A Trip Full of Surprises which was Fun for the Family! *2 Updates! Completed 7/22*

[livsmom04]

We left off where we had finished up lunch I believe at Yak & Yeti and I got the glorious scooter!!!

After I got the scooter and the GA Pass, we decided to do Everest again only use the Guest Assistance Pass. Wow! Never realized it only took a short time to go through and I even got to board the train before everyone else did. Sweet! at this point my poor feet were so swollen they hurt to wear my tennis shoes. Guess it was time to break out my Teva's for the rest of the day.

After the fun ride, we headed on over to Kali River Rapids. Again we used the GA pass since standing with no scooter was out of the question for me. My feet were horrible looking. We had to wait a little bit but we got on with no trouble and of course I was the one who got soaked. We laughed and had a great time. After that we decided to head on over to Rafiki's Watch and enjoyed some time there and then we left and headed on over to DinoLand. We rode the Primevil Whirl which is now a new must do at this park and then rode it again. I think we rode it like 3 times but Olivia enjoyed it so much we had to! Then it was starting to rain and we decided we will head on over to ride Dinosaur. Yes I admit we had never done it before but hopefully on our next trip we will be able to ride it again. It did however scare the crap out of Olivia and Jason (even though he wouldn't admit it.) Take a look at the picture...

Now I will say that taking a scooter on this ride that had no wait was not a good idea. The guy who gave us precise directions on what side of the elevator door would open was wrong. I got the scooter stuck in the elevator and after laughing so hard to try and get it out I let mom do it instead. I think at this point after this ride we were done! We eventually went ahead and headed back to the resort. Mom and Olivia took the scooter and headed back via the bus and Jason and I went to the resort via the van. We of course beat them but it was nice to get on some dry clothes and just rest a bit before heading back to dinner at Via Napoli in Epcot!

Up Next Dinner at Via Napoli...

 

[livsmom04]

After we went back to the resort to get cleaned up some and rest for a little bit; it was time to leave for dinner. I was still driving the scooter so we headed to the first bus stop and waited to get onto the bus heading to EPCOT. Our Dinner reservations were at 8:30pm so when we arrived at Epcot it was a little crowded. We arrived to the restaurant around 8:15pm or so and it was soon time to park the scooter. I parked it and put the seat up because it looked like it was going to start to rain soon...and trust me that is when the rain began for most of the rest of our trip..or did it?

We checked in and only had to wait a few minutes, pretty soon we were seated near the back of the restaurant. It was quite crowded in the restaurant and quite noisy too. Our waiter soon took our drink order which I got a water and a coke, Jason got just a coke, Mom got a water and coke and Olivia got a sprite. We had a waiter that was very difficult to understand and so this is when we began to point to what we wanted. The chef also had to come out and talk with us about my food allergies.

They were very accommodating and told me what to stay away from. I have a severe allergy to sausage and I know that a lot of Italian food use sausage so this was a MUST of me having to tell them. My food was to be cooked away from everyone else's for sure.

Next up was the appetizer selection.

I got the Mozzarella Caprese:

Jason got the Arancini:

Mom got the Insalato del Contadino:

Olivia got the fruit cocktail (which she didn't eat..everyone else did.):

Next up was our entrees. I got the individual build your own pizza and I was boring and got just cheese. I also ordered the Family Style House Salad because I wanted something else but since my food allergies wouldn't allow it they let me order this for no extra charge!!!! I was the only one who ate it and let me say that it was awesome! This is something that I have to get next time we go!

Jason got the Spaghetti e Polpettine which he gave a thumbs up for being delicious! He said if we go back again he will be getting this option again!

Mom ordered the Piatti alla Parmigiana-Pollo-Chicken Breast. She said it was very good and would order it again whenever she comes back with us to Disney World!

Olivia also got the kids cheese pizza which she ate all of it. She loves her some cheese pizza no matter where we go!!

Then it was time for dessert. We all were pretty stuffed by this point and we mainly took our dessert back to the room because we just felt like we were going to bust! But first we had to choose what we wanted...

Mom and I both got the Zeppole di Caterina and they were amazing! We had to wait for them to cook some more before we could leave so they gave us each a little extra for having to wait. Of course I forgot to take a picture of them. Duh...this happened quite often during our trip...must have been the heat! Jason got Gelato Frizzante and Olivia got the Coppetta di Gelato. She said it was very good!

