We'll have joy, we'll have fun, we'll have Christmas in the sun...TR Complete!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by 5mouseketeersforus

I am totally enjoying your report......that is until this last part where you are all sick on Christmas Eve!!!!! You poor things!! That is my biggest worry right now - trying to keep us all healthy for our trip and then praying we will all be ok while we are there.

Waiting for the next chapter.......

Thank you for the kind comments!!!

Winter is a hard time to avoid the cold and flu bugs. Jake had battled a horrible viral infection in the weeks leading up to our trip. We wondered if that would sideline Steve and I by the time we travelled, but we managed (somehow) to evade it. We are SO grateful that whatever caused our issues on Christmas Eve were short-lived.......we managed to get a good day in before it hit, so it really only curtailed our evening plans. While we were still profoundly disappointed (we missed out on dinner with Santa and Mrs. Claus ......how could that not have made us sad?) it could have been so very much worse.

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by BearcatsFan

Oh Gina! I'm so sorry to hear you were all sick on Christmas Eve! That stinks!

Love all the photos - Aquatica looks like fun ... definitely deserted!

I have a question. I haven't read your other TRs ... do you always stay at SW as opposed to WDW? I love the look of the Residence Inn.

We stayed onsite for our first Orlando trip.....at Port Orleans Riverside. Loved it. Loved Disney.

Our second trip, we stayed at the Hawthorn Suites Universal, just off I-Drive. That's the trip we fell in love with the SeaWorld parks.

Our third trip, we stayed at Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa. Loved it there too........adored having so much space (we had a 2 bed/2 bath villa) and the resort amenities.

This trip, we wanted to stay onsite at SW because we knew it would be busy and wanted to be (a) in close proximity to SW and (b) get all the great benefits of staying at an onsite hotel (like Quick Queue). We picked the Residence Inn because we simply must have a one bedroom suite......DH is a snorer and DS is a sleeper . Having a separate bedroom means each one remains a happy boy and I don't have to wring anyone's neck .

Originally Posted by pigletto

WOW!! That is one empty park. I know where I'm going if we ever do a Christmas trip!! That must have been wonderful!!!

And I'm sorry to hear you got sick. So easy to pick up a 24hr bug when you are contact with so many people in airports or planes. And it sure was that time of year. We avoided it but knew a lot of people sick over Christmas.

I'm glad it was over quickly for you. You have me interested in Seaworld now! I am not a big waterpark person but would happily read a book in that Cabana. DH and ds LIVE for waterslides. Dd and I are creatures of comfort

The cabanas are wonderful ......... sooooooooo nice. So peaceful. They are in their own separate area so you can really get away from all the hullaballoo of the park. Definitely a fine place for some book reading (and we have been known to catch a satisfying snooze or two in them before .... love those afternoon siestas!).

I bet you would love Roa's Rapids. Very much a great attraction for non-sliders like you and your DD (and me......not a slide girl here either). And the lazy river. Oh yes, I could stay on that one for hours!

[butterflies114]

Hi - I am new to your trip reports but I look forward to following along. We fly out of buffalo and always stay at the Days Inn, my kids love the pool and my husband loves the Tim Hortons.

It really sucks to be sick on vacation our 4 year old had a 3 day fever on our last vacation and it just stinked!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by butterflies114

Hi - I am new to your trip reports but I look forward to following along. We fly out of buffalo and always stay at the Days Inn, my kids love the pool and my husband loves the Tim Hortons.

It really sucks to be sick on vacation our 4 year old had a 3 day fever on our last vacation and it just stinked!

Welcome aboard!!!

Aw, your poor little one.....that's hard on everyone to have a member of the family sick for so long when you are trying to have fun . That is why we were so grateful that things were back on track the next day....it could have lasted so much longer (don't get me wrong, we had irritable stomachs on and off for many days.....but it was manageable, for the most part, if we kept our gluttony in check).

I hope to add another chapter later this evening. Thanks for reading along!

[greenclan67]

Originally Posted by Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

Welcome aboard!!!

Aw, your poor little one.....that's hard on everyone to have a member of the family sick for so long when you are trying to have fun . That is why we were so grateful that things were back on track the next day....it could have lasted so much longer (don't get me wrong, we had irritable stomachs on and off for many days.....but it was manageable, for the most part, if we kept our gluttony in check).

I hope to add another chapter later this evening. Thanks for reading along!

