- Joined
- Jul 15, 2003
- Messages
- 2,479
Trip report 8/20 through 8/29
8/20 Travel day
The players-DD7-Tess- and myself
On Aug 20, DH and I picked up Tess from her last day at day camp. I had been planning the trip for about a month and she had no idea! She knew we were going on a little trip (we do every summer) but was she in for a surprise. Once in the van, I hand her an outfit to change into. The shirt had Greetings from Florida on the front. She looks at it and asks Are we going to Florida? I answer, Yeeessss. She squeals and yells Are we going to Disneyworld?!? I squeal back YYYYEEESSSS!!
SO, hubby takes us to JFK for our 7:05 flight to MCO. Kisses and hugs, with some tears, and we head in. Now, my daughter and I get along really well. We have similar tastes and the same twisted sense of humor. For us, the vacation has started. We were delayed taking off but, we did just fine. I called Happy Limo and advised them of the delay. I also told them to keep an eye on the flight times. No problem. Our flight was uneventful and we enjoyed the DirecTV programming.
Upon arrival in MCO, some poor planning on my part put a crimp in our plans. I had not charged my cell phone fully before leaving home, so I needed to call Happy Limo from a pay phone. I was a little frazzled and had trouble locating one. Then I forgot where the dispatch person told me to wait! Luckily, a Redcap knew the company and put us in the right spot. Happy Limo came right away. The driver was very pleasant, but not too chatty. I like this, as we were pretty tired by then. Tess drifted off to sleep, while I relaxed, listening to some smooth jazz. No grocery stops this time. It was late and I didnt want to get out of the car!
AWe arrived at the All Star Movies at about midnight. I wake up Tess; she opens her eyes and says Wow! I thought I dreamed it all! (Everybody say awwwww)
Tess watched cartoons while I checked in. Then we headed to our preferred location room. We changed and collapsed into bed.
8/21 Magic Kingdom
We slept a later than I planned and we didnt get to MK until about 10:30. We rented a stroller and headed out. What a ball we had! Lets see. Mickeys Toontown Fair, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Mickeys Philharmagic(AWESOME), Little Mermaid, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Snow White. We then changed for and headed for the Grand Floridian for Dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming. My little Cinderella was enthralled! After, it was back to MK for Spectromagic and Wishes. What an incredible day!
The pool at ASM was still open when we headed back, so we had a dip and went to bed.
8/22 Disney /MGM Studios
Ok, same as yesterday. Slept in a bit and arrived in MGM about 10:30 AM. The shows were wonderful. We saw Playhouse Disney, an abbreviated version of Indiana Jones, Star Tours, Muppet Vision 3D, Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey, the Great Movie Ride. For dinner we had PS at 50s Prime Time Café and then Fantasmic! All I can say is WOW!
Tonight, showers and bed! Sigh-sound sleep!
8/23 Epcot
Again, we slept a little too late. But, thankfully we were able to make it to the Princess Storybook Breakfast. This was lovely. We got to meet Princesses that we havent before. Mulan, Pocohontas, Jasmine, Snow White. Princess Aurora also put in an appearance. The restaurant is quaint and the food was delicious. I highly recommend it. We then walked leisurely back to Future World. We checked out Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Test Track. Maelstrom, Ellens Energy Adventure, Innovations, Dinner and Illuminations: Reflections of Earth-Incredible! I forgot to mention Kidcot! There is one in each country. At your first stop, your child gets a mask and a small cardboard figurine attached. Then at each country, you get another figurine, representative of that culture. We found out about this a little late in the day. But, my Tess was really into it. So I became a KIDCOT COMMANDO! We made it around the world in about an hour! A nice gelato in Italy really tasted good at the end.
Another Late night swim and snack and into bed we fall!
8/24-MK and Leave a Legacy
We had planned to do Animal Kingdom today, but Tess was literally exhausted and started to complain of a sore throat. So we really slept in today. Sore throat gone, we had a relaxing brunch and headed to MK again with the sole purpose of hanging out on Donalds Boat. She must have spent about 2 solid hours playing in there, meeting new friends constantly and getting thoroughly soaked! She changed into a dry outfit and we headed to Epcot to have our picture taken for the Leave a Legacy tile. Then back to ASM for a whole evening of swimming and food. She had a hair wrap and we shopped a bit. A good nights sleep tonight!
