Monday, June 12, 2017

A Disney Recap




And, the adventure began on Sunday, June 4th........... the kids drove to Orlando and Poppa and I flew.  Both kids made stops at the beach either going or coming back.  They made the long journey as enjoyable as possible.  And,  our flights were without incident, it was smooth sailing for all of us.


None of the kiddos had ever been to the beach and they all loved it.  


If you didn't know better you would think you were at Disney World when you arrive at the Orlando airport.  I'm quite sure the airport and Disney are in "kahoots" as one benefits the other.


After we had all "made our nest" in our hotel rooms Poppa took the kiddos for a stroll around the grounds of the hotel. We stayed at Port Orleans- Riverside.  After about a day we  wished we had "sprung" for one of the deluxe hotels with access to the monorail system. Of course, the total for 10 folks to go to Disney isn't peanuts and I  felt going first class was a little over the top. But, I thought of the monorail system each and every time I boarded one of those crowded buses for sure. ~ I don't like people in my space~  In case you are wondering, there are 4 different groups of hotels at Disney, they are economy, moderate, deluxe and luxury. Our hotel was plenty nice and we all had king sized beds which was a luxury as far as any of us are concerned.  We are all "big bed" people!


It doesn't matter your age, Disney World requires a WHOLE lot of energy and patience.  Poppa and I were definitely some of the oldest there but we stayed the course pretty good. AND, we celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary while we were there.  Talk about a celebration!!



And, truth be known, it was good for our kids that they had 4 extra hands to assist with the wee ones.  The wee ones are really too young for Disney but their brother and sister were at the absolute perfect age to enjoy it.  Between the 6 adults we were able to take the babies back to the room for naps or go in early at night and still allow the bigger kids to do whatever they desired. Our wee ones really did well and neither of them were scared of the characters.  I'm thinking they may even have a vague memory of this trip when they are older.


The grounds are all keep to perfection. I'm thinking that literally hundreds of employees make up their landscape staff.  Well, truth be told, hundreds make up all of their staff, if not thousands!!!


Every day we all wore Disney attire.  Generally, each family matched as did every other family there.  Must have been close to a bazillion families there. ~no joke~


Tommy could be found pushing a stroller, holding a baby or carrying one of them on his shoulders.  We pretty much did whatever was necessary to keep them happy. 


We tried to take a lot of pictures when we started the day.  As the day wore on we began to lose some of our luster for sure!  When you are shoulder to shoulder with folks, it's hot and  rainy (a lot), you can sure look a bit weary and some of us felt a bit weary. ~chuckle~



One of my favorite parts of our time at Disney was watching the kiddos meet the Disney characters.  I was amazed that the wee ones were not afraid of them but they both reached right out to them.  We had 3 meals with the characters and they really enjoyed that. Speaking of meals, we bought the Dining Plan for our crew and feel like we came out way ahead $$$$ wise.  So, if a Disney trip is in your future, I would recommend it.  It includes sit down meals, quick service meals and snacks. 



Yes, it rained every day and not just sprinkles, some were literal downpours.  We did go prepared but being out in rain, with a cover up  or not, is NOT  fun! And, did I mention the crowds?  And, the security is pretty much just like airport security.  They go through EVERYTHING!  And, when you have 2 little ones in tow, guess what?  You have lots of bags for them to go through but they did have it very streamlined.


It was a jam packed 5 days for sure!  This was our immediate family's 5th trip to DW.  I'm pretty sure that this will be my last one.  I've seen our Grans enjoy it and I have no need for any more Disney experiences.(unless Hubby and I decide to go to the Flower and Garden Show at Epcot at some point).  I'm not sure how Walt Disney was able to create such a place but perhaps that is why it is called "the land of magic." ~smile~   Our first trip was in 1981 and there is no comparison to the Disney of 2017.  It was a much calmer, less chaotic place and of course, a much smaller place.

