Disney World Trip: Day 1 - Our Resort and EPCOT

We checked into our hotel, the Coronado Springs Resort. The resort is quite large, but we were in a perfect location (Cabanas Building 9). We were near the resort pool and not too far from the main building. Breakfast is served at the cafe near the pool, so we typically ate there each morning.

The resort was absolutely stunning. The lake provided a relaxing place to walk each evening, and the quiet, serene feel was wonderful after a busy day in the theme parks.

The lobby was massive and included a counter-service restaurant (Panchitos) and a sit-down restaurant. We never had time for the sit-down restaurant, but it looked fantastic.

There are three sections to the resort: Casitas, Rancheros, and Cabanas. The Cabanas section we stayed in had a beach theme, including sand and hammocks. This was my favorite section of the resort.

The resort pool was amazing. The Mayan pyramid theme was well done and the water slide was a huge hit with Matt and Nolan. A jaguar perched above the slide and "spit" on people as they went under the pergola. 

A waterfall cascaded down the side of the pyramid and we loved sitting in the hot tub every night (with drinks from the pool bar). The kids would swim until their limbs were absolutely exhausted, and we would all collapse into bed.

We loved the Coronado Springs Resort and would absolutely stay there again (though I have a feeling we would have loved any of the Disney resorts - they are all very well done).

When I realized our flight would arrive in Florida before 10 am, I asked our travel agent how much it would cost to add an extra day of tickets to our week-long passes. The cost was only about $11 per person, so we added the extra day. This meant that after we checked into our resort, we could immediately head out to one of the theme parks!

Prior to our trip, I had selected three fast-passes for each resort we planned to attend. Word to the wise: Disney World takes a ton of planning, and the planning pays off. For those who are unaware, fast passes allow you to skip the line for three rides per day. You can add additional fast passes (for a total of six) once you are in the park.

I had planned EPCOT as our park for the first day, and after check-in, we headed to the resort bus stop. The very first bus to come around the corner was the one for EPCOT. We hopped on (with our carry-ons from the plane) and headed to the park.

We were in the park by 11:00 am - it was hard to believe we were in a snowstorm just hours before!  I had a fast-pass for the Finding Nemo ride, but there was really no line for this attraction. It was a slow-moving dark ride through the aquarium. The boys enjoyed it, but it wasn't a favorite.  I had a 12:30 reservation for the San Angel Inn restaurant in the Mexico pavillion inside EPCOT.

The restaurant is inside the big pyramid in the Mexico pavilion. The theme was fantastic and it felt like we were outside with a view of the pyramid. The interior was dark and it was hard to get a photo, so the only one I have is rather blurry. The volcano in the restaurant would erupt periodically, much to the delight of Matt and Nolan. We had a fantastic lunch and I was happy to have Mexican food again (Mexican food is hard to find in Western NY)!

After lunch, we met some characters. I wasn't sure if the boys (at ages 7 and 9) would still be into the characters. They really did enjoy meeting them, so that was a happy surprise.

For this day, we stayed in Future World since the EPCOT park was so big. We also had dinner reservations in Downtown Disney that night, so we would need to leave the park by 3:30 pm to return to our hotel, freshen up, and explore Downtown Disney.

We rode the Spaceship Earth. For those who have not been to EPCOT, the giant golf-ball (Spaceship Earth) that stands as the park's symbol has an educational ride inside explaining the history of human communication. We went from the discovery of fire and the use of papyrus to the invention of the personal computer and the internet. At the end of the ride, you descend backwards through space and play an interactive quiz. The computer shows you an image of yourself in the future - we had quite a bit of fun with this one!

We rode The Land, which is a boat ride through several gardens. The food grown in the gardens in EPCOT is used in the restaurant inside the Land Pavilion. This was a quiet and educational ride. We enjoyed it, but only rode it once as the boys didn't want to ride it again. I found the hydroponics interesting.

We went into Innoventions and the boys  had fun playing with some of the interactive games. There was an energy game they particularly enjoyed - we have seen similar exhibits at science centers, and they always enjoy these types of exhibits.

We had a Fast Pass for Test Track, which was Matthew's all-time favorite ride. You design a car and then your design is tested against other designs on the ride. The boys really enjoyed the car creation process.

If creating cars is fun, riding a car on the test track is even more fun!

After Test Track, it was time to leave the park to get ready for dinner. On the way out, we caught a spontaneous show by the "Jammitors," a music group that plays at EPCOT.

We went back to the hotel to find our luggage ready and waiting for us. It was fantastic to have it delivered directly from the airport. We took a few moments to walk around the pool area and the boys checked out the amazing playground adjacent to the pool.

We unpacked and rested for a few minutes, then caught a bus to Downtown Disney and our 6:30 dinner reservation: the T-Rex cafe!

