Just finished typing 
my trip report when my computer crashed so i'm gonna try again.
8/11 My ds#3 (14 yrs) & I left Western Mass Thursday morning for a nite in DC, not too bad, delay over GW bridge due to repairs and in DC itselves due to 4:00? traffic. Stayed at Plaza L'enfant-good location, near museums & monuments and they have a parking garage, what they don't tell you is they charge you $25.00 to park in it. Up bright and early 8/12 to see the monuments and perhaps one musuem before heading for the train. Little hot, felt like 110 at 7:30am. Able to walk to the monuments and back to the Air & Space- an hour before they open - so back to the room, quick swim, shower, check out, lunch then off to the Auto-train.
Auto train in theory seems like a really good ideal, you get to see some of the country, saves u from having to rent a car but unfortunately its REALLY expensive. Me, car and FREE child was $470.00 ONE way and we were over two hours late arriving in Sanford, Fla and as usual (from my personal past train experience) the train staff did not deem it necessary to explain why we were over two hours late (yeah I asked, mumbled something and walked away). Dinner was good. They remove all but 25 cars (yup mines still in the train) and their lift breaks, another 45 minute delay. Hey 15 years ago I had a worse train trip so all and all it was okay. do it again - NO
8/13 DH, DS1 (19 yrs), DS2 (18 yrs) & friend (20 yrs) meet DS3 and myself at Buene Vista Suites (not a bad hotel, the two room suites were a good size, slept 6, had coffee maker and fridge. We were on the first floor and the ceilings are pretty tall in the rooms, kindof feels like the library in the Haunted Mansion. We head to our favorite off site restuarant, Logans, for diner than dtd to walk off food and stop by PI for a little Elvis.
8/14 We head home to the Beach Club, check in then off to MGM for the day and our two favorite rides; RR & ToT, rooms ready at 3:00. What a great room, 5th floor, dedicated two bedroom, nonsmoking located half way between the two elevators. One long balcony that ran the lengh of the three rooms with a terrific view of the epcot fireworks (this is the first time that i wished we could request certain rooms, cuz i'd ask for this one each time).
On 8/15, 8/16 & 8/17 we spend our days eating around the world, soaring over Ca., visiting space, splash & thunder mountains, experiencing numerous missions to space, test trak, Kalimonga falls, seeing how a bug lives, spending two weeks on an african safara, traveling back in time to return with a dinosaur, escaped pirates, climbed trees, shot aliens with our laser guns, enjoyed the philharmonica, picked up a hitch hiker or two, visited exotic ports such as china, canada (okay not so exotic but nice), Mexico and Norway. We participated in a game show, followed the yellow brick road, heard a glorious 3 hour salute to many nations but mostly America, had a few back stage passes to an Aerosmith concert and got stuck on the service elevator more times than I can count. and some how we squeezed in a dip or two in the sandy bottom pool.
Up early on 8/18 to rent a second car for the trip to Universal for the day. Arrived at 10:00am - headed for Island first, hulk (too smooth-not exciting), spiderman (fun), Jurassic River ride (boring), Poseidon's fury (cute show-cast member did a great job), Dueling Dragon (rode both dragons - this was fun)
Ripsaw Falls & Popeye-Blutos Barges (both are GREAT and you WILL get SOAKED). 1:30pm - quick stop at the locker to change into dry clothes, lunch at Margaritaville than over to Universal by 3:30. Terminator (awlful),
ET & Back to Future (corny buy old time favorites), MIB (fun, fun, fun, like it better than buzz), Twister (oldie but goodie) Shrek 4D (cute, fun, enjoyable) and the Mummy (this is the best, not what I expected would have loved to have had the time to do this ride a few times). headed home 7:50pm.
We enjoyed our day at Universal, but can't see myself or my family spending more than a day there at any given time. I know there are things we didn't see but have in the past and didn't feel like we were missing anything. We got a good deal on tickets - 106.00 for 2 days, 2 parks, never expires - so in a few years we'll go back again for another marathon day.
