Stuck on Splash, Swimming in Sewage, & Still Laughing! A "Classy" 6/11 TR- 5/6 DONE!

[Disneybuckeye]

Yeah on 8 day park tickets!!!

Sorry about the house, but I am sure you will find a better one.

Too funny on practical mouse ears.

Crossing my fingers that your husband is home for Christmas.

Looking forward to more!!

 

[dancin_princess]

oh my gosh, i haven't been on the boards since the 8 of July. i'll be back later to catch up.

 

[wahoostampingirl]

I'm so behind on TRs. I was just catching up on your last one, when I saw you had started this one!

I can totally understand you being cross with Universal, just because it's not Disney, but I have to say that the resort looked terrific. We decided not to stay overnight when we go to Universal in 2 weeks because it was too much money on our already overloaded budget, but I really would like to stay there sometime, if only for the early entry and express pass perks.

Can't wait to hear how your hubby reacts to his AKL surprise!

 

[DisneyDreamerMN]

I think you should have bought the hat. It is so you!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

Sorry about the house! At least you got some money out of it and there will be another one I'm sure!! Yay for DTD. I hate parking there too, especially on the weekends ugh!

 

[Kat in GA]

I'm in!!

I sooo know what you mean about "not Disney." I took my girls on a surprise trip to sea World over Spring break - we had a great time - but it was so not Disney. We spent two days there -- and then I had to find a way for us to have at least one day of Disney - so we went to Epcot before we finally came home. There is just a huge difference. From the workers, to the food (oh, the food!) - to even the people there. And those same people - they go to Disney too - but they just behave differently!

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

 

[LoriJune]

I'm very late, but very in! Love your report!
PS. We are in NY, but have both a junk drawer AND a gun.

 

[magichusky]

What a hilarious TR so far! My mouth literally dropped open when I read that you ran into the Weasleys!!! I truly would've made a scene and demanded to be an extra in their commercial. I also went to WWoHP last December and it was just disgustingly unwieldy to say the least. I'm glad you got to enjoy it w/out the insane crowds!

The gift shop at SoG is my absolute fav; their 99 cent Disney keychains are so perfect. I've never been to the Disney outlet store though- I'll of course have to stop by next time since apparently they have souvenirs for dogs! I was never able to find anything suitable for my 100 pounder last time! Things never seem to come in his size...

So excited to read about AKL! Such a very beautiful resort!

 

[therussells08]

Yay! And update!

I'm so sorry to hear about the house. My dad is a realtor, and from what he says, those kind of things happen pretty frequently. That just means a better house for you guys is out there waiting, though! And yay for some extra time with John!

I knew you'd be going over to Disney! How sweet of John to get two sets of tickets. I agree - parking at DTD is such a pain!

Thank you! We got another house now, and it's nicer AND cheapter, so you were totally right!

I was so excited about the two sets of tickets!

Oh my goodness, how sweet of him to surprise you with eight days worth of tickets! I would have been so happy too, to go from four days of Disney to eight!

I think I saw your nail marks at World of Disney when I was last there....

Seriously, is he a doll or what? I'm a lucky girl!

I wouldn't be surprised if you did! I did NOT want to leave!

I don't know how many Vinylmation Howard has at this point, but it's only a few. Plus, at the end of my more recent TR (that I really should work on right now, but I'm catching up on crafting blogs!), I'll show one of the Vinylmation nerds that the 3 of them got for him (they got him a gift for driving all week and handling car rental stuff, and they got me a gift too for planning the trip). I don't know that he has any left to trade though because he might've gotten what he liked. If anything, he has ONE to trade! He's definitely going to be trying to get a Cars one next year!

Aww, it's sad that you didn't get the house, but at least you got some cash out of it. And it only means that that wasn't the right house for you guys! The right one will come along! And yay for the news about John! Woohoo!

Um, how do you come here and describe your happy dance without posting a video of it? Such a tease! Haha.

