The Kids' Surprise Trip to Florida - Report Finished!

[mvazul]

Thanks so much for writing such a great trip report. We are going again in June with my 3 kids who are 12, 7, and 2.

3 Yrs ago we stayed at Oaks Plantation. We must of had a newer room as we did not encounter any of the problems you mentioned. Plus, from looking at your pics of the room, our room looked totally different. The villa we had had the washer and dryer in its own separate/room/closet deal. I would of stayed there again, but found it a little far out of the way and it seemed like a lot of traffic from that far back.
Did you encounter a lot of traffic to the parks from there?

Your pictures are great, and I cant wait to show my older kids when they get home from school.

I see your son is 12 too. Did he complain at all about going on the rides for the yonger kids? My son is a good sport, but he quickly bores of those kiddie rides.
Im anxiously waiting for the rest of your trip report. Thanks for making it so enjoyable.

We had stayed at Oak Plantation 5 years ago and absolutely loved it. That's why we decided to stay there this time. It's very unfortunate that they have gotten so bad. Apparently they were sold to a new owner two years ago. They kept saying, "But look how much money we put into the landscaping and flowers!! The outside looks so much better!" We don't care if the outside is a dump if it's not clean and comfortable on the inside. Okay, we do care about the outside appearance, but that's not the most important thig to us. No, the traffic really wasn't bad from there. Anyway....

No, DS didn't compalin one bit about going on the younger rides. He really had a great time on all of them. The only onehe didn't like (along with the rest of us) was Stitch. Other than that, he really enjoyed everything. But, this was his very first trip to DW. I'm not sure if that makes a difference? His favorite souveniers from the trip were the park maps. He had a great time looking at them and helping figure out where we would go next. He has all of them saved and is going to put them in his photo album.

Thank you for the compliments on the pictures. I took 535 just in the Magic Kingdom, alone!! I took almost 1000 throughout the whole trip. I had a hard time whittling them down.

Thank you for joining in!!

 

[mvazul]

mebrm and KimAshton....thank you for joining in, too!! I feel very honored to have so many readers!!

Going to write the next section now....

 

[mvazul]

Thursday, February 1, 2007

We decided the first half of today was going to be a lazy day. The weather said it was going to be in the low 80's. Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!! We kept promising the kids we would get in the pool and this was the perfect day to do it. We had breakfast, went swimming for awhile then went back to our room to relax for a little bit. We headed out around 2:00 for Universal Studios. When we bought our tickets, the lady at the villas told us we would have one day at US and a free day at either US or Islands of Adventure. We decided we would do IOA on Friday.

We got to US and immediately saw it closed at 6:00 PM. WHAT??? It was now 3:00. Wonderful!! Then, when we put our tickets in the card reader, we noticed on the back, "This ticket is only good for two days at Universal Studios. Not to be used at Islands of Adventure." Well, then, I guess we will see what we can today and come back for the rest tomorrow. I should have known that's how the rest of the day would go. Here is a picture of DH, DS and DD at the entrance. What you can't see is DD is throwing a major fit!!

We get in the park and it looks like it is fairly busy. We noticed on the map that they have a similar system to Disney's Fast Pass. However, we had to buy it!! $15.00 each!! DH decided we should do it since had had really used the FP alot at Epcot and MK. What they didn't tell us was the park was dead!! There was hardly anyone there. Apparently, everyone we saw were leaving. We had no waits for any of the rides. None. Nada. Zip. We wasted $60 for nothing. Those passes (along with the park map) are the kids only souveniers from US!! I think they should be able to tell you if you will actually need them or not. I know they're in the business of making money - and I have no problem with that - but this felt like they were ripping us off.

Okay, our first stop was Shrek 4D. This was done pretty well. I won't give away surprises, but I was pleased with the quality. I found the ending pretty darn funny. Let's just say I guess they can't get away from Disney and have no problems using them once in awhile!! Of course, this is another show where you need to wear the and DD, again, flat out refused to wear them. She can be soooo frustrating at times. Oh well, she had no idea what she was missing.

The next thing DH wanted to do was Terminator 2. We tried to do this on our first trip when DD was just a baby. I couldn't stay in with him, because she started screaming when the lights went out. I don't like to subject total strangers to my kids' fits, so I sat outside with her while DH went alone. Well, this time, DS saw what it was and started freaking out - in a bad way. He was scared and didn't want to do it. This made DD scared, too. Once again, I had to sit it out while DH went in alone. DH was very disappointed. This is one of his favorites. All he has talked about since our first trip was being able to go back and take DS with him. He was sooooo excited to share it with him then DS refused to go on and began crying and pitching a fit. (Have yo ever watched "Parenthood" with Steve Martin? DS is the oldest son, Kevin, to a T!!) I was heartbroken for DH.

