Late last year we discussed going to Disney World again. Jo's cousin Bobbie and husband Warren were planing on taking their girls, Hannah and Madison, down to the 'World' for the first time in May. We thought that we'd join them and make it a more relaxing time than out first trip. Then we had all our drama with my work extension and work permit renewals and it looked like we wouldn't get our new permits until June, meaning that we couldn't leave Canada and expect to get back in. So Disney looked like a lost cause and we didn't make any plans. Then in April a minor miracle occurred and our new permits came back in record time, we could think about going to Disney again. Without telling the kids we booked everything and made all our plans in secret, telling teachers and other parents what was going on where necessary. Jasmine had a basketball tournament one Wednesday evening and after winning the bronze medal we started to drive them home... well not quite. Instead to took off down the expressway to Buffalo. The kids thought that the trip was a little long.. after an hour they were asking were we were going and just before the border we told them we wouldn't be home for more than a week, next stop was the Magic Kingdom. At this point they were all very tired but still freaked out.
We spent the night at a Buffalo airport hotel, left the car in the lot and took a flight the next morning to Orlando. Daily temps in the 30's were a sweet change for these Aussies after one of the longest and toughest winters Toronto has served up in recent memory. Rather than stay at a resort hotel as we did last time we rented a vacation home about 20 minutes from the theme parks. It cost only a little more than a hotel stay but gave us heaps of room and the bonus of our own pool and spa in the back yard. It also meant that we could do our own meals easily and having a BBQ too gave us the taste of summer we've been missing for so long.
We went back to all the theme parks but this time we only did the things we either missed or really enjoyed the last time. First on the list was Rock'n'Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios, Jo was the only one who got to ride that the last time due to the girls backing out at the last minute and Cam being too short to ride. Not this time though, we all rode and the girls went twice. It's a pretty cool ride, rather than slowly ratchet you up a steep incline to start you off this coaster uses an aircraft carrier catapult to get you from 0-100 in 3 seconds and then loops and flips you, it changes your hairstyle.
Cam was right on the height limit to ride everything, 48 inches, so this time he rode everything at least once, the Expedition Everest coaster twice. Surprisingly the last Disney trip he rode Tower of Terror, a drop ride, and didn't blink an eyelid, this time he was a lot more scared. I think he had a better idea of what was going on and it freaked him out a lot more, last time he didn't realize he was dropping 14 stories in zero-G.
Above are Hannah, Cam, Abbie, Jazz, Madison and Katie in front of the iconic Cinderella castle in Magic Kingdom. Most days had us at a park early and home just after lunch for a dip in the pool. I can definitely say that it was relaxing this time around, last time was almost a living hell at the 'happiest place on earth'. We spent 3 days at water parks so I hope the kids have had their fill of water slides for a while. The surf pool at Typhoon Lagoon serves up 6 foot waves and I was able to body surf a decent distance to shore which was pretty cool seeing as I haven't been in any kind of surf for 3 years.
Mothers Day we spent shopping at the outlet malls and Jo picked up a swag of bargains. The US really knows how to serve up the shopping and we came home with a suitcase of new shoes. My VISA is actually not too badly damaged though, the exchange rate is a lot more favourable these days although the price of gas/petrol is stinging the locals, they have to pay almost $1 a litre these days themselves, unheard of. Now we're back in Oakville and were welcomed by 10 degree weather and a biting wind, sheesh. Where the heck did spring go?
Andy, out.
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