Friday travel

First of all, a photo from our trip to Pleasure Island on Thursday evening. The boys had a great time - especially at the Lego store where there's lots of things to play with - and, of course, they got gifts to bring home too - just as well Scott and Lucy packed an extra suitcase!

We dined at the Italian Portobello restaurant.


On Friday morning, Lucy drove us to the airport - no problems - everything went smoothly. We had a couple of hours in Salt Lake City - time for a couple of beers in Finnigan's and it gave me a chance to see a bit of the Open.

We picked up Lucy's car at Medford and drove back to Delsie Drive (via Albertson's to stock up). Had a dip in the pool and waited - eventually Lucy phoned to say their plane had technical problems and had been delayed. After some to-ing and fro-ing, they eventually got put up at the Hyatt right in the centre of Orlando airport - and past security - just a 5 minute stroll to their gate in the morning.

This was a great outcome for them - far better than arriving in Las Vegas in the early hours of the morning and having to look for somewhere to stay there. This way, they'll arrive here refreshed and well on Saturday afternoon - via Phoenix - and it saved me having to go and pick them up at Medford at 2 or 3 am this morning!

Thursday

Our last full day - what to do? In the end, Jo and I stayed at the ranch whilst the rest headed off to Typhoon Lagoon, where they stayed until the usual mid afternoon klaxons (remember them all those years ago?). The bonus was that they got back here quite early - armed with Key Lime Pie - Jo's favourite!

Probably go Downtown Disney tonight for something to eat - then it's an early rise - Lucy will drive us to the airport. In return, I have to drive from Grants Pass to Medford airport at about 3 am to pick them up!

Tuesday

It was theme park time again yesterday (Tuesday) - this time Epcot. Another tropical downpour late afternoon meant donning the ponchos again and we were back at the ranch not long after 6pm.


Stars of stage and screen yesterday were Braeden, Cade and Lucy. The video clip shows Lucy and Cade on stage at the Velcro show - yes, Velcro - everything is sponsored here - even at Disney.

Imagination was popular - Jo may have retired but she was still in her element showing the kids what to do:

- and that was Tuesday. Wednesday was, for once, a slightly earlier start - we'd promised ourselves that we would be up and out by 8:30 latest every day to get the best of the weather and beat the crowds - but have failed miserably so far. Today was better, however, but we still managed to spend all day at the Animal Kingdom and not do anything else - but that was fine with us all.

Cade voted Animal Kingdom 2nd best park - just behind the Magic Kingdom. The boys enjoyed the greeting when they arrived:

Braeden was too small for the Everest ride, but we took a photo anyway:

Pizza, Bombay gin and beers in the evening - and off to bed by 10 - hopefully!

Monday

Yesterday was a quiet day as Jo wasn't feeling well - she slept most of the day, but she's fine again this morning.

Scott and I took the opportunity to nip down to Ginn Reunion, which is the location for our golf trip in November. It looks very nice indeed - Scott took this photo of me in front of the driving range:

Scott, Cade, Lucy and Braeden went to the pool in the afternoon - it was a lovely day. In the evening, we went to Red Lobster - excellent shrimp, scallops and lobster - and a really nice place.

Epcot is on the agenda for today - if the boys ever get up! Perhaps a water park later if the usual afternoon storms don't materialise.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Day 2 was spent at Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM). My ankle was still sore and I was going to have to hobble around. I tried at the start but it was obvious I would just be making my ankle worse - Jo suggested we get a wheelchair - it was the best $10 we ever spent - at least for me - pity about Jo, Lucy and Scott having to push me around! The good side for everyone, however, was that we all got to go in the disabled entrances and bypass the lines! What a fraud I felt!:



This park is primarily for adults and teenagers - not as good as the Magic Kingdom for younger kids. It does, however, have two of the very best rides going - the Tower of Terror and Aerosmith's Rock 'n Roller Coaster. We couldn't get Jo to go on either and Braeden was too small for the latter. On the Tower of Terror, all I could hear was Braeden asking his Mummy to get them to stop it! It's pretty awesome when they take you up in the lift and then just let it drop - and then again and again.

The acceleration on the Rock 'n Roller Coaster is fantastic and Cade bawled all the way through it - I thought he would have wet himself - but he held on OK! He was fine afterwards and happily posed for photos with his brother:

More rain yesterday but it didn't really affect us. We went back to our complex and freshened up in the pool:

We had planned to go out for seafood in the evening but then another storm broke and Scott went for a nap before we got pizza delivered to our rooms. Don't know if this was natural or whether Mickey was "planted"!:

Beautiful morning today (Tuesday) - but Jo's not feeling well, so I guess I'll hang around here - not sure what the Lesinas are doing - the boys are still asleep.

Magic Kingdom

Jo and I decided to go for a stroll round the site whilst we waited for the Lesinas to awake:

One of Lucy's patients had made up Disney t-shirts for the boys - and ones for Lucy and Jo too:

Boo - hoo - Scott and I felt left out!

Well, they did eventually get up, and, despite the forecasts, Cade insisted we went to Disney - so the Magic Kingdom it was. By the time we got there, parked, got transport to the ticketing centre, bought tickets, got the ferry over and entered the park, it was almost noon.

On the round the park train for a stop then got fast passes for Great Thunder Mountain Railway - that was great - even Jo enjoyed it - but then the heavens opened and all the outdoor rides were stopped as there was lightning in the vicinity. We didn't really mind the rain at first but eventually thought it might be prudent to buy rain ponchos. The rain did stop eventually and we did most of the rides - including Jo's favourite Pirates of the Caribbean, which had temporarily broken down earlier. Splash Mountain was great, as was Buzz Lightyear - and the new Monsters Inc laughter show featured me on screen and Cade's joke read out! The only ride to avoid is the old Carousel of the Future - nostalgia only!

Echoing our first family visit to Disney in 1989, we posed in front of Cinderella's Castle:

We didn't get out of Disney and over to TGI Friday's until 10 pm! Back to the apartment at 11 pm - large Bombay Sapphires to heal my aching ankle and off to bed, with the intention of making an early start this morning (Sunday) to avoid any storms.

The adults are now up (8 am Sunday) but no sign of the tired kids yet - patience is a virtue!

A neat little clip of Braeden, who spontaneously broke in to dance yesterday when he heard the Riverdance troupe performing: