Back to the West 2014

[mom2rtk]

Gorgeous pictures Janet!! Looking forward to your day at MK

Thanks Wendy! We're almost up to the Disney stuff!

Do you have your plans firmed up yet for your return to DLR?

 

[mvf-m11c]

Very nice pictures of the birds and gators. This is what I don't see to often when I am in Florida where I am only there for the parks. It is nice to see some pictures of other things in Florida. I will have to consider that one day when I go back to Florida instead of going to the parks. You and your family had a fun and exciting time on the beach.

I remember that you wanted to rent the 2.0x extender over the 1.4x extender since that was available during your trip but the pictures during the day turned out really well. After looking at most of your photos during your updates, I will have to buy my own telephoto lens. After I try out the 2.8 next month during the D23 Expo, I will think about which telephoto lens to get.

Great update Janet.

 

[YodasMom]

Awesome wildlife, landscape, portrait and family photos, Janet! It looks like you all enjoyed your trip and being with each other! I love the "other" parts of Florida which you captured well in your photos.

Oh, as a side-story.....When I was in Costa Rica last month, we took a drive down to a national park in the southern Pacific part of the country. We took a boat trip to a nature preserve and, in order to get to the boat, we also had to walk out in the water since it couldn't get all the way up to the shore. Kind of scary, and I also wasn't expecting it! I held my bag over my head as I walked to the boat! No phone in my pocket, though....LOL!!

I've enjoyed both your FL trip report as well as last winter's DLR report. I'm anxious to here what your plans are for this coming fall / winter, too!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Wow, you have some thrill seekers there with that parasailing! That's cool that you can all "hang" together while you do it.

Aw, the picture in front of the sign is precious.

That's a bummer about your phone but very good that you had a backup. My husband fried his phone one time jumping into the Beach Club pool to save my DD who was struggling after coming down the pirate slide.

 

[czmom]

Thanks Wendy! We're almost up to the Disney stuff!

Do you have your plans firmed up yet for your return to DLR?

Well we may be pushing the trip to November. Some things have come up with my health, so we are not sure yet. Supposed to go in 10 days!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

What amazing pictures, Janet.

I'm going to have to remember Sanibel. It looks like an awesome place to vacation. I love all your wildlife shots and your pictures of the family are fantastic.

 

[jenseib]

Just amazing pictures. This was such a fun little trip. I am loving all the sunrise and sunset pictures. You want to come with me next week and take pictures for me? We could use a good family picture too. If I had been thinking I would've done some sort of color coordinated outfit for all of us....too late now. Suitcases are packed!
That shell beach is so cool.
You know I love the gator pictures and the birds are great too. So interesting.

 

[mom2rtk]

Very nice pictures of the birds and gators. This is what I don't see to often when I am in Florida where I am only there for the parks. It is nice to see some pictures of other things in Florida. I will have to consider that one day when I go back to Florida instead of going to the parks. You and your family had a fun and exciting time on the beach.

I remember that you wanted to rent the 2.0x extender over the 1.4x extender since that was available during your trip but the pictures during the day turned out really well. After looking at most of your photos during your updates, I will have to buy my own telephoto lens. After I try out the 2.8 next month during the D23 Expo, I will think about which telephoto lens to get.

Great update Janet.

Thanks Bret!

This was definitely a "Florida" trip much more than an "Orlando" trip. We love both types.

The funny part on that extender is that if I had it to do over again, I still don't know which one I'd choose. I hated losing a stop of light, but still wanted more reach. Going to the 2x converter would have lost me yet another stop of light. I ended up doing a lot of cropping some of those photos and was pretty happy with the results. I think what I would do if I went again was rent the 70-300. That was the final choice I had made for this trip, but took too long and it was out of stock.

I'm really anxious to hear how you like the 2.8 zoom. I hope your experience with it helps make you more sure of the direction you want to go. D23 sounds like a great place to try it out!

Awesome wildlife, landscape, portrait and family photos, Janet! It looks like you all enjoyed your trip and being with each other! I love the "other" parts of Florida which you captured well in your photos.