Up early Friday to pack and return the rental, DS2 & Friend are heading home so off to dtd to pick up some food at the Earl of Sandwich for the flight. At 11am we wave goodbye to DS2 & Friend as they head to the airport by car service and DH, DS1, DS3 & I head off to our new hotel....
to be continued...
my trip report when my computer crashed so i'm gonna try again.8/11 My ds#3 (14 yrs) & I left Western Mass Thursday morning for a nite in DC, not too bad, delay over GW bridge due to repairs and in DC itselves due to 4:00? traffic. Stayed at Plaza L'enfant-good location, near museums & monuments and they have a parking garage, what they don't tell you is they charge you $25.00 to park in it. Up bright and early 8/12 to see the monuments and perhaps one musuem before heading for the train. Little hot, felt like 110 at 7:30am. Able to walk to the monuments and back to the Air & Space- an hour before they open - so back to the room, quick swim, shower, check out, lunch then off to the Auto-train.
Auto train in theory seems like a really good ideal, you get to see some of the country, saves u from having to rent a car but unfortunately its REALLY expensive. Me, car and FREE child was $470.00 ONE way and we were over two hours late arriving in Sanford, Fla and as usual (from my personal past train experience) the train staff did not deem it necessary to explain why we were over two hours late (yeah I asked, mumbled something and walked away). Dinner was good. They remove all but 25 cars (yup mines still in the train) and their lift breaks, another 45 minute delay. Hey 15 years ago I had a worse train trip so all and all it was okay. do it again - NO
8/13 DH, DS1 (19 yrs), DS2 (18 yrs) & friend (20 yrs) meet DS3 and myself at Buene Vista Suites (not a bad hotel, the two room suites were a good size, slept 6, had coffee maker and fridge. We were on the first floor and the ceilings are pretty tall in the rooms, kindof feels like the library in the Haunted Mansion. We head to our favorite off site restuarant, Logans, for diner than dtd to walk off food and stop by PI for a little Elvis.
8/14 We head home to the Beach Club, check in then off to MGM for the day and our two favorite rides; RR & ToT, rooms ready at 3:00. What a great room, 5th floor, dedicated two bedroom, nonsmoking located half way between the two elevators. One long balcony that ran the lengh of the three rooms with a terrific view of the epcot fireworks (this is the first time that i wished we could request certain rooms, cuz i'd ask for this one each time).
On 8/15, 8/16 & 8/17 we spend our days eating around the world, soaring over Ca., visiting space, splash & thunder mountains, experiencing numerous missions to space, test trak, Kalimonga falls, seeing how a bug lives, spending two weeks on an african safara, traveling back in time to return with a dinosaur, escaped pirates, climbed trees, shot aliens with our laser guns, enjoyed the philharmonica, picked up a hitch hiker or two, visited exotic ports such as china, canada (okay not so exotic but nice), Mexico and Norway. We participated in a game show, followed the yellow brick road, heard a glorious 3 hour salute to many nations but mostly America, had a few back stage passes to an Aerosmith concert and got stuck on the service elevator more times than I can count. and some how we squeezed in a dip or two in the sandy bottom pool.
Up early on 8/18 to rent a second car for the trip to Universal for the day. Arrived at 10:00am - headed for Island first, hulk (too smooth-not exciting), spiderman (fun), Jurassic River ride (boring), Poseidon's fury (cute show-cast member did a great job), Dueling Dragon (rode both dragons - this was fun)
Ripsaw Falls & Popeye-Blutos Barges (both are GREAT and you WILL get SOAKED). 1:30pm - quick stop at the locker to change into dry clothes, lunch at Margaritaville than over to Universal by 3:30. Terminator (awlful),
ET & Back to Future (corny buy old time favorites), MIB (fun, fun, fun, like it better than buzz), Twister (oldie but goodie) Shrek 4D (cute, fun, enjoyable) and the Mummy (this is the best, not what I expected would have loved to have had the time to do this ride a few times). headed home 7:50pm.
We enjoyed our day at Universal, but can't see myself or my family spending more than a day there at any given time. I know there are things we didn't see but have in the past and didn't feel like we were missing anything. We got a good deal on tickets - 106.00 for 2 days, 2 parks, never expires - so in a few years we'll go back again for another marathon day.
Up early Friday to pack and return the rental, DS2 & Friend are heading home so off to dtd to pick up some food at the Earl of Sandwich for the flight. At 11am we wave goodbye to DS2 & Friend as they head to the airport by car service and DH, DS1, DS3 & I head off to our new hotel....
to be continued...
