Well, this trip was....different. UPDATE - 9/1!

[ShannonMarie]

Same thing happened with us and our tickets and to my parents (who we booked through Run Disney also). I found it a bit hard to believe also!

 

[pas130]

Sounds like they have the same setup indeed! If we ever stay at any of those EPCOT resorts, I'll know to request a room near the elevators.

Absolutely agree with you!!!

Nothing like the rains in Florida! At least they usually pass. I didn't realize yall stayed at BC before OKW. Makes perfect sense because of the run. BC/YC is on my bucket list....however, Boardwalk Villas are next (as of now). Glad you made mention that you liked the area...reaffirms me wanting to stay there. You got some great shots looking over at EP. Just curious...you said the halls were really long. Like longer than WL?? The last time we were at the WL, our room was forever away!!

I actually requested a room by the elevator at WL Heather... From what I remember the halls are longer at YC, but at WL we were in a Honeymoon room so literally right by the lounge...but we did some wandering about

 

[annmarieda]

Does anyone ever sleep well on vacation? I surely don’t. It’s rare that I sleep a full night without waking up when we’re on vacation. I don’t know if it’s the excitement of vacation, not being in my own bed/home or something else but I usually wake up about every hour or every couple of hours during the night. Once we’re towards the end of vacation, I may have a night or two that I sleep that whole night through. The only time I’ve slept peacefully on a vacation is when we were on the Dream last year. The beds are just heavenly! The thought of them makes me excited to get on the Fantasy in June.

But, I digress. Back to talking about our most recent trip. We had checked into our hotel room in Tallahassee for Thursday night. After much tossing & turning & waking up, my alarm went off at 6:30 am. I was tired and slow to get up but eventually all three of us were out of bed by 6:45 am. Reid was enjoying a little bit of TV time:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137025347&k=gzZ4hgV&lb=1&s=A

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137024410&k=S2cgwx6&lb=1&s=A

Everyone got ready for the day and then we headed to the lobby of the Wingate for the free breakfast. I thought they had a decent food selection: scrambled eggs, sausage patties, toast, french toast, English muffins, pastries, cereals, yogurt, milk and juices (apple and orange). They also had a “make-your-own-waffle” station. We chose this option. Reid and I got drinks while Ed made a waffle for himself and one for Reid and I to share. I have to say that the waffles were pretty good! And quite filling!

Once our bellies were full, we went back to our room to grab our luggage. The boys went to load up the car while I did one last room check for our stuff. Unfortunately, I think I didn’t do a very good job this day. I am almost certain that I somehow left my favorite LSU sweater here. Unless I left it at Beach Club. Either way, my favorite sweater that I wore all the time is now gone. But, anyway, I did my room sweep and went out to meet the boys at the car.

We were loaded up and on the road for 8:25 am. Someone was excited to be back in the car and on our way:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137026722&k=c7Z7Zv5&lb=1&s=A

It was a really pretty morning and everyone was in good spirits. Until Reid started getting a little restless. So, I quickly gave out another goody bag:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137025878&k=63SNXFB&lb=1&s=A

He loves the Three Mouseketeers movie so he was very excited when he pulled out the book. He was quite content from this point out and was pretty much able to entertain himself. When we got around Lake City, FL we made a gas and potty stop. That was quick enough. Then Reid wanted something to drink. I put some Sprite in a lidded cup for him. Well, evidently that cup doesn’t like carbonated drinks & started spewing Sprite everywhere. So, we quickly pulled into a hotel parking lot so I could empty out the Sprite. I found some water to put in his cup instead. The cup was much happier with that choice.

We were finally back on the road! Only thing was that when we got back on the road, Ed and I realized pretty much right away that we had forgot to take out cash before leaving home. We never carry cash on us. Seriously. Not even change. But we knew we were going to need some sort of currency to get onto all the lovely Florida toll roads. We drove for a bit and then got off at an exit in Gainesville. Luckily, we were able to find an ATM very close to the interstate.

