Welcome, Foolish Muggles! IoA/US/MK/SW *July 2013 Trip Report Link*

[natebenma]

Even though I'm afraid of heights, I think that I could do the zipline because it would be a different neat experience. But, if you got a case of the nerves, then I might not be able to do it. I wondered about the water being cold in the cave since all of the caves that I have been in are cold.

Xplor is also connected (owned by the same company) that owns some other great attractions in the area, too. Xcaret is a huge destination- a zoo, Mexican cultural center, underground rivers to swim and boat, and a whole lot more, so if you find yourself in this neighborhood south of the border, I think would steer you in that direction.

In other news, my backsack arrived today!!!



I just told it that it would be going to Florida in July- Disney and the Dark Side!

Thank you!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Glad to hear that the backsack arrived safe and sound. I didn't get to mail it out when I wanted to and, well, you just never know with the U.S. Postal Service on how long it will take a package to get to it's destination.

 

[natebenma]

Glad to hear that the backsack arrived safe and sound. I didn't get to mail it out when I wanted to and, well, you just never know with the U.S. Postal Service on how long it will take a package to get to it's destination.

Thanks, again!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Have to say those backsacks are so cute. I love your tips for touring the parks without having to go through bag check Definitely the way to go !

 

[JanetMom]

What a great place to spend the day. It looks like so much fun, and so gorgeous. It just looks like fun all day long!

I was pleased to see mention of the XL Ziploc bag.

 

[emmysmommy]

Hi Dee! Looks and sounds like such a fun day! Well, except for ziplining over the crocs... not sure I would dig that! I'd keep thinking "what if" the line breaks right about then?? Lovely scenic views!!

Perhaps the "road bros" were trying to test the limits of the ATVs?? I can imagine being stuck behind them.. did the ATVs have little horns to toot?

You are a mom after my own heart! The rebel in me completely cheers you on with the contraband photos of the leopard with the boys. So funny!

How exciting that you will see Teena in July. You scored huge booking dinner with her.

 

[Ninja Mom]

Decloaking to say:

Lurking..... and loving the report!

Shields UP!
~NM

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Looks like so much fun!

My DH and DS11 zip lined in NH but I have never tried it. I do want to some day.

 

[dtr_angel]

How did I miss another disney trip being planned.... Yay! The fact that you keep going in July gives me hope that it's not as awful as I'm imagining. Right now were trying to hit non crowded off seasons but once Baby goes to school well probably start going around his birthday which is at the end of July.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[HockeyMomR]

Fun Day! So adventurous. Glad to hear the bats stayed far away and the swim looked so peaceful.

Also, I have not met Robyn - several close chances over the years, but we have never met! Connor still hasn't decided, but I have a plan in my head

 

[natebenma]

Have to say those backsacks are so cute. I love your tips for touring the parks without having to go through bag check Definitely the way to go !

I do love the backsacks!!!

What a great place to spend the day. It looks like so much fun, and so gorgeous. It just looks like fun all day long!

I was pleased to see mention of the XL Ziploc bag.

Xplor is a blast! It is a pretty good workout too. LOTS of walking and climbing. You have to get pretty high up before you can plummet down.

It appears that I am a shill for the Ziploc company!

Hi Dee! Looks and sounds like such a fun day! Well, except for ziplining over the crocs... not sure I would dig that! I'd keep thinking "what if" the line breaks right about then?? Lovely scenic views!!

Perhaps the "road bros" were trying to test the limits of the ATVs?? I can imagine being stuck behind them.. did the ATVs have little horns to toot?

You are a mom after my own heart! The rebel in me completely cheers you on with the contraband photos of the leopard with the boys. So funny!

How exciting that you will see Teena in July. You scored huge booking dinner with her.

I certainly had some worried "what if" moments but not just when we were over the crocs. Or jaguars.

Mark was driving. I don't know if the ATVs had horns! They should have. I wish I had my camera when the guys were stuck. It was unbelievable.

I specialize in contraband photos. Can't tell you how many times I was told to put down my camera during our trip to Universal. And in my youth, I may or may not have taken a restricted photo in a certain famous residence in our nation's capitol. Shhh...

I keep in contact with Teena, but I haven't seen her since our trip in 2009. Can't wait to give that woman a hug!

Decloaking to say:

Lurking..... and loving the report!