We soon got our to go boxes, went to the bathroom before leaving and we were one of the last ones to leave the restaurant. Yep...we closed out the restaurant! It was so cool because we had never done that before!

It had rained sometime during our dinner and thankfully the seat on the scooter wasn't too wet. By this time there was a loud speaker saying that Epcot was now closed. To please get to the nearest exit and to have a great night. (actually it was something else I'm sure but I just made that one up.) We soon were exiting the park but knew we'd be back in the morning...so we weren't going to be gone for long. We decided to cancel our breakfast for the next morning and we decided to eat our leftovers for breakfast instead. it was a great idea indeed. Soon we were on the bus back to the resort and Olivia was telling us she was ready for bed.

It was another great day despite my feet and legs swelling and having to rent a scooter...but so far I was enjoying that scooter!

Up next...Epcot Day!!!

 

[livsmom04]

Sunday, June 16, 2013
Epcot Day Part 1

After closing out Epcot the night before it was time to get up and eat the leftovers that we had from Via Napoli. That's the cool thing about having the Deluxe Dining Plan sometimes is the leftovers that we bring back to the room. We decided to enjoy a little time before it was time to head on over to Epcot. We made sure the night before to charge the scooter and soon it was time to hop on the bus to head to Epcot for the day! We were soon loaded up and we got to Epcot sometime around 9. It's funny because at home I am NOT a morning person but when at Disney World...I am and I'm up at the crack of dawn!

Once we got to Epcot we headed to the main gate to go through. My mom taught me that with a child you want to make sure that you have an extra set of clothes plus another set of underwear and socks. So glad she did because we now make sure to pack extra just for that very reason and many times we have to use them! Today was one of those days!!

We headed on over to the bathrooms after getting into Epcot and having our pictures taken via the photopass photographer! We love getting the photopass plus because at times we don't have the time or my battery is dead on the big camera. Here are a few pictures from that day!

As soon as we got done making a pit stop at the bathrooms we headed on over to...Innoventions West to check out The Great Piggy Bank Adventure! Olivia and Mom both did this and they had so much fun. Jason went and grabbed us a quick snack and not long after they were done it was time to go check out Club Cool! We wanted to have mom check out the Beverly but since there was none at all we were a little disappointed. Actually most of the different countries were not up there. We hope that on our next trip more will be open! I know that my favorite it done which was I believe China and it was the Watermelon flavor. Bummer too!

Then we headed on over to The Land to do Soarin'. Of course we used the GA pass and headed on over to the Fastpass lane. My feet that day because it was so stinking hot were swollen. I am glad that we brought along several bottles of water with us. Really helped when it was so hot. We got the last row again which honestly I want the top row to go the highest but not sure how Jason would like it since he's scared of heights.

Here is a little but true story of how bad he is with heights. Right after we started dating in 2011, we went to the Mountains in NC and went on over to Gatlinburg, TN to do a few touristy things there. Well we did a ski-lift thing and he was ok going up because all we were looking at was the side of the mountain...boring! Then on our way down I had to be the one who was moving my legs back and forth and got yelled at by Jason telling me that if I continued to do that I would make the lift go off the cable and we would die! Lets just say I was rolling laughing at him!!!

OK I'm back to the normal post now...That's me showing my ADD there! After Soarin' we headed on over to Journey into Imagination and rode that. Of course there was no and I mean NO line whatsoever and we rode it. Then after we let Olivia play for a while we headed on over to Captain E.O. Now here is another funny story of what happens with me and the scooter! We got in and I was put on the row for the handicap and Mom and Olivia were on the regular part. The lady comes onto the loud speaker and says "I need everyone to take two big steps forward please!" Now me and not thinking I decided on the scooter to take those two big steps and instead I ran right into the wall! I laughed so hard because I realized that she didn't mean me! The lady standing next to me said "well she did say everyone!" Too funny!!!

Olivia personally didn't care for Captain E.O. until the very end but I enjoyed it a lot! After that we decided to head on over to Test Track and ride it. Now this was the first time riding it since they did the redo on it and I liked the older one better! We entered around 12pm and we had a good time. We all got in and had a few other people riding with us. Olivia and I sat in the front and Jason and Mom were in the back. As soon as we got outside, Olivia screamed the entire time. She loved it! The guy next to her was laughing at her because she was having way too much fun! Apparently he had never ridden it before and said he was glad he rode with us for his first ride. Great memories there!

