Islands of Adventure

The Islands of Adventure was the theme park I most wanted to visit in Orlando. For years we've dreamed of drinking Butterbeer and taking in a Quiddich match. Universal made our dream a reality.

On the bridge overlooking Hogwarts

When we stepped into Hogsmeade, we found the place completely overrun with Muggles.

A little sample of the crowds we had to condend with that day.

Emma’s wheelchair became too cumbersome to maneuver through the crowds so we parked it across from Platform 9 ¾.

That "snow" on the roof is deceiving. It was HOT that day!

We slowly made our way through Diagon Alley, craning our necks to catch a glimpse of Zonko’s, Honeydukes, and the Three Broomsticks. Everywhere we looked there were lines, lines, and more lines. In order to buy a wand at Olivander’s we would have had to wait for over 80 minutes in the heat! We bagged that idea in favor of standing in a much shorter 70 minute line to experience The Forbidden Journey at Hogwarts.

Emma made a little snail friend while waiting in that LONG line.

The grounds at Hogwarts are lovely.

In the Greenhouse, still waiting to ride.

Mandrake root

Sounds like the perfect ride for me, right?

The ride was amazing! At times we were following Harry and Ron on their broomsticks, and then we were staring down the snout of a fire breathing dragon. The dementors almost got us, but Harry held them back with his Patronus. The castle was pretty incredible too. Dumbledore let us into his office, the artwork spoke to us, and Ron made it snow!

Emma wanted to buy her own owl.

Later, we got to swing by Hagrid’s place for a ride on a Hippogriff. It was a lot tamer than we’d imagined. We rode it multiple times to make good use of the Express Passes Rick purchased. All that flying around made us thirsty, so we stood in another long line to buy chilled Butterbeer. It was truly delicious, sort of a mixture between butterscotch and cream soda. We also slipped into Honeydukes so that Emma could purchase some of Dumbledore’s favorite lemon drops and such. Refreshed, we rode upon a dragon that looped and whirled at top speed. I nearly vomited slugs after that one!

Hagrid's place

Hippogriff

We rode this one a few times.

Mmmmm...Butterbeer.

This place smelled awesome!

Is that Emma's real tongue?

Nope! It's a gag from Zonko's.

It was hard to leave that magical world behind, but we had other places to explore. The humidity and heat was starting to get to us so we made our way to Jurassic Park for The River Adventure. Rick outfitted us with ponchos so we wouldn’t get soaked through our clothes during the 85-foot plunge down a waterfall. We got a little wet there, and then wetter still at Toon Lagoon with a couple more water rides.

Look out for that T-Rex!

Jacob’s favorite thrill of the day was The Hulk roller coaster. He totally overcame his fear of heights and loops. Emma did not. She sat out on most of the bigger rides, so we spent some time in Seuss Landing riding the chilled out Trolley Train and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (think Dumbo). I guess some kids never grow up…

I don't get it...

Daddy got sprayed by the Red Fish...or was it the Blue Fish?

Once again, when darkness fell, the park cleared out. We had a much better time once the crowds really died down. We flew around Hogwarts again, which totally did me in. I booted Em out of her wheelchair at that point so that Rick could push me back to the parking garage. On our way out, we stopped by and some a taping of NBA Live. We were just a few feet behind Shaq and Charles Barkley. Maybe you saw us on ESPN Thursday night?

Shaq's bald head

It was a FULL week to be sure! However, we were happy to get back to Perrysburg to our comfortable beds and cuddly pets. It’s always fun to go on vacation, but it’s GREAT to come home.

Disney Hollywood Studios

Disney Hollywood Studios. Is that like Universal Studios? Are we going to feel like we've been there and done that already?

These were my questions on Wednesday of our super vacay, but I shouldn't have worried. It was soooooo fun! Plus, it rained, making the experience even better because a bunch of people left.

Here's a break-down of our day:

We Loved

• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! - We barely snuck into this jam-packed show, thanks to Em's wheelchair. While we waited, we dined on our  homemade PB&Js and played Words With Friends. The scope of the show totally exceeded our expectations. They re-enacted some of my favorite scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark like the rolling stone, the chase through the marketplace, and the fight on the airplane. It was a feast for the eyes! I couldn't believe what they did by way of stunts and effects. Wow!
• Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show - Dang! There were some crazy ol' drivers in that show! We saw some amazing stunts that totally made up for the deafening noise and smell of burnt tires.
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage  - Beautiful sets, beautiful costumes, beautiful singing. It was top-notch. Plus, we got 2nd row seats.
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith - An indoor limo-type roller coaster? Sign us up! Emma didn't go, but the rest of us rocked out.
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - I didn't get nauseous! Neither did the kids, 'cuz they were too chicken to go on it. I expected one big long free fall, but the ride took us up and down several times at random. It was fun AND exhillerating!
• Star Tours: The Adventures Continue - They've re-done Star Tours, and it's even more realistic. I bet you can guess how I did on this ride! The gift shop is almost as fun as the ride. We spent quite awhile in there. Jake and Emma even got to build their own light sabers. Cool!

