Thursday, February 27, 2014
Hooliganting: Florida: Star Island, Downtown Disney and Medieval...
Hooliganting: Florida: Star Island, Downtown Disney and Medieval...: Blogging is great if you have something to write about. Yesterday, the day was spent sitting around the pool at Star Island, reading books a...
Florida: Star Island, Downtown Disney and Medieval Times
Blogging is great if you have something to write about. Yesterday, the day was spent sitting around the pool at Star Island, reading books and generally relaxing. The girls slept and napped and played so there was little motivation to leave and for once, I decided that THAT was okay.
Star Island has been a great resort. There are pools and hot tubs, tennis courts and mini golf centrally located in the middle. There are bar staff and activity staff, with the convenience store so it feels safe to let the children loose a little so that they have some Independence. So much so, that I decided to go for a massage to fix the wicked pillow headache that I acquired on being here. No idea what villains stalked my sleep but I sure woke up worse for wear. The masseuse was amazing and managed to get my neck from terrible to not bad. The kids won ice cream and got sun kissed through cloud cover.
In the evening, the rain came so it seemed like a good idea to venture to Downtown Disney to get a small boy a birthday gift. With the construction and lack of map, I missed some great places to visit but managed to get thoroughly frustrated by Lego. In there, you can lose children in 1.2 seconds flat and they don't seem to have the stock that you would think they would. Disney Lego....out of stock. I wound up in a cloud of blue depression that just about killed my mood for the day. However, the bright side came with finding Pluto for my eldest and baby aristocrat for the younger so that was at least one mission accomplished. I think it would be a great place to eat and hang out sans kids, but with them...not a good idea.
This morning proved to be a lazy one as well. There are some great outlet malls near here so I stocked up on clothing for the coming birthdays and such, found fabulous coffee and shoes. From there, it was time for the girls spa appointments at Star Island. I was impressed. It was bibbity bobbity boo without the price tag. They were thrilled and looked lovely. Tiaras and magic wands were included.
Why? Medieval Times. My eldest loved it so much the last time we came to Disney that I promised to go back. It was just as good the second time. We had seats in the front, and cheered on the Yellow Knight enthusiastically. We were a party of 13 so we were loud and medievally. The food was delicious and plentiful as was the ale. They ply you with photos for purchase and allow you to walk through their museum exhibition beforehand. All in all, it was a great evening out for our last one together.
Tonight finished off with a birthday celebration for the wee man who is 4 and the party continued until, well now. I don't think we really got the hang of this time change. Our body clocks have just gone with the flow.
Tomorrow it is back to the Magic Kingdom. Everyone else, please stay home...love me.
I don't have a lot of images for this one that are any good. So much for that.
Star Island has been a great resort. There are pools and hot tubs, tennis courts and mini golf centrally located in the middle. There are bar staff and activity staff, with the convenience store so it feels safe to let the children loose a little so that they have some Independence. So much so, that I decided to go for a massage to fix the wicked pillow headache that I acquired on being here. No idea what villains stalked my sleep but I sure woke up worse for wear. The masseuse was amazing and managed to get my neck from terrible to not bad. The kids won ice cream and got sun kissed through cloud cover.
In the evening, the rain came so it seemed like a good idea to venture to Downtown Disney to get a small boy a birthday gift. With the construction and lack of map, I missed some great places to visit but managed to get thoroughly frustrated by Lego. In there, you can lose children in 1.2 seconds flat and they don't seem to have the stock that you would think they would. Disney Lego....out of stock. I wound up in a cloud of blue depression that just about killed my mood for the day. However, the bright side came with finding Pluto for my eldest and baby aristocrat for the younger so that was at least one mission accomplished. I think it would be a great place to eat and hang out sans kids, but with them...not a good idea.
This morning proved to be a lazy one as well. There are some great outlet malls near here so I stocked up on clothing for the coming birthdays and such, found fabulous coffee and shoes. From there, it was time for the girls spa appointments at Star Island. I was impressed. It was bibbity bobbity boo without the price tag. They were thrilled and looked lovely. Tiaras and magic wands were included.
Why? Medieval Times. My eldest loved it so much the last time we came to Disney that I promised to go back. It was just as good the second time. We had seats in the front, and cheered on the Yellow Knight enthusiastically. We were a party of 13 so we were loud and medievally. The food was delicious and plentiful as was the ale. They ply you with photos for purchase and allow you to walk through their museum exhibition beforehand. All in all, it was a great evening out for our last one together.
