Roll Out Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer: an August Trip Report (Complete!)

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I'm totally loving your trip report (and I've read your other ones also)!! My hubby and I are planning a trip next fall to do the Discovery Cove/Sea World/Aquatica trio and a day at Cocoa Beach. Your reports have given me tons of fun ideas. Keep it coming!

Thank you Ruthie . Glad to have you reading along!

Thinking I may have to try this waterpark. Mt. Olympus still owes me sunglasses and everyone got a cute glimpse of my rear when the waves took down my bottoms.

I think that would have put me off of wave pools forever!!! Too funny!! (but after experiencing it myself, I can totally see it happening! )

Thank you for the pics and coverage of each of the two water parks. I think I am sold on TL based on your pics and review . My kids think they would like BB more because the theming is different, but I think TL may win them over once they experience it. I remember reading your review and and all your great pics of Aquatica and that park (along with Sea World) is still on our must do list

I guess I am just a "tropical" girl at heart .

I still say the kids area at Aquatica can't be beat (except maybe by the sandcastle play area that's now at Wet N Wild.....hopefully I will have a chance to check that out next summer and let you know how it compares). For your four kiddos, Aquatica will be a great choice someday. Keep it on the to-do list, for sure!

I feel like I'm somehow foresaking my Canadian Girl heritage by disliking the BB theming . My apologies to all my fellow northerners!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Back at the room, we tossed our wet swimsuits and towels into the laundry and DROPPED for at least an hour. There is nothing more tiring, IMHO, than a day at a waterpark during the heat of the summer. We were completely baked and needed to decompress. That king sized bed in the blissful air conditioning had my name on it.

Eventually, though, the boys began to feel the rumble of their stomachs and I heard discussions about dinner. Not only does a day at a waterpark tire you out, it also works up quite an appetite. So the fellows decided tonight was the perfect opportunity for one of their favourite pig-out places…..Golden Corral. Man-sized appetites deserved a man-sized buffet.



Super conveniently located within the Crossroads area, we were there in flash. Have I mentioned lately how much we liked the Vistana’s location???

Funnily enough (considering this is Orlando, after all, the name of which is as synonymous with Disney as peanut butter is with honey) our server’s name was Minnie. Seriously. That made us laugh . And that made her laugh . We were off to a good start.

For those that have not been to Golden Corral before, I would dare you to name your favourite comfort foods. They will all be on the buffet. Then add in some Asian dishes, fresh tacos and fajitas, a salad bar, and enough desserts to reduce Jenny Craig to tears, and you have the Golden Corral line-up. It’s a picky eater’s dream.

Warning……my dear child has some odd food tastes, so some may find this gross. I know I do. And I had to eat beside him…..gag!

Jake’s first plate……



One of Steve’s creations……



And finally, mine (sidenote….I love their meatloaf. Does that make me weird? ).



Yes, my guys have a little love affair happening with this restaurant. As they say, he way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Steve concurs.



The best part here, though, is the dessert buffet. If my conscience would allow, I would just start here and skip the main dishes altogether!!! They have so many delicious options it’s hard to choose. Jake, of course, has his favourite: the make-your-own sundae bar . Chocolate? Vanilla? Swirl? Tough decisions.



Steve’s a cake kind of guy:



But I’m all about the chocolate fountain .



Yep, it’s beautiful, isn’t it???

Pass the marshmallows and the macaroons, please.



I don’t even want to talk about the calorie intake of this meal. It depresses me. So let’s just remember it with fondness and move right along, shall we?

Looking for the best remedy for over-indulgence, we hopped into the Jeep and headed north on I-Drive. A “CityWalk” was in order! Heaven knows we needed it!!!

 

[sk8jdgca]

loving your report!!! We too loved TL it is so so much better than BB. One thing we found to eat though was the fruit bowl. you got to pick your favourite fruit to fill up your bowl and then there were fancy sugars to put on it-just the right thing to eat at the water park

 

[webcreatrix]

Looking for the best remedy for over-indulgence, we hopped into the Jeep and headed north on I-Drive. A “CityWalk” was in order! Heaven knows we needed it!!!

