Blackbeard
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2008
- Messages
- 23
You've got to grind, grind, grind at that grindstone...though childhood slips, like sand through a sieve
My youngest child has graduated from high school, signaling the end of an era. We have let our children pick a family trip as a graduation present and I couldnt have been happier when she nixed Europe for Walt Disney World. My argument that the World Showcase is the same thing didn't amuse her mother but, the point was moot...we were going back!
This was our 7th family trip to the Happiest Place on Earth and 2nd time staying at the Beach Club. Port Orleans Riverside is also a favorite of ours and we have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Club and Coronado Springs as well. Our family of 4 includes my wife and I, our aforementioned high school graduate, and our son who is a junior in college.
We land at Orlando International Airport at 10:30, take Magical Express to the Beach Club, check in, and are sitting down ordering lunch at Beaches and Cream by 12:15. Our luggage did not fare so well, not arriving to our room until 5, but if that is the worst thing that happens on this trip, were in good shape. It was.
It took a few hours for room to be ready, but who cares? If you have older children, the Beach Club is in the best location of any hotel at Disney in my opinion. Should we walk over to Epcot? How about a boat to the Hollywood Studios. Theres always the Boardwalk and of course all of the activities at our own hotel. In the end, lunch and dessert at Beaches and Cream and swimming in Stormalong Bay wins out.
Our first floor room with patio overlooking the quiet pool and the lagoon beyond is ready and we recharge our batteries waiting for the luggage. The Magic Kingdom is open late tonight! We catch a bus and arrive with enough time before our reservations at the Plaza Restaurant to enjoy Main Street and get fastpasses to Space Mountain...which I was pleasantly surprised were still available. I used to avoid going to Disney in the summer but Ive learned that despite the crowds, all you need is timing, fastpasses, and ADRs and you dont have to wait in lines. Our longest wait for a meal all week was 15 minutes and only 10 minutes for a ride.
Not the wisest thing for the waistline to schedule Beaches and Cream and The Plaza on the same day, but the rules are different on vacation! After dinner we had nothing but time to stroll around the park. What a beautiful evening, in fact the weather for the entire week was exceptional. Hot, sure, but not oppressive and overly humid, and it didnt rain at all until Thursday afternoon, and even then for only two hours. I pretended to catch a couple of fake jewels during Mickeys Philharmagic that I brought along with me but my daughter wasnt buying it. What happened to that little girl who thought Daddy could do magic. Space Mountain, Carousel of Progress (OK, time to update the last scene again), and TTA (Walt,s scale model of Epcot) were next. I'm a fan of the new Little Mermaid ride. I've heard mixed reports but it is a faithful homage to one of our favorite movies. We caught Wishes from the cool new Tangled themed area before hitting the Haunted Mansion. A quick snack and the Pirates of the Caribbean wrapped things up for the evening. Weve still got the whole week ahead of us!
My youngest child has graduated from high school, signaling the end of an era. We have let our children pick a family trip as a graduation present and I couldnt have been happier when she nixed Europe for Walt Disney World. My argument that the World Showcase is the same thing didn't amuse her mother but, the point was moot...we were going back!
This was our 7th family trip to the Happiest Place on Earth and 2nd time staying at the Beach Club. Port Orleans Riverside is also a favorite of ours and we have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Club and Coronado Springs as well. Our family of 4 includes my wife and I, our aforementioned high school graduate, and our son who is a junior in college.
We land at Orlando International Airport at 10:30, take Magical Express to the Beach Club, check in, and are sitting down ordering lunch at Beaches and Cream by 12:15. Our luggage did not fare so well, not arriving to our room until 5, but if that is the worst thing that happens on this trip, were in good shape. It was.
It took a few hours for room to be ready, but who cares? If you have older children, the Beach Club is in the best location of any hotel at Disney in my opinion. Should we walk over to Epcot? How about a boat to the Hollywood Studios. Theres always the Boardwalk and of course all of the activities at our own hotel. In the end, lunch and dessert at Beaches and Cream and swimming in Stormalong Bay wins out.
Our first floor room with patio overlooking the quiet pool and the lagoon beyond is ready and we recharge our batteries waiting for the luggage. The Magic Kingdom is open late tonight! We catch a bus and arrive with enough time before our reservations at the Plaza Restaurant to enjoy Main Street and get fastpasses to Space Mountain...which I was pleasantly surprised were still available. I used to avoid going to Disney in the summer but Ive learned that despite the crowds, all you need is timing, fastpasses, and ADRs and you dont have to wait in lines. Our longest wait for a meal all week was 15 minutes and only 10 minutes for a ride.
Not the wisest thing for the waistline to schedule Beaches and Cream and The Plaza on the same day, but the rules are different on vacation! After dinner we had nothing but time to stroll around the park. What a beautiful evening, in fact the weather for the entire week was exceptional. Hot, sure, but not oppressive and overly humid, and it didnt rain at all until Thursday afternoon, and even then for only two hours. I pretended to catch a couple of fake jewels during Mickeys Philharmagic that I brought along with me but my daughter wasnt buying it. What happened to that little girl who thought Daddy could do magic. Space Mountain, Carousel of Progress (OK, time to update the last scene again), and TTA (Walt,s scale model of Epcot) were next. I'm a fan of the new Little Mermaid ride. I've heard mixed reports but it is a faithful homage to one of our favorite movies. We caught Wishes from the cool new Tangled themed area before hitting the Haunted Mansion. A quick snack and the Pirates of the Caribbean wrapped things up for the evening. Weve still got the whole week ahead of us!