Tonight finished off with a birthday celebration for the wee man who is 4 and the party continued until, well now. I don't think we really got the hang of this time change. Our body clocks have just gone with the flow.
Tomorrow it is back to the Magic Kingdom. Everyone else, please stay home...love me.
I don't have a lot of images for this one that are any good. So much for that.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Hooliganting: Florida: Magic Kingdom Take Two
Hooliganting: Florida: Magic Kingdom Take Two: Perhaps Magic Kingdom is not the smartest move when you have been awake until 2:00 am the night before playing Farkal and ...
Florida: Magic Kingdom Take Two
Funnily enough, I was able to handle the check in process a lot easier. Perhaps going on a week day makes more sense. The crowds felt less frantic and less crazed. Instead of the monorail crush, we took the ferry over and that was more relaxed too. Experience also helps as we opted to go in and take the train around to Frontier Land to get our fast passes for the day. Peter Pan was still sold out though.
Today’s adventures included the Jungle Cruise of bad humour, two rounds on Pirates of the Carribean followed by Thunder Mountain, Tom Sawyers Island, Peter Pan (worth the wait), the Little Mermaid (not worth the wait), the Carousel and meeting Minnie Mouse. From there, we cruised over to Space Mountain and rode that ride several times in a row. I loved it. So did the girls. I think I have roller coaster junkies on my hands. We had fast passes for Thunder Mountain though so we paused for the fireworks and then headed back to Thunder Mountain where we closed the park down.
I have to say, thank goodness for cell phones. It made it much easier to meet up with people today, despite being on different time clocks. The other thing to consider while at Disney Parks is how to feed the natives over a twelve hour period. We sampled the macaroni and cheese at Friar Tucks which was good but very expensive so my picnics have to be larger. In fact, once we were finished at the park, we were all still hungry so that meant a break at IHOP break before crawling bleary eyed into bed.
Hooliganting: Florida: Cape Canaveral...or NASA take two...or OM...
Hooliganting: Florida: Cape Canaveral...or NASA take two...or OM...: Egads! Yoicks! Ummm...sorry was way to busy having fun and didn't blog...I see the relief...but there it is. I'm back having a down ...
Florida: Cape Canaveral...or NASA take two...or OMG I can't ...BEACH
Egads! Yoicks! Ummm...sorry was way to busy having fun and didn't blog...I see the relief...but there it is. I'm back having a down day in Florida.
Where was I? Oh yes. The engineering minded and new arrivals to this group holiday decided that Monday would be a good day to return to NASA. Our ticket options implied that returning for a second day was included in the ticket, so I agreed and took the BFF from the resort across the road with as they had the same tickets. Driving out there was fun with the never ending tolls but we got there and pulled into the parking area.
On arrival, we found that our tickets were only good for access to the Astronaut Hall of Fame, not a second day at NASA. Growl, hiss, spit. That meant texting my friends that I was having a change of plan as I wasn't paying the additional $26.50 to upgrade to the annual pass for all the children and myself. I decided to let the engineers have fun and wished my friends well and plotted. The Hall of Fame didn't open until noon, that was still an hour away.
BEACH! The kids and I piled back into the car and drove through Cape Canaveral and down to Cocoa Beach. First stop was the Cocoa Beach Pier. I think I had the Santa Monica Pier in my head from California. We were delighted with watching the surfers and the dolphins play but honestly, this was not a kid friendly stop. This pier is for Spring Break and fishing only. Plus, day parking use is $10.00. Instead of paying for parking, I took my crew further down to Lori Wilson park which had the benefit of being free parking, free playground, and lifeguarded beach. There, I settled in the sand and relaxed.
I was good at doing nothing for 2.5 hours. I had even forgot the book. I watched, and then turned my attention to the skies. Hmmm...I wonder if that meant thunder...
It did.
Racing for the car, the girls and I piled in and drove back to the Astronaut Hall of Fame. We hit a minor detour through the Manatee Park, but there were none to be seen. That was an interesting little museum. I am glad I did not have to pay their regular admission though. That was steep at $26.50. They had some interesting displays but very USA oriented. Roberta Bondar was not mentioned anywhere that I could see, which was a little disappointing. They did mention some of the other nations, but not much and you can only be admitted to the Hall of Fame if you are American. Smart folk from other countries need not apply. The interactives were fun. Need I mention that I should never be allowed to pilot a space shuttle. I would apparently crash it 9 times out of every 10. I can however manage to fire rockets. I wonder what that says about me? The kids loved the floor mat games and the Mars simulator too. It was a great place to spend 1.5 hours.
