A little of everything WDW YES MNSSHP US/IOA Seaworld Legoland and more FINISHED

[Chelley00]

October 26
Legoland
The kids find a favorite!

Primeval "Hurl" is one of DD's favorite AK rides. DS has never been on it, but it's on the agenda for tomorrow. As we're heading to the next "area" of Legoland, we convince DS to ride Technic, which is much like Mr Toad/Primeval Whirl. This was a ride twice in a row for the kids, and since Mom won't ride it, it's all me.

Wave Racers basically go around in circles and jut out over the water and there are geysers that shoot water up. I opted to skip it and send DD with DS.

This is when we tell the kids that the parents control the button that makes the geyser shoot water at them

Technicycle. The more you pedal, the higher you go

and the end

DS gets off of this ride and starts coughing. A lot. I mention to my mom that he sounded maybe wheezy last night. She takes a listen to him but it doesn't sound like much and he's really not complaining so we keep on moving and just keep an eye on him.

We decide we should backtrack and go ride Coasterasaurus just in case they have to close it because of the winds. DS is a big dino fan and he would not be happy having to miss it!

 

[ProudMommyof2]

My guess is pneumonia- hope I am wrong. I am an NP- fever and fatigue can come before the cough.

 

[Chelley00]

October 26
Legoland
We get Adventurous



We decided the first thing to do in the Land of Adventure area was to ride Coasterasaurus.

It's a decent little wooden coaster, but the seats are way too small for adults. I'm pretty tall and I had no leg room.

A picture from DS

We decided to do the safari next since it was right across the path. It was very slow loading and we had to wait a little while. One nice thing is that in all the ride lines that are Lego stations set up so the kids can play while parents wait in line.

Look! Finally a safari you can see the lions on

We took a quick break for lunch (which was awful - but we should have planned our lunch spot better) and then finished up the last thing in Land of Adventure: Lost Kingdom Adventure.

Much to my mother's delight, it's a shooting game, like Buzz and Men in Black. We rode it at least 4 times, and my mother lost every time

This completes this part of Legoland for us. We take a few minutes to check out our map to decide where to go next. DS still has a cough here and there, but nothing to make me worry. Yet.

 

[khertz]

Legoland looks fun! I'm glad DS was at least feeling okay enough to enjoy the place he had picked out. I really enjoyed seeing his pictures and getting a feel for his perspective.

Fever, cough, wheezing...sounds like pneumonia!

 

[Chelley00]

My guess is pneumonia- hope I am wrong. I am an NP- fever and fatigue can come before the cough.

Fever, cough, wheezing...sounds like pneumonia!

You girls get a gold star! I'm getting there!


October 26
Legoland
Knights and Dragons, and Granny braves a coaster!

We kept on our counter clockwise circle and came to Lego Kingdom. Apparently DS was being artsy fartsy along the way (he took 350 pictures in one day )

See how windy it was?

I have NO idea whose feet these are

We finally came to the castle area.

The kids and I decided to ride The Dragon. Since we had no idea what it would do, my mom sat out. I was pretty sure it was a baby coaster, but didn't want to take a chance.

Once we got off we drug Mom back in telling her it was totally tame. You do a very slow ride through the castle looking at Lego scenes and then go outside on a very baby coaster. (Goofy Barnstormer speed)

The kids decided they had to do the Royal Joust ride, which made me laugh because they were obviously WAY too old for it. We kept teasing DD we were going to print pictures of her riding it for her friends

The last thing in this area is Merlin's Challenge. It basically is train in a circle, but it has pretty good speed. All the kids looked a little shell shocked when they came off, like they weren't expecting it to go so fast.

This is actually the entrance if you come from the gate, but it was our exit since we were backwards. (Granny's in the pink shirt)

We decided to skip Duplo Village since it's for teeny little kids and we made our way to FunTown. This is when DS informs me that he's tired. He doesn't feel warm, he isn't coughing terribly (I gave him a dose of cough medicine earlier) and he's insisting he doesn't want to leave because he wants to see MiniLand. We end up just skipping FunTown (which makes me mad because I want to watch them make the Legos!) and we make our way to Mini Land.

 

[Chelley00]

October 26
Legoland
I could spend my whole life here

Of course, a little more arty pictures on the walk to MiniLand

MiniLand was the highlight of our Legoland day. I think we spent 2 hours there. There are so many different cities and the attention to detail is amazing. Since it was close to Halloween, the kids loved finding all the Halloween decorations within MiniLand. There were many places that had water cannons (like on the pirate ships), or sound effects or pieces that moved when you pushed a button, so it was interactive as well. Had DS not been coughing and feeling cruddy, we probably could have stayed longer. Even my mom loved it. There were people of all ages walking through it. I just can't explain how cool it was.

