Two for the price of one - Honduras update

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Your dad sounds like he's got a sense of humor.  Most of the time...LOL!

[lklasing 16]

Sunday

 

Last day.    It’s always the saddest day to wake up in Disney.  It wasn’t too hard to pack up since we had moved halfway through and had re-organized for that.  I had forgotten to bring an extra bag for the purchases we made, so that presented somewhat of a challenge, but we got it all in somehow. 

 

We couldn’t risk another poison apple incident, so after depositing our bags with bell services, we headed back to Kouzzina for breakfast.  Again, it was really very good. 

 

Hidden Mickey at Kouzzina:

 

 

When we were leaving Kouzzina, a huge gang of bicycle guys was parked on the boardwalk – they looked like they were having a great time on a beautiful day. 

 

 

We walked to HS for our last park for this trip, and it was not too far of a walk at all, except having to go around the end of the BWV building instead of being able to cut through at the Luna pool due to the construction.  It took about 15 minutes at a very (very, very) slow stroll. Easy breezy.

 

 

 

 

We made it through the gate around 9:30 and decided to do a repeat of RNRC and TOT rather than TSMM.  Ray said he is really coming around on TOT – before today, I hadn’t realized that he was not a big fan, as he always rode it with me and never let on.  Now, though, he’s starting to like it after all.  I took my Tylenol before RNRC so that kept any g-force-induced headaches at bay.

 

We caught a parade of sorts and some really fun streetmosphere guys while waiting on our lunch ADR.  (Is that the name for those guys?  I think it is.  Usually those newly-made-up words bother me but since I only encounter streetmosphere guys at Disney, that one doesn’t.  Don’t get me started on “tablescapes”, though.)

 

 

Ray with another poison apple:

 

 

 

 

We thought about going on SW but we were passed by another of the groups of Hispanic teenage girls – again, they were well behaved, but there were just so many of them that we decided to pass on SW and go do the Animation Academy.  Ray had done it several times with Jody on prior trips but it was a first for me.  We did Mickey and it was really fun!  The only problem is that mine looked a lot more like Chip and/or Dale than Mickey, but it was still worth doing.

 

Ray’s:

 

 

And, mine (I know, I know):
 

 

After seeing so many awesome drawings that regular mortals have done in the AA, I thought it must be fairly idiot-proof.  However, my Chip or Dale Mickey definitely proved that theory wrong.

 

After our drawing lesson, we caught yet another streetmosphere performance.  This time, they caught sight of Ray and started chatting him up, calling him the Silver Fox, which happens to be the award he won at his 20^th high school reunion.  :)  They were just going stream of consciousness.  After finding out it was our anniversary, they asked what one of our wedding gifts was, as that would tell them something about life.  All I could think of was a silver bowl, which was apparently not what they were hoping for.  A shtick ensued, along the lines of “Life is like a silver bowl because…, because…”.  It wasn’t an easy one to fill in the blank.  Regardless, it was fun and they gave us each a “silver coin” to commemorate our trip. 

 

 

 

 

 

For lunch we went to the Brown Derby for another, and the last, first time event this trip.  We loved it.  It was pretty dog-gone expensive, but we both just got the Cobb Salad, which apparently originated at the original Brown Derby in California.  It was really very good.  I definitely could make that a HS tradition.

 

Sadly, it was finally time to make our final walk back to our beloved Boardwalk area.  We shopped a little more, watched yet another tourist get attacked by the seagulls, and then departed.  

 

Ray enjoying the last rays of sunshine before heading back to the cold and rain of winter at home:

 

 

We were so sad to be leaving.  I was heartened that I will be back in just five weeks with Jody and our friends, though.  Ray on the other hand probably won’t be back till a trip that we’re tentatively planning for next January.    We’ll see about that – those AP are definitely burning a hole in our pockets.

 

Final thoughts on this trip, starting with a few final words from Ray:

 

Like Ferris Bueller said, life moves fast.  If you don’t slow down and take a look around every once in a while, you will miss it.  Real Disney is not just big rides. Real joy in Disney is found in places you’ve never been and details you’ve never noticed.  Slow down, look around, experience and see the things you’ve always missed.  It’s worth the time. 

 

We did so few attractions this trip, but we really loved WDW more than ever before and more than we thought we would.  Like Ray said, you just have to decide what your goal is.  My goal can’t always be to go with the flow like it was this trip, but it was absolutely perfect this time around.  I have never done so few attractions, but I’ve also never had as much fun.