After that we decided to head on over to The World Showcase and head towards lunch...

I know I haven't taken many pictures at Epcot but I was enjoying the scooter too much!!!

Up Next..Epcot Day Part 2!

 

[livsmom04]

Epcot Day...Part 2: June 16, 2013

We left off heading towards World Showcase and so we were strolling along. Olivia was already tired and we hadn't even begun the trek in the WS yet. She was sitting so nice and pretty in her stroller and we are sure glad we got it for her this go round. So easy to maneuver and all that fun stuff! The first stop was to Mexico where I had to find a bathroom and Jason wanted something cold to drink. Why on earth did we not get some kind of alcoholic drink here...I have no idea? One of those moments when you don't think about it. Olivia and Mom decided to ride "Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros!" They had a good time on it and I was just enjoying the air conditioning indoors. After that we headed on over to Norway to get started on our lunch.

We were eating at...Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway. We always eat here everytime we come to Disney World and Epcot so we had to keep the tradition going this go round. We had to wait about 10 minutes before being seated and not long after that we were seated near the door. Well sort of. It's in an area we've never sat in before so it was kind of near the door. We did have a window to look out towards Maelstrom so that was fun. Not long after we ordered our drinks we were soon greeted by some of the princesses.

First Up is....Cinderella!

Next is Aurora!

Next Up is her all time favorite...Snow White!

Then it was Ariel...

Then it was time to head up to the buffet for the "Taste of Norway" which I actually enjoy everytime we eat there! This was my selection:

Not long after that it was time for our food to arrive. Here is what we all ordered:

Olivia got a cheese pizza...what a surprise!

Jason got the grilled beef sandwich. He said it was awesome and he would get it next time we go.

Mom and I both got the same sandwich as Jason but we didn't get several things on the sandwich. So here is what ours looked like.

Soon it was time to get our dessert which I didn't get a picture of before we downed it. Oopps...my bad!

Soon it was time to say our goodbyes and it was time to meet up with Justin!!!

Continued to next post...

 

[livsmom04]

*Real Life Update*

I feel like I will never get this trip report finished before we head back to Disney World this fall but I am determined to do it!

Some things have been very busy in life and I have been stressing out with health problems since last year when we went to Disney. My legs have been still killing me and since then I have started to lose some hair! I'm too young to have thinning hair and losing it at that! I'm only 33!!! I've also had some recent problems with some other things and finally went to the doctor to have some lab results done and finally had them come back as my Vitamin D being very low. I have been diagnosed as having a Vitamin D Deficiency and am now on 50,000 iu of Vitamin D for 12 weeks. I just took my 2nd dose on Wednesday and my best friend and I took the kids and dogs for a walk on Wednesday night and my legs hurt so bad I could almost cry. Thursday night we went for another walk and this time it didn't hurt as bad. So maybe last summer that was my problem! Go figure but something is being done to help me out.

Next Disney Trip is planned for September 22-28th this year for the Food & Wine Festival! I'm beyond excited about this because I've always done the Flower & Garden in the spring but never the F&W in the fall. Plus with them releasing the Fall Room Specials...we are most likely going to be staying at POR this go round which is a new resort for us. Plus we have a lot of new restaurants that we are trying out and we're doing Epcot 2 times this trip! I am thinking of starting a PTR and hope I can keep up with both.

My two classes I'm taking now are almost over...thank goodness too! I'm ready for my two summer classes to begin and will be taking 1 for the first 8 weeks and then the 2nd for the 2nd 8 weeks. I hope this go round I can pass Accounting!

 

[livsmom04]

After lunch we headed back over to Innovations to let Olivia do The Great Piggy Adventure again. This time I took pictures....well sort of.

Justin soon joined us and it was time to go do Journey into Imagination again! And of course let everyone play this go round. We had too much fun doing it too! Here are some of the pictures I got.

Mom enjoying her time at Epcot

Justin, Mom and Olivia

Olivia and Justin as her body guard! haha

Olivia designing her own figment

Soon we headed on over to The Land and enjoyed a nice ride there! Some more pictures.

Justin & Olivia (or the back or Justin)

Me and Jason

After we got off The Land, we decided to just bum around and not do much of anything. We just took our time walking around the world and we then I believe just sat down for a bit and people watched. Soon it was time for dinner and we went on over to Teppan Edo where we had reservations for only 4 people but we had 5 people with us instead. We asked the hostess at the check in if there was any way for us to add Justin to our dinner ressies and after some figuring it out on their end it was done. We had to wait a little bit of time but it was no big deal.

