Oh, The Places We’ll Go! From the “stars” to the “sea”: Universal, SeaWorld & beyond - Spring 2016

[RocketCityMama]

Yay, finally time to read about this fab trip! I knew you'd make us wait on the Dolphin Tales! lol So far so good at Days Inn! Hope it continues!

 

[samheatherwhite]

Yay, I am so glad you started your report! I am especially interested in your expert review of the character breakfast at Cafe La Bamba. We are taking the kids there in early June and there is very little good information about it since it changed to buffet style. (Plus i neeed to hear the dolphin story.... and make sure my 8 year old never learns that there are dolphin lovies that big lest she feel she needs one!)

 

[squirrel]

I'm here! I only found your PTR around the time you left. I read through it quickly and couldn't wait for the TR. So excited to read more!

 

[heaven2dc]

Woohoo! Found your TR!! Off to a good start, it looks like

 

[iona]

Sounds like a smooth start to the trip, I just hope that the hotel is ok! My only knowledge of The Cheesecake Factory is from The Big Bang Theory so I'm looking forward to finding out what a real life one is like.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Ah, the Entertainment Committee has officially surfaced! I am so glad you're here....but of course, I don't even need to tell you that .

You did get a 50ish minute jump on me and sometimes I actually have to work.

 

[dsmom]

A huge to everyone reading along.....I am always grateful for those who choose to spend their leisure time perusing our vacation memories. We are officially one week back from our most recent adventures in Orlando, so its high time a report gets (finally) underway . I certainly can’t say that we are settled in and organized yet (we are now in the midst of some minor home renovations, so life is more chaotic now than before we left!) but we’re coming along. It’s a process, albeit often a slow one.

For those of you who may have missed my pre-trip report, you can read about what transpired in the months before this vacation here:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/wa...ersal-seaworld-an-april-may-2016-ptr.3483799/

I am not going to re-hash the past.....the PTR details everything quite well, so for any new readers, I suggest you crack yourself open a cold diet Pepsi, find yourself a comfy chair, and start there. Those that already have the background covered, we shall waste no more time before jumping right in.

Some introductions for any new friends who are joining us:

We are Steve (44), Gina (42) and Jake (20).

A little background on who we are.....

Steve just got a promotion earlier this year, and is now a Manufacturing Engineering Technician for an auto parts manufacturer. Jake just completed his post-secondary education in the weeks prior to our trip, and has accepted a job as a Child & Youth Worker (Weekend Supervisor) at a local group home for at-risk male youth. I am the Office Manager for an insurance and financial planning firm. We all also have at least one “side” job (in Jake and I’s case, we have two!) which helps to fund our vacation addiction. Or would that be ‘obsession’? Either way, it sure helps make sure that our Florida vacations have become a regular indulgence: three times in 2015, and this year, twice (10 days in the spring, and a full two weeks just for Steve and I in mid-to-late October).

As a general rule, I thrive on planning our southern getaways and that’s A-OK with my boys: if they were in charge of planning a family vacation, we’d be going to an all-inclusive and only finding out about it the night before . They love sports, theme parks, big thrills and food. I am more of an “experiences” kind of gal....as I told a friend last night, as a general rule I don’t like to be shaken, spun, dropped, startled, dangled, surprised, or perched at precarious heights. I also don’t like loud noises (cue the yawns, LOL!). But somehow, we always manage to find that perfect mix of things to do that satisfies everyone’s vacation wish list. The Disboards contributors and my awesome Florida friends are always a big part in my planning successes. Thanks to the many other trip reports here on the boards, I often come off as a genius in my fellows' eyes. These reports can be the most excellent way to share some pretty nifty ideas.

This specific vacation was Orlando trip #10 for Steve and I (number 8 for Jake, who didn’t come with us two of our three vacations in 2015) .... and it just felt “significant” for some reason. Well, for multiple reasons actually.

• It was our 10th trip to Florida ... double digits, baby! I certainly could not have seen that milestone coming when we were planning our first (and supposedly "once in a lifetime") Orlando expedition in 2009.

• It was most likely our last trip as a family for quite some time, now that Jake has graduated college and secured himself full-time employment.

• We were celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary on this getaway (May 1st ).

• We were celebrating Jake’s graduation (where on earth did his childhood go? ).

