.

Fun fact...I learned on our last flight that you can walk around when the seatbelt sign is on (as long as it's not crazy turbulence). They had it on for so long and I was ready to explode and it wasn't bad at all, I don't even know why it was on. Anyway, the flight attendants were up and about so I was like how bad could it be. We were near the front so I got up and went and asked one of them if I could use the restroom. And she said, you are an adult, that is all I am allowed to say. And I asked again and she replied with the same response. Anyway, I took that to mean that it's at your own risk if you got hurt and I was willing to take that risk!


----------



## My2CrazyGirls

We are doing a non-Disney parks trip in March, so I am looking forward to the details of your outtings!  So far, I have been sufficiently entertained by your events


----------



## Lynne G

And that is why I stay with Alamo.  Sorry you had such a run around with the car rental.  Nothing makes you unhappy than waiting to get going.  Darn local airport took almost 45 minutes to get our luggage when coming home a few minutes early.  Best though, as we travelled down the highway, the local townships were setting off their fireworks.  Seeing very little traffic with us, we thought we had one of the best seats.  Aww, we thought, just for us.


----------



## momof2gr8kids

I love your trip reports!  You sure lucked out with great weather for Orlando this time of year.  We are tossing around the idea of driving down for Christmas next year - waiting to see how the school calendar will fall.  It should be a Disney trip, but reading about the crowds ... .  Not sure I could handle going to Orlando again and not go to Disney, but reading about your adventures inspires me to explore other things!


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## sk8jdgca

At SVR right now! And guess what we won 6 free nights stay at Bingo today. The rest of the players did give us dirty looks when we Bingo'd on the 3/4 of the games


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> So yay, I am finally here.
> 
> What an eventful start to your trip.  I laughed out loud at the though of the 3 of you in a room filled with pot smoke with the giggles.  I dare say that second hand smoke may have affected you more than you thought!
> 
> +1 on the don't use Budget camp.  They always seem to have long lines and trouble handling the load.
> 
> I have to ask how you manage to get such perfect shots of your unit.  Do you make the boys wait outside until you are done?  We absolutely EXPLODE into the space when we arrive; doesn't take 5 minutes before it looks well lived in.  Your shots look like housekeeping has just finished up.
> 
> Quite the score on the upper units you keep getting.  Those skylights do add a lot of natural light.



Woot!  Munro is here! 

Once we get to the villa, I generally head up to open the door while the boys start hauling our luggage up the stairs.  That gives me a minute or two to get a few photos before the bomb goes off and our stuff is spread everywhere.  They are pretty good at knowing "Mom wants her photos first" and they are sweethearts about indulging me .  Otherwise, people would get pictures of our unit with Jake's boxers hanging off the side of the bed . 



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> The apartment looks wonderful and I bet you felt right at home.



We absolutely love it there.  The villas are so spacious and well appointed.  *Better* than home  .



ArwenMarie said:


> That's a really nice Christmas tree at the Vistana! And the unit looks lovely, nice and re-done.
> 
> Fun fact...I learned on our last flight that you can walk around when the seatbelt sign is on (as long as it's not crazy turbulence). They had it on for so long and I was ready to explode and it wasn't bad at all, I don't even know why it was on. Anyway, the flight attendants were up and about so I was like how bad could it be. We were near the front so I got up and went and asked one of them if I could use the restroom. And she said, you are an adult, that is all I am allowed to say. And I asked again and she replied with the same response. Anyway, I took that to mean that it's at your own risk if you got hurt and I was willing to take that risk!



Jetblue haven't been so accommodating on past flights.....one fellow on our October trip gave me a proper scolding when, after almost 2 hours in the air, I had to go.  Seatbelt sign or not, I made my way to the loo (picking a time when the turbulence really wasn't too bad at that point) and he pointedly noted "the pilots have the seatbelt sign on, you should return to your seat immediately".  Considering I was more worried about my bladder bursting than being injured while out of my seat, I went anyway....but I got the naughty girl stare from the FA as I made my way back to my row.



My2CrazyGirls said:


> We are doing a non-Disney parks trip in March, so I am looking forward to the details of your outtings!  So far, I have been sufficiently entertained by your events



Thank you!   aboard! 



Lynne G said:


> And that is why I stay with Alamo.  Sorry you had such a run around with the car rental.  Nothing makes you unhappy than waiting to get going.  Darn local airport took almost 45 minutes to get our luggage when coming home a few minutes early.  Best though, as we travelled down the highway, the local townships were setting off their fireworks.  Seeing very little traffic with us, we thought we had one of the best seats.  Aww, we thought, just for us.



Very cool with the fireworks!  Perfect timing! 

We have had positive experiences with Dollar as well, so we will happily reserve with either.  Alamo is our favourite, but Dollar is a good alternative if the price is right.



momof2gr8kids said:


> I love your trip reports!  You sure lucked out with great weather for Orlando this time of year.  We are tossing around the idea of driving down for Christmas next year - waiting to see how the school calendar will fall.  It should be a Disney trip, but reading about the crowds ... .  Not sure I could handle going to Orlando again and not go to Disney, but reading about your adventures inspires me to explore other things!



The weather was simply perfect  .  I couldn't have hoped for it to be as warm and nice as it was.   I miss the sunshine already  .... its supposed to be a HIGH of -13 here today  .



sk8jdgca said:


> At SVR right now! And guess what we won 6 free nights stay at Bingo today. The rest of the players did give us dirty looks when we Bingo'd on the 3/4 of the games



Lucky you!!   That's absolutely awesome!     So when is the next trip?  

I hope you are having an awesome time with the kids, and that the weather is treating you right.  It's absolutely FREEZING here!!!


----------



## bankr63

Yup, winter returns to central Canada with a vengeance today. Windchill this morning is -29C (about -20F).  Just 10 more weeks until we turn the Chevy south for a week...


----------



## Vestmama4

Hi Gina! I'm the lady who said hi to you in Seaworld on the way to see the Shamu Christmas show. I read your past trip reports as I was planning my family's December vacation and loved reading them all. You inspired me to plan a non-Disney park trip this time (and to try Aquatica and Congo River to mini-golf/feed the gators- and we loved both.) I also took my older 2 kids to Universal for 1 day while my husband stayed at the resort with our younger 2 kids and then we all did Seaworld on Christmas Day. We had never been to Universal or Seaworld and really fell in love with both of these parks.) We did lots of other fun activities (including Gaylord Palms) with some Disney "sprinkles" throughout the week and we had the best Christmas ever. We also stopped for an overnight trip in Daytona on our road trip back home and really liked it there as well. As you have mentioned the weather was fabulous that week (and since it is snowing at our house right now, I am missing the warmth.) I'm looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip!


----------



## sk8jdgca

We hadn't plan to come back due to the dollar. The kids have never been to Ottawa or Quebec City so I thought that would be our August trip. The vouchers are only good until the end of 2016.... But Maddy is applying to go to the same school as Ben for their post secondary program, so they might have the same October break ...they have been begging to go back to Disney...so it may be a Disney trip for Halloween Week.

Weather here yesterday was not so great 63f and rainy all day...this morning though is beautiful...off to the outlets we go today


----------



## toystoryduo

I'm sorry to hear about the issues with Budget. I would e-mail corporate and let them know what happened. 

The Vistana looks like such a wonderful resort! It is definitely on our list of resorts to try one day.


----------



## RocketCityMama

Stopping in to mark my spot! Can't believe you guys are back already! I missed most of the PTR due to my dads health. He had to have an emergency below the knee amputation on Dec 5 and I have been dealing with that, his rehab and moving in with us until he has a prosthesis and can be back on his own again.  Anywho he's doing well, so that's all that matters.  

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas right? Here in the US most people I know leave their Christmas tree and decor up through at least New Years Day if not a bit longer for Epiphany. I didn't realize Boxing Day coorelates with taking down the items and boxing them up either, you guys would have a field day with me LOL  

Sorry your trip started off on such a downward trend, hope it gets better and you're able to enjoy the holiday season together!!!


----------



## Ruthie5671

As always Gina, a fabulous trip report so far.  I cannot believe the not so fabulous luck with the lodging, rental car and turbulence.  Hopefully now that you and your boys are rested, the rest of the trip will be great.

Cannot wait to read more!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Yup, winter returns to central Canada with a vengeance today. Windchill this morning is -29C (about -20F).  Just 10 more weeks until we turn the Chevy south for a week...



Let me tell ya, 10 more weeks seems like an eternity when the weather is this cold here at home.  

On my walk from my parking spot to my office building this morning, I think my eye lids froze open.  I swear to you, I had difficulty blinking for the first 10 minutes I was at work.  Winter sucks  .  Just sayin'.



Vestmama4 said:


> Hi Gina! I'm the lady who said hi to you in Seaworld on the way to see the Shamu Christmas show. I read your past trip reports as I was planning my family's December vacation and loved reading them all. You inspired me to plan a non-Disney park trip this time (and to try Aquatica and Congo River to mini-golf/feed the gators- and we loved both.) I also took my older 2 kids to Universal for 1 day while my husband stayed at the resort with our younger 2 kids and then we all did Seaworld on Christmas Day. We had never been to Universal or Seaworld and really fell in love with both of these parks.) We did lots of other fun activities (including Gaylord Palms) with some Disney "sprinkles" throughout the week and we had the best Christmas ever. We also stopped for an overnight trip in Daytona on our road trip back home and really liked it there as well. As you have mentioned the weather was fabulous that week (and since it is snowing at our house right now, I am missing the warmth.) I'm looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip!



Well hi there!!    I was hoping you would drop in here and post.  I felt so bad that I couldn't stop and say a proper hello when we had our chance meeting, but I feared if I lost sight of my guys in the crowd I might never be able to find them .    That was a huge crush of people heading to Shamu Stadium!!

I am glad to hear you all enjoyed SeaWorld.  Its just the most amazing park on Christmas.  I couldn't have thought of a better place to spend the holiday  .

So happy to hear that you enjoyed some of the places I recommended!!  Which day were you at Aquatica?  We were there on the 22nd....perhaps we almost rubbed elbows on that day, too?



sk8jdgca said:


> We hadn't plan to come back due to the dollar. The kids have never been to Ottawa or Quebec City so I thought that would be our August trip. The vouchers are only good until the end of 2016.... But Maddy is applying to go to the same school as Ben for their post secondary program, so they might have the same October break ...they have been begging to go back to Disney...so it may be a Disney trip for Halloween Week.
> 
> Weather here yesterday was not so great 63f and rainy all day...this morning though is beautiful...off to the outlets we go today



Sorry to hear about the rain.  Rainy days are definitely good reasons to go shopping  .

A Halloween trip would be a ton of fun.....I see a MNSSHP in your future! 



toystoryduo said:


> I'm sorry to hear about the issues with Budget. I would e-mail corporate and let them know what happened.
> 
> The Vistana looks like such a wonderful resort! It is definitely on our list of resorts to try one day.



Yeah, I had thought about emailing Budget corporate.  Last time, we received an email after our trip asking us to complete a survey on our experience, and after I did so (with poor scores all around), the manager of the Orlando location emailed me personally.  So far, no survey link has been received (maybe because we booked through RBC Rewards than through Budget itself?) so perhaps a direct email is in order.



RocketCityMama said:


> Stopping in to mark my spot! Can't believe you guys are back already! I missed most of the PTR due to my dads health. He had to have an emergency below the knee amputation on Dec 5 and I have been dealing with that, his rehab and moving in with us until he has a prosthesis and can be back on his own again.  Anywho he's doing well, so that's all that matters.
> 
> Boxing Day is the day after Christmas right? Here in the US most people I know leave their Christmas tree and decor up through at least New Years Day if not a bit longer for Epiphany. I didn't realize Boxing Day coorelates with taking down the items and boxing them up either, you guys would have a field day with me LOL
> 
> Sorry your trip started off on such a downward trend, hope it gets better and you're able to enjoy the holiday season together!!!



I am so sorry to hear about your Dad....big hugs to you all  .    Glad to hear he is doing well after such a serious ordeal.....I hope he was able to enjoy a peaceful holiday season, even under the circumstances.   Healing thoughts and good vibes are sent his way for a continued speedy recovery.  Being a caregiver is tough stuff, too....I hope you are hanging in there OK.

The trip started off quite laughable, but we had some great moments ahead.  Stay tuned  .



Ruthie5671 said:


> As always Gina, a fabulous trip report so far.  I cannot believe the not so fabulous luck with the lodging, rental car and turbulence.  Hopefully now that you and your boys are rested, the rest of the trip will be great.
> 
> Cannot wait to read more!



Thanks Ruthie!    aboard!

I am happy to report that things improved by leaps and bounds in the days that followed.   Not vacation perfection (does anyone ever have that, anyway???), but much better than our bumpy start  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Once we had settled in and enjoyed some time to rest and recharge, we dragged ourselves up and out the door knowing it was now or never…..had we stayed inactive much longer, we probably would have been in for the night.  We hadn't had any specific activities on the itineary for today….thank goodness ….so we indulged Jake and took him shopping.


Initially it was supposed to be just to the Nike Clearance Store:







….but we also ended up at a new souvenir shop in Kissimmee (turned out to be a disappointment) and then the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores.  The Nike Clearance Store, in particular, had some EXCELLENT sales….plus, they were taking an additional 30% off the lowest ticketed price, so we were able to get shoes for as low as $20 (and in Steve’s mega size 15, no less!), t-shirts for $9, and hoodies for around $20.  Even with the dreadful exchange rate for us Canucks, the savings were still really good versus what we would pay for similar items at home.  We carted several bags of purchases out to the Equinox, and Jake declared the day a success just on the finds at that store alone .


At the Lake Buena Vista outlets, we scored big at Under Armor…..again, many “50% of the lowest price” offers, and lots for Steve to pick from too (finding a mens XXL at Under Armor stores in Canada is a virtual impossibility….their US counterparts always have lots of options for big guys).   The logo hoodies for women were just $25, where at home they’re $70 or more (with 13.5% tax versus Orlando’s 6.5%).  Once again, we left with way more than we planned to buy, so Jake was smiling from ear to ear.  That child does love to shop .


We made a quick stop at Walmart for the week’s food supplies (bottled water, coffee cream, sugar, milk, juice, snacks, and breakfast-y foods) and a selection of adult beverages (always weird for us Canadians to be able to buy alcohol at Walmart ), then headed back to drop it all off at the villa before embarking on a pilgrimage to find dinner.  It wasn’t hot out that day (in fact, we hadn’t even changed from our jeans into shorts when we arrived….we were quite comfy in t-shirts and pants) but we didn’t want the perishables to be compromised nonetheless.  Then we hopped back in the rental vehicle and headed in the general direction of International Drive.







Friendly’s was supposed to be our arrival day lunch, in Bo-Bina family tradition (when it’s just Steve and I alone, Sweet Tomatoes is our go-to place for first arrival day meal).  Since our Budget delays forced us to switch up the plan, we decided to make Friendly’s our dinner plan instead.


It was much busier than we anticipated it would be when we arrived.  We always think of Friendly’s as a lunch spot, rather than a supper kind of place…..so it surprised us to see the restaurant reasonably full and hopping with activity.  We were greeted and seated immediately, and began the task of deciding what to order.


And oh, what a task that was.


Once we settled into our booth, the weariness of the day completely started to take over.  No one was very hungry (too much pizza at Cici’s earlier in the afternoon, obviously) and we were just *so *tired.  We  regarded each other across the table, and had a good laugh at the picture we made….three exhausted, bleary-eyed souls trying mightily to summon the excitement of the first day of vacation.  Cue the giggles for the second night in a row (this time, not an effect of the marijuana smoke!! ).


Eventually, we put in our requests with our server, and our appetizer (mini mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce) appeared a short time later.  This was free with a coupon received from the Friendly’s email club:







By the time we finished these off (there were a surprising number of the little devils!) we could have literally stopped eating and not been hungry for the rest of the night.  But, the entrees soon followed….and because we had ordered them, we did our best to eat ‘em.


Jake had, of course, had his beloved Supermelt sandwich (honey BBQ chicken, to be exact), with fries as his side.  The Supermelts are his favourite menu items, hands down.







Steve went with the bacon cheeseburger (because as a typical guy, he doesn’t consider a burger a BURGER unless it has both bacon and cheese to dress it up), with onion rings as his side.







I had the deluxe crispy chicken sandwich (minus the “deluxe” part, because toppings gross me out) with waffle fries….and I will take this moment to sufficiently *rave* about the Friendly’s waffle fries.  They are so stinking good, it’s almost criminal.  The upgrade from regular fries to the waffle fries was something silly cheap like 99 cents, and one of the best dollars I spent the whole trip (well okay, that might be exaggerating, but you get the idea ).







Frinedly’s always delivers a good value, good quality meal (regardless of the location we dine at....from Syracuse and Watertown, NY to Orlando, FL) and tonight was no different.  For some reason, I didn’t keep the receipt for this dinner.....I think my sleepless night was catching up with me....but I’m sure it was only around $45.  We had tons of food, great service, and another all-around great Friendly’s experience.  Our only disappointment was in our stomach capacity:  We were far, far too full to partake in any of their infamous ice cream creations.  Sundaes and Fribbles would have to wait until April.


Returning to the villa, we changed into our swimsuits and headed straight for the Fountains hot tubs for a nice, long soak under the stars.  We met an absolutely wonderful family from Wisconsin and enjoyed a lengthy chat as we lounged in the bubbles.....in fact, the Fountains hot tubs ended up being our unofficial meeting place with this family for every evening of our trip, until they departed on Christmas Eve day.  The conversation was very entertaining and  it was the perfect, low-key way to end our first night in Orlando....especially when we had zero energy left for anything more taxing .


We slept like rocks that night, until the sun finally roused us with the encouragement we needed to rise and greet the day.  It was a good thing we got fully rested, as our lazy Saturday was morphing into a busy and fun Sunday:  plans called for us to check out two new attractions at iDrive360, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and Sea Life Aquarium .


----------



## Lynne G

Aww, always good to be low key on arrival day.  We ended up at 5 Guys on the Navy Base, as we were over an hour later than our expected arrival time, and thankfully our room was ready when we checked in.

And I always find it funny to pay tax on most clothes. My kids both enjoy the Nike and UA outlets that are less than an hour and an hour and a half from our home.  I did promise them a trip to one of the outlets this month.

Great update.


----------



## tgropp

Great start ! I love reading Christmas trip reports. Funny but when I started reading I remembered your last hotel stay and thought no way....yes way
We always rent Budget and always use the Fastbreak. One thing about my last rental was that I asked for the transponder due to driving Orland/Ft Lauderdale and using multiple toll roads there.  When I got home and got my toll road bill, much to my surprise the girl at the counter did not assign the transponder and I had a massive bill due to all the charges by not having a transponder. They did reverse all the additional charges as all my previous rentals have included a transponder and I told them that I had requested one this time also. They reversed over $100 in charges.
     Looking forward to the dining reviews as my days of paying for 6 adults and two children on the Disney Dining plan will be over due to the dollar and will be looking for other dining options.
    Thank you so much for giving your time/talents for all us DIS readers to enjoy, benefit and learn for our future trips. Happy New Year!


----------



## sk8jdgca

You should contact RBC Rewards to tell them of your car rental experience. They will not be happy with how you were treated.  Or talk to your local branch, they can send up a complaint for you too through customer care. I ended up with Thrifty through them. I called them and they added my rewards number to the reservation


----------



## Vestmama4

Seaworld exceeded my expectations with their Christmas decorations and shows. The park was absolutely beautiful. I believe I saw all the shows but one (the dolphin Blue Horizon show- with the added Christmas shows, I just ran out of time.) And my family loved the rides there as well. Journey to Atlantis and Manta were favorites. It was a great Christmas Day (and we used the Blue Friday special to get our tickets, which helped out quite a bit for our family of 6.) 

We went to Aquatica on Dec 26, so we missed you there. The crowds were very light (although the temp was quite warm) and we rode about everything they had to offer. My son must done that Breakaway Falls ride over 10 times. And my 1 year old loved Roa's Rapids. My husband and I took turns taking him around.  We loved this park- clean, attractions that fit all my kid's likes/comfort levels, and with the discount they are offering now, it was relatively inexpensive. Thanks for recommending it!

We did Universal/Island of Adventure on Tuesday Dec 22 and although it was crowded, my 2 older kids and I accomplished quite a lot (even without the Express Pass- it was $150 per person that day! Way out of our budget.) We loved so many rides/attractions here (with Gringotts and Mummy at the top of list)... these 2 parks really won me over.


----------



## mom2rose&john

Hi Gina, loving your Trip Report.  As a fellow Buffalo Resident so sorry to hear about the infamous hotel stay.  It's is so fun to see pictures of Walden Galleria since we are always there (I have a preteen daughter).  Living in the Buffalo area we are so lucky to have an airport at our convenience.  It's not always that slow but never as busy as MCO.  Looking forward to our first stay at Vistana. 

BTW,  I knew Boxing day is a Canadian holiday but the running joke in our family is it's the day to Box up all your returns and hit the mall.


----------



## choppee

hey!

so sorry that i missed trying to catch up with you during our trip; i got so busy during the final planning stages that i forgot to give you my information so that we could meet up....  

anyway. this won't be our last time down in orlando, and i've certainly become a believer in universal after all your advice about it. what a wonderful place! my husband and kids might not want to venture back to disney, but i'll insist after the avatar land and star wars land gets set up in 2017-ish. you were spot on with universal being a place people need to pay attention to, because i found just as much fun there as i've ever found in disney! 

i'll be following your trip report with interest, and will create one of my own soon. thanks for everything, and i hope that we can meet up eventually!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> Aww, always good to be low key on arrival day.  We ended up at 5 Guys on the Navy Base, as we were over an hour later than our expected arrival time, and thankfully our room was ready when we checked in.
> 
> And I always find it funny to pay tax on most clothes. My kids both enjoy the Nike and UA outlets that are less than an hour and an hour and a half from our home.  I did promise them a trip to one of the outlets this month.
> 
> Great update.



I don't even want to think about how clogged Jake's closet would be if there was no tax on clothing  .  He would need a storage locker. Seriously.

We've never tried 5 Guys yet (though we have seen them on many of our travels).  That to-try list never seems to have an ending .



tgropp said:


> Great start ! I love reading Christmas trip reports. Funny but when I started reading I remembered your last hotel stay and thought no way....yes way
> We always rent Budget and always use the Fastbreak. One thing about my last rental was that I asked for the transponder due to driving Orland/Ft Lauderdale and using multiple toll roads there.  When I got home and got my toll road bill, much to my surprise the girl at the counter did not assign the transponder and I had a massive bill due to all the charges by not having a transponder. They did reverse all the additional charges as all my previous rentals have included a transponder and I told them that I had requested one this time also. They reversed over $100 in charges.
> Looking forward to the dining reviews as my days of paying for 6 adults and two children on the Disney Dining plan will be over due to the dollar and will be looking for other dining options.
> Thank you so much for giving your time/talents for all us DIS readers to enjoy, benefit and learn for our future trips. Happy New Year!



I was so frustrated when they wouldn't add my Fastbreak number after we booked through RBC.  I couldn't help but wonder how many of the other 100+ people in line could have also gone straight to the garage, but for whom Budget were being difficult and wouldn't add their FB info to a 3rd party reservation, either.  I am glad to hear that your Budget issues resolved themselves so positively!!

The dollar is seriously killing our trip for 4 in April.  I want to take Jake's Sunshine to Ohana (she has never done a character meal before) but OMG, the total with exchange is making me want to cry  .  We'll try to do a few budget meals or dinners in the villa to offset the splurge.



sk8jdgca said:


> You should contact RBC Rewards to tell them of your car rental experience. They will not be happy with how you were treated.  Or talk to your local branch, they can send up a complaint for you too through customer care. I ended up with Thrifty through them. I called them and they added my rewards number to the reservation



I actually called RBC Rewards from the line while we were at MCO.  They refused to assist, placing the blame and responsibility on Budget.  

I have never had an issue adding my frequent renter info to Dollar or Alamo before either.....so that's why we assumed Budget would also not be a problem.  Hopefully our story helps save someone else along the way.



Vestmama4 said:


> Seaworld exceeded my expectations with their Christmas decorations and shows. The park was absolutely beautiful. I believe I saw all the shows but one (the dolphin Blue Horizon show- with the added Christmas shows, I just ran out of time.) And my family loved the rides there as well. Journey to Atlantis and Manta were favorites. It was a great Christmas Day (and we used the Blue Friday special to get our tickets, which helped out quite a bit for our family of 6.)
> 
> We went to Aquatica on Dec 26, so we missed you there. The crowds were very light (although the temp was quite warm) and we rode about everything they had to offer. My son must done that Breakaway Falls ride over 10 times. And my 1 year old loved Roa's Rapids. My husband and I took turns taking him around.  We loved this park- clean, attractions that fit all my kid's likes/comfort levels, and with the discount they are offering now, it was relatively inexpensive. Thanks for recommending it!
> 
> We did Universal/Island of Adventure on Tuesday Dec 22 and although it was crowded, my 2 older kids and I accomplished quite a lot (even without the Express Pass- it was $150 per person that day! Way out of our budget.) We loved so many rides/attractions here (with Gringotts and Mummy at the top of list)... these 2 parks really won me over.



I am so, so glad you enjoyed all SW & Universal parks!!  That just makes me smile  .  

Steve and I hit up Universal and IOA on the 22nd as well....but just for a couple of hours, first thing in the morning.  The people coming INTO Citywalk when we left around 10:15 was STAGGERING!!!    



mom2rose&john said:


> Hi Gina, loving your Trip Report.  As a fellow Buffalo Resident so sorry to hear about the infamous hotel stay.  It's is so fun to see pictures of Walden Galleria since we are always there (I have a preteen daughter).  Living in the Buffalo area we are so lucky to have an airport at our convenience.  It's not always that slow but never as busy as MCO.  Looking forward to our first stay at Vistana.
> 
> BTW,  I knew Boxing day is a Canadian holiday but the running joke in our family is it's the day to Box up all your returns and hit the mall.



Yay for your upcoming stay at SVR!  What are your dates???  I hope you love it there as much as we do  .  

Walden Galleria is a BIG mall....Jake could have lost himself in Dick's for hours.   We definitely worked off a good portion of our dinner, just from strolling both levels from one end to another.  

Cross your fingers that I don't have another "infamous hotel stay" in April.....or my guys are going to start refusing to travel with me .



choppee said:


> hey!
> 
> so sorry that i missed trying to catch up with you during our trip; i got so busy during the final planning stages that i forgot to give you my information so that we could meet up....
> 
> anyway. this won't be our last time down in orlando, and i've certainly become a believer in universal after all your advice about it. what a wonderful place! my husband and kids might not want to venture back to disney, but i'll insist after the avatar land and star wars land gets set up in 2017-ish. you were spot on with universal being a place people need to pay attention to, because i found just as much fun there as i've ever found in disney!
> 
> i'll be following your trip report with interest, and will create one of my own soon. thanks for everything, and i hope that we can meet up eventually!



No worries.....we also don't plan to stop visiting  , so hopefully we will have a second chance to get together and say hello.  If you happen to be travelling back in either April or October this year, we'll make a date for a Dismeet  .

I am thrilled that Universal met and exceeded all your expectations!!!     It is going to break my heart to let our AP's expire in May, but with the dreadful Canadian dollar right now (and SW AP's already in hand), I don't think we can justify the extra expense.  Unless of course I win Lotto 649 this weekend .....hey, a girl can hope, right?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Steve and I were up long before Jake was….but that is nothing new.  Almost 20 years of parenthood has brought us well beyond the teenage ability to sleep until nearly noon.  One of the things we love about having a villa versus a hotel room is that there’s no need for the rest of the family to tiptoe around the person who wishes to retire early or sleep late.  While I showered, Steve started a pot of Tim Hortons coffee, and after both of us were refreshed and dressed we enjoyed a leisurely light breakfast (cereal, yogurt, muffins) on the balcony as we soaked up some of the healing Florida sun .  Best. Therapy. Ever .


We peeked in on Jake after breakfast, and he was still snoring soundly….so Steve and I thought we’d take advantage of the spectacular morning (the sun was out and the sky was as blue as the ocean) and take a leisurely morning stroll around the Vistana.







Heading down the stairs and away from Building 10, we walked through the Fountains area and toured around a very quiet Fountains pool:
































It was such a gorgeous, warm day and the pool was so peaceful, we debated returning to the villa for our suits and grabbing a quick swim ….but instead, we trundled on.  There would be plenty of time for the pool throughout the week .







From the pool, we cut through the Fountains Recreation Center, and we admired the tree in the main entry :







……then continued our way out of the Fountains village and down the side street to the resort entrance.

















Quite possibly, my favourite sign in the whole world :







I absolutely loved the red poinsettias that were planted EVERYWHERE, and right in the ground.  You definitely will never see that here in the frosty north.







Everything was a gorgeous, green slice of paradise.  When we visited at Christmas/early January in the past, many deciduous trees were bare of their leaves….but not on this trip .   In no way did it either look or feel like winter.







There was a huge Christmas greeting along the 535, which was very pretty at night.  It was much larger and longer than it appears in this photo:







We walked around through the Welcome Center, then back to the north side and through some of the pathways intertwined behind the Fountains buildings…..over the bridges, around the ponds.







We passed by several groupings of ducks, and I wished I had remembered to bring some bread along to feed them.  D’oh!    (I swear they gave me the look that said....._Hey Gina, where's the snacks?_)







By the time we returned, Jake was sitting on the sofa catching up on the national sports scores, freshly showered and dressed and inquiring cheerily what was for lunch.  He opted to skip breakfast entirely (which is quite often his norm) so Pooh Bear’s tummy had definitely reached the rumbly stage.  We debated briefly where we should dine before heading out to enjoy the iDrive360 attractions that we had planned for the balance of the day, and we came to a quick and easy decision:  Jake had been longing to return to a specific place for MONTHS.  Near (if not at) the top of his must do list for this trip (and a favourite of ours as well) was our beloved Steak & Shake.







I see milkshakes in our future!


----------



## bankr63

+1 for 5 Guys.  Just remember that a Regular Burger is HUGE and a Small Burger is normal.  Made that mistake the first time when we stopped for a quick late lunch.  Totally spoiled dinner that night as I was full until breakfast.

Are you saying they have (a) Big Dicks in Buffalo?  
Sorry, had to throw that in there - A+ always has to add Big to the name for some reason.  And well, besides, one of your irregulars is always trying to derail this into the perverted for some reason.


----------



## pigletto

Steak 'n Shake was a big hit for my boys when we stayed at Vistana too. More than once dh has said he'd like to go back. That and Ale House. 

And I totally hear you on the offsite benefit of letting the sleeping teenager sleep. In fact when we debated offsite vs onsite for this trip it was one of the main points. It really used to be a pet peeve of mine to get ready in total quiet and darkness so dd could sleep in and meet up with us later. However she was a less than enjoyable companion if you ripped her out of bed for rope drop. A 2 bedroom villa makes everyone happier and I have you to thank for gently pulling me out of my onsite rut!


----------



## Lynne G

HeHe, my teens sleep though anything, but I let them sleep and I go and take advantage of the little lines in early morning.  That, and a cup of tea.  They both wake hungry though.

Grounds look wonderful, and we also had many days of a very blue sky, but not as warm as you had.  If fact, even though the pool was heated, not one soul ever ventured into swimming, including many northerners like us.  Just too cool temperature and no humidity.  It was one of the driest places I have been in.  Was great for my DS's allegeries.  When we came home, as it had been warmer than usual, he had to be back on his medications again. 

Love Steak "n Shake, and yes, I had to have a shake there too.  And agree, I always have a little burger at 5 guys.  That's plenty for me, as I can't stop eating their fries either.  And ours at home has a big box of peanuts to shell, but we didn't see that at the one on the Navy Base.  I guess the west doesn't like that extra to nosh on when waiting for the food.


HeHe, Bankr63, our Dick's are pretty big too.  My kids like to shop there, as they have jerseys for the local sports teams.  My poor pocket book! LOL


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

I too love the extra space with offsite condos, a hotel room for 3 weeks would drive me crazy, so we often do a split stay and gave a few hotel nights at the beginning of our vacation. 

Gina looking forward to your next update


----------



## ArwenMarie

Love Steak n Shake, so wish we had one of those around here.

Beautiful pictures of the resort. Ah I wish I was in Florida now. It got so cold here all of a sudden, hopefully it is a quick blast. Definitely need to start working on the snowbird retirement plan! (twenty-five years to go haha)


----------



## pigletto

.0.


ArwenMarie said:


> Love Steak n Shake, so wish we had one of those around here.
> 
> Beautiful pictures of the resort. Ah I wish I was in Florida now. It got so cold here all of a sudden, hopefully it is a quick blast. Definitely need to start working on the snowbird retirement plan! (twenty-five years to go haha)


I hear you! As soon as the fun and planning of Christmas was over, I slipped into vacation mode. The cold made it worse. It feels so far away!


----------



## jennasmommyinMS

I'm all ready for a Steak & Shake visit during our May vacation this year, and I absolutely can't wait!  I got a gift card deal on Amazon back in December--a $25 Steak & Shake gift card for $20!


----------



## ArwenMarie

pigletto said:


> .0.
> 
> I hear you! As soon as the fun and planning of Christmas was over, I slipped into vacation mode. The cold made it worse. It feels so far away!



 Me too. It's a nice distraction for the winter!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> +1 for 5 Guys.  Just remember that a Regular Burger is HUGE and a Small Burger is normal.  Made that mistake the first time when we stopped for a quick late lunch.  Totally spoiled dinner that night as I was full until breakfast.
> 
> *Are you saying they have (a) Big Dicks in Buffalo? *
> Sorry, had to throw that in there - A+ always has to add Big to the name for some reason.  And well, besides, one of your irregulars is always trying to derail this into the perverted for some reason.



Oh, dear.....you didn't just say that  .  @dancin Disney style is going to have a field day with that comment when she shows back up (yoo hoo, where are you dancin?)



pigletto said:


> Steak 'n Shake was a big hit for my boys when we stayed at Vistana too. More than once dh has said he'd like to go back. That and Ale House.
> 
> And I totally hear you on the offsite benefit of letting the sleeping teenager sleep. In fact when we debated offsite vs onsite for this trip it was one of the main points. It really used to be a pet peeve of mine to get ready in total quiet and darkness so dd could sleep in and meet up with us later. However she was a less than enjoyable companion if you ripped her out of bed for rope drop. A 2 bedroom villa makes everyone happier and I have you to thank for gently pulling me out of my onsite rut!



I am always excited to welcome another offsite convert into our little club  .  I'm so happy that offsite has provided your family with some positive vacation options! 

Mmmm....yes, Ale House is a family favourite here too.  We finally introduced Jake to Millers on this trip.....and he loved it as much as we did! 



Lynne G said:


> HeHe, my teens sleep though anything, but I let them sleep and I go and take advantage of the little lines in early morning.  That, and a cup of tea.  They both wake hungry though.
> 
> Grounds look wonderful, and we also had many days of a very blue sky, but not as warm as you had.  If fact, even though the pool was heated, not one soul ever ventured into swimming, including many northerners like us.  Just too cool temperature and no humidity.  It was one of the driest places I have been in.  Was great for my DS's allegeries.  When we came home, as it had been warmer than usual, he had to be back on his medications again.
> 
> Love Steak "n Shake, and yes, I had to have a shake there too.  And agree, I always have a little burger at 5 guys.  That's plenty for me, as I can't stop eating their fries either.  And ours at home has a big box of peanuts to shell, but we didn't see that at the one on the Navy Base.  I guess the west doesn't like that extra to nosh on when waiting for the food.
> 
> 
> *HeHe, Bankr63, our Dick's are pretty big too. * My kids like to shop there, as they have jerseys for the local sports teams.  My poor pocket book! LOL



Oh Lynne, you are such a pot stirrer  .  Here I thought you were the quiet, well behaved one  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> I too love the extra space with offsite condos, a hotel room for 3 weeks would drive me crazy, so we often do a split stay and gave a few hotel nights at the beginning of our vacation.
> 
> Gina looking forward to your next update



We've added a couple of hotel days onto the end of our April trip.  Was going to try for the Vistana by the official SeaWorld hotels lured me in with the free Quick Queue and free breakfast buffet.  We have a one bedroom suite, so we should be more than comfy and it will be fun to have a more "traditional" experience along with our villa stay  .



ArwenMarie said:


> Love Steak n Shake, so wish we had one of those around here.
> 
> Beautiful pictures of the resort. Ah I wish I was in Florida now. It got so cold here all of a sudden, hopefully it is a quick blast. Definitely need to start working on the snowbird retirement plan! (twenty-five years to go haha)



Sigh......more than 20 years for us, too.  I don't want to rush old age, but still..... .



pigletto said:


> .0.
> 
> I hear you! As soon as the fun and planning of Christmas was over, I slipped into vacation mode. The cold made it worse. It feels so far away!



Aw, it will go fast.  Family Day next month, March break the following, then....VACATION!  (lol, I am also trying to talk myself into the fact that its not far away.....can you tell? )



jennasmommyinMS said:


> I'm all ready for a Steak & Shake visit during our May vacation this year, and I absolutely can't wait!  I got a gift card deal on Amazon back in December--a $25 Steak & Shake gift card for $20!



Ooohh, great deal!  Combine that with their normal crazy low prices, and you've got some killer value with that gift card discount  .



ArwenMarie said:


> Me too. It's a nice distraction for the winter!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

We arrived at Steak  & Shake right around 11:30 am.  Surprisingly, it was still really quiet in there...we had figured it would be busier on a Sunday morning just before noon, less than a week before Christmas .  That said, we were happy it was peaceful and crowd-free .












We were seated at a booth and each given a menu by our lovely young server.  We perused the options for a bit, as not only did we have to choose our meals but also a milkshake flavour from their HUGE list of choices .  In addition to the regular shake flavours that are offered throughout the year, they also had these special creations for the Christmas season:







It turned out that the shake flavours were easier to decide on than our entrees, so we put in our drink orders before we finalized what we wanted to eat.  Our server brought us a round of waters while we waited for our shakes to be whipped up, but it wasn’t long before these beauties emerged from the kitchen:






  

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup for Jake, Orange Freeze for Steve, and Birthday Cake for yours truly.  And  yes, they tasted as good as they looked .







Definitely don’t let the Mr. Cool Guy routine fool you.  That boy dug in with all the gusto of a five year old.  I am also not ashamed to admit that we enjoyed them, too  (I think we were even able to put the calorie guilt aside for a while.....at least until we left the building....).







Having finally settled on our entree selections, they were brought from the kitchen once we had enjoyed sufficient time to get a head start on our milkshakes.  I was quite surprised that Jake, who is a burger lover like his father, opted for a chicken melt....but he was thrilled with his choice.  He also gave two thumbs up for the upgrade to Cajun fries (which cost a whopping 29 cents.....so why not?).

Not that we needed them , but we requested a large order of onion rings to share, just because we’d never tried them yet and they had looked so good when we saw them served to other tables.







Steve had a double bacon lovers steakburger, with an upgrade to parmesan herb fries:







Rounding out our selections was my Garlic double steakburger, minus the toppings (of course!) except for the garlic butter, and with the parmesan herb fries upgrade:







So. Much. Food .  And for lunch, no less.  Everything was hot, flavourful, and sooo tasty....there was not a single complaint from any member of our trio.


As we ate, the guys got chatting about the fact that they also served breakfast here, and asked our server if they could take a peek at the breakfast menu to check out prices and meal choices.  I should have stopped them then.....I could see where this was going ....but alas, it was two against one.  Based on their reactions right then and there, I knew we’d be back for an impromptu morning meal before this vacation was declared officially over.


The guys managed to finish their shakes with little difficulty, but in the battle of Woman v. Food, food most definitely won my round.   I couldn’t have polished off my tall cup of ice creamy wonder if I’d tried.  In my defense, there were actually BIG chunks of cake mixed into that shake....I swear the cup was 5 pounds heavy!


We had a coupon for a free milkshake from the Entertainment book, so with tax, our bill came to $28.45 (crazy, silly cheap...why would anyone in Orlando ever choose to eat at McDonald’s?).  We covered the check, left a nice tip for the excellent service, and headed back to the Equinox.   We had a full afternoon on deck at iDrive360.....Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum would be our next stop .


----------



## BonnieP

Hello Gina, I do so enjoy reading your trip reports and that you are quick to keep the conversation going!  

I do have a question for you... We have been to Florida and Disney many times, but never Universal. I want to go, especially to see the Harry Potter section. My husband knows that I do not like coasters or simulators and he thinks it would not be worth the ticket price to just walk around and not do that many rides... Do you feel Universal is worth a visit if one doesn't do many of the rides?? I need to convince him that he would enjoy it too! 

We have a house rented in Kissimmee for 3 weeks this month and we do enjoy seeking out new places in Orlando, mostly restaurants and taking many day trips to the surrounding areas, so I'm anxious to hear about the rest of your week. We will be visiting St. Augustine before reaching our rental. That is a great town for restaurants and their outlet malls!


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## ArwenMarie

Yeah the prices there are bad....they make you eat so much! When it's that cheap how can you refuse LOL


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## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Oh, dear.....you didn't just say that  .  @dancin Disney style is going to have a field day with that comment when she shows back up (yoo hoo, where are you dancin?)



I have to say that ever since A+ first innocently blurted out that phrase "Hey look! They've got Big Dicks in Massachusetts" (if I recall the location correctly), no one in our family has been able to walk into the store without a snicker.  At the time we were all about rolling in the parking lot with laughter (the kids were just old enough to catch the meaning) - we may have started the saying Crazy Canucks for the spectacle we made.  And now, you may no longer be able to enter the store without a grin too...

And now I hope A+ never reads this post as I will have to


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## toystoryduo

The Vistana looks like such a beautiful resort! 

We love Steak and Shake! We are fortunate to have 3 different locations within a 10 mile radius. I love their banana milkshakes! 

Quick question if you don't mind... Can you tell me where the Nike Clearance Store is located? I was telling my family about your trip report the other day, and everyone wanted to know exactly where it is so we can visit during our next trip. Thanks!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

BonnieP said:


> Hello Gina, I do so enjoy reading your trip reports and that you are quick to keep the conversation going!
> 
> I do have a question for you... We have been to Florida and Disney many times, but never Universal. I want to go, especially to see the Harry Potter section. My husband knows that I do not like coasters or simulators and he thinks it would not be worth the ticket price to just walk around and not do that many rides... Do you feel Universal is worth a visit if one doesn't do many of the rides?? I need to convince him that he would enjoy it too!
> 
> We have a house rented in Kissimmee for 3 weeks this month and we do enjoy seeking out new places in Orlando, mostly restaurants and taking many day trips to the surrounding areas, so I'm anxious to hear about the rest of your week. We will be visiting St. Augustine before reaching our rental. That is a great town for restaurants and their outlet malls!



Ah, St. Augustine is another one on my bucket list.  It looks so pretty....romantic, even.  Steve and I must do a few days there on one of these trips  .

I am not a big ride lover AT ALL (with very few exceptions, simulators and coasters are pretty much out for me), and I find tons to do at Universal.  The Harry Potter areas can eat up hours all by themselves....there is so much more to those sections of the park than just Forbidden Journey and Gringotts (and even as a non-coaster, non-simulator girl, I rode Gringotts and enjoyed it).  Without hesitation, I'd say its worth a visit.....at worst, its a new experience.  At best, you might find a new Orlando love!



ArwenMarie said:


> Yeah the prices there are bad....they make you eat so much! When it's that cheap how can you refuse LOL



And just when you think it can't get any cheaper, the milkshakes go on half price during happy hour (2 till 4?  or 5?).

Oh, my hips .



bankr63 said:


> I have to say that ever since A+ first innocently blurted out that phrase "Hey look! They've got Big Dicks in Massachusetts" (if I recall the location correctly), no one in our family has been able to walk into the store without a snicker.  At the time we were all about rolling in the parking lot with laughter (the kids were just old enough to catch the meaning) - we may have started the saying Crazy Canucks for the spectacle we made.  And now, you may no longer be able to enter the store without a grin too...
> 
> And now I hope A+ never reads this post as I will have to



Thank the Lord that Steve and Jake aren't on the boards......you can bet your boots they'd adopt that catch phrase without missing a beat.  And yes, I'm sure I'll be stifling a smile when we visit again in April....of course, I'm often cited for being a little crazy so perhaps no one will even notice something is amiss  .



toystoryduo said:


> The Vistana looks like such a beautiful resort!
> 
> We love Steak and Shake! We are fortunate to have 3 different locations within a 10 mile radius. I love their banana milkshakes!
> 
> Quick question if you don't mind... Can you tell me where the Nike Clearance Store is located? I was telling my family about your trip report the other day, and everyone wanted to know exactly where it is so we can visit during our next trip. Thanks!



For the Nike Clearance Store, you go south on the 535 and then turn east on the 192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway).  Its past the Congo River mini golf, same side of the road, in a little strip plaza.   I am terrible at directions, so this map might help (taking you from the Vistana as your starting point):

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Sher...88375ba5b81f74f!2m2!1d-81.469018!2d28.3182353


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*December 20th, continued....
*

Arriving at the IDrive360 complex, we easily found a spot on the 2nd level of the garage, and once again found ourselves marvelling at the fact that it was really very quiet for the weekend before Christmas.  We had been expecting massive crowds but were finding quite the opposite .  As I think I mentioned in our May trip report, (and is worth reiterating here) we are BIG fans of the parking garage which sits immediately adjacent to the Eye/Sea Life/Tussauds building. Large, clean, easy to access and free, free, FREE!     Parking should be this painless everywhere.  It really is quite marvellous and convenient.


On the grassy area outside of the Orlando Eye, as part of their “Frostival” promotion (which featured a variety of upgrades and special events for the holiday season), they had a large “ice” rink where you could go skating while Christmas tunes were piped throughout the courtyard.  







I use the word “ice” in quotes as it was not comprised of frozen water at all…..the rink was a synthetic, plastic-type rectangle that was put together like a jigsaw puzzle (the joints of the rink didn’t all lay perfectly flat either, so I wondered how people would get their skate blades caught on the uneven surface and fall flat on their bottoms).  The cost to partake was $12 per person (I believe there may have been a max time limit….30 minutes maybe?) and included your skate rental _(figure skates with toe picks only, even for the guys….girls skates were white, men’s were brown or black)._  We didn’t see anyone utilizing the rink on this visit, though we did see a couple of guests trying it out when we were there later in the week for our flight on the Eye.


When we visited in May on their opening week, the fountains had been turned off due to some sort of malfunction that was resulting in impromptu spraying of unsuspecting guests.  This time, however, the waterworks were all running perfectly and it gave a nice effect to the very well landscaped grounds.  One recommendation, though…..on a windy-ish day, be careful where you choose to stand….because functioning properly or not, a good soaking could still be possible!  (I speak from experience, having a gust of fountain water blow squarely onto the lens of my camera ... d'oh! )












We took a tour around the grounds before heading inside to the attractions, just to see what new stores and restaurants had cropped up since the May grand opening.  There were quite a few new additions since the spring, and the whole area now feels very full and complete.  We stopped by the gift shop at Skeletons: Animals Unveiled to show Jake some of the interesting items inside (since he was quite taken by our photos from that attraction in May), and this new guy holding the door outside made me giggle.  I thought it was the perfect touch to this unique little store!  







The elephant skull also still sits proudly displayed on the exterior walkway, drawing in lots of curious visitors.







With our mini tour of the complex out of the way, we headed into the main concourse to begin our adventures of the day.  They had a large Christmas tree just outside the entrance, and while it looked marvellous and festive by day, it was even lovelier all lit up at night (pics of that will have to wait until later in my report).







We had decided to visit both Madame Tussaud’s and Sea Life on this particular afternoon, so I left it to the guys to decide which one they wanted to do first.  They surveyed the lines outside both attractions, and since Tussaud’s looked the quietest (though there were no “crowds”, per se, at either) we opted to start to our left.  We had already pre-purchased tickets our tickets in advance, so we were able to skip the regular line and go straight to the dedicated pre-purchase ticket agent who scanned our barcoded printouts and sent us merrily on our way.


Just inside the attraction, we were stopped for a posed picture by a very energetic team of Tussaud’s photography staff in a room designed to replicate a Florida swamp.







They gave the “Captain” (which turned out to be me, apparently) a barcoded wristband on which all the photos from the day would be stored, then proceeded to take a couple of different pictures of us posed on an airboat.  These pictures were available for viewing and sale (both digital and hard copy) as you exited the attraction before you proceeded into the obligatory gift shop (more on that later).












Once past the photo crew, the attraction began with a notable figure from Florida history books:  Juan Ponce de Leon:







Before I go much further, I will note…..one thing we really, REALLY liked about this particular Tussaud’s is that all the exhibits were designed to be interactive.  Much different than the style of the older and more outdated Madame Tussaud’s in Niagara Falls, Ontario.   You were encouraged to sit, stand, pose, and even use props (provided) with the various wax statues here at the Orlando Tussaud’s….and it made the experience quite entertaining .


We continued through the section that focused on notable people in American history.  I sat down and had a nice chat with Abraham Lincoln in his study:







Steve walked on the moon with Neil Armstrong, and lo and behold, he even made it on TV_!  (I think my grandparents had a console television that looked almost exactly like that one)_












Steve graciously waved to the crowd with an excellent representation of Martin Luther King Jr….







…..and the whole family chilled for a bit in the Oval Office with President Obama himself :






_(this was another of the attraction photo stations, and available for purchase as you exited)_


Uncle Sam made an appearance, and Steve did his best to muster an authentic “I WANT YOU!” face :







Once past the American history section, there was a very fitting tribute to Walt Disney.  He looked right at home, as he should…..let’s face it, no one has had a bigger impact on Orlando than the man who created an entire empire with a cartoon mouse.






The next section featured notable folks throughout the ages whose inventions had changed the world.  People like Albert Einstein:







There was Thomas Edison, Andy Warhol, and Steve Jobs (to whom Jake owes so much appreciation…cue the iPhone picture ):







There was even a wax figure of Madame Tussaud herself, toiling diligently on one of her amazing creations:  and as part of her dedicated exhibit, you could purchase your own wax hands as a souvenir.












We were off to a great start, but the really cool exhibits were yet to come.  Stay tuned!


----------



## toystoryduo

Thank you, Gina! I'm going to show my DH the map when he gets home from work. He knows the area pretty well, so I'm sure he'll have an idea where it is. Thank you so much!  

You guys got a lot of great photos at Madame Tussaud's! That looks like a really fun place to visit.


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## BonnieP

Thanks Gina for your feedback about Universal. I will have my husband read your comment and it might convince him to go... 

When our neighbors back home (who own a house in St. Augustine) come to visit us at our rental house it takes them 2 1/2 hours from St. Augustine-not a bad drive.
BonnieP


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## pepperandchips

I blinked and there were suddenly six pages! So excited to be caught up. I love your reports, Gina. You guys enjoy everything so much it makes me want to go try our local Steak n Shake just to see if your enthusiasm is contagious! Can't wait to see how things develop. Looks like a good time is well underway! I'll be taking some serious notes. (And in seven short days I will be leaving for my first trip to Universal since 1992!)


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## Mrs Doubtfire

The photos from Tussauds are great, so realistic, I especially like the Obama one and Steve with grandad Einstein! I thought Steve was looking not his cheerful self but think it must be his mood poses for the photos


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## pigletto

Great pictures!! I laughed a little at the skating rink. Doesn't hold much appeal for the Canucks paying thousands to escape ice and snow, does it?
Though I can see why it's a draw for those who don't spend 5 months of the year trying to stay warm. 

And those palm trees!! I knew I missed Florida but the pictures with the palm trees just did me in. I can not wait to see them again!

Love the Tussaud's pictures as well. I think my kids would really enjoy that. DD especially who seems to be constantly on the prowl for a good selfie opportunity.


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## Gr8t Fan

Oh Gina, I so love your trip reports!  They are so detailed and full of fun facts. 

Our 2017 trips are going to be US/IOA and other offsite attractions (no WDW other than DTD) so I've been taking notes on your reports as to what our kids might enjoy.


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## mandas08

Enjoying following along. When I saw you had started a new TR I may have said a little woohoo out loud   Sounds like you had quite a bumpy start to your trip. I would have been so frustrated with the hotel situation, I think I would have turned into a bit of a momma bear and scared the front desk..haha. But seriously, some people are inconsiderate and just down right stupid, glad it eventually got taken care of and you guys got a little bit of rest. You have made it official, I will continue to check Dollar and Alamo. (they seem to have the best rates for our February trip anyways) I do wish that they had free additional drivers so I could possibly go the the outlets during one of the baby naps or in the evening. I might need to check out Nike as well.

Your resort always looks so nice. How would yourecomend finding a rental there? We have stayed at several different places we have found on vrbo but wouldnt mind adding Vistana to the list.

Its too funny being from Ohio I have had easy access to Cicis or Steak and Shake and you have me wanting to eat at both of them now. It has been years since we have been to Steak and Shake after our last experience was less than stellar with an oreo shake that basically just had basically had oreo dust..haha. I may just give them another chance sometime, I know our little guy would be in onion ring heaven.

With free parking we may need to check out IDrive 360 area new restaurants!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

toystoryduo said:


> Thank you, Gina! I'm going to show my DH the map when he gets home from work. He knows the area pretty well, so I'm sure he'll have an idea where it is. Thank you so much!
> 
> You guys got a lot of great photos at Madame Tussaud's! That looks like a really fun place to visit.



It was GREAT....much better than we expected, to be honest (not that we anticipated it would be bad .... it just wasn't something we were super excited about).    The conclusion to our Tussaud's visit is coming up next  .



BonnieP said:


> Thanks Gina for your feedback about Universal. I will have my husband read your comment and it might convince him to go...
> 
> When our neighbors back home (who own a house in St. Augustine) come to visit us at our rental house it takes them 2 1/2 hours from St. Augustine-not a bad drive.
> BonnieP



2.5 hours is not a bad commute in Florida at all.....not when you never have to worry about freezing rain or blowing snow.  I could get in the car, crank the A/C, and drive all day with the blue sky above and the palms along the roadway!! 



pepperandchips said:


> I blinked and there were suddenly six pages! So excited to be caught up. I love your reports, Gina. You guys enjoy everything so much it makes me want to go try our local Steak n Shake just to see if your enthusiasm is contagious! Can't wait to see how things develop. Looks like a good time is well underway! I'll be taking some serious notes. (And in seven short days I will be leaving for my first trip to Universal since 1992!)



Woohoo!  7 days to go!  (well, only 6 now I guess ).  I can't wait to hear about your adventures at Universal!!  



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> The photos from Tussauds are great, so realistic, I especially like the Obama one and Steve with grandad Einstein! I thought Steve was looking not his cheerful self but think it must be his mood poses for the photos



I think he was looking so mellow because he was so unbelievably full  .  I dare say my big guy could have used a nap after that meal  .  You're right though, he was definitely showing his serious side!



pigletto said:


> Great pictures!! I laughed a little at the skating rink. Doesn't hold much appeal for the Canucks paying thousands to escape ice and snow, does it?
> Though I can see why it's a draw for those who don't spend 5 months of the year trying to stay warm.
> 
> And those palm trees!! I knew I missed Florida but the pictures with the palm trees just did me in. I can not wait to see them again!
> 
> Love the Tussaud's pictures as well. I think my kids would really enjoy that. DD especially who seems to be constantly on the prowl for a good selfie opportunity.



My gosh, Tussaud's was selfie heaven.  More pics coming up, probably those that your DD would squeal over.  Channing Tatum....yum  .



Gr8t Fan said:


> Oh Gina, I so love your trip reports!  They are so detailed and full of fun facts.
> 
> Our 2017 trips are going to be US/IOA and other offsite attractions (no WDW other than DTD) so I've been taking notes on your reports as to what our kids might enjoy.



Thank you Gr8t Fan!  I am glad to have you reading along  .  So happy to hear you pick up some useful little tidbits from my ramblings.  Sometimes I know I tend to ramble on....I have been referred to more than once as "verbose"  .

Your 2017 vacation plans sound right up my alley!  There is so much to do outside of the major parks!



mandas08 said:


> Enjoying following along. When I saw you had started a new TR I may have said a little woohoo out loud   Sounds like you had quite a bumpy start to your trip. I would have been so frustrated with the hotel situation, I think I would have turned into a bit of a momma bear and scared the front desk..haha. But seriously, some people are inconsiderate and just down right stupid, glad it eventually got taken care of and you guys got a little bit of rest. You have made it official, I will continue to check Dollar and Alamo. (they seem to have the best rates for our February trip anyways) I do wish that they had free additional drivers so I could possibly go the the outlets during one of the baby naps or in the evening. I might need to check out Nike as well.
> 
> Your resort always looks so nice. How would yourecomend finding a rental there? We have stayed at several different places we have found on vrbo but wouldnt mind adding Vistana to the list.
> 
> Its too funny being from Ohio I have had easy access to Cicis or Steak and Shake and you have me wanting to eat at both of them now. It has been years since we have been to Steak and Shake after our last experience was less than stellar with an oreo shake that basically just had basically had oreo dust..haha. I may just give them another chance sometime, I know our little guy would be in onion ring heaven.
> 
> With free parking we may need to check out IDrive 360 area new restaurants!



Aw, you guys are all so kind with your compliments.  Thank you  .

Additional drivers are something we don't ever consider (no way am I driving in Orlando traffic)....but I can see where that poses an extra challenge when booking a rental.  It was always nice to know we had the free extra driver as an Alamo Insider, until they discontinued that perk.  We never once used it, but know it was there if needed was really reassuring.  

For a Vistana rental, I would recommend either Skyauction (my first go-to place) or getting a week from an owner.  For the latter, you'll generally stay in the range just above the cost of the yearly maintenance fees, as many owners just want to recoup their yearly output and get it rented (rather than lose their MF's and see their week go to waste).  There are several listings on the TUG marketplace (Timeshare Users Group) and also on My Resort Network for around $1000 for the week.  

I have seen 2 bedroom villas at SVR go for as little as $470 for the week on Skyauction.  That's where I would try first.  Anything under $900 (even with their date surcharges) is a GREAT price, as our maintenance fees for 2016 are $936.  

Sorry to hear about your diluted milkshake.  I think that the Orlando chains all have to work pretty hard to keep quality up when there is SO MUCH competition.  That's my guess, anyway....or we have just been REALLY lucky so far!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Madame Tussaud’s…..continued .*


Continuing through Tussaud’s, the next section of the museum featured a variety of famous athletes from a wide selection of sports.  Beckham was bending it…







In a nod to neighbouring Daytona, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was sitting around on a neatly stacked pile of tires next to his car:







Steve donned one of the many available props in the attraction, and challenged Mohammed Ali to a boxing match:







Dan Marino was poised to toss the ball:







Jake did his best to deny Shaq, but alas…..that height difference was just too much:







Steve, the only one in our house who appreciates a good game of tennis, was excited to see Ms. Williams (I can’t remember if it was Serena or Venus):







Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods were all featured as well.  Probably a few more, too, that I am forgetting to mention as I flip back through all my photos!!


After the sports area, we moved into a section which was dedicated to the music stars of the current era.   Well hello, Taylor Swift :







I had to have my photo taken with Pharrell Williams, “because I’m happy”!!  






The boys got their Pitbull faces on:







Steve posed with the gorgeous Rihanna:







MJ was cutting a rug:







…and the boys didn’t pass up a chance for a pic with Beyonce:







The big names from TV were all present and accounted for in the next dedicated section of the attraction.  Jimmy Fallon was preparing for that evening’s edition of the Tonight Show:







Oprah invited me to be a guest on her show :







….and apparently it was being broadcast back home on TV!  







We were SUPER excited to see the AMAZING statue of our beloved Sheldon Cooper….huge Big Bang Theory fans that we are.  My Steve-o played it cool for the photo, but he was a bit giddy when he first spied Jim Parsons just sitting around, apparently waiting for us to get there .







Jake enjoyed a ride in Shrek and Fiona’s onion carriage:







….and Steve busted a move with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John (lol….I wasn’t supposed to post this picture in my report, so if you’re ever asked, you’ve never seen his before ….wink wink, nudge nudge ).







Jake found himself in a restricted area in Jurassic Park:







….and I climbed aboard Elliott’s bicycle for the ride of my life:







We saw classics like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, the unforgettable and amazing Stephen Spielberg, Katniss from the Hunger Games, Jennifer Lopez, Channing Tatum, and even the Royal Family (who of course got an entire, elegantly decorated room all to themselves):







We rounded out the Tussaud’s experience with some all-time favourites, including Johnny Depp (Steve wouldn’t let me get beside him for a photo….he thought my drool might melt the wax  ):







…..Samuel L. Jackson (Jake is a HUGE fan!!)…..







…..and Will Smith.







Not surprisingly, one of the world’s most famous love triangle…..Jennifer, Brad, and Angelina…..were some of the final statues before we exited to the gift shop.  They are forever all over the tabloids, so they might better be at Tussaud's, too.












I have to say…..this attraction exceeded our expectations:  by A LOT .  Had the three-attraction deal through Merlin (The Eye, Sea Life, & Tussaud’s) not been so crazy cheap at $35 per person (each individual admission is $25 per entry), we probably wouldn’t have bothered with tickets to this venue in the first place.  Since it was significantly less expensive to buy the 3-attraction pass versus tickets to the two places we really *did* want to visit (Sea Life and the Eye), it was a no brainer to buy the multi pass and give Tussaud’s a try.  It turned out to be a genius move, ranking as Steve’s favourite among the three venues and #2 for both Jake and myself (and a “close #2”, for that matter).


*Next up:  our adventures at Sea Life Aquarium   .*


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## vrajewski10513

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> *Madame Tussaud’s…..continued .*
> 
> 
> Continuing through Tussaud’s, the next section of the museum featured a variety of famous athletes from a wide selection of sports.  Beckham was bending it…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In a nod to neighbouring Daytona, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was sitting around on a neatly stacked pile of tires next to his car:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve donned one of the many available props in the attraction, and challenged Mohammed Ali to a boxing match:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dan Marino was poised to toss the ball:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jake did his best to deny Shaq, but alas…..that height difference was just too much:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve, the only one in our house who appreciates a good game of tennis, was excited to see Ms. Williams (I can’t remember if it was Serena or Venus):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods were all featured as well.  Probably a few more, too, that I am forgetting to mention as I flip back through all my photos!!
> 
> 
> After the sports area, we moved into a section which was dedicated to the music stars of the current era.   Well hello, Taylor Swift :
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had to have my photo taken with Pharrell Williams, “because I’m happy”!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The boys got their Pitbull faces on:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve posed with the gorgeous Rihanna:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> MJ was cutting a rug:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> …and the boys didn’t pass up a chance for a pic with Beyonce:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The big names from TV were all present and accounted for in the next dedicated section of the attraction.  Jimmy Fallon was preparing for that evening’s edition of the Tonight Show:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oprah invited me to be a guest on her show :
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ….and apparently it was being broadcast back home on TV!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We were SUPER excited to see the AMAZING statue of our beloved Sheldon Cooper….huge Big Bang Theory fans that we are.  My Steve-o played it cool for the photo, but he was a bit giddy when he first spied Jim Parsons just sitting around, apparently waiting for us to get there .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jake enjoyed a ride in Shrek and Fiona’s onion carriage:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ….and Steve busted a move with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John (lol….I wasn’t supposed to post this picture in my report, so if you’re ever asked, you’ve never seen his before ….wink wink, nudge nudge ).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jake found himself in a restricted area in Jurassic Park:
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> ….and I climbed aboard Elliott’s bicycle for the ride of my life:
> 
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> 
> We saw classics like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, the unforgettable and amazing Stephen Spielberg, Katniss from the Hunger Games, Jennifer Lopez, Channing Tatum, and even the Royal Family (who of course got an entire, elegantly decorated room all to themselves):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We rounded out the Tussaud’s experience with some all-time favourites, including Johnny Depp (Steve wouldn’t let me get beside him for a photo….he thought my drool might melt the wax  ):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> …..Samuel L. Jackson (Jake is a HUGE fan!!)…..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> …..and Will Smith.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not surprisingly, one of the world’s most famous love triangle…..Jennifer, Brad, and Angelina…..were some of the final statues before we exited to the gift shop.  They are forever all over the tabloids, so they might better be at Tussaud's, too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have to say…..this attraction exceeded our expectations:  by A LOT .  Had the three-attraction deal through Merlin (The Eye, Sea Life, & Tussaud’s) not been so crazy cheap at $35 per person (each individual admission is $25 per entry), we probably wouldn’t have bothered with tickets to this venue in the first place.  Since it was significantly less expensive to buy the 3-attraction pass versus tickets to the two places we really *did* want to visit (Sea Life and the Eye), it was a no brainer to buy the multi pass and give Tussaud’s a try.  It turned out to be a genius move, ranking as Steve’s favourite among the three venues and #2 for both Jake and myself (and a “close #2”, for that matter).
> 
> 
> *Next up:  our adventures at Sea Life Aquarium   .*


This place looks amazing!! I've been to the one on Clifton Hill before, but being able to interact and pose with the wax figures is just awesome! Hopefully they update the one in Canada to allow it


----------



## bankr63

Some of those are great, but sometimes they seem to miss the mark.  Why does Angelina Jolie look like a repurposed Celine Dion?

A fun diversion for sure though.  Maybe I should be looking for some discounted attraction tickets for 360 for our March trip.  We are trying to keep costs down this year, but that surely isn't in the range of Universal or Disney?


----------



## Ruthie5671

You can buy your own "wax hands"???  That sounds a little creepy and quite icky!!!  But the rest of the tour looked AMAZING.  This is on my "to-do list" for when we go in December.  I just seem to keep adding on more and more days in my mind to our trip.  Hehehe.


----------



## Tricia's mom

I am all caught on your report. I wanted to cringe when I saw you pull into the Days inn again ??? I guess that wont happen again.  
I dont know how you stay so trim eating all those yummies ! 
Cant wait to see whats next ?/ Gator feeding, mini golf, TGIFridays ???


----------



## Vestmama4

Thanks for the great info on Madame Tussaud's...I was looking into this museum on our Dec trip and just couldn't fit it in. But will def plan to check it out the next time we go to Orlando. I think my kids would love it!


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## pigletto

Looks like you had a great time! I am impressed with how realistic some of those are!
I can't wait for the next instalment


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## jennasmommyinMS

Well, it's settled now--we're definitely visiting Madame Tussaud's to our trip in May!


----------



## ArwenMarie

No one wanted a picture with the Queen and Wills and Kate (and whoever that other guy is) 

I love the Shrek and Fiona figures with the carriage


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

vrajewski10513 said:


> This place looks amazing!! I've been to the one on Clifton Hill before, but being able to interact and pose with the wax figures is just awesome! Hopefully they update the one in Canada to allow it



The Orlando Tussauds blows the Niagara one away .   I too hope that this inspires some change at the Falls location  .   I know it would be a huge investment and cost, but they have the tourism numbers to make back their money.



bankr63 said:


> Some of those are great, but sometimes they seem to miss the mark.  Why does Angelina Jolie look like a repurposed Celine Dion?
> 
> A fun diversion for sure though.  Maybe I should be looking for some discounted attraction tickets for 360 for our March trip.  We are trying to keep costs down this year, but that surely isn't in the range of Universal or Disney?



Yeah, the Angelina figure was less than impressive.  Kind of disappointing that she was one of the last people you saw.....you'd think they would want you leaving with one of their best representations sticking in your mind (not one of the worst).

I think the price has gone up a tad since we bought our tickets last spring.  We paid $35 for the 3 attractions, but I think current price is $39.  Still an excellent value, though, and well worth it.  I think you could get the Eye/Tussauds/SeaLife and Legoland (with transportation) for $99.



Ruthie5671 said:


> You can buy your own "wax hands"???  That sounds a little creepy and quite icky!!!  But the rest of the tour looked AMAZING.  This is on my "to-do list" for when we go in December.  I just seem to keep adding on more and more days in my mind to our trip.  Hehehe.



I'm with you on the creepy factor for the wax hands.  Not the kind of souvie that I want to take home from my vacation  .  They were selling quite a few of them though, so I guess not everyone is as put off at the thought as we are.  What the heck would you do with them after you brought them home? 



Tricia's mom said:


> I am all caught on your report. I wanted to cringe when I saw you pull into the Days inn again ??? I guess that wont happen again.
> I dont know how you stay so trim eating all those yummies !
> Cant wait to see whats next ?/ Gator feeding, mini golf, TGIFridays ???



Surprisingly, we didn't feed ANY gators this trip!   Nor did we visit TGI Fridays.  We did mini golf though, but that's later int he trip.  Next up will be Sea Life, and the following day.....the character breakfast at Ohana, followed by Downtown Disney.

And nope, the Days Hotel is off the list....for a long, long time.  I am good at holding a grudge .

I definitely wouldn't describe myself as "trim", but swimming is my antidote for our dietary sins.  Thank goodness I only live 2 blocks from our local Y.    The pool is my best friend  .



Vestmama4 said:


> Thanks for the great info on Madame Tussaud's...I was looking into this museum on our Dec trip and just couldn't fit it in. But will def plan to check it out the next time we go to Orlando. I think my kids would love it!



 It's great for pre-teens and teens especially.  All their favourite people all in one place!  



pigletto said:


> Looks like you had a great time! I am impressed with how realistic some of those are!
> I can't wait for the next instalment



The Tussauds artists are far better at art than I am.  All I could think of as we toured through was that someone crafted these wax figures by hand, and they are so realistic I was expecting them to blink.  I, however, can't even draw a stick man straight  .



jennasmommyinMS said:


> Well, it's settled now--we're definitely visiting Madame Tussaud's to our trip in May!



 Yay!  I think you'll really like it.  I thought we'd be in and out of there in 20 minutes....I was shocked at how long we milled around!!



ArwenMarie said:


> No one wanted a picture with the Queen and Wills and Kate (and whoever that other guy is)
> 
> I love the Shrek and Fiona figures with the carriage



Oh yes, we got a photo with the Royal Family....I just wasn't thrilled with it.  I look funny in it  . Here it is, you can laugh with me....it just turned out odd looking.





The other fellow is Prince Harry.  We Canadians have to keep up on our Royal Family knowledge ... its a condition of our citizenship  .


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina it's only odd because you forgot to put your tiara on!!


----------



## ArwenMarie

Oh it's cute! Oh that's Henry, I know Henry of course  I thought it was the Queen's husband whose name I can never remember LOL


----------



## dancin Disney style

As usual work is interfering with my Dis life.   I come back this morning and see we are already on page 7.....I'm still on page 4.   I'll try to get up to speed tonight.

Lets' reminisce back a few pages....
I've got the Aloft booked for March.  It's a super cheap SPG point ressie...only 3000.   Our flight comes back into BUF at midnight so I sort of doubt that I will want to drive home.

Size 15....   Is it true what they say about the size of the feet?


Well glad I spent my spare 30 seconds this morning with you.  Now back to the nightmare I call work.  Is it almost Saturday....cuz I'm about to keel over?


----------



## bankr63

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Gina it's only odd because you forgot to put your tiara on!!



And don't turn your bum towards Harry like that, he's likely to give you a pinch!  You can just tell by that devilish grin on his face...


----------



## bankr63

dancin Disney style said:


> Size 15....   Is it true what they say about the size of the feet?



OMG - and I thought I was being brash.  Welcome back DDS - here we go again!

And what do they say?  Big Feet, big....  muscles for Minion Win-ions?


----------



## dancin Disney style

bankr63 said:


> OMG - and I thought I was being brash.  Welcome back DDS - here we go again!
> 
> And what do they say?  Big Feet, big....  muscles for Minion Win-ions?


They say that your feet are the same length as your arm from your wrist to your elbow.  Is there something else?


----------



## dancin Disney style

bankr63 said:


> they have Big Dicks in Buffalo





Lynne G said:


> our Dick's are pretty big too.


There are no words.....I'm so proud.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Gina it's only odd because you forgot to put your tiara on!!



Well there, you figured it out!!    I guess I forgot to pack it.....must have wanted to leave extra room for minions  .



ArwenMarie said:


> Oh it's cute! Oh that's Henry, I know Henry of course  I thought it was the Queen's husband whose name I can never remember LOL



The Queen's hubby is Philip, officially known as the Duke of Edinburgh.  I'm not much into the Royal Family, but my sister used to be....still is, in fact.....so I remember all those silly details because she used to follow their lives like a groupie.   I do think that Will & Kate have some pretty adorable babies, though .



dancin Disney style said:


> As usual work is interfering with my Dis life.   I come back this morning and see we are already on page 7.....I'm still on page 4.   I'll try to get up to speed tonight.
> 
> Lets' reminisce back a few pages....
> I've got the Aloft booked for March.  It's a super cheap SPG point ressie...only 3000.   Our flight comes back into BUF at midnight so I sort of doubt that I will want to drive home.
> 
> Size 15....   Is it true what they say about the size of the feet?
> 
> 
> Well glad I spent my spare 30 seconds this morning with you.  Now back to the nightmare I call work.  Is it almost Saturday....cuz I'm about to keel over?



Oh dancin, you naughty girl  .   I'll leave the answer to your question up to your imagination.  Steve's gotta have some secrets, ya know  .

I can't wait to hear what you think about the Aloft.  If you hate it, I will still have time to cancel and find a better alternative.   My reputation is riding on you, my friend, so don't leave me astray!   

I hear you on the work craziness......my office responsibilities this week have seriously impeded my trip reporting.  I hope to win Lotto 649 this weekend so that next week, I can become a full time contributor to the Dis (from my new condo next to SeaWorld ).



bankr63 said:


> And don't turn your bum towards Harry like that, he's likely to give you a pinch!  You can just tell by that devilish grin on his face...



Harry always has been the rebel of the family .



bankr63 said:


> OMG - and I thought I was being brash.  Welcome back DDS - here we go again!
> 
> And what do they say?  Big Feet, big....  muscles for Minion Win-ions?



Yes, big muscles .  That's it.   That's it for sure  .

"Winions".   I like that .  



dancin Disney style said:


> They say that your feet are the same length as your arm from your wrist to your elbow.  Is there something else?






dancin Disney style said:


> There are no words.....I'm so proud.



This thread doesn't stand a chance .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

_*Let's refocus, shall we?   Redirection....yes, that's a good idea....*_ :


The Orlando Eye complex is very nicely laid out.  Once inside the main building, you have Madame Tussauds to the left, Sea Life Aquarium to the right, then the Eye and the food court spanning the middle section.  It’s bright and open and very, very spacious.  So once we were done at Tussaud’s, we just headed straight across the concourse to the Sea Life Aquarium entrance.







I was excited to see that the Sea Life mascot, Magnus, was out greeting guests and posing for pictures.  You know how I love a good character photo op!  







As with the other Merlin attractions, upon entering the attraction a group of dedicated photography staff took various group photos that were available for purchase as you exited into the gift shop.  Unfortunately, they were all the magic shots that used the green screen, and Steve’s green golf shirt “disappeared” when the digital overlay was applied to the photos (too bad too, because some of them were quite nice).  Note to selves:  wear any other colour than green when visiting iDrive360.  You may recall, Steve had the same problem on the Eye when we visited in May, with all of our photos from their photographers leaving Steve to look like a floating head and arms with no torso .


Once past the photographers, the beginning of the exhibit gave special reference to the protection efforts of the Sea Life organization:












Then we were on our way to see all the underwater creatures showcased within the attraction.







I will apologize now for the quality of most of my photos here.  The type of lighting used within the exhibit, combined with the fact that fish, by nature, move quite rapidly through the water, made my image quality less than impressive.  All that said, I hope they will be good enough to give you a general idea of what the attraction was like.


Throughout the aquarium, there were lots of spots where you could crawl in or behind the glass…..the youngest guests, especially, really liked those little alcoves and pop-ups. 







There were an assortment of sea creatures within the small aquariums, from fish to other ocean crawlies like these fellows……







…..and jellyfish:







Most of the aquariums were nicely adorned with fun underwater features, most giving the feel of a sunken shipwreck:






There were several sections of the exhibit which had large, floor to ceiling viewing areas:

















The consistent theming was carried very well throughout the entire attraction.  The subdued lighting, archways, and overhead aquariums gave a great “feel” to the experience.







Bigger guys, though, will find getting through some of the tunnels a little more challenging than us shorties:












There were a surprising amount of Christmas decorations within Sea Life, too.  I hadn’t anticipated that it was a place where one could do much decorating, but they managed to give the place a festive feel that “fit” with the spirit of the attraction.
























There was even a 360 degree aquarium, complete with a glass floor:












There was a special section devoted to turtles:












….as well as a small sting ray area:







One room featured an open area where you could put your hand right in the water and touch some of the less dangerous sea animals, like starfish.  Aquarium staff were on hand to explain to guests what sea creatures they were interacting with, and to chat about their behaviours and give visitors some interesting facts about the animals’ lives in the ocean.  There was a well-equipped little hand washing station adjacent to the area, so you could clean up nicely after your interaction was over.





Overall, we enjoyed this attraction very much.  It was a little smaller than we anticipated it would be, and the exhibits were definitely not SeaWorld quality, but it was nicely presented nonetheless.  Some of the other visitors were....um....not so courteous  (which definitely impacted our enjoyment.....letting their shreiking kids run amok, push, step on toes, beat on the glass  ) but that's not the aquarium's fault.  I think that's can be an issue no matter which attraction you visit.   Of the trio of the Merlin attractions here, though, the aquarium did rank 3rd on the list for each of us.  I don't know if we expected too much, or if SeaWorld has simply just spoiled us.  Hard to say.

We weren't quite done at iDrive360.  We had one more stop to make.......


----------



## grantclaire

Hi Gina, love the wax museum pics! We were at the EYE the night before your visit. The area has a nice buzz going now! We rode the EYE was just OK, loved the skeleton store and the Christmas tree.  Laughed at the skating rink!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

grantclaire said:


> Hi Gina, love the wax museum pics! We were at the EYE the night before your visit. The area has a nice buzz going now! We rode the EYE was just OK, loved the skeleton store and the Christmas tree.  Laughed at the skating rink!



That whole section of International Drive is just SO much better than it used to be.  The Eye complex, as a whole, has just been transformed in such an awesome way.

I bet there were a LOT of northerners laughing at that rink .  Some things just don't belong in Florida.....ice rinks being one of them!


----------



## grantclaire

My son being a good Canadian boy says too bad they don't have hockey sticks! BTW Santa Claus rode the EYE the same time as us!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

grantclaire said:


> My son being a good Canadian boy says too bad they don't have hockey sticks! BTW Santa Claus rode the EYE the same time as us!



In your pod?!?!?!  I would have been so excited!


----------



## grantclaire

In one a few before us, I think a Christmas or birthday party.  Some pretty excited kids, really cute!


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## pepperandchips

Gina, you really ought to be careful with your redirects... This is how it looked in my safari browser with the line break....



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> _*Let's refocus, shall we? Redirection....yes, that's a good idea....*_ :
> 
> 
> The Orlando Eye complex is very nicely laid





In all seriousness, already enjoying the report! That seems like a great deal for all 3 I-drive 360 attractions. Did you guys experience any of the restaurants or shops there? I'm thinking we may need to check it out next week. 

The aquarium reminds me of a teeny tiny version of our Atlanta aquarium - which is quite impressive for a first visit but lacks repeatability. That's what amazes me about the Orlando theme parks - so much to see and do you can do them 4 times a year and still not see it all.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Did you know that Prince Philip had an uncle Dickie?


----------



## momof2gr8kids

Aww man...what I wouldn't do for one of those Steak n Shake milkshakes right now.  I think of them often!! We weren't super impressed with the food the time we were there.  Maybe it was because we were so full from the shake we weren't too interested in our meal!

Wax museum looks like something we would enjoy!  Will have to keep that on the possibility list for our next Orlando trip.  Which I'd really love to do next Christmas break.  Will see where the school schedule lands.


----------



## pigletto

So I've discovered something. Your trip report is going to prove to be very expensive for me. Every single time I read a new update that "Hey..how about a Christmas trip?!?!" voice gets just a little bit louder in my head. I'm in the middle of planning a May trip! 
I even started laying the December groundwork last night Gina. Very casually bringing up annual passes and started  glancing at offsite rentals in December. 
I blame you. That's blame shifting and refusing to take ownership of my vacation addictions, but I blame you just the same.
You watch.. by the end of your trip report I'll be booking December. Carry on, there's no stopping it now.


----------



## momof2gr8kids

Same!!!  And I keep thinking... well if we were lucky enough to get bogo SeaWorld and Aquatica annual passes next Black Friday, we would have to plan another trip for sure!
(Then I look at the exchange rate and bounce back to reality! lol)


----------



## toystoryduo

Love the rest of your wax museum and aquarium photos!  Were you able to get some discounts for those attractions?


----------



## Monykalyn

FINALLY had time to catch up (and finish reading the Halloween TR-wow! that looked like soooo much fun!) Great reading as always. If your home resort gets into II then we may have to try it next time we visit (probably not before late 2017)-we love love the Marriott resorts in Orlando-Sabal Palms with the proximity to World Center (and their pools) is one of our favorites.
The Eye in London is on our bucket list-actually had this convo with hubs last night-but with planned Washington DC trip (taking my oldest daughter for her senior trip) over spring break and wanting to extend time after our companies annual Sales meeting in July (it's at Skamania Lodge near Portland Oregon this year and we have never been to that area of country) the vacation budget for this year is drained...even the Eye in Orlando is out for now lol. Looking forward to seeing more of your pictures on it!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pepperandchips said:


> Gina, you really ought to be careful with your redirects... This is how it looked in my safari browser with the line break....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In all seriousness, already enjoying the report! That seems like a great deal for all 3 I-drive 360 attractions. Did you guys experience any of the restaurants or shops there? I'm thinking we may need to check it out next week.
> 
> The aquarium reminds me of a teeny tiny version of our Atlanta aquarium - which is quite impressive for a first visit but lacks repeatability. That's what amazes me about the Orlando theme parks - so much to see and do you can do them 4 times a year and still not see it all.



You scoundrels are just naughty, naughty  .... but you are certainly giving me my giggles .  I assure you....nothing inapprorpriate was meant by my choice of words......and the page break I had absolutely nothing to do with .  But it did seem oddly appropriate under the circumstances .

We had some snacks at one of the shops at iDrive360 (that's coming up next in my report, actually) and we have eated twice at Red Robin (which is newly built, and just adjacent to that complex).   I am considering giving Cowgirls Rock Bar a try in April, as there's a good Groupon for that right now (lunch for 4, with drinks, for $35).  The Shake Shack looks not too bad (though it got mixed reviews from The Trip podcast crew) so we might give it a whirl at some point, too.



dancin Disney style said:


> Did you know that Prince Philip had an uncle Dickie?



Where is a face palm imogi when you need it?  



momof2gr8kids said:


> Aww man...what I wouldn't do for one of those Steak n Shake milkshakes right now.  I think of them often!! We weren't super impressed with the food the time we were there.  Maybe it was because we were so full from the shake we weren't too interested in our meal!
> 
> Wax museum looks like something we would enjoy!  Will have to keep that on the possibility list for our next Orlando trip.  Which I'd really love to do next Christmas break.  Will see where the school schedule lands.



For some reason, it took a lot longer to get our shakes on this visit than it usually does....they weren't brought out until right before our burgers.  Strangely enough, I actually liked the fact that we didn't have so long to slurp up the heavy shakes, because it made it MUCH easier to eat our meals  .   



pigletto said:


> So I've discovered something. Your trip report is going to prove to be very expensive for me. Every single time I read a new update that "Hey..how about a Christmas trip?!?!" voice gets just a little bit louder in my head. I'm in the middle of planning a May trip!
> I even started laying the December groundwork last night Gina. Very casually bringing up annual passes and started  glancing at offsite rentals in December.
> I blame you. That's blame shifting and refusing to take ownership of my vacation addictions, but I blame you just the same.
> You watch.. by the end of your trip report I'll be booking December. Carry on, there's no stopping it now.



I've got broad shoulders....I will gladly take the blame!!   

You know, I absolutely LOVED taking a Christmas trip.  I loved it for so many reasons......

-- We loved the time spent together (because that's what the holidays are supposed to be about, anyway)
-- We loved escaping the cold north for a last blast of summer before winter really hits
-- We loved all the Christmas decor down south....it actually feels MORE Christmassy there than it does at home, because without the cold weather to help with the overall atmosphere, they have to work a little harder to make their own festive ambiance
-- We loved not having to partake in the craziness of shopping for gifts for each other.  The trip was our gift, so it just made the whole season so "easy"
-- We loved how every single attraction (major theme park or smaller independent) did something special for the holidays.  And all of them were unique!
-- We loved escaping the family drama back home.  I hope that doesn't make me sound bad....but its true.  Being away, just the three of us, was _*peaceful*_.

Christmas trips are definitely different than any other time of year, though.  Travelling to and from Orlando is more challenging (weather, crowds).  Flights and car rentals are more expensive.  Temperatures in Orlando are more variable (because you can potentially get anything from hot to warm to cool to quite chilly) so planning, especially for water based activities, is a tougher to do.  And then there's the crowds.....you need to pack your patience and leave a lot more time when travelling from point A to point B.

All that said, though, I'd do it again in a heart beat.  Heck, I'd do it again NEXT Christmas....but with our dollar this low, and two trips already booked for 2016, I know a three-peat for this year is a definite no-go.  But if you're tossing it around in your mind, I would wholeheartedly say GO FOR IT GIRL!!  Because its sooo much fun  .  You haven't even begun to see the best of this trip yet.   All of our favourite moments are still yet to come!



momof2gr8kids said:


> Same!!!  And I keep thinking... well if we were lucky enough to get bogo SeaWorld and Aquatica annual passes next Black Friday, we would have to plan another trip for sure!
> (Then I look at the exchange rate and bounce back to reality! lol)



Those BOGO SeaWorld AP's are such an awesome deal.....and are exactly what us Canadians needed to make our trips affordable.  I am pretty sure that we'll continue to buy them as long as SeaWorld offers them -- and its been such a successful promotion the last two years, I'm hoping its become their "thing" (like Disney's free dining).



toystoryduo said:


> Love the rest of your wax museum and aquarium photos!  Were you able to get some discounts for those attractions?



We sure did  .  Single attraction admission is $25 per person.  Online advance pricing is $20 per attraction.  We got all three admission (Orlando Eye, Sea Life and Madame Tussauds) for $35 per person by buying when they first opened last May (though you can still pick up the three-attraction package for $39 pp by purchasing online).