8/25 - Typhoon Lagoon and Disney Quest
You know the drill by now-lets say it together-We slept in a bit LOL. Heading to Typhoon Lagoon was exciting for us. We had last been there in May 2001 and it is the only part of that trip that we BOTH remember clearly. So we were delighted to get there and play in the wave pool and relax on the lazy river.
Now, there is a subject I didnt address. The weather wasnt great, but it didnt stop us until this day. Every day there was a severe thunderstorm. Horizontal lightening and heavy downpours happened every afternoon. In the other parks, there was always something for us to do. Here, at Typhoon Lagoon, thats not the case. Everything closed down and we headed back to the resort.
After dinner, we headed to Downtown Disney and Disney Quest. Since this was a weeknight, Disney Quest closed at 10:00 PM. I wasnt aware of this and we were disappointed, but we managed to get in a few attractions.
Tonight we relaxed by the pool, ate too much junk food packed for our departure the next day.
8/26 The Disney Wonder-Embarkation Day
After our exciting WDW adventures, what could be more relaxing that a 3 night Disney Cruise? (I know- a seven night cruise-but work with me!) This was our 2nd cruise on the Wonder and our 3rd Disney cruise in all. Happy Limo picked us up at 9:30 am and brought to the port. We checked our entire luggage except for one small carryon that had our meds and bathing suits. This was a trip of firsts for me and arriving at the port early was one of them. What a pleasure-no lines for security or check in. After we were all checked in, we relaxed and waiting for the boarding line to start. We got online for boarding, and were onboard at about 11:45 AM. We headed for Parrot Cay for a delicious lunch. (Rae-people were staring at my plate of shrimp) and then made our way to either Wave Bands or Rockin bar D to change our dinner time to main seating. The head server said, looking at the screen, Perfect. I found out later what he meant.
Then we headed to the Oceaneers Club to sign Tess up. All finished, we changed for the MICKEY POOL!! This was a highlight for me. Hanging out with my DD and watching her come down that slide-still takes my breath away thinking about it. We stayed here until about 2:00 PM then we found our cabin-5648 which is right next door to the Barb and Tony suite. Here I found another first-a metal wall verandah. I have to admit, I was not crazy about it. But-it was a free upgrade!! So-guess what? I was LOVIN IT!
Next it was time for our safety drill and it was in Animators Palate. My first time having the luxury of an indoor muster location and it was a nice change. We then went to our cabin again and relaxed for a bit, changed and got ready for the sail-away party. We had a blast! We did the countdown until we heard that famous ship horn!
After cooling off for awhile, we headed up to dinner. We had the APL rotation and I was eager to meet our dining companions. We were seated with a man traveling with his son! The four of us got along wonderfully; they were from Los Angeles and didnt even know about the Magic sailing out west next summer! He was going to look into it and was also going to check out these boards. Hi Richard and Chandler! Dinner was, of course, delicious and we enjoyed the lights. They had grilled salmon on the childrens menu and Tess jumped on it!
Afterward, she couldnt decide between Hercules-the Musecal or going to the club. She picked the club! Her reasoning was that it was a short cruise and she really wanted to hang out there. Fine by me, I brought her to the club and then I headed to bingo. Nice game-same price. I didnt go to the show without her. Then I went to the cabin, ordered the All Hands on Deck Platter and some coffee. I, my book and my snack hung out on the verandah. Deep breaths and a starry sky; yep- I can handle this! The beeper went off and I picked up my sleepy daughter. We slept with the sounds of the ocean drifting through the open verandah door.
8/27 Disney Wonder Day 2 Nassau
I woke up bright and early, ordered coffee and settled into my verandah. We had already docked and I enjoyed the time alone. Soon, it was time to wake up Tess for breakfast and meet our tour for our Dolphin Encounter! It was not a long wait and we were off. It is a bit of a stroll from the pier to the ferry. You really feel it in the heat. But we were energetic with excitement and in no time, we arrived at the boat. Onboard, there was room for everyone and we chose to sit on the lower level, to avoid the sun. The band was good and we really enjoyed the scenery as the ferry sped along.
