Sun, Shopping, Sand, Surf, Sweat & Shamu: A Splashin Summertime Sabbatical at SVR!

[crazyfordisney2000]

Sounds like you had a long trip to the airport! We were lucky, because we left so early we missed all that construction!

We had a great first day at Universal and yesterday went to aquatica! It was posted temperature of 98 ' at the wave pool! We are just chillin this morning till the kids get up and see what they want to do today.

Have a great trip Gina! Oh yeah, we went to Cici's also! Yummy!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Sounds like you had a long trip to the airport! We were lucky, because we left so early we missed all that construction!

We had a great first day at Universal and yesterday went to aquatica! It was posted temperature of 98 ' at the wave pool! We are just chillin this morning till the kids get up and see what they want to do today.

Have a great trip Gina! Oh yeah, we went to Cici's also! Yummy!

Hey there!!! Hasn't the weather been absolutely GRAND? Lovin' the sun and the heat, such a change from home!

Glad you guys are having a rockin' good time! Can't wait until we get to Aquatica on Thursday.....Roa's Rapids is calling my name .

Enjoy!!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hey everyone, just checking in .

Yesterday we hit the Premium Outlets on Vineland (the kids bought a TON of stuff!!), discovered a new Orlando dining gem by complete accident (Dick's Last Resort), and mini golfed at Congo River (complete with gator feeding and gator holding). We tried to dine at Millers Ale House for dinner for their infamous rib night, but it was packed to the gills so we opted for Chili's instead. It didn't disappoint .

We spent the first part of today at Typhoon Lagoon (opened the park and left around 2:30) and are now just napping a bit before deciding what to do this evening. All that sun and heat has tuckered my crew out . The weather has been spectacularly hot and sunny since we arrived, with a high today of 95 without the humidity. I think the plan is to order Giordano's in for dinner, then maybe take in another round of golf later on (perhaps at Pirates Cove?) when the sun loses a bit of its potency.

We've enjoyed some extended pool time every day here at the resort. The Fountains pool has been a ton of fun and has some nice shady sections in the heat of the afternoon .

Tomorrow we are jet skiing in the morning on Lake Minneola and the kids are totally excited for that particular venture. Looks like the weather will be fairly decent for our excursion as well....at least so far.

We're having an awesome time, and Sweetie in particular has been so excited about all the places we've visited. Hope you all are having a great start to your week as well!

 

[Lynne G]

Hi Gina,
Went to Alamo, right to full size aisle. Mostly all vans. Not for us, took an Altma instead.

Did the go karts. $3 tax I had to pay with my groupon. Two small pellets for the baby gators. I am going to complain to Groupon. The kids had fun with the Karts though.

Hot is right!

Getting ready for a later dinner and then to bed, we are tired from getting up at 4 am.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We are currently in the process of adding a day or 2 to the beginning of our trip and i am currently booked with Enterprise. Dollar will now be the cheapest for me so i was wondering what they are like to deal with. Is 2nd driver free? Thanks

We normally buy the gold or platinum package that does include a 2nd driver but that is in the UK. We have used Dollar quite a few times and as we go straight to the garage there is no sales patter, just pick up the keys. Last time we did swap cars as the one offered was badly scratched but it wasn't a problem.

 

[tristyp]

Hey everyone, just checking in .

Yesterday we hit the Premium Outlets on Vineland (the kids bought a TON of stuff!!), discovered a new Orlando dining gem by complete accident (Dick's Last Resort), and mini golfed at Congo River (complete with gator feeding and gator holding). We tried to dine at Millers Ale House for dinner for their infamous rib night, but it was packed to the gills so we opted for Chili's instead. It didn't disappoint .

I once went to a Dick's Last Resort in San Antonio. What a blast. Learned some new words as well.

Hi Gina,
Went to Alamo, right to full size aisle. Mostly all vans. Not for us, took an Altma instead.


