This trip to Disneyworld came at the worst time, or the best time, depending on how you look at it. It was the worst because we had to leave the day after Lauren's baptism. This meant we had to make sure we were ready to go well in advance so we didn't take away from that special day by rushing around getting ready for a trip. On the other hand, it was great timing because Grandma and Grandpa were already planning to be in town, so they were able to extend their stay and watch the kids for us!
Day 1
We stayed at Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resort.
After a llloonnnnggg flight, we arrived late and grabbed a bite to eat in the hotel restaraunt because we were starving! Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we realized that AFTER we had bought two HUGE sandwiches AND chips AND treats. Nothing like a midnight snack to fight the jet-lag!
Day 2
The next morning, Brad was up bright and early for meetings but I slept in until my "spa treatment" at the beautiful hotel spa. Then I hit the pool for a while and enjoyed the beautiful waterfalls and a lazy river. I admit, it was a bit strange to be spending so much time alone.
After lunch I got some maps and directions and took the hotel ferry over to Epcot to meet Brad. After a bit of confusion as we tried to find each other, we eventually connected.
EPCOT
As we were trying to find each other, I told Brad, "you can't miss me. Just look for the drowned rat." The fountains behind us in this picture look pretty tame, but I learned otherwise when I was walking by. I was looking at my map and talking on the phone to Brad, I got absolutely DRENCHED by a shooting fountain that landed directly on my head! The rain showers from the sky did not help me dry quickly, but luckily I'd worn my hair in braids and being wet actually helped me stay nice and cool!
What we LOVED about Epcot:
• The garden show going on--all the bushes were shaped like characters and there were beautiful flowers floating in the water and blooming everywhere we looked.
• Walking around the world--so much to stop and see in each country. We only just got a little taste of each country as we strolled through.
• Spaceship Earth (the globe ride)--creating our imaginary futures.
• Sampling sodas from around the world
• Eating in Italy for dinner :) All the waiters were authentically Italian. The food was authentic too!
There was only ONE ride we did not like at Epcot:
• Mission: Space. That was our own fault though. When we got to the front of the line, they asked us which experience we preferred: moderate or intense. We had just finished riding the Viking ship and some other pokey little rides and had come to the conclusion that Epcot wasn't so much about the thrill rides. Brad piped up, "Oh, we're intense people. We want the intense ride!" Neither of us thought it was going to be THAT intense. I should have clued in after like the FIFTH warning that this ride is not for the faint-hearted, etc. I tried to put aside my claustraphobia issues when we buckled into the crammed space ship, and I fought off a mild panic attack as the G-forces slammed me into my seat when we shot straight up into the air. I was squeezing Brad's leg so hard and I worried I wouldn't be able to complete my part of the mission (I was the co-pilot and I had to push the button at a certain time). I was SO glad when that ride was over.
After wandering around some more, trying to walk off the g-forces, we had a fun time shopping for souveniers at the HUGE Disney store.
We ended the night watching the fireworks/laser show over the water at Epcot--it was AWESOME! Even through the rain!
Day 3
We started the day with a breakfast with the characters at our hotel. Our photos with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy did not turn out like we'd hoped, but it sure added to the atmosphere to see the characters that morning. We then got to hear from the C.E.O. of the Brad's company which was actually very entertaining. Then we were off to tackle our whirlwind agenda.
We didn't have high expectations about how much we could actually see in one full day. Our big goals were to see all the parks, get a flavor of each one and hit some of the biggest attractions.
Hollywood Studios
We got fast passes for Toy Story Mania, hit the Star Wars ride, quickly made our way around to get a lay of the land, and then headed off to Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom
This photo does not do justice to that huge man-made tree behind us. It was a very impressive sight as you walk into the park. It's called the "Tree of Life" and is 14-stories high and 50 feet wide!
We LOVED Animal Kingdom. It was different from other Disney experiences we'd had. The crowds were very light so we were able to hit the Dinosaur ride, Safari, and Expedition Everest before lunch.
We loved having a mini-safari experience on the Safari ride and were surprised how many animals we saw and how close we were to them. We rode in huge jeeps and got a real off-roading muddy ride.
We ate a delicious lunch with a view of "Everest"--I was a little nervous after the "intense" ride from the night before, but it was a surprisingly fun ride! And after having so much fun on that ride, I wasn't afraid to ride all the rides.
Hollywood Studios (part 2)
We had never done Toy Story Mania, so we made sure we put it on the list. It did not disappoint! I think I may have even edged out Brad on one of the high scores!
Hi Woody!
We were also able to hit the Aerosmith Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror before we had to head out. We left on cloud nine.
That evening we attended a nice awards ceremony and dinner where Brad was honored (go honey!)
Afterwards, we jumped on a bus for one last hurrah...
Magic Kingdom
We made it in time to get a tiny taste of that park and we were glad that we had saved it for last because we realized how similar it was to Disneyland. We saw the spectacular fireworks show and got an ice cream treat to celebrate our amazing day.
It was a short trip, but we definitely maximized our time. We knew this wasn't going to be the relaxing beach-type vacation but it really didn't matter what we did, it was so fun to just be together 24-7. It had been a few years since we'd gotten away by ourselves, so we especially appreciated that time together. We can't wait to go back again with the kids someday!
