Ari is home and resting. We left after a couple of prescription issues (they kepy giving us pills instead of liquid) we made it out. After some traffic we made it home.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Going Home
The drain is out, the IVs are coming off and as soon as we get Ari's prescriptions fixed (we changed prescription providers mid year and that confused the pharmacy) then we can go home. The incision was relatively small compared to what they expected and she's recovering well so they said she was good enough to continue recovering at home. It helps that we live 15 minutes from the hospital. I'll work from home tomorrow with Mom mom Wood watching the girls. We'll let Ari recover for the weekend and at least through Tuesday and then we'll decide what to do from there. It would be great if she was back in school by Wednesday.
Out of Bed
Ari is working her way through her goals. The first was to get her pain under control. So far so good on that. Number two was to go pee. It was a struggle as usual but she finally did that about 10 hours after the deadline the doctors set for her. So we can check that one off. Third, she needs to eat and drink. She had half a pancake this morning and is taking g a little bit of apple juice. She needs to drink more but its a start. Fourth she needs to get up. She screamed a bit but was able to walk to a chair and sit down. She made it without much pain, but she was very scared. She's watching shows on Netflix right now and it looks like she actually just fell asleep I the chair. The main things left are taking the drain off of her back and taking meds orally. She started that but got sick from it. She probably needs more food first. For the drain, there's barely any blood left. We're just waiting for the doctors to take it off. If everything falls perfectly into place we could be out of here tonight. Most likely it will be tomorrow though.
Lily is here today. They were glad to see each other but Lily is a little loud for Ari right now. Luckily she settled down and right now she is taking a nap.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Resting Well
Ari is resting and watching a Hello Kitty DVD from the playroom. She's starting to staw awake longer and is starting to complain about all the wires and tubes hooked up to her, which is a good sign. Now we just need her to start drinking more and go pee. After that if we can get some food into her tomorrow and get her to sit up, we will hopefully be heading home sometime Friday.
In the meantime, if anyone wants to visit feel free at any time tomorrow. Part in the Orleans parking garage and head to the children's center. Take the elevators up to the 10th floor, south entrance, room 18. Hopefully Lily will be allowed up tomorrow. As of right now she is allowed, but that will chamge as soon as the CDC determines there are enough cases of the flu to up their warning levels.
In a Room
We're on Floor 10S, room 18 in the Children's Center. Ari is resting and watching Magic School Bus. She hasn't been awake too much and hasn't had anything to eat or drink, but all the meds upset her stomach.
Our room has a nice view of the harbor and we have the room to ourselves. I'll be hanging here for the nights and Amanda will be going home to see Lily in the evenings. Same routine as always. Lily was two months old when Ari had her first surgery.
Post-op
Ari is in a bed in postop right now. She's sleeping at the moment but was up long enough to say hi. She has the doll she made in pre-op with her. She took it back to surgery amd the nurses held it for her until she was done.
It looks like we'll be goint straight to a room but we're not sure where yet.
Surgery is done.
Dr Ain was just in and told us everything is done and went well. She is still in the OR but the surgery is done. We'll find out soon if she is going to the PICU or to a room. I'll let everyone know what room she is in if we go there. We'll hopefully be able to back and see her soon.
She's in the OR
Ari is back in the OR and asleep now. We'll get a phone call when the surgery has started. It should be started soon and over somewhere around 2 or 2:30.
One more doctor
We just need to have a visit from
anesthesia and then we can go back. They said it would be about 3.5 hours from when they get started.
More prep
We've met with the pain specialists and have gone over the normal procedures such as the meds button. Also there are two new monitors they want us to try. Child life services is here now playing with Ari, letting her play doctor with a big muppet like doll. Ari helped put her to sleep and give her a shot. She's still very nervous about the IV so we've moved past that just to keep her calm. She's doing pretty good and luckily the IVs don't go in until after she is asleep. We'll just have to be ready to calm her down afterwards.
In Pre-op
Ari has had her vitals taken, gotten dressed and picked out a scent for her mask (raspberry). Now we are in the play area. This time they have dolls for the kids to make and take with them which is really nice. She just finished making her doll so now she's playing with toys and watching Rio, which is one of her favorite movies.
In the family waiting area.
We've made it to the hospital and we're waiting for the registration people to come over and get all the paperwork done. Ari is very jumpy but not bad overall. She's playing games and they have Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the TVs in here so she's watching that as well.
Monday, October 14, 2013
36 Hours to Go
We're coming up on the day before surgery. We have all the paperwork ready and the pieces are all in place. We are doing what we can to keep Ari calm and prepare her for this round. I read "Curious George Goes to the Hospital" twice tonight before she went to bed. Hopefully all goes well at school tomorrow and we should be getting some homework to do while she is out.
We are just about ready to head out. I need to pack a few days worth of clothes as I will be staying with her. She'll be in until Saturday most likely. The surgery starts at 10:30 on Wednesday and I'll keep everyone posted here once we get to the hospital around 8:30.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Surgery number 5 prep
It was time to see her doctor anyway, but we had noticed Ari had been complaining about her back more recently. We also thought that the bump on her back was sticking out more and she was playing with it a lot. So, we made her an appointment to see Dr Ain. We got the x-rays done (and that was an ordeal by itself. There are only a few places anywhere near up that do this kind of x-ray AND accept our insurance. Well, the closest one (20 minutes from home) closed. Luckily I found one about that distance away that does these x-rays from 1-4 on most weekdays... Of course I had to take her out of school early to do this, but it needed to get done. If the insurance company was reasonable like our last one was, they would just let us get the x-ray right at the doctor's office on the day of the appointment, while we are waiting for our appointment).
Well, the doctor decided he didn't like how her hooks looked on the x-ray and wanted up to get a CT scan and he would get the surgery scheduled. She needed the surgery anyone, but he wanted to know what he would be up against. After fighting with our health insurance and countless administrators at multiple doctors office, we eventually got the CT scan scheduled... Two weeks later... Thank God it wasn't an emergency.
The CT scan showed the hooks had come loose. The Doctor's explanation was that the part of the spine the hooks were connected to should have grown more than they did. For some reason in Ari that part of her spine is growing at a much too slow pace. Since the bone didn't grow, the hooks no longer had a strong enough place to hold on two and eventually worked their way loose. Therefor another repair needs to be done. This means a much more invasive surgery. They are replacing the hooks with two screws placed into the side of her spine.
The bump on Ari's back seems to get worse by the day and has gotten hard to look at. She really needs to get to surgery soon. It's going to take place on Oct 16 at 10:30. That meant we have to make sure she doesn't eat in the morning. Her surgery is usually at 8:30 but not this time. We have to be there at 8:30 this round. I'll keep everyone posted as to what's happening on the day of surgery here as usual. Until then everyone pray for Ari and the Doctors.
Well, the doctor decided he didn't like how her hooks looked on the x-ray and wanted up to get a CT scan and he would get the surgery scheduled. She needed the surgery anyone, but he wanted to know what he would be up against. After fighting with our health insurance and countless administrators at multiple doctors office, we eventually got the CT scan scheduled... Two weeks later... Thank God it wasn't an emergency.
The CT scan showed the hooks had come loose. The Doctor's explanation was that the part of the spine the hooks were connected to should have grown more than they did. For some reason in Ari that part of her spine is growing at a much too slow pace. Since the bone didn't grow, the hooks no longer had a strong enough place to hold on two and eventually worked their way loose. Therefor another repair needs to be done. This means a much more invasive surgery. They are replacing the hooks with two screws placed into the side of her spine.
The bump on Ari's back seems to get worse by the day and has gotten hard to look at. She really needs to get to surgery soon. It's going to take place on Oct 16 at 10:30. That meant we have to make sure she doesn't eat in the morning. Her surgery is usually at 8:30 but not this time. We have to be there at 8:30 this round. I'll keep everyone posted as to what's happening on the day of surgery here as usual. Until then everyone pray for Ari and the Doctors.