A sidetrack and a little more history - DS is mine from a previous marriage. I met DH when DS was 4. DH took him in as his own, but has had a hard time getting DS to bond due to DS's dad. The last year has been much better, but until then things were really rocky. DH does everything for DS and gets the raw end of the deal for his efforts. The situation has changed in the last year and DH and DS have really formed quite a bond. So, DH was really looking forward to taking DS on this trip. Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled program....

While DH was in Terminator 2, I took a few pictures.

It's pretty funny, because the kids had no clue who Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball were. After meeting Zoro, DD just loves him!! We had the movie on the other night (with Antonio Banderas) and she got all excited, "I know him!! I got to meet Zorro in FL!! He is sooooo nice!"

But, DS's little outburst kind of put a damper on things. DH wanted to just leave. I talked him into staying - reminding him we paid alot for the tickets - and we salvaged the rest of the day. We decided we would not tell the kids what rides/shows we were doing next. We would just do them and they would have to go along. DS is one to fear fear itself. He is constantly worrying about the "what-ifs" and not enjoying the here and now. This plan actually worked out quite nicely.

Our next stop was Twister. DH had really liked htis the last time and I really wanted to do it. While we were in line before the doors opened, they had on a video of a real twister. The sky around us started turning green and looking just like the video. (That night a bunch of tornadoes hit Florida. ) It was very eerie. The show was pretty cool. DD started crying when the tree was struck by lightning. She was scared by the whole thing, but now says she really liked it. She likes watching the movie. As we were leaving Twister, it had started raining. Thankfully, it didn't last long.

Next up is Revenge of the Mummy. DS kept asking what it was like and I told him I had never been on it. It was new since our last trip. But, I told him I had heard it was just like Pirates of the Carribbean. All of us were going to ride, but DD wasn't tall enough. She and I waited in the baby swap area. DS was very nervous and didn't want to go, but we told him he had to. I normally wouldn't do this, but he needs to get over some of his fears and I knew he would like it. DS and DH got right on - remember, we had no wait for anything. The ride was fairly short. When DH and DS got off, DS was bouncing up and down. He loved it!! He wanted to go, again, but we had more park to see before it closed.

We left there and then saw the Blues Brothers' show. They started 10 minutes late because of the rain. We were disappointed with their show. They didn't look much like them and didn't really know the roles. They didn't even sing, "Sweet Home Chicago". This is their signature song!! Plus, the Bears were going to the Super Bowl. What better time??? DH called them sleazes!! They had no idea what he was talking about.

Next, we found a spot to sit down for a few minutes to look at the map and find the next attraction. The kids wanted to run, so they did!!

We wanted to see ET, but we couldn't find it. We kept going in circles. So, we decided to head to Back to the Future. This is one of our favorite movies. This is another ride I couldn't do last time, because DD was too little. While we were walking, we saw Doc. DD was sooo excited and yelled "Hi!!" to him. He didn't even acknowledge her. He was talking to someone, but he didn't even look at her. In Disney, they at least acknowledge kids when they say hello. I didn't expect him to stop, but a wave would have been nice. She was so disappointed. DH and I were, too. The ride was pretty cool, though. The kids had a great time chasing down Biff!!

After BTTF, we hit Men in Black. DH and DS were going to do this alone, but DH explained to DD it was kind of like Buzz Lightyear. She wanted to do it, too, so all of us went on. We had so much fun shooting aliens!! Wwhen we got off the ride, one of the attendants waited for DS to turn his back. When he did, the attendant quietly snuck up behind him and scared the heck out of him. It was hilarious!!! It made our day for me and DH! When we got out of the building, DH asked if we wanted to ride, again. DS and I said yes, but DD didn't want to. So, DH and DS went back on a second time by themselves. They literally had the ride to themselves. There was no one else on it. They said it was awesome!!

The outside of Men in Black:

After Men in black, it was time to make our way out. DH thought there would be fireworks, because they used to do them. Not this night. However, we looked around and we were all alone:

We leave US behind us. DH was extremely disappointed and said he doubts we will go back. Wwe still had some good memories there, though.