 

We Liked

• Muppet Vision 3-D - I propbably like this more than the rest of the family. I grew up on the Muppets. Those guys are just silly!
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid - There were some neat effects that made us feel like we were underwater. The glow-in-the-dark puppets were cool too. It was a really cute show.

 We Could Have Done Without

The Great Movie Ride - snore

 We Missed

• The American Idol Experience - We totally ran out of time because of the rain storm. Bummer!
• Sounds Dangerous! - We never walked by it.
• Jedi Training Academy - We figured it was for little kids. 
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure - We've seen something like it at Disneyland,
• Studio Backlot Tour - It was closed.
• Walt Disney: One Man's Dream - The kids weren't interested.
• Toy Story Midway Mania! - ridiculously long wait in line.
• The Magic of Disney Animation - Again, the kids were not interested.
• Disney Junior - Live on Stage! - Eh. That was for little kids.
• Fantasmic! - We've seen it before at Disneyland.

It's too bad the park closed at 8:00 because we could have stayed longer. We really enjoyed ourselves after we ate and the crowds died down. A rain storm arrived around dinnertime, so we chose to dine at the park. We ducked into this restaurant that feels like a drive-in movie. The booths are designed to look like cars that face a big screen playing old sci-fi movie clips. It was a great way to wait out the rain.

We would have taken more pictures on this day, but we were too busy having fun! We highly recommend Hollywood Studios to families with older kids like ours.

The Magic Kingdom

"Let the Memories Begin" is Disney's slogan at the entrance of Magic Kingdom. They don't tell you what kind of memories to make, however. Maybe they should be more specific. After a warm morning of fighting crowds and listening to families argue I wasn't feeling the magic, ya know? Jacob summed things up well by saying, "There are just too many families here making too many memories."

To me, Magic Kingdom was very much like Disneyland, without the warm fuzzy feelings. They have Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland...yada yada yada. It just didn't feel the same though. Can you tell that the crowds really got to me that day?

I loved the new Space Mountain ride and Cinderella's castle. The Haunted Mansion was just as funny as I remembered, and they did a good job with keeping us entertained while waiting in line. There were so many funny things to read and look at. Plus, the workers kept saying things like, "be sure to fill in all the DEAD space" and stuff. Ha!

I was particularly excited to try out The Pirates of the Caribbean since I haven't seen how they've added Jack Sparrow. The lines moved quickly. We hardly had to wait at all, which should have clued me in about something. It just wasn't the same! There was no Blue Bayou Restaurant or creepy swamp. We missed a few waterfalls that I could swear were there at DisneyLAND. It seemed like we got through the ride in half the time. Did I imagine that?

We pushed through the afternoon, but realized we weren't having much fun. Chalking up our sour moods to heat and hunger, we bailed and hit Red Lobster for respite. We would try again when it got dark and the little ones left.

Our gamble paid off. Folks really cleared out after the Electric Parade. Magic Kingdom was a completely different place at night. Lucky for us, the park didn't close until 1:00 am. We had the run of Fantasyland, though some of it was closed for repairs and expansion.

Emma was totally stoked to ride the teacups. It had no heights or quick drops, just spinning. Jake and I rode separately so that we could avoid the wild ride Rick gave her.

We capped off the night by returning to Tomorrowland. A second trip to Space Mountain did me in stomach-wise, so I made Jake ride the People Mover with me while Emma did some spinny rocket ride. She couldn't handle the coasters, but she had a stomach of iron when it came to the whirly twirly stuff!

We had a night and day experience at Magic Kingdom, literally. We should have skipped the park while the sun and young children were up. Nothing beats Disney at night. It's waaaaaay more fun!

Epcot

President's Day was gonna be tough. We knew the locals with their annual passes would flood the parks. We knew the Midwestern snowbirds would take advantage of the long weekend too. After examining the 4 parks we had left to visit, we decided that Epcot would be the LEAST busy on a holiday.