End of Summer Report
It's a little late, but here's the report on the rest of out summer. We did end up going back to Busch Gardens. We went back twice actually. The first time we went back for the summer shows and fireworks. This was Busch Gardens Illuminights, which was wonderful. The girls loved all the shows during the day. There was one in Italy which was more of an acrobatics show. That one ended with confetti cannons shooting paper butterflies everywhere. Ari had quite the collection by the time we left the area. The second show was in Ireland and was a mixture of musicians and acrobatics. It started off with live musicians playing upbeat Celtic style music. That half of the show was great. Then it almost felt like they ran out of songs that they knew and they turned on a mix CD of top 40 songs. The musicians danced at this point, or clapped along. Nothing too interesting. The acrobats went from really interesting and fun routines to more dance based routines. Overall the second half fell flat, but the girls loved the first half. Lily danced to one or two songs in the second half and Ari just lost interest. The show was still worth seeing, but if we went back I would have left when the second half started.
The fireworks were outstanding and worth staying for, but the girls passed out not long after they were done. The park was lit up all over the place and it was beautiful. There were fun statues all over the part and the girls lived all of them. Overall, another great trip to Busch Gardens. We got in all of their favorite rides and got to say hi to Elmo and Grover from a distance.
Our last trip to Busch Gardens was over Labor Day Weekend. My parents went with us this time. We stayed in Richmond on Friday night and got a good start on Saturday. There was some shore traffic but it wasn't too bad. We made it to the park with plenty of time to take everything in. Some of the rides and shows were shut down in preparation for their upcoming Halloween events. The only real disappointment was the Celtic Fyre show (Irish Dancing) was closed for the season. Flights over Europe was closed as well, which my parents probably would have loved. Some of the Halloween props were in place and the kids got a kick out of all of the pumpkins everywhere.
We spent two days in the park, taking our time and trying to get everything in. No coasters on this trip, but we did see all of the shows that were open and rode just about everything else. The kids of course made their way through their list of favorites and on Saturday they were able to get into the two water play areas. On Sunday night we had the kids say goodbye to the park for the year, which was a bit sad for them. We promised we would try to get back again next year which cheered them up a bit. At this point they were really tired anyway (and so was everyone else) so we all headed back to the hotel.
Labor Day was spent mostly driving. After breakfast my parent drove home and we drove to Frederick. It was the last Keys game of the year and we still had $20 worth of play tickets left for the fun zone. Plus, we did want to get one more game in before it ended for the year. The kids had a blast with all those tickets and we really didn't watch much of the game, but Ari got to see Keyote one more time and that made her happy.
That was pretty much it for the summer. After that it was back to school (Really that was the week before. Ari had already finished her first week of Kindergarten. That's a whole other topic there.) and time to head back and see her back doctor.
The fireworks were outstanding and worth staying for, but the girls passed out not long after they were done. The park was lit up all over the place and it was beautiful. There were fun statues all over the part and the girls lived all of them. Overall, another great trip to Busch Gardens. We got in all of their favorite rides and got to say hi to Elmo and Grover from a distance.
Our last trip to Busch Gardens was over Labor Day Weekend. My parents went with us this time. We stayed in Richmond on Friday night and got a good start on Saturday. There was some shore traffic but it wasn't too bad. We made it to the park with plenty of time to take everything in. Some of the rides and shows were shut down in preparation for their upcoming Halloween events. The only real disappointment was the Celtic Fyre show (Irish Dancing) was closed for the season. Flights over Europe was closed as well, which my parents probably would have loved. Some of the Halloween props were in place and the kids got a kick out of all of the pumpkins everywhere.
We spent two days in the park, taking our time and trying to get everything in. No coasters on this trip, but we did see all of the shows that were open and rode just about everything else. The kids of course made their way through their list of favorites and on Saturday they were able to get into the two water play areas. On Sunday night we had the kids say goodbye to the park for the year, which was a bit sad for them. We promised we would try to get back again next year which cheered them up a bit. At this point they were really tired anyway (and so was everyone else) so we all headed back to the hotel.
Labor Day was spent mostly driving. After breakfast my parent drove home and we drove to Frederick. It was the last Keys game of the year and we still had $20 worth of play tickets left for the fun zone. Plus, we did want to get one more game in before it ended for the year. The kids had a blast with all those tickets and we really didn't watch much of the game, but Ari got to see Keyote one more time and that made her happy.
That was pretty much it for the summer. After that it was back to school (Really that was the week before. Ari had already finished her first week of Kindergarten. That's a whole other topic there.) and time to head back and see her back doctor.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Day 9 Trip Home
Bay Bridge/Tunnel, Salisbury Zoo
We started off the day with a drive over to Virginia Beach. Unfortunately, it was raining so we never made it to the beach. We did walk around the shops for a little while, but didn't spend too much time there. We'll try to get back there another year when we go to this area again. It just didn't work out this year.
Next up was the Bay Bridge/Tunnel. It was cheaper than I expected at only $12 to get across. We stopped at the rest center and let the girls look out over the water and we grabbed them a hot dog. Lily had a great time watching all the water. Ari was ready for the trip to be over and just wanted to rest.
After getting to the Eastern Shore, we decided we were going to stop in Salisbury. I had found a little zoo there years ago that I like to visit when I'm in the area. We had never had the kids there so we thought they would enjoy it. The weather was raining off and on and when we got there it had stopped. Most of the paths were flooded but we were still able to see most of it by just carefully choosing our paths. The kids loved seeing all the birds. especially the flamingos. It's a very small zoo right along a river in the middle of a park. If you didn't know it was there you could be walking down a path by the river and be in the zoo before you realized it. Right in the middle of a nice neighborhood. It's a very interesting setup and free to wander.
When the weather started turning bad again, we headed out. We didn't make any other major stops on the way home. Mostly food and bathroom breaks and a stop or two to stretch. Everyone was tired once we got home as it was getting late and we had been in the car most of the day so we got everything into the house and rested, getting to bed early.
Since we all have tickets that are good all summer (and mine is good until next year), we decided we would go back to see the summer shows that we missed by one night. There are fireworks and shows in all of the different countries. The girls were excited to hear we were going back, even if only for a day or two.
We started off the day with a drive over to Virginia Beach. Unfortunately, it was raining so we never made it to the beach. We did walk around the shops for a little while, but didn't spend too much time there. We'll try to get back there another year when we go to this area again. It just didn't work out this year.
Next up was the Bay Bridge/Tunnel. It was cheaper than I expected at only $12 to get across. We stopped at the rest center and let the girls look out over the water and we grabbed them a hot dog. Lily had a great time watching all the water. Ari was ready for the trip to be over and just wanted to rest.
After getting to the Eastern Shore, we decided we were going to stop in Salisbury. I had found a little zoo there years ago that I like to visit when I'm in the area. We had never had the kids there so we thought they would enjoy it. The weather was raining off and on and when we got there it had stopped. Most of the paths were flooded but we were still able to see most of it by just carefully choosing our paths. The kids loved seeing all the birds. especially the flamingos. It's a very small zoo right along a river in the middle of a park. If you didn't know it was there you could be walking down a path by the river and be in the zoo before you realized it. Right in the middle of a nice neighborhood. It's a very interesting setup and free to wander.
When the weather started turning bad again, we headed out. We didn't make any other major stops on the way home. Mostly food and bathroom breaks and a stop or two to stretch. Everyone was tired once we got home as it was getting late and we had been in the car most of the day so we got everything into the house and rested, getting to bed early.
Since we all have tickets that are good all summer (and mine is good until next year), we decided we would go back to see the summer shows that we missed by one night. There are fireworks and shows in all of the different countries. The girls were excited to hear we were going back, even if only for a day or two.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Day 8 Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Yankee Candle Store
Busch Gardens, Michael W. Smith Pictures
Last day at the park. Last day at the pool. It was a bit of a sad day, but a good one overall. We started with some breakfast and a trip to the huge Yankee Candle store. It was broken up in to several large sections with different themes. The kids of course loved the Christmas area. Santa was wandering around in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts greeting the kids. It snowed now and then and there were plenty of things to see. In the main lobby area there was a clock that would open up and put on a show with mechanical animals which kept the kids enthralled for a while. They loved the fountain and Ari loved smelling the candles. We bought a couple of clearance candles (Orange-cicle and Hawaiian Melon) and headed out.
