Let's do it AGAIN!!!

[poeticdiabetic]

So if you recall, we did a good trip for less than $1200. It was great, and it was a great learning experience that we can actually go on a vacation for really cheap to US/IOA.

But there was an extreme downside to our trip, too.

1. We went at a time when the temperatures were in the 20s and 30s. In Florida. Seriously.

When we got home and saw our pictures, we just had to laugh because it looked like we went vacationing in Ohio or somewhere; because we all had jackets, jeans, and warm sweaters in the parks.

2. We went during the time of Spring Break- and for about 3 days; if you didn't ride some rides as soon as the park opened, you were looking at 2 and 2 1/2 hour waits. I mean if you walked into the park at 10:30 AM to ride the Hulk, forget about it. Go get lunch first.

Now the good thing was this: We purchased those sweet 3-month passes from Costco for $90 each. So we're literally sitting in our house in Atlanta with valid passes to US/IOA just burning a hole in our pockets. (I mean if you put your ear to the drawer where the tickets are being held, you can actually hear a ticking sound.)

So the tickets are done!

Oh, and our two DSs are A/B students. They are both on the honor roll. And they're athletes that have been winning in everything they do, for some reason. And they have killed it on their CRCTs (standardized tests in Georgia, thanks to "No Child Left Behind.")

...and they have a couple of guilty grandparents just itching to spend time with them. Oh, and these grandparents are well-equipped with a timeshare in Orlando! (Yep! The same timeshare place that those salespeople at US/IOA hound people about!)

So that gives us two things: A place to stay for FREE.

And... an excuse. When those Westgate Resort folks try to sell me their timeshare, I can just say "We're staying at Westgate Lakes!" and move on!

Now for the food... we are putting $100 towards food. And we have folks that are going to cook (Grandma and our aunt will be doing the honors.)

So yep! We're doing it again! I'm driving down this Saturday night! I'll keep you posted!

 

[donaldduck352]

Thats great.US this time of year isnt that bad.Most of schools up north are still in..Also leave your jackets and long pants at home,summer is here!!

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

That's great! And we get another trip report! That's even better.

Have a great time.

 

[tlinus]

Go and have a blast!!!!

I would love to just jump in the car this afternoon and drive to Florida. NO. SERIOUSLY. I would.

 

[mjohnson96]

We like the somewhere to stay and of course have to visit Grandma excuse to!

We live in Kansas but my whole family is from Central Florida so it gives me a good excuse every year at least once if not twice to head to Florida.

And since we are there might as well take a short trip over to Orlando right

This year we are doing the drive again, since we take our time getting there it is a 3 day trip there and a 3 day trip back. But I already told my DH that we better be only a few hours away from Universal when we make the last stop on on way down since I want to hit the pools/parks and enjoy myself!

 

[poeticdiabetic]

Alright...

Pre-trip Time!

So tomorrow night I'll be driving some small rental car down to Orlando. And my two DSs have no idea that we are going, too! Especially since we haven't spoken a word about it since we made the decision.

Oh, and we're going to do something really cool. See normally, we go and rent the car. And that night, we would hit up Wal-Mart for some driving vittles and Coke Zeros.

Well we're going to rent the car, but we're going to park it next door. Our neighbors are out of town, so we can just park it there. And I've already purchased my sunflower seeds and Twizzlers, so I'm all set. (Ahhh sunflower seeds! They are my secret for staying up while driving long distances at night. See they're not just something to eat, but they're something to do. So by chomping on them, I can stay awake all night long!)

So if all goes well, my boys will just briefly wake up only when they are shuffled into the car. And then, they'll wake up in Florida!

The only thing that we have to manuveur is the whole "Going to bed at 10PM" thing. They have been watching the NBA semi-finals, and they really were really looking forward to rooting against Kobe Bryant. But we do have to pack, though... right?

So hopefully, we can be as deceitful as people who are charged to be moral leaders can be.

I'll keep you posted!

 

[tlinus]

Alright...

Pre-trip Time!

So tomorrow night I'll be driving some small rental car down to Orlando. And my two DSs have no idea that we are going, too! Especially since we haven't spoken a word about it since we made the decision.

