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

[VacaPlanner0425]

I am finally getting around posting a few pictures of the Vistana Villages. I thought I took more than I did! We stayed in a 1 room (which I didn't take pictures of...) and a 2 room. Here are a few.

Main Area


Master Bedroom


Outside of our building


Overall, we liked it. The second room had 2 double beds (we were happy to get off the pull out couch and the kids' were happy to have their own bed!) I was going to get pictures of the pools the last night and it rained the whole evening.

Hoping I did this right! I haven't posted pictures before!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Gina, another fantastic day at SW However, you seem to gave missed the fun of squirting people on Journey to Atlantis, I love just standing and watching as I wait for my two to ride it

One year my DD won 4 stuffed toys on he games and as we were tight on luggage going home she very generously gave 2 to a little girl who was upset that she hadn't won anything and we managed to get 2 in the suitcases

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Oh I'm sure Ms. Kitty was counting down the days too. Such a cute cat.

Thanks Lynne . She's scruffy and lazy and has more attitude than the rest of us put together, but I love that little muffin. I think I was missing her as much as she was missing me .

What a delightful read from start to finish. I laughed aloud at your son winning the huge pink whale. HA! I have a tendency to do the same thing with outlet shopping in Orlando. My mom always has to remind me to slow down.

Thank you for posting all the details of your trip. They are super helpful to people, like me, who are planning upcoming trips. You have a beautiful family and I very much enjoying seeing all the pictures.

Thank you!! Glad to have you reading along!

Stay tuned .....I still have one more day to report on. Details on our final day are coming up soon.

Thanks Gina! Another great trip report is coming to an end, I almost feel sad it is over! You have set the gold standard for reports. We will be in Orlando for two days this December post Disney Cruise, staying at the Vistana Villages. Will want to try some of the activities who have posted about.

Thank you, my friend! Glad I managed to keep your interest all the way to the end!

I have to say that Golden Corral for breakfast is a steal. Coffee and juice is included, as well as made to order omelettes, fruit, and most any breakfast food you can think of for $7 a person. The day we went at 10 am, they switched to lunch at exactly 11am, so we got the chocolate fountains for dessert!

Secondly, do super Grover passes include parking? And must they be activated at sesame place?

Golden Corral is excellent for breakfast....or for us, its actually a better brunch. So. Much. Food.

Super Grover passes do include parking at all the associated parks, and from what I have read, they can be activitated at any of the participating venues. Lynne, can you confirm? Did you activate yours in Orlando at SW or Aquatica?

I am finally getting around posting a few pictures of the Vistana Villages. I thought I took more than I did! We stayed in a 1 room (which I didn't take pictures of...) and a 2 room. Here are a few.

Overall, we liked it. The second room had 2 double beds (we were happy to get off the pull out couch and the kids' were happy to have their own bed!) I was going to get pictures of the pools the last night and it rained the whole evening.

Hoping I did this right! I haven't posted pictures before!

Great photos!!

And I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your stay there. Would you choose that property for a future stay?

Gina, another fantastic day at SW However, you seem to gave missed the fun of squirting people on Journey to Atlantis, I love just standing and watching as I wait for my two to ride it

One year my DD won 4 stuffed toys on he games and as we were tight on luggage going home she very generously gave 2 to a little girl who was upset that she hadn't won anything and we managed to get 2 in the suitcases

Aw, how sweet of your DD!! What a wonderful girl you have there!

And nope, we didn't do any squirting....it was too darn hot to stand there in the sun . It was much cooler to hang out in the aquarium.....ah, air conditioning . Next time, for sure!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Sunday, August 31st…..the final day .

We were up and at ‘em fairly early today. Everyone showered and dressed and tossed the remainder of their stuff in their respective suitcases. It was a fairly minimal effort with all the major packing having been completed in the couple of evenings prior. I did a final couple of loads of laundry so that everyone took home a suitcase full of clean clothes. I figured Sweetie’s mom in particular would appreciate that.

