Disney World ... Part 2

We made it to Orlando around 10:30 a.m. and took the Magical Express bus to Disney. After checking in we decided to head straight to Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Weekend.

Call me a fool, but I was under the naive impression that this would be a great opportunity to see the real "Darth Maul" who was scheduled to sign autographs that day. Each weekend there are different actors & actresses from the actual movie who are present for Star Wars weekend as well as costumed folks who look the part.

I grossly underestimated the popularity of this weekend ... especially in the category of grown men.

If I tried to explain the mobs of people it would never do justice to the actual number of humans crammed into very small spaces in order to see Ray Park! Look ya'll, it's Ray Park! Ray Park!

What in the world is a Ray Park?

Well, the actor who plays Darth Maul of course! Without a stitch of makeup on! So he looks like this:

A nice enough looking fella but we (namely, my 6-year old Jedi son) were thinking he might look more like this:

Especially when we found out that autographs required a special Star Wars fastpass that were unfortunately all given out at around FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.

Cause, you see ... folks (namely 40+ year old men) came at the crack o' dawn to received said fastpasses.

So we aimed for a quick ride on Star Tours and knew that we would have to scrap this day and try again the following weekend ... much earlier in the day.

The best part about having happy children? They could care less! I used my lens to take some pictures of the characters that Sam couldn't see and he was cool with that.

The rest of our family made it in town that evening but we had some pretty heavy showers so we hung out in our room for the evening. Rain is pretty much a summertime given in Florida. As veterans we never (almost never) leave our rooms without our ponchos!

Disney World ... Part 1

I cannot believe how fast this summer is flying by! I planned on posting about Disney over the course of several days but it looks like that may turn into several weeks.

We left on a Sunday morning following Emma's dance recital the previous night. I managed to have everyone packed and ready to walk out the front door at a glaring 5:30 in the morning.

My peacock feathers were opened up for the world to see.

If I fail to mention Benjamin's rash it will come up later ... because it only got worse. At this point in our trip I was convinced it was something as simple as sun poisoning or an allergic reaction ... I was convinced and somewhat delusional.

As Chris parked the truck in shuttle parking I went to check our 10 pieces of luggage with the airlines.

What's that? Checking luggage cost money?

Pfft. Nonsense. Bologna. Crazy talk.

Um. Guess what Proud Peacock Momma had no clue about on her "Oh-So-Well-Planned-Out" vacation?

Please do not take this opportunity to tell me about how everyone knows the airlines charge for baggage. I will then take the opportunity to ask you HOW?

I watch very little television. I am not a world traveler. When my husband travels for work he always takes one carry-on piece.

TELL ME HOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW THIS???

I booked through Travelocity and there was nary a mention of such an atrocity.

Had I been even remotely aware of this gouging I would not have encouraged my children to Surely! Pack your stuffed animals in an entire suitcase! Bring your blankies! I love to pay money for senseless things!

It sort of knocked me off kilter for a bit.

The airlines encouraged me to carry a couple of more bags on with me, which we did.

Here is a piece of helpful advice. Luggage carts are available at the Richmond Airport for arrival only. If you have four children and 6 carry-on pieces you might should consider how you shall get to and fro.

My husband is glad I shared that. His back and forearms are forever changed.

By the time we had everyone barefoot and ready to go through security I felt like we might just be okay.

Until she brought me an item from the above mentioned suitcase (brand new bottle of sunscreen) and another item (brand new bottle of lotion) and then another item (brand new bottle of dishwashing liquid) and then another item (brand new bottle of Wrinkle Release).

As my body began to convulse, I threw the unopened bottles into the trash can.

Apparently, in my zeal for packing early, I had forgotten a few of these oddly placed items.

Fancy that.

I've taken the baby out of the stroller, folded it up and we have made our way through the "I can see your insides" archway and have started to try and gather our massive mound of carry-on.

Big Daddy is soooo thankful that I saved an extra $50 and carried that luggage on the plane ... he told me so.

In a sort-of sarcastic tone.