Cash in wallet, we were back on the road! And we were determined not to stop until we got to Disney World! However, Reid’s bladder had different plans. Right before we were going to get on the toll road, he told us he needed to potty. Okay, fine, we’ll stop. Only problem is that there were no exits with gas stations or anything. I really felt bad for him and was close to making Ed pull over on the side of the road for the little fellow. But, we were now at the first toll plaza. Thankfully, Ed thought to ask the toll booth operator how far the next exit with a bathroom would be. Her answer was, “16 miles”. She must have seen the look of horror on my face because she quickly added, “But, you can carefully cross all the way over to your right and pull into our office parking lot. There’s a public restroom there.” Thank goodness!

We made our quick potty stop and were, once again, back on the road! It wasn’t too long before we started getting closer to Disney. Someone, besides myself, was started to getting excited.

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137027822&k=KSbQFRW&lb=1&s=A

And excitement really started to grow when this sign popped up:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137027589&k=4WKw3zG&lb=1&s=A

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137026145&k=7VLHtMM&lb=1&s=A

And then we finally came across the best sign in the world:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137782367&k=khhGpgW&lb=1&s=A

Excitement was at a full-blown high at this point:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137027795&k=ZtKtFR6&lb=1&s=A

One more picture because I just love that sign so much:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137029074&k=NsBMwGH&lb=1&s=A

Reid and I were squealing so loud that I think all of Florida certainly heard us. I was happy to have my sunglasses on so Ed couldn’t see me tearing up. I knew he’d make fun of me.

Then it wasn’t long until we arrived at our first destination:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137029948&k=rNX52gJ&lb=1&s=A

We were on our way to the Fitness Expo for the Tower of Terror races. Ed had to pick up his packet for the 10 mile race and I needed to get mine for the 5K. This was our first time ever going to Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

When we arrived, all you could see were cars everywhere. That place was busy! But there must have been some sort of baseball tournament going on because we saw lots of baseball players unloading equipment and such. We got parked and everyone hopped out of the car, happy to stretch our legs.....and to finally be in Disney!! Someone was being a little extra silly:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137031193&k=SFgcGKB&lb=1&s=A

We followed the crowds and made our way towards the main complex:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137030758&k=5Kp85qd&lb=1&s=A

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137032544&k=rwfKJkt&lb=1&s=A

We made our way to the Expo. It was crowded! Once we found the lines to pick up our race bibs, we split up. Ed went to stand in his line while Reid and I went to get my bib. My line was extremely short and we were done quickly. Unfortunately, Ed had hardly moved. At this point, Reid was starting to get really whiny and defiant. I knew I had seen a booth earlier that might brighten his mood: a Dannon yogurt booth. My child loves yogurt and especially the kind they were handing out: Dannon Light & Fit. That’s the kind I buy at home and he gobbles it up!

So, Reid and I made our way to the yogurt booth. I grabbed him a Strawberry Banana yogurt and we found a spot on the floor to sit where we (hopefully) wouldn’t be trampled. Right when Reid was finishing his yogurt, Ed walked up to us. He finally had his race bib. Now, we had to go stand in another line for our race shirts. This didn’t take long but I don’t understand why they can’t just give you a shirt when they’re giving you your other race stuff.

Once we had that in our hands, I was ready to get out of there. The place was really crowded. There were a few times that Reid got stepped on/into by adults. They had you exit near a food place, ESPN Grill or something like that. Reid said he was hungry. I couldn’t blame him, it was getting past our lunchtime. I offered up food from that place but he didn’t want anything there. I asked if he would rather just go to the resort for lunch and he said yes.

We made our way back to our car and were soon headed out of Wide World of Sports!

I am not sure if I let you know I sub'd... I did. But have not been able to catch up. I am trying to now. I thought I would take a moment after this update to comment.

The laces on the stroller- I wondered how they would work. I remember you mentioning them on your prt. I am glad they worked well for the stroller... Too bad they didn't for the shoes. Did they not "loop" easily?

Not sleeping on vacation- yup... I have the hardest time too!

Sprite in the cup- "the cup was happier with water"

Driving- Reid seems to do so well! That was quite the drive!

Fitness expo- it looks like you got there at a good time. We had a hard time leaving because the heavens opened up and spilled down the most intense amount of rain! I also didn't like how they were manny everyone funnel out through that one exit!