Upon arrival at Blue Lagoon, the Beach Day and the Encounter customers are separated and you are escorted to a briefing area. After watching a short movie about the dolphin encounter, a trainer explains some instructions. Then youre brought down to the dock where the encounter will take place. Now, this is our second time doing this and we purchased the photo album. I regretted not buying it the first time around. At $165 it is pricey, but to me, worth it.
Once the encounter is over, you pick up your video and/or album and go. They changed a picture for me (at my request) in my album, so I arranged to pick it up later. Tess and I headed down to the beach to enjoy some swimming. She was beginning a meltdown. Exhausted, hot and hungry, she refused food and only wanted water. So we headed back to the ship. The Mickey pool is great and we have Castaway Cay tomorrow. Agreed on a plan, we head back to the 2:00 pm ferry. Then I remembered our album! I have to high-tail it up the beach to the Dolphin Encounter! Oh boy! Now, just to paint the picture, I am a Pooh-sized lady and it is not an easy thing for me to do-running on the hot sand, on a hotter day for about 3 blocks. Holy Hannah! But I made-there and back. We caught the ferry and headed back to the Wonder. I was soooo happy to be back on board!
Tess cooled off in the pool; I even took a quick dip. Then we headed to the cabin for a quick shower. Tess wanted some club-time. I left her in the club and I said Id pick her up for dinner. At about 10 to 6, her group was already headed up to the Buffet for dinner, so thats where I went. When then come in, she spies me and says, I want to eat with my club, can you pick me up for the show? Ok, I say. Now here I am, without my daughter to share dinner. I think to myself-what about Palo? At Parrot Cay, I let our head server know about our not coming tonight. Not a problem and he appreciated the notice. Then, for the first time in my short DCL career, I headed up to Palo. The matred seated me immediately and my server and asst server proceeded to spoil me beyond saving! The filet mignon was melt in your mouth delicious, the mushroom w/ risotto was incredible and that chocolate soufflé??? It was so good that I looked around to see if anyone took notice of my ecstatic moans-ala When Harry met Sally. Nope-cause they were in their own soufflé worlds.
If you are unsure whether or not you should try Palo-GO FOR IT!! For $10 it is almost a sin not to.
MMMMMMM-soufflé memory
After dinner, I strolled leisurely. I cannot tell you where I went. I havent a clue. I just happily roamed. Then I picked up DD and we watched the Golden Mickeys. Ok-you know the red carpet interviews? Well Tess wanted to be on camera. There was a little line-just one little group ahead of Tess-and it was their turn. Just then a young girl, with Downs syndrome got on line behind Tess. A CM comes over and tells the parents that the line is closed. Before they informed their DD, I asked Tess if she would share the spotlight. When it was their turn, we watched our girls together on the video screen. All I can say is WOW-another magical moment.
The show was fabulous. It was such a kick to watch her reactions. Seven is such a great age. Their communication skills are better, and they still have that pixie dust glow about them! So, after the show, Tess headed to the club and I headed to the cabin for a nap. When the beeper went off, I was dozing. Another great day and restful night.
8/28 Castaway Cay
This morning we didnt hurry off the ship. We knew what we wanted and we werent in a rush. There was a family dig at Monstros Point that we tried. We were alone, it was too hot. So we went for a swim. I dragged one of those sand chairs into the water and watched my DD play. We tried snorkeling, but we didnt enjoy it. She made some friends and played in the shallow water. I was very hot. I honestly felt groggy-like I couldnt think to clearly. Tess sees a blue float, and grabs it. A woman next to me say Excuse me, thats ours-I respond with Im sorry I thought they were FREE!! Can you believe I said that?!? I tell you, my brain was foggy. I realized that I needed to eat. We headed over for some lunch. I felt better and Tess wanted to hang out with her club. I checked her into Scuttles Cove. Then I decided to see if they had any openings for parasailing. They did! I got to go parasailing for my third time on castaway cay! An awesome experience.
