1 crazy family+2 resorts+5 parks+1 snake+1 surprise=A Mickeystoontown report 4/3x2

[PhoenixStrength]

Yay for taking a 2 week trip, and with Lacey, Jesse and his parents possibly coming too!

Now I'm very curious about what this "blip" could be!

 

[HiHoOffWeGo]

Who has the iron?

 

[addictedtothemouse]

Bosses! What? They think we should actually work to get paid?
Well ok maybe we should but sometimes Disney just sneaks in there.

 

[MissLiz]

I figured you'd be on it right away.

Wow! That's a big ol' trip to plan there, kid! Can't wait for the trip report! Especially since I'll have to find out how to stalk you.

And now you will really move up in the Top 10 with that kind of teaser going for you!


And there should be no such thing as work. We should all just be able to sit at our desks and do just what we want to do. (As I have a pile of sales & use tax reports to go through before remitting our monthly payment to the state of Georgia.)

 

[mickeystoontown]

I did see that and congratulations!!! Lets go for moving up the list for July! I'm sure we can have you at #1 before you're done writing for the trip!

Wouldn't that be something if we made it to #1!

I was just wondering the other night when i was listening to the top ten from may when you would get up there. I guess last month was it.

I had no idea!

YAY! I listen to the podcast regularly, but have gotten a bit behind the last week or two. Now I have something extra fun to look forward to!

I have never listened to the podcasts so I was surprised.

Congrats on the progress with your work on the house! I had a little chuckle that you can update easier at work than at home!

The work on the house is moving right on along! Shhhh...can't let my boss know.

I have a fear of heights too, but I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and I'm going up to the Space Needle next month in Seattle. The balloon, however, is WAY too exposed for me and I would not want to do that!

You are a braver woman than I! I remember standing on the edge of the cliffs in Mesa Verde and having this gosh awful feeling. I was so scared!

That's awesome about being #8. I will have to go look for the podcast. I love the booger story about Lacey and Hunter. Sounds like something either of my boys would do. I love my boys but sometimes they can be such nasty little creatures. Wouldn't change a thing about them though.

I know!

Nah, we wouldn't take a million bucks for our kiddos would we? Now, a million and a half....I'd have to think on that one.

 

[cmaee]

I didn't know there were podcasts on the DIS, but YAY for being number 8! Next month...number 1! Now I am going to have to go and find these said podcasts.

 

[mickeystoontown]

First of all, Congrats on making the Top Ten!

Thank you!

Wow! I was really behind, which I knew I would be. I'm working toward getting my teaching license and had 3 weeks straight of 8-4 classes and then we were gone last week for a family reunion, so I've just today had a chance to log in here. (I haven't started my TR yet, but I'm hoping to have time this week to get it going!)

Holy smokes! You've been a busy woman! Let me know when you get the trip report started 'cause I'll want to read along.

I'm glad I haven't missed too too much in the way of park days, however!

Sorry for your bad check-in experience at POFQ. I'm so glad y'all were able to get back in to your room, though and find that contact case!

John has had that case for years and I was determined to find it.

Your misadventures in the rain were quite entertaining!

I think I'll have to add House of Blues to our list of places to dine at DTD.

I bet that you guys would like House of Blues. It's good Southern food in a cool atmosphere.

WOW congrats on being 8th ! That is so cool !!!!!! You do write some of the best and entertaining trip reports ! I love reading your TR's

Isn't it neat that we made it to the Top Ten!

Wow, what an honor! Hey, now I know somebody famous!

LOVE the Hunter/Lacey booger story

You are so silly! Famous? It is pretty cool though!

Lacey had on a black shirt that day and the booger could be seen from a mile away. We still laugh about it.

I know I congratulated you on fb, but I'm so excited for you. Congratulations!! Top 10!! Doing the happy dance and jumping mid air so you can get a picture. Seriously though, as I said there, it's no wonder. It's great trip report, always makes me smile!

Thank you! I did a little dancin' myself.

Congratulations on making the top 10!

Thank you!

 

[KatMark]

Congrats on a two-week trip in 2014. Let the resort saga begin.

 

[mickeystoontown]

So did you price out your 2014 TWO WEEK Trip? I had to put that in all caps because a TWO WEEK trip is awesome.

Yep! I have a number to some of the Carribean Beach powers that be and have to call them directly to book the two free nights and then they'll book our package too. I am beyond excited about two whole weeks in Disney!

reelmom--I was just coming to ask her that!



So, Lisa, did ya? Did ya, did ya, did ya?

I've priced it out but I haven't booked yet. I have to call Caribbean Beach Resort directly to do it.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Loving your TR! No wonder you made Top 10! Congrats!