 

Finally, we loved, loved, loved the BWV.  But, we loved the boardwalk view 10,000 times more than we did the pool/garden view.  We never sat outside with the pool/garden view whereas we did over and over with the boardwalk view.  Also, while we were glad we did the two different views this time to see how much we loved the boardwalk view, moving midway through a trip is not all that much fun for us.  I’ve already got it on my calendar when we need to book for our anniversary trip next year so we don’t end up moving again.

 

So, there you have it.  A fabulous anniversary trip to the World.  Next up, spring break!! 

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Great TR Leslie.

You both look like you had a wonderful time.

Looking forward to the next.

I love your dad's sense of humor too.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

What a great trip!  I know what you mean about childless trips.  Our last several trips to WDW have been just the two of us, and it's so nice!

[alexwyattmommy 181]

Thank you for the great TR.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Final thoughts on this trip, starting with a few final words from Ray:

 

Like Ferris Bueller said, life moves fast.  If you don’t slow down and take a look around every once in a while, you will miss it.  Real Disney is not just big rides. Real joy in Disney is found in places you’ve never been and details you’ve never noticed.  Slow down, look around, experience and see the things you’ve always missed.  It’s worth the time. 

 

We did so few attractions this trip, but we really loved WDW more than ever before and more than we thought we would.  Like Ray said, you just have to decide what your goal is.  My goal can’t always be to go with the flow like it was this trip, but it was absolutely perfect this time around.  I have never done so few attractions, but I’ve also never had as much fun.

 

 

Great job, Leslie.

 

I love your Dad's sense of humor.  I hope to have a relationship like you have with your dad with my daughters when we are that age.

 

Ray is a genius!

 

I could not agree with his quote more.

 

And I respectfully disagree with the thought that you can't always go with the flow. Yes you can.  And you should.

 

I'm glad that we still have the second half of this TR to enjoy!

 

TCD

[dblr....Rennie 224]

Great trip report and going to Disney without children is a whole new expeirence, we have done it twice now and it's always like finding something new.

 We try to do every other trip now like that just lucky my kids are getting older and they still say, Not Disney again Dad!!!!!!!!!

[lklasing 16]

Your dad sounds like he's got a sense of humor.  Most of the time...LOL!

 

Good one, Dave!  And yes, he does (wait for it ...), most of the time!

 

Great TR Leslie.

You both look like you had a wonderful time.

Looking forward to the next.

I love your dad's sense of humor too.

 

Next trip coming up next!  Thanks for reading!

 

What a great trip!  I know what you mean about childless trips.  Our last several trips to WDW have been just the two of us, and it's so nice!

 

I was so surprised at how wonderful it was!  I knew WDW was great, but it took on a totally different level when it was just the two of us.  Glad you've had the same great experience!

 

Thank you for the great TR.

 

Thanks!!

 

Great job, Leslie.

 

I love your Dad's sense of humor.  I hope to have a relationship like you have with your dad with my daughters when we are that age.

 

Ray is a genius!

 

I could not agree with his quote more.

 

And I respectfully disagree with the thought that you can't always go with the flow. Yes you can.  And you should.

 

I'm glad that we still have the second half of this TR to enjoy!

 

TCD

 

Thanks, TCD!  Yes, my dad and I are very close, and I am so grateful for that.  It's a wonderful gift in my life.

 

Ray is pretty awesome too, and good at summing up a good thing.

 

Going with the flow in all circumstances is something I am not skilled at yet, but I'm working on it!

 

Stay tuned!

 

Great trip report and going to Disney without children is a whole new expeirence, we have done it twice now and it's always like finding something new.

 We try to do every other trip now like that just lucky my kids are getting older and they still say, Not Disney again Dad!!!!!!!!!

 

Isn't it great?  I'm already trying to figure out the next time to be able to go back with just Ray again.   :heartsmiley:

[lklasing 16]

Before I get going on the next trip in this two-parter TR, I’ll give you the rundown on the players this time.  I of course am involved, as no one in my family can go to WDW without me.  O0  Jodi is the other one from my family.  Joining us are one of Jody’s best friends, Claire, and Claire’s mom Kate, who conveniently is a good friend of mine.

