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

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

That was great of Discovery Cove to do all that. I can tell you guys really appreciated it and I am sure they appreciated that you guys didn't flip out on them.

I find in todays day and age customer service isn't what it once was but these guys handled it well.

They sure did . We were so grateful for them going the extra mile!

Gina, I stumbled on this site and your trip reports and have enjoyed them very much. In fact, I joined the board (my first ever) to respond and maybe ask for future SW planning advice. I am a single dad with a 11 year old son and 7 year old daughter. We live in Jacksonville, Florida, so just up the road from Disney. (You all should add a St. Augustine day on one of your future trips.) I was planning a one-day SW trip the week before Christmas this year, as part of a quick Orlando get-away, but after reading your reports I may defer to Spring or early Summer and do the whole DC/SW/Aquatica deal! I love to plan and do whatever I can to get deals and avoid crowds. We generally just go to Orlando for 2-3 nights at a time, and we usually stay at Marriott properties (Harbour Lake, Residence Inn, Renaissance). I will stay in touch and maybe ask advice as I decide what I am going to do for the next trip. Thanks again for your nice trip reports. I know your family must really appreciate your planning and documenting these vacations!

Thank you, JaxDad! And a big to the boards!

We did two days at SeaWorld on this trip....that portion of my report will be coming up very soon. Hopefully it will be helpful as you plan for your visit there!!

In the meantime, I would suggest you keep your plan to visit at Christmas if at all possible, as well as during the spring or summer. SeaWorld at Christmas is beyond marvellous, and absolutely worth seeing. Their holiday decorations and special events are simply incredible! Then do a spring or summer DC/SW/AQ combo trip, to get a whole different experience. I can almost assure you that you won't regret the decision to do both.

Stay tuned for more!

PS.....I will definitely check out St. Augustine. We are currently planning a "grown up" vacation for May and it sounds like it might be a good place to include on our itinerary!

Loved reading all about the rest of your DC day and how they accommodated you for the mistake. It seems the mistake was a blessing after all!! What a beautiful park. I showed dd and she's declared it's an absolute must do on the trip after this one. I would definitely wait until a trip where were guaranteed warm weather as I am just not comfortable spending that kind of money in December to maybe have a freezing cold day. But it gives us another adventure to look forward to, and I know the boys in our family would be over the moon about Aquatica!

I think you guys would LOVE it. Use up the remaining days on your Disney tickets on this next trip, then keep DC for the trip where you would have to purchase more park admission anyway. Plan to visit SW & AQ and get biggest bang for your DC dollar .

Do you have a "next trip" in the works yet? Maybe next August, before your DD heads off to uni? (it hurts to even think about that, I know! )

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Tuesday, August 26th .

Today was scheduled to be an “off” day, knowing we would need a restful day to counterbalance our busy Monday at Discovery Cove. Every single one of us took the opportunity to sleep in, the kids even more so than Steve and I. After being up at the crack of dawn the day prior, it was nice to let the sun gently nudge us out of bed rather than the alarm!

By mid-morning, there were signs of life in the villa as everyone started to emerge all showered, fresh-faced and bright-eyed. Coffee was perked, breakfast was cooked and eaten, and we just enjoyed a slow, relaxing, unhurried morning with the sun sparkling through the skylight.

Jake and Sweetie inquired if we could go go-karting today (using the Groupon we had pre-purchased before leaving) in the absence of any other firm plans. Since yet another hot and humid day was in the forecast, we decided we would be best served by making that a morning activity versus an afternoon one (while the normally typical late-day rains had been few and far between so far, the threat was always there and acted as a factor in that decision, too). So we slathered on our sunscreen and made the short drive to Kissimmee.

We were a little bit early for the go-karts (they didn’t open until noon) so we indulged Jake in another stop at the Nike Clearance Store, which was right close by.



Mercifully, he pretty much exhausted the remainder of his shopping budget on this stop…..which meant more vacationing and less retail therapy for the remainder of the trip. Can I hear a hallelujah from the crowd? I mean, I have nothing against shopping, but I had seen enough of malls and stores to last me a long, long while. Perhaps it’s a sign I’m growing old. Shopping has become more of a necessity than a pleasure activity.

We arrived at Kissimmee Go-Karts at high noon.