We were not going to the park until late. We had tickets so see Michael W. Smith at 7:00 in the park and we didn't want to wear out the kids before the show. We headed over to the pool and the kids found a friend with a lot of pool toys. This kept them occupied for quite a while and we relaxed as best we could. If we didn't have the concert that night, we probably would have ended up back at the pool. They were showing Rio poolside that night and the kids love that movie.
We didn't get to the park until almost 3:00. We told the kids to pick a few rides they really wanted to ride one last time. They rode the boats, lady bugs, Bert and Ernie's Lock Adventure (I know I keep switching their names. Of course Ari calls them Ernie and Bernie so I could keep doing that), the Little Clydes (kiddie horses) and the little balloons which had become a favorite at this point as well. We also hit the Lorikeet Glen again as the kids really were getting a kick out of seeing the birds close up. I did have one land on my shoulder this time. The photographer there said it was funny, but that one bird only ever seemed to land on redheads. The bird had a red tuft on its head as well which I though was funny. She took a few pics and we headed out.
It was getting close to showtime and the line was huge to get in. Luckily we had reserved seating and decided to go get some dinner. We were going to get food at Trappers but the bugs were horrible so it was back to the Festhaus. I got a corned beef sandwich which was great once I took off the Swiss cheese. Luckily I noticed it or we wouldn't have been going to the concert. It makes me sick. After seeing part of "This is Oktoberfest" we headed for the show.
The show was great. We ended up sitting next to another family who also had a daughter names Ariana (even spelled the same way). The mother kept Ari occupied with various tasks throughout the time we were there which we were extremely thankful for. I only know a small number of Michael W. Smith songs so I could only sing along to so many of them, but it was a wonderful concert. It was a wonderful crowd and everyone was cheering and singing. I was glad we ended up making this. It was a great experience and a fun time. We left around 8:30 before the concert was over (we missed the encores, if there were any) and the kids were starting to get really tired.
The one sky ride from France to Germany was right outside the concert. We took that and walked to the exit from there. While passing through Italy we let the kids ride one more ride. The Little Balloons. This was the last ride for the trip. We headed out and back to the room. We finished packing up and went off to bed.
Busch Gardens, Michael W. Smith Pictures
Last day at the park. Last day at the pool. It was a bit of a sad day, but a good one overall. We started with some breakfast and a trip to the huge Yankee Candle store. It was broken up in to several large sections with different themes. The kids of course loved the Christmas area. Santa was wandering around in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts greeting the kids. It snowed now and then and there were plenty of things to see. In the main lobby area there was a clock that would open up and put on a show with mechanical animals which kept the kids enthralled for a while. They loved the fountain and Ari loved smelling the candles. We bought a couple of clearance candles (Orange-cicle and Hawaiian Melon) and headed out.
We were not going to the park until late. We had tickets so see Michael W. Smith at 7:00 in the park and we didn't want to wear out the kids before the show. We headed over to the pool and the kids found a friend with a lot of pool toys. This kept them occupied for quite a while and we relaxed as best we could. If we didn't have the concert that night, we probably would have ended up back at the pool. They were showing Rio poolside that night and the kids love that movie.
We didn't get to the park until almost 3:00. We told the kids to pick a few rides they really wanted to ride one last time. They rode the boats, lady bugs, Bert and Ernie's Lock Adventure (I know I keep switching their names. Of course Ari calls them Ernie and Bernie so I could keep doing that), the Little Clydes (kiddie horses) and the little balloons which had become a favorite at this point as well. We also hit the Lorikeet Glen again as the kids really were getting a kick out of seeing the birds close up. I did have one land on my shoulder this time. The photographer there said it was funny, but that one bird only ever seemed to land on redheads. The bird had a red tuft on its head as well which I though was funny. She took a few pics and we headed out.
It was getting close to showtime and the line was huge to get in. Luckily we had reserved seating and decided to go get some dinner. We were going to get food at Trappers but the bugs were horrible so it was back to the Festhaus. I got a corned beef sandwich which was great once I took off the Swiss cheese. Luckily I noticed it or we wouldn't have been going to the concert. It makes me sick. After seeing part of "This is Oktoberfest" we headed for the show.
The show was great. We ended up sitting next to another family who also had a daughter names Ariana (even spelled the same way). The mother kept Ari occupied with various tasks throughout the time we were there which we were extremely thankful for. I only know a small number of Michael W. Smith songs so I could only sing along to so many of them, but it was a wonderful concert. It was a wonderful crowd and everyone was cheering and singing. I was glad we ended up making this. It was a great experience and a fun time. We left around 8:30 before the concert was over (we missed the encores, if there were any) and the kids were starting to get really tired.
The one sky ride from France to Germany was right outside the concert. We took that and walked to the exit from there. While passing through Italy we let the kids ride one more ride. The Little Balloons. This was the last ride for the trip. We headed out and back to the room. We finished packing up and went off to bed.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Day 7 Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Busch Gardens Pictures
We got up and went over to the resort pool. We spent about an hour over there and decided to head to the part to finish out the few things we had left on our list. We started off with a trip to Ireland. It was already after lunch by the time we got to the park so we decided to hit Celtic Fyre, which is a song and Celtic dancing show. I really liked this one. I wish we has seen it earlier as I would have gone back a few times. The kids clapped along and Lily danced. This show has been here for years and I've never gone over to see it. It was good to finally get there and see what I've been missing.
The girls were tired at this point in the week so we decided to make it a very short day. We did the normal round of boats, lady bugs, Little Clydes and Ernie and Bert's Loch Adventure. We took a ride on the train and sky ride to cut down on the walking and avoid the rain. The girls definitely needed a break so we only ended up spending about three hours in the park total and we left to let the girls get to bed early. Ari passed out fairly quick and Lily had her normal burst of energy before bed and eventually crashed. A short day with some needed rest.
We got up and went over to the resort pool. We spent about an hour over there and decided to head to the part to finish out the few things we had left on our list. We started off with a trip to Ireland. It was already after lunch by the time we got to the park so we decided to hit Celtic Fyre, which is a song and Celtic dancing show. I really liked this one. I wish we has seen it earlier as I would have gone back a few times. The kids clapped along and Lily danced. This show has been here for years and I've never gone over to see it. It was good to finally get there and see what I've been missing.
The girls were tired at this point in the week so we decided to make it a very short day. We did the normal round of boats, lady bugs, Little Clydes and Ernie and Bert's Loch Adventure. We took a ride on the train and sky ride to cut down on the walking and avoid the rain. The girls definitely needed a break so we only ended up spending about three hours in the park total and we left to let the girls get to bed early. Ari passed out fairly quick and Lily had her normal burst of energy before bed and eventually crashed. A short day with some needed rest.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Day 6 Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Busch Gardens Pictures
We decided to start the day with some shopping. We hit the outlets and got a few things we needed and a few we didn't. I picked up some of my favorite peach salsa and the kids got some clothes. Afterwards it was back to the parks.
Today was another water day. We started again in the Sesame Street water play area. We spent a while there and rode Ernie and Bert's Loch Adventure. The ride operator tried to keep Ari off of the ride since she was in her bathing suit shorts and not regular shorts but said she would let her on this time. This was the only time we had any issues with a worker here. Also, Ari went on plenty of other rides in her bathing suit. Not to mention this was a water ride, so that made it even weirder.
Then it was back to the Land of the Dragons and the water play area there. This time Lily was awake and she had a blast. She loved the one fountain she could climb up. Sort of a little, multicolored volcano. We spent a while there before once again going on the boats and lady bugs. Then it was off for a late lunch.
We made our way over to the Festhaus again as we wanted to see Entwined. Not a bad show. From what I understand it was horrible last year but Busch Gardens brought in some outside people to rewrite it. It was seriously cheesy but funny. The basic premise is that its a long lost Grimm fairy tale. It also has a real heavy, obvious moral to it which they come right out and tell you. Good for the kids I guess. Overall though not a bad show and something I'll probably go back to see it next time we're in BG, but it wasn't something we went back to see on this trip.
After lunch we wandered around, hitting some kiddie rides and making our way over to the Italian area. We took the train over. Our goal was to hit a few smaller rides we had yet to try and then go to the Roman Rapids. Instead, a thunderstorm hit and all the rides in the park were shut down. We waited around for a while and eventually decided to call it an early day. We headed back to the resort and let kids watch a few show before going to bed.
