WDW Summer 2013 - Day 11

Well let's get back to what we got up to on our last visit to WDW.  I can't believe it's now over 6 months since we were last in my happy place and as I type we have no plans for another visit any time soon - the disadvantage of living over 4000 miles away and the subsequent travel costs!  But I continue to keep my Disney passion alive by reliving and sharing my memories.

So Day 11 - what did we do??

Well, we had a relatively slow start to the day with a full breakfast at our hotel before heading off to Blizzard Beach.  But we weren't going for a splash about, no we were going for the golf...mini golf to be exact.  It was time to visit Winter Summerland mini golf course;

..and having played the Winter course during our previous vacation in 2011 we decided that it was only right to play the Summer course this year;

We had great fun playing the course, although Molly did get a bit grumpy when her brother won!!  Although I did manage to get a couple of hole-in-ones!  Honest!!

Victory celebrations!!!

One unusual occurrence for us though was that it didn't rain, we seem to have a habit of playing mini golf in the rain but this time it stayed hot, dry and sunny.

After golf we hopped on a bus and headed over to Coronado Springs Resort; this was the resort that we should have been staying in before we got our unexpected hotel upgrade.  But as I'd done my pre-trip research all about Coronado Springs we thought we'd stop by and see what we were missing.

The Three Caballeros!!

Some beautiful views around the resort and around Lago Dorado

And I just had to have this photo taken...

...me 'running' around Lago Dorado...OK fake running!!  Well I did say that was one of my must do's for this vacation...unfortunately the hotel upgrade kind of got in the way of me achieving my goal for real ;)

It was lovely to walk around the resort, it really is beautiful.  The main pool area looked amazing although Molly was not happy at being made to look at it and not be able to use it as it had been one of the things about the hotel that she had been looking forward to. Although, one thing I will say is that the pool is very exposed to the sun, in that there is not much in the way of natural shade, so anyone thinking of going needs to bear this in mind, especially if with very young children who are prone to getting sunburnt!

I will agree with a lot of the reviews which I'd read before the vacation which made reference to the size and layout of the resort.  It is a big, spread out layout which could mean your room being a good distance from the main building and amenities.  I would guess it took us, with a leisurely stroll, about 20 minutes to walk around the circumference of Lago Dorado which could mean for some people that walk on a morning to have breakfast in the resort could add a bit of extra time onto your day.

One of the reasons that I have always loved Port Orleans French Quarter is for its relatively small size and compact layout when compared to other moderate resorts.  But smaller size may mean you miss out on things like table service restaurants...it really is a case of weighing up what's important to you on a vacation when you make your decision. For us a 'bit of a walk' to the main buildings at Coronado Springs didn't really bother us...it may have changed the way we did things though.  I wonder if we may have been more inclined to get on a bus early and have breakfast in the parks rather than take the extra time at the resort...who knows?  Maybe on our next visit we may have to give Coronado Springs another try!

Having explored the resort we then headed over to Disney's Hollywood Studios for the afternoon stopping for lunch at one of my favourite quick service eateries the Backlot Express.  Now I will admit it's not the best place for choice of food; it's your typical burger/hot dog/nugget type of establishment but it is big, and airy, with some great theming and free refills of soda!!

Once we were refuelled it was off into the park.  Molly took the chance to 'meet & greet' with Phineas and Ferb...

...which was followed by re-visiting 'The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow' following our failed attempt a few days earlier.  I have to say for a walk through attraction I really quite enjoyed it.  I wasn't expecting much in fact if truth be known I thought it might have been a bit lame and was only really doing it as it was a 'new' addition to the park since our previous trip. The whole experience was worth it of only for the amazing projection of Captain Jack at the end; brilliant technology at play.

We then had a brief stop for ice-creams...Mickey shaped of course...

...before we headed towards Animation Courtyard.  But as we approached we heard the sounds of the Monsters University Pep Rally and so took a slight detour to see what was happening; this resulted in me becoming the embarrassing parent...apparently it's not cool to dance along to 'The Cha-Cha Slide' in front of your teenage kids...who knew ;)

Ethan ignoring me, Molly trying to stop me dancing!

After embarrassing the kids we decided to venture into Animation Courtyard in hope of a new 'Meet & Greet' and sure enough we got to meet the stars of 'Wreck-It Ralph'.

As we made our way round to Rock 'n' Roller Coaster we bumped into friend and podcast co-host Michelle.  So whilst us ladies had a chat and a catch-up the rest of the family got thrown around on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.  We all then headed out of the park but not before taking advantage of the Disney Photopass+ to get a group photo...

Don't ask me how but we ended up with this pose! It's a hidden Mickey!!

Next we headed over to Swan & Dolphin resorts via boat..

...and then walked over to The Boardwalk.  Both Michelle and I had it on our respective 'To Do' lists to go into the Boardwalk Inn resort in search of a working carousel model that we had both heard about listening to Lou Mongello's WDW Radio, and look we found it!

Beautiful and it was working when we saw it.

Molly getting a little too comfy in an armchair inside the Boardwalk Inn lobby!!

And would you believe it the kids wanted yet more ice-cream...so who can resist a stop at the Seashore Sweets...well our two can't!!

How big???

Having filled the kids up with ice-cream we headed over to Epcot to finish off the evening in World Showcase, but this was the sky that greeted us as we made our way from the Boardwalk...

