It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – an offsite, non-Disney, Christmas TR

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Happy New Year, friends! I figured there was no better way to ring in 2016 than to kick off my trip report from our most recent adventures in Orlando. This vacation fell over Christmas week and led us from our home in Ontario to New York State and finally to sunny Florida .


Just a word of warning for anyone who might be new to my reports: you’re not going to find much Disney here . Our accommodations were off property, we visited no Disney parks at all, and all but one of our culinary indulgences occurred outside of the Disney bubble. With that in mind, I hope the moderators will see fit to leave this trip report right here on the Orlando Hotels & Attractions board....because quite honestly, it doesn’t fit in on either the Disney or Universal trip report boards. Before this thread eventually concludes, I’ll cover:


- our offsite stay at Sheraton Vistana Resort (our beloved home away from home)

- an assortment of non-park activities including:

o the Orlando Eye

o Sea Life Aquarium

o Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum

o Kings Bowl

o the animal park and airboat ride at Wild Florida

o Fun Spot America & USA

o both Mighty Jungle and Pirates Cove mini golf

o Christmas at SeaWorld; and

o a visit to Aquatica.


There will be tiny dashes of Universal and Disney thrown in for good measure (Ohana still holds a place in our family’s hearts, and the kiddo needed to see the updated Disney Springs) and yes.....there will detailed dining reviews: lots and lots of offsite meals, complete with photos, prices, and our honest feedback on what we liked and what we didn’t. You may want to undo the top button on your pants now .


We left home on December 18th and returned on December 27th. Our cast includes myself (Gina, the planner of all things Orlando), DH Steve, and our soon-to-be 20 year old DS Jake.




(this family pic was taken by one of my bosses just two days before we left on our trip, at the annual Christmas Open House held by the firm where I am employed.....those events are my favourite working days of the year!)


While Steve and I enjoyed two couples trips earlier this year in May and October, Jake opted not to join us on either of those excursions. In fact, we hadn’t had a family trip (just the three of us, without a girlfriend along) since August of 2013. So this festive Christmas trip was special. No outside influences, no interruptions, no work or college schedules, not even the boy’s current girlfriend (who was invited to join us, but got a no from the parents.....though she will be celebrating her birthday with us on our April 2016 expedition.......but that’s a story for my next PTR!) were poised to intrude on some much-needed, much-anticipated, much-valued family time. That, in itself, had us all very excited about a week together in the southern sun. After all, isn’t family what the holiday season is all about?


So for all of those reading along, a big for joining in. Feel free to ask questions, add your comments, and join in the chatter.....the more, the merrier, I always say. I will try to keep the report rolling along as consistently as I can (I despise those big gaps between entries!!) though my progress may suffer a bit of a lag when I return to work on Monday. After being off since the 17th of December, I am sure I might be working through a lunch hour or two .


Rest assured, there will be lots of photos to help provide the necessary visuals to my written summaries. I took well over 1000 pictures over the course of our vacation, and often they tell the story much more accurately than I ever could hope to. As always, the pictures are my favourite souvenirs of our vacation, and I can’t wait to get started on my next photo book.....but that’s a project for later in the month .

So, without further adieu.... aboard! Let's get this party started. Our departure day is coming up next.

 

[Hemlock]

Anxiously following along! Our upcoming March 2016 trip includes the Orlando Eye, Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussaud's, so I'm really looking forward to your thoughts/photos on those. Also looking forward to some new off site dining options.

 

[jennasmommyinMS]

I'm so excited to read your new trip report! We'll be doing a few of those things, but we're still undecided about Madame Tussaud's, so that part of your report will certainly help. And I can't wait to see more about Sea World and Aquatica!

 

[Rubbertops]

Looking forward to your report!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Hi Gina looking forward to all the details. Happy New Year to you and your family and what better way to start it with a trip report

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Anxiously following along! Our upcoming March 2016 trip includes the Orlando Eye, Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussaud's, so I'm really looking forward to your thoughts/photos on those. Also looking forward to some new off site dining options.