We decided to start the day with some shopping. We hit the outlets and got a few things we needed and a few we didn't. I picked up some of my favorite peach salsa and the kids got some clothes. Afterwards it was back to the parks.
Today was another water day. We started again in the Sesame Street water play area. We spent a while there and rode Ernie and Bert's Loch Adventure. The ride operator tried to keep Ari off of the ride since she was in her bathing suit shorts and not regular shorts but said she would let her on this time. This was the only time we had any issues with a worker here. Also, Ari went on plenty of other rides in her bathing suit. Not to mention this was a water ride, so that made it even weirder.
Then it was back to the Land of the Dragons and the water play area there. This time Lily was awake and she had a blast. She loved the one fountain she could climb up. Sort of a little, multicolored volcano. We spent a while there before once again going on the boats and lady bugs. Then it was off for a late lunch.
We made our way over to the Festhaus again as we wanted to see Entwined. Not a bad show. From what I understand it was horrible last year but Busch Gardens brought in some outside people to rewrite it. It was seriously cheesy but funny. The basic premise is that its a long lost Grimm fairy tale. It also has a real heavy, obvious moral to it which they come right out and tell you. Good for the kids I guess. Overall though not a bad show and something I'll probably go back to see it next time we're in BG, but it wasn't something we went back to see on this trip.
After lunch we wandered around, hitting some kiddie rides and making our way over to the Italian area. We took the train over. Our goal was to hit a few smaller rides we had yet to try and then go to the Roman Rapids. Instead, a thunderstorm hit and all the rides in the park were shut down. We waited around for a while and eventually decided to call it an early day. We headed back to the resort and let kids watch a few show before going to bed.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Day 5 Busch Gardens Williamsburg
We started off the day at one of the many local pancake houses. The Colonial Pancake House. The food was really good there. I got two blueberry pancakes which were excellent. Ari devoured her pancakes.
Next we went back to the resort and spent a while at the pool. Ari went right in and started playing. Lily came in after a little while. We stayed for about an hour before drying off and heading for the park.
It was boiling hot at the park. We didn't bring bathing suits so we did everything else we could to stay cool. We got there around 11:30 and had a goal of hitting at least a couple of shows. We took the skyride to France and wandered over to the More Pet Shenanigans show. Last time I saw a show here it was all about more exotic animals. Not its about household pets and I loved it. A bit cheesy but that was to be expected. It had a lot of cats and dogs, a parrot, a rat, a few ducks and a couple of pigs. All the animals were from shelters. We'll probably be back to see it again before the week is over. Ari couldn't take her eyes off of the show and Lily laughed through the whole thing.
We headed down the hill to Ireland. Amanda and the kids took a break and I went in to Flying Over Europe. Think Soaring' but in a Star Tours like vehicle. Large screen and moving simulator setup. I liked it. It had some nice scenes of various European cities. Plus the building was nice and cold so that was a plus.
After the show, we grabbed a snack a d headed for Germany. On the was at we hit the Little Clyde's and since Ari was asleep Lily got to ride by herself.
The next show we wanted to see was This is Oktoberfest. They no longer have the rising stage and last year they had gotten rid of the show altogether. From what I understand there was a small uprising and they brought it back. It was basically what I remembered. Good German music and dancing. I watched while eating my Sausage Sampler Platter with red cabbage, German potatoes and sauerkraut. Great meal.
I hit DarKastle after dinner. Last time I was on this the ride vehicle broke and I couldn't see 90% of the ride. I could hear it but the vehicle never turned in the right direction to see the screen/scene. This time it worked and it was a really good ride. The 3D was great and the story cheesy, but good.
Next we went to the Land of the Dragons and hit the boats and ladybugs. We then walked over to New France (Canada) and took the train over to Italy. We were planning on hitting the Roman Rapids and maybe a few smaller rides. At this point, a thunderstorm hit and they closed all the rides in the park. We let the storm pass and waited for the rides to open. A few did but nothing we were looking to ride so we headed out a little early.
Next we went back to the resort and spent a while at the pool. Ari went right in and started playing. Lily came in after a little while. We stayed for about an hour before drying off and heading for the park.
It was boiling hot at the park. We didn't bring bathing suits so we did everything else we could to stay cool. We got there around 11:30 and had a goal of hitting at least a couple of shows. We took the skyride to France and wandered over to the More Pet Shenanigans show. Last time I saw a show here it was all about more exotic animals. Not its about household pets and I loved it. A bit cheesy but that was to be expected. It had a lot of cats and dogs, a parrot, a rat, a few ducks and a couple of pigs. All the animals were from shelters. We'll probably be back to see it again before the week is over. Ari couldn't take her eyes off of the show and Lily laughed through the whole thing.
We headed down the hill to Ireland. Amanda and the kids took a break and I went in to Flying Over Europe. Think Soaring' but in a Star Tours like vehicle. Large screen and moving simulator setup. I liked it. It had some nice scenes of various European cities. Plus the building was nice and cold so that was a plus.
After the show, we grabbed a snack a d headed for Germany. On the was at we hit the Little Clyde's and since Ari was asleep Lily got to ride by herself.
The next show we wanted to see was This is Oktoberfest. They no longer have the rising stage and last year they had gotten rid of the show altogether. From what I understand there was a small uprising and they brought it back. It was basically what I remembered. Good German music and dancing. I watched while eating my Sausage Sampler Platter with red cabbage, German potatoes and sauerkraut. Great meal.
I hit DarKastle after dinner. Last time I was on this the ride vehicle broke and I couldn't see 90% of the ride. I could hear it but the vehicle never turned in the right direction to see the screen/scene. This time it worked and it was a really good ride. The 3D was great and the story cheesy, but good.
Next we went to the Land of the Dragons and hit the boats and ladybugs. We then walked over to New France (Canada) and took the train over to Italy. We were planning on hitting the Roman Rapids and maybe a few smaller rides. At this point, a thunderstorm hit and they closed all the rides in the park. We let the storm pass and waited for the rides to open. A few did but nothing we were looking to ride so we headed out a little early.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Day 4 Yorktown, Hampton and Norfolk
We started off the day with some scrambled egg the I cooked up on the portable stove they supply. It worked well enough for us. We got in the car and headed for Yorktown.
We first went to the Yorktown Beach and spent about an hour there. Calm water and a good temperature. Its a fairly small beach more on the river than the ocean. Ari was a little daring and went up to her waist while Lily only got her feet wet.
We drive over to the River Walk which again was pretty small but a nice walk. We got some ice cream at the Ben & Jerry's store. We also stopped by a tropical wine store called River Fruit Tropical Wines and bought some peach wine after trying a few samples. The owner recommended posting it over some cold peaches and letting it sit for a few minutes before drinking, so we'll try that.
Next up we drove to the Jamestown-Scotland ferry. Its a free ferry that wasn't very far out of the way so we wanted to let the kids see it. We were the second to last car on and we left right after we parked. It was a nice trip, although the bathroom was in need of some work. For free though its hard to complain.
We ended up in the middle of nowhere and headed towards Hampton. We went to Buckaroe Beach in Hampton and went out to the water. Ari had a great time and actually went in up to her neck. Lily again just got her feet wet. We played there for a while and would have stayed longer, but they closed the beach after a thunderstorm popper up within sight of the beach. We ran the kids to the car and drove into the city. Am and had found an old carousel built back in the 1920s by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company they we took the kids on after the storm calmed down a little.
Next up was Norfolk. We drove over towards the Norfolk Tides stadium and went past the Norfolk Naval Base on the way. My dad's ship was stationed out of there back in the 70s. They give tours so next time we'll have to build in some time to see it. We made it to the stadium, got some tickets and went in. We were going to try the restaurant, but it was an expensive buffet so we grabbed some nachos and watched the game for a while. Brian Roberts was starting his rehab assignment so we got to see him play. After three innings we wandered around and eventually made it to a bouncy house, which both kids played in. After 5 1/2 innings we left as the sky started looking dark and the kids were getting restless.
It was a nice stadium, but I much prefer the Frederick Keys stadium (and to a lesser degree the Bowie Baysox stadium). The food was pricey and pretty good. About normal for a major league stadium, except this is still the minors.
It took about an hour to get back to the hotel and we all passed our not to long after getting back.
