Sun, Shopping, Sand, Surf, Sweat & Shamu: A Splashin Summertime Sabbatical at SVR!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Wednesday, August 20th….continued again !

After enjoying a nice, relaxing break at the villa (the kids reviewed their shopping purchases and watched some TV, I got caught up with friends back home via Facebook, Steve napped) we headed out early evening in search of dinner. Tonight it was time for Steve’s favourite evening meal of the trip….his beloved Olive Garden.

Olive Garden is one of the many restaurants conveniently located in the Crossroads, just up from the Vistana and across from the entrance to Downtown Disney. So the drive was short and we were there in no time. There was no wait for a table upon arrival, so we were seated immediately .



Now, I must admit I was feeling just a little ill at ease tonight, thinking about my little kitty and wondering how she was faring at home alone . I had tried to reach my neighbour via text for an update the day prior, but hadn’t yet received a reply. Of course, that set me to fretting a bit (okay, maybe more than a bit) despite Steve’s assurances that no news was good news. So I zipped off another “just checking in” text to the neighbour before heading in for dinner, and tried to put it out of my head.



Olive Garden is one of those restaurants that we find to just be a great value. The atmosphere is nice, the food is always consistently delicious (from the soup, salad and bread sticks to our favourite pasta choices) and the price is wallet-friendly. Sweetie had never dined here before(sadly, there are no Olive Gardens remaining in our little corner of Canada....the last of them closed a few years ago, and I think the only ones remaining are in the western part of the country), so she was an OG first-timer.

We each always, always get the same thing. Apparently our middle names are Boring, Predictable, and Unadventurous . But we’ve found what we love and that’s what we crave on each return visit.

Steve, as always, ordered the Steak Gorgonzola:



Jaker and I had the chicken fettuccini alfredo:



Sweetie had the spaghetti and meatballs:



The service was superb (we had a very, very friendly and calm fellow who took great care of us while keeping the tone of the meal very relaxed….that’s a combination I love for a family dinner) and the food was excellent. We left stuffed…..and Sweetie and I took away our left-overs in a doggie bag…..and before heading back to the villa fridge, made a stop at the large souvenir shop located across from the restaurant.

While the kiddos browsed for purchases (they picked up an assortment of Florida-themed items for the grandparents here) I was delighted to receive a text reply from the neighbour confirming that Patches was doing just fine. That little note made me feel 100% better, like a giant weight had just been lifted from my shoulders. Call me weird, but I worry about my little one when I’m away (Mother’s instinct?).

As the sun set on this steamy August day, the kids inquired if we could hit up another mini golf course before we retired for the evening to the Fountains pool. It sounded like a grand idea (and a fitting antidote to our heavy pasta meal), so living by the philosophy of “variety is the spice of life” we selected Pirates Cove in the Crossroads as today’s course of choice.





We have been to two different Pirates Cove courses before: once in Orlando (the other area course, located on International Drive) and once in 2010 on our family trip to Wisconsin Dells. We knew the theming was excellent and the courses well maintained, ensuring a quality golfing experience for the money. We also had BOGO coupons from the Entertainment Book, sweetening the pot a little more.



We selected our clubs and balls, and started off on hole one. Darkness had completely fallen and it was just us, the pirates, and the stars in the stillness of the night.



And the heat. Oh. My. God.



Not a whisper of wind. Not so much as the faintest of breezes….and narry a mister nor fan on the course. Not a one. By about the 4th hole, I wondered which one of us would die of heat stroke before we finished the course .





I don’t want to sound negative, as the course was beautiful, expertly themed, and otherwise lots of fun. We did manage to enjoy ourselves……but to say we were uncomfortable just didn’t even begin to describe it. If I had ever wondered what it was like to sit inside an oven, I now could imagine how it would feel. So, so hot.



We managed to complete all 18 holes, then dragged our sorry, sweaty selves back to the van and just sat for a moment with the a/c blowing on us. Returning to the Vistana, we were into our suits and jumping into the pool faster than you could say Florida. Water had never felt so amazingly good!!!

After a very satisfying evening swim, we tucked ourselves into those big, comfy Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds and were off to dreamland. Tomorrow would be a fairly early day, as we had plans for a full schedule of splishing and splashing at our favourite water park in Orlando….Aquatica ! And by the sounds of the weather report, it couldn’t have been scheduled for a more suitable day: Mother Nature had more sun, more heat, and more humidity in store. Bring it on!

