Super Summer Softball Extravaganza-Complete w/ final thoughts About This Page:

[Joy J]

It sounds like you had a fabulous day despite your negative experiences with some of the people in the pool area.

Joy

[lauren-roxy]

Great update!! Sounds like a wonderful day! Can't wait to read more!!!

[krisk11]

Can't wait to read more.

[BelmontBelle]

Great update! Glad you are having fun despite the bad behavior of others. Looking forward to more!

[Cheeser]

more please!

[bsblady01]

more please.

[Belle of Ohio]

I'm enjoying your report. Looking forward to more.

[Tink and co.]

Day 5 July 13

We didn’t schedule a wake up call for today, so hopefully we could sleep in a bit. We didn’t want to wear ourselves out, and Hallie really needed some rest. About 7:00am the phone rang. I was lying there awake, of course. I can’t sleep in at Disney. Zoie called us again. This time she sounded a bit sad. She finally misses her mother! Nope, she is in New Zealand now, and staying with a local family. It’s nighttime there, and they just finished watching CSI, and she’s scared. I talk to her for awhile, and we pass the phone around again. It seems she told them the show would scare her, and they told her their kids were younger than her, and it didn’t scare them…she was afraid it’d seem rude to go to her room and read or something. Oh well.

After the phone call Rob and I got up, showered and had some breakfast in the room. We discussed the plan for today, and watched the news to make sure the space shuttle was still a go. Seems it was. About 9, Jack got up and ate and dressed. We waited until 10, and then woke Hallie up and got her dressed. She was so tired; she seemed to think Zoie’s call came in the middle of the night! As soon as we got her prepared we hopped in the car and drove to Downtown Disney. On the way, we see a gas station, and that’s on our to-do list for the day, so we stop and fill up, and I go in and purchase another flat of water bottles, as we were nearly out. We find a nice shady parking spot near the World of Disney, and off we go for some shopping. We bought all kinds of stuff, so as to take advantage of my AP discount. That was my theory anyway! I also bought enough stuff at the Lego store to qualify for a discount as well. We really enjoyed the all the Lego sculptures.

We had lunch at Earl of Sandwich. Yum! I had the Full Montagu, Rob had an Italian something or other and the kids had grilled cheese, which they said was the best ever. It was crowded, but the service was fast and we found a table inside where it was nice and cool. After lunch, we made our way to the pin shop where I was forced to part with some more hard-earned cash, and then we continued on to the candy shop (yep, bought something there), the scrap booking store (yep, there too), Pooh Corner (you guessed it!), and finally Tailz (didn’t buy anything here!). We decided we’d better hit the road at this point if we were going to make it out near the coast for the shuttle launch. So after a potty break, we’re on the road.

We expected to encounter lots of traffic, but the only spots that backed up a bit were the toll plazas along the Beeline Expressway. The kids dozed; I called my Grama from my cell phone to let her know we’d heard from Zoie, and that all was well. We were about 10 miles from the coast when we went through yet another toll plaza where the attendant was holding up a sign that said “launch cancelled.” Rob made sure she wasn’t teasing, and asked how best to head back the other way. We got off at the next exit and got back on heading back towards Orlando. No tolls were collected at the last two plazas. I thought that was nice. What to do now?

Well, luckily, they were traveling with me! And I, of course had many ideas on how to best spend our time! On the way out I’d noticed a sign for Boggy Creek Road. We’d planned to visit the Boggy Creek Airboat Rides during our trip, so with a little map studying, I got us there without too much trouble. We signed up for the next available ride, and went up to the restaurant (I use the term loosely) to use the restroom and get the kids a snack. The bathroom was the most frightening I’ve ever seen, and apparently the men’s restroom didn’t disappoint either. Rob took some pictures, even. I was beginning to feel like we were cast in that movie “Deliverance.” The people were awfully nice though.