I was reading along when I was reading about how you got sick, I was like, oh no, she got that crappy Ontario flu that is floating (very quickly) around.My family of 4 were so sick before Xmas, it took us a week to actually eat something besides soups, crackers and bland. It hit 3 of us one night like a ton of bricks, and we were up all night. My hubby started the next night. We had one broken toilet, thank goodness for two bathrooms. I run daycare out of my home. It hit every single one of them and then started taking out the parents. Thankfully I was feeling a bit better by this point and time, the parents stayed home and I took their kids. I have all teachers as clients, and I wiped them all out, and was to blame for them taking all of the sick days! LOL Put it this way, I have thrown out a rocking chair, and shampooed my carpets twice and some furniture a few times. And it wasn't my kids because they made it to the bathroom every time. So I can just imagine what that was like on vacation, all I could think, was thank goodness we have it now, and not at Christmas. Glad you were able to keep going.

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by greenclan67

I was reading along when I was reading about how you got sick, I was like, oh no, she got that crappy Ontario flu that is floating (very quickly) around.My family of 4 were so sick before Xmas, it took us a week to actually eat something besides soups, crackers and bland. It hit 3 of us one night like a ton of bricks, and we were up all night. My hubby started the next night. We had one broken toilet, thank goodness for two bathrooms. I run daycare out of my home. It hit every single one of them and then started taking out the parents.

Wow.......you guys had a tough time of it!!! I am glad that you were able to get your feet back under you in time for the holiday season.

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Christmas Day 2012 .

This day will probably be summarized in several updates, as it was a big, wonderful day with lots crammed in.

We rose after 12 hours of sleep and were very much relieved to feel much better than the day prior. Not 100%, but definitely improved and very much well enough for our planned day at SeaWorld.

We would be using our all day dining (free with our vacation package) for today's meals, from breakfast right on through to dinner. No need to stop and enjoy the Residence Inn's buffet today, so we were showed and dressed and down to the lobby in no time.

We always get Christmas morning photos, and this holiday was no exception (even though it wasn't our "traditional" Christmas at home). We got some fun pictures with the giant nutcrackers in the lobby:



and also a few outside amidst the beautiful Florida scenery. The weather was perfect...shorts and t's weather....with a mix of cloud and sun forecasted for the day. What an awesome day for themeparking!



With the obligatory photos out of the way, we were off to SeaWorld. The plan had been to arrive before opening, and we did .

Sliding into the parking lot at about 8:20, we waited 10 minutes for the parking to actually open (which it did at prompty 8:30 am). There were several other cars there waiting with us, so obviously other families had the same idea we did! While we waited to enter the parking area, Steve and Jake got out of the truck and chatted with a family from Quebec who was in the line immediately in front of us. We compared snow updates from our relatives back home.



Within a few minutes, we were on our way to park the truck. Love, love, LOVE how empty the lot was........'cause we got one rockin' awesome space right by the park entrance.



We were through bag check in a flash (with our dining included, we travelled lightly this day, bringing only some souvenir cash, our camera, a comb, and some lipgloss) and into the park just after the national anthem played. We went directly to redeem our free Quick Queue vouchers at Guest Services, then were off to the races.

(And yes, those photographers corralled us on our way into the park for the first of many of today's photos. But who can resist a Shamu picture anyway??)



We're just getting started........tons more Christmas Day updates to come!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

The park was decorated beautifully. The large tree at the entrance was as spectacular as we remembered it from our New Years trip, but held so much more "magic" on Christmas Day.



We were thrilled at the crowd levels on opening. We weren't sure if we should expect mobs of people waiting to stampede the park at the 9 am opening time, but whatever worries we had were for naught. Not a mob nor crowd to speak of.



We decided to hit Voyageurs Smokehouse for breakfast, but of course, had to snag a ride on Manta on our way there.



This ride is the boys' favourite in all of Orlando. They cannot get enough of it. They'd give it more than two thumbs up, if they had any extra thumbs:



Breakfast at Voyageurs was excellent, and the guys were full enough when we left that they were glad they had ridden Manta first, otherwise it may have had to wait until their morning meal settled . We had no problem getting a seat, and line-ups to be served were minimal.