 

[shalom]

The only mini golf we have in our city is a seasonal course that they set up out of the back of a tractor trailer in the parking lot of our local mall.

Oh, dear! A lot of the ones around here are small and indoors, but in the summer we can do a little better than that. There are even a few themed ones within an hour's drive, like Hidden Pointe in Benton Harbor:

(pic from here: http://www.funfix.com/Michigan/Gallery/Mini-Golf-in-Benton-Harbor-Michigan.html)

We have touristy areas to the north on Lake Michigan, and to the east is Shipshewana and the Quilt Gardens Tour and lots of Amish stuff, so we have access to a fair number of mini golf courses. However, they tend more toward beachy or farm themes than lush jungle.

lol, Steve's size makes lounging on an inner tube rather challenging at times , but he also prefers his personal approach as it keeps more of the body wetter (and therefore cooler). It also keeps his big ol' size 15 feet from whacking someone else in the head as they push by. Though when the more agressive ones do that, I almost think they deserve a foot upside the noggin' .

I'm just not a lounger, I guess. I try to sit too upright, and then I have to fight against folding in half. I just can't seem to relax and go with the flow.

Your mention of Steve's concern about kicking someone in the head reminds me of why I didn't try that method when I was there -- some kids were diving underneath people, and I didn't want to feel them brushing against me underwater. Swimming that way is totally against the rules, of course, but there wasn't a lifeguard on duty (a resort, not a water park), so although someone did get after them for it while I was over in the pool, it took some time before anyone official stepped in. We've actually been to a number of resorts with (tiny) lazy rivers, but I'd never given one a try before because they seemed to be a place for kids to race around even when the rules are against it; when I got in that one it was mostly adults and pretty peaceable, but that didn't last.

Which in this case is a point in Vistana's favor; the lazy rivers at Bonnet Creek won't do me any good if they're full of rowdy kids! But there are two lazy rivers there, and it may be the kids congregate in the pirate theemed one so the other one isn't bad, I dunno.

A lazy river sure would be nice, though. A nice long one that takes you all the way from the south side .... from the Super and Cascade pools .... to the Fountains pool and back. But that would hike my yearly maintenance fees by one serious degree

That's how I feel about the resorts in our points system -- most of the lazy rivers are yinky dink, but I am not lobbying to have that changed! There is a really nice one at Big Cedar, but it's only open Memorial Day through Labor Day, and it is difficult to get reservations there early June, when we'd most like to go (low points and low crowds). After Ballet Girl is done with ballet, we may rent points and try that one out late August sometime.

Tom had already warned us about the no-wake zone past the assortment of homes along the bank,

This particular juxtaposition of "no-wake zone" in the prose, followed by a picture of someone's wake, cracked me up first time through (when I am admittedly mostly scanning the pictures). Although heaven knows the guys gunning it by the swim area at Silver Beach in St. Joe throw up a lot more wake than that.

Hubby and the kids used to ride jet skis at the office picnic every year, and they agree that it is a Good Time.

So good thinking, and glad y'all enjoyed it so much. And thanks for sharing that joy.

 

[Lynne G]

Great update. Once again, I forget our northern neighbors don't have the same restaurant chains as most of the US has. We've been to Olive Gardens several times. Not our favorite, but we really like the salad and bread sticks. That's what we order most of the time. I guess because we have better "Italian" food places and I cook many a pasta at home. I think the only chain restaurant we went to was Panera. My DD cannot pass up a cup of chicken noodle soup, and she likes theirs. We had to google where's one near me, as I had no idea where it was. Food was good, and exactly like the ones here.

And yeah, it seemed really hot this August in Orlando. I wanted hot too, but it was steamy at times. I could not believe our luck either - very little rain. I will say, we did get quite wet in a downpour on the 23rd. Took 4 days for DS and my sneakers to dry. DD, was of course, wearing flip flops and did not have wet feet while enjoying a dinner and meeting with Anna and Elsa, unlike my DS and I.

 

[pigletto]

So much to catch up on!! I love how many photos you post with your trip reports. It makes me feel like I am there! The scenery was just gorgeous for your jet skiing adventure. Looks like you had a wonderful time (despite the dip in the lake).

You almost have me wondering if I shouldn't pick up an Entertainment book for this trip? I plan to do most of our restaurant meals out of the parks. Are the coupons worth it, or could I potentially find them other places?