 

[annmarieda]

Folks.....I've had a miracle or some pixie dust or something come my way!!

Ed just called me from his office. He said, "Guess what I found?"

Me, "I don't know. What?"

Him, "Your LSU sweater."

Me, "WHAT?!? WHERE?!?"

Him, "My work backpack. In a compartment I barely use. I don't even know what I was looking for when I opened it up just now."

I am beyond excited!!!! I must have just stuffed it in there when we were leaving Tallahassee that Friday morning. I don't even know why I would do such a thing. I'm telling y'all - I was really running on fumes & excitement.

But, I'm getting my sweater tonight when he gets home. Or maybe he'll come home for lunch & I can wash it.

I can't even begin to tell y'all how happy I am. Yes, I know it's just a sweatshirt. But, it's my comfort sweatshirt.

YAY!! I am getting caught up using my phone, so I have no emoticons.... But if I knew the "code" for the dancing bananas, I would put a ton of them here! I hate losing stuff... And I ALWAYS seem to lose something while on vacation.

 

[annmarieda]

I truly thought either Reid or myself was going to have a meltdown in that place. It was so busy, people walking into us constantly, Reid threw a fit because he didn't want to hold my hand. I was like, "Uh you're holding a hand so you don't get lost in this sea of people." That was the 1st time during the trip I had to threaten him with a timeout in Disney. Thankfully, he chose to just hold my hand.

I have never been so happy to get a container of yogurt in all my life. It completely changed his mood......at least for the time being.
.

I was seriously overwhelmed at the expo! I did have a bit of a melt down :roll eyes: I missed the yogurt- maybe it was gone by the time we got there

 

[annmarieda]

We piled back into the car and were soon headed out of Wide World of Sports. It didn’t take long before we pulling in here:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137032792&k=34njNRx&lb=1&s=A

The security guard that greeted us was very friendly. As we were about to drive away, we heard the guard call the valet area to let them know we were on our way! Ed drove up to the front and I hopped out to go get us checked in. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I was greeted by a nice female CM. She had already pulled up my information on her iPad and confirmed with me that I had done the online check-in. She then proceeded to walk me to the check-in desk in the lobby.

The gentleman checking me in was a little slow but nice. He got my package put together, handed it to me and stated that our room was not yet ready. I asked if he had any idea how long it may be (at this point it was about 1:50 pm). He informed me that they were hoping to have it ready by 3 pm and that I would be sent a text when it was ready. He went on to explain about our Keys to the World and that mine and Ed’s cards had charging privileges. The only problem was that he didn’t mention anything about park tickets.

This was our first time booking our hotel and tickets through RunDisney. I kept telling Ed that I had a feeling that something was going to be messed up when we checked in. I asked the CM checking me in if our 5 day Magic Your Way tickets were on our keys. He double-checked his computer, informed me that we did not have any park tickets and told me I would have to go to Concierge to straighten it out.

Across the lobby I go to Concierge. Man, were they busy! I got in line, hoping that it wouldn’t take too long. I knew Reid would not be happy just sitting in the car for a long time. Not long after I got in line, a guy got in line right behind me and promptly let out a loud huff. He continued to huff about every 2.4 seconds. Then, Mr. Huffy Puffy’s phone rang. This is how that went:

“Hey. I’m in the lobby at Concierge. Uh-huh. Yeah. I’m trying to see what else we can do for dinner tonight. Well, if we still go to Magic Kingdom we’ll only have like 3 hours there. They close at 7pm tonight! I have no idea why they would close that park so early. It’s ridiculous!”

Um....yeah....well, see Mr. Huffy Puffy, there’s this little event called Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Don’t know how you could not know about it since it’s advertised all over Disney!

Anyway, no one was leaving Concierge & I was tired of having my neck huffed on so I decided to leave. I got back in the car and explained the ticket situation to Ed. We parked, unloaded our luggage and got it checked with bell services.