Oh, and we're going to do something really cool. See normally, we go and rent the car. And that night, we would hit up Wal-Mart for some driving vittles and Coke Zeros.

Well we're going to rent the car, but we're going to park it next door. Our neighbors are out of town, so we can just park it there. And I've already purchased my sunflower seeds and Twizzlers, so I'm all set. (Ahhh sunflower seeds! They are my secret for staying up while driving long distances at night. See they're not just something to eat, but they're something to do. So by chomping on them, I can stay awake all night long!)

So if all goes well, my boys will just briefly wake up only when they are shuffled into the car. And then, they'll wake up in Florida!

The only thing that we have to manuveur is the whole "Going to bed at 10PM" thing. They have been watching the NBA semi-finals, and they really were really looking forward to rooting against Kobe Bryant. But we do have to pack, though... right?

So hopefully, we can be as deceitful as people who are charged to be moral leaders can be.

I'll keep you posted!

I am liking the direction that this is going!!!



Have a great trip!!

 

[mjohnson96]

So how long is the drive from Atlanta to Orlando? I'm trying to get a good idea of where we will need to stop the night before we are checking into the RPR so that will help give me a good estimate of how close, or far, we want to be from Atlanta.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

So how long is the drive from Atlanta to Orlando? I'm trying to get a good idea of where we will need to stop the night before we are checking into the RPR so that will help give me a good estimate of how close, or far, we want to be from Atlanta.

OK, the drive from my house (in Northwest Atlanta suburb) is 7 1/2 hours. I will be there around 7 hours, though.

If you have good gas mileage- and if the gas in your car is full when you enter Atlanta; you will be able to drive to Florida on one tank of gas. I normally have to fill up again in Florida, and I will have enough gas to piddle around Orlando when we get there (approx. a little under half a tank.)

(But beware of a couple of things. First, I drive at night, so I may get better gas mileage. Also, you may want to make sure that traffic isn't crazy in Atlanta. Our tax dollars are hard a work, but that work is never done.)

 

[poeticdiabetic]

OK, I am still in Orlando, so I am not going to give the entire blow-by-blow right now. But the crowds are small. Wonderful!

Oh, and the weather is bright and sunny! We are staying at a resort that is on a lake, so we're about to ride some paddle boats.

But the real reason why I'm sending a message now is because there's clear evidence about the Harry Potter thing. There will definitely be some sort of roller-coaster activity!

That is all. Gotta go!

 

[tlinus]

OK, I am still in Orlando, so I am not going to give the entire blow-by-blow right now. But the crowds are small. Wonderful!

Oh, and the weather is bright and sunny! We are staying at a resort that is on a lake, so we're about to ride some paddle boats.

But the real reason why I'm sending a message now is because there's clear evidence about the Harry Potter thing. There will definitely be some sort of roller-coaster activity!

That is all. Gotta go!

I cannot believe you dropped that bomb and left

Glad you are having a blast!! Looking forward to the report when you return!!

 

[poeticdiabetic]

ALLRIIGHT!!! I'm back! (Actually, I have been back since Friday, but I slept most of that day... drove home all night.)

So, let me tell you something about this trip as a premise: We were just at US/IOA two months ago in April (If you want to read about that trip, just scroll down till you get to the $1200 challenge.) But my father have a timeshare with Westgate, so we went back in order to spend time with family and get some quick R&R.

Westgate was great, by the way. There was so much to do there: tennis, boating, basketball, swimming in about 8 pools, shuffleboard,dance contests, BBQs, etc. It was fantastic! And we were there with aunts and cousins, too. And our little cousins bought a 2-day, 2-park pass.That was what they can afford. So we decided to only go 2 days.

Day 1

So day one was spent as such: we had our two DSs- ages 9 and 10. Plus the DW. The added attraction was that my two younger DCs(?) (Dear Cousins?)- ages 8 and 13... boys. (Well, the 8 year-old isn't technically family. His family goes to the church that my father pastors- but we adopted them for the sake of the trip being a 'family trip.'