The Pirate golf looks fun. My family always goes to the one in Lake Placid. So funny that it was so oppressively hot. It looks lovely and cool in the pics. But I know better. I remember that August wall of heat. It's like being in an oven. Hard to describe to anyone who hasn't been.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

This particular juxtaposition of "no-wake zone" in the prose, followed by a picture of someone's wake, cracked me up first time through (when I am admittedly mostly scanning the pictures). Although heaven knows the guys gunning it by the swim area at Silver Beach in St. Joe throw up a lot more wake than that.

Hubby and the kids used to ride jet skis at the office picnic every year, and they agree that it is a Good Time.

So good thinking, and glad y'all enjoyed it so much. And thanks for sharing that joy.

Sorry about that! I have so many photos to share and there doesn't always seem to be a proper spot for some of them to go. I guess I should proof read my submissions a little more before I hit the post button .

We were considerate drivers . Honest .

I think the only chain restaurant we went to was Panera. My DD cannot pass up a cup of chicken noodle soup, and she likes theirs. We had to google where's one near me, as I had no idea where it was. Food was good, and exactly like the ones here.

Our little city is getting a Panera Bread!! I am so excited to give it a try. Its supposed to be opening in December of this year. Good to hear the positive reviews!!!

I could not believe our luck either - very little rain. I will say, we did get quite wet in a downpour on the 23rd. Took 4 days for DS and my sneakers to dry.

Yup, that rain was something else!!! I actually took a video of it.....not sure how to post video here on the Dis, but I'm going to see if I can upload it to Photobucket. Came down in SHEETS. We had just returned to the villa for a rest when Mother Nature unleashed. We were cool and dry, but thought about all the poor folks who were at the parks in the middle of that deluge.

So much to catch up on!! I love how many photos you post with your trip reports. It makes me feel like I am there! The scenery was just gorgeous for your jet skiing adventure. Looks like you had a wonderful time (despite the dip in the lake).

You almost have me wondering if I shouldn't pick up an Entertainment book for this trip? I plan to do most of our restaurant meals out of the parks. Are the coupons worth it, or could I potentially find them other places?

The Pirate golf looks fun. My family always goes to the one in Lake Placid. So funny that it was so oppressively hot. It looks lovely and cool in the pics. But I know better. I remember that August wall of heat. It's like being in an oven. Hard to describe to anyone who hasn't been.

I'm a visual person . To me, the photos tell the story best, not my blabbering in between them (though I hope that's not too unbearable either ). I am glad you have been enjoying them so far....I never know, is it too many? Photo overload?

If you could get your hands on a 2014 Entertainment Book, it might be worthwhile....we used coupons for Congo River, Pirates Cove, Mighty Jungle, Showcase of Citrus, Friendly's, Steak & Shake (twice), Ripleys Believe it or Not....and that's just off the top of my head. Giordano's has one there too (but I had a better offer from the internet). They were selling them for $7 just before our trip (when I ordered book #2), but I don't know if you can still get the 2014 version. The website only shows the 2015 edition, at $35. Might be worth emailing them to see if they still have any current stock left, or check ebay (sometimes they are there, too). Paying $35 would be much more difficult to get the value out of it.

Yep, I know my boss sure didn't "get" the extent of the heat until he arrived and felt it for himself. I think I got the "I think I'm dying of heat stroke" text on day 2 of their vacation . I told him so. I really did.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thursday, August 21st.....the first installment .

We were up to greet the morning at a fairly decent hour….not too early, but early enough for us to make another pot of our beloved Tim Hortons coffee and enjoy a create-your-own breakfast before departing for Aquatica (left-over Giordano’s pizza, anyone?). The plan was to arrive just before park opening, as we had a cabana rented and wanted to check in, get settled, and hit the major attractions before the masses arrived and the lines grew lengthy. With the cabana rental, we had very little we needed to pack (bottled water, the locker and towels were all included) plus we had all-day dining passes pre-purchased (meaning our food was covered) so beyond some sunscreen and haircare products, that was about all we needed to toss in a bag before we headed out the door.



We had pre-purchased the 14-day unlimited parking voucher through Discovery Cove, so we presented that upon arrival at the parking gate and it worked like a charm. Take note of that…..it would be the only time this trip that it DID work like it was supposed to!!! Arriving nice and early, we got a great parking space, hopped out of the van, and headed toward the entrance.



With printed paper tickets in hand (printed from the PDF emailed to us as part of our DC reservation), we were through bag check and the turnstiles quite quickly and right as the park opened to visitors, and then made the brief stop at Guest Services to get our cabana assignment and access wristbands.