Jason decided to while we were waiting to head on over to the little kiosk and get a beer from Japan and he was surprised that it cost him $15!! Talk about his jaw dropping and I was chuckling at him. Soon our little pager was going off and it was time to be seated. It was hot outside so it was nice to go indoors for a little bit and rest these swollen legs and feet! We were soon upstairs and we were getting seated.

As soon as we were seated we were given towels to clean our hands with which was really nice and we ordered our drinks and our appetizers.

Most of us ordered a water and a coke or a diet coke for Justin or Sprite for Olivia.

For Apps Olivia got the Miso Soup which she didn't like (not surprising at all!!! She's such a picky eater!!) I believe everyone else got a salad with either the ginger dressing or something else.

This was Olivia's first time eating at Teppan Edo and she was dead set on NOT eating here on this trip..well she requested we go on our next trip!

Here is a picture of Justin and Olivia.

I'm pretty sure this is where they did the butter-fly and Justin was laughing hilarious!

For dinner, Jason got Sirloin Steak and Large Shrimp. I got the filet minion or was it the steak & chicken? Mom ordered the chicken I believe and Justin ordered the steak and chicken. We had plenty of leftovers and since we were heading on over to MK after dinner we sent our leftovers with Justin or did we? Some of us chose not to get dessert because we were stuffed and Olivia was screaming she had to have a Mickey bar so well how can you argue with that? We actually took our food back to the resort with us which was no big deal since I had the scooter it was easy to carry with us. Soon it was time to leave and say our quick good bye to Justin for the night and head on over to MK for a little bit of fun or so we thought for some EMH Fun! Here is a little picture before I the next update.

Up Next...EMH in Magic Kingdom Day 4.

 

[RGirl]

Hi Charlotte! I didn't realize you'd started updating your report again. It looks like this was such a fun trip! And you have another one coming up soon!!!

I hope your health continues to improve.

 

[livsmom04]

Hi Charlotte! I didn't realize you'd started updating your report again. It looks like this was such a fun trip! And you have another one coming up soon!!!

I hope your health continues to improve.

Hi Roni! I have started updating again. I want to try to finish the trip report before the next trip happens. We had so much fun on this trip and just a few more days left at Disney on this trip and it was so sad when it was over. And thank you about hoping my health continues. I hope it too continues to as well. I am actually starting to get fit and healthy for myself.

Stay tuned for more because I'm getting ready to post the next update. Of course...instead of doing my accounting homework.

 

[livsmom04]

June 16, 2013
Epcot Day Part 3
EMH in MK

We left off leaving Epcot after eating dinner at Teppan Edo for dinner with Justin. We had a blast but we wanted to go enjoy some of the EMH over at MK so that's where we ended up heading over to. We exited the park and made our way on over to the monorail where we soon boarded. I have to say that having a scooter sure made it easy to board the monorail super quick. My feet were super swollen by this point and I did happen to see a could of teenagers who looked like they had a wheelchair they rented and were taking rides on it and were running into things with it. That just made me so angry because it's people like that who ruin the good things for others who truly need it.

We soon arrived at the TTC and got off the monorail and headed on over to the monorail to head to the resorts. There were many people who were heading on back to their vehicles and it was nice because the monorail at that point was not that crowded. We went through bag check and then through the gates to head on into the park. It was right around the time for Celebrate the Magic to start but it was really crowded and we couldn't get up close so we decided to go find a new place to view. We found a small spot by Tomorrowland but then a very rude family decided to come stand right in front of me and when I said "excuse me I can't see" they turned around and said to me "Well if you can't see then you need to move around us!" Some people were making me more furious that night by being rude and having no courtesy towards others. They were taking the magic out of others. I then turned and told mom and the others lets go ride a few rides. So that's what we did. We decided to head towards Buzz Lightyear and had a fun ride on that. Then we decided to head on over to Space Mountain. On our way over to SM we caught a little bit of Wishes. Here are the few pictures that I caught.