Hi, Gina. I love your trip reports. We've decided off-site is the best option for our family, except when we are at the Dark Side. I'm looking forward to our June trip next year where we're planning to hit Disney, TL, Aquatica, and US/IOA!

Thank you so much for all your great water park TRs.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

loving your report!!! We too loved TL it is so so much better than BB. One thing we found to eat though was the fruit bowl. you got to pick your favourite fruit to fill up your bowl and then there were fancy sugars to put on it-just the right thing to eat at the water park

Thank you sk8jdgca!

We didn't even see that fruit bowl of which you speak.......I am so disappointed!!! While I'm not a huge veggie girl, I could LIVE on fruit. I can easily make that my entire meal vs. a burger or a hot dog. I will have to keep our eyes peeled for that on our NEXT trip . It will give me an excuse to go back (lol, not that I need one )

Hi, Gina. I love your trip reports. We've decided off-site is the best option for our family, except when we are at the Dark Side. I'm looking forward to our June trip next year where we're planning to hit Disney, TL, Aquatica, and US/IOA!

Thank you so much for all your great water park TRs.

Thank you so much . Glad to hear you are enjoying my report!!

Wow, you have an action-packed trip planned for June!!!! How many days are you going for? Have you decided where you are staying, or are you splitting your stay? (offsite for part, and onsite for the Universal portion?)

I always tell the folks who claim "onsite or bust"......don't knock it until you try it . Both scenarios can have their merits (depending on your dates of travel, the unique needs of your family, etc.) but for certain, onsite wins out by a LANDSLIDE for me and my fellows. Its nice to hear others have concluded the same as we have .

 

[kmb584]

I have to ask: where the heck do you get your bathing suits? I love them!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I have to ask: where the heck do you get your bathing suits? I love them!

Well, thank you!!!

The black and red one (that I wore at BB) was new this year. I purchased it at walmart.com before our trip and had it delivered to the resort. It was a total shot in the dark as far as sizes go.....I gave it my best guess and lucked out! I thought it was a FAB deal at $25 at the time....but I see now its on for $15! (makes me want to order another one and set it aside for next summer!!)

Here's the link:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Catalina-...ertible-Strap-Ruffle-Bottom-Swimsuit/22176134

The blue one (that I wore at TL) I bought for last August's trip at sears.ca.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Somewhere during dessert at Golden Corral, the conversation turned to our schedule for our evening activities. Since this was a vacation where we had strategically planned to set very few set plans, the next few hours were officially “wide open” (and surprising even to me, I was actually coming to LOVE this go-with-the-flow, spur-of-the-moment schedule. It was just so darn relaxing!). That meant we were open to ideas on how to spend our time. After visiting Downtown Disney the previous evening, we should not have been shocked when Jake offered his input for something to do: “Mom, how about we go to CityWalk?”. There was no reason why we shouldn’t, and it had been a few trips since we’d been there…..so off we went!

The trek there (surprisingly) was not that bad. We had wondered if the prime evening hours would mean annoying traffic congestion along the way, but were happy to find otherwise. It wasn’t long before this came into view:



Pulling up to the parking garage, we paid the fee and were on our way to find a space. A little side note for you to file away…after 6 pm, the parking fee reduces to $5 (the regular parking cost is $16). After 10 pm, its free.



We made the l-o-n-g journey from the garage to CityWalk. Thankfully, Universal has installed a nifty system of moving sidewalks, so for those suffering from over-indulgence (like us) or who are bothered by the heat (not us….we were getting pretty acclimatized by this point) can take it fairly easy throughout the pilgrimage if desired.





Now, much as I enjoy a visit to CityWalk, let me say it doesn’t offer nearly as many options in the form of entertainment or shopping as Downtown Disney. It’s just not as large. But like DTD, it’s a good place to people watch and poke around while you leisurely pass the time. Lots of people-watching fun.