Next up: We leave Orlando

 

[sunlver]

[
No, DS didn't compalin one bit about going on the younger rides. He really had a great time on all of them. The only onehe didn't like (along with the rest of us) was Stitch. Other than that, he really enjoyed everything. But, this was his very first trip to DW. I'm not sure if that makes a difference?

I bet that did make a difference. My 12 1/2 yr old son has been to Disney probably 8 times, can u say spoiled?? Since he has 2 younger sisters he kind of gets stuck at times LOL...Sometimes we split off, and my husband takes him to the more exciting rides, but I try to stick together.

 

[sunlver]

We get in the park and it looks like it is fairly busy. We noticed on the map that they have a similar system to Disney's Fast Pass. However, we had to buy it!! $15.00 each[/


You mean they charge you for it now??? Last time we were there,2 yrs ago, they did not charge for this service...

 

[mvazul]

We get in the park and it looks like it is fairly busy. We noticed on the map that they have a similar system to Disney's Fast Pass. However, we had to buy it!! $15.00 each[/


You mean they charge you for it now??? Last time we were there,2 yrs ago, they did not charge for this service...

Yep, they do!! They didn't charge 5 years ago, when we were there last. I'm not sure if it was the same thing they have now, but I remember it was similar to Disney's FP now. If it would have been busy like it was last time, it would have been worth it. However, on February 1st around 3:00 in the afternoon, it was most definitely not worth it. And like I said, I wish someone would have told us we really didn't need it. It felt like such a rip-off.

DH was extremely disappointed. US is his favorite park. He had really been looking forward to it. We had the second free day, but we didn't go back. After a truly perfect day at the MK the day before, this was a real letdown.

 

[mvazul]

Friday, February 2, 2007...

So today is our last day in the Orlando area. We checked out of the villa a day early due to the problems I explained earlier. We decided to go to DTD before heading to my BIL's in the Tampa area.

I didn't take any pictures in DTD. I was really quite disappointed with the whole area. Of course, now that we're home, I looked at the map DS had picked up and realized we only saw about 1/10 of what there was to see. DH said that the Pleasure Island area was all bars and clubs. We didn't know there were shops there. We just did Disney Quest and then stopped in one store on our way out. I'm really kicking myself now.

Disney Quest admission was included in the price of the two day tickets we had bought. I'm very glad it was, because I didn't think it was worth $36/person. It was fun, but not $144 just for entry worth of fun. Our DD wasn't able to do many of the "rides". And the ones she could do, she didn't like. However, we did do the Pirates of the Caribbean. That was awesome!! Of course, DD wouldn't wear the , again, but it was fun shooting all of those pirate ships and working together as a family. We did pretty well. DD and I took out the sea monster!!

DH and DS had a great time playing arcade games together and riding the alien ride - I can't remember it's name. DH and DS played skee ball while DD and I enjoyed a yummy brownie cheesecake. That was really good. But, I'm allergic to walnuts. I'm okay if they're cooked. I scraped them all off the top, but, apparently, these weren't cooked enough. My mouth was extremely itchy for a few hours after. I was okay, though. It seems my allergy is getting worse. Which reminds me...I kept reading on here about the Dole Wwhips and really wanted to try one. I couldn't find one (wasn't looking too hard), but it's a good thing I didn't get one. Once we got home, I found out they are pineapple. I'm allergic to that, too. Oh well!

Anyway....we made a quick stop in one of the shops on the way out of DTD to pick up a few last minute souveniers. I bought a pair of very cute Mickey head earrings. They are silver danglies and the Mickey heads are a very pretty pink. Unfortunately, my ears are very sensitive and I can't wear them. My sister is a huge Mickey fan. Maybe she will want them. DH picked out a new mug. It's very nice with all of the major characters and 2007 on it. DS and DD each bought a new pin. DD picked out Ariel and DS picked out the castle with Mickey in front and 2007 on it. I am kicking myself for not getting each of them a lanyard. I have been looking on-line and having a hard time finding any I like. I will have to check the Disney store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

We decided it was time to leave the World and head to Tampa. It was raining as we were leaving. It was so nice the whole time we were there. It seemed fitting to rain as we were leaving. The trip across to Tampa was very quiet and relaxing. Here is why:

DS working on homework:

And a very rare sight - DD sleeping in the van - with Princess Minnie, of course!!!