Monykalyn said:


> FINALLY had time to catch up (and finish reading the Halloween TR-wow! that looked like soooo much fun!) Great reading as always. If your home resort gets into II then we may have to try it next time we visit (probably not before late 2017)-we love love the Marriott resorts in Orlando-Sabal Palms with the proximity to World Center (and their pools) is one of our favorites.
> The Eye in London is on our bucket list-actually had this convo with hubs last night-but with planned Washington DC trip (taking my oldest daughter for her senior trip) over spring break and wanting to extend time after our companies annual Sales meeting in July (it's at Skamania Lodge near Portland Oregon this year and we have never been to that area of country) the vacation budget for this year is drained...even the Eye in Orlando is out for now lol. Looking forward to seeing more of your pictures on it!



I am pretty sure the Vistana trades with Interval International, unless things have changed in the past couple of years.  Hopefully you will get a chance to give SVR a try on on a future visit  .  I have heard great things about the Marriott resorts, and wouldn't hesitate to give one of them a try if we needed an extra week somewhere along the way  .  I love that they seem to offer a similar experience (great pools and recreational amenities, large modern villas, lots of onsite scheduled activities) ... so much more than what you get at a standard hotel.

Sounds like you have a busy travel year ahead, even though it doesn't include Orlando.  Your spring break adventures, in particular, won't be long sneaking up on you!!


----------



## chiamarie

Well, I've FINALLY found this report!   (life has been busy as of late)

And I do have some input when it comes to boxing day.  I know that it's the day after Christmas.   And that it's an "English" thing.   As far as the "boxing christmas back up"  that's just depressing.  I hate doing it before January 30th.  That being said, I did it last sunday, which is a record for me, for sure.  (but alas, I knew I was going to be having a couple of busy weeks, and if I didn't do it then, who knows when it'd get done.  and it was depressing!)


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

chiamarie said:


> Well, I've FINALLY found this report!   (life has been busy as of late)
> 
> And I do have some input when it comes to boxing day.  I know that it's the day after Christmas.   And that it's an "English" thing.   As far as the "boxing christmas back up"  that's just depressing.  I hate doing it before January 30th.  That being said, I did it last sunday, which is a record for me, for sure.  (but alas, I knew I was going to be having a couple of busy weeks, and if I didn't do it then, who knows when it'd get done.  and it was depressing!)



Woohoo!!    You're here!     I have been hoping you'd join in when you got a chance  .

I happen to agree with you completely about Boxing Day....its definitely not my favourite day.  Traditionally we do utilize that day to take down the tree and all of our holiday decor.  Once the actual holiday is over, Christmas decorations kind of lose their magic for us....so away they go.  It always makes me sad to do so, knowing its another 11 months before the excitement and anticipation rolls around again, but my Type A personality needs that return to normalcy.  I know, I'm weird....in that way, and so many others .  

All you patient folks who live in Orlando must be enjoying a slow return to normal now that the HUGE influx of holiday travellers have returned home.  I hope the spectacular weather you were enjoying is still continuing well into January!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Wrapping things up at Sea Life, we ventured back out into the courtyard and the hot and humid late afternoon.  We were all quite thirsty, so we decided to look for somewhere to grab a beverage to share.  Just adjacent to the ice rink area, we spotted this:







Certain that they would offer a nice selection of cold drinks, we went inside.


Bad, bad idea .


It was the smell that got us as we entered......oh soooo good .  Large glass display counters showcased a variety of cookies, pretzels, brownies and other specialty items as the scent of cinnamon and chocolate and fresh cookies coming out of the oven assaulted our senses.


What did we come in here for again?   Oh right, a drink!  Yeah, well, I think our order might be a little bigger than that before we’re done .


The very friendly woman behind the counter cheerily informs us that the cookies are all buy three, get one free today....like we needed any convincing .  After drooling for a little while and agonizing over which treats to choose (every single one of them looked divine....there were no icky flavours like oatmeal raisin!) we eventually decided on the cookie sandwiches, which they called "Doozies":  two soft baked cookies with a layer of fluffy vanilla icing in between.  Three chocolate chip (one for each of us) and one M&M for our freebie.





_(in the pictures, you can't see the icing between the cookies, so you'll just have to trust me that it was there....in all its creamy, sweet, yummy goodness.....and it still remains squarely on my hips, I'm sure)_

We also ordered a large drink to share.  Jake loves the Coke Freestyle machines, so we let him select our beverage.  For the record, with cookies that soft and rich, we all should have had a large glass of white milk to wash ‘em down versus a carbonated beverage....but we ended up with some sort of funky lemonade concoction instead (that’s what happens when the kids.....even the big ones....are allowed to choose!!).   The mystery lemonade was good (and refreshing....perfect for a hot Florida day), but those cookies were so delish they just really should have tangoed with milk instead .






The total cost of the 4 Doozies (of which one was free) and drink, with tax, was $14.92.

Following our snack break, we had no other concrete plans for the remainder of the day but we were also nowhere near ready for any kind of dinner (not after our indulgences at the Great American Cookie shop).  I knew one thing that Jake was continuing to look forward to on this trip was more shopping (he had been saving his money for that purpose for months), and heading back from International Drive to Lake Buena Vista we’d be driving literally right past the Premium Outlets on Vineland.   As we headed back to the parking garage, I asked if anyone wanted to walk around the outlet malls for a bit before returning to the resort....and my question was met with a resounding YES! from the boy.   At that moment, I became Mother of the Year .


Pulling into the outlet mall parking lot, we wondered if we’d even be able to get out of the car....the lot was packed from top to bottom.  Resigning ourselves to the fact that we may end up utilizing the valet services, we decided to try the parking garage first to see if maybe we’d find something available there.  Just as we were slowly approaching the farthest reaches of the completely full main level, we saw the beautiful glow of back-up lights as another shopper put their vehicle in reverse in preparation to leave .  We happily pulled into the spot as they departed, and headed off to see what bargains awaited us.


It was a gorgeous late afternoon and early evening....albeit a little on the hot side and humid side (and my hair was definitely showing the effects of that ! )....so we enjoyed the stroll in the summer-like air.  We hit up all of our favourite stores.....Under Armour, Nike, Adidas and Reebok for the boys, and a few random girlie stores for yours truly.   At the end of our couple of hours of retail therapy, we didn’t find *huge* amounts of great deals (not as good as those at the Lake Buena Vista Factory stores, and nothing close to the prices at the Nike Clearance Store) but we didn’t leave empty handed, either.  Jake was happy, so we were happy .







Once back at the parking garage, we loaded our purchases into the trunk and wound our way through the mall traffic and back out to the road.  As we made our way back to the 535, we discussed how we wanted to spend the balance of our evening, and unanimously decided to grab some dinner before heading back to the resort to enjoy the pool and hot tubs for the rest of the night.  Mother Nature had given us summer-like weather so it would be a shame to waste it!


At the intersection, we took a right turn and headed past the entrance to Disney Springs to another one of our American favourites:  our evening meal would be at Chilis  .


----------



## ArwenMarie

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> -- *We loved escaping the family drama back home.  I hope that doesn't make me sound bad....but its true.  Being away, just the three of us, was peaceful.*



 /checking rates for next December

Seriously though, I would love to go away for Christmas, whether to Orlando or another warm locale. Just the four of us, no running around trying to see everyone (not that I don't love them haha)....sounds blissful for one year anyway. The holidays were very stressful this year, fun, but stressful.


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## pigletto

Those are all very solid reasons for a Christmas trip Gina! I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I think the thing holding us back is that there is no family drama, and we would feel bad not seeing everyone for the holidays. I don't think you sound bad at all. We enjoy a pretty good relationship with our families but I know that isn't the case for everyone. If it wasn't the case for us, it would be an easy decision for sure!
This year though I was shopping, wrapping, cleaning cooking, planning, making lists, getting ready for weeks and at one point just thought "this is insane." There just seems to be more to do every year and a trip to just be together sounds awfully nice. Definitely something to think about.

Those cookies look delicious! And I can't believe what awesome weather you guys had in December!


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## grantclaire

Gina, we have done two Christmas away down south and have loved both of them. The DW's family at first were a little put off about us missing Christmas but have now they think its not such a bad idea!  We hit the outlet mall as well, it was busy.  My son got some good deals even with the low looney.


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## Lynne G

Nice update.  I love warm chocolate cookies,  and they looked mighty good that you had.

We bought Super Grover passes again this year.  We will be Orlando bound this time, as a much shorter trip and no time change change, as well as slightly lower airfare.
I have my family used to us not being around fir Christmas, and we always get together for New Years, so, until the younger one is out of High School, it may be our choice of vacation time.  That, and the thought of Dicovery Cove again , is a big draw.


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## pepperandchips

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> You scoundrels are just naughty, naughty
> 
> 
> The Shake Shack looks not too bad (though it got mixed reviews from The Trip podcast crew) so we might give it a whirl at some point, too.



Naughty? Who? Me? neverrrr 

We have a shake shack in Atlanta too - and while I was a little surprised by the somewhat negative review on the trip, I'm not all that surprised. I also think it's a bit pricey for what you get, but as was mentioned on the podcast, the quality is really high there. And in Atlanta, it's located in a "see and be seen" very posh shopping area, so that makes sense. But I also get great high quality burgers at my neighborhood pub-style bar, so I've only been to shake shack a few times. They do carry some great beer selections on draft if you're into that kinda thing.

Loving the report!!!


----------



## pepperandchips

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> we eventually decided on the cookie sandwiches, which they called "Doozies": two soft baked cookies with a layer of fluffy vanilla icing in between. Three chocolate chip (one for each of us) and one M&M for our freebie.



Ugh, they have these in all the indoor shopping malls in our area and they are so evil!!! Just their plain sugar cookie is amazing in and of itself, but those double doozies....  Pro tip: their cookie cakes are sinful. Maybe we _won't_ need to check out the shops there after all...


----------



## greenclan67

pigletto said:


> Those are all very solid reasons for a Christmas trip Gina! I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I think the thing holding us back is that there is no family drama, and we would feel bad not seeing everyone for the holidays. I don't think you sound bad at all. We enjoy a pretty good relationship with our families but I know that isn't the case for everyone. If it wasn't the case for us, it would be an easy decision for sure!
> This year though I was shopping, wrapping, cleaning cooking, planning, making lists, getting ready for weeks and at one point just thought "this is insane." There just seems to be more to do every year and a trip to just be together sounds awfully nice. Definitely something to think about.
> 
> Those cookies look delicious! And I can't believe what awesome weather you guys had in December!


We have done xmad vacations the last 3 years!! It is blissful to say the least. My girls are 16 & 14. I ask them gifts or vacay? They have chosen vacay the last 3. But boy does it ever cut down the stress.


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

The parking at the mall is always insane, we always seem to end up driving round and round........ In July we parked across the road and walked over.

We too love Christmas in Orlando and have been a few times, as you said the atmosphere and attractions are great. We have had the cooler weather on a couple of trips and it does make the water parks a challenge ( if they are not closed due to the inclement weather). It seems funny walking around Florida with coats, gloves and hats on!


----------



## dancin Disney style

I'm soooooo happy to hear that others wish to avoid the Xmas drama.  It's my deepest desire to escape the whole thing but we just have not been able to make it a reality, to this point.  My family is split in half because one person holds a grudge (at least 8 years now) for something that didn't actually happen. We no longer have Xmas/Thanks Giving/Easter or anything else as a result.  My family is so small (me, my mom and my brother) it just makes me nuts because it's so petty. 

Calgone take me away!


----------



## nancipants

Really enjoying your trip report, Gina! I never considered visiting the I-Drive attractions but Tussauds looks like it might be kind of fun! 



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> All you patient folks who live in Orlando must be enjoying a slow return to normal now that the HUGE influx of holiday travellers have returned home.  I hope the spectacular weather you were enjoying is still continuing well into January!!



HA! The cooler temperatures we've been clamoring for finally arrived. Unfortunately, so did rain and general gloominess. I miss the sun!


----------



## Monykalyn

@Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina --Have you tried the Chili's to Go? They do have a smart phone app-order while shopping-set your pick up time and they bring the order out to your car! Can take back to resort to eat on your lovely screened porch. We did that a couple times last Orlando vacay (the kids can relax and not have to sit still, and the adults can indulge in an adult beverage back at the condo without having to worry about driving). I even used it when I took my daughter and her friend to Silver Dollar City (Branson MO) this past fall. Was lovely to have dinner at our condo after all the walking and no waiting in lines LOL. Bargain hunter that you are you also can collect reward points that way and get free apps or drinks or deserts.

I love love love the idea of vacation for Christmas-I can't get every year off or extended periods off very often (work in hospital) but I am planning extended family cruise for 2017. It will be lovely to not have to drive all over the state every weekend trying to see all the family and try to not hurt each set of in laws feelings that we are not spending every available second with them (have 2 sets-one 2 hours from us and one 3 hours from us). 

It's funny how much the boys enjoy the shopping-my son and older daughter are the same way; me and middle kid-meh-not so much.

As for those cookies...at least one birthday around here every year has the giant cookie "cake"( instead of actual cake) from that place...


----------



## bankr63

greenclan67 said:


> We have done xmad vacations the last 3 years!! It is blissful to say the least. My girls are 16 & 14. I ask them gifts or vacay? They have chosen vacay the last 3. But boy does it ever cut down the stress.



xmad 

Now there's a typo (or was that on purpose?) that I can really get behind.


----------



## dixonsontour

I'm here, great start (well apart from the hotel and car!)


----------



## greenclan67

bankr63 said:


> xmad
> 
> Now there's a typo (or was that on purpose?) that I can really get behind.


We always call xmas, xmad here!! It always ends with me being frustrated, angry, overworked and Mad!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

So I had the BEST intentions to do a whole lotta trip reporting over the course of the weekend, and well.....those great plans went right down the drain.  I had a slew of unexpected things pop up between Friday night and now, topped off by Steve finding out late last night that he has to leave for Michigan tomorrow and won't be home until Friday.    So my apologies to all!  I am going to do my best to get caught back up and at least get one more small entry posted before bed.



ArwenMarie said:


> /checking rates for next December
> 
> Seriously though, I would love to go away for Christmas, whether to Orlando or another warm locale. Just the four of us, no running around trying to see everyone (not that I don't love them haha)....sounds blissful for one year anyway. The holidays were very stressful this year, fun, but stressful.



Yup, that's one of the things we love about Christmas away......not feeling pulled in so many directions.  Not having to decide if we spend the holidays with someone from my family or someone from Steve's.  Not having to deal with the brothers-in-law (one on each side) that seems to make us miserable every single year.  Not having to worry about baking and cooking and commuting in (often) crappy weather.

We just got up, showered and dressed, and went to SeaWorld .  Reserved seating, Quick Queue, no lines, no stress, even prepaid meals.  Christmas music, lights, decor, and more holiday cheer than you can imagine.  It was perfect .   If I had the income and the opportunity to do it every year, I would in a heartbeat!!



pigletto said:


> Those are all very solid reasons for a Christmas trip Gina! I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I think the thing holding us back is that there is no family drama, and we would feel bad not seeing everyone for the holidays. I don't think you sound bad at all. We enjoy a pretty good relationship with our families but I know that isn't the case for everyone. If it wasn't the case for us, it would be an easy decision for sure!
> This year though I was shopping, wrapping, cleaning cooking, planning, making lists, getting ready for weeks and at one point just thought "this is insane." There just seems to be more to do every year and a trip to just be together sounds awfully nice. Definitely something to think about.
> 
> Those cookies look delicious! And I can't believe what awesome weather you guys had in December!



The weather was incredible.  The heat and humidity were such a surprise!!   Especially at night......we were prepared for an evening chill at the very least, but didn't need so much as hoody even once.

You are so very fortunate to have no family drama during the holiday season.  We've got a few...uh.....*difficult* folks that make every holiday (Christmas, Easter, Thankgiving ) a challenge.



grantclaire said:


> Gina, we have done two Christmas away down south and have loved both of them. The DW's family at first were a little put off about us missing Christmas but have now they think its not such a bad idea!  We hit the outlet mall as well, it was busy.  My son got some good deals even with the low looney.



Yup, we thought there were some great sales to be had this year, and even with the exchange factored in, we still came out WAY ahead .   The malls were busy but it was well worth the time to deal with the crowds.

Most of our family was pretty supportive of our decision to spend Christmas in the south.  The few that weren't were the reason we decided to get away in the first place .  We all had a big family get together with Steve's family two days after we got home, and we celebrated with my mom the day after that.  So we did get to all the important people later in the week, after all the whoopla was over and the dust had settled.  



Lynne G said:


> Nice update.  I love warm chocolate cookies,  and they looked mighty good that you had.
> 
> We bought Super Grover passes again this year.  We will be Orlando bound this time, as a much shorter trip and no time change change, as well as slightly lower airfare.
> I have my family used to us not being around fir Christmas, and we always get together for New Years, so, until the younger one is out of High School, it may be our choice of vacation time.  That, and the thought of Dicovery Cove again , is a big draw.



Ah, Discovery Cove for Christmas!     I can't think of anything more perfect!



pepperandchips said:


> Naughty? Who? Me? neverrrr
> 
> We have a shake shack in Atlanta too - and while I was a little surprised by the somewhat negative review on the trip, I'm not all that surprised. I also think it's a bit pricey for what you get, but as was mentioned on the podcast, the quality is really high there. And in Atlanta, it's located in a "see and be seen" very posh shopping area, so that makes sense. But I also get great high quality burgers at my neighborhood pub-style bar, so I've only been to shake shack a few times. They do carry some great beer selections on draft if you're into that kinda thing.
> 
> Loving the report!!!





pepperandchips said:


> Ugh, they have these in all the indoor shopping malls in our area and they are so evil!!! Just their plain sugar cookie is amazing in and of itself, but those double doozies....  Pro tip: their cookie cakes are sinful. Maybe we _won't_ need to check out the shops there after all...



So Great American Cookie is a chain?  Oh dear, that's not going to be good for my waistline!! 

I saw their cookie cakes, and was mighty impressed (they were decorated so adorably!).  Jake's Sunshine is celebrating her birthday on our April trip.....maybe that would be a good idea for her in lieu of a traditional cake  .  Of course, I was also considering something cool from Carlos Bakery in the Florida Mall.  Decisions, decisions  .



greenclan67 said:


> We have done xmad vacations the last 3 years!! It is blissful to say the least. My girls are 16 & 14. I ask them gifts or vacay? They have chosen vacay the last 3. But boy does it ever cut down the stress.



I do think it makes it easier when you have older kids versus younger ones.  One of the perks of having teens  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> The parking at the mall is always insane, we always seem to end up driving round and round........ In July we parked across the road and walked over.
> 
> We too love Christmas in Orlando and have been a few times, as you said the atmosphere and attractions are great. We have had the cooler weather on a couple of trips and it does make the water parks a challenge ( if they are not closed due to the inclement weather). It seems funny walking around Florida with coats, gloves and hats on!



Yeah, we didn't even really plan on a waterpark day until we saw the forecast for our week there.  I was so surprised there weren't more people at Aquatica when it was so HOT and humid  .  Winter or not, I thought the place would be packed!!  



dancin Disney style said:


> I'm soooooo happy to hear that others wish to avoid the Xmas drama.  It's my deepest desire to escape the whole thing but we just have not been able to make it a reality, to this point.  My family is split in half because one person holds a grudge (at least 8 years now) for something that didn't actually happen. We no longer have Xmas/Thanks Giving/Easter or anything else as a result.  My family is so small (me, my mom and my brother) it just makes me nuts because it's so petty.
> 
> Calgone take me away!



Ah yes, I can empathize with you totally.  On my side, its my sister and her husband who sour the holiday spirit.  On Steve's, its a brother and a brother-in-law that routinely test everyone's good nature.  Family holidays where we are forced to endure those difficult individuals are always the time where Jake takes a moment to thank us for making him an only child .  



nancipants said:


> Really enjoying your trip report, Gina! I never considered visiting the I-Drive attractions but Tussauds looks like it might be kind of fun!
> 
> HA! The cooler temperatures we've been clamoring for finally arrived. Unfortunately, so did rain and general gloominess. I miss the sun!



Oh no!  I hope your rain lets up and the sunshine returns.  Dreariness is far worse than cooler temperatures!!

We've had drenching rain here for the past two days as well.   The upside is that it has melted almost all of our snow.  Cold weather is supposed to return for us this week as well, much more to the Canadian norm for January.  Blech  .



Monykalyn said:


> @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina --Have you tried the Chili's to Go? They do have a smart phone app-order while shopping-set your pick up time and they bring the order out to your car! Can take back to resort to eat on your lovely screened porch. We did that a couple times last Orlando vacay (the kids can relax and not have to sit still, and the adults can indulge in an adult beverage back at the condo without having to worry about driving). I even used it when I took my daughter and her friend to Silver Dollar City (Branson MO) this past fall. Was lovely to have dinner at our condo after all the walking and no waiting in lines LOL. Bargain hunter that you are you also can collect reward points that way and get free apps or drinks or deserts.
> 
> I love love love the idea of vacation for Christmas-I can't get every year off or extended periods off very often (work in hospital) but I am planning extended family cruise for 2017. It will be lovely to not have to drive all over the state every weekend trying to see all the family and try to not hurt each set of in laws feelings that we are not spending every available second with them (have 2 sets-one 2 hours from us and one 3 hours from us).
> 
> It's funny how much the boys enjoy the shopping-my son and older daughter are the same way; me and middle kid-meh-not so much.
> 
> As for those cookies...at least one birthday around here every year has the giant cookie "cake"( instead of actual cake) from that place...



Chili's To Go has always been on our radar, but so far we've never taken the plunge and brought it back to the villa.  You're making a good case for it for April, though......I just wish they'd deliver right to the resort!  (how's that for a case of the vacation lazies )



bankr63 said:


> xmad
> 
> Now there's a typo (or was that on purpose?) that I can really get behind.



  

A Freudian slip from my friend Carrie?  



dixonsontour said:


> I'm here, great start (well apart from the hotel and car!)



   Glad to have you reading along!!

My mom has a saying: "Poor start, good ending"....and that's pretty much how our vacation went .  I am happy to report things did improve substantially from those first couple of days!! 



greenclan67 said:


> We always call xmas, xmad here!! It always ends with me being frustrated, angry, overworked and Mad!!



And this one ended up with you stung by an ocean beast!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Sunday, December 20th....the conclusion:*


Arriving at Chili’s, we were happy to find it busy but not packed.  Seeing it busy generally means its a good place to be, and popular with tourists and locals (hopefully for all the right reasons).  Packed, though, is not fun.....and available restaurant seating was an ongoing issue on our 2012 Christmas trip (so we were ready for that again this time around).   Checking in with the greeter, we were happy to learn they had a booth available and we were escorted to our seats immediately.


Jake was all smiles after a fun day (admitting both iDrive360 attractions exceeded his expectations), and he enjoyed a few moments of catching up with his Sunshine by text.  She happens to LOVE Chili’s.....it’s her favourite American chain restaurant....so he was having a little fun bragging about where we were dining that evening (softening it, of course, by pledging that we would take her there on the first night of our vacation in April...which just happens to be her birthday).







After mogging around Tussauds, Sea Life and the outlet mall, I must admit it felt good to sit down!!







Our server was quick to first bring beverages (much appreciated, as we were super thirsty from the Florida heat) and then take our food order.   Chili’s still had their “Dinner for Two” promotion on (2 full size entrees and an appetizer to share for $20), but of course in our threesome that always means that there is one odd man out.  We decided, then, to go with two of the 2-for-$20 promos and take the fourth entree back to the villa later that night.  It probably doesn’t surprise you that my guys are generally always up for a late night, after-swim snack .


For our two starters to share, we opted for the spiced panko onion rings and a half order of Texas cheese fries.  Both arrived very quickly after our order was placed.







We’ve had the Texas cheese fries before, so we knew exactly what to expect with those.  The spiced panko onion rings, though, were a new item for us .... and they were _excellent_.  Spicy enough to satisfy Jake (for whom food can rarely get TOO spicy, or too hot) but not so much so that I (who is spice averse) couldn’t enjoy them.  Between us, both appetizers received a full six thumbs up from our trio , and quantity wise there was PLENTY to go around.


We had just enough time to leisurely enjoy our starters before our entrees were brought to the table.  Jake had the Crispy Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers:







These are a big favourite of his, and his go-to meal choice on every visit.  As always, they didn’t disappoint again this day, either.....he devoured every bite .


Steve, as usual, went straight for the steak (with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes), upgraded from the 6 oz to the 10 oz for a small charge.  Not the best photo, but enough to get the idea:







Like my boy, I’m a huge fan of the Chili’s Chicken Crispers _(what is it that they do differently with their chicken?  Whatever it is, its sooo good! ) _so that was my selection.  I have to say, their corn on the cob was also delightfully tasty.  Our Canadian corn season is basically just June to September, so enjoying corn on the cob at Christmas time really was quite a treat.







Our spare “take home” entree was chicken quesadillas.  They initially brought them to the table, but were great to bring us a box in which to whisk them back to the villa fridge.







After the Great American Cookie indulgence of earlier in the day, we all had zero interest in dessert.  With our leftovers secured in a take-out container (the quesadillas had some company...a chicken crisper or two from my plate joined them for the return to SVR), we covered our bill ($51.31 including tax....two dinners for 2, two soft drinks, and a strawberry lemonade...though I am just noticing on reviewing the bill for this trip report entry that they did not charge Steve for his steak upgrade ) and made the short drive back to the resort.





It was a gorgeous, warm night, so we wasted no time in changing into our swimwear, pouring some adult beverages, and heading straight for the Fountains pool.  We met up with our new friends from Wisconsin in the upper hot tub, and spent over 2 hours shooting the breeze with them and the other guests.  I believe this was the evening we also had a great chat with a pair of young travellers from South Africa....two very well spoken young gentleman who were enjoying a tour of several  North American cities over a course of several weeks before returning to their homeland.  Part of their pending travels were poised to take them to both New York City and Montreal, so they had lots of questions about winter in the north (they had never seen snow!!).  It was a very cool opportunity to chat about the differences in our cultures!


It was after 11 pm before we returned to the villa, and near midnight before we finally called it a night.  Tomorrow we’d have a bit of an opportunity to sleep in before we welcomed some special guests for breakfast:  my brother and his fiancé would be joining us, along with Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch, for breakfast at Disney’s Polynesian Resort .


----------



## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> So I had the BEST intentions to do a whole lotta trip reporting over the course of the weekend, and well.....those great plans went right down the drain.  I had a slew of unexpected things pop up between Friday night and now, topped off by Steve finding out late last night that he has to leave for Michigan tomorrow and won't be home until Friday.    So my apologies to all!  I am going to do my best to get caught back up and at least get one more small entry posted before bed.
> 
> 
> 
> Yup, that's one of the things we love about Christmas away......not feeling pulled in so many directions.  Not having to decide if we spend the holidays with someone from my family or someone from Steve's.  Not having to deal with the brothers-in-law (one on each side) that seems to make us miserable every single year.  Not having to worry about baking and cooking and commuting in (often) crappy weather.
> 
> We just got up, showered and dressed, and went to SeaWorld .  Reserved seating, Quick Queue, no lines, no stress, even prepaid meals.  Christmas music, lights, decor, and more holiday cheer than you can imagine.  It was perfect .   If I had the income and the opportunity to do it every year, I would in a heartbeat!!
> 
> 
> 
> The weather was incredible.  The heat and humidity were such a surprise!!   Especially at night......we were prepared for an evening chill at the very least, but didn't need so much as hoody even once.
> 
> You are so very fortunate to have no family drama during the holiday season.  We've got a few...uh.....*difficult* folks that make every holiday (Christmas, Easter, Thankgiving ) a challenge.
> 
> 
> 
> Yup, we thought there were some great sales to be had this year, and even with the exchange factored in, we still came out WAY ahead .   The malls were busy but it was well worth the time to deal with the crowds.
> 
> Most of our family was pretty supportive of our decision to spend Christmas in the south.  The few that weren't were the reason we decided to get away in the first place .  We all had a big family get together with Steve's family two days after we got home, and we celebrated with my mom the day after that.  So we did get to all the important people later in the week, after all the whoopla was over and the dust had settled.
> 
> 
> 
> Ah, Discovery Cove for Christmas!     I can't think of anything more perfect!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So Great American Cookie is a chain?  Oh dear, that's not going to be good for my waistline!!
> 
> I saw their cookie cakes, and was mighty impressed (they were decorated so adorably!).  Jake's Sunshine is celebrating her birthday on our April trip.....maybe that would be a good idea for her in lieu of a traditional cake  .  Of course, I was also considering something cool from Carlos Bakery in the Florida Mall.  Decisions, decisions  .
> 
> 
> 
> I do think it makes it easier when you have older kids versus younger ones.  One of the perks of having teens  .
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, we didn't even really plan on a waterpark day until we saw the forecast for our week there.  I was so surprised there weren't more people at Aquatica when it was so HOT and humid  .  Winter or not, I thought the place would be packed!!
> 
> 
> 
> Ah yes, I can empathize with you totally.  On my side, its my sister and her husband who sour the holiday spirit.  On Steve's, its a brother and a brother-in-law that routinely test everyone's good nature.  Family holidays where we are forced to endure those difficult individuals are always the time where Jake takes a moment to thank us for making him an only child .
> 
> 
> 
> Oh no!  I hope your rain lets up and the sunshine returns.  Dreariness is far worse than cooler temperatures!!
> 
> We've had drenching rain here for the past two days as well.   The upside is that it has melted almost all of our snow.  Cold weather is supposed to return for us this week as well, much more to the Canadian norm for January.  Blech  .
> 
> 
> 
> Chili's To Go has always been on our radar, but so far we've never taken the plunge and brought it back to the villa.  You're making a good case for it for April, though......I just wish they'd deliver right to the resort!  (how's that for a case of the vacation lazies )
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A Freudian slip from my friend Carrie?
> 
> 
> 
> Glad to have you reading along!!
> 
> My mom has a saying: "Poor start, good ending"....and that's pretty much how our vacation went .  I am happy to report things did improve substantially from those first couple of days!!
> 
> 
> 
> And this one ended up with you stung by an ocean beast!!


And the damn man o war sting is still there!! Those ocean beasts pack a punch. 3 weeks tomorrow and I still have an itchy leg. Good grief.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> QUOTE]_._


 You said there was no dessert.  Don't lie to us woman!  There was a _ham._


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> You said there was no dessert.  Don't lie to us woman!  There was a _ham._



LOL!  Which one of them do you class as the ham?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Monday, December 21st:*


This was pre-designated as an “easy morning”….one where we could sleep in, relax and get a late start.  Unfortunately for Steve and I, our biological clocks are generally set to rouse us from slumber at a reasonably early hour regardless of whether it’s a work day, weekend day, or vacation day.  While we managed to sleep in a _*tiny *_bit more than normal, we were still up and moving sooner than we would have liked despite the itinerary telling us to sleep late.


Jake, of course, didn’t have any problem sleeping at all .  Ah, to be young again.


Our early-to-rise tendencies turned out to be not such a bad thing that morning, though, as my brother, his fiancé and her mom (who were all scheduled to join us for our morning event) arrived MUCH earlier than we anticipated they would.  We had told them to be at our villa by 10:15 am to allow lots of time for the drive to the Poly, but they rolled in to the resort parking lot right around 8:30 am instead.  Staying in a condo on Indian Rocks Beach on the gulf coast, they weren’t 100% sure how long it would take them to make the morning drive (or if they would encounter any traffic slowdowns due to holiday traffic), so it turned out they left exceptionally early to ensure they made it on time.  After checking in with one of the front desk staff, the SVR Welcome Center called up to authorize their entry, gave them a map and directions to Fountains 10, and they were at our door within minutes.  Steve brewed a second pot of Tim Hortons coffee, and we all enjoyed a cup of home and some Florida fresh air as we lounged lazily on the balcony.


This was my brother’s first time to Florida, and a first time to the Vistana for all of them, so after the coffee was gone (while we waited for Jake to shower and dress), we took them on a short tour of our side of the resort.  They were VERY impressed with both our villa and the grounds….so much so, I got a text from my big bro later that day, asking me to keep an eye out for similar resale deals such as ours.   They were shocked at how many amenities were at our disposal….pools, hot tubs, shuffle board, volley ball, playgrounds….and how many activities were held right on property.  I think they FINALLY understood why we love travelling to Orlando so much!  


As originally planned, we left plenty early for our 11:15 am reservation, just in case we encountered traffic or unexpected delays (we almost missed our 2012 Christmas reservation at the Poly on our last holiday season vacation, with traffic backed up for MILES in some places).  Surprisingly, the drive to the MK area was smooth sailing the entire way…..surprisingly empty roadways and no traffic to speak of at all .  We were at the parking gates in record time.












With such a swift commute, we had tons of time yet before our official ADR time, so we were in no rush to go check-in for our breakfast.   We strolled leisurely up to the building as Dean and his Lovely marveled at all the little Disney features, like the monorail.






The exterior of the Poly was beautifully decorated for Christmas.  The entrance is breathtakingly pretty in ANY season, but it somehow still manages to be extra nice when its dressed up for the holidays.











There was a lovely poinsettia tree right at the front doors that fit perfectly with the Polynesian theming.







This was the first time we had seen the lobby since it had been completely redone.  It is very open now….lots more space, for sure,  but truthfully I think I liked it better before.  I miss the fountains and greenery.












Heading upstairs, we checked in at the podium and grabbed a washroom break.  Dean’s fiancé and her mom checked out the stores while Dean took photos and texted them to his adult kids back home.  Yeah, he was pretty excited for his first taste of Disney at the ripe old age of 50!







Our buzzer went off right around 11 am…..as you can see from the pictures so far, it really wasn’t that busy (again, completely against what we had expected as we planned our Christmas week trip) so it made sense that we would be seated a tiny bit sooner than our actual reservation time.  It was a good thing, too, because by this point the guys were almost salivating on the floor….the aroma of bacon emanating from the kitchen was almost killing them….so they were the first ones to beat a path to the restaurant entrance.







Our “cousin” seated us in a quiet table in the corner of the room, gave a short explanation of the experience to our breakfast guests since it was their first visit, then was off to fetch coffee, tea and the infamous (and much anticipated) POG juice for all.  The food….and the characters ….would be arriving soon!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> LOL!  Which one of them do you class as the ham?


In this case it's Jake.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree though.


----------



## vrajewski10513

The Poly is my favorite!! I loved the water feature before, but I really like how big and open the remodel makes the lobby look. I've never done Ohana for breakfast, but dinner there is delicious!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> In this case it's Jake.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree though.



Well, Steve will be glad to hear that Jake got the ham title....he'd rather be described as a "beef"-cake  .

On a rather ironic note, Jake used to have a power skating coach who called him Pork Chop.  I'm seeing a theme here  .



vrajewski10513 said:


> The Poly is my favorite!! I loved the water feature before, but I really like how big and open the remodel makes the lobby look. I've never done Ohana for breakfast, but dinner there is delicious!



It does make it spacious, I'll give them that.  In fact, I didn't even realize there was that much space to be gained!!  Its a much bigger area than I ever thought.  I did love the new view from above.....so pretty!!

We're just the opposite, done the breakfast now many times but never dinner.  Dinner looks delish (and my guys would love all that meat) but the price kills me .  On a free dining plan, sure....but out of pocket is a killer (especially with the exchange rate now ).


----------



## Hemlock

I also prefer the old Poly lobby. We have 'Ohana dinner booked for our upcoming trip and the prices are killing me (I also need to factor in the crappy Canadian exchange), but it's staying because we're travelling with some friends and they really want to try it. Oh and the worst part is paying almost $25 for dinner for my 3 year old


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Hemlock said:


> I also prefer the old Poly lobby. We have 'Ohana dinner booked for our upcoming trip and the prices are killing me (I also need to factor in the crappy Canadian exchange), but it's staying because we're travelling with some friends and they really want to try it. *Oh and the worst part is paying almost $25 for dinner for my 3 year old*



Holy moses...that's a hefty price for a preschooler!!  

I guess then that I won't complain about our $30 per adult for breakfast!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

As soon as our server had beverages poured, she disappeared for just a few quick moments and reappeared with the first components of our all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast feast.  The fruit tray of melon, pineapple and raspberries is one of my favourite parts of the meal....there is nothing like fresh fruit in Florida, especially in the winter.  Its sweet, flavourful, ripe and soooo yummy (but I could live on good fruit alone....I’m not much of a veggie girl, but fruit I adore!).  I seriously would have been happy with just the plate of fruit to myself, and nothing else. 







Along with the fruit tray, they delivered a basket of sweet breads:  one had pineapple in it, the other I can’t recall.  I personally didn’t have any of the breads (too much other good stuff I’d rather eat) but the rest of the table, excluding Jake and I, happily dived into it.


The first massive skillet of Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries and biscuits was next to arrive:  the quantity was more than enough for our party of six to split between us (initially, at least):







Dean went to reach for the serving spoon, to which Jake informs him _“You’d better let mom get her pictures first!”._  Dean raises an eyebrow at me_......”Seriously, George?”_ (he’s the ONLY one in the world that’s allowed to call me that).


_“Seriously Deano.  Paws off the spoon”.  _


*Click!*  Check.  “_Okay.  You can eat now”.  _


I start with a small portion of all my favourites.  Delicious, all of it....though we are a bit dismayed to find that they changed out our favourite item in the skillet, the home fries, since our last visit.  We had RAVED to Dean about their home fries, and these were just.....good.  Not *spectacular,* just good.







As we dined and visited animatedly with each other (Dean, his lovely and his MIL were all very pleased with the food thus far), along came the characters.  Mickey Mouse was the first to pay a visit to our table.







Now, I even feel bad saying this, but the truth is:  Mickey was a disappointment.   I don’t know if it was because we had no children in our party, or if this was a new Mickey, or if the soul inside the suit was just having a bad day, but he *did not* want to spend time at our table.







This was my brother and his ladies’ first Disney experience, so they were all super excited to get pictures with the Mouse himself, but Mickey steadfastedly did not want to indulge us with a photo op with each of our party.  When he paused at our table the first time, he literally stopped for a photo with Jake and then moved on to the next group.  After he finished with that family(where he took tons of time with two young children), I politely inquired if he would return to our group for a few more pictures.  He tromped (no kidding) back over, stayed for ONE more photo, and skittered off again.  I had to ask a second time for him to come back, and his body language (yep, even through the suit!) was more definitely annoyance. Thankfully, our newcomers didn’t notice, but we sure did....and I was really quite dismayed.  We have had so many good experiences here, with exceptional character interaction each time, that this was completely unexpected.  


However...One disappointing encounter would not colour our whole meal.


Pluto was next at the table, silly as always, and was exactly the antidote we needed for the ornery Mickey Mouse.







He was happy to stay for pictures with everyone, and we got some fun and candid shots with our favourite Disney canine.







Little Lilo was next, and as always....my fellows made her look even tinier:







My brother was really starting to get into the spirit of the character pictures by this point, and was quick to suggest a “siblings pic” that he could send to our mom via text.







Stitch was our last visitor of the breakfast, and was his normal rascally self.....picking his nose in the photos, then wiping it on the backs of unsuspecting diners.  







After Stitch took his antics and moved on, we took the opportunity to leisurely enjoy the balance of our meal.  Our server kept our skillet refilled with all of our favourites (that bacon for the guys just kept coming and coming) and took great care of us throughout our breakfast.  The glasses were refilled with more POG juice without having to ask, and we couldn’t have asked for any better care from our “cousin”.


Eventually, we’d all had our fill and it was time to move on from the Poly.  We covered the bill (Dean’s fiancée almost had a small stroke when she saw the cost ... if she had calculated the Canadian price with exchange factored in, I think she may have died on the spot), left a 20% tip (as we were a party of 6), and we headed back outside.







We grabbed a few more photos with the lovely garden backdrop:







....gave some quick hugs all around, and then Dean & company headed to Universal while we opted for a stroll at Disney Springs.  We needed to walk off our breakfast indulgences, and I was not-so-secretly wanting family photos with Santa .


*Disney Springs is next!*


----------



## Lynne G

Great pictures.  I have not checked out the poly since October, and it was still mostly under construction then,  but I like the look of the tropical theme.

Your DB does look like your DB.  He has the same facial shape.  Glad to see he and his DF enjoyed their meal and characters.  We really enjoyed that breakfast when my kids were young, and we had the free dining plan and had so many credits that it was the last table service meal we had before catching our flight home.  Back then, it was only LILO and Stitch.  They were so much fun, and since very few people were there, my kids got so much attention.  It was our magic 10 minutes, or maybe even more time.


----------



## pigletto

Oh the Poly. I just love it there. We stayed there back in 2010. It was a splurge even with the 40% off code and a much better exchange rate. One I've never been able to justify again. But oh how I love the Poly. I agree with you completely about the lobby. It's just not the same, is it?
I loved the fountain and greenery.
O'Hana is our family favourite and one of the only things my Dh and Ds request on every Disney trip. I have a reservation for our upcoming trip but I don't know that I can justify $200 or more for dinner after exchange. Not for meat and potstickers. DS goes for those potstickers. DD is a vegetarian and barely eats half the meal. I just can't justify it. Luckily we love many offsite places now. 
But I would sure love a trip to the Poly again one day!


----------



## afan

Loved seeing the breakfast at Ohana.  It's in our plan for November.  I can't wait to try it.


----------



## JaxDad

Awesome shirt Steve! Go Gators!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> Great pictures.  I have not checked out the poly since October, and it was still mostly under construction then,  but I like the look of the tropical theme.
> 
> Your DB does look like your DB.  He has the same facial shape.  Glad to see he and his DF enjoyed their meal and characters.  We really enjoyed that breakfast when my kids were young, and we had the free dining plan and had so many credits that it was the last table service meal we had before catching our flight home.  Back then, it was only LILO and Stitch.  They were so much fun, and since very few people were there, my kids got so much attention.  It was our magic 10 minutes, or maybe even more time.



Yeah, my brother and I look more alike than my sister and I do, for sure.  We both look like my dad, where my sister favours my mother's features.   He's a cool guy, though, and we've always been pretty close.  It was great spending part of our Christmas holidays together (he will pop up again later in this report  ).



pigletto said:


> Oh the Poly. I just love it there. We stayed there back in 2010. It was a splurge even with the 40% off code and a much better exchange rate. One I've never been able to justify again. But oh how I love the Poly. I agree with you completely about the lobby. It's just not the same, is it?
> I loved the fountain and greenery.
> O'Hana is our family favourite and one of the only things my Dh and Ds request on every Disney trip. I have a reservation for our upcoming trip but I don't know that I can justify $200 or more for dinner after exchange. Not for meat and potstickers. DS goes for those potstickers. DD is a vegetarian and barely eats half the meal. I just can't justify it. Luckily we love many offsite places now.
> But I would sure love a trip to the Poly again one day!



There were a few things that weren't the same.....the missing fountain and greenery.....the different breakfast potaotes.....the leis.....the family picture taken just before you were seated.  I know they're all small and really insignificant on their own, but together it just ends up feeling different.  We still love the meal, but those little touches are definitely missing now!!

I love the theming of the Poly too.  I am not big on Disney resorts, but if I were to stay at any of them, the Poly would top my list (winning over the Wilderness Lodge simply because of the monorail).  



afan said:


> Loved seeing the breakfast at Ohana.  It's in our plan for November.  I can't wait to try it.



I love the fact that its served family style, and there's no running back and forth to a buffet line for food.  Its just so relaxing, knowing you don't have to worry about missing any characters while you're refilling your plate.  We keep saying we'd like to try Cape May's character breakfast at some point, but the family style dining at Ohana has us coming back every time!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

JaxDad said:


> Awesome shirt Steve! Go Gators!



One of his favourite purchases at the outlets!


----------



## toystoryduo

Great pictures, Gina! 
The entrance to the Poly looked so beautiful and Christmasy! 

We haven't been to the Poly in a couple of years, but from what I have seen of the pictures of the lobby, I think I prefer it the way it was before the refurb too. 

I'm glad your brother and his family enjoyed Ohana and the characters. How did they like Universal?


----------



## tgropp

Yes awesome shirt. I have one like it but had it shipped here....lots of money.  I remember asking you if your son was a Gator fan when he was wearing "The Swamp" shirt on one of your vacations...Go Gatas


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

toystoryduo said:


> Great pictures, Gina!
> The entrance to the Poly looked so beautiful and Christmasy!
> 
> We haven't been to the Poly in a couple of years, but from what I have seen of the pictures of the lobby, I think I prefer it the way it was before the refurb too.
> 
> I'm glad your brother and his family enjoyed Ohana and the characters. How did they like Universal?



Sigh.....you don't even want to know about Universal  .

I told them not to go. I know they don't handle crowds well, so I pleaded with them to take a pass on the parks over Christmas and come back at a slower time of year.   Did they listen to me though?  Noooooooooo.  His fiancee's mom is a huge Harry Potter fan, and he was determined to show her "Harry Potter World".

Long story short, they paid a full day's admission and only stayed two hours (2-4 pm).  Did only one ride (Forbidden Journey), MIL felt awful afterward, crowds were massive, so they left.  I could have cried when I heard.

I said to him....if you're going to go, be sure to be there when the parks open.  Buy the Express Passes.  Get there when the parks open.  Be sure to go in with a plan.  GET THERE WHEN THE PARKS OPEN.  But alas, he didn't listen.  

They loved the detail of Hogsmeade & Diagon Alley, but the crowds really got to them.



tgropp said:


> Yes awesome shirt. I have one like it but had it shipped here....lots of money.  I remember asking you if your son was a Gator fan when he was wearing "The Swamp" shirt on one of your vacations...Go Gatas



Ha ha!  Jake loves anything orange.  He loves the Gator fanwear, just for the colour alone.   Ditto for Syracuse  .


----------



## toystoryduo

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sigh.....you don't even want to know about Universal  .
> 
> I told them not to go. I know they don't handle crowds well, so I pleaded with them to take a pass on the parks over Christmas and come back at a slower time of year.   Did they listen to me though?  Noooooooooo.  His fiancee's mom is a huge Harry Potter fan, and he was determined to show her "Harry Potter World".
> 
> Long story short, they paid a full day's admission and only stayed two hours (2-4 pm).  Did only one ride (Forbidden Journey), MIL felt awful afterward, crowds were massive, so they left.  I could have cried when I heard.
> 
> I said to him....if you're going to go, be sure to be there when the parks open.  Buy the Express Passes.  Get there when the parks open.  Be sure to go in with a plan.  GET THERE WHEN THE PARKS OPEN.  But alas, he didn't listen.
> 
> They loved the detail of Hogsmeade & Diagon Alley, but the crowds really got to them.



Oh, Gina! I'm so sorry to hear that! This was their first trip to Florida, right? Any chance they will try again sometime in the future?


----------



## Monykalyn

I had friends that visited the parks over Christmas too-Christmas day at Universal was brutal apparently.  The ONLY way I would do that over Christmas is to stay onsite at a hotel that had express passes-and even then I'd probably skip the parks that day.

At least they got experience FJ-I liked it better than the Gringotts ride.  Hopefully they will invest in Vistana and be able to visit at a slower time

And I am definitely in the minority in liking Poly's new lobby.  I always thought the lobby smelled too damp (which translated in my mind to mildew) and thought it odd to have waterfall indoors.  I do miss the feeling of lush greenery though.


----------



## Vestmama4

Thanks for sharing your Ohana breakfast expierence. We have done many character meals in previous trips, but not this one...yet! On this past Christmas trip we visited Cape May and although I do adore this place, going back and forth to the buffet with multiple kids while keeping an eye out for characters can be stressful. I think I would love the family style approach of Ohana and I'm looking forward to trying it out in the future. My 2 girls and I were at the Floridian one afternoon on this Christmas trip and walked over to the Poly for a Dole Whip (our first time trying one.) We ate them while sitting in the swings on the beach...it was awesome and one of my favorite memories of our week. It was also fun checking out the new lobby (the staff was so friendly and gave my girls lei's, which they loved.)


----------



## ArwenMarie

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sigh.....you don't even want to know about Universal  .
> 
> I told them not to go. I know they don't handle crowds well, so I pleaded with them to take a pass on the parks over Christmas and come back at a slower time of year.   Did they listen to me though?  Noooooooooo.  His fiancee's mom is a huge Harry Potter fan, and he was determined to show her "Harry Potter World".
> 
> Long story short, they paid a full day's admission and only stayed two hours (2-4 pm).  Did only one ride (Forbidden Journey), MIL felt awful afterward, crowds were massive, so they left.  I could have cried when I heard.
> 
> I said to him....if you're going to go, be sure to be there when the parks open.  Buy the Express Passes.  Get there when the parks open.  Be sure to go in with a plan.  GET THERE WHEN THE PARKS OPEN.  But alas, he didn't listen.
> 
> They loved the detail of Hogsmeade & Diagon Alley, but the crowds really got to them.



Bummer! We walked out of Universal last Presidents Day weekend because of crowds who were also getting increasingly drunk even though it was only about 2 pm when we left. There was just no point in staying. We were offsite and we didn't buy the EP. Thank goodness it was on an AP. It's hard to give people advice like that...until you experience it you don't know how bad it will be. Ditto for the heat in the summer.

Great Ohana pics! That's our farewell breakfast before we head to MCO on departure day. It's a nice way to make the last day a happy one.


----------



## nancipants

Oh, the story of your brother at Universal makes me cringe. My husband's family is coming for Christmas this year, but thankfully they have been to Disney numerous times and understand that the crowds will be brutal during that week. They're mostly coming for the atmosphere, which is really all you can do around Christmas.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

toystoryduo said:


> Oh, Gina! I'm so sorry to hear that! This was their first trip to Florida, right? Any chance they will try again sometime in the future?



I sure hope so.  I had suggested a few things for them to do (I tried desperately to get them to visit SeaWorld....with our AP's, we could have got them half price tickets, discounted Quick Queue, discounted reserved show seating, and discounted meal plans....so crowds would have been much less of an issue) but they were too stubborn to listen.  They're like a pair of kids, those two.  Let's just say they might take the little sister's advice next time  .

I would not be surprised if they wanted to tag along with us again in October.  That will be just Steve and I, and they won't have MIL with them, so that would work out nicely anyway......two adult couples.  Its too far off to know just yet, but I'm thinking it might be a real possibility.



Monykalyn said:


> I had friends that visited the parks over Christmas too-Christmas day at Universal was brutal apparently.  The ONLY way I would do that over Christmas is to stay onsite at a hotel that had express passes-and even then I'd probably skip the parks that day.
> 
> At least they got experience FJ-I liked it better than the Gringotts ride.  Hopefully they will invest in Vistana and be able to visit at a slower time
> 
> And I am definitely in the minority in liking Poly's new lobby.  I always thought the lobby smelled too damp (which translated in my mind to mildew) and thought it odd to have waterfall indoors.  I do miss the feeling of lush greenery though.



We were at the Universal parks on the Tuesday morning (December 22nd), right after opening until about 10 am.  When we left to return to the resort, the crowds pouring into Citywalk were MASSIVE.  I cannot imagine how it felt *in* the parks by mid afternoon!!!



Vestmama4 said:


> Thanks for sharing your Ohana breakfast expierence. We have done many character meals in previous trips, but not this one...yet! On this past Christmas trip we visited Cape May and although I do adore this place, going back and forth to the buffet with multiple kids while keeping an eye out for characters can be stressful. I think I would love the family style approach of Ohana and I'm looking forward to trying it out in the future. My 2 girls and I were at the Floridian one afternoon on this Christmas trip and walked over to the Poly for a Dole Whip (our first time trying one.) We ate them while sitting in the swings on the beach...it was awesome and one of my favorite memories of our week. It was also fun checking out the new lobby (the staff was so friendly and gave my girls lei's, which they loved.)



For families with kids in tow, I absolutely recommend Ohana's breakfast over the more standard buffet options!!  Not only are the characters fun (I love the parade they do through the restaurant too), but its sooooo nice to be able to sit and relax at the table.  You can bet your boots this will be our go-to character breakfast when the grandbabies arrive....so Nana and Poppa can just bounce 'em on our laps and enjoy our Mickey waffles while we wait for Pluto to come and visit .



ArwenMarie said:


> Bummer! We walked out of Universal last Presidents Day weekend because of crowds who were also getting increasingly drunk even though it was only about 2 pm when we left. There was just no point in staying. We were offsite and we didn't buy the EP. Thank goodness it was on an AP. It's hard to give people advice like that...until you experience it you don't know how bad it will be. Ditto for the heat in the summer.
> 
> Great Ohana pics! That's our farewell breakfast before we head to MCO on departure day. It's a nice way to make the last day a happy one.



That's what kills me most, I think.  The fact that they paid a full, non-discounted price at the gate for one day tickets (and then you can add 40% more for exchange and conversion for us Canadians) and only spent 2 hours.  If they had have had Annual Passes, then no biggie....they can still get their value out of them.  I'm a sucker for getting value from a purchase......and this was like a knife through the heart.

What a great idea to have a character meal on the day you go home!!  Our April flight home is a morning one (first in a while.....we have been late afternoon or evening returns the last several trips) but I think I'll keep that in mind for the next time we have a few hours to burn before heading to the airport  .



nancipants said:


> Oh, the story of your brother at Universal makes me cringe. My husband's family is coming for Christmas this year, but thankfully they have been to Disney numerous times and understand that the crowds will be brutal during that week. They're mostly coming for the atmosphere, which is really all you can do around Christmas.



We learned a lot from our Christmas 2012 vacation....which helped us immensely when planning this year's Christmas trip.  I think you really have to experience it to understand it.....like ArwenMarie said, its the same with the August heat.  You just can't fully imagine it until you live it!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

The journey from the Poly to Disney Springs was, as was becoming customary this trip, quick and painless .  No traffic snarls, no delays, and we easily found a prime spot on the top floor of the Orange Garage right next to the elevator entrance (there were multiple spaces open on the lower levels as well, but we just decided we’d go right to the top where there was the most availability).  The bright blue sky had from earlier that morning had since given way to cloud cover, but there was no rain in the forecast and the cloudiness actually helped with the heat and humidity:  at least we didn’t have the scorching sun to raise the already unseasonable temperatures even further.







After exiting the garage, the first things we noticed were all the lovely holiday decorations that adorned every nook and cranny of Disney Springs…..though surprisingly, virtually all of them seemed to be non-Disney themed.  The Mickey Head topiaries (all topped with bright red Santa hats) and similar décor from our 2012 visit were nowhere to be found .







The revitalization of this area is certainly taking on its own individual “feel” as compared to the theme parks, water parks and mini golf courses.  It seems less Disney-ish and …. probably the wrong word, but *classier*.   More polished.  More …. adult?







There was holiday music playing as we strolled about, and crowds were surprisingly manageable so the walk from the parking garage to the Marketplace was a nice way to counterbalance our dietary sins from breakfast.


Steve was a tad horrified that they Disneyfied his beloved Star Wars, but we toured the dedicated retail store (the” Star Wars Galactic Outpost”) nonetheless.   The boys were happy to get their geek on….I took pictures to keep myself amused while they shopped.  Steve and Jake are big Star Wars fans, but me…not so much.   I can never keep track which characters are from Star *Wars* and which ones are from Star *Trek*, nor have I ever cared to really find out .












I fell in love with this candle tree, and only wished I could have seen it (along with many of the other festive decorations) all lit up after dark.  I bet it was gorgeous .







There were several displays of holiday décor that appear to have been created from repurposed metal.  A bit of a different twist, but it fit in well and was carried out nicely in multiple locations throughout Disney Springs.  Sadly, I don’t have an artistic bone in my body….but yet, I could appreciate the creativity that went into the concept.







It was busy when we arrived at the Marketplace, but not shoulder-to-shoulder crowded like we have seen it before at Christmas.  I think being there early afternoon (when many folks were still battling the crowds at the parks) helped significantly…..I am sure the evening hours were way, way worse.   Timing, as they say, is everything .







We were still absolutely stuffed from breakfast, but we couldn’t NOT make a stop at Ghirardelli for free chocolate samples…..it’s a family tradition for our stops at Disney Springs.  Sadly, I think I gained 10 pounds on the aroma alone.  They were passing out caramel filled bite sized pieces this time…yay!  No chocolate mint like Christmas 2012…..which we all dislike…..I love mint, I love chocolate, but separately please….







After our teeny tiny chocolate snack, we made our way over to Santa’s Workshop for our much-anticipated family photo with the big guy himself  (okay,* I* was anticipating it…..the guys were just humouring me because they are kind and wonderful people ).  Unfortunately, we were greeted by this sign:







A two and a half hour wait to meet Santa?!?!?!?    Um, I don’t think so.  Disappointed as I was, there was NO WAY we were going to wait in that heat and humidity for 150 minutes for a two minute picture with Mr. Claus.  I was disappointed, yes, but I’m not stupid.  I’d rather be in the pool .


We purchased some much needed water bottles from one of the little kiosks (the humidity, in particular, was kicking our butts) and strolled around the Marketplace a bit longer, taking in the decorations and popping in to check out the various shops.  A ton of things had changed since Jake was last there in August 2014.






















We also dropped in to Goofy’s Candy Company, but we were still so full from Ohana’s that no one even wanted to share a sweet treat.  Go figure!



























They had a great selection of Christmas-themed items, but prices were pretty steep.  That Olaf candy apple at $10.99 would have been $11.70 with tax….or about $16.39 Canadian with the exchange factored in .  Ouchy.


On our way back to the parking garage, Jake got his first glimpse of the new amphicars in action.  When he caught sight of the pricing for that activity, I thought I may have to pick him up off the pavement .  Fun and unique certainly comes at a (high) price!







We all had to admit, it *does *look like fun, though.  One of those _“if money wasn’t an object, that’s something I’d want to do just once!” _kind of things.







We got to see more of the repurposed metal Christmas art on our way back to the Equinox:







The penguins, in particular, were SUPER cute :












We were hot, sweaty and bordering on uncomfortable by the time we piled back into the rental.  By unanimous vote (and to the chorus of sighs of relief from both of my guys), we decided we wanted the balance of our afternoon to be spent cool, wet, and refreshed.   Lead on to the Fountains pool, Macduff .


----------



## nancipants

If you'd gone to Disney Springs one day earlier we might have run into each other! We were seeing Star Wars that morning, of course.


----------



## 2Pirates2Princesses

As always, love your trip reports Gina . I feel like I get to experience so much vicariously through you by reading your reports . Thank you for taking the time to always share so much with us.


----------



## Vestmama4

My family and I were also at Disney Springs Monday the 21st. Lol. We were in the same places/same time lots that week. Crowds were not too bad, it was easy to park, and I agree with the adjectives "classier" and "polished" to describe the revitalization of this area. We loved all the unique decorations and have many of the same pictures that you posted on here. Our activities included some of our family bowling at Splitsville, some checking out Disney Quest, a lunch to T- Rex, and checking out lots of shops. My girls loved Basin, where you could try all the different hand scrubs and Once Upon A Toy, where they could build a Mr. Potato Head. My older son also liked Star Wars Galactic Outpost. We had yummy treats throughout the day (including the free yummy Ghirardelli chocolate as you mentioned.) We also checked out one of the free shows they had (the one we saw had younger girls dancing and my girls liked that) and rode the carousel. We also left before dark/crowds may have increased. Super fun day!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Great updates Gina (notice I didn't mention the George word, oh wait I just did!! ).

We have never had breakfast at OHana, just dinner a couple of times but I'm not sure it's worth the $$$ anymore. We did enjoy a few hours at the Poly one rainy afternoon in July, just browsing, people watching and enjoying coffee and shaved ice. We had breakfast with the mad hatter at GF which my DD chose as she likes Alice and that was fun.

I'm surprised it was so humid as it is one thing we have never had at Christmas it's normally more dry heat like an English summer, no fun for the hairstyle


----------



## pepperandchips

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I can never keep track which characters are from Star *Wars* and which ones are from Star *Trek*, nor have I ever cared to really find out .



Say it ain't so! I've never much cared to learn about Star Trek, but the original Star Wars trilogy?! Yes! What's not to love about a young and dreamy Harrison Ford in the best (not so) bad boy role of all time? 



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> There were several displays of holiday décor that appear to have been created from repurposed metal. A bit of a different twist, but it fit in well



Maybe they're going with the new "Edison" type decor in keeping with the "back story" of the springs - with the old bottling plant, etc. I think it looks very nice! Wish we had made it to Disney Springs during our December visit but we had quite enough on the to-do list without it! R still wants to get back to Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar, which we really liked, but I'm trying to hold off until they (hopefully) start taking Tables in Wonderland. Those sugary drinks don't pack a heavy alcohol punch, but they do provide a swift kick to the wallet...


----------



## RocketCityMama

Love the updates! We loved the Ohana breakfast back in may 09, the kids had soo much fun with Lilo & Stitch and I thought the leis were a good touch. Sad to hear they are gone.  I love that you're doing soo many local things and not just the parks. I don't know if I could get the family to do that or not LOL maybe when they are all much older, though I do want to the Eye when we return! 

I have to ask, not on topic of the TR but what shoes do you wear for all this touring?? I wore tennis shoes last June and got a huge huge blister on my big toe, and eventually my toenail came out. EEK! I want to save that from happening again, so I need a good supportive type sandal, thinking maybe Clarks, as I have some flip flops I LOVE from them.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

nancipants said:


> If you'd gone to Disney Springs one day earlier we might have run into each other! We were seeing Star Wars that morning, of course.



I am always up for a Dismeet if you're going to be around in April or October  .



2Pirates2Princesses said:


> As always, love your trip reports Gina . I feel like I get to experience so much vicariously through you by reading your reports . Thank you for taking the time to always share so much with us.



Thanks for reading!    And for the kind comments, too.  You guys always make me smile  .



Vestmama4 said:


> My family and I were also at Disney Springs Monday the 21st. Lol. We were in the same places/same time lots that week. Crowds were not too bad, it was easy to park, and I agree with the adjectives "classier" and "polished" to describe the revitalization of this area. We loved all the unique decorations and have many of the same pictures that you posted on here. Our activities included some of our family bowling at Splitsville, some checking out Disney Quest, a lunch to T- Rex, and checking out lots of shops. My girls loved Basin, where you could try all the different hand scrubs and Once Upon A Toy, where they could build a Mr. Potato Head. My older son also liked Star Wars Galactic Outpost. We had yummy treats throughout the day (including the free yummy Ghirardelli chocolate as you mentioned.) We also checked out one of the free shows they had (the one we saw had younger girls dancing and my girls liked that) and rode the carousel. We also left before dark/crowds may have increased. Super fun day!



Well you certainly accomplished more than we did at Disney Springs!!  We were only there an hour or two, but some day I would love to check out Splitsville .  Our fam loves to bowl, and we checked out the brand new Kings Bowl on this past trip (awesome!! ) so perhaps we'll try Splitsville in October  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Great updates Gina (notice I didn't mention the George word, oh wait I just did!! ).
> 
> We have never had breakfast at OHana, just dinner a couple of times but I'm not sure it's worth the $$$ anymore. We did enjoy a few hours at the Poly one rainy afternoon in July, just browsing, people watching and enjoying coffee and shaved ice. We had breakfast with the mad hatter at GF which my DD chose as she likes Alice and that was fun.
> 
> I'm surprised it was so humid as it is one thing we have never had at Christmas it's normally more dry heat like an English summer, no fun for the hairstyle



We were totally taken off guard with the humidity during the winter months, too.  Something we certainly weren't expecting at Christmas time!!  My hair was pretty fuzzy as a result.....I had more than my share of Monica Gellar moments on this trip  .  And of course, I didn't bring my flat iron along....I didn't think I'd need it....so there was little I could do to combat the frizz.

Yes, the "George" thing drives me nuts, except where my big brother is concerend.  As a Georgina officially, everyone but the doctor and dentist has shortened my name to Gina ever since I was an infant....everyone except Dean, and he never calls me anything but that.  



pepperandchips said:


> Say it ain't so! I've never much cared to learn about Star Trek, but the original Star Wars trilogy?! Yes! What's not to love about a young and dreamy Harrison Ford in the best (not so) bad boy role of all time?
> 
> Maybe they're going with the new "Edison" type decor in keeping with the "back story" of the springs - with the old bottling plant, etc. I think it looks very nice! Wish we had made it to Disney Springs during our December visit but we had quite enough on the to-do list without it! R still wants to get back to Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar, which we really liked, but I'm trying to hold off until they (hopefully) start taking Tables in Wonderland. Those sugary drinks don't pack a heavy alcohol punch, but they do provide a swift kick to the wallet...



Ahhhh....Harrison Ford  .  He is definitely a selling point for that movie....even as an old guy.

You are probably bang on where the decor at Disney Springs.  Obviously I need to do more research on that back story you refer to......I'm afraid I'm not too "up" on my Disney knowledge sometimes!!  



RocketCityMama said:


> Love the updates! We loved the Ohana breakfast back in may 09, the kids had soo much fun with Lilo & Stitch and I thought the leis were a good touch. Sad to hear they are gone.  I love that you're doing soo many local things and not just the parks. I don't know if I could get the family to do that or not LOL maybe when they are all much older, though I do want to the Eye when we return!
> 
> I have to ask, not on topic of the TR but what shoes do you wear for all this touring?? I wore tennis shoes last June and got a huge huge blister on my big toe, and eventually my toenail came out. EEK! I want to save that from happening again, so I need a good supportive type sandal, thinking maybe Clarks, as I have some flip flops I LOVE from them.



My shoes were a $15 pair of sandals from Walmart.  No kidding .  Well broken in, and comfy as an old pair of pajamas.  I tend to favour sandals versus closed toe shoes as it allows my feet to breathe.  I usually do take a couple of different pairs, though, so I can swap out every few days.  So far, it seems to be working pretty decently  .


----------



## dixonsontour

Glad you enjoyed Ohana. We have been a few times for breakfast and dinner (when on free ddp) My DH used to love the potatoes but they have definitely changed and no leis??

Bet your brother listens to you next time


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## pigletto

Oh Gina what a nightmare for your brothers  first Universal visit. Not much you can do though, you warned them. Sometimes you just have to see it for yourself I guess. Such an expensive and disappointing lesson though.
And on the other hand, it seems you managed to avoid the crowds really well so far! The Disney Springs decorations are beautiful, but like you mentioned, not really the classic Disney I've come to expect. Oh well, I guess change is a good thing!


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## ArwenMarie

150 minutes for Santa? Nope, unless it's the real Santa. 

Neat pictures! That Three Kings display is really pretty.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dixonsontour said:


> Glad you enjoyed Ohana. We have been a few times for breakfast and dinner (when on free ddp) My DH used to love the potatoes but they have definitely changed and no leis??
> 
> *Bet your brother listens to you next time*



Ha!  I bet you he won't....stubborn brute that he is.  One of the perils of being the youngest is that no one EVER seems to want to listen to my advice.  Sigh!!  



pigletto said:


> Oh Gina what a nightmare for your brothers  first Universal visit. Not much you can do though, you warned them. Sometimes you just have to see it for yourself I guess. Such an expensive and disappointing lesson though.
> And on the other hand, it seems you managed to avoid the crowds really well so far! The Disney Springs decorations are beautiful, but like you mentioned, not really the classic Disney I've come to expect. Oh well, I guess change is a good thing!



Somehow, some way, we managed to avoid any type of crowds until the afternoon of the day we returned home (then it was PACKED literally everywhere we went  ).   It was well worth the effort to plan smartly  .  I cannot WAIT to show you some of the "crowd pics" I took at SeaWorld on Christmas morning.....you will be blown away!



ArwenMarie said:


> 150 minutes for Santa? Nope, unless it's the real Santa.
> 
> Neat pictures! That Three Kings display is really pretty.



Poor Jake looked at me with panic when he saw the Santa wait time.  He knew how much I wanted a family Santa photo, and I'm sure he thought that I'd say _"Well look at that!  Only 150 minutes to wait!  That's not bad at all!".  
_
I sure hope it was a GREAT Santa experience once families finally got a chance to see him.  How tough for moms and dads to wait that long with little ones, though. I know there's stuff to do for kids at Disney Springs, but 2.5 hours is a big chunk of time!!


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## Vestmama4

We really liked Splitsville. Since we were there so early in the day we got to take advantage of an early bird special (which I didn't know about until we got there.) If my memory serves me correctly it was $5 per child and $10 per adult for a session of bowling (which I think was an hour.) This price included shoes and I believe it is offered M-F 10:30 to 12:30 (with some  blackout dates.) We had 2 kids and 1 adult in our party, so this was a great deal for us.


----------



## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I am always up for a Dismeet if you're going to be around in April or October  .
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for reading!    And for the kind comments, too.  You guys always make me smile  .
> 
> 
> 
> Well you certainly accomplished more than we did at Disney Springs!!  We were only there an hour or two, but some day I would love to check out Splitsville .  Our fam loves to bowl, and we checked out the brand new Kings Bowl on this past trip (awesome!! ) so perhaps we'll try Splitsville in October  .
> 
> 
> 
> We were totally taken off guard with the humidity during the winter months, too.  Something we certainly weren't expecting at Christmas time!!  My hair was pretty fuzzy as a result.....I had more than my share of Monica Gellar moments on this trip  .  And of course, I didn't bring my flat iron along....I didn't think I'd need it....so there was little I could do to combat the frizz.
> 
> Yes, the "George" thing drives me nuts, except where my big brother is concerend.  As a Georgina officially, everyone but the doctor and dentist has shortened my name to Gina ever since I was an infant....everyone except Dean, and he never calls me anything but that.
> 
> 
> 
> Ahhhh....Harrison Ford  .  He is definitely a selling point for that movie....even as an old guy.
> 
> You are probably bang on where the decor at Disney Springs.  Obviously I need to do more research on that back story you refer to......I'm afraid I'm not too "up" on my Disney knowledge sometimes!!
> 
> 
> 
> My shoes were a $15 pair of sandals from Walmart.  No kidding .  Well broken in, and comfy as an old pair of pajamas.  I tend to favour sandals versus closed toe shoes as it allows my feet to breathe.  I usually do take a couple of different pairs, though, so I can swap out every few days.  So far, it seems to be working pretty decently  .


I missed the Georgina, lol my Mom is Mary Georgina, and always goes by Georgie or Georgina, she hates if we call her Mary, like nails on chalkboard hates it.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Vestmama4 said:


> We really liked Splitsville. Since we were there so early in the day we got to take advantage of an early bird special (which I didn't know about until we got there.) If my memory serves me correctly it was $5 per child and $10 per adult for a session of bowling (which I think was an hour.) This price included shoes and I believe it is offered M-F 10:30 to 12:30 (with some  blackout dates.) We had 2 kids and 1 adult in our party, so this was a great deal for us.



Oooohhh, that's a great promotion, especially when it includes shoe rental!!  I will have to keep that in mind for April, assuming I can get those kiddos up and moving before noon .   



greenclan67 said:


> I missed the Georgina, lol my Mom is Mary Georgina, and always goes by Georgie or Georgina, she hates if we call her Mary, like nails on chalkboard hates it.



Our names are very close!! (just reversed in order and short one letter)

I'm a Georgina May.   I hated it as a kid (in a room filled with trendy Jennifers and Nicoles and Tammys), but appreciate the meaning behind it now.  I was named after my mom's father, who passed away the May before I was born, while my mom was still pregnant with me.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Arriving back at the Vistana, we wasted no time in changing into our suits and making our way to the Fountains pool .  It was hot and sticky, and we wanted nothing more than to cool off and just relax and splash the afternoon away.  Being such a warm and humid day, the pool was busy and there were lots of people both swimming and stretched out on the poolside loungers.  The masseur located between the pool and the hot tubs was also kept hopping with a steady stream of clients, the first time we have ever seen them busy in all the trips we have made to the resort.  We spent a good couple of hours in the water, listening to the music and people watching as we remarked that this was EXACTLY the way Christmas vacation should be spent .


Around 4:30 or so, the boys were starting to get some rumbly tummies…..with our late morning character breakfast, we had skipped lunch entirely and hadn’t even grabbed a snack at any point.  We dragged ourselves from the pool and returned to the villa to dry off and dress for dinner.  Steve was anxious to introduce Jake to a new favourite of ours that he hadn’t yet experienced, so once we were fresh and ready to roll, we hopped in the Equinox and made the short drive past the Crossroads to Millers Ale House.







It actually worked out nicely that we were there before the major dinner rush.  While it was starting to get busy around the time we arrived, we were able to get a parking space and were seated a booth with no wait at all.  It was “rib night” at Millers, so we knew that open tables would be much more scarce in another hour or two.







They guys were pretty peckish by this point, so along with our beverages (water for the boy and I, a pint of beer for the big fella….only $2.50 and cheaper than a soft drink!!)  we ordered up a couple of appetizers to share between us, specifically fried mozzarella:







…and a barbecued chicken flatbread (half with red onions, half without):







The flatbread (valued at $7.99) was free with a sign up for the Millers Raving Fans email club .


Both items arrived really quickly, piping hot and were mouthwateringly good.   Jake indulged me in a cheese stretching photo for old times’ sake….it was his “thing” on trips when he was younger .  These fried mozzarella sticks were REALLY thick and substantial, so I am pretty sure we could have stretched that cheese right over to the next booth if we were feeling adventurous.  These were not your average sticks of fried cheese!







We polished off every crumb of the appies, and our server (who was excellent) was quick to clear away our plates in preparation of the arrival of our entrees.  We had just a nice little wait before our platters appeared, with cautions from our waitress to be mindful of some of the plates because they were hot, hot, hot (and true to her warnings, they were ).


Much as I wanted to be adventurous and try something different from their vast menu, I loved their chicken parm so much on our first visit that I decided I simply MUST repeat the experience.  Yet again, the portions were simply MASSIVE…..and I had enough chicken on my plate to feed us all, along with a staggering quantity of spaghetti and toasted garlic bread to top it all off.  







As you may have suspected, Steve went right for the special of the day, a full rack of ribs, which were accompanied by French fries and coleslaw.







The Little Big Guy opted for their signature Zingers with garlic parmesan sauce, and a basket of fries (which ended up to be WAY more food than any of us had anticipated):







We opted out of any kind of dessert.  Their options didn’t really appeal, and we were much too full anyway.


There is absolutely nothing that we can’t rave about as far as this meal was concerned.   Food quality, portion sizes, taste, service, prices…..everything was top notch.  For value and quality, Millers really is extremely tough to beat and it’s easy to see why it’s packed literally every night of the week.   Our bill totalled $48.78 with tax (not including tip), so we paid our server and headed out into the warm evening air.


Rather than head straight back to the resort (we had nothing else formally planned for the evening), we decided to return to the Nike Clearance Store in Kissimmee to give Jake the chance to do a little more shopping.  There were a few additional items he wanted to pick up (now that he had surveyed the options at both the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores and the Premium Outlet), and was anxious to spend the rest of his shopping budget.  On the way there, we encountered the first heavier traffic of the trip (the 535 was SUPER busy) but other than making the short journey a little slower than normal, it wasn’t problematic.  No stoppages or issues to report.   


The boy shopped, shopped, shopped and left with a virtually empty wallet and bags full of sportswear.   In addition to his full sized suitcase (which is large enough to fulfill the maximum dimensions allowed by Jetblue), he had brought an empty carry on to help handle his purchase load.  Good thing, too, because he was going to need all that space by the looks of things!!  


After leaving the Nike Store, I casually inquired if we should pick up something sweet to bring back to the resort and enjoy after our hot tub time later that evening.  Something, say, from Krispy Kreme….since we’re here in Kissimmee anyway, you know.  To make the drive out worthwhile.  Yeah, that’s the reason .


The guys jumped at the chance.  Rather than turning right onto the 535, our chauffeur navigated us down the 192 until we saw the sign:







Lo and behold, we had timed it just perfectly…..the “hot doughnuts now” sign was lit and shining like a beacon in the night sky!  


Don’t worry.  The boys didn’t trample anyone on the way in the door .  Surprisingly, we were the only ones in the whole store .


Walking into the tiny building, it was hard to miss the hundreds of warm donuts rolling happily down the conveyor belt.  Mmmm….the smell was sinful all on its own .












In addition to the hot glazed donuts, we surveyed the other specialty options and worked on making those agonizing vacation decisions that we all love to be faced with:  how do we narrow it down to “just” 12?  







They had several different festive creations, including cheery snowmen (filled with fluffy whipped cream) and adorable Santa Bellies (filled with chocolate cream) for a 20 cents each upcharge on the price for the dozen.  It was Christmas, after all, so we had to try them .







Total cost for the order: $10.14 with tax.


I would like to say the guys made it back to the villa before they indulged….or heck, even back to the Equinox!!....but they didn’t make it beyond the small tables right inside the shop .   Quite obviously, we are immediate gratification people!!  They dug into those hot doughnuts like they were their lifeline to survival…..and right then and there, they became Krispy Kreme hot doughnut fans for life.  You have never heard such oooohing and ahhhhing and contented sighing in your life.  The iPhone was whipped out, Instagram photos were taken, and they announced to the internet world that they had found heaven at a little shop in central Florida .


Still full from dinner, I had one of the snowmen and left the boys to devour the hot doughnuts on their own (despite their insistence that I simply MUST give them a try).   Thank goodness its Christmas and calories don’t count during the holiday season.  That’s our story and we’re sticking to it .


We snaked our way back up a very congested 535 and returned to the villa with the balance of our box of doughnuts, poured ourselves some adult beverages into plastic cups, and headed straight for the hot tubs.  Again that night we met up with our new friends from Wisconsin (who announced with a laugh "well, its about time you guys got here!!", and again we spent a most leisurely warm night under the twinkling of the stars.  "Peace on Earth" indeed .


*Our Tuesday is up next!*


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## dixonsontour

What a great eveing. Millers is on our to do list. Love the christmas themed krispy kremes. We alsonoticed a krispy creme up near millenia mall this time which is easier for us if we are staying at Universal.


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## JaxDad

Mmmmmm...hot doughnuts now...

The first time I had them was late one night in Gainesville. Two buddies and I bought a dozen off the conveyor (right after they had passed through the curtain of hot, sugary yumminess), essentially inhaled them, then realized we needed another dozen! Needless to say, I was not the least bit worried about calories...


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## ArwenMarie

Yum, hot donuts. 

It's going to be hard to go back to "regular" Christmases after this trip!


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## dancin Disney style

'Ohana breakfast is AWESOME!  We've done it more times than I can count and it's booked again for DD's birthday in March.   A few years back we took my BFF and her son. Stitch sat down at our table and took all the eggs from the platter put them on his plate and tried to force feed my friends son.  When  that didn't work he started tossing the eggs over his shoulder.  Our server was less than impressed but we enjoyed the show.

I've also got a brother that doesn't listen.   He will ask for my advice on a subject that I'm an expert in but take none of it.  He then does his own thing with bad results and complains about it.  At this point, I expect nothing less from him.  Love him dearly anyway.   

If you get called George you're doing OK.  My oldest brother had a name for me that I HATED with a passion.  I still hate it and every once in a while my mom will tell someone to call me by that name.  She thinks it's funny, knowing full well that I have hated it since I was a kid. 

So Krispy Kreme was empty????  Who the heck were they making all those doughnuts for?  One of my friends ate a whole dozen of the glazed ones once and ended up in the hospital.  The high amount of sugar caused some sort of liver problem.


----------



## jennasmommyinMS

Hitting the Krispy Kreme when that "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign is on is the best time of day, no matter what time it is!  I think I need to visit our local one pretty soon.....


----------



## pepperandchips

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> There is absolutely nothing that we can’t rave about as far as this meal was concerned. Food quality, portion sizes, taste, service, prices…..everything was top notch. For value and quality, Millers really is extremely tough to beat and it’s easy to see why it’s packed literally every night of the week



Okay, Gina, you are NOT good for my plans to go anywhere other than Orlando for vacation!! Every trip report brings more amazingly delicious looking meals to try. When was your previous trip there? I read all (I think) of your previous trip reports so I need a place to look for the previous experience!! Apparently there is at least one Millers Ale House on the other side of Atlanta but I haven't had the pleasure of trying it yet. I hear they have great trivia though. 

Great donut conveyor pics! We have a lot of Krispy Kreme locations here in Atlanta so you would think the novelty would wear off... Nope, every time they're in the break room at work I'm eating them.


----------



## pigletto

I can't count how many times I've heard about those ribs at Millers since our trip last March. Every time DH sees ribs on a menu here he starts "At Miller's you get twice as much for...". I can't wait to take him back.

Also I think I blew my healthy eating for the day just reading about Krispy Kreme!! I can't believe there is an actual conveyer belt. I'm thinking that that will be one of my planned indulgences for our upcoming trip!


----------



## toystoryduo

Wow! I can't believe it was a 150 minute wait for Santa!  Disney may have to add a Fastpass to see him! LOL! 

Love hot Krispy Kreme donuts!  For a little over $10, you got a dozen of Krispy Kreme's hot, yummy donuts. That's cheaper than the Olaf apple at Disney Springs!


----------



## vrajewski10513

Hey Gina, my parents are going to be joining us in Florida this fall but they don't want to stay on site at Disney. You speak so highly of the Vistana I wanted to suggest it to them. Do you stay at the one in Lake Buena Vista or on International Drive?


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## Lynne G

Yum!


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## Monykalyn

I have to drive by a Krispy Kreme every day I work-and a Dunkin Donuts opened up right across the street from KK-I have to find a new route to work due to traffic now 

Millers Ale House has become a fairly new tradition of ours now-Happy Hour prices are great (good news when feeding 5 mouths-cheap apps and the portion sizes are very nice).

So sorry on the wait for Santa!  We didn't even get a pic with Santa this year-we go to our local city hall for pancakes with Santa or to Bass Pro-didn't make it to either this year. On a side note-Bass Pro (World HQ here in Springfield MO) was giving out "bass passes" with a predetermined return time to see Santa (had to go first thing in am when store opened - first come first served until ran out)---sound familiar???

All these yummy food pics and descriptions _made_ me make Sizzling Chicken and Cheese skillets (from TGIFridays) tonight (we are definitely not in diet mode around here).


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dixonsontour said:


> What a great eveing. Millers is on our to do list. Love the christmas themed krispy kremes. We alsonoticed a krispy creme up near millenia mall this time which is easier for us if we are staying at Universal.



I think you'll really like Millers Ale House.  I'm pretty sure there's one on Kirkman, right near Uni  .



JaxDad said:


> Mmmmmm...hot doughnuts now...
> 
> The first time I had them was late one night in Gainesville. Two buddies and I bought a dozen off the conveyor (right after they had passed through the curtain of hot, sugary yumminess), essentially inhaled them, then realized we needed another dozen! Needless to say, I was not the least bit worried about calories...



lol, as we were heading into the store, I said to the guys...._JaxDad will be so proud of us!  We're finally trying the hot doughnuts! _ They both looked at me blankly and said...._WHO? _  Then they exchanged a glanced, nodded knowingly, and both at the same time said _"Oh, Disboards"._ 



ArwenMarie said:


> Yum, hot donuts.
> 
> It's going to be hard to go back to "regular" Christmases after this trip!



Sigh....you know it .

Steve has been in Plymouth, Michigan since Monday for work.  He texted me to say he bought tickets for the Powerball lottery.  If we win, I'll be hosting a big Christmas 2016 bash at the Vistana, and I'll fly ya'll down to help us celebrate the season.   And that's a promise  .



dancin Disney style said:


> 'Ohana breakfast is AWESOME!  We've done it more times than I can count and it's booked again for DD's birthday in March.   A few years back we took my BFF and her son. Stitch sat down at our table and took all the eggs from the platter put them on his plate and tried to force feed my friends son.  When  that didn't work he started tossing the eggs over his shoulder.  Our server was less than impressed but we enjoyed the show.
> 
> I've also got a brother that doesn't listen.   He will ask for my advice on a subject that I'm an expert in but take none of it.  He then does his own thing with bad results and complains about it.  At this point, I expect nothing less from him.  Love him dearly anyway.
> 
> If you get called George you're doing OK.  My oldest brother had a name for me that I HATED with a passion.  I still hate it and every once in a while my mom will tell someone to call me by that name.  She thinks it's funny, knowing full well that I have hated it since I was a kid.
> 
> So Krispy Kreme was empty????  Who the heck were they making all those doughnuts for?  One of my friends ate a whole dozen of the glazed ones once and ended up in the hospital.  The high amount of sugar caused some sort of liver problem.



Okay, so inquiring minds want to know....what name did your brother call you?  C'mon, I wont use it against you  .  You can always PM me if you don't want to post it publicly . 



jennasmommyinMS said:


> Hitting the Krispy Kreme when that "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign is on is the best time of day, no matter what time it is!  I think I need to visit our local one pretty soon.....



I have to agree!!   I am almost glad there's not one anywhere near our hometown, though.  I don't think I'd ever grow sick of them!!! 



pepperandchips said:


> Okay, Gina, you are NOT good for my plans to go anywhere other than Orlando for vacation!! Every trip report brings more amazingly delicious looking meals to try. When was your previous trip there? I read all (I think) of your previous trip reports so I need a place to look for the previous experience!! Apparently there is at least one Millers Ale House on the other side of Atlanta but I haven't had the pleasure of trying it yet. I hear they have great trivia though.
> 
> Great donut conveyor pics! We have a lot of Krispy Kreme locations here in Atlanta so you would think the novelty would wear off... Nope, every time they're in the break room at work I'm eating them.



We first tried Millers on our October 2015 trip.  If you have trouble finding that specific entry in that report, let me know and I'll post the link for you  .



pigletto said:


> I can't count how many times I've heard about those ribs at Millers since our trip last March. Every time DH sees ribs on a menu here he starts "At Miller's you get twice as much for...". I can't wait to take him back.
> 
> Also I think I blew my healthy eating for the day just reading about Krispy Kreme!! I can't believe there is an actual conveyer belt. I'm thinking that that will be one of my planned indulgences for our upcoming trip!



The value at Millers is just so awesome.....which is good, because it makes me feel less awful when I think of the meal cost with the exchange rate factored in.  I honestly don't know how they offer racks of ribs and prime rib dinners so cheaply!  Americans would faint if they saw what similar meals are worth here in Canadian restaurants.



toystoryduo said:


> Wow! I can't believe it was a 150 minute wait for Santa!  Disney may have to add a Fastpass to see him! LOL!
> 
> Love hot Krispy Kreme donuts!  For a little over $10, you got a dozen of Krispy Kreme's hot, yummy donuts. That's cheaper than the Olaf apple at Disney Springs!