Jake’s request to visit here was not totally innocent. I knew he had an ulterior motive besides getting us some much-needed exercise. Call it “mother’s intuition” (or just that fact that he’s super-obvious at the best of time ). So I was well aware that this was the specific destination he had in mind:



His first stop was, not surprisingly to shoot some hoops at the 3-point competition outside. It cost him $8 (which he paid himself) but he would have paid $20 for the opportunity. Basketball, as he would tell you, is priceless…..and to play outside NBA City is icing on the cake.



After he was finishing balling, we headed in to the NBA Store (the other destination I knew he had in mind!) for a retail purchase or two. Despite it’s very commercial location in a generally over-priced tourist area, he never fails to net (pardon the pun) a great deal or two here on some team-specific merchandise that we can’t get back home. He was delighted to find the store jam-packed with NBA Championship merchandise featuring his beloved Miami Heat….LeBron James would have been proud of the selection. With purchases made and shopping urges satisfied, we spent the rest of the evening strolling and meandering and soaking up the atmosphere. Strangely enough, it was rather deserted…..perhaps the heat had driven many folks back to their resorts to soak up some pool time.



Jake was searching for a minion souvenir for his girlfriend, and found a vast selection here:



It’s a little like the World of Disney for Universal fans, just not on as grand a scale. Very colourful, though, and full of Shrek, Simpson, Dr. Suess, and Harry Potter merchandise as you would expect.

An hour or so later, we feeling a little scortched an in need of a hydration break, so we stopped for bottled waters at the giant Coke bottle:



Eventually, we made our way back to the parking garage (why the stroll seemed quicker on the way back than it did on the way in, I have no idea…..maybe we move faster when our bellies are not so full!) and made the short commute back to the Vistana. We were plumb tuckered……what a busy day! We spent some time in the pool, had a short soak in the hot tub (yep, we use ‘em even in August!) then were off to bed for a good night’s rest. Tomorrow we were embarking on a road trip……and I was going to cross an item off my bucket list .

This might give you a little hint:




Stay tuned . Day 5 is coming up next!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Day 5…..Wednesday, August 28th.

We kicked off the day by sleeping in. Ah, sweet relaxation. It was marvellous. And it had everyone rested and recharged and in a sunshiny mood – just like the weather again that day. One more breakfast from the Marketplace (we would take a bit of a hiatus from their breakfast sandwiches for the next couple of days) and we packed our gear (towels, swimsuits, sunscreen, hats) and loaded up the Jeep.

Poor Steve got hit by an awful allergic reaction to “something” this morning, and it never truly left him until after we got home. We never did determine the offending allergen, but it sure knocked him on his fanny. Runny eyes, sneezing, head congestion…..we felt so sorry for him. Thankfully, the Marketplace carried Benadryl so he took a couple of tablets with breakfast to try and manage the symptoms. Of course, that dang Benadryl knocked him completely on his feet……I am sure he could have slept away the remainder of the vacation with the fuzzy head it created…..so if you see him looking a tad bleary eyed in some of the photos from here, you’ll know that my big guy was suffering .

Now back to the report……......

A quick stop to refuel (the vehicle, not the people) and we were on our way down the highway.

Which highway? The Beachline Expressway!

A scant hour and wayyyy too many toll booth later (we are totally going with the SunPass on the next trip….it will be a worthwhile investment) we were greeted by a great view as we pulled into Merritt Island:



Before finishing the short journey to our ultimate destination, Cocoa Beach, we opted to grab an early lunch at one of our family favourites, Steak & Shake.

You simply cannot dine at Steak & Shake without having one of their milkshakes. They are big and yummy and sooooooo cheap. Learning my lesson from previous visits, I got mine in a to-go cup so I could savor it slowly. Jake and Steve opted to polish theirs off during lunch and got the standard pretty glasses, all fancied up.