Shields UP!
~NM

Thank you so much for the nice comments. If you are indeed still out there. I can't tell!

Looks like so much fun!

My DH and DS11 zip lined in NH but I have never tried it. I do want to some day.

We had a great time!!! Let me know when you give it a go!

How did I miss another disney trip being planned.... Yay! The fact that you keep going in July gives me hope that it's not as awful as I'm imagining. Right now were trying to hit non crowded off seasons but once Baby goes to school well probably start going around his birthday which is at the end of July.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

We just booked the trip less than a month ago and I think I made the ticker a couple of weeks ago, so easy to miss the news. We are going to Universal/IoA (Hard Rock for 3 nights) and then over to Disney (Beach Club, of course, for 4 nights)



This will be our 5th trip to Florida in July in 7 years, so it can be done!

Fun Day! So adventurous. Glad to hear the bats stayed far away and the swim looked so peaceful.

Also, I have not met Robyn - several close chances over the years, but we have never met! Connor still hasn't decided, but I have a plan in my head

I'm pretty brave with animals. Spiders and snakes don't bother me. Bats are cool, but I prefer that they keep their distance!

I like that you have a plan that you are thinking about!!!


So, I will be posting my next update tomorrow morning and I am very excited to announce I have a guest author joining the trip report. Ben wrote part of the next chapter!

Pier Pressure (One Ring to Fail Them All)


.

 

[eandesmom]

I am seriously oing to look into this, my family would go nuts over that place. How much fun!!!!

Great pics

 

[natebenma]

I am seriously oing to look into this, my family would go nuts over that place. How much fun!!!!

Great pics

The resort or Xplor? Or both? I believe Xplor is an excursion offered on a few cruises that dock in Cozumel or Playa Del Carmen. It is about 15 minutes away from PDC.

We are thrilled that we found the Barcelo resort! Fantastic beaches, amazing snorkeling, lots of activities, decent food, plentiful drinks and outstanding location- an easy trip to ruins sites and many popular attractions in the Riviera Maya.

 

[natebenma]

Pier Pressure

One of our favorite spots at the Barcelo is the pier.

It is located at the mid-point of the resort. With your back to the sea, to the left is the Beach/Caribe portion of the resort which includes the very sandy and calm beach area.

To the right are the Tropical/Colonial rooms and the Palace complex. Next to the pier is the watersports area, followed by the beach with waves. If you continue up the beach, towards the Palace, you find the area with excellent snorkeling

Every morning the pier was one of our destinations during our after breakfast walks. In the evening, while on our sunset stroll, we would always go onto the pier, throw some fish food into the water and watch the feeding frenzy.

There are about a hundred or so large chub and some sargeant majors who hang out there.

The seagulls often got in on the feeding frenzy, too.

A couple of times, we saw a little bird that only had one leg. We named her (or him) Peg, and hand fed pieces of fish food to her.

In past years we have seen moray eels peeking out from underneath the pier several times during our visits. Sadly, we didn’t spot any eels here this time.


We have snorkeled near the pier a few times. There are definitely a lot of fish hanging out right near the pier. There are a couple of rock formations and some shallow snorkeling on either side of the pier.

Ben wanted to write this part of the trip report about what happened one afternoon at the pier. He is currently in the midst of a Hobbit obsession and his title is based on the story of the One Ring To Rule Them All.


One Ring to Fail Them All

This story starts when Dad separated from us to find a chair on the beach because he didn’t want to go swimming at the pier. Me and mom were swimming in the choppy water and I jumped in three times.

I wanted to jump in a fourth time but a girl of around age 15 came down the ladder into the water. Then another woman at the age of 17 (who was scared of fish) came in but as she got to the bottom of the ladder she tried to stand on the plastic ring at the dock. Obviously, she fell off into the school of fish and lost it screaming! Mom and me were still waiting to get out. Then a 9 year old kid came down and tried to stand on the ring but fell and then hung onto the ladder, climbed back up, and then climbed back down again and succeeded. We were out of patience and tried to get out but some mom came with her snorkel and mask on and a flipper on one foot but not the other. Then her three children came down. Then Fish Food Jack came and a dad who was on the pier started throwing fish food at the people on the ring (including us and the girl who was terrified of fish). Fish started to jump and slap at everyone on the ring.