And we would much rather have the donuts than a candy apple!! (none of us are fans)

I believe they were giving out pagers for Santa.  I think I read it somewhere online (maybe here on the Dis?) but we didn't even bother to inquire.  150 minutes was too long, pager or no pager!! 



vrajewski10513 said:


> Hey Gina, my parents are going to be joining us in Florida this fall but they don't want to stay on site at Disney. You speak so highly of the Vistana I wanted to suggest it to them. Do you stay at the one in Lake Buena Vista or on International Drive?



We own (and stay) at the Resort, which is in LBV.  The Villages, SVR's sister property, is the one on I-Drive  .   They are definitely easily confused!!  Check the prices on Skyauction, if they are looking for a week's stay with a weekend check-in.  Their prices can be much better than through Sheraton directly.



Monykalyn said:


> I have to drive by a Krispy Kreme every day I work-and a Dunkin Donuts opened up right across the street from KK-I have to find a new route to work due to traffic now
> 
> Millers Ale House has become a fairly new tradition of ours now-Happy Hour prices are great (good news when feeding 5 mouths-cheap apps and the portion sizes are very nice).
> 
> So sorry on the wait for Santa!  We didn't even get a pic with Santa this year-we go to our local city hall for pancakes with Santa or to Bass Pro-didn't make it to either this year. On a side note-Bass Pro (World HQ here in Springfield MO) was giving out "bass passes" with a predetermined return time to see Santa (had to go first thing in am when store opened - first come first served until ran out)---sound familiar???
> 
> All these yummy food pics and descriptions _made_ me make Sizzling Chicken and Cheese skillets (from TGIFridays) tonight (we are definitely not in diet mode around here).



Mmm.....sizzling chicken and cheese skillets...... .

I am happy to report that we did get a family pic with Santa before our vacation was over.  You'll just have to stay tuned a bit longer for that update  .


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## got4boys

Love your trip report. I did not realize you were at Polynesian on 12/21. I was there too that morning! I just missed you as we just were leaving.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Tuesday, December 22nd:*


Again this morning, our internal clocks had us awake as the sun came up (maybe even before), so we decided to make the best of it and use that early rising tendency to our advantage.  We had decided the night before that today would tentatively be the morning we’d sneak to Universal for a couple of hours while Jake enjoyed a morning of much-needed slumber.  I use the word “sneak” loosely, as Jake was well aware of our intentions and would not be shocked to find the villa empty if he happened to wake earlier than we expected, and rather thought he was getting the better end of the deal (though he made us promise to bring him a Cinnabon from CityWalk upon our return).  So, rather than lounging lazily in bed for an extra hour or two, we showered, grabbed a light breakfast of cereal and coffee, and headed out the door for the short jaunt up the I4 .


Knowing that there would be huge crowds this close to Christmas, our plan was to be at the parks as close to the 8 am opening as possible.  The I4 was remarkably clear for the journey, and we were parked (free in the preferred section with our annual passes) and on our way into Citywalk in record time.  Security had been amped up significantly that morning (much more so than we had ever seen it on previous visits, with the exception of on Halloween Horror Nights) so the only backlog we encountered was at the security and bag check.












Once finally through the security check-point, I let Steve decide which park we would enter at.  He opted for Islands of Adventure (which I already _knew _he would pick, even before he answered....he's not shy about letting me know that it’s his favourite park ).







We weren’t really here to do anything in particular, just to stroll around a bit and see some of the holiday decor while enjoying yet another sunny, hot, gorgeous Florida morning .  Walking through Marvel, we didn’t spot any characters out and about nor did Steve feel like riding Spiderman despite my insistence to do so.  We opted to continue on through Toon Lagoon and visit Hogsmeade while it was (hopefully) still fairly quiet.


Once in Hogsmeade, we purchased a cold Butterbeer to share, convincing ourselves that we needed it to stay hydrated in the heat .







Crowds were marvellously manageable at the early hour (busier than May or October, but definitely not crazy), so we enjoyed touring around, checking out the shops and storefronts (I never tire of that), and just soaking up the atmosphere we have grown to love in the Wizarding World.






When the Butterbeer was empty and we’d satisfied our Potter fix, we headed back the way we came to spend some time in Jurassic Park.












We checked to see if the Raptor Encounter had opened yet, but it turned out we were a tad too early:  10 am was the first encounter of the day.  Sadly, we’d be most likely be gone by then, or shortly thereafter at the very least.   We would have to put that off until our next visit in April.







I asked Steve if he wanted to ride Jurassic Park River Adventure (posted waits were at 5 minutes), but he claimed he didn’t want to get wet and strode onward with those long legs.  He seemed to be on a mission, and I had an idea of where he was headed .


Travelling back from Jurassic Park toward Toon Lagoon, we got a great look at the new Kong ride that is set to open in summer 2016, and were shocked at how far they had come in the construction process just since mid October.  Amazing to see the progress that they had made....and this ride is going to be HUGE!!  So sad that our AP’s run out before it opens .


Steve’s stride slowed considerably as we passed through Toon Lagoon......and he informs me with a smile that he thinks the Butterbeer has had sufficient time to kick in.   Kick in for what, you may ask?  Well, if you’ve read any of my previous reports, you’ll know exactly what my Steve’s favourite pastime is at IOA:  conquering the sledgehammer game in the small carnival area between Marvel and Toon Lagoon.  While we had been hoping that some Christmas minions would be available as prizes (something new for our growing collection at home, which has become rather infamous among my female neighbours) we were a bit disappointed to note that most of the prize options were the same fellows we already had.  The basketball game beside the sledgehammer, though, had a vampire minion that we were both quite excited about.  He was a tad smaller than the large minions available to be won at the sledgehammer game, so we inquired to the attendant....if Steve plays and hits 100, could we swap out the big guys for the vampire?   A manager was milling about nearby, so the run it by her for approval.  She says yes, so Steve hands over his $6.00 to play (apparently the price had gone up since October, when it was only $5).  By now, I know my role in this:  I hold his lanyard, wallet, and keys.  I am a good wife .


He grabs the hammer.


He flexes (in preparation for the game play?  Or for my benefit? ).


He winds up .


The first swing comes close at 96, and he assures me it was just a warm up.  Flex, flex, flex! 


Second swing....primal howl......DING!  100!  







At this rate, I will soon have as many minions as Gru .


We were just getting started!  With the “important” task out of the way, we headed off to check out the “Grinchmas” decor in Seuss Landing .


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

got4boys said:


> Love your trip report. I did not realize you were at Polynesian on 12/21. I was there too that morning! I just missed you as we just were leaving.



Crap!  We could have had a Dole Whip Dismeet!!


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## Lynne G

A vonderful Stuart?  As they say, have not met a minion not liked. LoL

Love the decorations so far.  I may have to stay a few days in USO this Christmas as last time we only went to part the sea of people at City Walk.


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## Tricia's mom

Mmmmmmmm,mmmmmm,mmmmmmmmm Hot donut !!!


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## pepperandchips

I checked out the Miller's Ale House menu online. How can they serve food at those prices?! I'm shocked, frankly. And I'm not even Canadian!!! Putting that on the to-do list. Even though the nearest location to my home is 20 miles away I may have to make a road trip up there...

I love Steve's enthusiasm for minion winning - makes me wonder who these little winions are really for...


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## mulanrouge

I sooooooooo.... love reading your trip reports!!!!  I'm going to attempt my own this time!!!  Figure it is about time after reading so many amazing reports and reaping the benefits of everybody's vacations!!  I just hope I can make it as exciting and welcoming as yours!!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> A vonderful Stuart?  As they say, have not met a minion not liked. LoL
> 
> Love the decorations so far.  I may have to stay a few days in USO this Christmas as last time we only went to part the sea of people at City Walk.



The holiday decor was quite different than I expected!!  Lots of the Macy-type balloons, and Seuss Landing was all done up very well, but minimal decorations everywhere else.   I find it so interesting to see how each of the different park families "do" Christmas differently.



Tricia's mom said:


> Mmmmmmmm,mmmmmm,mmmmmmmmm Hot donut !!!



  

I wonder if the workers there ever get sick of them?  I'm betting not  .



pepperandchips said:


> I checked out the Miller's Ale House menu online. How can they serve food at those prices?! I'm shocked, frankly. And I'm not even Canadian!!! Putting that on the to-do list. Even though the nearest location to my home is 20 miles away I may have to make a road trip up there...
> 
> I love Steve's enthusiasm for minion winning - makes me wonder who these little winions are really for...



I think you'll be VERY pleased with Millers  .  I will look forward to hearing your review!!

Oh, I can tell you who those minions are for ....the actual stuffie is for ME.  But the ego boost generated by the ding of that bell is definitely for my Steve .



mulanrouge said:


> I sooooooooo.... love reading your trip reports!!!!  I'm going to attempt my own this time!!!  Figure it is about time after reading so many amazing reports and reaping the benefits of everybody's vacations!!  I just hope I can make it as exciting and welcoming as yours!!



Yay!  I will definitely be in for the read  .  It's a fun little pasttime after your travels are over, and it makes you less sad for the ending when you can start back at the beginning and share your adventures with friends.  And ya know, you will be amazed at the things people will learn from reading your report.  Sharing experiences is so helpful to others  .


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## vrajewski10513

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> We own (and stay) at the Resort, which is in LBV. The Villages, SVR's sister property, is the one on I-Drive  . They are definitely easily confused!! Check the prices on Skyauction, if they are looking for a week's stay with a weekend check-in. Their prices can be much better than through Sheraton directly.


Thanks for the clarification! I guess they got a "trial week" through exploria marketplace because they may buy in somewhere and the Sheraton Vistana was one of the options 

I love getting to the parks first thing in the morning, its so peaceful  The christmas decorations look great, and the crowds dont look bad at all with it being so close to Christmas!

You never need an excuse for Butterbeer 

Steve was on a mission lol I'm glad you got another minion to add to the collection!

Cant wait to se your photos from Grinchmas!


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## JaxDad

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> lol, as we were heading into the store, I said to the guys...._JaxDad will be so proud of us! We're finally trying the hot doughnuts! _ They both looked at me blankly and said...._WHO? _ Then they exchanged a glanced, nodded knowingly, and both at the same time said _"Oh, Disboards"._



Wow! I'm honored!  I almost feel like I was actually on a Gina trip!

We'll have to do a DISmeet someday. We may pop down to Orlando the week after Easter, but I think that is well before your trip in April. We are thinking about just hanging out at Harbour Lake (I have some Marriott points burning a whole in my virtual pocket), and maybe do Escape Game and/or Outta Control Comedy Magic Show again.


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## robinb

Gina, I almost never read trip reports but I *love* yours!  You really bring the rest of Orlando to life for me.  I need to try to break the hold of The Mouse on me and get out and explore more.  We re-upped our WDW APs again this year for $70 per person over our 7-day PH so we're still attached by the hip with the Mouse.  Maybe someday ...


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

vrajewski10513 said:


> Thanks for the clarification! I guess they got a "trial week" through exploria marketplace because they may buy in somewhere and the Sheraton Vistana was one of the options
> 
> I love getting to the parks first thing in the morning, its so peaceful  The christmas decorations look great, and the crowds dont look bad at all with it being so close to Christmas!
> 
> You never need an excuse for Butterbeer
> 
> Steve was on a mission lol I'm glad you got another minion to add to the collection!
> 
> Cant wait to se your photos from Grinchmas!



I agree....its well worth the efforts to get up and going when you see the differences in crowd levels from morning until afternoon.  We would never have bothered to go if we couldn't make it there for near opening.  I'm just not a good one to deal with massive numbers of people!!



JaxDad said:


> Wow! I'm honored!  I almost feel like I was actually on a Gina trip!
> 
> We'll have to do a DISmeet someday. We may pop down to Orlando the week after Easter, but I think that is well before your trip in April. We are thinking about just hanging out at Harbour Lake (I have some Marriott points burning a whole in my virtual pocket), and maybe do Escape Game and/or Outta Control Comedy Magic Show again.



If a Dismeet the last week of April isn't workable, we're planning to be back again in October.  With the Canadian dollar the way it is , we may not be able to afford to do anything beyond SW and AQ with our APs but the villa is paid so plans are to go regardless of the exchange rate.  It should just be my big guy and me, so it would be great to get together and say hello!



robinb said:


> Gina, I almost never read trip reports but I *love* yours!  You really bring the rest of Orlando to life for me.  I need to try to break the hold of The Mouse on me and get out and explore more.  We re-upped our WDW APs again this year for $70 per person over our 7-day PH so we're still attached by the hip with the Mouse.  Maybe someday ...



Thanks Robin!  That's a HUGE compliment from a contributor to the boards with your kind of Orlando experience  .

I love the fact that there are always cool new places to visit in Orlando.  It's what keeps us coming back, year after year!!  We're willing to try most anything once ... except things like skydiving .


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Toting our vampire minion proudly along, we toddled off back toward the main entrance and then around to Seuss Landing.  We knew this part of the park would be nicely decorated and were excited to see it all decked out for the holiday … or shall I say, *“Who-liday”*…. season .












There was a Photoconnect photographer there, so we stopped for a (rather dark) picture with our Star Card annual pass.  We were certainly getting the value out of that baby!  






_(oh, my Lord....look at my hair....did I mention how HUMID it was?? )_

Neither one of us had any burning desire to ride anything (though we easily could have, as waits were minimal to none), so we just indulged in taking in all the festive décor.   Very, very adorably done .






















Here’s a crowd photo to give you an idea of just how quiet it was:







Seuss Landing was definitely the best-dressed section out of the two parks when it came to Christmas decorations.  It was nice, too, that it was applied in such a way that it still all “fit” with the spirit of that particular area.  Very well executed, indeed.


From Seuss Landing, we headed back to Hogsmeade and caught a ride on the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley and it was virtually a walk-on (the only wait we encountered was for the next train to arrive).   We toured around Diagon Alley for a bit, but it was growing busy as the morning wore on.  We suspected the afternoon would be a challenge, indeed!  We exited into London:







….and then headed over to Springfield.


On previous trips, Steve has been able to win me a significant start on a full Simpsons family:  we had Homer, Bart, Lisa and Santa’s Little Helper all keeping the minions company in our rec room.  It has been his mission to round out our little collection with the balance of the characters, so as soon as we approached the Sledgehomer game, I knew he wanted to play .


There was a group of young lads (perhaps around Jake’s age…I would guess college or early university students) who were just paying for their chance to whack for prize.  We stopped to listen to the attendant tease them a bit (they too were from Canada, so cue the Canadian jokes ) and watch them take their three swings at greatness.  God love ‘em, they came REALLY close (one of the young fellows hit a very impressive 98….and was so disappointed he didn’t come away with the large stuffed Duff beer can for his efforts) and the attendant crowned them _ “The Strongest People He’s Ever Met From Canada, Today”.  _As they walked away, Steve whipped out his wallet and handed over his $5 (apparently inflation has not hit Universal yet…..the $1 increase must be only an IOA thing).  I took the minion, his wallet, his keys, and his lanyard and gave him a kiss for good luck .


It took him all three swings, but the bell rang out on the final attempt.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!  


The Duff prizes didn’t appeal, so we asked the attendant if it was possible for him to swap out the gigantic beer can for a couple of the character prizes (which were being handed out  at the other games in the Springfield carnival area).  He readily agreed to get supervisor approval, so we waited a few moments while he ran it by his boss (who just happened to be at the adjacent basketball game, so not too far away).  She gave us the thumbs up with a smile, asked which two characters we’d like to have (since Steve won a “large” prize, they were willing to substitute two “mediums” in its place), and we picked Marge and Krusty.  I told Steve with his winnings for the requisite picture, and she shouted _WAIT!  You need the hammer!_  .  I like this girl .







We briefly considered a spin on the Twirl & Hurl, but it was now around 10 am and we figured Jake would be rising and shining fairly soon.  Our arms were full of stuffies making riding more cumbersome, and crowds were thickening too, so it was good time to soon make our exit.


We passed some of the large balloons on our way through Hollywood to the main entrance.  The one of Garfield was HUGE!  _(I didn’t know that Garfield was a Universal character)_












There was a Photoconnect photographer stationed on the bridge outside of Universal……she was a brave woman.  A tiny little thing, I feared she might be trampled to death as people beat a path to the park entrances.  She was getting some good pictures with the infamous globe in the background, though.







We carefully navigated through the MOBS of people entering CityWalk to the Cinnabon store….people, at this point, were just pouring in like a tidal wave.  Oh, what we don’t do for our kids!!







We were pleased to learn that Cinnabon gave a 20% discount to Premier Passholders (we weren’t sure that they would, considering they are not part of the actual parks) so Jake’s little indulgence was a mere $3.89 including tax.  It almost killed me to smell that little baggie of deliciousness all the way back to the resort!!


We managed to squeeze our way through the masses  to the parking garage without suffering any major perils (leaving as opposed to entering at that hour of the morning, we were definitely going against the flow of the traffic) and drove back to the resort with no traffic issues whatsoever.  Jake was just getting ready to hop in the shower as we walked back into the villa, so he took a few moments and devoured his Cinnabon while it was still warm.  Once he was refreshed and dressed, we decided to take advantage of the hot, humid, sunny day and grab an early lunch before hitting up Aquatica……we certainly didn’t expect a waterpark to be on our itinerary for a Christmas trip, but what the heck....why not!  Admission would be free with our SW/AQ combo annual passes, so let's get the value out of them as much as we can.


Before we splished and splashed the afternoon away, though, we needed some sustenance.  Our lunch entrees would be served up with a hearty side of sarcasm .  Dicks Last Resort is up next!


----------



## Vestmama4

And again we were in the same vicinity lol. Tuesday was UO for us as well, but we started our day at Universal (heading straight to Diagon Alley/Gringotts) at 8am. I only had my 2 older kids and although very crowded this day, we did quite a lot (probably because we are used to traveling as a family of 6, so only having half the crew really moved up our pace!) and had oh so much fun.  We stayed 8-10pm and the longest lines were of course in the afternoon (we did the water rides during this super busy time.) We unfortunately never saw the sledgehammer game (even if we did we definitely wouldn't have conquered it like your husband did lol.) We did try ButterBeer (and a Simpsons's big pink doughnut.) We also loved the ice cream place Florean Fortescue's in Diagon Alley. My daughter and I watched Grinchmas in the morning...did you guys happen to catch this show?


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## Tricia's mom

So excited ready your trip report. I almost forgot we are going to Wdw for 5 days. 
Today is my double digit dance....99 more days til we get to SVR ! 
Keep the pictures coming.


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## Ruthie5671

Happy that your stuffy collection continues to grow.  As soon as I read that was your morning destination, my first thought was "I wonder how many Minions would have to be stuffed into the suitcase on this trip?"!!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Great updates again Gina. We too love millers and went a few times in Juliy, I like the choice of food, the atmosphere and the cocktail specials aren't bad either 


Just when we were getting along nicely I see you have to bring Dicks back into the conversation.......shame on you


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> She says yes, so Steve hands over his $6.00 to play (apparently the price had gone up since October, when it was only $5).


Well, duh!  SOMEBODY has to make up for all the losses since Steve found his groove...



> At this rate, I will soon have as many minions as Gru .



Nope. Pretty sure you have more already.  But congratulations on the new addition to the family.  Be sure to check the other Minions regularly for puncture wounds on their necks...


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Vestmama4 said:


> And again we were in the same vicinity lol. Tuesday was UO for us as well, but we started our day at Universal (heading straight to Diagon Alley/Gringotts) at 8am. I only had my 2 older kids and although very crowded this day, we did quite a lot (probably because we are used to traveling as a family of 6, so only having half the crew really moved up our pace!) and had oh so much fun.  We stayed 8-10pm and the longest lines were of course in the afternoon (we did the water rides during this super busy time.) We unfortunately never saw the sledgehammer game (even if we did we definitely wouldn't have conquered it like your husband did lol.) We did try ButterBeer (and a Simpsons's big pink doughnut.) We also loved the ice cream place Florean Fortescue's in Diagon Alley. My daughter and I watched Grinchmas in the morning...did you guys happen to catch this show?



No Grinchmas show for us.....we didn't stay long enough to squeeze it in.  How did you guys enjoy it?



Tricia's mom said:


> So excited ready your trip report. I almost forgot we are going to Wdw for 5 days.
> Today is my double digit dance....99 more days til we get to SVR !
> Keep the pictures coming.



We are right behind ya!  101 days for us  .



Ruthie5671 said:


> Happy that your stuffy collection continues to grow.  As soon as I read that was your morning destination, my first thought was "I wonder how many Minions would have to be stuffed into the suitcase on this trip?"!!



   When we came home, you wouldn't believe how many people looked at us in shock and said....._*You only brought home ONE minion!?!?*_



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Great updates again Gina. We too love millers and went a few times in Juliy, I like the choice of food, the atmosphere and the cocktail specials aren't bad either
> 
> 
> *Just when we were getting along nicely I see you have to bring Dicks back into the conversation.......shame on you*



What was I thinking?!?!    When @dancin Disney style returns to this thread, we're all in trouble .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Well, duh!  SOMEBODY has to make up for all the losses since Steve found his groove...
> 
> Nope. Pretty sure you have more already.  But congratulations on the new addition to the family.  Be sure to check the other Minions regularly for puncture wounds on their necks...


Then I guess I should formally apologize to all travellers for the price increase at IOA, and to the shareholders for the drop in profits .    Our annual passes expire on May 1st this year (and with the dollar the way it is, I'm doubting we'll renew for long while), so the game cost should return to normal this summer  .


----------



## pigletto

I'm loving all your photos of the Christmas decor. It's my absolute favourite time at any of the parks. It just adds so much more to see them all decked out for the holidays.


----------



## jennasmommyinMS

Miller's is definitely on our radar for our May trip--it looks really good!  A couple of quick questions, though--if I sign up for their email, will there be an expiration on that free appetizer?  And do you get an appetizer choice, or was it just the one that y'all had?

We'll be visiting the Universal parks on our May 2017 vacation--we haven't been there since May of 2013, and we're really excited about all of the changes since then!


----------



## Lynne G

Okay, what did that Dick statue  say to the boys?  I see neither had a drink in hand like the statue.  Food pictures soon I hope.


----------



## Vestmama4

The Grinchmas show was cute. We weren't blown away, but my daughter and I enjoyed it. The actor who played the Grinch did a great job. We watched some of the Macy's Holiday Day parade that night with the floats and I think that won us over more than the show- all the balloons and floats were really cool. But unfortunately my son wouldn let us linger too long watching the parade because we were on our way to ride Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. Our family loves Minions too!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> What was I thinking?!?!    When @dancin Disney style returns to this thread, we're all in trouble .



Oh sheesh, I would never say anything.

Wanted to pass along a weather update though......

.   looks like a storm is coming.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> I'm loving all your photos of the Christmas decor. It's my absolute favourite time at any of the parks. It just adds so much more to see them all decked out for the holidays.



I agree....the parks "dressed up" are so much fun.  They looked AWESOME for Halloween too, but Christmas is just...*magical*  .



jennasmommyinMS said:


> Miller's is definitely on our radar for our May trip--it looks really good!  A couple of quick questions, though--if I sign up for their email, will there be an expiration on that free appetizer?  And do you get an appetizer choice, or was it just the one that y'all had?
> 
> We'll be visiting the Universal parks on our May 2017 vacation--we haven't been there since May of 2013, and we're really excited about all of the changes since then!



The coupon is for a free flatbread, not an appetizer of choice unfortunately (I highly recommend the barbecued chicken one.....so freakishly yummy!!....but there are several others to choose from).  There was an expiration date, I want to say 7 or 14 days but I'm not 100% sure.  I signed up just a couple of days before we left and I had the free coupon emailed to me almost immediately.



Lynne G said:


> Okay, what did that Dick statue  say to the boys?  I see neither had a drink in hand like the statue.  Food pictures soon I hope.



Drinks came soon  (well, for Steve anyway....Jake is legal drinking age here in Canada, but not south of the border).   Maybe that's why neither one was smiling in that photo  .  Actually, they were hot and hungry....hence the sour pusses.   You bet your boots there's photos comin'!  Probably tomorrow if all goes as planned  .



Vestmama4 said:


> The Grinchmas show was cute. We weren't blown away, but my daughter and I enjoyed it. The actor who played the Grinch did a great job. We watched some of the Macy's Holiday Day parade that night with the floats and I think that won us over more than the show- all the balloons and floats were really cool. But unfortunately my son wouldn let us linger too long watching the parade because we were on our way to ride Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. *Our family loves Minions too!*



Any friend of a minion is a friend of mine  .



dancin Disney style said:


> Oh sheesh, I would never say anything.
> 
> Wanted to pass along a weather update though......
> 
> .View attachment 145352   looks like a storm is coming.



 

I seem to be fainting a lot lately when it comes to your posts .

For the record, @Mrs Doubtfire predicted this was going to happen!!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> It took him all three swings, but the bell rang out on the final attempt.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!



Is Steve losing his touch??? Three tries???

Perhaps I misunderstand the quoted statement.  There have been sleepless nights in hotels and now bells being rung.  I'm confused.


----------



## pattyw

I have to come out of lurkdom and chime in here.  This thread is informative, interesting, and more entertaining than tv!  We are Disney(and Universal) park fanatics and stay onsite, thus never have time to venture to offsite venues.  But, we'll be there in March and while we will visit WDW and Universal, we plan to rip ourselves from the parks to go to Madame Tussaud's and Chocolate World.  We never would have even known about these if not for you, Gina!  Thank you!  And we live 15 minutes from the Buffalo airport- maybe a Dismeet dinner for anyone in the area on your next trip?


----------



## dancin Disney style

pattyw said:


> This thread is informative, interesting, and more entertaining than tv!


----------



## toystoryduo

We haven't been to Miller's Ale House in a couple of years. I think we'll have to put that on our dining schedule for our next trip! 

Love the new addition to the Minion family!  Steve is really good at the sledgehammer game!


----------



## disneyAndi14

Enjoying your report, really love the dining reviews so far.  It looks like you and your family had a wonderful holiday. I have been to the Sheraton Vistana once when my sister and her family stayed there, it is very nice.  They had a two bedroom condo as well, tastefully done.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Is Steve losing his touch??? Three tries???
> 
> Perhaps I misunderstand the quoted statement.  There have been sleepless nights in hotels and now bells being rung.  I'm confused.



Yeah, he wasn't too thrilled that it took him three tries to win, either.  He's convinced that every once in a while they "adjust" the difficulty levels .   I think he just needed another butterbeer .....for strength.

Don't you have sleepless nights and bell ringing on your vacations?  



pattyw said:


> I have to come out of lurkdom and chime in here.  This thread is informative, interesting, and more entertaining than tv!  We are Disney(and Universal) park fanatics and stay onsite, thus never have time to venture to offsite venues.  But, we'll be there in March and while we will visit WDW and Universal, we plan to rip ourselves from the parks to go to Madame Tussaud's and Chocolate World.  We never would have even known about these if not for you, Gina!  Thank you!  And we live 15 minutes from the Buffalo airport- maybe a Dismeet dinner for anyone in the area on your next trip?



Welcome aboard, pattyw!  I am glad you came out of the shadows of lurkdom and decided to join us! 

I have to agree with you wholeheartedly....we can be a rather fun bunch to hang around with .  Some of us don't know quite how to behave from time to time (ahem!  ) but we're generally good for a laugh on a regular basis.

I am so glad you have picked up some new ideas for your trip from some of our adventures!  I hope you'll come back and let me know what you thought of Tussaud's and World of Chocolate.  I just found out yesterday that one of the new places planned for our April trip (CSI Experience) has closed....Livingsocial contacted me to inquire if I wanted a refund on our vouchers.  I am totally bummed!  Was looking forward to trying out a new I-Drive attraction but I guess I'll be looking elsewhere for inspiration.  Good thing I have another 99 days to figure it out!

I am absolutely up for a Dismeet in Buffalo .  We'll be there the night before our flight in both April and October!   



dancin Disney style said:


> View attachment 145370



Sigh......you are such a handful sometimes!!!



toystoryduo said:


> We haven't been to Miller's Ale House in a couple of years. I think we'll have to put that on our dining schedule for our next trip!
> 
> Love the new addition to the Minion family!  Steve is really good at the sledgehammer game!



Yes, his brute strength comes in handy on our trips .  Jake's girlfriend is anxiously waiting for April, when Jake can win her some prizes from the basketball games and Steve can round out her collection from the sledgehammer games.  If she has her way, she'll need a separate suitcase just for stuffies  .  (They really are good value souvenirs, though.....a huge minion for $6?  You can't beat it!)



disneyAndi14 said:


> Enjoying your report, really love the dining reviews so far.  It looks like you and your family had a wonderful holiday. I have been to the Sheraton Vistana once when my sister and her family stayed there, it is very nice.  They had a two bedroom condo as well, tastefully done.



 disneyAndi14!  Thanks for joining in  .

Stay tuned, there's lots more dining updates coming up before we're finished!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

My apologies for the lack of updates today.   Work responsibilities and grocery shopping took precedent over trip reporting.  I will try to get the next update posted by tomorrow night at the latest .


----------



## ArwenMarie

Those Seuss Landing decorations are gorgeous. I see what you mean, they fit so well yet are totally Christmas-sy. Love!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Don't you have sleepless nights and bell ringing on your vacations?


There was that one time.......



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sigh......you are such a handful sometimes!!!


Let's be honest here.....I'm more like two handfuls.


----------



## CAFarmerGirl

Long time lurker to your posts.  You have helped me create a list of restaurants for our upcoming trip...thanks!!  I noticed you like cheesecake, have you tried the Cheesecake Factory?  We have one in California near our house, and their food is really good!  They have every type of cheesecake imaginable and their regular menu is huge.  They have a peanut butter cheesecake, my son and hubby love it!  If you sign up for emails they may run another special like they did in December where you can get a free slice of cheesecake with a gift card purchase.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> There was that one time.......
> 
> *Let's be honest here.....I'm more like two handfuls*.



No truer words have ever been typed!!! 



CAFarmerGirl said:


> Long time lurker to your posts.  You have helped me create a list of restaurants for our upcoming trip...thanks!!  I noticed you like cheesecake, have you tried the Cheesecake Factory?  We have one in California near our house, and their food is really good!  They have every type of cheesecake imaginable and their regular menu is huge.  They have a peanut butter cheesecake, my son and hubby love it!  If you sign up for emails they may run another special like they did in December where you can get a free slice of cheesecake with a gift card purchase.



 CAFarmerGirl!  Glad you came out of lurkdom and decided to join in the chat! 

Cheesecake is actually my husband's love.....I personally can't stand the stuff!!  (my dad always told us _"if God meant us to eat sour milk, he would have soured it in the cow"_....so I've never had a taste for anything made with cream cheese or sour cream) .  That said, we did try to get into the Buffalo Cheesecake Factory in October (for dinner the night before we flew out) but it was PACKED  .  As huge Big Bang Theory fans, I would love the opportunity to just be able to say I've dined there (yes, I know that makes me sound like a geek! ) however we may have to try the Orlando location versus Buffalo.  Their entree menu is staggeringly huge!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

We arrived at Dick’s Last Resort just shortly around 11:15 am, so they had just nicely opened for lunch.  We were, with the exception of the staff, the only people there....so we got lots of attention (hearty hellos and warm greetings) from the servers, manager and bartenders as we entered.   We were seated at the end of a long table, and our server was out virtually immediately to issue her sharp-tongued, rapid-fire welcome spiel and throw the menus across the table.







Now, this is the second time we have visited this Dick’s, so we knew exactly what to expect.  Their motto is “service with sarcasm”, and while that approach is definitely not a dining experience that everyone enjoys, our personal senses of humour really had fun with the concept on our first visit (when we had no idea what we were getting into....we ).  This time, we were ready for the “attitude”....and when our server discovered we were repeat visitors, she let loose right away.







She demanded our drink orders:  Jake and I requested waters (boy, did we get a ribbing for that , complete with a very dramatic roll of the eyes and a muttered comment about being the last of the big spenders ) and Steve picked a beer.  She strode away as we plucked the menus from the table and perused the lunch options, many of which had changed since our August 2014 visit.












Jake particularly liked the sign to the right of this photo....proclaiming that they were poison free for the “3rd-ish” week .







We had very speedy, attentive, and yes...sarcastic...service here.  Our waitress was back at our table in a flash with our drinks, and after emptying the tray of glasses onto the table, she set to work outfitting us with plastic bibs.  Weren’t we fashionable .

















Having finally decided on our entrees of choice, we placed our food orders (to which our server replied with an exaggerated sigh..._“Thank God!  It’s about time!”_) and she set off in the direction of the kitchen, muttering away to herself as she left.  She really did do a great job of dishing it out, but not too much or offensively so (if that makes sense).   Of course, we enjoy this type of experience....so we played along and encouraged her antics, which definitely helps.  Not long after we were seated, a large family group also arrived, but they had several young kids.....which really quite surprised us (and posed a real challenge for the server, too).  While we love Dick’s for both the food quality and the unique experience, we also recognize that the fact that our son is an adult plays a big part in the suitability for this restaurant as a dining option on our vacation.  The sarcasm and humour is very *adult* in nature, so it’s definitely not what I’d consider a good pick for those with grade schoolers.  We overheard the staff very tactfully trying to make sure that these folks knew that Dick’s was not your average family diner....I can only imagine how tough it is to carry out the Dick’s experience when there are little ones involved....but the family assured them they were “totally fine with it” and so they were placed at a table behind us and we got to watch their lunch experience, too.


As we waited for our food to arrive, the manager came over to chat with us for a few moments.  He was happy to hear we were repeat visitors, and thrilled to know we had come all the way from Canada.  I’ve got to say, I do love it when managers are that hands-on and customer-oriented.  It goes a long way in making guests feel very welcomed and appreciated .


While we chatted with the manager, we could see our server working diligently on a project in the corner of the room, so we weren’t surprised when the requisite headwear started being delivered, one by one.







Steve was first to be adorned with the mile-high personalized “hat”.  Jake was enjoying a good laugh at his father’s expense when he, too, fell victim to our server’s warped humour.







I gleefully announced that I couldn’t wait to get these pictures up on Facebook.  The boys warned me with evil grins that my turn was yet to come....and they had no problem with payback .


Right then, our food came out from the kitchen.....smelling _amazing_ and piping hot.


Jake had chosen the Buffalo chicken sandwich with an upgrade to cheese fries:







Steve had selected the Philly cheese steak sandwich with chili cheese tater tots:







I had picked the “Big Pig”, their signature pulled pork sandwich, with the sauce on the side (at the server’s suggestion) and tater tots for a side.







One of the things we loved about Dick’s on the first visit was the food, and once again on this trip we were blown away by the quality of the meals.  The food here is sooo tasty.....fresh, flavourful, big portions, just so good in every way.  Especially at lunch, there is real value for the price paid, with the most expensive entree (Steve’s cheese steak with the upgraded chili cheese tater tot side) being only $11.98.  Considering the amount of meat on his sandwich and the quality ingredients, we were more than satisfied.


As we dined, my “hat” was also delivered with a flourish.  You don’t get to see it though, because it was less than flattering and I hate the picture of me in it.  My trip report, my rules .  Let’s just say the “theme” of the message on my hat was equally as crass as that of the guys’ .


We opted out of dessert.  We were much too full.


The bill was brought to our table, and we laughed right out loud at the handwritten message:







We covered the cost, left her a great tip (she earned every dollar....she made our lunch a ton of fun ) and rolled our bloated bellies out to the Equinox.  Now right around high noon, it was HOT and HUMID with not a drop of rain in the forecast again today .  While we never would have expected it, it was simply a perfect day for a water park.


*Our splishy, splashy, refreshing afternoon at Aquatica is up next!  *


----------



## jennasmommyinMS

We'll have to wait a few years before we can put Dick's on our dining list--baby girl is 13. and she hears enough of that kind of humor at school.....

I'm super-excited about your next installment--I'm planning our Aquatica day for our May trip this weekend!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Cheesecake is actually my husband's love.....I personally can't stand the stuff!!  (my dad always told us _"if God meant us to eat sour milk, he would have soured it in the cow"_....so I've never had a taste for anything made with cream cheese or sour cream)



Can't remember where we stand on the arranged marriage thing?  The cream cheese was an issue.

I've seen your Dick's hat.  Mama's got leverage


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

jennasmommyinMS said:


> We'll have to wait a few years before we can put Dick's on our dining list--baby girl is 13. and she hears enough of that kind of humor at school.....
> 
> I'm super-excited about your next installment--I'm planning our Aquatica day for our May trip this weekend!



LOL....I totally agree.  Dick's is great for a 20 year old boy, but I wouldn't take my 13 year old daughter there  .

The first part of our Aquatica visit is coming up soon!  Stay tuned  .



dancin Disney style said:


> Can't remember where we stand on the arranged marriage thing?  The cream cheese was an issue.
> 
> I've seen your Dick's hat.  Mama's got leverage



I'm afraid Jake put the stopper on our expertly planned nuptuals.  Seems he thinks he has the right to pick his own mate  .  Good thing he's chosen one I really, really like this time.....otherwise I may have had to reconsider my cream cheese fear just to ensure he got an entertaining mother in law... .

As for the Dick's hat.....let's remember we're friends here, okay?  Thou shalt not share it.  Facebook has an unfriend feature and I'm not afraid to use it  .

And that's all I have to say about that .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Aquatica had opened at 10 am that morning, so we were a bit concerned about our late arrival as we made the short drive from Dick’s to the Aquatica parking lot.  Would we be kicking ourselves for indulging in a Universal morning and a leisurely lunch?  


We were quite shocked to find the parking lot was nowhere near full.....not what I’d describe as “empty”, per se, but darn close.  We got a prime parking space just steps from the entrance, grabbed our swimsuit bags from the back of the Equinox, and made our way into the park.  We had not yet activated our annual passes (purchased on Black Friday’s super awesome buy one, get one free sale) so we headed straight to the self-serve kiosks as directed by our barcoded email vouchers.  The process was wonderfully quick and painless, and a few taps to the touch screen and a quick scan of the barcode and we had our AP’s in hand in matter of minutes .







The guys inquired as to whether we were going to get a cabana.....so far, for some reason, we’ve never visited Aquatica without one (thank goodness they have always been very affordable.....the most we’ve ever paid is $89.99 for the day, and Christmas Eve Day 2012 we picked one up for just $30!!).  Today’s price for a cabana in Cutback Cove (the cheapest option) was only $49.99 less an additional 10% with our passmember discount, but it was already after noon.....they were probably already spoken for.  That said, I told the boys I’d ask at Guest Services, just to be sure.  Much to our surprise and delight, they had many cabanas still available , so we paid the $44.99, had the Guest Services agent affix our cabana wristbands, declined the offer of someone to take us to the area personally (we knew our way there by heart) and headed off to get settled in.







From a cost comparison standpoint, the cabana at $44.99 was an incredible value.  We would have had to rent a locker for all of our stuff, but the cabana includes a large one (and its located right inside).  That was worth $15.  We would have had to rent towels (we didn’t anticipate a waterpark visit on this trip, so we didn’t pack any from home) but the cabana included 4 of them.  At $5 each (I think), that’s worth another $20.  Then, the rental included 12 bottles of Dasani water (nicely chilled in the cabana fridge, another perk!) which, at an approximately cost of $2.50 each, that’s $30 in beverages.  So there was $65 in “value” right off the bat.  The final bonus was that we received 20% off all in-park purchases by showing our cabana bands, so we did quite a bit of souvenir shopping before we departed and saved 10% more than what we would have with our AP discount.  Of course, the nicest thing of all is that we had our own, personal, private space:  and the area is staffed by AQ team members, and accessible only to cabana guests.  I love the Cutback Cove area too, because it’s so lush and pretty!  







There were virtually no Christmas decorations at the park, which surprisingly I was totally okay with.  While in theory I would have thought it would have felt “lacking” (in comparison to the other beautifully decorated parks and attractions in Orlando), I think it would have been tough to find Christmas decor that fit with Aquatica’s theming.  I think I’d rather have no sign of Christmas (save for some of the staff decked out in Santa hats) than decorations that look ill placed.  It’s such a pretty park that it was perfect and fun just the way it was.


We settled into the cabana, stowed our valuables in the locker, changed into our suits, and had a good drink of water (those Dasani’s would be worth their weight in gold with the heat) then we were off and running.  At my urging, the boys headed off to conquer the slides (which are not really my thing) while I set about to explore the park and take some photos.







For those wondering about the “crowds”, here are a couple of shots that showcase the masses nicely:












I am definitely not saying there was *no one* there, but wow....it was marvellously quiet .  I guess most folks were like us, and just didn’t have a water park in the plans for a late-December vacation.  Our itinerary was flexible enough to squeeze it in on the fly, but I totally understand that many families don’t have that ability (for many different reasons).  With the low attendance of the day, the guys were able to ride every single slide in the park (a couple of them multiple times) within the first hour we were there .







I took a nice stroll all around the park.  The sun was shining, there was just a light breeze, and it was so unbelievably gorgeous .  I must admit it brought on that _“I never want to go home”_ feeling .


The little ones were playing in Kata’s Kookaburra Cove:












Guests were flying down the Taumata Racers, screaming all the way:







Walkabout Waters was, as always, a hot spot for families to enjoy together:












And of course....the slides were popular for thrill seekers!












I took some time to stop and watch the Commerson’s dolphins swimming gracefully around their pool.  These tiny dolphins are so adorable and graceful, I can never get enough of them.












These little fellows are better than a therapy session.  To watch them swim is so relaxing and peaceful .


*The balance of our Aquatica day is coming up next!*


----------



## chiamarie

I feel like I have mentioned it before, but if you're interested in the growing popular attractions on I-Drive, I HIGHLY recommend Escapology.  Its really a lot of fun!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Boo hoo - we don't get to see THE hat............

The humour is borderline for sure, I bet it can get a bit rowdy in there


----------



## bankr63

dancin Disney style said:


> Can't remember where we stand on the arranged marriage thing?  The cream cheese was an issue.
> 
> I've seen your Dick's hat.  Mama's got leverage



Oh my Gina, that is quite a hat you had there!  Really need to do something about that <ahem> growing problem.  Don't worry DDS, I copied it over to my bucket, I'm pretty sure the original will be gone soon...  (we'll just hang onto it for insurance).


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

My last post was a bit late, you got your next report in. Aquatica looked great, ideal crowds for me. I wish it had been like that in July! The changing rooms are better at Aquatica, Typhoon Lagoon's looked a bit old in comparison. Hope you are having a good weekend


----------



## ArwenMarie

You posted your DHs and DSs hat and not yours?! They are good sports! 

Love those tiny dolphins, how cute.


----------



## Lynne G

Nice updates.  No hat, come on, we like sarcasm and the other hats. Well, cute.

We also had low crowds at Aquadica, but that was because when we got there it was 62 degrees.  I spent most of my time in Roa Rapids.  It was the temperature of bath water.  
So ready to be in Orlando heat right now, as it is getting colder by the day.


----------



## dancin Disney style

jennasmommyinMS said:


> We'll have to wait a few years before we can put Dick's on our dining list!





Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I totally agree.  Dick's is great for a 20 year old boy.



So much material....




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> And that's all I have to say about that .


Run Forest, Run!


----------



## Vestmama4

Love all your Aquatica pics and they bring back such great memories for me. My kids had me hopping the day we were there, so I didn't get to take too many pictures. The day we went it was hot with minimal crowds as well=perfection. Did your son and husband have a favorite water slide?


----------



## disneyAndi14

Wow, you sure find some interesting places to eat, I am surprised the food you get for the price, good finds!  I think my 16 y.o. daughter would die of embarrassment at Dick's last resort LOL.  Aquatica looks so nice on the day you picked.  Great pictures.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

chiamarie said:


> I feel like I have mentioned it before, but if you're interested in the growing popular attractions on I-Drive, I HIGHLY recommend Escapology.  Its really a lot of fun!



It is definitely on our radar .... I agree, it looks like a blast!  You have to have a minimum of 4 people though or they merge you with another group, right?  

They have had some great deals on Groupon.  I know there are several different ones in the area...which one(s) have you tried?



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Boo hoo - we don't get to see THE hat............
> 
> The humour is borderline for sure, I bet it can get a bit rowdy in there



I would guess that the evening hours, when its more of a bar than a restaurant, would have a totally different feel.  We've done lunch both times we've visited, and its been super quiet both times .



bankr63 said:


> Oh my Gina, that is quite a hat you had there!  Really need to do something about that <ahem> growing problem.  Don't worry DDS, I copied it over to my bucket, I'm pretty sure the original will be gone soon...  (we'll just hang onto it for insurance).



Geez Munro, you know she doesn't need any help, right???     She's dangerous enough all on her own.

Methinks the masses are ganging up on me here  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> My last post was a bit late, you got your next report in. Aquatica looked great, ideal crowds for me. I wish it had been like that in July! The changing rooms are better at Aquatica, Typhoon Lagoon's looked a bit old in comparison. Hope you are having a good weekend



I can imagine it is much more packed in the summer!!  It's always been pretty manageable on our end of August trips, but not nearly as quiet as it was this time  .

We are having a typical wintery Canadian weekend here.  Freezing rain yesterday, steady snow today  .  I hope the weather is better where you are!



ArwenMarie said:


> You posted your DHs and DSs hat and not yours?! They are good sports!
> 
> Love those tiny dolphins, how cute.



Yeah, don't tell the guys that I posted their pics and not mine.  There might be mutiny  .



Lynne G said:


> Nice updates.  No hat, come on, we like sarcasm and the other hats. Well, cute.
> 
> We also had low crowds at Aquadica, but that was because when we got there it was 62 degrees.  I spent most of my time in Roa Rapids.  It was the temperature of bath water.
> So ready to be in Orlando heat right now, as it is getting colder by the day.



62 degrees, brrrr!!    Yep, you would definitely want to stay in the water when the air is that chilly!  And there's no better place to keep warm than Roa's  .



dancin Disney style said:


> So much material....
> View attachment 145766
> 
> Run Forest, Run!



I really need to be more careful when you're around.  You know I was sweet and innocent (and my mind was pure) before you came on the scene, right?  



Vestmama4 said:


> Love all your Aquatica pics and they bring back such great memories for me. My kids had me hopping the day we were there, so I didn't get to take too many pictures. The day we went it was hot with minimal crowds as well=perfection. Did your son and husband have a favorite water slide?



I don't know if they have a favourite, per se.  They like them all  .  I know Omaka Rocka has been one that they repeat regularly.  And the new one, Ihu's Breakaway Falls, gives them a good thrill (though they also get a wedgy and lots of water up the nose ).



disneyAndi14 said:


> Wow, you sure find some interesting places to eat, I am surprised the food you get for the price, good finds!  I think my 16 y.o. daughter would die of embarrassment at Dick's last resort LOL.  Aquatica looks so nice on the day you picked.  Great pictures.



I also forgot to mention that we had a buy one, get one half off coupon for Dick's from the Vistana (gleaned from one of their welcome packages from either May or October, and still valid when we visited at Christmas ).  We find the dining deals for offsite restaurants are EVERYWHERE! (which is awesome for the budget!)

Yes, the Dick's dining experience can definitely make a person blush.   Even me, as an adult  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

After the boys had conquered all of the slides in the park, they met up with me in Roa’s Rapids:  my absolute favourite attraction at Aquatica!  







I had already taken a couple of tours on Loggerhead Lane (the traditional lazy river with tubes) while the guys were enjoying the slides, since that’s WAY too tame for my men.  While they were otherwise occupied, it was a good opportunity for me to enjoy a peaceful float around in the afternoon sun .  I knew they would know, though, that when the time came for them to relax too, they would find me whipping along with the current in Roa’s.....and since they love it as much as I do, I also knew they would be happy to join me!


They had photographers taking photos in Roa’s, so since we had pre-purchased the one year Photokey (with a tidy little discount for passmembers) before we had left on our trip, once the boys located me in the rapids I encouraged them to stop for pictures.  The more photos we can accumulate on the key in the next year, the more value we will get out of the purchase .












After Roa’s, we all trooped back to the cabana to rehydrate and relax for a few moments.   While we were there, I tried to get those fellows of mine to pose for a nice photo....and this is what I got :







Sigh .....Jake poked Steve’s belly, Steve retaliated, and I caught their antics red-handed.  Men!! 


I sternly ordered them to behave and smile, and they dutifully complied this time:







What a pair of meat-heads .


The cabana attendants noticed we were taking some pictures (I'm sure they heard all the laughing), and came over to ask if we wanted them to take a family photo for us.  I happily accepted their very kind offer....and thankfully, the guys behaved much more nicely for the Aquatica staffer than they did for me .







From there, we decided to spend some time in the wave pool.  Just being out of the water that short time, we were starting to get hot and uncomfortable.  It was now well after 2 pm, but it was still this warm:







For my Canadian friends, here’s our Celsius equivalent:







There are two wave pools side-by-side, but only one of them (the side that borders the Cutback Cove cabana area) was open for guest use.  I would assume that the low attendance was the reason.  I guess it wouldn’t make sense to staff the second side when one accommodated guests very nicely.







After the wave pool, we spent more time as a familiy in Roa’s Rapids and the boys took the opportunity to re-ride their favourite slides.  They would leave, slide, then return to find me still bobbing along with the current, join me for a rotation or two and then dash off for another slide or two.  Then repeat.


It was after 4 pm when I decided to take our picture wristbands from the Roa’s photographer to the photo kiosk at the front of the park (along with the confirmation of our Photokey pre-purchase) so they could add the pictures to our new card.  This proved to be a MUCH bigger task than what we had ever anticipated, as what should have been a simple task took four kiosk staff, two managers, and 40 minutes to resolve  (apparently they don’t get many folks pre-purchasing the Photokey product...trying to apply that pre-purchase versus paying at the park was more difficult than unlocking the secret of how they get the caramel inside the Caramilk bar).  Eventually, with their apologies (and after the boys returned twice to find out what on earth was taking Mom so long) I had the activated Photokey in hand and just a few moments to make our final purchases at the gift shop with the 20% cabana discount.  We had toured the store and perused the souvenirs earlier in the day, so we knew exactly what we wanted so we were in and out with bags in hand very quickly.


_(A little added note here.....photo purchases didn’t go smoothly at any point on this trip.  It was like the photo Gods were against me from the start.  We had issues at Aquatica with activating the Photokey that we had pre-bought, the photos from Tussauds never showed up and necessitated not one but TWO trips back to iDrive360 for assistance, the Eye photos we purchased later that week also never became available online and required us returning to their location on International Drive for manual uploading, and even our “magic” shots at SeaWorld were missing the “magic”....so we had to return on our departure day to have them fix those, too!!) _


The park was closing by the time we were packing up our stuff from the cabana.  The guys had changed back into their street clothes, but since we were returning to the villa before dinner, I just stayed in my (now dry) swimwear and figured I’d shower and dress once we were back at the Vistana.


*The balance of our Tuesday is coming up next .*


----------



## dixonsontour

Great aquatica updates. We've been once to Aquatica and enjoyed it.


----------



## chiamarie

I have only done one, and from my understanding it's the best there is down here.  It's called "Escapology" ( https://www.escapology.com/orlando )   I believe that they only require a minimum of 2 people, and they will NOT put you into a locked room with people you don't know.  Be warned, they are addicting-ly fun.  And again, I HIGHLY recommend it!


----------



## Tricia's mom

Omgoodness ! You look 15 years old in those pictures ! Lol , great shots.

Mmmm, tots ....my husband loves tots.. We may have to go to dicks...


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

A great day Gina, we could do with that warm sunshine right now. We too had snow over the weekend but it fell on Friday night and was gone by Sunday night thank goodness. It's just cold now!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> You know I was sweet and innocent (and my mind was pure) before you came on the scene, right?


Ok sure, and I've got some ice to sell to an Inuit. 



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I also forgot to mention that we had a buy one, get one half off coupon for Dick's.


The sweet innocent type wouldn't even know where to get such a coupon.

Let's not forget who started this whole thing....actually I don't remember but I know it wasn't me this time.  On that matter I am legitimately innocent.


----------



## pigletto

My internet went out on Saturday and I was unable to read on the Dis (as an aside I got a surprising amount of real life stuff done).  It was fixed when I awoke this morning, and I am happily catching up on the Aquatica updates with my cup of tea. DD has been begging to go to Aquatica on one of the days of our May trip. We do have 3 down days but the budget is tight and I don't know that I have room for another set of tickets. But the more I look at your photos, the more I think I need to scare it up somehow. Remember I always used to say the girls in our family weren't waterpark fans?  Well Aquatica changed that. We had such a nice time. 
I can't even believe how empty the park is in those photos. Our day in March started like that, but it sure got busy as the day wore on. I think it's a done deal for this trip because I'm sitting here thinking we will have to get there early to get on the slides first thing. If I'm forming a plan the tickets are as good as purchased lol. All four of us have birthdays coming up. It's looking like Kennedy Space Center and Aquatica tickets will be gifts this year because lord knows the trip budget is maxed out with this exchange rate. Purchasing our Disney tickets in a week or two and that one is going to hurt.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dixonsontour said:


> Great aquatica updates. We've been once to Aquatica and enjoyed it.



It's our favourite waterpark in Orlando .  We also enjoy Typhoon Lagoon (especially their wave pool), but Aquatica is our #1 overall for Roa's Rapids (I love, love, LOVE that attraction! ), the affordable cabanas, and the fact that its usually noticeably less packed with people versus TL.



chiamarie said:


> I have only done one, and from my understanding it's the best there is down here.  It's called "Escapology" ( https://www.escapology.com/orlando )   I believe that they only require a minimum of 2 people, and they will NOT put you into a locked room with people you don't know.  Be warned, they are addicting-ly fun.  And again, I HIGHLY recommend it!



Alright, I'm convinced!!!  And now I'm officially on the hunt for a good Groupon deal  .



Tricia's mom said:


> Omgoodness ! You look 15 years old in those pictures ! Lol , great shots.
> 
> Mmmm, tots ....my husband loves tots.. We may have to go to dicks...



God love ya......15 years old.  I wish .

Those tots were mighty tasty, and I liked that you had the option to dress 'em up with chili and/or cheese (though I'm a plain girl myself).  A nice change from french fries, for sure!



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> A great day Gina, we could do with that warm sunshine right now. We too had snow over the weekend but it fell on Friday night and was gone by Sunday night thank goodness. It's just cold now!



Our snow has given way to a sub-zero Arctic chill.  I abhor winter  .



dancin Disney style said:


> Ok sure, and I've got some ice to sell to an Inuit.
> 
> The sweet innocent type wouldn't even know where to get such a coupon.
> Let's not forget who started this whole thing....actually I don't remember but I know it wasn't me this time.  On that matter I am legitimately innocent.



Hey!!  It wasn't me who started this!!  

I think it was @Mrs Doubtfire  .



pigletto said:


> My internet went out on Saturday and I was unable to read on the Dis (as an aside I got a surprising amount of real life stuff done).  It was fixed when I awoke this morning, and I am happily catching up on the Aquatica updates with my cup of tea. DD has been begging to go to Aquatica on one of the days of our May trip. We do have 3 down days but the budget is tight and I don't know that I have room for another set of tickets. But the more I look at your photos, the more I think I need to scare it up somehow. Remember I always used to say the girls in our family weren't waterpark fans?  Well Aquatica changed that. We had such a nice time.
> I can't even believe how empty the park is in those photos. Our day in March started like that, but it sure got busy as the day wore on. I think it's a done deal for this trip because I'm sitting here thinking we will have to get there early to get on the slides first thing. If I'm forming a plan the tickets are as good as purchased lol. All four of us have birthdays coming up. It's looking like Kennedy Space Center and Aquatica tickets will be gifts this year because lord knows the trip budget is maxed out with this exchange rate. Purchasing our Disney tickets in a week or two and that one is going to hurt.



Welcome back!   Glad to hear you're back connected to the world wide web  .  It's a amazing how much we feel like fish out of water when we're offline for a while.  

I hear you on the effect of the exchange rate.  We're doing the same as you for our April trip.....tickets are going to be purchased in lieu of Valentine's Day and Easter gifts (or at least, that's the current plan)  In our case, though, its for Tampa Bay Rays tickets.....they are playing our beloved Blue Jays on 3 separate days during our trip, and when my guys found out, they almost begged me to work it into the budget (and the itinerary).  2016 single day tickets haven't been released yet though, so we can't move forward with that until they are able to be purchased by the general public.  I am hoping they are not too pricey.....sigh, what I don't do for those guys _(though we'll probably combine the game with a trip to a gulf beach while we're on that side of the state....its been on mine & Sunshine's wish list, so it seems like a good way to make the most out of the long commute).
_
Yep, Aquatica is really easy to fall in love with.  Ah, to be in Roa's right now..........


I will try to get another update posted later today!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

We returned to the Vistana, and the boys enjoyed some much-needed relaxation (catching up on the scores in the sports world) while I showered and did my best to repair my atrocious water park hair.   There was no way I was going anywhere for dinner when I looked like Medusa’s first cousin .  I also started a load of laundry in an effort to get the chlorine out of the swimsuits, and took some time to check emails and Facebook messages .  Eventually, stomachs were rumbling and we decided it was high time for a hearty meal.  There is something about frolicking around a waterpark that gives the appetite a real boost.


Considering everyone was quite hungry (a sensation that seems to become less and less frequent as the vacation rolls along), we decided it was a good time to check another restaurant off Jake’s Christmas wish list:  Golden Corral, “The Best Buffet In The USA”.







Now, I know Golden Corral is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea for a variety of reasons.  That said, it’s a place where we get really good value (important for us Canucks, who are realistically spending another 40% on top of the US cost )…..and if we choose the location wisely, we can generally still achieve a really good dining experience.  Certain GC’s tend to be so loud and rowdy that the pandemonium ruins any enjoyment, but the one on south I-Drive near the Vistana Villages (which used to be the short-lived Wood Grill Buffet) has a much, much better atmosphere.  It’s bright and sparklingly clean (again, not always the case in all Golden Corrals), and never seems to have as many unattended children running amok.  So that is where we headed for the evening’s dinner.


The fellow handling the till as we arrived was having a great time greeting guests in his best Mickey Mouse voice (which I have to say, was surprisingly close to the real Mouse himself).  We had a 10% off coupon which we presented him, and we paid for our three adult dinners and three soft drinks.  There were lots of open seats from which to pick, so we found what looked to be the quietest area and the boys headed off immediately to fill their plates from the many selections on the buffet.







Something didn’t seem quite right with the total of our bill (it seemed kind of high, considering we had a discount), so I took a few moments to review it in greater detail.  It turned out Mickey Mouse didn’t deduct our coupon, meaning we overpaid by just a tad over $5.  Our server, Angel, came by to introduce himself and leave his server card, so I mentioned the error to him for his input.  He assured me he would have it corrected and dashed off with the copy of our bill in hand.


A few minutes later, the boys returned with their initial plates artfully arranged with their favourite items.  There was Jake’s plate filled with college student favourites like pizza, macaroni and cheese, chicken and steak fries covered with cheese and ranch):







And Steve’s meat-inspired masterpiece (nice to see he added some mashed potatoes just for variety):







I tend to take a more balanced approach, though I guess I seem to have forgotten my veggies:







One of the things that we love about Golden Corral is that everybody’s favourite(s) are on the buffet.  Regardless of what you like or don’t like (which for our fussy family, there’s a lot of the latter….for Jake and I, anyway ) you’ll still find a ton to eat, and no one ever goes home hungry.  On busier nights like this, the buffet stations are consistently refilled making everything hot and fresh.  There’s salad for the health-conscious, veggie options for non-meat eaters, chicken done 10 different ways for the less adventurous, and every meat and side dish known to man.   While a few of the items just don’t meet our taste expectations (Steve simply hates their stuffing), most stuff is pretty darn good….especially considering the price .


If there’s any downfall at all, it’s that it’s hard to find room for their plethora of desserts.   I have learned over the years to choose carefully on the first course, in order to have room for a sweet ending.







They have an assortment of cakes, pies, cookies, fudge, puddings, squares, and yes….there’s  the infamous Chocolate Wonderfall.  They also have ice cream, both soft and hard, with a variety of toppings at their create-your-own (endless) sundae bar.


Steve’s never met a piece of chocolate cake or a strawberry sundae he didn’t like, and tonight was no exception .







My big kid thoroughly enjoyed his self-made sundae masterpiece, topped off with a healthy serving of caramel sauce….and indulged me with a trip-report worthy, foolish photograph .







Earlier in our meal, Angel had returned with a cash refund for the value of the coupon ($5.10).  He also returned at the end of our dinner, as they were running a promotion where each family was given a to-go bag of a half dozen of their signature yeast rolls to take home.  Steve remarked that they would make excellent after-hot-tub snacks for later that evening, and after leaving a tip for our server, we waddled out into the warm night air.

The total cost for the meal (3 endless buffets, 3 bottomless soft drinks, plus six free yeast rolls to-go):  $46.60 including tax and the 10% off coupon.

There is a rather nice souvenir store in that same plaza, so we paid a visit there before heading back to the villa.  They had some really cool tie-dye Orlando t-shirts for a great price, so we picked up a few of those as souvenirs for family back home (and one for me, too!  I love tie-dye! ).  Back at the villa, we poured ourselves some drinks and (you guessed it) headed out once again to the hot tubs.  It would be another night under the stars, chatting it up with our northern neighbours from Wisconsin before we fell into bed near midnight.


We slept like rocks.  *Our Wednesday is next!*


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Good heavens....I just noticed we've entered the double digits for our next trip!!

96 days   .


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

It always amazes me how much time you spend in the water, but I know how much you all love it whereas I don't really (but you'll be glad to know I do bathe daily!)

Anyhow I see you mentioning my name earlier, sometimes it's better just to let things lie.........

As for only 96 days, well you'll be packing the suitcases before we know it


----------



## ArwenMarie

40%? Ouch!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Good heavens....I just noticed we've entered the double digits for our next trip!!
> 
> 96 days   .


I'm at 51 and already dreaming of the sun, warmth and laying out at the pool allllllllll  day looooooong


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> It always amazes me how much time you spend in the water, but I know how much you all love it whereas I don't really* (but you'll be glad to know I do bathe daily!)*
> 
> Anyhow I see you mentioning my name earlier, sometimes it's better just to let things lie.........
> 
> As for only 96 days, well you'll be packing the suitcases before we know it



LOL.....I am so relieved!! 

We are definitely a family of water babies.  I think we must have been fish in a former life....scratch that, maybe dolphins.  That might explain my long nose  .



ArwenMarie said:


> 40%? Ouch!



It's actually even worse than 40%. I'm rounding in our favour to make myself feel better.  And the dollar is still falling..... .



dancin Disney style said:


> I'm at 51 and already dreaming of the sun, warmth and laying out at the pool allllllllll  day looooooong



You're going to schedule in a meal at Dick's though, right?    I want to see what kind of a hat they make for YOU. 

C'mon, live a little  .


----------



## bankr63

dancin Disney style said:


> I'm at 51 and already dreaming of the sun, warmth and laying out at the pool allllllllll  day looooooong



53 here.  We'll be chasing you down there DDS.  Dreaming of exactly the same thing.  The wind chill here this evening is brutal!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> 53 here.  We'll be chasing you down there DDS.  Dreaming of exactly the same thing.  The wind chill here this evening is brutal!



Alright you guys, now which direction is this report heading in???

bankr63 is planning on chasing dancin Disney style down in Florida.......

I think the cold weather has driven us all mad .


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Alright you guys, now which direction is this report heading in???
> 
> bankr63 is planning on chasing dancin Disney style down in Florida.......
> 
> I think the cold weather has driven us all mad .



Sure as long as "chasing" is code for "will be lying by the pool enjoying an adult beverage and nursing a suntan".


----------



## greenclan67

bankr63 said:


> Sure as long as "chasing" is code for "will be lying by the pool enjoying an adult beverage and nursing a suntan".


54 days here, and the only thing I am chasing is my cold beer, with a Margarita


----------



## pigletto

Look at all of the Canucks in here! We're all sick of the cold, sicker about our dollar, and ready to go spend too much money for some warmth and sun!
102 days to go for us!


----------



## grantclaire

56 days for us, cruising out of Miami on DCL!


----------



## Monykalyn

Aquatica looks so fun! I spent waayyy too much time at typhoon lagoon on my college program (way before BB was even thought of) and I love that place. We did Blizzard Beach in 2014 but I think the kids would love Aquatica more.  We stayed at Marriott Sabal Palms 2015 and had (free) access to World center and their pools and slides so no need for water park (and Stormalong Bay at Beach club when we stayed there).

A bit jealous of those being able to head to warmer weather - we have not had a bad winter here but we are going to get snow/freezing rain a couple times this week-at least that is the prediction for _now_-there is a reason all the weather schools are in this area of the midwest-the weather peeps even said this morning that they don't really know what will happen this week yet.  And I get to head to colder weather --colorado-next month for oldest kid's look at a college...

Keep the warm weather trip report coming! Loving the pics!!


----------



## dsmom

Joining in late Gina!  We love Golden Corral here, have one close to home.  

Loving all the pictures,  you keep looking younger with every trip report.

Hope it warms up before you get here,  we have a freeze warning here tonight in north Florida!


----------



## momof2gr8kids

Showed dh some of your pics of Aquatica and we're both hoping we can be there next Christmas instead of here!  We loved it there too.  I think it was the best part of our trip last time. Kids were a bit disappointed in the wave pool - they loved the force of Typhoon Lagoon's and Aquatica's was too tame for them.  LOL

Although that weather is not normal for Orlando in December and with our luck it would be miserable and cold if we went!


----------



## robinb

pigletto said:


> Look at all of the Canucks in here! We're all sick of the cold, sicker about our dollar, and ready to go spend too much money for some warmth and sun!
> 102 days to go for us!


Can I play too?  I'm from Wisconsin and it was -8F (-22C) yesterday morning when I drove my DD to swim practice and we have family in Ottawa and Montreal.  I do feel sorry for you ...  your dollar is in free fall .

159 days for me.

ETA, I am SO glad to hear that there is a decent Golden Corral in Orlando.  There are a bunch of them in eastern Wisconsin and we always enjoy eating there.  We've tried a couple in Orlando (the one on 192 near Animal Kingdom and the one near the Premium Outlet mall) and there were both horrible.  They were loud, crowded and filthy.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> You're going to schedule in a meal at Dick's though, right?    I want to see what kind of a hat they make for YOU.
> 
> C'mon, live a little  .


I'm pretty sure that I could not post that hat in any sort of public forum.

Sadly, we are not going to have a car this trip, so no Dick's for me.  Thank you to the exchange  for that.  At one point yesterday the exchange rate was 1.4986....is there a vomiting emoji?  I'm in the process of figuring out what I can cancel to save some money.   No car, no Blue Jays and no TS meals.


----------



## dancin Disney style

bankr63 said:


> 53 here.  We'll be chasing you down there DDS.  Dreaming of exactly the same thing.  The wind chill here this evening is brutal!


Can we carpool?


----------



## My2CrazyGirls

dancin Disney style said:


> I'm pretty sure that I could not post that hat in any sort of public forum.
> 
> Sadly, we are not going to have a car this trip, so no Dick's for me.  Thank you to the exchange  for that.  At one point yesterday the exchange rate was 1.4986....is there a vomiting emoji?  I'm in the process of figuring out what I can cancel to save some money.   No car, no Blue Jays and no TS meals.



I have to ask....what is up with the Canadian dollar dropping?  Does this mean us United States residents should plan summer trips to Canada?  Would we make out well?


----------



## pigletto

dancin Disney style said:


> I'm pretty sure that I could not post that hat in any sort of public forum.
> 
> Sadly, we are not going to have a car this trip, so no Dick's for me.  Thank you to the exchange  for that.  At one point yesterday the exchange rate was 1.4986....is there a vomiting emoji?  I'm in the process of figuring out what I can cancel to save some money.   No car, no Blue Jays and no TS meals.


Liking your post because I can relate..not because I actually "like" that exchange rate. I don't know what's left to cut for us. I mean, maybe my cat could watch the dog and we could save on boarding fees. Or I could convince the kids we only ever intended to stand in the Magic Kingdom parking lot and soak up the atmosphere.
The big savings will be meals (thank god for a full kitchen) and eating offsite. However to do so I have to rent a car and rates are HIGH right now. Le sigh.
Gina we need an update, I'm being a Debbie Downer in your trip report .
Funny thing is, with how cold it is today I am sitting here just as excited as ever to take this trip so it can't be bugging me too much lol.


robinb said:


> Can I play too?  I'm from Wisconsin and it was -8F (-22C) yesterday morning when I drove my DD to swim practice and we have family in Ottawa and Montreal.  I do feel sorry for you ...  your dollar is in free fall .
> 
> 159 days for me.
> 
> ETA, I am SO glad to hear that there is a decent Golden Corral in Orlando.  There are a bunch of them in eastern Wisconsin and we always enjoy eating there.  We've tried a couple in Orlando (the one on 192 near Animal Kingdom and the one near the Premium Outlet mall) and there were both horrible.  They were loud, crowded and filthy.


Yes you can join too. Those temperatures are worse than ours today!! And I am tempted to try that Golden Corral too. The one we tried on our December trip last year was atrocious, but I am willing to try again.


----------



## Lynne G

We tend to not do all you can eat, as there are no really good ones around us any more. 

As was said on an another forum, it's blooming cold today.  Thankfully at 19F.  But, with 20mph winds, it feels like below freezing.  And, major snow storm may come our way this week-end.  Why can't it come on a Monday?  But, since the Atlantic is warmer than normal 45 degrees, we may get more rain than snow.  Darn weather people give all different ideas of what may come our way this week-end.   They'll let us know on Friday.  

So, floating our holiday vacation to the kids.  DD rather be there in summer.  Ahhh, no.  You are working and I will not have to pay for summer camp for the first time in 10 years.  No my dear, we are going over the holidays again.  Orlando yes, Super Grover passes in hand, but where else?  DS wants a cruise, but man, last year those prices were scary, so off to see if that's possible this year.  

Come on, we need an update.  Seeing beautiful warm weather is badly needed.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Sure as long as "chasing" is code for "will be lying by the pool enjoying an adult beverage and nursing a suntan".



Jealous.  I never tan.....EVER.  I'm either pasty white or fiery red, no matter how much time I spend outdoors.



greenclan67 said:


> 54 days here, and the only thing I am chasing is my cold beer, with a Margarita



Hard to believe March Break is that close!!!



pigletto said:


> Look at all of the Canucks in here! We're all sick of the cold, sicker about our dollar, and ready to go spend too much money for some warmth and sun!
> 102 days to go for us!



Amen, sister  .  It's almost a toss-up as to which is worse.....the weather or the dollar.  Though at least the cold eventually passes.   I fear the warmth will return long before our dollar rebounds.



grantclaire said:


> 56 days for us, cruising out of Miami on DCL!



Ooohh, fun!!  Still never tried cruising, but I would like to someday.



Monykalyn said:


> Aquatica looks so fun! I spent waayyy too much time at typhoon lagoon on my college program (way before BB was even thought of) and I love that place. We did Blizzard Beach in 2014 but I think the kids would love Aquatica more.  We stayed at Marriott Sabal Palms 2015 and had (free) access to World center and their pools and slides so no need for water park (and Stormalong Bay at Beach club when we stayed there).
> 
> A bit jealous of those being able to head to warmer weather - we have not had a bad winter here but we are going to get snow/freezing rain a couple times this week-at least that is the prediction for _now_-there is a reason all the weather schools are in this area of the midwest-the weather peeps even said this morning that they don't really know what will happen this week yet.  And I get to head to colder weather --colorado-next month for oldest kid's look at a college...
> 
> Keep the warm weather trip report coming! Loving the pics!!



You sure that kiddo doesn't want to go to school in, say, Florida?  Or California?    I tried to get Jake to consider a southern college, but I guess it all worked out in the end that he decided to stay local. I can't imagine paying tuition and lodging when our dollar is this low! 

We just didn't fall in love with Blizzard Beach.  I think its the "snow" theme....it just rubbed us the wrong way.  We get enough of the real winter here at home, we don't want to spend time in a cutesy, fake winter environment when we're down south.    Give me some palm trees and lush green any day!



dsmom said:


> Joining in late Gina!  We love Golden Corral here, have one close to home.
> 
> *Loving all the pictures,  you keep looking younger with every trip report.*
> 
> Hope it warms up before you get here,  we have a freeze warning here tonight in north Florida!



LOL, funny thing about the bolded....just the other day, we were looking through some of the scrapbooks and photobooks from our first few trips.  The first comment from each of us?  About how much OLDER we looked!!!    Me especially....OMG, I felt every gray hair on my head at that moment.  I guess because I don't feel any different, I don't expect to look any different either.  Alas, middle age is creeping up on me despite my youthful attitude.  

I hope your cold weather passes quickly.  We all need a return of El Nino (wasn't this supposed to be the year they forecasted warmer than average temperatures and no snow for most of north america??) .... it was -18 this morning when I went to work, and I swear that my car shivered as it started!!  



momof2gr8kids said:


> Showed dh some of your pics of Aquatica and we're both hoping we can be there next Christmas instead of here!  We loved it there too.  I think it was the best part of our trip last time. Kids were a bit disappointed in the wave pool - they loved the force of Typhoon Lagoon's and Aquatica's was too tame for them.  LOL
> 
> Although that weather is not normal for Orlando in December and with our luck it would be miserable and cold if we went!



We have been pretty lucky on both Christmas trips that we've done.  While we had much cooler weather overall in 2012 than this past vacation, we still had warm enough days to waterpark.  You just have to be flexible and prepared to take advantage of a warm day when it comes!!



robinb said:


> Can I play too?  I'm from Wisconsin and it was -8F (-22C) yesterday morning when I drove my DD to swim practice and we have family in Ottawa and Montreal.  I do feel sorry for you ...  your dollar is in free fall .
> 
> 159 days for me.
> 
> ETA, I am SO glad to hear that there is a decent Golden Corral in Orlando.  There are a bunch of them in eastern Wisconsin and we always enjoy eating there.  We've tried a couple in Orlando (the one on 192 near Animal Kingdom and the one near the Premium Outlet mall) and there were both horrible.  They were loud, crowded and filthy.



Yup:  loud, crowded and filthy has been our experience at some of them too.  I give big thumbs up to the management of the one on south I-Drive....they are doing a much better job than their neighbouring locations.

Which part of Wisconsin are you from?  We drove from Ontario to the Dells in summer 2010, and we traveled through some mighty gorgeous country along the way.  You definitely do get the same type of weather that we do, though....in fact, I think many WI cities are quite a bit further north than we are in SE Ontario.



dancin Disney style said:


> I'm pretty sure that I could not post that hat in any sort of public forum.
> 
> Sadly, we are not going to have a car this trip, so no Dick's for me.  Thank you to the exchange  for that.  At one point yesterday the exchange rate was 1.4986....is there a vomiting emoji?  I'm in the process of figuring out what I can cancel to save some money.   No car, no Blue Jays and no TS meals.



Sigh.....everyone I know is feeling the burn.  Its definitely changing our vacation plans, too.  We have a breakfast reservation for Ohana for April that I'm having a harder and hard time justifying.



dancin Disney style said:


> Can we carpool?



Don't do it, @bankr63 .  Rumour has it she's a wild driver  .



My2CrazyGirls said:


> I have to ask....what is up with the Canadian dollar dropping?  Does this mean us United States residents should plan summer trips to Canada?  Would we make out well?



Absolutely.  Essentially, you would be travelling at 40 % less than the Canadian price:  so a $100 hotel will cost you $60 (maybe even less at the rate we're going).    I am betting Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Ontario will be PACKED with American visitors this summer!



pigletto said:


> Liking your post because I can relate..not because I actually "like" that exchange rate. I don't know what's left to cut for us. I mean, maybe my cat could watch the dog and we could save on boarding fees. Or I could convince the kids we only ever intended to stand in the Magic Kingdom parking lot and soak up the atmosphere.
> The big savings will be meals (thank god for a full kitchen) and eating offsite. However to do so I have to rent a car and rates are HIGH right now. Le sigh.
> Gina we need an update, I'm being a Debbie Downer in your trip report .
> Funny thing is, with how cold it is today I am sitting here just as excited as ever to take this trip so it can't be bugging me too much lol.
> 
> Yes you can join too. Those temperatures are worse than ours today!! And I am tempted to try that Golden Corral too. The one we tried on our December trip last year was atrocious, but I am willing to try again.



Ah my friend, I feel your pain.....and I can never escape the financial doom and gloom because I work in that industry to boot.  So not only does it affect my vacations, but it also affects my place of business.   The stock markets have been terrible, oil prices are dropping like a stone.....is it any wonder I need to get away from it all from time to time??  

An update is coming up next....just proof reading and then posting  .



Lynne G said:


> We tend to not do all you can eat, as there are no really good ones around us any more.
> 
> As was said on an another forum, it's blooming cold today.  Thankfully at 19F.  But, with 20mph winds, it feels like below freezing.  And, major snow storm may come our way this week-end.  Why can't it come on a Monday?  But, since the Atlantic is warmer than normal 45 degrees, we may get more rain than snow.  Darn weather people give all different ideas of what may come our way this week-end.   They'll let us know on Friday.
> 
> So, floating our holiday vacation to the kids.  DD rather be there in summer.  Ahhh, no.  You are working and I will not have to pay for summer camp for the first time in 10 years.  No my dear, we are going over the holidays again.  Orlando yes, Super Grover passes in hand, but where else?  DS wants a cruise, but man, last year those prices were scary, so off to see if that's possible this year.
> 
> Come on, we need an update.  Seeing beautiful warm weather is badly needed.



Oh, to be back in Orlando ..... even during their cold spell right now, it would be much much MUCH better than here!!

I envy you planning your next Christmas trip already.  A US vacation will certainly not be in the cards for us in December 2016, not with our dollar the way it is.  I'm thinking I'll be eating turkey and stuffing with the inlaws this year  .....unless I can squeeze in a reasonably priced staycation at the Falls.

Hey...just had a thought .  We should do a Niagara Falls Dismeet this summer!    It would be affordable for our American friends, and its a super fun city. 

The next installment is pending....hold tight, it shall be up soon  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Wednesday, December 23rd:*


It was mid-week already….time was flying by soooo fast .


On this particular morning, “the plan” had been to grab an in-villa breakfast before heading out to make the most out of yet another warm, humid and rain-free day.   We were happy to note that we were nicely ahead of the dining budget, though (thanks to some good coupons and discounts) so the boys made an appeal for an “extra” breakfast out.  Their interest had been piqued earlier in the trip by the breakfast menu at Steak & Shake, so they batted their eyelashes and lavished me with compliments until I caved.


Yep, I’m soft like that .  Like putty in their hands.


Arriving at Steak & Shake, it was pretty busy….not surprising, as it was on its way to 10 am.  All the late sleepers had rumbled out of bed and were now in search of morning sustenance.  We were still able to be seated right away, and our server had menus in front of us and beverages to our table within minutes of our arrival.


The prices for breakfast here are cheap, cheap, cheap……the value is very comparable to their lunch entrees.  They had a nice, diverse selection so it was hard for us to pick what to have .  If this went well, we could see ourselves returning on a future trip to try all the other yummy vittles that didn’t make the cut on this visit.


The time between submission of our orders and delivery of our food was very swift…..which was a good thing, because the guys were starved (as usual  ).


Jake had ordered a “cheddar scrambler” which also came with a side of two pancakes:












Steve had the “country skillet” with his eggs over easy:







I ordered a sausage and egg biscuit (no cheese please) with a side of silver dollar hashbrowns:







Then, because they were dying of hunger, my fellows also ordered a pair of breakfast “shooters” to try.  No pictures of those, they disappeared before I could get my camera out of the camera bag!!  


In hindsight, the guys should have foregone the sausage shooters because the portion sizes of their entrees were MASSIVE for the price.  Inexpensive does not mean small quantities here, which we should have known.  By the time we finished our meal (with some left over that we simply could not force our bellies to consume), we were stuffed full.


Service again was friendly and efficient.  The food was super yummy and exceeded all expectations.  The price was crazy low, at a total of $25.59 including tax and beverages (three large milks, chocolate for the boys and white for me).   We will definitely eat here again .


Our next stop of the day was to finally use a long-expired Groupon for a favourite Orlando family activity:  mini golf!  The manager of the Groupon vendor had confirmed via private message on Facebook that despite the voucher being more than two years past the date of expiry, they would still honour the full value without additional payment…..customer service at its finest!  Jake, in particular, was super excited to hit the green as mini golf is one of his favourite pastimes when we vacation together as a family.  He was almost bouncing in the back seat as we made our way to the course in Kissimmee .

















The parking lot in front of the golf course was so empty, we wondered if perhaps we had arrived prior to their opening hours….but yes, they were indeed open though we were the only people there.  Are we sure it’s Christmas week?!?!?    Where the heck were all the people?    At any rate, we got a wonderfully friendly welcome from the young lady at the small store who happily accepted our expired Groupon and had us on our way in no time with clubs and balls in hand.






Mighty Jungle is an African-themed course that we had visited before, and while it’s not the “best” mini golf in Orlando (it doesn’t have my beloved gators, as Congo River does) it’s a beautifully maintained location with a nice moderate challenge level.  It’s not too easy, not too hard, and just difficult enough to be fun.  It’s well themed, well groomed, and every time we have visited, the staff could not be friendlier or more accommodating.







They offer 36 holes at the course, so there are two separate 18-hole options from which to pick.  Our Groupon entitlements provided unlimited all day golfing plus ice cream for 4, so we knew we could start with one course and then proceed with the second.  We chose to begin at the course on the right side, at Bwindi.







See?  I told you someone was happy to be FINALLY getting the chance to mini golf! 







It’s a pretty course, so there were some good opportunities for photos along the route.  We stopped here and there to grab some candid shots for the photobook:












Ever wondered what it would be like to have a private rental of a mini golf course?  Well, we found out … since we were the ONLY ones there.  Yes, we had the entire place to ourselves .

















It was HOT and humid again today, so we were grateful once again for the cloud cover which blocked out the added warming effect of the sun.   The weather would have made it easy to forget it was just two days before Christmas….except that they had THE BEST Christmas soundtrack playing as we made our way around the course .  Awesome songs, many of them traditional carols, from high-profile artists that left us wanting to sing along at the top of our lungs.  And ya know, we did just that…..because heck, we were the only ones there, so we weren’t subjecting anyone to our terrible singing or lack of pitch.  None of us can carry a tune in a bucket, but what we lacked in talent we made up for in enthusiasm .












While I had a spectacular beginning to the first round (by hole 15, I was noticeably ahead of the guys…which left Jake gobsmacked and wondering what had come over his unskilled and non-athletic mother) I had a huge fall apart beginning at the 16th hole.  Jake emerged the late game winner, complete with victory dance and a little gloating to his dad.  Cheeky boy .  Steve somehow beat my score by a hair as well, and despite my glorious initial performance, I came dead last......as usual.


We tackled the Serengeti course next:







Once again, Jake claimed top spot after a back-and-forth battle for the game with an equally competitive Steve.  It’s always in good fun, though, so everyone came out smiling .  Too hot to continue (and another family had just shown up……somehow, it wouldn’t be the same if we had to “share” our private course!! ) we turned in our clubs and sat down at the picnic tables adjacent to the little store.  We had picked up our ice cream treats (one each for Steve and I….Jake took a pass, he was already thinking about his much-anticipated and fattening lunch choice!) and ate them quickly before they melted into tiny pools of milk.  The novelties we had to pick from were all high-end choices…..Magnum bars, Oreo products, Drumsticks, and the like…..which surprised us considering we paid about $12 for the Groupon back in 2012.  A round of golf each would have been about $10 per person….we golfed _*two*_ rounds each, plus ice cream, and we could STILL come back later in the day for more golfing if we so chose.  We were more than satisfied with the value from that purchase!


*Lots more yet to come…*


----------



## Lynne G

Yes, to a Niagara idea.  We'd be up for it.  We had such a good time there, a long week-end would be perfect for us.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> Yes, to a Niagara idea.  We'd be up for it.  We had such a good time there, a long week-end would be perfect for us.



Woot!!   

I think it would be total blast!


----------



## bankr63

My2CrazyGirls said:


> I have to ask....what is up with the Canadian dollar dropping?  Does this mean us United States residents should plan summer trips to Canada?  Would we make out well?



Actually, in global terms the Canadian dollar isn't really dropping much at all.  Most world currencies are suffering about the same relative to the US$.  So I prefer to say that the greenback is skyrocketing.  I was reading a post by a couple of Aussie's here, and they sound just like Canadians (but with a much better accent); the AU$ is taking a beating too.  As is the Euro. As is....

But can an American take advantage of that? Most likely yes.  We are seeing some inflation on imported goods here, but probably not completely in line with how the currencies compare.  Gasoline used to be a bargain in US, now (after all the conversions both currency and volume) they are pretty much at parity between NYS and Ontario (still cheaper in the Southern US.  I expect hotels will be a bargain here because we price them in Canadian dollars.  Apparently most of Mexico prices their rooms in US$, so despite the fact that the Peso and the C$ dollar exchange at similar levels to each other, accommodation costs in Mexico are going up for Canadians, and staying the same for Americans. 

Just a long winded way of saying, do the math and you will probably find that Canada (and much of the rest of the world) will be a bargain for Americans for the coming months.


----------



## bankr63

dancin Disney style said:


> Can we carpool?


I've been warned against it...

Besides I only have room for 8 in my car.  But A+'s Disney Pins take the space of 1 person, her luggage will be at least 2 more, and well, it's starting to get tight in there already.  Seriously, DS and I had a ton of room on the trip down last year.   A+ joined us mid-way, and on the trip back DS was actually a bit squishy in the second row seat (okay we could have packed better).  I'm not sure I could do the drive with 4 without renting a bus...


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Just a long winded way of saying, do the math and you will probably find that Canada (and much of the rest of the world) will be a bargain for Americans for the coming months.



Here I thought I was the only one who suffered from long-winded-ness!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dsmom said:


> Joining in late Gina!



In my multi-quote mania, I forgot to say.....

 

I am glad you are (finally  ) joining in the chatter!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

None of us were quite hungry enough for lunch yet after golfing (and ice cream!), so we headed up to the north end of International Drive for Jake’s last shopping wish-list location:  the American Eagle Outlet store that’s just across from the Festival Bay Mall.  We’ve found deeply discounted merchandise here in the past, and he “needed” (wanted? ) new khakis.  There are multiple brand-name outlets within this little plaza, but even with less than 24 hours to Christmas, we easily found a parking spot just a short walk from the door.  True to his expectations, Jake found his khakis ($15 each!) and several other items then we checked out a couple of other neighbouring stores before leaving (we were there already, so we figured heck….why not?).