At that point, I sent the boys to explore and I headed back to Concierge. Luckily, there was no one there by this point. When I told the CM my situation, he said he had this happen with someone else there for the race. He quickly found a manager and showed her my reservation showing that I had paid for tickets. Thankfully, they were able to locate our park tickets. They had been put in a safe. While this snafu was resolved quickly, it perplexed me that a resort sponsoring racers would not attach their tickets to their packets. Just seems like it would have been a lot easier.

Anyway, park tickets in my hand, I went off to find the boys. I found them in the Beach Club Marketplace. This is where my son & I had our first showdown of the vacation. As soon as I found them, he starts throwing a tantrum for some race cars that he wants. REALLY?!? We’ve been in Disney for all of two hours and you are already fussing about souvenirs? I don’t think so!

I sent Ed to the food line & marched Reid to a table where he got a good talking to. It didn’t take too long before Ed arrived with some much needed food! This was my first food picture fail of the trip. I really meant to get pictures of all of our food this year but it hardly ever happened. Sorry!

Reid had a turkey sandwich. He didn’t care for the bread but he liked the turkey and ate it all. Ed had a pepperoni flatbread. He said it was very good. And I went with the ham and swiss sandwich. I thought the bread was too hard but the ham was very good and just ate that.

Right before we finished our lunch, I received a text stating that our room was ready. And it was before 3 pm! So as soon as we had lunch devoured, we headed up to check out our room. We made our way down the long, meandering hallways and finally found our home for the next 2 nights.

I’ll give you a quick tour but I must apologize for the pictures first. They are not the best. I used my point and shoot camera more than normal on this vacation. Unfortunately, I found out that my camera was no longer working as well as it once did.

Entry hallway:
http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137034174&k=569z2RH&lb=1&s=A

Bedroom:
http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137034269&k=NF8RZvH&lb=1&s=A

Bathroom:
http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137034823&k=pNtRXRL&lb=1&s=A

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137037373&k=S44GxNs&lb=1&s=A

Our initial impression was the room was nice with an airy, comfortable feeling. Ed contacted Bell Services and within 10 minutes, they delivered our luggage.

Since we hadn’t had any real fun at Disney yet, I decided it was time for us to explore! We headed back down to the lobby:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137036265&k=2xDrhnH&lb=1&s=A

I love, love, love these cool chairs in the Beach Club lobby:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137038184&k=jgntkwt&lb=1&s=A

Lobby light fixture:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137041239&k=nQJcG2h&lb=1&s=A

Then we headed outside.

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137039281&k=MT6gBNC&lb=1&s=A

We didn’t get too far though.

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137039501&k=jsb554w&lb=1&s=A

Oh yes, there was a storm rolling in! We had only been outside for a few minutes when the rain started. At first, it wasn’t too bad. We headed back to the lobby and took a seat in there. I was really hoping it would be a quick Disney shower. It started to rain harder but I was still hopeful so Reid and I took a walk. We checked out Cape May Cafe and went and found Beaches and Cream. By the time we got back to Ed, the weather was just getting worse.

We decided just to head back up to the room and stayed in there for about 2 hours before the rain stopped. Back down to the lobby we go! By the time we got down there & stepped outside, it had started to drizzle again. You’re kidding me, right?!? Frustrated, I told everyone the drizzle was not stopping us! So off we went and we ended up walking to Boardwalk.

By this time, it was about 5 pm. I didn’t want to eat dinner too late since I had my 5K race early the next morning. So, we decided to go in and eat at ESPN Club. Since it was so early, we were seated immediately.

The service was friendly. Reid had a hot dog and fries. He said it was good but was mainly interested in the dessert. It was a chocolate cupcake with a gummy worm on top. Very cute but I wasn’t too happy that they brought the cupcake out with his food. But, it’s vacation, so I let him just eat the cupcake.

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137040870&k=mKPx9wM&lb=1&s=A

Ed had the Dinger Sandwich. This is a chicken sandwich in a medium wing sauce. He said it was alright but said he’s had better chicken sandwiches from Wendy’s. I went with the Chicken Caesar salad. This thing was huge! It was very fresh and the chicken was quite tasty. I only wish there had been more chicken in the salad.

Overall, it was a good dinner. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to eat there again but I wouldn’t be opposed to stopping in there for a bite either.