When it was time to go on the ride, we donned our protective earmuffs, and Jack was required to wear a lifejacket. There were way more people in the boat than it could hold. Hmmm…turns out, some people were supposed to be on the next ride 20 minutes from now. After they got out we got to sit in the front row! We really enjoyed the ride. Our guide was knowledgeable, and we saw two gators (one of them guarding a nest) and lots of different kinds of birds. We were less than a foot from one of the gators, and when everyone stood up to look, Jack took one glance and shouted “Sit down! Sit down!” He was afraid we were all going to slip into the swamp, and he wasn’t having any of that! The lady sitting closest to the gator was pretty nervous too. That’s why I sat in the middle of the boat! The ride itself was a little exciting as well, but not so much I was nervous. It was a great experience. And a little educational, which the teacher in me likes.

We hit the scary restroom again (we were staying well-hydrated), and then hit the road. I navigated us on a different route back to Disney so we got to see a lot of the area. It was dinner time, so I suggested we dine at Beaches and Cream, and we could check out the Beach and Yacht Club resorts. We valet parked (free with DDE), and found the restaurant easily. There was a 35 minute wait, so we put our name in and went wandering for a bit. Wow! What a beautiful resort. The kids said this should be the next one we try (after AKL, of course). Rob took the kids to play pinball in the arcade, and I had a seat at tables near the hostess’ podium while waiting for our turn. We were called soon enough, and we had a great dinner. Rob had a double cheeseburger, I had a single, and the kids had mini cheeseburgers. But the best part was dessert! The kids had Mickey Sundaes, and I had a sundae with chocolate ice cream and marshmallow topping…mmm, ice cream…We debated about trying a kitchen sink, but decided to bring Zoie for that some other time. One family got one while we were there, and they ate it all. The waitress asked, “Aren’t you going to lick the bowl?” So, the guy did! It was funny. We loved the atmosphere and the food. We’ll be returning there!

We retrieved our car and when back at the Pop we decided to try swimming again. This time we went to the Hippy Dippy Pool, partly so I could have some frozen coke! We found it much more to our liking, and swam for about an hour. Then we decided to walk around and look at the icons, etc. We were, however, sidetracked by the baby pool, and the kids played for another half an hour there. I wish there’d been something like that when my kids were little. They would have loved it! Rob went back to the room about this time to call the coach and find out when our games were the next day, and the kids and I walked around a bit and went back for showers and bed. It was at this point that Jack noticed Littles, his most beloved and favorite stuffed penguin was missing. We looked all over, moved the mattresses and everything. And he was nowhere to be seen. Jack wound up crying himself to sleep. We called Mousekeeping and the front desk, and no luck. We think he may have been taken away, wrapped up in the dirty sheets. Poor kid. I felt so bad for him. Rob had been unable to get a hold of the coach, but he called about 11:30 (woke us up!) to say there was an 8:00am game. Lovely.

Next up…Seaworld, Softball, and one Sad Jack 

[Tink and co.]

Here's some photos from our character greetings at AK.

[Colexis Mom]

Another great update Love the pictures too

[Cinderbrella]

Great trip report so far! How that you got to meet the Marx family!! Your meal at Boma sounded delicious. Hope the penguin can be found for Jack. I know my boys would be inconsolable if anything happened to their blankies!! Looking forward to your next update.

[lauren-roxy]

Great update!! We were at Disney at the same time and tried to see the Shuttle also, we got clear to the coast. Sounds like you had a great time at Beaches and Cream! Your pictures are adorable!! Can't wait for more!!

[Tink and co.]

Day 6 July 14

Today the wake up came at 5:45, as Rob and Hallie had to be to the softball field by 7:00. They took breakfast in the car and were out the door by 6:30. They planned to meet Jack and me about 10:30 or 11:00 at Seaworld. After they left, I showered, dressed, and breakfasted. Then I woke Jack up. He woke up quickly after I mentioned the penguins we’d be seeing today. As soon as he was fully awake, he started crying again. He really missed his little stuffed friend. So, we also wrote a note to leave for the Mousekeeper with the tip envelope, in case she ran across him.