From there, it was back to NASA to collect the rest of the party. They all seemed to enjoy it and there is definitely more to do there.
On the drive back, we headed south to avoid tolls. It is a beautiful drive with minimal traffic and brings you back to Kissammee fairly easily. For food, we found Mutts on 13th and it was so delicious. Yelp did not lead me astray. This place is fast food with flavor. I had a pulled pork sandwich that was so good that I finished it despite being full six bites earlier. The onion rings were crispy and so delicious. We even liked the trivia cards that awaited you on the tables for entertainment. In the meantime, all the local Vietnam war vets strolled in. That clinched it for me. You know you are eating well when the vets take over the place.
The evening finished with pool time and a party in our room. Can't beat that!
Where was I? Oh yes. The engineering minded and new arrivals to this group holiday decided that Monday would be a good day to return to NASA. Our ticket options implied that returning for a second day was included in the ticket, so I agreed and took the BFF from the resort across the road with as they had the same tickets. Driving out there was fun with the never ending tolls but we got there and pulled into the parking area.
On arrival, we found that our tickets were only good for access to the Astronaut Hall of Fame, not a second day at NASA. Growl, hiss, spit. That meant texting my friends that I was having a change of plan as I wasn't paying the additional $26.50 to upgrade to the annual pass for all the children and myself. I decided to let the engineers have fun and wished my friends well and plotted. The Hall of Fame didn't open until noon, that was still an hour away.
BEACH! The kids and I piled back into the car and drove through Cape Canaveral and down to Cocoa Beach. First stop was the Cocoa Beach Pier. I think I had the Santa Monica Pier in my head from California. We were delighted with watching the surfers and the dolphins play but honestly, this was not a kid friendly stop. This pier is for Spring Break and fishing only. Plus, day parking use is $10.00. Instead of paying for parking, I took my crew further down to Lori Wilson park which had the benefit of being free parking, free playground, and lifeguarded beach. There, I settled in the sand and relaxed.
I was good at doing nothing for 2.5 hours. I had even forgot the book. I watched, and then turned my attention to the skies. Hmmm...I wonder if that meant thunder...
It did.
Racing for the car, the girls and I piled in and drove back to the Astronaut Hall of Fame. We hit a minor detour through the Manatee Park, but there were none to be seen. That was an interesting little museum. I am glad I did not have to pay their regular admission though. That was steep at $26.50. They had some interesting displays but very USA oriented. Roberta Bondar was not mentioned anywhere that I could see, which was a little disappointing. They did mention some of the other nations, but not much and you can only be admitted to the Hall of Fame if you are American. Smart folk from other countries need not apply. The interactives were fun. Need I mention that I should never be allowed to pilot a space shuttle. I would apparently crash it 9 times out of every 10. I can however manage to fire rockets. I wonder what that says about me? The kids loved the floor mat games and the Mars simulator too. It was a great place to spend 1.5 hours.
From there, it was back to NASA to collect the rest of the party. They all seemed to enjoy it and there is definitely more to do there.
On the drive back, we headed south to avoid tolls. It is a beautiful drive with minimal traffic and brings you back to Kissammee fairly easily. For food, we found Mutts on 13th and it was so delicious. Yelp did not lead me astray. This place is fast food with flavor. I had a pulled pork sandwich that was so good that I finished it despite being full six bites earlier. The onion rings were crispy and so delicious. We even liked the trivia cards that awaited you on the tables for entertainment. In the meantime, all the local Vietnam war vets strolled in. That clinched it for me. You know you are eating well when the vets take over the place.
The evening finished with pool time and a party in our room. Can't beat that!
Hooliganting: Florida: Epcot
Hooliganting: Florida: Epcot: Relaxation is not for the faint of heart, especially considering that the Hockey Game was on bright and early this mornin...
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Hooliganting: Florida: Epcot
Hooliganting: Florida: Epcot: Relaxation is not for the faint of heart, especially considering that the Hockey Game was on bright and early this mornin...
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Florida: Epcot
Relaxation is not for the faint of heart, especially considering that the Hockey Game was on bright and early this morning. What hockey game? Yeah...you might not be Canadian. With the Olympics, being Canadian means that you rise with the sun and watch the game. Fortunately, this game was not against the USA and we won 3:0 so everyone at the park was happy. I dread to think about how awful the sulks would have been otherwise. After all, it feels like half the population in Florida right now are Canadian.