Well, here's the fun part: THe 13 year-old haven't been to US since he was 3 years old. And the 8 year-old has never ridden a roller coaster before! (And my eldest DS was just smiling this evil smile and writhing his hands in wicked pleasure after that revelation.)

So, the first ride we rode was the Simpsons ride. Now we were at US/IOA during Spring Break, and the crowds were crazy then. But our wait for the Simpsons was only about 20 minutes. But when we gotten on that ride, it was indeed a pleasure to ride it and see it for the first time, all over again.

And they rode MIB. We walked right on. And my eldest DS and my 13 year-old cousin decided to have a contest, when the unthinkable happened- my eldest DS scored 999,999 points!

But then, they wanted ROTM. And the two cousins were really scared. Really scared. But ROTM was probably their favorite ride (they rode it 3 times in a row, because we just walked right on.

As a matter of fact, the longest wait time was about 20 minutes on the Simpsons. A far contrast from Spring Break!

I will continue this later, along with final thoughts...

 

[poeticdiabetic]

Day 1 Cont...

OK, I gotta add on a couple of things because I was rushed by my wife to go shopping or something during the last post.

OK, where were we?..

Oh, the first was seriously fun. We ate once again at the Whopper Bar (I love that place!) But I've discovered a problem with the Whopper Bar finally. They do not have tap water, so water's not free!

In short, we closed the place down, but still didn't ride everything at US. (Part due to zig-zagging the park, part because the park closed at 7PM, and part because we just rode ROTM back-to-back so much!)

But we went home, had some killer Down-South food from a place called (I kid you not) Mama 'Nem, and swam until 11PM at the pools.
(Oh, and Mama 'Nem- I had the smothered pork chops, collard greens, sweet potatoes, and yellow rice. Oh and the compliment of dessert was peach cobbler and even sweet tea. This is the finest in Southern cuisine!)

 

[tlinus]

soooo........what happened next??

 

[Faith09]

Hope all is well. I'm can't wait to read more.


Faith

 

[poeticdiabetic]

OK, the drama...

I am, once again, back to finish this trip report. What I didn't know was that the drama and intrigue was going to continue once I got home. And that's why I just abruptly stopped, because I had to deal with some serious issues.

First of all, about the trip- second day- my family (DW, 2 DSs- aged 10 and 9 and moi.) Then, we had my cousin, aged 14- big Disney fan, first time since diapers going to US, and my "*play-cousin", aged 8- never rode a rollercoaster until this trip with us.)

*Playcousin- an African-American term for individuals that are not actually family, but are so close to you that they might as well be your cousin. Oh, and there's playmommas, playsisters, etc.

So anyway, this day we decided to go to IOA to spend the day. And the very first place we went to was to the Hulk. And this was a bad move, which I will explain later on.

My eldest LOVES Hulk! He's a big rollercoaster fan, and there's no rollercoaster that he wouldn't ride (except for the Georgia Cyclone. It wasn't scary, but I believe the Nazis used it as a torture device. It's just rickety and very painful. I get headaches just thinking about it.)

So, of course, we wanted to ride it the very first thing. And we did. And no one was scared on the queue. And no one was scared when we got on the ride and buckled in. And I even gave the instruction of sitting straight up with your head straight back. And to relax.

The ride blasted off. And the loops and turns and just the awesome heights and big dips.... man it is fun! I was in a row behind the others in my party, but my youngest was looking like he was having a conversation about periodic table. (He has aspirations on being an astronaut, so rollercoasters are merely training exercises to him.) And I heard the yelling and screaming from the other two. Great ride!

But as we finally pulled into the station, I saw something that I've never seen before: I saw my playcousin's face. We was crying. And laughing. Simultaneously.

I asked him what he thought about the ride. He said that it was torture. And wonderful. And with tears streaming down his face, he asked if we could ride it again!

Well anyhoo, we got off the ride and met back up with my DW (who retired from riding Hulk the very first time she rode it and gotted queasy.) And we rode Spiderman. They loved it!