We arrived at my BIL's 3 hours earlier than we had originally planned. Thankfully, he was expecting us!! We had a nice time getting caught up and just relaxing. Once his wife got home, we went out for a delicious dinner of steaks.

Saturday, February 3, 2007...

I had been wanting to get DD's ears pierced, so we headed to the mall. DH, BIL and DS went off on their own and left DD and me for a girls' day out. She picked a very pretty pink pair. She was very excited to be getting her ears pierced. However, she did not like the pinch of them going in. I took her for ice cream after and all was well. She loves showing them off now!!

After the mall, we headed north to see DH's younger brother, his GF and her DS. Her DS and our DS are in the same grade. This is the first time they have been able to meet. They hit it off right away. They went into "Jack's" room and we didn't see them again until Sunday afternoon!! DS spent the night and, apparently, the two of them stayed up until 2:30 AM playing video games!! They did, however, appear for food a couple of times.

We had a great visit. This was the first time in almost 9 years all three brothers have been together. It had been 15 years before that. They have one sister who lives near Ft. Lauderdale, but unfortunately, she wasn't able to join us. It's funny.....they were all born and raised in Chicago and three of the four of them live in FL. DH has been thinking we need to move there, too!

DD picking her first grapefruit with youngest BIL:

From left to right - youngest BIL, oldest BIL and DH

After a really nice (but too short) visit, DH and oldest BIL went to a Tampa Bay Lightning game. BIL has season tickets. The Lightning won and all were happy!! DD and I went back to oldest BIL's house with his wife. We ordered a pizza, put DD to bed and had a nice time just chatting. It's nice to have someone in the family - but not in the family, IYKWIM - who knows how crazy this family can be sometimes!! I really wish all of us could live closer together.

From left to right: DH, youngest BIL and oldest BIL before Lightning game:

SIL and I waited for our guys to get home. We stayed up for quite some time just talking (with a few drinks) and getting to know each other, again. It was then off to bed. After all, tomorrow is the big day - SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!!

Next Section: Super Bowl Sunday and the Trip Home

 

[sunlver]

Its always sad to leave Disney, isnt it??? Ive really been enjoying your trip report.

I see you are from the Chicago area, what part?
I grew up in Niles(NW suburb of Chicago). I lived there for 29 years before moving to VA

 

[mvazul]

Its always sad to leave Disney, isnt it??? Ive really been enjoying your trip report.

I see you are from the Chicago area, what part?
I grew up in Niles(NW suburb of Chicago). I lived there for 29 years before moving to VA

Yes, it is extremely hard to leave. It went by way too fast. Thank you for reading!!

I am actually not from Chicago. I grew up in NEPA. However, my DH and his family are from Chicago. We live in the city. We're just a few blocks north of Wrigley Field. As I said at the beginning of my report, we currently live with my MIL. We are living in the same house DH grew up in. I constantly pick on him about having a "girl" in his room!! I tell him I bet he never thought his mom would allow that to happen!!

We lived in VA for a little while, too. We were in Roanoke. Due to DH's job, we ended up moving to NC. Now we're back to Chicago. Looooong story!!

Again, thank you for reading and sticking out my long absences!!

 

[mvazul]

Sunday, February 4, 2007...



Today is the day we have been waiting for all season - well, all football season, anyway!! DH and oldest BIL had originally planned to drive to Miami to be near the Bears. The kids and I were planning to stay in Tampa/Seminole with SIL to watch the game there. Then, the plan changed. Youngest BIL wanted to go. The night before, DH and OBIL called YBIL to make plans on what time to leave. YBIL decided he didn't want to go after all.

New plan - DH, oldest BIL and SIL were going to drive down while the kids and I stayed behind. (A side note - DH didn't want us to stay behind, but they were planning to go to a bar where there were going to be hundreds of Bears' fans. I didn't want the kids around all of the drinking.) Well, no one really liked this plan, either. I really didn't care. I just wanted someone to make up their mind and stick with it!!

Eventually, they came up with a new plan. All of us would stay in the Tampa area and go to a party being held by OBIL's and SIL's friends. Okay, sounds good. It's a plan. Let's hit the beach and relax for awhile before the party!! (DS didn't go with us, because if you remember, he was still playing video games with YBIL's GF's son.)

OBIL and DD checking out the ocean:

DD walking in DH's footsteps!!

DH looking for shells:

DD and SIL feeding the birds. DD hated it!! (I don't blame her!!)

OBIL and SIL:

GO BEARS!!!!!!!!