I picked up Tess and we went back to the ship. Relaxing for a little while, a Mickey pool dip and some TV time in the cabin refreshed us. We dressed for dinner in Tritons. Tess wore her Cinderella ball gown and she looked scrumptious! We celebrated her July 25th birthday again with a lovely cake and the traditional happy birthday song. After dinner, said goodbye to our serving team and head waiter with their tips. We bid our dining companions goodbye. Heading up to the club, I am trying to talk Tess into changing out of her gown for the evening. She is insistent as only she can be. So, I ask her to sit down and wait for a minute while I looked for my key. It only took about 4 seconds for her to start to itch and fidget. She then agreed. After a quick change, she went to her club and I packed.
I went to pick her up in time for Till we meet again and she said her goodbyes. I see her tearing up and she tells me that she cant find her favorite counselor, Vicki. A counselor calls her on the phone, and Vicki comes walking in. Tess runs to her, crying that shell miss her. Vicki then escorts Tess around the characters in the Atrium. I cant wait for those pictures!
We stayed up late, ordered room service, chatted, and watched TV. Again, I checked most of our luggage. The next morning, we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast at the Buffet and we strolled off the ship (another first for me). Locating our luggage was a breeze and a Redcap took us through customs and to the pick up area. In just a few minutes, Happy Limo was there to whisk us off to MCO. Our flight was on time and we arrived at JFK without incident. DH picked us up and we filled his head with our stories.
**A few notes**
--I joined simple escapes and bought food vouchers. It was not worth it for us.
-- didn't plan well for the weather. We got soaked in the daily storms, and I ended up buying DD a new outfit 2x! Plus umbrellas and sweatshirts. Too pricey. Next time, I'll pop an outfit in a large ziplock and sqeeze the air out.
--Next time, God willing, I would like to get an earlier start. I would fly down earlier, instead of arriving at midnight.
--Again, I packed too much. And too many shoes! My goal was 2 carryons for our stuff. I ended up buying another suitcase in Disneyworld! What a waste of money.
--Next time, I would get to Fantasmic earlier and get a better seat.
--I loved getting to the port early! No lines, no tension.
--I brought lots of singles for tips-worked great. Also, lots of disposable cameras.
It truly was a trip of a lifetime!
Ursula and Tess
8/20 Travel day
The players-DD7-Tess- and myself
On Aug 20, DH and I picked up Tess from her last day at day camp. I had been planning the trip for about a month and she had no idea! She knew we were going on a little trip (we do every summer) but was she in for a surprise. Once in the van, I hand her an outfit to change into. The shirt had Greetings from Florida on the front. She looks at it and asks Are we going to Florida? I answer, Yeeessss. She squeals and yells Are we going to Disneyworld?!? I squeal back YYYYEEESSSS!!
SO, hubby takes us to JFK for our 7:05 flight to MCO. Kisses and hugs, with some tears, and we head in. Now, my daughter and I get along really well. We have similar tastes and the same twisted sense of humor. For us, the vacation has started. We were delayed taking off but, we did just fine. I called Happy Limo and advised them of the delay. I also told them to keep an eye on the flight times. No problem. Our flight was uneventful and we enjoyed the DirecTV programming.
Upon arrival in MCO, some poor planning on my part put a crimp in our plans. I had not charged my cell phone fully before leaving home, so I needed to call Happy Limo from a pay phone. I was a little frazzled and had trouble locating one. Then I forgot where the dispatch person told me to wait! Luckily, a Redcap knew the company and put us in the right spot. Happy Limo came right away. The driver was very pleasant, but not too chatty. I like this, as we were pretty tired by then. Tess drifted off to sleep, while I relaxed, listening to some smooth jazz. No grocery stops this time. It was late and I didnt want to get out of the car!
AWe arrived at the All Star Movies at about midnight. I wake up Tess; she opens her eyes and says Wow! I thought I dreamed it all! (Everybody say awwwww)
Tess watched cartoons while I checked in. Then we headed to our preferred location room. We changed and collapsed into bed.
8/21 Magic Kingdom
We slept a later than I planned and we didnt get to MK until about 10:30. We rented a stroller and headed out. What a ball we had! Lets see. Mickeys Toontown Fair, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Mickeys Philharmagic(AWESOME), Little Mermaid, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Snow White. We then changed for and headed for the Grand Floridian for Dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming. My little Cinderella was enthralled! After, it was back to MK for Spectromagic and Wishes. What an incredible day!