I made a quick run down to the Fountains pool to leave our beach balls on a chair for another family to enjoy. I was going to actually hand them to a child who happened to be swimming, but the pool was deserted despite a glorious, steamy start to the morning.



Even the playground was empty. It was eerily quiet on this Sunday morning of the long weekend. Everyone must have headed to the parks early.







By 9:30 am (a half an hour ahead of schedule, no less) we were all ready to head to the Welcome Center to check out.



We had to go to the Welcome Center as we were unable to turn in our towels and get our towel cards back. When I took the beach balls down to the pool, I also took our towels back to exchange, but there was no one manning the towel supply. I didn’t want to risk being charged the fee for not returning them, so we figured it was worth a brief stop. I also wanted to seek their assistance to print our boarding passes and in getting the pink whale home.

I had called Jetblue the evening prior after returning from Seaworld, and they advised me the giant whale would be considered an additional piece of checked luggage and cost us a $50 to have flown home. Ouch. It would also have to be sealed in a bag and marked with our name, address, and phone number as well as our flight information. So, while handing the final administration with the front desk staff, I inquired if they could help us in securing a large plastic bag and provide me with some paper and a marker. Here’s where I need to send a big shout out to a very awesome Regina the front desk, who so kindly and friendily (is that word?) had us checked out, boarding passes in hand, and whale label completed within a scant few minutes. She gave me two of the largest bags they had on hand at the Welcome Center, but unfortunately they were nowhere near large enough for The Pink Beast….which was not a big deal, as we had plenty of time to stop at the Dollar Tree across the street to find something more suitable. Regina bid us a warm farewell and a safe journey home, and we were on our way for breakfast in short order.

We let the kids choose where they wanted to dine for breakfast. Carte blanche, anywhere they wanted. And they excitedly chose Dunkin Donuts……cue the groans from us old fogies .



All the fantastic places in Orlando for breakfast that they could select, and they wanted some ooey gooey frosty blended coffee drink and a chicken sandwich. Teenagers are bizarre creatures.

It was crazy busy PACKED in there, so a peaceful morning meal where I could weep quietly in the corner about the prospect of going home was out of the question. Perhaps that was a good thing .



After breakfast, we strolled over to the Dollar Tree in search of a plastic bag large enough to cover The Pink Beast. We ended up having to purchase two giant birthday bags (the kind that you would use to wrap a sled or a tricycle….they were much larger than any garbage bag they had in stock) and a roll of clear tape……one bag over the nose toward the tail, one over the tail toward the nose, and taped securely in the centre. Both bags were bright blue and covered in multi-coloured pastel balloons, but it would have to do. We added on our label, and tossed him on top of the pile of luggage. Now mid-morning, we had time to kill until our early evening flight. What to do, what to do?

More of our last day coming up next.

 

[pigletto]

Oh you are so much nicer than me Gina.. $50 bucks and phone calls and running around for the Whale? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have done that.
Mind you, I'm pretty sure my kids would convince us to bring it home somehow despite our grumbling!

And I can't believe it's check out day!! I've got a titch of the "going home blues" just reading about it!

 

[VacaPlanner0425]

And I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your stay there. Would you choose that property for a future stay?

I would stay there again. It has a great layout and very clean. The pull out couches could handle a replacement!

We slept in it during the 1 bedroom stay so the kids could share the king bed (the aren't good with sharing a bed, so more room the better...). The one thing that wasn't good, was in the 1 bedroom, the window in the living room let a lot of noise through. When people walked by, you could hear everything (one night a group was very noisy).

In the 2 bedroom, the kids' room had a window to the hallway and they mentioned the noise there. We didn't hear a thing in the master, which was great after the bad sleeping in the pull out couch!

I would stay there if we were doing Sea World. It is a 5 minute drive or less. Longer to get to Disney, but it wasn't too bad.

 

[pigletgirl]

Hi Gina! Just finished reading through your report and can I just say, you are one of the best writers we have on this board. It's incredibly informative, entertaining and enjoyable. It's really helped us with our time in Florida.