With his wallet and his stomach growing noticeably emptier, after his shopping was concluded Jake requested we break for lunch.  Neither Steve nor I were particularly hungry, so we let Jake pick (knowing full well where he wanted to go  .... he had mentioned it once or twice....or a dozen times so far ).  We were painfully close to another one of his favourite fast-food chains, one that we don’t have here at home (though there are a few in other areas of Ontario…..just none within at least 2 hours from where we live).


It’s perfectly okay to toss the diet out the window on vacation, right?  







Popeye’s Chicken is right up Jake’s alley:  he *loves* spicy food, and he *loves* chicken, so this is a natural fit for my boy’s crazy teenaged palette.  


Jake ordered a five tender combo, while Steve had a 3 piece dinner combo (with mashed potatoes as his side):







….and I had a two piece meal with fries, free with a coupon from the Entertainment Book:







We always find that the quality of Popeyes far exceeds any greasy chicken place that we have back home…not to mention that prices are MUCH lower than Mary Brown’s, and portions are much larger than KFC.  Popeye’s is less greasy, has a nice little “kick” to it with the spice, and I love their biscuits.


The total cost for our lunch was $21.17 including tax (the coupon for the free 2 piece meal was worth about $6), and Steve had a whole chicken breast left over that he couldn’t eat.  Rather than toss it, we opted to return to the villa for a short time to unload Jake’s purchases and stow the left over chicken in the fridge.  While we were there, we took an hour to relax (Jake called his Sunshine, I called my Mom, I think Steve grabbed a snooze!) and we also touched base with my brother and his fiancé.  Apparently they had decided to meet us later that evening for dinner, and asked if we would mind if they stayed the night.  With “company” now coming, we realigned our leisurely plans for the balance of the day.  When would they be there?  How long did we have?    They assured us that they wouldn’t be arriving until early evening, so we had plenty of time to tackle the two other to-do’s on the day’s itinerary.  They were en route to enjoy a dolphin watching cruise before they began the commute from the gulf coast, so we too headed back out the door to wrap up the final two activities we had planned:  bowling at the shiny new Kings Bowl on International Drive, and an evening spin on the Orlando Eye .... complete with a special festive touch .


----------



## pattyw

I love how much $$$ you save with coupons, Groupons, e-mail coupons, etc.  We've gone to Miller's Ale House many times ( and loved it!!), but never even thought to go online and register for freebies!  I'm learning alot for our future trips! THX!!!


----------



## dsmom

Another great update Gina,  and it's true you ARE looking younger.  I did not know steak 'n shake did breakfast, will have to check them out, I love their lunch. If you like Steak 'n Shake  you will love Freddy's!
Love the pictures of mini golfing, your son is absolutely adorable.
By the way, when will the April pre trip report start? I am NOT looking forward to the end of this report and need something to look forward to


----------



## dancin Disney style

My2CrazyGirls said:


> I have to ask....what is up with the Canadian dollar dropping?  Does this mean us United States residents should plan summer trips to Canada?  Would we make out well?


What's up with the dropping dollar???   Several things, world oil, new liberal government, stock markets are low etc. etc. 

Heck ya, come to Canada!   There is no place as beautiful as Canada in the summer.   I think to exchange USD  to CAD you gain about 41% so it could be a very cheap vacay.


----------



## dancin Disney style

pigletto said:


> Liking your post because I can relate..not because I actually "like" that exchange rate. I don't know what's left to cut for us. I mean, maybe my cat could watch the dog and we could save on boarding fees. Or I could convince the kids we only ever intended to stand in the Magic Kingdom parking lot and soak up the atmosphere.
> The big savings will be meals (thank god for a full kitchen) and eating offsite. However to do so I have to rent a car and rates are HIGH right now. Le sigh.



The next thing I'm going to cut from the list is my kid.


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Another great update. How much do you budget per day for food? Last trip we had $150 (US) per day, but this covered a few incidentals as well for the 3 of us.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Jealous.  I never tan.....EVER.  I'm either pasty white or fiery red, no matter how much time I spend outdoors.


Me too....no sun without a half gallon of SPF 50.   Have you never meet my best friend....tan-in-a-can?



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sigh.....everyone I know is feeling the burn.  Its definitely changing our vacation plans, too.  We have a breakfast reservation for Ohana for April that I'm having a harder and hard time justifying.


Well, if I keep the kid I have to keep 'Ohana....it is her birthday after all.   I'm totally afraid to find out what that's going to cost for breakfast.  Still might have to cut it, birthday or not.  Maybe I'll dangle the shopping carrot.  I think I'd rather spend that $100 at the mall and bring something home other than an extra 5lbs on my butt.

At least I paid for airfare and the resort a while back when the exchange was ONLY 30%ish.   However, I spent all my US cash on my impromptu Dec. trip.  Now I'm scrambling to build my US account up to the level that I need for March.


@bankr63 DO NOT listen to Gina.  I'm an awesome driver!  Just because I scared the pants off her last week on the 401 doesn't mean anything.  The shoulder and the guardrails are meant to be used to pass in the slow lane.  The ice just makes you slide through a lot faster.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pattyw said:


> I love how much $$$ you save with coupons, Groupons, e-mail coupons, etc.  We've gone to Miller's Ale House many times ( and loved it!!), but never even thought to go online and register for freebies!  I'm learning alot for our future trips! THX!!!



Saving some $$$ is generally really easy in Orlando.  Between Groupon (and their additional percent-off promo codes), email clubs and coupons, its pretty rare we don't save at least _something_ on attractions and dining outside of the theme parks.  At the parks, we have our AP discounts to shave a little off the bottom line, so that helps too  .  I am glad some of my money-saving ideas might be helpful for you, too! 



dsmom said:


> Another great update Gina,  and it's true you ARE looking younger.  I did not know steak 'n shake did breakfast, will have to check them out, I love their lunch. If you like Steak 'n Shake  you will love Freddy's!
> Love the pictures of mini golfing, your son is absolutely adorable.
> By the way, when will the April pre trip report start? I am NOT looking forward to the end of this report and need something to look forward to



LOL....you know me well!  Once this report is over, I am sure I'll be itching to start a PTR for April.  I tend to get rather lonely after I wrap up a report.  You guys are a fun bunch to hang around with   and are among the few who understand and appreciate my fondness for Florida.

Ah yes, my Jake....he is a fun guy .  He has a very engaging personality, and is the life of the party.   Life is never dull with that child around .  I often wonder, though, where he got his social ease.  He has always marched to the beat of his own drum, and is so comfortable in his own skin.  



dancin Disney style said:


> What's up with the dropping dollar???   Several things, world oil, new liberal government, stock markets are low etc. etc.
> 
> Heck ya, come to Canada!   There is no place as beautiful as Canada in the summer.   I think to exchange USD  to CAD you gain about 41% so it could be a very cheap vacay.



Bee-you-tiful in the summer, but painfully cold in the winter  .    Best visited between May to October  .



dancin Disney style said:


> The next thing I'm going to cut from the list is my kid.



  

Have you told her yet???



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Another great update. How much do you budget per day for food? Last trip we had $150 (US) per day, but this covered a few incidentals as well for the 3 of us.



We don't really budget a set amount per day.....we usually decide where we want to eat, then budget what we will need for those particular restaurants.  Some days are pricey, some are less so.  We spent about $975 total on food on this trip, and that included tips, all snacks, and our character breakfast at Ohana.



dancin Disney style said:


> Me too....no sun without a half gallon of SPF 50.   Have you never meet my best friend....tan-in-a-can?



I have never tried it, but I've been sorely tempted.  

I think I must be fading with age.  My hair is going white, and I have to colour it regularly.  My skin's equally as white, and now I may have to colour it, too  .


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Have you told her yet???
> 
> 
> I have never tried it, but I've been sorely tempted.
> 
> I think I must be fading with age.  My hair is going white, and I have to colour it regularly.  My skin's equally as white, and now I may have to colour it, too  .



Have not told her yet. I think I will tell her after I leave.

Go to Shoppers Drug Mart and visit my friend St. Tropez.    She's not a cheap date but certainly the type of quality girl you can take home to meet mom and dad. Definitely marriage material.


----------



## robinb

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Which part of Wisconsin are you from?  We drove from Ontario to the Dells in summer 2010, and we traveled through some mighty gorgeous country along the way.  You definitely do get the same type of weather that we do, though....in fact, I think many WI cities are quite a bit further north than we are in SE Ontario.


I live in the state capital, Madison.  It's about 45 minutes south of the Dells.


----------



## ArwenMarie

Popeyes is good. I remember my friend growing up had Popeyes every Friday night as a treat 

Cheap vacay to Canada.. Hmm...Will have to look into this


----------



## afan

I live just south of Seattle, so it's easy for us to take a day trip to Vancouver, or even the suburbs, to go shopping.  We used to do it once a year or so in the late 90's early 00's when it was about 75 cents US for every Canadian dollar.  It was nice, I got my hockey skates up there, nicer skates for less than I would have paid for a lesser model.

However, I have noticed on my past few trips to Canada when the dollar was basically even, Edmonton in 08 I think, Toronto in 10 and Vancouver last year, that the prices for clothes and things were a higher than they would be here.  Sometimes not much and sometimes enough that I couldn't justify the extra cost.  So keep that in mind for trips to the north.

I always think of books and magazines as an example because they always have a US and Canadian price.  I don't buy either in Canada, especially now with Amazon.

If you can, for sure take advantage of their poor/our great exchange rate.  And if you stay long enough to you can your GST back, or at least you used to be able to.


----------



## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Jealous.  I never tan.....EVER.  I'm either pasty white or fiery red, no matter how much time I spend outdoors.
> 
> 
> 
> Hard to believe March Break is that close!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Amen, sister  .  It's almost a toss-up as to which is worse.....the weather or the dollar.  Though at least the cold eventually passes.   I fear the warmth will return long before our dollar rebounds.
> 
> 
> 
> Ooohh, fun!!  Still never tried cruising, but I would like to someday.
> 
> 
> 
> You sure that kiddo doesn't want to go to school in, say, Florida?  Or California?    I tried to get Jake to consider a southern college, but I guess it all worked out in the end that he decided to stay local. I can't imagine paying tuition and lodging when our dollar is this low!
> 
> We just didn't fall in love with Blizzard Beach.  I think its the "snow" theme....it just rubbed us the wrong way.  We get enough of the real winter here at home, we don't want to spend time in a cutesy, fake winter environment when we're down south.    Give me some palm trees and lush green any day!
> 
> 
> 
> LOL, funny thing about the bolded....just the other day, we were looking through some of the scrapbooks and photobooks from our first few trips.  The first comment from each of us?  About how much OLDER we looked!!!    Me especially....OMG, I felt every gray hair on my head at that moment.  I guess because I don't feel any different, I don't expect to look any different either.  Alas, middle age is creeping up on me despite my youthful attitude.
> 
> I hope your cold weather passes quickly.  We all need a return of El Nino (wasn't this supposed to be the year they forecasted warmer than average temperatures and no snow for most of north america??) .... it was -18 this morning when I went to work, and I swear that my car shivered as it started!!
> 
> 
> 
> We have been pretty lucky on both Christmas trips that we've done.  While we had much cooler weather overall in 2012 than this past vacation, we still had warm enough days to waterpark.  You just have to be flexible and prepared to take advantage of a warm day when it comes!!
> 
> 
> 
> Yup:  loud, crowded and filthy has been our experience at some of them too.  I give big thumbs up to the management of the one on south I-Drive....they are doing a much better job than their neighbouring locations.
> 
> Which part of Wisconsin are you from?  We drove from Ontario to the Dells in summer 2010, and we traveled through some mighty gorgeous country along the way.  You definitely do get the same type of weather that we do, though....in fact, I think many WI cities are quite a bit further north than we are in SE Ontario.
> 
> 
> 
> Sigh.....everyone I know is feeling the burn.  Its definitely changing our vacation plans, too.  We have a breakfast reservation for Ohana for April that I'm having a harder and hard time justifying.
> 
> 
> 
> Don't do it, @bankr63 .  Rumour has it she's a wild driver  .
> 
> 
> 
> Absolutely.  Essentially, you would be travelling at 40 % less than the Canadian price:  so a $100 hotel will cost you $60 (maybe even less at the rate we're going).    I am betting Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Ontario will be PACKED with American visitors this summer!
> 
> 
> 
> Ah my friend, I feel your pain.....and I can never escape the financial doom and gloom because I work in that industry to boot.  So not only does it affect my vacations, but it also affects my place of business.   The stock markets have been terrible, oil prices are dropping like a stone.....is it any wonder I need to get away from it all from time to time??
> 
> An update is coming up next....just proof reading and then posting  .
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, to be back in Orlando ..... even during their cold spell right now, it would be much much MUCH better than here!!
> 
> I envy you planning your next Christmas trip already.  A US vacation will certainly not be in the cards for us in December 2016, not with our dollar the way it is.  I'm thinking I'll be eating turkey and stuffing with the inlaws this year  .....unless I can squeeze in a reasonably priced staycation at the Falls.
> 
> Hey...just had a thought .  We should do a Niagara Falls Dismeet this summer!    It would be affordable for our American friends, and its a super fun city.
> 
> The next installment is pending....hold tight, it shall be up soon  .


We were just talking about this at supper. I think this will be the summer we will finally do Niagara Falls. We are always there in the winter, or passing through in the summer, never actually stayed there in the summer and did all that is to offer. With the $$ the way it is. I am thinking this will be the year.


----------



## pigletto

I've never tried a Popeye's but we just might. My son would be in heaven as any kind of friend chicken is his favourite. 
I'll be scouring Groupon and signing up for email clubs again for our upcoming trip. That's not so much necessity for the budget as I enjoy a hunt for a deal any day. We will be planning together for that one Gina, just like the good old (and insufferably hot) August trips!

I'd be in for a Niagara dismeet. I sure wouldn't need to travel far .


----------



## Monykalyn

bankr63 said:


> ....
> 
> Just a long winded way of saying, do the math and you will probably find that Canada (and much of the rest of the world) will be a bargain for Americans for the coming months.



And this is why we applied for passports this year (waaayyy back in the day I traveled to Canada and Mexico as a kid/teen and all we needed was US ID).  

Am I invited to the Niagra Dismeet? Hubs was just saying recently we've never been to that area of the country...

LOVE Steak n Shake-but have never been there for breakfast-even though have been sorely tempted (ours runs an "all you care to eat pancake" for $5 special). 

And on our way through the middle of MO on way to family for Christmas we were looking for a KFC but ended up at Popeyes instead. MUCH better chicken by unanimous decision (and I don't like fast food and thought this was good).

Mini golf looks like fun!


----------



## Lynne G

Funny we used to have several Popeyes around, but now only one I know of is in a part of town I would not go to.  They still do commercials on the local tv channels though.

Yep, on Christmas we ended up at McD's, since DH wanted a cheap meal.  After meals were ordered, I did not find it much cheaper than a sit down restaurant.  We will plan better this year.  Kids never complain, as they like all kinds of food, and will never pass over a chance for French fries.  

Nice update.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Niagara Dismeet eh??????  I could be tempted. We're in Niagara a lot, it's only 45 minutes away from home.  Usually end up having to stay over there a couple of weekends a year for DD's competitions.

and just to give all my Canucks a wonderful gooooood morning......the exchange rate right now is 1.4992


----------



## Vestmama4

Enjoying all your updates. The 2 water slides you mentioned (along with Roa's Rapids) were definitely our family favorites as well. I sure got a lot of giggles waiting for my kids at the bottom of Breakaway Falls- lots of bathing suit mishaps. We went mini- golfing twice on this past trip: one time at Congo River Golf (and also fed the gators; thanks to your previous trip reports) and also to Disney's Winter Summerland Mini-Golf. Have you all tried this course (it's by Blizzard Beach)? We did the summer course and really enjoyed it. Hardly anyone was there the night we went and we never had to wait for our turn to golf. On a past trip a couple years ago we also tried Disney's Fantasia mini-golf course and we really enjoyed that one as well (we did the family friendly course but they also have a more challenging one as well.)


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Have not told her yet. I think I will tell her after I leave.
> 
> Go to Shoppers Drug Mart and visit my friend St. Tropez.    She's not a cheap date but certainly the type of quality girl you can take home to meet mom and dad. Definitely marriage material.



Hmmm....I may have to give that a try  .   I wonder if Steve would be jealous though? 



ArwenMarie said:


> Popeyes is good. I remember my friend growing up had Popeyes every Friday night as a treat
> 
> Cheap vacay to Canada.. Hmm...Will have to look into this



Picture this.....summer in Niagara Falls.  Riding the Hornblower Cruise to the base of the Canadian Falls.  Snacking on Beaver Tails on Clifton Hill.  Sliding down a waterslide at Great Wolf Lodge.  And having dinner with your friends from the Dis  .  #makeithappen 



afan said:


> I live just south of Seattle, so it's easy for us to take a day trip to Vancouver, or even the suburbs, to go shopping.  We used to do it once a year or so in the late 90's early 00's when it was about 75 cents US for every Canadian dollar.  It was nice, I got my hockey skates up there, nicer skates for less than I would have paid for a lesser model.
> 
> However, I have noticed on my past few trips to Canada when the dollar was basically even, Edmonton in 08 I think, Toronto in 10 and Vancouver last year, that the prices for clothes and things were a higher than they would be here.  Sometimes not much and sometimes enough that I couldn't justify the extra cost.  So keep that in mind for trips to the north.
> 
> I always think of books and magazines as an example because they always have a US and Canadian price.  I don't buy either in Canada, especially now with Amazon.
> 
> If you can, for sure take advantage of their poor/our great exchange rate.  And if you stay long enough to you can your GST back, or at least you used to be able to.



Our base price for clothing is noticeably higher, as a general rule, than similar products in the USA.  Definitely something to watch for and factor in.  Even if shopping isn't a great deal for our US neighbours, though, tourism certainly is.  Its a great time to visit and take in some of our famous Canadian sights!



greenclan67 said:


> We were just talking about this at supper. I think this will be the summer we will finally do Niagara Falls. We are always there in the winter, or passing through in the summer, never actually stayed there in the summer and did all that is to offer. With the $$ the way it is. I am thinking this will be the year.



Summer is so entertaining at the Falls (very busy, of course, but there are lots of ridiculously cheesy fun things to do).   It would be awesome if your fam could be part of a Dismeet there!!!  We should start thinking about dates......



pigletto said:


> I've never tried a Popeye's but we just might. My son would be in heaven as any kind of friend chicken is his favourite.
> I'll be scouring Groupon and signing up for email clubs again for our upcoming trip. That's not so much necessity for the budget as I enjoy a hunt for a deal any day. We will be planning together for that one Gina, just like the good old (and insufferably hot) August trips!
> 
> I'd be in for a Niagara dismeet. I sure wouldn't need to travel far .



You guys have a Popeyes in NF, on Lundy's Lane.  We try to stop there on every Falls vacation at least once.  We find their quality to be almost as good as the locations in the US  .  Its in a little strip mall near the Flying Saucer.

I am so excited to be planning those final weeks before vacation with you!!  Thankfully we shouldn't have any worries about hurricanes that early in the season .

And YAY to be on board for the Dismeet!!  I was hoping you would say yes!  (though I know its not much a vacation for you, being right in your own back yard!)



Monykalyn said:


> And this is why we applied for passports this year (waaayyy back in the day I traveled to Canada and Mexico as a kid/teen and all we needed was US ID).
> 
> Am I invited to the Niagra Dismeet? Hubs was just saying recently we've never been to that area of the country...
> 
> LOVE Steak n Shake-but have never been there for breakfast-even though have been sorely tempted (ours runs an "all you care to eat pancake" for $5 special).
> 
> And on our way through the middle of MO on way to family for Christmas we were looking for a KFC but ended up at Popeyes instead. MUCH better chicken by unanimous decision (and I don't like fast food and thought this was good).
> 
> Mini golf looks like fun!



Absolutely you are invited!   The more, the merrier!    If we get enough people who would want to come, we might even qualify for a nice group discount at one of the local hotels.  I should post something over on the Canadian board, too....there might be a few other folks who would like to join in on the fun.

The Orlando Steak & Shake had an all-you-can-eat pancake special as well....$3.99!!!  I think that will be my choice for the next visit.    Diet be darned.



Lynne G said:


> Funny we used to have several Popeyes around, but now only one I know of is in a part of town I would not go to.  They still do commercials on the local tv channels though.
> 
> Yep, on Christmas we ended up at McD's, since DH wanted a cheap meal.  After meals were ordered, I did not find it much cheaper than a sit down restaurant.  We will plan better this year.  Kids never complain, as they like all kinds of food, and will never pass over a chance for French fries.
> 
> Nice update.



Ah yes, teenagers....don't they have such discriminating tastes?  

McDonald's prices here at home are ridiculously overpriced.  $9 for a crappy teensy weensy burger, painfully salty fries and a watered down drink  .  Blech.



dancin Disney style said:


> Niagara Dismeet eh??????  I could be tempted. We're in Niagara a lot, it's only 45 minutes away from home.  Usually end up having to stay over there a couple of weekends a year for DD's competitions.
> 
> and just to give all my Canucks a wonderful gooooood morning......the exchange rate right now is 1.4992



Well just so you know, I've already decided that you, in particular, would HAVE to come.   You're the life of the party here on this thread, after all .

And in case you were wondering, I'm having a nice little cry over your exchange rate update  .  Can't you just let me live in my bubble?? I am happy there.



Vestmama4 said:


> Enjoying all your updates. The 2 water slides you mentioned (along with Roa's Rapids) were definitely our family favorites as well. I sure got a lot of giggles waiting for my kids at the bottom of Breakaway Falls- lots of bathing suit mishaps. We went mini- golfing twice on this past trip: one time at Congo River Golf (and also fed the gators; thanks to your previous trip reports) and also to Disney's Winter Summerland Mini-Golf. Have you all tried this course (it's by Blizzard Beach)? We did the summer course and really enjoyed it. Hardly anyone was there the night we went and we never had to wait for our turn to golf. On a past trip a couple years ago we also tried Disney's Fantasia mini-golf course and we really enjoyed that one as well (we did the family friendly course but they also have a more challenging one as well.)



Ha ha, yes!!!  They guys nicknamed it the Ihu Wedgie  .

We haven't done any Disney mini golf courses yet, but they look great.....they're just quite a bit pricier when they never offer coupons (which are rampant in the Entertainment Book for the offsite courses) or Groupons.   We actually thought about doing the Winter course at Winter Summerland, though, on this past trip......we thought the Christmas theming would have been very fitting for a festive holiday vacation!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

We had two different attractions to conquer over the latter part of that afternoon and early evening, and we could do them in any order.  It made the most sense to start with our bowling Groupon, since Jake wouldn’t be allowed within the facility after 6 pm….he was still a couple of weeks shy of turning 20, and after-6 is restricted at Kings Bowl to the 21-and-over crowd.







Now, we’ve had a couple of different bowling Groupons in the past:  the first was a great success (World Bowling Center on Canada Avenue, just off of International Drive) and the second was a huge dud (it was such a scary looking facility in Kissimmee, we left without bowling and chose not to return).  We knew that Kings Bowl was brand new and heralded as being “upscale”, so we were hoping that it would live up to our high hopes.  Our Groupon was $19.50 for $40 in bowling and shoe rental, plus we received 30% off with a promo code *and* we had a small credit of a couple of dollars to apply to the purchase.  When all was said and done, we paid $11 for the $40 voucher .


We parked in the awesome, free garage for the iDrive 360 complex (there were lots of available spaces) and strolled through the parking lot to the Kings entrance.  Everything sure looked clean and polished from the outside….even the entry doors advertised that it was a “Classy Bowling Joint” .







Walking inside to the main desk, we were VERY impressed with the lovely décor and the professionalism this place exuded.  The staff were all in uniform (and super friendly), the interior was impeccably clean, and the lighting just made the place sparkle.







We turned in our Groupon (which was happily accepted with a smile, and an exclamation of _“Awesome!  You have one of our Groupons! They are such a GREAT deal!”_) and decided on two games each plus three shoe rentals.   We ended up paying an additional $8 out of pocket, so essentially got $48 in bowling fees for $19 all-in.  Not too shabby.







It was very busy at the alley, and there were several larger groups waiting on the side for adjacent lanes to open up.  Since it was just our little family of three, though, we were able snag the sole empty lane and begin bowling right away.







This place had a wonderful, fun vibe.  Large screens above each lane played music videos throughout the open bowling, all well-chosen songs with great beats that made you want to dance all the way back to your seat.  They also offer food and beverage service right to your lane, and as we laced up our shoes, a very friendly server dropped by to offer drinks and food from their very extensive menu, and to take care of entering our names on the computer while we readied ourselves to bowl.







Two games took us about an hour to play.  Jake won the first game, Steve took the second.  I am a terrible bowler (I enjoy it, but I’m just awful! ) so I came absolutely nowhere close to their scores.  It was a hoot, though, and it was a nice family activity that got us up and moving and just having fun together.  Worth every dollar of the Groupon for sure and a wonderful way to spend an hour .







As we left, a very sharply dressed manager was at the door, giving a warm and personal thanks to guests for visiting and also offering his apologies for it being busier than they anticipated.  We chatted with him a bit before we left, as he was very excited to hear we were out-of-country guests (I can’t tell you how many times someone asked us _“Oh, you’re from Canada?  How much snow do you have at home?"_).  I must admit, that kind of personal customer service and interaction goes a LONG way with me.  We left feeling like our business, even at the deep discount and during a very busy season, was sincerely appreciated.


As we left the bowling alley, it was well after 5 pm and the sun was starting to get very low in the sky.  We made our way across the parking lot and into the Orlando Eye complex.







We had purchased our three-attraction passes way back in the early spring, right after they were released for sale by Merlin Entertainment.  Of course, that was long before we knew they would be offering special enhanced flight experiences for the Christmas under their “Frostival” special event.  So, when we heard that they had holiday-themed capsules for the yuletide season in which to enjoy your flight, I_* had*_ to see if we could upgrade our existing tickets.  When we were at the Eye complex earlier that week visiting Tussauds and Sea Life, I stopped by Guest Services to inquire….and much to my delight, upgrading our standard Eye ticket to the Frostival package was fast and easy (it took less than 5 minutes start to finish) and very reasonably priced, too:  just $5 each, for a grand total of $15.98 including tax .


When we arrived on this day, then, we had our Eye e-tickets in hand (printed from home and transported to Orlando via my handy dandy travel binder) plus the small cards that confirmed our purchase for the Frostival upgrade.  We were directed to the VIP Check-In area by Eye staffers, which was a bit of a surprise….while we knew we would be assigned a themed pod, we didn’t realize we would also be treated to individualized, VIP service .


The very, VERY friendly fellow at VIP Check-In was unable to secure us a VIP guide without a bit of a wait, but he was super nice and we had a wonderful visit with him until the guide arrived (born and raised in Florida, he wistfully admitted that he’s never seen snow…..so he had a million adorable questions about life in the Great White North).  About 10 minutes later, our guide arrived with a sincere apology for the delay, and she and her bubbly personality whisked us off to begin our Orlando Eye Frostival Experience .


The VIP treatment here is really quite wonderful.  Our guide took us to the front of each aspect of the pre-flight experience:  we bypassed the lines for the attraction photos, the 4D movie, and even to board the Eye itself.  Oddly enough, we were the ONLY VIP guests we saw….which baffled us, considering how inexpensive the upgrade was . 












Leaving us to enjoy the pre-flight show in the 4D theater, our guide promised she would meet us at the exit once the 4-minute film had concluded.  True to her word, she was waiting right where promised, sporting a big grin and hands full of Great American Cookies.







Another unexpected feature of the Frostival package was a pre-flight Christmas sugar cookie for each of us.   They were soft and fresh and super tasty.   Cookie surprises are the best kind of surprises!  







When we had checked in at the VIP desk, they asked us which holiday capsule we wanted to ride in.  There were four options:  Winter Wonderland, Gingerbread, Candy Cane, and The Night Before Christmas.  We told them we would leave it up to them to surprise us, with one exception:  Winter Wonderland was out .  We get enough winter back home, and we had come to Florida to escape the snow….so they could keep their snow-themed pod this time around .  She laughed and proposed the Candy Cane capsule:  another family had just requested Gingerbread, and the Night Before Christmas one had just passed us by (meaning we’d be waiting another 20+ minutes for it to come around again).  If we were okay with the Candy Cane pod, we would have a fully private experience…..the whole capsule all to ourselves! 


Our guide offered to take a family photo as we waited to board, an offer which we happily accepted.







She handed me back the camera, and excitedly noted that our pod was on its way down to the boarding area.  You could easily spot the special Frostival capsules, as they were adorned with large Christmas wreaths on the bottom, candy cane stripes on the side, and snowflakes on the windows.







Here it comes!  It was time to board!







*The rest of our Orlando Eye experience is coming up next  . It just gets more Christmassy from here!*


----------



## pattyw

dancin Disney style said:


> Niagara Dismeet eh??????  I could be tempted. We're in Niagara a lot, it's only 45 minutes away from home.  Usually end up having to stay over there a couple of weekends a year for DD's competitions.
> 
> and just to give all my Canucks a wonderful gooooood morning......the exchange rate right now is 1.4992



So the Niagara Falls dismeet sounds great- I had suggested a dismeet dinner in Buffalo as we live near the airport, but to get more together at once sounds fun.  Especially if dancin Disney style is there- she makes me laugh out loud just reading your trip reports- I can only imagine being face to face!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pattyw said:


> So the Niagara Falls dismeet sounds great- I had suggested a dismeet dinner in Buffalo as we live near the airport, but to get more together at once sounds fun.  Especially if dancin Disney style is there- she makes me laugh out loud just reading your trip reports- I can only imagine being face to face!



Niagara Falls makes it more affordable for us Canucks, and a better deal for our US friends.   Much as I love Buffalo (and their awesome dining options), its killing the budget when the bill comes in USD these days!!

I agree with you about our friend @dancin Disney style .  I can only imagine how many Youtube-worthy moments we would capture from that event  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

The Eye itself generally doesn’t stop moving….the loading area is designed in such a way that you can hop aboard as it goes slowly around……so when the doors opened and we were directed to enter, we did.   We were immediately immersed in a red and white, candy cane-striped Christmas wonderland!  

















The doors closed automatically behind us as our noses caught the sweet smell of candy cane mint in the air (though nothing overpoweringly) and heard the cheery Christmas music flowing happily from the speakers .







Because it was now dark outside, as we rose higher and higher we got to watch the Eye intermittently change colours against the inky backdrop of the night sky:  purple, green, yellow, and red.












We had a great view of Orlando’s nighttime sparkle!  












Up, up, up we went….higher and higher…..












From our vantage point near the top of the giant wheel, the iDrive 360 courtyard looked like a miniature village:







I have to say, we absolutely LOVED having the capsule all to ourselves .  The holiday décor, the music, the Christmassy smells, the sugar cookie, the VIP entry….all of that was great:  but the privacy of our own pod in which to enjoy the flight, just the three of us, was priceless .   The guys remarked multiple times how it was the best $15.99 we'd spent so far on this trip.  Mom, apparently, is a genius!  












Steve and I had experienced the Eye during its opening week on our couples trip in May, but this was Jake’s first ride.  He enjoyed checking out the interactive screen, though determining the specific sights in the distance was much harder after dark than during our daytime flight:












It was over too soon, and we were sad to see us getting lower and lower to the ground .







As with all the iDrive 360 attractions, you exit through the gift shop, but first pass through a dedicated area where they have your photos printed and ready in a nice little hard covered souvenir book.  The book includes a well-presented summary of interesting facts about the Eye and its construction in Orlando, plus it comes with several 5 x 7 prints and all of your digital images (which you have to download from their online site).  Since we had already purchased the digital prints from Tussauds, I knew we were eligible for a discount on the second set of photos, and I had my receipt from the Tussauds in my wallet for this purpose.  Having that purchase confirmation on hand saved us a cool 25% on the Eye pics .
















_
Of course, I was unable to download the photos from their website (necessitating a stop on our departure day to get them to manually email them to me ) but that was the theme of our photo purchases all week long!!_


Heading back outside, we strolled around the courtyard for a bit:  the whole area was lit up in a seas of Christmas lights, and it was simply beautiful!  I was so glad we decided for a nighttime ride, because the whole complex took on such a festive and Christmassy feel .

















And the Eye itself…..my goodness, it was gorgeous all lit up too.  So awesome ….and so MASSIVE .












We were barely back in the Equinox, on our way down I-Drive en route to the Vistana, when Dean calls us on Jake’s iPhone.  He and his beloved are about 30 minutes away .  We were about to have guests for the night.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Hmmm....I may have to give that a try  .   I wonder if Steve would be jealous though?


Doubt it....it's every guys dream to have a wife and girlfriend.  Some are good at making that dream a reality.





Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Well just so you know, I've already decided that you, in particular, would HAVE to come.   You're the life of the party here on this thread, after all


I'll prepare my best material.




pattyw said:


> So the Niagara Falls dismeet sounds great-   Especially if dancin Disney style is there- she makes me laugh out loud just reading your trip reports- I can only imagine being face to face!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

The courtyard and Eye look lovely at night, I love the picture in the snow globe 

Just so I don't feel left out, exactly how far is it to Niagra from the UK


----------



## disney ny

I am all caught up! I read all 17 pages today  I had surgery two weeks ago which means I'm out of work for quite a while. I have been saving your trip report for a good day and finally today I found the time while I am here confined to my couch! I enjoyed reading everything so much. Each time you write about Acquatica I think how we need to make sure we do that and all of your dining makes me long for good food. I'm not sold on Popeye's though...they did just open one here in Binghamton though which is close. We tried steak and Shake this summer for the first time on our trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and we are sold. I love that place and am hoping for an upstate NY location soon. I think the closest is Erie, PA which is a solid 5 hours. I'm also hoping for a Chik-Fil-A around here too. Anyway I am loving the report and it is nice to see Jake joining you again. I keep telling everyone I would recover faster from surgery if I did it in Orlando and since I'm already off work I wish I could jump on a plane!


----------



## pepperandchips

Gorgeous photos from the Eye, Gina! We loved watching the Eye change colors as well (sadly, from the ground). That VIP upgrade looks like it was totally worth it! And you already know how I feel about the Great American Cookie company sugar cookies... I can practically taste one now!


----------



## Callie

Ahhhh Gina, I totally forgot to be expecting a trip report from you! Got all caught up in one day!


----------



## toystoryduo

Love your pictures from the Eye, Gina! My DH and DDs are really excited to go on that one day. Me, not so much. I am deathly afraid of heights! 

Really enjoying your trip report! You guys have always have such a nice variety of attractions and dining experiences, and the best part is that you get discounts on almost everything!  

Looking forward to the next installment!


----------



## pigletto

Loved reading about the Eye! All the decorations and lights are so pretty. My head keeps screaming "Christmas Trip!!!!". 
There's so much to do that wouldn't have to include Disney parks for a December trip. That's the only way I could keep it affordable. 
I'm sure DH and the kids would love the eye in particular. I could wave from the ground because just looking at that pod makes me claustrophobic.


----------



## ArwenMarie

Really pretty pictures! 

Your son is such a perfect 50/50 mix of you and your husband in these pictures


----------



## bankr63

Hmmm.  NF - now there's a summer DIS meet I could get behind.  That's one of our favorite weekend getaways, and only a short 6 hour drive. We would probably stay at a nearby Provincial Park on L. Erie, we bought a new (to us) camper in the fall and are hoping to extensively christen her this summer.

 Mrs D, you could get there in the same amount of time as drive flying the 3560 mi (5730 km) from London, well perhaps if they still had Supersonic Jets?  Heck, I drive that distance Canada to Florida and back.  It's a small world after all... (wait, stop singing!!!)


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Doubt it....it's every guys dream to have a wife and girlfriend.  Some are good at making that dream a reality.



  



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> The courtyard and Eye look lovely at night, I love the picture in the snow globe
> 
> Just so I don't feel left out, exactly how far is it to Niagra from the UK



Oh, wouldn't it be awesome if you could make the trip!?!?  Time to start looking up flights! (where there's a will, there's a way...right?  And Niagara in the summer is NOT to be missed!)



disney ny said:


> I am all caught up! I read all 17 pages today  I had surgery two weeks ago which means I'm out of work for quite a while. I have been saving your trip report for a good day and finally today I found the time while I am here confined to my couch! I enjoyed reading everything so much. Each time you write about Acquatica I think how we need to make sure we do that and all of your dining makes me long for good food. I'm not sold on Popeye's though...they did just open one here in Binghamton though which is close. We tried steak and Shake this summer for the first time on our trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and we are sold. I love that place and am hoping for an upstate NY location soon. I think the closest is Erie, PA which is a solid 5 hours. I'm also hoping for a Chik-Fil-A around here too. Anyway I am loving the report and it is nice to see Jake joining you again. I keep telling everyone I would recover faster from surgery if I did it in Orlando and since I'm already off work I wish I could jump on a plane!



 disney ny!

Yikes, so sorry to hear about your surgery!!  I hope you are now completely on the mend and getting stronger every day.  Sending you some virtual good vibes for a continued speedy recovery  .  You're a trooper to make it through all 17 pages of this thread in a single day!

Mmmm.....we love Chick-fil-A too!    We actually ate there on our last day of vacation, so that will be coming up later in this trip report  .  Jake and I are chicken lovers, so we adore Chick-fil-A.  Steve's a burger guy at heart, so he is always less impressed with it than we are  .

It was so awesome to have Jake back with us, especially when it was for Christmas.  It's a different trip when he's along (in a good way  ... its like travelling with our own stand-up comedian) but we treasure these vacations, because we know these opportunities are numbered as he prepares to graduate college and leave the nest .



pepperandchips said:


> Gorgeous photos from the Eye, Gina! We loved watching the Eye change colors as well (sadly, from the ground). That VIP upgrade looks like it was totally worth it! And you already know how I feel about the Great American Cookie company sugar cookies... I can practically taste one now!



Welcome back....we missed you while you were gone!!   I need to pop back over to your TR and catch up on your latest entries! 



Callie said:


> Ahhhh Gina, I totally forgot to be expecting a trip report from you! Got all caught up in one day!



 Callie!   Another trooper to get through the whole thing in a day  .  I can't believe we are up to 17 pages already.....I guess my Grade 11 English teacher was right.  I am "verbose"! 



toystoryduo said:


> Love your pictures from the Eye, Gina! My DH and DDs are really excited to go on that one day. Me, not so much. I am deathly afraid of heights!
> 
> Really enjoying your trip report! You guys have always have such a nice variety of attractions and dining experiences, and the best part is that you get discounts on almost everything!
> 
> Looking forward to the next installment!



LOL....it annoyed Jake's old girlfriend to no end that we endeavoured to secure a good deal on the things we did or the places we dined.  It was then I decided she was not the right girl for my son  (I am kidding.....but gosh, that rubbed me the wrong way).   I actually enjoy the pursuit of a good discount, its rather a bit of a sport for me (because why on earth would anyone want to pay more for something than they had to?).   I'm definitely non-athletic at the best of times, so this satisfies my inner competitive streak  .

You know, I too am terrified of heights, but I don't have any problem with the Eye.  I think its because the capsule is so spacious and so well sealed, it feels exceptionally safe (and there's no swaying of the pod.....its very smooth and stable).   You might find you could ride it without any difficulty at all!



pigletto said:


> Loved reading about the Eye! All the decorations and lights are so pretty. My head keeps screaming "Christmas Trip!!!!".
> There's so much to do that wouldn't have to include Disney parks for a December trip. That's the only way I could keep it affordable.
> I'm sure DH and the kids would love the eye in particular. I could wave from the ground because just looking at that pod makes me claustrophobic.



Yeah, I guess claustrophobia might be an issue for some....especially when you know that once you're in there, you're "stuck" for a half hour or so.  That's one peril I never thought of!

You could EASILY spend a week at Christmas and not hit the major parks up at all.  Though it would be a shame to miss out on SeaWorld...their Christmas Celebration is just so amazing.  I can't wait to share some of my photos...thank goodness we're (slowly) making our way through this report to Christmas Day!



ArwenMarie said:


> Really pretty pictures!
> 
> Your son is such a perfect 50/50 mix of you and your husband in these pictures



You think so???  I have such a hard time seeing any sign of me in his physical features (aside from the crinkly eyes when he smiles ).  I definitely have influenced his personality and attributes (_ahem!  OCD, I'm looking at you!) _but when I look at him, all I see is a younger Steve.



bankr63 said:


> Hmmm.  NF - now there's a summer DIS meet I could get behind.  That's one of our favorite weekend getaways, and only a short 6 hour drive. We would probably stay at a nearby Provincial Park on L. Erie, we bought a new (to us) camper in the fall and are hoping to extensively christen her this summer.
> 
> Mrs D, you could get there in the same amount of time as drive flying the 3560 mi (5730 km) from London, well perhaps if they still had Supersonic Jets?  Heck, I drive that distance Canada to Florida and back.  It's a small world after all... (wait, stop singing!!!)



Woohoo!  I was hoping you guys might be up for it too  .  Something tells me that Niagara Falls might never be the same  .


----------



## momof2gr8kids

Hey - we are from Northwestern Ontario and thinking of driving down Toronto and Niagara Falls way this summer for a trip as well!  About 15 hrs for us, but we love road trips!  Not sure if we will take our camper or stay with relatives. 

And my dreams of a Christmas trip are getting smaller and smaller as I crunch the numbers with the exchange rate.


----------



## ArwenMarie

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


>



Oh no, definitely 50/50! This is the picture where I really saw it


----------



## ArwenMarie

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


>



Ok I see what you mean about the eyes when you guys smile, but even this one, totally 50/50

I do the same thing with my son, I think he is 100% his dad but really he looks more like me, even though he acts more like him.

Sorry for going OT, this is like one of my things! I'm always thinking of celebrities people look like and which parent the kid looks like LOL


----------



## robinb

Great pictures of the Orlando Eye!  My DD had to go to swim practice even while on vacation and she swam at the YMCA off of Jamaican Court.  It's directly west of the Eye right next to I-4 so I got to see the Eye spin around.  Now I want to go.  Can you recommend a place to get cheap tickets?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

momof2gr8kids said:


> Hey - we are from Northwestern Ontario and thinking of driving down Toronto and Niagara Falls way this summer for a trip as well!  About 15 hrs for us, but we love road trips!  Not sure if we will take our camper or stay with relatives.
> 
> And my dreams of a Christmas trip are getting smaller and smaller as I crunch the numbers with the exchange rate.


It would be awesome if you could make the trip!!   15 hours in a car, though....yowsers.  That's a LONG way!!!  That must put you in the.....Thunder Bay area?  

The exchange rate is very much impacting our 2016 trips, too.    I can almost assure you that Ohana will be axed from our April plans  .  It kills me to do it, but its feeling VERY frivolous and getting tougher and tougher to justify.  I converted some Canadian cash this morning, and the rate was 1.46-something  .



ArwenMarie said:


> Oh no, definitely 50/50! This is the picture where I really saw it





ArwenMarie said:


> Ok I see what you mean about the eyes when you guys smile, but even this one, totally 50/50
> 
> I do the same thing with my son, I think he is 100% his dad but really he looks more like me, even though he acts more like him.
> 
> Sorry for going OT, this is like one of my things! I'm always thinking of celebrities people look like and which parent the kid looks like LOL



lol, my MIL agrees with you.  She's steadfastedly claimed that Jake has many of my features right from the time he was born (when everyone else had nicknamed him "Little Steve" based on what they thought was a remarkable likeness to his dad).   He is most certainly a blend of both of us.....which is either a good or a bad thing, depending on your point of view   .



robinb said:


> Great pictures of the Orlando Eye!  My DD had to go to swim practice even while on vacation and she swam at the YMCA off of Jamaican Court.  It's directly west of the Eye right next to I-4 so I got to see the Eye spin around.  Now I want to go.  Can you recommend a place to get cheap tickets?



We have found the best deal to be the combo tickets, directly from Merlin (they are $39 pp online, and include the Eye, Sea Life, and Tussauds).  If you are looking for JUST tix to the Eye, they were on Groupon at one point in time, but it appears that promo has ended.  I will keep my eyes peeled, though, and let you know if I find another active discount  .

We have always said we wanted to stop at the Orlando Y and get a tour.  Jake works for our local YMCA (going on 4 years now) and we have a real interest in seeing what the Orlando facility is like.  One of these trips, I'm going to have to "schedule" it in so we don't let the opportunity slip yet again.  From the photos we've seen, it looks beautiful inside!  (much larger and more modern that our teeny weeny ancient one here)


----------



## Tricia's mom

Always a great trip report. 

Can wait to hear all about your sleepover guests .


----------



## JaxDad

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> You think so??? I have such a hard time seeing any sign of me in his physical features (aside from the crinkly eyes when he smiles ). I definitely have influenced his personality and attributes (_ahem! OCD, I'm looking at you!) _but when I look at him, all I see is a younger Steve.



Your son may have inherited his father's good looks, but he did not get his intelligence and common sense...

   ;-)


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Tricia's mom said:


> Always a great trip report.
> 
> Can wait to hear all about your sleepover guests .



Aw, thank you!!! 

Stay tuned, that post is coming up shortly!



JaxDad said:


> Your son may have inherited his father's good looks, but he did not get his intelligence and common sense...
> 
> View attachment 146703 View attachment 146702  ;-)



 

Ah, my Steve might play it cool, but he's really a big goof.  The apple did not fall far from that tree!!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

We arrived back at the Vistana about 20 minutes before Dean and his Lovely came knocking on the door….perfect timing!    They lugged in their overnight bags (they would stay the night so they could indulge in some adult beverages as we enjoyed the spectacularly warm night poolside) and we all sat around a bit and swapped stories about our adventures of the day.  Eventually, we had to decide what to do about dinner….order in?  Dine out?  Or, dine at the Tacky Tiki Bar?  Apparently we were all feelin’ a tad lazy, because dining out was nixed immediately by every single one of us.  Pizza really didn’t appeal either (so there went Giordano’s or Flippers), so by process of elimination, the Tiki Bar it was to be.  We grabbed our shoes and headed out the door to see what grub we could wrestle up.


Even that late in the day, it was still really warm outside.  What a great night it would be to enjoy the pool!  







We headed to the Tacky Tiki Bar & Grill first, to put in our food orders and allow the cooks to get started on our meals.












There was no one else dining in at the time, though there were several other guests standing around and awaiting their orders.  It appeared most folks were either taking their meals back to their villa, or to one of the poolside tables to dine in the fresh evening air.  It really was much to nice to be inside .







Once the orders were placed (which they said would take about 20 minutes), Steve and Dean mosey’d over to the bar to round up some refreshing beverages .












We ladies…..and Jake _(he had to be an honourary lady….while he is drinking age in Canada, he had another year + 2 weeks to go in order to imbibe in the USA)_ proceeded to the fire pit outside to await our handsome knights.







This fire pit is much, much larger than the above photo suggests……so while this pic is a rather crappy quality, it will give you a much better idea of just how big around this thing is:







The fire itself was hot, hot, HOT!....and since the night was so warm, we were almost uncomfortable sitting around the rosy glow (but it set such a nice ambiance, we sucked it up and figured we’d cool off in the pool in short order).  It wasn’t long before the boys returned with drinks in hand, including this one that my big bro bought for his little sister and her hubby to share:







I had been jibber-jabbering earlier in the night about these fun coconut cups that they had at the Tiki Bar, and in thanks for allowing them to crash for the night, Deano treated us to one as a souvenir.   Silly boy….no thanks was necessary, but I must admit, I did fall instantly in love with this funky little guy!  He now sits proudly on the bar in our rec room, a nice little reminder of our family fun time .







For anyone who happens to stay at the Vistana and decides to indulge in a drink from the Tiki Bar, let me forewarn you:  those beverages are poured strong.  VERY strong .  I took one sip of the drink nestled in my coconut monkey and I swear,  my hair curled .   Dean  and Steve enjoyed my reaction, and nodded knowingly….apparently they had watched the bartender free-pour all the drinks, and he was SUPER generous with the alcohol portion.  This didn’t change as the night wore on, either.  Two of those little fruity gems and I would have been passed out cold on the pool deck .  I think I got a little tipsy just from the one mouthful .


We returned to the Grill after the stipulated 20 minutes to see if our meals were ready to be picked up, but nope….nothing yet.  Another 10 minutes, nothing. …same thing for the others who were waiting, too .  We kept checking, they kept apologizing and noting how busy they were that night.  It was a full 45 minutes before our first items were finally brought out from the kitchen….almost an hour before Dean received the second part of his meal.  By this time, we were half near starving and we had to stifle a cheer as we toddled to the fire pit to eat our food.


We had ordered mozzarella sticks and garlic bread sticks as appetizers to share among the three of us:







I had the chili dog and fries (though they initially forgot the chili, and we had to have it added to my otherwise naked wiener and bun before we carted away the tray):







The boys had burgers and fries.  I totally missed taking a picture of one of them entirely (if I remember correctly, Jake began inhaling his after such a lengthy wait, and I was afraid if I approached too quickly I may lose a finger ) and this photo, unfortunately, is less than telling.







It was just….okay.  Perfectly edible (great fries), but nothing super special.  We added a soft drink to the three baskets and two appies, and our total was over $50 which seemed horribly steep for what we got.  The service was painfully slow, which also certainly tainted our overall experience (and left us wishing we had, in fact, just gone with pizza from Giordano’s after all).   Dean and his Beloved enjoyed their wings and calamari, and the setting (outside, cloudless night, nice fire) was sure enjoyable.....so that made up for the fact that the food was just not anything we would consider memorable.   The company was pretty heartwarming, I must say…..fun times to be hangin’ with my bro over Christmas week in my favourite place in the whole world .  


We returned to the villa to change into our swimsuits, and the rest of the night was spent swimming in the pool and lounging in the hot tubs.  The pool, in particular, was exceptionally quiet, and by 10:30 pm we literally had the whole thing to ourselves.  Peace on Earth, right there at the Vistana .


We hit the sack just before midnight, with Dean and his fiancé taking up residence on the pullout in the living room.  Tomorrow would be Christmas Eve Day, and we would be spending it in the swamp .


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Yes when you think of the meal at Steak n Shake the bill and quality rubs a little  however it did look a lovely evening and the fire pit inviting.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> For anyone who happens to stay at the Vistana and decides to indulge in a drink from the Tiki Bar, let me forewarn you:  those beverages are poured strong.  VERY strong .  I took one sip of the drink nestled in my coconut monkey and I swear,  my hair curled .   Dean  and Steve enjoyed my reaction, and nodded knowingly….apparently they had watched the bartender free-pour all the drinks, and he was SUPER generous with the alcohol portion.



Get that guys name and work schedule.  

LOL....we were in Myrtle Beach at nationals a few years back and our team went to dinner together.  I ordered a vodka and cranberry, when I took a sip I yelled out holy sh#@.  It was nearly pure vodka which I was not expecting.  There were about 6 kids at the table between 10-12yrs old.  The kids all burst out laughing while I choked on my drink.


----------



## pigletto

What I wouldn't give to be sitting poolside at the Vistana right now. I swear my trip longing is worse this time than it has ever been. Enjoying a bite to eat and hanging out by the pool for a whole evening would be heaven right now. I would take the tip and grab a pizza first if I was in a hurry to eat though .

And that coconut monkey!!!! Wow does that bring back memories! My grandparents LOVED Florida and had a place near Tampa while I was growing up. My grandpa had several of those guys hanging around the place. That is certainly where my love of Florida and family vacations began. What a sweet memory.


----------



## pcstang

JaxDad said:


> Your son may have inherited his father's good looks, but he did not get his intelligence and common sense...
> 
> View attachment 146703 View attachment 146702  ;-)



I noticed that also JaxDad. At least Jake has good taste! 

Great report as always Gina. I always enjoy reading them! Maybe we will all finally meetup for HHN this year!


----------



## Monykalyn

dancin Disney style said:


> Get that guys name and work schedule.
> 
> LOL....we were in Myrtle Beach at nationals a few years back and our team went to dinner together.  I ordered a vodka and cranberry, when I took a sip I yelled out holy sh#@.  It was nearly pure vodka which I was not expecting.  There were about 6 kids at the table between 10-12yrs old.  The kids all burst out laughing while I choked on my drink.


A local restaurant did that super strong drink thing to me a while back-ordered a cosmo and it was a tinge of pink color-had to ask for a side of cranberry juice! As this was during happy hour that ONE drink lasted a couple hours (and still didn't finish it!).

Well I _might_ have checked flights to Buffalo NY at end of July and they are quite reasonable right now...We will be in Portland OR in mid July for a Worlds Finest Chocolate meeting and then hubs goes off to Wisconsin for the cookie dough company meeting (he's in fundraising-and these are our 2 major product lines-and I am a nutritionist-irony anyone??)  Since I flatly refuse to go to Wisconsin unless it's visiting family I am thinking solo trip to other coast???well I can hope/dream right?

The Orlando eye looks very cool at night and WOW at the Christmas VIP experience! Very Nice!

LOVE love love the coconut monkey! I am a sucker for specialty drink mugs/cups/cups-that-double-as-a musical-instrutment


----------



## ArwenMarie

Those types of pool bar/restaurants at hotels are always kind of slow in my experience. They must have a hard time staffing them right or something?

Still seems like a lovely night as we wait here for monster storm Jonas


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Yes when you think of the meal at Steak n Shake the bill and quality rubs a little  however it did look a lovely evening and the fire pit inviting.



Oh, I know!!  Places like Steak & Shake spoil us badly.  But yet, it was marvellous to just enjoy a relaxing night, not worrying about having to drive or deal with traffic.   It allowed us to make the most of our time with Dean, so that was worth it all on its own  .



dancin Disney style said:


> Get that guys name and work schedule.
> 
> LOL....we were in Myrtle Beach at nationals a few years back and our team went to dinner together.  I ordered a vodka and cranberry, when I took a sip I yelled out holy sh#@.  It was nearly pure vodka which I was not expecting.  There were about 6 kids at the table between 10-12yrs old.  The kids all burst out laughing while I choked on my drink.



Well Ms. Potty Mouth, I expect better behaviour from you at our Niagara Dismeet  .

Ah heck, who am I kidding?  I want to buy you a few of those vodkas and cranberries, and see how entertaining you get then  .



pigletto said:


> What I wouldn't give to be sitting poolside at the Vistana right now. I swear my trip longing is worse this time than it has ever been. Enjoying a bite to eat and hanging out by the pool for a whole evening would be heaven right now. I would take the tip and grab a pizza first if I was in a hurry to eat though .
> 
> And that coconut monkey!!!! Wow does that bring back memories! My grandparents LOVED Florida and had a place near Tampa while I was growing up. My grandpa had several of those guys hanging around the place. That is certainly where my love of Florida and family vacations began. What a sweet memory.



You've been waiting a long time for this trip .....I can totally appreciate how you must be itching for the months to pass and spring to finally arrive!!  The winter months always seem to go super slowly, too.  January and February always seem endless.



pcstang said:


> I noticed that also JaxDad. At least Jake has good taste!
> 
> Great report as always Gina. I always enjoy reading them! Maybe we will all finally meetup for HHN this year!



Oh, NOW I get it!!  @JaxDad , you must think I'm an idiot .  I thought you were just commenting on the fact Jake is a goofball (which he is  ), but it was the t-shirts!!     For the record, Jake is an equal opportunity fan.....he has both Florida State University and University of Florida clothing (he actually picked up a beautiful Gator's hoody at one of the Nike outlets for an awesome price).  I think he has a shirt from just about every college team going (or the more "famous" ones, anyway).   He loves his college basketball!

Unfortunately, I doubt HHN will be in the vacation budget this year .   By the time we buy tickets, book an RIP Tour, an add an additional 45% in exchange....the cost gets very prohibitive.    If our dollar improves, then you never know....but I'm not holding out much hope.    I would certainly be up for a drink at Margaritaville, though! 



Monykalyn said:


> A local restaurant did that super strong drink thing to me a while back-ordered a cosmo and it was a tinge of pink color-had to ask for a side of cranberry juice! As this was during happy hour that ONE drink lasted a couple hours (and still didn't finish it!).
> 
> Well I _might_ have checked flights to Buffalo NY at end of July and they are quite reasonable right now...We will be in Portland OR in mid July for a Worlds Finest Chocolate meeting and then hubs goes off to Wisconsin for the cookie dough company meeting (he's in fundraising-and these are our 2 major product lines-and I am a nutritionist-irony anyone??)  Since I flatly refuse to go to Wisconsin unless it's visiting family I am thinking solo trip to other coast???well I can hope/dream right?
> 
> The Orlando eye looks very cool at night and WOW at the Christmas VIP experience! Very Nice!
> 
> LOVE love love the coconut monkey! I am a sucker for specialty drink mugs/cups/cups-that-double-as-a musical-instrutment



World's Finest Chocolate?!?  Really?!?   THEY HAVE THE BEST CHOCOLATE!!!    There's an outlet in Campbellford, just a half hour or so from where we live.   I am always glad its not closer, because I'd be there way too often!!!

Its simply hilarious that your husband works with fundraising yummies and you're a nutritionist .  Irony at its best!

I think we soon need to talk dates so you could book that cheap airfare  .  Is everyone thinking mid or late July?



ArwenMarie said:


> Those types of pool bar/restaurants at hotels are always kind of slow in my experience. They must have a hard time staffing them right or something?
> 
> Still seems like a lovely night as we wait here for monster storm Jonas



Oh no....I heard about that storm on our local radio station this morning .   They said it could be the second biggest winter storm in the history of that area.  I hope you have lots of supplies to get you through in case you're housebound until the snow passes.  Please stay in and stay safe!!!


----------



## JaxDad

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Oh, NOW I get it!! @JaxDad , you must think I'm an idiot



I definitely don't think you're an idiot, but you must have thought me a bit mean to imply your DS is not so intelligent nor have much common sense!  I'm sorry about the misunderstanding! We love our college rivalries down here.


----------



## bankr63

Agree 100% on the speed of food service at most of the Vistana venues (the Marketplace isn't too bad for a deli sandwich).  But the food is generally not too bad if you are willing to wait, and since the drinks are strong, by the time it arrives you probably don't care too much?  Most of our experience is with poolside snacks, and while soaking up the Florida sun, I don't really seem to care that it takes a good bit of time...

Having worked in the restaurant industry through college, I suspect it is mostly because the volume of food generally is not high enough.  Most large restaurants have lots of stuff prepped and ready for final touches.  Harder to do if you have no idea how much or how often an item will sell.  Likely there is minimal prep food on hand, and you quickly move to made from scratch.  Funny thing is that this is seen as a "feature" in a really high end restaurant.  I contrast this with my worst meal in Orlando at Bongo's in DTD.  You should be worried when you full meal arrives 5 minutes after you order it, and it is luke-warm at best.  Can you say "warm off the steam table"?


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Well Ms. Potty Mouth, I expect better behaviour from you at our Niagara Dismeet  .
> 
> Ah heck, who am I kidding?  I want to buy you a few of those vodkas and cranberries, and see how entertaining you get then  .


I like to play the one for me, one for you game.  Come prepared!


----------



## Lynne G

Ah, for hot dogs and fries, we would have been long gone before the food arrived. My kids would have begged to order pizza or do a run to the nearest fast food.

Awesome pictures.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

JaxDad said:


> I definitely don't think you're an idiot, but you must have thought me a bit mean to imply your DS is not so intelligent nor have much common sense!  I'm sorry about the misunderstanding! We love our college rivalries down here.



Oh gosh no, I didn't think you were being mean.  We, as a family, have mastered the art of being able to laugh at ourselves.....and Lord knows there is generally lots to laugh at.  Jake's crazy faces in the photos don't exactly make him look like the sharpest pencil in the box .  

I always forget about the college rivalries in the US.....partly because its a non-issue with our Canadian teams, and partly because I'm not much of a sports fan (outside of our Toronto Raptors, Blue Jays, and Maple Leafs, of course).  The latter of that group often makes me want to give up watching sports altogether  .



bankr63 said:


> Agree 100% on the speed of food service at most of the Vistana venues (the Marketplace isn't too bad for a deli sandwich).  *But the food is generally not too bad if you are willing to wait, and since the drinks are strong, by the time it arrives you probably don't care too much?  *Most of our experience is with poolside snacks, and while soaking up the Florida sun, I don't really seem to care that it takes a good bit of time...


Ha!  That was exactly what Dean and Steve said  .



dancin Disney style said:


> I like to play the one for me, one for you game.  Come prepared!



Let me tell ya, that game would be over before it started.  After 10 years on strong seizure meds and doctors orders to stay away from alcohol (which elevated levels of the medication in the blood), I never really regained any taste for the hard stuff.   One drink and I'd be slurring my words and flush faced.  Two, and I'd be passed out cold on the table.  



Lynne G said:


> Ah, for hot dogs and fries, we would have been long gone before the food arrived. My kids would have begged to order pizza or do a run to the nearest fast food.
> 
> Awesome pictures.



If the guys hadn't been enjoying a few drinks, we might have made the same decision.   But, we ladies weren't navigating us anywhere.....I don't enjoy driving in my own hometown, and I sure as heck don't want to be piloting the rental around the Christmas traffic in Orlando.    Plus we had that lovely fire.....I do enjoy a night around a fire pit!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

My apologies, friends....not sure I'll get an entry up today.  My boy dropped in to have lunch with me at work today, so my trip reporting time became Mom & Son time (which there is not near enough time for these days).  I couldn't help but toss my plans to the wind when a cute young man shows up with fresh pizza in hand.

Stay tuned, though, I will try and get started on another post by tomorrow night at the latest.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Let me tell ya, that game would be over before it started.  After 10 years on strong seizure meds and doctors orders to stay away from alcohol (which elevated levels of the medication in the blood), I never really regained any taste for the hard stuff.   One drink and I'd be slurring my words and flush faced.  Two, and I'd be passed out cold on the table.


I guess that means no Tequila shots???


----------



## Callie

How sweet Jake stopped to have lunch with you! I miss moments like those with my mom now that she lives 2 hours away. 
I would have been upset having to wait an hour for food.


----------



## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> My apologies, friends....not sure I'll get an entry up today.  My boy dropped in to have lunch with me at work today, so my trip reporting time became Mom & Son time (which there is not near enough time for these days).  I couldn't help but toss my plans to the wind when a cute young man shows up with fresh pizza in hand.
> 
> Stay tuned, though, I will try and get started on another post by tomorrow night at the latest.


Awww! Totally understandable. With dd away at university I know what it would mean to me to have a surprise lunch visit.


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I always forget about the college rivalries in the US.....partly because its a non-issue with our Canadian teams, and partly because I'm not much of a sports fan (outside of our Toronto Raptors, Blue Jays, and Maple Leafs, of course).  The latter of that group often makes me want to give up watching sports altogether  .


Go, Sens, Go!!!


----------



## mrsabbott

What better way to spend a cold, snowy day than to read all 19 pages of your trip report! Loved it! My son saw the aquatic a pics and says, "Ooh, mom! I want to go there!"


----------



## pepperandchips

That was awfully sweet of Jake! Happy Friday, Gina!!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> I guess that means no Tequila shots???



Blech.....I can't stand Tequila  .  We house sat for our neighbours across the street last February while they were away on a cruise to Mexico.  They brought us back a lovely gift box of 4 (maybe 5?) different Tequilas.....from dark to clear.  I tried the one that was supposed to be the "weakest" and I don't think my esophagus has ever recovered.  My eyes watered for an hour.



Callie said:


> How sweet Jake stopped to have lunch with you! I miss moments like those with my mom now that she lives 2 hours away.
> I would have been upset having to wait an hour for food.



That's exactly why I am savouring these moments when I can get them.....once he graduates at the end of April, he may end up far from home as he pursues the career of his dreams.  We may not always have these opportunities for impromtu Friday pizza dates.....and I will miss that.



pigletto said:


> Awww! Totally understandable. With dd away at university I know what it would mean to me to have a surprise lunch visit.



You must be getting excited to have your girl back for reading week in February!  I know Jake's GF is looking forward to getting a little love from her Momma and Dad when she goes home for the break.     



bankr63 said:


> Go, Sens, Go!!!



You didn't just say that  .   And here I said I'd vote for you if you ran for Prime Minister.

In our house, they are referred to as the Senaturds  .



mrsabbott said:


> What better way to spend a cold, snowy day than to read all 19 pages of your trip report! Loved it! My son saw the aquatic a pics and says, "Ooh, mom! I want to go there!"



 my friend!  Glad to have you join us!!  Sorry to hear you are being bombarded with snow and cold......we've been feeling your pain here in the frosty north.   You're not in the path of winter storm Jonas too, are you?   If so, please stay safe!!

Aquatica is a GREAT waterpark  ... so bright and fun and pretty.  If you guys enjoyed Wet 'n Wild, you would love the more tropical feel of Aquatica with its sand beach and lush foliage.  And the kids areas are so amazing!!  Perfect for little ones the ages of  your kiddos!



pepperandchips said:


> That was awfully sweet of Jake! Happy Friday, Gina!!!



Thank you so much!!    Happy Friday to you as well!


----------



## Vestmama4

My kiddos are all pretty little (oldest being 12 and youngest is 1) and we have had lots (perhaps too much- lol) of togetherness due to cold/snow the last few weeks (and now super togetherness as we hunker down from Jonas)...but I am reminded as I read this about your son that time goes so quick and I need to appreciate getting to spend so much time with them. Very happy for you that you could have a lunch date with your son. Happy weekend!


----------



## mrsabbott

We were but the areas south of and east of us got it a little worse. We have maybe 8 inches or so. Just enough to make it fun for the kids! 

One thing I love is how you guys find such unique enjoyment over restaurants that we tend to overlook because see them everyday! My kids agree with you about Steak n' Shake! They love their fries and shakes!! 

 Also happy to see Steve winning you some more stuffed toys for your collections! I think it's so sweet! I am surprised that they didn't have any Christmas themed ones though..

Oh, and I REALLY think you should post what your hat at Dick's restaurant said.. I died laughing at the guys' hats! Definitely won't be taking my kids there though! Lol! Yikes! I can see it now.. I really want to try the eye, but I don't know if Hubs and My oldest would do it..


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Pizza with your son sounds delightful. My DD is into cooking (a bit) and will make tea for us once or twice a week which is really nice


----------



## Lynne G

Wind so strong we need to dig out our doors, cannot open them right now.  So dreaming of warmth!  Thankfully the electricity is still working, or I will have some mad kids.  I fully expect both kids to shovel.  Well, that may be a dream too. LoL

Nice of DS to enjoy an unexpected meal with you.

Follow on!


----------



## BonnieP

I don't think there would be much sitting around poolside today... It's a balmy 46 and windy here in Orlando!!  That is why I am inside reading catching up on your trip report! ...

We do have the time here to pick and choose our good weather days, and just being out of our northern winter (for a while) is enough for me. We do like these days for shopping, walking Disney Springs, and checking out houses for sale in the surrounding areas. We have gotten to learn so many of the neighborhoods. 

You guys lucked out with the weather at Christmas! I don't like the Florida humidity, but it would be nice to get some days in the 70's.....


----------



## dancin Disney style

I have yet to catch the news to see the Jonas update but I hope that all of you dealing with it are safe and warm.


----------



## My2CrazyGirls

dancin Disney style said:


> I have yet to catch the news to see the Jonas update but I hope that all of you dealing with it are safe and warm.


We have about 18 inches of the white stuff here in MD, and it is still coming down!  Dreaming of warmth and sunshine....


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Vestmama4 said:


> My kiddos are all pretty little (oldest being 12 and youngest is 1) and we have had lots (perhaps too much- lol) of togetherness due to cold/snow the last few weeks (and now super togetherness as we hunker down from Jonas)...but I am reminded as I read this about your son that time goes so quick and I need to appreciate getting to spend so much time with them. Very happy for you that you could have a lunch date with your son. Happy weekend!



Yep, time passes way too quickly  .  Enjoy every moment with your little ones....even the snowed in days where you're all suffering from house-itosis!!...because all of a sudden, those babies are all grown up and you're wondering where time went!
-


mrsabbott said:


> We were but the areas south of and east of us got it a little worse. We have maybe 8 inches or so. Just enough to make it fun for the kids!
> 
> One thing I love is how you guys find such unique enjoyment over restaurants that we tend to overlook because see them everyday! My kids agree with you about Steak n' Shake! They love their fries and shakes!!
> 
> Also happy to see Steve winning you some more stuffed toys for your collections! I think it's so sweet! I am surprised that they didn't have any Christmas themed ones though..
> 
> Oh, and I REALLY think you should post what your hat at Dick's restaurant said.. I died laughing at the guys' hats! Definitely won't be taking my kids there though! Lol! Yikes! I can see it now.. I really want to try the eye, but I don't know if Hubs and My oldest would do it..



We heard they had Christmas minions earlier in December, but they didn't have any out when we were there.  I had been secretly home for a Stuart or Bob in a Santa hat  .

Most of our TV channels are US-based, so we get to see all the commercials for these awesome American chains but rarely get the chance to dine there.  Its always exciting when we finally get to try a place that we have seen advertised!!



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Pizza with your son sounds delightful. My DD is into cooking (a bit) and will make tea for us once or twice a week which is really nice



Aw, that is so sweet!  Good memories being made  .



Lynne G said:


> Wind so strong we need to dig out our doors, cannot open them right now.  So dreaming of warmth!  Thankfully the electricity is still working, or I will have some mad kids.  I fully expect both kids to shovel.  Well, that may be a dream too. LoL
> 
> Nice of DS to enjoy an unexpected meal with you.
> 
> Follow on!



Oh Lynne, that stinks  .   I hope your electricity is still on and you're still warm!!  Of course, I think Jake would be less worried about losing the heat than he would be the ability to charge his phone .  Fingers crossed you're able to unbury yourself without too much shovelling.



BonnieP said:


> I don't think there would be much sitting around poolside today... It's a balmy 46 and windy here in Orlando!!  That is why I am inside reading catching up on your trip report! ...
> 
> We do have the time here to pick and choose our good weather days, and just being out of our northern winter (for a while) is enough for me. We do like these days for shopping, walking Disney Springs, and checking out houses for sale in the surrounding areas. We have gotten to learn so many of the neighborhoods.
> 
> You guys lucked out with the weather at Christmas! I don't like the Florida humidity, but it would be nice to get some days in the 70's.....



46 degrees?  That's swimmin' weather up here in the frosty north  .

It's -14 here right now, which is 6.8 degrees Fahrenheit.  BUT....we had sunshine today, which was nice for a change.  After a week of my windows on the car being frozen cold, I can finally role them down and use the drivethru again at Tim Hortons.  Its the little things that make us so happy durin the winter time  .



My2CrazyGirls said:


> We have about 18 inches of the white stuff here in MD, and it is still coming down!  Dreaming of warmth and sunshine....



18 inches  .  Holy moly, that's a LOT of snow!!  

Fingers crossed the worst of it is over for you!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Thursday, December 24th:*


We invited Dean and his leading lady to join us for our day’s adventures, but they had plans of their own:  following Jake’s raving about the great deals he had found earlier in the week, they were heading to the Nike Clearance Store to do some shopping before returning to their condo at Indian Rocks Beach.   We were, too, were leaving Orlando behind for most of the day:  we had reservations for a one-hour airboat tour at Wild Florida in Keanansville.  After showers and some chit chat over a pot or two of coffee, we all decided to have breakfast together before splitting up and picked Ponderosa in Kissimmee.







Jake actually had been itching to give Ponderosa’s buffet a try in Orlando, ever since we had been to one in Syracuse a few years earlier (where he was obviously quite impressed, considering he wanted to return).  He was curious to see if the Florida locations were as good as those in the North.


It was very, very quiet in there that morning.....I would say under 10 people in the entire restaurant when we arrived (it did pick up a bit as time wore on).   The buffet, however, was nicely stocked and the restaurant itself was very well staffed.  We were seated immediately and three men wasted no time in filling their plates from the multitude of breakfast options.












Their buffet wasn’t quite as expansive as Golden Corral’s (lacking more of the non-breakfasty stuff that GC offers, things like chipped beef in gravy and fried chicken) but there was still a TON of choices.  If it’s a breakfast food, they had it.   Eggs cooked every way imaginable, breakfast meats and potatoes presented in a variety of forms, and quite possibly the BEST buffet waffles and French toast that I’ve ever eaten .







That blueberry sauce was heavenly .


Jake was thrilled to learn they had an omelet station, and even happier to note that the chef who staffed it was VERY generous on the ingredients.  They put so much “stuff” in the omelets, they turned out HUGE!







In addition to the standard breakfast fare, they also had quite a substantial selection of cakes and other desserts (which I initially thought strange, but perhaps lots of people have dessert for breakfast when they are on vacation in Orlando? ).  We didn’t have any (my sweet tooth was more than satisfied with the syrupy French toast and fruity waffle toppings) but they looked really tasty.   Dean did take one for the team and tried some sort of peanut butter mousse at my bidding (it looked like PB flavoured whipped cream ... "let Mikey try it, he'll eat anything") and he said it was really yummy.  But...for breakfast?? 


Overall, we were pretty impressed with this location.  The buffet was clean and well maintained, buffet items were fresh and refilled promptly, and our server was simply excellent....drinks were refilled very promptly, plates were cleared away, and anything we needed brought to the table appeared within seconds of requesting it.  We had signed up for the Ponderosa email club before travelling, and had a coupon for one of our breakfast buffets for free (a $9.99 value).  Our total, then, for three buffets and two bottles of juice (Jake had water) was $26.28 including tax, plus tip.


Golden Corral is still our preferred breakfast buffet, but this was very close in quality and value .


In the parking lot, we exchange hugs and Merry Christmases and went our separate ways.  Dean’s fiancé wanted to check out the adjacent  souvenir shop before they proceeded to the Nike Clearance Store, so we gave them detailed directions on how to get there, then piled into the Equinox to begin our commute to Keanansville .  We weren’t 100% sure how long it would take to get there, so we thought it was best to leave a little on the early side to ensure we’d arrive well before our 11:30 am airboat tour.


The commute to Wild Florida really was quite easy, though admittedly a good distance from Orlando.  I want to say it took us about 45 minutes to make the drive, but it may have been a little less.   Their website directions were spot on and super easy to follow, plus the GPS has no problem taking us right to the front gates.  There were no tolls, no traffic, and it was a very peaceful journey.  We were remarking, though, as we drove through miles of farmland and ventured further and further from the city, that it seemed we were driving to the middle of nowhere!!


It was rather amusing, then, that we spotted this sign as we pulled into the parking area:







Ha ha!  So they, too, knew it felt as if we had driven to the end of the earth to get here!!  


We parked the Equinox and made our way to the main building at the entrance.  On the way, we passed the large truck that facilitated ranch tours:







I filed the tour away in the back of my brain.....it could be a great idea for a new experience on a future trip!  


The main building functioned as the check-in point for the ranch and airboat tours, and was a remarkably large themed gift shop.  We handed our confirmations to the young ladies at the counter, who verified our reservations (booked and paid months and months before, at a 20% discount using a promotion code that I found online) and encouraged us to enjoy the animal park while we waited for our tour time to arrive.  Admission to the exotic animal park was free with the purchase of an airboat tour, but could also be purchased separately if airboats or ranch buggy rides aren’t on your vacation wish list.


Outside of the main building, there was a large picnic area for guests to enjoy, with a few of these fellows “roaming” about:







_(Authentic as they looked, they were just for show .....though these were the only animals we saw at the park that weren’t real!!)_


The entrance to the animal park was just adjacent to the picnic area, so that’s where we headed.







Through the park, the animals were grouped together by species or country of origin.  We visited a variety of beautiful birds first, some who were caged and others who were roaming about on yet another hot, humid day.






















_Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bush is he!  Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be ha ha ha!_







This guy was HILARIOUS!  We were strolling past the cage when, perfectly clearly, we hear *“Hello!  How are you?”*.  It stopped us dead in our tracks, as we were the only ones in that area, and it was both loud and as crystal clear as if the words were spoken by an adult human.  Jake walks slowly back to the bird, and inquires with a raised eyebrow... “what did you say?”.  And the bird very clearly replies:  “*Hello!  How are you!”.* 


_

_


I was excited to find they had an entire section dedicated to my favourite Florida animal:  the alligator!  

















Of course, the area came with the requisite visitor warnings :







This section features a TON of alligators of every age and size.  Some were swimming in the pond, others were lounging on the banks.



























The entire park had some great informational signs in each of the areas, so as you had the opportunity to meet the various animals you could learn a little more about them too.












I could have spent all day in this area alone, indulging in some alligator love.  But, there was still a whole lot more to explore....so we trundled onward .


_To be continued....._


----------



## momof2gr8kids

I've been wanting to Kayak at one of the state parks one of these trips...but when I see these pics of the alligators, I think maybe not so much!

And yes, Thunder Bay.  15 hrs isn't too bad - we did 47 hr round trip tour out west a couple years ago and it was fine.  If we go to Disney at Christmas it will be driving..30 hrs 1 way...but I've always wanted to do it.  We love road trips, kids are great in the car.  Helps that there's seating for 7 so they can be separated.


----------



## tgropp

JaxDad said:


> I definitely don't think you're an idiot, but you must have thought me a bit mean to imply your DS is not so intelligent nor have much common sense!  I'm sorry about the misunderstanding! We love our college rivalries down here.




Lol. I thought the same thing when I saw Jake wearing the (Criminole) FSU shirt after seeing him wear Gator apparel all the time, I thought ugh, he can't be wearing that. It is not uncommon to see a lot of Gator fans up here in Ontario since Jesse Palmer is from Nepean, Ont. I even have a convertible with licence plate G8TRS 1


----------



## ArwenMarie

Very cool, looks like a neat park, very well-done. Can't wait to see what is next!


----------



## My2CrazyGirls

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> 18 inches  .  Holy moly, that's a LOT of snow!!
> 
> Fingers crossed the worst of it is over for you!!



It finally stopped snowing last night.....we got 23 inches of snow!  23 inches on January 23 (my birthday).  I will never forget this one!


----------



## chiamarie

Oy, so....yesterday I looked into Escapology; and apparently sometime in the last 7 or 8 months (the last time I've been there) they've changed their policies.  You can play in a room by yourself for an added fee, or play in a room with others (I think it's a max of 6 people per room).  And I only just learned this because I looked into going last night.  Ugh, so annoying.


----------



## Lynne G

Checking in with 30 inches of snow, though even more where it is drifted.  Swept off my car yesterday afternoon, but it has another foot and a half on it this morning.  Time to clear it again.  We too have beautiful sun, even if it is below freezing and still with 35mph winds.  No real melting yet.

We are not fans of any buffets, but that one did look nice.

Another place for us to visit.  My DH still talks about the orange grove ride, so I may be stalking it for this year.  We do not mind driving all over Florida.  We thought nothing of driving to Tampa twice besides the orange grove.  Yeah, lots of Florida is rural.  Flat too. Not like where I live.

Funny, after this storm, DH said my coworkers decision to retire at the end of December to Florida, was a good idea.  We have residents that live part time in down South in the winter and come home in the summer.  Many a snow birds head to Florida.  For now, neither will be us.


Ok, dreaming over, nice pictures and glad to see all enjoyed.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> _._


Hello, my name is Bob and this is my brother Doug.  Do you have any back bacon and a 2  4?



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> indulging in some alligator love_._[/QUOTE



That's just TMI


----------



## Lynne G

Oh, and  to My2.  I hope you were not singing the let it go song.  We might have got over 30, but hope you had a great day.


----------



## grantclaire

Gina love the Wild Florida pictures!  You  also have us thinking of doing a non Disney Christmas trip this year.  Already have checked Vistana availability.  Trying to sell the idea to our DD21 who is away at university.  Who BTW says people from Southern Ontario do not know what cold is, she is in Saskatoon where they had a wind chill of -40 C the other day!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

momof2gr8kids said:


> I've been wanting to Kayak at one of the state parks one of these trips...but when I see these pics of the alligators, I think maybe not so much!
> 
> And yes, Thunder Bay.  15 hrs isn't too bad - we did 47 hr round trip tour out west a couple years ago and it was fine.  If we go to Disney at Christmas it will be driving..30 hrs 1 way...but I've always wanted to do it.  We love road trips, kids are great in the car.  Helps that there's seating for 7 so they can be separated.



You are a better woman than I am, LOL!   We did a long car trip, once.....from Ontario to Wisconsin Dells.  Great trip, so much fun, but we learned A LOT about ourselves on that journey, number one that we are not road trip people  .  If I ever see another Trivial Pursuit game, it will be too soon .



tgropp said:


> Lol. I thought the same thing when I saw Jake wearing the (Criminole) FSU shirt after seeing him wear Gator apparel all the time, I thought ugh, he can't be wearing that. It is not uncommon to see a lot of Gator fans up here in Ontario since Jesse Palmer is from Nepean, Ont. I even have a convertible with licence plate G8TRS 1



I like the colour of the Gators clothing better than the Seminoles, but of course, when I make comments about that, the guys just give me a roll of the eyes.  Apparently they think you are supposed to base your team loyalty on more than what colour looks good on you  .



ArwenMarie said:


> Very cool, looks like a neat park, very well-done. Can't wait to see what is next!



It was a very nicely done park......well worth the drive there, and great for families looking to spend a day out of the theme park pandamonium.  The airboat tour portion is coming up next! 



My2CrazyGirls said:


> It finally stopped snowing last night.....we got 23 inches of snow!  23 inches on January 23 (my birthday).  I will never forget this one!



A belated happy birthday to you!    I hope you havent had to spend your whole birthday weekend shovelling!!  



chiamarie said:


> Oy, so....yesterday I looked into Escapology; and apparently sometime in the last 7 or 8 months (the last time I've been there) they've changed their policies.  You can play in a room by yourself for an added fee, or play in a room with others (I think it's a max of 6 people per room).  And I only just learned this because I looked into going last night.  Ugh, so annoying.



Our itinerary for April has had a couple of recent additions anyway, so I am guessing we wont be able to fit it in this coming rip even if we wanted to (the biggest pitfall of an Orlando vacation.....we never seem to be able to fit everything in, despite our best efforts!).  It is still on my radar, though, and something I am hoping to add on for October.  Steve and I would be totally okay being merged with another group when its just the two of us.  



Lynne G said:


> Checking in with 30 inches of snow, though even more where it is drifted.  Swept off my car yesterday afternoon, but it has another foot and a half on it this morning.  Time to clear it again.  We too have beautiful sun, even if it is below freezing and still with 35mph winds.  No real melting yet.
> 
> We are not fans of any buffets, but that one did look nice.
> 
> Another place for us to visit.  My DH still talks about the orange grove ride, so I may be stalking it for this year.  We do not mind driving all over Florida.  We thought nothing of driving to Tampa twice besides the orange grove.  Yeah, lots of Florida is rural.  Flat too. Not like where I live.
> 
> Funny, after this storm, DH said my coworkers decision to retire at the end of December to Florida, was a good idea.  We have residents that live part time in down South in the winter and come home in the summer.  Many a snow birds head to Florida.  For now, neither will be us.
> 
> 
> Ok, dreaming over, nice pictures and glad to see all enjoyed.



Glad to hear you are all doing well now that the storm has passed.  At least as you shovel out you can enjoy the sun  .

We saw some beautiful farmland (lots of cattle) along the way to Keanansville.  Steve grew up on a dairy farm, and remarked rather wistfully that he could see himself moving here to work the land and return to farm life.  City girl that I am, comments like that scare the bejeezus out of me! 



dancin Disney style said:


> Hello, my name is Bob and this is my brother Doug.  Do you have any back bacon and a 2  4?
> 
> That's just TMI



Sigh.  You just cannot behave no matter how much you try  .



grantclaire said:


> Gina love the Wild Florida pictures!  You  also have us thinking of doing a non Disney Christmas trip this year.  Already have checked Vistana availability.  Trying to sell the idea to our DD21 who is away at university.  Who BTW says people from Southern Ontario do not know what cold is, she is in Saskatoon where they had a wind chill of -40 C the other day!



Woohoo  .  A Vistana Christmas trip in 2016.....I am now officially jealous  .  You will have to start a trip report so I can live vicariously through YOU this year.   I would recommend you book soon, though, if the Vistana is on your wish list, because I know it sold out for Christmas before summer this year.  Apparently lots of folks have the same idea we do  .

I wouldnt survive a winter in the western provinces  .  I have a friend who lives in Edmonton, and her facebook posts make me cringe.   One year, she was snowblowing her driveway in May.   That is just SO wrong  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

After touring the Alligator Pond, we still had a little bit of time before we had to head to the dock for our airboat reservation, so we meandered around the animal park a little more.  There was a beautiful little red fox snoozing contentedly in the corner (my photo of him, sadly, did not turn out the best) and an assortment of little wild cats (leopards, if I remember correctly.....and again, that pic was a dud ).  We encountered a couple of peacocks strolling leisurely about:












...and they were remarkably unafraid of the human guests who walked among them.


There were the cutest little lemurs hopping from branch to branch, and they were definitely a favourite among park guests:







...plus, there were some unique lemur species that we hadn’t seen before, too.  The sandy brown and black markings on these little fellows were very cool indeed (sorry about the photo quality here, the picture was taken through the murky glass):







We encountered a huge, three-toed sloth who hung lazily from the wires of his cage:







...and of course, what Florida wildlife park would be complete without some massive, poisonous snakes?  They (and all wiggly, slithery, evil-eyed slippery reptiles) creep me out.  Yuck .







There were several small demonstrations being hosted in various areas of the animal park, with animal care staff providing up-close encounters and informational sessions to guests.  You could specifically plan to attend these sessions, if you so desired, by cross referencing the interaction times with the park map they provided us at check-in.  Photos with the animals were also offered, but shots with your own camera or cell phone were strictly prohibited (and that point was very, VERY forcefully made ).  Some of the animals could be fed by guests as well, and animal food was sold for a small fee at the onsite Chomp House Grill.


Since it was getting close to our tour time, we decided to leave the animal park and make our way to the washrooms before boarding.  It was *stiflingly* warm (a very good day for zipping around at high speeds on the lake and through the swamp!) so we also picked up a couple of bottles of water from the park store to take with us on the tour.


We made our way to the covered seating area behind the souvenir shop to await the call to board our swamp chariot.
