We first went to the Yorktown Beach and spent about an hour there. Calm water and a good temperature. Its a fairly small beach more on the river than the ocean. Ari was a little daring and went up to her waist while Lily only got her feet wet.
We drive over to the River Walk which again was pretty small but a nice walk. We got some ice cream at the Ben & Jerry's store. We also stopped by a tropical wine store called River Fruit Tropical Wines and bought some peach wine after trying a few samples. The owner recommended posting it over some cold peaches and letting it sit for a few minutes before drinking, so we'll try that.
Next up we drove to the Jamestown-Scotland ferry. Its a free ferry that wasn't very far out of the way so we wanted to let the kids see it. We were the second to last car on and we left right after we parked. It was a nice trip, although the bathroom was in need of some work. For free though its hard to complain.
We ended up in the middle of nowhere and headed towards Hampton. We went to Buckaroe Beach in Hampton and went out to the water. Ari had a great time and actually went in up to her neck. Lily again just got her feet wet. We played there for a while and would have stayed longer, but they closed the beach after a thunderstorm popper up within sight of the beach. We ran the kids to the car and drove into the city. Am and had found an old carousel built back in the 1920s by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company they we took the kids on after the storm calmed down a little.
Next up was Norfolk. We drove over towards the Norfolk Tides stadium and went past the Norfolk Naval Base on the way. My dad's ship was stationed out of there back in the 70s. They give tours so next time we'll have to build in some time to see it. We made it to the stadium, got some tickets and went in. We were going to try the restaurant, but it was an expensive buffet so we grabbed some nachos and watched the game for a while. Brian Roberts was starting his rehab assignment so we got to see him play. After three innings we wandered around and eventually made it to a bouncy house, which both kids played in. After 5 1/2 innings we left as the sky started looking dark and the kids were getting restless.
It was a nice stadium, but I much prefer the Frederick Keys stadium (and to a lesser degree the Bowie Baysox stadium). The food was pricey and pretty good. About normal for a major league stadium, except this is still the minors.
It took about an hour to get back to the hotel and we all passed our not to long after getting back.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Day 3 Busch Gardens Williamsburg
We started the day with a trip to the repair shop. We drove over too the Mr Tire (which was actually a Mr Tire owned or partnered shop called ThreadQuarters). I explained what was going on and dropped off the keys. We walked across the street to a McDonalds hoping there was a play area, which there wasn't. So we ate breakfast and waited for the phone call to let us know what was wrong and tried to think of things to do with the kids. As we were sitting there one of the repair guys came over and handed back the keys. All it was was the lug nuts had come loose. They tightened them up, checked out the car and drove it over to us. No charge. The car has been perfect all day since then. Our day has gone really well since then.
We went back to the resort and swam for a while. The girls did great (other than Lily falling in, but she was fine) and had a great time at the pool.
We headed for the park and got put in preferred parking even though we didn't pay for it. Don't know why. We got there around 1:00 and we decided to hit a few roller coasters first. (Well, I hit the coasters and the girls hung out). He took the sky ride to France and I went on Gryphon. Great coaster. Straight down drop and were fast, but very short.
Next over to Germany for Verbolten. I think this is now my favorite coaster in the park. No inversions and not the fastest but more of a story and actually several scenes. Most of it takes place inside and there are a few parts that are extremely unique. I won't spoil it here but there is one bug surprise that just puts it over the top. Hopefully I'll have time to ride it again.
Ari rode some little airplanes next and then we headed back to the Land of the Dragons to ride the boats and ladybugs again. This has become quite the theme in our three days here.
At this point everyone was hot and tired and luckily it was time for our dinner with Elmo. We headed over to Ireland for the dinner. It takes place in the castle that used to host a show. While we were waiting my blood sugar went down to 68. I had an apple sauce that got me through until the meal. They had hot dogs (not bad), Mac and cheese (pretty good), beef stew (good), mozzarella sticks (good), baked potatoes (good) and chicken (good). Overall a decent meal. The desert consisted of cookies, Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes and apple strudel. The strudel was really good. The cookies were standard. The girls ate the icing off the cupcakes but I didn't try them.
We headed out, stopping by the Little Clydes and then home. There is a playground behind our building and the girls played there until it started getting buggy. Then they watched a few shows until it was time for bed. Overall by far the best day we've had. Hopefully it'll keep up.
We went back to the resort and swam for a while. The girls did great (other than Lily falling in, but she was fine) and had a great time at the pool.
We headed for the park and got put in preferred parking even though we didn't pay for it. Don't know why. We got there around 1:00 and we decided to hit a few roller coasters first. (Well, I hit the coasters and the girls hung out). He took the sky ride to France and I went on Gryphon. Great coaster. Straight down drop and were fast, but very short.
Next over to Germany for Verbolten. I think this is now my favorite coaster in the park. No inversions and not the fastest but more of a story and actually several scenes. Most of it takes place inside and there are a few parts that are extremely unique. I won't spoil it here but there is one bug surprise that just puts it over the top. Hopefully I'll have time to ride it again.
Ari rode some little airplanes next and then we headed back to the Land of the Dragons to ride the boats and ladybugs again. This has become quite the theme in our three days here.
At this point everyone was hot and tired and luckily it was time for our dinner with Elmo. We headed over to Ireland for the dinner. It takes place in the castle that used to host a show. While we were waiting my blood sugar went down to 68. I had an apple sauce that got me through until the meal. They had hot dogs (not bad), Mac and cheese (pretty good), beef stew (good), mozzarella sticks (good), baked potatoes (good) and chicken (good). Overall a decent meal. The desert consisted of cookies, Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes and apple strudel. The strudel was really good. The cookies were standard. The girls ate the icing off the cupcakes but I didn't try them.
We headed out, stopping by the Little Clydes and then home. There is a playground behind our building and the girls played there until it started getting buggy. Then they watched a few shows until it was time for bed. Overall by far the best day we've had. Hopefully it'll keep up.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Day 2 Busch Gardens Williamsburg
We packed up the car and headed back to Walmart. I found a cheap camera to get us through the week and for a while after. Working well so far, although the lack of viewfinder is taking some getting used to. We left for Williamsburg after that. The traffic was horrible and the car was getting louder. The front left tire was really clicking and getting me worried. We decided to head to the park and make an appointment to get it looked at the next morning.
It was the last CD at of the food and wine festival and we did make several more stops. First we headed to the Forest of Fun and rode Oscars Wiggly Worms. Amanda and I thought it was great, but the kids didn't really enjoy it. So we got them changed and headed for the water play area. They loved it and we spent quite some time there until they turned the water off. They turn it off to have to Sunny Days Celebration show. We walked over the the Land of the Dragons, stopping in Italy for a quick snack. Ari played in the water over by the dragons for a while as Lily slept. She then rode the boats and ladybugs again.
We headed for Le Scoot ( log flume ) and everyone was able to ride. It was Lily's first big ride and both kids loved it. While in the area I stopped at the Canada food booth and got a venison sausage and a pear cider ale. Both were excellent.
We wandered over to the animal area. I was really looking forward to what had been one of my favorite areas for years. Lorikeet Glen. I was disappointed. I remember there being a lot of birds and walking in with nectar and being swarmed. They encouraged interaction. I have pictures of Amanda covered in birds. Now, it was hard to even find the birds there were so few of them. They tell you to keep away from the birds because they bite. They still sell nectar, but people reach way over and the birds barely take anything. Most birds just ignore it. I used to visit at least once a day and I'm while we'll probably go back its mostly because the girls still loved being that close to the birds.
After the birds it was back to New France (Canada). We got dinner at Trappers Smokehouse with the 50% off coupon we got when we stopped for a snack in Italy. I got the beef brisket which was fatty, but really good and a big portion so even after the fat I still had plenty. I also got a side order of beans which were excellent.
We decided to walk back to the front of the park and snack our way out. We hit Italy and started with tiramisu which was great, but in a plastic cup and very small. Next I hit Greece for some baklava. Good and very sticky. I've had better (from Morocco in Epcot) but it was good. The last of the stops was back in Scotland for some Ginger Beer while the kids rode the Little Clydes again. Again it wasn't too late as we wanted to get to the resort and check in. Of course they wanted us to sign up for a tour, which I'm used to but have gotten good at getting out of. We then headed to our room praying our tire didn't fall off (it was getting really loud). We got set up and eventually got the kids to bed and made an appointment with Mr Tire before heading to bed and trying to get some sleep.