Again, thank you!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Oh you are so much nicer than me Gina.. $50 bucks and phone calls and running around for the Whale? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have done that.
Mind you, I'm pretty sure my kids would convince us to bring it home somehow despite our grumbling!

And I can't believe it's check out day!! I've got a titch of the "going home blues" just reading about it!

I must admit...I cringed at the $50 (and thought to myself, why bother?). But we had been so blessed so many times during this trip, I wanted to end it off on a high note. And $50 in the grand scheme of the budget was really nothing at all.

And you know what? We had another happy surprise coming our way that we didn't know about just yet that made me thankful that I made the decision that I did . A little gesture that was minimal yet so kind. More about that in the final post.

I would stay there if we were doing Sea World. It is a 5 minute drive or less. Longer to get to Disney, but it wasn't too bad.

One of the things I love about BOTH Vistana properties. They are pretty darn close to almost everything!

Hi Gina! Just finished reading through your report and can I just say, you are one of the best writers we have on this board. It's incredibly informative, entertaining and enjoyable. It's really helped us with our time in Florida.

Again, thank you!

Wow, that is some high praise. I am humbled . Thank you so much, for the kind words and for reading along! I am grateful to all of you for sharing in my memories .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Sunday, August 31st....continued.

“The plan” after breakfast had been to head for a drive to Kissimmee for one more round of mini golf, either at Congo River or Mighty Jungle. The family wanted one more round of 18 holes to wrap up our vacation, and it’s an activity that tends to make us happy....and quite honestly we were all suffering from a lack of happy on this travel day home.

What we weren’t counting on, however, was how blazingly sunny the day would start out to be, meaning it “hot” and “humid” just didn’t sum it up at all. It was searing. Even sitting in the van, with the A/C on full blast, we could feel the sun frying our exposed skin. By the time we reached there, we were all in agreement.....it was simply too hot for golfing.

So disappointed .

Sweetie spied one of the kooky gift shops, and asked if we could make one more souvenir stop as she had just enough money and just enough luggage space left for one of the red Lifeguard hoodies that she had had her eyes on since we arrived two weeks prior. So we stopped, and we shopped. It’s a good antidote for the going-home blues .



I must admit, I was sad this day. Like, really and profoundly sad.....and I’m not sure why . I knew we were coming back (in a short 8 months, no less), we had been there a full two weeks (so it’s not like it felt “too short”), and the trip had been amazing.......but yet, I felt the tears stinging my eyes on more than one occasion. I’m generally not very good at endings at the best of times, but I really sucked at it that Sunday.

I also must admit......I didn’t plan for this day very well. We normally fly out in the morning or early afternoon, which means little to no time to do anything on our final day before having to head to the airport for the rental drop-off and pre-flight rituals (baggage check, security, etc.). With an early evening flight, we didn’t have to be to the airport until at least 5 pm, meaning we could have (and SHOULD have) done a partial park day somewhere (Aquatica or SeaWorld), or at least until late afternoon. Without a full slate of things to do to occupy both the bodies and the minds, we felt kind of lost. And irritable. The day felt long, and the things that had slid off us like water off a duck for our entire vacation (traffic, heat, etc.) made us grouchy . Lesson learned for next time.

The kids wanted Cici’s one last time for lunch, so we stopped at one on International Drive. Then, with thick clouds starting to darken the skies, we thought it might be wise to seek an indoor activity to help pass the time. One we had not yet done in Orlando was just down the street, so why not?



Now, this was not our first Ripley’s Believe it or Not. We had been to the one in Niagara Falls a couple of times over the years, so we knew what to expect. We used our BOGO coupons from the Entertainment Book and in we went. Thank the Lord, too, because walking into this building gives you a very weird feeling.....like my head was going to explode kinda feeling. Like the whole world is tilted and you might fall off kind of feeling. What your eyes see and what your body feels is very, very different...there’s some kind of optical illusion (is that what you would call it?) happening here and wasn’t pleasant. I wonder if the employees ever get used to it? Or do they walk into the building with their eyes closed every day?