When we got to SM I had to transfer into a regular wheelchair which wasn't a big deal. I did it and soon we were on our way to riding the riding. We actually had to wait a little longer than we planned but still it wasn't that bad of a wait. I want to say it was around 10 minutes. Which to Olivia is a long, long, long time! Or maybe to the people around us it was with her asking a million questions or not standing still. Soon it was our turn to ride and we had a great time! We hopped off the ride and to find out that it was raining and storming and I didn't want to ride the scooter in the storm. I didn't mind if it was just raining but noooooooo it was lightning too! Bad!!!

I had to go find my poncho and then put it on and get on the scooter. I then tried to make it from covering of Space Mountain to get to where the bathrooms were to take cover there. While trying to get there while in the pouring rain, the scooter going really, really slow, and was sitting in a puddle of water, and a streak of lightning struck and I honestly thought it was going to strike me. I jumped up off the scooter very quickly, threw my hands in the air and said "That's it! I'm done!" Yeah it scared the begeebers out of me but needless to say took some coaxing from my husband saying he would buy me something if I got back on the scooter so we could go back to the room. I was ready to go back too. I got back on and we soon were on our way back to the front of the park and to the bus stop. We had to wait for a bus which was fine with me and when the bus came, she strapped me in and I just stayed on the scooter. No problem for me. The bus station was so busy at that point I didn't even bother getting off. I was tired and I think everyone was too. It had been a long day and we all were tired. We soon got off the bus and we went into the gift shop where Olivia wanted to check out what all she could buy.

We never did get to enjoy the EMH in MK and so we just filled up our mugs and headed back to the room. We had only 1 more day in the parks and then it was another surprise for Olivia!!!

Check Out Day...Transfer Day...Hollywood Studios...

 

[RachelNinja]

Just caught up on all your updates! I'm glad that you were able to get the scooter to enjoy the rest of the vacation. I can't imagine how much pain you were in and how it would've ruined the rest of the trip! One of my doctors actually had me tested for the Vitamin D deficiency too, but I'm okay. He said it's becoming more common these days.

Of course, it's sad to see that you didn't enjoy Sanaa because you know how much I love it! At least there are still plenty of other restaurants that will better suit your allergies!

 

[livsmom04]

Just caught up on all your updates! I'm glad that you were able to get the scooter to enjoy the rest of the vacation. I can't imagine how much pain you were in and how it would've ruined the rest of the trip! One of my doctors actually had me tested for the Vitamin D deficiency too, but I'm okay. He said it's becoming more common these days.

Of course, it's sad to see that you didn't enjoy Sanaa because you know how much I love it! At least there are still plenty of other restaurants that will better suit your allergies!

Yes it is more common these days and I didn't realize it. I wish the PA when I first started at the practice I go to caught onto the Vitamin D Deficiency 2 years ago or else it wouldn't have gotten this bad. But can't turn back the hands of time or else I would and I would be thin! I can say that thanks to taking the Vitamin D, I have been feeling like normal and I have a tan. I can go outside in the sun and not burn this summer. I wish Sanaa was more allergy friendly for me but looks like it just won't work for me. I did enjoy the Naan bread though so much that I keep looking for it at different restaurants we go to here in town. There are plenty of other restaurants for me to try and for me to go to that suit my allergy needs!

Now that my accounting class is officially over and I have passed it with a "B"! I can now finish up this trip report and start a PTR for my upcoming trip for September. And all in between that we are moving from the house we live in now to moving back in with my parents due to the house we live in is making me sick. There is some kind of mold inside this old house and I just can't be here anymore. We are beyond excited about moving back in with them to save money of course! But also to be close to family, to be able to attend the church we want to go to, and to put Olivia into the Christian School we want her to attend for the smaller class sizes she needs to be in that will only be 5 minutes from our house. We are very blessed we are going to have all of this and we are very lucky that our family is letting us have the entire upstairs of their house to live in, of course I will help out with the house chores and taking care of my 94 year old grandmother too.

Stay tuned...New Update Coming Next!!!

 

[tcarrick12]

We tried to surprise our 9 year old, but it was to difficult. So we did the reveal in a n Easter egg hunt on Easter. I will try to post my trip videos from May soon. Great reports!

 

[livsmom04]

We tried to surprise our 9 year old, but it was to difficult. So we did the reveal in a n Easter egg hunt on Easter. I will try to post my trip videos from May soon. Great reports!

We have tried to the the surprising and not telling our daughter about the trip at all but I have a big mouth and well that just doesn't work out too well. But hiding the fact that my mom coming along was well played because normally we go to the beach with my mom so it was perfect.