Jack brought along a cereal bar for breakfast, and we made our way to the bus stop. We rode the bus to the MK and then the monorail over to the TTC. There we caught a Lynx bus to take us to Seaworld. It was so hot this morning that we were seriously sweating and thinking about heading back to the room already before we ever got on the bus to MK! I think it turned out to be the hottest day so far. The bus rides all went smoothly and I’d ride the Lynx bus again if I had too. It’d be easier to drive, but it was an inexpensive alternative, and an adventure, of course! We had to hike through the parking lot when we got off the bus, which I wouldn’t have normally minded, but it was so stinkin’ hot, and the asphalt just added to that.

We find our way to the gate, and go directly to bag check (much more thorough than WDW, so it took longer) and then on to the gate. I’d purchased tickets from the website, and we just had to present our printout with a barcode on it, which was scanned, my ID was checked, and we were in. The first order of business was to check in for our behind the scenes Polar Expedition Tour. We were told we were on the 3:45 tour, but there was space on the first one at 10:45, were we interested? Yes! After that we found the lockers and rented one, as Hallie had forgotten to take her tennis shoes with her, so I brought them so she didn’t have to walk around in her cleats.

It’s about 9:30, and we have to meet up with our tour guide at 10:30, so we look at the map to decide what to do. We decide on Shamu’s Happy Harbor, so Jack can play until it’s time. It’s then that we discover that no attractions open until 11:00, no shows start until 11:00, the only things available are shops and the bakery selling breakfast items. There were a lot of shops, but I didn’t pay $50+ each to shop! But that’s what we wind up doing! Jack found quite a few penguin items, including a cute t-shirt that shows a grown-up penguin that says “chick magnet.” Cute. Rob called at this time, and said that there were actually two games scheduled for today, and the second one wasn’t until 12:30, and they were all running late. He said some spectators and players had been taken away by ambulance because of the heat. We’d been told that there would be no games after noon for that reason. He said Hallie was doing okay though.

We meet up with our group on time, and our tour begins at the Polar Bear habitat where we get behind the scenes peaks, talked to by a biologist, and we visit several different varieties of cold-water seals. I found it all pretty interesting, but Jack just wants to get to the penguins! We boarded a bus that took us to a penguin habitat (not the one everyone else sees). This one housed penguins from South Africa. Jack immediately had many questions for the guide who was unable to answer any of them (He told me later, “That guy didn’t even look like a scientist!”). But Jack was able to answer the other people’s questions. He’s pretty well read on the subject. So, now the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Time to touch the penguin! They feel very sleek and smooth, and this particular penguin didn’t care much for being held and petted, except by Jack. The handler was able to answer a question or two for him, and allowed Jack to touch the penguin’s back to his heart’s content, and Jack really loved talking to the bird. It was like when dog’s greet me at the dog park. They know I love dogs, and come over for a visit. We were then moved on to another room where there were models of penguin eggs and other educational stuff, but no biologist came out to talk. Our guide just sort of bumbled through. Then we were set free back into the park. We didn’t pay much for the tour, so I felt like we got our money’s worth. It would have been nice though to have someone who could answer questions about the penguins, as the biologist in the Polar Bear area was terrific.

We’re hungry for lunch by this time, so we decide to eat lunch. We stop at the closest place where I have a chicken fajita salad and Jack has a PB&J kid’s meal. The kid’s meal came in a cute Shamu lunch box. I thought $6.99 was a bit much for an Uncrustables sandwich, raisins, and a tiny bag of Lays. My lunch was delicious. Jack later told me it was his best lunch ever, because we just talked and talked. I sure love this kid! We really do enjoy each other’s company.

