Our Disney Adventure

We had a GREAT time on our little getaway to Disney last week! Michael and I took our grand kids and their parents. My stepdaughter called a few days before we left to say that they were all sick, but were getting better and did we still want to go? We said Sure, let's go, if you are up for it, so they arrived on Saturday night. Abby was coughing, Haley was burning up but still smiling, David (Dad) was on a nebulizer! Mom (Loni) was stoic, carrying on, as Moms do in such situations. We left bright and early Sunday for the Animal Kingdom Lodge. What a gorgeous place! I knew I was going to love it there from the minute I stepped inside the doors and saw the aboriginal quilts hanging in the reception area. The Lodge had an African theme, and the attention to detail throughout the hotel was amazing. Mind you, I am not what you would call a Disney freak. But it was a fun place to go with the kids and this hotel was so cool, I would have loved it no matter where it was located.

We enjoyed a few great days, with the kids feeling better every day. First we went to the Magic Kingdom, the girls first visit. They are 2 and 4. Abby was fascinated, watching them monogram her Mouse Ears hat. Hmmm, a future quilter, perhaps? We had a great time, went on the tea cups, race track, merry go round, flying dumbos, Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World. The girls got autographs from several of the characters. I think they were most in awe of Belle. All of the characters sign the autograph books in character, with a flourish. We agreed Belle's signature was the best. The day ended on a spectacular, but totally unplanned note. We all stood in line in Tomorrow land waiting to get on the rocket ride. When it is almost your turn to ride, you take an elevator up to where the ride begins. We were standing on a huge platform on top of the park when the fireworks started up, and we had the most amazing view. Tinkerbell flew from the castle, and went right by us. We couldn't have planned it any better. We ended the first day tired, but happy.

The next day, we wandered around the hotel. They have several wildlife observation areas where the Serengeti abuts the resort. They have these young conservation biologists from all over the world who are eager to tell you all about the animals. The animals all looked very sleek and healthy. They seemed inured to the tourists gawking at them, did not pay us much mind. We went to Epcot later in the day, spent a lot of time in the Ocean exhibit watching sea turtles, dolphins, and beautiful fish. Abby was a dive buddy in an interactive dive exhibit. Her shirt that day read Most Likely To Save The World, and she is. Michael is fascinated by the hydroponics in the Land exhibit there. We also saw the dinosaurs, rode the Race Track, ate in Germany. We left as the fireworks were starting up, as there were huge clouds gathering. Good move, by the time we got to our bus, the skies had opened.

On our last day, we did the Animal Kingdom. We went on Safari, saw a Bugs' Life, Loni rode on the Himalaya roller coaster, brave soul that she is! The girls were pretty beat by the end of the day, and...Michael and I were incubating our exposure to those lovely virus particles that we had come in to contact with when the girls first came to visit.

By the time we left, we were sick as dogs, and the girls and family were fully recovered and raring to go! We parted company, with them headed to Downtown Disney, and us headed home to bed, with a stop at the doctor's on the way for antibiotics.

(Still trying to figure out how to move the photos around in the blog text...)