We also received our wristbands for the all-day dining, saving us a stop later in the day. They offered to have someone escort us to the cabana to ensure we located it without any problems, but knowing our way around the park as well as we did, we declined the offer and went straight to the Cutback Cove cabana area to get settled in.







As all of you know, I’m a big fan of the Aquatica cabanas. I think they are an excellent value for the money paid. For our $149 fee, we had a private cabana rental (shade, ceiling fan, shade, refrigerator, shade, 12 bottles of Dasani water, shade, a large locker right inside the cabana, shade, 20% our retail purchases for the day….and did I mention we had blissful, awesome and wonderful shade? ). Worth every penny in the throws of a record Florida heatwave.



We really bonused on the cabana rental this year. While we reserved and purchased a standard cabana, we actually had a partial pool view (which generally comes at a higher cost):



The cabana attendants (who were all super friendly, and stopped to check on us regularly to offer assistance and greetings) all commented that they thought this was the best standard cabana at Aquatica (for the pool view and the privacy….we had no one behind us or on one side) and the best cabana value in the park. We wholeheartedly agreed!

The first place we headed was the park’s newest feature ride which just opened in May of this year: Ihu’s Breakaway Falls.



Proudly billing itself as the tallest water ride in Orlando, the boys were eager to give it a try (us ladies, or shall I say chickens, preferred to cheer on their bravery from the splashdown area at the bottom).



They made their way up all those stairs, only to find out that Steve wasn’t allowed to ride with his water shoes on (and there was no tossing them down to the pavement below…..carry them down, sir, and come back up again). He also found out that there was weight maximum on the ride that might just make him ineligible to slide on his second ascent…..so he sadly took a pass and opted to watch and wait for Jake to test the much-anticipated ride. The lines were super short and I encouraged him to give it a go, but he assured me it just wasn’t that important to him.



Jake came barrelling down a short time later, declaring it a winner (but mentioning that you can’t breathe at all for the first few seconds after the floor drops out from beneath you as the water sprays up so hard in your face). Challenge #1 sufficiently conquered.





Their next stop was Dolphin Plunge, the second ride that we knew would fall victim to long lines as the crowds increased. The guys had done this one before, so they were old pros. Sweetie decided this was also within her comfort zone, so the three stooges went off together.



Me? I was happy (perhaps relieved!) to take the photos. Too wild for moi .



The park was still super quiet after Dolphin Plunge was declared a success by all (though the guys say they never see much as they zip through the dolphin pool, saying they’re going too fast to catch a glimpse of the Commerson dolphins). So they grabbed tubes and opted for a spin on Tassie’s Twister.





And out comes Steve:



Lots more Aquatica to come! Stay tuned!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thursday, August 21st…..installment 2.

With those three slides crossed off the to-do list, my trio headed off to do more sliding (in the kids’ case, their mission was to tackle every slide the park before the day’s end….in Steve’s it was just to hit his favourites, opting for a little slower pace).



That led them to Omaka Rocka:



And the adjacent tube slides:



While they continued sliding, I went for a stroll around the park. I love the tropical décor, the colours, the animals, the music…..Aquatica holds a special place in my heart .

I visited the birds:





And I said hello to the giant turtle:



I watched the Commerson dolphins play :



I admired the gardens:





I made some souvenir purchases at the gift shop (with our 20% discount thanks to the cabana rental…whoop, whoop! ):



And I took a boat load of photos…..’cause that’s what I love to do!











Meeting up with Steve at the cabana, I stowed the camera safely in the locker and we headed off to enjoy our favourite attraction in the entire park: Roa’s Rapids. It was the perfect place to get cooled off, and Lord knew we needed it….because the temperature display at the wave pool was showing this:

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

A steaming hot day, perfect for Aquatica. I haven't read about the free dining yet so it must be up next

We went a few times last October / November as we had been to Discovery Cove and had SW, Busch and Aquatica for 14 days. Wish I had known about the cheap parking pass.

 

[Lynne G]

Aquadica is a favorite water park for us too. We liked Roa and all the slides. I will not do the speed slides though. DD loves to race, but hardly ever wins, as she is so small and light, that she always tries to push at the end to get more time sliding.

Not sure when we will do the Super Grover again. It was such a good buy when we did west and east coast parks. Next year, we may do no parks. Kids have actually suggested it. Hmmm, amusement parks has been our vacation mode for several years now.