 

[livsmom04]

Day 5, Part 1: Leaving Coronado Springs...Checking into Animal Kingdom Villas.....Hollywood Studios...

We left off where we had a pretty eventful evening and well it was time to be back in the room to chill out, pack and get ready to check out in the morning. But only if Olivia knew the real reason we were having to leave Coronado Springs, she would truly flip her lid!!!

We got up on June 17th pretty early to start packing up the van and to only leave out a few things that we were going to have transferred over to the new resort. Olivia thought that we were going to stay at All Star Movies but she had no idea we were going to be staying at Animal Kingdom Villas instead! We also had to turn in the stroller so mom and Jason took the stroller and few bags up the front and I got Olivia dressed for the day. I also took it upon myself to make sure that I had everything we needed to check into AKV. Mom and Olivia were going to head on over to Hollywood Studios for a bit while Jason and I first headed over to AKV to check us in. We knew our room would not be ready but still we wanted to check in so that we could surprise Olivia.

Olivia and mom took the scooter and hopped on the bus to head on over to Hollywood Studios while Jason and I headed on over to AKV to check in. He and I were I think more excited than we could ever be.

We pulled in and went onto where we needed to park to check in. We then walked into the front of the resort where they said "Welcome Home." Jason and I both fell in love with the lobby and we both headed over to the check in desk. We were helped and then given all that we needed including our KTTW and we were able to go park our van and grab our park bag and head to the bus where we patiently waited for the next bus to HS.

Soon Jason and I were walking through the gates of Hollywood Studios and trying to get ahold of mom and Olivia to find where they were. We were able to take a few pictures of just Jason and I. (I have to say that I have lost over 40lbs since this trip we took in June 2013 and my face isn't as bloated from all of steroids I was on.) Here are the few that we took:

Soon we found mom and we were able to go find our first ride to get on which just happened to be Toy Story Mania!!! We had never been on the ride because the wait time had been so long and having a child with Asperger's and ADHD might drive everyone around us crazy so we just never attempted it. But since I was back on the scooter and we we were able to get in the fastpass lane we went ahead and got on the ride. This probably had to be one of the longest waits we had to wait for as far as fastpass waits but trust me it was totally worth it for us!!! Olivia enjoyed it so much and I believe everyone did no matter what!

Jason won but I was close!!!

After TSM it was time to go get fast passes for Tower of Terror which we were adamant of getting Olivia on this year since Mom was here with us. We then headed over to Rockin' Roller Coaster and decided to see if Olivia was tall enough to ride. Guess what? She was!!! Sweet!!! We were soon loading the ride and after Olivia was fussing how she couldn't ride with me on the ride we finally got her to ride with mom but when we go back we are going to have her ride next to me and I think that will help out a lot. And Jason claims he didn't have his eyes closed on the ride but I have to be mistaken because he did!!! Take a look at the picture and I will let you be the witness to it.

Next up was time for our fastpasses for ToT and I think Olivia didn't mind it but she didn't like the whole story line. This year we might let her watch my phone and then we might go ahead and take it away just before the drop. She enjoyed it secretly I believe. Her poor picture she looked petrified!

Next up...Lunch & Star Wars...

 

[livsmom04]

Day 5, Part 2: Lunch & Star Wars...

After we finished up on ToT we decided we were a bit hungry so we headed over to find somewhere to eat. We had cancelled our lunch ressies because well we just didn't feel like sitting down for another long meal. We wanted to eat some place where it would be quick to get our food and it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to get in and out of. We finally settled on Backlot Express which was amazing! I did have pictures on my iphone but that was before I let my husband take over it and he deleted everything off of it. Ugh. Oh well lesson learned...back everything up no matter what your dear hubby tells you he didn't really do!!! The only picture that I have to show is my amazingly awesome cupcake that trust me was as good as it looked!

It was just perfect and the food there was amazing too! It was just what we wanted and it was perfect to find a spot right down inside where we were close to drink machines (according to Olivia who told me she was thirsting to death). Where do they come up with these things?