How this franchise survives with meals under $4, I have no idea. But yet, I am glad they do! I had the triple (!) steakburger, with seasoned fries, ketchup only (I am not a toppings girl):



Jake went with the Frisco melt and fries:



And Steve opted for the Steakburger Royale (complete with fried egg……an item of which I still cannot figure out who decided was a good idea to put on a hamburger, but hey….he liked it):



We shared an order of onion rings at the suggestion of our very excellent waitress. With our Entertainment Book coupons, both the onion rings and one of the shakes ended up being no charge. Add that to the ridiculously low cost of the entrees to begin with, and this was one SUPER value. And it was delicious. Soooooo good!

The remainder of our journey was a short one. Within just a few minutes, Ms. GPS has us pulling up into here:

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Now, the beach may not seem like a big deal for some, but the moments that follow have long since been on my bucket list. I had never seen the ocean. Not in person, anyway. And I had certainly never dipped my toes in it, tasted the salty water, and squiggled my toes in ocean sand. Quite honestly, I felt I had been missing out, as both Steve and Jake had long since beat me to this experience. Steve was part of disaster relief team that travelled to Montserrat in early 1990 following the devastation of Hurricane Hugo to build houses for the residents who were left without shelter. Jake travelled to the west coast with a friend (and his family) during the summer before grade 9, and got to have his ocean “experience” off the coast of Vancouver. But me? Despite three trips to Florida in 2012 alone, our family had never made it even once to the Atlantic coast, despite loosely including it on virtually each itinerary.

So this, though it may sound silly, was an emotional moment for yours truly.







I would have RUN down the pathway to the beach from the parking lot, except it quickly turned from wooden boards into beach sand and that slowed my approach considerably. It’s hard to run in the sand….and OMG!!!!!!! It was blazin’ hot! Ask Steve…..he started out on the sand….



….then took to higher ground!!!



I didn’t even take time to change before heading out to the water. I just wanted to be there for a few minutes, and soak it up. Breathe it in. And take some pictures (of course!).







It was just as pretty as I pictured in my mind….but admittedly, far less “busy” than I expected (which was a nice surprise). I suspect that school being in session was a big influence in that.



And the water? Well, let me say it was far, far warmer than I anticipated. A trip to North Beach Provincial Park (near my home) the week prior to our vacation had me turning BLUE in the water from the cold, and it’s just a lake…..so I figured the ocean would be freakin’ freezing. It was beautiful . Who’da thought?



The sun was directly overhead and we were starting to get really warm in the sun so Steve and I headed back to change into our swimwear. Jake, big chicken that he was, decided he would stretch out on a towel and soak up the rays rather than risk his safety in the shark-infested ocean. I kid you not. But don’t don’t feel that he was missing out in any way……he was in his glory, basking in the Florida rays with the ocean breeze keeping him nice and comfy while he texted everyone he knew to say “hey, guess where I am right now?” .



The amusing part here was the towel he grabbed to lounge on. Looking back over the pictures, it became the family joke that Jake actually did have a shark sighting at Cocoa Beach!!!!



For the next couple of hours, we splashed and rode the waves (it was a “yellow flag” day, so the waves and undertow were both in the moderate range….tons of fun for swimming) and I will fully admit, I had the time of my life! Sooo much fun! (minus the salt in my mouth and eyes, of course……..WAY saltier than I anticipated). After a while, we felt our skin start to fry, despite multiple breaks for more SPF 100 sunscreen, so we decided it was time to dry off and move onwards. Jake was near melting so I knew we could all use a little time in an air conditioned environment.

We changed back into dry clothes, worked to desperately rid our sandals of the beach sand (didn’t work…..I’m sure Alamo had a tough job on the car mats of the Jeep!) then made the short trip up the street to one of the most famous of Cocoa Beach’s landmarks…..Ron Jon’s Surf Shop!

 

[dennise]

Loving the report, gave the link to my son and his wife, they are surprising their children(9 and 13) with a two week trip to Orlando in April and your report is so detailed I thought it would be a good read for them. They haven't been there since their honeymoon 15 years ago. That will be their Christmas gift ++. The ocean part of your trip was interesting, we can see the Bay of Fundy from our house and can be at the ocean in less than an hour, I guess it is something we take for granted. The Bay has the highest tides in the world. I was actually looking at your suit on the website, we are going to be in the US next week and can order to be sent to the store, hmmm do I need another suit??