The pool at ASM was still open when we headed back, so we had a dip and went to bed.
8/22 Disney /MGM Studios
Ok, same as yesterday. Slept in a bit and arrived in MGM about 10:30 AM. The shows were wonderful. We saw Playhouse Disney, an abbreviated version of Indiana Jones, Star Tours, Muppet Vision 3D, Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey, the Great Movie Ride. For dinner we had PS at 50s Prime Time Café and then Fantasmic! All I can say is WOW!
Tonight, showers and bed! Sigh-sound sleep!
8/23 Epcot
Again, we slept a little too late. But, thankfully we were able to make it to the Princess Storybook Breakfast. This was lovely. We got to meet Princesses that we havent before. Mulan, Pocohontas, Jasmine, Snow White. Princess Aurora also put in an appearance. The restaurant is quaint and the food was delicious. I highly recommend it. We then walked leisurely back to Future World. We checked out Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Test Track. Maelstrom, Ellens Energy Adventure, Innovations, Dinner and Illuminations: Reflections of Earth-Incredible! I forgot to mention Kidcot! There is one in each country. At your first stop, your child gets a mask and a small cardboard figurine attached. Then at each country, you get another figurine, representative of that culture. We found out about this a little late in the day. But, my Tess was really into it. So I became a KIDCOT COMMANDO! We made it around the world in about an hour! A nice gelato in Italy really tasted good at the end.
Another Late night swim and snack and into bed we fall!
8/24-MK and Leave a Legacy
We had planned to do Animal Kingdom today, but Tess was literally exhausted and started to complain of a sore throat. So we really slept in today. Sore throat gone, we had a relaxing brunch and headed to MK again with the sole purpose of hanging out on Donalds Boat. She must have spent about 2 solid hours playing in there, meeting new friends constantly and getting thoroughly soaked! She changed into a dry outfit and we headed to Epcot to have our picture taken for the Leave a Legacy tile. Then back to ASM for a whole evening of swimming and food. She had a hair wrap and we shopped a bit. A good nights sleep tonight!
8/25 - Typhoon Lagoon and Disney Quest
You know the drill by now-lets say it together-We slept in a bit LOL. Heading to Typhoon Lagoon was exciting for us. We had last been there in May 2001 and it is the only part of that trip that we BOTH remember clearly. So we were delighted to get there and play in the wave pool and relax on the lazy river.
Now, there is a subject I didnt address. The weather wasnt great, but it didnt stop us until this day. Every day there was a severe thunderstorm. Horizontal lightening and heavy downpours happened every afternoon. In the other parks, there was always something for us to do. Here, at Typhoon Lagoon, thats not the case. Everything closed down and we headed back to the resort.
After dinner, we headed to Downtown Disney and Disney Quest. Since this was a weeknight, Disney Quest closed at 10:00 PM. I wasnt aware of this and we were disappointed, but we managed to get in a few attractions.
Tonight we relaxed by the pool, ate too much junk food packed for our departure the next day.
8/26 The Disney Wonder-Embarkation Day
After our exciting WDW adventures, what could be more relaxing that a 3 night Disney Cruise? (I know- a seven night cruise-but work with me!) This was our 2nd cruise on the Wonder and our 3rd Disney cruise in all. Happy Limo picked us up at 9:30 am and brought to the port. We checked our entire luggage except for one small carryon that had our meds and bathing suits. This was a trip of firsts for me and arriving at the port early was one of them. What a pleasure-no lines for security or check in. After we were all checked in, we relaxed and waiting for the boarding line to start. We got online for boarding, and were onboard at about 11:45 AM. We headed for Parrot Cay for a delicious lunch. (Rae-people were staring at my plate of shrimp) and then made our way to either Wave Bands or Rockin bar D to change our dinner time to main seating. The head server said, looking at the screen, Perfect. I found out later what he meant.