When we stepped back out onto the Boardwalk after dinner, the rain had finally gone away! We decided to spend a little bit of time exploring the Boardwalk:

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137040888&k=mDgWbsF&lb=1&s=A

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137043325&k=bzLxX8V&lb=1&s=A

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137042181&k=GrFJQLr&lb=1&s=A

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137043606&k=rNDbZ5x&lb=1&s=A

http://lsugatech.smugmug.com/Travel...66950_hx8ctT#!i=2137044690&k=CKTVDqx&lb=1&s=A

We really enjoyed the Boardwalk area. Walking around there reconfirmed our desire to stay at the Boardwalk resort one of these days. That night, part of me was wishing that I had switched us back to Boardwalk instead of Beach Club.

After exploring, Reid insisted that we take a boat back to the Beach Club. Luckily, we timed it just right and were on a boat quickly. It wasn’t long before we were back at Beach Club. Once again, we headed back up to our room. But, the night wasn’t quite over yet!

I live the Epcot resorts! Your room is so pretty. I am sorry your checking did go more smoothly. I wonder how everything goes with rundisney packages. I am considering going through them for feb

 

[emma212010]

Ticket troubles are the worst! I'm glad you got everything settled out, though!

What a gorgeous room!! The BC has intrigued me recently, and I'd love to stay!

Yikes at the weather! That's too bad- rain on vacation is never fun! I'm glad it cleared off for you after a while- your pictures are beautiful!!

My goodness, I can't get over how cute Reid is!!!

 

[amandaw]

You know, the idea of it where I lived was great, but the reality was kind of a nightmare. I would literally spend hundreds of dollars on candy and be out before 8:00. I couldn't leave my door long enough to go to the bathroom. And at times it got downright intimidating. It actually kind of ruined Halloween for me for a while.

Yeah, I always put a limit on myself as to what I was going to spend on candy. And when I was out, that's it, I was out.

I'm sorry your experience wasn't too good with lots of trick-or-treaters.

Yes, I think you are right. The only concern I have is that for as many adults who will think it is awesome will be adults who will think it is inappropriate. I hope not, but you never know! I wasn't impressed with the look on her teacher's face! I mean, she will be wearing this costume to the school party. Whatever - she loves MJ, and honestly, so do I, so she should do what she wants and be thrilled about it. My friend has nearly killed herself sewing this thing for her, and I know it will be AMAZING!

Don't worry about what the adults will think. Willow will be happy and that is all that matters. I can't wait to see a picture of her costume!

I love Reid's Mickey shirt! I want one in my size. Happy to hear u found your sweatshirt. I sure wish I could find our Disney tix from last June. Ha ha I'm gonna try and exchange them for a gift card next visit. Subbing so I can read more at home!

Thanks! Target always has cute Disney shirts.

I was so happy that Ed found my sweatshirt! I've worn it every day since he's come home with it.

I hope you can find you tickets! Thanks for subbing!

Same thing happened with us and our tickets and to my parents (who we booked through Run Disney also). I found it a bit hard to believe also!

Sorry y'all had the same ticket troubles. To me, it just seemed easier (& logical) to attach those Sports tickets to those people's packages. But, at least they found them quickly.

I am not sure if I let you know I sub'd... I did. But have not been able to catch up. I am trying to now. I thought I would take a moment after this update to comment.

I know how hard it is to catch up on these boards. Even missing just a day can make catch up quite a task.

The laces on the stroller- I wondered how they would work. I remember you mentioning them on your prt. I am glad they worked well for the stroller... Too bad they didn't for the shoes. Did they not "loop" easily?

They looped "okay" on his shoes. But, they were just a tad too short for his shoes. So, if he tried to pull them tight enough to have enough to tie, it made his shoes feel too tight. I definitely didn't want his feet to be hurting in his shoes for the race, so I told him not to worry about it & just not wear them.

Not sleeping on vacation- yup... I have the hardest time too!

Glad I'm not the only one! It can be so frustrating!

Sprite in the cup- "the cup was happier with water"

I don't know what that cup had against Sprite!

Driving- Reid seems to do so well! That was quite the drive!

It was a long drive but really not bad. I have to say that Reid did really well!