At any rate, inside the floors both felt and looked straight (hallelujah!), so we were off to the various exhibits.

This is no 5-star attraction by any means, but it was something to do. There are lots of interactive exhibits, some to make you think:





....some that are just weird, like an autographed pair of Madonna’s underpants:



....or a portrait of Beyonce made entirely of gummy candy:



There were some really odd exhibits too. Very bizarre, indeed. Like the Incombustible Man, featuring the fellow who could apparently stay in an oven holding a pot roast until it was cooked through (I mean....what would have made him want to attempt this the first time, in the first place? ):



There were the fantasy coffins which reflected the occupation or achievements of the deceased (anyone want to be buried in a large fish?):



There was a Thor statue made entirely of car parts:



And a portrait of Frankenstein crafted from a zillion computer keyboard keys:



We also learned a little about lightening in the state of Florida:



....and Jake gave us the gears (lol....I made a funny there, did you see that? ):



There were lots of little places for photo ops, like this one (Steve said this is how he felt after eating himself silly for two weeks in Orlando ):



All in all, it was not our most notable Orlando attraction, but it blew a couple of hours and was well air conditioned. Am I allowed to say that I’m glad we had buy one, get one free coupons and didn’t pay full price? At full price I would have been disappointed. Discounted by half, it was okay.

Time was ticking, it was now mid afternoon. The kids asked for an hour to walk around the Florida Mall, so that’s where we headed......and as we did so, the skies opened up:



It poured BUCKETS, but not for long. It was over within an hour. Following our short foray at the mall, we were on our way to the airport under sunny skies once again. We filled up the van and dropped it off to the friendliest Alamo garage agent EVER (I wish I had gotten her name, she was awesome!), and were on our way to baggage check.

One more post to go. The ending is next.

 

[pigletto]

Gina, you are perfectly describing that last day feeling. In fact the one time we booked a flight that didn't leave until 7pm we swore we would never do it again. We were staying at the Poly and checked out before we hit the MK for part of the day. But it was a yucky feeling. What had been our "home" for over a week wasn't our place anymore. It felt like being nicely kicked out.
We looked at our watch the whole day at the MK because we had to be back in time for Magical Express. Our thoughts had turned to home as soon as we woke up and it was just time to go. So I said I would never do it again. Except for this upcoming trip... guess which direct flight was cheapest? Yep the one that leaves at 8pm. I am not looking forward to being tetherless all day on our last day. Once I know it's over it's just best to wake up and head home I guess. I know most people like to squeeze the last day out of vacation, but for me it just feels like prolonging the inevitable.
I too, am not very good with endings.

ETA) But look at that ticker of yours! You are under 7 months!!! And I'm only 2 months away. We'll be hitting Universal first so if there is anything I can check out for you or that you need me get info on be sure to let me know!

 

[greenclan67]

I am reading it and am sad most of our vacations are usually 12 - 14 days. This surprise Xmas trip is only 7 nights. We were very lucky we could only go from Dec 20th to 27th, never thought we would get decent flight prices being we booked late and low and behold about 2 weeks after deciding we would keep an eye on flights on Friday morning both days $113 each way. From Buf to Orlando. Booked them asap.
We have a great flight down at 9:35 am. Home it is like you, late at 8:15 pm. I think I am going to crack and book the extra day at the resort. I figure we can hang out that way.
Loving your trip report. We ended up just down from Vistana at Grand Beach. We got a 3 BDRM and am very excited. My Dad is healing well from his surgery and his focus is getting better to join us in the sun. Tough guy he is at 81.