 

“Where are Ray and Danielle?”, I’m sure you’re asking.  While Jody and I were doing nothing to better the world other than getting to enjoy one of its greatest man-made treasures, Ray and Danielle were going to a Honduran orphanage with a group from our church.  The contrast between the two trips was quite stark.  However, the thing that surprised me the most is that Ray and Danielle enjoyed their trip every bit as much, if not more than, Jodi and I did.  I will definitely share some pics from the mission trip at the conclusion of our trip, as they are some of the best pictures I’ve ever seen of anyone in our family.

 

So, with that introduction, here we go with trip number two!

 

Friday, March 15

 

Yay!  It’s time for my second trip in just a little over a month!  It was the last day of school before spring break and I had to at least appear to be at work for most of the day since I would be missing 4 days next week.   I was able to leave work about 11:30 using the old, “I’m running out for lunch” trick.  I got the girls picked up from school and met Kate and Claire at their house.  To my great relief, they are travelers just like I try to be (and think I am most of the time) – I got there 5 minutes earlier than planned, but everything was packed and on the front porch waiting on us.  And,  Kate, unlike me, is a great snack mom – she had a huge plastic bin filled with snacks, plus soft drinks, waters, etc.   So we managed to shove everything into the car and were on the road by 12:30.

 

Since we were so ahead of the after-work crowds, we had no trouble, even though we were heading in the same direction as everyone going to the beach.  We made it all the way to Lake City, Florida, where we stopped at the “Best Exit in Florida”, according to a billboard.  That may or may not be true, but we managed to grab dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s and 2 rooms at the Day’s Inn.   The girls shared a room, which happened to reek of day old cigarette smoke, but they survived.

 

Jodi and Claire:

 

 

Silliness at the very fancy Day’s Inn:

 

 

 

And here’s Kate:

 

 

We finally got the girls settled down and hit the hay so we could get to the real part of the trip tomorrow.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Woo hoo!  Part 2!!

 

Looking forward to your trip, but really looking forward to pics from the Honduran trip.  I have a soft spot for orphans (go figure), but also we may be visiting Nicaragua on a mission trip with our church at some point, so I am interested to see how their experience was . 

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

Awesome trip report! Disney without kids is different, but wonderful! Looking forward to the 2nd part!

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

Awesome trip report! Disney without kids is different, but wonderful! Looking forward to the 2nd part!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

I'm excited for part 2!

[alexwyattmommy 181]

I am so in for Part II

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Part 2!!!

 

Looking forward to both the WDW and the Honduran pics!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I'm in very late since your trip report started when my trip started. I love your anniversary trip report!!!! You guys have so much fun together. I also loved the Lucy shot. BWV look beautiful! 

 

I can't wait for more of part 2! 

[Momoffive aka Loretta 34]

Loving the TR!  I have made notes!

looking forward to Part 2

 

Loretta

[lklasing 16]

Woo hoo!  Part 2!!

 

Looking forward to your trip, but really looking forward to pics from the Honduran trip.  I have a soft spot for orphans (go figure), but also we may be visiting Nicaragua on a mission trip with our church at some point, so I am interested to see how their experience was . 

 

Honduras was incredible.  If only I could get Ray or Danielle to do a TR, but that hasn't happened yet.  But, I will definitely have some great pics and stories from their trip.  We are all hoping that maybe we can all go together next year.

 

Awesome trip report! Disney without kids is different, but wonderful! Looking forward to the 2nd part!

 

I'm excited for part 2!

 

I am so in for Part II

 

Part 2!!!

 

Looking forward to both the WDW and the Honduran pics!

 

I'm in very late since your trip report started when my trip started. I love your anniversary trip report!!!! You guys have so much fun together. I also loved the Lucy shot. BWV look beautiful! 

 

I can't wait for more of part 2! 

 

Loving the TR!  I have made notes!

looking forward to Part 2

 

Loretta

 

Thanks, y'all!  The coming trip is a totally different one than part 1!  First real installment coming up now...

[lklasing 16]

Saturday, March 16

 

Kate travels like I do – if you’re going to go somewhere, you should get on up and do it – no wasting time on anything as silly as sleeping in!  So, we were up early, on the road by 7:40.  We never got lost, thanks to Kate’s excellent navigation on her iPad.  We headed straight to OKW, where we checked in with no problem, other than the fact that the room wasn’t ready.  No big surprise there.  The girls saw a “hot boy” while checking in – oh boy – these two already looking for and finding hot boys – this trip should be interesting.

