DHHIR Family Reunion 7/31-8/7/09- a great time had by MOST! Final Updates 10/16 p.8

[15isto2]

Cool report so far

 

[chum]

I just wanted to shed some light on the parking over at the beach DVC location in Palmetto Dunes.

Way back when, the site of the DVC beach house was a crushed shell path that led to a small sand parking lot surrounded with palmettos. This was a beach access spot for owners and visitors in Palmetto Dunes. I parked my car and bike down there many times and enjoyed the seclusion.

When Disney developed the DVC island property at Shelter Cove they also wanted nearby beach access which was few and far between and very expensive.

Disney cut a deal with Greenwood who owned and managed Palmetto Dunes and the sand parking area. Palmetto Dunes agreed to sell the lot for construction of a Disney beach house as long as part of the facility (restrooms, counter service dining, grills, picnic tables, beach access and parking) was still available to Palmetto Dunes owners/guests.

So, that is why you will see those non-DVC minivans crowding what few spaces there are at the beach house. There is a gate to enter the south section of PD where the beach house is located.

Now back to the trip report!

 

[podsnel]

Cool report so far

Thank-you!

I just wanted to shed some light on the parking over at the beach DVC location in Palmetto Dunes.

Way back when, the site of the DVC beach house was a crushed shell path that led to a small sand parking lot surrounded with palmettos. This was a beach access spot for owners and visitors in Palmetto Dunes. I parked my car and bike down there many times and enjoyed the seclusion.

When Disney developed the DVC island property at Shelter Cove they also wanted nearby beach access which was few and far between and very expensive.

Disney cut a deal with Greenwood who owned and managed Palmetto Dunes and the sand parking area. Palmetto Dunes agreed to sell the lot for construction of a Disney beach house as long as part of the facility (restrooms, counter service dining, grills, picnic tables, beach access and parking) was still available to Palmetto Dunes owners/guests.

So, that is why you will see those non-DVC minivans crowding what few spaces there are at the beach house. There is a gate to enter the south section of PD where the beach house is located.

Now back to the trip report!

Thank-you for that explanation- it makes sense then. I don't mind it- because I LOVE to ride my bike up to the beach, that ride under the canopy of trees on the way to the ocean is something I look forward to every day I'm there, and most of the kids like it too- we're a big caravan. But for the couple who bring too much stuff, it was a big problem. Probably what added to the issue was that the guard at the Palmetto Dunes gate told my SIL when she couldn't find a spot that it was because the people parked in the lot were not authorized to be there. I think she was under the impression that there would be a mass exodus of cars leaving the lot because they wouldn't want to get ticketed (which of course never happened). Thanks for explaining, and I love the back story- you don't happen to have any photos of what it was like before DVC put the beach hous up, do you Chum?

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Tammie- I can't find it. Do you have a link to your TR? Thanks!

Sorry, I missed this, and your last update. Here is the link - it's on our Control Freaks thread - the page before has a couple of pic of my grandbabies from our Texas trip.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2217413&page=49

I loved your fun family day with all the games! It was so nice your MIL appreciated your planning! It feels so good when someone is grateful for your hard work instead of complaining.

 

[S. C.]

Just found your report. Can't wait to read it tomorrow, must get some sleep now have to be up early.

 

[podsnel]

Sorry, I missed this, and your last update. Here is the link - it's on our Control Freaks thread - the page before has a couple of pic of my grandbabies from our Texas trip.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2217413&page=49

I loved your fun family day with all the games! It was so nice your MIL appreciated your planning! It feels so good when someone is grateful for your hard work instead of complaining.

Thanks for the link- I'll be over later today!

And yes, it IS nice when people show appreciativeness for hard work rather than feeling the need to be overly, ridiculously critical!!

Just found your report. Can't wait to read it tomorrow, must get some sleep now have to be up early.

I'm so happy you came!

I'll try to post before DH & I leave for Vero and WDW on Friday-sorry I've been crazy busy lately!!

 

[S. C.]

the TR.


I see Mickey ears on the lady in purple? lol

 

[podsnel]

the TR.


I see Mickey ears on the lady in purple? lol

HAHA! You are the second person to notice that- I posted this TR on the DVC board, too, because alot of the DVC people wouldn't think to look here for this. Anyway, someone over there said the same thing!! I'll have to tell her!!

And thank-you- I'm glad you like it so far!

 

[podsnel]

After dinner, we went over to the pool to sign up for any games that needed signing up for (of which there were I think 3) and get the party started!!! I just love this party- there is plenty to do, it is organized by someone other than me, and it is free! Everyone is laughing and smiling, doing as much or as little as they want to do. The first things our kids were doing was musical chairs (with water balloons on every seat) and a "dunk tank" which didn't seem to be working all that well-

DN8 was the runner up!

DH took a turn under the "dunk tank"

And DS12 did his best to dunk him- but that thing wouldn't budge, even when it was hit!!

Everyone wins-

Facepainting-

Set-up for the Star Spangled BBQ-

The Ice cream drop, played by DN10, DN13 and DGF15-

What a trooper!! This game is a riot- they played it twice for all the kids-

Time to eat some mud and suck out some worms, boys!!

DN12-

DS12-

DN7-

DBIL & DSIL said they had no idea this was what they missed last year when we were here! They loved this party!!

Today's activities-

B'Lou Crabbe makes balloon animals for the kids- ours got the last 3-

I didn't know a machine gun was an animal?

Cont'd next post-

 

[podsnel]

More balloon animals-

What a great pic- this ladybug wristlet B'lou Crabbe made for her was soooo cute!!

Then the night progressed with everyone hopping in the pool, or hopping onto the dance floor!