We had a great time at the beach and it was time to head to the party. We were told there were going to be only Bears' fans there. WoooooHooooo!!! BIL's friends were extremely nice and had awesome food - ribs, barbecued chicken, salads, etc. Unfortunately, they had 4 huge dogs. We were assured the dogs would be fine. The guy is a dog trainer and they are extremely well trained. Okay, cool.

So, the pre-game starts. I completely missed Billy Joel's National Anthem, because DD just had to go see a cat in the front yard. I was not happy. Then, it's game time!!!! The Bears take the ball all the way down the field for a touchdown on opening kickoff!! YEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!! Unfortunately it was down hill from there. As we all know, the Bears ended up losing. I still fault Rex Grossman. I have not been too keen on the guy since the beginning of the season. I keep begging for the Bears to bring Orton back!!! And, being a die-hard Penn State fan, I was looking forward to Robbie Gould putting up some points for us. We hardly saw him.

I thought half-time was mediocre, at best. I like most of Prince's music, but I don't really care for him. Plus, he has enough of his own music that's good, why in the world did he have to mess with Hendrix???? As the Bears started losing sight of why they were there, Colts fans started coming out of the woodwork at the party. So much for only Bears' fans being there. Thankfully, most of them left at half-time.

And remember the really well trained dogs??? Well, their Rottweiller bit our DD!!! SIL had won some money on one of the pools and was dancing around. One of the other dogs started barking and scared DD. I picked her up and when I did, the Rott grabbed her foot and sunk his teeth in. BIL kept insisting she only hit her knee on the counter we were standing next to - until I showed him the holes in the bottom of her foot and the bruises on top. Yes, it bruised that fast. The dogs were quickly put away. Why they were out with that many people is beyond me??? The couple were very apologetic and nice about the whole thing. Thankfully, DD wasn't hurt too badly. The main problem was the bruise on her foot. The had just barely broken the skin with his teeth. I cleaned it out really well with peroxide and put ice on it.

The rest of the night was horrible. As we all know, the Bears lost. DH and his brothers ended up getting in an argument which led to us leaving and heading for home around midnight. It also reminded us why we normally stay in a hotel instead of with family when we do visit family. We were planning to leave really early the next morning, but we got about a six hour head start. In the end, it's a good thing we did.

Next Section: The Trip Home

 

[mvazul]

Monday, February 5, 2007...

As I said in the last segment, we left the Tampa area around midnight. I drove until 4:00 AM and was absolutely exhausted. I saw an exit with a hotel and decided to stop. I just couldn't go any farther. It never occured to me until we got ready to leave that I had stopped in Gainesville, FL, and at the Country Inn and Suites. This is the same place we stayed at the beginning of our trip. It was hard to believe it was over and we were headed home.

We made really good time and hit Indiana late morning/early afternoon. Wwe expected to be back home in Chicago around 5:00. We didn't realize what was ahead of us......a huge snowstorm. It hit hard and it hit fast. Within 15 minutes of the storm starting, this was our view...

It just kept getting worse the closer we got to Chicago. At one point, there was a very large pile-up with a long wait. We were right next to an exit and saw all of the tractor trailers getting off the highway and taking the exit. DH made an executive decision to follow the truckers. It was a very good decision.

We slowly made our way off I-65 and headed toward Lafayette, IN. The roads were not even close to being better, but at least traffic was moving. It took us an hour plus to get to Lafayette. DH almost lost the van in a ditch on a couple of occasions. However, thankfully, we he was able to keep it on the road. About 1:30 PM, we needed some lunch and DH needed a break from driving. We finally came upon a McDonald's. There was already about a foot of snow when we stopped.

As we were eating, we noticed CNN on the TV. They were showing the weather and it was looking like we were heading right for the worst of it. We overheard a few conversations and all of them said the further north one drove, the worse the roads. There were accidents everywhere. DH and I were very tempted to turn around and head back to FL!! I suggested we send MIL money, have her pack our things and ship them to us. We thought someone was telling us to not go back to Chicago!!

Anyway, DH made another executive decision and said he thought we needed to get a hotel room. We were only about an hour and a half from home, but we didn't want to chance it. However, once we got back on the road, it seemed like it had cleared a little bit. DH decided we would not get a hotel and just keep going. We stopped to top off the gas tank (just in case) and we changed our minds, again.