Steve, Jake and I had been here before, several years ago (on a Groupon deal then, too) when Jake was too young to drive the Indy karts. At that time, he only had his learner’s permit which they wouldn’t accept as a license. Now a fully licensed driver, he was permitted to drive the faster karts with Steve (with Groupon #1) while Sweetie and I would drive the regular vehicles (with Groupon #2).

Thanks to Lynne G’s heads-up, I was prepared for the $3 per Groupon “tax” that they imposed upon redemption. They gave us each our kart-specific wrist-bands (8 laps for the guys in the Indy karts 10 laps for us ladies in the standard cars), two bags of gator food (one for each Groupon) and directed us as to how to obtain the tokens for our included arcade time. Then we were off to feel the wind in our hair as we zoomed around the track .



Now, I have to say…..I don’t generally feel the need for speed . I am more of a “take it slow” kinda gal, so go-karting was a bit outside of my comfort zone. On our last visit, I watched from the sidelines (and took lots of photos). This trip, the boys were insistent that I give it a try. So…..I was taking another one for the team. I mustered all my courage and belted myself firmly in. The older fellow running the carts must have sensed my more laid-back attitude because he patted me on the head and reminded me to at least give the kart enough gas so that I made it up the hills without assistance .



All in all, karting was fun. The boys (and Sweetie) all lapped me at least once, and I was the last to finish. But finish I did….all 10 laps . And I was officially the safest driver of all of us.



After karting, we fed the gators. As I have said many times, I have a particular fondness for these strange and wonderful creatures, so gator feeding is always something I love to do when in Orlando. Yes, I enjoyed this as much (maybe more!) than the go-karting!







Following the gator feeding, we headed back inside (and out of the blazing sun) for some time in the arcade. I think each Groupon gave us 40 tokens, so my trio had a total of 80 tokens to utilize on the various games and simulators. I was happy to let them play while I sat and looked at some of the travel brochures and magazines that they had available (this was the first outlet to feature the I Love Orlando magazine….so I had some decent reading at my disposal). That was a good thing, too….because holy mackerel, those tokens lasted a LONG time!!!

Winding up our Kissimmee go-karts excursion, Steve set off in the direction of the villa. As soon as he “missed” our turn onto the 535, I knew where he was headed. He couldn’t fool me!!



Krispy Kremes are something we rarely have here at home. The only time we can get a dozen is when one of the local charities offer them by the box as a fundraiser (usually about $10, and just the standard honey glazed variety). We discovered the Krispy Kreme store in Kissimmee last summer, and were amazed at how many different kind of donuts they actually bake. Who knew???



For the record, my favourite is the chocolate covered one with the white cream/icing inside. So. Freaking. Good. I wish Tim Hortons would replace their icky Boston Cream with this one (I hate that yellow custardy stuff in the centre).



After enjoying our little snack in the coolness of the store, we headed back to the villa for a lunch of burgers and hot dogs (gotta love vacation….it’s the only time when eating dessert first is perfectly acceptable ).

The afternoon would be a relaxing one.

 

[JaxDad]

The kids and I do the go-cart thing about once a month, on all-you-can-ride evenings at a place here in town. It's always a fun time!

It's a shame it looks like you missed Krispy Kreme when the "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign was lit!

I was thinking of deferring the Christmas SW trip if I do a Spring/Summer trip, since it would be relatively close, and since the Christmas trip would be single-day tickets, which are generally the worst value. You make a great point with the decorations though, and I will have to look into the special shows and events at Christmas too.

 

[Princess Leia]

Not seriously recommending feeding the marmosets pretzels - just referring back to my story of marmosets earlier in the thread. Forgot how busy this thread is. They definitely can move when they want to. Food is a great motivator!

Hi Gina

Soft pretzels at Discovery Cove have a particular memory for me. Last Summer at DC my son and daughter were at the animal interaction station with this little marmoset on DD's shoulder. My son was nearby holding a half-eaten pretzel. Suddenly the marmoset launched itself at my son in hot pursuit of the pretzel. The handler really struggled to get the marmoset off him. Straight after the incident my son announced he no longer wanted to be a vet. So I guess you won't be the only one at Discovery Cove who likes soft pretzels!