I'm so excited to read your new trip report! We'll be doing a few of those things, but we're still undecided about Madame Tussaud's, so that part of your report will certainly help. And I can't wait to see more about Sea World and Aquatica!

Looking forward to your report!

Hi Gina looking forward to all the details. Happy New Year to you and your family and what better way to start it with a trip report

A big welcome to all! So grateful to have you reading along, and joining me right from day one .

Hemlock and jennasmommyinMS, you won't have to wait long for the Sea Life and Tussaud's entries, as those fall right near the beginning of the trip . A little spoiler before the in-depth coverage: Tussaud's exceeded our expectations, and Sea Life (which we all expected to be our favourite of the three Merlin attractions) ended up ranking last for each of us. Not that it wasn't enjoyable (all three venues were great) but it didn't over-perform. Of course, I will let you see our photos and decide for yourselves which ones your families will appreciate most!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Friday, December 18th:


The plan this morning was to get up early, clean the house from top to bottom, do laundry, and be out the door by noon. Jake had worked an evening shift the night prior, so Steve and I let him sleep a little longer while we got the tasks underway. It’s amazing how much focus a person can have when there’s a trip poised to begin, and we whistled through our individual responsibilities with exceptional efficiency. We not only achieved our leave-by-noon target, we beat it by more than an hour: we pulled out of the driveway at 10:45 am with a nifty head start on our commute to Buffalo.





We have learned from experience that my crew travels the happiest when their tummies are full, so we wheeled into A & W here in our hometown to grab some grub before hitting the highway. We had higher expectations for our first meal of the trip, but many places weren’t open for lunch at that hour as it wasn’t yet 11 am. We briefly thought of waiting around, but we were ready and raring to go and just wanted to get the journey underway. Lunch was swift and filling, and we were buckled up and rolling westward down the 401 in no time flat .


The mood was definitely festive . Steve put on some holiday tunes from our Christmas iPod , and the merriment wasn’t long spreading through the Journey.








The weather, which is always a concern on our winter trips, was surprisingly favourable for our 4-hour commute. While thick clouds lined the sky, there was no snow and temperatures were hovering just above the freezing mark. With our weather worries happily laid aside, it appeared that holiday season traffic would be our only concern over the many miles that lay ahead. To safeguard against that potential issue, we made the unanimous decision to take the toll highway 407 from Pickering to Hamilton. While painful to the pocketbook (that little jaunt will cost us about $40 when the bill comes in a month from now ), this is the “traffic” we had to deal with as we cruised down the toll road:








Empty roads? Priceless .


We stopped briefly at Tim Hortons in Stoney Creek for beverages, Timbits and a last washroom break and leg stretch before the border crossing. Traffic remained light through to Lewiston, and it wasn’t long before we were waiting our turn to cross into New York State.





Considering it was the Friday afternoon before Christmas, we were quite pleased that the lines were only about 6 cars deep. I think we only waited about 10-15 minutes before we were handing our passports over to the Border Agent, and he barely gave us a second glance. After a quick where are you from?, where are you headed?, and when are you coming home?, he handed us back our passport documents and we were en route to our park and fly hotel.








We encountered a bit of traffic between Lewiston and Buffalo, but minor slowdowns only....nothing major. It was growing increasingly dark in the sky.....almost looking like it might snow....so it was a nice relief to pull safely into the parking lot. Steve parked the car while Jake and I headed into the lobby to check-in and get our room keys.





The lobby was decked out in its Christmas finery, with a large tree all decorated in the entryway and the mantle of the fireplace adorned with garland and ornaments.





Check-in was quick and easy, as our reservation was already pre-paid and having stayed here previously, Steve didn’t need the spiel on how and where to leave our vehicle once it was ready to be placed in the gated lot until we returned from Orlando. We were assigned a first floor room, #116 just around the corner from the lobby and the pool.





After depositing our luggage in our room, checking messages and emails on the computer, and allowing Jake the opportunity to Facetime with his Sunshine, we decided we should go out in search of dinner before we all became too lazy to move. Donning our coats, we headed out the door of the hotel and noted with a groan that it had started to snow .