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We love the sea and have planned a day at Cocoa beach too, so it was great to see your pictures

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Loving the report, gave the link to my son and his wife, they are surprising their children(9 and 13) with a two week trip to Orlando in April and your report is so detailed I thought it would be a good read for them. They haven't been there since their honeymoon 15 years ago. That will be their Christmas gift ++. The ocean part of your trip was interesting, we can see the Bay of Fundy from our house and can be at the ocean in less than an hour, I guess it is something we take for granted. The Bay has the highest tides in the world. I was actually looking at your suit on the website, we are going to be in the US next week and can order to be sent to the store, hmmm do I need another suit??

Ah heck, go for it and order yourself the suit . For $15, you can't lose!

That's awesome about your son's trip . I wish my parents had given our family an Orlando vacation for one of our Christmas gifts!!! lol, we got socks and underwear .

We love the sea and have planned a day at Cocoa beach too, so it was great to see your pictures

It was so lovely . I can definitely see us going back again on future trips. Or maybe we'd try out the Gulf coast the next time, just for a different experience.

 

[webcreatrix]

Wow, you have an action-packed trip planned for June!!!! How many days are you going for? Have you decided where you are staying, or are you splitting your stay? (offsite for part, and onsite for the Universal portion?)

We plan to spend a week at Windsor Hills/Disney and then are hoping to add two to three nights at the HRH for the US/IOA part of our trip.

So far, we've only stayed onsite at HRH for Universal (3 nights). We did that in 2011 along with four nights at the Polynesian. That was our major blowout trip. The four nights at the Poly were 30% off, but that was probably a once in a lifetime trip for us.

Otherwise, we have stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and All Star Movies and Music. They were fine. We really LOVED the pool at Hilton, but we enjoyed our stays at Windsor Hills and Wyndham Bonnet Creek more. It's nice to have all the space, being able to do a load of laundry conveniently, having snacks and DRINKS that are good and don't cost a small fortune!

I think Wyndham Bonnet Creek may be the best of all worlds, like Vistana - space but with the resort feel. Buy my kids wanted to go back to a "Mickey house".

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We plan to spend a week at Windsor Hills/Disney and then are hoping to add two to three nights at the HRH for the US/IOA part of our trip.

So far, we've only stayed onsite at HRH for Universal (3 nights). We did that in 2011 along with four nights at the Polynesian. That was our major blowout trip. The four nights at the Poly were 30% off, but that was probably a once in a lifetime trip for us.

Otherwise, we have stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and All Star Movies and Music. They were fine. We really LOVED the pool at Hilton, but we enjoyed our stays at Windsor Hills and Wyndham Bonnet Creek more. It's nice to have all the space, being able to do a load of laundry conveniently, having snacks and DRINKS that are good and don't cost a small fortune!

I think Wyndham Bonnet Creek may be the best of all worlds, like Vistana - space but with the resort feel. Buy my kids wanted to go back to a "Mickey house".

Windsor Hills looks awesome.....its on my short list for a future trip. We actually checked it out for this past trip as well. The option of having our own splash pool was very tempting!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Ron Jon’s was pretty easy to find.....you really can’t miss that looming blue and yellow building as you come into town. There was lots of free parking out back, so we had no problem finding a space for the Jeep. Jake was pretty pumped for this portion of the day. Beach + shopping = paradise.



Outside, there were lots of neat little touches to satisfy my photo cravings, like the super-sized “sand” sculptures:





There was also a great surf board display:



And of course, there was the vintage Ron Jon car:



The store itself is HUGE. Merchandise in a rainbow of bright, beachy colours filled every nook and cranny of the two levels. I think I read somewhere that the store is over 50,000 square feet, and they have used each square inch. The selection is quite impressive, and the store has some nice little touches like a waterfall and a glass elevator.





Need a surf board? They have them in every size and colour imaginable.





