Florida Trip - Part 2 - Orlando
Dec. 25th, 2008 09:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akaihyoOur continuing adventures to the wilds (?) of Florida.
The drive to Orlando started out on I-10 which travels along the top of Florida, the quiet, lonely part of Florida. It was amazing how little there was to see along I-10, once we hit the junction of I-75 it was all different, stuff everywhere and lots of bill boards. Then onto Florida's Turnpike, a toll road which was new. On the drive, we saw in the distance the huge fireworks show over the Magic Kingdom.
We made it to our hotel, Disney's All Star Music Resort, which is wonderful. We were in the Rock Inn section which had massive mock guitars and a (decorative) '57 Chevy right outside our room. We got in late so the hotel's food court closed before we could get something to eat but they have pizza delivery to the rooms until midnight, so we had pizza! (It was OK but overpriced.)
Up early the next morning, I went over to find out what was going on with park assess and such. Our electronic key cards for our rooms also acted as our park passes. I picked up a pair of souvenir mugs, which were free to refill at the resort and brought coffee back.
Then we headed into the park (via bus from the resort). Arriving at the Magic Kingdom, we had breakfast at the Crystal Palace, an excellent buffet (best scrambled eggs I have ever had), it is also a character restaurant so we had visits from the Pooh characters, Pooh Bear, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.
Then, rides! Starting with Pirates, but hitting all the high points: Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain. Laura was very brave. Met up with my father, my sister and her friend Dorothy, and we watched the lights on the castle be lit (which is quite an amazing sight). Then back to our room and Laura crashed right out, I stayed up and got some postcards ready.
Again, up earlyish, fetched coffee and off to the Magic Kingdom. Rode the monorail first thing. Then had a less expensive breakfast at the bakery on Main Street and off into the park. Hit up some of the rides we missed the day before: Small World, Peter Pan adventure, the railroad. My father joined us again and we watched a parade, the castle lighting (again) and another parade. Since we were staying at a Disney resort, we got to stay after the park was closed as late as midnight (but we left at 10pm since we were dead on our feet).
Our favorite attraction was the Haunted Mansion, which we went on five times, and is even better after dark. But Pirates rated a close second (at four visits). While I do not like aspects of the Disney corporation, they do know how to run a theme park.
Next morning, up not quite as early. I fetched coffee and we finished postcards and packing and headed home. Leaving at 9:30am, we made it back home by 8pm, not too bad.
And thus ended out trip to Florida. Much fun was had by all.
The drive to Orlando started out on I-10 which travels along the top of Florida, the quiet, lonely part of Florida. It was amazing how little there was to see along I-10, once we hit the junction of I-75 it was all different, stuff everywhere and lots of bill boards. Then onto Florida's Turnpike, a toll road which was new. On the drive, we saw in the distance the huge fireworks show over the Magic Kingdom.
We made it to our hotel, Disney's All Star Music Resort, which is wonderful. We were in the Rock Inn section which had massive mock guitars and a (decorative) '57 Chevy right outside our room. We got in late so the hotel's food court closed before we could get something to eat but they have pizza delivery to the rooms until midnight, so we had pizza! (It was OK but overpriced.)
Up early the next morning, I went over to find out what was going on with park assess and such. Our electronic key cards for our rooms also acted as our park passes. I picked up a pair of souvenir mugs, which were free to refill at the resort and brought coffee back.
Then we headed into the park (via bus from the resort). Arriving at the Magic Kingdom, we had breakfast at the Crystal Palace, an excellent buffet (best scrambled eggs I have ever had), it is also a character restaurant so we had visits from the Pooh characters, Pooh Bear, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.
Then, rides! Starting with Pirates, but hitting all the high points: Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain. Laura was very brave. Met up with my father, my sister and her friend Dorothy, and we watched the lights on the castle be lit (which is quite an amazing sight). Then back to our room and Laura crashed right out, I stayed up and got some postcards ready.
Again, up earlyish, fetched coffee and off to the Magic Kingdom. Rode the monorail first thing. Then had a less expensive breakfast at the bakery on Main Street and off into the park. Hit up some of the rides we missed the day before: Small World, Peter Pan adventure, the railroad. My father joined us again and we watched a parade, the castle lighting (again) and another parade. Since we were staying at a Disney resort, we got to stay after the park was closed as late as midnight (but we left at 10pm since we were dead on our feet).
Our favorite attraction was the Haunted Mansion, which we went on five times, and is even better after dark. But Pirates rated a close second (at four visits). While I do not like aspects of the Disney corporation, they do know how to run a theme park.
Next morning, up not quite as early. I fetched coffee and we finished postcards and packing and headed home. Leaving at 9:30am, we made it back home by 8pm, not too bad.
And thus ended out trip to Florida. Much fun was had by all.