Kemosabi, jump on it! Jump on it! Jump on it!

My one SIL loves to dance, she had such a blast learning all the line dances and doing the ones she already knew. What I thought was really great was that my DNeice was dancing with new friends she had made the night before at KNO- that was excellent! And she even learned a dance she didn't already know- which was a miracle!!

Dniece was also in the front of the Conga line-

How low can you go?

Time for the dads to dance to YMCA-

DH was giving me the high sign- he was sending his Big Brother right behind him in for a splash ending!

Ahhhhh...that was just hilarious!!!

Everybody clap your hands!

Then the girls take a turn on the Macarena-

Fireworks!

Cont'd....

 

[englishrose47]

Awesome Party Ellen!!!

 

[podsnel]

A few more fireworks, and I apologize for, yet again, forgetting my tripod!!!

By the end of the party, and all the games, and all the dancing, and all the swimming and sliding in the night, we were pretty tired-

But my MIL was thrilled- she thought this party was so much fun, she enjoyed watching all of the activity, and all of the smiles and laughter- she raved about it, as did, well, 17 others out of 20.

The CMs do a fantastic job of throwing a fabulous evening of happy times had by (almost) all!! What a blast Tuesday night is in HHI because of them.

Next- we're going kayaking on Member Day!!!!

 

[S. C.]

loving this report!

 

[podsnel]

It was Wednesday morning and we woke up to another beautiful day on HHI. This morning, there would be 8 of us going out kayaking. Last year, just DS12 and i went, and I really think this might be my favorite thing to do here on HHI- there is so much wildlife out in the marsh, AND it is a fantastic work-out besides. Makes you feel alot less guilty drinking those frozen drinks at the pool later in the day. The kayaking is guided, and begins with some basics on dry land before you get out on the water-

Then we were off! DH & DN11-

Me with DS12-

Us and BIL & DN7-

BIL & DN8-

It really is beautiful, and so peaceful out there. Unfortunately, we did not see even one dolphin (which is the opposite of what usually happens! Last year we saw many, and a shrimp even jumped in the boat and freaked me out much to DS12's delight!). Our guide said this was soooo unusual, they always see them. And, FWIW, my BIL who didn't get in on this trip on time and took one the following day saw about 30 dolphins, even a mom with a baby that swam right next to their kayak- how amazing is that!!! Oh well- we still saw tons of birds, and it was good to be out there. I just felt so bad because I wanted everyone else to have that amazing dolphin encounter, too.

My one SIL was out this morning on another tour with Carol- she went on the Old Town Bluffton tour, because friends of hers had come to HHI and said they loved the artist community there, so she wanted to see it for herself. Here is a little of what she experienced-

Up next- we hit the beach and see the MOST AMAZING thing EVAAAARRRRR!!!

 

[S. C.]

Can't wait for next installement.

 

[podsnel]

Can't wait for next installement.

Should have something up today!

 

[podsnel]

We headed over to the beach after our morning of kayaking, because, of course, all the "stuff" was there. But where was everyone? Don't they know beach time is mandatory?????? There's a big cooler and everything! Well, on this day, only a few of us were at the beach- the BIL who was cooking that night felt the need to get ready to grill, so he spent the day doing that- and his kids were having fun (oh, the horror!!) at the Big Dipper Pool....along with another family's kids. For shame!!!!! The cooler was at the beach!!!! What were they thinking?? Clearly, if they had done their shopping of ALL FOOD (including the perishables like meat) at home and driven it to HHI (where, as everyone knows, there ARE no grocery stores), this would NEVER have happened. There is only one right way to do things, you know. Even if there are only 2 people who think it is the right way. Moving on.....

When we got to the beach, there was a guy with his wife, his hoe and his shovel doing who knows what in the sand. But it sure did look purty!! And then he finished (it was obvious he had been working for quite sometime) and stood back...and the beach goers all had a blast enjoying his creativity and couldn't wait to join in and be a part of it!! (He had his GARDEN hoe, with him- what did you think I meant?? Oh- be-HAVE!!) This man was aMAZE-ing!!!

Aren't DVC members just the best?? This very nice and creative gentleman was there with his wife (and his hoe!), he was not even doing this for his own kids! When i spoke to him later, he told me he used to make sandcastles. And what he noticed with those was that people would walk up to them once, check them out, and then just walk by them the rest of the day. So one day he had an idea to make a little maze with his hoe, and then as he kept doing it, they kept getting bigger and bigger and more complex. The mazes were all done freehand, he didn't have a chart or a graph of any kind. Really amazing, isn't it?

Later in the day, we were enjoying the beach, and the kids had their own creative streak. SIL had brought along different odds & ends to make a mini-golf course- how cool is that? Each kid made their own hole, and they had a blast playing. My SIL has some great ideas!

I was really in the mood to go out for dinner that night, so DH & I went out in search of a restaurant. I think we were looking for the Black Marlin, but for the life of us we couldn't figure out how to get to it!! So we ended up at Redfish, which ended up being perfectly wonderful. The scallops were OMG delicious!

DH was having a shrimp & pasta off of the early bird menu-his was good, but mine was better!

Then it was back to Disney to see what everyone was up to this night!

 

[SLM]

Love the pictures! What a nice man and a great idea! Have to try that at our OC beach this summer!

 

[podsnel]

Love the pictures! What a nice man and a great idea! Have to try that at our OC beach this summer!

Hey! How do you like OC? We've never been , but have heard it's got a fantastic boardwalk.

 

[Mysteria]

Wow Ellen what a fantastic report!! I know we discussed some of it at lunch but with the pictures it just all comes together.

Now I really want to go!