And skateboards? They have those, too. By the hundreds.



Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Ron Jon’s never closes. So if you need a new swimsuit, a beach towel, or some Panama Jack sunscreen at 2:30 am on a Sunday morning, they have you covered. ‘Cause you never know , right?



Deciding what to buy was hard.....let me tell ya, it’s easier to pick when there aren’t so many choices!! Eventually, we all decided on shirts in our favourite Ron Jon prints, and we headed to the register to pay for our purchases. The clerk gave us complimentary Ron Jon bumper stickers, and we bid adieu to Cocoa Beach. But we weren’t quite ready to head back to Orlando just yet. We had one more stop to make!

 

[richmo]

Windsor Hills is great. We've stayed three times now for a total of four weeks. Short travel time to Disney too.

On Cocoa trip: Any Disney Cruise Line sightings?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Windsor Hills is great. We've stayed three times now for a total of four weeks. Short travel time to Disney too.

On Cocoa trip: Any Disney Cruise Line sightings?

Nope....not a one!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

En route back to Orlando, we had one final stop to make. Groupon in hand, we were here within a few minutes:



The Merritt Square Mall in Merritt Island.

As those who have read my past trip reports know, we are a family of mini golf enthusiasts. Generally speaking, several rounds (and usually a couple of different courses) are part of every vacation, regardless of where that happens to be. The boys, in particular, LOVE to play…..and its serious business. There are man-egos and bragging rights at stake .

Knowing we would be in Cocoa Beach on one of our vacation days, I snagged a Groupon for Glow Golf in the Merritt Square Mall a month or so before our travel date. I figured it would serve two purposes….get us out of the sun for part of our day (if it happened to be a scortcher) or get us out of the rain (in the event that Mother Nature released one of her trademark afternoon thunderstorms). Happily, it turned out it wasn’t required for the latter reason, and the respite from the heat of the late afternoon was much appreciated.

Jake and I took a stroll around the mall before we golfed. Its pretty small, and shopping opportunities are limited …. but the boy did purchase a new Otterbox for his iPhone 5 at a very reasonable cost (much cheaper than here at home). There’s a little train that runs through the mall, offering rides for $3 per person, which would have been a hit with the kiddo about 14 years ago.



While Jake and I did a little shopping, Steve found a comfy seat and opted for some rest and relaxation. When we eventually met back up with him, we almost peed our pants laughing……’cause not only was he having a good siesta, but take a look at what store was behind him:



A little ironic, wasn’t it?

At any rate, we roused Rip Van Winkle and headed here to begin our first 18 holes:



The Groupon gave each of us three 18-hole games, all in a glow-in-the-dark, inside, blissfully air conditioned environment. We ended up completing only 36 of the holes before we pooped out. A day at the beach takes a lot of out a person! For the $4 pp we paid for the Groupon ($12 total), we got our money’s worth and then some.



Back in the Jeep, we made the easy jaunt back to Orlando. I will say that we saw a dead armadillo on the side of the road, which was kind of weird for this northern girl (we are used to many a dead racoon, but armadillo roadkill was a first for us). Arriving around 6:30 pm (or thereabouts), we opted to head directly to dinner for simplicity’s sake. I had a feeling when we got back to the resort that day, we would be too tuckered to leave again. For our evening meal, we were taking a walk on the “wild side” (well, sorta!) and trying someplace new. Somewhere we had heard great things about.

We were dining at Giordano’s!

 

[bankr63]

It was so lovely . I can definitely see us going back again on future trips. Or maybe we'd try out the Gulf coast the next time, just for a different experience.

I'll put in a plug for Siesta Key (Sarasota) on the left coast. It's about 90 minutes from Orlando; 30 minutes South of Tampa. We go there for a day every trip as we have family retirees who make it their winter home. The beach is the finest white powder sand (that reflects the sun and crisps you skin in minutes). March is still swimmable in the gulf; well at least for us thick skinned Canadians There were probably less than 20 people who swam on our stretch last trip, and we made up four of them. No colder than Lake Muskoka in June or September tho.