Fitness expo- it looks like you got there at a good time. We had a hard time leaving because the heavens opened up and spilled down the most intense amount of rain! I also didn't like how they were manny everyone funnel out through that one exit!

Sounds like y'all were leaving at the same time we were trying to explore around BC. That rain was awful! I don't understand why they only had one exit for all the people in that place.

YAY!! I am getting caught up using my phone, so I have no emoticons.... But if I knew the "code" for the dancing bananas, I would put a ton of them here! I hate losing stuff... And I ALWAYS seem to lose something while on vacation.

Thanks! I was so frustrated with myself that I had lost the sweatshirt since I'm always so good about making sure we have everything. I just figured it was my lack of sleep & still recovering from the tummy bug that had thrown me off my game. So happy Ed found it though!

I was seriously overwhelmed at the expo! I did have a bit of a melt down :roll eyes: I missed the yogurt- maybe it was gone by the time we got there

I thought the Expo was very overwhelming - especially with a little one in tow. The yogurt was on one of the outside aisles. Reid spotted it as soon as we walking in.

I live the Epcot resorts! Your room is so pretty. I am sorry your checking did go more smoothly. I wonder how everything goes with rundisney packages. I am considering going through them for feb

That EPCOT area is really nice! I think I was surprised by just how close EPCOT really is to the resorts.

I would definitely book through RunDisney again. Just make sure it's the best deal for you. We got a discount on the room plus our park tickets were discounted. If you buy park tickets through them, just know that they are valid 7 days before the start of the run event up to 7 days after the run event.

Ticket troubles are the worst! I'm glad you got everything settled out, though!

They really are! It didn't take long to get sorted out. I think it just really frustrated me because it seemed like their method was very inefficient.

What a gorgeous room!! The BC has intrigued me recently, and I'd love to stay!

Thank you! It was definitely a comfortable room!

Yikes at the weather! That's too bad- rain on vacation is never fun! I'm glad it cleared off for you after a while- your pictures are beautiful!!

Thank you! I was glad it didn't last all night....for a while there it had me worried. The weather was very nice once it cleared up.

My goodness, I can't get over how cute Reid is!!!

Awww.....thank you!!!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Yes Target does. We got a really cute one last year for Halloween. They carry a lot of cute Disney items. A new store recently opened right down the street. I need to go see what they have out for the Christmas. Might find something cute for the next trip.

 

[annmarieda]

can you have the rundisney tickets added to your KTTWC?

 

[amandaw]

Yes Target does. We got a really cute one last year for Halloween. They carry a lot of cute Disney items. A new store recently opened right down the street. I need to go see what they have out for the Christmas. Might find something cute for the next trip.

I got Reid one for Halloween last year, too! I have a Target very close to me....I'm embarrassed to say how many times a week I go there sometimes.

can you have the rundisney tickets added to your KTTWC?

We were told no. But, they are plastic cards (like the KTTW) so they're durable & not hard to carry around. And since we had tickets for 3 people, they did give us tickets with 3 different characters (Mickey, Goofy & Donald).

 

[KatMark]

Great update, Amanda. Your room is so pretty (I really want to stay there and may get an opportunity in June).

We've never eaten at ESPN (although I know of someone here on the DIS who ate there seven times in one trip ).

Love the pictures of the Boardwalk...it's a pretty and exciting area and I'm glad we got a chance to get back to it after more than 15 years ourselves this trip.

 

[Amunet]

Okay, normally I wait until the TR is completed cause ... well ... I hate cliffhangers! But, I started reading, to see how far you've updated, and I couldn't stop!

So, I am all caught up and excited for your next update

Also, you have some truly beautiful pictures, I refuse to accept any of your apologies

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

I love the Beach Club, and your photos make me want to be there NOW! Reid is too cute in his Mickey shirt, and how adorable is that "strike a pose with Dad" picture?!?

 

[amandaw]

Great update, Amanda. Your room is so pretty (I really want to stay there and may get an opportunity in June).

Thanks! I did think the room was so nice & airy & comfortable. We had no problem relaxing in there. I hope you get to stay there!