Oh, Orlando.....your sunshine and warmth can’t come soon enough .

 

[mmdis]

As you can see by my post count I'm really a lurker on the dis. I wanted to come out and let you know how much I enjoy your trip reports. As a mom of two teen boys I love to see your family have a great time together and I really feel you do a great service to Orlando tourism. Thanks so much for taking the time to write your reports and please know they are enjoyed by many silent lurker.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Empty roads are just what you need to when going to the airport (at a price!). I seem to recall that you mentioned a problem so think you have left us on a cliffhanger..............

 

[jennasmommyinMS]

Empty roads are just what you need to when going to the airport (at a price!). I seem to recall that you mentioned a problem so think you have left us on a cliffhanger..............

I saw that, too, and I agree--we definitely have a cliffhanger! I'm on the edge of my seat here!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

As you can see by my post count I'm really a lurker on the dis. I wanted to come out and let you know how much I enjoy your trip reports. As a mom of two teen boys I love to see your family have a great time together and I really feel you do a great service to Orlando tourism. Thanks so much for taking the time to write your reports and please know they are enjoyed by many silent lurker.

Aw, thank you!! What kind things to say .

I am so grateful and appreciative for the chance to share my non-park experiences here on the Dis. Orlando has so much to offer, its really a shame that so many folks never venture beyond the Disney gates. So far, we haven't done anything that wasn't worth trying at least once!

It was great to have you come out of lurkdom to join in the conversation here. Don't be shy, feel free to continue to add your thoughts as we go along....we're just getting started .,

Empty roads are just what you need to when going to the airport (at a price!). I seem to recall that you mentioned a problem so think you have left us on a cliffhanger..............

Ah yes, you have a good memory! We had a few Griswold-like moments on this vacation ... and our overnight in Buffalo was definitely one of them!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I saw that, too, and I agree--we definitely have a cliffhanger! I'm on the edge of my seat here!

LOL....you guys don't forget a thing!!

Which reminds me....I should probably post a link to this trip report on the PTR thread..... .

 

[pigletto]

I had literally signed in to the Disboards this evening to go tap my foot in your pre-trip report and try to hurry you into starting this!
No need for me to annoy you.. because it's underway!!
I can't wait to read along! We asked my inlaws to join us on our trip in May this afternoon. I booked a 2bdrm at Bonnet Creek the other day so now I need to change to a three bedroom or they need to get a one bedroom for the same dates. So we are in full vacation planning mode and I can't wait to see what you did and how you liked it.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I had literally signed in to the Disboards this evening to go tap my foot in your pre-trip report and try to hurry you into starting this!
No need for me to annoy you.. because it's underway!!
I can't wait to read along! We asked my inlaws to join us on our trip in May this afternoon. I booked a 2bdrm at Bonnet Creek the other day so now I need to change to a three bedroom or they need to get a one bedroom for the same dates. So we are in full vacation planning mode and I can't wait to see what you did and how you liked it.

Brave girl.....asking the inlaws to come along!!!

We spent yesterday and today putting some touches on our April/May trip as well ... tis the season obviously! We booked our park and fly hotel (and confirmed the Days reservation was cancelled as requested), booked Jake's flights (since both he and his Sunshine are now coming along....and we had enough Jetblue points that his roundtrip airfare was completely free!), and secured our Orlando hotel for the extra two nights beyond our week at the Vistana. We also booked a bigger vehicle than the full size car that I originally had reserved, and made a tentative reservation for breakfast at Ohana's (not sure if we'll keep that at this point.....the dollar is KILLING our budget).

Our spring trips really aren't that far away. We leave in just 113 days!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

It was a sloppy, slippery drive to dinner as the snow came down in huge, wet, wind-blown flakes. We patted ourselves on the back for having the energy to get up at the crack of dawn that morning and get on the road earlier than expected, otherwise we would have been making the last part of the car trip in the rain and snowy weather. Sometimes, my OCD actually does end up being beneficial!