Christmas will be home though.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

A steaming hot day, perfect for Aquatica. I haven't read about the free dining yet so it must be up next

We went a few times last October / November as we had been to Discovery Cove and had SW, Busch and Aquatica for 14 days. Wish I had known about the cheap parking pass.

Yes ma'am, the all day dining portion of the day is in the next update .

The parking pass (at $30 and unlimited for 14 days) was an excellent value, but came with its own headaches. You will read more about that as the report goes on.

Next year, we may do no parks. Kids have actually suggested it. Hmmm, amusement parks has been our vacation mode for several years now.

An Orlando vacation still, though? Have you got a particular resort in mind?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thursday, August 21st.....part 3! (and the end of the Aquatica portion, I promise!)

Roa’s Rapids is a favourite spot of ours at Aquatica. It’s different and unique and tons fun even for me, who is thrill-averse, yet miraculously it appeals equally as much to Steve and Jake, lovers of all thrills. As a result, we find ourselves coming back to that part of the park many times throughout the day.



For those that haven’t experienced Roa’s before, it’s essentially a tubeless lazy river with a super-charged current. We personally enjoy it most with life jackets, not because we need swimming assistance but rather because we can just pick up our feet and let the water whisk us away. The current is stronger than you might think: several times, we’ve found ourselves doing an extra loop of the river when we were swept past the exit. And don’t even get me started on how many kids we’ve helped snag by the back of their little lifejacket for a half-panicked parent yelling for assistance. Fun times, indeed!



So after Steve got his desired sliding out of his system, we headed to Roa’s for a few rounds of the rapids.



After a while, we even met up with Jake and Sweetie.



(Note they were too “cool” for the lifejackets )

As noon grew closer, the boys grew eager to rest and re-fuel. Hopping out of Roa’s, we made a quick stop back at the cabana to dry off, then headed to the Banana Beach Buffet for our first visit of the day.





We had purchased our Banana Beach passes long, long before our visit.....last Black Friday, to be exact, when SeaWorld had their big annual sale. While the regular price of the all-day pass was $18, our pre-paid Black Friday price was just $12, which made our dining one heck of a good value .



I will be honest: the food at the buffet is far from gourmet. It’s basic, yes, but its plentiful and universally appealing (pizza, chicken, hot dogs, pasta, salads, pulled pork....stuff virtually everyone likes) and unlimited. It allowed us to break when we wanted to, eat what we wanted to, and it was hot and ready at all times throughout the day....no waiting, meaning more time enjoying the amenities of the park. On stifling days like this one was, it also meant we could stop and snack on smaller amounts more often, which sat better on the stomach in the heat than if we ate large amounts at one time.

These are not the best photos of the buffet offerings, as these pics were actually taken just a half an hour before the park was scheduled to close (and guests were less than tidy about grabbing what they could before the buffet services were halted...for a short time, there was some unbecoming behaviour by some guests ) but it will give you a general idea of what was there:











The buffet also came with unlimited Coke products, including Minute Maid lemonade.

Full and rehydrated, we had the whole afternoon ahead of us. The sun was still shining, the heat was still searing, and we were ready to make full advantage of the remainder of the day.

The kids went off in their own direction to keep hitting their favourite slides. Steve and I alternated between more time in Roa’s and the wave pools......



.....and Loggerhead Lane, the traditional lazy river:





We also enjoyed a short siesta in the cabana in the middle of the afternoon. Aren’t vacations awesome?



We dropped into the Banana Beach Buffet at various times for drinks and snacks.....a slice of pizza here, a chicken leg there....and Steve and Sweetie, in particular, loved their make-your-own strawberry shortcake.

The whole day went by amazingly fast, and I could hardly believe it when they announced that the park would be closing in 30 minutes, then 15 minutes. Time certainly flies when you’re having fun.

Gathering our stuff from the cabana, we took our tired and sun-soaked bodies and made our way to the front of the park. We stopped at Adventure Photo and purchased the CD of all the pictures taken throughout the day ($39.99, less the 20% cabana discount) then dragged ourselves out to the van. A short time later, we were back at the villa and collapsed on the couches and beds. We would find ourselves swimming under the stars once again that evening, but first.....we had somewhere new we wanted to try .

 

[pigletto]

Gina Gina Gina.. you have to stop. I now have two guys who really want to go Aquatica after looking over my shoulder at your pictures.
I don't know if December would be the best time for that.. you just never know how the weather will be. But I've already talked my dear husband into an October 2015 trip to get another Universal trip out of the power passes we will be purchasing. That might be a better time to try it out!