As the very unhappy and angry-to-have-a-job airport employee tested Benjamin's milk for Agent Orange, I decided to make light of the situation with a teensy little joke.

I said:

"So. Do you ever have people break down in tears at this point?"
(thinking to myself ... DON'T YOU CRY YOU BIG BABY ... it's just Wrinkle Release for crying out loud)

To which she responded:

"Uh. No ... E-REE-BODY knows the rules."
(while her eyes rolled back in her head)

Let the floodgates open.

The ugly cry began and I thought my oldest was going into a tiger-like pounce position, so we made our way to the gate.

I am blubbering all the way.

"IIIII ... tttried (snort, snot, snort) sssssooo ... hhhhard (snort, snort) I ... cccan'ttt ... bbbelieve (snort, huff, huff, huff)

Hannah has now grown about 6-inches and would like a word with the airport employee ...

Outside.

Things calmed down rather quickly as I gave up my snubbing & sobbing session.

The flight was uneventful and I even had an extra seat for Benjamin. These pictures show off his splendid rash and precious lovin' session with Daddy ...

Disney World ... We love it!

Disney World - May 2009

We are home! It feels good to be home and having the whole summer ahead of us is a breath of fresh air. I have posted a ton of pictures on facebook and I am going to break our trip down here on my blog so I can journal it better.

I had written the following post before we left but I was never able to finish it. Just a little diddy about why we love Disney so much :)

All the below pics are from previous visits ...



I know families who visit Disney the way we do. Scheduling their trips over the years and looking forward to each vacation with more excitement than the last!

I also know families who have never been. Never want to go. Could care less.

I just want to share a few reasons why Disney has become one of our favorite family vacations:

*** Escape!

Disney is one of the few place where we go that I feel like we have truly "escaped" from the daily grind. Because we make an effort to budget a trip where we fly instead of drive and we have eaten for free (Free Dining has been offered every year from August - October) then that means less work for momma!

Plus, we can sing at our table and swing our napkins.

We arrive in Orlando and the Magical Express bus picks us up and takes us to our resort. They even pick up our luggage and take it directly to our room. When it's time to head home, the bus picks us up (and our luggage) and takes us to the airport. So, contrary to my life on planet earth, I don't have to drive ANYWHERE at Disney World!

The first year we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside. It is a wonderful Disney resort but we made a goal to upgrade for the next visit. We started using a Disney Visa for all of our purchases including our cell phone bills, car insurance, and cable. We have never carried a balance (credit: husband-who-would-rather-die-than-carry-a-balance) so our "points" which actually transfer to "Disney Dollars" have been absolutely free! We have accumulated over $1,000 Disney Dollars this way :)

We upgraded in 2007 to The Contemporary and were hooked! Using the monorail system means we are minutes from Magic Kingdom and Epcot and a 10-minute walk from MK.

Our Private Jet -
(Note: it makes the teeny-tiny airplane less scary when you pretend)

*** Variety!

I cannot think of another place that offers the variety of activities for so many age groups. We most always swim in the afternoons at our resort and head back out to the parks in the evening.

The thrill rides are awesome:

Tower of Terror, Rock-n-Roller Coaster, Space Mountain, Escape from Everest, Mission Space, Test Track are just a few of our favorites.


The vast majority of the park offers shows and rides for our entire family. The stunt show at Hollywood Studios is a favorite among the men as well as the Indiana Jones show. We all love the parades and the fireworks are amazing!


With four different parks and each one being completely different from the other, the choices are endless!

*** Magic!

As cheesy as it sounds, the Disney folks work extra hard at making your vacation special. There are always those people who could use an extra dose of sweetness but for the most part they are accommodating and helpful in every way. Because the parks are built with children in mind, there is an added convenience that is often missing from other vacations.

Walking through the gates on our first visit and hearing the familiar Disney music piped through ... rounding the corner to see the castle with Mickey waving frantically AT ME!

Okay, maybe he was waving at the children. Still, it was a special moment that I treasure and take with me each time we go!

