[SWOOPERDO]

Wahoo!!!! I am really getting to write this trip report. We have been back for a week and as you all know there is tons to do when you get back and the spare moments are fill with “man if we were still at WDW we would be doing this, or it is this time at WDW” all of the post trip blues.
Characters Me (Kelly), DM (Grandma), DS (Jace 16), DS to my heart (Blake 16) and DS’s Friend (Tylor 16). It is DM and Blake’s first trip to the World.
Arrived on the 11th @ 7:30 am. Got rental car for the first time as we were going to be going off property quite a bit for various things. Got to AS Music around 10:30am in HOPES our room might be ready early since I heard they clean the family suites first but it wasn’t. We went ahead and ate at the food court Told the boys they could go swimming until the room opened up but they didn’t want to cause they wanted to take a shower 1st. Teenage thinking is guess????? We got into the room about 12:00pm. The suite was great a lot better than I was already thinking it would be. We were 5 ppl and it fit us fine. We had to rearrange the furniture a little when it was bed time so we could get out of the room if we needed. Boys complained a lil bit on the comfort of the bed but they seemed to sleep fine. On our 1st day we went to the Outlet Mall once we got recharged. Couldn’t find any water in the vending machines as they were all out so we went into “The Fudgery” and got to sample some Fudge along w/our water and was treated to a lil show on how you make fudge. It was a hoot. They Fudge maker and his assistant were hilarious. So of course we had to buy some fudge which was guaranteed not to melt, which it didn’t.
We went back to the room to rest a lil and then got ready to meet our other group for diner at the Pirates Dinner Show. We were able to get there with getting lost a lil bit. Show was OK and it was real $$$. I don’t think we will be doing that again. Got totally lost on the way back to room. Took us 1 ½ hr to go ½ hr distance. This is very frustrating when you have already been traveling all night and haven’t slept yet.
12th- we went to Typhoon Lagoon. Made sure and slathered all their bodies with sunscreen as the last time poor Tylor burned real bad and even blistered. So no one burned this time and we had a great time. Gma doesn’t like to swim much but we sat off to the side on the ledge and about got knocked off by the wave. We laughed and laughed. This was an important trip to us. It was a celebration of life for Jace from his avalanche in February and Gma never goes and does anything for herself because gpa is a stick in the mud. We went back to the room and cleaned up then went to Whispering Canyon. While we were waiting for the ADR we were checking out the massiveness of this Hotel. It was awesome. We sat down to eat and the staff was wonderful. I didn’t really tell the boys about the antics here so they were wondering what in the Mickey’s was going on here. But they soon joined in. At first being all 16 they were too cool. Another waitress came over and asked their age and then whisked them off to a table in the corner where a 15 yr old girl was with her family. She told the boys this girl needed a date. They talked for a bit and had a picture taken w/her. See this was their whole agenda was to meet chicks while we were there. I think we were there longer than most cause we had a waitress walk by and ask “Are you guys still here?” we were just having so much fun. This will deff. Be a place we will return to. Thanks to everyone that suggested it.
13th- Was Chef Mickey’s so Gma could meet her fav. Donald. She was like a little girl it was so fun to watch her. Again the boys were to cool for school but when Goofy came around he wasn’t having any of it. They were all there with there arms crossed and he made them all stand up and take a pic with him he knelt down and crossed his arms too. The boys thought it was great as did gma and I. Then off to MK after we made goof’s of our self’s at the Contemporary gift shop trying on the silly hats. We had to take pics of us with all different ones on. I told the boys in their pics I took of them I wanted to see that they were having fun so they were always posing for me it was great. We did all of the normal stuff and FINALLY I was able to try a Dole Whip and as everyone was right it is GREAT. We stayed for the Spectro Magic parade which I haven’t seen b4 either. We were able to get good seats right by the Confectionary.
14th – MGM did the rides but still didn’t get to the Light Action Motor show. We had ADR for Hollywood and Vine the to Fantasmic show. Seen it twice b4 and will see it again we love it.
15th – AK We were able to do ALL rides here even a few we have never done. The boys flaked out on us because it was pretty hot that day and as you all know it is always hotter there anyway. So I and DM (gma)did some things on our own. Mt. Everest was broke down when we first got there so we came back to it. There was a 60 min wait but we decided why not we hadn’t rode on it b4 and what else did we have to do. We waited in line for about 5 min and these ppl asked us how many there were of us and we said 2 so they gave us some fast passes cause the other ppl in there group chickened out. They thought they gave us the 3 they had but they gave us 4. We caught up to them in line and let them know and they said we could keep the other 2. So we contemplated if we should go again or to pay it forward. We decided to pay it forward which made the day of yet 2 more people. That was the only dream I saw the whole trip and it really wasn’t a dream.
Of course we ate at rainforest at park close which was good as always and we all shared a VOLCANO!!!!!!!
16th – Busch Gardens this was the boy’s favorite park of the whole trip. It wasn’t real busy there and you could basically walk up on every ride. There were 2 coasters down while we were there which stunk but we sill had a good time.
17th – We went to the New Smyrna Beach up by Daytona. It was overcast a lil but the water was really warm. We rented the boys a surfboard and 2 body boards. They had a blast.
18th – Universal Studios/IOA – we went to IOA in the morning and did all the rides and then went back to hotel and waited a bit for US to go back to Halloween Horror nights which was a TOTAL disappointment. We have been to this event 2 other times and it was great. This time it stunk. There were 2 hr waits on everything it wasn’t scary at all. Total let down.
19th – Epcot we found our leave a legacy tile and took our pic. We really didn’t get there till later as we were really going for the fireworks show since we had a VIP viewing. It was extra magic hr in the evening so we did that. We went to soaring and to NEMO. Soaring had a good wait on it but Nemo was just walk on.
We did hit DT a few times here and there. We went to DQ the last night b4 we left and had to eat Cheesecake. I wasn’t hungry one of the times but got an Earl of Sandwich, sandwich for later. We finally were able to get around off property without getting lost every time. We also ate at Olive Garden since we don’t have one up here, Crackle Barrel and Red Lobster. All in all we had a great time. It was hot the whole time it rain a lil which made the humidity worse but I would go back in a heart beat. No one wanted to leave. I will deff. Go to the coast more next time. Well it is a little more than a nut shell but there it is I hope this wasn’t too long and drug out for ya’all. Not sure when the next trip will be but it will deff. be. HIP HIP Mickey HIP HIP Mickey.