And no.. definitely not too many photos. I love them! I do feel a little guilty though, because it looks like you've taken more photos on one trip than I have on all 9 of our Florida trips combined. You just have no idea how nice it is to see them all and get excited for our trip in 3 months!!!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Great updates Gina! You are making me want to try Aquatica. That cabana looks heavenly and I love that there is other stuff to look at if you're not a big slide person.

We love Steak and Shake too. Can't beat it especially for the price!

We must have been there overlapping days...things you don't want to hear "Florida heat wave" We go every August and for the first part of our trip, it was heat like I never felt heat. I look back and don't even know how we went out of the hotel. But we soldiered on somehow!

 

[pigletto]

Great updates Gina! You are making me want to try Aquatica. That cabana looks heavenly and I love that there is other stuff to look at if you're not a big slide person.

We love Steak and Shake too. Can't beat it especially for the price!

We must have been there overlapping days...things you don't want to hear "Florida heat wave" We go every August and for the first part of our trip, it was heat like I never felt heat. I look back and don't even know how we went out of the hotel. But we soldiered on somehow!

We have quite a few August trips under our belt as well. So does Gina, and she and I have both said many times on this board that August is hot but manageable. So for you and Gina to be saying it was oppressive and really bad out, it must have just been ghastly. I can count twice in all of our August trips where I had a "Oh my god.. this is just TOO HOT" moments. One was walking back from DHS to the Boardwalk villas at high noon. My dd who was about 15 started to cry and couldn't keep up because of cramps in her legs. At first I thought it was from all the walking we'd been doing. Nope.. they were cramps from dehydration. And she had been drinking water. We just couldn't drink enough to keep up with how much we were sweating.
The other time was walking out of a park in the mid day heat. It felt like we would never get to the exit.
So like I said, we can relate to a certain degree but it sounds like whatever you guys had this summer was something over the top.

 

[shalom]

We were considerate drivers . Honest .

I figured you were. It's not an outrageous wake, plus once I started paying as much attention to the words as to the pictures, I realized you'd mentioned going slower by the houses, not just while in the canal. But it did give me a chuckle when I was just skimming.

I am glad you have been enjoying them so far....I never know, is it too many? Photo overload?

I love the pictures! Definitely not too many for me -- but whether it's possible to do too many pictures for my taste, I'm not sure. I think your balance of picture to prose is just about ideal; you answer the questions the pictures might raise, and provide useful info to boot. I tend to either wander off into a pointless digression in prose, or just throw a bunch of pictures out with too little context.

On stifling days like this one was, it also meant we could stop and snack on smaller amounts more often, which sat better on the stomach in the heat than if we ate large amounts at one time.

This is a big part of why my family loves the SeaWorld's All Day Dining Deal, and will likely never use Disney's or Universal's. Universal just had to switch over to a Disney-style plan now that we're actually interested in going there....

I am not much of a waterpark person, but Aquatica sure looks glorious in your pictures!

 

[dancin Disney style]

We have quite a few August trips under our belt as well. So does Gina, and she and I have both said many times on this board that August is hot but manageable. So for you and Gina to be saying it was oppressive and really bad out, it must have just been ghastly. I can count twice in all of our August trips where I had a "Oh my god.. this is just TOO HOT" moments. One was walking back from DHS to the Boardwalk villas at high noon. My dd who was about 15 started to cry and couldn't keep up because of cramps in her legs. At first I thought it was from all the walking we'd been doing. Nope.. they were cramps from dehydration. And she had been drinking water. We just couldn't drink enough to keep up with how much we were sweating.
The other time was walking out of a park in the mid day heat. It felt like we would never get to the exit.
So like I said, we can relate to a certain degree but it sounds like whatever you guys had this summer was something over the top.

We've done 9 or 10 July and August trips(several of those trips were for 2 weeks) and I can't remember ever saying it was unbearable. I found our week this year less humid and perhaps a few degrees lower than usual but we also did arrive on Labour day weekend when we are normally going home then.

It's cold and rainy here today.....I soooooo wish I was in FL.