After breakfast, we embarked on our quest to hit as many attractions as possible throughout the day. I can't tell you the exact order of what we did (funny how some aspects of your vacation disappear from the brain after you get home ) but I know Polar Express was one of our morning attractions. As we missed out on this attraction at New Years (it had closed for the season on January 1st, and we visited on the 2nd and 5th), I was very, VERY excited to ride!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Let me say this........SeaWorld did a fantastic job with the theming at this attraction. It was awesome.



We opted for the motion side. The ride started with a clip from the movie:



then we were seated and off for our ride on the Polar Express! Despite being a ride chicken, I really didn't mind this one. It did move you around quite a bit, so it was great that there's a non-motion option for those that can't handle the movement. The ride itself lasted about 8 minutes.

After the ride was over, we exited into the North Pole, and were greeted by one of the most majestic Christmas trees you've ever seen.



We went directly to the area to meet Santa (because we really are just a bunch of big kids!) and again.....no line!



We spent lots of time admiring the animals here. The HUGE walrus was a great source of entertainment, as were the beluga whales and this fellow, who decided to sleep in this Christmas Day:



They had a wonderful hot chocolate stand at a very reasonable $1.99 per cup, if you need to warm up after your visit to the North Pole.



And of course, there's a giant rendition of that infamous ticket as you exit the attraction:



This holiday attraction definitely did not disappoint. Right down to the smell of train exhaust, SW outdid themselves on theming of this ride.

Next up...........photos in a snow globe? Oh, yes we did!

[BearcatsFan]

SW looks beautiful at Christmastime! How funny you ran into some fellow Canadians in the parking lot - comparing snow updates! That cracked me up!

I *love* the photos you had done there. By chance, do you have any idea how early they start decorating for the holidays? Our next trip will be in mid-November, and after seeing your photos, I'm considering adding SW to our list of possibilities ...

Carry on!

[dancin Disney style]

I'm totally glued to this report and can't wait to read more. We have decided that we will no longer stay at home for Christmas in order to avoid all the drama......there is almost always an arguement with my mom in the week right before. The kids are thrilled with the idea of going away and for the last week we have been batting around different ideas on where and what we will do. There has been a LOT of Florida talk. I think that with our work schedules FL is the best choice.....we will both be working on the 24th so there are just more options for getting to our destination that night. We visit WDW yearly (sometimes twice) but we decided this past summer that it's time for a break. I'm already missing FL so perhaps taking an Orlando trip that has nothing to do with WDW would be a happy medium. We haven't been to SW in about 20yrs. The Marriot looks really nice and would suit our needs perfectly.....I'll be looking into it shortly.

[kirstenb1]

Gina, I always enjoy your trip reports!! I'm so sorry you all got sick; I've had that happen one time in Orlando, and it was awful!! The silver lining was at least dh and dd's managed to avoid it.

I can't believe how unbusy Aquatica was----good for you!!! We always go in the summer because of school, and we haven't tried it yet. We love Sea World, so am enjoying your photos.

[greenclan67]

Originally Posted by dancin Disney style

I'm totally glued to this report and can't wait to read more. We have decided that we will no longer stay at home for Christmas in order to avoid all the drama......there is almost always an arguement with my mom in the week right before. The kids are thrilled with the idea of going away and for the last week we have been batting around different ideas on where and what we will do. There has been a LOT of Florida talk. I think that with our work schedules FL is the best choice.....we will both be working on the 24th so there are just more options for getting to our destination that night. We visit WDW yearly (sometimes twice) but we decided this past summer that it's time for a break. I'm already missing FL so perhaps taking an Orlando trip that has nothing to do with WDW would be a happy medium. We haven't been to SW in about 20yrs. The Marriot looks really nice and would suit our needs perfectly.....I'll be looking into it shortly.

I am still reading this above comment wondering if it was me that wrote it! Those words have been uttered out of our mouths since Christmas Eve and I think this year we are sticking to it. Cause I can't handle the arguments, the fussing, the work, and my kids are old enough now as well.They will still get a few presents but that would be about it!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by BearcatsFan

SW looks beautiful at Christmastime! How funny you ran into some fellow Canadians in the parking lot - comparing snow updates! That cracked me up!

I *love* the photos you had done there. By chance, do you have any idea how early they start decorating for the holidays? Our next trip will be in mid-November, and after seeing your photos, I'm considering adding SW to our list of possibilities ...

Carry on!

The park was gorgeous....really, really pretty. And at night, it was breathtaking. I can't describe how lovely it looked when the lights all came on.