As we were getting gas, three ambulances and a handful of fire trucks drove by as fast as they could in that weather with sirens blaring. We were able to see I-65 and it was still backed up. Best Western was right next to the gas station, so we pulled in and got a room. It was a very good decision.

As we were checking in, we were told they were filling up fast because of the weather. Apparently all of the other hotels were already full to capacity. Best Western was closing part of one floor for their employees to stay there overnight. They were also making them dinner at their on-site restaurant and delivering the meals to them. I was very impressed with how they cared for their employees. Alot of companies would tell them they are on their own.

The hotel was wonderful - and the staff was even better. If you are ever in that area, I would highly recommend it. It's just off I-65 in Lafayette, IN. The room was soooo nice. When I talked to the gentleman at the front desk, I told him we had two kids. He told me they had a room with two queen beds. I asked him if it was possible to get a king with a pull-out and a rollaway. I explained we were just getting back from FL and it had been a long drive home. This set up works best for our family. He checked and said they didn't have any available. I thanked him for checking and headed out to get the kids and DH, very thankful we at least had a room.

We went up to our room, walked in and were very pleasantly surprised. There was a separate entrance - like a foyer - and the room was huge. We were given a corner room with a wonderful corner window. And the best thing? A king bed with a pull-out and a rollaway already in there for us. I called the front desk to make sure we were in the right room and what was the additional charge. I was told they had someone cancel just after we checked in, so they gave it to us....no additional charge. The gentleman at the front desk had someone run a rollaway up as I was getting DH, the kids and our bags. He wanted it up there before we got in the room so we had one less thing to worry about. (I wrote a very glowing report to the company!!)

After we got settled in the room, I turned on the local news. It was definitely a good thing we stopped. Just after we checked into the hotel, they started closing highways. If we would have decided to continue, we would have been stuck on the highway with the kids. So, we settled in and made the best of it. The hotel had a wonderful restaurant attached to it - thankfully!! They made wonderful food and, again, had fantastic service. After dinner, I got the kids changed into their bathing suits and we headed to take advantage of the indoor heated pool. It was a very strange feeling being in the pool and watching a blizzard outside. All of slept very well and took advantage of a late check-out time.

We woke up the next morning and the sun was shining, the sky was blue and it had stopped snowing. We made our way home. Along the way, we saw many, many, many vehicles stuck on the side of the highway. We even saw a tractor trailer completely wrapped in half around a support beam under an overpass. I was hoping everyone in those vehicles made it home okay.

It was hard driving back into Chicago. Our trip was over. Plus, we came across these:

An Urlacher jersey on the dinosaur in front of the Field Museum:

The Indian getting into the Bears' spirit:

And, of course, the lions in front of the Art Museum:

It was very bittersweet to see all of the Bears' stuff up around the city. None of it was up yet when we left. DH and I have been seriously talking about moving to FL. MIL's husband has applied for a job in San Diego and if he gets it, they will be relocating. DH's brothers and sister all live in FL. I would prefer to move back to PA to be near my family, again, but I wouldn't mind living in FL and having annual passes to see the mouse!! We lived in VA and NC for just over five years. That climate is very easy to get used to. It's been snowing here all day, again, today. I had missed having snow, but I think I'm over it now. If DH said he wanted to move to FL, I would be packing in a heartbeat!!

So, now we're home. It's been almost a month. Can you believe it??? Almost a full month. One month ago today, we were visiting DTD. Now, we're trying to stay warm as a blizzard blows around outside. Very depressing.

Next - and Last - Installment: Final Thoughts

 

[deide71]

You were very smart to stop and get the room. I have been caught in similar weather on I-94 between Minnesota and the Dells. We also stopped and stayed one night in Tomah. No huge indoor waterpark like the Dells, but the kids enjoyed the heated pool (and we enjoyed avoiding the snow).

 

[mvazul]

You were very smart to stop and get the room. I have been caught in similar weather on I-94 between Minnesota and the Dells. We also stopped and stayed one night in Tomah. No huge indoor waterpark like the Dells, but the kids enjoyed the heated pool (and we enjoyed avoiding the snow).

Yes, we were definitely glad we had stopped. Thankfully, I am a stay-at-home-mom and DH works from home. He had his laptop with him and check-out was noon, so he was still able to get his reports out on time. Honestly, we were not ready to go home and this helped to extend our vacation a bit.