Getting ready for a later dinner and then to bed, we are tired from getting up at 4 am.

Is it usual for vans to be in the full siza Aisle. I would love a van but am currently settling on a full size due to the ammount of money I have already spent and the fact that I am cheap

i hope you have a great trip and you guys manage to have a DIS meet

We normally buy the gold or platinum package that does include a 2nd driver but that is in the UK. We have used Dollar quite a few times and as we go straight to the garage there is no sales patter, just pick up the keys. Last time we did swap cars as the one offered was badly scratched but it wasn't a problem.

Thanks for the info.

 

[pigletto]

Hey everyone, just checking in .

Yesterday we hit the Premium Outlets on Vineland (the kids bought a TON of stuff!!), discovered a new Orlando dining gem by complete accident (Dick's Last Resort), and mini golfed at Congo River (complete with gator feeding and gator holding). We tried to dine at Millers Ale House for dinner for their infamous rib night, but it was packed to the gills so we opted for Chili's instead. It didn't disappoint .

We spent the first part of today at Typhoon Lagoon (opened the park and left around 2:30) and are now just napping a bit before deciding what to do this evening. All that sun and heat has tuckered my crew out . The weather has been spectacularly hot and sunny since we arrived, with a high today of 95 without the humidity. I think the plan is to order Giordano's in for dinner, then maybe take in another round of golf later on (perhaps at Pirates Cove?) when the sun loses a bit of its potency.

We've enjoyed some extended pool time every day here at the resort. The Fountains pool has been a ton of fun and has some nice shady sections in the heat of the afternoon .

Tomorrow we are jet skiing in the morning on Lake Minneola and the kids are totally excited for that particular venture. Looks like the weather will be fairly decent for our excursion as well....at least so far.

We're having an awesome time, and Sweetie in particular has been so excited about all the places we've visited. Hope you all are having a great start to your week as well!

Sounds like everything is going wonderfully!
Can't wait for the trip report. Guess I will need to be patient considering you just started your vacation lol.
Hope tomorrow is as great as today was for you Gina!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi Gina,
Went to Alamo, right to full size aisle. Mostly all vans. Not for us, took an Altma instead.

Did the go karts. $3 tax I had to pay with my groupon. Two small pellets for the baby gators. I am going to complain to Groupon. The kids had fun with the Karts though.

Hot is right!

Getting ready for a later dinner and then to bed, we are tired from getting up at 4 am.

Hey Lynne, glad you made it safely!! Sorry to hear the go karts were a disappointment. I will let you know how they go for us when we finally use that Groupon later this trip.

I once went to a Dick's Last Resort in San Antonio. What a blast. Learned some new words as well.

I had NO IDEA what the "theme" of that restaurant was, but the kids absolutely LOVED it!! It was either the food court at the mall, McD's, or Dicks....and Dick's looked much more comfy from the outside than any of the fast food options. Everyone is already saying that they want to go back a second time before the end of the trip!

Sounds like everything is going wonderfully!
Can't wait for the trip report. Guess I will need to be patient considering you just started your vacation lol.
Hope tomorrow is as great as today was for you Gina!

Jet skiing was SO MUCH FUN!!!! I can't recommend it enough......we all had such a fantastic time. The lakes were stunningly beautiful and the skis were fast. Like shockingly fast. Jake and Steve were in heaven. The two hours flew by so quickly, and I'm so glad we opted for the 2 hour option vs. the 1 hour Groupon. I can't say enough about Sue and Tom from Makaio Watersports. Absolutely wonderful people and an experience we will repeat on future trips.

After jet skiing all morning, we also hit the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores in the afternoon (lots of great clothing deals!), and Pirates Cove mini golf in the evening. We're getting in some daily pool time as well. The kiddos are loving the Fountains pool.

On tap today is Aquatica! We have a cabana rented and all-day dining pre-purchased. The park opens at 9 so I am going to rouse the kids very soon. Steve is just heading to the shower after making us a fresh pot of Tim Hortons coffee to start the day. Love that man .