It was the last CD at of the food and wine festival and we did make several more stops. First we headed to the Forest of Fun and rode Oscars Wiggly Worms. Amanda and I thought it was great, but the kids didn't really enjoy it. So we got them changed and headed for the water play area. They loved it and we spent quite some time there until they turned the water off. They turn it off to have to Sunny Days Celebration show. We walked over the the Land of the Dragons, stopping in Italy for a quick snack. Ari played in the water over by the dragons for a while as Lily slept. She then rode the boats and ladybugs again.
We headed for Le Scoot ( log flume ) and everyone was able to ride. It was Lily's first big ride and both kids loved it. While in the area I stopped at the Canada food booth and got a venison sausage and a pear cider ale. Both were excellent.
We wandered over to the animal area. I was really looking forward to what had been one of my favorite areas for years. Lorikeet Glen. I was disappointed. I remember there being a lot of birds and walking in with nectar and being swarmed. They encouraged interaction. I have pictures of Amanda covered in birds. Now, it was hard to even find the birds there were so few of them. They tell you to keep away from the birds because they bite. They still sell nectar, but people reach way over and the birds barely take anything. Most birds just ignore it. I used to visit at least once a day and I'm while we'll probably go back its mostly because the girls still loved being that close to the birds.
After the birds it was back to New France (Canada). We got dinner at Trappers Smokehouse with the 50% off coupon we got when we stopped for a snack in Italy. I got the beef brisket which was fatty, but really good and a big portion so even after the fat I still had plenty. I also got a side order of beans which were excellent.
We decided to walk back to the front of the park and snack our way out. We hit Italy and started with tiramisu which was great, but in a plastic cup and very small. Next I hit Greece for some baklava. Good and very sticky. I've had better (from Morocco in Epcot) but it was good. The last of the stops was back in Scotland for some Ginger Beer while the kids rode the Little Clydes again. Again it wasn't too late as we wanted to get to the resort and check in. Of course they wanted us to sign up for a tour, which I'm used to but have gotten good at getting out of. We then headed to our room praying our tire didn't fall off (it was getting really loud). We got set up and eventually got the kids to bed and made an appointment with Mr Tire before heading to bed and trying to get some sleep.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Day 1 Busch Gardens Williamsburg
We had packed almost everything the night before and were ready to take off in the morning. We left around 8:30 and headed south after grabbing breakfast. Traffic was fairly light as we kept east of the DC beltway and made pretty good time. We went over the Nice Memorial Bridge into Virginia. We stopped at Wawa and filled up one of our tires since it was getting really flat. Its pressure was 16 when it should be 30. So that was fixed and we moved on. Soon after the front right tire started clicking. I was hoping it was minor and we could get it fixed after the trip. So we decided to keep driving.
We made it to Busch Gardens around 1:30 and headed into the park. My annual pass voucher was good enough to get us free parking and we headed in. We traded in our vouchers for real tickets and went into the park.
We started off taking a spin around the park in the train from the Scotland. After the train we ran over to Elmo's Forest of Fun and watched the Sunny Day Celebration. They actually had Grover in the show so that was fun ( they also had Abby, Cookie Monster, Zoe and of course Elmo).
Saturday and Sunday were the last two days of Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival. I started off in Scotland with a Scotch Egg which was pretty good but a little dry. Next we headed towards Italy. On our way through we stopped at the Spain pavilion and grabbed a couple of glasses of Sangria. It was pretty good, but small. Next we headed for Germany.
At this point the kids were asleep. So I took advantage of the time and got some Currywurst and a beer flight (4 beers, probably 4oz each) and took some time drinking those. The sausage was good and the beers ranged from good to excellent. (Spaten Oktoberfest - Excellent, Franziskaner hefe-weisse - very good, Bitburger - good, Kostritzer - very good).
We decided to do the Rhine River boats next. We make our way down the big hill to find stairs at the bottom. Two nice women helped us get both strollers down to the bottom. We woke up the girls and headed on to the boat. While in line, Lily's diaper leaked poop everywhere. After cleaning off the walkway, we made a beeline for the strollers. I put my camera down and we got the kids ready to head back up the hill. At this point, my camera fell of the top of the stroller and hit the concrete, breaking the lens. We headed up and Amanda took Lilly to the bathroom while I took Ari over to the land of the dragons. She rode the boats and the lady bugs. We saw the water play area and took note of that for later (there was one in the Sesame Street section as well).
We headed out around 6:30 and made our way to the hotel in Chesapeake, VA. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel on the way. The hotel was a few blocks away. After checking in we headed for the pool and took a quick swim before heading to bed. Ari had a really hard night which I'm sure had something to do with spending hours in the car. It didn't help that the bed Ari was supposed to have wasn't available as she was expecting. Plus I think the swimming got her a little wired.
We made it to Busch Gardens around 1:30 and headed into the park. My annual pass voucher was good enough to get us free parking and we headed in. We traded in our vouchers for real tickets and went into the park.
We started off taking a spin around the park in the train from the Scotland. After the train we ran over to Elmo's Forest of Fun and watched the Sunny Day Celebration. They actually had Grover in the show so that was fun ( they also had Abby, Cookie Monster, Zoe and of course Elmo).
Saturday and Sunday were the last two days of Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival. I started off in Scotland with a Scotch Egg which was pretty good but a little dry. Next we headed towards Italy. On our way through we stopped at the Spain pavilion and grabbed a couple of glasses of Sangria. It was pretty good, but small. Next we headed for Germany.
At this point the kids were asleep. So I took advantage of the time and got some Currywurst and a beer flight (4 beers, probably 4oz each) and took some time drinking those. The sausage was good and the beers ranged from good to excellent. (Spaten Oktoberfest - Excellent, Franziskaner hefe-weisse - very good, Bitburger - good, Kostritzer - very good).
We decided to do the Rhine River boats next. We make our way down the big hill to find stairs at the bottom. Two nice women helped us get both strollers down to the bottom. We woke up the girls and headed on to the boat. While in line, Lily's diaper leaked poop everywhere. After cleaning off the walkway, we made a beeline for the strollers. I put my camera down and we got the kids ready to head back up the hill. At this point, my camera fell of the top of the stroller and hit the concrete, breaking the lens. We headed up and Amanda took Lilly to the bathroom while I took Ari over to the land of the dragons. She rode the boats and the lady bugs. We saw the water play area and took note of that for later (there was one in the Sesame Street section as well).
We headed out around 6:30 and made our way to the hotel in Chesapeake, VA. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel on the way. The hotel was a few blocks away. After checking in we headed for the pool and took a quick swim before heading to bed. Ari had a really hard night which I'm sure had something to do with spending hours in the car. It didn't help that the bed Ari was supposed to have wasn't available as she was expecting. Plus I think the swimming got her a little wired.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Summer Vacation
It's getting to be that time of year. We're preparing for our trip(s) this summer while Ari is out of school. She starts kindergarten in September so that will be more of a reality starting then. This year we did take her out for a week for our Walt Disney World trip but it gets harder from here. Then in a few years, Lily will be in school too... But getting back to vacation.
We're planning a trip to Virginia. That'll be our big trip this year. We don't have the time to take our usual South Carolina trip as well, so this will be our only extended time off other than surgery days. We will be staying in Williamsburg. We traded out our timeshare for a week in a resort. Our current plans have us driving to Virginia Beach for one day and spending a few days in Busch Gardens. It's amazing how much cheaper it is to go to Busch Gardens than Disney. For $70 per person (Lily is free) we each get a pass that is good through the end of the summer, so if we wanted to do a weekend trip we wouldn't need to pay for park tickets. I'll probably upgrade my ticket to a season pass (another $50, $120 total) which will give us free parking and discounts in the park. So, for the four of us, with one season pass it will cost $260 which is less than the cost of one 7 day pass at WDW. Not that you can directly compare the two, but Busch Gardens is still a fun, beautiful park and only around 3 hours from home. I'm guessing we'll get about 4 days in there depending on how tired everyone is. Other than that we can relax at the resort.