My pictures and DS's pictures are intermixed a little, so I'm not sure who took what, but here are some of our favorites.

Pirates

 

[Chelley00]

October 26
Legoland
MiniLand continued

 

[Chelley00]

October 26
Legoland
MiniLand Continued again

This is me. It gives you an idea of how tall they made the Space Needle

 

[Chelley00]

October 26
Legoland
My MiniLand pictures

I just realized all of those pictures were from DS's camera! Here are some that DS either didn't get or mine were a little different than his

My mom is 6 foot tall. Puts how big these buildings are into perspective

I was finally able to drag everyone away from MiniLand with the promise of being able to actually get a snack and sit down for awhile to watch the Pirate Ski Show. As we were leaving DS announced "I could spend my whole life here looking at Legos!"

 

[Chelley00]

October 26
Legoland
Arrrggghhh, the lamest pirate ye be


We've spent the past 2 weeks at various parks. Disney of course has fabulous shows. Seaworld's shows were amazing. US/IOA weren't bad.

Legoland Ski Show is, well, crap. The acting is awful, most of the girl talking is lip synched and not even her talking. And then, there is a "soak zone" that they don't tell you about.....and they basically drown people WITH GARDEN HOSES.

People up front were so ticked they were running for cover with cameras and whatever else they had in their hands. One family was eating pizza and it was full of water. Thankfully we were up pretty far to sit in the shade and didn't get wet.

With all that said, the ski part was amazing. I wish that part would have been longer. And the storyline was okay, but it was just so amateur. The kids liked it well enough, and sitting in the shade with the breeze coming off the lake was a great rest, especially for DS

The lip synch queen

You could get pictures taken with the Lego soldier after the show was over

I tried to get DS to leave after the show, but he was not having it. He kept insisting we go to build and test before we left. We made a deal that we'd spend a little time there, but then we were leaving to get him home.

A couple pictures on the way to Imagination Zone

 

[Chelley00]

October 26
Legoland
The race to be the best


We made a quick stop in the Hero Factory where the kids quickly got bored. Apparently building stuff isn't fun for them if it doesn't do anything afterwards

We finally got to DS's Holy Grail, the Build and Test. You walk in and they give you 4 tires, then you dig through bins of Legos to build a car. Once you are done, you can race your car on several different ramps against other people. We were here a long time. The kids enjoyed it and DS's car won almost every race.

A terrible picture, but DS is jumping up and down because he won

We were finally able to drag the kids out of there and head towards the exit. We have dinner reservations back at DTD, but we're leaving early enough we have plenty of time to shop before we eat.

A few pictures as we walk out

and as an FYI, the picture taking didn't stop when we left Legoland

 

[Chelley00]

October 26
DTD
A little shopping and a lot of eating


We got to DTD and did some shopping for those we left behind at home before heading to DD's choice for dinner...Rainforest Cafe. We were actually early for our reservation but once again, the Landy club card put us on the priority list and we waited just a few minutes.

So obnoxiously loud in there, but the kids enjoy it and honestly, the food was so good it made my top 5 meals of the week, which surprises me because of my food allergies.

At this point I noticed DS was rapidly going downhill fast:

He didn't touch his dinner. At all
He didn't want to walk around and look at the animals
He was coughing like crazy
He sounded wheezy
He laid his head down in my lap and didn't move, and he's our constantly on the go child.

I'm pretty sure at this point we're dropping everyone off at the condo and going to find a doctor.

We decided to skip dessert and hit up the good parts of DTD for dessert to take back to the condo.

The kids wanted Goofy's make your own treats

tee hee

Not sure what this is, or which kid it belonged to, but holy sprinkles, Batman

Mom and I opted for something a little more classy

The weather was starting to get a little creepy looking. We were going to let the kids go to the dance party thing until we saw this

We did some power walking through the parking lot to get to the car before it started raining, which we did, but this is when DS started coughing and just wouldn't quit. Once we got back to the condo, my mom the nurse took a listen to him and told me she thought it was time to take him to be looked at.....especially since we had a 17 hour car trip coming up.

 

[Chelley00]

October 26
Centra Care
Hanging out in the ghetto


When we got back to the condo, we went inside so I could restock my bag with Kleenex and hand sanitizer and decided to let DS take a steamy shower to see if that helped his cough a little.

Plus he was covered in chocolate and sprinkle covered marshmellows

While he was in the shower I grabbed the GPS and found the nearest CentraCare. This was a mistake.

It sent us to the Lake Buena Vista location on Apopka Vineland Road. It's dark, it's windy, it's secluded and it's creepy Plus the traffic to get there on a Friday night at 8 pm is stupid crazy. It's also their busiest location and we're told it's a 2 hour wait.