We would be soon heading down the long boardwalk to our airboat!  







Meanwhile, we enjoyed the peaceful view.












Each boat held a number of families, so they beckoned us by last name when it was time to board.  They had several boats leaving at the same time (apparently 11:30 am was a popular choice for tours!) and we were among the last group to be called.  Collecting our waters and personal items, we made our way to the boat with our fellow tourists.

















We were near the back of the line to board, so we had expected to be seated at the back and up near our Captain, but apparently.....no one wanted the front row seat .  So despite being the last on, we actually had a mighty spectacular view, broken only by the protective guard rail at the front of the boat.







We pulled slowly away from the dock....







....and within minutes we were navigating our way through the reeds and the lily pads .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Ear protection was provided, and we used it for the first part of the tour.  We really didn’t find, though, that it was needed (perhaps because we were the furthest of all guests from the huge fan on the boat) and we removed it shortly after our tour commenced.





Our captain (born and raised in this rural area of Florida) was very knowledgeable, and continually stopped the boat to point out something interesting or give us some insider information on the things we were seeing.   He was great about allowing us lots of time to snap photos as we came upon the things we were all anxiously waiting to see:  alligators!  







While our Captain had cautioned us that the heat and humidity would be detrimental to the number of gators we would see on the tour (on hot days like these, they had less need to come to the surface to find warmth....on cooler days, they would be seeking to sun themselves in an effort to moderate their body temperatures), we still managed to see a full dozen different gators throughout our one hour boogie around the lake.  While a couple were fairly young and small, several were a full (and very impressive) 9 feet in length.  Some were out in the wide open, others a little harder to spot....like this one (check out the bottom left quarter of the photo):







The views were beautiful, and the boat moved swiftly across the water.....which gave us a much-appreciated cooling respite from the heat and humidity of the afternoon.












In addition to the multitude of alligators, we saw a bunch of other wildlife including an assortment of waterfowl.












These little guys had to really move to get out of the way of the boat in time!












Our captain knew just where to take us to see where the gators might be relaxing.  As we pulled up alongside them, they really didn’t seem to mind that the Tourist Paparazzi were snapping pictures like mad....though a few took the opportunity to disappear back under the water as a result of the unsolicited disturbance.



























We came across this little dude, who was swimming along (apparently minding his own business) until our boat came roaring up behind him.  We got a nice demonstration on just how fast alligators can swim, when they want to.












The hour on the water went by SUPER fast.....and I was sad to see the dock come back into view .  I swear I could have happily stayed out on the boat all afternoon if they had allowed me to.







We gave our guide a good tip as we disembarked (he had done a great job, and it was well earned) then the boys granted me a few minutes to attempt to repair the hair in the ladies room.  After a full hour of being whipped around on the boat combined with the ridiculous humidity levels meant that there was precious little I could actually do to it, but you can’t blame a girl for trying, right? 


There was still a lot more of the park we had yet to discover, so we headed off to explore the balance of what Wild Florida had to offer.  More to come!


----------



## pepperandchips

Looks like you got some good time with your gators on this day!! Good thing you got a nice big breakfast in before that adventure!!! I love sloths, what a cool experience getting to see that guy just hanging out. Great updates!


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

The air boat ride looks good fun. We've considered it before but so far have only gone on a 2 hour tour at the Blue Spring State park.

Just a quick question, where is the Steak n Shake you go to?


----------



## pigletto

Holy Gators!! I bet my ds would love a tour like that one of these days. Great updates Gina.


----------



## dixonsontour

Caught up, glad you enjoyed the airboat


----------



## greenclan67

Wisconsin Dells road trip!!!! We have done lots of road trips, Chicago, Williamsburg, Virginia beach, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the Dells. As much as I loved the Dells, it was the most boring drive ever, and will probably never go again.


----------



## chiamarie

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> ...and of course, what Florida wildlife park would be complete without some massive, poisonous snakes?  They (and all wiggly, slithery, evil-eyed slippery reptiles) creep me out.  Yuck .



I can't help it; I must comment on this to educate.  (It's sort of engrained in me at this point )

These are Burmese Pythons.  Meaning they aren't native to Florida, rather they originally come from Southeast Asia.   However, they are slowly taking over the Florida Everglades, and Florida in general.   Basically people have gotten them as pets, not realizing how big (and potentially dangerous, as their way of hunting is by slowly strangling its prey and swallowing it whole.   Snakes have the ability to unhinge their jaws to eat things that are much larger than their mouths, pythons this size could easily eat a toddler or dog) they are, and don't know what to do with them when they get so large.   So, they just let them go in their back yards (or where ever).   But now they are killing Alligators and American Croc's and out competing them for food.   To the point that they now do python hunts down in the everglades to try and help get rid of them.   It's called "invasive species"; and it's all thanks to the wonderful humans that live on this earth.   

Also, Burmese Pythons are neither "poisonous" or "venomous".    The difference being, something is poisonous when ingested, it will make you sick.   Something is venomous when they bite you and inject venom (poison) into you.  

So, there's your science lesson for the day!


----------



## Vestmama4

Loving the updates as we are buried in over 2 feet of snow. This wild life park and boat tour look super fun and I will definitely keep in mind for our future trips. Yes, Christmas Eve (which was a month ago today) was super warm...my family spent that day swimming at our resort pool and then exploring Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. We had dinner at Hoop De Doo Revue. It was our best Christmas Eve ever! And how I miss those warm temps now...


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pepperandchips said:


> Looks like you got some good time with your gators on this day!! Good thing you got a nice big breakfast in before that adventure!!! I love sloths, what a cool experience getting to see that guy just hanging out. Great updates!



They had a really impressive selection of animals, and the animal areas were meticulously maintained.  Not smelly (even in the heat) or dirty and so well groomed.    The animals looked very healthy and happy, which was so awesome to see.



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> The air boat ride looks good fun. We've considered it before but so far have only gone on a 2 hour tour at the Blue Spring State park.
> 
> Just a quick question, where is the Steak n Shake you go to?



The Steak & Shake we go to is on South Apopka-Vineland Road, just past the entrance to Disney Springs:

http://www.steaknshake.com/locations/23719-steak-n-shake



pigletto said:


> Holy Gators!! I bet my ds would love a tour like that one of these days. Great updates Gina.



Thank you!! 



dixonsontour said:


> Caught up, glad you enjoyed the airboat



It was great fun.  The second airboat tour we've done (the other was Wild Willy's over Christmas 2012) and I will give a little comparison of the two experiences in an upcoming post.  While I adore our days at the theme parks, I also love getting out of the touristy areas and see some of the "real" Florida on our vacations.



greenclan67 said:


> Wisconsin Dells road trip!!!! We have done lots of road trips, Chicago, Williamsburg, Virginia beach, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the Dells. As much as I loved the Dells, it was the most boring drive ever, and will probably never go again.



We want to return again some day, but we'll probably fly into Madison and then rent a car.  I don't see it on our radar for anytime in the near future, but I *do* want to go back....we made some great memories there!

Driving through Chicago was one of the scariest moments of my life.  Worst thunderstorm I've ever seen, and people were still *flying* down the highway when the rain was beating down so hard you couldn't see two feet in front of the end of the car.  I am sure my life flashed before my eyes .



chiamarie said:


> I can't help it; I must comment on this to educate.  (It's sort of engrained in me at this point )
> 
> These are Burmese Pythons.  Meaning they aren't native to Florida, rather they originally come from Southeast Asia.   However, they are slowly taking over the Florida Everglades, and Florida in general.   Basically people have gotten them as pets, not realizing how big (and potentially dangerous, as their way of hunting is by slowly strangling its prey and swallowing it whole.   Snakes have the ability to unhinge their jaws to eat things that are much larger than their mouths, pythons this size could easily eat a toddler or dog) they are, and don't know what to do with them when they get so large.   So, they just let them go in their back yards (or where ever).   But now they are killing Alligators and American Croc's and out competing them for food.   To the point that they now do python hunts down in the everglades to try and help get rid of them.   It's called "invasive species"; and it's all thanks to the wonderful humans that live on this earth.
> 
> Also, Burmese Pythons are neither "poisonous" or "venomous".    The difference being, something is poisonous when ingested, it will make you sick.   Something is venomous when they bite you and inject venom (poison) into you.
> 
> So, there's your science lesson for the day!



Well, smartie pants , you certainly know your snakes!!!   Thanks for the correction.....I just assumed something that ugly had to be venomous by default  .

I actually have a "snake story" coming up in the next post or two.  Still makes my hair stand on end, even thinking about it now.  



Vestmama4 said:


> Loving the updates as we are buried in over 2 feet of snow. This wild life park and boat tour look super fun and I will definitely keep in mind for our future trips. Yes, Christmas Eve (which was a month ago today) was super warm...my family spent that day swimming at our resort pool and then exploring Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. We had dinner at Hoop De Doo Revue. It was our best Christmas Eve ever! And how I miss those warm temps now...



2 feet!!     That's a LOT of snow to shovel  .  

Hoop De Doo has always been on my wish list.  One of these days, Steve and I are going to go ahead and splurge.  As you know, that kind of cheesy fun appeals to me greatly  .


----------



## chiamarie

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Well, smartie pants , you certainly know your snakes!!!   Thanks for the correction.....I just assumed something that ugly had to be venomous by default  .
> 
> I actually have a "snake story" coming up in the next post or two.  Still makes my hair stand on end, even thinking about it now.



Ha, I can only imagine!  I can appreciate snakes and the roll the play in the ecosystem; but that doesn't mean I like them.  If you scroll back far enough (it was sometime in December....I think...) I have a facebook post about snakes; outside my door.  I've only lived here since August, and I've seen 2 now.   And I am less than thrilled about it.   They had better stay outside, because I will FREAK if they end up indoors......I can't even think about it.


----------



## JaxDad

chiamarie said:


> I can't help it; I must comment on this to educate.  (It's sort of engrained in me at this point )
> 
> These are Burmese Pythons.  Meaning they aren't native to Florida, rather they originally come from Southeast Asia.   However, they are slowly taking over the Florida Everglades, and Florida in general.   Basically people have gotten them as pets, not realizing how big (and potentially dangerous, as their way of hunting is by slowly strangling its prey and swallowing it whole.   Snakes have the ability to unhinge their jaws to eat things that are much larger than their mouths, pythons this size could easily eat a toddler or dog) they are, and don't know what to do with them when they get so large.   So, they just let them go in their back yards (or where ever).   But now they are killing Alligators and American Croc's and out competing them for food.   To the point that they now do python hunts down in the everglades to try and help get rid of them.   It's called "invasive species"; and it's all thanks to the wonderful humans that live on this earth.
> 
> Also, Burmese Pythons are neither "poisonous" or "venomous".    The difference being, something is poisonous when ingested, it will make you sick.   Something is venomous when they bite you and inject venom (poison) into you.
> 
> So, there's your science lesson for the day!



Not to totally highjack this awesome thread, but I wanted to second chiamarie's great post. The pythons and other invasives are a huge problem for Florida ecosystems. I spent many years working on Everglades restoration projects. The second month-long "Python Challenge" to try to thin the population is now in its second week. I would also add that in addition to released pets, the python population had a boost from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and damaged zoos and pet stores.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

chiamarie said:


> Ha, I can only imagine!  I can appreciate snakes and the roll the play in the ecosystem; but that doesn't mean I like them.  If you scroll back far enough (it was sometime in December....I think...) I have a facebook post about snakes; outside my door.  I've only lived here since August, and I've seen 2 now.   And I am less than thrilled about it.   They had better stay outside, because I will FREAK if they end up indoors......I can't even think about it.


  

I guess that's a good reminder, if I ever *do* get lucky enough to live out my dream of moving to the Sunshine State, that my comfy little condo needs to be on the second floor or higher.   If I ever found a snake.....of any kind, any size....._*in my house*_, I would certainly have a heart attack on the spot.  I'd rather encounter an alligator in my yard or strolling around my living room than a Florida-sized snake.



JaxDad said:


> Not to totally highjack this awesome thread, but I wanted to second chiamarie's great post. The pythons and other invasives are a huge problem for Florida ecosystems. I spent many years working on Everglades restoration projects. The second month-long "Python Challenge" to try to thin the population is now in its second week. I would also add that in addition to released pets, the python population had a boost from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and damaged zoos and pet stores.



People seriously just release pythons outside when they no longer want them?  Really?  (what on earth is WRONG with people????)

Crazy things that we northerners just don't think about.  Racoons, bears, coyotes, skunks......all potential backyard nuisances for us for sure.  But not mongo-sized snakes!!


----------



## ArwenMarie

Cool pictures Gina! 

Do they have shorter rides than one hour?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

ArwenMarie said:


> Cool pictures Gina!
> 
> Do they have shorter rides than one hour?



Yes ma'am  .  We paid $41.66 each, including tax and the 20% off discount code, for the one hour tour (regularly $47.50 plus tax).  There is also a half hour tour for $26.50 plus tax.   Both options include free admission to the animal park, which is $18 pp as a stand-alone purchase.


----------



## chiamarie

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I guess that's a good reminder, if I ever *do* get lucky enough to live out my dream of moving to the Sunshine State, that my comfy little condo needs to be on the second floor or higher.   If I ever found a snake.....of any kind, any size....._*in my house*_, I would certainly have a heart attack on the spot.  I'd rather encounter an alligator in my yard or strolling around my living room than a Florida-sized snake.
> 
> 
> 
> People seriously just release pythons outside when they no longer want them?  Really?  (what on earth is WRONG with people????)
> 
> Crazy things that we northerners just don't think about.  Racoons, bears, coyotes, skunks......all potential backyard nuisances for us for sure.  But not mongo-sized snakes!!




A- Yes, people really do that.  Just like people dump their dogs, cats, or whatever other pet you can think of, that they don't want anymore.   Those people are not my friends.

B- Just to clarify; as a reminder, those pythons aren't "Florida Snakes"....the ones outside my house were MUCH smaller than that (a black racer, and either a King Snake or a Coral Snake).   Although I still don't know if one was venomous or not; thank goodness I haven't seen him since.   And everyone says there's no way there's venomous snakes near me; but I will continue to watch closely to make sure he's not knocking at my door.


----------



## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I guess that's a good reminder, if I ever *do* get lucky enough to live out my dream of moving to the Sunshine State, that my comfy little condo needs to be on the second floor or higher.   If I ever found a snake.....of any kind, any size....._*in my house*_, I would certainly have a heart attack on the spot.  I'd rather encounter an alligator in my yard or strolling around my living room than a Florida-sized snake.
> 
> 
> 
> People seriously just release pythons outside when they no longer want them?  Really?  (what on earth is WRONG with people????)
> 
> Crazy things that we northerners just don't think about.  Racoons, bears, coyotes, skunks......all potential backyard nuisances for us for sure.  But not mongo-sized snakes!!


I would rather endure another jelly fish sting then see any type of snake. Omg. I hate, hate, hate them. My kids chase me in the dollar store with the rubber ones and I will scream in the middle of the store. I am not sure I can read your update about snakes.


----------



## dsmom

Great update Gina!  I need to check out Wild Florida, born and raised here and have never been.  David would LOVE the airboat ride!  Snakes do not bother me, I see them out in the backyard all the time, but I HATE spiders.  I was bitten by a brown recluse once and it was NOT fun.


----------



## bankr63

Love the shot of the Anhinga, those have to be my favorite Florida bird.  They love to fish in the lowland areas, but have to dry their feathers after a dive, so you always see them sitting with their wings spread out to dry.

Kind of reminds me of our Loon in a much more tropical setting.


----------



## disneyAndi14

The air boat tour looks fun, it does look like you saw quite a few alligators.  The weather sure looks nice on your trip. In all my years I have never been somewhere warm at Christmas. I will have to remedy this one day!


----------



## pigletto

My dh also has a pretty bad fear of snakes. I always find it slightly amusing because he's really not afraid of anything else (though of course I don't tease him about it!) Me? They aren't my favourite , but I hate spiders waaayyyy more. Thank goodness there's no spider parks in Florida for you to visit and show us pictures of lol.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sigh.  You just cannot behave no matter how much you try  .



Would you expect anything less?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

chiamarie said:


> A- Yes, people really do that.  Just like people dump their dogs, cats, or whatever other pet you can think of, that they don't want anymore.   Those people are not my friends.
> 
> B- Just to clarify; as a reminder, those pythons aren't "Florida Snakes"....the ones outside my house were MUCH smaller than that (a black racer, and either a King Snake or a Coral Snake).   Although I still don't know if one was venomous or not; thank goodness I haven't seen him since.   And everyone says there's no way there's venomous snakes near me; but I will continue to watch closely to make sure he's not knocking at my door.



Ugh.....the thought of snakes outside my door makes me physically shudder.  Do you live in an urban area?  Or are you in the country?



greenclan67 said:


> I would rather endure another jelly fish sting then see any type of snake. Omg. I hate, hate, hate them. My kids chase me in the dollar store with the rubber ones and I will scream in the middle of the store. I am not sure I can read your update about snakes.



I am with you totally (well, except for the part where you would rather endure another jellyfish sting....after seeing your leg and reading about the healing process, that would be a big NO THANKS to that!!).  But yeah, I'm not a snake girl.  Gross with capital G!



dsmom said:


> Great update Gina!  I need to check out Wild Florida, born and raised here and have never been.  David would LOVE the airboat ride!  Snakes do not bother me, I see them out in the backyard all the time, but I HATE spiders.  I was bitten by a brown recluse once and it was NOT fun.



See, if I had snakes in my backyard on a regular basis, I'd never step foot back there every again  .  I'd be one of those ladies that has to hire the neighbourhood teenager to cut the grass, just in case I had a close encounter with something slithery  .  I think I may have finally found a redeeming feature of living in the north country!!  We have snakes here, for sure, but we don't see them very often....if ever.....in the city.

As for the wildlife park....yes, yes, yes!  David would LOVE it!  My only complaint (and its just a minor one) was that it was a bit buggy in spots.  Buggy enough that you had to keep your mouth zipped or you'd have been eating 'em as you zipped along.  Of course, sitting at the front of the boat may have put us directly in the line of fire!!



disneyAndi14 said:


> The air boat tour looks fun, it does look like you saw quite a few alligators.  The weather sure looks nice on your trip. In all my years I have never been somewhere warm at Christmas. I will have to remedy this one day!



It's a real mix of "awesome" and "odd" to be celebrating what is typically a frosty holiday in the heat and humidity of Florida.  Walking along in our "summer" clothes in weather that feels like July and listening to Christmas music.   But, its an oddity that I love.....and could definitely get used to on an ongoing basis!!



pigletto said:


> My dh also has a pretty bad fear of snakes. I always find it slightly amusing because he's really not afraid of anything else (though of course I don't tease him about it!) Me? They aren't my favourite , but I hate spiders waaayyyy more. Thank goodness there's no spider parks in Florida for you to visit and show us pictures of lol.



Oh!! I do have spider pics actually.  On both of our monster truck tours at Showcase of Citrus (summer 2013 and summer 2014), we got to get up close and personal with HUGE banana spiders.  Massive little brutes they were.....biggest spiders I've ever seen outside of a pet store.









He offered to let us hold it.  Um, no thanks  .



dancin Disney style said:


> Would you expect anything less?



Ha ha!  Nope  .


----------



## pigletto

I slowly scrolled down that post ,closed one eye, squinted the other and skipped right over your big scary spiders Gina. Also ..yuck.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> I slowly scrolled down that post ,closed one eye, squinted the other and skipped right over your big scary spiders Gina. Also ..yuck.



Whoop, sorry  .  No more spider pics....I promise  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

After I had (kind of) put myself back together, we consulted the park map to determine what other areas of the park we had not yet visited.  We decided to check out the Hawk Swamp next.







Jake was feeling droopy from the heat and humidity (why was it affecting us so much today? ) so a stroll along the shaded boardwalk sounded like it might be a good idea indeed .







The hawk swamp featured some very unique tree formations..... in particular, the “Cypress Knees” that jutted out from the water and looked very cool but rather eerie at the same time.  We definitely don’t have vegetation like this anywhere that I’ve ever been in Canada (and actually, I just Googled it....Cypress trees are not native to Canada, though a few select varieties can apparently survive our winters).  It was shockingly quiet in the swamp, and we were the sole park visitors on the boardwalk.  Very peaceful .

















While the signage suggested we might see an assortment of swamp residents...







....we didn’t see any of the animals indicated on the sign.  In true Christmas form, “not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse” .







After exiting the Hawk Swamp boardwalk, we meandered along and resumed our tour of the various animals featured in the animal park.  Though we had seen quite a few of them before the airboat tour, there were still several species that we wanted to check out.  I mean, who doesn’t want the chance to meet a .... zedonk?  







It was hot enough out that the African Plains section felt like we were walking on....well, the plains of Africa!!  







This part of the park featured the unique Zonkeys and Zedonks, the product of breeding donkeys and zebras together to create two very unique (and distinctly different in appearance) animals.







I am guessing that this is the “Zedonk”:












...and this would be the “Zonkey”:












This, then, should be the Zorse?  (animal identification was so much easier in preschool.....)












I have nothing more to say about this little section of the park, except.....people can come up with some really crazy ideas .


The white tailed deer were in a large area near the African Plains, but in this humidity, they had found comfort in the shade and that’s where they stayed.  No amount of friendly encouragement from our trio could convince them to come out and visit.







_The rest of our Wild Florida visit (as well as our Christmas Eve Day) is next._


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


>



Is there going to be a test?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Is there going to be a test?



I volunteer you to take it for us  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

So sorry that I’ve been a bit tardier in posting the last couple of days.  Steve is in Michigan for the week and both work and home have been super crazy both yesterday and today!!  My mom always tells me _“So goes Monday, so goes the rest of the week” _…..so if shes right, I am just in for a crazy final week of January.  At least is had milded up a bit here:  while its wet and mucky outside, a bit of our snow is disappearing as a result.


_*So, moving on with the report…..*_


As I have mentioned multiple times, the record-high temperatures were eating us alive on this particular day.  By the time we checked out the Zedonks, Zonkeys and Zorses, Jake was sure he was dying of heatstroke and we decided to make our way to the front of the park and call it a day.  Had it been cooler and less humid, I am sure we may have opted to participate in one of their animal encounters or purchase some animal food to feed the gators.  Right now, though, we were hot and thirsty and ready for some air conditioning and cold beverages.


There were some wild boars off in a quiet corner as we strolled along the pathway, so we thought we’d check them out since we were almost passing right by.  As we neared the enclosure, I stopped briefly to put my camera into the camera bag while the guys continued up to the animal habitat.  It didn’t seem to want to fit in just right, so I sat my backpack and the case on the ground and readjusted everything so it nestled in as it was designed.  I picked up my backpack and slung it back onto my shoulders, then bent to pick up the camera bag off the dusty ground.  Just as I did so…….


SNAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!     


The biggest, beady-eyed, slithery, icky, disgusting Black Racer…..well over 4 feet in length…..passed *right in front of my foot*.  Close enough, I swear I felt the breeze as he slithered his way past.   Since you already know my reptile phobia (alligators excepted), you will appreciate the effort that it took to keep on my feet.  I seriously could have passed out right on the spot.  Though it shames me a bit to admit it, I let out a rather primal scream at the sight of him, which scared the crap out of the boys but at least hastened the departure of the black racer.   My guys came running over just soon enough to see his magnificent length dash into the adjacent bushes and disappear completely from view.  Steve grew up on a dairy farm (so he’s seen his share of snakes in the wild), but this one was in a category all its own.  I decided right there and then that I didn’t give a hoot to see the wild boars, and we opted to make a quick getaway to the car lest we suffered a second encounter with that nasty beast.


Now, there are signs ALL OVER this park reminding guests that if they see a snake they are not to touch it and to advise park staff of the siting.  As we rounded the corner out of the animal park and into the parking lot, two Wild Florida staffers were chatting it up on a golf cart.  We stopped to let them know about our chance meeting with Mr. Snake, and they were very eager to know the details….colour?  Length?  Location?  We answered all their questions, and they grinned and assured us “Oh, that’s just a Black Racer.  They’re harmless .  You weren’t in any danger”.  My cheeky son piped up “Well, I wouldn’t go that far.  I think Mom almost had a heart attack when it slithered by her foot.  Didn’t you hear her scream?”.  Thanks kid .  I love it when people get to find out all my weaknesses!!


No one wanted any souvenirs from the gift shop, so we dragged our hot and sticky bodies to the Equinox and cranked the a/c.  We had had the foresight to bring along extra bottles of water and leave them in the SUV, so even though they were no longer cold we happily drank them down.  Steve pulled out of his parking space, drove down the laneway to the main road, and guess who we found making his way across the laneway?


Yep.  A 4.5’ black racer, presumably the same one who scared the bejeezus out of me a few moments before.  This time, he was in no particular hurry (I guess lacking a screaming woman behind him, he moves at his own pace ) and as we stopped to watch him slide his way in front of the nose of the vehicle, Steve dutifully offered to run him over if it would make me feel better.  Lucky for the snake I’m not a vindictive person .  We let him live…..this was HIS home, after all, and I’m sure he really wasn’t too keen on *me* invading *his* space…and once he was safely back into the grass, we began the journey back to Orlando.


Now….I really can’t explain what happened after this point in the day, but let’s just say we hit that proverbial vacation wall.  I don’t know if it was the heat, the humidity, the pace of the vacation, overtiredness, or a bad case of hormones all around, but we just fell into a bit of a funk.  Part way through a virtually silent drive back to the villa, we stopped for lunch at a Checkers but no one really seemed to enjoy either the meal or each other’s company (I didn’t even take out the camera…..whaaaa? ).  I could see us growing testy with each other (which I’m sure the boys also identified) but I couldn’t put my finger on why .  Back in the Equinox, you could have heard the crickets chirping as we drove the second leg of the 45 minute commute, and when we arrived back at the villa, we all retreated to our separate corners.  We just needed some alone time.


I called mom.  Being Christmas Eve Day, she was emotional to have us so far away, and her raw emotions mixed with my weird ones of the afternoon had us both teary and lonely for each other.  We talked wistfully about my Dad…how he used to love Christmas, and how much we miss him on these special holidays…..and by the time I got off the phone, my heart was wrung out .  Oy vey.


All in all, it was a quiet night.  We tried hitting up bingo at the Cascades Bar & Grill per the activity schedule, but no one seemed to know a thing about it so we eventually gave up.  We ruled out mini golf because it was too hot.  We grabbed a quick dinner at Flippers in the Crossroads (a large barbecued chicken pizza and a large bacon cheeseburger pizza, a side of breadsticks, a diet Pepsi and two waters for $51.18 including tax) but we still didn't seem to have anything to say to each other, and again, I didn’t take a single photo.


We tried for some hot tub time, but 15 minutes after we got in the water, we decided we were just done:  our energy, our interest, our patience.  Sometimes, you gotta know when to fold ‘em .


So there you have it, friends.  One of our not-so-perfect family moments, but as we have learned from experience (generally once on every week long vacation):  one moment does not a complete disaster make.  We live, we learn, we grow, and we own our human-ness.  It happens.


Our “Silent Night” ended with a round of hugs _(family rule:  no one goes to bed mad…and ya know, despite our stinky moods, there was still a lot of love hangin’ around in that villa)_ and everyone agreeing that a good, long night’s sleep would cure whatever the heck had befallen us that afternoon and evening.  As the Irish Proverb  goes:  “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for everything” .


The sun was out when we awoke the following morning:  both in that big, beautiful Florida sky AND in our much-improved dispositions .  We had all slept like rocks and felt like a million dollars.  There were smiles and laughs all around as we reminisced over our cereal bowls about the evening prior….because, hey, we can find humour in ourselves most times, even at our less-than-stellar moments .


Up next:  *the best Christmas Day, ever* .  SeaWorld, Santa, Shamu and sunshine!!! 

(and I promise, lots of photos and less jibber-jabbering!)

Here's a sneak peek of our day to come...just ignore the date on the bottom right.....its wrong, and I'll explain later why:


----------



## pattyw

I can relate to a day like yours- I also have a family of just men- DH and 2 DS.  I guess I learned like you- just to let it be- it will pass.  Men do not want to talk, share, or vent.  It's frustrating to us girls, but the nice thing is all is forgotten moments later. And no good vacation can happen unless there is a family meltdown at some time! 
Off topic, I know you are Vistana Resort owners, but do you have any info on the Vistana Villages?  I found a great unrestricted rate there for June( you've influenced us to possibly venture offsite!)


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## dancin Disney style

The only good snake....is a dead snake!!!!


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## Vestmama4

Well I'm super happy to hear that it's not just my family that hits walls/need space/gets into a funk at times on vacations. We really had such a wonderful Christmas trip-it was truly amazing, but after a long road trip to Orlando (14 hrs) and spending almost every waking moment together for a week and half, our family definitely had our share of mini-breakdowns. Good news is that a month later I can only remember the good parts and have forgotten the bad. Well, most of the bad...lol 
And sorry for the loss of your dad. I've lost both my mom and dad and I understand completely about missing a parent at holiday time.


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## mrsabbott

Okay, so I was catching up on the post and the kids saw the picture of the peacock.  "Oooh, how pretty!!"  They all ooh'd and aaah'd over it.  I then scroll down.  "EEWW!!  What is THAT?"  "Is that a spider?"  I tell them that it is a picture of the peacock's rear end.  They thought it was both funny and gross!  LOL!


----------



## pigletto

Oh goodness I can relate. Someone has a meltdown on every vacation. It's pigletto family vacation law actually. I have to have one "I don't know why I even bother" cry per trip. As the years have wore on sometimes it's just a day like yours where everyone is "off". Or sometimes someone is really sick, or sometimes someone is just behaving horridly (including me). We're family, we love each other, and we get over it. I'd be more surprised if the Bo Bina family didn't have a day like that once in awhile.


----------



## tgropp

Now….I really can’t explain what happened after this point in the day, but let’s just say we hit that proverbial vacation wall.  I don’t know if it was the heat, the humidity, the pace of the vacation, overtiredness, or a bad case of hormones all around, but we just fell into a bit of a funk.  Part way through a virtually silent drive back to the villa, we stopped for lunch at a Checkers but no one really seemed to enjoy either the meal or each other’s company (I didn’t even take out the camera…..whaaaa? ).  I could see us growing testy with each other (which I’m sure the boys also identified) but I couldn’t put my finger on why .  Back in the Equinox, you could have heard the crickets chirping as we drove the second leg of the 45 minute commute, and when we arrived back at the villa, we all retreated to our separate corners.  We just needed some alone time.


I called mom.  Being Christmas Eve Day, she was emotional to have us so far away, and her raw emotions mixed with my weird ones of the afternoon had us both teary and lonely for each other.  We talked wistfully about my Dad…how he used to love Christmas, and how much we miss him on these special holidays…..and by the time I got off the phone, my heart was wrung out .  Oy vey.





* This sounds so familiar Gina. Back in the early 90's when our children were young and my wifes parents were still alive, we started our family tradition of going to WDW for the Christmas holidays. My wife was lonely for her parents at Christmas. Then her Mom died and later her father, and we kept going and she was always soo sad on Christmas Eve/Day but she now realizes that she was WITH HER FAMILY. Your pain is totally understandable. If only we had IPhones 20 years ago. BTW....so my kids don't do that to us, we pay for their way down at Christmas.  2017, here we come*




[/QUOTE]


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## ArwenMarie

Sounds like you guys were tired and hot and it all caught up to you. 

I remember one time we were stuck in traffic forever by Marriott World Center coming from Disney going back to Grande Vista. All of a sudden my very mild-mannered husband says quietly, "Why do we keep coming here? I hate it here" and I was like, "I know, what's wrong with us?" Like it just seemed absurd the torture we were putting ourselves through.  It wasn't funny at the time but looking back we crack up.

Your swamp picture are super pretty, I love those cypress trees, so Florida.


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

Snakes......ugggggh, definitely not something I would want to encounter either.

Glad you managed to shake off the mood and wake up raring to go. The last few Christmases in Florida we have been  been in MK on Christmas Eve and stayed until the park closed, it good to be shooed out of the park in a nice way).

Looking forward to your day at SW.


----------



## Callie

I would have ran over the snake, and then possibly felt bad.
It was nice to hear my family isn't the only one that gets into a funk on vacation. Its usually my mom, sister and I and we always have that one day when everyone is annoyed with each other.


----------



## Monykalyn

Nice to know everyone hits a funk/wall sometimes-even on a vacation. Through painful experience I've learned to build absolute, do nothing, downtime days into our family vacations. Sometimes sleep really is a cure-all...

I still don't _love _snakes but I have (mostly) accepted them now-and learned to be careful digging in my raised garden beds as there was a critter who liked to hide under my sage bush and tomato plants. He startled me more than once but must have been too cozy in the warm dirt to move much.

Some very cool pics of the cypress trees!!


----------



## pepperandchips

Yup, sounds like everyone has a bad day (even in their happy place) now and then. We had a meltdown in October on the family trip and while this most recent trip had fewer personalities so less tension, there are still times when we needed quiet time or a snack break or a moment to read books. (This is one of the reasons we have a two drink minimum at dinner on the bigger family trips! Haha.)

Glad everyone was back to their rested and happy selves the next day. That's the important part!


----------



## chiamarie

I love that you aren't a vindictive person!  Odds are it wasn't the same snake anyway!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pattyw said:


> I can relate to a day like yours- I also have a family of just men- DH and 2 DS.  I guess I learned like you- just to let it be- it will pass.  Men do not want to talk, share, or vent.  It's frustrating to us girls, but the nice thing is all is forgotten moments later. And no good vacation can happen unless there is a family meltdown at some time!
> Off topic, I know you are Vistana Resort owners, but do you have any info on the Vistana Villages?  I found a great unrestricted rate there for June( you've influenced us to possibly venture offsite!)



I haven't personally stayed at SVV, but its the sister resort to SVR.  The room layouts are similar, and so are the resort amenities (though the resort itself is more compact and less sprawling than the Vistana Resort).  It looks like a lovely place for sure (we've driven by it many, many times on our way to SW).  If you got a great rate there, I would say give it a try for sure!!  We'd actually like to stay there some time too, just to see the differences between the two properties.



dancin Disney style said:


> The only good snake....is a dead snake!!!!



With my luck, though, there'd be some sort of snake protection law that would have resulted in us being locked up by the local sherrif.  It wouldn't surprise me if they were an endangered species or something like that.  Don't we still protect seagulls here in Canada??



Vestmama4 said:


> Well I'm super happy to hear that it's not just my family that hits walls/need space/gets into a funk at times on vacations. We really had such a wonderful Christmas trip-it was truly amazing, but after a long road trip to Orlando (14 hrs) and spending almost every waking moment together for a week and half, our family definitely had our share of mini-breakdowns. Good news is that a month later I can only remember the good parts and have forgotten the bad. Well, most of the bad...lol
> And sorry for the loss of your dad. I've lost both my mom and dad and I understand completely about missing a parent at holiday time.



The holidays are the worst.  I mean, I miss my dad _*every*_ day (not just on the special ones), but it seems just a little more raw during Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.    I don't suppose that will ever change.   Big hugs to you, my friend, for you have it doubly as painful with both your parents now passed  . 



mrsabbott said:


> Okay, so I was catching up on the post and the kids saw the picture of the peacock.  "Oooh, how pretty!!"  They all ooh'd and aaah'd over it.  I then scroll down.  "EEWW!!  What is THAT?"  "Is that a spider?"  I tell them that it is a picture of the peacock's rear end.  They thought it was both funny and gross!  LOL!



LOL, sorry about that!!  If my butt looked that good, though, l'd post a picture of it too .  Oh, to be a peacock!! 



pigletto said:


> Oh goodness I can relate. Someone has a meltdown on every vacation. It's pigletto family vacation law actually. I have to have one "I don't know why I even bother" cry per trip. As the years have wore on sometimes it's just a day like yours where everyone is "off". Or sometimes someone is really sick, or sometimes someone is just behaving horridly (including me). We're family, we love each other, and we get over it. I'd be more surprised if the Bo Bina family didn't have a day like that once in awhile.



You know, it has been super comforting to read everyone's "yep, we've been there too!!" comments to my post this afteroon.  Not that misery loves company, but sometimes these boards perpetuate the perfect trip, and in reality that's almost impossible to achieve.  Things go wrong that are out a person's control (like the pot smokers), weather washes out the plans, sickness obliterates the itinerary, or.....our human-ness just takes over.  Sometimes, we're not perfect (and I'm perfectly OK with admitting that).   Like you, sometimes *I* am the one who needs the time out chair .    But you know, even our bad moments are good moments....because we were together.  And we get through it.  And it makes the days that follow that much sweeter  .



tgropp said:


> *This sounds so familiar Gina. Back in the early 90's when our children were young and my wifes parents were still alive, we started our family tradition of going to WDW for the Christmas holidays. My wife was lonely for her parents at Christmas. Then her Mom died and later her father, and we kept going and she was always soo sad on Christmas Eve/Day but she now realizes that she was WITH HER FAMILY. Your pain is totally understandable. If only we had IPhones 20 years ago. BTW....so my kids don't do that to us, we pay for their way down at Christmas.  2017, here we come*


[/QUOTE]

You are a good Dad, my friend  .   And you are so right.  I was with my guys in body, and with both my mom and dad in spirit .   

And yay you for already planning for Christmas 2017!!!     What an awesome gift, to have your family all together in Orlando!  Feel free to adopt me if you feel the need for another daughter.  Despite my contribution to the Christmas Eve crash, I am really quite charming  .



ArwenMarie said:


> Sounds like you guys were tired and hot and it all caught up to you.
> 
> I remember one time we were stuck in traffic forever by Marriott World Center coming from Disney going back to Grande Vista. All of a sudden my very mild-mannered husband says quietly, "Why do we keep coming here? I hate it here" and I was like, "I know, what's wrong with us?" Like it just seemed absurd the torture we were putting ourselves through.  It wasn't funny at the time but looking back we crack up.
> 
> Your swamp picture are super pretty, I love those cypress trees, so Florida.



Some of those dreadful moments do turn into the funniest memories  .   



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Snakes......ugggggh, definitely not something I would want to encounter either.
> 
> Glad you managed to shake off the mood and wake up raring to go. The last few Christmases in Florida we have been  been in MK on Christmas Eve and stayed until the park closed, it good to be shooed out of the park in a nice way).
> 
> Looking forward to your day at SW.



We never did hear if the Disney parks closed to capacity over Christmas this year or not.  Did you happen to read anything about it on the boards?  A little bird told me that SW reached capacity on Boxing Day (December 26th for my American friends) so I am guessing Disney must have been bursting at the seams, too.  I bet MK is pretty magical on Christmas!!!    Main Street, in particular, must be so lovely!



Callie said:


> I would have ran over the snake, and then possibly felt bad.
> It was nice to hear my family isn't the only one that gets into a funk on vacation. Its usually my mom, sister and I and we always have that one day when everyone is annoyed with each other.



Ha ha!!  You're a better woman than I .... I wouldn't even attempt a vacation with MY sister.  I am sure you'd be reading about my arrest on CNN the following morning  .  There isn't enough alcohol or chocolate with which to self medicate that would get me through that kind of an ordeal!!



Monykalyn said:


> Nice to know everyone hits a funk/wall sometimes-even on a vacation. Through painful experience I've learned to build absolute, do nothing, downtime days into our family vacations. Sometimes sleep really is a cure-all...
> 
> I still don't _love _snakes but I have (mostly) accepted them now-and learned to be careful digging in my raised garden beds as there was a critter who liked to hide under my sage bush and tomato plants. He startled me more than once but must have been too cozy in the warm dirt to move much.
> 
> Some very cool pics of the cypress trees!!



I had thought we *did* have enough downtime built into the plans, but obviously not enough  .   I do think the heat and humidity played a part....we surely didn't expect it to be quite that hot.

Ugh, snakes in the garden  .  If I ever find one lounging under one of my hostas, I'm tearing out the plants and filling everything in with decorative mulch.  Plastic plants, anyone? 



pepperandchips said:


> Yup, sounds like everyone has a bad day (even in their happy place) now and then. We had a meltdown in October on the family trip and while this most recent trip had fewer personalities so less tension, there are still times when we needed quiet time or a snack break or a moment to read books. (This is one of the reasons we have a two drink minimum at dinner on the bigger family trips! Haha.)
> 
> Glad everyone was back to their rested and happy selves the next day. That's the important part!
> 
> View attachment 147684



Hee hee....maybe we should have drank MORE  .  We did leave several bottles of Christmas cheer in the fridge for the cleaning staff to enjoy......


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

chiamarie said:


> I love that you aren't a vindictive person!  Odds are it wasn't the same snake anyway!



Oh, I am sure it was the same snake.  I think he winked at me as he slithered in front of our bumper  .


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> So there you have it, friends.  One of our not-so-perfect family moments, but as we have learned from experience (generally once on every week long vacation):  one moment does not a complete disaster make.  We live, we learn, we grow, and we own our human-ness.  It happens.
> 
> 
> Our “Silent Night” ended with a round of hugs _(family rule:  no one goes to bed mad…and ya know, despite our stinky moods, there was still a lot of love hangin’ around in that villa)_ and everyone agreeing that a good, long night’s sleep would cure whatever the heck had befallen us that afternoon and evening.  As the Irish Proverb  goes:  “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for everything” .
> 
> 
> The sun was out when we awoke the following morning:  both in that big, beautiful Florida sky AND in our much-improved dispositions .  We had all slept like rocks and felt like a million dollars.  There were smiles and laughs all around as we reminisced over our cereal bowls about the evening prior….because, hey, we can find humour in ourselves most times, even at our less-than-stellar moments .



You know Gina, that is what I love about your crew.  I am a glass half-full kind of guy, but you can make an ocean from a droplet of water at the bottom of the glass.  I too know how it feels to hit the wall, and try to sensitive to everybody's rhythm.  But the next day is always a whole new adventure!

Speaking of adventures, our March trip is slowly starting to gel. But with all of the excursions etc, we may only spend an actual 3 full days in Orlando!  Too many side trips planned, and A+ wants to take her time both directions.  So for 9 days total, 4 will be spent on the road, arriving Sunday afternoon. We'll do a full day on our regular excursion to Siesta Key, and we are adding Friday at St. Augustine for sure now.  Will probably meet DS in Myrtle Beach on Saturday for breakfast (he is attending a 2-week track and field training camp there), and then point the car back North again.  Orlando attractions will probably include a day at Typhoon Lagoon in the lazy river and one full day at MK for Pin Trading for A+ (although I might substitute Epcot; it's been a while for that park).  Last day will probably be a bit of shopping and down time by the pool.  We're also hoping to finish the second half of the Skyline Drive this trip (we only did the bottom half two years back) weather permitting...


----------



## bankr63

Thought I would post this one just for you Pigletto:



We found this great specimen up camping this summer.  Or rather, he found us.  A+ was first up in the morning and ran into his web spun across the INSIDE of the door in the camper as she exited.  The strands were like steel.  I managed to find him nestled underneath a curtain nearby and gently relocated him outside.  This photo was taken about 24 hours later once (s)he had established a new web.

And in keeping with the Anhinga comment, I thought I would throw in this photo of the Common Canadian Loon (okay technically American since we were camping in NYS when I took this).


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> You know Gina, that is what I love about your crew.  I am a glass half-full kind of guy, but you can make an ocean from a droplet of water at the bottom of the glass.  I too know how it feels to hit the wall, and try to sensitive to everybody's rhythm.  But the next day is always a whole new adventure!
> 
> Speaking of adventures, our March trip is slowly starting to gel. But with all of the excursions etc, we may only spend an actual 3 full days in Orlando!  Too many side trips planned, and A+ wants to take her time both directions.  So for 9 days total, 4 will be spent on the road, arriving Sunday afternoon. We'll do a full day on our regular excursion to Siesta Key, and we are adding Friday at St. Augustine for sure now.  Will probably meet DS in Myrtle Beach on Saturday for breakfast (he is attending a 2-week track and field training camp there), and then point the car back North again.  Orlando attractions will probably include a day at Typhoon Lagoon in the lazy river and one full day at MK for Pin Trading for A+ (although I might substitute Epcot; it's been a while for that park).  Last day will probably be a bit of shopping and down time by the pool.  We're also hoping to finish the second half of the Skyline Drive this trip (we only did the bottom half two years back) weather permitting...



Oh wow, what a cool and diverse trip!!   I would love to hear about your time in St. Augustine, especially.  It looks like such a charming little town.  Are you taking both kiddos on this adventure, or just DS from MB onward?

I'll admit that I have the odd glass-half-empty day too, but thankfully they're rare.  Life's just too darn short, and really.....in the grand scheme of the world, I have so much to be thankful for .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Thought I would post this one just for you Pigletto:
> 
> 
> 
> We found this great specimen up camping this summer.  Or rather, he found us.  A+ was first up in the morning and ran into his web spun across the INSIDE of the door in the camper as she exited.  The strands were like steel.  I managed to find him nestled underneath a curtain nearby and gently relocated him outside.  This photo was taken about 24 hours later once (s)he had established a new web.



And this is EXACTLY why I don't go camping.

_*Shudder. *_


----------



## pattyw

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I haven't personally stayed at SVV, but its the sister resort to SVR. The room layouts are similar, and so are the resort amenities (though the resort itself is more compact and less sprawling than the Vistana Resort). It looks like a lovely place for sure (we've driven by it many, many times on our way to SW). If you got a great rate there, I would say give it a try for sure!! We'd actually like to stay there some time too, just to see the differences between the two properties.



Thanks, Gina- we'll be sure to report back on our experience there in June!  

And those spiders! ick!  I guess it is one benefit to living here in frosty Buffalo, NY- we don't get those mega spiders and even the snakes I've seen are small and harmless.


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## Ritchielace

Coming out of lurkdom to say loving the post! Your writing is so amusing and I can't get enough of the banter between you and everyone, especially Dancin Disney. Going to have to catch up and read some of your other trip reports.


----------



## Lynne G

Ahhh the bugs and bees, and oh, snakes.  Yeah, we saw several on our walks from Shades of Green to the Poly.  I told my kids to walk faster.  Luckily, also harmless snakes, but didn't care either.   And watching a PBS nature show, I know the difference between harmless and not.  If yellow touches red, stay away.  There's another snake that looks like coral snake, a king snake, but it's red and black stripes are not touching.  But easy to confuse.  The copy cat snake does so, so that those that eat snakes, think it's a coral snake and don't eat it.  Either way, I wouldn't be looking too closely, I'd be going the other way.  

I don't mind camping.  Never saw a spider or snake, but what we didn't realize, when setting up tents late in the evening in the summer one year in Yellowstone, the next morning, we were surrounded by bison.  We found another place to pitch the tents later that day.  

We actually like the holiday time.  Granted, we didn't do Disney, but I have a DH that doesn't mind traffic, and goes at a slow pace.  
And yes, we too get a funk at least once during vacation.  I think it happens more when it's hot out.  Deciding where we want to stay this year.  And patiently waiting for SW to open flights for December.  While we enjoyed SD, it was a long flight, and FLA is so much closer, and in the same time zone, we're ready to go back to Orlando.  

Ready for some more trip report!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pattyw said:


> Thanks, Gina- we'll be sure to report back on our experience there in June!
> 
> And those spiders! ick!  I guess it is one benefit to living here in frosty Buffalo, NY- we don't get those mega spiders and even the snakes I've seen are small and harmless.



Can't wait to hear what you think about SVV!  By the way, I meant to ask....where did you get the great unrestricted rate from?  We would like to add on a couple of extra days to our October trip, so we're looking for affordable options  .



Ritchielace said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to say loving the post! Your writing is so amusing and I can't get enough of the banter between you and everyone, especially Dancin Disney. Going to have to catch up and read some of your other trip reports.



 Ritchielace!  Glad you have emerged from lurkdom to join in the chatter  .

Yes, that @dancin Disney style is rather a bit of hoot....she keeps me on my toes for sure  .  Someday I'd like to meet her husband.  He's got to be a very special guy indeed  .



Lynne G said:


> Ahhh the bugs and bees, and oh, snakes.  Yeah, we saw several on our walks from Shades of Green to the Poly.  I told my kids to walk faster.  Luckily, also harmless snakes, but didn't care either.   And watching a PBS nature show, I know the difference between harmless and not.  If yellow touches red, stay away.  There's another snake that looks like coral snake, a king snake, but it's red and black stripes are not touching.  But easy to confuse.  The copy cat snake does so, so that those that eat snakes, think it's a coral snake and don't eat it.  Either way, I wouldn't be looking too closely, I'd be going the other way.
> 
> I don't mind camping.  Never saw a spider or snake, but what we didn't realize, when setting up tents late in the evening in the summer one year in Yellowstone, the next morning, we were surrounded by bison.  We found another place to pitch the tents later that day.
> 
> We actually like the holiday time.  Granted, we didn't do Disney, but I have a DH that doesn't mind traffic, and goes at a slow pace.
> And yes, we too get a funk at least once during vacation.  I think it happens more when it's hot out.  Deciding where we want to stay this year.  And patiently waiting for SW to open flights for December.  While we enjoyed SD, it was a long flight, and FLA is so much closer, and in the same time zone, we're ready to go back to Orlando.
> 
> Ready for some more trip report!



We found Christmas this year to be very, very civilized.....the traffic was quite tolerable and crowds were much smaller than we anticipated.  Better than in 2012! (unless our expectations this time were just more in line with reality.....that might be the case too ).

Southwest wont open up for December until when.....June-ish?  I know Jetblue opens February 7th for October.  I have my fingers crossed that flights for fall are affordable.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Christmas Day:  Friday, December 25th:  *


For those of you who haven’t read any of my previous trip reports, we had spent Christmas Day at SeaWorld on our family vacation in December 2012, and it was _hands down _our favourite day of that whole trip.  Crowds were light, the decorations were stunning, and the atmosphere was amazingly festive….so when it came to choosing how to spend Christmas Day on this family getaway, we all unanimously wanted to return to SeaWorld.  Thankfully, the BOGO annual pass deal on Black Friday 2015 made the purchase of tickets affordable, so the itinerary was updated and the planning officially began .


As our vacation drew closer, though, we started to wonder if the best kept secret in Orlando had perhaps gotten out:  would everyone else also know that SeaWorld was an amazing place to spend Christmas Day?   Would crowds be much higher than we remember?  Would Orlando visitors have figured out that all the special holiday events were not only awesome, but also included free with your regular admission to the park?  It was forecasted to be yet another spectacular day weather-wise (sunshine, warmth and very little chance of rain) so that should bring people out in itself.


Would the popularity of the BOGO annual pass offer be a double edged sword?  


*We would soon find out…..*







Christmas morning traffic was non-existent as we made the short drive from the resort to the SeaWorld parking lot.  We arrived about 8:40 am, which was 20 minutes prior to park opening, but the parking booths were still closed and lines were slowly building up at each one.  Five minutes later, at exactly 8:45 am sharp, the booths were opened and cars began filtering through.  There were tons of parking staff in the lot directing vehicles to the various areas, so despite the initial influx of traffic it the whole parking experience was very well organized and civilized.  We secured an excellent spot just steps from the main entrance (always appreciated after a long day on our feet!), and the parking itself was free of charge as annual passholders.


Security was really tight at the park gate, with bag checks being done very thoroughly and guests being wanded upon entry.  But the process was being carried out with remarkable efficiency and a cheerful attitude by security staff, so we were on our way into the park with very little delay.







The magnificent tree at the front of the park was a perfect first sight for a Christmas Day visit!  







We stopped for photos just inside the park entrance, all of which were included with our purchase of the annual Photokey (activated at Aquatica a few days prior).











Some of the pictures taken by the photographer were “magic” photos, where they had us put our hands together as if we were holding something.  Unfortunately they forgot to add the magic element, and we had to return to the park the following day to have the missing graphic manually added in.  In doing so, the date which is pre-populated on the photos automatically changed to the date of the edit….and there was no way for them to override it, apparently.  That’s why you’ll note the incorrect date on our pictures with baby Shamu.  Of course, after issues activating the Photokey at Aquatica three days prior, and none of our digital purchases from either Madame Tussauds or The Orlando Eye working out either, the missing magic certainly wasn’t a surprise here at SeaWorld!!! 


Following our quick stop for family pictures, we proceeded straight Guest Services to pick up our Christmas Celebration Reserved Seating dining Packages (which included a meal at one of the restaurants and reserved seating at all the evening Christmas shows), our Christmas Village dining package (which included a meal at the restaurants, plus a souvenir mug of hot chocolate and our choice of snack from the Christmas Village), and our Quick Queue passes.  All three items were pre-purchased in advance, so we just had to swap out our email confirmations for the dining cards, reserved seating lanyards, and QQ wristbands.  We also donated $5 each to the SeaWorld Conservation Fund to upgrade our paper AP’s to some very nice hard plastic, credit-card type passes .... we figured it was a win-win for all:  the money would go to a very good cause, and the plastic AP’s would hold up far better than their paper counterparts over the next 365 days.  It was nice to get all the “housekeeping” tasks out of the way, right off the bat, so we could enjoy the balance of the day in the park without any more paperwork to worry about.


By this time, the guys were eager to take their first spin on Manta, so with their Quick Queue passes in hand they made a beeline for the ride entrance.







As you know, I’m not a coaster girl by any stretch, so I enjoyed poking around the animal exhibits while they indulged in their thrill fix.

















There is also a great aquarium right at the Manta coaster (put there just so ride chickens like me don’t feel left out, I suspect!) so I enjoyed a few moments mingling among the fishes there .







Strolling back to the Manta exit, I awaited their ride photo to put on our Photokey.....and it popped up on the screen just as they emerged from the ride.







The park was still quiet enough that they were running the ride partly empty....so the boys had a whole row to themselves (very comfy for big shouldered fellas like them).  They were all smiles as they raved, yet again, about how Manta was their single favourite coaster at any theme park we’ve ever visited.  Judging by their enthusiasm and excited jibber-jabbering, we couldn’t have kicked off our morning in any better way .


Since SeaWorld is a fairly regular park for us to visit, we were in no real panic to hit each and every ride and attraction, particularly on Christmas Day.  We had a wish list of things that were absolute must-do’s for the day (most of which were the special Christmas Celebration events and features)  but our “touring plan was flexible and relaxing by design.   We would take the day as it came, prioritizing in the most logical order possible.  With the exception of the new Clyde & Seamore show (which was new since our most recent visit), the balance of the regular daytime shows were not really on anyone’s must-do list (we would be back in April to watch them with Jake’s Sunshine when we introduce her to our favourite park in Orlando!)….so that would help us make the most of the other attractions in the park.


After Manta, we made our way to the Waterfront, and snapped this “crowd photo”:







Ah, Christmas Day at SeaWorld…..we love you .  If anyone was wondering if it pays to get to a park for opening, this confirms it  .


Directly across from Voyagers Smokehouse:







….they were taking photos inside a giant snow globe.  We had family pictures taken inside the snow globe at SeaWorld on our Christmas 2012 visit, and they among my favourite souvenirs of that trip.  Not surprisingly, then, this was a must-do on my Christmas list again this year, and my guys were more than willing to humour me.   As you may have guessed from the above crowd photo, there was absolutely no one else there so the photographers were happy to see some guests and welcomed us in for pictures.


















*Much more to come!!  *


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## Lynne G

HehHe.  I used the buy one get one picture and did the snow globe at SW SD.  Was fun and I gave one to my DM and kept the other.  Great souvenir.  I'll have to look at the annual Photokey, as we'll be doing all the parks this trip too.  Including BG Tampa too.  We had a really good time at all 4 last time, so repeat is fun too.  We spent Christmas Day at Discovery Cove, so maybe Christmas Day at SW this year.  We did Christmas Day at SW SD, and was pretty crowded as the day went on, but we did see and do everything we wanted, and since I paid for all day dining, with small discount, we ate the whole day, and it was great, even having to wait one hour between feeding.  It was a lot of food.  I'll also look into the Christmas with seat meal, as last time we did the dinner with Santa.  While it was nice,  we most likely won't do again. 

Great update, as I always like to see Christmas decorations.


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## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Oh wow, what a cool and diverse trip!!   I would love to hear about your time in St. Augustine, especially.  It looks like such a charming little town.  Are you taking both kiddos on this adventure, or just DS from MB onward?
> 
> I'll admit that I have the odd glass-half-empty day too, but thankfully they're rare.  Life's just too darn short, and really.....in the grand scheme of the world, I have so much to be thankful for .


Adults only.  DD is finishing up college, so her break doesn't align.  She gets the honour of house sitting the wee beasties instead.  Don't feel too bad for her; I'll probably gift her a week away as a graduation treat, and she is already spending reading week in Toronto staying at my DSis' place. 

DS is leaving for MB the same night as us, but about 3 hours later.   But he will be on a bus loaded with maybe 39 other 16-19yo athletes and they will be driving straight through. At 17 I'm sure this sounds like a lot more fun to him than a berth in the back of the family hauler...  His training camp lasts two weeks, so our breakfast visit is meant to be a mid-trip treat for him, and a chance for a worried dad and step-mom to make sure he is getting enough to eat etc.  This is his first trip "solo" (and not sure how much supervision the coaches actually provide), but it's a good thing since he will soon be off to college and fending for himself anyway.  Luckily A+ and I have been to Myrtle, and actually stayed across the street from the training facility they are using; we know where he can get his special dietary requirements already, and have provided him directions.  I still expect we will end doing groceries with him that morning though.  That kid can consume food at an alarming rate!


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## pattyw

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Can't wait to hear what you think about SVV! By the way, I meant to ask....where did you get the great unrestricted rate from? We would like to add on a couple of extra days to our October trip, so we're looking for affordable options  .



In the weekly All Ears newsletter they had a Family Fun deal at SVR and SVV through 6/14/16.  
January 19 - February 11 & April 18 - June 14: $139/night plus tax

February 12 - April 17: $169/night plus tax -All for 2 BR villas!

I would have preferred SVR but their rate needed the full amount paid upfront with no cancellations. The AAA rate was alot more with no restrictions.   SVV offered the deal and also an AAA rate- just $20/more a night with no deposit required upfront.  I'm just very leary to pay upfront with no cancellations- too much could happen!  

Hopefully, these discounts will be offered for fall as well so it works with your October trip!


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## My2CrazyGirls

So the SW parking lot isn't open 20 minutes prior to park opening?  How can that be?


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## Vestmama4

So I used to adore all thrill rides when I was younger and the older I get, I now just like them (not love and won't seek them out as I did before.) We also got to Sea World first thing Christmas morning for our first visit ever to this park and my oldest child saw there was no wait time for Manta as we were passing and asked if I would go on with him. I had no idea what this ride was like, but I like coasters and it was Christmas, so I said sure, why not...Holy moly!!! It's probably a good thing I didn't know anything about it before getting on. It was one of the most intense rides I have ever been on (with Rip Ride Rockit at Universal earlier in the week also being on that list.) With that being said, I agree with your boys...definitely a favorite coaster for us now in any theme park. It was awesomely scary lol. Kraken was fun too, but not like Manta. Wow.


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## Mrs Doubtfire

SW looks brilliant on Christmas Day, it is probably about 9 years since we last went on Christmas Day itself but it was quieter than the Disney parks. Lately after spending Christmas Eve at MK we have a leisurely morning Christma Day, perhaps play mini golf, enjoy ice cream and then eat out at night perhaps somewhere like California Grill.

As for WDW, someone posted a link to the phased closure that happened this year, so yes it did close off and on throughout the festivities.

looking forward to hear where you ate at SW


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## Callie

I don't blame you for not riding the coasters. I can't even do space mountain anymore without feeling super off and sick!
Love the snow globe pictures.

But yes, I actually don't mind vacation with just my sister. We rarely get into any spats when its just the two of us. We do concert weekends, spring break etc. Its when my mom comes that we get into tiffys.


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## ArwenMarie

Love SeaWorld! Looking forward to reading about the rest of your day as I continue to take notes for my Christmas Getaway (From the Family) 2016


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## dancin Disney style

chiamarie said:


> I love that you aren't a vindictive person!  Odds are it wasn't the same snake anyway!


It was totally the same snake.....he didn't get her the first time so he had to  try, try again!



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> With my luck, though, there'd be some sort of snake protection law that would have resulted in us being locked up by the local sherrif.  It wouldn't surprise me if they were an endangered species or something like that.  Don't we still protect seagulls here in Canada??



No worries, you KNOW I've always got the bail money on stand by.  Any snake that get's close to me is definitely an endangered species.
You're joking right? We protect the sh@* hawks?  That'll change soon, I'm sure Justin wants to legalize them and smoke them.




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> You know, it has been super comforting to read everyone's "yep, we've been there too!!" comments to my post this afteroon.


LOL.....we're lucky if we make it to the airport without an issue.   You should see us when we go camping....setting up the tent is tons of fun.  There is a good chance that someone is going to 'accidentally' get a hammer to the head.


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## dancin Disney style

bankr63 said:


> the Common Canadian Loon


There is sooooo much I could do with that.....I might save it for later


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## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Yes, that @dancin Disney style is rather a bit of hoot....she keeps me on my toes for sure  .  Someday I'd like to meet her husband.  He's got to be a very special guy indeed


Oh, he's special all right


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## bankr63

dancin Disney style said:


> You're joking right? We protect the sh@* hawks?  That'll change soon, I'm sure Justin wants to legalize them and smoke them.


Heck I had to pause there for a minute.  When an American says Justin, I automatically go to Bieber.  But, yeah there's a new Justin in town now, and people in other countries actually know who he is!  And I think smoking the sh@* hawks right alongside the BC salmon is great idea.  Would be great on a Montreal bagel, tastes like chicken...


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## pigletto

What a great start to your Christmas day Gina!! SeaWorld looks blissfully quiet so far, and that tree at the entrance is stunning! I can't wait to see more of your pics. And I'm with you.. I'm not a coaster girl any time of day, but first thing in the morning? Those boys have stomachs of iron!


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## dancin Disney style

bankr63 said:


> Heck I had to pause there for a minute.  When an American says Justin, I automatically go to Bieber.  But, yeah there's a new Justin in town now, and people in other countries actually know who he is!  And I think smoking the sh@* hawks right alongside the BC salmon is great idea.  Would be great on a Montreal bagel, tastes like chicken...


I was thinking about another type of smoking.


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## Heluvsme

Fantastic trip report!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pattyw said:


> In the weekly All Ears newsletter they had a Family Fun deal at SVR and SVV through 6/14/16.
> January 19 - February 11 & April 18 - June 14: $139/night plus tax
> 
> February 12 - April 17: $169/night plus tax -All for 2 BR villas!
> 
> I would have preferred SVR but their rate needed the full amount paid upfront with no cancellations. The AAA rate was alot more with no restrictions.   SVV offered the deal and also an AAA rate- just $20/more a night with no deposit required upfront.  I'm just very leary to pay upfront with no cancellations- too much could happen!
> 
> Hopefully, these discounts will be offered for fall as well so it works with your October trip!



That is a GREAT rate!  Well done!! 

We're still not even 100% sure that we can stretch out our autumn trip beyond our 7 nights at SVR.....its still the dreaming (scheming?) stage.  It's what I do in my spare time  .



My2CrazyGirls said:


> So the SW parking lot isn't open 20 minutes prior to park opening?  How can that be?



It was like that on Christmas Day 2012 as well.  Not sure why they don't open the parking earlier....maybe to avoid mobs of people waiting at the gate?



Vestmama4 said:


> So I used to adore all thrill rides when I was younger and the older I get, I now just like them (not love and won't seek them out as I did before.) We also got to Sea World first thing Christmas morning for our first visit ever to this park and my oldest child saw there was no wait time for Manta as we were passing and asked if I would go on with him. I had no idea what this ride was like, but I like coasters and it was Christmas, so I said sure, why not...Holy moly!!! It's probably a good thing I didn't know anything about it before getting on. It was one of the most intense rides I have ever been on (with Rip Ride Rockit at Universal earlier in the week also being on that list.) With that being said, I agree with your boys...definitely a favorite coaster for us now in any theme park. It was awesomely scary lol. Kraken was fun too, but not like Manta. Wow.



Yes.....from what they tell me, its both intense and quite unique in the "sensation".  I am glad you tried it, though....you are certainly a better woman than I! 

They always say the same thing as you about Kraken....great fun, but it just doesn't live up to Manta.  They ride 'em both, though......the crazy pair! 



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> SW looks brilliant on Christmas Day, it is probably about 9 years since we last went on Christmas Day itself but it was quieter than the Disney parks. Lately after spending Christmas Eve at MK we have a leisurely morning Christma Day, perhaps play mini golf, enjoy ice cream and then eat out at night perhaps somewhere like California Grill.
> 
> As for WDW, someone posted a link to the phased closure that happened this year, so yes it did close off and on throughout the festivities.
> 
> looking forward to hear where you ate at SW



I figured they must have experienced the phased closures.  I think that's pretty much an annual issue anymore.

SeaWorld dining was at SeaFire Inn and Spice Mill this trip, but we also discovered a little gem for some tasty snacks....stay tuned! 



Callie said:


> I don't blame you for not riding the coasters. I can't even do space mountain anymore without feeling super off and sick!
> Love the snow globe pictures.
> 
> But yes, I actually don't mind vacation with just my sister. We rarely get into any spats when its just the two of us. We do concert weekends, spring break etc. Its when my mom comes that we get into tiffys.



Aw, how nice that you are close with your sis!  I'm envious....its something I've always wistfully wished for (but have finally, in my old age, gave up trying to pursue).

Big Thunder Mountain at Disney is as wild as I get.  Gringotts is my max thrill at Universal.  I just don't enjoy being flipped, dropped, shaken or stirred  .



ArwenMarie said:


> Love SeaWorld! Looking forward to reading about the rest of your day as I continue to take notes for my Christmas Getaway (From the Family) 2016



Hee hee....you go girl  .  



dancin Disney style said:


> It was totally the same snake.....he didn't get her the first time so he had to  try, try again!
> 
> No worries, you KNOW I've always got the bail money on stand by.  Any snake that get's close to me is definitely an endangered species.
> You're joking right? We protect the sh@* hawks?  That'll change soon, I'm sure Justin wants to legalize them and smoke them.
> 
> LOL.....we're lucky if we make it to the airport without an issue.   You should see us when we go camping....setting up the tent is tons of fun.  There is a good chance that someone is going to 'accidentally' get a hammer to the head.



Yes ma'am, they are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act 1994.  I kid you not.

And thanks for having my back with bail money to spring me from the coop  .  If I ever need to call on you, you can be assured that the drinks at the Tacky Tiki Bar will be on me. I might even buy you one in a coconut monkey  .



dancin Disney style said:


> There is sooooo much I could do with that.....I might save it for later



Hmmmm......Common Canadian Loon?  Almost sounds like it might have described you.....except for that word _*common*_.  Common you most definitely are NOT .



dancin Disney style said:


> Oh, he's special all right.  Short bus kind of special.



  That was harsh!



bankr63 said:


> Heck I had to pause there for a minute.  When an American says Justin, I automatically go to Bieber.  But, yeah there's a new Justin in town now, and people in other countries actually know who he is!  And I think smoking the sh@* hawks right alongside the BC salmon is great idea.  Would be great on a Montreal bagel, tastes like chicken...



Funny....I never really thought about it before, but.....two famous Canadian Justins.  Both rather laughable.  (whoops, am I allowed to say that?  ) 



pigletto said:


> What a great start to your Christmas day Gina!! SeaWorld looks blissfully quiet so far, and that tree at the entrance is stunning! I can't wait to see more of your pics. And I'm with you.. I'm not a coaster girl any time of day, but first thing in the morning? Those boys have stomachs of iron!



Ah, I have more crowd pics to share that will blow you away.  It was a marvellous morning in particular .



dancin Disney style said:


> I was thinking about another type of smoking.



Of course you were.  Rebel  .


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Heluvsme said:


> Fantastic trip report!



Thank you!   

And a big  to our crazy thread!   Feel free to jump right in and take part in our (often off-topic but oh-so-entertaining) chatter!


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## Monykalyn

wow-Seaworld looks awesome Christmas Day!  May have to look for deals next year-I am trying to plan for down time before/after cruise Christmas 2017.  I've finally got my husband to stop rolling his eyes when I mention the cruise and even discuss itineraries.  It's how I get all my vacations-I plant the seed, keep casually mentioning it, then one day (usually about 3-4 months before said planned vacation) he decides it's a great idea! 'Course I've already done all the planning, deposits etc.  HE thinks it is great that there are so many "last minute" deals to be found We haven't done Sea World in many years-last time was in San Antonio at least 14 years ago. And Manta-well I've got a few thrill seekers in my family and if _your_ thrill seekers say this is the best coaster...won't have to twist arms too much!

@bankr63 pretty pics! I had a big black spider that lived in my bathroom window above the (horribly useless waste of space ginormous) jetted tub for months- I was very upset the day I accidentally squashed him opening the window! With 5 people and a dog constantly going in/out that spider kept my space free of black flies-and I DESPISE flies.

Looking forward to the rest of Christmas Day report!!


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## Ritchielace

I need to try this trick with my husband Monykalyn. This might be the only way I am going to get my DLC anytime soon


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## pepperandchips

Wow! Your day is off to a great start and I can tell from the dining reservations there is a ton more holiday fun coming!!!



bankr63 said:


> We'll do a full day on our regular excursion to Siesta Key, and we are adding Friday at St. Augustine for sure now.



Gina I hope you don't mind if I hijack your thread here a minute, but I read @bankr63's post and I know the Bo-binas have some good beach experience too... Anyone have a great suggestion for a gorgeous beach not too far from Orlando? Siesta Key looks gorgeous but if it really takes two hours to get there my troops will riot. We like the gulf better than Atlantic usually and those emerald waves on white sand are what impressed me about the siesta key pictures... 

Carry on with the great report!!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Monykalyn said:


> wow-Seaworld looks awesome Christmas Day!  May have to look for deals next year-I am trying to plan for down time before/after cruise Christmas 2017.  I've finally got my husband to stop rolling his eyes when I mention the cruise and even discuss itineraries.  It's how I get all my vacations-I plant the seed, keep casually mentioning it, then one day (usually about 3-4 months before said planned vacation) he decides it's a great idea! 'Course I've already done all the planning, deposits etc.  HE thinks it is great that there are so many "last minute" deals to be found We haven't done Sea World in many years-last time was in San Antonio at least 14 years ago. And Manta-well I've got a few thrill seekers in my family and if _your_ thrill seekers say this is the best coaster...won't have to twist arms too much!
> 
> @bankr63 pretty pics! I had a big black spider that lived in my bathroom window above the (horribly useless waste of space ginormous) jetted tub for months- I was very upset the day I accidentally squashed him opening the window! With 5 people and a dog constantly going in/out that spider kept my space free of black flies-and I DESPISE flies.
> 
> Looking forward to the rest of Christmas Day report!!



Ah, if you have coaster enthusiasts in the fam, then SW's Manta is a MUST!    You would love SW on the whole, its just such a great park (one of my fave's, as you all well know!).

I'm the planner in my house, too .  If I left things to either Steve or Jake, we'd seriously still be planning the night before we were to leave .  They do humour me, though, with all my pre-trip planning babble and I'm eternally grateful to them for that.  I am certain, though, that some days they thank God for the Dis community so that they get a break from all my enthusiasm .


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pepperandchips said:


> Wow! Your day is off to a great start and I can tell from the dining reservations there is a ton more holiday fun coming!!!
> 
> Gina I hope you don't mind if I hijack your thread here a minute, but I read @bankr63's post and I know the Bo-binas have some good beach experience too... Anyone have a great suggestion for a gorgeous beach not too far from Orlando? Siesta Key looks gorgeous but if it really takes two hours to get there my troops will riot. We like the gulf better than Atlantic usually and those emerald waves on white sand are what impressed me about the siesta key pictures...
> 
> Carry on with the great report!!



The only experience with beaches are those along the Atlantic (Cocoa and Daytona).   @bankr63 will probably be a much better resource....he's far more well traveled than I am!!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

We have been to Clearwater and Honeymoon Island (near Clearwater) which is lovely but it did take about 2 hours with the traffic and finding where it was!

Like Gina we go to Cocoa beach which is a lot nearer and has the waves from the Atlantic


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Christmas Day, continued :*







With Manta now scratched off the to-do list _(though the guys left the door open to return again later…time permitting, of course),_ my boys wanted to ensure that I had a chance to hit up an attraction of _*my*_ choosing.  Without further adieu, we proceeded straight to Antarctica:  Empire of the Penguin .


On the way, we took in all the little decorative touches and holiday décor.  Christmas music was playing throughout the park and it just felt so ridiculously festive!  _(well, except for the fact that it was 85 degrees )_







The gardens, the lamp posts, and yes, even the animal statues were all decked out in their holiday finery!  The crowds, though, were still delightfully light, and as we made our way toward Antarctica it felt as if we had the whole park to ourselves.







Note some of SeaWorld’s little touches…..they even added a “Happy Holidays from SeaWorld” arrow to the bottom of the Antarctica distance markers.  I wonder how many other people take the time to notice those small details?  







Crowd photos!












I can never seem to get pictures of this area without people walking in front of me.  It was almost deserted on this morning, though, so I was finally able to get a clear shot!






I love the theming of this area…..it’s just so well carried out .












After multiple visits to SeaWorld, we knew this attraction was only going to get busier and busier as the day wore on as the penguins are some of the most beloved animals in the park.  Even with Quick Queue, wait times can get lengthy later in the day.   As we approached the attraction entrance, we were happy to note only a 10 minute standby time, and no line at all for Quick Queue guests.  We had less than a minute to chat with the TM manning the door to the attraction before we were ushered inside!







Before proceeding to the actual ride itself, guests begin in a main room where they feature a short movie about the star of Antarctica:  Puck, the baby penguin.







Then, the doors open and you are directed into a central area where you choose between the “mild” and “wild” versions of the ride.  Having done both before on prior visits (and finding the experience itself not enhanced in the slightest with the “wild “ version…..it’s just a bunch of herky-jerky movements of the ride vehicle) we opted for the mild version as literally everyone else opted for the wild side.   And yay!  We got a whole car all to ourselves!  












The end of the ride is always our favourite though……surprisingly cold (even for us hearty northerners!) but so worth a good case of the goosebumps:  dozens and dozens of the most entertaining penguins!  






















Steve was sure that this little fella was posing for me.  He waddled right up, spread his little flippers out, and just stood there as if to say…..TAKE MY PICTURE! 







_(he did everything but say…*ta-da!*)_


When we couldn’t stand the cold any longer, we moved onward to the underwater viewing area to watch them swim.  Penguins are surprisingly graceful and so, so fast!!







Eventually, it was time to peel ourselves away from all the cuteness and carry on with our must-do list of attractions.  Since we were in the general vicinity, it seemed most logical to next tackle Kraken while the park was still so peaceful and quiet. It was getting very, very warm as the sun rose higher into the sky, and we could feel the humidity growing right along with the heat (a stark contrast from Antarctica!).  To ensure we all kept well hydrated over the course of the day, we all decided some cold beverages were in order.  Since I, of course, had no interest in riding this coaster either, I went in search of drinks while the boys dashed off to the Kraken entrance.


Perusing the options at the High Seas Market (located between Kraken and Journey to Atlantis), it became very apparent that our best deal was going to be the all-day souvenir drink cup.  Not only was the price very budget-friendly ($12.99 plus tax and less our AP discount), the top of the cup had a nice little carry handle that was going to make it easy to tote around throughout the day.  I filled it with lemonade while having the nicest chat with the lovely young lady who was working the till, and $12.45 later I was off to locate my boys with our snazzy orange cup in tow.


Heading over to the Kraken entrance, I noticed that some SW team members had the area blocked off.  I leaned an ear towards the conversation of the small group that had gathered there and learned that Kraken, apparently, did not open until 10 am.  If that’s the case, then where are my guys?  


I barely had time to think that very thought when I heard the familiar call of the boy:  “HEY MOM!....followed by  _“Oh *thank God*…you have drinks!”  _as he bounced up beside me .  I allowed both of them the opportunity to slurp down some of the lemonade before inquiring….where on earth did you guys go?   Turns out that they had reached the Kraken entrance to find it closed, and then made the split second decision to hit up Journey to Atlantis instead.  Steve, who LOVES this ride, had been trying to get Jake to join him on it for YEARS, but it was either under refurb during our visits or Jake didn’t want to get wet.   I’m not sure what changed his mind on this particular trip, but he was all a-twitter between gulps of the drink and was raving about how much fun it was.  Steve, of course, was quick to remind him….”I told you so!” .







We popped over to the Journey to Atlantis photo kiosk to have their ride picture added to our Photokey.  They had the whole boat to themselves, which doesn’t happen often.







*Much, much coming up….it’s only 10 am!!*


----------



## bankr63

pepperandchips said:


> Gina I hope you don't mind if I hijack your thread here a minute, but I read @bankr63's post and I know the Bo-binas have some good beach experience too... Anyone have a great suggestion for a gorgeous beach not too far from Orlando? Siesta Key looks gorgeous but if it really takes two hours to get there my troops will riot. We like the gulf better than Atlantic usually and those emerald waves on white sand are what impressed me about the siesta key pictures...



Well I don't have much experience outside of Siesta Key as some of our snowbird relatives have a place there for the winter.  It is a lovely beach.  If you want Gulf Coast, but not quite so far, Clearwater is about 90 minutes away without traffic and gets some good press here on DIS.  However, since you have to cross Tampa, that "without traffic" might be a big disclaimer. I really don't know having never tried the trip, but I do know that the one slow part of our route is around where I-4 and I-75 cross outside Tampa.  If that is any indication of traffic across Tampa, it may actually take longer than the drive to Siesta Key!

I know Gina will fill you in on the ins and outs of Cocoa Beach vs Daytona...  If I ever do another beach, I think it will be Cocoa for us.

ETA: and while I was writing that, Gina piped in.  You really need to read a couple of her previous TR's where they hit Daytona and Clearwater (separate trips).  And thanks to Mrs D. for confirming what I suspected about the traffic.


----------



## Ruthie5671

The dreaded humidity in Florida is just awful for us gals with curly hair.  Hair ties are my best friends most days!

I also think that it was the same snake stalking you - and probably laughing.  I would have totally given him the squish.

Thanks to all your money saving tips, I've added Orlando to my Groupon e-mails I get.  Have you seen the ones lately for CiCi's Pizza?  I thought of your family when I saw it.


----------



## ArwenMarie

My kids (and husband) love the Atlantis ride. 

SeaWorld is such a beautiful park.

I love the penguins, but I found the ride to be a bit of a snoozer, I was disappointed in it. Maybe I didn't get the point lol?


----------



## chicagoshannon

Looks like you guys are having so much fun.

We will be doing the same kind of trip starting next week.  Although. We might skip Aquatica this trip since so far, the highest temperature forecasted is 72.

It will be our first trip to Universal since 2008.  At that time there was no Harry and Simpsons was still under construction.  We will miss Jaws I'm sure but dd is really looking forward to Harry Potter.

Antarctica is my favorite ride/area of Sea World.  The penguins are just so close to you!

Quick question, is there an annual pass photo thingy for universal?


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

We enjoyed the Penguins too and agree that the refill drink is good value. Did your 'boys' have a go on the water squirters (you know what I mean) at Atlantis, I can spend some time enjoying the fun round there while my family queue for Atlantis?


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> And thanks for having my back with bail money to spring me from the coop  .  If I ever need to call on you, you can be assured that the drinks at the Tacky Tiki Bar will be on me. I might even buy you one in a coconut monkey  .
> 
> Hmmmm......Common Canadian Loon?  Almost sounds like it might have described you.....except for that word _*common*_.  Common you most definitely are NOT .
> That was harsh!


You probably want to stuff me into a coconut monkey.   I'd like the cheeky monkey.

 I'm still hanging onto the loon thing....will get back to you on that.

Harsh....yes, kind of.  I realized after I posted that no one gets our inside family jokes and probably took it the wrong way.  Long story, short.....we drove down the highway once along side a prison bus.  Short bus with caged sections.  The guy in the middle looked just like DH.   It could have been his twin.   Ever since there are references to the short bus kind of guy.     There is more to the story but I hope that covered it enough.


----------



## pepperandchips

Gina, that posing penguin is TOO CUTE! He is a ham. I adore penguins and this looks like a great exhibit! I wonder why they open the coasters staggered like that? Not enough morning thrill seekers? Interesting. 



bankr63 said:


> You really need to read a couple of her previous TR's where they hit Daytona and Clearwater (separate trips).  And thanks to Mrs D. for confirming what I suspected about the traffic.



Oh don't worry, I'm a grade-A researcher and got sucked into Gina's great reports before our recent Universal trip so I read all of them! 

I google imaged Siesta and love the way it looks and have never been there! Growing up in Atlanta, we vacationed a lot in the Florida panhandle so I'm spoiled on fine sugar sand beaches and blue-green water. I think if R's sister can drive up from Ft. Myers and meet us at Siesta Key we'll make the trip and if not, we'll go to Cocoa Beach since it's closer. Daytona was a once and done for me. We also have family in (and like on its own merits) New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic, but it's not much closer than the greater Tampa area.


----------



## dsmom

Great update Gina! I love Seaworld, especially at Christmas.  The Penguins were my favorite. 

As far as beaches go Siesta is very nice, especially if you are used to Gulf beaches. St Pete is nice, have stayed at Dom Cesar lots of times. Clearwater is beautiful. My favorite beach in Florida is Boca Grande- LOVE this place!  One of my favorite all time towns in Florida, besides St Augustine. hope you can make it there someday Gina, would love to meet up there.


----------



## Callie

Gina, don't go to the animal kingdom....a snake fell out of a tree and bit a boy...I'd have serious anxiety issues after that!

Also, ate at Steak and Shake today...did you know on top of their super cheap prices, they also offer coupons?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> ETA: and while I was writing that, Gina piped in.  You really need to read a couple of her previous TR's where they hit Daytona and Clearwater (separate trips).  And thanks to Mrs D. for confirming what I suspected about the traffic.



So far, we've never made it to Clearwater (or any of the Gulf beaches for that matter).  That should change in April, though, when we'll be in St. Petersburg for a Rays vs. Jays game....while we are there, we'll definitely do a little exploring later in the day before returning back to SVR, and you can bet your boots that a beach will be one of our stops!  (unless its raining.....fingers crossed that's not the case)



Ruthie5671 said:


> The dreaded humidity in Florida is just awful for us gals with curly hair.  Hair ties are my best friends most days!
> 
> I also think that it was the same snake stalking you - and probably laughing.  I would have totally given him the squish.
> 
> Thanks to all your money saving tips, I've added Orlando to my Groupon e-mails I get.  Have you seen the ones lately for CiCi's Pizza?  I thought of your family when I saw it.



We DID see the Groupon for Cici's, and I got so darn excited!.....then realized it expires at the end of February. Boo.  

I would love to see the Outta Control Dinner Show come back on Groupon.  And mini golf.  I am thinking positively that some extra good deals will come our way over the next 84 days!  



ArwenMarie said:


> My kids (and husband) love the Atlantis ride.
> 
> SeaWorld is such a beautiful park.
> 
> I love the penguins, but I found the ride to be a bit of a snoozer, I was disappointed in it. Maybe I didn't get the point lol?



Nope, you didn't miss the point at all  ....the ride itself is nothing to get too excited about.   I guess that's why we weren't too taken with the "wild" side.....the "wild" movements just didn't enhance or change the experience at all (not for us, anyway).

The penguins are just adorableness overload though.  I want to do one of their tours sometime that includes a penguin interaction.  Its on my SeaWorld bucket list.



chicagoshannon said:


> Looks like you guys are having so much fun.
> 
> We will be doing the same kind of trip starting next week.  Although. We might skip Aquatica this trip since so far, the highest temperature forecasted is 72.
> 
> It will be our first trip to Universal since 2008.  At that time there was no Harry and Simpsons was still under construction.  We will miss Jaws I'm sure but dd is really looking forward to Harry Potter.
> 
> Antarctica is my favorite ride/area of Sea World.  The penguins are just so close to you!
> 
> Quick question, is there an annual pass photo thingy for universal?



Universal has something called PhotoConnect.  

https://presale.amazingpictures.com/PhotoConnect.aspx

Current pricing for the annual pass version is $139.99, but they often run sales (which are advertised on their Facebook page, so be sure to like and follow them).  We got ours for a crazy $49.99, so its been a ridiculously good investment!



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> We enjoyed the Penguins too and agree that the refill drink is good value. Did your 'boys' have a go on the water squirters (you know what I mean) at Atlantis, I can spend some time enjoying the fun round there while my family queue for Atlantis?



Nope, we never did get a chance to partake in a little water squirting!   With only one day on the itinerary, we barely stopped all day.  But April.....that's another story  .  They take quarters, right?



dancin Disney style said:


> I'm still hanging onto the loon thing....will get back to you on that.



For the first time ever, did I catch you without a comeback?  



pepperandchips said:


> Gina, that posing penguin is TOO CUTE! He is a ham. I adore penguins and this looks like a great exhibit! I wonder why they open the coasters staggered like that? Not enough morning thrill seekers? Interesting.
> Oh don't worry, I'm a grade-A researcher and got sucked into Gina's great reports before our recent Universal trip so I read all of them!
> 
> I google imaged Siesta and love the way it looks and have never been there! Growing up in Atlanta, we vacationed a lot in the Florida panhandle so I'm spoiled on fine sugar sand beaches and blue-green water. I think if R's sister can drive up from Ft. Myers and meet us at Siesta Key we'll make the trip and if not, we'll go to Cocoa Beach since it's closer. Daytona was a once and done for me. We also have family in (and like on its own merits) New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic, but it's not much closer than the greater Tampa area.



I think Daytona can be a very different experience for visitors depending on the month.  We've only been there in early May and the end of August, and its been super quiet and very enjoyable.  I'm guessing spring break or summer would be a little less tranquil, though.....and my opinion of it might be very different!!

I love the ocean, though ....the waves.  The smell .  I am wondering if I'll get that same "feeling" from the gulf beaches.  We shall soon see, I hope!



dsmom said:


> Great update Gina! I love Seaworld, especially at Christmas.  The Penguins were my favorite.
> 
> As far as beaches go Siesta is very nice, especially if you are used to Gulf beaches. St Pete is nice, have stayed at Dom Cesar lots of times. Clearwater is beautiful. My favorite beach in Florida is Boca Grande- LOVE this place!  One of my favorite all time towns in Florida, besides St Augustine. hope you can make it there someday Gina, would love to meet up there.