Disney!

We are going to Disney in two weeks AND it's Star Wars weekend while we are there! Guess what we will be doing at Hollywood Studios??? Samuel is honing is light saber skills as we speak ;)

More Disney...can you take it?

I realize the leaves are turning and I have fully embraced this glorious season change, but I'm afraid I may be posting our summer vacation pictures way into the Christmas season.

We have been to Disney once before in 05' and had such a good time, we decided to fit one more trip in before our family expands by one! Our first trip we stayed on site and our resort was nice but not close to any of the big parks. The room was teensy tiny and we managed to cram 6 people in there (with Gigi) because Samuel didn't count yet.

That trip was also in the summer so that we could go during the *Free Dining* period cause we are all about some free dining. We chose that option again this year and I'll tell you....we are done with Orlando in the summer....forever. It is just too stinkin' hot, even with free food!

We were able to upgrade resorts this time and stay at the Oh-So-Fabulous Contemporary Resort. Through the accumulation of Disney Dollars through our Disney Visa we were able to save nearly 1/4 of the cost. You can earn up to $750 per calendar year so it doesn't take long to save up credits. Certainly there are other credit cards that offer incentives but we knew this plan would work best for our vacation. The key ingredient in making a plan like this lucrative is to never EVER carry a balance. It was difficult, especially after Christmas but discipline prevailed and the money earned did not cost us a penny!

The Contemporary sits on the lake just outside The Magic Kingdom and has the monorail running straight through the interior of the hotel. Pretty snazzy. Being so close to the park makes it soooo convenient for trips back to resort for naps and swims.

Our room was much bigger than last time and the resort has updated all the rooms and is in the process of renovating the entire hotel. The best part was that we could sit on our balcony each night and watch the fireworks from our room....IN OUR PAJAMAS!

The kids loved the way housekeeping arranged their beloved stuff animals everyday. I have been doing that their entire life and never earned that kind of appreciation.

We have taken vacations that involved baggies of fruit and pre-made sandwiches with our children asleep in the backseat while we drove through the night trying to make our way to Texas. We have brushed our teeth at the rest stop when the sun was rising and bathed our children with wet wipes. We have relied on the generosity of family and friends to supply beds and breakfast for our traveling needs when our budget did not allow for more. Those were special trips and we made great memories as a family.

But.

I am grateful beyond words to be blessed in a way that affords a vacation that did not require a 62 pound backpack filled to the brim with juice boxes and snack crackers in order to stay within budget.

It was nice :) And that whole thing about having a room with a view? Worth every penny!

Here are more pics of our resort.

Disney Picture

I asked for a simple "smile".

Ya know? Just a regular ol' picture.

The animated cheeseball just seems to happen naturally as soon as the camera is turned on.

The Disney Hangover...

We are home from our Disney World trip. (breath in)

We had a wonderful time. (breath out)

We are a bit tired. (breath in)

Prepare yourself for 6-12 weeks of Disney photographs.
I cannot allow 552 pictures to go to waste.

Here's a teaser :)

There was a fair amount of this kind of action going on....

We fell in love with the monorail. Our last trip was a couple of years ago and we stayed at a different resort where we relied on bus transportation. We are not above bus transportation.

O.K......I would like to be above bus transportation and at least for this trip we had options.....that's all I'm sayin'.






































Samuel snuck a few of these (a precious few)



















Character Pictures..... If you read my Disney posts, then you will endure an endless amount of character pictures. You have been warned....





























































We made use of our ponchos.....a few times.
























Meet Cap'n Jack/Mickey/Samuel....He was in literal hog heaven for the entire week. He is living proof that you can have boundless energy fueled by little more than apple juice and 3 bites of waffles with gummy bears.... THE BOY WAS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY.




















LOOK! It's a Mom....and a Dad.....with all their hair!!!



















Overall, we had an absolutely wonderful time. A true blessing of memories and time spent together. I'll share more later after I conquer the MOUND of stinky laundry!