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Published: December 17th 2013
"Remember always let your conscience be your guide". ~ Jiminy Cricket
Well the adventure continues (insert Mickey Mouse ears here!) We are having a wonderful time and Al & I talked about this last night that it's mostly because we're all together as a family, just doing fun family things all day long (And so far no major meltdowns, no fights, it's almost like we've all been hit with a "happy stick"). And Linda & Henry (if you read this) what a great trip with you and your family!
We are
gelling together; kids are on the ball, up an at 'em early, packing their own stuff (sunglasses, autograph books, snacks) and we are at the door ready to go every morning at pretty well the designated time. It sure cuts down on stress by not having to holler at anyone which in turn starts the day off on the right foot.
I will say though, Disney is like having a job on vacation and I mean that in a good way. It's like having a job you love but it is a routine of being up early and on the go non-stop, being organized, planning, driving, walking,
walking...did I mention the "walking" part? (smile). Especially if you're a night owl; morning comes REALLLLY early.
We had an itinerary of sorts before we came, but each night we sit down & plan out our day the night before with the family. What time we'll leave, what we want to see and do, and off we go. It helps now that we have been around the block a bit.
So far happy to report no one is suffering from blisters. Although as John Candy would say in the movie Planes Trains and Automobiles, "My dogs are barking" (Ahhh, the feet are hurting.).
We have really done this trip on a shoe string budget while having a really good time & not feeling we are missing out on anything at all. With a bit of planning it can be affordable for families. One lady told us they had the dining plan and it was costing them $55 per adult and around $18 per child per day. That sure adds up when you times it by 6 people (in our case) for a week. (Especially if your kids only want chicken fingers and mac n' cheese like many
young kids.) For what we saved during the day on food/snacks, we can enjoy some really nice dinner in the evening.
For us, and I say it's just our experience, it really works to do it the way we did. Stay off site, not far away and after a pit stop at Walmart for lunch items the day we arrived, it took us no longer than making lunch at home to feed 6 of us. Throw in some fruit, granola bars & drinks into the cooler & call it a day.
Henry & Linda had the same idea too we saved a lot of money, yet guaranteed healthy food options, and no line ups. We picnic together and eat when we want & no calculating what food item deems a snack, or a counter service etc. We've eaten out twice for dinner which was reasonable and ordered a pizza one night. Not too shabby price wise.
For some of our friends who have done the dining plan it worked for them & they wouldn't do it any other way. Anyone who's read my blogs knows how I love a good deal and like to share it!
On Saturday we visited Hollywood Studios and being the movie buff I am, I was pretty thrilled about going there. It really is a great place to visit; while not as stimulating as Magic Kingdom for some, it wows you with the history of big-screen thrills where movies, TV & Broadway comes together. They really capture the glamour of old Hollywood. It's like you are really in Hollywood; fused with technological magic. Stroll down Sunset Boulevard, partake in Toy Story Mania part of the Pixar magic, shop at Hollywood Boulevard, or visit the animation courtyard. There's lots to do and see if you grab a map and scout it out.
Picture screeching tires, flame bursts, flying motorcycles and moving cars split in half (Intense behind-the-scenes movie-making magic at its best. Specifically Indiana Jones epic spectacular which I have to say was pretty entertaining for all of us, regardless of age.
As for rides, Tower of Terror was pretty cool. Walk up to what looks like a deserted hotel, go through the iron-wrought gates & wind your way through a neglected, weed-filled garden before stepping inside a dusty lobby, with creepy bell hops. Then you are taken into a
darkened room where a TV springs to life and Rod Serling welcomes you on a journey into the Twilight Zone. Then picture free-falling 13 floors while the elevator door randomly opens showing a missing wall into the open sky etc. And when your elevator leaves the shaft exploring the hallways of the hotel...well that was just really darn cool. It was so much fun we rode it twice.
After that we hit Aerorsmith's Rock n Roller roller coaster which blasts you from 0 to 60mph (96 kph) in 2.8 seconds as the music of Aerosmith rocks you through a wild, twisting roller coaster road trip. Ava sat with me, and she loved every second but I only found that out after we got off and she was smiling. I find this the most stressful part; she's not very big (weighs all of 50 pounds) and I just worry she's being thrown about. No matter your size, your neck really can get twisted up on these rides so I told the kids to keep their head against the head rest.
Then after those experiences we got on Star Tours which is a 3D simulated flight into the Star Wars
galaxy. They identified a "villain" at the beginning and it just happened to be Kevin (Linda & Henry's son) and we all got a kick out of that.
We had drinks at the 50s Prime Time Cafe which was really cool with its nostalgia theme. All the waitresses are dressed in 50s outfits, and your reservation is called out by "Cousin Sally" and the waitresses have a great sense of humor and have no problem giving you a lesson in table manners if you need it!
Ava wanted to audition for American Idol, had her song all picked out but alas, you have to be 14 to do it. Awww....well Ava, I guess we're coming back in 6 years (insert a bunch of smiley faces here!)
It really was a great day, and a day where we could hang out with the Leung family, which made it a banner day all around. Lots of laughs.
We ended up back at our resort with the kids doing Karaoke at the water park. It was a great ending to a pretty sweet day.
So we're caught up to Saturday now...😊 Gosh I am waaaaaay behind.
Up
ahead
*Sunday was Downtown Orlando, and Downtown Disney followed by a fun dinner on the town.
*Monday was Animal Kingdom and Epcot with a pre-arranged reservation for lunch with the princesses at Royal Akershush in the Norway part of the World Showcase.
Haven't heard from many of you...Are you frozen or snowed in back home?
You will find more pics below...in case I forgot to mention it dear friends.
Signing off,
Lady and the Tramp
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TJ
non-member comment
We are loving Disney through your eyes!
Hey Sal, I'm experiencing the whole trip through you, minus the sore feet LOL. I'm loving every blog as usual. Thank you for writing them.