We've never eaten at ESPN (although I know of someone here on the DIS who ate there seven times in one trip ).

7 times in one trip?!? I mean, it was a decent meal but nowhere near being that good. I don't know if there's any restaurant I'd want to eat at 7 times in one trip.

Love the pictures of the Boardwalk...it's a pretty and exciting area and I'm glad we got a chance to get back to it after more than 15 years ourselves this trip.

Thank you! I was glad we had the chance to walk over there & check it out. I really fell in love with that Boardwalk area that night.

Okay, normally I wait until the TR is completed cause ... well ... I hate cliffhangers! But, I started reading, to see how far you've updated, and I couldn't stop!

I'm so glad you stopped by & started reading. I'm hoping to keep this TR going at a good pace so hopefully I'll have lots of material every week for you!

So, I am all caught up and excited for your next update

My goal is to an update a little later this afternoon or tonight!

Also, you have some truly beautiful pictures, I refuse to accept any of your apologies

Awww....thank you! I promise you though....you will see some bad ones in this TR. Consider yourself warned.

I love the Beach Club, and your photos make me want to be there NOW! Reid is too cute in his Mickey shirt, and how adorable is that "strike a pose with Dad" picture?!?

Thank you! I surely wouldn't mind being there right now myself.

Thanks....sometimes it's so hard for me to get him to give me a good smile for a picture. Other times, he'll strike his own pose & ham it up for the camera. Never know what I'm gonna get with him.

 

[pas130]

Okay, normally I wait until the TR is completed cause ... well ... I hate cliffhangers! But, I started reading, to see how far you've updated, and I couldn't stop!

You missed how she tortured us with her ADR plans....it was all good torture! Amanda is awesome!!!

 

[sjs314]

Loving your TR!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Loving your TR!

Me too!!!

 

[amandaw]

You missed how she tortured us with her ADR plans....it was all good torture! Amanda is awesome!!!

Well, I couldn't give it all away at once, could I?

Awww...thank you!!

Loving your TR!

Me too!!!

Thank y'all sooo much!!

 

[amandaw]

Upon returning to Beach Club, we made our way back up to our room. We contemplated what to do next since it wasn’t late. Since the weather was now quite nice, I asked Ed if he would mind doing some pool time with Reid. I had promised Reid that we would have pool time on our first night and he had been asking since our arrival at Beach Club.

Ed agreed and the boys got changed into their swimsuits. I grabbed my good camera so that I could walk around and (hopefully) get a few nice pictures. I didn’t want to go swimming since I had my race in the morning.

Once we were all ready, we headed back downstairs and out to Stormalong Bay. We walked all around the pool area trying to decide where Reid would like to swim. He really didn’t want anything to do with the main pool area. All he wanted was the kiddie slide on the pirate ship so that is where we went. He ended up staying in this one section the entire time which was fine with Ed. It was nice that he was able to stand up by himself in the water since he’s not exactly an expert swimmer. And he was happy that Ed was able to stay in there with him and catch him at the end of the slide since he doesn’t like going under the water.

Getting ready to go in:



Let’s Slide!









Then Reid decided he needed to steer the ship for a moment:



After watching the guys for a little bit, I made my exit and went off to explore on my own. So, sit back, relax and try to enjoy my mediocre pictures of the Beach Club area:

























I had made way back to the kiddie pool to find that Reid was still going strong on that little slide.



There was some music playing...maybe at the main pool area...and Reid was enjoying dancing to it and he was sliding down:



We let Reid slide a few more times before we made him get out of the pool. The guys dried off and I went to return the towels in the main pool area. They had gone off to find a potty and I snapped one last picture before going back into Beach Club.



I made a quick stop in the Beach Club Marketplace to pick up a few postcards and then met the boys right outside of the elevators. Up we went to our room and everyone started getting ready for bed.

Reid was excited to have the little daybed in the room as his own bed. I got him settled in the daybed and he was asleep for 8:30 pm. Ed and I watched a little bit of TV while I uploaded pictures and journaled for the day. We were both asleep for 10:30 pm. Before going to sleep, I had set my alarm for 5 am and had to wonder to myself, “What was I thinking signing up for a race while on vacation?!?”