After we had cooled off a bit and finished eating our lunch and desserts it was time to go discover HS a little bit more. Jason wanted to ride Star Tours and since I made him a deal that I would finally watch the movies Star Wars I would get on the ride with him. We got onto the ride in no time flat and soon it was time to start enjoying it or so we thought. It never fails...someone has to have something wrong with them and who do you think that could be. Yep, me. I ended up with some vertigo after riding this ride but to my defense it had been several years since getting onto a simulator ride and so I was not used to being in an inclosed area. The last time I got into one of those things was back in 1996 when Epcot still had the one on the Human Body. So yeah, and I think I want to say the only other time was when I rode the Spongebob Ride at Kings Dominion in Virginia about 4 years ago. I don't like that ride by the way either and I don't like Spongebob either! lol No fears because mom came to the rescue with some medicine for motion sickness and it helped me a lot. I think the heat and the lack of water I didn't have for the day was starting to set in. Soon it was time for Jason to spot this and he could have stood here all day if he didn't have to hear, come on Daddy J, let's go...I'm hot!!!!!!!

Soon it was time for us to just walk around a bit and take everything in. We wanted to do a few other things while we were there at HS but we also wanted to surprise Olivia with her big surprise #2 and plus it started to rain so we just called it a day and headed to back to the resort. But what resort do you think that Olivia will think we are headed to? I guess you will just have to wait and see....

Continued to Next Post...

 

[livsmom04]

Day 5, Part 3: Surprise #2!!! We're not staying at ASM!!!!

When we left the HS we were excited to surprise Olivia because she honestly thought that we were going to check into the resort that she picked out, All Star Movies! But boy was she going to get the surprise of a lifetime!!! Olivia wasn't really paying any attention when it came to finding the bus station because she was tired and hot and wanted to just go back to the room to watch some Animal Planet. Yes, not Disney Channel, but Animal Planet. The same channel that is on her TV in her playroom because she is obsessed with animals and wants to learn everything she can about them. So what a perfect place for us to get a room for a few nights then at AKV?!!!

So we load up on the bus and they go into the spiel about "Welcome aboard the Walt Disney's Board of Transportation headed to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and Animal Kindgom Kidani Village." Olivia started to panic and say, "We're on the wrong bus!! Mommy, Nanie! We're on the wrong bus!!!" We assured her that it was alright and since we were on the wrong bus why not go take a look at what a DVC Room looks like because Jason and I were looking into getting one in the next few years after we both graduate from school. So of course she was like OK sure! We got to AKV first and we unloaded where it was only us and 1 other couple who got off! Sweet! I really love staying at a DVC and Deluxe at this point if it means we don't have to fight people for getting on and off the bus!!

Then next up was we were headed to our room, I know I have the room number someplace but we are in the middle of packing up our house and well I can't seem to put my hands on it right now. We had just a standard studio room and it was perfect for the 4 of us. When we opened the room, Olivia's eyes opened wide and we said so what do you think of this? She was so over joyed that we had brought her here to check it out and to show her how awesome it was!!! We hadn't even told her the best part but she was so excited when I turned and told mom to go ahead and tell her. Mom turned and looked at Olivia and said, "Olivia how would you like it if we stayed here for a few nights?" And we got a squeal and trust me that was a good sign! She then wanted to know if she could see the animals out our window and when we told her no not this time she said it was OK she was staying at the best resort ever!!!!

Here are some of the pictures I got from when we first got in but not quite settled:

Soon Mom and Jason were back from getting the rest of our things from the van and our other items had been delivered to our room from CSR which is awesome btw! If we do a split stay again we will take advantage of that again! Then we decided to just rest some in the room and get ready for dinner. We were heading over to Fort Wilderness Campground for dinner at Trails End Restaurant which is a favorite of ours that we have to eat at every visit! We even took showers which in the long run was a bad idea.

We drove over to FW and parked our van and hitched a ride on the most confusing bus ride ever just to make it to our dinner adr but we made it. Mom enjoyed it and she even said that it was something that my dad would enjoy. Reminded her of Roy Rogers from where they first met. Then on our way back to the van it started to poor rain! Storming you name it. We had made plans to head back into HS to see Fantasmic but we decided with the lightning and all that we went to the resort and Justin was coming to visit Olivia and us. It was a quite evening and after the storms were over we enjoyed some quite time by the firepit down by Sanaa. Olivia enjoyed it and was trying her hardest to find the animals but she said they were probably in because of the storms. She is too sweet at times.

Soon it was time to say our good nights because tomorrow was a new day and it was the day for us to just chill out at the pool all day long and do absolutely nothing!!! We did end up cashing in all of our leftover snack credits and stored them in the room. It was great.