 

[grantclaire]

Gina, I agree with that last day feeling, I think some of it is just wanting to get home. We usually try to book a 2pm flight home. So we check out at 10am. Get gas for the rental car, stop at Publix for snacks and if we have time we also might stop at the Florida Mall as well. We try to get to MCO about 2 hrs before our flight. If flying in to Pearson we can be home a hour after landing ( if our luggage is unloaded! ) We have had great trips but is always nice to come home!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Last days are always a downer

We lucked out last year as the condo owner said we could stay all day, so we just got up late and packed (took sine time after 3 weeks) then went to play golf at BB, ate and went to the airport. Sometimes we go to a water park so we can shower, or go to Celebration and walk around the lakes before eating.

Can't believe our daily dose of Florida news is coming to an end

 

[dancin Disney style]

Yep, I'm not fond of the homeless last day thing. My ideal flight time is around 1pm. You don't have to get up early, there lots of time for breakfast and the final bit of packing. Then when we get back (if flying to BUF) we have time to stop for groceries and a little shopping before crossing back.

In March we have a 2:45 return flight. This will actually work really well since DME picks you up 3 hours before your flight. Funny, though I'm actually wishing I had booked the later flight so that we could spend the day at MK....I guess only because I know that would make my DD happy.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I feel sad through your trip report! I hate that last-day feeling.

I like the 1 p.m. flight too. Last trip in August, we had a 5:30 flight. We went to breakfast at Ohana...I have to say that was a fun last-day event. You just can't be in a bad mood with the characters bouncing around and the breakfast food there was delish.

But then we were lost for about three more hours. We went to Downtown Disney and shopped a bit. But still, too much time wandering. I couldn't bear to do another park because of the heat.

So yeah, mid-afternoon flights for me if possible.

My in-laws are great about it, they get the latest flight possible and they go hard all day at a park til the last minute! I admire that attitude too.

 

[pigletto]

Well all this "last day" talk made Dh and I come up with a plan this morning. We'll check out of Vistana at 10 and we aren't going to do a park at all. We are saving all of our shopping for the last day since we don't have to drop off the car until 7pm. We'll hit the outlets for dd, the mall, and a Target hopefully. We'll leave one suitcase completely open for purchases. Hopefully we'll get our Christmas shopping done, since it will only be 9 days before Christmas at that point. Add in a few stops to eat, and we should use up all the time before we have to be at the airport.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina, you are perfectly describing that last day feeling. In fact the one time we booked a flight that didn't leave until 7pm we swore we would never do it again.

lol, we vowed that too....until the flights were released for May. And yup, we are back flying home in the evening with a 7:10 pm departure . But with only one nonstop a day from MCO to SYR, it was suck it up or take a connecting.

We are hereby sucking it up . And working on a better last-day plan. We may not be able to do much about the schedule, but we can learn from our mistakes .

ETA) But look at that ticker of yours! You are under 7 months!!! And I'm only 2 months away. We'll be hitting Universal first so if there is anything I can check out for you or that you need me get info on be sure to let me know!

I know!! You, in particular, are getting so close!!

I am reading it and am sad most of our vacations are usually 12 - 14 days. This surprise Xmas trip is only 7 nights. We were very lucky we could only go from Dec 20th to 27th, never thought we would get decent flight prices being we booked late and low and behold about 2 weeks after deciding we would keep an eye on flights on Friday morning both days $113 each way. From Buf to Orlando. Booked them asap.
We have a great flight down at 9:35 am. Home it is like you, late at 8:15 pm. I think I am going to crack and book the extra day at the resort. I figure we can hang out that way.
Loving your trip report. We ended up just down from Vistana at Grand Beach. We got a 3 BDRM and am very excited. My Dad is healing well from his surgery and his focus is getting better to join us in the sun. Tough guy he is at 81.

Glad to hear you have secured your accommodations for Christmas . That's a nice weight off your shoulders. We love being in the Lake Buena Vista area, everything is so darn convenient.

That's so awesome to hear about your dad . What a special blessing to have him coming out of such a major procedure so well!