...yes you guessed it a sudden downpour occurred!!

Once we made it over to Epcot (and relatively dry too!) we headed to the World Showcase and more specifically Norway.  I had a couple of foods I'd heard about that I wanted to try over at the Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe...first the Roast Beef Sandwich followed by Rice Cream and both of which were lovely.  I think this eatery may become one of our must do's in future years.

Enjoying the Rice Cream - kind of a rice pudding topped with strawberry sauce

By now it was getting late and time to take the bus back to our hotel, time for feet up with a hot chocolate and then time for bed - night all!

So you're going to the Theme Parks!!

This post was inspired by a recent tweet from fellow Disney fanatic, friend and blogger Emma, who when talking about her upcoming visit to WDW was asked the question 'so you'll be visiting the theme parks?'

Often when telling people where I'm off to on vacation I get greeted with a look of puzzlement and a 'oh you're going to the theme parks' with a heavy hint of disdain, and slight disbelief - people do not get it do they?

So here is my little rant about why I don't do beach holidays and my attempt to explain why WDW is more than 'just theme parks'.

It can be very frustrating, and exasperating, when, as a UK based Disney obsessed individual, you encounter those who have no grasp about WDW, those who when finding out you're off to Orlando say 'oh you're going to Disneyland'....err NO!!!  Now I know that I need to exercise patience and understanding but sometimes it can be very difficult.

So before we go any further lets just clarify something - DisneyLAND is the original Disney theme park and is located in Anaheim, Los Angeles (US west coast).  Walt Disney WORLD is the second Disney theme park and is located between Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida (US east coast) - everyone OK with that?!!

Here in the UK when it comes to vacations we tend to head for somewhere where we can at least guarantee some warm weather as the UK can be somewhat unreliable when it comes to spells of good weather.  Staying in the UK means having to pack for all occasions - heat, cold, rain, wind and that's in the middle of summer.

So those of us that can afford to tend to head for the sun...which often means a 'beach' type holiday.  Now I have a few problems with a beach holiday;

• Firstly, I am fair skinned, so the thought of sitting all day on the beach, or by a pool, is simply not an option unless I want to look like a lobster!
• A beach vacation is all about chilling out and doing as little as possible - not something that I am very good at, I like to be up and doing stuff.
• And if I did manage to 'chill out' I have two children who, I know, after a couple of days of not doing much would be hassling me with 'mum....I'm bored', 'mum....what can I do?'...

But a vacation to WDW, in my opinion, means the best of all worlds:

• Good weather
• Plenty to do
• And time to chill

Now I won't dispute the fact that there are plenty of theme parks at WDW, but they are more than just theme parks, they offer so much more.  They are a truly immersive experience; the theming, the atmosphere and the attention to detail all make it more than just the thrill rides that are traditionally associated with the term 'theme park'.

Yes it's a ride - Splash Mountain, Magic Kingdom, August 2011

Also WDW is not just theme parks it is a resort, a self contained community that provides everything that you could need for that well deserved vacation.  There are beautifully themed hotels (to suit all budgets), excellent water parks as well as pools at all the hotels, fantastic shopping, a wide range of eating places from fast food to high-end dining, sports facilities, spa's, health clubs, behind the scenes tours, Broadway quality entertainment, fireworks, parades, special events and more......it really is so much more then 'just theme parks'.

Shopping!  Mouse Gear - Epcot August 2011

Sport - well, mini golf! Fantasia Gardens, August 2011

There is also that sense of something magical, something that you can't quite put your finger on, something that to a WDW virgin is very hard to explain and convey without sounding like a completely deranged individual!  There is a special quality to visiting WDW, where you can suspend the trappings of normal everyday routines and indulge in a fantasy, in make believe, in a magical place.

But it's just for kids isn't it?  NO!!  When we first visited back in 1991 there was just me and Simon, and we fell in love with what we experienced, so much so that we came back the following two years dragging first Simon's parents and then my parents and brother with us, eager for them to experience the same feeling as us and share in the memories. Visiting with children does bring another dynamic to a visit and watching their faces is a truly wonderful thing, but as Walt said 'Adults are only kids grown up, anyways'.

A visit to WDW brings people together and creates memories and experiences that last a life time and ones that you want to keep experiencing again and again.

Cheers! Chilling by the pool with a mango margarita - Port Orleans French Quarter, August 2011

A Year Ago

Well it's the 20th August today and I got to thinking about what I will be doing this time next year - any guesses? ;)

So then I thought about what I was doing this time last year...

365 Mickey - 20th August 2011

...well we spent the day cooling off from the Florida heat at Disney's Blizzard Beach followed by a game of miniature golf at Winter Summerland Miniature Golf - Winter Course...

 finishing just as a massive thunder storm hit!

Roll on 20th August 2013!!

Tips

• Having a round, or two, of miniature golf after a day at Blizzard Beach is a great way of drying out before heading back to the hotel on the bus.
• Volunteer one of your party to be official 'carrier of bags' whilst playing golf, this means they get to take all the photos, and capture those important memories, whilst the rest of your party can concentrate on the important tactical golf play - miniature golf is, after all, serious business!  Of course this does mean that you have the perfect excuse to play again another day so that someone else can be the official 'carrier of bags'....
• In the case of a 'tied' game the eldest female member of your party has the final say ;)