This morning I began a ritual of getting up early (often before 6am) and sneaking out to the WL hot tubs and pool. I never set an alarm to do this and since we lost an hour flying east I really should have been sleeping in. It must have been the same calling when as a kid you realize that that its Christmas morning hours before your parents want you to awaken. This was a time of tranquility and reflection that I had obviously been hungry for. After a while I would get a cup of coffee at roaring forks, wander out to the boat dock, watch the birds fly, and the 7am geyser performance in front of this magnificent lodge. These marvels were punctuated by the beautiful sunrises and colorful hot air ballons floating over Bay Lake.
Since we were blessed with great weather we spent a lot of time at the pools. While our daughters prefered the kiddie pool, our four year old mustered up the courage to go down the waterslide on several occasions. It is amazing how quickly a look of terror can turn into smiles and laughs once your safely back in your daddy's arms.
We took the boat to Chef Mickeys that night. We consistently agreed that boat transportation was romantic besides being efficient. You do need to plan on extra time in case you just miss a boat and need to be somewhere. The atmosphere here is definately upbeat, bright, and cheerful. The food was as good as a buffet can be but it is truly the characters that are in charge of the experience here. Our one year old snuck way from our table and we found her attatched to Minnie's leg in a hug that would have made Leo Buscalia proud. Our four year old immediatlely picked up on "Minnie mannerisms" and would throw us cute little poses as if she were screen testing for her next film. Another magical day for our family.
After another day of lounging by the pool my wife and I snuck out for an evening alone together. We brought a cocktail along with us and took a cruise to the Contemporary and monorail to the Polynesian. We had drinks, appetizers, desserts, and coffee at the Kona Cafe. The food was excellent but the coffee was not as good as I had expected. Back to the monorail for resort hopping, gift shopping and just bee bopping around. The resorts were beautifully decorated for Christmas and the Grand Floridian had a live band playing carols in thier lobby. After a monorail through the lights of Epcot we took the bus back to the Wilderness Lodge just in time to see the MK fireworks which were easily seen from its parking area. We then headed to the beach for the electric parade and called it a great night thanks to our built in babysitters Grandma and Pop Pop.
Since we were blessed with great weather we spent a lot of time at the pools. While our daughters prefered the kiddie pool, our four year old mustered up the courage to go down the waterslide on several occasions. It is amazing how quickly a look of terror can turn into smiles and laughs once your safely back in your daddy's arms.
We took the boat to Chef Mickeys that night. We consistently agreed that boat transportation was romantic besides being efficient. You do need to plan on extra time in case you just miss a boat and need to be somewhere. The atmosphere here is definately upbeat, bright, and cheerful. The food was as good as a buffet can be but it is truly the characters that are in charge of the experience here. Our one year old snuck way from our table and we found her attatched to Minnie's leg in a hug that would have made Leo Buscalia proud. Our four year old immediatlely picked up on "Minnie mannerisms" and would throw us cute little poses as if she were screen testing for her next film. Another magical day for our family.
After another day of lounging by the pool my wife and I snuck out for an evening alone together. We brought a cocktail along with us and took a cruise to the Contemporary and monorail to the Polynesian. We had drinks, appetizers, desserts, and coffee at the Kona Cafe. The food was excellent but the coffee was not as good as I had expected. Back to the monorail for resort hopping, gift shopping and just bee bopping around. The resorts were beautifully decorated for Christmas and the Grand Floridian had a live band playing carols in thier lobby. After a monorail through the lights of Epcot we took the bus back to the Wilderness Lodge just in time to see the MK fireworks which were easily seen from its parking area. We then headed to the beach for the electric parade and called it a great night thanks to our built in babysitters Grandma and Pop Pop.
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