After our relaxing meal, we walked over to the penguin exhibit (of course, that’s why we were there!) where we spent about 2 hours going around and around observing Jack’s favorite animal. Here we found an actual scientist who was able to answer many of Jack’s questions. I was glad, or I’d have been looking for a library, I’m afraid! It was nice and cool inside, and we took lots of pictures and video.
Jack with his new friends!
We then toured the other exhibits. The shark and manatee ones come to mind. These were both well done, and we enjoyed them. We then went to see a show with dolphins, acrobats, and birds that was fabulous. We had a great seat, and really enjoyed it. Jack was a baby the last time we’d gone to Seaworld in California, so he didn’t have any idea how spectacular those shows can be. The “villain” dolphins were black in color. I’d never seen any like them before. They were beautiful. There were no more shows available until later in the evening, so we went to feed the dolphins, which neither of us really liked. The habitat didn’t seem appropriate. There were too many people shoving to see and feed the dolphins and it seemed like too many dolphins in the pool. We then visited the sea turtles, and their habitat felt quite the same way, except there were fewer people. And here we were treated to a turtle talk by one of the handlers.

We decided it was probably about time for Dad and Hal to arrive so we walked towards the front of the park and found some ice cream. Which, of course, was delicious and served in a Shamu bowl that the kids fight over for their morning cereal now. I called Rob, and he was within 15 minutes of the park! Yay! Half an hour later, we still didn’t see them. So I called again, and he’s lost, reading exit signs saying he’s in Celebration. I tell him to get off I-4 and head back towards Orlando. I know there’s a giant sign that says Seaworld on the freeway there. Shortly thereafter we see them, and we find out they’d been caught in a very scary lightning and rain storm at the softball field. We watched the news later and found out a house had been struck and burned down right near there. Whew! That was close.

We had saved a few things to do at Hallie’s request. She wanted to ride both the roller coaster and the water ride (I wanted to ride it too!). And she wanted to see the Shamu show. Jack and I had also found a pet show featuring dogs, cats, and a pig that we thought she’d really like, so we’d waited for that too. We had some time until it was time to find a seat for the pet show, so we decide to head to the back of the park and ride one of the rides. Seaworld seemed to have a lot of walking with nothing (We are totally spoiled by Disney in this respect.). When we go there, both rides were down. Then the thunder and lightning seemed to be moving closer and closer. So we went into the nearest restaurant that had inside seating. The kids had hot dogs this time, and dad and I had BBQ sandwiches. Dinner cost a little over $50! And Rob and I didn’t even get a drink! We just had ice water. It was okay, but not good. I’d picked a much better spot for lunch. At least we were out of the weather.

We were close to the penguin exhibit, so Jack showed his little friends to Hallie and Dad and then we went to the pet show. The sky was looking terribly ominous. I was afraid they were going to close the park. The theater for the pet show turned out to be inside, and it was a good thing. Thunder was cracking so loudly during the entire show that it kept making us jump! We decided to check out Shamu’s Happy Landing so the kids could play, which they did. There were many activities here that required an extra fee, just as Jack and I had discovered during the day. Lightning started up again, so they closed the play place, but a motor boat type show was just starting, so we saw about 5 minutes of that before they called it off too. We debated about whether or not to hand around for an hour for Shamu, but decided that that was a big part of Seaworld, so we stuck it out. I’m glad we did. Shamu Rocks was a terrific show, and the kids sat in the last row of the splash zone while Rob and I sat in the first row of the “we like to stay dry” section. They were right in front of us and got soaked! We stayed dry, though! At one point in the show, it seemed as though the trainers were having a little trouble getting the whales to cooperate. I was a little nervous. It made me think of that awful scene at Seaworld in Texas. But everything went fine.

After the show we went to the locker, and stumbled to the car. There was a fireworks show starting soon, but we were too tired. It had been a really long day. We were back at Pop in a few minutes and the kids were asleep almost instantly. The next day was “play til you lose” at softball, so I decided that I’d let Jack sleep in (I didn’t really want to deal with the drama anymore.), and Rob said he didn’t mind taking Hallie. He’d keep me posted. So, Jack and I would either wait til they got back until we headed over to MK, or if they were doing well, we meet them there. I got Hal’s stuff ready for the morning, and lights out!

Up next, we meet up with some characters (some of them Passporter friends!), and “I thought we weren’t going on a cruise this time?”

[DrDolphin]

Great update!!! Can't wait to read about the "characters" you met.

[lauren-roxy]

Great update!! Sounds like you had an awesome day at Sea World!!! Can't wait for more!!!