 

[Captain Hook Wannabe]

I agree it is quite expensive. But, I ended up buying a season long pass for Aquatica. It was $96.00 and gets me year long admission to Aquatica and free parking. You also get discounts on admissions as well as on Cabanas. They also do pass member promotions as well. Right now I get to bring a friend for free. Hopefully my wife will be my friend They also have a promotion for everyone with admissions for $20.00

Anyway the moral of the story is that this pass gets you admission to Discovery Cove for 169 per person for the dolphin swim and 99 without. This is quite a savings for a family of five. You don't get into SeaWorld or Aquatica for the 14 days but that wasn't important to us as we didn't plan on visiting SeaWorld. When you factor in the fact that food, snacks and drinks are included it seemed like a decent value.

After seeing Gina's report on it I have zero regrets. It looks awesome!!!

Are deals like this still available with an Aquatica annual pass? Sign me up!!!

 

[greenclan67]

Yep they are still available. The bring a friend for free ends soon but they run that often. Discovery Cove discounts are out til the end of Dec. They should release new discounts soon for 2015. There will be blackout dates.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

It's a shame it looks like you missed Krispy Kreme when the "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign was lit!

Oh my....it was hard enough to get my crew out of that store as it was. We may never have left if the donuts were hot .

Not seriously recommending feeding the marmosets pretzels - just referring back to my story of marmosets earlier in the thread. Forgot how busy this thread is. They definitely can move when they want to. Food is a great motivator!

Oh, I had forgotten about that story!!! You know, it still might be worth trying out the theory.... ... in the name of research, of course .

I think the marmosets might have been so anti-social because of the heat. I can't imagine how their little fur-covered bodies must feel when the temperatures soar to the ridiculous like they did those last two weeks of August.

Are deals like this still available with an Aquatica annual pass? Sign me up!!!

Yep they are still available.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I think the marmosets might have been so anti-social because of the heat. I can't imagine how their little fur-covered bodies must feel when the temperatures soar to the ridiculous like they did those last two weeks of August.

They're from South American so no worries about the heat. I guess their mothers never told them about wearing a fur coat in the summer.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

They're from South American so no worries about the heat. I guess their mothers never told them about wearing a fur coat in the summer.

I guess not!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Tuesday, August 26th…..the rest of the day .

Following our late lunch at the villa, the balance of the afternoon and early evening were spent just relaxing around the resort. I took the opportunity to catch up on some laundry, indulged in some social media, called my Mom and brother and enjoyed a good chat, and swam between each of those various activities. The kids were in and out to the pool, basketball courts, volleyball, and whatnot, and watched some TV (Jake and Steve are big baseball fans, and there was some sort of little league world series that captured their attention). Steve enjoyed a swim or two, and even grabbed an afternoon siesta. Today was scheduled to be a “rest” day, and rest we did!

By early evening, hunger had started to kick in and we assembled in the living room to discuss options for dinner. After a short debate (and at my suggestion), we opted to try another new restaurant that had been on our to-do list: Wood Grill Buffet.



It’s also very close to the Vistana (though quite honestly, most things are! The location is so awesome!), just past the Premium Outlets on Vineland (as if you are heading in the direction of SeaWorld). We arrived, paid for our meal (usinga 10% off coupon printed from the internet) and we were seated immediately. We were interested to see how this place stacked up against our tried-and-true Golden Corral.

Now, I apologize…..I took very few (ahem! Let’s say almost no ) photos at this meal. I don’t know why, other than maybe I was still in relaxation mode from the afternoon and it must have been too much effort to pick up the camera. Or it was the fact that we were assigned to a booth so we had less arm room and I was sunk down further in the seat (short girl probs ). Or we were just too focused on the plethora of food options that were spread before us (and smelled delicious). Regardless of the reason, I will just have to paint some good visuals with my words instead.

First difference of Wood Grill versus Golden Corral…..the atmosphere. WG was far, far, FAR less chaotic than any GC we have visited. It was quieter, with less kids running hither and yon. It also was smaller than most GC’s….or it sure felt smaller, anyway.

Another difference: the price. Wood Grill was the more expensive of the two meals by at least a couple of dollars per person. Not a big deal to most, I would guess, but worth noting in the comparison.

The food offerings were diverse with some similarities to Golden Corral but also some differences. I am reasonably sure Golden Corral’s buffet was bigger but Wood Grill’s was still plentiful. Surveying the family, we were kind of split on which location we liked better as far as the food went: a couple of us gave the nod slightly to GC, some to WG.

