so I haven't planned a WDW trip in 9 years. 9 lo-o-o-o-o-ng years.
but I'm getting back into planning mode. I'm reading the guidebooks, visiting the websites.
we are going to have a great trip next summer, i am sure of it!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
what are you reading?
I bought the 2010 Frommer's Guide to WDW, and the 2010 Unofficial Guide to Universal as well as the 2010 Unofficial guide to WDW. Waiting for the 2011 edition of the Birnbaum book -- I used to have the 1998 and 1998 editions, they were fun to use.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Illuminations
the best view of EPCOT's Illuminations?
from a boat under the bridge near France/UK.
we did that in the summer of 2000. that waa the summer we met up with -- Karen, Rickie and Ricke's friend (I forget his name), who wecelebrating Rickie's 21st Birthday. we booked an Illuminations cruise and ordered champagne.
honestly, the view is slightly impaired because of the bridge, but who cared? we sat in comfort, with our snakcs and our drinks, and didn't have to deal with the crowd. it was a marvelous experience.
from a boat under the bridge near France/UK.
we did that in the summer of 2000. that waa the summer we met up with -- Karen, Rickie and Ricke's friend (I forget his name), who wecelebrating Rickie's 21st Birthday. we booked an Illuminations cruise and ordered champagne.
honestly, the view is slightly impaired because of the bridge, but who cared? we sat in comfort, with our snakcs and our drinks, and didn't have to deal with the crowd. it was a marvelous experience.
Monday, August 2, 2010
dance team
Becca did two trips with the dance team, her freshman and sophomore years. those trips were in early March, two weeks before Jen's trips. so, for two years, i got to visit the parks twice in the same motnh.
Becca's trips were ostensibly the same as Jen's -- foru-day stays, All Star Music resort, comeptition in the Milk House. but the dance team coach plans her trips oh-so-differently from te cheer coach. we never travelled as a group except for practice, competition and dinnertime. the moms might be in one park, the kids in another. I have a photo of Becca and me at a dinner theater in Orlando from one of the trips. and I remember going to Bubba Gump's at Citiwalk for one of our dinners. the dance team came home empty-handed from WDW (though they'd do quite well at a different open nationals in Myrtle Beach at the end of March), but the trip was fun nevertheless. a lot of teams from Long Ialnd showed up for this competition, and it was intersting to see them in a different context.
it was during one of these trips that I first got to ride Soarin'. it's a "must-do" for my next trip.
Becca's trips were ostensibly the same as Jen's -- foru-day stays, All Star Music resort, comeptition in the Milk House. but the dance team coach plans her trips oh-so-differently from te cheer coach. we never travelled as a group except for practice, competition and dinnertime. the moms might be in one park, the kids in another. I have a photo of Becca and me at a dinner theater in Orlando from one of the trips. and I remember going to Bubba Gump's at Citiwalk for one of our dinners. the dance team came home empty-handed from WDW (though they'd do quite well at a different open nationals in Myrtle Beach at the end of March), but the trip was fun nevertheless. a lot of teams from Long Ialnd showed up for this competition, and it was intersting to see them in a different context.
it was during one of these trips that I first got to ride Soarin'. it's a "must-do" for my next trip.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
cheerleading!
so when you go to Central Florida for a cheerleading competition ....well, it's not like going on vacation. the focus of the trip is competition -- the team is participating in open nationals. but there's plenty of time for fun, too -- the package always includes admission to a theme park.
Jen's freshman year, the team competeed at Sea World, but stayed at WDW. Jen wasn't competing but went along for the ride.
sophomore year, the team competed at the Hard Rock Theater at Universal's Citiwalk. We did a three-day trip at the end of January. Our package included accomodations at a hotel on International Drive, lunch at the Hard Rock and admission to one park -- the girls chose Islands of Adventure. the girls and the moms went everywhere together! the team had a tradition of doing a stunt in the theme park -- the flyers would do a simple pose, but it would be beautiful. I finally got to ride Spiderman (worth the wait) and I had my first meal in Margaritaville (in my pre-Parrotthead days). and I learned that when you don't "place" but you get a trophy just for participating in a competition, and people see your team walking through the airport and admire your trophy, you don't let on....
junior year -- a four-day trip in mid-March, a different competition. we stayed at All Star Sports and the team competed at the Milk house. Again, we travelled as a pack -- although there was a point where some of the moms (including me) took off for Downtown Disney for a sit-down dinner. The big excitement -- one of the other Long Island teams almost dind't make it to the competition because of the snow storm.
senior year -- the same mid-March trip, only we stayed at the Caribbean Beach. I have a photo of Jen stunting on the beach at Caribbean Beach. More or less the same trip as the previosu year. One memorable meal at Ohana -- I was longing for a stay at the Poly. that was the year one of the flyers broke her angle coming out of a stunt. and that was the year I rode Expedition Everest for the first time.
It was fun hanging with the moms, it was fun watching the competitions. got my taste of the parks here and there, but it wasn't a full vacation.
Jen's freshman year, the team competeed at Sea World, but stayed at WDW. Jen wasn't competing but went along for the ride.
sophomore year, the team competed at the Hard Rock Theater at Universal's Citiwalk. We did a three-day trip at the end of January. Our package included accomodations at a hotel on International Drive, lunch at the Hard Rock and admission to one park -- the girls chose Islands of Adventure. the girls and the moms went everywhere together! the team had a tradition of doing a stunt in the theme park -- the flyers would do a simple pose, but it would be beautiful. I finally got to ride Spiderman (worth the wait) and I had my first meal in Margaritaville (in my pre-Parrotthead days). and I learned that when you don't "place" but you get a trophy just for participating in a competition, and people see your team walking through the airport and admire your trophy, you don't let on....
junior year -- a four-day trip in mid-March, a different competition. we stayed at All Star Sports and the team competed at the Milk house. Again, we travelled as a pack -- although there was a point where some of the moms (including me) took off for Downtown Disney for a sit-down dinner. The big excitement -- one of the other Long Island teams almost dind't make it to the competition because of the snow storm.
senior year -- the same mid-March trip, only we stayed at the Caribbean Beach. I have a photo of Jen stunting on the beach at Caribbean Beach. More or less the same trip as the previosu year. One memorable meal at Ohana -- I was longing for a stay at the Poly. that was the year one of the flyers broke her angle coming out of a stunt. and that was the year I rode Expedition Everest for the first time.
It was fun hanging with the moms, it was fun watching the competitions. got my taste of the parks here and there, but it wasn't a full vacation.
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