Tomorrow...Pool day!

 

[livsmom04]

Day 6: Pool Day at AKV!

We woke up and it not a day to spend inside the parks but it was a day of relaxation. It was a day for us to get some sun and time to have a good time at the pool at Animal Kingdom Villas. We hadn't yet checked out the pool and so that was our goal to do so. It was also the first time we had not gone to the parks and we had just had a day to relax. Jason and I went to find a Dunkin' Donuts to get some coffee and some donuts for breakfast and when we got there around 9 am they were out of almost everything. I really wanted some chocolate frosted donuts with sprinkles but that didn't happen and the coffee tasted horrible like they forgot to mix the cream and sugar together. Oh well, nothing we couldn't fix back at the room. Mom and Olivia stayed at the room and cleaned up some. Olivia had already gotten dressed to go to the pool and she was ready to go when she got finished eating her 3 donuts.

After Mom and I got dressed for the pool we all headed down to find a nice place by the pool. We found a good spot and we thought it was even better at one point. That was until, Jason came down from the room and we found a better spot right by the pool and not near the back. It was right where we could see Olivia play in the pool and it was close enough to the outdoor bar and so it was time to go get a drink to chill by the pool with. I opted for a pina coolava and let me say this drink was awesome!!!!!!!

For lunch we each had something from the bar and we enjoyed it very much. Olivia enjoyed playing in the pool that we had to bribe her with getting a mickey bar from the gift shop. Score! It worked! We made progress here! Jason and I soon went back up to the room to get dressed for dinner and mom and Olivia stayed at the pool for a little longer until Olivia got a little too much sun. Soon everyone was ready to take a nap for the evening and it was time to figure out where we wanted to eat dinner. Of course we chose to eat at Fuddruckers. Fuddruckers is one of my favorite restaurants to eat at that is non-Disney and so this was perfect for us to go eat at.

Once again it was pouring rain again and it was time to go rush to get into the restaurant without getting soaked. Yeah we got soaked! We had a wonderful dinner and it was soon time to go back to the resort to get ready for bed and to check out the next day! It's hard to believe that our trip was almost over!

Up Next...Check Out Day..Going Home.

 

[livsmom04]

Day 7: Check Out Day...Travel Home Day!

Today was the day to check out and settle our debts that we had charged. We got up pretty early and we decided to pack part of the van the night before so that we didn't have to worry about it this morning. We wanted to enjoy the time we had at the resort before heading back to North Carolina. We soon checked out and soon made sure that we had everything out of the room and double checked it again. I have a tendency of leaving something in a room so this was a good thing there was 3 adults here on this trip.

Before leaving this beautiful resort we walked around and took a few more pictures before heading home. This resort is absolutely beautiful and is where we'd love to stay at again!

Soon it was time to say our goodbyes to this beautiful resort and it was time to head home. We stopped off at the outlets and I had to stop off at the Vera Bradley Outlet and got myself a nice big bag from there. Mom got herself something else as well. Then it was time to hit the road and head back home. We got home safe and sound and it was time to start to plan another trip to Disney World or so we thought.

Thank you for all those who have followed me on this trip report! We have a new trip planned for September and we will be going back during the Food & Wine Festival as well! And will be attending MNSSHP too! Plus there is another trip planned for February as well which is a big deal for me because I signed up for the Princess Half Marathon last Tuesday!!! I'm going to be running my very first half marathon and it will be at Disney World!!! So be ready! I will post the new PTR and TR when I get them started! I am most likely going to be starting up 2!

 

[RachelNinja]

I love hearing the story about how Olivia got nervous about being on the wrong bus, but at the same time, I think I would've been panicking if I were a kid too! What a great surprise for her!

 

[livsmom04]

I love hearing the story about how Olivia got nervous about being on the wrong bus, but at the same time, I think I would've been panicking if I were a kid too! What a great surprise for her!

Yeah it was too cute for her! We are hoping to book a Deluxe Resort for the night before we check in for our Vacation at Pop Century since we will be driving down the day before (technically Jason wants to leave Saturday Night) and we will have a pool day! We have Trail's End Restaurant booked for Sunday Night since we're not doing our traditional Fuddruckers meal and will be paying for it out of pocket for this meal. I am still voting for Magic View at BLT but we're also considering Beach Club and AKL Club Level. Can't hurt right?