Thank you! We made it to the top ten!

You know I think you should be #1....I love all your TR....and I am waiting for you to put them all together and publish a book....I want an autographed copy

I've definitely thought about it! And, you'd get an autographed copy for sure.

It is hot and humid in Vermont too and has rained everyday for 3 weeks so the rivers and lakes are at flood level. I live on a hill so if I get flooded we need an ark1 But I feel bad for the farmers who need to cut hay and can't with all the rain.

Those poor farmers! We have lots of farmland in our area and we are getting little to no rain. Just the opposite.

Looking forward to the update, with all the bad press stuff coming out of Disney I'm ready for something that will lift my spirits about going.

Uh oh, what bad press? Something new?

Woohoo! on #8
I am going to price out the trip that DM, DD and I want to take next year. It's a toss up between CBR and POR. I think that the only way POR would win out is if it is WAAAY cheaper or we could get the room with the extra bed. I really like to stretch out when I sleep.

It's cool huh!?! I wonder if the rumors of new rooms at the CBR are true? That'd be great!

I didn't know there were podcasts on the DIS, but YAY for being number 8! Next month...number 1! Now I am going to have to go and find these said podcasts.

I'm so happy to hear that I'm not the only one who didn't know about the Top Ten. I had heard of the podcasts but never listened to them.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Yay for taking a 2 week trip, and with Lacey, Jesse and his parents possibly coming too!

Now I'm very curious about what this "blip" could be!

It could turn out to be an epic trip!

Who has the iron?

I do NOT have an iron!

Bosses! What? They think we should actually work to get paid?
Well ok maybe we should but sometimes Disney just sneaks in there.

I usually Dis in between clients and phone calls and paperwork. Most of our files are in my boss' office and I can't get to them when he has someone with him. I have to do something while I'm waiting.

I figured you'd be on it right away.

Wow! That's a big ol' trip to plan there, kid! Can't wait for the trip report! Especially since I'll have to find out how to stalk you.

And now you will really move up in the Top 10 with that kind of teaser going for you!


And there should be no such thing as work. We should all just be able to sit at our desks and do just what we want to do. (As I have a pile of sales & use tax reports to go through before remitting our monthly payment to the state of Georgia.)

I left the computer on last night just so I could get up and check the prices this morning. Yeah, a little anxious!

Wouldn't it be something if we made it to the top of the list!?!

If only my ship would come in, my lottery ticket would be winner, an unknown distant cousin would leave me tons of money. Ahhh, wouldn't that be nice?

Congrats on a two-week trip in 2014. Let the resort saga begin.

Actually, I'm thinking there will be no resort saga next trip. Jesse's parents want to stay at Caribbean Beach and, unless the rumored major rehab of the rooms is going on during our dates, that's where we'll stay. I'm booking there and will change later on if the refurb is happening.

 

[pasofan]

TWO WEEKS is awesome Sorry it had to come because of a "blip" but glad it wasn't too serious.

 

[mickeystoontown]

TWO WEEKS is awesome Sorry it had to come because of a "blip" but glad it wasn't too serious.

We would have booked two weeks anyway but it's nice to have two free nights!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Almost ready to post the newest installment but wanted to share my awesome savings news that I posted on Facebook:

I love Kirkland's! Saturday, I bought five pictures with two of them being large. Yesterday, on my lunch hour, I went back and bought four more with two of those being large. Today, I went back and bought a large mirror, a large picture, four medium size pictures and a small one. Want to know my grand total? $109.68! I now have enough pictures for my kitchen, my entry, Hunter's bathroom, the hallway, our bathroom and a couple of extra pics that I'm not sure where they are going yet. I love finding good deals!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Ooooh! It feels like a booger! Touch it Mamaw!

The morning of May 23rd, we were up and at em with little to no grumbling because we were going on an adventure. An adventure that we had done in the past but many many moons ago. We were going to Sea World! The last time we had visited the park was when Hunter was just three years old. So, whats that? 13 years ago. Wow!

When I plan our trips, I try to work in something different. That could be an almost attempt at a balloon ride, or a visit to Disney Quest, a Disney cruise, or, as is the case this trip, a day trip to Sea World. A fellow Disboard member, lovethattink, and I sent texts back and forth until we figured out that they would be able to meet us there that day. We werent sure what time theyd make it to the park or how long wed get to spend together but even if it were a short period of time, it would be better than not meeting at all.

I was a little nervous thinking about driving in the Orlando traffic but it really wasnt that bad. Okay, so it was worse than driving here in our neck of the woods but it wasnt so bad that I had a death grip on the steering wheel. A few white knuckles every now and then, maybe, but not a full on death grip. The drive to Sea World wasnt that long and we made better time that we thought we would. We paid the $15.00 to park and parked waaaaay down at the end of the row. Of course, just our luck, as we walked towards the park entrance, it started misting rain. We picked up the pace and, as we stepped onto the sidewalk, I crap you not, it stopped raining. Oh well, Id just look like a little drowned rat again.