The restaurant was really cool and the animatronic dinosaurs occasionally moved, much to the boys' delight. A periodic meteor shower would cascade during dinner. Unfortunately, Matt developed a headache and was not feeling very good during dinner. He put his head on the table and we gave him Advil. I think the 3:30 am wake-up call, flight, day in a theme park, and then a busy dinner reservation were too much. I think the next time we do this sort of a trip, we'll keep a quiet dinner for the travel day. Fortunately, the Advil kicked in, he felt better, and we explored the Lego store and some of the Downtown Disney area.

As we boarded the bus to return to our resort, we received a text from my parents that their plane had landed and they were at the resort! We met them at the bus stop, and the boys were ecstatic to see Grandma and Grandpa! We went to bed shortly thereafter, excited for the following day at the Magic Kingdom!

Disney World Trip: Travel Day (from 2015) - February 20-21, 2015

In February 2015 we took a trip to Orlando, Florida to visit the Walt Disney World resort. We had a fantastic time and were very glad to get out of the snow of Western New York! At the time, we had a two-wheel drive Mazda 5 and a very big storm was blowing in. We decided to take the truck with all-wheel drive to the Pittsburgh airport, which meant wrapping the suitcases in large garbage bags and placing them in the bed of the truck.

Fortunately, the roads remained fairly clear and we made it to our hotel in Pittsburgh with no difficulty. The kids were quite excited in the back seat!

I was glad we drove to Pittsburgh the day before our flight (it is a 3 hour drive from our house). We were able to get flights for $200 per person, round trip, so the drive was definitely worth it. We stayed at a Holiday Inn near the airport. The hotel was fantastic, though it was a little sad to see the pool covered with snow. We would be in Florida in less than 24 hours, though, and snow would be a distant memory!

We slept well that night and woke up very, very early for our flight to Disney World! Our flight was for 6:30 am, so we were up at 3:30 in the morning to get ready. Despite the early hour, everyone was really excited!

Our flight was on time and the boys liked watching the snow removal process at the airport. Everyone was tired, but happy! We were on board and took off without incident.

We landed at Orlando International Airport a little early, by 9:30 in the morning. It was absolutely wonderful to see the sun and blue skies!

When staying at a Disney resort, you do not have to pick up your luggage. We got off the plane and headed straight for the Disney-supplied transportation: the Magical Express. The bus was big, comfortable and the kids were happy to watch the cartoons on the monitors during the ride to our hotel.

It wasn't long before we were driving under the Disney World sign! The weather was absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend February visits to central Florida. Our resort was the first place we were dropped off, and since we were sitting in the front row, we were escorted off the bus and to the check-in desk at our resort. We were excited for our vacation to really begin!

Early Fall Bike Rides

There are a lot of trails in the woods around our house. The kids absolutely love riding their bikes down these trails - and it is nice to feel like you are in the middle of the woods when our neighborhood street is really just a few hundred yards away.

Through the forest, into a meadow, and past our neighbor's tree stand. Our evening walks and rides would soon come to an end, as hunting season was soon to begin.

This is the best time of year where we live - it is sunny, not too hot and humid, and the trees are starting to show some color.

The sun still shines brightly at this time of year, though the days are starting to shorten.

I can't believe how big my boys are, and how independent they have become in the past year. They ride down the trails and almost never need any assistance.

We take the dog with us on these hikes, too, and he loves running and sniffing - it is nice for him to be so free.

I can't wait for summer to begin again, so we can resume our walks in the woods!

Apples!

Our apple trees bore fruit again this year. Picking the apples became a neighborhood event for the little ones on our street!

I was surprised by the number of apples our little Macintosh trees produced. I had enough for several pies! Next year, I will have to can them - or make a lot of applesauce. I love having our own trees.

Back to School: September 2013 - First and Second Grade!

I am always sad to see summer come to an end. My kids thrive on routine, but the free summer days are so much fun for all of us. Still, a new school year arrived and we took the school supplies into their new classrooms, met with their new teachers, and hung the backpacks back on their hooks.

The boys were excited to head into their new classrooms. It is hard for me to believe I have a first and a second grader!

Here's to a year filled with learning and growth!

The Zip Line

Matthew loves to build things. He is constantly creating different areas to explore in the backyard - and building in his fort in the woods. Dennis had the brilliant idea of buying him some rope and carribeeners - Matthew set out immediately to create a zip line.

His zip line worked, but it was impossible to get enough tension on a nylon rope. Next time, we'll have to try steel cable. On the other hand, this rope kept Matt entertained for DAYS on end.

The rope eventually became a swing that Matt hung over a tree branch. It was fun to see all of the different ideas he could come up with!