Of course with going to another theme park, my research is starting on how we can best meet Ari's needs while we are there. Busch Gardens is much harder to find info on since there are not nearly as many resources, but if I need to I'll just call down there and talk to someone for a while to get all the info I need. Height requirements and ride intensity are easy to find, but will they allow Ari to have a stroller in line like Disney did. How about places in the park to relax (even if it's at a show). Speaking of shows, but loud or scary are the shows. Ari can be really noise sensory at times, but she does usually enjoy a good show with lots of music. The one good thing it that there is just one park so there isn't nearly as much information to research.
Another good thing about this summer is that we have no surgeries to worry about. Her doctor doesn't want to schedule the next one until at least October!
We're planning a trip to Virginia. That'll be our big trip this year. We don't have the time to take our usual South Carolina trip as well, so this will be our only extended time off other than surgery days. We will be staying in Williamsburg. We traded out our timeshare for a week in a resort. Our current plans have us driving to Virginia Beach for one day and spending a few days in Busch Gardens. It's amazing how much cheaper it is to go to Busch Gardens than Disney. For $70 per person (Lily is free) we each get a pass that is good through the end of the summer, so if we wanted to do a weekend trip we wouldn't need to pay for park tickets. I'll probably upgrade my ticket to a season pass (another $50, $120 total) which will give us free parking and discounts in the park. So, for the four of us, with one season pass it will cost $260 which is less than the cost of one 7 day pass at WDW. Not that you can directly compare the two, but Busch Gardens is still a fun, beautiful park and only around 3 hours from home. I'm guessing we'll get about 4 days in there depending on how tired everyone is. Other than that we can relax at the resort.
Of course with going to another theme park, my research is starting on how we can best meet Ari's needs while we are there. Busch Gardens is much harder to find info on since there are not nearly as many resources, but if I need to I'll just call down there and talk to someone for a while to get all the info I need. Height requirements and ride intensity are easy to find, but will they allow Ari to have a stroller in line like Disney did. How about places in the park to relax (even if it's at a show). Speaking of shows, but loud or scary are the shows. Ari can be really noise sensory at times, but she does usually enjoy a good show with lots of music. The one good thing it that there is just one park so there isn't nearly as much information to research.
Another good thing about this summer is that we have no surgeries to worry about. Her doctor doesn't want to schedule the next one until at least October!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Wrap-up
So, as many of you know already, it took quite a while to get home from the time we started preparing. Around 15 hours to be exact. Ari did not go to the bathroom until 4:30 am at which point they actually started going through the motions of getting her discharge paperwork started. Once the doctors came over and made a few phone calls to Dr Ain, they finally let us go home. That was around 6:30 or 7am. I can't quite remember.
We got Ari home without any problems and we both took some time to go in to work that day, as we are both trying to conserve our time off. I'm in the negative region for hours left myself. Amanda's mom was there to spend the day with Ari. After working a short day I came home and Amanda's mom left right before it started snowing. It wasn't much snow in the end but you never know with these storms.
Ari recovered quickly and she was back to school on Wednesday, exactly a week after surgery. The incision (8 inches this round. Much larger than we were hoping for) is healing up nicely and in around two weeks she will be cleared for playing again. Until then her teachers have to keep her from jumping, running, climbing, etc. God help them in trying to keep a 4 year old down. It's hard enough for us to keep her from playing too hard when its just the two kids at home. So, here's hoping that there won't be another surgery for 9 months.
We got Ari home without any problems and we both took some time to go in to work that day, as we are both trying to conserve our time off. I'm in the negative region for hours left myself. Amanda's mom was there to spend the day with Ari. After working a short day I came home and Amanda's mom left right before it started snowing. It wasn't much snow in the end but you never know with these storms.
Ari recovered quickly and she was back to school on Wednesday, exactly a week after surgery. The incision (8 inches this round. Much larger than we were hoping for) is healing up nicely and in around two weeks she will be cleared for playing again. Until then her teachers have to keep her from jumping, running, climbing, etc. God help them in trying to keep a 4 year old down. It's hard enough for us to keep her from playing too hard when its just the two kids at home. So, here's hoping that there won't be another surgery for 9 months.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Homeward Prep
The doctors have given the order for Ari to start getting ready to go home. They've put her on oral meds and took out her catheter. She eating fine. Next steps are to take her off fluids and see if she'll sit up in her chair. If that goes well, she'll just need to go pee on her own and then we can start taking off the IVs and start getting her dressed for home. Then its just a matter of paperwork.
Thursday morning
Ari had a good night. She went between sleeping and watching Tangled. They did some blood work around 3 am which she was really good about. The resident just came by and we told him we want to go home today, which Dr Ain said we should be able to do. We got our usual list of milestones and we'll be working on those today.
The only problem we had at all yesterday was that Ari got sick twice after getting her antibiotic. They gave her something to settle her stomach and she's been fine since then.
Next step from here is to get her off of the IV pain killers and get her on to oral meds. Then we can try moving her and see how she does. So we'll hopefully be home so time tonight.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Moved
We're been moved to a regular room now. Ari's resting comfortably ans watching TV. She's starting to eat some apple sauce and she's off the oxygen at this point (her oxygen levels were a little low). Overall its looking good for going home tomorrow.
Surgery is done.
We just saw Dr Ain. He took a little extre time to look at the bumps on her back. He said they look fine. They just stick out so much because she's so skinny. She's getting sent to a room once one opens up. For now we're waiting with her in recovery.
Surgery has started.
We got here at 5:15 this morning and checked in not too long after. By 6 the nurse was getting us ready. Ari went back in to the OR at 7:30 and we just got a call around 8:30 saying they were underway. As usual, I got to go back and stay with her until they put her under. Afterwards we grabbed some breakfast as neither of us had eaten. Now we wait.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Hospital Prep
It's been a day of extreme highs and lows. As I type the Ravens just won the Superbowl and Joe Flacco (a South Jersey native who played high school football for my schools rival) was MVP. We've been preparing for this day all week. Of course, this is also the day our neighbor forced us to give up our dog Westley. He's currently staying with my sister and we will hopefully find a permanent place for him soon, but he can't stay here anymore. This event is lighting a fire under us to get out of this house. Hopefully it happens soon.
Moving on from that, we're getting ready for Ari's surgery. It's days away. We've been talking to Ari about what is coming up and we've already been to see her surgeon and gone trough all of the pre-op work. As long as she stays healthy for the next few days we'll be checking in at 5:30 am for a 7:30 surgery.
Mom Wood will be watching Lily and hopefully we will be home by no later Thursday as long as everything goes as planned. They will be double checking all the hooks and screws to make sure they are still in place. If everything is good, it's just a quick procedure with a small recovery time. So, two days of work to get through and then surgery number 4.
Moving on from that, we're getting ready for Ari's surgery. It's days away. We've been talking to Ari about what is coming up and we've already been to see her surgeon and gone trough all of the pre-op work. As long as she stays healthy for the next few days we'll be checking in at 5:30 am for a 7:30 surgery.
Mom Wood will be watching Lily and hopefully we will be home by no later Thursday as long as everything goes as planned. They will be double checking all the hooks and screws to make sure they are still in place. If everything is good, it's just a quick procedure with a small recovery time. So, two days of work to get through and then surgery number 4.
Day 7: Epcot
Epcot Pictures
This was to be our second day in Epcot and our last day of the trip. Mom and Dad decided to take the day off and rest. Dad wasn't feeling well and we had done quite a bit over the past six days, so I can't say I blame them. We finally dressed the girls up in their outfits (Ari wanted Rapunzel and Lily was Minnie Mouse) and headed to the park.
Our focus for this day was World Showcase, so we didn't get there really early. I did want to hit the new Test Track though since this was the first full day of operation. Since my parents weren't there, we decided that I would go in the single rider line and Amanda would watch the kids. I was never really a fan of the original Test Track and usually skipped it unless there wasn't a line and there usually was one. I love this version. They tweaked it enough (they took out the Belgian block and most of the other features that I disliked) that I liked it muck better from a pure ride perspective and I love the updates that they made visually. I spent years working on vehicle simulators so I can see what they were going for. I realize that's not what a simulator has to look like, but I like the choice they went with. So basically, Test Track has now been put on my must do list, which brings the total for that side of World Showcase up to one ride. Ellen's Energy Adventure is a "might do" if we have the time, which we really didn't. And really, I only like it once we get into the dinosaur section. I've seen the Jeopardy portion more than enough times. Just get me to the animatronics.