Highs are forecasted to be 96 today without the humidity and 110 with the humidex factored in. I can see a day of Roa's Rapids in my future ! If we made the trek south to find summer, let's say we were completely successful .

 

[ZehnJahren]

It's great to read that you're already having a fantastic time! So awesome that the jet skis worked out for you and that you're happy you didn't just go with one hour!! Also, hope you have a blast at Aquatica - those temperatures sound brutal after the summer you've had, but it's easy to ignore them when you're having a great time (and staying well-hydrated of course!).

Hope it's a great, rain-free day!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

It's great to read that you're already having a fantastic time! So awesome that the jet skis worked out for you and that you're happy you didn't just go with one hour!! Also, hope you have a blast at Aquatica - those temperatures sound brutal after the summer you've had, but it's easy to ignore them when you're having a great time (and staying well-hydrated of course!).

Hope it's a great, rain-free day!

Its been very, very dry since we arrived......hardly any rain (or even clouds) at all! (we did get a nice light show last night.....lots of thunder, some bright flashy lightning, but only 10 drops of moisture)

Definitely not like previous Augusts with those drenching rainstorms almost daily. I hope we don't make up for it next week . I, for one, am enjoying the sun!

Yesterday at Aquatica was spectacular. We arrived before park opening and stayed until close (and a bit beyond.....the line up for photo purchases was pretty lengthy). Loved the cabana, again it was well worth the $149 for the day. The park was as gorgeous and relaxing as we remembered, and the kids had a ball hitting every slide multiple times. Steve and I spent so much time in Roa's Rapids that we were prunes by the time we arrived back at the villa.

We ventured out late in the evening to give Tastee Treat a try. Fantastic . I think we'll be giving that a second (or third ...) visit before this trip is over.

Today is a "relaxing" day, kicked off with a pancake breakfast crafted by Steve (so delish!). We plan to hit up Ron Jons at the Festival Bay Mall, and the kids want to go to the Florida Mall. We'll soak up some sun at the resort pools (maybe giving the Super Pool a visit) and rest up for our Daytona day tomorrow, assuming the good weather holds on.

Time is going by sooooo quickly! Its scary!

 

[pigletto]

Its been very, very dry since we arrived......hardly any rain (or even clouds) at all! (we did get a nice light show last night.....lots of thunder, some bright flashy lightning, but only 10 drops of moisture)

Definitely not like previous Augusts with those drenching rainstorms almost daily. I hope we don't make up for it next week . I, for one, am enjoying the sun!

Yesterday at Aquatica was spectacular. We arrived before park opening and stayed until close (and a bit beyond.....the line up for photo purchases was pretty lengthy). Loved the cabana, again it was well worth the $149 for the day. The park was as gorgeous and relaxing as we remembered, and the kids had a ball hitting every slide multiple times. Steve and I spent so much time in Roa's Rapids that we were prunes by the time we arrived back at the villa.

We ventured out late in the evening to give Tastee Treat a try. Fantastic . I think we'll be giving that a second (or third ...) visit before this trip is over.

Today is a "relaxing" day, kicked off with a pancake breakfast crafted by Steve (so delish!). We plan to hit up Ron Jons at the Festival Bay Mall, and the kids want to go to the Florida Mall. We'll soak up some sun at the resort pools (maybe giving the Super Pool a visit) and rest up for our Daytona day tomorrow, assuming the good weather holds on.

Time is going by sooooo quickly! Its scary!

Sounds wonderful Gina! I would love to hit up Aquatica sometime but our last few trips have been in the dead of winter so I am always reluctant to plan it and then get hit with the dreaded Florida cold snap!

A relaxing day on a Florida trip? What's that? I may try some of this relaxing you speak of on our next trip. Now that we won't all be sandwiched into one room it's a good plan!

I'm glad the weather is holding out for you and you guys are having such a great time.