At that point, Mom was finally able to get onto the ladder and climb up, and then it was my turn. As I was starting to climb, a 20-30 year old woman who was at the top of the ladder commented “Hurry up! We don’t have all day. I want to do this today!” Dad had come to the pier when he saw we had been trying to get out of the water for about 10 minutes. He overheard what the lady said. After we were both up the ladder, we started walking away and we heard Dad say “Hurry up! You don’t have all day” to the woman who was too scared to go down the ladder. She ignored him, but the man who was with her was really embarrassed about what she said. It took her 15 minutes before she finally made it down the ladder.

As we left, people continued to throw fish food at the horrified people in the water.

That is the story of “One Ring to Fail Them All”


Next up- Fantasia: A Touch of Disney South of the Border

.

 

[JanetMom]

Love Ben, the guest reporter. I think he hit on all the important parts of a visit to the pier!

And I love that pier - I could hang out there all day.

I went to Fort Myers for a week in 2011 and I loved hanging out on the pier, watching all the action and the fish.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Loved hearing all about your visit to the pier Well done Ben! Sounds like there were some grumps aboout that morning but I'm glad you managed 3 jumps The sand and water look gorgeous but seagulls joining in the feeding frenzy might freak me out a bit

 

[rusty4]

Ben is a great story teller! That Lady sounds like a Witch.

 

[natebenma]

Love Ben, the guest reporter. I think he hit on all the important parts of a visit to the pier!

And I love that pier - I could hang out there all day.

I went to Fort Myers for a week in 2011 and I loved hanging out on the pier, watching all the action and the fish.

Thanks from me and from Ben!

There was always a lot of action and great people and fish watching out on the pier.

Especially when accompanied by our sunset stroll beverages.

And most especially when those beverages were Sunken Treasures.

Loved hearing all about your visit to the pier Well done Ben! Sounds like there were some grumps aboout that morning but I'm glad you managed 3 jumps The sand and water look gorgeous but seagulls joining in the feeding frenzy might freak me out a bit

Thanks!

Ben has turned into a little vacation mini-me. He wants me to take pictures of all his meals and his drinks and he even started planning writing this chapter of the trip report moments after it happened.

The people on the pier that day were definitely interesting. Every single one of them had a quirk. The one that cracked me up was the woman with one flipper on. It is pretty hard to descend a ladder in fins, but I have no idea why she only had one on. I could just picture her swimming in circles. Water was pretty rough too, so all of these people coming down with masks and snorkels were going to have a pretty tough time in the water.

I'll take the seagulls in Mexico over the ones in Disney! I had one scare the life out of me in EPCOT when it swooped down and grabbed a churro right out of my hand.

Ben is a great story teller! That Lady sounds like a Witch.

Ben thanks you, and so do I. He did a great job writing about our experience.

Seriously, this woman is criticizing an 11 year old for keeping her waiting?

As Mark pointed out to us, for safety reasons, people who want to get OUT of the water should have priority over people trying to get in. We had been more than patient waiting as others came down (or attempted) to get into the water.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

You've brought a smile to my face this morning imagining Ben taking food pics and planning TR while on his vacation I would have had a heart attack had a seagull grabbed my churro (in no small part because it was stealing MY treats ). One year we stayed at the Yacht Club and the birds there were swooping down and attacking everyone who walked past their tree (near the pier funnily enough). So I did what any good kind loving mother does and used my older children as decoys while I ran like a lunatic pushing the youngest in his buggy I swear there were sparks flying from the soles of my sandles

It's amazing my kids still love me

 

[natebenma]

You've brought a smile to my face this morning imagining Ben taking food pics and planning TR while on his vacation I would have had a heart attack had a seagull grabbed my churro (in no small part because it was stealing MY treats ). One year we stayed at the Yacht Club and the birds there were swooping down and attacking everyone who walked past their tree (near the pier funnily enough). So I did what any good kind loving mother does and used my older children as decoys while I ran like a lunatic pushing the youngest in his buggy I swear there were sparks flying from the soles of my sandles

It's amazing my kids still love me

I'm so glad that made you smile. Made me smile too when I thought about it, but I'm not sure my DH is pleased that he takes after me in the vacation department. Oh, well.

That is hilarious about sacrificing your kids to dodge the birds!