Oh, as a side-story.....When I was in Costa Rica last month, we took a drive down to a national park in the southern Pacific part of the country. We took a boat trip to a nature preserve and, in order to get to the boat, we also had to walk out in the water since it couldn't get all the way up to the shore. Kind of scary, and I also wasn't expecting it! I held my bag over my head as I walked to the boat! No phone in my pocket, though....LOL!!

I've enjoyed both your FL trip report as well as last winter's DLR report. I'm anxious to here what your plans are for this coming fall / winter, too!

Hi Karen! So glad you have hung in there with me. Classic Florida is fun in its own right. I get reminded of that every time we spend some extended time on Sanibel.

LOL on the Costa Rica story. I feel better to be in good company, and am glad you didn't lose a phone in the deal.

They all looked at me like I was crazy when I showed up in shorts. I just kept saying "But last year we entered off the dock....."

Costa Rica sounds awesome though. I hope you'll post some pages in the scrapbook group when you get some done. I can't imagine that you won't eventually scrap such a memorable trip!

I bet you're getting excited about D23 coming up so soon!

I'd love to know with certainty what our fall/winter plans are too. It's driving me crazy that we don't have them set in stone yet.

Wow, you have some thrill seekers there with that parasailing! That's cool that you can all "hang" together while you do it.

Aw, the picture in front of the sign is precious.

That's a bummer about your phone but very good that you had a backup. My husband fried his phone one time jumping into the Beach Club pool to save my DD who was struggling after coming down the pirate slide.

They really enjoyed the parasailing. I wish Robbie would have gone, but he was ready for a day of sleeping in and he's old enough to decide for himself.

I love the tradition photos through the years. Robbie hadn't come with us since 2009 so it was fun to get a chance to update a couple!

How scary about your DD at the pool slide. I'm sure your husband didn't care about the phone at that point. Great instincts on his part! Did the lifeguards see what was going on?

 

[mom2rtk]

Well we may be pushing the trip to November. Some things have come up with my health, so we are not sure yet. Supposed to go in 10 days!!

Oh gosh, I hope it isn't anything too serious. Times like this really make you look forward to those family trips even more, don't they? Hang in there, Wendy.

What amazing pictures, Janet.

I'm going to have to remember Sanibel. It looks like an awesome place to vacation. I love all your wildlife shots and your pictures of the family are fantastic.

Thanks PiO! You would love Sanibel, and so would your son. It's a great stop to add in if you get to Florida sometime.

Just amazing pictures. This was such a fun little trip. I am loving all the sunrise and sunset pictures. You want to come with me next week and take pictures for me? We could use a good family picture too. If I had been thinking I would've done some sort of color coordinated outfit for all of us....too late now. Suitcases are packed!
That shell beach is so cool.
You know I love the gator pictures and the birds are great too. So interesting.

Thanks Jen!
I wish I had seen this sooner since I know you have already departed for your trip. If I had seen it, I would have had time to pack my bag and come!

You would love Sanibel. So would Claire.

But nothing is going to compare to that amazing adventure you are embarking on now! Can't wait to see all your photos!

 

[ArwenMarie]

How scary about your DD at the pool slide. I'm sure your husband didn't care about the phone at that point. Great instincts on his part! Did the lifeguards see what was going on?

There was a lifeguard there but she seemed like a deer in headlights. Yikes.

 

[mom2rtk]

There was a lifeguard there but she seemed like a deer in headlights. Yikes.

Yeah yikes. I sure hope she learned a lesson. And I'm so glad your husband had such great instincts.

 

[YodasMom]

Costa Rica sounds awesome though. I hope you'll post some pages in the scrapbook group when you get some done. I can't imagine that you won't eventually scrap such a memorable trip!

I bet you're getting excited about D23 coming up so soon

LOL!!! It was my 3rd Costa Rican trip, and I still have not scrapped anything! Since my brother and SIL live there now, I have a free place to stay. I have TONS of shots. I actually took significantly few photos than on previous trips.

Yes, excited about D23. Hoping I get to see something besides lines! Looking forward to DLR for 3 days before, too!

 

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

Looks like you have been up to some fun stuff Janet, can't wait to read about the rest of your trip!

 

[mom2rtk]

LOL!!! It was my 3rd Costa Rican trip, and I still have not scrapped anything! Since my brother and SIL live there now, I have a free place to stay. I have TONS of shots. I actually took significantly few photos than on previous trips.