Our first ride was inside the giant golf ball, er, Spaceship Earth. We lingered a bit after the ride because there were so many virtual reality games too play as well.

Next, we took a trip to Mars. I knew I was in for it when we strapped ourselves into the rocket. Barf bags were strategically located arms length away. This ride was like Star Tours on steroids! It simulated the speed and gravitational forces an astronaut feels during a launch. It was amazing, but super intense.

Ellen DeGeneres took us back in time on the Universe of Energy ride, which was kinda funny. Next, our Fast Passes allowed us to skip the line for Test Track. We expected this experience to be more thrilling because Disney boasts that it's one of their longest and fastest rides. It was...just okay.

One thing that was really cool about Epcot was the high concentration of Disney "celebrity" sightings. Everywhere we turned, a princess was signing autographs. We got to see a lot of famous characters that day!

Around lunchtime, we made our way to Morocco to dine at Restaurant Marrakesh. An experienced Disney enthusiast recommended the food AND the entertainment. We were not disappointed! We heard live Moraccan music, ate delicious Moraccan food, and watched a real belly dancer.

With full bellies, we made our way around World Showcase Lagoon so we could visit all 11 countries. We didn't even need our passports! Some destinations had special shows and rides. All the countries had themed shops and restaurants. Without looking at the captions, can you figure out where these pictures were taken?

Canada

France

Norway

Mexico

Again, Mexico

The United Kingdom

France

Japan

Italy

China

Whew! We sure had jet lag after visiting all those foreign lands! We closed down the park, but not before attempting a picture in front of that big 'ol golf ball. It looks like we have another awkard family photo!

Sunday in Orlando

Kelly Clarkson wore us out. We had the best of intentions for our Sunday, but we ended up sleeping in until 11:00. We missed church. Heck, we missed breakfast! We dressed up anyway and drove to the beautiful Orlando Temple. It was windy as we walked the grounds, so we snapped some awkward family photos.

We weren't even TRYING to look this bad. It just happened.

This is somewhat better, but what's up with my head?

Mental note: don't let Emma take the pictures. Her height limitations make for bad camera angles.

That afternoon we explored all the amenities our time share offered. We played the Sheraton’s version of Amazing Race which took us all over the resort. It took us a couple of hours to complete, but it was a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon together. When we finally finished, we were awarded with this very special certificate signed by the guy that passes out ping pong paddles and pool cues. He seemed surprised that someone actually finished the game.

Ricky caught a snake, but only Emma would touch it.

It was soooo windy that afternoon, that Emma almost blew away.

Our kids really have lovely smiles...

Oh dear, Emma! Are you sick?

This is my best Magnum pose. Or was it Blue Steel?

After a highly nutritious dinner of DiGiorno’s pizza, we spent some time soaking our cares away in the hot tub. Then, the kids lounged around watching real TV with real channels and Rick and I remembered why we don’t have anything but Netflix at our house. It was a leisurely day, but it was the perfect way to get ready for the busy week of park hopping ahead.

Universal Studios

If you thought mid-February would be a good time to avoid the crowds at Florida theme parks, you'd be wrong. We were! Apparently everyone from the Midwest flies south for the winter. Plus, the Saturday we chose to go to Universal Studios was especially busy because American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, was performing there that evening. Wahoo!

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Fresh from a blissful night of sleep, we drove to the park early to get a jump on the day. We acquired a wheelchair for Miss Emma knowing that the long days of walking and standing would be hard on her. This was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because it kept her from poopin' out early and it got us ahead of the lines for a few attractions. It was a curse because it was such a challenge to navigate the crowds with that thing - yeesh! It made me grateful that we don't have to deal with that situation on an ongoing basis.

The backdrop? A total facade.

Now, Universal Studios offers some perks for those who are willing to pay for it. Here's my opinion about them in a nutshell:

• Preferred Parking ($20 instead of $15) = worth it to park closer
• Express Pass (nearly double the cost of admission to get in the front of the lines) = worth it
• Meal Deal (eat all day for $20.99) = SOOOO not worth it because the food was awful

Jake with some hot chick.

Universal is a great park for older kids who want to be immersed in their favorite movies and shows. Unfortunately for our kids, they hadn't seen many of the shows the rides were patterned after except for Barney (you know, the purple dinosaur). We realized that there are quite a few movies that we need to introduce them to (i.e. Twister, Jurassic Park, Jaws, etc.). Jake didn't even know who Marilyn Monroe was!

Em in the Revenge of the Mummy gift shop. Cool ride, even better merchandise.

