Disney De-briefing

I don't know how some people can go to a park like the Magic Kingdom for just a few hours and then relax poolside. We've tried to do that and failed miserably. There is just too much to do and see. The Magic Kingdom alone required 4 separate and long trips. Each child has his or her ride criteria as did Mom and Dad. Over the course of umpteen hours we hit (at the Magic Kingdom alone): The Buzz Lightyear Ride -- several times using Speed Pass as well as standing on excruciatingly long lines, The Laugh Floor (the new Monster's Inc. experience), The Goofy Roller coaster, a walk through Toon Town, Dumbo, The Winnie The Pooh Ride, Mickey's Philharmagic -- an interactive, 3D experience -- one of my all-time favorites, It's A Small World ride, Peter Pan's Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Thunder Mountain, The Jungle Cruise, The Flying Carpets, The Blue Line Transit, lunch at the Crystal Palace. Some of these rides we hit a few times. We used our Fast Pass when we were able and waited on long lines when we had to. The weather was cool for Florida. The first few days the temperatures were in the upper 60s with overcast skies. Perfect for park-hopping not so perfect for getting a little color!

We went to Epcot on one of the cooler days and walked around the world! I love how you can just have a glass of wine or beer as you walk around. I didn't, however, but enjoyed a nice hot tea over in China. The flower show was in full bloom. We totally forgot to check out the butterfly exhibit and were unable to get on Soarin' my all-time favorite ride. By the time we got to the park, at 11:00, the next Fast Pass was not until 7:30 pm! I was not about to stand on line for an hour and a half either. At least not with a 3 year old. Next time we will plan accordingly. We did enjoy the Nemo ride as that was closed for maintenance last time we were at Epcot. There was a wonderful playground for the children so we stopped there too. The kids' favorite place, by far, was the Coca-Cola store where you can sample best-selling Coca-Cola products from around the world!

We also went to Hollywood Studios where was had a great lunch at the 50s Prime Time Diner. Loved the decor, waitresses and the food. We saw a show for the pre-school set featuring the characters from Handy Manny, The Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Honestly I was disappointed. The characters were puppets and our view (as well as everyone else's) was very obstructed. I hope they go back to the older format. Alexander enjoyed himself thoroughly and Christopher was bored to tears! We saw an interactive Little Mermaid show, a movie about the Life and Times of Walt Disney, played in the amazing Honey I shrunk the Kids playground and lastly got a chance to experience the new Toy Story Ride, also interactive and 3D. Amazing!

We decided not to go to Animal Kingdom despite my really wanting to go on the Safari, which is truly an amazing experience, because we were all exhausted from our long days and endless hours on our feet. We went, instead, to Typhoon Lagoon, one of Disney's water parks. It was by far our best day there! There was an enormous zero-grade pool which boasted, at the sound of a whistle, giant 6 foot waves! The kids delighted in it! We went on a family white water raft ride, a water roller coaster, several slides and even took some time to relax in our chairs on the sand. We chose the perfect day with bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid 80s. My favorite part of the day was my swim in the salt water tank with salt water fish, sharks and sting rays. it was a most amazing experience. I took pictures with a disposable underwater camera and will post pictures when they come back. That night we didn't hit the pool (nor did I hit the pool-side bar!) but we headed back to Downtown Disney for another amazing dinner at Wolfgang Puck's place.

Friday saw our last visit to The Magic Kingdom and our last swim at the pool. We didn't end our vacation without incident. Christopher had a run-in with one of the brass horses at the pool (see previous post for pictures) and ended up with a large gash over his eyebrow that needed immediate attention and a trip to the ER. Luckily Daddy was able to talk the Dr. at Celebration Hospital that he would be much better off with Dermabond in lieu of stitches. Luckily Daddy has much Dermabond experience. The trauma of stitches and needle in the forehead was spared. Christopher came home not too much worse for the wear, proud of his war wound which, thanks to Dermabond, will heal beautifully!

We miss the warm weather but it is awfully nice to be home! The kids are already planning their next Disney Adventure!

Home, Sweet Home!

The Mighty Hudson River... as we flew over it was near impossible to imagine Captain Sully landing his aircraft there...

I always breathe a sigh of relief when I see the Great City from my window. There is nothing like it. She is majestic and regal and to me she has always, and will always symbolize my arrival home even though I now live about an hour away.

Disney was wonderful. It was magical for the children and it was exhausting! We go and we play hard. It took three separate visits to the Magic Kingdom to be able to get in all the rides we had wanted to experience. We also visited Epcot, Hollywood Studios and by far the best day of all was spent at one of the water parks called Typhoon Lagoon. There I was able to swim with sharks and stingrays in a salt water pool. It was amazing! We went to Downtown Disney twice were we wandered around and shopped and both times ate at Wolfgang Pucks wonderful restaurant.