And we got wet and had a great time on Jurassic Park. And since we were wet, we rode all the wet rides. And we rode some other great rides and took pictures and had some great fun.

But then, it was time to ride the other great rollercoaster at IOA- Dueling Dragons. The queue is the best in IOA: ghoulish castle with skulls and bones and medieval lore. But my emotional playcousin was getting a little nervous.

So by the time we actually got to the ride itself, my playcousin had his fill of the queue. And the fear of the Hulk really set into his psyche. So, at the last moment, he chickened out and took his exit.

And we rode it and had a great time. (DD is my favorite ride at IOA, by the way.) So after the ride, my cousin was just harping about how much fun it was and it made my little playcousin jealous, but it started to rain and rain hard. So we decided to leave the park and go back to the hotel.

So in hindsight, we should have forgone Hulk at first and rode DD as the first roller coaster. Then, we should have rode Hulk later or even last. Hulk intimidated my playcousin into chickening out of DD.


Now, for the reason why I had this hiatus. I came home from Florida, expecting to see my paycheck, but my paycheck didn't come. It still didn't. And now, I have to sue.

But here's the funny part: After the panic and anger and what-not, I got a call from a company that wanted to buy a service that I was selling when I was employed with my now former company. And I had an old LLC certification and Tax ID laying around, so I billed them with that information.

And the invoice is being processed now, and payment is coming within a week!

So that money will pay my obligations to this point and a little beyond.

Now, I have to say that this came from out of the blue, and not to sound "religious", It was G-O-D that did this because the client turned us down way back in January. And they just... called.

So, in short, I'm still looking for a job, but I've gotten more opportunity for this new business than prospects for a new job. Plus, what is a job? Just Over Broke?

 

[prettypixie]

Loved your quick TR! Thank GOD for HIS blessings, I pray that you and your family continue to prosper in your business and not revert back to "Just over broke". We are practically neighbors as I am from the north metro ATL too. A lil town north of Marietta...anyway tell me more about Mama nem's. I heard about them on Steve Harvey's show and I am planning to find them in Sept when we head down for Fall break to US/IOA. How are the prices? We are planning a budget friendly trip to do US/IOA it's been about 4 years since the last time we went. We have a TS week that will be expiring soon and DH & I won free tickets to Universal-Superbowl contest so we said let's try to do it!

 

[poeticdiabetic]

Loved your quick TR! Thank GOD for HIS blessings, I pray that you and your family continue to prosper in your business and not revert back to "Just over broke". We are practically neighbors as I am from the north metro ATL too. A lil town north of Marietta...anyway tell me more about Mama nem's. I heard about them on Steve Harvey's show and I am planning to find them in Sept when we head down for Fall break to US/IOA. How are the prices? We are planning a budget friendly trip to do US/IOA it's been about 4 years since the last time we went. We have a TS week that will be expiring soon and DH & I won free tickets to Universal-Superbowl contest so we said let's try to do it!

OK. The little town that I live in is north of Marietta too. That little town is called 'Kennesaw.'

OK, about Mama Nem's. It's a good place that would remind you of those good soul food restaurants on Memorial Drive in Decatur or Stone Mountain... or even those good soul food restaurants in Southwest Atlanta. They have two sides to the place: They have a sit-down restaurant side and a carry-out side. There are separate entrances.

We went to the carry-out side. When you get there, they serve the food cafeteria-style... and the food is all the favorites: Collard greens, blackeyed peas, chicken, fish, oxtails, etc. And it's very good!

The average price for a plate was around $8. And it's a meat-and-3... which is pretty good!

Oh, and the big thing about Florida is that they serve a lot of yellow rice. That's about the only difference between Florida soul food and Georgia soul food. (but yellow rice and gravy tastes very good.)

Now, just like any other soul food restaurant- eat it once a trip. It is indeed a caloric splurge!

 

[dogodisney]

poeticdiabetic and prettypixie, I am a neighbor of both of you. I'm next door in Paulding County.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

poeticdiabetic and prettypixie, I am a neighbor of both of you. I'm next door in Paulding County.

Hey, neighbor!

My sister lived until recently in Dallas, GA.