Once hockey was put to bed, the car load piled into Epcot for the day. Fast Passes were working so we hooked up with Test Drive, Nemo and Spaceship Earth. Now, Epcot is lovely. But there is so much to do that for the second visit in a row, we only managed to see half the park. It is really frustrating to go early and still not see everything. The positive part of Epcot is that they have lockers and have a very logical map. We started with Soarin which is amazing and then did the boat tour through the research lab. From there, we hit up Canada and worked our way around the pavillions to Germany and then our fast passes kicked in. We caught the boat back to Mexico and Tomorrowland to begin the Fast Pass hop. We rode Nemo and visited the aquariums. We met a few characters and wandered through Spaceship Earth and Mission Space. That ride is not for the faint of heart, it felt very realistic. And of course, my kids were all set to go again immediately. However, test drive called and that was fabulous. You could design your own car and then see how well your simulation would do. I loved it and would have gone again but once again, the line was 60 minutes long.
The cool part about Epcot is that they have great rides. There are the detective opportunities with mission control around the park that take place in different countries. We solved France's mystery today. At each country, you can have your bear stamped and signed off. And there are the character locations everywhere. The food at this park is incredible and the boutiques encourage you to spend money. I really loved how the staff were from each nation, which added to the geographical feel of the place. I just wish the park was open longer to accommodate it.The negative side of Epcot is that you need way more time than is possible to accomplish enough of it to feel that you had a satisfying day. My feet hurt and I really can't persuade myself to go back for the second day. I would rather do NASA again or Magic Kingdom. There was also a two hour line to meet the characters from Frozen in Norway. We went with friends to the park, but we never even saw them so that was a washout. For the main attractions, you can only get a Fast Pass for one of them, so choose wisely and leg it to the ones that you couldn't get. Disney is a challenge. It is a lot of fun scattered with a lot of lines.
Epcot - you are my favorite park but I can only come once as you wear me out.
So, we finished the evening with feet and bodies in the pool to relax tired muscles and feet. The music was great and the pool was awesone at the resort.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Hooliganting: Florida: Star Island and Horse World
Hooliganting: Florida: Star Island and Horse World: Laziness. Sheer bliss it was to sleep in and not have to worry about being somewhere on time. Except check-out, which was supposed to be at ...
Florida: Star Island and Horse World
Laziness. Sheer bliss it was to sleep in and not have to worry about being somewhere on time. Except check-out, which was supposed to be at 10:00. But, 10:30 was good too. Thankfully. The Jeep was packed and raring to go but then, I saw it.
Mini-golf. Out we got from the jeep and went to the recreation centre and scored balls and putters. It was a great way to cap off our stay at Mystic Dunes. There were no ants on the course. They were still in the room. After the game, which I lost, we drove off to IHOP for the epic breakfast.
And then it poured rain. Bucket loads of water splashed everything clean and soaked folk to the skin. Thunder clapped and more water deluged.
Time to check in methinks. Star Island was just around the corner and we went to our check it. On first glance it is brighter and more resort like. There are activities and music coming from the pool area. We checked in and found our room which bless them, is on the second floor. It is stunning and spacious. There are three beds so everyone has their own space and two living rooms. Yay.
However, on the drive in I spied a sign that said Horse World 12 miles. I googled it and found it on the map with a phone number. I called and made the reservation and off we went again plus one bff from home. Horse World is a clever little trail ride company that has a variety of tour options for the novices to the experienced. The horses were lovely and trails were charming. It was a great way to spend an hour. I will say that I missed my camera as this is the first company that has not allowed any photography or electronic devices of any kind. Safety first is taken seriously here. They also have a very dangerous little gift shop. If you want something that is not Disney and is great for kids, this might be it.
After the ride, it was time to find the local Publix grocery store and restock. I have to say I like the Publix chain. Their prices seem okay and the bakery and produce are very good. I have lunch stuff again and can make lunches during the gold medal game in the morning. Epcot it is for tomorrow.
Mini-golf. Out we got from the jeep and went to the recreation centre and scored balls and putters. It was a great way to cap off our stay at Mystic Dunes. There were no ants on the course. They were still in the room. After the game, which I lost, we drove off to IHOP for the epic breakfast.
And then it poured rain. Bucket loads of water splashed everything clean and soaked folk to the skin. Thunder clapped and more water deluged.
