Pre-Trip & Trip Report- Hard Blue Cocoa Fun Trip! Trip starts Pg3

[DISNEYLOVER70]

Ok, so I am so excited I can hardly type!! Been throwing around the idea of Discovery Cove for months, but just couldn't bring myself to spend the money for it. Well, my boss said today if I wanted to I could cash in a couple weeks vacation and that would pay for it!!!!!

So I called Discovery Cove and first available date is Thursday April 15, (my birthday) the day we check in to the Hard Rock Hotel. Our first day of front of the line!!!!!!!! I am so stressed out trying to decide what to do. She said we get free tickets to SeaWorld with our DC tickets too. Something else we should do since they are FREE!! I just don't have enough time to do all the things we want to do! Or do I? I need assistance... If I am going to do this, I have to book the DC like in the next couple hours, she said she had extremely limited spaces for the 15th.

I asked both kids this morning if they would be willing to give up going to Cocoa Beach for a day at Discovery Cove. Both came back with a spirited YES! But we can't do DC on Wednesday, which is our beach day, since we won't have FOTL at that point yet (will still be at Comfort Suites Universal)

So maybe SeaWorld on Wednesday, Discovery Cove on Thursday, Thursday night use FOTL at US/IOA then Friday and Saturday at US/IOA. Will that be enough time at US? Can we do all this and still not feel like we are doing the Disney Commando vacation again?

 

[Cielei]

If it all works out so you can do the seaworld, then discovery cove, then UF/IOA option, I'd say go for it! It sounds like its something you all want to really do; so, I would say to go for it! Besides, its your birthday, what better day to do something a little extra special! You'll have fun no matter which way you go though.

 

[DISNEYLOVER70]

Ok, I did. Purchased Discovery Cove tickets for Thursday April 15th.

Hoping to use the SeaWorld tickets on Wednesday. I am not going to get too stressed out about the scheduling. My daughter told be to chillax She says we are going to have a great time no matter what...Wow, I see some maturity shining thru here

So far that is the plan! Trying to decide some dinner choices now. Would love to try Mythos, doing Margaritaville Tuesday night before BMG, the rest of the nights are up in the air at this point.

I thought I was so organized and had everything planned so far in advance and look at me now, a few days out, changing things up! I cant beleive how quickly it has arrived.

Hope to post back here on Monday before I go to bed! Everyone have a good weekend!!!

 

[tink1957]

You're going to love Discovery Cove, we went on our last trip and had a great time. I do warn you that if you're like us, you will be beat at the end of the day. Are you doing the dolphin swim?

 

[DISNEYLOVER70]

Tink:

Yes! We are doing the dolphin swim! I am so excited! I hoping it is worth the large ticket price!!!!!!

My bathing suit has a skirted bottom. Do you think this will be uncomfortable underneath the wetsuit? Sounds like a silly question, but wondering if I should buy another bathing suit to wear that day. I will probably never wear it again tho so I hate to do that.

I heard the water with the dolphins is COLD...I hate cold water!! Does the wetsuit help a lot with that?

Some people complain about the hard sell tactics they use to push the pictures. Did you experince that?

Just some silly questions you might be able to answer!

Going to go find some waterproof disposable cameras this weekend!!!

 

[tink1957]

Tink:

Yes! We are doing the dolphin swim! I am so excited! I hoping it is worth the large ticket price!!!!!!

My bathing suit has a skirted bottom. Do you think this will be uncomfortable underneath the wetsuit? Sounds like a silly question, but wondering if I should buy another bathing suit to wear that day. I will probably never wear it again tho so I hate to do that.

I heard the water with the dolphins is COLD...I hate cold water!! Does the wetsuit help a lot with that?

Some people complain about the hard sell tactics they use to push the pictures. Did you experince that?

Just some silly questions you might be able to answer!

Going to go find some waterproof disposable cameras this weekend!!!

Glad to answer your questions, my daughter was the only one who did the dolphin swim and she thought it was well worth it. The wetsuit is very tight, if you have an old bathing suit I would wear that since nobody can see under that wetsuit and you can store your other suit in the locker provided. I'm not sure if you have to wear the wetsuit for the dolphin swim, I just wore the vest, but like you said it could get cold.