Then we headed to the Oceaneers Club to sign Tess up. All finished, we changed for the MICKEY POOL!! This was a highlight for me. Hanging out with my DD and watching her come down that slide-still takes my breath away thinking about it. We stayed here until about 2:00 PM then we found our cabin-5648 which is right next door to the Barb and Tony suite. Here I found another first-a metal wall verandah. I have to admit, I was not crazy about it. But-it was a free upgrade!! So-guess what? I was LOVIN IT!
Next it was time for our safety drill and it was in Animators Palate. My first time having the luxury of an indoor muster location and it was a nice change. We then went to our cabin again and relaxed for a bit, changed and got ready for the sail-away party. We had a blast! We did the countdown until we heard that famous ship horn!
After cooling off for awhile, we headed up to dinner. We had the APL rotation and I was eager to meet our dining companions. We were seated with a man traveling with his son! The four of us got along wonderfully; they were from Los Angeles and didnt even know about the Magic sailing out west next summer! He was going to look into it and was also going to check out these boards. Hi Richard and Chandler! Dinner was, of course, delicious and we enjoyed the lights. They had grilled salmon on the childrens menu and Tess jumped on it!
Afterward, she couldnt decide between Hercules-the Musecal or going to the club. She picked the club! Her reasoning was that it was a short cruise and she really wanted to hang out there. Fine by me, I brought her to the club and then I headed to bingo. Nice game-same price. I didnt go to the show without her. Then I went to the cabin, ordered the All Hands on Deck Platter and some coffee. I, my book and my snack hung out on the verandah. Deep breaths and a starry sky; yep- I can handle this! The beeper went off and I picked up my sleepy daughter. We slept with the sounds of the ocean drifting through the open verandah door.
8/27 Disney Wonder Day 2 Nassau
I woke up bright and early, ordered coffee and settled into my verandah. We had already docked and I enjoyed the time alone. Soon, it was time to wake up Tess for breakfast and meet our tour for our Dolphin Encounter! It was not a long wait and we were off. It is a bit of a stroll from the pier to the ferry. You really feel it in the heat. But we were energetic with excitement and in no time, we arrived at the boat. Onboard, there was room for everyone and we chose to sit on the lower level, to avoid the sun. The band was good and we really enjoyed the scenery as the ferry sped along.
Upon arrival at Blue Lagoon, the Beach Day and the Encounter customers are separated and you are escorted to a briefing area. After watching a short movie about the dolphin encounter, a trainer explains some instructions. Then youre brought down to the dock where the encounter will take place. Now, this is our second time doing this and we purchased the photo album. I regretted not buying it the first time around. At $165 it is pricey, but to me, worth it.
Once the encounter is over, you pick up your video and/or album and go. They changed a picture for me (at my request) in my album, so I arranged to pick it up later. Tess and I headed down to the beach to enjoy some swimming. She was beginning a meltdown. Exhausted, hot and hungry, she refused food and only wanted water. So we headed back to the ship. The Mickey pool is great and we have Castaway Cay tomorrow. Agreed on a plan, we head back to the 2:00 pm ferry. Then I remembered our album! I have to high-tail it up the beach to the Dolphin Encounter! Oh boy! Now, just to paint the picture, I am a Pooh-sized lady and it is not an easy thing for me to do-running on the hot sand, on a hotter day for about 3 blocks. Holy Hannah! But I made-there and back. We caught the ferry and headed back to the Wonder. I was soooo happy to be back on board!
Tess cooled off in the pool; I even took a quick dip. Then we headed to the cabin for a quick shower. Tess wanted some club-time. I left her in the club and I said Id pick her up for dinner. At about 10 to 6, her group was already headed up to the Buffet for dinner, so thats where I went. When then come in, she spies me and says, I want to eat with my club, can you pick me up for the show? Ok, I say. Now here I am, without my daughter to share dinner. I think to myself-what about Palo? At Parrot Cay, I let our head server know about our not coming tonight. Not a problem and he appreciated the notice. Then, for the first time in my short DCL career, I headed up to Palo. The matred seated me immediately and my server and asst server proceeded to spoil me beyond saving! The filet mignon was melt in your mouth delicious, the mushroom w/ risotto was incredible and that chocolate soufflé??? It was so good that I looked around to see if anyone took notice of my ecstatic moans-ala When Harry met Sally. Nope-cause they were in their own soufflé worlds.