Yes, excited about D23. Hoping I get to see something besides lines! Looking forward to DLR for 3 days before, too!

Ah, that is awesome! I'm jealous you have such a gorgeous place to visit routinely. And I can't wait to hear about your DLR visit. Would you post back here with your experience watching PTN and the new fireworks?

Bret, I'd love to hear your experience with these as well!

Looks like you have been up to some fun stuff Janet, can't wait to read about the rest of your trip!

Hey stranger! So glad you found us!

What an adorable avatar photo you have now!

I'm trying to get this summer trip stuff finished off so I can get back to Disneyland.

 

[mom2rtk]

Friday June 5, 2015:

We got up that morning knowing we had a lot of ground to cover. We estimated our drive to be around 3 1/2 hours. Our only hard and fast deadline is that the boys were flying home that night on a 9 PM flight. Easy peasy, right?

They wanted one last swim in the pool so we started there for the day. Of course, we can't just swim. They have to turn it into some sort of a competitive game. So they used the swim ring as a basket and had a soft football they were using to score "baskets".

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While they were swimming a family came into the pool area. They were speaking German I believe, so I'm not sure what they were saying. But the mom walked right up to the symbol of a diver with a big slash through it and proceeded to dive over and over into the 5 1/2 foot deep water. Maybe that picture didn't translate well into German.

We didn't swim long as we had a lot to finish up before checking out that day. We always have a few shops we want to pop back into for a t-shirt or shell. Robbie had a pretty extensive (and very heavy!) shell collection, so we decided to mail those home. He completely filled 2 USPS medium Flat Rate Boxes. They were so heavy I thought they might disqualify the, but no, they were quite used to it. In fact they had a stamp that read "Precious cargo - Sanibel Seashells" they stamped on the box. Since the box rattled pretty loudly, I was glad they stamped it.

I took one last photo on the way off the island, a different view of the Causeway Bridge.

Sanibel Island Causeway Bridge by mom2rtk, on Flickr

We left around 2 thinking that would leave us about an hour to stop for dinner along the way. I suppose our mistake was not realizing we were driving through Tampa and into Orlando on a Friday evening. But that 3 1/2 hour drive ended up taking closer to 5 hours. We had gone through Tampa thinking it would be faster going by interstate. Next time I'd probably take the slower direct route through small town central Florida. I mean, how bad could rush hour be in those small towns?

We parked and walked the boys into the airport, then headed back out toward WDW! I was driving at that point, so no chance to catch a photo of the gorgeous rainbow we saw in the pink sky as the sun was setting. I seriously considered pulling over for a photo, but it had been a very long day.

We then headed for Disney and our first stay in a royal room at Port Orleans Riverside. Actually it was our first stay ever at Port Orleans. The resort was a lot bigger than I expected, but the room and grounds were gorgeous.

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We were all really tired and hoping to get to sleep quickly, but that was not to be. This was the prettiest room we have stayed in at Disney but it was also the loudest. There was a rhythmic thumping music sound coming from somewhere in the distance. We called the front desk and they didn't know what it was. In retrospect, I should have known I wasn't talking to anyone onsite so it was sort of pointless, but the day had been long and my brain cells were in need of rest. We walked back outside to see if someone was playing a boom box, because that's exactly what it sounded like. But even from the parking lot it sounded like it was still far off. It sounded like a dance party, maybe at Downtown Disney or one of the neighboring hotels? I have no idea. I know it was Gay Days weekend, so maybe there was some sort of special event. It took me quite a while to finally doze off, and that's pretty unusual for me.

 

[KCmike]

I love this resort. We've never stayed in the made up rooms we've had the mansions or the Alligator Bayou. I love how lush it is there and the Mill has some delicious food choices (turkey, breakfast, etc). Did you get to tour the grounds or take the boat to downtown disney? This is our home resort.

Oh yeah, btw, I think I lost my tag to this thread as I never get updates. Ugh.

We are toying with the idea of moving to Forida after the kids get out of college. Crazy huh?

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Fun in the pool! That non english speaking lady is lucky she didn't get hurt!

Oh the Royal Rooms are so beautiful! I think the next time I stay at POR I have to stay there. I've been in a regular mansion room and in Alligator Bayou, so that's the last section I haven't stayed in!