Desserts: Wood Grill had its high points and shortfalls versus GC. Wood Grill’s soft serve was absolutely AWESOME . It beat Golden Corral’s hands-down and then some. Next time I am starting with the sundae bar then working my way back to the main course. The rest of their dessert options, though, were nowhere near as expansive as GC’s. Jake missed the milk chocolate, white chocolate and caramel fountains in particular.

All in all, it was difficult to pick a clear winner between the two. Both had their merits. I would recommend (and return) to both. One of those “you can’t go wrong” types of choices.

Returning to the resort, we swam, we watched TV, and we hit the sack reasonably early. Tomorrow we had a full day planned, and we were super excited but apprehensive at the same time. Out of our three consecutive August trips, this would be the first time we would attempt to do a theme park all day long in the oppressive heat. The prospect of that was a little daunting.

Tomorrow, we would be off to SeaWorld!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Seaworld, a favourite of ours. Can't wait

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Seaworld, a favourite of ours. Can't wait

Its my favourite too!!!!!!!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Wednesday, August 27th……….SeaWorld Day!

We were hoping to make this a park-opening-to-park-close day, assuming our bodies could take the heat and the sun without wilting. The plan was to use our all-day dining passes (pre-purchased on last year’s Black Friday sale), purchase unlimited Quick Queue for all of us, and have a full day enjoying all the food and rides and shows that we could handle. We were out the door just before 8:30 am, fully sunscreened and wearing our coolest and most lightweight apparel. Mother Nature, bring it on!!!



We arrived at the parking gate very shortly thereafter.



We presented our unlimited parking pass to the gate agent, who tried repeatedly to scan the barcode and grant us access. We waited throughout her multiple attempts, numerous queries (when did you purchase this pass? How many days have you used it so far? Have you had problems with it before now?) and eventually, she must have become fed up with the problems it was obviously causing and just issued us the parking confirmation for the windshield without any additional delay. We had experienced no issues with using it at Aquatica the week prior, so we were surprised that it didn’t seem to work today.

Since we were arriving prior to the official 9 am opening, we got a great parking space near the entrance to the park. If the early bird doesn’t get the worm, they undoubtedly DO secure the best parking. Lines to enter the park were minimal and we were through bag check and ticketing in a flash.

Stopping at Guest Services, we purchased our Quick Queue unlimited and redeemed our online purchase confirmation for our all-day dining cards. With all the “administration” wrapped up, we were on our way to enjoying all the awesome attractions that SeaWorld had to offer.



But WAIT!!! There’s a park photographer! Its photo time….it’s the 50th anniversary, after all. We won’t get the opportunity for a photo in front of this park feature on any future trips.



(ignore the date on the SW park pics.....there’s an explanation as to why its wrong....more on that later)

By now, the kids were starting to get hungry…really hungry!....and were threatening to begin chewing off their arms if they didn’t get to stop and have some breakfast. We didn’t want to return Sweetie to her family missing an appendage at the conclusion of this vacation , so our first “attraction” would be breakfast, which was being served at the SeaFire Inn.



While on the way to SeaFire under Steve’s directional suggestions (knowing he was going from memory , and also knowing it has been a while since our last visit, let’s just say I wasn’t too certain on the accuracy of his route) I was busily studying the park map as we walked along, when I happened to glance up.

And then I may have shrieked just a little .

There in front of me, in their rainbow-inspired brightly coloured outfits, were two members of the 50th anniversary “Surprise Squad”. And with the words “YOU must be the one in charge….the person with the map is always the one in charge!”, they made a beeline for yours truly.

I looked around in all directions to be sure that they couldn’t possibly be talking to anyone else, but the area was completely barren except for our foursome. They were, indeed, talking to me!!!

Introductions followed. Mindy and Darwin of the Surprise Squad exchanged pleasantries and handshakes with each member of the Bo-Bina family, all of whom were still completely clueless (not to mention, still hungry) as to what was occurring with the exception of me. I asked my bunch…..don’t you know who these guys are??? To which Mindy replied “I can’t believe YOU know who we are. No one EVER knows who we are or what we are doing!”. So I quickly explained to Steve, Jake and Sweetie that these people were members of the Surprise Squad in celebration of the 50th anniversary of SeaWorld, and that from what I could guess, we were about to be surprised with something special. Mindy grinned, and informed us that I was 100% correct…..but that I might be really surprised when she tells us what we had won. She tells me “It’s big. REALLY big! The biggest prize we will be giving out today!!”.