We find out later that had we asked at the front desk at WBC, they would have sent us to one in Kissimmee or somewhere else (I think Orange Lake) which are newer, nicer and not as crowded.

Well, we're there, we're checked in, they have Spongebob on TV and DS is loaded up with Motrin and half asleep on my lap, so we decide to stay. There really aren't that many people in the waiting room, and the people in there sound exactly like DS

I'm happy to report it was not a 2 hour wait, barely an hour, but still. We get into the room, and well, it's gross. There's an attached closet or bathroom or something with an obvious ceiling leak (Like there's a bucket catching water) and the tile is cracked and coming up in places. The walls are stained and banged up. It's definitely been well used. When DS has to go to the bathroom, there is no soap inside the bathroom, it's all outside to people don't cheat on drug tests.

Honestly, it was just so run down and I'm really considering leaving, but I figure by the time we leave and drive somewhere else, we are going to be done here and one our way back to WBC. It's already a late late night and I still have to pack!

DS was happy because he could still watch Spongebob in the room

and it has Disney decorations

Finally a male nurse comes in (he was a little odd but really good with DS and very very nice) The doctor came in soon after, nicest guy, said it was most definitely pneumonia crackles in the left lung and they sent DS for a chest xray. It didn't take long for the pneumonia confirmation to come.

They were able to fill DS's prescriptions right there and saved us a trip someone place else. Once we finally saw the doctor we were in and out pretty quickly. I have to say that even with the run down condition, every single person there from the front to nurses to doctor to check out people were amazing! They gave DS all kinds of little things (balloon, sucker, stickers etc) because "it's no fun being sick on vacation".

We got back to the condo, gave DS his medicine and sent the kids to bed to watch TV for a little bit while I packed their room. When I was done I packed my stuff and then the kitchen. It was almost 3am before I was finished packing and able to go to bed

Between the late night and DS having pneumonia, it looks like our final day park plans of spending the morning at AK before starting the drive home isn't going to happen.

 

[Chelley00]

October 27
The tough decision


We get up a little later than I expected, but I think we all needed the sleep. DS seemed to be very tired, but he wasn't coughing as much and his breathing sounded a little better.

We have breakfast, finish packing and start loading the car. When we walk outside we can't believe the temperature change. It's chilly and windy.

Once we finish we realize we are stuck behind 2 vans parked side by side loading their stuff in, totally blocking the circle. We had to wait 15 minutes for one of them to move so we could leave. Don't block the circle people!!

We pull into a parking space and start the debate.

We have one day left on our WDW tickets. Our plan was to head to AK at rope drop, stay there until noon or so, eat lunch and then start the trip home. There is a lot we didn't do at AK on our first day since we had brother's family with us (Kiliminjaro safari, Dinosaur, Kali, Flights of Wonder) But, one look at DS in the backseat, and considering the weather, we all know skipping AK and heading towards home is a smart move

The winds (from Hurricane Sandy) were crazy and it was a nice breezy bumpy ride home

Because we left so much earlier than intended, we canceled our hotel room we had reserved halfway and made it to Nashville before stopping for the night.

And so, the next afternoon, we arrived safely back in Indiana, to freezing cold weather

And that's it! I have another post planned for our final thoughts....favorites, things we won't do again and other random stuff.

 

[bjakmom]

WOW! What a great trip (and report!)
So glad I found it! Planning DGrDs 10th b'day trip for the end of August and she has asked to go to Seaworld, Legoland and back to USF/IOA for Harry Potter. And of course we'll start with 5 days at WDW before my DD (her mom) will join us for the rest. I haven't been to a Legoland in 8 years when I took my DNeph to the one in Cali - he loved it - and now that I see your pics of the FL park, I know DGrD will love it too! She's such a huge lego lover! And she will love seeing Washington DC miniland as we are heading there for Easter break for her first visit. Also loved your review of SeaWorld - been years since I've been there too - I think I may need to add a 2nd day there - so much to see! (maybe 1/2 day and then do a late night at USF).
Thanks again!

 

[ProudMommyof2]

I have really enjoyed your TR! Your sense of humor is great!

You did so much, I can't wait to hear your final thoughts.

I see you have a trip to HHI planned - us too! I hope you post about that as well!

 

[daisymomof4]

Awesome report! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your adventures with us.

Did your DS get over his pneumonia without issue? I sure hope so.

I loved his Legoland photos. We went to the Carlsbad LL back in 07 and our kids favorite part was spraying people on the Wave Runner. We stood there for more than an hour... I think our kids had equal experiences on the Joust ride, lol. My DS that was 13 at the time went past us and said, "I want to get off" so we laughed and took lots of photos like any good parent would

 

[khertz]

Okay, just that MiniLand area alone has me wanting to check out Legoland now. It looks amazing!!