Gina, I agree with that last day feeling, I think some of it is just wanting to get home. We usually try to book a 2pm flight home. So we check out at 10am. Get gas for the rental car, stop at Publix for snacks and if we have time we also might stop at the Florida Mall as well. We try to get to MCO about 2 hrs before our flight. If flying in to Pearson we can be home a hour after landing ( if our luggage is unloaded! ) We have had great trips but is always nice to come home!

With our late flight home, by the time we collect our luggage, grab the shuttle back to the hotel, and then make the drive home, its a heck of an exhausting day. I so wish we lived closer to an airport....I am envious of those that don't have a 3 hour drive ahead of them after landing!!

Last days are always a downer

We lucked out last year as the condo owner said we could stay all day, so we just got up late and packed (took sine time after 3 weeks) then went to play golf at BB, ate and went to the airport. Sometimes we go to a water park so we can shower, or go to Celebration and walk around the lakes before eating.

Can't believe our daily dose of Florida news is coming to an end

That was so awesome of your condo owner! What a kind gesture!

Ya know, we have yet to make it to Celebration, but I hear its worth a visit. Perhaps we'll plan for something like that on our final day on this next trip, maybe catching a nice meal at one of the quaint little restaurants there.

Yep, I'm not fond of the homeless last day thing. My ideal flight time is around 1pm. You don't have to get up early, there lots of time for breakfast and the final bit of packing. Then when we get back (if flying to BUF) we have time to stop for groceries and a little shopping before crossing back.

In March we have a 2:45 return flight. This will actually work really well since DME picks you up 3 hours before your flight. Funny, though I'm actually wishing I had booked the later flight so that we could spend the day at MK....I guess only because I know that would make my DD happy.

2:45 pm would be perfect for us. I wish that had been an option for our Jetblue flights from Syracuse .

I feel sad through your trip report! I hate that last-day feeling.

I like the 1 p.m. flight too. Last trip in August, we had a 5:30 flight. We went to breakfast at Ohana...I have to say that was a fun last-day event. You just can't be in a bad mood with the characters bouncing around and the breakfast food there was delish.

But then we were lost for about three more hours. We went to Downtown Disney and shopped a bit. But still, too much time wandering. I couldn't bear to do another park because of the heat.

So yeah, mid-afternoon flights for me if possible.

My in-laws are great about it, they get the latest flight possible and they go hard all day at a park til the last minute! I admire that attitude too.

I'm going to have to work very hard to re-orient my thinking, like your inlaws have done. I love your idea of the character breakfast.....I wonder if two 40-ish year olds would look out of place at the Universal character meal? Or if I should even care if we look out of place?

Well all this "last day" talk made Dh and I come up with a plan this morning. We'll check out of Vistana at 10 and we aren't going to do a park at all. We are saving all of our shopping for the last day since we don't have to drop off the car until 7pm. We'll hit the outlets for dd, the mall, and a Target hopefully. We'll leave one suitcase completely open for purchases. Hopefully we'll get our Christmas shopping done, since it will only be 9 days before Christmas at that point. Add in a few stops to eat, and we should use up all the time before we have to be at the airport.

That sounds like a good plan , especially when you get such a generous luggage allowance with Southwest. You should try to stop for a family photo with Santa at the Florida Mall, too!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Our trip.....the final conclusion.

After dropping off the rental van, we headed up to baggage check to rid ourselves of the big pieces of luggage and the Pink Giant (which was still securely wrapped in the blue balloon plastic birthday bags). At the baggage counter, the two agents inquired as to what was inside the gigantic bag (as I confirmed for them that we had already called customer service, and were aware that there would be a $50 fee to bring the whale home). Jake and Sweetie excitedly recounted the story, at which point both Jetblue reps exclaimed “Well, that kind of a vacation memory shouldn’t come with a $50 price tag! How about we gate check this guy for you instead?”.

Jetblue, we love you .