Our hearts are full of memories and we are thankful that we had the opportunity to share this special time together.  I think we would all agree though, there is NO PLACE LIKE HOME! It's our magical place!


Have a "magical" week!!!!



Lea @ CiCis Corner
Lea @ CiCis Corner

Hi there! My name is Lea. I've been wife to the best Hubby for 44 years....Mom to a son and daughter....CiCi to 4 precious Grans....lover of family and friends....enjoy laughter and a good time....shopper....picture taking maniac....maker of delicious fudge....organizational enthusiast....memory maker....Southern Belle...and most importantly.....a Child of the King! Welcome to my little corner!

9 comments:

  1. Hi Lea, oh what fun times for your family on this sweet together trip. Love your photos and those smiles tell it all. Thanks for sharing with us this joy!! Have a great week. xo

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  2. I am soo glad you enjoyed your time there. Just time spent with your whole family had to have been SOO wonderful, and a forever memory for you all. But trust me this So. California gal knows exactly what you are referring to when you mention CROWDS OF PEOPLE, HOT, ridiculous lines, and long, long days. lol. And trying to keep "little ones" happy, and older ones entertained and "moving along" when it was time to entertain the littler ones and just different and varying ideas and personalities etc. on how time should be spent happy as well for us adults comes into play as well. I did notice last time we were at Disneyland how there truly are not a lot in our generation among the crowds anymore, lol. We still hang in there too but truthfully I may very well be done. I've seen Disneyland of course countless times, and I have seen a good majority of my grandkids enjoy it too. (which is a very different and quite wonderful experience as you know!) and to finish it off for me I have had to use a scooter to just make it around as my knees are not up to the task anymore. We have to walk well over a mile just from the parking lot to the scooter rental place, lol. But I have learned to say never say never....I might be talked into going a time or two more. But honestly I am doubting it, lol. We have gone a time or two with grandkids who are more in the 10-14 age range, and honestly (FOR ME!) those experiences were the best. We took the kids without their parents, and spent the day with ones who didn't tire, could ride "some" rides alone while hubby and I sat and rested on a bench with a cool drink, and enjoyed the faster paced rides and adventures that we did as well. No crying or "melt downs" to deal with. Sooo much fun. From age 12 months to 3 is REALLY REALLY hard at Disneyland, lol. But the fact that you kept going 5 days in a row is TRULY impressive, lol. Don't think I could have pulled that off. Anyway, sorry for this long comment. Happy you got this time and enjoyed yourselves. Now rest up!

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  3. Great pics, Lea. Boy do I remember those downpours. We lived in Cal. and Florida when the girls were little so we spent plenty of time and $$$ at Disney. As my husband says, there's no tired like Disney tired! Glad you had a good time.

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  4. I'm glad y'all had a wonderful time and kudos to your kids driving all the way with little ones. I couldn't have done that! We've been fortunate enough to fly every time we've been to the happiest place on earth!

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  5. Great pictures❤️ They made me wanna go again. Enjoy being HOME SWEET HOME dear friend. Hugs

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  6. Lea, I am so glad you had such a great time with your precious family. My oldest daughter and her family loves Disney, Universal and whatever else is hooked up with Disney. LOL! They just got back from the water park there. Happy Anniversary to you two as well. 46 years is a blessing and what a wonderful example to others that commitment is the key. I must agree dear lady....THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME and no place like my BIG BED! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  7. haha, having just come back from a trip myself, I can echo the "there's no place like home" thing!! You've made some good memories for your family over the years though, and you'll always have those.

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  8. Love your recap. The photos are fabulous and I can see how much fun everyone was having!

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  9. Oh Lea, it looks like a fun time was had by everyone! What special memories you've created for all your family. Happy 46th Anniversary to you and your hubby. My late beloved and I would've been celebrating our 47th anniversary this month.

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So glad you stopped by and hope you enjoyed your visit. I love your comments and read each and every one of them and I always try to reply to them. Blessings to you this day!