 

[Ang1e]

Sounds like you're having a fantastic time Gina. Fingers crossed the rain stays far far away

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi everyone , just popping in to say hello .

Weather continues to be great. Lots of heat (mid-90's), lots of sun. We've had those typical hour-long Florida storms the last two days but neither has affected our plans in the slightest......they were perfectly timed!!

We made the trip to Daytona yesterday and everyone had a ball. It was a very easy drive....just over an hour....and no tolls (as opposed to Cocoa, which had us stopping 4? times in each direction). Sweetie was so excited to see the ocean for the first time , and we all spend tons of time enjoying the waves and the water .

The vibe there was perfect for two teens....shops and amusements right along the beach, chair rentals, food stands, volleyball, parasailers, small planes flying along the beach trailing message banners behind them, all sorts of fun (if you want it). There were huge pelicans in the water that spent the day just a few feet from the swimmers scooping up fish. We arrived early and spent some surprisingly quiet time before the beach became more crowded around the noon hour.

Today we'll be enjoying another "resort day", though we may venture out to CityWalk tonight for dinner and mini golf with our pre-purchased vouchers. Tomorrow is Discovery Cove! I have heard that the weather is supposed to cool off a bit tomorrow as well.....high 80's vs. high 90's.....which will be nice when we have another day in the sun planned.

I can't believe week #1 has gone already!!

 

[ZehnJahren]

Hi everyone , just popping in to say hello .

Weather continues to be great. Lots of heat (mid-90's), lots of sun. We've had those typical hour-long Florida storms the last two days but neither has affected our plans in the slightest......they were perfectly timed!!

We made the trip to Daytona yesterday and everyone had a ball. It was a very easy drive....just over an hour....and no tolls (as opposed to Cocoa, which had us stopping 4? times in each direction). Sweetie was so excited to see the ocean for the first time , and we all spend tons of time enjoying the waves and the water .

The vibe there was perfect for two teens....shops and amusements right along the beach, chair rentals, food stands, volleyball, parasailers, small planes flying along the beach trailing message banners behind them, all sorts of fun (if you want it). There were huge pelicans in the water that spent the day just a few feet from the swimmers scooping up fish. We arrived early and spent some surprisingly quiet time before the beach became more crowded around the noon hour.

Today we'll be enjoying another "resort day", though we may venture out to CityWalk tonight for dinner and mini golf with our pre-purchased vouchers. Tomorrow is Discovery Cove! I have heard that the weather is supposed to cool off a bit tomorrow as well.....high 80's vs. high 90's.....which will be nice when we have another day in the sun planned.

I can't believe week #1 has gone already!!

Glad to hear it's all going so wonderfully, Gina! All that planning paid off.

Try to enjoy every last minute you have; the next week will go quickly too!!

 

[RvingDude]

We made the trip to Daytona yesterday and everyone had a ball. It was a very easy drive....just over an hour....and no tolls (as opposed to Cocoa, which had us stopping 4? times in each direction). Sweetie was so excited to see the ocean for the first time , and we all spend tons of time enjoying the waves and the water .

The vibe there was perfect for two teens....shops and amusements right along the beach, chair rentals, food stands, volleyball, parasailers, small planes flying along the beach trailing message banners behind them, all sorts of fun (if you want it). There were huge pelicans in the water that spent the day just a few feet from the swimmers scooping up fish. We arrived early and spent some surprisingly quiet time before the beach became more crowded around the noon hour.

Hi Gina...taking my 16 & 17 year old boys to Orlando in April. Sounds like you prefer Daytona over Cocoa Beach, but wanted to know if there was something in particular at Cocoa Beach that is a 'not to be missed'. Basically would like your opinion on 1 or 2 days at the beach...Daytona or Daytona & Cocoa Beach...Thanks!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi Gina...taking my 16 & 17 year old boys to Orlando in April. Sounds like you prefer Daytona over Cocoa Beach, but wanted to know if there was something in particular at Cocoa Beach that is a 'not to be missed'. Basically would like your opinion on 1 or 2 days at the beach...Daytona or Daytona & Cocoa Beach...Thanks!

Ron Jon's Surf Shop at Cocoa Beach is awesome if you are looking for a beachy shopping experience. Its much, MUCH larger than the one in Orlando's Festival Bay Mall (been to both now, and they don't even compare).

That said, with two teens, I really think they would enjoy Daytona more than Cocoa. Cocoa is very natural, very peaceful. Daytona has all the beauty of the beach with "fun" thrown in...the Boardwalk, the beach-side amusements (roller coaster, ferris wheel, go-karts, etc.), lots of places to grab food and snacks, and an overall "younger" vibe.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi all, just dropping by for another quick hello!

Sunday we enjoyed a relaxing day at the resort, followed by our mini golf and dinner at CityWalk. We golfed the Haunting at Ghostly Greens course upon arrival (right around 6:30 pm....there was a beautiful breeze that made the heat very bearable) then we had a great meal at Nascar that we all enjoyed. We toured CityWalk after dinner (including the requisite stop at NBA City's retail store) before returning to the resort and calling it a night.

Yesterday was Discovery Cove. Perfect weather, so much fun. We arrived at 7:25 am and didn't leave until 5:45 pm. Got the exact cabana location we requested and it was awesome. We ended up having our initial dolphin interaction at 10:50 am with "Marea" and "Stella", then a second, private interaction with Capricorn (who was featured in the movie Jaws 3) at 1:45. Long story on why we ended up with two interactions....I will explain it all in my trip report. The kids were in heaven with having dolphin time twice .

Not one drop of rain, sunny skies, a beautiful breeze all day long, and less hot and humid. It was truly the nicest weather day of our vacation. Big sigh of relief.

We all hated to leave at the end, but man we tired. Both Jake and Sweetie were asleep by 10 pm!!!

Today's plans include sleeping in (trying to recover from yesterday!), resort time, and our go-karting package at Kissimmee Go-Karts. Tomorrow, weather permitting, will be SeaWorld.

 

[RvingDude]

Ron Jon's Surf Shop at Cocoa Beach is awesome if you are looking for a beachy shopping experience. Its much, MUCH larger than the one in Orlando's Festival Bay Mall (been to both now, and they don't even compare).

That said, with two teens, I really think they would enjoy Daytona more than Cocoa. Cocoa is very natural, very peaceful. Daytona has all the beauty of the beach with "fun" thrown in...the Boardwalk, the beach-side amusements (roller coaster, ferris wheel, go-karts, etc.), lots of places to grab food and snacks, and an overall "younger" vibe.

THANK YOU!

 

[Lynne G]

So did you like the go karts?

We are enjoying the yacht club and just had fun at Disney Quest and dinner at Puck's express. Good pizza, but we liked red oven pizza at city walk better.

Hope you had fun at Sea World.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

So did you like the go karts?

We are enjoying the yacht club and just had fun at Disney Quest and dinner at Puck's express. Good pizza, but we liked red oven pizza at city walk better.

Hope you had fun at Sea World.

Yes, we had a ball at the go-kart place . I was glad you forewarned us about the "tax" thing, though, or I will admit that would have annoyed me.

I am so glad you are enjoying your resort!! Did you have tickets to the Villains party? I hear that the event didn't go so well. You must be getting excited about MNSSHP! Its coming up so fast!

SeaWorld was awesome!!! We kicked off the day being selected as winners by the 50th anniversary Surprise Squad......we won VIP passes for all of us! Free all day dining passes, free reserved seating at the shows, free Quick Queue, free sea lion, dolphin and sting ray feeding, and all done with our personal guide (there was another family who also won the same prize, so we were a small group of 9). We stayed open to close, and are soooo weary tonight . I think we'll be taking tomorrow off to recuperate!