We grabbed a quick dinner at the airport food court. The kiddos went in one direction and we went in another. Jake had pasta from somewhere, Sweetie had a sub (Quiznos, I think?) and Steve and I had Chinese. Underwhelming in comparison to the great meals over the past two weeks, but it filled the hollow hole. We also shared a half dozen Krispy Kreme donuts before the diets started in earnest after Labour Day . Then we were off to security.

With our Even More Space seats came the Even More Speed security option, so we were through quite quickly.....until they reached the Pink Giant. Yes, this was going to cause some concern.

To make a long story short, the whale was too large to go through their scanners but there was some worry about what may be unlawfully stowed inside the stuffing. I must assure you, though, that we had the NICEST young TSA agent, who was sincerely apologetic for the delays and was looking for every possible way to get the item cleared so we could continue to our gate. Beckoning a supervisor to assist, the bags got removed, the big fella was swabbed and poked and prodded and checked thoroughly head to tail, and eventually he was given the green light to fly. The young TSA agent helped us to re-bag him securely (even providing a roll of TSA tape) and we proceeded to our assigned gate.

It wasn’t long before we were settled into our seats and readying for take-off.



We had two young pilots (I mean seriously.....were they even old enough to fly the plane?? ) who were a RIOT, having two little travellers give the pre-flight introductions and cracking jokes like this was a comedy show. Perhaps, somehow, they knew that an entire plane load of travellers leaving sunny Orlando were desperately in need of a smile and laugh. The in-flight crew were equally as fabulous, smiling and laughing and joking with guests (without a doubt, the nicest crew we’ve ever had the pleasure to fly with). These guys enjoyed their jobs, and it showed .

We taxied to the runway, and with the smoothest of ascents, we were in the air.



I must say, those evening flights do give some of the nicest views . How often do you get to watch the sun set from this vantage point?



The flight was smooth and uneventful, and those pilots landed that plane absolutely perfectly.....young or not, they were a very awesome and capable pair. We arrived back in Syracuse a full 25 minutes ahead of schedule, which was a huge blessing considering the already late hour. We beckoned the shuttle, collected the Journey from the long-term parking at the Candlewood Suites, grabbed a round of coffees from the Tim Hortons drive through, and we were off to home .

Our sole stop along the way was the duty free (which doubled as a washroom stop) and border crossing. We were back in Canada just after midnight, with no traffic to slow us. We pulled in the driveway about 2 am. It was officially over .

Leaving the luggage packed in the Journey, we made Sweetie a bed on the couch in the rec room, and we all hit the sack (after loving up Miss Patches, of course.....she had been waiting for her Momma by the door!). I was instantly glad we made the decision to drive home upon arrival rather than crashing for the night in Syracuse and having to drive in the morning. Traffic would have been crazy that Labour Day Monday and the drive home would have been a much lengthier endeavour.

Jake took Sweetie home the following morning. Before they left, she came over and wrapped me in a big hug, thanking Steve and I profusely for the "best two weeks of her life". Yep, I cried again....maybe sometimes we all forget how fortunate we are to experience these kind of trips with the regularity that we do.

And that, my friends, is officially:



(next stop: Universal Orlando, May 2015 )

 

[ArwenMarie]

I'm going to have to work very hard to re-orient my thinking, like your inlaws have done. I love your idea of the character breakfast.....I wonder if two 40-ish year olds would look out of place at the Universal character meal? Or if I should even care if we look out of place?

Yeah, they kind of make a game out of it, like how many rides can they get in before their flights. The Universal character breakfast is really cute. I don't think anyone would look out of place there! It's very easy-going and mellow which I liked.

The saga of the stuffed dolphin! I imagine they are used to that at MCO.

Thanks for a great trip report. Looking forward to your next one!

 

[pigletto]

It's over! What a joy it has been to read about the adventures of your family (as always!!!). Thank you for so many hours of entertainment and living vicariously through your trip.
You family is lovely, and it was great to "meet" sweetie. I'll be reading through this more than a few times before we leave for our trip, I'm sure.
Once again, you've outdone yourself and I, and many others, thank you for letting us come along for the journey.