"The only place on Earth where you have to decide which pair of fake mouse ears are more practical. You gotta love it!" HAHA. I'm wondering whether or not to get the bride ears next May. I've ALWAYS wanted them, and it'll be my ONLY time to get them and wear 'em. But I wear sunglasses in the parks now, and I put them on my head when not in use! Decisions decisions ...

You write so well that I'M feeling so anxious that you're not at Disney at this point in your TR!

John is so crazy about these Vinylmations! He has already spent WAY too much money on them! They're cute, but I'd rather use that money to save for a trip to Disney!

You all were totally right, a better house did come along! We love it, and it's cheaper than the last one!

Hahaha sorry, no happy dance video! That would probably win big bucks on America's Funniest Videos, though!

I would definitely recommend the bride ears! They are so much fun to wear! I wore mine every day and they made me feel so special!

We are almost there! Sorry for taking so long!

Enjoying your reviews! We are from NC also! Will be leaving in 2 days and will be going through Charlotte also (live on Lake Norman)! Leaving at 4:30 am to avoid trafic!

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it! That is so cool that you are from NC too! Good idea on leaving so early! Charlotte traffic is a nightmare!

Awww, sorry about the house, but John's delayed deployment sure makes up for it!

Hahaha I am SO glad you went to Disney. That's just what you needed! How adorable. I would've been doing the same thing! My trip is tomorrow and I can hardly sit still!!!!!

OMG, YAYYY for double the park days!!!! We're doing the 4 days as well, but seeing as I'm going back 2 weeks later, I don't really mind. :rollseyes:

Haha well as much as Magic Kingdom would have been just lovely, Downtown Disney is always a great start to the trip.

Those ears are so cute!

Haha it's funny that you were comparing Universal to Disney because Jess and I went to Darien Lake recently (which is sort of like Six Flags or Knott's Berry Farm) with a few of our friends, and we were comparing it to Disney ALL day. From the food to the queues to the prices. Needless to say, Disney won.

Thank you! We ended up just getting a much better house for a lower price, so we're thrilled!

Disney was definitely just what I needed! But it was so hard to leave!

I am so bad about that anytime I go to another theme park! I can't even stand to go to Carowinds (a theme park near our home) anymore, because it's just so NOT Disney!

I have been waiting for an update! I do believe I would have cried my eyes out having to leave Disney to go back to Universal & I would have had the same attitude also! The fun is fixing to begin !!!!!!!!!!!!

It was so hard leaving Disney! The fun is about to begin...my Splash Mountain update is very soon!

I love the pic of you with the Minnie ears on!

I'm sorry the house didn't come through, but I agree, that just means there's a better one out there for you. I'm sure things will work out, especially since John's home longer You guys can find a more perfect house together!

That's awesome that he took you to Disney I know how antsy I get about wanting to be in Disney, like, the second I land in Orlando

Thank you!

You all were so right! We did get a better one! Thanks for the support!

I was SO glad to get to go to Disney, even if it was just for a little while! I really needed it!

 

[therussells08]

HAHAHA your update just made me chuckle. SO funny! I would have done the same thing if I was you! People always ask me if I have ever been to Universal since I'm down in Florida all of the time. And I NEVER have been. (except for when I was like 2 or 4 or something) I think it's because I know that if I'm all the way there, spending time somewhere besides Disney World would just make me feel like I was wasting my precious Disney opportunity. I mean.. if I was into Harry Potter I would make a special trip for that.. but I'm not. So it's DISNEY ALL THE WAY

And I also chucked at your happy dance description. I pictured you doing the charlie brown happy dance since I'm not sure of the rosanne one.

And i am SO excited you got 8 days worth of passes. AWESOME!!! can't wait for the next update!!

And p.s. sorry about the house deal not going through that's such a bummer! I hate hearing things like that. But you know what? Everything happens for a reason... so something better must be coming out of it!
And YAY for john being home for christmas! That's a great present! You should go to Disney World to celebrate

It was so hard being at Universal instead of Disney! I think we are definitely going to skip it for awhile and just do Disney all the way!

Haha, the Roseanne dance is really awkward so it combines perfectly with the Charlie Brown dance! I tried to find a video on YouTube to share with you but I couldn't find one!

You were exactly right, it did happen for a reason! We ended up finding a way better house that's a lot cheaper! Thank you so much for your kind words!

Yay you finally made it to Disney World!!

on getting 8 day tickets. I love the Minnie ears photo.

Oh no on having to go back to Leows Royal Pacific. Am also sad to hear about the house falling through but agree that everything happens for a reason

I was so glad to be there!

Thanks! I was so tempted to get those darn ears!

Thank you so much! It did happen for a reason! Our new house it so much better and way cheaper!

So sorry to hear about the house-everything happens for a reason so some good will come out of this!

Yay for 8 day tickets!

I may take your advice and read the HP books.

Thank you so much for your kind words! We just signed the contract for another house, so it really did turn out fine!

You should definitely read the HP books! They're amazing!

Sorry about the house. Must be a better one coming up for you!

Yay for John not having to go yet

I am thinking the same "WDW" withdrawl may happen to us when we start our trip at SeaWorld. There's something about passing through those WDW gates that makes you feel lighter.

Thank you! You were right, we got a better one!

You're so right about the WDW gates! I think you might feel the withdrawal, but Sea World is amazing so you will still have a good time!

Oh I hate to hear the bad news about the house. At least you got a little money in your pocket for the troubles.

What a great surprise....extra days of tickets!

Thank you so much! It all turned out alright, thankfully!

I was so excited about the tickets!

Awww... sorry about the house. But that's great you get to spend more time with John.

YAY! To Disney you go, finally! I love seeing those gates, one of the best things about Disney That was so nice of John to get you double the tickets for your Disney vacation time. I haven't even stayed in WDW for 8 days. I can't wait to read all about how those tickets are used

Sounded like you had a nice time in DTD! I'm going to be searching for those scratch marks now Hahahahaha Love the Mickey fountain thing they have. I've seen it on so many TRs and I just think it's the coolest thing ever. I hope they keep it there for awhile

I love World of Disney! I'm a big Disney souvenir junkie, especially when it comes to pins so I love that place. It also is fun to just goof off in there hahaha, which you seem to do (I don't think you looked weird in that picture, btw) Haha @ the whole "more practical mickey ears" comment, though it's totally true. I think it can go for most Disney souvenirs, as well Hahahaha

OMG, I think that is the worst I've seen someone react to leaving Disney. The elevators, seriously? Hahahahaha just kidding But it seemed you enjoyed it in the end. If only Disney would play Harry Potter poolside *daydreams* But at least they play some epic Disney movies to make up hahahaha

Can't wait to read about your Sea World day!

Thank you! It turned out fine in the end, we got an even better house!

I was SO excited about the eight days of tickets! He's the best!

I'm a huge souvenir junkie too! I love pins as well, but lately John and I have kind of gotten addicted to Vinylmations! They're so fun!

I'm telling you, I was a major brat about having to leave! Poolside Harry Potter at Disney would be amazing! I think Disney should just buy out Universal!

 

[therussells08]

So sorry about your house, that really stinks. But definitely good news that your DH could be home for Christmas!

Yay for finally getting on Disney property though! And that was so sweet of your DH to get you more tickets. Four days at Disney is never enough, there's just too much to do!

And I love those ears, too cute! But yeah I could see how a more practical pair would be used much more

Thank you! It turned out fine in the end!

I was so happy to be on Disney property! And you're right, four days is never enough!

I was so tempted to get those ears!

Sorry to hear about the house! But maybe this just means that something even better for the two of you will work out instead! (I always believe things happen for a reason). Great news about John though!

Oh my gosh! I absolutely LOVED your update, you literally had me laughing OUT LOUD!!! Ahh... the comment about the elevators not being as slow at Disney had me especially cracking up! Can't wait for your next update!

Thank you! You were right, something better did work out! Thank you so much for your support!

I'm so glad you enjoyed my update! Thank you!

Finally caught up!!! I knew it!! I knew why you were sad! I am a bit hesitant about taking a trip to Universal for that very same reason... but I HAVE to see WWoHP so I will have to tough it out... for one night at least

Sorry about the house, but YAY! about John maybe being home for Christmas!!

It's worth going for the WWoHP, but there's no way I could do a whole vacation at Universal!

Thank you! It turned out alright in the end!

On board - great reading and you're making me laugh!
We brought the kids to WWOHP at Universal last year - and although it was a "good" family trip, it was the trip to Disney afterwards that made the vacation! So I know what you mean!

I'm so glad you're enjoying it and laughing along!

Disney is always the trip that really makes the vacation! I totally understand!

Sorry to hear about the house but great news on the extra cash & having John home.

I feel the exact same way about Orlando. Vacation doesn't really start until I get to Disney. I feel almost disloyal and out of sorts when I'm off property and near by.

Thank you! It turned out great in the end!

Haha, it's so funny that everyone feels the same way about Disney! Universal is okay, but nothing compares to Disney!

Yeah on 8 day park tickets!!!

Sorry about the house, but I am sure you will find a better one.

Too funny on practical mouse ears.

Crossing my fingers that your husband is home for Christmas.

Looking forward to more!!

You were right, we did find a better one!

Thank you so much for all your kind words!

 

[therussells08]

oh my gosh, i haven't been on the boards since the 8 of July. i'll be back later to catch up.

I know what you mean, I haven't been on in FOREVER! I am so behind!

I'm so behind on TRs. I was just catching up on your last one, when I saw you had started this one!

I can totally understand you being cross with Universal, just because it's not Disney, but I have to say that the resort looked terrific. We decided not to stay overnight when we go to Universal in 2 weeks because it was too much money on our already overloaded budget, but I really would like to stay there sometime, if only for the early entry and express pass perks.

Can't wait to hear how your hubby reacts to his AKL surprise!

I'm so far behind too! I haven't updated my other TR in forever! I need to get back to it!

The Universal hotel was very nice, but I wasn't really happy with the cost! I felt like every time I turned around they were charging me for something else! The decor was beautiful though!

I think you should have bought the hat. It is so you!

Thank you! I kind of regret not buying it now!

Sorry about the house! At least you got some money out of it and there will be another one I'm sure!! Yay for DTD. I hate parking there too, especially on the weekends ugh!

You were right, there was another one! Thanks for your kind words!

I'm in!!

I sooo know what you mean about "not Disney." I took my girls on a surprise trip to sea World over Spring break - we had a great time - but it was so not Disney. We spent two days there -- and then I had to find a way for us to have at least one day of Disney - so we went to Epcot before we finally came home. There is just a huge difference. From the workers, to the food (oh, the food!) - to even the people there. And those same people - they go to Disney too - but they just behave differently!

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

I don't blame you for squeezing in some Disney time! I just don't think I could go to Orlando without going to Disney! And you are SO right about people behaving differently!

I'm very late, but very in! Love your report!
PS. We are in NY, but have both a junk drawer AND a gun.

You're not late, you're right on time!

Haha, I guess they're both more common than I thought!

What a hilarious TR so far! My mouth literally dropped open when I read that you ran into the Weasleys!!! I truly would've made a scene and demanded to be an extra in their commercial. I also went to WWoHP last December and it was just disgustingly unwieldy to say the least. I'm glad you got to enjoy it w/out the insane crowds!

The gift shop at SoG is my absolute fav; their 99 cent Disney keychains are so perfect. I've never been to the Disney outlet store though- I'll of course have to stop by next time since apparently they have souvenirs for dogs! I was never able to find anything suitable for my 100 pounder last time! Things never seem to come in his size...

So excited to read about AKL! Such a very beautiful resort!

I'm so glad you're enjoying it! It was so cool seeing the Weasleys! Trust me, if John hadn't been there to restrain me I probably would have done something drastic to meet them! It was SO much nicer this time than in December, even with the celebs there!

I love the SoG gift shop too, but the outlet is even better! You would love it! Awww, they never make big enough doggie clothes! They had some pretty big shirts there so maybe you can find something for your fur baby!

 

[therussells08]

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry AGAIN about the huge gap in updates.Things have been really hectic around here lately! It turns out losing the last house was a blessing, because John and I found an even nicer house that was a better price! We are in the process of closing and doing all of the necessary work like getting the inspection, so it's been insane! Plus, I started back to work a few weeks ago so my free time has been pretty much nonexistent! Oh well, before I break out the violin and play myself a sad song let's get back to the TR!

I woke up the next morning and literally sprang from the bed. I was so excited to finally be leaving Universal and going to Disney World for good! I wasn't really looking forward to going to Sea World because I was just SO eager to get to Disney, but we had never been before and we really wanted to check it out. Besides, it was free. I think I would go to a theme park where the only thing you do is watch paint dry if it was free. That's why John always calls me "Frugal McDugal" which I find ironic, since he almost gave himself a hernia so he wouldn't have to tip the bell hop. Pot, meet kettle.

Aaaanyway, I started to get a little more excited as we approached Sea World that morning. I've always liked sea creatures, especially dolphins and orcas!

We went through the very simple process of getting the free military tickets, and before we knew it we were in the park! The first thing I noticed was Shamu doing a meet and greet!

How cute! The first thing John noticed was two flamingos getting a little um...friendly... with each other. Being the incredibly mature man that he is he immediately grabbed my camera, but the love connection was broken before he could figure out how to turn the camera on. Instead, he had to settle for this boring flamingo shot.

I dragged him away from the flamingo romance that was unfolding and we started wandering around the park. We had no idea what was around, so we figured we'd just do what country folks do best: mosey! I was really impressed with the decorations around Sea World. It is set up to remind you of a coastal town, almost like a boardwalk, and it's very pretty and cheerful.

I mentioned earlier that I love dolphins and orcas, but dolphins are definitely my favorite of the two. There's just something about dolphins that I absolutely love. So, you can imagine my complete and total euphoria when I realized that you could HAND FEED DOLPHINS for only $7!

John was more than happy to fork over the cash after a couple minutes of me going, "Canwecanwecanwecanwecanwe?!" $14 to feed dolphins? What a deal!

You can really understand how excited I was by this simply by looking at that picture. It takes something really special to make me willing to pick up a slimy dead fish with my bare hand.

You were allowed to touch the dolphins, but I was never quite able to. They would always swim just out of reach and my arms were too short to reach them. John was able to touch several though, and he said they felt like rubber. That's about what I imagined them to feel like, so I wasn't too bummed I didn't touch one. I got to feed them, and that was cool enough!

After that I was all about the dolphins, so I dragged John over to a show called "Blue Horizons". We were late arriving, but we didn't miss much of it. This was the best show! It was all about dolphins and these really beautiful parrots and other birds.

Here is a video of the first part of the show: (Just click on the image to see the video.)



Okay now here's where Joni turns into a weirdo. As soon as I saw the dolphins jumping out of the water (around 1:23 in the first video) I instantly just burst into tears. Don't ask me why, because I honestly couldn't tell you. I am an extremely emotional person, and John calls me a "hat crier" (because I cry at the drop of the hat) and it's true. I cry all the time, and I tend to cry WAY more when I'm happy than when I'm sad. I guess that's what happened here. The show was just so beautiful and inspirational that I couldn't hold it in, so I sat there weeping like a total nerd throughout the whole thing.

It only got worse when they started playing this super inspirational song (another video):



When the birds flew over our heads I just lost it. I was so relieved that I had my sunglasses on, because I'm sure the people around me would have thought I was totally crazy if they saw me sitting there bawling my eyes out in the middle of Sea World.

After Blue Horizons (and my mini emotional breakdown) we continued our moseying and stumbled across another cool experience: feeding the seals!

I like seals, but I wasn't too keen on the idea of touching more dead fish so I decided to just watch. John wanted to do it, so he paid (this one was only $5) and got his seal food. It was so cute because all of the seals knew he had food so they would jump up on the rocks and make that loud seal sound (if I try to spell it out I would imagine it to be something like "AR! AR! AR!") until he threw them a fish. One seal, however, was quite the showman and he decided he needed to take it up a notch in order to get John's attention. Therefore, he proceeded to sit there and scream for a solid fifteen seconds. It was hilarious, and I managed to get a little bit of it on video! Here it is:



After we finished with the seals John wanted to see the scary stuff, so we went to the shark tank. Well, I guess you would call it the shark tunnel, because you go through this big tunnel with sharks swimming all around you. John loved it and I was thoroughly creeped out.

This is the ugliest fish I've ever seen, bless his heart.

After this we headed over to the Arctic exhibit. This one wasn't too exciting because it was difficult to see a lot of the animals, but it was still cool.

That was indoors! How cool is that? My sister is scared to death by places that are indoors but look like they are outdoors (like Pirates of the Caribbean) so I texted her a picture of this room. I'm so sweet, aren't I?

I couldn't get a good picture of the beluga whales, but I did enjoy looking at them and singing "Baby beluga in the deep blue sea, he swims so wild and he swims so free..." from Full House.

Here's a lazy polar bear.

When we left this area I saw a photo op that I couldn't resist.

At this point it was almost time for what I was most excited about: the Shamu show!

We went into Shamu Stadium and chose some seats outside of the Splash Zone. It would have been fun to be splashed, but I didn't want my camera to get wet and I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of smelling like whale water for the rest of the day.

At the beginning of the show they asked all military personnel to stand so they could be honored, which I thought was great. It was so nice to see everyone clapping for my brave hubby! As I'm sure you guessed, this started the water works all over again.

So, since I was already crying when the show started you can imagine what mess I was when I saw those beautiful and majestic creatures jumping out of the water. This was such an amazing show! It was funny, inspiring, and just plain beautiful!

Here's a little video I made of the whales splashing all of the people! It was so cool!



By the time the show ended it was about 2 o'clock and we had been in Sea World for more than five hours. John and I talked and we both agreed that neither of us had any interest in riding the rides. I had heard that the roller coasters were great, but I figured I could just ride roller coasters at Disney. We were hot, sweaty, and we had seen all of the animals we wanted to see, so we decided to leave.

On our way out we stopped in the gift shop where I quickly realized they had really cool beach towels, darn it! If you remember from my last post, I had bought my mom a beach towel from Downtown Disney the previous night, but I knew she would like a Sea World one better. I debated for awhile about what to do, but I finally decided to just bite the bullet and get her a towel with Shamu on it. I figured I would keep the Disney one for myself, until I saw a really cool towel with dolphins on it. Shoot. I really wanted this towel, but did I really need two? Well, I was on vacation, so I decided the answer was yes. We ended up buying a towel for mom, a towel for me, a shot glass for my dad, and a keychain and postcards for my sister.

We left Sea World already making plans to come back when we have children. I was skeptical at first, but a day there turned me into a believer! It is a beautiful park and you have a lot of really unforgettable experiences for a very low price. Now I know that part of my love for the park stemmed from the fact that we got in totally free, but I think I would have felt the same even if we had paid admission.

With Shamu and Flipper behind us, we hopped in the car and headed for our final destination of the trip. The destination I had been dreaming about and obsessing over months. The best destination on Earth.

Hellooooo baby!

Up Next: It's time for the big reveal! John finds out we're staying at AKL!

 

[Nermel9]

Yay an update! Congrats on your new house, it sounds perfect!

Sea World is a lot of fun! I love dolphins so much...I had no idea there was a feeding area there for them! We missed a lot when we went there!

Aww, I love that video of the seal! So cute!

We missed the Arctic exhibit too! We tried to find it, but we were confused when we were there because they do some Polar Express thing with it when it's close to Christmas, so we didn't know if we'd still see polar bears or not...so we stood around like dorks for like 20 minutes, debating whether or not to go in! I wish we did now, I love polar bears!

The Shamu show is really cute, but do they still do that weird, clapping "Shamu, Shamu" chant/song thing before he comes out? I thought that was a little strange! They're such beautiful whales, but it freaks me out knowing that poor trainer got killed by one there.

I can't believe you didn't go on one ride! Although that Manta roller coaster is terrifying! And roller coasters do not scare me...but that one...never again!

Can't wait to finally hear about getting to AKL!

 

[Disneyfreak616]

YAY an update!!! That's great that your house situation worked out for the better!

Hahaha "pot, meet kettle." Reminds me of my mom. She says that ALL the time. And cheyyeah I'd go if it was free too!

at the flamingo romance. I'm glad you guys were enjoying yourselves! Haha.

Yayy for being able to feed the dolphins!! And for $7?! That's awesome. That show is so cool too, it's totally understandable that you cried. I almost burst into tears during Philharmagic this past trip.

That seal is hilarious! So funny.

I think I would cry if there were sharks swimming all around me.

That is a really strange fear to have...I personally LOVE places that are indoors that look like outdoors, I think it's so cool.

HAHAHA Full House. "I WANT BABY BELUGA! I WANT BABY BELUGA!"

Aww that's so nice that they recognized John! The Splash Zone DOES look like fun LOL.

You're making me really want to go to Sea World sometime! Someday I'll get there.

YAY for getting to Disney!!! I can't wait to hear about John's reaction to AKL!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Yay for an update! I'm so glad to see you back, and so glad to hear that you found an even better house!

It has been so long since I've been to SeaWorld, but your update brought back lots of memories! That is so neat that you were able to feed dolphins! Have you ever swam with them before? If not you should do it! Haha, love the term "hat crier". I could definitely describe myself as that from time to time. Woo hoo for finally getting to Disney! I can't wait to see how John liked his surprise!

 

[LauRN25]

Another North Carolinian from the Winston-Salem area joining in! Your trip report is giving me my Disney fix until I go in January.

 

[TanzUnited99]

Yay glad to see you back and am pleased to hear about the new house - seems like everything has worked out for the best

Wow your holidays sure flew by - can't believe you are back at work already! I loved reading about your day at Sea World and it is now making me want to visit! May have to consider it in a future trip.

Lol I would have loved to have seen the love connection happening between the flamingoes! Yay on being able to feed the dolphins!

I love the videos and being able to get emotional quite easily myself I understand about that happening during the day I'm glad you had your sunglasses to hand to fool onlookers!

The arctic exhibit looks cool and can't wait to read all about John's reaction to the AKL surprise

 

[reelmom]

First of all, I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to you husband for serving in the military and for keeping us safe. Secondly, you deserve lots of pixie dust. I admire you for being a military wife and I know it must be so hard for you to have him deployed. I am glad that he might be able to stay for Christmas. Third, great trip report. We are going to Universal and SeaWorld next year. I am so upset about not being able to go to Disney. I am plotting out how to leave early before DH can and going to Disney with my two boys for a few days before our actual trip starts. If only I was made of money. Oh, my boys loved the video of the seal. We had to watch it about 10 times. They were laughing so hard.

 

[shelbys mommy]

Love love love the update!!! I totally would have been singing Baby Beluga too! Totally cracked up at "Pot, meet kettle."