Time to check in methinks. Star Island was just around the corner and we went to our check it. On first glance it is brighter and more resort like. There are activities and music coming from the pool area. We checked in and found our room which bless them, is on the second floor. It is stunning and spacious. There are three beds so everyone has their own space and two living rooms. Yay.
However, on the drive in I spied a sign that said Horse World 12 miles. I googled it and found it on the map with a phone number. I called and made the reservation and off we went again plus one bff from home. Horse World is a clever little trail ride company that has a variety of tour options for the novices to the experienced. The horses were lovely and trails were charming. It was a great way to spend an hour. I will say that I missed my camera as this is the first company that has not allowed any photography or electronic devices of any kind. Safety first is taken seriously here. They also have a very dangerous little gift shop. If you want something that is not Disney and is great for kids, this might be it.
After the ride, it was time to find the local Publix grocery store and restock. I have to say I like the Publix chain. Their prices seem okay and the bakery and produce are very good. I have lunch stuff again and can make lunches during the gold medal game in the morning. Epcot it is for tomorrow.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Hooliganting: Florida: Disney's Hollywood Studios
Hooliganting: Florida: Disney's Hollywood Studios: Indianna Jones, run! Best dress ever: Gone with the Wind I love things that blow up... Hollywood Studios ...
Florida: Disney's Hollywood Studios
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| Indianna Jones, run! |
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| Best dress ever: Gone with the Wind |
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| I love things that blow up... |
Hollywood Studios means that once again, the rental car was pointed in the direction of Disney World. After Magic Kingdom, I have to confess I was slightly worried. We all know I don't like crowds, line ups or stress. Today, was sooo much better.
Parking was simple. The train tram was simple. Security was simple. So far so good. Fast pass was broken, but they promised to fix it. Shrugging, we continued and then we heard the music. Dun dun de dun dum de dum dum...Luke..."Darth Vader" and on the stage were all the characters from Star Wars. We had stumbled upon the Jedi training school and Star Tours. Star Tours only had a 10 minute line up and was amazing. The experience of soaring through the skies and galaxies was too much fun. So much fun in fact that the youngest barrelled through the gift shop and went back into line to do it all over again.
From there, the Indiana Jones show was about to begin and we headed over there. That was interesting as they demonstrated the techniques used for fighting scenes, the boulder roll and explosives in film. There was audience participation and lots of set changes. It was a great way to spend 30 minutes.
Fast passes were back in order, but by the time that we had figured that out, we were too late for Toy Story. We settled on Fantasmic, Little Mermaid and Lights Motors Action. Next time, I will do the roller coaster... On we went to the Great Movie Ride which I thoroughly enjoyed as it touched on a lot of my own favorite films. There were gangsters, the old west, musicals, aliens and munchkins. What is not to like?
However, once you have fast passes, you have to stick to the timetable. So, we headed for Lights, Motors Action for the speed cars stunt show. It was amazing. Being someone that enjoys flame shows from campfires to pyrotechnics, this was up my alley. There were speeding cars, jumping cars, burning of oil, rubber and free falls from buildings. A movie sequence was filmed while Lighting McQueen had a cameo shot. I would totally have watched it again, but it was off to the Little Mermaid show.
The little mermaid show was simple and musical. It was good for the children but I wouldn't suggest it for adults only unless you need airconditioning. That led to wandering the streets and it was then that the roller coaster came into play. The girls and I opted to wait in the very long line for Aerosmith's Rockin Rollin Rollercoaster. I could have ridden this one more than once, but the line was too overwhelming. It is that good though. It is 90 seconds of speed, upsidedown thrill spins and yes, it is slightly dark in there. FUN! Steering the girls out of the gift shop was not as fun.
The only way I got them out of there was the promise of art lessons. They offer art lessons at the Animation studio and an artist is available to talk you through being able to produce a character. We got Donald Duck. My effort was passable, but very amateur. However, it was awesome to get something that was really an experience. This is also where you meet the characters and can figure out who you would be... I got Lady from Lady and the Tramp...considering that this was the first movie I ever saw in a theatre, I thought that was rather apt.
Time doesn't rest, so it was on to the Pirates Show and then Fantasmic. I will say that sitting near the front gets you slightly damp, but watching the watershow and pyrotechnics up close is too cool to miss out on. You have to go early to get a decent seat. Thankfully, I had packed a large picnic that almost got us through the day. And best of all? It chose not to rain. This was an amazing day but I think tomorrow, we will veg.