I have actually come up with an idea  .  I've been scheming all week while Steve has been away in Michigan (poor Steve....he has no idea what's coming ).  I am thinking of adding a few days in St. Augustine on the end of our October trip, if the budget will allow.  We had first considered a cruise, but I'm worried about the motion of the boat being an issue (or worse yet....hurricanes ).    We considered a condo rental for a few extra days in Orlando or Daytona, but it wasn't "different" enough (and I like to try something new whenever possible).  Then I thought.....St. Augustine!!  So I have been researching hotels, resorts, and B&B's to see what's out there (SO MUCH CHOICE!).   I may have to pick your brain to help me narrow the list to something a little more reasonable.  I want to find something moderately priced (not the cheapest, but not Donald Trump fancy), quaint, and close to the charm.    Feel free to throw out any suggestions you might have.   I am thinking three nights.....is that enough, or should we push it to 4?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Callie said:


> Gina, don't go to the animal kingdom....a snake fell out of a tree and bit a boy...I'd have serious anxiety issues after that!
> 
> Also, ate at Steak and Shake today...did you know on top of their super cheap prices, they also offer coupons?



I read about that!!  How scary!! (and gross  )

I did know about their coupons......I don't know how they do it!!  We used a free milkshake coupon on our last visit.....and had another for a free onion rings (but we didn't even try to apply both on one order....I am guessing they wouldn't have done so anyway).   

Mmmm....what I wouldn't do for a Steak & Shake milkshake right now ....  .  With a Krispy Kreme donut on the side  .  Because hey, if I'm gonna dream....lets go big!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

My apologies for no update today.....this week has been rather trying in soooo many ways.  Personally. Professionally.  TGIF, indeed.

Ugh .  I need chocolate.  Or cookies.  Or both  .

At any rate, I will do my best to get back on track this weekend.   More to come, I promise!


----------



## ArwenMarie

I definitely want to do a tour next time we go to SW. We did that $15 one where you get your picture with a dolphin, it was great for the money. I have my eye on the seals and sea lions one, I love them so much.


----------



## JaxDad

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I am thinking of adding a few days in St. Augustine on the end of our October trip, if the budget will allow.



Hey Gina! There's our DISmeet! I'm less than an hour away. I met friends from Canada (Vancouver Island) there for a day last weekend, and we had a blast touring and eating and drinking our way around the Historic District!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> For the first time ever, did I catch you without a comeback?


Nope.....just saving it for later.  Maybe tonight


----------



## pigletto

I'm not sure why but I can't get any of the pictures in your latest update to load. Is it just me? I wonder if I need to update something.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> My apologies for no update today.....this week has been rather trying in soooo many ways.  Personally. Professionally.  TGIF, indeed.
> 
> Ugh .  I need chocolate.  Or cookies.  Or both  .



ROUGH day for me too.....I came home and put my PJ's on at 4pm.   How about chocolate cookies???


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> So far, we've never made it to Clearwater (or any of the Gulf beaches for that matter).  That should change in April, though, when we'll be in St. Petersburg for a Rays vs. Jays game....while we are there, we'll definitely do a little exploring later in the day before returning back to SVR, and you can bet your boots that a beach will be one of our stops!  (unless its raining.....fingers crossed that's not the case)
> I have actually come up with an idea  .  I've been scheming all week while Steve has been away in Michigan (poor Steve....he has no idea what's coming ).  I am thinking of adding a few days in St. Augustine on the end of our October trip, if the budget will allow.  We had first considered a cruise, but I'm worried about the motion of the boat being an issue (or worse yet....hurricanes ).    We considered a condo rental for a few extra days in Orlando or Daytona, but it wasn't "different" enough (and I like to try something new whenever possible).  Then I thought.....St. Augustine!!  So I have been researching hotels, resorts, and B&B's to see what's out there (SO MUCH CHOICE!).   I may have to pick your brain to help me narrow the list to something a little more reasonable.  I want to find something moderately priced (not the cheapest, but not Donald Trump fancy), quaint, and close to the charm.    Feel free to throw out any suggestions you might have.   I am thinking three nights.....is that enough, or should we push it to 4?


Doh! [where did the darn facepalm smiley go] 
By Clearwater I meant Cocoa.  I know you've been a Right Coast girl all along.

I'll be sure to update you on our day in St. Augustine, but 3 days sounds like a lot more fun.


----------



## dsmom

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> So far, we've never made it to Clearwater (or any of the Gulf beaches for that matter).  That should change in April, though, when we'll be in St. Petersburg for a Rays vs. Jays game....while we are there, we'll definitely do a little exploring later in the day before returning back to SVR, and you can bet your boots that a beach will be one of our stops!  (unless its raining.....fingers crossed that's not the case)
> 
> 
> 
> We DID see the Groupon for Cici's, and I got so darn excited!.....then realized it expires at the end of February. Boo.
> 
> I would love to see the Outta Control Dinner Show come back on Groupon.  And mini golf.  I am thinking positively that some extra good deals will come our way over the next 84 days!
> 
> 
> 
> Nope, you didn't miss the point at all  ....the ride itself is nothing to get too excited about.   I guess that's why we weren't too taken with the "wild" side.....the "wild" movements just didn't enhance or change the experience at all (not for us, anyway).
> 
> The penguins are just adorableness overload though.  I want to do one of their tours sometime that includes a penguin interaction.  Its on my SeaWorld bucket list.
> 
> 
> 
> Universal has something called PhotoConnect.
> 
> https://presale.amazingpictures.com/PhotoConnect.aspx
> 
> Current pricing for the annual pass version is $139.99, but they often run sales (which are advertised on their Facebook page, so be sure to like and follow them).  We got ours for a crazy $49.99, so its been a ridiculously good investment!
> 
> 
> 
> Nope, we never did get a chance to partake in a little water squirting!   With only one day on the itinerary, we barely stopped all day.  But April.....that's another story  .  They take quarters, right?
> 
> 
> 
> For the first time ever, did I catch you without a comeback?
> 
> 
> 
> I think Daytona can be a very different experience for visitors depending on the month.  We've only been there in early May and the end of August, and its been super quiet and very enjoyable.  I'm guessing spring break or summer would be a little less tranquil, though.....and my opinion of it might be very different!!
> 
> I love the ocean, though ....the waves.  The smell .  I am wondering if I'll get that same "feeling" from the gulf beaches.  We shall soon see, I hope!
> 
> 
> 
> I have actually come up with an idea  .  I've been scheming all week while Steve has been away in Michigan (poor Steve....he has no idea what's coming ).  I am thinking of adding a few days in St. Augustine on the end of our October trip, if the budget will allow.  We had first considered a cruise, but I'm worried about the motion of the boat being an issue (or worse yet....hurricanes ).    We considered a condo rental for a few extra days in Orlando or Daytona, but it wasn't "different" enough (and I like to try something new whenever possible).  Then I thought.....St. Augustine!!  So I have been researching hotels, resorts, and B&B's to see what's out there (SO MUCH CHOICE!).   I may have to pick your brain to help me narrow the list to something a little more reasonable.  I want to find something moderately priced (not the cheapest, but not Donald Trump fancy), quaint, and close to the charm.    Feel free to throw out any suggestions you might have.   I am thinking three nights.....is that enough, or should we push it to 4?


Oh! That sounds like a great idea!  St Augustine is like a second home to us!  We are only a thirty minute drive away!  I can give you SO many suggestions( don't get me started-I am a huge planner!). 
Check out the St George Inn , it is right in the middle of the historic district. If you want ocean front check out Vilano beach, much closer to the city than St Augustine beach. We rented a beach home through the Marin House, check out their website also. Love doing the carriage rides. For food the Columbia Restaurant is great, there are lots of nice bakeries and cafes also.  I told you not to get me started!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

ArwenMarie said:


> I definitely want to do a tour next time we go to SW. We did that $15 one where you get your picture with a dolphin, it was great for the money. I have my eye on the seals and sea lions one, I love them so much.



The seals and the sea lions are super cute.....but my heavens, they are LOUD!!      We fed them as part of the VIP tour that we won during the 50th Anniversary Celebration, and their barking was deafening!!

This is the tour I have my eye on.....and I have no doubt its worth every penny:

SeaWorld Behind-the-Scenes Tour







Do you want to see what happens behind the scenes? Your knowledgeable tour guide will provide fascinating facts about SeaWorld® and our commitment to wildlife. Join us behind the scenes on this approximately 75-minute tour to discover how our animal experts care for rescued manatees and sea turtles. Plus touch a shark and interact with a penguin.

I think Jake and his Sunshine are going to do the Dolphins Up Close tour in April (the $45 one).....I have heard rumours that Jake is going to set it up for her as part of her birthday gift .



JaxDad said:


> Hey Gina! There's our DISmeet! I'm less than an hour away. I met friends from Canada (Vancouver Island) there for a day last weekend, and we had a blast touring and eating and drinking our way around the Historic District!



Absolutely!!   We are totally up for that!  



dancin Disney style said:


> Nope.....just saving it for later.  Maybe tonight



Oooohhh....that sounds ominous!! 



pigletto said:


> I'm not sure why but I can't get any of the pictures in your latest update to load. Is it just me? I wonder if I need to update something.



Oh no!  Is it still giving you problems?  Maybe you just need a computer restart  ... that often clears the bugs away.



dancin Disney style said:


> ROUGH day for me too.....I came home and put my PJ's on at 4pm.   How about chocolate cookies???
> View attachment 148183



Oh, chocolate cookies sound like the perfect therapy  .... but I ended up having a Bosc pear instead.  It wasn't the same.  At all  .



bankr63 said:


> Doh! [where did the darn facepalm smiley go]
> By Clearwater I meant Cocoa.  I know you've been a Right Coast girl all along.
> 
> I'll be sure to update you on our day in St. Augustine, but 3 days sounds like a lot more fun.



You've been there too?  I'm beginning to feel like the only one that's been missing out!!  

Between you, @dsmom and @JaxDad I am thinking I'm going to get some of the BEST insider advice!



dsmom said:


> Oh! That sounds like a great idea!  St Augustine is like a second home to us!  We are only a thirty minute drive away!  I can give you SO many suggestions( don't get me started-I am a huge planner!).
> Check out the St George Inn , it is right in the middle of the historic district. If you want ocean front check out Vilano beach, much closer to the city than St Augustine beach. We rented a beach home through the Marin House, check out their website also. Love doing the carriage rides. For food the Columbia Restaurant is great, there are lots of nice bakeries and cafes also.  I told you not to get me started!



Okay, you totally had me at carriage rides and bakerys!!

You know I will be checking out your suggestions tonight  .    I assume we have to choose from either ocean front or the historic district?   You can't see the ocean from the "town"?


----------



## chicagoshannon

That tour looks really neat.  I'll have to check not the age limits for it.  We'll have a lot more time during our September trip to try someone like that.  I'm trying to convince my DH to go to Discovery Cove.


----------



## JaxDad

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I assume we have to choose from either ocean front or the historic district? You can't see the ocean from the "town"?



I defer to @dsmom's local knowledge, but I would suggest staying in the historic district and day-tripping to the beach. You can see the ocean from town (St. Augustine Inlet), but it's off in the distance...


----------



## Callie

Sorry, I can't figure out the quote feature...too fancy!
But yes, I was very tempted to get a milkshake, but I didn't have my medicine with me, and I'm trying to eat healthier (like a triple steakburger will do!).
Can't beat $4 for a coke, triple burger and fries....yumm!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Oh, chocolate cookies sound like the perfect therapy  .... but I ended up having a Bosc pear instead.  It wasn't the same.  At all  .


OK....now that's just not right. A pear????   I ordered pizza delivery and put the TV on with a big fuzzy blanket and pillow.


----------



## dancin Disney style

_Presenting_......the Great Canadian Loon






We are so proud!


----------



## pcstang

St Augustine is a great area! I have family in Jax and friends in Palm Coast. Sounds like some of you are in those areas. I'm up for a dismeet!


----------



## dsmom




----------



## dsmom

That picture is our view at Vilano beach. It was a couple of minutes drive into the historic district. You could always do a split stay?  The cottage came with free parking in the historic district and free breakfast at their B&B and free evening cocktails.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

chicagoshannon said:


> That tour looks really neat.  I'll have to check not the age limits for it.  We'll have a lot more time during our September trip to try someone like that.  I'm trying to convince my DH to go to Discovery Cove.



I think it allows you to purchase tickets for every age....there's a category on the purchase page for 3-9 year olds, and even for under-3's.  Looks like its good for the whole family! 



JaxDad said:


> I defer to @dsmom's local knowledge, but I would suggest staying in the historic district and day-tripping to the beach. You can see the ocean from town (St. Augustine Inlet), but it's off in the distance...



You know, I think that's going to be the hardest decision.  Being close to the water is so dreamy  .... but the historic district is so quaint.  Good thing I don't have to make any split decision just yet......



Callie said:


> Sorry, I can't figure out the quote feature...too fancy!
> But yes, I was very tempted to get a milkshake, but I didn't have my medicine with me, and I'm trying to eat healthier (like a triple steakburger will do!).
> Can't beat $4 for a coke, triple burger and fries....yumm!



You didn't get a milkshake?!?!?  You DEFINITELY  have better willpower than I do!!! 



dancin Disney style said:


> OK....now that's just not right. A pear????   I ordered pizza delivery and put the TV on with a big fuzzy blanket and pillow.



Well, I know whose house I'm heading to the next time I am suffering the effects of a stinky week.  I hope there were chocolate cookies after that pizza!



pcstang said:


> St Augustine is a great area! I have family in Jax and friends in Palm Coast. Sounds like some of you are in those areas. I'm up for a dismeet!



YES!!!   That would be awesome!  



dsmom said:


> View attachment 148411



Oh.  My.  Goodness.  

That view is breathtaking .  And the beach view just nudged ahead by a hair....


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dsmom said:


> That picture is our view at Vilano beach. It was a couple of minutes drive into the historic district. You could always do a split stay?  The cottage came with free parking in the historic district and free breakfast at their B&B and free evening cocktails.



We are lazy travellers....with only a few extra days at our disposal, I'm guessing neither one of us will want to move mid-visit.   That cottage view is just killing me (as I gaze out into the darkness at my yard covered in snow).   If that comes with free parking, free breakfast and free cocktails, its going to be tough to pass up!!!


----------



## dsmom

We loved the cottage because it was the best of both worlds. Plus it had a nice big porch to sit on facing the ocean. Nice to sit out and relax late at night after the crowds of St Augustine.  If you do want to stay in the historic district our two favorites were bayfront Marin house and St George Inn.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*At long last...back to the trip report!  *


By the time the guys were done riding Journey to Atlantis, we were happy to note that Kraken had opened to park guests.  After a final few gulps of lemonade they wasted no time in heading straight to the Quick Queue line.  While it doesn’t rate quite as high on their favourites list as their beloved Manta, they both still love Kraken and agree that it’s a great ride for coaster enthusiasts.







While they were riding, I returned to the High Seas Market to refill our cup with cold water and ice.   Knowing that they would board the coaster quite quickly with their Quick Queue passes, I strolled over to the photo kiosk and waited for them there.  It worked out well, because the young fellow who was running that photo station was able to put our snow globe photos on our Photokey while we chatted (the snow globe station didn’t have that capability).  


They guys emerged shortly thereafter, all smiles and eager to see how goofy they looked on the ride picture .







As I passed around the water cup and they put their wallets and keys back in their pockets, they inform me that they had made an executive decision while waiting in the Kraken line:  before we head to the next attraction on our Christmas Day itinerary, they wanted me to play the Kraken Plinko game.  Exactly WHY it was important for them to have me play, I have no idea ....but there was no dissuading them.   Since games are much more their “thing” than mine, I suspected maybe THEY wanted to try it out and thought if they could convince me to give it a whirl, then they wouldn’t feel guilty about giving it a play, too .  Either that, or perhaps they thought it was easily enough that even Mom could win?  At any rate, you got two discs for $5, so they guys decided to split a turn (each releasing once disk) and I would play separately as well.







Each disk could net you between 10 and 30 points.  If you accumulated between 10 and 30 points between your two tries, you won a small prize.  40-50 points secured you a medium prize, and 60 a large.







Probably for the first time ever, I managed to beat the two men at a game of skill!  (okay, perhaps skill is a bit strong of a word )  .  Steve and Jake won the small prize (a stuffed Christmas gift, the official logo of their Christmas Celebration), but I managed 40 points and won myself a very soft and squooshy tree frog.  Yay me!  


Turtle Trek was next on our plans, so with our new stuffies in tow, that’s where we headed....with a short pause, though, to appreciate some of SeaWorld’s stunning gardens.







I can’t imagine the amount of man hours that go into the creation and maintenance of these areas.  There was literally not a leaf out of place.







At the Turtle Trek attraction, we first admired the HUGE manatees from the underwater viewing area.







In the pre-show aquarium room, we watched the turtles and fish swim while a SeaWorld staff advisor educated guests on the many rescue efforts carried out by park staff.  Most of the turtles at the park were alive today thanks to the great care from the SeaWorld animal care experts.  Many were missing legs from shark attacks, or had permanent mutations from being caught in garbage tossed carelessly in the ocean.  All of them, though, were clearly enjoying their second chance at life and looked marvellously happy .






















Just after exiting, we stopped to view the huge manatees from above the water.....it was snack time, and they were enjoying a healthy serving of lettuce.







By this time, we thought it might be prudent to hit up the Polar Express before the crowds started to swell in the afternoon.   While it was still very peaceful and crowds were delightfully light, we feared it may not stay that way for the entire day.  So, it was across the lake for our trio.....












Reaching the other side of the boardwalk, we wondered......where were all the people?!?!?   Here’s a “crowd” picture for you:







We passed by some of the trees which would be featured later that night in the Sea of Trees.....and we were so excited to see what they would look like after the sun went down!







Shamu’s Happy Harbor was virtually deserted.  I guess all the families with little ones had still not mobilized after a busy Christmas morning.







Arriving at the Polar Express (which is the Wild Arctic rethemed for the Christmas Celebration), we noted that this attraction, too, was pretty much empty.







I *love* this holiday movie, and the attraction is so well put together.   In true SeaWorld style, they didn’t miss a single detail.






This attraction also accepts Quick Queue, but there were so few people on that morning, they weren’t even utilizing it.  Christmas morning at the Polar Express, and no Quick Queue needed .  We were gobsmacked!


Here was the queue as we looked back before heading inside to ride:












Just as we had remembered from our 2012 Christmas visit, the ride was super fun...







..... and we were all feeling warm and fuzzy as we exited to the North Pole.  That feeling just magnified when we caught site of that magnificent tree, looking exactly like the one from the movie.  Without question, this is my favourite Christmas tree in all of Orlando.







We might be a family of all adults, but *every single one of us* wanted a visit and photos with Santa Claus.  It was Christmas Day, after all, and everyone is a kid inside at Christmas .







Santa was a lot of fun (though he was a bit skinny...even my mom remarked on that when she saw our pictures!) and teased us about making sure we leave him out poutine and Tim Hortons coffee when he visits us next Christmas.  He says he gets lots of cookies and milk from the southern families.  Perhaps if he had some authentic Canadian poutine he’d fill out that suit a little more!!  


We had a great visit with Old Saint Nick, very unrushed and enjoyable as there was no one else waiting to see him.  Eventually, we wished him a Merry Christmas and carried on through the exhibit.  Not far from Santa, they had a photographer taking magic shots on a green screen, which were quite novel except for Jake’s blue hat was cut off in some due to the colour (or a crappy editing photo agent....I am not sure which).  All of them were added to our Photokey with no additional cost.












*Stay tuned....we haven’t even made it to lunch time yet....
*


----------



## ArwenMarie

Wow, so not crowded, which is great, but I worry about SW sometimes, if it can even stay open. It must be such an expensive park to run. 

Where was the Polar Express? Is that the Arctic ride-movie that they switch out?

The gardens are gorgeous there. One of my favorite pictures of my kids ever is in front of those


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

ArwenMarie said:


> Wow, so not crowded, which is great, but I worry about SW sometimes, if it can even stay open. It must be such an expensive park to run.
> 
> Where was the Polar Express? Is that the Arctic ride-movie that they switch out?
> 
> The gardens are gorgeous there. One of my favorite pictures of my kids ever is in front of those



It got noticeably busier in the afternoon.... and the evening shows were PACKED.   I was told that they closed due to capacity on December 26th, so the crowds were definitely there (we just missed 'em!).  It was like this on Christmas Day 2012 in the morning, too:  I think its because many families do a traditional gift opening and big breakfast on Christmas Day and then head to the parks later on.  

Yep, Polar Express is where Wild Arctic usually is.  I like Polar Express MUCH better than Wild Arctic (the wild side of the latter makes me  ).


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## pepperandchips

Okay, Gina. You gotta cut this out... First you strong arm me into universal annual passes with those gorgeous photos. Then you post MANATEE pictures and I was NOT planning to go to sea world... 

as if the penguins weren't cute enough and good enough reason to head to sea world ...


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pepperandchips said:


> Okay, Gina. You gotta cut this out... First you strong arm me into universal annual passes with those gorgeous photos. Then you post MANATEE pictures and I was NOT planning to go to sea world...
> 
> as if the penguins weren't cute enough and good enough reason to head to sea world ...



Ohhhh.....if you are a manatee lover, then you will FLIP at the special thing that we got to see later that afternoon.  Stay tuned.  That's coming.

Have you never been to SeaWorld before???  If not, you really should go.....its a beautiful, relaxing, amazing park.  Best of all, you can always find a discount on tickets  .  It would be a fantastic add on for you in April....just sayin'  .


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## RocketCityMama

Great updates! It looks like you had such a great time so far at SW, I am seriously thinking about adding a day there in June when we return.  Working on booking FIL timeshare now and we already have our USO AP's, so low cost trip thus far.  You know what I enjoy the most about your trips?? You all seem to really enjoy your family time together, it is such a wonderful thing!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

The queue area at Polar looks perfect, definitely not how it was when we went on the ride.

And yes (to your question from many pages back) it is quarters, so make sure you have a few because it's addictive!


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## pepperandchips

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Ohhhh.....if you are a manatee lover, then you will FLIP at the special thing that we got to see later that afternoon.  Stay tuned.  That's coming.
> 
> Have you never been to SeaWorld before???  If not, you really should go.....its a beautiful, relaxing, amazing park.  Best of all, you can always find a discount on tickets  .  It would be a fantastic add on for you in April....just sayin'  .


Nope, never Orlando Sea World! I went to Sea World out in California when I was probably 7, but hardly recall the details. I know I would love Sea World based on your awesome reports! I think R might stay at home though if I squeeze in any more theme parks... He's wanting more beach and pool time and less "to do".  So I definitely want to get to SW but it may not be in April


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## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Well, I know whose house I'm heading to the next time I am suffering the effects of a stinky week.  I hope there were chocolate cookies after that pizza!



Actually, no cookies.  I was being good!   There is an unconfirmed report that I ate half the pizza though


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## disney ny

Christmas day at SeaWorld looks amazing. I would love the Polar Express- it is my favorite holiday movie and I do a Polar Express- Day in my classroom each year on the day before Christmas break for my Kindergartners. I really think next Florida trip I need to do some of the amazing Orlando things from your trips. I am sure I could find a good physical therapist to help me recover if I leave tonight...


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

RocketCityMama said:


> Great updates! It looks like you had such a great time so far at SW, I am seriously thinking about adding a day there in June when we return.  Working on booking FIL timeshare now and we already have our USO AP's, so low cost trip thus far.  You know what I enjoy the most about your trips?? You all seem to really enjoy your family time together, it is such a wonderful thing!



We savour every moment of our family time  .  We're blessed to not only love each other, but we really _*like*_ each other too.  Most days  .

If you can add in a SeaWorld day in June, absolutely do it!!  Their SeaWorld Summer Nights are so much fun....the nighttime Shamu show during that event is the best one I've ever seen!



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> The queue area at Polar looks perfect, definitely not how it was when we went on the ride.
> 
> And yes (to your question from many pages back) it is quarters, so make sure you have a few because it's addictive!



LOL....I will start stockpiling as many quarters as I can, then  .  If the boys are nice to me, I may even share a couple of them with them, too  .



pepperandchips said:


> Nope, never Orlando Sea World! I went to Sea World out in California when I was probably 7, but hardly recall the details. I know I would love Sea World based on your awesome reports! I think R might stay at home though if I squeeze in any more theme parks... He's wanting more beach and pool time and less "to do".  So I definitely want to get to SW but it may not be in April



I can see his point, especially since you guys like to go often.  Its good to have some relaxing trips sprinkled in among the busy ones!!



dancin Disney style said:


> Actually, no cookies.  I was being good!   There is an unconfirmed report that I ate half the pizza though



Only half???    I would say you showed some impressive self control.  Especially when there were no cookies  .



disney ny said:


> Christmas day at SeaWorld looks amazing. I would love the Polar Express- it is my favorite holiday movie and I do a Polar Express- Day in my classroom each year on the day before Christmas break for my Kindergartners. I really think next Florida trip I need to do some of the amazing Orlando things from your trips. I am sure I could find a good physical therapist to help me recover if I leave tonight...



If you are Polar Express lover, then SeaWorld at Christmas is a MUST!  Consider the visit a research project...on behalf of all your future students  .


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Christmas Day, part 3 :*


Once we had wrapped up our visit with Santa, our stomachs were starting to rumble and we decided to rustle up some lunch.  We had pre-purchased vouchers which entitled to us to an entree platter and drink at one of the participating restaurants (any of the ones included on the all day dining plan....so pretty much any location except Sharks Underwater Grill, Dine with Shamu, or the new Pretzel Kitchen) plus reserved seating at the evening Christmas shows....so now came the decision of where we wanted to dine .


As we began strolling our way back through the park, we had a chance private meeting with Christmas Shamu in front of Shamu’s Happy Harbor....he was all by his lonesome, but we were thrilled for the chance to grab some fun character pictures.  Happy dance!  







We checked out the menu at the new-since-our-last-visit Terrace BBQ, but it didn’t really catch our interest.







Since we were inside and enjoying a moment of coolness in the air conditioning, we took the opportunity for washroom breaks before heading back to the waterfront.   Jake dug around in his pockets for a couple of quarters to play one of the claw games located inside the Terrace BBQ building, and managed to win his Starbucks-lovin’ Sunshine a coffee-inspired stuffie for her collection.







What a goof.  One of the faces only a mother could love!!  


We couldn’t help but be wowed by the gorgeous Christmas decorations which were woven throughout this part of the park.  They would be simply spectacular after the sun went down and they twinkled with thousands of lights, but even in the daylight....they were simply stunning .












For lunch, we decided on The Spice Mill .... on our last visit, we had thoroughly enjoyed their tater tots and the boys are big fans of their burger plates.  The restaurant was fairly busy just after high noon but the staff were moving people through with friendly efficiency, so the wait was minimal.  We were a bit disappointed to find their menu had changed somewhat since our August 2014 visit, and they had replaced our beloved tots with standard French fries.  The guys both ordered a double cheeseburger platter and I had the pulled pork sandwich.







I will have to say....while we were initially disappointed about the tots replacement, the fries here were excellent....hot, crispy, and really nicely seasoned.  Our entire meal, in fact, was given two thumbs up by our crew:  the pulled pork was absolutely delicious (and a HUGE, massive portion that was big enough to share) and the boys were very satisfied with their big, meaty burgers .   Had we paid out of pocket, I think each of our entrees would have been around the $12 mark plus the cost of the drink (perhaps another $3?).  Our Christmas Show Dining Package was $24 less 10% for annual passholders, so the reserved seating was actually only costing us about $6.60 per person.  Niiiccce!  


We refilled our cup with more ice water before heading out, and as we left the Spice Mill (grateful that our meal vouchers did not include a dessert....we were wayyyy too full for that), we noticed that the fountains in the lake were “dancing” to the holiday music:







We found a nice little spot along the water and watched them for a few moments.....it was so pretty and relaxing.  Our mission was to not rush through this special day.....to take the time to soak up the little details and features that make SeaWorld so special.







A quick check of the park schedule noted that the new-since-our-last-visit Clyde & Seamore show was starting at 1:30 pm, so we unanimously chose to make that our next attraction of the day.  We are all big fans of the sea lions and were super excited to see if the new Sea Lion High show lived up to the awesomeness of the old Pirate Island production.  Heading into Sea Lion Stadium, we easily found great seats with an almost dead-centre view .







Steve bought some popcorn from one of the vendors and offered it to Jake and I, but we both declined.  Toooo full.  But my Steve apparently has a stomach of iron.







I must admit, I missed the pre-show antics of the mime.  You don’t realize how much something adds to the experience until its gone, and the old mime was just a true gem.  That said, the new show does offer some fun entertainment from this fellow who did a lovely job at building excitement from the Christmas Day crowd.  He was lively and amusing (and was armed with an assortment of corny jokes) and while not up to the hilarity of the old mime, he made the short wait for the commencement of the show very bearable and a lot of fun .












Then, it was show time!!!!!!!!!  


The basic storyline revolves around the fact that its graduation day at Sea Lion High, but Clyde and Seamore have been found to each be short certain mandatory credits that are required before they are awarded their diplomas.  With scholarships on the line (and the school jock gunning for scholarship honours), the students get to work to help Clyde and Seamore achieve their missing credits and graduate with the rest of their class.


Huddling to formulate a plan....







They spent time with the science teacher in the school laboratory:







They put the cafeteria staff through her paces over the lunch hour:







And in gym class, Clyde learned to do the Tango, complete with the requisite rose in his mouth:












Even a walrus made a BIG appearance as part of the new show!







It was a fun, high-energy, very well executed production and very much lived up to quality of Clyde & Seamore’s previous shows.  Yet again, SeaWorld blew us away with another awesome and incredible show on an incredibly detailed set.  So fun! 






More to come!


----------



## chicagoshannon

I was wondering how the ship was without our beloved mime.  The mime has been there since I was a kid.  Glad to hear they at least have some entertainment while you wait.


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## mandas08

I have a quick question. Did you have to pay for parking at SW on your first visit? We have the evoucher email for our annual passes, but didnt know if we could just show them the email or how it would work?


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

chicagoshannon said:


> I was wondering how the ship was without our beloved mime.  The mime has been there since I was a kid.  Glad to hear they at least have some entertainment while you wait.



The new guy doesn't start as early as the mime did, so that was a bit of a bummer, and he's nowhere near the level of funny that the mime was (but to be fair, the mime was in a category all of his own), but yeah....I was happy there was something to get the crowd energized and to pass the last little bit before show time.  

I wonder whatever happened to the other performer?  I would be curious to know if he's still working at SW (just in another capacity) or if he moved on.



mandas08 said:


> I have a quick question. Did you have to pay for parking at SW on your first visit? We have the evoucher email for our annual passes, but didnt know if we could just show them the email or how it would work?



We used our AP's at Aquatica first, and we just had to show them our purchase confirmation at the parking booth and they gave us the free parking with no questions asked.  At SeaWorld, we just showed our AP's and they waived us through....they didn't even ask for ID (which surprised me, because Universal is very, very sticky about seeing photo ID with the AP before free parking is granted).


----------



## mandas08

Wow, thanks for the quick reply..you rock.  My hubby said I cant find anything on Google and I told him I know who to ask!! Im guessing you printed the passes? If we have to I hope to find a place in Orlando to print them, since our printer is broke. Did you end up having to activate sunshines pass as well because of the buy1get1. We ended up just putting 2 in my name in case they would allow me to wait to activate it later..we will see.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

mandas08 said:


> Wow, thanks for the quick reply..you rock.  My hubby said I cant find anything on Google and I told him I know who to ask!! Im guessing you printed the passes? If we have to I hope to find a place in Orlando to print them, since our printer is broke. Did you end up having to activate sunshines pass as well because of the buy1get1. We ended up just putting 2 in my name in case they would allow me to wait to activate it later..we will see.



The only thing we printed before leaving home was the purchase confirmation(s) which we were emailed.  Then, we used the self-service kiosks at Aquatica to generate the actual paper passes.

When we scanned the barcode from the purchase confirmation at the kiosks (I am pretty sure you could also pull the barcode from your smartphone), it gave us the option to check off which AP's we wanted to activate.  We didn't activate Sunshine's at that point, but we chose to do so at Seaworld on Christmas Day so we could get it printed on the hard plastic cards (it was being given to her as part of her Christmas gift from us when we came home, and it presented much nicer that way!).  She will only be travelling with us on the one trip this year (as far as we know, anyway) so the date of activation wasn't a huge issue.

I hope that helps!!


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## pigletto

I'm loving your updates and have been reading along on my phone Gina! We've been at a basketball tournament this weekend and today was a busy day but I wanted you to know I'm still following along. LOVE the Seaworld decorations. They just do a beautiful job don't they?


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## toystoryduo

Wild Florida looks like a very cool place to visit! 

I'm sorry you guys had a rough day. We seem to hit a wall as a family a time or two while we are on vacation as well. I think it's due to the heat and humidity most times, but sometimes, we are just plain worn out. 

I can't believe how empty Sea World was on Christmas Day!  Love all of the decorations there. Very Christmas-y!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Yes the mime was a big hit with our family and always hilarious, we got there early just to watch him.

I too love all the flora at SW, as you said it is especially beautiful around the terrace area. Busch also has some nice spots too. I am just looking at flights for this Christmas and wondering if we can stretch to it  we would get the SW 3 park pass probably and DD has already said she would like to do a Christmas party at M K (if we go.......)


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> I'm loving your updates and have been reading along on my phone Gina! We've been at a basketball tournament this weekend and today was a busy day but I wanted you to know I'm still following along. LOVE the Seaworld decorations. They just do a beautiful job don't they?



I love that the Christmas decor is _*everywhere*_.....not just centralized in one area.   When we were at MK for MNSSHP, most of the decorations were all condensed into the Main Street/Town Square/Hub area, and the balance of the park looked quite normal.  

I hope the basketball tournament was lots of fun, and that the boys did well in their games.  You made me a little jealous there....I miss those days!!



toystoryduo said:


> Wild Florida looks like a very cool place to visit!
> 
> I'm sorry you guys had a rough day. We seem to hit a wall as a family a time or two while we are on vacation as well. I think it's due to the heat and humidity most times, but sometimes, we are just plain worn out.
> 
> I can't believe how empty Sea World was on Christmas Day!  Love all of the decorations there. Very Christmas-y!



The heat and humidity definitely played a part.  Its a tough change for the body to make, especially in the winter when its cold and damp back home and the adjustment is quite significant.

I honestly think that SeaWorld is the best kept Christmas Day secret.......one of these days, the word is going to get out and its going to be mobbed as a result.  I should probably just stop posting photos and write ups now so I don't let the cat out of the bag any further .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Yes the mime was a big hit with our family and always hilarious, we got there early just to watch him.
> 
> I too love all the flora at SW, as you said it is especially beautiful around the terrace area. Busch also has some nice spots too. I am just looking at flights for this Christmas and wondering if we can stretch to it  we would get the SW 3 park pass probably and DD has already said she would like to do a Christmas party at M K (if we go.......)



That was our only regret of this trip....no MVMCP.  Unfortunately, we arrived one day too late.....the last party was on the 18th of December, and we flew in the morning of the 19th.   I would definitely plan flights differently for the next Christmas trip (if there ever is one), as I think the Disney party would have just topped off a very festive vacation.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you that a Christmas trip might work out!!   You might get some good deals on SW tickets next Black Friday, too.....the Super Grover Passes always come on sale right around then, and would give you admission to Adventure Island in Tampa, too (in addition to SW, AQ, and BG).


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## ArwenMarie

We loved that new sea lion show. We saw it in rehearsal mode last year which was kind of neat! It's very cute, the kids really liked it and thought it was funny. That was probably their favorite. I liked the dolphin show the best, the one that has no talking.


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina, the Black Friday deals, are they just for USA and Canadian residents?


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## Vestmama4

I totally agree that Seaworld's holiday decorations were so beautiful. I would say the best I have ever seen in a theme park (and my friends here at home are surprised when I tell them that.) I have been to a MVMCP (not this year, as we also came in on the 19th as well) and it sounds like what you described for the Halloween party- most of the decor on Main Street/Hub. The Osbourne Lights in HS were also fantastic, but again those were in one section of the park. Seaworld's decorations were everywhere and all the displays (and Christmas shows) were so fabulous. Great photo opportunities all over the place. 
I only wish we would have seen this mime that you are referring to that was there in the past. Sounds like he was very entertaining. We saw the Clyde and Seamore show too and we all enjoyed it as well.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

ArwenMarie said:


> We loved that new sea lion show. We saw it in rehearsal mode last year which was kind of neat! It's very cute, the kids really liked it and thought it was funny. That was probably their favorite. I liked the dolphin show the best, the one that has no talking.



We love the dolphin show, too.  We didn't do any other of the daytime shows this trip....too much other seasonal stuff to squeeze in, plus we knew we would be bringing Sunshine there in April (and being a SeaWorld first timer, she is going to want to see and do it all).  



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Gina, the Black Friday deals, are they just for USA and Canadian residents?



That is a great questions, but I have no idea of the answer!  I really couldn't tell you if they had residency restrictions on the BOGO APs.  Would anyone else happen to know?



Vestmama4 said:


> I totally agree that Seaworld's holiday decorations were so beautiful. I would say the best I have ever seen in a theme park (and my friends here at home are surprised when I tell them that.) I have been to a MVMCP (not this year, as we also came in on the 19th as well) and it sounds like what you described for the Halloween party- most of the decor on Main Street/Hub. The Osbourne Lights in HS were also fantastic, but again those were in one section of the park. Seaworld's decorations were everywhere and all the displays (and Christmas shows) were so fabulous. Great photo opportunities all over the place.
> I only wish we would have seen this mime that you are referring to that was there in the past. Sounds like he was very entertaining. We saw the Clyde and Seamore show too and we all enjoyed it as well.



The mime was in a league all of his own.  I certainly hoped someone else hired him for another venue.  He spread a lot of smiles in his job, it would be a shame if that didn't carry on elsewhere!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Christmas Day, part 4 :*


After the Clyde & Seamore show concluded, the guys were eager to give Journey to Atlantis another go, so that’s where we headed next.  Now mid-afternoon, crowds had picked up enough that we were very grateful for Quick Queue and the ability to bypass the lengthy standby line.







While the guys rode the ride, I checked out the Jewel of the Sea Aquarium which is located immediately beside the big drop on Atlantis.  I absolutely love that SeaWorld has tucked some of these awesome little gems away adjacent to some of their bigger rides, so non thrill seekers have something fun to do while their wilder counterparts are otherwise occupied.












The glass floor in here is one of my favourite features of the aquarium.  While it’s difficult to see in the photo, the fish are easily visible through the glass, swimming away happily beneath your feet .







Emerging back out into the sunshine, my timing was impeccable….I caught the boys big splashdown within seconds of securing a spot along the railing.







I think I must have startled Steve when I called out his name  :







I met the guys over at the photo kiosk to get their ride picture added to our Photokey.  They were giggling like a pair of little girls as they made their way over to the photo screens:







They had conspired to “pose” on this ride…..Jake poking Steve’s belly and Steve pretending to retaliate.  What a pair of meat-heads .  They were quite proud of their foolishness, though, and were still laughing at their silliness as we made our way into an empty bench to rehydrate and check the time.  There was an “engagement” we had to be mindful of….and we didn’t want to miss it .


A little backstory to tie everything together:  a wonderful poster here on the Dis is actually an employee of SeaWorld (I will not name them in case they wish to remain anonymous….though when they are reading, if they would like to chime in and wave to everyone so we know who they are, they are most welcome to do so!).  When this individual read in my pre-trip report that we would be at SeaWorld on Christmas, they private messaged me to invite us backstage for a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes on a typical day.  We were very, very grateful for such a cool opportunity, so we readily accepted the offer and agreed on a time and place to meet up with them at the park.  They cautioned us that if we were late for our meet up, we might miss a rather special thing that they wanted to show us around 3 pm, so after stopping at the restrooms that’s where we headed.


There were shaded benches on which to wait just across from our meeting spot near Turtle Trek and the dolphin feeding area.  We were grateful for the chance to sit down for a few minutes and get out of the stifling sun .  It was hot, hot, HOT and we were definitely feeling the humidity!  We only had a few moments to wait before we had the awesome opportunity to meet this Diser in person and after quick introductions we were ushered back to the employees only area.  


I simply cannot adequately describe how cool this experience was .  First of all, it was _*so nice*_ to finally meet this individual in person, as we have chatted multiple times over private message and they share our deep love of SeaWorld and all the park stands for.  That, in itself, was super awesome (especially that they took time out of their Christmas Day for us…..that just made our hearts sing! ).


Secondly, seeing the behind the scenes areas was incredibly interesting.  We got to meet five little male dolphins who were frolicking about in their own private pool.







I hope I am remembering correctly, but I’m pretty sure these little fellows were not deemed a good personality fits for either Discovery Cove or Dolphin Cove, so they were in a large backstage pool for their own comfort and safety.  As they splashed and played, this little guy even came over (repeatedly!) to give us a wave.  He was quite the ham .







We got a chance to see the beautiful boats that are utilized by SeaWorld animal care staff for rescue and release missions, and a tour of the large trailers used to transport the marine animals.  We were also allowed to peek inside the backs of the trucks and trailers to see all the different equipment that they have on hand to ensure the safety and well-being of the marine life they care for.


We were taken through the areas that house the sea turtles that are in need of specialized medical care and rehabilitation:







….as well as the large pool where injured manatees are nursed back to health.







Not only did we get a chance to see some of these incredible inner workings with the animals, our friend was able to explain a lot of the stuff that a guest would never think of…..like these manatees, for example.  Part of their rehabilitation is to ensure they are not only able to feed from the surface (as you saw in the above photo), but that they are also capable of eating while submerged (as they would have to do in their natural habitats).  SeaWorld has designed and installed special feeders on the bottom of the pool that the manatees must consistently demonstrate they are able to eat from before they are considered fit to return to the wild (among other factors, of course).







This individual very kindly took the time to fill us in on all sorts of interesting little tidbits, from how large the manatees have to be before re-release and how many cases of lettuce these gentle beasts consume in a single day.  We heard about their history (the circumstances they had been rescued from) and a little about their individual personalities as well…..one of them, apparently, doesn’t like to eat during the day but is a snacker all night long.


The coolest thing of all, though, was the chance to meet three tiny manatees (weighing only about 100 pounds a piece) who had been rescued separately and brought to SeaWorld for some tender loving care (and a second chance at life):







THIS was quite possibly the most special thing we could have witnessed on Christmas Day:  those tiny little faces poking trustingly out of the water…..







….and being bottle fed by young SeaWorld staff who not only cared for the physical needs of these little creatures, but for whom their absolute love was obvious .







At this point in my report, I want to give the hugest thanks (and a big virtual hug from all three of us  ) to the very special Dis-er who made this experience possible…..as we waited at our gate at the airport, I asked the guys what their favourite part of the trip had been.  Jake, without hesitation, said “going behind the scenes at SeaWorld!”.   The fact that they gave up part of their Christmas Day, after fulfilling a long and busy work day of their own, to give us this unique opportunity was very touching indeed.  I hope someday we can return the favour to this person in some small way.  Please know how much we enjoyed ourselves, and how much we valued this opportunity!!


Eventually it was time for us all to move on, so we said goodbyes and heartfelt thank you’s and made our way back into the park.  Since we hadn’t had dessert at lunch time, I asked the fellows if they were interested in a cool snack to help beat the heat….and not surprisingly, the jumped at the suggestion.   Manta Soft Serve was just a short stroll away, so we meandered over to peruse their menu.  The guys chose to each have a float (Fanta Orange for Steve, root beer for Jake) and I opted for a waffle bowl sundae (vanilla soft serve with caramel sauce).







The size of the snacks here were MASSIVE .  Everything only came in one size (no smalls or larges, though I think they may have offered child portions), with the floats being 20 ounce and the sundae being……*mountainous*.  Easily sharable between two people (we will remember that for next time).  We thought prices were very reasonable for a theme park, and even more so considering the sheer quantities doled out.  On a hot day, we could not have selected a more perfect snack……except Jake forgot to sip it slowly.


This is the face a brainfreeze makes :







Each float was $4.99, and my sundae was $5.99.  We were given a 10% discount as passmembers, so our total price for the three items, with tax, was $15.31.


*To be continued!  *


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## chicagoshannon

Those baby manatees are adorable!  The dolphin you pictured reminds me of a cute young dolphin we saw at the nursery in 2014.  He was so playful and loved to splash everyone.


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## Lynne G

That's what my head felt like when I took too much of the orange frozen drink at the orange grove. 
Don't tell my kids where the ice cream stand is though.  Even if it wasn't so warm out, they'd be ready to partake of it.

With this gray day, I'm hoping for some very sunny skies over Christmas.  

Great pictures and what an awesome behind the scenes tour.  Sea World does do many rescues and not all stay in park, and are successfully released.  I wish they would get more press for the rescuing they do.


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Wow what a generous offer from your Diser friend and  I am so glad it made your day, a great Christmas present to you all


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## pepperandchips

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> The coolest thing of all, though, was the chance to meet three tiny manatees (weighing only about 100 pounds a piece) who had been rescued separately and brought to SeaWorld for some tender loving care (and a second chance at life)



You weren't kidding that I would flip over your manatee surprise!!! I am soooo jealous! I've loved manatees ever since I chose them for a report in fourth or fifth grade. They are so interesting and gentle and unfortunately harmed by people and boat motors. I love watching the manatee feedings at Epcot but the opportunity you guys had is just unbelievably cool. What a sweet Diser! I love this community of theme park fans. Just hearing that story brightened my day a lot!


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## JaxDad

Thanks for the great SeaWorld report Gina! We need to get back there soon!

Unfortunately, the mimes were part of the layoffs in 2014. You can find some videos of their antics on YouTube. (I love the internet!)


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## dsmom

Great updates Gina! I love Seaworld, my favorite park!  And it is especially beautiful at Christmas time. I have always been puzzled by the lack of holiday decorations at Disney. If you liked Seaworld's decorations you will have to check out Buschgardens during Christmas time, they are my all time favorite, everything is decorated!
I love manatees! How great you got the backstage tour, and how incredibly nice of the fellow diser to arrange that for you. 
I know the Christmas tree you mentioned at polar express, I remember seeing it and was just in awe. Can't wait to read more ....


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## Vestmama4

Wow what an amazing opportunity! How incredibly nice of the fellow diser to reach out and arrange for you guys. Thanks for sharing your experience and photos (that bottle-feeding pic just melts my heart.)


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## pigletto

What an awesome opportunity Gina!! That was very kind of our fellow Dis'er. It makes me so happy to see all those animals getting rehabbed and a second chance at life. Especially that gorgeous Sea Turtle. I am so in love with sea turtles. The Manatee made me laugh. Amazing that he's able to support his substantial size on lettuce lol!

This years trip is in May, but I will definitely watch for Blue Friday deals for 2017 if we decide to go back to Orlando. And really, we always decide to go back to Orlando so I don't know why I typed that


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

chicagoshannon said:


> Those baby manatees are adorable!  The dolphin you pictured reminds me of a cute young dolphin we saw at the nursery in 2014.  He was so playful and loved to splash everyone.



The dolphins that we saw backstage had various toys in their pools.  All of a sudden, one would come flying out of the pool....so the staff walking by would stop and throw it back in (Steve also got the chance to toss in their buoy).  They promptly threw it back out .    They certainly like to play!



Lynne G said:


> That's what my head felt like when I took too much of the orange frozen drink at the orange grove.
> Don't tell my kids where the ice cream stand is though.  Even if it wasn't so warm out, they'd be ready to partake of it.
> 
> With this gray day, I'm hoping for some very sunny skies over Christmas.
> 
> Great pictures and what an awesome behind the scenes tour.  Sea World does do many rescues and not all stay in park, and are successfully released.  *I wish they would get more press for the rescuing they do.*



Amen, sister  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Wow what a generous offer from your Diser friend and  I am so glad it made your day, a great Christmas present to you all



We were so touched by their kindness!!  Poor Sunshine back home was dying of jealousy.  We called her afterward and she wanted to know every.single.detail.



pepperandchips said:


> You weren't kidding that I would flip over your manatee surprise!!! I am soooo jealous! I've loved manatees ever since I chose them for a report in fourth or fifth grade. They are so interesting and gentle and unfortunately harmed by people and boat motors. I love watching the manatee feedings at Epcot but the opportunity you guys had is just unbelievably cool. What a sweet Diser! *I love this community of theme park fans.* Just hearing that story brightened my day a lot!



I wholeheartedly concur.  Some of the nicest folks in the world.  I am so blessed to know you all!



JaxDad said:


> Thanks for the great SeaWorld report Gina! *We need to get back there soon!*
> 
> Unfortunately, the mimes were part of the layoffs in 2014. You can find some videos of their antics on YouTube. (I love the internet!)



Yes, you do .  Time to start planning a little getaway for you and the kiddos! 



dsmom said:


> Great updates Gina! I love Seaworld, my favorite park!  And it is especially beautiful at Christmas time. I have always been puzzled by the lack of holiday decorations at Disney. If you liked Seaworld's decorations you will have to check out Buschgardens during Christmas time, they are my all time favorite, everything is decorated!
> I love manatees! How great you got the backstage tour, and how incredibly nice of the fellow diser to arrange that for you.
> I know the Christmas tree you mentioned at polar express, I remember seeing it and was just in awe. Can't wait to read more ....



We actually considered BG for this past trip (their Christmas Town looks so well done!) but we ran out of time ... and were a bit concerned that the holiday traffic between Tampa and Orlando might be an issue.  I think we may have to plan on a visit to Busch Gardens, though, for the next Christmas trip....whenever that shall be  .



Vestmama4 said:


> Wow what an amazing opportunity! How incredibly nice of the fellow diser to reach out and arrange for you guys. Thanks for sharing your experience and photos (that bottle-feeding pic just melts my heart.)



There are some awesome people among us, indeed  .  We are so grateful and appreciative!



pigletto said:


> What an awesome opportunity Gina!! That was very kind of our fellow Dis'er. It makes me so happy to see all those animals getting rehabbed and a second chance at life. Especially that gorgeous Sea Turtle. I am so in love with sea turtles. The Manatee made me laugh. Amazing that he's able to support his substantial size on lettuce lol!
> 
> This years trip is in May, but I will definitely watch for Blue Friday deals for 2017 if we decide to go back to Orlando. *And really, we always decide to go back to Orlando so I don't know why I typed that*



There are worse addictions than Orlando, my friend.    We continually get people rolling their eyes and commenting_ "You're going back *AGAIN!?!?*".  _To which we always reply _"Well of course.....why wouldn't we?"_  .

I consider it good for my mental health.  And my physical health, too.  Knowing I'll be captured in photos on a regular basis, it helps me say no to donuts and yes to extra aquafit classes .


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## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> There are worse addictions than Orlando, my friend.    We continually get people rolling their eyes and commenting_ "You're going back *AGAIN!?!?*".  _To which we always reply _"Well of course.....why wouldn't we?"_  .


Eventually, people stop saying that.  We go to Orlando so much that now people expect it.  Some have even assumed that I own a house there.  

 I absolutely love the puzzled expression when I tell someone that I'm NOT going to FL.


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## RocketCityMama

Oh wow what a cool experience from a fellow disser! Awesome pics! I am really thinking of SW for our Summer vacation now though I have mentioned it before lol need to check ticket prices so I can see if I can budget it in.  My little one wouldn't/couldn't do the big rides but the hubs and 2 older kids for sure.  Do they have any non thrill rides? Just wondering if there will be anything for the newly very small (barely 40lbs) 6 year old.  I will be checking their site out very soon, but I love personal opinions on that kind of stuff.


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## Monykalyn

How very cool of the backstage surprise! I love manatees-I haunted the Living Seas waaayyy back in my CP at EPCOT.  They thought the female was pregnant that year (spring 1991 - and oh my how have I just dated myself!)-and sure enough-we went back to work NYE (to keep our ID's active-MK on NYE is simply magical even if working)-she had had a baby!! 

Great pictures!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Eventually, people stop saying that.  We go to Orlando so much that now people expect it.  *Some have even assumed that I own a house there.  *
> 
> I absolutely love the puzzled expression when I tell someone that I'm NOT going to FL.
> View attachment 149015



When you decide to buy, let me know.   I might just go halvsies with you  .



RocketCityMama said:


> Oh wow what a cool experience from a fellow disser! Awesome pics! I am really thinking of SW for our Summer vacation now though I have mentioned it before lol need to check ticket prices so I can see if I can budget it in.  My little one wouldn't/couldn't do the big rides but the hubs and 2 older kids for sure.  Do they have any non thrill rides? Just wondering if there will be anything for the newly very small (barely 40lbs) 6 year old.  I will be checking their site out very soon, but I love personal opinions on that kind of stuff.



SeaWorld has a GREAT section for the younger guests called Shamu's Happy Harbor.  That area of the park offers kid-sized rides (that parents and older siblings can enjoy with them) such as the Shamu Coaster, a fish-inspired carousel, a huge play/climbing structure, and more.  It would be perfect for your littlest lady!  She could also do Wild Arctic (on the mild side), Antarctica, Turtle Trek and the Sky Tower (assuming its reopened by then).  



Monykalyn said:


> How very cool of the backstage surprise! I love manatees-I haunted the Living Seas waaayyy back in my CP at EPCOT.  They thought the female was pregnant that year (spring 1991 - and oh my how have I just dated myself!)-and sure enough-we went back to work NYE (to keep our ID's active-MK on NYE is simply magical even if working)-she had had a baby!!
> 
> Great pictures!



lol, no worries on dating yourself.  I graduated high school in June 1991....so there is not much difference in our ages at all!

(and for the record...I am NOT old )


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Christmas Day, part 4  (yeah, I know....this is taking forever!!):*


Jake was feeling re-energized after his ice cream float, and felt the need to test his skills at Manta Hoops to see if he could net a prize or two for his Sunshine back home.  Steve had won me the vampire minion and the Simpsons characters earlier in the week at Universal, and of course Junior couldn’t be outdone.  The sledgehammer game might be Steve’s venue of choice, but basketball is much more Jake’s style.







Using the last of his American cash, he managed to hoop three balls and earned himself three prizes.  He could have traded up for the HUGE Spongebob that you see hanging on the side of the game enclosure, but Mom’s good sense strictly forbade him to do so:  we would be flying home the following day, and as of right now, everything was able to be packed in the luggage.  We would not be rocking the boat at this late date .


Since it was getting late in the afternoon and our evening was poised to be filled with Christmas shows and holiday cheer, we opted to do the rest of our required shopping at the Emporium near the park entrance, and have Steve take our purchases, Jake’s basketball winnings, and our tree frog and stuffed Christmas gift from the Kraken plinko game to the rental car so we didn’t have to carry stuff around all night long.  I bought a fleece throw for Sunshine (I thought she would make good use of it in her dorm), a manatee key chain for me (it seemed fitting!), some penguin earrings for my mom, a snow globe for Sunshine, a couple of pins for Steve, and a few other items for friends and family back home....all with a cool 10% discount for passmembers just by showing our AP’s .







Jake and I hung out and took photos while we waited for Steve to return from his pilgrimage to the Equinox.







Once we had reassembled, we had a pit stop at the restrooms and checked the time.  The first show of our reserved seating package was to start at 5:30 pm, so we needed to be at the venue at least 15 minutes prior.  As the sun started getting lower in the sky, we followed the flow of foot traffic to the Nautilus Theater.







Now, let me say that we expected the Christmas shows to be busy...but Oh. My. Goodness .  The line to enter the theater was *massive* and went on f-o-r-e-v-e-r.  If we had ever had a second thought about purchasing the Christmas Show Reserved Seating dining package, one glance at that line had us patting ourselves on the back for our genius decision .  By flashing our reserved seating credentials (easily noticeable thanks to the red lanyards provided by SeaWorld), we bypassed that massive line, were escorted into the theater by park staff, and soon resting comfortably in our front-and-center seats to await the start of the show.


One of the features of SeaWorld’s shows (both the daytime and nighttime versions) that we really appreciate are the pre-show entertainers which help pass the time until the main shows actually begin.  Prior to the commencement of Oh Wondrous Night, the crowd enjoyed an old-fashioned holiday sing-along led by a young man with his guitar.   It was very mellow and relaxed (so very fitting for Christmas night), and it really made a person feel warm and fuzzy to hear the packed-to-the-rafters theater all singing together in unison.  Like one big Christmas family reunion!  


Bidding adieu to the guitarist after a spirited version of Feliz Navidad, it was show time .







The basis of the Oh Wondrous Night production is to tell the Christmas Story from the perspective of the animals that were in the stable on the night that Christ was born.  Each of the animals remembers the details of that night quite differently, and each of them credit themselves as the reason that Jesus was born in that particular stable.







The show utilizes a combination of actors/singers/dancers and a variety of puppet animals, and during the first few minutes of the show, I won’t lie....Steve raised an eyebrow at me as if to say....puppets?  Really?   But as odd as it sounds, the whole concept just *works*.   If the boys started out as doubters, they were soon converted....and whispering in my ear about how AWESOME this show was turning out to be.   The singers were incredible, and the entire cast was so high energy.  The songs....more than 30 of them....were all perfectly woven into the show and we were fighting ourselves not to groove to the music (yep, right there in our seats!) and sing along at the top of our lungs .












We had heard that Oh Wondrous Night was rated the best Christmas Show in Orlando by the Orlando Sentinel, so we had had high hopes for this particular production (and having heard how popular it was at the park, was the sole reason we decided to purchase the reserved seating package).  Even with that kind of hype, and the high expectations that we had going into it, we were simply blown away.  This show was in a class all by itself .







Perhaps the biggest surprise, considering how the other parks tend to distance themselves from any kind of religious association or focus, was that this show (and SeaWorld in general) absolutely embraced that aspect of Christmas.  The songs were predominantly the traditional hymns we used to sing as kids in church during the holiday season (Joy to the World, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Go Tell It On The Mountain, O Little Town of Bethlehem, etc.) but with a very high energy, super-charged twist.  It celebrated the most traditional meaning of Christmas, and it was done with the kind of class and elegance that SeaWorld could accomplish.







The finale featured the cast bringing an entire barnyard full of real animals .... donkeys, camels, sheep, doves, and everything in between .... to the stage to rejoice in the birth of the baby Messiah.  There was so much energy and power in that building, I thought it would blow the roof right off.  When the show ended, *every single person* in that theater was on their feet in a thunderous (and well deserved) standing ovation....and it went on forever.


Without question, this was the best Christmas show we have ever had the privilege to see.  We all agreed that we would have paid $24 just to have reserved seating to that show all on its own.  Perfect seats (dead center, just a few rows from the stage), a perfect view, and a most awesome and inspiring show.   SeaWorld knocked it out of the park.


That was going to be VERY tough to top.  I know it sounds like I'm gushing, and I guess I am  .  But this show was worthy of a gush.  Seriously.


As we exited the theater with the masses, we knew that this would be our opportunity to grab some dinner before we had to be at the other two shows that were included as part of our reserved seating:  Winter Wonderland on Ice and Shamu’s Christmas Miracles.  We headed back to the Waterfront, which was now all lit up in the most beautiful sparkly lights .






















We opted to dine at SeaFire Grill so we could enjoy our meal with the most wonderful view of the Sea of Trees.  None of us were super hungry (our Manta Soft Serve had been soooo filling!) so we just went simple for meal choices:  Jake and I had chicken fingers and fries, while Steve chose a Philly Cheesesteak.







The food was....okay.  Perfectly fine, but nothing terribly special.   By this point in the trip, I think we were starting to get all fooded out.  We ate what we wanted, and tossed the remainder.  No one wanted to overeat and potentially feel icky for the balance of the evening.


We had no problem getting a seat right by the window.  Best. View. Ever .







*More Christmas fun yet to come....*


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## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> When you decide to buy, let me know.   I might just go halvsies with you  .



I've spent a ton of time looking at houses and condos in FL.  In the end decided that I can rent as many weeks a year as I want in gorgeous timeshare resorts for far less than the cost of ownership.  The biggest bonus is no responsibility.   Maybe I've just been lucky but I've rented at the Grande Vista for as little as $200/week up to $540/week.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Correction notice:

It has been pointed out to me that I have erroneously recorded something in my last entry.  To ensure full disclosure, let the record show that the photo of the gift shop above is not, in fact, the Emporium as I previously indicated.   That picture is of Glacial Collections (the gift shop near Antarctica, also a fun retail destination).   It appears I got my photos mixed up a bit.....one of the hazards of having 1000+ digital files to sift through (my bad!).   We did do our final shopping at the Emporium, so you'll have to just "envision" it as I can't seem to find that specific photo.


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## Vestmama4

I took my 2 younger kids to Oh Wonderous Night that night as well and totally agree with you. The lines were awful to get in. We tried for the first show and it filled up quickly and we had to come back for the 2nd showing. Once in there I enjoyed singing Christmas songs before hand and when the actual show first started I will admit I was like your husband- not quite sure what to think. But you are so right- everything just worked and it was wonderful. We loved all the fantastic singing and my kids loved the animals at the end. And I was also amazed at how in this day and age a theme park featured a show celebrating the birth of Christ.  I loved the Sea of Trees. One of my favorites things that day at Seaworld. I also took my 2 younger kids to Elmo's Christmas Wish, so it was a super full night of shows for us (with the ice skating and Shamu show later.) We gave the older 2 a choice and they both just wanted to see one holiday show each that night and preferred to ride rides with my husband lol.


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## pigletto

What an outstanding day you are having. I am loving reading about it all. It really seems like you picked the best possible place for your family to enjoy your Christmas Day! The decorations are breathtaking and it seems like the show was beautifully done. I agree with you, I LOVE Disney Christmas decor but in the MK it doesn't go too far beyond Main Street (mind you some of the resorts are spectacular). I think my ideal December Florida trip would be an Orlando parks decorations tour! I can also guarantee you that idea would draw groaning and eye rolls from the rest of the family unless there were plenty of rides for them while I took pictures of light displays.


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## Lynne G

Oh heck Gina.  All the shops look the same to me.  A shop is a shop.  I couldn't even tell you the name most of the time.  Great update.  Can't wait to see some of the shows again.  My kids groaned standing in line for the O Wondrous Night, but they enjoyed it as much as I did.  We will be repeating some of the shows for sure.  I too am a lover of all the decorations.  The sea of trees was awesome.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Vestmama4 said:


> I took my 2 younger kids to Oh Wonderous Night that night as well and totally agree with you. The lines were awful to get in. We tried for the first show and it filled up quickly and we had to come back for the 2nd showing. Once in there I enjoyed singing Christmas songs before hand and when the actual show first started I will admit I was like your husband- not quite sure what to think. But you are so right- everything just worked and it was wonderful. We loved all the fantastic singing and my kids loved the animals at the end. And I was also amazed at how in this day and age a theme park featured a show celebrating the birth of Christ.  I loved the Sea of Trees. One of my favorites things that day at Seaworld. I also took my 2 younger kids to Elmo's Christmas Wish, so it was a super full night of shows for us (with the ice skating and Shamu show later.) We gave the older 2 a choice and they both just wanted to see one holiday show each that night and preferred to ride rides with my husband lol.



We took a pass on the Elmo show.....Jake flatly refused to spend any part of his Christmas Day watching Sesame Street .  I can't blame him, really.  Cute or not, there is just no appeal for that show to a 20 year old guy.

I was also super impressed by the Winter Wonderland on Ice....my full report on that is coming up in the next entry, but I will say now that it exceeded our expectations.  So well put together!

Oh Wondrous Night really struck a cord with us because we were both raised in traditional Christian homes.  Growing up in our respective families, and even as adults with our own child, we usually spend either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day at church listening to the story of the birth of Jesus and singing traditional hymns.  This show gave us a real feeling of "home", even though we were so far away .



pigletto said:


> What an outstanding day you are having. I am loving reading about it all. It really seems like you picked the best possible place for your family to enjoy your Christmas Day! The decorations are breathtaking and it seems like the show was beautifully done. I agree with you, I LOVE Disney Christmas decor but in the MK it doesn't go too far beyond Main Street (mind you some of the resorts are spectacular). I think my ideal December Florida trip would be an Orlando parks decorations tour! I can also guarantee you that idea would draw groaning and eye rolls from the rest of the family unless there were plenty of rides for them while I took pictures of light displays.



I'm with you.....I could easily spend a week soaking up all the Christmas-ness in Orlando.  Most places work so hard to make it LOOK so festive, since they don't have the weather to make it FEEL like the holiday season.   My guys are pretty good about indulging me in my love of the Christmas decor, but they do need a little adventure thrown in to keep them happy, too  .  They are quite happy to ride the coasters while I explore the park with camera in hand!! 



Lynne G said:


> Oh heck Gina.  All the shops look the same to me.  A shop is a shop.  I couldn't even tell you the name most of the time.  Great update.  Can't wait to see some of the shows again.  My kids groaned standing in line for the O Wondrous Night, but they enjoyed it as much as I did.  We will be repeating some of the shows for sure.  I too am a lover of all the decorations.  The sea of trees was awesome.



Yeah, I have the same problem with the souvenir shop photos.  They can all look pretty similar after the fact.  It was important enough to someone that they point out my error, though, so I thought it should be noted here in case anyone else noticed my goof as well.  I suppose I could go back to the post and remove that picture entirely, but hey....I think the blue Christmas tree is pretty so I want it to stay in  .

There aren't many shows that I would say would be worth standing in line for a huge amount of time for, but Oh Wondrous Night is DEFINITELY the exception.  So, so awesome!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

We have too seen the SW Christmas shows and agree that they are just wonderful, shame you couldn't top it all off with a turkey dinner! Looking forward to the next instalment


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> We have too seen the SW Christmas shows and agree that they are just wonderful, shame you couldn't top it all off with a turkey dinner! Looking forward to the next instalment



You know, surprisingly we didn't missing having a formal turkey feast on Christmas at all.  Of course, that might have been because we knew we had a couple of them scheduled for the week we came home, with various extended family members who kindly planned their festive meals around our trip to ensure we were included.  We are blessed to have many good people in our lives  .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Christmas Day, part 5 :*


Once we were finished dinner, we walked outside into the warm night to find a spot on the railing to watch the Sea of Trees.  While the trees are lit for the guests’ enjoyment all night long, the actual “show” only runs at certain intervals, and the next one was scheduled to start in just a few moments.   We secured a lovely spot on the bridge (not a soul around us) and enjoyed the entire short performance featuring holiday music and the “dancing” lights.
















Immediately afterward, it started to “snow” all along the Waterfront much to the delight of the old and young who milled about under the twinkly lights and white flakes.   This is not the best picture, but hopefully it gives you a tiny bit of a visual:







With a little bit of time still left before we needed to be at the next show for our reserved seating, we decided to tour the Christmas Marketplace, another feature of SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration.


They had a beautiful miniature village with a working train that the little boys, in particular, were quite enamoured with.







There was a lot going on in the Christmas Village, from holiday-inspired games (another Christmas themed plinko game, among others), festive music and live entertainment, dedicated Christmas shoppes and a plethora of food stations.  There were lots of lights, lots of sparkle and lots of people! 


One of the special event meal offers that we had pre-purchased in advance of our trip was the Christmas Village dining package.  In addition to the entrée and drink that were provided under the vouchers, we also each received a refillable souvenir mug of hot chocolate and a Christmas Village snack of our choice.   At a price of $21 per person (if I remember correctly), this was a really, REALLY good deal.  Assuming you spent $12 on your entrée and another $3 on a beverage for your meal, that meant the mug and snack were only an additional $6.  The mug itself sold for $5.99 (or was it $6.99?  I can’t remember!) so the snack was totally free or better.  The mugs are excellent souvenirs too….each comes with a lid so I can see us using them at home between visits.  AND….if we go back again for the Christmas season in the future, we can bring them back and just pay the refill price .







So…..after we strolled about, it was time to collect our drinks and snacks and make our way to Winter Wonderland on Ice.  A very sweet young fellow who was working at the kiosk where we ordered our mugs noticed that I was taking photos of the drinks, and offered to take a family shot of all three of us .







The guys also chose to turn in their cards for their Christmas Village snacks.  Steve selected the mini donuts with chocolate sauce, and shared them with his favourite wife .







Jake picked a massive bag of kettle corn, which we never did end up opening so we brought it home with us in the luggage the following day.   I have no idea what he was doing in this photo (he's such a goof sometimes!!), but obviously the Christmas spirit was alive and well with my young man .







We planned to return after the final show to turn in my snack voucher for a treat to enjoy after Shamu’s Christmas Miracles had concluded.  Unfortunately, park staff wouldn’t allow us to exit via the Christmas Village at that point in the night, so we didn’t get the chance to do so.  It was no problem, though, as not one of us was interested in anything more to eat.   I was starting to feel as round and fat as Santa Claus!  


A couple of comments on the hot chocolate and mini donuts……mouth-wateringly good, on both counts .  The hot chocolate was smooth and rich and super creamy, and nicely presented with the whipped cream on top.  It was served comfortably and drinkably warm, which was very appreciated as hot chocolate is often tongue-scalding when its initially poured .  And those donuts?  Mmmmmmm…..as good as the mini donuts that we savoured at Typhoon Lagoon several summers ago. Warm, fresh, light and fluffy .


I think the snacks ranged from about $5.50 to $7, depending on which ones you chose.  Quite reasonable, we thought, considering virtually all of the portions were more than large enough to be sharable among multiple people.


With our hot chocolates in hand, we made our way to Bayside Stadium to take our seats for the next performance of Winter Wonderland on Ice.  Once again, the reserved seating had us in a superb section with great views of the ice.  Pre-show entertainment was also featured at this venue, in the form of a 5-person acapella singing group who was absolutely excellent.







Their renditions of a selection of holiday favourites had the whole crowd engaged, and we sipped the remainder of our hot chocolates and quietly reflected on the events of the day as we waited for the show to begin.  We were slowly beginning to feel the weariness seep into our bodies…..it had been a long, exciting and marvellous Christmas Day, but tiring nonetheless .







Now, I knew neither of the guys were super excited for a show based on figure skating, but neither had whispered a word of complaint about indulging me on this.  They were full and content, and even if it wasn’t their “thing” per se, they knew it was something that really appealed to my interests.  All that said, the whole three of us (yep, even my men) were super impressed by the quality of this show.  Rather than “just” a bunch of ice skaters, the performance blended the skating with fun music and some pretty great costumes.  The acts were switched out seamlessly, and both the fountains and the trees in the section of the lake that bordered the ice rink were incorporated into the show, each moving to the music an adding such an awesome visual element to an already spectacular skating display.






















The ice, however, was a mess …..I have no idea how those poor skaters were able to keep on their feet.  With the heat and humidity of the day, the ice had developed a thick layer of water shining brightly on the surface, which had to be tough for the performers to skate on.  God love ‘em, though, they carried on for the entire show as if the ice was nothing but perfect and the smiles on their faces never waned even once.







Once the show concluded, we (along with, so it seemed, the entire capacity of Bayside Stadium!) made our way directly to Shamu Stadium for the final performance of the night of Shamu’s Christmas Miracles.  On our way, I had the chance opportunity to run in @Vestmama4  (in that crowd, who would have thought? ) so it was very cool to be able to say a quick hello before I had to hustle to catch up to my long-legged guys.  I wish we had have had time to chat longer, but I feared if I dilly-dallied too long I’d lose sight of them completely.  Short girl problems, indeed!  


*The conclusion of Christmas Day is up next.*


----------



## Lynne G

ooh that Christmas meal package sounds right up our alley.  Did you get it online at SW's website or get in park? And, any passholder discount for it?  I would definitely buy it for my crew.

Awesome pictures, once again.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> ooh that Christmas meal package sounds right up our alley.  Did you get it online at SW's website or get in park? And, any passholder discount for it?  I would definitely buy it for my crew.
> 
> Awesome pictures, once again.



If my memory is correct...

-- the Christmas Village dining package was $21 and not eligible for the passmember discount.  It included one entree and one non-alcoholic beverage (from any of the restaurants that participate in the all day dining OR from one of the food kiosks in the Christmas Village), the souvenir mug filled with hot chocolate and one snack from the Christmas Village.

-- the Christmas Show Reserved Seating package was $24 and included reserved seating for Oh Wondrous Night, Winter Wonderland on Ice, and Shamu's Christmas Miracles plus a meal (one entree and one drink) from any of the restaurants that participate in the all day dining program (so basically from anywhere but Sharks Underwater Grill, Dine with Shamu, or the new Pretzel Kitchen).    This one we received 10% off as passmembers.

Both packages were pre-purchased online in advance of our visit.  We thought both were excellent values and would totally buy them again!   We had contemplated purchasing the all day dining ($31.49 per person with the passmember discount), but having the two meals + the reserved seating + the souvenir mug + the Christmas Village snack was much better option for just a few dollars more ($42.60 pp total which includes 10% off the Christmas seating portion).


----------



## Lynne G

Thanks for that.  I will have to check the website much closer to Christmas, as I don't think they post that yet.  Agree, both seem like a good value.  We've used our passes for platinum seating, and that's been great, and no extra cost.  I don't remember seeing it during the holiday, but I think I remember having it for the Christmas show, and that was awesome.


----------



## ArwenMarie

All caught up!

Wow, the behind-the-scenes tour sounds awesome, what a gift to have a friend do that for you!

These Christmas events at SW look fabulous..definitely taking notes for 2016


----------



## chicagoshannon

What a lovely day.  We leave for our trip tomorrow and you report has helped increase the excitement.  Although it looks like we will have much cooler weather than you did.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Steve selected the mini donuts with chocolate sauce, and shared them with his favourite wife


How many wives does he have?   I hope not more than 7.


----------



## chiamarie

Oh man, I'm glad you enjoyed the  A 'Capella group as the ice skating pre show.   I felt embarrassed for them.   There was also an all male A' Cappella group that preformed for Christmas over by Polar Express; which seemed like they were an actual group and did great.   These 5, while they all obviously seemed like fantastic singers (better than I could ever do by far) but I also felt like they had 2 maybe 3 practices together as a group and I (I saw the show a few times, to say the least) felt like they were all trying to out sing each other rather than actually harmonizing with each other.


----------



## dsmom

I am loving these Seaworld reports!  We are planning trip for December, will definitely be seeing Oh wonderous night.    Your pictures are amazing, love the pictures  of you and the family the best, your love for each other just shines through.  You graduated in 1991?! You are still a baby!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> Thanks for that.  I will have to check the website much closer to Christmas, as I don't think they post that yet.  Agree, both seem like a good value.  We've used our passes for platinum seating, and that's been great, and no extra cost.  I don't remember seeing it during the holiday, but I think I remember having it for the Christmas show, and that was awesome.



Yeah, I doubt you'll see anything about the Christmas dining (or any holiday add-ons) until probably mid-November at best.  SeaWorld doesn't release that kind of stuff super early, unfortunately.  Don't forget about Santa's Fireside Feast, too.   If your kiddos aren't too grown up for dinner with Santa & Mrs. Claus, it looks like it would be awesome too!



ArwenMarie said:


> All caught up!
> 
> Wow, the behind-the-scenes tour sounds awesome, what a gift to have a friend do that for you!
> 
> These Christmas events at SW look fabulous..definitely taking notes for 2016



Good girl....its never too early to start planning!  Only 325 until Christmas 2016  .



chicagoshannon said:


> What a lovely day.  We leave for our trip tomorrow and you report has helped increase the excitement.  Although it looks like we will have much cooler weather than you did.



Have an awesome, amazing and fabulous time!!  I will keep my fingers crossed that Mother Nature smiles on you with lots of sunshine and warm weather  .  Save travel and have fun!! 



dancin Disney style said:


> How many wives does he have?   I hope not more than 7.



Is that 7 plus me, or 7 including me? 



chiamarie said:


> Oh man, I'm glad you enjoyed the  A 'Capella group as the ice skating pre show.   I felt embarrassed for them.   There was also an all male A' Cappella group that preformed for Christmas over by Polar Express; which seemed like they were an actual group and did great.   These 5, while they all obviously seemed like fantastic singers (better than I could ever do by far) but I also felt like they had 2 maybe 3 practices together as a group and I (I saw the show a few times, to say the least) felt like they were all trying to out sing each other rather than actually harmonizing with each other.



Oh dear....no, we didn't find them unpleasant at all!!  Maybe they got better over the course of the season?  

Of course, I can't carry a tune in a bucket.....perhaps I am tone deaf and that's why they sounded so good to me?  



dsmom said:


> I am loving these Seaworld reports!  We are planning trip for December, will definitely be seeing Oh wonderous night.    Your pictures are amazing, love the pictures  of you and the family the best, your love for each other just shines through.  You graduated in 1991?! You are still a baby!



Aw, thank you my friend.  My boys are easy to love.  They have such good hearts, and we never lose sight of how blessed we are to have each other.  

Ah yes, 1991....it seems like a lifetime ago!!  Here's your giggle for the night:  a photo of me and my three best friends on our last day of high school.  Look at that BIG hair  .


----------



## dsmom

I love it!  Now I know we are related somehow,  I had the same exact hair in the 1980s!


----------



## pigletto

Hahahahaha I love it!!!  I think those might be actual pennies in your friends penny loafers. I was just telling my kids about that the other day.
I had massive bangs as well. I remember having to be excused from Science class because it was really hot and the hairspray in my hair had dripped into my eyes.


----------



## ArwenMarie

Cute HS picture! You look the same


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Is that 7 plus me, or 7 including me?


It would be 7 including you....there only 7 nights in a week.   

I already know about the yellow wife.  I've seen pictures of the yellow babies. In case you didn't know... they were smuggled back to Canada, head first in a suitcase.


----------



## bankr63

dancin Disney style said:


> It would be 7 including you....there only 7 nights in a week.
> 
> I already know about the yellow wife.  I've seen pictures of the yellow babies. In case you didn't know... they were smuggled back to Canada, head first in a suitcase.


No silly, there are no female Minions (seriously, look up the reason why, or did I learn that here from Gina?) Minions reproduce through mitosis.  But I do expect that they often travel about hiding in suitcases.

Looking at that picture of Jake, I'd be sniffing his hot chocolate to be sure that was all that was in the cup...

Interesting school photo.  So Barney the purple dinosaur met Figment and had a child that was the mascot of your school?


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dsmom said:


> I love it!  Now I know we are related somehow,  I had the same exact hair in the 1980s!



Can you believe I was stupid enough to PERM my hair back then?   I still have no idea what I was thinking (or why someone didn't stop me!!).



pigletto said:


> Hahahahaha I love it!!!  I think those might be actual pennies in your friends penny loafers. I was just telling my kids about that the other day.
> I had massive bangs as well. I remember having to be excused from Science class because it was really hot and the hairspray in my hair had dripped into my eyes.



Ah yes, the teased bangs .  Good for a whole bottle of hairspray a week!  Definitely a hazard when it came to June and the humidity kicked in .  



ArwenMarie said:


> Cute HS picture! You look the same



Oh, you sweet woman  .  Even thought its completely false, its delightful of you to say!! 



dancin Disney style said:


> It would be 7 including you....there only 7 nights in a week.
> 
> I already know about the yellow wife.  I've seen pictures of the yellow babies. In case you didn't know... they were smuggled back to Canada, head first in a suitcase.



Now, now.....they weren't _*smuggled*_.   They traveled third class.   Let me remind you the October adoptees cost me $35 for their plane fare PLUS 40% exchange!!



bankr63 said:


> No silly, there are no female Minions (seriously, look up the reason why, or did I learn that here from Gina?) Minions reproduce through mitosis.  But I do expect that they often travel about hiding in suitcases.
> 
> Looking at that picture of Jake, I'd be sniffing his hot chocolate to be sure that was all that was in the cup...
> 
> Interesting school photo.  So Barney the purple dinosaur met Figment and had a child that was the mascot of your school?



LOL, Jake's cup was completely child-friendly.  He's still got another year before he can enjoy something a little more.....mellowing?.....while in the USA.  

You're not far off on the mascot.  I was a proud ENSS Blue Dragon  .  Thankfully, not only have the hairstyles improved from the 90s, so has the logo.  Its much less corny looking now:

https://twitter.com/enssonline


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Christmas Day, the final chapter :*


Arriving at Shamu Stadium, it was a festively-organized chaos as the masses found their way down the various sets stairs and into their seats.  Once again we found ourselves completely thrilled with our reserved seating purchase, securing ourselves a spectacular view in the first row of the reserved area, just behind the last row of the designated splash zone.  SeaWorld team members were walking up and down the aisles merrily passing out candy canes to guests, which I thought was a thoughtful touch on Christmas night.


The pre-show entertainment at this location was an absolutely *amazing* saxophonist  ... this guy had some incredible talent.  Shamu Stadium was softly lit for this event in such a way that it felt rather elegant, so this choice of entertainment was a completely perfect fit for that very sophisticated vibe.   As the end of the night grew closer we were feeling rather mellow and reflective…..I was thinking of my mom especially, as she had tried to call us during the Winter Wonderland on Ice show, but with the music and crowds I knew calling her back would have to wait until after we exited the park…..and the smooth tones of the Christmas carols emanating from the saxophone were both soothing and quite beautiful.  It probably _felt_ more like Christmas right then than at any other point in the day….and that’s saying something, considering all that we had done.  Despite the sheer numbers of people in that stadium, when that music started…..all was calm, all was bright .







I took very few photos of the show itself, for a couple of reasons.  For one, the lighting made it difficult to capture really good shots of the whales … but I also really just wanted to soak up these final minutes of our Christmas Day, with my guys on either side of me, without peering through a lens.  I wanted to hold Steve’s hand, not the camera.   It was more important for me to really *enjoy* those moments than capture them.












The show itself had a great message.  As you can guess from the show title, it focused on miracles:  Seeing them.  Appreciating them.  Being them for other people.   It was very touching, very sincere, and really stirred up all the softest emotions of the heart.  Unlike the SeaWorld Summer Night’s feature (Shamu Light Up the Night) it wasn’t a fast-paced, loud, groove-in-your-seat and clap along kind of show.   It was peaceful and serene and very, very reflective….the perfect adaptation, SeaWorld-style, of the true spirit of the holiday season .












It was over too soon .


It was an organized, efficient exit to the parking lot.  As the music softly played from the park speakers, we joined the stream of people filing across the bridge, through the Waterfront, to the front of the park and finally back to the Equinox.  SeaWorld team members were expertly stationed all along the route to ensure the exodus to the entrance kept safely moving, and bidding guests a final Merry Christmas as they passed by.  With our weary legs starting to feel the burn of navigating the park from open to close, we were very appreciative of the superb parking spot that we secured that morning just a few rows from the exit.  Once inside the Equinox, we called my mom and indulged in a fairly lengthy group chat via speakerphone as we made the drive back to the resort.  She missed us painfully, and that was tough to hear.  I wished I could have reached through the phone and hugged her .


Back at the Vistana, we were too tuckered to even bother to go down for one last night at the pool.  I started a load of laundry, washing it before bed so that I could dry it in the morning.  Tomorrow night, we would return to the frosty north….but not until we’d squeeze out all the enjoyment we could from one more partial day in the Florida sun.


I think we all fell asleep within seconds of our heads hitting the pillows.   *Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.*


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Can you believe I was stupid enough to PERM my hair back then?   I still have no idea what I was thinking (or why someone didn't stop me!!).


Everyone permed their hair back then.....or so I'm told, I wasn't born yet. 



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Ah yes, the teased bangs .  Good for a whole bottle of hairspray a week!  Definitely a hazard when it came to June and the humidity kicked in .


Also very flammable




Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Now, now.....they weren't _*smuggled*_.   They traveled third class.   Let me remind you the October adoptees cost me $35 for their plane fare PLUS 40% exchange!!


I hardly call being wrapped in a trash bag and taped up third class.   It actually sounds like you were disposing of a body.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Everyone permed their hair back then.....or so I'm told, I wasn't born yet.



Mmmm hmmmm  ......how old did you say your oldest offspring is?



dancin Disney style said:


> Also very flammable



Speaking from experience, I would guess?  

  yet true story:  my mom set her hair on fire when we were kids.  She leaned over to light the barbecue and whoosh!  Her hair caught fire _*so*_ quickly.  Thankfully, we were able to put it out the flames (and her skin wasn't burned at all) but the smell of her hair burning  .... just the worst smell you can imagine.



dancin Disney style said:


> I hardly call being wrapped in a trash bag and taped up third class.   It actually sounds like you were disposing of a body.



Geez, for someone who has a hard time with details like the year they were born, you sure have a good memory when it comes to my trip report specifics!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*Saturday, December 26th:  our final day.*


Check-out mornings are always busy, busy, busy.  We had to be out of the villa by 10 am, so there was no sleeping in for anyone.  Steve brewed coffee while I tossed the laundry from the night prior into the dryer and grabbed the first shower.  It was a whirlwind of activity, as it always is on that last morning, as the laundry was dried, clothes and souvenirs were packed with care, and we dragged all of our worldly possessions down the stairs to the Equinox.  Thankfully we had no issues with luggage space or weight, so all the clothing and treasures that we purchased or won were able to fit nicely within the suitcases and carry-ons .   It's been a couple of vacations since that WASN'T an issue, so it was a nice change!


We had no balance to cover for any charges at the resort, so we had no need to pay a visit to the Welcome Center on departure.  With 15 or 20 minutes to spare we handed off our room keys to the security gate and made our way out of the Vistana lots for the final time this trip and headed in search of breakfast.  Since it was super close and Jake was craving chicken (teenaged male stomachs….they are in a league all their own ), we opted for Chick-fil-A which was located right next door to SVR.


This is yet another place that we often wonder how they are able to offer their meals so inexpensively .  I somehow managed to lose my receipt, but I clearly remember that the total for our meal was under $19 with tax.  Steve and I each ordered a platter that included scrambled eggs, fried chicken, a warm biscuit, and country gravy:







Jake opted for a breakfast sandwich and hash browns.   He flatly refused to smile for this picture on a matter of principle:  he didn’t want anyone to think he was at all happy about the prospect of returning home .







We added an extra order of hash browns to share, plus a bottle milk for each of us.   And all under 20 bucks!  Crazy .  The food itself was fine….nothing spectacular, but perfectly acceptable (especially considering the price) and the location was definitely convenient.  We were sufficiently fueled for our morning adventures at Fun Spot America on the north end of International Drive.