The boys had settled on Olive Garden for our evening meal (a family favourite that we don’t have in Ontario), so it wasn’t a long drive to the restaurant. We pulled into a parking space, hopped out of the Journey, and wasted no time getting inside. We were seated immediately and began the arduous task of choosing what to order . They guys never venture from their “usual” when we dine at Olive Garden, but I was determined to try something different on this visit.








With a few extra minutes granted to us to make the super-tough ordering decisions, we finally were able to select our entrees with confidence and our server whisked away to gather our beverages (soft drinks for the boys, water for moi) and starters.


Jake opted for a Caesar salad (who is this child of mine? since when did he start eating salad....green things.....voluntarily?? ), which paired so well with the warm garlic sticks that one had a bite out of it before I was able to snap the photo:





Steve and I chose the Zuppa Toscana, an Olive Garden favourite of ours, and again the breadsticks didn’t make a picture before they were...uh....sampled for freshness :





Not long after our soups and salad had been enjoyed and the bowls cleared away, our entrees were delivered hot and aromatic from the kitchen. Steve, as always, had ordered the steak gorgonzola, cooked medium rare:





Jake, a creature of habit like his dad, selected (as always) the chicken fettuccini alfredo (but I have no freaking idea what he was doing in this photo??? ):





Normally a chicken fettuccini alfredo girl myself, I decided to do something wild and crazy and choose something off their menu that I’ve never had (which, for the record, is virtually everything but the fettuccini ). I was definitely not disappointed by the chicken parmesan that was sat before me in its massive, cheese-covered glory:





We have never yet been let down by the quality and value of a meal at Olive Garden, and today was no exception. Service was great, the food was delish, and quantities were WAY larger than we could eat (for me especially.....OMG, the portions can be excessively huge ). Dessert was an absolute no-go....the stomachs just wouldn't allow it.....so we covered the bill ($64.96 including tax, excluding tip) and rolled ourselves back to our vehicle.


Jake spied the Walden Galleria across the street, and asked if we could take a stroll around the mall before returning to the hotel for the night. He suggested that it might be a way for us to walk off our culinary sins, but he wasn’t fooling us.....we knew he just wanted the chance to peruse the enormous Dick’s Sporting Goods store .





The mall was decked out for the holidays with the most lovely strands of white lights that stretched from the rooftop down to the main level. It was so pretty and very classy, and with the Christmas music being played throughout the concourse, it was a very festive shopping excursion indeed!








We milled around for at least an hour or so (it was busy in the mall, but not annoyingly so), then decided to head back to the hotel for a nice long soak in the hot tub. It was still snowing as we made the trek back, so Steve dropped Jake and I at the hotel door while he secured the Journey in the gated long-term lot and brought in our GPS to be packed in one of the carry-on bags. We would not be venturing out again before our flight the following morning.


Changing into our swimsuits once we were back in the room, we headed off for a swim knowing that a good soak in the hot tub would make us all sleepy and ready for an early-ish bedtime. There were a couple of families in the pool when we initially arrived, but they left shortly thereafter so we ended up having the facilities to ourselves.








Those photos were taken earlier that afternoon (as I milled around the hotel with camera in hand), so the natural light spilling in through the windows had given way to inky, December darkness by the time we were settled into the tub. It was quiet and subdued and very, very relaxing......as we lounged lazily in the bubbles, we remarked to each other that we would sleep like rocks tonight.


Yeah . Sure .

 

[grantclaire]

Following along as usual! As you know we were there from the 18th to the 22nd. Which was too short! Looking forward to your report!

 

[jump00]

Woooohoooo!!!! Another Gina trip report. I'm in!

Jump00

 

[toystoryduo]

Yay! So glad you started your trip report!

 

[vrajewski10513]

Joining in!! Can't wait to hear more about your Christmas trip!!

 

[vrajewski10513]

It was quiet and subdued and very, very relaxing......as we lounged lazily in the bubbles, we remarked to each other that we would sleep like rocks tonight.

Here's to hoping you didn't have a repeat of what happened at the hotel for your October trip!