She then handed me a little envelope. Now, most of the prizes I had heard about in my reading were actual “things”….like a SeaWorld watch or a Shamu bubble blower or a stuffed killer whale. I honestly wasn’t expecting an envelope, so I was curious. And excited. And nervous!!!

I open up the envelope, pull out the little card inside, and this is what it says:



Happy dance!!!!!

I pass around the card, and let everyone read for themselves what it says. The excitement overflows as I explain to each of them what the VIP tour will provide us (food, Quick Queue, animal feedings, reserved show seating, a personal guide, the whole gamut!), and we have a little mini-celebration right there in the middle of the waterfront. I ask Mindy and Darwin if we can get photos with them, and they exclaim that they would have been disappointed if we didn’t ask.



They had me fill out a little bit of paperwork (name, address, phone, signature…..with a promise not to use it for solicitation purposes, which confirmed that none of us were employees of SeaWorld Parks & Recreation), and while I did so, I mentioned that we had JUST finished purchasing all day dining and Quick Queue before we were surprised. Mindy suggested that I mention that to Guest Services when we stop by to book the tour time and perhaps they would refund our money. We thanked them profusely for all their generosity, and bid them adieu as they left to find the next lucky family to surprise. As for us, we finally made our way to SeaFire Inn for our long-awaited breakfast.

Lines were short, and we wasted no time in selecting our entrees. We all love the French toast sticks, so as you can see……they were popular items among my crew:



After breakfast, we zipped back to Guest Services and arranged for our tour. We were scheduled to meet our guide at 11:20 am in the area adjacent to Guest Services, with the tour commencing at 11:30 am. They also cheerfully refunded the money for our all-day dining passes and Quick Queue Unlimited as Mindy has suggested they would. Who says Disney has the best customer service out there?

With full stomachs and enthusiasm overflowing from the excitement of the early morning, we had some time to ourselves to enjoy some of the park amenities before our tour commenced . I knew where my crew would want to head first……it would undoubtedly be Manta!!!

 

[ArwenMarie]

How fun! And I'm so glad they gave your money back for the items you had already purchased! Great customer service

Manta! Where are you on there? That looks like one of the craziest rides ever.

 

[VacaPlanner0425]

Wednesday, August 27th……….SeaWorld Day!

We presented our unlimited parking pass to the gate agent, who tried repeatedly to scan the barcode and grant us access. We waited throughout her multiple attempts, numerous queries (when did you purchase this pass? How many days have you used it so far? Have you had problems with it before now?) and eventually, she must have become fed up with the problems it was obviously causing and just issued us the parking confirmation for the windshield without any additional delay. We had experienced no issues with using it at Aquatica the week prior, so we were surprised that it didn’t seem to work today.

Enjoyed the same issues with the parking pass...

Ours never worked! The first time to Sea World they didn't scan it. At Aquatica, the guy said "It doesn't work. Just go." Next time to Sea World..sent to taxi lane and then waited in line to get it figured out. Ended up giving me a parking pass... Drove back through and headed in. Was frustrated because I wan't to be early and get a good full day in. In the end only lost 15 mins, but still! Last time to Sea World, I just pleaded with the attendant that it should work and to please just let us through! She told me she hoped I was telling the truth and let us through. If she gave me the taxi lane again, I was removing it and just parking!

It is a good deal, but there was a lot of frustration using it!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Manta! Where are you on there? That looks like one of the craziest rides ever.

Anything wilder than the Sea Carousel is out of my comfort zone . I honestly have no idea how people not only withstand, but also enjoy, roller coasters. I'd have a heart attack before I finished the first loop .

Enjoyed the same issues with the parking pass...

Ours never worked! The first time to Sea World they didn't scan it. At Aquatica, the guy said "It doesn't work. Just go." Next time to Sea World..sent to taxi lane and then waited in line to get it figured out. Ended up giving me a parking pass... Drove back through and headed in. Was frustrated because I wan't to be early and get a good full day in. In the end only lost 15 mins, but still! Last time to Sea World, I just pleaded with the attendant that it should work and to please just let us through! She told me she hoped I was telling the truth and let us through. If she gave me the taxi lane again, I was removing it and just parking!