We stayed at the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa in a two bedroom villa. It was spacious, comfortable and beautiful as we overlooked the famed and sprawling golf course. We stayed in the Grandstand section where we were able to use a side pool that also had a play area for kids with horses that shoot water and water sprinklers. It is designed to look like the starting gate at a race. Movies are shown pool-side 2 or 3 times a week. The main pool area was closed until our last day, put this pool was perfect! We took advantage of Disney's buy four nights get three nights free package. We also took advantage of their dining plan. This all allowed us to stay at a luxury resort and spend a lot less. It was a great value. If you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World in the near future you should absolutely look into these special deals. The park and the hotels were filled to capacity due to these deals and because of this we were unable to secure reservations at some of the places we wanted to, but Disney too is feeling the pinch of the economy and is doing what it can to attract visitors. This is really a great time to go.

Below is the pool area near us... it was smaller than the main pool area but had lots of fun for the children.

The main pool area opened the last day we were there. The small picture to the left represents a long and twisting water slide. You twist and turn through a long tunnel and end up in the main pool. Rebecca said it was as good as some of the slides in the water park! The pool had no stairs, just a zero-grade entry point or a smaller slide. Alexander loved the smaller slide. (Perhaps next year I will let him go on the larger one!)

While you plan your trip I will download my photos and post more about my trip!

A Disney Downer

I woke up the other morning and was plunking away at the keyboard writing and reading emails all pertaining to the school auction. A little ring diverted my attention to my arriving emails. I saw the following words... warm weather, parks filled to capacity, bring a collapsible cooler and ice packs... pool is closed at the hotel. I did a double-take. Say WHAT?!?!?! So immediate I called the now familiar numbers 1407-WDISNEY and declared to know what the hell was going on. "It's listed on our website ma'am." No it's not. I saw the list of closings of all the other pools and that is why we chose to stay at this particular hotel. Just a couple of days to go before departure and now I find out that I will be lounging in front of a closed pool? Unacceptable. Completely unacceptable. They tell me that there are other pools at the resort. Three other pools. I tell them I do not want another pool. I want the big one with a slide. I can hear myself whining. I can hear myself sounding more like a three year old than I want to and mean to. But I make no excuses and no apologies for the disappointment in my voice. A regular pool. That's not good enough I tell the person at the other end. I have regular pools here in Connecticut too. (I do not bother to tell her that here in Connecticut it is not warm enough to use a "regular" pool and I do not tell her that I per se do not have a "regular" pool.) What she doesn't know won't hurt her. I then go on to explain, in a calm, rational only semi-whiny voice, that we do not do Disney every year and that when we do go we really like to make it a special trip for the kids. We're spending big bucks on this trip. Despite the recession we've stopped at nothing. We're helping the economy. Instead of getting applauded for our efforts I am told that the parks and hotels are filled. To capacity. I asked to switch to another luxury resort. Disney, it seems is either recession-proof, or Disney Dollars are magical indeed. Whatever it is, there is No Room at the Disney Inn. I ask to speak to a manager. I am sure I sound more like a three year old asking to speak to her mommy. I thank Vivian for her help and say "I would like to speak to your superior, so that I do not have to yell at you!" She senses my good-natured joke and we share a little laugh before connecting me to Anita.

Anita explains that there is a clear mention of the pool's closing. I tell her there is not. I want to know why I was informed of all the other pool closings but not this one. I would like to try to find another resort I tell her. We need a 2BR villa. I am on vacation and I want to enjoy myself. She tells me she will look for me and will call me shortly.

A few hours later I come home and see there is no message on the machine. The red light is still, not flashing. My cell phone never rang with a 407 exchange. I was out at a meeting all morning and then at the park with the kids in the afternoon. Sensing I was given the shaft I called Disney back. I got no more help after being transferred around all over the place I secure a room somewhere between the main building with the restaurants and the side pool. I am told that yes, we do have a washer and dryer. I am told that we have reciprocity with the hotel across the way. We can take a boat launch and use their pool. It's better than nothing. And it is a damn nice pool. Not as convenient as having a pool in your back yard, but there's nothing at this point I can do. We will have a nice trip. We will make it fun no matter what. We are just like that. No use crying over spilt milk -- spilt wine, yes -- but not spilt milk!

A short while later I took Rebecca to ice skating. When we got back Daddy gave me the message that Anita had called. She searched high and low for us across all of DisneyWorld to find us another location. There simply was none. To help make our trip a more magical one she would give us passes to the water park. Daddy said she was lovely and felt terribly. It's not a pool in my back yard, but I have been dying to try out the water park there! So now, my biggest issue on hand is will it be Typhoon Lagoon, or Blizzard Beach?!

Thank you Anita, I think I will have a Magical Day after all!