Ellester
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2003
- Messages
- 1,671
Ellen (34) Disney Veteran, 20+trips since 1973
John (37) Devoted husband, father, and son-in-law. 5th time to WDW
Mom (59) Ellens Mom, veteran but first trip since mid-80s
Anabelle (5) Princess, first class. 3rd time to WDW
Rebecca (20 months) Princess-in-Training, 1st time to WDW
Planning
This quick side trip came about after a conversation with my mom. She mentioned that she had found some old tickets to Disney (from the 80s) that still had days available on them along with some A-E tickets from the early days. We had a trip to Treasure Island, Florida with my mom already planned for May 2-11. Mom has a week timeshare in Treasure Island that she inherited from my Grandparents. John and I had already decided we wanted to visit Islands of Adventure during our trip (we are coaster enthusiasts) to ride the Hulk and Dueling Dragons again. We also had two park hopper tickets with one day left from our last WDW visit in October 2000. Since we wouldnt have to lay out any additional money for admission, we decided to add a day at the Magic Kingdom to our Orlando portion of the trip. I booked us one night at the All-Star Music resort and by some miracle, my mom was able to get through 60 days ahead to get us PSs at Cinderellas Castle for breakfast with the Princesses. We managed to keep the trip to Disney a secret until Anabelles 5th birthday party on April 19th. We gave her a little Mickey, the Disney promo DVD, and a certificate inviting her to dine with the Princesses. Moments like that are what make parenting so fun!
Day 1 & 2 (May 2 & 3) Drive to Treasure Island
Fairly uneventful. We did have to delay our departure from Charlotte until after a band of super strong thunderstorms came through. We drove in rain for about an hour then didnt see a drop until we got back to within 50 miles of home! We stopped in Savannah at a beautiful Econolodge for the night, hitting the night before the graduation ceremonies at Georgia Southern University. Im glad I booked early, the place was packed! We arrived in Treasure Island in the late afternoon and stocked up at Publix, making sure to get a big old container of water. Now, I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale where the water is not exactly high quality (it has a slight garlicky smell), but compared to the water in central Florida it was wonderful. We settled in to our two bedroom condo, overlooking the Gulf. Very nice.
Days 3, 4, & 5 (May 4, 5, & 6) Treasure Island
Spent the days at the pool and beach, Anabelles swimming really took off. I think her swimming instructor will be shocked at her next lesson at how far she progressed after a week of living in the pool! We did take an excursion up the coast to Tarpon Springs where we visited the (surprisingly) free Sponge Museum and visitors center. The town was founded by Greeks and has a very Greek, but touristy flavor. I now know more about the sponging industry (the largest industry in Florida in the early 1900s!) than I would have ever thought possible. Anabelle can even name different species of sponges, shes ready for Kindergarten next year now! We stuffed ourselves with Greek food, picking up some excellent baklava for after dinner. If you like Greek food, I highly recommend a side trip. Anyway, we packed up on Tuesday night, planning on leaving for Orlando and Islands of Adventure early on Wednesday morning.
John (37) Devoted husband, father, and son-in-law. 5th time to WDW
Mom (59) Ellens Mom, veteran but first trip since mid-80s
Anabelle (5) Princess, first class. 3rd time to WDW
Rebecca (20 months) Princess-in-Training, 1st time to WDW
Planning
This quick side trip came about after a conversation with my mom. She mentioned that she had found some old tickets to Disney (from the 80s) that still had days available on them along with some A-E tickets from the early days. We had a trip to Treasure Island, Florida with my mom already planned for May 2-11. Mom has a week timeshare in Treasure Island that she inherited from my Grandparents. John and I had already decided we wanted to visit Islands of Adventure during our trip (we are coaster enthusiasts) to ride the Hulk and Dueling Dragons again. We also had two park hopper tickets with one day left from our last WDW visit in October 2000. Since we wouldnt have to lay out any additional money for admission, we decided to add a day at the Magic Kingdom to our Orlando portion of the trip. I booked us one night at the All-Star Music resort and by some miracle, my mom was able to get through 60 days ahead to get us PSs at Cinderellas Castle for breakfast with the Princesses. We managed to keep the trip to Disney a secret until Anabelles 5th birthday party on April 19th. We gave her a little Mickey, the Disney promo DVD, and a certificate inviting her to dine with the Princesses. Moments like that are what make parenting so fun!
Day 1 & 2 (May 2 & 3) Drive to Treasure Island
Fairly uneventful. We did have to delay our departure from Charlotte until after a band of super strong thunderstorms came through. We drove in rain for about an hour then didnt see a drop until we got back to within 50 miles of home! We stopped in Savannah at a beautiful Econolodge for the night, hitting the night before the graduation ceremonies at Georgia Southern University. Im glad I booked early, the place was packed! We arrived in Treasure Island in the late afternoon and stocked up at Publix, making sure to get a big old container of water. Now, I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale where the water is not exactly high quality (it has a slight garlicky smell), but compared to the water in central Florida it was wonderful. We settled in to our two bedroom condo, overlooking the Gulf. Very nice.
Days 3, 4, & 5 (May 4, 5, & 6) Treasure Island
Spent the days at the pool and beach, Anabelles swimming really took off. I think her swimming instructor will be shocked at her next lesson at how far she progressed after a week of living in the pool! We did take an excursion up the coast to Tarpon Springs where we visited the (surprisingly) free Sponge Museum and visitors center. The town was founded by Greeks and has a very Greek, but touristy flavor. I now know more about the sponging industry (the largest industry in Florida in the early 1900s!) than I would have ever thought possible. Anabelle can even name different species of sponges, shes ready for Kindergarten next year now! We stuffed ourselves with Greek food, picking up some excellent baklava for after dinner. If you like Greek food, I highly recommend a side trip. Anyway, we packed up on Tuesday night, planning on leaving for Orlando and Islands of Adventure early on Wednesday morning.