This year, the Christmas Celebration dates were November 17th to December 31. They should have their decorations up by mid-November......hopefully the timing will be right and you will be able to see them all when you visit!

Originally Posted by dancin Disney style

I'm totally glued to this report and can't wait to read more. We have decided that we will no longer stay at home for Christmas in order to avoid all the drama......there is almost always an arguement with my mom in the week right before. The kids are thrilled with the idea of going away and for the last week we have been batting around different ideas on where and what we will do. There has been a LOT of Florida talk. I think that with our work schedules FL is the best choice.....we will both be working on the 24th so there are just more options for getting to our destination that night. We visit WDW yearly (sometimes twice) but we decided this past summer that it's time for a break. I'm already missing FL so perhaps taking an Orlando trip that has nothing to do with WDW would be a happy medium. We haven't been to SW in about 20yrs. The Marriot looks really nice and would suit our needs perfectly.....I'll be looking into it shortly.

I am so with you . I cannot STAND the drama of the holiday season. I have a sister and a couple of inlaws that always cause trouble, which is why we were so supportive of Jake's idea to get the heck out of town for Christmas.

I think you will find a SW trip would be sooooooo affordable in comparison to Disney, too, allowing you to add in some extra special activities (like Discovery Cove.......if you have never been there before, it would be a FABULOUS addition to a SW trip!). Our vacation package was a steal. 7 nights at the Residence Inn in a one bedroom suite, free buffet breakfast daily, free Quick Queue passes for SW, free park transportation, length of stay passes to both SeaWorld and Aquatica for all three of us, and free all day dining for all three of us for one day each at SW and Aquatica, including all taxes, was only $1330.

Originally Posted by kirstenb1

Gina, I always enjoy your trip reports!! I'm so sorry you all got sick; I've had that happen one time in Orlando, and it was awful!! The silver lining was at least dh and dd's managed to avoid it.

I can't believe how unbusy Aquatica was----good for you!!! We always go in the summer because of school, and we haven't tried it yet. We love Sea World, so am enjoying your photos.

Thank you!! Glad to have you reading along!

Aquatica is a great waterpark, so very much fun! If you get a chance to give it a try when you there during the summer months, I definitely recommend you do! Roa's Rapids is worth the visit alone .

Originally Posted by greenclan67

I am still reading this above comment wondering if it was me that wrote it! Those words have been uttered out of our mouths since Christmas Eve and I think this year we are sticking to it. Cause I can't handle the arguments, the fussing, the work, and my kids are old enough now as well.They will still get a few presents but that would be about it!

Well ladies, you have made me feel better about my dysfunctional extended family situation. lol, here I thought I was the only one with relatives that make me want to scream!

We did get Jake a few gifts to go along with the trip....I let him pick out a selection of stuff (with Santa setting the budget amount ) from his favourite sports store and we ordered it all online, shipped to the Buffalo airport hotel. We picked up his parcel when we picked up our vehicle after returning home. We saved a bundle on shipping by having it sent to an American address, which meant Santa was able to spend more on the order and less on the delivery costs . Jake was more thrilled to pick out his own stuff than if I tried to surprise him.

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Where did we leave off? Oh, right. The snow globe photos!

By now, you all know that I have a "thing" for pictures. In particular, I love those corny, unique, one-of-a-kind photo opportunities that make for vacation memories that make you smile long after the luggage is unpacked. Thankfully, the boys are pretty easy to get along with, and are willing to indulge my addiction............so you can imagine my excitement when I learned about the SeaWorld snow globe photos. Let's just say it ranked right up there with the Polar Express on my Christmas to-do list!

There were two different locations in the park that took pictures inside a snow globe. One was by the waterfront, the other was near Shamu's Happy Harbour.



Fortunately, we had the pictures taken at both locations, because when we went to have the CD made at the end of the day, only the ones by Happy Harbour could be added to the CD (the others were available as prints only from the kiosk at the Waterfront). No worries though, because both sets of photos turned out well, and we really didn't need both. Here are a couple of my favourites from the dozen that they took:





When we stopped for a quick lunch at Mango Joe's, this festive group came strolling along and broke out into an impromptu performance:



They were awesome and had the whole crowd singing and dancing along!

To indulge my friends who want to see more pictures of the decorations around the park, here are an assortment of the various photos showcasing some of the Christmas adornments:











I can only imagine how long it takes park staff to transform the park into a winter wonderland. I totally want that as my job!