 

[mom2rtk]

Saturday June 6, 2015:

Not surprisingly, I was up early despite the late night. That's just par for the course with me. While Drew and Katie slept in, I went out to take some photos and get some breakfast to bring back to the room.

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OK, so anyone who knows me knows I'm a total wimp in the heat. But I couldn't be in Florida and not visit the Magic Kingdom. We have done this same thing several times before (following up a Sanibel visit with one day in the MK before heading home.) I just never feel like it's worth the cost to spend a week at Disney in the summer heat when I enjoy it so much more in the cooler times of year. On previous visits like this, we have gone in late in the day and stayed until the EMH was over. I'm not a night owl, but I can handle it on a 1 day visit.

We had not been since December 2012 and don't have any current plans for visiting WDW again soon. But there were some things I was missing or wanting to see for the first time. So this visit was all about doing some of the things we can't do on our Disneyland trips. (Plus I've been told I can't possibly have an opinion on FP+ without having tried it myself, so it was time to finally strap on a magic band and give that a try. Of course, I've been told since then that a one day park visit isn't nearly enough to have a valid opinion, so I guess I'll have to find a time to get back again. LOL.)

Katie is a huge fan of the movie "The Aristocats". When I reminded her that Marie does a meet & greet in the MK, she insisted we be there in time to see Marie. When I factored that in with staking out a spot early for the Festival of Fantasy Parade, it became clear that it wouldn't work to come later in the day. We needed to meet Marie before 11 to make it work with our schedule. So I decided to brave the heat and get there late morning with a plan to stay through the end of the 2 AM EMH.

Waiting for the bus at POR:

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We walked into the park around 10:30 and Marie was on a break, but yes, on our very first visit to the MK in 2 1/2 years, we started our visit by lining up to see a character. It was worth it, and I have a growing collection of Marie pictures with her favorite fan through the years.

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And yes, one more photo op before doing anything fun:

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OK, the photos were done and it was time for fun, right? No! LOL. It was time to duck out of the heat for an early lunch. Part of my plan to avoid getting overheated was to duck into the A/C as often as possible. I knew going into this visit that it was a level 9 crowd day. We had an ADR for dinner, but I knew we'd need a little something for lunch and a chance to get inside in the cool air. So what better way of doing that than with a BOG ADR! I lucked into a last minute ADR and I loved that it meant we would not have to battle crowds in line at a counter service location. I had placed our order late the night before online. I really hated guessing what we would want, but when we walked up and were seated in less than a minute, I was quite happy we had.

Katie had a kid's meal and a cupcake. I had a bowls of soup and an éclair. Drew had the quiche and an éclair.

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I enjoyed cooling off inside, and I also enjoyed the chance to photograph the restaurant again, only this time with a camera known for its low light capability.


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We got photobomed when we stopped for a photo on the way out! LOL.

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We ate at BOG 5 times on our December 2012 trip. It had just opened and I knew we weren't coming back soon and I wanted to fully experience it. So we had 3 dinner ADRs and got to eat in every room. At that time the Rose Gallery was only open at lunch so we did counter service one day. Then on our last day we had CS credits left and decided to try it one more time. I enjoyed every visit there, but didn't really feel compelled to eat there this trip. I scheduled it more as a logistical answer to what we needed that way (CS prices with ADR reservation to avoid lines). It worked like a charm. It was a pleasant experience that really fit the bill.

We left around 12:30 just in time to head to our first fastpass of the day: Splash Mountain.

 

[rndmr2]

Glad to see you arrived safely at POR. The Royal room is beautiful. We stayed at POR in 2010 in one of the regular Mansion rooms (a King Bed room, which is nice and spacious) and I just loved it there. I think it is my favorite resort.

ETA: You probably posted that last update while I was typing, LOL

Your pics of the POR grounds just showed me more proof how much I love that resort.

Love the pics with Marie.

Great pics inside BOG! I think those are the best I've seen, especially in the West Wing room, Better than any I have taken that's for sure, LOL Beautiful pic of the Rose.

 

[czmom]

I love POR!!! We've been in the Royal Room and Alligator Bayou. It's our favorite resort when we aren't staying at a DVC resort. Bummer about the loud music though.