 

[sunlver]

Thanks for that great trip report. I could feel the saddness of having to return home. I know it makes it even harder to return home to snow and cold weather. I lived in the Chicago area for 29 years until we moved to Va beach. I can say, I HATE SNOW, I HATE cold weather.. Although it is not really always warm here in the winter, we barely ever get snow. People get excited here when they think it might snow... I just roll my eyes Ive shoveled enough snow, Ive scrapped enough ice off my car windows to last a lifetime.
Like you, I would move to Florida in a heartbeat. My parents live in the Ft Lauderdale area, they retired there 4 years ago.
Our up and coming Disney trip is in June, the day after the kids get out of school.
We are leaving here June 16th and driving. We have driven before, I much prefer flying
We have 3 kids on this driving trip. We have never done a road trip with my youngest who is now two. We do , however, have 2 separate dvd players for the car. It helps as my 12 yr old son gets sick of watch some of those Disney movies over and over , and over again
Thanks again for your great report

 

[mvazul]

I'm sorry this has takne so long to finish. I didn't know how to end it, then I was sick all last week. Anyway...on with the show...

My Final Thoughts...

I can't believe it's already been two months since we have returned home. We have talked about this trip on almost a daily basis. Even with the things that went wrong, it was still a wonderful trip. We have alot of great memories to keep for a lifetime. It was great surprising the kids. Each day was a new surprise for them. We didn't tell them anything in advance. At one point, my DS looked at me with a huge grin on his face and said, "Just when I think we have done it all, you add something more!!"

I think the best day of our trip was when we spent the day at Magic Kingdom. I remember watching my children walking in front of us and I started to cry. I don't really know why I was crying. They were definitely happy tears. It all seemed so unreal that we were there. We were actually in Disney World - the Magic Kingdom - with our children. We were able to take the kids while the magic is still so real to them. I was overwhelmed.

It was wonderful to see my DD's expression as she met her favorite princesses. And she became a roller coater enthusiast. Who knew??? Also, I loved seeing DS's expression as we were going through Pirates of the Caribbean - his favorite movie this year. I loved seeing the inner child come out of DH as he saw Tigger.

I also witnessed a moment I will never forget. As we were waiting for the fireworks to start, my DS became very withdrawn and quiet. DD walked over to him and put her face down next to his. She asked him what was wrong. He didn't want to talk. DD isn't one to give up, so she kept prying. Finally, he said he had such a good day and was upset that it was all about to end. I told him I knew how he felt, but he should feel lucky. He and his sister were able to go while they were still kids. DH and I didn't get there until we were 30+. I also explained that there were many, many children/people that will never get to go - ever. That put things into perspective a little bit.

I will never forget this trip and I hope my children never will, either. I found I need to just roll with the punches. I had tried to have each day planned out, but DD's ear infection threw my plan's for a loop. Thanks to that unplanned event, we had an even better day - weather wise - at the MK. Sometimes, plans need to be thrown out. Sometimes, it's okay to just go with the flow. Life goes on and sometimes, there may be a better reward at the end of it.

I bought two postcards - one for DS and one for DD - to send to them from their friends at Disney. I made them out and sent them the day we checked out of the villa. DD's arrived 3 weeks after we returned home. DS's just arrived last Wednesday. I was hoping they would get here sooner, but I guess this keeps the magic going. This is my second trip there and my second time I forgot to buy monogrammed ears for my children. Maybe next time!!

I guarantee there will be a next time!! However, next time may only be my mom, sister and me. Maybe November??? We'll see!

Thanks for reading!!

~M

PS - A link to all of our vacation pictures if you get bored:
http://www.picturetrail.com/mamalion2cubs

 

[randomprince]

I'm glad you all had a great time! You got amazing pictures!!!

 

[mvazul]

I'm glad you all had a great time! You got amazing pictures!!!

Thank you very much! I was quite pleased with most of the pictures I got. Thank you for reading our report!!

 

[ortegah]

You've inspired me! I too am surprising my kids with a trip to WDW in a mere 29 days! I think I'm going to keep a blog of our adventures as well. Thanks

 

[mvazul]

You've inspired me! I too am surprising my kids with a trip to WDW in a mere 29 days! I think I'm going to keep a blog of our adventures as well. Thanks

Aaaww! Thank you so much! I'm glad I could inspire you! Have a great trip!! Let us know how your kids reacted!!

 

[ortegah]

Oh I will! And my kids have never been on a plane either so this is a completely new experience for them. We always drive everywhere, but we found such great rates to fly I couldn't turn it down.