 

[ArwenMarie]

We have quite a few August trips under our belt as well. So does Gina, and she and I have both said many times on this board that August is hot but manageable. So for you and Gina to be saying it was oppressive and really bad out, it must have just been ghastly. I can count twice in all of our August trips where I had a "Oh my god.. this is just TOO HOT" moments. One was walking back from DHS to the Boardwalk villas at high noon. My dd who was about 15 started to cry and couldn't keep up because of cramps in her legs. At first I thought it was from all the walking we'd been doing. Nope.. they were cramps from dehydration. And she had been drinking water. We just couldn't drink enough to keep up with how much we were sweating.
The other time was walking out of a park in the mid day heat. It felt like we would never get to the exit.
So like I said, we can relate to a certain degree but it sounds like whatever you guys had this summer was something over the top.

That's so scary that happened to your daughter. You can get sick fast from the heat like that.

Yeah, it was really bad, even for Orlando. I kept asking the people working because I wanted to see if it was me just being wimpy in Orlando and they said it was hotter than normal.

I really don't know how we managed to keep going when I look back. We did end our park days relatively early.

 

[BellaBaby]

Hi Gina,

I've read your trip reports before and enjoyed them. I'm afraid I don't comment much tho. It was your review of the Shrek breakfast that got us to try that on DH's bday back in 6/13. It was fun and delicious! Anyway, I have a question re: the SW Black Friday sale. Can you tell me more about it and what do they usually include? park tix, all day dining, is it at SW as well as Aquatica? Thx for any info!!

Really enjoying this TR!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina Gina Gina.. you have to stop. I now have two guys who really want to go Aquatica after looking over my shoulder at your pictures.
I don't know if December would be the best time for that.. you just never know how the weather will be. But I've already talked my dear husband into an October 2015 trip to get another Universal trip out of the power passes we will be purchasing. That might be a better time to try it out!

And no.. definitely not too many photos. I love them! I do feel a little guilty though, because it looks like you've taken more photos on one trip than I have on all 9 of our Florida trips combined. You just have no idea how nice it is to see them all and get excited for our trip in 3 months!!!

Don't rule out Aquatica in December. We went on Christmas Eve day in 2012, and it was awesome....NO CROWDS! You might get lucky and have some spectacular, warm weather .

lol, I do like to take a lot of pics, but this time I didn't seem to come home with as many.....only about 1600 over 15 days. I think it was all the resort/down time we had. There's only so many pool and swimming photos everyone would tolerate .

Great updates Gina! You are making me want to try Aquatica. That cabana looks heavenly and I love that there is other stuff to look at if you're not a big slide person.

We love Steak and Shake too. Can't beat it especially for the price!

We must have been there overlapping days...things you don't want to hear "Florida heat wave" We go every August and for the first part of our trip, it was heat like I never felt heat. I look back and don't even know how we went out of the hotel. But we soldiered on somehow!

The second week we were there was definitely more bearable than week 1. It was the Sunday night (August 24th) when the breeze blew in and brought the heat down to a more tolerable level. Our DC day on Monday the 25th was very, very comfortable....probably the nicest temperature day of the whole two weeks. I think the heat was even more noticeable for us northerners when our summer had been so unseasonably cold.

If you ever have the opportunity, definitely give Aquatica a try . I don't think you'd be disappointed!!

We have quite a few August trips under our belt as well. So does Gina, and she and I have both said many times on this board that August is hot but manageable. So for you and Gina to be saying it was oppressive and really bad out, it must have just been ghastly. I can count twice in all of our August trips where I had a "Oh my god.. this is just TOO HOT" moments. One was walking back from DHS to the Boardwalk villas at high noon. My dd who was about 15 started to cry and couldn't keep up because of cramps in her legs. At first I thought it was from all the walking we'd been doing. Nope.. they were cramps from dehydration. And she had been drinking water. We just couldn't drink enough to keep up with how much we were sweating.
The other time was walking out of a park in the mid day heat. It felt like we would never get to the exit.
So like I said, we can relate to a certain degree but it sounds like whatever you guys had this summer was something over the top.

Three consecutive August trips, exact same time of the year (plus one additional week earlier this year) and I can wholeheartedly say that the first week of this year's vacation was definitely the hottest of them all, by a noticeable degree. It hit 99 degrees....WITHOUT the humidity.....on the 24th!! http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/orlando-fl/32801/august-weather/328169

I love the pictures! Definitely not too many for me -- but whether it's possible to do too many pictures for my taste, I'm not sure. I think your balance of picture to prose is just about ideal; you answer the questions the pictures might raise, and provide useful info to boot.

Aw, thanks!!!

