Around the World in 13 Hours

At the end of the third day of our vacation we moved from the Universal Studios area to the Disney Area and we spent a little more money on our accommodations.  I did get a great deal through Expedia and we loved staying at The Disney Caribbean Beach Resort.

We woke up bright and early and headed to EPCOT!

Our first stop was Spaceship Earth and Misson Space.  The kids loved going to Mars and that we each had a job to do.  We would revisit this ride 13 hours later right after I slammed a beer in England and I'm happy to say that I did not throw up!

We had a great time walking from country to country and the kids really enjoyed getting their passport stamped at each destination.  We love to travel and they now have more ideas for where they'd like to go.  Too bad their Dad has no desire to leave the country.

We had lunch in Mexico at the San Angel Inn.  It was a unique experience and the food was great!

I really enjoyed Germany, because my children are part German and we're planning a German Christmas.  I really just liked the beer.

Keith surprised me with dinner at Chefs De France in France.  I was so excited because I love all things French!  Fries, wine, cheese, Julia Child and saying Oui*!  Click here to see what I ate in France.

Soon it was dark and time for the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.  We were looking for a good place to watch the fireworks when we saw a roped off area right at the entrance.  Keith asked what that area was for and the security guard asked if we had a Chase Credit Card.  We did and found out it was a VIP area for people with that card.  Being in Debt FOR THE WIN!!

It was such a long day and I could barely walk back to the bus for the short 10 minute ride back to our Pirate Room!  What a great day and a fantastic surprise for the kids when we returned to our hotel.  More about that another time.....

*Do not google the word Oui.  It's a naught magazine for men.

Other posts about Orlando:

Universal Orlando
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Take Offs and Landings

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando has two sides.  Islands of Adventure and the less fun side.  This side is more about movies and although it does have rides (and roller coasters), it also has a faux New York and Hollywood street.  My kids were not very impressed with how real it all looked.

I was very impressed that faux New York had a real Starbucks and I went there to drown my sorrows in a Cranberry Muffin and a Chai Tea Latte.

Side note: We visited this park on the day after the election.

We did perk up however, and enjoyed helping make a movie where we found our new family motto.  And we're....Movin On! We also enjoyed a Simpsons ride that almost made me throw up, a Shrek show, the E.T. ride, and our favorite of all..... Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem!

Look it's Edith! 

This is where I embarrassed my entire family because I hadn't been taking full showers in our crappy little hotel.  Gru has to do a body scan on the group of us about to ride and he shined a spotlight on ME and said that I hadn't showered.  Mallory was mortified!!

We did have a very good meal in faux New York.  Louie's Italian Restaurant doesn't look like much from the front.  In fact, it looks like a tiny pizza joint on a real street in NYC.  This is a counter service restaurant which means if you purchase the meal plan and/or a butterbeer mug, you can get your discounted meal/drinks here.

It is a really authentic looking place with excellent pizza!  Alex gave it two thumbs up!

Click here for to read about what I ate and drank at Universal City Walk.

Take Offs and Landings

Take Off

I scheduled our Florida bound flight for late afternoon because it was cheaper and I thought the kids would be exhausted from traveling and the time change and fall into bed when we arrived.  I didn't anticipate that they would be so excited to leave on vacation that they would bug me all freakin day asking if it was time to leave.

We're finally on the plane and they shut the doors.  We're taxiing to the runway when I guy a few rows ahead of me hits the alert a stewardess button.  She addresses him over the intercom and tells him to shut it off if it's not a real emergency.

He doesn't shut it off.

Two stewardesses come to the row and he explains that the guy next to him has just passed out and he thinks there is something wrong with him.  They ask if anyone is a doctor.  There are NO doctors going to Orlando at 4:30pm on a Sunday.

They wake the guy up and he says he's fine.  They ask him a bunch of questions and he keeps passing out.

Next thing I know, we're turning around and going back to the gate.

My kids lose their shit!  They want to go to their favorite place in the whole world.  Orlando! I love you Orlando!  Sea World and Disney and putt putt golfing!

The doors burst open and several Denver Firemen board the plane and start checking the guy out.  He finally comes around enough to tell them that he sat in a bar and didn't eat.

Dude is DRUNK pants!

They removed him from the plane and we were finally able to take off and head for Orlando!

I bonded with my seat mate during this ordeal and I'm kicking myself for not getting her information.  She was awesome!

Side note: Stewardesses frown upon you taking pictures of drunk guys on airplanes.  I really was just taking a picture of the hot fireman.  Whatev.

The Taxi Ride from Hell

Wednesday was a rough day for us. We woke to learn that Obama had been re-elected.  Talk about putting a damper on your vacation!  During the day, Keith decided that he couldn't stay in our cheap little hotel room another night and that his wife desperately needed a hot shower.  (even Gru noticed, but more about that later) We'd planned to move to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort on Thursday morning but Keith couldn't wait so we called and booked an extra day.

We called for a cab and 20 minutes later, a van arrived and loaded our stuff.  The guy spoke very little english and had a GPS that he used to enter the address of our destination.  It didn't come up on the GPS thingy.  He called someone and they gave him vague directions.  Keith looked up the hotel on his iPhone and tried to direct him but he didn't understand.  We drove around and around passing the road that we needed to turn on and finally....the guy understood enough to get us to the hotel.

Side note:  I should know by now that my husband is a snob and can't stay in budget hotel rooms that may or may not have hot water issues.