 

We went briefly to SSR and picked up fun FPs for buying into DVC – 10 cards with 3 instant FPs each – score!  I had intentionally not picked them up when Ray and I were there for our trip as the crowds were generally lighter and Ray and I were looking forward to a more relaxed approach to that trip than this gang was going to.  So, the instant FPs should be a big help to our touring.  :banana:

 

We went back to OKW and took the bus to our first park – Epcot.  Of course, the bus stop always provides a good photo opportunity:

 

 

 

Our whole gang – I love this one:

 

 

Once at Epcot, we made it onto Soarin’ before noon – far earlier than I ever thought we’d be in a park and having fun.  After Soarin’, we did Turtle Talk with Crush as we knew Claire would love it (over the protests of Jodi):

 

 

Love this:

 

 

After Crush, we grabbed a pretty tasty lunch at the Mexico CS place:

 

 

 

Claire has only been to WDW once when she was much younger, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when she pointed at Japan and asked, “What’s that thing over there that looks Japanese?” She had no idea that the WS was what it is, so we had to walk her around to see everything. 

 

 

 

 

Claire pointing at that scary picture of a boy in the Malstrom line:

 

 

 

 

Look!  Rhinos in Epcot!

 

 

 

 

They loved the giant donuts there:

 

 

 

Hang on for the rest of Saturday.

[lklasing 16]

(Chalk this post up to a major technical malfunction...)

[lklasing 16]

We had a FP for TT which was good at 3:10, but it was down when we got there.  So, Jodi and I did M:S and then we all did Spaceship Earth, followed by the new-and-not-improved-test-track.

 

(As best I can figure, this pic is from M:S – can anyone tell me if that’s right?):

 

 

Spaceship Earth:

 

 

 

 

Love these guys:

 

 

 

 

After TT, we still had some time to kill before dinner, so Kate and Jody did Sum of all Thrills.  Finally, at the ripe old dinner-time of6:30, we headed to dinner in China, which was perfect for our first night there, just like it had been perfect for Ray and me just a month before.

 

 

 

 

By the time we got back to OKW, our room, of course, was ready.  We dragged everything we owned up to our second floor studio, which we promptly decided was perfect for us. 

 

 

 

 

Kate and I unpacked while the girls went for a swim.  Remember how I said that Kate was a great snack mom?  She rocked.  Here are the snacks and our fridge as they existed when we checked in.  (We had snacks left over but the wine had to be restocked a time or two…) 

 

 

 

The girls made it back by curfew and thankfully didn’t appear to have run into any “hot boys”, at least that we knew of.  We all took showers and then headed off to bed.  Against the recommendations of Touring Plans, tomorrow will be AK – so we stressed to girls that we need to go early and be ready to move in the morning.

 

Will 2 teens get up in the morning?  Stay tuned!

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

What an excellent start to Part Two.

No more talk about meeting hot boys please.

My DD is only 4 and I am already having nightmares about the future.

Rhinos!

I bet this trip is something you and your daughter will always remember.

Looking forward to more.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Looks like a great start to trip #2!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Boy those photos make it look like y'all were having a blast, which I'm sure you were.

 

I wonder if Kate would be willing to go on a trip with the TCD gang and be the snack mom?  It looks like she did an awesome job.

 

OKW is the only WDW resort I've never stayed at.  I've hear the rooms are the biggest DVC rooms around, and your photos make it look that way too.

 

TCD

[lklasing 16]

What an excellent start to Part Two.

No more talk about meeting hot boys please.

My DD is only 4 and I am already having nightmares about the future.

Rhinos!

I bet this trip is something you and your daughter will always remember.

Looking forward to more.

 

I may not talk about it much more, but I've never heard so much talk about hot boys in my life.  You should definitely be having nightmares about your 4 year old.  Just wait 10 years!

 

Looks like a great start to trip #2!

 

Thanks!!

 

Boy those photos make it look like y'all were having a blast, which I'm sure you were.

 

I wonder if Kate would be willing to go on a trip with the TCD gang and be the snack mom?  It looks like she did an awesome job.

 

OKW is the only WDW resort I've never stayed at.  I've hear the rooms are the biggest DVC rooms around, and your photos make it look that way too.

 

TCD

 

We definitely had a ball.  Katie is in fact a great snack mom - it was the first time we had ever travelled together, but I certainly hope it's not the last.

 

And you should try OKW!  I was very happy - nothing too out of the ordinary, but very easy to be there and the rooms were definitely big!