I would get updates out much more quickly, but I do like to put a certain amount of "thoughts" into each posting to help tie everything together. It doesn't make me the most speedy of trip reporters, though. I tend to type, proofread, change things, type some more, proofread again.....and eventually hit the post button.

It's cold and rainy here today.....I soooooo wish I was in FL.

Amen, sister! My mom had her heat on today!!!

Yeah, it was really bad, even for Orlando. I kept asking the people working because I wanted to see if it was me just being wimpy in Orlando and they said it was hotter than normal.

We heard that, too. Many, many folks lamenting about the unusual high heat. When we told them it was 50 degrees and raining when we left Syracuse on the 17th, their eyes almost popped out of their heads .

Hi Gina,

I've read your trip reports before and enjoyed them. I'm afraid I don't comment much tho. It was your review of the Shrek breakfast that got us to try that on DH's bday back in 6/13. It was fun and delicious! Anyway, I have a question re: the SW Black Friday sale. Can you tell me more about it and what do they usually include? park tix, all day dining, is it at SW as well as Aquatica? Thx for any info!!

Really enjoying this TR!!

Hi BellaBaby, thanks for joining in!

Each year's selection of offers for the SW Black Friday sale (which they call "Blue Friday") have been a bit different. Last year, I think they had discounts on annual passes as well as the all-day dining plans for both SW & AQ (I believe it was 20% off for each plan, or thereabouts). The Super Grover Passes (which give you unlimited admission for one calendar year to 11 parks, including SW, AQ, BG, and Adventure Island among others plus qualify you for a passmember discount at DC) also tend to go on sale right around or shortly thereafter Black Friday. The SW Facebook page tends to have some good info before the sale, and the SW forum here on the Dis is also a good resource for updated info. If you are planning a trip to those parks next year, its definitely worth watching for!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thursday, August 21st....let’s finish that day up, shall we?

We were completely pooped after our open-to-close day at Aquatica. Returning to the villa, we literally came in and dropped for a couple of hours. The air conditioning was marvellous, and we all needed to just REST.

A couple of hours later, we managed to come alive. I inquired if anyone was hungry (silly question, I know! ) and of course that piqued the interest of my crew. What was being offered, specifically? they wanted to know. Twistee Treat was my response (after all, in my pre-trip report, I had promised my Dis-friends that I would give Twistee Treat a try and report back with our assessment of their offerings....so what happens from here was all in the name of research . I am happy to make the ultimate sacrifices for my readers...you know, take one for the team ).

Before you could say “ice cream”, they were thundering down the stairs to the van.

Now, Twistee Treat seems to have multiple locations around the Orlando area. We saw two in Kissimmee (one near Old Town, and one near Kissimmee Go-Karts), one on I-Drive, and then one in Lake Buena Vista. The first three are all ice-cream cone shaped kiosks, while the LBV location is just a regular style building. LBV was by far the closest to the Vistana (located just a little bit further up from the Crossroads), so we opted to go there.



On this hot and steamy summer night, it was a busy place. Always a good sign....it’s obviously a favourite for many . All the inside seating (which was minimal at best) was taken, so we would be enjoying our ice cream on the patio.

We went inside to place our order. There were lots of yummy creations on the menu, so deciding was rather tough. We all opted to have sundaes (Steve picked Turtle, Jake had caramel, and Sweetie and I went for the hot fudge brownie).....complete with a huge topping of whipped cream and a cherry. Service was awesome, with the staff working noticeably hard to provide prompt service with their quality product. And they delivered it all with a smile....always a nice touch!



Grabbing a patio table outside, we dug into our masterpieces while Mother Nature put on a spectacular light show for our dining enjoyment. Thankfully it was all heat lightning and there was no rain to accompany it.....nor were there any forks of lightening along with the bright flashes that would have sent us seeking shelter in the van.

The ice cream? Ooooh.....it was good . Big portions too.....the picture really doesn't do the size of these babies justice (nor is the photo particularly clear....sorry 'bout that!). As we happily devoured all the ice creamy deliciousness, we each raised a spoon to the thoughtful posters on the Dis who had led us to try this most excellent establishment (greenclan67, I think that was you......and maybe you too Lynne G?).

Returning to the villa, we headed to the pool for yet another night time swim (we simply loved that the Fountains pool was open until 1 am every morning!). No need to hit the sack early this night, as tomorrow was scheduled to be an honest-to-goodness restful resort day. Yes indeed....we would be sleeping in!