What a way to end the trip! Poor DS, but I'm glad he was able to get checked out and get some medicine started. At least the people were nice, even if the building was run down. I'll keep that in mind though to check with the front desk if we ever need a doctor while in Disney, which hopefully we never do, but you never know what can happen! Probably a good call skipping AK and heading home. DS looks miserable. How was he once you got home? Did he get back to normal soon enough? A friend went on a cruise the week of Mardi Gras and her son got pneumonia on the ship. He missed almost a week of school when he got back because he still felt so bad. Pneumonia is no fun!!

 

[Chelley00]

Also loved your review of SeaWorld - been years since I've been there too - I think I may need to add a 2nd day there - so much to see!

A second day at Seaworld is one of the things on our "wish we would have done differently" list Enjoy your trip. We loved Legoland

I see you have a trip to HHI planned - us too! I hope you post about that as well!

Have you been to HHI? We're going 3rd week in June. Cannot wait!

Did your DS get over his pneumonia without issue? I sure hope so.

He actually didn't. It took awhile, and then he relapsed in December, but after that he's done really well.

Okay, just that MiniLand area alone has me wanting to check out Legoland now. It looks amazing!!

It was. So many little details. You could spend an entire just in that section. They have signs posted for everything that tells little facts about the building or area, and some even tell you about how they built it, like how many Legos or how much it weighed. So fun!


So, DS had to go on breathing treatments and different antibiotics when we got home, and it still took 3 weeks to get him better. He missed a week of school and almost ended up in the hospital. He ended up relapsing and getting it again the first of December, DH had surgery Dec 6, and then on Dec 16 our DS17 was in a horrible car accident. We've had a rough few months so I'm so glad we had that 2 week vacation before it all happened!

Our next WDW trip most likely won't be until October 2014, which is our every other year schedule. I'd love to squeeze in a week this October for Fall Break, with the medical bills from DS's accident still piling up, it probably won't happen. At least we have one sorta in the works. DS17 will have graduated by then and be at college so that means DH will get to go this time!

We do have reservations at Hilton Head Island DVC in June. It's going to be a different vacation for us, a little more relaxing. DS17 will be on a mission trip so it will just be DH, DD, DS and me. I'm more than ready for a break.

So, here's our wrap up and final thoughts from our 2 weeks.



Things we are glad we did:

Stay at WBC. We stayed at the Poly last trip and while it was nice, I felt this trip was actually quieter and more relaxing, even with having to drive to the parks (which was so easy!) Having 2 bathrooms was great and I liked everyone having their own room and own space. It just seemed more "vacation" to me.

Order from Garden Grocer. I do this every trip at least for bottled water and breakfast items if we fly and stay onsite. This means no grocery store trip for us. We got to WBC late evening and our groceries were ready to be taken to our room and we just stayed in and ate sandwiches after the long drive

Go to Legoland. I think the kids will be too old/big for a Legoland day next trip just because the rides are geared towards smaller kids. DS was at the perfect age for it this time.

Took a day off We usually don't do off days, but with a trip this long, and entire day just to pool hop was amazing

MNSSHP I think this is my favorite part of Disney sometimes

Onsite room at US/IOA Having the hour early entry to WWOHP, unlimited express pass and paying once for parking twice was beyond worth the cost




Things we wish we would have done differently:

Skipped La Catina de San Angel in Epcot They didn't listen to my food allergies and made me crazy ill.

Skipped Pirate Adventure Without lunch included, it's not really worth the money anymore and DD was pretty bored even though she's only 11. However, having 2 hours kidless was a nice break

Spent more time in the new Fantasyland area. We breezed through it at MNSSHP and didn't take many pictures, and then it was not open the rest of the trip

Spent 2 days at Seaworld We missed so many shows and went through some exhibits quickly to maximize time

Packed the ponchos! Forgetting them the day it forecasted rain was pretty dumb on my part!

Not made my mom ride Soarin Pretty self explanatory



DS favorite restaurant: TRex
DD favorite restaurant: Rainforest
Mom's Favorite: Ohana
My favorite Boma

 

[pascalstongue]

Thank you so much for your trip report. I really enjoyed it. So sorry to hear about your DS. What a way to end your holiday and so scary that he almost had to stay in hospital for it.

I especially liked your report on Legoland. We have annual passes to Legoland here in the UK and I wasn't sure whether to visit Legoland Florida or not. It appears so similar that I don't think we will bother this time. So many of the rides seem identical, the only major difference is the weather of course!!

Thanks once again.