We've just returned from a whirlwind trip to Orlando, Florida!! This was our 4th trip to Walt Disney World over the past 12 years, and probably was one of our favorite now that we are without strollers, hand holding, naps, and the like. We arrived late on a Thursday and left mid-afternoon on the following Monday so, as you can see, it was a quick jaunt across the country and back .......
But oh -- so very worth it.
We are not big Disney Fans (at least not post-1975) so it probably makes you wonder why we love it here. The warmth (average temperature of this trip was 72ยบ), the green, the flowers, the food, the cleanliness (this one is for me), the fact that there is something for everyone, and the comfort of knowing what to expect all equal to a fun family vacation.
We enjoy staying at a Disney resort -- Old Key West being our favorite. It is family oriented, has several pools (one with a slide), playgrounds, an affordable family restaurant onsite, lots of walking trails, tennis courts, bikes to rent, and a canal that you can boat on -- not to mention a great 2 bedroom suite that fits our needs perfectly! This is the view from our back porch. The water birds here are amazing and always so fun to watch. There were also a surprising number of birds of prey including a bald eagle pair that we spotted right after leaving the airport!
We always rent one of these huge family bikes and enjoy a ride around the resort at least once. It has a big bell hanging from it which Isabelle loves to ring to warn those walking around us. Thirty minutes on this thing is all it takes to have your legs completely stiff from the effort! :-)
This year we didn't spend the money to rent a boat, but have in the past and always enjoy it. We do enjoy going to a couple of the nearby parks. Epcot is our overall favorite and where we spend the most time -- split between the educational areas, the few rides (all educational in nature), and the World Showcase where several countries have created small villages with stores, restaurants, and entertainment for passersby to enjoy. This time we spent most of our time in France, Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, Italy, and of course America. My highlight this trip (which was Josiah's as well) was watching the Fife/Drum corps at the American pavilion followed by a delightful performance by the Liberty Singers inside the replica of Independence Hall (wow -- these folks can sing!! Brought tears to my eyes!). This was such a patriotic performance that was God-honoring in more ways than one that our family was deeply touched.
This probably goes down as one of the worst pictures of my normally photogenic daughter, but I had to include it because of the happy memory it symbolizes. One of Joe's and my favorite parts of Disney's World Showcase is the food. Each country imports not only its own chefs but also its own waiters and entertainers. This means authentic, incredible-tasting food (as well as fabulously handsome native-speaking waiters! :-) Our hands-down favorite is the restaurant in Italy (at which we gorged ourselves on out-of-this world Fettucine Alfredo and vanilla gelato) but we also really enjoy the restaurant in Mexico -- made especially memorable this year when I shared the surprise I have planned for Joe's 45th birthday -- you'll have to wait and see!
We also enjoy Wild Animal Kingdom where we took a half hour tour of their wildlife preserve and saw hippos, rhinos, giraffes, crocodiles, and countless other birds and animals up close and personal. Although only spending about 4 hours total in the Magic Kingdom (too many people!!), Isabelle got a couple of rides on Space Mountain -- her favorite roller coaster; and we enjoyed two of their famed fireworks shows two evenings in a row. By far, my favorite day is the one we just hang out at "home," swimming and playing tennis, going for walks, and relaxing together with no hurry to go or do anything. This sort of day is just what we need on occasion. What a blessing to have it in the Florida sunshine!! We're still ........
counting our blessings.
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