It is a good deal, but there was a lot of frustration using it!

This visit was actually the "good" visit with the parking pass . Things went downhill from there. The next two attempts to use it were so very frustrating!

I agree, its a great price for a worthy product.....but they are desperately in need of some adjustments to the process so it actually works as advertised.

 

[Captain Hook Wannabe]

A conversation I overheard between two Seaworld employees:

Employee 1 - Look over there, is that Gina?

Employee 2- I think so. Isn’t she that very influential Disboard blogger.

Employee 1 – Yeah, we better treat her right. I heard when she was at Aquatica they gave her an extra 30 minutes with the Dolphins.

Employee 2 – Call the Surprise Squad right now. VIP doesn’t begin to explain how important she is. Let’s go all out for her.

Glad to see you got the star treatment. Just wondering, which was better: extra time with Dolphins at Aquatica or VIP status at SeaWorld?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

A conversation I overheard between two Seaworld employees:

Employee 1 - Look over there, is that Gina?

Employee 2- I think so. Isn’t she that very influential Disboard blogger.

Employee 1 – Yeah, we better treat her right. I heard when she was at Aquatica they gave her an extra 30 minutes with the Dolphins.

Employee 2 – Call the Surprise Squad right now. VIP doesn’t begin to explain how important she is. Let’s go all out for her.

Glad to see you got the star treatment. Just wondering, which was better: extra time with Dolphins at Aquatica or VIP status at SeaWorld?

Do I really have to pick which extra surprise was better than the other?? I don't know if I could decide!! They were both totally awesome and totally unexpected. And we loved 'em both for different reasons!

I just asked Jake what special experience he liked better. He said SeaWorld without hesitation. The free food, free Quick Queue and free reserved seats won him over .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Wednesday, August 26th.....continued!

Manta holds a special place in the hearts of my boys. As self-described roller coaster enthusiasts, they put Manta at the top of the list out of all the coasters in Orlando. Jake was super excited to take Sweetie for a ride on his favourite coaster of all time.



Now Sweetie is much more adventurous when it comes to rides than I am, but I think Manta truly tested her coaster bravery. My guys have always said it gives you a whole different sensation versus a typical roller coaster, and that threw her a bit off guard on the first ride. But God love her, she mustered her courage and rode it a second time when the guys declared it worthy of an immediate repeat.



I was happy to keep my feet on the ground , and chose to visit the beautiful flamingos instead.



After Manta, Jake declared it necessary to stop and win his lady a prize at the basketball game. He missed the first ball (let’s call that one his warm-up shot, shall we?) but sunk the second.



Sweetie netted herself the coveted bee that she apparently had her eye on, and Jake’s male ego remained firmly intact .



From there, we headed to the SkyTower to enjoy a ride together as a family. Yep, this one was much more my speed!



We had just missed the loading for the ride that was just pulling away, so we had a few minutes wait until the tower room returned to the dock. We amused ourselves by taking couples pics in the stairwell:





Within a few minutes, we were on our way up to 400 feet above the park on Orlando’s highest observation tower.



Unfortunately, once we were seated and the ride began, we noticed that they had installed some sort of screens on the windows since we had last visited two years prior. Not a good change, unfortunately . While the ride used to offer this kind of gorgeous view from above:



Now you had this garbled view:



I am not sure what would cause them to install those screen thingies, but they’re awful. Normally I would want to ride the SkyTower more than once just to soak up that incredible scenery from the air, but this time once was definitely enough.

Back on the ground, we strolled around the waterfront for a bit. It’s so pretty here, I just love hanging out and soaking up the atmosphere.





We still had a little while left before we had to meet our guide for the start of the tour.....more exploring, anyone?

 

[Tigger7570]

This has probably been asked but I couldn't find it. I noticed in the description of the one bedroom Villas it states that one has a kitchenette and the other a kitchen. Does the one bedroom kitchenette have a balcony and is it enclosed? I noticed that it says some Villas have balconies so I am wondering what kind don't have balconies. Thank you. Any help is appreciated.