I didn't experience any of the hard sell tactics, in fact we forgot to get our complimentary photos before we left and I didn't realize it until after we returned from our trip. I called DC and they overnighted the photos to us at no charge. This is a level of customer service that goes above and beyond.

 

[Larrabe]

You can probably tell from the conversation but his coach is amazing. Mitchell has a tremendous amount of respect for him. He is strict but he keeps it fun for the boys too. He was also Mitchell's coach in the fall for the school basketball team (again, first year school team and tryouts as well).

Mitchell's coach does sound amazing! My boys would have been riding pine for each missed day, so he's lucky to have such an understanding coach. Life's too short and they're only young once! When he gets in high school, though, there's no missing anything. HS coaches usually aren't as understanding!

Yes, this baseball thing is HUGE in my house. You have so much to look forward to when your boys get bigger! It is so much fun, I am thoroughly enjoying myself, I just love watching him play

Oh, yeah, baseball rules in our house! Except for Disney in 2005, all of our vacations have revolved around tournaments, like Cooperstown Dreams Park, (which I have to admit, we loved more than Disney, if that's even possible!) And now that my boys are playing high school, it's both awesome and bittersweet to see those big guys on the field. *Sigh.* I miss T-ball sometimes!

Kids won the war on this one and we will not be going to see the mouse this trip. I was upset at first, but now I am really looking forward to the laid back atmosphere of this trip and hoping I can put my commando boots away and just relax. Kids and husband have bets that I can not do this. Little faith...

Okay, we're so alike!! I really wanted to spend a day at Disney when we go next September, but I was overruled. And, it's very hard for me to comprehend the whole 'laid back atmosphere' thing. Seriously, I'll probably be the twitching, anxious woman on the lounge chair by the pool who's saying, "Shouldn't we be following a tour plan now?"

Ok, I did. Purchased Discovery Cove tickets for Thursday April 15th.

Awesome, sounds like you're going to have a great time!! And I want a full report on DC. My DS and I are thinking about doing the dolphin swim on the day my DH and DS go tarpon fishing.

Good luck packing and getting ready!! I'm excited for you! And I apologize for all the quotes. I just figured out how to do it so I might have gotten a little carried away.

 

[Carol17]

Lookin forward to hearing about your trip. We are going to be staying at HRH for 4 nights on April 25. We will be seeing BMG as well, so I look forward to hearing your review!

We usually go to WDW, but decided to try out HRH for a change. I'll have to research Discovery Cove and Cocoa Beach. sounds like fun! I am debating writing a trip report this time around. I did a Disney Trip report last year, and it was kinda fun to do and look back on...but it was a lot of work!

 

[klacey1]

Hope you have a wonderful trip-- can't wait to hear about it when you get back!

 

[wilma-bride]

Sounds like you have a great trip planned - you should be there today, hope it's brilliant and look forward ot reading about it on your return

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Enjoyed your PTR, and looking forward to hearing all the details when you return! I hope you are having an awesome birthday, and enjoying every minute!

Maria

 

[macraven]

woo hoo...........they are off on their trip now!!


can't wait to hear all about their fun at the darkside and DC

 

[Metro West]

can't wait to hear all about their fun at the darkside and DC

 

[DISNEYLOVER70]

Had a FANTASTIC vacation!! Took lots of pics and have lots to tell! Have to get caught up here at work and I will be all over this trip report!

 

[Cielei]

Very glad it was a great time! Can't wait to see and hear all about it.

 

[Larrabe]

Welcome back!!! Awesome, I'm so glad you all had a fantastic time.

 

[DISNEYLOVER70]

I took over 500 pictures with two different cameras, not counting the waterproof ones I am in the processing of downloading all of them to photobucket so I can start my report! Hope to start tomorrow morning!!!!

 

[hmlombardi]

great

 

[mjohnson96]

I took over 500 pictures with two different cameras, not counting the waterproof ones I am in the processing of downloading all of them to photobucket so I can start my report! Hope to start tomorrow morning!!!!

I need to make sure I take lots more pictures this year. Last year I did not get very many becuase things were a little crazy due to some other family members and me being 6 mo pregnant This year I'm bringing the big camera, the little pocket camera, the flip, and the HD recorder overkill but I better get a couple of pictures!

 

[DISNEYLOVER70]

Need a little help here:

Do I just change the title to trip report or do I start another thread for that? Sorry, first timer

Here is a little snipit
My family with Dixie our dolphin