When the initial plans were put in place, it was anticipated to be a very simple, basic, budget trip (after all, our Canadian dollar is still in the toilet and the exchange sits at 30% or worse)......but since coming home from our Christmas vacation in late December, the itinerary grew more and more fantabulous with each passing week. Much of that was directly a result from the most wonderful, amazing, and generous gifts from very special friends.......and to those very incredible folks, all three of us send you our heartfelt thanks. There were many, MANY times we raised a glass in their honour over the course of our trip : we never lost sight of how many incredible experiences were a direct result of their unbelievable kindness. Our initially "basic" trip was nothing short of EPIC.

Over the pages and posts to come, I will detail our adventures at SeaWorld, Aquatica, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, CityWalk, and in St. Petersburg. You will hear all about our stay at our home-away-from-home, the Sheraton Vistana Resort, as well as our experiences at our park-and-fly hotel in Buffalo and our two-night stay at the Residence Inn SeaWorld. There will be mini golf, shopping, a baseball game, a behind-the-scenes tour, and a dolphin cruise.

There will be food porn .

There will be minions!

There will also be the end of the dolphin tale.....but not until much, much later .

You will hear about our high points and an honest review of the things that didn't go quite as planned. There will be pictures and prices.....and hopefully, lots of questions, comments and other input from you, my readers.

So with that, I declare this trip report officially open! More to come soon!


PS....a big thanks to @dsmom who has recently re-awakened my love of all things Dr. Seuss ....hence the inspiration for the thread title .

I am so glad David could pass his love of Dr Seuss on to you!

 

[dsmom]

I am so excited you started your trip report. I have been waiting patiently (NOT!) for you to begin. Your reports are the best ever.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

I'm so glad you started your report Gina, I could almost hear the impatient sighs emanating from the Disboards!!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I suggest you crack yourself open a cold diet Pepsi

Something stronger is most definitely required and much more appropriate.

 

[pigletto]

I'm here!!! Can't wait to read along. I can't believe our trips are over already!
We tried the Cheesecake factory on this trip too, but we went to the Orlando location. It was really good.

Glad to see the report up and running.. I'll happily join in with the usual cast and crew to pass the time until October trips and create a small ruckus. Dancin' is here.. I expect a ruckus.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Dancin' is here.. I expect a ruckus.

Will try to live up to your expectations....try really hard

 

[dcessford]

OMG......what took you so long to try Cheesecake Factory.We tried it 3 years ago on our December trip and loved it! Last summer we went as well while in New Jersey.It's a must eat place for us now each time we travel to the states.Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

 

[Lynne G]

Since I have a Cheesecake Factory restaurant 10 minutes from my house, we never eat there. Only thing we thought was too expensive for just okay food. The desserts, yes, but we get just as good cheesecake from an Italian bakery that costs less.

Nice start to the report, and glad you NY hotel stayed quiet for ya.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

For the past week my very first stop on the disboards has been here hoping, hoping.......and today I see a new TR! Cannot wait to read about your new adventures. Write on Gina, write on!

 

[toystoryduo]

So far, so good with the Days Hotel! I hope everything went smoothly for you guys this time.

We love the Cheesecake Factory! They took my favorite cheesecake (Blueberry/White Chocolate=) off of the menu though. I'm not sure if it's permanent or temporary, but I totally miss it's deliciousness.

 

[star72232]

I head to work for a couple of hours, and you're almost onto page 3 already! Love it!

I'm so excited to follow your report. I'm really hoping to talk DH into a FL trip one of these days, and being not centred on Disney will be huge to get him to agree. I await all the SeaWorld bits with excitement!

 

[gsikes]

I feel like I've been stalking you, waiting on the new trip report I've learned so much from you past reports, I can't wait to see what tips I can add to our plan before leaving in 18 days!

 

[chicagoshannon]

YAY! Excited to read along. Anxiously waiting for you reviews of Dine with Shamu and the backstage tour as we are still debating those two things. I'm hoping you get to those parts before September.

 

[jennasmommyinMS]

Yay, you've started your trip report! I'm here for the duration, and so looking forward to it, even though we leave for our own Orlando vacation next Friday. I know what I'll be doing every evening during our trip.....

I know a little of what's to come, thanks to Facebook, but my lips are sealed--nope, no one will drag anything out of me!