We have learned from experience that we don’t do well with endings.  We do even worse if we don’t have things to occupy our minds and time until it’s that dreaded hour where we need to return to the airport to prepare for our flight home.   Having an evening flight, like we did this trip, complicates matters even more:  we literally had almost a full day to fill before our plane departed just after 8 pm.  With that in mind, we had planned out activities for this day before we ever left home, purchasing half price vouchers via Groupon for a full day’s admission valid at both Fun Spot America on I-Drive and at Fun Spot USA in Kissimmee.


It was yet another spectacular morning  _(I still haven't figured out what had we done to deserve another entire trip of perfect, sunny skies and warm temperatures...that was some pretty sweet karma) _but even as we arrived around 10:30-ish, you could feel it was going to be hot.  *Very *hot.  Having exchanged our Groupon vouchers for all-day wristbands at the entrance, we walked into the park expecting it would be packed (it was the day after Christmas, after all).  We were rather shocked to find this:

















 

Hardly a single soul was there, save and except for park staff.  We had enjoyed a private session on the mini golf course earlier in the week, so I guess having Fun Spot almost all to ourselves shouldn’t have surprised us either.  But yet....it did.


*Much more still to come…..*


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Mmmm hmmmm  ......how old did you say your oldest offspring is?
> 
> 
> 
> Speaking from experience, I would guess?
> 
> yet true story:  my mom set her hair on fire when we were kids.  She leaned over to light the barbecue and whoosh!  Her hair caught fire _*so*_ quickly.  Thankfully, we were able to put it out the flames (and her skin wasn't burned at all) but the smell of her hair burning  .... just the worst smell you can imagine.
> 
> 
> 
> Geez, for someone who has a hard time with details like the year they were born, you sure have a good memory when it comes to my trip report specifics!!



She just had another birthday.  There have been so many that I can't remember but lets just say she is somewhere between diapers and a Walmart greeter.

I was lighting a cigarette inside the bank and lit my own hair on fire.

My brain is a steel trap for useless information.


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

A wonderful end to your Christmas Day 

I don't know how you get out so quick on your last day, we tend to get up (not so early) pack suitcases, pack the car and then finally manage to get out for a late lunch! I always ask for a late check out from the condo.

As you may recall I too have the frizzy hair ( the tresemme was a good recommendation ) and also permed it for a while when I was at school   Now I try and straighten those curls out!


----------



## JenLanDisney

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Can you believe I was stupid enough to PERM my hair back then?   I still have no idea what I was thinking (or why someone didn't stop me!!).



There was no one to stop you.  We were all doing it, too!  (I was a devotee of perms in high school.  Class of 1990!)

Your reviews are terrific, Gina. Thanks for all the ideas for our next trip complete with costs, too.


----------



## Monykalyn

dancin Disney style said:


> I've spent a ton of time looking at houses and condos in FL.  In the end decided that I can rent as many weeks a year as I want in gorgeous timeshare resorts for far less than the cost of ownership.  The biggest bonus is no responsibility.   Maybe I've just been lucky but I've rented at the *Grande Vista* for as little as $200/week up to $540/week.


We were lucky enough to have been gifted a timeshare 20 years ago (thank you inlaws!) at Lake Ozark MO that has great trading power and some of the lowest maintenance fees in the country-we traded for Grande Vista in 2014 and I LOVE that resort-only regret is we didn't plan a down day to hang more at the pool. Although 2015 was second time we've stayed at Marriott Sabal Palms (1st since world center reno) and that may take top spot simply for amenities at Marriott World Center now-slides, huge pool with waterfall...

What an awesome Christmas Day!!! The Shamu stage looks absolutely beautiful!

And oh yes-days of big hair, big curls...and lots and lots of hairspray! Now I run to my hair stylist to cover grays


----------



## superme80

It took me 3 days, but I am all caught up!   Absolutely incredible trip report. You are making me want to get a season pass to my local 6 flags, that has a wild animal park  and aquarium attached to it. Fantastic job!


----------



## ArwenMarie

Great day at Seaworld! Thanks for the report, very interesting, seemed magical for sure 
Always a bummer going home but glad you guys are going to try to make the best of it!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Monykalyn said:


> We were lucky enough to have been gifted a timeshare 20 years ago (thank you inlaws!) at Lake Ozark MO that has great trading power and some of the lowest maintenance fees in the country-we traded for Grande Vista in 2014 and I LOVE that resort-only regret is we didn't plan a down day to hang more at the pool. Although 2015 was second time we've stayed at Marriott Sabal Palms (1st since world center reno) and that may take top spot simply for amenities at Marriott World Center now-slides, huge pool with waterfall...
> 
> What an awesome Christmas Day!!! The Shamu stage looks absolutely beautiful!
> 
> And oh yes-days of big hair, big curls...and lots and lots of hairspray! Now I run to my hair stylist to cover grays


The first time we stayed at the Grande Vista it was for 2 weeks.   We spent many days at the pool.  That trip solidified the fact that we much prefer a resort vacation.  Owning our own vacation home really would not make me happy.  Renting timeshares is the perfect compromise.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> I was lighting a cigarette inside the bank and lit my own hair on fire.



Good grief woman, you're younger than I am (aren't you?). They haven't allowed smoking in banks in Ontario in how many years??



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> A wonderful end to your Christmas Day
> 
> I don't know how you get out so quick on your last day, we tend to get up (not so early) pack suitcases, pack the car and then finally manage to get out for a late lunch! I always ask for a late check out from the condo.
> 
> As you may recall I too have the frizzy hair ( the tresemme was a good recommendation ) and also permed it for a while when I was at school   Now I try and straighten those curls out!



Late check-outs aren't available at the Vistana, unfortunately (otherwise we would gladly request and pay for it!).   Its out by 10 whether you want to be or not!!   We've become pretty good at maximizing our efficiency the night before check-out to minimize the crazies on the morning of.



JenLanDisney said:


> There was no one to stop you.  We were all doing it, too!  (I was a devotee of perms in high school.  Class of 1990!)
> 
> Your reviews are terrific, Gina. Thanks for all the ideas for our next trip complete with costs, too.



Thank you for the kind comments!!     So glad to have you reading along! 



Monykalyn said:


> We were lucky enough to have been gifted a timeshare 20 years ago (thank you inlaws!) at Lake Ozark MO that has great trading power and some of the lowest maintenance fees in the country-we traded for Grande Vista in 2014 and I LOVE that resort-only regret is we didn't plan a down day to hang more at the pool. Although 2015 was second time we've stayed at Marriott Sabal Palms (1st since world center reno) and that may take top spot simply for amenities at Marriott World Center now-slides, huge pool with waterfall...
> 
> What an awesome Christmas Day!!! The Shamu stage looks absolutely beautiful!
> 
> And oh yes-days of big hair, big curls...and lots and lots of hairspray! Now I run to my hair stylist to cover grays



Ha ha!  Me too.....a "therapy session" with my stylist every six weeks. I went completely gray (or dare I even say white? ) after my brain tumor was removed in 1998.  Doctors said it was a result of the trauma of the surgery.  I refuse to age gracefully so its to the salon I go .



superme80 said:


> It took me 3 days, but I am all caught up!   Absolutely incredible trip report. You are making me want to get a season pass to my local 6 flags, that has a wild animal park  and aquarium attached to it. Fantastic job!



Thank you!  And a big  to you as well!



ArwenMarie said:


> Great day at Seaworld! Thanks for the report, very interesting, seemed magical for sure
> Always a bummer going home but glad you guys are going to try to make the best of it!



We actually had our best going-home day of any vacation so far.  Well planned, much enjoyed, and everyone's (ahem!  mine! ) remained in check.  



dancin Disney style said:


> The first time we stayed at the Grande Vista it was for 2 weeks.   We spent many days at the pool.  That trip solidified the fact that we much prefer a resort vacation.  Owning our own vacation home really would not make me happy.  Renting timeshares is the perfect compromise.



Yeah, I tend to agree.   If we ever win Lotto 649, perhaps rather than buying a beachside condo I should just look for 50 more timeshare weeks .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*December 26th, continued* :


Since the park was so marvellously empty, the boys got right to the task of hitting the rides.  Not only were they ALL walk-ons, they were literally almost the only riders in each case .


They started out with the park’s feature coaster, the Freedom Flyer (where you sit in a seat that is attached to the track at the top, so your feet are hanging as you ride).  Both enjoyed it immensely .







Next on their must-do list was the wooden coaster, White Lightening.  The track was super long and spanned the entire side of the theme park.







While the guys satisfied their inner thrill seekers (repeating the coasters a few times each), I poked around the park and checked out some of the other rides that were offered.  Each of the other attractions were all staffed, but hardly any of them running yet (but only because there was no one there to ride……they were starting each up as guests arrived and boarded the ride).


Two-level antique carousel:






Some sort of spinny ride (I didn't catch the name....whoops!):





The Rip Curl (which Jake and Steve nicknamed the Rip Hurl  ):






Kids area:






The Scramblur:






Paratrooper:






Ferris wheel:






And bumper boats:






After they had had their fill of the coasters, we all reconvened to ride the bumper cars together (also a walk on each time!) but somehow, I missed capturing a photo.  Was too busy trying to chase my fellows in my car .


Fun Spot offers four separate and distinct go-kart tracks, unlimited use of each which was included in our all-day wristbands.  The boys were super eager to get behind the wheel and see who’s superior driving abilities would prove them the ultimate go kart champion.












I think Steve ended up nudging ahead of Jake on each of the tracks  ….not by much, but enough to make him heave a little sigh of relief (so far this trip, Jake had been outperforming him on both the mini golf course and at the bowling alley…..so his Dad ego needed this boost!).












It was blazingly hot by this point in the day, and we were a bit worried about becoming dehydrated in the humidity (not something we wanted before our plane ride home), so we stopped and purchased one of their souvenir refillable drink cups for $5.99.  It was less expensive to buy one refillable and share than to purchase three separate beverages, plus we would have the ability to refill later on at our convenience.  And hey, we only had a SeaWorld souvenir cup and three Christmas Celebration hot chocolate mugs to tote home (to join our Disney refillable mugs, the Universal refillable cup, the Aquatica refillable popcorn bucket……) so why not one more!







We still had a lot to conquer before breaking for lunch.  There was another attraction in the park that we were all eager to explore……


----------



## pepperandchips

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> The food itself was fine….nothing spectacular,


 All across the southeast US, legions of chick fil a fans are flabbergasted... While I could _probably_ live without chick fil a, I don't try. Especially for their yummy yummy breakfast biscuits. Never tried the platter... May have to check that out.



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> _(I still haven't figured out what had we done to deserve another entire trip of perfect, sunny skies and warm temperatures...that was some pretty sweet karma)_


Maybe... Documenting all your trips and tips with photos and reports for hordes of adoring internet fans? Or at least some grateful Disers? Just a thought


----------



## Gr8t Fan

Wow, Gina, your Fun Spot pictures take me waaaayyyy back.  We used to take our girls there when the Entertainment Books had a BOGO wristband offer and they always loved it.  Haven't been there since 2000 (I think).  Maybe when our WDW APs expire and we activate our US/IOA APs, we'll give Fun Spot a visit.  Sure looks like fun.


----------



## Vestmama4

When I saw you walking into Shamu Stadium we were also coming from the ice skating show (which we also loved.) There was a ton of people all around and it would have been easier to walk right into the stadium, but I asked my kids to walk a little out of the way on this side lighted path (it just looked so pretty.) No one else was doing this and it empty, but when we got near the end of the path there you were taking pictures of the path. I thought how nice it was that someone else thought it looked so pretty/taking photos of it and then thought you looked familiar. I went back and forth for a minute on if this was really you (I had recently read your trip reports/saw your pics) and what sealed it for me was looking up ahead while still walking and I saw your 2 tall boys in the crowd and then knew it was in fact you. My son was mortified that I said hello (being 12 I'm guessing this is typical lol) and when we met my husband and daughter after the show he told them all about it. That's part of my job right- to keep him on his toes and somewhat embarrassed  Anyway, it was great running into you. How funny I would see you in that massive crowd. Hope I didn't throw you totally off guard when I said hi!
And I agree with the Miracles show; it was very touching and had me a bit teary. The saxophone player was amazing. And you didn't miss much with the Elmo show...it was perfect for a 6 and 1 year old.


----------



## Callie

How much was the groupon for the fun spot?
Reminds me a bit of the fairs around here.


----------



## bankr63

dancin Disney style said:


> She just had another birthday.  There have been so many that I can't remember but lets just say she is somewhere between diapers and a Walmart greeter.



Considering the average Walmart greeter seems to be about 70, that would make her about 35.  Jeez, how old are YOU?!?!


Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> *December 26th, continued* :
> They started out with the park’s feature coaster, the Freedom Flyer (where you sit in a seat that is attached to the track at the top, so your feet are hanging as you ride).  Both enjoyed it immensely .


 Yes, but were they brave (er, stupid?) enough to try the Sky Coaster seen in the background here?  I love coasters, but anything that hurls me through the air on a rubber band is not on my "To Do" list.



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Some sort of spinny ride (I didn't catch the name....whoops!):


That's the Tilt a Whirl

Loving all those classic exhibition rides.  I could totally spend an afternoon doing this!



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Fun Spot offers four separate and distinct go-kart tracks, unlimited use of each which was included in our all-day wristbands.  The boys were super eager to get behind the wheel and see who’s superior driving abilities would prove them the ultimate go kart champion.



This was one of my favorite Orlando father/son moments.  DS did the Tomorrowland Speedway and thought it was great.  I had a hard time staying awake - it is soooo slooooow.  So I just HAD the brain flash to take him for some "real" driving, and we stumbled across Fun Spot in Kissimmee.  Well that 4 storey helix and massive drop at the end put a smile on his face about as wide as Texas.  And it was all I could do to stop the kid from lapping me he was zipping around so quick; of course he was just tall enough to drive, and about a quarter of my weight, so it was almost like running his cart empty.


pepperandchips said:


> All across the southeast US, legions of chick fil a fans are flabbergasted... While I could _probably_ live without chick fil a, I don't try. Especially for their yummy yummy breakfast biscuits. Never tried the platter... May have to check that out.
> 
> Maybe... Documenting all your trips and tips with photos and reports for hordes of adoring internet fans? Or at least some grateful Disers? Just a thought



I was sure to put in a good word with the big weather guy for you Gina!

I keep thinking that the chain should be Canadian - after all it's Chick fil eh!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Good grief woman, you're younger than I am (aren't you?). They haven't allowed smoking in banks in Ontario in how many years??
> 
> 
> Yeah, I tend to agree.   If we ever win Lotto 649, perhaps rather than buying a beachside condo I should just look for 50 more timeshare weeks .



No, I'm older...47.  The bank incident was when I was a teenager.  I was probably getting money out to buy records.

If I won 6/49 I'd be buying a LUX house on a waterway in Miami or Key West.  Now I currently have the winning ticket for tonight's Lotto Max so I'm going to shop for a house in Malibu, CA.  It's probably going to take the entire 60 million since it's only worth about a buck fifty American.


----------



## dancin Disney style

pepperandchips said:


> All across the southeast US, legions of chick fil a fans are flabbergasted... While I could _probably_ live without chick fil a, I don't try. Especially for their yummy yummy breakfast biscuits. Never tried the platter... May have to check that out.


I sooooo agree.   I dream of Chick-fil-A.   The closes one that we can get to is a 3 hour drive.....and yes, we have made the drive.


----------



## pigletto

We went to funspot on our trip last March. We didn't do the all day pass, but the boys really wanted to go on the Go Carts. They have some great tracks and ds11 just loved it.
I'm feeling the last day of vacation blues just reading about your last day Gina! I actually prefer an earlier flight home these days. I used to like to stretch the vacation to the bitter end until I realized we just moped all day. It's best for my group to get up and go. The only affordable non-stops for our return flight on our next trip were  Sunday at 6:50 a.am. or Sunday at   at 9:50 p.m.  6:50 is ugly early to be on a plane.So we'll have a check out day to plan to keep us busy too.


----------



## dancin Disney style

pigletto said:


> We went to funspot on our trip last March. We didn't do the all day pass, but the boys really wanted to go on the Go Carts. They have some great tracks and ds11 just loved it.
> I'm feeling the last day of vacation blues just reading about your last day Gina! I actually prefer an earlier flight home these days. I used to like to stretch the vacation to the bitter end until I realized we just moped all day. It's best for my group to get up and go. The only affordable non-stops for our return flight on our next trip were  Sunday at 6:50 a.am. or Sunday at   at 9:50 p.m.  6:50 is ugly early to be on a plane.So we'll have a check out day to plan to keep us busy too.


We're on the 10:10pm flight home next month. No idea how that's going work out. Given the choice we like to fly home around noonish.


----------



## chicagoshannon

What is that giant arch at Fun Spot?  We just arrived and it is light up in green but have no idea what it is for.  We also saw the Eye all lit up in red tonight.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pepperandchips said:


> All across the southeast US, legions of chick fil a fans are flabbergasted... While I could _probably_ live without chick fil a, I don't try. Especially for their yummy yummy breakfast biscuits. Never tried the platter... May have to check that out.
> 
> 
> Maybe... Documenting all your trips and tips with photos and reports for hordes of adoring internet fans? Or at least some grateful Disers? Just a thought



lol, Chick-fil-a wasn't bad, honest!!     It was just not fabulous.  But, part of our lack of enthusiasm was surely because (a) it was departure day, which makes us all a little blah at the best of times, and (b) we had eaten so much all week that food of ANY kind was lacking a lot of appeal.   Perhaps if we had visited at the beginning of our vacation rather than the end, we would have had a much different opinion!!

As for the Disboards karma....ya know, I'm just so plumb grateful that you guys all stick around to read my babble and indulge me in retelling some of our favourite moments in Orlando.  In the years where we were Florida virgins, we receive SO much help and good advice from the kind folks on these boards, I vowed that someday I would return the favour if at all possible.  It's such a great community here! 



Gr8t Fan said:


> Wow, Gina, your Fun Spot pictures take me waaaayyyy back.  We used to take our girls there when the Entertainment Books had a BOGO wristband offer and they always loved it.  Haven't been there since 2000 (I think).  Maybe when our WDW APs expire and we activate our US/IOA APs, we'll give Fun Spot a visit.  Sure looks like fun.



It was a surprisingly good time....better than we had anticipated!  I don't know what we were expecting, really, but for the price we paid, it was a really good value.  And with so few people there, it was quite a cool experience!



Vestmama4 said:


> When I saw you walking into Shamu Stadium we were also coming from the ice skating show (which we also loved.) There was a ton of people all around and it would have been easier to walk right into the stadium, but I asked my kids to walk a little out of the way on this side lighted path (it just looked so pretty.) No one else was doing this and it empty, but when we got near the end of the path there you were taking pictures of the path. I thought how nice it was that someone else thought it looked so pretty/taking photos of it and then thought you looked familiar. I went back and forth for a minute on if this was really you (I had recently read your trip reports/saw your pics) and what sealed it for me was looking up ahead while still walking and I saw your 2 tall boys in the crowd and then knew it was in fact you. My son was mortified that I said hello (being 12 I'm guessing this is typical lol) and when we met my husband and daughter after the show he told them all about it. That's part of my job right- to keep him on his toes and somewhat embarrassed  Anyway, it was great running into you. How funny I would see you in that massive crowd. Hope I didn't throw you totally off guard when I said hi!
> And I agree with the Miracles show; it was very touching and had me a bit teary. The saxophone player was amazing. And you didn't miss much with the Elmo show...it was perfect for a 6 and 1 year old.



Awe, that's so funny about your son!!    When I caught back up with Steve and Jake, they asked where I had disappeared to for a few moments.  I told them about our chance encounter, and Jake raised an eyebrow at me.  _"You know that's weird, don't you Mom?  That people recognize you out of the blue, when we're 3000 kilometers from home?"._  I said well, I don't find it weird at all .  Actually, I think its kind of cool!  To which he signed deeply and said _"Of course you don't.  Let me guess....this is going in your next trip report?".   _He knows me well  .

I was thrilled that you took the time to say hello.  Thrown off, yes....but only because it was totally unexpected at that moment, in all those people.  But very happy to meet you, even if only briefly!



Callie said:


> How much was the groupon for the fun spot?
> Reminds me a bit of the fairs around here.



We paid $33.25 each for the unlimited wristbands through Groupon.   Admission is regularly $51.95 pp.  I know they are being offered on Groupon again right now for $38.  You are correct, some of the rides are definitely the type you would enjoy at an old-fashioned country fair!



bankr63 said:


> Yes, but were they brave (er, stupid?) enough to try the Sky Coaster seen in the background here?  I love coasters, but anything that hurls me through the air on a rubber band is not on my "To Do" list.



Dear God, no!!    The guys like thrills, but there are always limits.  This definitely exceeds it.   Plus, I'm guessing there must be a weight maximum for this thing, and probably my Steve would exceed that  .  They both vetoed the mechanical bull at the Kissimmee location later that day.....but you'll have to wait for more on that  .



dancin Disney style said:


> No, I'm older...47.  The bank incident was when I was a teenager.  I was probably getting money out to buy records.
> 
> If I won 6/49 I'd be buying a LUX house on a waterway in Miami or Key West.  Now I currently have the winning ticket for tonight's Lotto Max so I'm going to shop for a house in Malibu, CA.  It's probably going to take the entire 60 million since it's only worth about a buck fifty American.



I'll be invited to the house warming party, right?   

And I'll be darned that you're my elder.  I definitely didn't see that coming  .



dancin Disney style said:


> I sooooo agree.   I dream of Chick-fil-A.   The closes one that we can get to is a 3 hour drive.....and yes, we have made the drive.



Is there not one in Buffalo?  That surprises me!



pigletto said:


> We went to funspot on our trip last March. We didn't do the all day pass, but the boys really wanted to go on the Go Carts. They have some great tracks and ds11 just loved it.
> I'm feeling the last day of vacation blues just reading about your last day Gina! I actually prefer an earlier flight home these days. I used to like to stretch the vacation to the bitter end until I realized we just moped all day. It's best for my group to get up and go. The only affordable non-stops for our return flight on our next trip were  Sunday at 6:50 a.am. or Sunday at   at 9:50 p.m.  6:50 is ugly early to be on a plane.So we'll have a check out day to plan to keep us busy too.



We have had those later flights for the last few trips now.  Just the way things worked out, not really what we had been aiming for.  But for April, we fly home at 10:30 am, so we'll need to be at the airport by 8:30-ish.....which is going to feel strange after three straight late afternoon or evening departures!!   The nice thing, though, is that we'll be home (and by home, I mean HOME....at our house, not just back in Canada) by early evening.  Nicer than having to crash for another night in Niagara like the last couple of vacations.



dancin Disney style said:


> We're on the 10:10pm flight home next month. No idea how that's going work out. Given the choice we like to fly home around noonish.



Yikes, that's going to be one late night (or shall I say early morning) for you.  Will you still drive home or will you bunk in Buffalo until morning?



chicagoshannon said:


> What is that giant arch at Fun Spot?  We just arrived and it is light up in green but have no idea what it is for.  We also saw the Eye all lit up in red tonight.



Pretty sure its the slingshot ride that you're seeing  .

I am glad you have arrived safely!!   How's the weather?  Warm or cool?


----------



## Callie

I use to hate the long drive home after flying home late at night....we usually decided to fly out of a larger airport to save money. Thankfully now when we fly since I've moved, its not as bad. I usually just have the drive to my sisters to get my car, and then home. Takes about an hour to 90 minutes.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I'll be invited to the house warming party, right?


You can come house shopping with me.



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> And I'll be darned that you're my elder.  I definitely didn't see that coming  .


Elder????   Barely 



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Is there not one in Buffalo?  That surprises me!


No...Erie, PA.  Makes for a good shopping weekend as there is no tax on clothes and shoes in PA.  Although, it's doubtful there will be any shopping weekends in the year or so to come.....darn loonie.



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Yikes, that's going to be one late night (or shall I say early morning) for you.  Will you still drive home or will you bunk in Buffalo until morning?


No kidding.   I've never had a flight into BUF past about 5pm. Arrived into YYZ many, many times between midnight and 2am but it's never been any big deal....grab the bags and then outside to a cab and home in 20 minutes.  Amazing how fast the cab drivers will speed along at 2am.  As in death defying.

That's the night we will stay at the Aloft.  There is no way that I'm driving home at that time.  DD will pass out once the car gets rolling so I would be on my own.  I just need to sort out parking for while we are away.  The hotel is booked on points so I'm going to call and ask them what they would charge me to leave my car there.  It would be nice to just get on the shuttle after the flight and go to the hotel rather than going to get the car and then going to the hotel.


----------



## toystoryduo

Wow! It sounds like you guys had a wonderful Christmas day at Sea World!  That was so nice of a fellow DIS-er to give you guys a behind the scenes tour! 

The Fun Spot pictures bring back memories! We haven't been there in years. Maybe we'll have to check it out during this year's trip.


----------



## Max and Ruby

Thank you Gina for your reports and tips. I have finally figured out how to finish registering online rather than just reading and wanted to thank you for tips over the last year.  We went to Sea World for the first time in June 2015 and thanks to your notice I was able to snag a BOGO Sea World/Aquatica AP.  We are going back over Easter to Sea World/Aquatica using that AP pass and Universal for first time.  Thanks to posters such as you and others, you really help newbies figure out the tricks and tips! 
Angela


----------



## chicagoshannon

The weather isn't great.  We did go swimming this morning.  We are at the Boardwalk for the night so the kids enjoyed the freaky clown slide.  It started raining around 11:30 and hasn't stopped.

Looks like we shouldn't get rain anymore this week and might even get back into the 70's by Friday.

After we check into our time share tomorrow, we might head to Sea World.  We will be in the Marriott World Center complex so pretty close to Sea World.


----------



## disneyAndi14

Enjoyed your Seaworld adventures on Christmas Day, departure day is always sad but very nice you had time to still enjoy another adventure before your flight.  We did the Polar Express 3 years ago at Seaworld and really enjoyed it as well.  We were there November 2012 so the penguin exhibit was not quite done so nice to see your pictures.


----------



## grantclaire

Gina, nice way to spend your last day! Usually we have a 2pm flight home so need to be at the airport around Noon.  If we are at the Vistana's we sometimes check out and hang out at the pools for a hour.  It can be a sad day for sure!


----------



## pattyw

Wonderful trip report as usual!!  So sad it's ending.  Do you have a pre trip report for your next journey??  I 'd love to do a trip report sometime- I'm just not good with the documentation and pictures and don't think I'd be very engaging to others as you are!!


----------



## Monykalyn

chicagoshannon said:


> The weather isn't great.  We did go swimming this morning.  We are at the Boardwalk for the night so the kids enjoyed the freaky clown slide.  It started raining around 11:30 and hasn't stopped.
> 
> Looks like we shouldn't get rain anymore this week and might even get back into the 70's by Friday.
> 
> After we check into our time share tomorrow, we might head to Sea World.  We will be in the *Marriott World Center* complex so pretty close to Sea World.


We were at Sabal Palms last year-love the MWC new pools/slides etc! Hopefully you get some sun to enjoy them

 

For you Gina! My son's Valentine day box for his classroom.  He heads off to intermediate school next year so I figure this is the last year we will have to decorate boxes for class party...


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Callie said:


> I use to hate the long drive home after flying home late at night....we usually decided to fly out of a larger airport to save money. Thankfully now when we fly since I've moved, its not as bad. I usually just have the drive to my sisters to get my car, and then home. Takes about an hour to 90 minutes.



Oh, so jealous!!  Even if we flew from Toronto, we have a 2 hour plus commute home.   One of the pitfalls of living in small town Canada  .



dancin Disney style said:


> You can come house shopping with me.



I'm going to hold you to that .

Which reminds me.....we haven't checked our Lotto 649 numbers from last night!



toystoryduo said:


> Wow! It sounds like you guys had a wonderful Christmas day at Sea World!  That was so nice of a fellow DIS-er to give you guys a behind the scenes tour!
> 
> The Fun Spot pictures bring back memories! We haven't been there in years. Maybe we'll have to check it out during this year's trip.



If you decide to add on Fun Spot, consider picking up your tickets via Groupon.  Add in the discounted rate through Groupon plus any sale that they regularly run (20% off local deals, 25% off for two days only, etc.) and you can really get a great price!



Max and Ruby said:


> Thank you Gina for your reports and tips. I have finally figured out how to finish registering online rather than just reading and wanted to thank you for tips over the last year.  We went to Sea World for the first time in June 2015 and thanks to your notice I was able to snag a BOGO Sea World/Aquatica AP.  We are going back over Easter to Sea World/Aquatica using that AP pass and Universal for first time.  Thanks to posters such as you and others, you really help newbies figure out the tricks and tips!
> Angela



A big  to you....both to my report, and to the Disboards themselves!  So glad to have you reading and posting with us!

I am so happy that my reports have been helpful to you and your family.   You have some great parks lined up for your Easter trip....I hope you all have a blast! 



chicagoshannon said:


> The weather isn't great.  We did go swimming this morning.  We are at the Boardwalk for the night so the kids enjoyed the freaky clown slide.  It started raining around 11:30 and hasn't stopped.
> 
> Looks like we shouldn't get rain anymore this week and might even get back into the 70's by Friday.
> 
> After we check into our time share tomorrow, we might head to Sea World.  We will be in the Marriott World Center complex so pretty close to Sea World.



Well, shoot.  I hope the weather improves, and the rain and moves out for sunshine and warmth.  Thinking sunny thoughts for you!! 

Did you decide to visit SeaWorld?  If so, I hope you had fun!!



disneyAndi14 said:


> Enjoyed your Seaworld adventures on Christmas Day, departure day is always sad but very nice you had time to still enjoy another adventure before your flight.  We did the Polar Express 3 years ago at Seaworld and really enjoyed it as well.  We were there November 2012 so the penguin exhibit was not quite done so nice to see your pictures.



Thank you!! 



grantclaire said:


> Gina, nice way to spend your last day! Usually we have a 2pm flight home so need to be at the airport around Noon.  If we are at the Vistana's we sometimes check out and hang out at the pools for a hour.  It can be a sad day for sure!



That's our timing preference, too.  For some reason though, all the nonstops with Jetblue back to Buffalo or Syracuse are either early or quite late.   Our May flight home is early (there was also a late option), but it looks like there's only one non-stop for October....so we're back to a late flight again whether we want to be or not!!



pattyw said:


> Wonderful trip report as usual!!  So sad it's ending.  Do you have a pre trip report for your next journey??  I 'd love to do a trip report sometime- I'm just not good with the documentation and pictures and don't think I'd be very engaging to others as you are!!



Aw, thank you for the kind comments!!! 

You know, you might be better at a trip report than you think .  The hardest part is getting started.  After that, things tend to flow pretty easily!



Monykalyn said:


> We were at Sabal Palms last year-love the MWC new pools/slides etc! Hopefully you get some sun to enjoy them
> 
> View attachment 149996
> 
> For you Gina! My son's Valentine day box for his classroom.  He heads off to intermediate school next year so I figure this is the last year we will have to decorate boxes for class party...



Love, love, LOVE that minions Velentine's box!     Gosh, I miss those fun days sometimes  .  Our kids really do grow up too quickly.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*December 26th, part 2 :*







One of the things at Fun Spot that I had scoped out prior to our visit was the brand new Gator Spot which opened earlier in the year (May 11th, to be very specific).  Being a huge gator lover, this was definitely on my radar as a place to visit, despite the fact that it was a small upcharge over and above regular admission to the park....somewhere around $6 per person.







Gator Spot is a joint venture between Fun Spot America and the good folks at Gatorland, bringing a little bit of authentic Florida to the tourist district on International Drive.  Having very much enjoyed our Gatorland visit at Christmas 2012 (and after also seeing the gator area in the atrium at Gaylord Palms on that trip, another Gatorland-sponsored initiative) we knew that this little side attraction would also be done up right .







Well, it *was* a small upcharge....but apparently, no longer.  When we had arrived earlier that morning, we were delighted to see that Fun Spot was now including entry to Gator Spot with the purchase of an all-day wristband, which meant our Groupons now also entitled us to free admission to this brand-new attraction!   I love happy surprises .


Even though it was now mid-day, this area was completely empty save for our little trio so we had the chance to explore and poke around with nary another soul in sight, with the exception of the Gator Spot staff.  I don’t know why, but this sign really tickled my funny bone.







Gator Spot featured an assortment of gators in every size imaginable.....from tiny babies to the massive and more unique.



























Gator food and animal photos (holding either a small gator or one of their exotic snakes) were both available for a small fee, around $5 each.  I briefly contemplated the gator pic, but with the rotten luck we'd had with our photo purchases so far on this trip (and the fact that we were leaving later that evening, so no time remained to work out any more picture kinks), we decided to take a pass.

















One of the famous and more notable residents of Gator Spot was "Harvey", the alligator who had been rescued from the New York City sewer system.







Harvey and his girlfriend, Lois, had their own special pad all to themselves, and were rather content as they lounged in their own private pool.







While Harvey and his lady love were certainly one of the special features of this attraction, the big celebrity housed here is Bouya, the gigantic (and rare) white alligator.












Legend has it that good luck will come to those who stare into his pale eyes.  While we are not much into the luck and superstition kind of stuff, well....when in Rome, do what the Romans do, right?   So we stopped.  And we stared .  I’ll let you know how that works for us. 







He was rather a creepy, odd fellow.  Maybe it was his colouring....it just seemed so wrong.  


In addition to the reptilian residents, Gator Spot also features some exotic birds, none of whom spoke (unlike the feathered friends at Wild Florida) but all of whom were exceptionally pretty.












All in all, a GREAT little _attraction-within-an-attraction_ and super enjoyable for gator fans like me.  We were glad it was included in regular admission.....if we had had to pay for entry as we had originally anticipated, we may have been a tad let down as the area is pretty small....but as part of your Fun Spot entry, it’s an excellent feature .


Since it was now stifling hot and we were all getting a little hungry, we grabbed one last photo for the road.....







...and embarked in search of lunch.  We put the decision for this final lunch into Jake’s hands, and he was quick to name the one restaurant that remained on his wish list:







*“YUMMMMMMMMMMM!”  *


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## ArwenMarie

Cute story of that NY gator...what a lucky guy! Ended up retiring to a nice sunny pad in Florida, every New Yorker's dream


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

ArwenMarie said:


> Cute story of that NY gator...what a lucky guy! Ended up retiring to a nice sunny pad in Florida, every New Yorker's dream



No kidding!!  You can make that every Canadian's dream too.  Well, *this* Canadian's dream, anyway .


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## Lynne G

Cute.  That alligator place was not there the time we went several years ago.

Just returned from a good dinner at red robin.  We always enjoy that place as it opened much closer to us last year.

Last days are always bittersweet,  especially when you had a great vacation.

Follow on.


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## pigletto

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> No kidding!!  You can make that every Canadian's dream too.  Well, *this* Canadian's dream, anyway .


Me too! Actually my parents are headed down soon to look at some real estate  in the Clearwater/St Petes area to spend the winters! So while dh and I are a long way from being snowbirds ourselves, it's looking like we will have my parents to visit every winter! They are looking for 3 bedroom places so potentially their kids and grandkids can come all the time. There are 6 kids and 3 grandkids so I can see it being a busy place .

Now back to your trip report... I would have run away from the white alligator! And can you imagine having an alligator in the basement of your high school?


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> Cute.  That alligator place was not there the time we went several years ago.
> 
> Just returned from a good dinner at red robin.  We always enjoy that place as it opened much closer to us last year.
> 
> Last days are always bittersweet,  especially when you had a great vacation.
> 
> Follow on.



Surprisingly, my emotions stayed nicely in check on this going-home day.  I have no idea why....perhaps the fact that we had been blessed with three trips in 2015 had allowed me to get better at departure days (practice makes perfect).  Perhaps it was because I had my emotional crash on Christmas Eve instead.  Maybe it was knowing we'd all be back as a family again in April (which wasn't that far off).  It might have been partly because we planned well for this day. I really don't know, but it was far less emotionally painful than normal, which was soooo nice.



pigletto said:


> Me too! Actually my parents are headed down soon to look at some real estate  in the Clearwater/St Petes area to spend the winters! So while dh and I are a long way from being snowbirds ourselves, it's looking like we will have my parents to visit every winter! They are looking for 3 bedroom places so potentially their kids and grandkids can come all the time. There are 6 kids and 3 grandkids so I can see it being a busy place .
> 
> Now back to your trip report... I would have run away from the white alligator! And can you imagine having an alligator in the basement of your high school?



Your parents are THE BEST!  Didn't they buy the cottage up north as well?   Those are some awesome experiences they are providing for their extended family members......I hope to do the same for my grandkids someday  .

As for the alligator in the high school basement....I can't imagine.  There was a bear that waltzed into town once, right past the elementary and secondary school windows (the two buildings were across the street from each other), and that caused a stir that people talked about for months.  An alligator would have given our school board trustees cause to  .


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Red Robin is another one of those American chains that has yet to make its move into our little corner of the Canadian north.  When we saw that a new location had opened in Orlando earlier this year, we were eager to give it a try….their TV commercials (which we saw regularly on the multitude of US stations that we get through our cable provider) had easily lured us in.  Steve and I visited on our couples trip in May, but for those who have read that trip report you will remember that our first experience was a bit of a bust.  Service was painfully slow (enough that we may have just starved to death before our entrees arrived had we not had the foresight to order an appetizer to share) and “Chris”, the young fellow who was assigned to our table, completely misinformed me on the spiciness of a specific sauce (even when I specifically inquired and clearly stated that I am spice averse) which resulted in us sending back my meal and me leaving hungry.







Not a good first impression . 


That said, I am well aware that some very wonderful places still have bad days from time to time.  Steve really enjoyed his burger that day, so we didn’t write off this restaurant as a “never again” type of place (honestly, I think the only restaurant in Orlando that has been awarded that dubious distinction by our family is Pinocchio Village Haus at MK….awful, just awful! ).  When Jake said he wanted to give it a whirl, I had no problems returning…..though if “Chris” happened to be our server again on this day, I was asking to move tables .








When we arrived, the restaurant was only half-full so we were seated immediately in a spacious booth and greeted warmly by a very bubbly young female server named Ali.  Considering the heat and humidity of the day (and the fact that we had polluted our bodies for an entire week with soft drinks and milkshakes), we all requested waters with lots of ice for beverages.  We also ordered an appetizer to share, which Ali put in for us right away while allowing us a few extra moments to decide on our entrees.


I would not be ordering anything with Buzz sauce on it this time, that was for sure!! 


Ali returned a few minutes later to take our meal choices, and not long afterward she emerged from the kitchen with a towering display of fried oniony goodness.







When it was just the two of us in May, we opted for a half sized order of this item, and after seeing the size of the full sized portion it was a wise decision indeed!  This thing was MASSIVE!    Easily shareable between the three of us, and certainly splittable even between a table of 4.  They were hot, crispy, and super flavourful, and we all gave the rings a big thumbs up .  The guys loved the two dipping sauces, too.


The seemingly endless delay between the last bite of appetizer and the arrival of our entrees which we experienced in May was not the case on this visit, and very soon after the onion ring tower was cleared from the table, Ali reappeared (still as perky and happy as she was when we arrived) with our meals in tow.  Jake had chosen the BBQ Chicken burger with herbed garlic fries:







After much deep consideration…..so many burgers, so little time!  ....Steve opted for the “Big Pig Out Tavern Burger” (hey, I guess if you can’t pig out on your last day of vacation, when can you? ), also with the herbed garlic fries:







I played it safe this time:  a basket of Clucks, barbecue sauce on the side, with herbed garlic fries:







Every single item….delicious!  


Hot, fresh, big portions, and oh-so-tasty.  As a general rule, I’m not a huge fan of steak fries (they’re usually a little potato-y for my liking) but these were cooked really, really nicely….and the garlic and herb seasoning was super good.  Another thing about Red Robin that’s rather interesting….the fries are bottomless.  For anyone whom the Big Pig Out isn’t quite enough on its own, they will keep the fries comin’ until your tummy is completely full.


None of us wanted dessert right then, so Ali danced back to our table with our bill in hand:  $46.27, including taxes, excluding tip.  She gave us some really great service, so we rewarded her well.  This time, I could honestly say I would not only _*return*_ to Red Robin, but I could also *recommend* it to others.  Sometimes its very much worth giving a business a second chance .


We still had a few hours to burn before we began our sombre commute to the airport, so we decided to make our way to Kissimmee to check out the other Fun Spot location with our all-day wristbands….but not before checking out a couple of the new gift shops adjacent to Red Robin.  We picked up some finally souvenirs for friends back home (Jake decided he wanted to take Sunshine’s parents and siblings back a couple of small items) then next stop was Fun Spot #2!


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## Callie

We had a red robin open up down the street from my apartment finally. Before we'd have to travel 20 minutes or so.
Their rootbeer floats are also bottomless and oh my goodness! Our server was awesome, and brought me mine, and then a refill so my sister could enjoy. Great value!
Just wish the burgers were a little cheaper.

I hope you didn't see any snakes at Gator Spot!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Red Robin looks really good, is this on international drive? You're certainly making the most of your last day


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Callie said:


> We had a red robin open up down the street from my apartment finally. Before we'd have to travel 20 minutes or so.
> Their rootbeer floats are also bottomless and oh my goodness! Our server was awesome, and brought me mine, and then a refill so my sister could enjoy. Great value!
> Just wish the burgers were a little cheaper.
> 
> I hope you didn't see any snakes at Gator Spot!



You know what I can't understand?  With places like Red Robin, Steak & Shake, Culvers (in the northern states), and all the other decent burger joints....how on earth does McDonald's stay in business?

Bottomless floats?!?!  Thank the Lord we missed that!!!  (though the kids want to go there in April.....Jake is eager to introduce Sunshine to one of his new favourites)

The only snakes we saw at Gator Spot were safely behind glass.....and I refused to photograph them on a matter of principle!!   



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Red Robin looks really good, is this on international drive? You're certainly making the most of your last day



Yes ma'am, right up by the Orlando Eye and Kings Bowl. Tons of free parking and super easy to get to!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Driving to Kissimmee, we noticed that traffic was picking up substantially as we neared the turn at the intersection of the 535 & 192.   The eerily quiet morning we experienced at Fun Spot on International Drive looked as if it was giving way to a much busier afternoon .


Pulling onto the side street where Fun Spot America is located, we were immediately greeted by a MASS of cars…in the parking lot, along the roadway...in every single spot there was.  Fun Spot was *buzzing *with visitors, and apparently every one of them had driven there!    We searched and searched for a  space to park the Equinox (surely there must be ONE available spot?  Someone must soon be leaving, right?) but alas, there was nothing .


We pondered what to do.  This conundrum was not in the plans .


I suggested we formulate a plan over a Krispy Kreme donut.  Many a great idea has been borne from a sugar rush .  Steve happily wheeled the SUV around and we were parked in the Krispy Kreme lot within a scant few minutes.  We kept our self-control about us this time, only ordering 4 donuts (the boys had the original glazed, while I indulged in my last Chocolate Kreme until April…total cost $3.92 with tax) and just as I suspected, we came up with an alternate plan as the last fingers were being licked clean:


Pirates Cove was nearly  next door, just across the side street from Fun Spot (with plenty of parking, no less…..but not for Fun Spot patrons!!).   A little exercise would do us all a world of good before we were cooped up on a plane for the evening .


As we headed back to the SUV, Jake’s phone rang and he noted that it was my brother calling.  They had been on their way home earlier that morning, so checking the time (I noted it was almost 3 pm) I concluded that they must have landed safely and were calling to let us know.  Jake answered the phone, and in a rather odd move, Dean immediately asked Jake if he could speak with me.  Now, this is odd because Jake and Dean are best buddies…..and they enjoy nothing more than teasing the crap out of each other on a constant basis.  Having him pass on an opportunity to razz his nephew was out of character….so I wondered what was wrong.  Call it sister’s intuition .


Sure enough, I was right on the mark.  While they had arrived back in Buffalo from Tampa safe and sound (and had made their way across the border and were now enroute to home), it wasn’t without issues.  Apparently they had a significant sum of unspent US cash in his fiance’s purse, which made its way through the security scanner and was picked up on the other side.  Their actual security line, however, was not immediately adjacent to the scanner (which baffled me….but I’ve never flown from Tampa so perhaps their set-up is different than the ones we have experienced in the past) so they couldn’t actually monitor or see the purse as it was spit out on the other side of the TSA scanning belt.  When they passed through security and went to collect their carry-ons and personal belongings, the purse was open and the envelope of money was gone (more than $600).  He spoke with a TSA staff member at the airport, who basically told him it sucks to be you.  He wanted to know if I thought there was any use of him reporting it to the police, and I told him no….he was very discouraged, but I honestly felt it was going to be a waste of his time.  How could he *prove *he had any specific amount of cash with him? 


By the time we hung up with Dean, we were long since parked in the Pirates Cove lot.  Much as my heart broke from my big bro, it was time to shake off the negativity of his situation (we couldn’t change it…..no use bemoaning it ourselves for the remainder of our day) and hit the green.  He wouldn't have wanted us to end our day on a sour note, either.












The sparkling blue sky of the morning was starting to give way to some serious cloud cover.  It was still mightily hot and humid, but a little more manageable without the searing effects of the sun.












We had golfed on other Pirates Cove courses in the past (one in Wisconsin Dells, one on International Drive, and the Crossroads location too) but this was our first visit to the one in Kissimmee.  While it was nicely themed and immaculately maintained, it didn’t seem to be as_ intensely_ themed or elaborate as some of the other locations.  It was a little more subdued and felt a tad more “open” and sprawling.












We used a BOGO coupon from the Entertainment Book, so one of our admissions was completely free  (savings us a cool $12.99).  We only had time for one course, though, so we had to make the tough decision…..







Eenie meenie miney mo:  this is the one we eventually chose…..












Final bragging rights of this trip were on the line…..this is officially serious stuff .  My guys had their game faces on .

















The entire course was well themed and mildly challenging without being too tough.  There were very few people there as well….strange when Fun Spot across the way was PACKED!  






















While the score was within 4 strokes, Jake happily managed to emerge the victor.  After dropping off our balls and putters, I forced my two scoundrels into a punishment fit for the surliest of pirates:







*More to come!*


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## ArwenMarie

Bummer on the cash. I think that's pretty common unfortunately, or more common than it should be (TSA stealing stuff). That's a lot of money to lose though and just being stolen from, ugh.

Great day though, you guys are still going and making the most of it!


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## pigletto

Oh that's terrible about the money. I don't doubt it for a second though. I learned the hard way to not leave expensive sunglasses on the top of my luggage . They walked away too. What scares me about your brothers scenario is it's not like he left it in checked luggage, he pretty much stayed with it as long as he was allowed and it should have only been out of sight for a second. What else is someone supposed to do to? Sigh. That will leave a sour taste in his mouth when he thinks of that trip I am sure. 

On to the happier portion of your review, those fries at Red Robin look like my perfect french fry!! I have added Red Robin to the list for May based on those pictures. I have some American friends who like it a lot and mention it often as well.

Funny about the second fun spot being so full when the other was dead. Clearly more people in Kissimmee that day! Good call by the bo-bina family to hit the other one.

And Yay for Pirates cove. We all went to one in Lake Placid last time the extended family was there. They are cute. I've been tempted by the one on IDrive a few times as we drove past but haven't stopped yet.

I'm mopey that your trip report is coming to an end but looking forward to jump into the pre tip planning with you for May!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

That just reminded me of a programme on Miami airport where it was common for other passengers to steal items coming through the security scanners while the owners were still coming through from the other side. Most of it was caught on security cameras so it's a shame they couldn't do anything more to help your brother.


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## dixonsontour

Seaworld looked fantastic we went ealy December before DD was school age and it was lovely with all the xmas decorations.

You had a very active boxing day. Mine was the more traditional lounge around the house and eat leftovers.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

ArwenMarie said:


> Bummer on the cash. I think that's pretty common unfortunately, or more common than it should be (TSA stealing stuff). That's a lot of money to lose though and just being stolen from, ugh.
> 
> Great day though, you guys are still going and making the most of it!



I felt so awful for him....especially since it was his first trip to Florida.  He hasn't made a big deal of it (he's a pretty low-key guy, and not generally one to complain), but I'm certain its affected his overall opinion of his vacation.   

It's certainly a good reminder to the rest of us, though, to be super careful when travelling with large amounts of cash .



pigletto said:


> Oh that's terrible about the money. I don't doubt it for a second though. I learned the hard way to not leave expensive sunglasses on the top of my luggage . They walked away too. What scares me about your brothers scenario is it's not like he left it in checked luggage, he pretty much stayed with it as long as he was allowed and it should have only been out of sight for a second. What else is someone supposed to do to? Sigh. That will leave a sour taste in his mouth when he thinks of that trip I am sure.
> 
> On to the happier portion of your review, those fries at Red Robin look like my perfect french fry!! I have added Red Robin to the list for May based on those pictures. I have some American friends who like it a lot and mention it often as well.
> 
> Funny about the second fun spot being so full when the other was dead. Clearly more people in Kissimmee that day! Good call by the bo-bina family to hit the other one.
> 
> And Yay for Pirates cove. We all went to one in Lake Placid last time the extended family was there. They are cute. I've been tempted by the one on IDrive a few times as we drove past but haven't stopped yet.
> 
> I'm mopey that your trip report is coming to an end but looking forward to jump into the pre tip planning with you for May!



As much as Red Robin was certainly pricer than places like Steak & Shake, we didn't find it to be crazy unreasonable.   Our entrees were all around the $10 mark, which is pretty decent when the fries are bottomless and the burgers were quite large.  Definitely good value and much, much better quality than your average burger joint!  Be sure to get those onion rings.....yummmmmmm!  

I'm sad that this report is drawing to a close, too.  I think I'll probably start a PTR for April/May as soon as I wrap this one up completely.   There's so much planning going on lately!!  I just bought our October flights yesterday (well, one half of them.....we could only buy the way there until Steve confirms how many holidays he can take at one time, which he hopes to have verified by Wednesday or so this week.  We're trying to make this one a two-week vacation on our shoestring budget....dang that Canadian dollar!!  ).  Hopefully I'll have our October flights home purchased by the end of this week, at the latest.   We're trying to put the finishing touches on the April/May itinerary too, since its sneaking up quick.  Only 75 days to go!!! 



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> That just reminded me of a programme on Miami airport where it was common for other passengers to steal items coming through the security scanners while the owners were still coming through from the other side. Most of it was caught on security cameras so it's a shame they couldn't do anything more to help your brother.



That's what he was hoping, too....but no luck.  They didn't even seem to want to try  .  I guess they probably become immune to the complaints....they probably get a ridiculous amount of people claiming similar losses (justified or not).



dixonsontour said:


> Seaworld looked fantastic we went ealy December before DD was school age and it was lovely with all the xmas decorations.
> 
> You had a very active boxing day. Mine was the more traditional lounge around the house and eat leftovers.



SeaWorld at Christmas is just spectacular....simply my favourite place to spend the holidays!

I must drop over to the Uni board and catch up on your report.  I know I am a bit behind on your updates!!


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## pepperandchips

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> We're trying to put the finishing touches on the April/May itinerary too, since its sneaking up quick. Only 75 days to go!!!


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## Callie

I would have reported it to the police. The TSA screening area is heavily recorded on security camera. They could have likely caught on video the thief. Not sure if they could have tracked him down, but if it was internal by the TSA... Terrible way to end a vacation!


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## Callie

When are you going in May,?


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Callie said:


> I would have reported it to the police. The TSA screening area is heavily recorded on security camera. They could have likely caught on video the thief. Not sure if they could have tracked him down, but if it was internal by the TSA... Terrible way to end a vacation!



I wish I had known more about how security works at the airport....I would have been able to advise him so much better.



Callie said:


> When are you going in May,?



Our spring dates are April 24th to May 3rd.   We're squeezing one last Universal trip in before our AP's expire on May 1st, and getting some extra mileage from our Seaworld and Aquatica AP's .


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## KSL

Yet another DISer coming out of lurkdom here...! 

Gina, chiming in with the masses to say how great your trip reports are!  Very well-written with the perfect mix of humor and honesty, and lots of excellent tips for those planning trips.  You are great to respond to everyone's comments and provide thoughtful feedback.  The banter between other posters is great fun and I've really enjoyed reading along.  Thank you for all the time and energy you put into creating these!  

Also wanted to mention that Groupon Orlando currently has a deal on Fun Spot America!  Regular price of $51.95 marked down to $38 for all-day admission plus entry to Gator Spot.  Hope some of you who were looking for this can grab it!

Going back a bit, I love the idea of a Niagara Dismeet this summer!    Seriously, can someone get the ball rolling on planning this?  I probably am not the best since I do not know the area, but would be happy to help if I could.  We live in upstate NY and have been meaning to get our girls to Niagara Falls for years.  This could be the summer we actually do it!

Also, if there are any plans for Dismeet during Gina's April trip, please let me know as it would be fun to meet up even briefly.  I will be there April 24th through 29th.  We're staying at the Poly DVC and I'm taking my soon-to-be-16-year-old as a birthday celebration and we'll be traveling _without her sisters_.  I do feel a tad guilty about this and also a little worried I'm setting precedent that they will each get to go for their Sweet 16's but am ignoring that for now in favor of relishing the anticipation of an upcoming trip.  

I'll be watching for an April pre-TR!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

KSL said:


> Yet another DISer coming out of lurkdom here...!
> 
> Gina, chiming in with the masses to say how great your trip reports are!  Very well-written with the perfect mix of humor and honesty, and lots of excellent tips for those planning trips.  You are great to respond to everyone's comments and provide thoughtful feedback.  The banter between other posters is great fun and I've really enjoyed reading along.  Thank you for all the time and energy you put into creating these!
> 
> Also wanted to mention that Groupon Orlando currently has a deal on Fun Spot America!  Regular price of $51.95 marked down to $38 for all-day admission plus entry to Gator Spot.  Hope some of you who were looking for this can grab it!
> 
> Going back a bit, I love the idea of a Niagara Dismeet this summer!    Seriously, can someone get the ball rolling on planning this?  I probably am not the best since I do not know the area, but would be happy to help if I could.  We live in upstate NY and have been meaning to get our girls to Niagara Falls for years.  This could be the summer we actually do it!
> 
> Also, if there are any plans for Dismeet during Gina's April trip, please let me know as it would be fun to meet up even briefly.  I will be there April 24th through 29th.  We're staying at the Poly DVC and I'm taking my soon-to-be-16-year-old as a birthday celebration and we'll be traveling _without her sisters_.  I do feel a tad guilty about this and also a little worried I'm setting precedent that they will each get to go for their Sweet 16's but am ignoring that for now in favor of relishing the anticipation of an upcoming trip.
> 
> I'll be watching for an April pre-TR!



 KSL!  So glad to have you along! 

I agree that we should soon try and set a potential date for a Dismeet in the summer.  I know I have to find out how many holidays Steve has left after our April and October trips are factored in before I can commit to anything firm.  I wonder what is best for most folks?  Late June?  Or July/August?  This is definitely a good summer for American visitors, as you'll be visiting Canada at one significant discount.  A low Canadian dollar is good new for US guests!! 

I am totally up for a Dismeet in April  .  I hope to start a PTR soon....maybe even later this week....after I finalize a few things on my tentative itinerary.  Were you thinking of meeting up during the day, or for drinks somewhere in the evening?  I am sure could lure Steve to the Poly if he knows there's a Dole Whip in it for him  .

I will be sure to post the link to the PTR here once it gets started!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*All good things come to an end….and usually it happens much sooner than you want them to.*


After we wrapped up our golf game, we still had another 45 minutes or so before we had to make our way to the airport.  Since we already had passes to Fun Spot that we could use (if we wanted), I asked the attendants at the Pirates Cove store if we could leave our vehicle where it was currently sitting in their lot while we blew what little time we had left a Fun Spot.  They knew we had paid for our round of golf, and immediately assured us that it was no problem at all.  So, as the sky grew more cloudy with each passing minute, we strolled across the street.







We really didn’t do much here…..the reality of “it’s over” started to hit us all, I think, and we just wanted nothing more than to stroll around and soak up the atmosphere.


Our vacation was ending, but we had enjoyed an incredible week together.  Christmas had passed, but we had made so many happy memories and had such a ton of fun.  By later that night, we’d be back to our cold Canadian winter climate, but we had enjoyed more warmth, sunshine and pleasant weather  over the past seven days than we could have ever hoped we would be blessed with on a winter trip.  It was all a little bittersweet .







They had many of the same rides at the Kissimmee location as we had seen earlier in the day on I-Drive, but there were a few differences as well.  One of the most unique features of the Kissimmee park was a mechanical bull.  I believe this was an extra cost over and above the all-day wristbands, and I know that participants had to sign a waiver before riding.  Neither of my guys felt any burning desire to give it a try (Steve’s first comment _was “Well, isn’t that just a vacation ruiner right there!  I would throw my back out in the first 15 seconds!_) but we did enjoy watching other people give it a whirl…..except for the family who thought it was okay to let a little fellow (who was all of six years old) give it a go.  As soon as that bull started bucking, he was in tears .  My heart broke for the little guy as his eyes widened in panic as the speed and intensity increased.







We checked out the arcade and Jake tried his hand at the three point hoops game, but eventually it was time to hit the washrooms and return to the Equinox.  Knowing we would have traffic to the airport to contend with, it was time to leave.


Following the GPS directions to the airport via the I4, we soon found ourselves in a traffic snarl where we were barely moving and we started to fear that continuing on this route would potentially make us late for our flight…..crowds were supposed to be substantial at MCO and we knew we’d need more time than the customary _90-minute-before-your-flight_ arrival.  The backlog continued as far as the eye could see, so we made the split decision to get off the highway at the next exit and go the roundabout way to the airport, utilizing the wonderful and amazing Daryl Carter Parkway that had been a lifesaver so many times on this trip.   A genius move, it was clear sailing the remainder of the way.  We dropped off the rental to Budget, collected our luggage from the trunk, and checked our baggage at the Jetblue counter.  We considered grabbing some dinner in the food court before security (which is our normal custom) but something seemed to tell us that perhaps dinner should wait.  What a good decision that was…..







Oh. My. Gosh .  Thousands of people in a whirlwind of complete and utter chaos.  TSA workers were herding travellers into lines and trying desperately to clear a walking path, but despite their best efforts it was just a mess.  Our hearts broke for the families with small children, all of whom were restless and tired and growing more impatient during the endless wait.  Several folks were visibly distraught as they feared they may not make it to their gate in time for boarding.  We thought of the traffic jam on the I4, and wondered how many folks would arrive late to begin with, only to be hit by yet another delay at security.  We reminisced about our favourite trip moments as we inched our way closer to the TSA staff, and happily remarked that we really did okay to not to be plagued by crowds or traffic until this final afternoon and early evening.  After what seemed like forever, we had our passports scanned and our boarding passes stamped, then it was round two through the endless lines to the baggage and people scanners.  We heaved a sigh of relief as we put our shoes and belts back on and collected our carry-ons and personal items from the conveyor belt.


We caught the tram to the other terminal and as we zipped down the track, we noticed it was raining.   That made me a little sad, but was strangely appropriate.  It was as if Orlando was having the little cry that I wanted to indulge in right at that moment .


Once we were settled in at our gate, Steve and Jake went in search of dinner.  We would be served unlimited snacks on the plane, but we weren’t scheduled to land until nearly 11 pm and we knew we didn’t want to be searching for any major food items at that hour.  Pickings were reasonably slim in that section of the airport, so our last meal in Orlando was from Burger King :  3 combos (2 chicken and one Whopper) came to $27.34 with tax.  Nothing was photo-worthy, so the camera stayed put.  We all ate our burgers but tossed the bulk of our fries…..not that they weren’t good, we just weren’t feelin’ it.


We had the awesome opportunity for another Dismeet at our gate, as @greenclan67  and her family happened to be on the same flight back to Buffalo as we were .  It was great to finally put a face to a name and online personality, and we had a wonderful time swapping stories about our respective Christmas vacations.   We got to see the infamous man-o-war sting up close and in person , and Jake renewed his personal vow to never step foot in the ocean ever again  (now he didn't just have sharks to fear, he also had jellyfish to worry about!!).  The conversation was entertaining and a great mood lifter, and before we knew it, it was time to board.


It was a dark, smooth, quiet flight home.  Jetblue gave everyone free movies, which was a nice gesture.  We were all sleepy as we heard the announcement that the pilots were preparing for our final descent.  It was POURING rain as we landed.


Collecting our luggage was quick and painless (one of the reasons I love, love, LOVE flying from tiny airports like Buffalo and Syracuse ) and we shared the shuttle back to the hotel with the greenclan67 family.  Arriving back at the hotel, I stopped at the front desk to wrap up a loose end or two (they had failed to process the refund to my credit card, as promised at check out, following our disastrous pot-smoking park-and-fly stay a week prior) while Jake and Steve collected the Journey from the secure lot and loaded up our luggage.  We purchased beverages and bagels at Tim Hortons next to the hotel, and made the short drive back to Niagara Falls.  It was after midnight by this point, so the Duty Free was closed (boo…..no cheap alcohol for us ) but the border crossing was virtually deserted .  A few quick questions and we were on our way to the Country Inn & Suites.







We had stayed at this property before (on multiple occasions) so we knew exactly what to expect.   It has always been spotlessly clean and reasonably quite, despite being very close to the Rainbow Bridge and the Clifton Hill tourist district.  We were exhausted as we walked into the foyer, and I’m sure it showed.  The front desk attendant was marvellous at getting us into our room as quickly as possible, and we literally dropped everything and went straight to bed .  The hotel was mercifully silent and we slept like rocks.







In the morning, we roused ourselves as early as we could muster, showered, and enjoyed a great hot breakfast from the included buffet which was offered on the main level of the hotel.   We were feeling reflective and anti-social so we brought trays back to our room and enjoyed our morning meal in the privacy of our one bedroom suite.  After checking out, we picked up coffees through the nearest Tim Hortons drive thru (okay, so maybe there was ONE good thing about being home!) and headed to  Steve’s cousin’s home in Scarborough where a Christmas feast and a selection of wonderful family members were anxiously waiting to welcome us home and celebrate the festive season.   By late afternoon, with doggie bags full of leftovers in tow (which was much appreciated, as our fridge at home was completely empty!!), we completed the final leg of our journey.   We were home by early evening……and the countdown to the next trip was officially declared underway.







*We’re not quite done yet…..the final total of all this Christmas fun is next!*  (I’m not sure I want to know!! )


----------



## ArwenMarie

Wow that security line. We fly out of Newark, which you would think would be horrendous in terms of security lines. But it's not that bad. MCO is way way way way worse. I also get claustrophobic in that line, the way you can't see where you are headed. Ugh. There are a lot of nice things about MCO (the car rental set up is awesome) but security is not one of them.


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## Lynne G

I guess we got very lucky.  Not as big a line when we went to Christmas in Orlando and even in San Diego.  I hope this luck continues this Christmas trip.

Never heard of Tim Horton's until we were in NF.  It was in the casino across the street from the Sheraton we stayed at, and well, since breakfast was not included with our stay, we quickly made a trip to the casino every morning.  It's one of the few places that my DD will drink the hot chocolate.  

Great ending to a great trip.  So funny to be on the same plane as another Diser.  It always passes the time better when you get to talk to others.  

Oh well, it's snowing now, so I am bundling up, as it's just about freezing in temperature too..

Carry on....


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## bankr63

ArwenMarie said:


> Wow that security line. We fly out of Newark, which you would think would be horrendous in terms of security lines. But it's not that bad. MCO is way way way way worse. I also get claustrophobic in that line, the way you can't see where you are headed. Ugh. There are a lot of nice things about MCO (the car rental set up is awesome) but security is not one of them.


Except for the TSA screeners.  I have hit three different screeners at MCO who were very pleasant, one who was a complete hoot; had the whole line in stitches.  And I bet that is one of the best ways to spot the bad guys - special screening for the guy who won't crack a smile...


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## robinb

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Sure enough, I was right on the mark.  While they had arrived back in Buffalo from Tampa safe and sound (and had made their way across the border and were now enroute to home), it wasn’t without issues.  Apparently they had a significant sum of unspent US cash in his fiance’s purse, which made its way through the security scanner and was picked up on the other side.  Their actual security line, however, was not immediately adjacent to the scanner (which baffled me….but I’ve never flown from Tampa so perhaps their set-up is different than the ones we have experienced in the past) so they couldn’t actually monitor or see the purse as it was spit out on the other side of the TSA scanning belt.  When they passed through security and went to collect their carry-ons and personal belongings, the purse was open and the envelope of money was gone (more than $600).  He spoke with a TSA staff member at the airport, who basically told him it sucks to be you.  He wanted to know if I thought there was any use of him reporting it to the police, and I told him no….he was very discouraged, but I honestly felt it was going to be a waste of his time.  How could he *prove *he had any specific amount of cash with him?


This makes me angry for your brother and his fiance.  How did someone know there was money in the purse?  Why didn't someone see someone take an envelope out of a purse and then put the purse back?  I call BS and my spidey sense says the TSA agents in Tampa are thieves.  One saw the envelope of money in her purse on the scanner and another lifted it while she was personally scanned and the last one discouraged calling the police.  There are video cameras EVERYWHERE in security.  EVERYWHERE.  The thief would have been certainly been caught on tape.  If I lost $600 in cash between putting a bag on a TSA scanner and picking it up at the other end you bet your butt I would have called the police even if it meant I would have missed my flight.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Which reminds me.....we haven't checked our Lotto 649 numbers from last night!



So did you check that ticket yet?   I had all the numbers on my Lotto Max....unfortunately on two different tickets.

Bummer on your brothers stolen money.  He should have made more of a fuss over it.  Things get stolen all the time and they can look at the security video and then find the thief at the gates.  Stealing or being in possession of stolen good is a serious thing in the state of FL.  You can go to jail for just finding something and not turning it in. 

I thought we had a crazy long line at security in Dec. but you are the winner for sure.  I think we waited in line for about 30 minutes total.  Just a little tip....always arrive at MCO no less than 2 hours before your flight.  90 minutes is not a good idea at that airport.


----------



## dancin Disney style

robinb said:


> This makes me angry for your brother and his fiance.  How did someone know there was money in the purse?  Why didn't someone see someone take an envelope out of a purse and then put the purse back?  I call BS and my spidey sense says the TSA agents in Tampa are thieves.  One saw the envelope of money in her purse on the scanner and another lifted it while she was personally scanned and the last one discouraged calling the police.  There are video cameras EVERYWHERE in security.  EVERYWHERE.  The thief would have been certainly been caught on tape.  If I lost $600 in cash between putting a bag on a TSA scanner and picking it up at the other end you bet your butt I would have called the police even if it meant I would have missed my flight.


That makes a whole lot of sense.   You could be right on with that theory.


----------



## greenclan67

It was great to finally meet Gina and family. I wasn't sure we were going to make the flight as we approached that line. Thankfully we did, with a little time to spare, and chat.
 I am sorry I gave Jake the heebie jeepies for the ocean, personally I share that with him after my man o war sting. 6 weeks later and I still have a scar! Tells a better story than any tat 
 Hope to be able too meet up again. Great trip report. 30 days til deperature day for us, looking forward to it, but dreading the coming home blahs afterwards!!


----------



## dsmom

Another great trip report!  Have you ever thought about a career as a writer?  Your writing style is incredible, quite a gift. Can't wait for the next trip, I get nervous when you don't have a trip planned, that's how much I love your reports!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Oohhh Noooooooo, can't believe it's (nearly) over, I have so enjoyed your Christmas report. It is always special to us as we went for our Honeymoon for Christmas and have been a few times since at that time of year. 

So the final total is next ( I try not to think of that, bite size chunks are better!)


----------



## pigletto

Well that's almost a wrap! Thank you for sharing your trip with all of us once again. It's always so great to read about your family adventures and it helps build the excitement for our upcoming trips! Once again I am armed with some new restaurants and things to try that you've told us about. 
And soon we plan for April/May trips, where maybe we can arrange a meet if it works during our overlapping days!


----------



## Tricia's mom

Sad that this TR is over.... Will be waiting for the April one !!! I too will be staying at the Sheraton end of April . 
It will be an interesting read.


----------



## My2CrazyGirls

Anyone else getting a bit of the post trip report blues?


----------



## RocketCityMama

It can't be the end!!! It just can't!!! I love your TR's, they are so fun, full of great advice, pictures and fun (oh I mentioned that LOL) but really can't wait for your next one!!


----------



## Monykalyn

Gina-bummer about your brother. arrgg I would have been so mad probably would have ended up on a "no fly" list
Of course will be following along on next pretrip too




KSL said:


> ...  We're staying at the Poly DVC and I'm taking my soon-to-be-16-year-old as a birthday celebration and we'll be traveling _without her sisters_.  I do feel a tad guilty about this and also a *little worried I'm setting precedent that they will each get to go* for their Sweet 16's but am ignoring that for now in favor of relishing the anticipation of an upcoming trip.



Yeah be careful about the precedent thing:taking my oldest back to DC for her senior trip/grad present and tonight her younger sister announced she wanted to go to FRANCE for her senior trip/grad present!! And of course since it is 4 years away may not be totally out of the question-which totally ticked off her oldest sister hehe.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

ArwenMarie said:


> Wow that security line. We fly out of Newark, which you would think would be horrendous in terms of security lines. But it's not that bad. MCO is way way way way worse. I also get claustrophobic in that line, the way you can't see where you are headed. Ugh. There are a lot of nice things about MCO (the car rental set up is awesome) but security is not one of them.



In all of our trips, we've never seen a backlog at security like this before......and we've flown on a couple of holiday weekends in the past, as well as during Christmas/New Years.  I must say, the TSA staff were all pretty calm....but I bet they went home and uncorked a bottle of wine at the end of that shift!!



Lynne G said:


> I guess we got very lucky.  Not as big a line when we went to Christmas in Orlando and even in San Diego.  I hope this luck continues this Christmas trip.
> 
> Never heard of Tim Horton's until we were in NF.  It was in the casino across the street from the Sheraton we stayed at, and well, since breakfast was not included with our stay, we quickly made a trip to the casino every morning.  It's one of the few places that my DD will drink the hot chocolate.
> 
> Great ending to a great trip.  So funny to be on the same plane as another Diser.  It always passes the time better when you get to talk to others.
> 
> Oh well, it's snowing now, so I am bundling up, as it's just about freezing in temperature too..
> 
> Carry on....



I can't imagine life without my Tim Hortons coffee.  We actually picked out a nice empty lot on International Drive, right near Red Robin, where we think is the perfect spot for the first Orlando "Timmies".  With all the snowbirds who winter in the south, I would think it would be one of the most popular establishments on the street.  Now, to find some investors to help make the dream happen.... .

This was actually a record-setting trip for Dismeets.  Three different people, all on the same vacation!  So awesome! 



bankr63 said:


> Except for the TSA screeners.  I have hit three different screeners at MCO who were very pleasant, one who was a complete hoot; had the whole line in stitches.  And I bet that is one of the best ways to spot the bad guys - special screening for the guy who won't crack a smile...



I wish you weren't driving in March, or you could be our guinea pig and test that theory.   

But I have to agree.....most of the TSA staff we have encountered at MCO have been nothing but friendly.  Even when we had the 5' pink dolphin that was too large to be scanned, they went above and beyond to make sure that dolphin could fly.  



robinb said:


> This makes me angry for your brother and his fiance.  How did someone know there was money in the purse?  Why didn't someone see someone take an envelope out of a purse and then put the purse back?  I call BS and my spidey sense says the TSA agents in Tampa are thieves.  One saw the envelope of money in her purse on the scanner and another lifted it while she was personally scanned and the last one discouraged calling the police.  There are video cameras EVERYWHERE in security.  EVERYWHERE.  The thief would have been certainly been caught on tape.  If I lost $600 in cash between putting a bag on a TSA scanner and picking it up at the other end you bet your butt I would have called the police even if it meant I would have missed my flight.



Ugh....I hate to think that's the case .  I know its unrealistic, but I want the world to be better than that.  



dancin Disney style said:


> So did you check that ticket yet?   I had all the numbers on my Lotto Max....unfortunately on two different tickets.
> 
> Bummer on your brothers stolen money.  He should have made more of a fuss over it.  Things get stolen all the time and they can look at the security video and then find the thief at the gates.  Stealing or being in possession of stolen good is a serious thing in the state of FL.  You can go to jail for just finding something and not turning it in.
> 
> I thought we had a crazy long line at security in Dec. but you are the winner for sure.  I think we waited in line for about 30 minutes total.  Just a little tip....always arrive at MCO no less than 2 hours before your flight.  90 minutes is not a good idea at that airport.



Alas, we weren't the big winners on this week's lotto draw.  Fingers crossed we might claim the jackpot on Saturday evening!

We're two hour people at MCO too.....I'd rather have an extra 30 minutes to Facebook while lounging at the gate than the panic at security wondering if we'll make it through in time.  I'm not much of a "live on the edge" type of gal .   But you probably already figured that out  .



dancin Disney style said:


> That makes a whole lot of sense.   You could be right on with that theory.



 



greenclan67 said:


> It was great to finally meet Gina and family. I wasn't sure we were going to make the flight as we approached that line. Thankfully we did, with a little time to spare, and chat.
> I am sorry I gave Jake the heebie jeepies for the ocean, personally I share that with him after my man o war sting. 6 weeks later and I still have a scar! Tells a better story than any tat
> Hope to be able too meet up again. Great trip report. 30 days til deperature day for us, looking forward to it, but dreading the coming home blahs afterwards!!



Who knew that such evil lurked so close to the shore?      I am betting that you might bear a mark from that encounter for a long, long time to come (if not permanently).  It's the kind of war story you'll be able to tell around the campfire to your grandkids in 10 years!!



dsmom said:


> Another great trip report!  Have you ever thought about a career as a writer?  Your writing style is incredible, quite a gift. Can't wait for the next trip, I get nervous when you don't have a trip planned, that's how much I love your reports!



Aw, you are way too generous with your praise  .  I actually sometimes re-read some of the entries and think....oh, I could have said that so much more eloquently!!  It doesn't help that I usually blurt out my entries between bites of my peanut butter sandwich over lunch  .  

A writer, though, would be such an amazing job.  As long as I could pen my manuscript from a chair on a verandah overlooking the ocean  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Oohhh Noooooooo, can't believe it's (nearly) over, I have so enjoyed your Christmas report. It is always special to us as we went for our Honeymoon for Christmas and have been a few times since at that time of year.
> 
> So the final total is next ( I try not to think of that, bite size chunks are better!)



While the total was tough to see, we actually came in a tad under what we expected.  So while the bill was high, it wasn't as high as we had anticipated.....which made it a bit easier to bear!!  



pigletto said:


> Well that's almost a wrap! Thank you for sharing your trip with all of us once again. It's always so great to read about your family adventures and it helps build the excitement for our upcoming trips! Once again I am armed with some new restaurants and things to try that you've told us about.
> And soon we plan for April/May trips, where maybe we can arrange a meet if it works during our overlapping days!



I am absolutely up for a meet once you arrive (and before we head back home).  We're at the Vistana from April 24th to May 1st, then at the Residence Inn Seaworld from May 1st to May 3rd.   We'll have to compare schedules and see what might work!



Tricia's mom said:


> Sad that this TR is over.... Will be waiting for the April one !!! I too will be staying at the Sheraton end of April .
> It will be an interesting read.



I say we make a date to meet at the Tiki Bar for drinks in monkey-faced coconuts .   Do you know what section of the resort you might be in, or plan to request?)



My2CrazyGirls said:


> Anyone else getting a bit of the post trip report blues?



Yes!!!  MEEEEEEEEEEE!   



RocketCityMama said:


> It can't be the end!!! It just can't!!! I love your TR's, they are so fun, full of great advice, pictures and fun (oh I mentioned that LOL) but really can't wait for your next one!!



Aw, thank you so much!!  I think the "fun" comes from the great folks who post here, though (yourself included  ).  You all really are a fun bunch to hang around with .


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Monykalyn said:


> Gina-bummer about your brother. arrgg I would have been so mad probably would have ended up on a "no fly" list
> Of course will be following along on next pretrip too
> 
> Yeah be careful about the precedent thing:taking my oldest back to DC for her senior trip/grad present and tonight her younger sister announced she wanted to go to FRANCE for her senior trip/grad present!! And of course since it is 4 years away may not be totally out of the question-which totally ticked off her oldest sister hehe.



lol.....I guess there sometimes is a benefit to having only one child.  We can set whatever precent we want and there's no one else to worry about afterward .   When the grandkids come along, though, its something we'll have to keep in mind!!  

I think Dean was more saddened than angered over the money.  I'm betting he'll be using his credit card exclusively on future trips.  I am pretty sure his cash days are done!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

*TRIP EXPENSES:  THE FINAL SUMMARY*

For the most part, all costs are listed in American funds with the converted amount in Canadian dollars listed where known.

Ø  Buffalo park & fly hotel:    $  + 19.44   CDN _ (*see note below)_

Ø  Trip insurance (medical & general):    $   0.00   *(free credit card benefit)*

Ø  Roundtrip, direct flights (Jetblue):    $ 1,403.00  ($2,322.46 CDN)  *(includes round trip upgrades to Even More Space seating)*

Ø  Car rental:        $ 230.10   CDN

Ø  Fuel for rental car:      $ 52.40  ($72.70 CDN)

Ø  Vistana Accommodations (maintenance fee)  $ 906.88  ($1,039.83 CDN)

Ø  Food, tips and misc. supplies:      $ 975.00

Ø  Wild Florida Airboat & Animal Park Tickets:  $ 166.64  ($203.88 CDN)

Ø  Orlando Eye/SeaLife/Tussauds Tickets:  $ 149.12  ($188.31 CDN) 

Ø  Fun Spot America Groupons:    $ 99.75  ($124.69 CDN)

Ø  SeaWorld Annual Passes:  $ 414.95  ($553.46 CDN)

Ø  SeaWorld Dining:  $ 132.90  ($177.89 CDN)

*(3 x dining package with reserved Christmas show seating, 3 x Christmas Village dining package)*

Ø  SeaWorld Quick Queue (Christmas Day):  $ 97.77  ($130.87 CDN)

Ø  Pirates Cove Mini Golf:    $ 13.83

Ø  Orlando Eye Frostival Upgrade:  $ 15.99  ($22.38 CDN)

Ø  Aquatica Cabana Rental:  $ 46.97  ($65.54 CDN)

Ø  Country Inn & Suites Niagara Falls Dec. 26/15  $ 199.29  CDN

Ø  Country Inn & Suites Parking:  $ 11.73  CDN

*GRAND TOTAL:  $ 4896.88 USD*

*$163.23 per person, per day: 9 nights, 10 days total
*
_*Note:  we actually made money on the Buffalo park and fly.  Between the time we pre-paid the hotel package and the time the refund was processed, the value of the Canadian dollar had dropped.  That meant our refund after the pot-smoker debacle was larger than what we paid initiallly when both transactions were converted to Canadian funds._


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

And, to wrap things up.....a couple of pictures of my growing Orlando stuffie collection, with the Christmas trip winnings joining the crowd  :









If Steve manages to sledgehammer his way to more prizes in April, I think I'm going to need a bigger rec room  .


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## toystoryduo

That's terrible that someone stole money from your brother and his fiancee! I'm so sorry to hear that that's how their trip ended.  

Another great trip report, Gina! Thank you for sharing your trip with us!  

Hope you'll do a pre-trip report for your next trip.


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## dsmom

My2CrazyGirls said:


> Anyone else getting a bit of the post trip report blues?


YES!!!


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## dancin Disney style

Someone mentioned a sweet 16 trip....

We have 2 daughters and each got  sweet 16 trip.  My oldest want to go to the Dominican Republic because her birthday is in January.  We lucked out that year as she had a whole week off at exam time which happened to be her birthday week.  End of January is a very cheap week to travel.  I think we paid $700 each incl tax. at a nice all inclusive.

My youngest turned 16 last March and she wanted WDW.  She decided that it was going to be a mom/daughter trip.  Her sister couldn't go so it was just the two of us.  Her birthday falls on her March break so it worked out perfectly yet again.   We had such a great time that we are going again next month for her school break.  Poor dad....he's staying home again.


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## KSL

dancin Disney style said:


> Someone mentioned a sweet 16 trip....
> 
> We have 2 daughters and each got  sweet 16 trip.  My oldest want to go to the Dominican Republic because her birthday is in January.  We lucked out that year as she had a whole week off at exam time which happened to be her birthday week.  End of January is a very cheap week to travel.  I think we paid $700 each incl tax. at a nice all inclusive.
> 
> My youngest turned 16 last March and she wanted WDW.  She decided that it was going to be a mom/daughter trip.  Her sister couldn't go so it was just the two of us.  Her birthday falls on her March break so it worked out perfectly yet again.   We had such a great time that we are going again next month for her school break.  Poor dad....he's staying home again.



That someone was me!  

This was first planned as a mom/daughter trip but then I got to feeling guilty about my DH who is not coming along on two other trips I have planned to FL next week and in May, so he's going to join us for a couple of days and it will be the perfect mix of mom/daughter time and mom/dad/daughter time.  I am so excited!  We were going to bring a friend but since it's a surprise for my DD, deciding which friend was hard and ultimately I decided to not go that route.  I'm looking into booking a scavenger hunt for her through Gifts of a Lifetime.  I think she would love that.  Any suggestions on things to do for Sweet 16 birthday at Disney?  I might get her a birthday skin for her Magic Band, and am considering pick-a-pearl -- we've never done that.  I also have 2 of her favorite Disney meals booked.  Anyway, not to hijack the thread, but I would love any suggestions...!  Another poster mentioned about setting precedents with this trip.  Yes, I am quite certain they will now expect similar.  Maybe my subconscious is sneakily planning this on my behalf (oh wait, it's _their_ birthdays....). 

Boooo that the Bo-Bina family's Christmas trip is over!  But yes, now you can look toward April and all the fun that will be had on that adventure.  Bringing Jake's sunshine will be extra-special and it's great to see your favorite places all new again through the eyes of a first-timer.  I'll be watching for your PRT!


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## ArwenMarie

You guys did great on the expenses (or I guess I should say you since I know you are the mastermind behind the trips!)

Your minion collection is hilarious, love it.


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## Lynne G

I am glad my DD rarely reads the DIS.  That collection of stuffies would give her ideas.  Umm, no more stuffies for us. 

You did really well in the breakdown of costs for all the things you did.  I'll be stalking Groupon and Living Social to name a few, to see any add ons we'll be doing.  For now, since we have Super Grover passes, I might buy the family those 14 day 3 park passes, for Universal, so I can use my AP one more time in the parks.  I have never been to Wet and Wild, but the kids might go, and that will let DH and I enjoy the Universal parks while they are there.  I do Aquadica though.  I can spend hours in Roa Rapids.

On to the Spring trip report.  Have never visited that time of year, so I will happily read your adventures.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

toystoryduo said:


> That's terrible that someone stole money from your brother and his fiancee! I'm so sorry to hear that that's how their trip ended.
> 
> Another great trip report, Gina! Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
> 
> Hope you'll do a pre-trip report for your next trip.



Definitely an April PTR is in my near future.    I will be sure to post a link to it here in this thread so you can follow me over there.   Since that's going to be predominantly a Seaworld & Universal parks trip, I am not sure the mods will allow me to have it here on the Orlando Hotels & Attractions board.  I'm guessing it will be over in the Universal forums as they have a special trip reports sub-board.



dancin Disney style said:


> Someone mentioned a sweet 16 trip....
> 
> We have 2 daughters and each got  sweet 16 trip.  My oldest want to go to the Dominican Republic because her birthday is in January.  We lucked out that year as she had a whole week off at exam time which happened to be her birthday week.  End of January is a very cheap week to travel.  I think we paid $700 each incl tax. at a nice all inclusive.
> 
> My youngest turned 16 last March and she wanted WDW.  She decided that it was going to be a mom/daughter trip.  Her sister couldn't go so it was just the two of us.  Her birthday falls on her March break so it worked out perfectly yet again.   We had such a great time that we are going again next month for her school break.  _*Poor dad....he's staying home again.*_



I am guessing he finds it oddly quiet when you're away  .



KSL said:


> That someone was me!
> 
> This was first planned as a mom/daughter trip but then I got to feeling guilty about my DH who is not coming along on two other trips I have planned to FL next week and in May, so he's going to join us for a couple of days and it will be the perfect mix of mom/daughter time and mom/dad/daughter time.  I am so excited!  We were going to bring a friend but since it's a surprise for my DD, deciding which friend was hard and ultimately I decided to not go that route.  I'm looking into booking a scavenger hunt for her through Gifts of a Lifetime.  I think she would love that.  Any suggestions on things to do for Sweet 16 birthday at Disney?  I might get her a birthday skin for her Magic Band, and am considering pick-a-pearl -- we've never done that.  I also have 2 of her favorite Disney meals booked.  Anyway, not to hijack the thread, but I would love any suggestions...!  Another poster mentioned about setting precedents with this trip.  Yes, I am quite certain they will now expect similar.  Maybe my subconscious is sneakily planning this on my behalf (oh wait, it's _their_ birthdays....).
> 
> Boooo that the Bo-Bina family's Christmas trip is over!  But yes, now you can look toward April and all the fun that will be had on that adventure.  *Bringing Jake's sunshine will be extra-special and it's great to see your favorite places all new again through the eyes of a first-timer.  *I'll be watching for your PRT!



She is soooo unbelievably excited, and her enthusiasm is so much fun!     She was just over last night, wanting an update on the trip plans.  Her biggest request?  A birthday button .  She's going to be easy to please, I think.



ArwenMarie said:


> You guys did great on the expenses (or I guess I should say you since I know you are the mastermind behind the trips!)
> 
> Your minion collection is hilarious, love it.



We hoped to be under $5000, and managed to just squeeze in under that target.  Barely, mind you, but still under!! 



Lynne G said:


> I am glad my DD rarely reads the DIS.  That collection of stuffies would give her ideas.  Umm, no more stuffies for us.
> 
> You did really well in the breakdown of costs for all the things you did.  I'll be stalking Groupon and Living Social to name a few, to see any add ons we'll be doing.  For now, since we have Super Grover passes, I might buy the family those 14 day 3 park passes, for Universal, so I can use my AP one more time in the parks.  I have never been to Wet and Wild, but the kids might go, and that will let DH and I enjoy the Universal parks while they are there.  I do Aquadica though.  I can spend hours in Roa Rapids.
> 
> On to the Spring trip report.  Have never visited that time of year, so I will happily read your adventures.