Sea World had a special offer before we went and it was that offer that helped us decide to visit the park. What was the offer? $10 smackaroos off each ticket if you printed them online. Yeah baby! Thats a total of $40.00. Lets do it! I never got around to ordering the tickets and it turns out that was a good thing. Why? The next day, I found out that I could get the free dining plan if we purchased a one day ticket at full price. We were sure that wed never eat for just $10.00 a day at the park so the free dining was the better deal even if we were planning on eating just lunch there.

Moving on along....I had vouchers for the free dining plan and our tickets. We just had to go to a kiosk and print our tickets. The voucher for the dining plan? We werent sure how that worked and asked a nearby CM who told us to take our voucher to any participating restaurant and theyd exchange it for a bracelet. Easy peasy! Right? Surely, you know me better than that and know that nothing is easy peasy for me. More on that later.

As I said, it had been years since we visited Sea World and we had no clue what to do first or where to go. We had planned on just winging it and playing it by ear. All we knew was that we absolutely, positively HAD to see was the whale show. Mama had never seen a whale and by golly, she was going to see one that day.

We took the pathway to the left and came upon the beautiful flamingos:





We continued on and found the stingray exhibit. You could reach down and touch them and feed them (and feed them for a price, of course). There were stingrays of all shapes, sizes and colors:


Hunter was the first to reach in:



Mama asked Hunter what it felt like and he said Oooh! It feels like a booger! Touch it Mamaw! We all got a chuckle over his description but didnt let it turn us off from reaching in ourselves:





It was so neat to see the excitement in my 79 year old mothers eyes. We giggled when she would say I felt one. or look at that one or here comes one.

After a while, we used the handwashing station and walked down the pathway towards whatever came our way. And, what came next was the dolphin cove:


They were so fast on their flippers and it was hard to snap their picture:




There were a couple of castmembers around and they said that it would be a while before it was feeding time so we moved on without having touched a dolphin. At least we got to see them.

The new turtle show was the next building we found and we went on in.









So, this is supposed to be a turtle show. Where are the turtles?

There they are!












There was an announcement that the next show was about to start and if we wanted to catch it, wed need to go further in. We went with the flow of the crowd and into a big domed room, 3D glasses in hand. The one complaint that we had was there were no seats and very few bars to hold on to. For my Mama, it was a bit disorienting and we tried to skootch in so that she could hold onto one of the bars nearby.

The 3D show itself was very neat! It followed the journey of the turtles and the obstacles that they meet from the time they are born until adulthood. Lots of flying birds and litter in their environment. It was well done and wed see it again if we were to ever go back to Sea World.

**Up next: Theres no freakin way we can go all the way up there!

 

[Kaykool101]

I love Sea World! I do hope you all had a good experience.

You didn't miss much with the dolphin feedings. Because guests feed the dolphins, they have had negative behaviors re-enforced and can be down right vicious. My sister use to work there and she said the sharks were much nicer, lol.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I did a dolphin feeding when I was 15 and have the picture to prove it. The CMs (ok, not CMs since it isn't WDW but whatever) take pictures of those the dolphins approach and then try to get you to buy them. Mine was great so I bought it....anyway, enough hijacking your thread.

Never saw the turtle show, but it sounds cool. And your turtle pictures are great! Petting the sting rays is always fun too!! I can't believe your Mama had never seen a whale before!

 

[maryj11]

Cant wait to see the rest if your Sea World adventures

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I'd like to get back to Sea World - how fun it was for Mama!

We were last at the one in San Antonio in 2007, and in Orlando in 2004 (my kids don't even remember that one!) I think we are due for a return visit.

Hope you can get a great offer on your 2 week trip! That's nice that Jesse's parents will come too. It sounds like they deserve a vacation!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

It is hot and humid in Vermont too and has rained everyday for 3 weeks so the rivers and lakes are at flood level. I live on a hill so if I get flooded we need an ark1 But I feel bad for the farmers who need to cut hay and can't with all the rain.

It's been hot and humid her too then we got rain on sunday. On monday we had a really crazy storm that dropped 97mm (about 3 oz) in a two hour period that's the monthly average for July. The last time we got rain like that was in the 50's when Hurricane Hazel made her way up to us. It caused a ton of caus here flooding on roads, subway stations, and railroad tracks. A commuter train got stuck and everyone had to be rescued by boats, everyone got off of it around 1:00 Am.