Landing

Another late afternoon departure but this time the kids were fine with it because we spent the morning at the pool!

The cool thing about flying west in the late afternoon is that the sun sets for a couple hours as you pass through time zones.  It was spectacular!

We knew it was cold in Colorado but we didn't realize that a freak snow storm had hit an hour before we landed.  As we were taxiing to the terminal, we saw at least 30 emergency vehicles on the runway and learned that a plane had slid off the tarmac as it was landing!  My phone was blowing up with concerned family and friends that knew we were flying in that night.  Luckily....it wasn't our flight and I was able to update facebook with the news that we were safe! Gosh I love facebook.....

The problem with living in Colorado and traveling to a sunny location in late fall is that the temperatures could very well be warm when you leave (so you don't bring winter coats) and then when you return 6 days later, it can be snowing and your vehicle can be frozen to the ground.

Plan accordingly.



Vacation Posts:

Great Things....On The Way

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter


Vacation Food Posts:

Three Broomsticks



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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

It was a dreary and rainy day in Hogwarts but we didn't care.  It only made us believe more that we were in England and were about to meet our three best friends.  It also helped that half of the UK was on vacation with us so english accents were everywhere.  

We had to pinch ourselves to prove that we were not dreaming!

We hightailed it to the castle and it seemed to take forever!  It's at the far end so you have to walk quite a ways.  Ever so often you catch a glimpse of the castle and get so very excited!

We made our way to the Forbidden Journey ride.  Mallory wasn't tall enough to ride it but there is so much to see as you are waiting in line.  The tour of the castle was much too short because I really want to take more time but you have to keep moving.  Lines are shorter in November.

Universal Orlando has a brillant program called Child Swap!  This works great if you have a kid that isn't tall enough or family members that can't handle the ride.  They provide a little room just off from the line for the you to wait for your party to return from riding and then you can jump in to the line.

I had to ride alone because Alex was too scared to ride it again.  Be advised....it is a little scary and the fast moving.

Next was the Flight of the Hippogrift, a fun roller coaster that the entire family enjoyed!

Our final stop was Ollivander's Wand Shop.  This was the longest line we were in the entire week and it was well worth it.  

We passed the time by eavesdropping on our fellow line standers and trying to guess what country they were from.  I think the couple behind me were on their honeymoon and trying to make a little Harry while on line.  

The wand ceremony is really fun and if you're lucky a wand will pick your kid.  If you want to increase your odds....have them wear full Harry Potter regalia.  After the show....you get to enter a wand shop and let a wand pick you.  They have specially trained wand picker outter helpers that can assist you in finding YOUR wand based on your favorite numbers. 

The wands run around $36 each. 

Be advised that when you're five year old gets back to the hotel and tries to make her brother levitate and then discovers that the wand doesn't have any REAL magic and that she's not really a wizard, that she will cry and throw her wand across the room. 

Bygones.

All in all....THE best three and a half hours of our trip!

Click here to see what we ate and drank in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

 

Great Things...On The Way

I feel like I have so much to say about our trip to Orlando but I don't know where to start.

 I want to tell you about how we escaped from our semi-crappy hotel in the dead of night during rush hour with a cab driver that didn't read or speak english and I really want to tell you about all of the food and drink I had.  If you're at all interested in that part, I'll be telling those stories over on The Rookie Foodie.  (hint hint...go follow that blog)

I want to tell you about how my kids are still on Florida time and are up at the crack of dawn this morning and that I have ZERO desire to leave my house today.

I want to tell you that I thought about Owls during the whole trip and why. (hint hint...it's about Christmas)

And I really want to tell you about the very eventful flights in both directions and how my husband believes that I'm cursed and likely doesn't want to travel with me anymore.

Instead, I'll leave you with one funny Mallory story.

We were standing at the bus stop waiting to go to Disney Epcot when a man asked if we were from Colorado.  Both Alex and iKeith were wearing Bronco hats so everywhere we went people commented on them.  Mallory looked at him and said, 'How did you know that?  Is it because we speak english?'

The entire bus stop busted up in laughter!

Side note here: Apparently....we visited Orlando with half of Europe.  While American children are toiling away until Thanksgiving...Europe is on Fall Break and as my dear UK friend put it, it's bloody cold there!   We heard lots of accents and other languages.

Okay...one more funny story.  This one about iKeith.

Our shuttle bus from our hotel to Sea World and Universal Orlando was driven by a guy named Terry. He was so much fun and had the whole bus singing songs.  One day...we ran out of songs and he asked for suggestions.  My kids had been practicing a song that they have to sing TODAY at a book store and Keith broke out in that song.

He taught all of these Europeans a song about a turkey hiding in the woods to avoid being killed for Thanksgiving Dinner!  I found it so funny because they don't celebrate Thanksgiving.

Day One: Unplanned Thrill Seeking

Some people say that little rain clouds follow me everywhere I go. And by some people...I mean Keith.

He stopped taking me on vacation after a tsunami ruined our Orlando Honeymoon and torrential rains messed up our New York vacation a few years later.

I'm praying for NO rain this week.

I'm also praying that my husband stops messing with my carefully thought out plans.

Sea World....wasn't in my plans today but we had fun anyway. Okay...I had fun anyway.

My kids are little thrill seekers now. Unless it involves water and a 50 foot drop! I loved it!

Tomorrow...we see where Harry lives!