Oh, c'mon Lynne.....stuffies are good for the soul  .  You can never have too many! (that's my story and I'm sticking to it  )

So far I haven't found too much on Groupon or Livingsocial for April/May, but our itinerary is pretty full with the major parks so perhaps that's why not much is appealing.  I sure would like a mini golf deal or two to pop up there!!  Now THAT I would be all over.


----------



## pigletto

I haven't seen much for April/May on any deals sites either. I'm looking for some offsite dining coupons mostly. I'll re-sign up for all the email clubs before we go. Gina you are going to have to go back to Universal and get Steve to win a Maggie to complete your Simpson family!!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

pigletto said:


> I haven't seen much for April/May on any deals sites either. I'm looking for some offsite dining coupons mostly. I'll re-sign up for all the email clubs before we go. Gina you are going to have to go back to Universal and get Steve to win a Maggie to complete your Simpson family!!



LOL!!!  That's exactly what Steve has said!!  This trip his mission is to bring Maggie home to the rest of her family....along with a Sideshow Bob, if at all possible .


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> *GRAND TOTAL:  $ 4896.88 USD*
> _*Note:  we actually made money on the Buffalo park and fly.  Between the time we pre-paid the hotel package and the time the refund was processed, the value of the Canadian dollar had dropped.  That meant our refund after the pot-smoker debacle was larger than what we paid initiallly when both transactions were converted to Canadian funds._



Yes, but did you add the cost of the drug induced munchies from the Buffalo p&f debacle?

Sounds kind of reasonable in US$, but that is darn near C$7k 

The Gods really aren't smiling on our adventure.  I have had a funny noise from the front end of the Traverse for a few weeks, started out low, then it started to grow...

Took it in this morning to have it taken care of before our trip, and am facing a $2000.00 repair bill when I pick it up tonight.  I sure hope that Kraft Dinner is cheaper in Orlando than in Canada...

Or maybe we can just walk to Orlando...


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

I look forward to your PTR and thank you for being such a warm and welcoming person when sharing your trip reports with your fellow Disers


----------



## dancin Disney style

KSL said:


> That someone was me!
> 
> This was first planned as a mom/daughter trip but then I got to feeling guilty about my DH who is not coming along on two other trips I have planned to FL next week and in May, so he's going to join us for a couple of days and it will be the perfect mix of mom/daughter time and mom/dad/daughter time.  I am so excited!  We were going to bring a friend but since it's a surprise for my DD, deciding which friend was hard and ultimately I decided to not go that route.  I'm looking into booking a scavenger hunt for her through Gifts of a Lifetime.  I think she would love that.  Any suggestions on things to do for Sweet 16 birthday at Disney?  I might get her a birthday skin for her Magic Band, and am considering pick-a-pearl -- we've never done that.  I also have 2 of her favorite Disney meals booked.  Anyway, not to hijack the thread, but I would love any suggestions...!  Another poster mentioned about setting precedents with this trip.  Yes, I am quite certain they will now expect similar.  Maybe my subconscious is sneakily planning this on my behalf (oh wait, it's _their_ birthdays....).
> 
> Boooo that the Bo-Bina family's Christmas trip is over!  But yes, now you can look toward April and all the fun that will be had on that adventure.  Bringing Jake's sunshine will be extra-special and it's great to see your favorite places all new again through the eyes of a first-timer.  I'll be watching for your PRT!


We really didn't do anything special.  My DD only wanted to spend her actual birthday in MK and have a nice dinner. She gave me no input for dinner other than some place we had never been before.  Dinner ended up being at the GF Café and only because I thought that menu would be to her taste and also so that we could easily get back to MK for the parade and Wishes.  The only thing I did that was special-ish was I ordered a custom cake for her.  It was super cute and crazy expensive.  I ordered a mini cake that is literally the size of a large cupcake and it was $35.  Kind of amusing...DD thought it was given to her by the restaurant.  I had to tell that no I ordered it for her.

My DD loves pearls so I did think about doing the pick a pearl this year as a little treat.  She hasn't asked for anything this year other than to spend her birthday at the pool.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I am guessing he finds it oddly quiet when you're away  .


Don't you mean peaceful?   I'm pretty sure he thinks he's died and gone to heaven.  He can eat what he wants, do what he wants and snore his face off every night.


----------



## Ritchielace

Another great trip report. You always show the best deals outside of the parks for that last day. Can't wait for you to get started on the next one!


----------



## jump00

Gina's trip reports are fantastic!!!! Such a great read- like a mini novel.  With my concussion I could only read for a few minutes at a time but I managed to read her trip reports these past few weeks.  Wooo hoo!!!! I wish I had Gina's "ability" to find such great deals.  I'm so envious.   Sorry about your db loss. They need to make sure passengers personal property is protected when going through security. If it isn't - that's unacceptable. Poor customer service.

I'm looking forward to your next trip report.

Cheers

Jump00


----------



## Vestmama4

We got more snow here at home so I've been busy with the kiddos and I got behind on the trip report. I just got  caught up and I'm so sad it's all over. It's been so nice reading and reliving what I was doing in Orlando on whatever day you were reporting about. Such a wonderful week with some fabulous weather (that I'm so missing right now.) I'm excited to read your upcoming trip report in the spring. I think I read that you all will be spending a lot of time in Universal Orlando and since those parks totally won me over in the small time I was there this past December I will be looking forward to learning more about them. And that line in the airport makes my 14 hour road trip a little less painful lol.


----------



## dsmom

So far I haven't found too much on Groupon or Livingsocial for April/May, but our itinerary is pretty full with the major parks so perhaps that's why not much is appealing.  I sure would like a mini golf deal or two to pop up there!!  Now THAT I would be all over.


Have you done the mini golf at Citywalk yet?  We have yet to try it but it looks fun!


----------



## mmdis

I'm so sad your report is over. I look so forward to your updates each night. SeAworld at Christmas is definetly on the must do list. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to write your reports!!! 

I'm sad for your brother I really do think he should of filed a report with the Tampa tsa. They may at least investigate if there are other reports of theft when certain employees are working.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Yes, but did you add the cost of the drug induced munchies from the Buffalo p&f debacle?
> 
> Sounds kind of reasonable in US$, but that is darn near C$7k
> 
> The Gods really aren't smiling on our adventure.  I have had a funny noise from the front end of the Traverse for a few weeks, started out low, then it started to grow...
> 
> Took it in this morning to have it taken care of before our trip, and am facing a $2000.00 repair bill when I pick it up tonight.  I sure hope that Kraft Dinner is cheaper in Orlando than in Canada...
> 
> Or maybe we can just walk to Orlando...



Oh Munro, I am so sorry to hear about your vehicle issues!!!      Doesn't it always seem like an especially nasty kind of Murphy's Law that there's always some sort of big unexpected expense for a trip??  It seems to happen all the time to us, too.

$2000 is a tough one to swallow.  What on earth was wrong with the darn thing to cost that much?   Gotta be safe, though.  And I guess, looking on the bright side, at least it happened NOW and not half way to Florida, where you'd be paying for that $2000 repair plus 40% exchange.

And gee, thanks for calculating out the total price of our trip in Canadian dollars.....you're a real pal .  I don't feel indulgent or excessive or financially irresponsible at all now  .



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> I look forward to your PTR and thank you for being such a warm and welcoming person when sharing your trip reports with your fellow Disers



Aw, thank you for such kind words  .  I am having a bit of stinky week these last few days (winter blues?  I dunno ) and those kind of posts just make my heart smile  . You guys really are the best!



dancin Disney style said:


> We really didn't do anything special.  My DD only wanted to spend her actual birthday in MK and have a nice dinner. She gave me no input for dinner other than some place we had never been before.  Dinner ended up being at the GF Café and only because I thought that menu would be to her taste and also so that we could easily get back to MK for the parade and Wishes.  The only thing I did that was special-ish was I ordered a custom cake for her.  It was super cute and crazy expensive.  I ordered a mini cake that is literally the size of a large cupcake and it was $35.  Kind of amusing...DD thought it was given to her by the restaurant.  I had to tell that no I ordered it for her.
> 
> My DD loves pearls so I did think about doing the pick a pearl this year as a little treat.  She hasn't asked for anything this year other than to spend her birthday at the pool.



Pick a pearl has always been on my wish list, but I've never been able to convince myself to splurge.  Some day .  C'mon Lotto 649!



dancin Disney style said:


> Don't you mean peaceful?   I'm pretty sure he thinks he's died and gone to heaven.  He can eat what he wants, do what he wants and snore his face off every night.



I'm betting he misses you terribly.....by day 6, at least  .



Ritchielace said:


> Another great trip report. You always show the best deals outside of the parks for that last day. Can't wait for you to get started on the next one!



Thank you, Ritchielace!  I hope to have the PTR up soon (maybe even by tomorrow!).  Its forecasted to be a frosty weekend here our little corner of Canada (a high on Saturday of -21!! ) so I'm thinking it will be a good weekend to curl up with the laptop!! 



jump00 said:


> Gina's trip reports are fantastic!!!! Such a great read- like a mini novel.  With my concussion I could only read for a few minutes at a time but I managed to read her trip reports these past few weeks.  Wooo hoo!!!! I wish I had Gina's "ability" to find such great deals.  I'm so envious.   Sorry about your db loss. They need to make sure passengers personal property is protected when going through security. If it isn't - that's unacceptable. Poor customer service.
> 
> I'm looking forward to your next trip report.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Jump00



Sending you good healing vibes, my friend  .  I am so flattered that you used your reading time to keep up with my report here on the Dis!   Thankfully, I've never had a concussion, but I have had a brain tumor....so I know that any type of healing where the head is concerned is tough stuff.  



Vestmama4 said:


> We got more snow here at home so I've been busy with the kiddos and I got behind on the trip report. I just got  caught up and I'm so sad it's all over. It's been so nice reading and reliving what I was doing in Orlando on whatever day you were reporting about. Such a wonderful week with some fabulous weather (that I'm so missing right now.) I'm excited to read your upcoming trip report in the spring. I think I read that you all will be spending a lot of time in Universal Orlando and since those parks totally won me over in the small time I was there this past December I will be looking forward to learning more about them. And that line in the airport makes my 14 hour road trip a little less painful lol.



Current plans are to spend three full days at Universal in April.....Steve and I still have AP's, but we only bought the kids 3-day tickets for this trip (though if they love it, we could upgrade them to Power Passes for a very small fee, so you never know!).  Once we add in a couple of days at Seaworld, a day at Aquatica, a day in St. Petersburg (more info on that later.....we have a very cool and much anticipated event on the itinerary!!) and a resort day or two, 3 days at Uni are probably all we can fit in anyway.  Trips are never, ever long enough for my liking!

If you check out my May and October trip reports (see the links in my signature), there's lots of the Universal parks in both .  I know I'm in the minority, but I'd take a day at Universal over a day at Disney anytime.

Our weather is horrible here, too.  What I wouldn't give for a little Florida sunshine right now!    Here's to warmer days ahead for all of us!



dsmom said:


> Have you done the mini golf at Citywalk yet?  We have yet to try it but it looks fun!



We golfed one of the courses (the Haunted side) in August 2014 and *loved* it.....the courses were super fun and so well themed!  I have actually been toying with purchasing the meal and mini golf vouchers for April, though our two favourite spots (NBA City and Nascar) are no longer dining options.  If the kids like the look of Margaritaville, we might add that to one of the days we have planned for the Universal parks.  



mmdis said:


> I'm so sad your report is over. I look so forward to your updates each night. SeAworld at Christmas is definetly on the must do list.
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to write your reports!!!
> 
> I'm sad for your brother I really do think he should of filed a report with the Tampa tsa. They may at least investigate if there are other reports of theft when certain employees are working.



In hindsight, you're right....I should have encouraged him to file a police report.  Lesson learned for both of us, I guess.  

Thanks for following along with us on this report, and I hope you'll join us on my April PTR once its kicked off!  I'm trying to come up with an idea for the title....suggestions are welcome, I am not feeling very creative today!!


----------



## Lynne G

Join the Sunshine in April with us.

Ahh, I feel ya with the cold.  We're getting negative number wind chills.  And not getting relief until after Monday.  I am so ready for a warm vacation now!

Can't believe you'll be in Orlando again soon.  I've booked my hotels for October and Christmas.  I asked the kids thoughts on where to stay for Christmas this year, and I got shoulder shrugs.  Okay then, my executive decision.  Booked the Hampton, then changed for a lower priced Springhill Suites.  Have not been to either, but both are so close to SW/Aquadicia/DC, and have a fold out sofa and free hot breakfasts, and free parking.  While the pool at the Residence Inn was nice, we thought we should try another hotel this year.  As much as I'd like a spring trip, it's not in the cards.

And thoughts for Niagara Falls, is the third week/week-end of June may be best for us. Still trying to see when school ends and work starts for the kids.  Graduation from High School for the older one in June.  

Here's to a warm hug for ya.


----------



## jho1

Coming out of lurkdom to thank you Gina for another great trip report.  Thanks to you our family now has an annual pass to Sea World.  Some one asked if the BOGO promotion was only for Americans and Canadians, and when I got it last february (the BOGO promotion had been extended), it was.  I remember because we're a family of 5, but we were going with extended family who live in different countries and I couldn't get the annual pass for one of my daughters.  They never checked anything at the park, I guess they determine that by the address in the credit card.  

We have a trip planned for our "spring break"  in two weeks. The forecast here in Montreal is for -20C this weekend, I can't wait to get out of the cold.  We've been a hardcore Disney family for a while, we're DVC members.  Last year we ventured into Sea World and this year we're adding Universal.  Usually I like to take things easy with 3 kids, but this year our trip will be jam packed.  We're planning 1.5 days at Sea World, 2 at Disney and 3 at Universal.


----------



## Tricia's mom

Not sure what section we will be in. I don't really care... We usually spend very little time in our room. I am just glad to have a washer/dryer !!  We have 5 day Disney passes - thats where we will be spending most of our time.
I have not stayed off property in YEARS ! I am sure our paths will cross , lol. I am sure there will not be many Moms with an 8 year old named Tricia  !!!

I do have a list of guilty pleasures to eat at while in Orlando.
Sweet tomatoes
Golden Corral
Waffle House
maybe Cici's 
all piggy places But we dont have those local to us- and its VACATION !!


----------



## Tricia's mom

Oh, Any plans for a PTR for April ????


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> Join the Sunshine in April with us.
> 
> Ahh, I feel ya with the cold.  We're getting negative number wind chills.  And not getting relief until after Monday.  I am so ready for a warm vacation now!
> 
> Can't believe you'll be in Orlando again soon.  I've booked my hotels for October and Christmas.  I asked the kids thoughts on where to stay for Christmas this year, and I got shoulder shrugs.  Okay then, my executive decision.  Booked the Hampton, then changed for a lower priced Springhill Suites.  Have not been to either, but both are so close to SW/Aquadicia/DC, and have a fold out sofa and free hot breakfasts, and free parking.  While the pool at the Residence Inn was nice, we thought we should try another hotel this year.  As much as I'd like a spring trip, it's not in the cards.
> 
> And thoughts for Niagara Falls, is the third week/week-end of June may be best for us. Still trying to see when school ends and work starts for the kids.  Graduation from High School for the older one in June.
> 
> Here's to a warm hug for ya.



What are you October dates, Lynne?  I just booked ours this morning....we've got two full weeks at our disposal this time, October 14th to 28th.  Going to have lots of downtime to relax and enjoy some Dismeets if at all possible!  We'll do Seaworld and Aquatica for sure, hopefully a day at DC and an MNSSHP (no HHN, unfortunately....not in the budget, especially with a longer trip and needing a second week "somewhere").  Should be just Steve and I that trip, and ya know....I am very much looking forward to some couples time.



jho1 said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to thank you Gina for another great trip report.  Thanks to you our family now has an annual pass to Sea World.  Some one asked if the BOGO promotion was only for Americans and Canadians, and when I got it last february (the BOGO promotion had been extended), it was.  I remember because we're a family of 5, but we were going with extended family who live in different countries and I couldn't get the annual pass for one of my daughters.  They never checked anything at the park, I guess they determine that by the address in the credit card.
> 
> We have a trip planned for our "spring break"  in two weeks. The forecast here in Montreal is for -20C this weekend, I can't wait to get out of the cold.  We've been a hardcore Disney family for a while, we're DVC members.  Last year we ventured into Sea World and this year we're adding Universal.  Usually I like to take things easy with 3 kids, but this year our trip will be jam packed.  We're planning 1.5 days at Sea World, 2 at Disney and 3 at Universal.



 jho1!  Glad to have you come out of the shadows and join in the chat  .

Its hard to keep trips from becoming jam packed with activities....there's so much to do, and you just want to make the most out of every moment!  Even for April, I am starting to thing....wow, we don't have much down time in there.   Our spring vacation will be really busy, but October should be a little more relaxing.  Lots of days relaxing by the pool, I hope!  

Isn't our weather completely ridiculous this week?  We are supposed to get highs .... and yes, I said HIGHS .... of -21 this weekend .  Time to hibernate .



Tricia's mom said:


> Not sure what section we will be in. I don't really care... We usually spend very little time in our room. I am just glad to have a washer/dryer !!  We have 5 day Disney passes - thats where we will be spending most of our time.
> I have not stayed off property in YEARS ! I am sure our paths will cross , lol. I am sure there will not be many Moms with an 8 year old named Tricia  !!!
> 
> I do have a list of guilty pleasures to eat at while in Orlando.
> Sweet tomatoes
> Golden Corral
> Waffle House
> maybe Cici's
> all piggy places But we dont have those local to us- and its VACATION !!



Well, if you end up in the Fountains (our favourite section ) we might just be neighbours!

I like your list of restaurants......and go ahead, indulge without guilt.  Calories don't count on vacation  .   And heck, you'll walk and swim them all off, anyway.



Tricia's mom said:


> Oh, Any plans for a PTR for April ????



Yes ma'am  .  I hope to kick something off either tomorrow or this weekend.  I will post the link here once its underway!


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Oh Munro, I am so sorry to hear about your vehicle issues!!!      Doesn't it always seem like an especially nasty kind of Murphy's Law that there's always some sort of big unexpected expense for a trip??  It seems to happen all the time to us, too.
> 
> $2000 is a tough one to swallow.  What on earth was wrong with the darn thing to cost that much?   Gotta be safe, though.  And I guess, looking on the bright side, at least it happened NOW and not half way to Florida, where you'd be paying for that $2000 repair plus 40% exchange.
> 
> And gee, thanks for calculating out the total price of our trip in Canadian dollars.....you're a real pal .  I don't feel indulgent or excessive or financially irresponsible at all now  .



I thought you would appreciate that. 
Actually, it was as much to scare me as you.  It will be really interesting to see how budget our upcoming budget trip can actually be.  Looking at a couple of lodging options for the drive, and the hotel prices for those cheap $100 hotels look way too steep when converted to C$!

The Traverse issue was a slow leak in the power steering rack.  As the power steering fluid leaked slowly away, the noise became more frequent and insistent.  They had to replace the entire rack, realign the wheels, and there was a broken suspension link too.

And yes, I think that Sully (that's my big blue Monster SUV) knows the timing of these things.  Last year the heat stuck full on for the passenger side about 2 days before we left.  Spent the whole 12 days in Florida (was HOT last March too!)  with my air conditioning fighting against the heating system in the car (three zone climate control).  I also had a funny tire noise that got louder as the trip progressed.  Turns out I had a bad wheel bearing too.  Maybe Sully is trying to tell me that we should fly?


----------



## ArwenMarie

Thanks again for a great trip report. I seriously want to plan a Christmas 2016 vacation this year and I know I will be coming back to this report! I absolutely loved your Christmas at SeaWorld day in particular 

Looking forward to your next PTR!


----------



## pigletto

LOL when I saw your trip total was given in USD but not converted to CDN I thought "Smart Girl, I see what you did there". It's just more comforting to see the total that way these days isn't it?
I keep patting myself on the back for being under $5000 Canadian for our upcoming trip. What I conveniently leave off the budget sheet is that one half of our flights were a Christmas gift from my parents, and that my inlaws have generously offered to cover lodging on the trip for us and Dh's sister's family. That budget wouldn't be so cute with those things added back in.


----------



## DnA2010

At work, so can't get into too much detail due to time constraints, but this TR has really inspired me towards seriously considering an "Orlando" vacation as oppose to WDW- now the next time we get to Florida, there will def still be a WDW component as DD11 hasn't been other than 1 day at MK, but there are now lots of other things I want to do- I think it will be a long trip!


----------



## JaxDad

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Thanks for following along with us on this report, and I hope you'll join us on my April PTR once its kicked off!



Thank you Gina!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> I thought you would appreciate that.
> Actually, it was as much to scare me as you.  It will be really interesting to see how budget our upcoming budget trip can actually be.  Looking at a couple of lodging options for the drive, and the hotel prices for those cheap $100 hotels look way too steep when converted to C$!
> 
> The Traverse issue was a slow leak in the power steering rack.  As the power steering fluid leaked slowly away, the noise became more frequent and insistent.  They had to replace the entire rack, realign the wheels, and there was a broken suspension link too.
> 
> And yes, I think that Sully (that's my big blue Monster SUV) knows the timing of these things.  Last year the heat stuck full on for the passenger side about 2 days before we left.  Spent the whole 12 days in Florida (was HOT last March too!)  with my air conditioning fighting against the heating system in the car (three zone climate control).  I also had a funny tire noise that got louder as the trip progressed.  Turns out I had a bad wheel bearing too.  Maybe Sully is trying to tell me that we should fly?



Or, maybe Sully is trying to tell you its time for a new love?  Something red and and has a top that rolls down?  



ArwenMarie said:


> Thanks again for a great trip report. I seriously want to plan a Christmas 2016 vacation this year and I know I will be coming back to this report! I absolutely loved your Christmas at SeaWorld day in particular
> 
> Looking forward to your next PTR!



Always so happy to have you reading and posting along with me  .  

Sending you a little trip planning pixie dust  in the hopes that you get to spend Christmas in Orlando.  It won't happen for me this year, so I will be living vicariously through you guys instead!



pigletto said:


> LOL when I saw your trip total was given in USD but not converted to CDN I thought "Smart Girl, I see what you did there". It's just more comforting to see the total that way these days isn't it?
> I keep patting myself on the back for being under $5000 Canadian for our upcoming trip. What I conveniently leave off the budget sheet is that one half of our flights were a Christmas gift from my parents, and that my inlaws have generously offered to cover lodging on the trip for us and Dh's sister's family. That budget wouldn't be so cute with those things added back in.



Man, why don't I have any relatives like that?     How super generous of them, though....and how awesome for you to be the recipient of such kindness!

I am trying not to fret too much about the exchange.  Looking back on the photos (now bound in a hardcover book.....a beautiful collection of our wonderful memories) it was worth every penny.   I hate to sound like a cheesy Mastercard commercial, but those family fun times were *priceless*.



DnA2010 said:


> At work, so can't get into too much detail due to time constraints, but this TR has really inspired me towards seriously considering an "Orlando" vacation as oppose to WDW- now the next time we get to Florida, there will def still be a WDW component as DD11 hasn't been other than 1 day at MK, but there are now lots of other things I want to do- I think it will be a long trip!



That is so awesome!  Seriously, there is sooooo much awesome stuff outside of the Disney parks, I encourage everyone to step out of the box and try it (even just once).  You might be surprised at how much you enjoy "Orlando" along with your Disney.   At the very least, switching things up every now and again keeps things fresh and interesting  .

I am also glad to hear I'm not the only one on the Dis at work  .  Don't tell the bosses .... .



JaxDad said:


> Thank you Gina!



Good news!  October is booked and we have a full two weeks in Florida  .

Not sure if our second week will see us in St. Augustine or not (its still in the discussion phase.....our flights home were just secured this morning) but its still in the running.  Stay tuned, I am sure there will be some October chatter in and among the April planning once that PTR is underway .


----------



## Lynne G

We might say hello in the airport.  Leaving the day you arrive in October.  Oh well.  So ready to book flights for October and December.  Always happy when I get that part finished.  So far, got my rental car down for the December time, but still not for October.  I keep trying though, as I always like having a car.  

Ready to hear about your April itinerary.  Will be on the look out for it.  And it's so fun to hear Sunshine is excited to travel along.  Bet you'll get some couples time when the young ones are out on their own.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Lynne G said:


> We might say hello in the airport.  Leaving the day you arrive in October.  Oh well.  So ready to book flights for October and December.  Always happy when I get that part finished.  So far, got my rental car down for the December time, but still not for October.  I keep trying though, as I always like having a car.
> 
> Ready to hear about your April itinerary.  Will be on the look out for it.  And it's so fun to hear Sunshine is excited to travel along.  Bet you'll get some couples time when the young ones are out on their own.



I agree, having the flights booked is such a relief (though today's purchase for me has brought a little purchasers anxiety....only because we're currently homeless for the 2nd part of the trip, and because both airfare and doubling our accommodations is going to make it pricey....and I have a tough time spending money, despite what our December total may indicate!).  Too bad our dates don't overlap at all.

I have tentatively booked a car for October, but hopefully we can get that down between now and then.  And in Canadian dollars too, if I'm lucky and can book through RBC Travel.

You know, I am betting that Jake and Sunshine will be content to hang out with us for most of the trip.....heck, they like to do that here at home!! (this one has melted into our family like she was meant to be there from the beginning.....she and I have even developed a regular habit of spending time together,just the two of us, when our boys are both working).  We may drop them off at the outlets, though, and enjoy a little alone time while they shop.   The only things I want to be bringing home from this trip would be a suitcase or two full of Minions .


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Pick a pearl has always been on my wish list, but I've never been able to convince myself to splurge.  Some day .  C'mon Lotto 649!
> 
> 
> I'm betting he misses you terribly.....by day 6, at least  .



The pearl is actually not that expensive.  I had a very close look at everything in December.  The pearl is only $15 and then the  silver cages start at $30.  I think the silver chains were starting around $20. 

As to missing me.....LOL....I'm pretty sure that his exact words would be 'not likely'.   He will get 9 nights of snoring without an elbow to the back or head.   I will get 9 nights of silence.   That said, he usually calls me first when I'm away.  Last year he kept trying to Facetime me but , bless his tiny heart, he couldn't figure it out.  He is a serial butt dialer so perhaps he didn't really want to talk to me.


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

jho1 said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to thank you Gina for another great trip report.  Thanks to you our family now has an annual pass to Sea World.  Some one asked if the BOGO promotion was only for Americans and Canadians, and when I got it last february (the BOGO promotion had been extended), it was.  I remember because we're a family of 5, but we were going with extended family who live in different countries and I couldn't get the annual pass for one of my daughters.  They never checked anything at the park, I guess they determine that by the address in the credit card.



It was me who asked. As we live in the UK then it seems we will not be eligible. Thanks for remembering


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Or, maybe Sully is trying to tell you its time for a new love?  Something red and and has a top that rolls down?


That plays perfectly into our 'Golden' plans.


----------



## pigletto

DnA2010 said:


> At work, so can't get into too much detail due to time constraints, but this TR has really inspired me towards seriously considering an "Orlando" vacation as oppose to WDW- now the next time we get to Florida, there will def still be a WDW component as DD11 hasn't been other than 1 day at MK, but there are now lots of other things I want to do- I think it will be a long trip!


It was Gina's trip reports that broke me out of my onsite Disney funk and got us to explore the rest of Orlando. We've had awesome experiences offsite and I am grateful! If the Orlando tourism board was smart they would give her a job.


----------



## Ruthie5671

Another fabulous trip report Gina.  I hate to see it end.  I'm looking forward to your next family adventures and the eventual additions to the stuffy ensemble!


----------



## grantclaire

Gina, thanks again for another great trip report!


----------



## dsmom

pigletto said:


> It was Gina's trip reports that broke me out of my onsite Disney funk and got us to explore the rest of Orlando. We've had awesome experiences offsite and I am grateful! If the Orlando tourism board was smart they would give her a job.



Pigletto, you're brilliant!  I told Gina she should write professionally  and this would be perfect.


----------



## mmdis

Looking at your ticker is this April your 10th trip? That is big and must be in the title plus it is Sunshines first trip to the Sunshine state.  Looking forward to hearing your plans.


----------



## chicagoshannon

Nice wrap up.  Looking forward to your April pre trip report.

We are having the first warm day of the trip.  Well, yesterday wasn't bad.  The wind has finally settled down.  We are hanging out at the resort today.  We are at the Marriott Sabal Palms.  It's s nice resort that I recommend if you ever need a place to stay and are out of Vistana days.  It's located very near the Vistana.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> The pearl is actually not that expensive.  I had a very close look at everything in December.  The pearl is only $15 and then the  silver cages start at $30.  I think the silver chains were starting around $20.
> 
> As to missing me.....LOL....I'm pretty sure that his exact words would be 'not likely'.   He will get 9 nights of snoring without an elbow to the back or head.   I will get 9 nights of silence.   That said, he usually calls me first when I'm away.  Last year he kept trying to Facetime me but , bless his tiny heart, he couldn't figure it out.  He is a serial butt dialer so perhaps he didn't really want to talk to me.



My problem is, I am not a big fan of silver.  I prefer gold (even gold plated or gold coloured....it doesn't have to be real, it just has to look good).  I would love to get a simple ring done someday, just something small but elegant.



dancin Disney style said:


> That plays perfectly into our 'Golden' plans.



I was thinking that, too.  He did agree to be our driver  (brave soul that he is).



pigletto said:


> It was Gina's trip reports that broke me out of my onsite Disney funk and got us to explore the rest of Orlando. We've had awesome experiences offsite and I am grateful! If the Orlando tourism board was smart they would give her a job.



You guys really are too generous with your compliments  .  

Working for Orlando Tourism would be my dream job.....or even as a concierge at one of the resorts.  I can only hope that some day I will be lucky enough to have that opportunity!!



Ruthie5671 said:


> Another fabulous trip report Gina.  I hate to see it end.  I'm looking forward to your next family adventures and the eventual additions to the stuffy ensemble!



Thank you!  



grantclaire said:


> Gina, thanks again for another great trip report!



Thanks for reading along and joining in the chat.  I hope you will migrate over to the PTR as well....I need some company over the next 71 days!



dsmom said:


> Pigletto, you're brilliant!  I told Gina she should write professionally  and this would be perfect.



Please put in a good word with the US government for me, would you?     All we are lacking are US work visas, and we would relocate in a heartbeat!



mmdis said:


> Looking at your ticker is this April your 10th trip? That is big and must be in the title plus it is Sunshines first trip to the Sunshine state.  Looking forward to hearing your plans.



You are right....this getaway is a milestone, our 10th vacation in Florida!     It's not Sunshine's very first trip (she has been to Florida once before, with her parents and siblings) but it's her first time going to Universal, Islands of Adventure and Aquatica (and they have only ever spend one day at Seaworld, so there is a ton of stuff there that she's never done either).    We have a completely different list of experiences, attractions and restaurants on this itinerary than most everything she has done before in Florida, so while its not officially her first time, in many ways it feels like it  .

She's really, really excited about our flights there and back.  She's never taken a non-stop flight before, so she can't even imagine what its like to get on the plane in Buffalo and get off in Orlando, with no running through the airport in between.  The last time she flew, her parents booked a flight with TWO stops....and they missed their connection in Atlanta (giving everyone a lot of anxiety).   I am hoping we have a spectacular experience with Jetblue so that the journey can become less of a worry and more part of the fun.



chicagoshannon said:


> Nice wrap up.  Looking forward to your April pre trip report.
> 
> We are having the first warm day of the trip.  Well, yesterday wasn't bad.  The wind has finally settled down.  We are hanging out at the resort today.  We are at the Marriott Sabal Palms.  It's s nice resort that I recommend if you ever need a place to stay and are out of Vistana days.  It's located very near the Vistana.



Glad to hear that you are finally getting some warm temps for your holiday!  I heard from another local that the mercury was to climb to 79 degrees this weekend....sounds perfect for some pool time at the resort .

Glad to hear that Sabal Palms is meeting and exceeding your expectations.  I don't think you can go wrong with the name brand resorts (Sheraton, Marriott, Hilton, etc.).  We are actually considering a Marriott timeshare rental for our second week in October (so far, no SVR villas are available through II).


----------



## bankr63

dancin Disney style said:


> That plays perfectly into our 'Golden' plans.





Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I was thinking that, too.  He did agree to be our driver  (brave soul that he is).



Sure it does, but not sure who would be the brave soul(s) here.  You want to get in a little red sports car with top down with ME at the wheel?!?!?  You do have fully paid up life insurance, right?  BwahahahahahaHA!


----------



## RocketCityMama

I think you didn't do so bad on pricing for 3 people for that many days! I am excited for our May/June trip since we're all set on hotel and passes. Just food/gas and fun! I am undecided if I will do a PTR or TR this time lol I think I tried to finish the last TR on our trip last Summer but kept having posting issues. I posted the ending 2 times and it didn't show up! GRRR! Maybe I will hop on it and make a this is all I can remember post? LOL Be sure to post your link!


----------



## chicagoshannon

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> My problem is, I am not a big fan of silver.  I prefer gold (even gold plated or gold coloured....it doesn't have to be real, it just has to look good).  I would love to get a simple ring done someday, just something small but elegant.
> 
> 
> 
> I was thinking that, too.  He did agree to be our driver  (brave soul that he is).
> 
> 
> 
> You guys really are too generous with your compliments  .
> 
> Working for Orlando Tourism would be my dream job.....or even as a concierge at one of the resorts.  I can only hope that some day I will be lucky enough to have that opportunity!!
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for reading along and joining in the chat.  I hope you will migrate over to the PTR as well....I need some company over the next 71 days!
> 
> 
> 
> Please put in a good word with the US government for me, would you?     All we are lacking are US work visas, and we would relocate in a heartbeat!
> 
> 
> 
> You are right....this getaway is a milestone, our 10th vacation in Florida!     It's not Sunshine's very first trip (she has been to Florida once before, with her parents and siblings) but it's her first time going to Universal, Islands of Adventure and Aquatica (and they have only ever spend one day at Seaworld, so there is a ton of stuff there that she's never done either).    We have a completely different list of experiences, attractions and restaurants on this itinerary than most everything she has done before in Florida, so while its not officially her first time, in many ways it feels like it  .
> 
> She's really, really excited about our flights there and back.  She's never taken a non-stop flight before, so she can't even imagine what its like to get on the plane in Buffalo and get off in Orlando, with no running through the airport in between.  The last time she flew, her parents booked a flight with TWO stops....and they missed their connection in Atlanta (giving everyone a lot of anxiety).   I am hoping we have a spectacular experience with Jetblue so that the journey can become less of a worry and more part of the fun.
> 
> 
> 
> Glad to hear that you are finally getting some warm temps for your holiday!  I heard from another local that the mercury was to climb to 79 degrees this weekend....sounds perfect for some pool time at the resort .
> 
> Glad to hear that Sabal Palms is meeting and exceeding your expectations.  I don't think you can go wrong with the name brand resorts (Sheraton, Marriott, Hilton, etc.).  We are actually considering a Marriott timeshare rental for our second week in October (so far, no SVR villas are available through II).




Sabal is nice.  It's definitely more adult oriented.  Staying here, and Royal or Imperial palms, you get to use the World Center amenities.  They have a huge pool and 3 large water slides.  There is also a Lazer light show every night.

I notice that SVR trades throught both RCI and II now and it's been harder to get a room through II lately.

The two marriott that are closest to Sea World are Harbour lakes and Cypress Harbour.  We've stayed at Harbour lakes several times and love how compact it is.  They also have huge hot tubs.  It's a great resort for small kids.  We've never stayed at Cypress harbour but I hear it's nice.  The 3rd closest to seaWorld would be Grand Vista.  I think it reminds me most of SVR.  It's a large resort with several pools.

Harbour Lakes has it's own mini golf course.


----------



## dancin Disney style

bankr63 said:


> Sure it does, but not sure who would be the brave soul(s) here.  You want to get in a little red sports car with top down with ME at the wheel?!?!?  You do have fully paid up life insurance, right?  BwahahahahahaHA!


----------



## tgropp

As the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons would say....*Best Trip Report Ever.*  I love reading Christmas trip reports. Thank You for your time and efforts. It is appreciated by everyone!


----------



## My2CrazyGirls

Awesome trip report Gina!

I have to ask...Money aside, how do all of you Canadians take so many vacations?  I know Europeans take a lot of "holidays" because they get several weeks vacation. What is the average amount of vacation weeks Canadians get???


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Sure it does, but not sure who would be the brave soul(s) here.  You want to get in a little red sports car with top down with ME at the wheel?!?!?  You do have fully paid up life insurance, right?  BwahahahahahaHA!



Are you telling us you have a bit of a wild side, bankr63?  That there's a lead foot attached to the body that houses that analytical numbers-oriented brain of yours?  Geez, you think you know people and then WHAMO!  The truth comes out! 



RocketCityMama said:


> I think you didn't do so bad on pricing for 3 people for that many days! I am excited for our May/June trip since we're all set on hotel and passes. Just food/gas and fun! I am undecided if I will do a PTR or TR this time lol I think I tried to finish the last TR on our trip last Summer but kept having posting issues. I posted the ending 2 times and it didn't show up! GRRR! Maybe I will hop on it and make a this is all I can remember post? LOL Be sure to post your link!



I would love to read about your May/June vacation!!  I think the anticipation really starts to build once the big items (accommodations, rental car, tickets) are all taken care of  .



chicagoshannon said:


> Sabal is nice.  It's definitely more adult oriented.  Staying here, and Royal or Imperial palms, you get to use the World Center amenities.  They have a huge pool and 3 large water slides.  There is also a Lazer light show every night.
> 
> I notice that SVR trades throught both RCI and II now and it's been harder to get a room through II lately.
> 
> The two marriott that are closest to Sea World are Harbour lakes and Cypress Harbour.  We've stayed at Harbour lakes several times and love how compact it is.  They also have huge hot tubs.  It's a great resort for small kids.  We've never stayed at Cypress harbour but I hear it's nice.  The 3rd closest to seaWorld would be Grand Vista.  I think it reminds me most of SVR.  It's a large resort with several pools.
> 
> Harbour Lakes has it's own mini golf course.



I don't know whether it makes it better or worse to have so many GOOD options to pick from .  

Grande Vista, for a one bedroom, is about $100 less than Cypress Harbour (for a two bedroom)....a week's stay in each case.  From what's available on II right now, those are our two favourites, especially when the SW parks are our main focuses.



dancin Disney style said:


> View attachment 151104



  Yep, I can totally see that!



tgropp said:


> As the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons would say....*Best Trip Report Ever.*  I love reading Christmas trip reports. Thank You for your time and efforts. It is appreciated by everyone!



Thank you so much!!!    You guys are all the greatest!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

My2CrazyGirls said:


> Awesome trip report Gina!
> 
> I have to ask...Money aside, how do all of you Canadians take so many vacations?  I know Europeans take a lot of "holidays" because they get several weeks vacation. What is the average amount of vacation weeks Canadians get???



The average Canadian is entitled to two weeks vacation a year (once they have been with a specific employer for a full 365 days) until they build seniority at their place of employment.  My Steve (who has worked at the same company now for 22 years) now gets five weeks vacation a year.  He's almost maxxed out his potential entitlement under the corporation he works for.....I think he gets an extra day's vacation at 25 years, but I don't think he can get much more beyond that.

My office is an anomaly.  They let me take whatever vacation I want in a year (and I'm salaried, not hourly, so I don't lose any pay when I do take time off).  We close for two weeks every Christmas, so that's automatic.  The rest is up to me (yes, I am beyond lucky that way!).  I probably end up with 5 or 6 weeks off in a 12 month period, but like I said....I don't think that's the norm.   I have been with the company a long time (almost 18 years) and am the sole admin person they have.  That makes me fairly valuable to them, so they indulge my vacation addiction to keep a good employee.  My bosses have even been known to give me an unexpected cash bonus right before I leave on our holidays on more than one occassion.....so yeah, I never lose sight of the fact that I'm extra fortunate!


----------



## Ritchielace

I agree that Sunshine should be somewhere in the trip title. It just matches up way too good     Also if you really want to do pick a pearl you can buy your setting somewhere else ( cough cough online) for much much cheaper and they will set it with the pearl you pick. Great money saving tip for you. Plus that way you have more options and can find exactly what you want.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> The average Canadian is entitled to two weeks vacation a year (once they have been with a specific employer for a full 365 days) until they build seniority at their place of employment.  My Steve (who has worked at the same company now for 22 years) now gets five weeks vacation a year.  He's almost maxxed out his potential entitlement under the corporation he works for.....I think he gets an extra day's vacation at 25 years, but I don't think he can get much more beyond that.
> 
> My office is an anomaly.  They let me take whatever vacation I want in a year (and I'm salaried, not hourly, so I don't lose any pay when I do take time off).  We close for two weeks every Christmas, so that's automatic.  The rest is up to me (yes, I am beyond lucky that way!).  I probably end up with 5 or 6 weeks off in a 12 month period, but like I said....I don't think that's the norm.   I have been with the company a long time (almost 18 years) and am the sole admin person they have.  That makes me fairly valuable to them, so they indulge my vacation addiction to keep a good employee.  My bosses have even been known to give me an unexpected cash bonus right before I leave on our holidays on more than one occassion.....so yeah, I never lose sight of the fact that I'm extra fortunate!


Lots of people get 5+ weeks per year.  It all depends on what you negotiate for yourself. My BFF started a new job 2 years ago and got 5 weeks that would kick in after 3 months on the job. Her DH gets 6 weeks and he's only been with his company for a year.  My DH had 3 weeks after 5years which was cut to 2 weeks a couple of years ago...cost cutting measure.  It actually doesn't make much sense as he is salaried.  So now he's been there 11 years and only gets 2 weeks a year.  Come April it's negotiation time again and he's fairly certain he will not get a raise (they just built a new multi million dollar facility) but vacation time will be back on the table.

Then there's me....I own the company so I can take as much time as I want.  Problem being the work needs to get done whether I'm there or not and it's very difficult to get anyone to fill in. Last year I think I took in total about 7 weeks.


----------



## bankr63

And for those who wonder WHY we need vacation, just thought I would post the noon weather here in Ottawa.  This is in Fahrenheit, not Celsius.  Check the wind chill in the bottom right.  I Soooooo wish I was in FL today!


----------



## saskdw

My2CrazyGirls said:


> Awesome trip report Gina!
> 
> I have to ask...Money aside, how do all of you Canadians take so many vacations?  I know Europeans take a lot of "holidays" because they get several weeks vacation. What is the average amount of vacation weeks Canadians get???



It might vary by Province, but here in Saskatchewan everyone is entitled to 3 weeks vacation by labor standards and it goes up to 4 weeks after 10 years with the same company. There are many jobs that have more with time served, especially government union jobs.

You also won't see Canadians posting on DIS that they are taking a 3, 4, or 5 night trip to Orlando. It's usually a min of 7 days. For us we won't go if it's not at least 10 days and usually a full 2 weeks.


----------



## debster812

Gina, we are in FL right now, visiting my parents in Bonita Springs.  We flew in last Sunday to Tampa, spent a couple of days up in Sarasota, and drove down.  Our flight down was less than smooth, and I used your fabulous TR to distract me.  I'm lucky I don't have motion sickness, just a little fear with bumpy flights!  As usual your TR was wonderful, and helped to keep me quite entertained.  Can't wait to start hearing the next trip's plans and exploits!


----------



## dancin Disney style

bankr63 said:


> And for those who wonder WHY we need vacation, just thought I would post the noon weather here in Ottawa.  This is in Fahrenheit, not Celsius.  Check the wind chill in the bottom right.  I Soooooo wish I was in FL today!


We're not too much warmer than that.  Currently -23C with wind chill sitting around -35C.  Still no complaints from me though...this is the only really cold weekend we've had this entire winter and no real snow.  

Going out bikini shopping in an hour!!!!


----------



## ArwenMarie

We've stayed at a lot of the Marriott timeshares in Orlando and we've never been disappointed. Differences in age of property and stuff like that, but they are all nicely appointed and maintained and housekeeping has been great at all of them. 

We've also stayed at a lot of the WDW DVCs and the Marriott timeshares are better quality in terms of units and service.


----------



## Lynne G

Hehe, we are at -15F.  Lucky us.  50 mph winds, so branches and other assorted objects flying everywhere.  Frigid.

Ready for the warm sunshine.  Would like to be Florida bound now.  

Even though I get 6 weeks of vacation, I never take more than 2 weeks at a time.  Long weekends make up the rest. 

Ok, link to you April trip report soon?  Waiting patiently.


----------



## jump00

Brrrrrr it's so cold.....-25 here, near Toronto Ontario.  
Thanks for your kind words Gina!!! I'm so sorry you suffered a brain tumour - I hope you are symptom / side effects free now. Was it a while ago?  You are so brave.
It also sounds like you work for a wonderful company!! They are lucky to have you too.
Can't wait for your next pre trip report . 

Jump00


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> And for those who wonder WHY we need vacation, just thought I would post the noon weather here in Ottawa.  This is in Fahrenheit, not Celsius.  Check the wind chill in the bottom right.  I Soooooo wish I was in FL today!



Yep, this weather makes me dream of being a snowbird.  6 months in Canada, 6 months in the south....I could definitely handle that .



saskdw said:


> It might vary by Province, but here in Saskatchewan everyone is entitled to 3 weeks vacation by labor standards and it goes up to 4 weeks after 10 years with the same company. There are many jobs that have more with time served, especially government union jobs.
> 
> You also won't see Canadians posting on DIS that they are taking a 3, 4, or 5 night trip to Orlando. It's usually a min of 7 days. For us we won't go if it's not at least 10 days and usually a full 2 weeks.



Flights from the west are generally quite a bit pricier than for us in Ontario, so I don't blame you guys a bit for making each trip a full two weeks long.   That definitely gets the most bang for your airfare buck.



debster812 said:


> Gina, we are in FL right now, visiting my parents in Bonita Springs.  We flew in last Sunday to Tampa, spent a couple of days up in Sarasota, and drove down.  Our flight down was less than smooth, and I used your fabulous TR to distract me.  I'm lucky I don't have motion sickness, just a little fear with bumpy flights!  As usual your TR was wonderful, and helped to keep me quite entertained.  Can't wait to start hearing the next trip's plans and exploits!



Ack, so sorry to hear of your bumpy flight!!  Those scare the crap out of me  .   Hopefully, your trip home will be much smoother sailing.

Glad to hear that my report provided you with a little diversion from the turbulence.  I will have the next PTR up by tomorrow night, I promise!



dancin Disney style said:


> We're not too much warmer than that.  Currently -23C with wind chill sitting around -35C.  Still no complaints from me though...this is the only really cold weekend we've had this entire winter and no real snow.
> 
> *Going out bikini shopping in an hour!!!!*



Okay, we're all waiting for photos .



ArwenMarie said:


> We've stayed at a lot of the Marriott timeshares in Orlando and we've never been disappointed. Differences in age of property and stuff like that, but they are all nicely appointed and maintained and housekeeping has been great at all of them.
> 
> We've also stayed at a lot of the WDW DVCs and the Marriott timeshares are better quality in terms of units and service.



I am pretty sure we have narrowed it down between the Grande Vista (one bedroom) and Cypress Harbour (2 bedroom).  $80 difference, both close to SeaWorld.    If an SVR week doesn't come up on Skyauction or II by the time we're ready to book, then I'll let Steve pick between the two Marriotts (I will be happy with either!).



Lynne G said:


> Hehe, we are at -15F.  Lucky us.  50 mph winds, so branches and other assorted objects flying everywhere.  Frigid.
> 
> Ready for the warm sunshine.  Would like to be Florida bound now.
> 
> Even though I get 6 weeks of vacation, I never take more than 2 weeks at a time.  Long weekends make up the rest.
> 
> *Ok, link to you April trip report soon?  Waiting patiently.*



I am so sorry I haven't got that initial entry posted yet.....I came down with a bit of a bug over the past couple of days which has derailed my intended progress, and then Saturdays are devoted to housecleaning and spending time with my mom.  Tomorrow I'm all by my lonesome....Steve is working all day, Jake and Sunshine are in Kitchener visiting her family, and its still supposed to be sub zero outside, so it will be a good day to get my PTR kicked off.  So hopefully by tomorrow afternoon at the very latest!



jump00 said:


> Brrrrrr it's so cold.....-25 here, near Toronto Ontario.
> Thanks for your kind words Gina!!! I'm so sorry you suffered a brain tumour - I hope you are symptom / side effects free now. Was it a while ago?  You are so brave.
> It also sounds like you work for a wonderful company!! They are lucky to have you too.
> Can't wait for your next pre trip report .
> 
> Jump00



I was officially 17 years tumor-free this past Christmas .   I definitely don't consider myself brave (it was the scariest time of my life!), just incredibly blessed.   Other than a few minor side effects (a few little quirks that I like to think just add to my charm ), I'm better than ever.   Considering I was initially told I had a 50% chance of living 5 years, any little oddities that persist are absolutely bearable .

Stay in and stay warm this weekend!!


----------



## dixonsontour

Great report as usual looking forward to your next one.


----------



## Callie

Great report!
Looks like we are going down to Orlando in June...ack going to be a sauna. But free lodging via my moms DVC I can't complain.
Would love to go in October again, but I don't think my boss will give me another week off that month since I'm already going to DC.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dixonsontour said:


> Great report as usual looking forward to your next one.





Callie said:


> Great report!
> Looks like we are going down to Orlando in June...ack going to be a sauna. But free lodging via my moms DVC I can't complain.
> Would love to go in October again, but I don't think my boss will give me another week off that month since I'm already going to DC.



Thank you both!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

My April PTR is official started!  Please follow me over to the Universal trip reports board and join in the chatter:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/wa...ersal-seaworld-an-april-may-2016-ptr.3483799/

I have 69 days to fill and would love your company!


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Okay, we're all waiting for photos .


As requested.....



Just a candid shot that I took this morning....sorry I'm not looking my best


----------



## Mrs Doubtfire

What a shame having to post such a sub standard bikini picture dancin Disney! Personally I would have left it


----------



## My2CrazyGirls

dancin Disney style said:


> Lots of people get 5+ weeks per year.  It all depends on what you negotiate for yourself. My BFF started a new job 2 years ago and got 5 weeks that would kick in after 3 months on the job. Her DH gets 6 weeks and he's only been with his company for a year.  My DH had 3 weeks after 5years which was cut to 2 weeks a couple of years ago...cost cutting measure.  It actually doesn't make much sense as he is salaried.  So now he's been there 11 years and only gets 2 weeks a year.  Come April it's negotiation time again and he's fairly certain he will not get a raise (they just built a new multi million dollar facility) but vacation time will be back on the table.
> 
> Then there's me....I own the company so I can take as much time as I want.  Problem being the work needs to get done whether I'm there or not and it's very difficult to get anyone to fill in. Last year I think I took in total about 7 weeks.



I know it varies but overall, US companies are not that generous with vacation time. Some no longer give sicks days so you have to use your paid time off (vacation) if you get sick!  And many large companies do not negotiate, your vacation days are tied to how many years you have been w the company.

And I can tell you it can be near impossible to take more than a week off at a time.  My husband has vacation days built up so I suggested a 2 week summer road trip.  He said that sounded fun but taking off 2 weeks is just not usually possible and it is pretty rare for someone to take off that long.

So for those of you that gets lots of vaca and take long trips, enjoy them


----------



## dancin Disney style

My2CrazyGirls said:


> I know it varies but overall, US companies are not that generous with vacation time. Some no longer give sicks days so you have to use your paid time off (vacation) if you get sick!  And many large companies do not negotiate, your vacation days are tied to how many years you have been w the company.
> 
> And I can tell you it can be near impossible to take more than a week off at a time.  My husband has vacation days built up so I suggested a 2 week summer road trip.  He said that sounded fun but taking off 2 weeks is just not usually possible and it is pretty rare for someone to take off that long.
> 
> So for those of you that gets lots of vaca and take long trips, enjoy them


For sure there are lots of variables here too.  Some people get sick days, some do not.  Some people get personal days, most do not.  I think most companies have policies about when you can take your time off as well as how long you can take at one time.

My staff can take whatever/whenever the exception being in mid Nov-Christmas.  I only contract staff so if they don't work they don't get paid.  The people that are employed by the facility that I run my business in are all union and they have to apply for time off a minimum of 3 months in advance and it goes by seniority.  I constantly hear from them about not getting days that they asked for.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> What a shame having to post such a sub standard bikini picture dancin Disney! Personally I would have left it


Ya sorry....I know you can't un-see that


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> As requested.....
> 
> View attachment 151330
> 
> Just a candid shot that I took this morning....sorry I'm not looking my best



Pink polka dots?  Really?  

I had you pegged for a leopard print girl myself .


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

My2CrazyGirls said:


> I know it varies but overall, US companies are not that generous with vacation time. Some no longer give sicks days so you have to use your paid time off (vacation) if you get sick!  And many large companies do not negotiate, your vacation days are tied to how many years you have been w the company.
> 
> And I can tell you it can be near impossible to take more than a week off at a time.  My husband has vacation days built up so I suggested a 2 week summer road trip.  He said that sounded fun but taking off 2 weeks is just not usually possible and it is pretty rare for someone to take off that long.
> 
> So for those of you that gets lots of vaca and take long trips, enjoy them





dancin Disney style said:


> For sure there are lots of variables here too.  Some people get sick days, some do not.  Some people get personal days, most do not.  I think most companies have policies about when you can take your time off as well as how long you can take at one time.
> 
> My staff can take whatever/whenever the exception being in mid Nov-Christmas.  I only contract staff so if they don't work they don't get paid.  The people that are employed by the facility that I run my business in are all union and they have to apply for time off a minimum of 3 months in advance and it goes by seniority.  I constantly hear from them about not getting days that they asked for.



A job with flexible and generous vacation is worth its weight in gold, in my opinion.  Its one of the main reasons I have stayed with this company since Jake was 2 and a half years old.   I'm not getting rich there (as far as wages go) but its wonderful to still have a life even though I have a job.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> A job with flexible and generous vacation is worth its weight in gold, in my opinion.  Its one of the main reasons I have stayed with this company since Jake was 2 and a half years old.   I'm not getting rich there (as far as wages go) but its wonderful to still have a life even though I have a job.


I so agree.  The flexibility is the only reasons DH has stayed with his company.  He took his current position because he was tired of commuting but a local job means less money.   He has left in the middle of the day to change a flat on my car or to go to the dentist or because someone was locked out of the house.  He can use company vehicles for anything he wants...when ever he wants.  His boss is very laid back about life stuff.  That has come to be valuable to us.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Pink polka dots?  Really?
> 
> I had you pegged for a leopard print girl myself .


I'm more of a Cougar


----------



## bankr63

dancin Disney style said:


> As requested.....
> 
> Just a candid shot that I took this morning....sorry I'm not looking my best



Woot!  And I get to go driving Miss Daisy...!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> I so agree.  The flexibility is the only reasons DH has stayed with his company.  He took his current position because he was tired of commuting but a local job means less money.   He has left in the middle of the day to change a flat on my car or to go to the dentist or because someone was locked out of the house.  He can use company vehicles for anything he wants...when ever he wants.  His boss is very laid back about life stuff.  That has come to be valuable to us.



Don't you wonder why more employers don't take that approach, though?  I have always been of the opinion that the more courtesies an employer grants their staff, the harder the staff will work (because they feel appreciated and *want *to give back).    Maybe that's the Pollyanna mindset, I don't know, but I know I work harder because I know I'm appreciated and thought of as a _*person*_.  



dancin Disney style said:


> I'm more of a Cougar



I am soooooo not surprised .



bankr63 said:


> Woot!  And I get to go driving Miss Daisy...!



Who gets to sit in the front seat, though?  Me, @dancin Disney style or @pigletto ?


----------



## dancin Disney style

+


Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Don't you wonder why more employers don't take that approach, though?  I have always been of the opinion that the more courtesies an employer grants their staff, the harder the staff will work (because they feel appreciated and *want *to give back).    Maybe that's the Pollyanna mindset, I don't know, but I know I work harder because I know I'm appreciated and thought of as a _*person*_.


I think DH's company is laid back about that stuff  because the owner is an old school Italian gentleman.  His kids all work at his companies and he brings his mother to all company social functions.  I'm not sure that anyone there wants to work harder but there is a sense of family/loyalty for sure.  There are not many people that come and go. I can't for the life of me figure out how people stay there though.  No one gets raises and life is constantly getting more expensive.


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Who gets to sit in the front seat, though?  Me, @dancin Disney style or @pigletto ?



Actually, based on DDS's suggestion that I get a little red convertible, I'm thinking you would have to all take turns and go individually.  Most of those numbers don't have a usable back seat.  See there goes my sensible Capricorn nature kicking in again.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Actually, based on DDS's suggestion that I get a little red convertible, I'm thinking you would have to all take turns and go individually.  Most of those numbers don't have a usable back seat.  See there goes my sensible Capricorn nature kicking in again.



Well, that changes everything.  Time to ditch the convertible dreams for a mini van.....because it just wouldn't be the same without my partners in crime!

The sports car would have made for a bad hair day, anyway .


----------



## dennise

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> LOL....you guys don't forget a thing!!
> 
> Which reminds me....I should probably post a link to this trip report on the PTR thread..... .


First time in a while and I stumble on to your trip report, how lucky is that?    I always enjoy your reports.


----------



## dancin Disney style

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Well, that changes everything.  Time to ditch the convertible dreams for a mini van.....because it just wouldn't be the same without my partners in crime!
> 
> The sports car would have made for a bad hair day, anyway .


No worries....the BMW and Mercedes both have a decent back seat and we can deal with the hair.


----------



## bankr63

Wait, who's paying for my mid-life crisis here?  I was thinking a used MX-3 might be in budget...


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dennise said:


> First time in a while and I stumble on to your trip report, how lucky is that?    I always enjoy your reports.



Hi dennise, good to see you again!!   How are the grandkids?

I would love to have you join in the pre-trip planning for our spring vacation....so if you are interested, follow us over here to the Universal boards :

http://www.disboards.com/threads/wa...ersal-seaworld-an-april-may-2016-ptr.3483799/



bankr63 said:


> Wait, who's paying for my mid-life crisis here?  I was thinking a used MX-3 might be in budget...



I hear that @dancin Disney style is loaded.....she should be able to cover your expenses with no problem  .

_Now....I run....._.


----------



## dancin Disney style

bankr63 said:


> Wait, who's paying for my mid-life crisis here?  I was thinking a used MX-3 might be in budget...


Have you never seen the car commercials in the US....you can get a NICE car for $199/month.



Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I hear that @dancin Disney style is loaded.....she should be able to cover your expenses with no problem  .
> 
> _Now....I run....._.


Loaded with what?   I just paid for one kid to go to University...twice.  Now the second one(who is a competitive dancer, which runs about $10K/year) I planning to go far, far away to University in 2017.   As soon as the snow clears I'm heading out to the curb with a violin and a tin cup.

Donations anyone???


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dancin Disney style said:


> Loaded with what?



Charm.  Loaded with charm.


----------



## bankr63

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Charm.  Loaded with charm.


Oh, and here I thought you meant she had one too many Grand Marnier slushies at World Showcase...


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

bankr63 said:


> Oh, and here I thought you meant she had one too many Grand Marnier slushies at World Showcase...



That's another completely plausible scenario .


----------



## dancin Disney style

bankr63 said:


> Oh, and here I thought you meant she had one too many Grand Marnier slushies at World Showcase...





Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> That's another completely plausible scenario .


  Oh my friends    you know me so well.  Just for future reference the Grey Goose is the best.


----------



## shalom

dennise said:


> First time in a while and I stumble on to your trip report, how lucky is that?    I always enjoy your reports.



Ditto to all that!  I've been off sulking most of the past year because it was so long between Orlando trips, but maybe I'll stick around awhile this time.  Took me a few days to read this thread, and will probably take me a while to catch up on the other Gina trips I haven't read (and I'll probably reread the others anyhow, why not?), should get me back in the habit of hangin' out at the Dis.  

As you may or may not remember, I can ramble on considerable...  There's a scroll bar, you can shut me up easily enough.  So here's some random observations as I read...

Ever read _Nancy Drew_ books, Gina?  I used to enjoy the ones from the forties -- the ones from the seventies, not so much...  Anyhow, a secondary character in those (Nancy's good friend) is the only other Georgina I've run across; most of the Ginas I've known were Reginas, I think. 

I'm another anhinga fan, and like *bankr63*'s comment that they're a "Loon in a more tropical setting."  Loons are Minnesota's state birds -- I'm a native Minnesota, although I haven't lived there since I was six, and that's the only "Minnesota state anything" I know, because loons are cool.  As are anhinga.  

How wonderful that you got to take that behind the scenes tour at SeaWorld!  Disboard peeps are the best.  

No otter in the new Clyde and Seamore show?  Middle daughter will not be pleased.  

Gators generally look self-satisfied as much as anything, IMHO, but most of the ones at Gator Spot looked outright happy! They knew you were there to appreciate them, that's what.

Many, many thanks on the food reviews.  Red Robin is on our “give it a try” list, too, but I'm realizing that we don’t eat nearly as many burgers on vacation as you guys do, which is probably why we’ve not gotten there yet.  Compared to you guys, we're practically vegetarians!  Now I think on it, we eat a lot of ethnic peasant food and vegetarian-ish stuff at home; maybe that's why we're more likely to hit restaurants for decadence than a proper meal.  

I'm jealous of the people who get five weeks of vacation or more a year -- always thought five or six weeks a year would be perfect.  Although hubby's company is pretty flexible about him taking off early or taking long lunches or otherwise fiddling with his schedule to see a kid's class or whatever (when I had a baby at home, he took the older kids to most of their classes and homeschool gym and whatnot), he only gets three weeks vacation time, and every other year we spend a week of it on Christmas with my side of the family (his family is closer so when his mom was alive we'd do Thanksgiving and a holiday weekend or two out there -- we've been really bad about visiting them since his mom died, need to get better about that  ).

OTOH, I love your trip reports, so that jealousy is somewhat balanced out by appreciation.  Reading one of your trip reports is a mini-vacation in itself!


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

shalom said:


> Ditto to all that!  I've been off sulking most of the past year because it was so long between Orlando trips, but maybe I'll stick around awhile this time.  Took me a few days to read this thread, and will probably take me a while to catch up on the other Gina trips I haven't read (and I'll probably reread the others anyhow, why not?), should get me back in the habit of hangin' out at the Dis.
> 
> As you may or may not remember, I can ramble on considerable...  There's a scroll bar, you can shut me up easily enough.  So here's some random observations as I read...



Well hello, my long lost friend!  I haven't heard from you....well.....in AGES!

I certainly don't mind any lengthy posts and replies....let's be honest, I'm living in a glass house there, myself  .  Feel free to "ramble" away!  



shalom said:


> Ever read _Nancy Drew_ books, Gina?  I used to enjoy the ones from the forties -- the ones from the seventies, not so much...  Anyhow, a secondary character in those (Nancy's good friend) is the only other Georgina I've run across; most of the Ginas I've known were Reginas, I think.



I did read Nancy Drew as a kid, but its been a while.....can't say I remember much about them.  I always wished for a name that was trendy and contemporary, like all the cool girls in my class....then I go and name my only-born Jacob (just about as traditional and classic as it gets ).  I'm sure if I had been born in the 40's, I may not have minded my name nearly so much!



shalom said:


> How wonderful that you got to take that behind the scenes tour at SeaWorld!  Disboard peeps are the best.
> 
> No otter in the new Clyde and Seamore show?  Middle daughter will not be pleased.
> 
> Gators generally look self-satisfied as much as anything, IMHO, but most of the ones at Gator Spot looked outright happy! They knew you were there to appreciate them, that's what.



The good folks on the Dis are really the best!  Such wonderful people, in so many ways .

Your middle DD need not fear....the otter is still a part of the new show .  Now if the mime was a favourite, she might be gutted about that loss.....but definitely the otter made an appearance when we were there over Christmas, and he's just as stinking cute as he was Pirate Island production .



shalom said:


> Many, many thanks on the food reviews.  Red Robin is on our “give it a try” list, too, but I'm realizing that we don’t eat nearly as many burgers on vacation as you guys do, which is probably why we’ve not gotten there yet.  Compared to you guys, we're practically vegetarians!  Now I think on it, we eat a lot of ethnic peasant food and vegetarian-ish stuff at home; maybe that's why we're more likely to hit restaurants for decadence than a proper meal.


LOL, my guys are meatatarians by nature.....they rarely meet a burger they don't like .   Now that you bring it up, we do seem to hit up a lot of burger joints on our trips  .  I guess we'll have to work on branching out on that!



shalom said:


> OTOH, I love your trip reports, so that jealousy is somewhat balanced out by appreciation.  Reading one of your trip reports is a mini-vacation in itself!



Aw, thank you!!!


----------



## dennise

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Hi dennise, good to see you again!!   How are the grandkids?
> 
> I would love to have you join in the pre-trip planning for our spring vacation....so if you are interested, follow us over here to the Universal boards :
> 
> http://www.disboards.com/threads/wa...ersal-seaworld-an-april-may-2016-ptr.3483799/
> 
> 
> 
> I hear that @dancin Disney style is loaded.....she should be able to cover your expenses with no problem  .
> 
> _Now....I run....._.


The grandkids are great, two in hockey, two in basketball, one in volleyball, one into girls and the other has no interest at all, hopefully she will be back in soccer.    I am really looking forward to this trip, we are overlapping with oldest and his family.   It has been a stressful year.


----------



## dennise

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> LOL....I totally agree.  Dick's is great for a 20 year old boy, but I wouldn't take my 13 year old daughter there  .
> 
> The first part of our Aquatica visit is coming up soon!  Stay tuned  .
> 
> 
> 
> I'm afraid Jake put the stopper on our expertly planned nuptuals.  Seems he thinks he has the right to pick his own mate  .  Good thing he's chosen one I really, really like this time.....otherwise I may have had to reconsider my cream cheese fear just to ensure he got an entertaining mother in law... .
> 
> As for the Dick's hat.....let's remember we're friends here, okay?  Thou shalt not share it.  Facebook has an unfriend feature and I'm not afraid to use it  .
> 
> And that's all I have to say about that .


Are we going to see the hat!


----------



## dennise

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> It's our favourite waterpark in Orlando .  We also enjoy Typhoon Lagoon (especially their wave pool), but Aquatica is our #1 overall for Roa's Rapids (I love, love, LOVE that attraction! ), the affordable cabanas, and the fact that its usually noticeably less packed with people versus TL.
> 
> 
> 
> Alright, I'm convinced!!!  And now I'm officially on the hunt for a good Groupon deal  .
> 
> 
> 
> God love ya......15 years old.  I wish .
> 
> Those tots were mighty tasty, and I liked that you had the option to dress 'em up with chili and/or cheese (though I'm a plain girl myself).  A nice change from french fries, for sure!
> 
> 
> 
> Our snow has given way to a sub-zero Arctic chill.  I abhor winter  .
> 
> 
> 
> Hey!!  It wasn't me who started this!!
> 
> I think it was @Mrs Doubtfire  .
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome back!   Glad to hear you're back connected to the world wide web  .  It's a amazing how much we feel like fish out of water when we're offline for a while.
> 
> I hear you on the effect of the exchange rate.  We're doing the same as you for our April trip.....tickets are going to be purchased in lieu of Valentine's Day and Easter gifts (or at least, that's the current plan)  In our case, though, its for Tampa Bay Rays tickets.....they are playing our beloved Blue Jays on 3 separate days during our trip, and when my guys found out, they almost begged me to work it into the budget (and the itinerary).  2016 single day tickets haven't been released yet though, so we can't move forward with that until they are able to be purchased by the general public.  I am hoping they are not too pricey.....sigh, what I don't do for those guys _(though we'll probably combine the game with a trip to a gulf beach while we're on that side of the state....its been on mine & Sunshine's wish list, so it seems like a good way to make the most out of the long commute).
> _
> Yep, Aquatica is really easy to fall in love with.  Ah, to be in Roa's right now..........
> 
> 
> I will try to get another update posted later today!


What day are you planning the ball game?   


Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> It's our favourite waterpark in Orlando .  We also enjoy Typhoon Lagoon (especially their wave pool), but Aquatica is our #1 overall for Roa's Rapids (I love, love, LOVE that attraction! ), the affordable cabanas, and the fact that its usually noticeably less packed with people versus TL.
> 
> 
> 
> Alright, I'm convinced!!!  And now I'm officially on the hunt for a good Groupon deal  .
> 
> 
> 
> God love ya......15 years old.  I wish .
> 
> Those tots were mighty tasty, and I liked that you had the option to dress 'em up with chili and/or cheese (though I'm a plain girl myself).  A nice change from french fries, for sure!
> 
> 
> 
> Our snow has given way to a sub-zero Arctic chill.  I abhor winter  .
> 
> 
> 
> Hey!!  It wasn't me who started this!!
> 
> I think it was @Mrs Doubtfire  .
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome back!   Glad to hear you're back connected to the world wide web  .  It's a amazing how much we feel like fish out of water when we're offline for a while.
> 
> I hear you on the effect of the exchange rate.  We're doing the same as you for our April trip.....tickets are going to be purchased in lieu of Valentine's Day and Easter gifts (or at least, that's the current plan)  In our case, though, its for Tampa Bay Rays tickets.....they are playing our beloved Blue Jays on 3 separate days during our trip, and when my guys found out, they almost begged me to work it into the budget (and the itinerary).  2016 single day tickets haven't been released yet though, so we can't move forward with that until they are able to be purchased by the general public.  I am hoping they are not too pricey.....sigh, what I don't do for those guys _(though we'll probably combine the game with a trip to a gulf beach while we're on that side of the state....its been on mine & Sunshine's wish list, so it seems like a good way to make the most out of the long commute).
> _
> Yep, Aquatica is really easy to fall in love with.  Ah, to be in Roa's right now..........
> 
> 
> I will try to get another update posted later today!


----------



## dennise

I am having major tech problems.   Haven't been here for so long forget how to use this board.   I was trying to find out when you are going to the ball game.   We are planning on going to one as well.


----------



## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

dennise said:


> I am having major tech problems.   Haven't been here for so long forget how to use this board.   I was trying to find out when you are going to the ball game.   We are planning on going to one as well.



Hi ya dennise, we are at the Jays/Rays game on Saturday, April 30th.  Which day are you there?


----------



## dennise

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Hi ya dennise, we are at the Jays/Rays game on Saturday, April 30th.  Which day are you there?


It is early in the month, not sure which day yet.   There are no hockey games while we are there unless they make the playoffs, but tickets would probably be hard to get.    Glad you enjoyed WF.   We went with #2 son and his family, thank heavens no snakes other than some in the water.


----------



## lauralynn0612

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I see milkshakes in our future!



Reading through your TR (obviously I am a bit behind)... And what to my wondering eyes should appear? A K-STATE SHIRT!!!! We don't get many of these outside Kansas so I had to respond even though it was so many pages ago. (My husband and I are huge fans... Season ticket holders, alumni, etc.)

Love your reports!  Carry on...


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

lauralynn0612 said:


> Reading through your TR (obviously I am a bit behind)... And what to my wondering eyes should appear? A K-STATE SHIRT!!!! We don't get many of these outside Kansas so I had to respond even though it was so many pages ago. (My husband and I are huge fans... Season ticket holders, alumni, etc.)
> 
> Love your reports!  Carry on...



Jake loves his sports teams, and has a t-shirt from most of the major players.....I can't say for certain, but I'll venture a guess that he purchased that shirt at the Nike Clearance Store right in Orlando.  He finds the best deals on the university team fanware on our travels down south!


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## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Hi ya dennise, we are at the Jays/Rays game on Saturday, April 30th.  Which day are you there?


We just booked detroit and jays game on march 22. They were much more pricier this year.


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## beebeeryan

Just read through this whole TR! Great info as we are planning our first non-Disney trip in August and planning much of what you did. Thanks so much for the thorough report!  

Visitana is on my list, but our kids are younger so looking for something with a more exciting pool vibe I think. It's high on my list though, looks beautiful!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

beebeeryan said:


> Just read through this whole TR! Great info as we are planning our first non-Disney trip in August and planning much of what you did. Thanks so much for the thorough report!
> 
> Visitana is on my list, but our kids are younger so looking for something with a more exciting pool vibe I think. It's high on my list though, looks beautiful!



Thanks for reading!


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## ElenaJane

Done!!!  I am actually glad I'm late to the party in a way.  I got to read the whole thing from start to finish!  I loved hearing about all the non-Disney/Universal that Orlando has to offer!  If it weren't for your previous TRs, I would not have know that there is a chocolate museum and Skeleton Museum!  Now I got to see Sea Life, putt putts, Fun Spots, Aquatica, Air-Boats, Wax Museums (BTW, I loved that picture of you and Lincoln.  It looked like he was mad and was like "I can't even look at you right now" lol).  

Your TRs are the best!  I always find myself hungry after reading them though....


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## Tricia's mom

Bo bina family ???


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

ElenaJane said:


> Done!!!  I am actually glad I'm late to the party in a way.  I got to read the whole thing from start to finish!  I loved hearing about all the non-Disney/Universal that Orlando has to offer!  If it weren't for your previous TRs, I would not have know that there is a chocolate museum and Skeleton Museum!  Now I got to see Sea Life, putt putts, Fun Spots, Aquatica, Air-Boats, Wax Museums (BTW, I loved that picture of you and Lincoln.  It looked like he was mad and was like "I can't even look at you right now" lol).
> 
> Your TRs are the best!  I always find myself hungry after reading them though....



Thanks ElenaJane!  You know what they say..._*.Better Late Than Never!*_ 

Food is definitely a big part of the fun on our trips, perhaps because we try to make generally good dietary choices between vacations so we can indulge without guilt while we're in Orlando.  I know it looks like we eat (a lot) when on holiday, and truth is....I guess we do!



Tricia's mom said:


> View attachment 152621 Bo bina family ???



Ha ha!  Love it!  And with a little Google searching, I found where to order them:

http://www.familystickers.com/minion-stickers.html

You can even personalize them with names!!  How awesome!

I may have to splurge and order them before our trip....have 'em shipped to our Park & Fly hotel .


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## ElenaJane

Food is definitely a big part of the fun on our trips, perhaps because we try to make generally good dietary choices between vacations so we can indulge without guilt while we're in Orlando.  I know it looks like we eat (a lot) when on holiday, and truth is....I guess we do!

TOTALLY relate.  A huge motivation for me to eat healthy and work out is to splurge on vacations.   I will seriously get out of bed and think...45 more days until I get the Patriot's Feast at Liberty Tree Tavern...
Unfortunately, I read your TRs when I am NOT on vacation, so I see your glorious stack of onion rings...while I am eating my carrot sticks and non-fat yogurt.


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## dennise

dancin Disney style said:


> +
> 
> I think DH's company is laid back about that stuff  because the owner is an old school Italian gentleman.  His kids all work at his companies and he brings his mother to all company social functions.  I'm not sure that anyone there wants to work harder but there is a sense of family/loyalty for sure.  There are not many people that come and go. I can't for the life of me figure out how people stay there though.  No one gets raises and life is constantly getting more expensive.


Gina I am with you.   I loved my job, my boss was great and still is very good to me.   He was very flexible with time off.   You go the extra mile when it is appreciated.   They don't even have to tell you they appreciate you, you just know it.


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## happy2012

Thanks for sharing,great review!!!!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Gina hope you are enjoying your current trip. We have booked to go to Florida 15th December and will be there over Christmas and the New Year. We are staying on the gulf coast for a week before driving back up to Orlando. It is our first New Years Eve there, but we have been before at Christmas. Something to look forward to


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Gina hope you are enjoying your current trip. We have booked to go to Florida 15th December and will be there over Christmas and the New Year. We are staying on the gulf coast for a week before driving back up to Orlando. It is our first New Years Eve there, but we have been before at Christmas. Something to look forward to



What a fantastic way to spend the holiday season!!  You are going to have a most amazing time!


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## Joanna71985

I just found your TR, and spent the past several hours reading the whole thing! I loved all the food pictures. I grew up going to Friendly's up in NJ, and need to find the one in FL; I love Ale House (especially for the zingers); and this will be shocking, but I've never been to Ohana after living in Orlando for 7 years.

I need to try the attractions on I-Drive (especially Madame Tussaud). The Orlando Eye looks awesome!

I was at SeaWorld on Christmas too! In fact, I was at the same SLH show as you (except I was down in the soak zone). I am already counting down for Christmas season in Nov


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Joanna71985 said:


> I just found your TR, and spent the past several hours reading the whole thing! I loved all the food pictures. I grew up going to Friendly's up in NJ, and need to find the one in FL; I love Ale House (especially for the zingers); and this will be shocking, but I've never been to Ohana after living in Orlando for 7 years.
> 
> I need to try the attractions on I-Drive (especially Madame Tussaud). The Orlando Eye looks awesome!
> 
> I was at SeaWorld on Christmas too! In fact, I was at the same SLH show as you (except I was down in the soak zone). I am already counting down for Christmas season in Nov



I would give my right arm to be back in Orlando for Christmas again this year, but after a 10 day trip at the end of April and another two weeks in October, its not going to happen for 2016.  There is nothing more awesome than SeaWorld during the holiday season, though, so we will try and see if we can swing a return trip for Christmas 2017!

The Friendly's is on I-Drive, not far from the Eye complex actually.  If you give the Eye a whirl (pardon the pun, LOL!) then you could grab a meal at Friendly's afterwards.  Have the waffle fries...they are divine!

Ohana is so much fun.....I just love the atmosphere at the Polynesian (especially as a northerner.....we yearn for that tropical, summery feel).  You should definitely give breakfast a try there sometime!!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Just bought my SW tickets today for our Xmas trip. Going to look out for the preferred seating you bought as we plan on going Xmas Eve


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## Joanna71985

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> I would give my right arm to be back in Orlando for Christmas again this year, but after a 10 day trip at the end of April and another two weeks in October, its not going to happen for 2016.  There is nothing more awesome than SeaWorld during the holiday season, though, so we will try and see if we can swing a return trip for Christmas 2017!
> 
> The Friendly's is on I-Drive, not far from the Eye complex actually.  If you give the Eye a whirl (pardon the pun, LOL!) then you could grab a meal at Friendly's afterwards.  Have the waffle fries...they are divine!
> 
> Ohana is so much fun.....I just love the atmosphere at the Polynesian (especially as a northerner.....we yearn for that tropical, summery feel).  You should definitely give breakfast a try there sometime!!



I definitely understand. Hopefully something can be worked out (last year was my first time going to SeaWorld at christmas time, and I am already counting down until this season)

Oh that's close! I will definitely have to check that out (and then I can kill 2 birds with one stone)

Ohana has been on my bucket list for awhile. But your pictures may help me put that plan into action (especially to try the POG juice)


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## greenclan67

I am with you on thr xmas trip Gina, its taking everything i can not too rebook.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> Just bought my SW tickets today for our Xmas trip. Going to look out for the preferred seating you bought as we plan on going Xmas Eve



It's worth its weight in gold.  One of the best-value add-ons of our entire trip!


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

greenclan67 said:


> I am with you on thr xmas trip Gina, its taking everything i can not too rebook.



Shame on SeaWorld.....I blame this addiction _*completely*_ on them! 

You just watch.....this is the year that Christmas will be cold, snowy and unbearable in Ontario, and we'll both be asking ourselves *why, why aren't we in Florida right now?!?!?.  *


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## JaxDad

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Shame on SeaWorld.....I blame this addiction _*completely*_ on them!
> 
> You just watch.....this is the year that Christmas will be cold, snowy and unbearable in Ontario, and we'll both be asking ourselves *why, why aren't we in Florida right now?!?!?.  *



And now I'm thinking about planning and budgeting a Christmas SeaWorld trip!

I blame *you* Gina! And whoever resurrected this thread!


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## greenclan67

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Shame on SeaWorld.....I blame this addiction _*completely*_ on them!
> 
> You just watch.....this is the year that Christmas will be cold, snowy and unbearable in Ontario, and we'll both be asking ourselves *why, why aren't we in Florida right now?!?!?.  *



No kidding......i wish i waa there now. Its freezing tonight.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

JaxDad said:


> And now I'm thinking about planning and budgeting a Christmas SeaWorld trip!
> 
> I blame *you* Gina! And whoever resurrected this thread!



If I can't be there, I sure hope you can be!!


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## MrsB1228

I just have to chime in and say how much I've enjoyed reading this incredible trip report!  Wonderful tips and detailed information given with humour and a writing style that I just love.  It's great to read about off-site adventures as DH and I will be doing our first off-site stay in many, many years this November.  We're fellow Canadians (from the Newmarket area) and we're going to drive down this trip.  We have a condo reserved at Windsor Hills for 3 glorious weeks and will be putting our WDW AP's to good use.  I loved reading about your Sea World, Universal and other adventures.  It's been so long since we left the Disney bubble I forget how many other fun things there are to do in the area.    I greatly appreciate your pictures and reviews of the different restaurants you tried, I will definitely be adding most of them to our "must try" list come November.

Thank you so much for sharing your family's vacation experiences with us.  I'm now going to check out your other reviews as I'm bummed this one has ended, LOL.


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

MrsB1228 said:


> I just have to chime in and say how much I've enjoyed reading this incredible trip report!  Wonderful tips and detailed information given with humour and a writing style that I just love.  It's great to read about off-site adventures as DH and I will be doing our first off-site stay in many, many years this November.  We're fellow Canadians (from the Newmarket area) and we're going to drive down this trip.  We have a condo reserved at Windsor Hills for 3 glorious weeks and will be putting our WDW AP's to good use.  I loved reading about your Sea World, Universal and other adventures.  It's been so long since we left the Disney bubble I forget how many other fun things there are to do in the area.    I greatly appreciate your pictures and reviews of the different restaurants you tried, I will definitely be adding most of them to our "must try" list come November.
> 
> Thank you so much for sharing your family's vacation experiences with us.  I'm now going to check out your other reviews as I'm bummed this one has ended, LOL.



Aw, thank you for such kind words .   I am glad you enjoyed reading along .  

I have to say, three full weeks sounds absolutely AMAZING .   We've done one two week trip back in 2014 (with our DS and his GF at the time), but the rest have all been 10 days or less.  We have a two week trip in the planning stages for October, but this one will be a whole different experience since its just Steve and I this time:  our first couples trip in almost a year.

I have a pre-trip report on the go, if you want to join in the chatter over there (we're a fun group to hang out with, if I do say so myself ).  Feel free to jump right in!  

http://www.disboards.com/threads/tw...er-ptr-where-“2”-is-the-magic-number.3524238/


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## Mrs Doubtfire

MrsB1228 we have stayed at WH in a condo and it was great. Plenty of restaurants nearby and a quick drive to WDW. Enjoy your trip. We will be staying at WH again this Christmas in one of the Townhomes this time.


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## MrsB1228

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:


> Aw, thank you for such kind words .   I am glad you enjoyed reading along .
> 
> I have to say, three full weeks sounds absolutely AMAZING .   We've done one two week trip back in 2014 (with our DS and his GF at the time), but the rest have all been 10 days or less.  We have a two week trip in the planning stages for October, but this one will be a whole different experience since its just Steve and I this time:  our first couples trip in almost a year.
> 
> I have a pre-trip report on the go, if you want to join in the chatter over there (we're a fun group to hang out with, if I do say so myself ).  Feel free to jump right in!
> 
> http://www.disboards.com/threads/twice-as-nice-double-the-fun-an-offsite-october-ptr-where-“2”-is-the-magic-number.3524238/



We're so excited to be heading back for another adventure!  This is our second extended vacation this year, we actually stayed at Pop Century for three weeks in January/February.  We had a blast but boy, was it cold while we were there!    While we enjoyed our stay, I have to admit three weeks in a hotel room starts to feel a little claustrophobic.  DH and I are the best of friends and we truly enjoy each others company, but there is such a thing as too much togetherness and sometimes a bit of separation makes you appreciate each other even more.    We had originally planned to go back for two weeks and stay at French Quarter (our favourite on-site resort) but when I did a bit of research and discovered we could stay for three weeks in a three-bedroom condo for less than half the price of two weeks at French Quarter, it was a done deal, LOL.  As I mentioned, we have Disney AP's so we'll probably be focusing on WDW again, but I'm very tempted to purchase some Universal or Sea World tickets since we're saving so much on accommodation.   Vacation math is a dangerous thing. 

Thank you for the link, I will for sure be reading your new PTR!  



Mrs Doubtfire said:


> MrsB1228 we have stayed at WH in a condo and it was great. Plenty of restaurants nearby and a quick drive to WDW. Enjoy your trip. We will be staying at WH again this Christmas in one of the Townhomes this time.



That's great to hear Samantha!  The pictures certainly look lovely and the location couldn't be more convenient to Disney, that's for sure.  Thank you for sharing that!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

So I have just re-read your Christmas Day report as Santas Fireside Feast was available on SW website, but the time was 5.20pm, and I see your first show was seated at 5.30pm with the reserved seating for the Christmas shows (I also saw that it included a meal) so looks like the fireside feast won't work for us. Did you go to this on another visit Gina?


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## Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Mrs Doubtfire said:


> So I have just re-read your Christmas Day report as Santas Fireside Feast was available on SW website, but the time was 5.20pm, and I see your first show was seated at 5.30pm with the reserved seating for the Christmas shows (I also saw that it included a meal) so looks like the fireside feast won't work for us. Did you go to this on another visit Gina?



Nope, we didn't book the Fireside Feast on either of our two Christmas visits to Seaworld.  This year will be our first time enjoying that dining event!

I think will still buy the reserved seating package and just miss the first show (which will cross over with our Fireside Feast time).   The only one we will miss is Clyde and Seamore.


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Thanks Gina


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## Inhislove

FYI, the Christmas seating packages are listed on sea world website now. The times depend on the date you visit. Sometimes you get a choice of early and late seatings.

Also, the special Christmas seating is 30% off for passholders during October!


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Inhislove said:


> FYI, the Christmas seating packages are listed on sea world website now. The times depend on the date you visit. Sometimes you get a choice of early and late seatings.
> 
> Also, the special Christmas seating is 30% off for passholders during October!



Is this just on the AP website as I can't see anything for the reserved seating, only the normal one?


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## Mrs Doubtfire

Had more time to look at the website and found it thank you


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## 3agoria

what an awesome thread!  We hit Orlando this June and will do Disney with our DVC, but in June will spend Christmas at our Marriott Time share (Grand Vista).   We've not spent Time in orlando outside of Disney in years, so this has proven very helpful! Thank you so VERY much!


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