I was having a great time at Universal Studios until I rode the Simpsons Ride. Don't get me wrong. I wanted to like it. It was super funny and well done, I just couldn't handle it, um, physically. Apparently I've become quite susceptible to motion sickness. I've never really had a problem until this vacation where every day was spent riding rides. The Simpsons was one of those virtual reality situations (think Star Tours). I. Was. Sick.

Fortunately, for every roller coaster there was a ride like E.T. Adventure (lame). I really loved Disaster, which used to be the old Earthquake ride. It's been revamped to make you feel like you're an extra in a movie. Christopher Walken plays the director and he's oh so funny! I also enjoyed the Terminator 3D experience because I got to sit still - HA!

On our way out to dinner.

Late in the afternoon we were feeling a bit peaked, so we left the park for some down time. We hit an Abuelo's for dinner and rested up at the timeshare. Refreshed, we were able to fight the crowds to get a closer look at this:

Kelly, up close and personal.

Emma managed to capture some video and pictures by sitting precariously on her daddy's shoulders. That situation didn't last long for either of them, however. Every chance we got, we edged our way closer to Kelly. We sang, we danced, we laughed, we elbowed. It was a GREAT concert! That girl's voice is like butta!

Mom and Dad get extra cool points today!

We really feel like we got a great deal that day: an amusement park AND a concert? You becha!

Jake and Em in front of the Back to the Future Delorean (yet another movie to show 'em).

Fleeing to Florida

It is inadvisable to stay in Toledo the entire month of February. It is much too grim a place. If an opportunity to flee the gray skies and frigid winds presents itself, TAKE IT!

We had such an opportunity. Rick worked several extra moonlighting shifts so we could take a family trip to Disney World and Universal Studios. We took advantage of the long President's Day weekend so the kids only had to miss 4 school days. Rick's chiefly duties also allowed him to arrange his work schedule in such a way that he could be away for 8 straight days. No one required me to stay behind either-haha.

The vacation sorta snuck up on us. The day before our departure I found myself madly scrubbing the dog, washing laundry, and running errands around town. Em and I got our hair trimmed up and Jake worked on a list of chores around the house. Unfortunately, Rick ended up staying at work 3 hours later than we anticipated so we didn't really get him packed until well past midnight. Fortunately, those extra hours more than covered the extra expenses that came up on our trip (more on the money drain that is Disney later).

On Friday morning, a good HOUR after we should have left the house, we made our way down to Columbus to catch our flight with Southwest. Adding to the stress of our lateness, our GPS, a.k.a. Delores, took us on some wonky route via back roads and Amish country. At one point we nearly       t-boned a horse and buggy. We caught our flight with just moments to spare.

I must interrupt this narrative with a few words about my favorite boredom busters. There were many times I found myself standing in a line, or sitting around waiting to get somewhere. Thank goodness I had my beloved IPhone. I finally joined the scores of folks playing Words With Friends. I was instantly hooked, though I've lost as many games as I've won. I also spent a lot of time stalking blogs and reading Divergent by Veronica Roth (check it out)! Now back to my riveting story:

We arrived in Orlando without incident and I was immediately struck by the warm and humid weather. Shorts and t-shirts in February - say whaaaaa? I never want to find out what Florida is like in the summer. Don't even get me started on their sulphur water and superfluous toll roads...

Our timeshare at the Sheraton Vistana Villages turned out to be a lovely place. We got a big 2-bedroom that slept us all quite comfortably (especially since we remembered to bring our fans). That first evening we dined at this undiscovered place called Olive Garden and then hit the Walmart for supplies. Did you know they have an entire section dedicated to Disney products? You better believe we all got our Mickey shirts for $12 a pop. Take that over-priced park retailers!

To sooth our weary selves after a day of travel, we splurged on mani/pedis at a Vietnamese salon called Decent Nails. And, when I say WE, I mean the guys and the gals. As you can imagine, Decent Nails certainly lived up to its name, PLUS we got to watch Whitney Houston music videos the entire time we were there. BONUS!

Our last stop of the day was at a Ross Dress for Less to pick up some cheap warm weather duds. The kids didn't have much that still fit from the previous summer, and we didn't have time to shop before leaving Ohio. It's kinda embarrassing how excited I was to see my old friend Ross. We don't have that store in Ohio and I've missed the thrill of the hunt, ya know? Everything was just as I remembered: the disorganized racks, the scary fitting rooms, the foreign languages, the long lines, the crying children, and the DEALS - oh, the deals! It was a productive outing to be sure.

NOW THE VACATION COULD TRULY BEGIN!