If you are unsure whether or not you should try Palo-GO FOR IT!! For $10 it is almost a sin not to.
MMMMMMM-soufflé memory
After dinner, I strolled leisurely. I cannot tell you where I went. I havent a clue. I just happily roamed. Then I picked up DD and we watched the Golden Mickeys. Ok-you know the red carpet interviews? Well Tess wanted to be on camera. There was a little line-just one little group ahead of Tess-and it was their turn. Just then a young girl, with Downs syndrome got on line behind Tess. A CM comes over and tells the parents that the line is closed. Before they informed their DD, I asked Tess if she would share the spotlight. When it was their turn, we watched our girls together on the video screen. All I can say is WOW-another magical moment.
The show was fabulous. It was such a kick to watch her reactions. Seven is such a great age. Their communication skills are better, and they still have that pixie dust glow about them! So, after the show, Tess headed to the club and I headed to the cabin for a nap. When the beeper went off, I was dozing. Another great day and restful night.
8/28 Castaway Cay
This morning we didnt hurry off the ship. We knew what we wanted and we werent in a rush. There was a family dig at Monstros Point that we tried. We were alone, it was too hot. So we went for a swim. I dragged one of those sand chairs into the water and watched my DD play. We tried snorkeling, but we didnt enjoy it. She made some friends and played in the shallow water. I was very hot. I honestly felt groggy-like I couldnt think to clearly. Tess sees a blue float, and grabs it. A woman next to me say Excuse me, thats ours-I respond with Im sorry I thought they were FREE!! Can you believe I said that?!? I tell you, my brain was foggy. I realized that I needed to eat. We headed over for some lunch. I felt better and Tess wanted to hang out with her club. I checked her into Scuttles Cove. Then I decided to see if they had any openings for parasailing. They did! I got to go parasailing for my third time on castaway cay! An awesome experience.
I picked up Tess and we went back to the ship. Relaxing for a little while, a Mickey pool dip and some TV time in the cabin refreshed us. We dressed for dinner in Tritons. Tess wore her Cinderella ball gown and she looked scrumptious! We celebrated her July 25th birthday again with a lovely cake and the traditional happy birthday song. After dinner, said goodbye to our serving team and head waiter with their tips. We bid our dining companions goodbye. Heading up to the club, I am trying to talk Tess into changing out of her gown for the evening. She is insistent as only she can be. So, I ask her to sit down and wait for a minute while I looked for my key. It only took about 4 seconds for her to start to itch and fidget. She then agreed. After a quick change, she went to her club and I packed.
I went to pick her up in time for Till we meet again and she said her goodbyes. I see her tearing up and she tells me that she cant find her favorite counselor, Vicki. A counselor calls her on the phone, and Vicki comes walking in. Tess runs to her, crying that shell miss her. Vicki then escorts Tess around the characters in the Atrium. I cant wait for those pictures!
We stayed up late, ordered room service, chatted, and watched TV. Again, I checked most of our luggage. The next morning, we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast at the Buffet and we strolled off the ship (another first for me). Locating our luggage was a breeze and a Redcap took us through customs and to the pick up area. In just a few minutes, Happy Limo was there to whisk us off to MCO. Our flight was on time and we arrived at JFK without incident. DH picked us up and we filled his head with our stories.
**A few notes**
--I joined simple escapes and bought food vouchers. It was not worth it for us.
-- didn't plan well for the weather. We got soaked in the daily storms, and I ended up buying DD a new outfit 2x! Plus umbrellas and sweatshirts. Too pricey. Next time, I'll pop an outfit in a large ziplock and sqeeze the air out.
--Next time, God willing, I would like to get an earlier start. I would fly down earlier, instead of arriving at midnight.
--Again, I packed too much. And too many shoes! My goal was 2 carryons for our stuff. I ended up buying another suitcase in Disneyworld! What a waste of money.
--Next time, I would get to Fantasmic earlier and get a better seat.
--I loved getting to the port early! No lines, no tension.
--I brought lots of singles for tips-worked great. Also, lots of disposable cameras.
It truly was a trip of a lifetime!
Ursula and Tess