We headed back to World Showcase after Test Track and started with Mexico which is our usual way of doing things. We had already stopped in this pavilion earlier in the week, but the Grand Fiesta Tour boat ride is relaxing and fun. Plus the girls loved it the first time and we took them on again today. Norway was next and both the girls were big enough to ride the Maelstrom. Again they both loved it. Boat rides were an overall hit throughout the week. Most of Ari's favorite rides were boat rides, other than Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid, which is still water themed. This would be our last boat ride of the week and after watching the ending of the Norway movie, we headed out and over towards China.
We wandered around China but chose to skip the movie. We didn't have a lot of time before lunch and we wanted to get Ari's face painted as we had been promising her that she could get it dome all week. We did get a little time to relax in the gardens before moving on.
We headed over to the African Outpost and Ari wanted to play with the drums for a little while. We let her do that while we took a look at the face painting. They didn't have any pirate princess options but we saw a few we thought she would like. When we brought her over she chose a fairy makeover and she loved every minute.
Afterwards we headed over to Germany where we met up with Snow White. Ari loved all her meetings with the princesses. She was definitely looking forward to Snow White. Not as much as Ariel, but still quite a lot.
Lunch was in the Beirgarten. Great as usual. The kids lived the show, which had quite a bit of Christmas music added. They had all my favorites and I left there thankful that there were no more rides to hit. I wouldn't have been up for one for a while.
After taking a few shots of the model railroad setup, we made our way to the American pavilion. We stopped by and saw Santa, which we ended up using for our Christmas cards. Mrs. Claus was there too. We got in to see the American Adventure as well. I love this show but usually only get to see it once every few trips.
Next up was France. We were killing time at this point. We had reserved seats at the Candlelight Processional and wanted to get in a few things in before it started. We met up with Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) in France and headed over to see the show.
The show was wonderful but the kids got bored part way through. They tell the Christmas story with songs being sung between verses. They get celebrity narrators to read from the Bible and a huge choir and orchestra. Beautiful and it really puts you in the Christmas mood.
The rest of the day was spent killing time before Illuminations. We wandered around looking for meet and greets and stopping by the remaining countries (Morroco, UK) that we had yet to hit. The kids were tired and if I remember at least one was asleep. We had a reserved viewing area for Illuminations (part of the Candlelight Processional package) and I hadn't seen the Christmas version in years. Amanda (and of course the kids) had never seen it, so we made it to showtime. It was definitely worth the wait and was a good way to end the trip. Afterwards, we headed to the gate and back to the van. We made our way back to the hotel for the last time.
The next day consisted of a confusing, crowded trip through the Orlando airport. I'll have to think about traveling to a different airport next time. It was the worst experience I've ever had at an airport and I've been to more than my share. I've been through LAX more times that I care to remember and as bad as that airport is, it was never this bad. After getting on the plane, we had a good trip back and made it home without any more issues. Mom and Dad went home and we got all of our stuff in the house and started taking it all in.
This was to be our second day in Epcot and our last day of the trip. Mom and Dad decided to take the day off and rest. Dad wasn't feeling well and we had done quite a bit over the past six days, so I can't say I blame them. We finally dressed the girls up in their outfits (Ari wanted Rapunzel and Lily was Minnie Mouse) and headed to the park.
Our focus for this day was World Showcase, so we didn't get there really early. I did want to hit the new Test Track though since this was the first full day of operation. Since my parents weren't there, we decided that I would go in the single rider line and Amanda would watch the kids. I was never really a fan of the original Test Track and usually skipped it unless there wasn't a line and there usually was one. I love this version. They tweaked it enough (they took out the Belgian block and most of the other features that I disliked) that I liked it muck better from a pure ride perspective and I love the updates that they made visually. I spent years working on vehicle simulators so I can see what they were going for. I realize that's not what a simulator has to look like, but I like the choice they went with. So basically, Test Track has now been put on my must do list, which brings the total for that side of World Showcase up to one ride. Ellen's Energy Adventure is a "might do" if we have the time, which we really didn't. And really, I only like it once we get into the dinosaur section. I've seen the Jeopardy portion more than enough times. Just get me to the animatronics.
We headed back to World Showcase after Test Track and started with Mexico which is our usual way of doing things. We had already stopped in this pavilion earlier in the week, but the Grand Fiesta Tour boat ride is relaxing and fun. Plus the girls loved it the first time and we took them on again today. Norway was next and both the girls were big enough to ride the Maelstrom. Again they both loved it. Boat rides were an overall hit throughout the week. Most of Ari's favorite rides were boat rides, other than Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid, which is still water themed. This would be our last boat ride of the week and after watching the ending of the Norway movie, we headed out and over towards China.
We wandered around China but chose to skip the movie. We didn't have a lot of time before lunch and we wanted to get Ari's face painted as we had been promising her that she could get it dome all week. We did get a little time to relax in the gardens before moving on.
We headed over to the African Outpost and Ari wanted to play with the drums for a little while. We let her do that while we took a look at the face painting. They didn't have any pirate princess options but we saw a few we thought she would like. When we brought her over she chose a fairy makeover and she loved every minute.
Afterwards we headed over to Germany where we met up with Snow White. Ari loved all her meetings with the princesses. She was definitely looking forward to Snow White. Not as much as Ariel, but still quite a lot.
Lunch was in the Beirgarten. Great as usual. The kids lived the show, which had quite a bit of Christmas music added. They had all my favorites and I left there thankful that there were no more rides to hit. I wouldn't have been up for one for a while.
After taking a few shots of the model railroad setup, we made our way to the American pavilion. We stopped by and saw Santa, which we ended up using for our Christmas cards. Mrs. Claus was there too. We got in to see the American Adventure as well. I love this show but usually only get to see it once every few trips.
Next up was France. We were killing time at this point. We had reserved seats at the Candlelight Processional and wanted to get in a few things in before it started. We met up with Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) in France and headed over to see the show.
The show was wonderful but the kids got bored part way through. They tell the Christmas story with songs being sung between verses. They get celebrity narrators to read from the Bible and a huge choir and orchestra. Beautiful and it really puts you in the Christmas mood.
The rest of the day was spent killing time before Illuminations. We wandered around looking for meet and greets and stopping by the remaining countries (Morroco, UK) that we had yet to hit. The kids were tired and if I remember at least one was asleep. We had a reserved viewing area for Illuminations (part of the Candlelight Processional package) and I hadn't seen the Christmas version in years. Amanda (and of course the kids) had never seen it, so we made it to showtime. It was definitely worth the wait and was a good way to end the trip. Afterwards, we headed to the gate and back to the van. We made our way back to the hotel for the last time.
The next day consisted of a confusing, crowded trip through the Orlando airport. I'll have to think about traveling to a different airport next time. It was the worst experience I've ever had at an airport and I've been to more than my share. I've been through LAX more times that I care to remember and as bad as that airport is, it was never this bad. After getting on the plane, we had a good trip back and made it home without any more issues. Mom and Dad went home and we got all of our stuff in the house and started taking it all in.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Day 6: Magic Kingdom & Ft. Wilderness/Hoop-Dee-Doo
Magic Kingdom Pictures
Fort Wilderness Trailer Park
Our last day in the Magic Kingdom. I always hate getting to this point. It was a short day as well as we had tickets to go see the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review over at Fort Wilderness that night. Well, we had two lands left to get to, with a few other missed rides to fit in as well. We made it in to the park, again by the ferry (Ari's favorite way to get there by far. She didn't think much of the monorail) and made our way in. After a few rounds of Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (Finished up the Main Street mission against Cruela) we headed for Adventureland. Other than a quick ride on the Magic Carpets earlier in the week and a visit with Aladdin during the Christmas Party, we hadn't even set foot into Adventureland. We met Peter Pan on the way and were the last to get to see him at that point. Ari loved this as Peter is one of her favorite characters. He had to run off to be part of the official grand opening ceremony of New Fantasyland. We decided to keep going and take advantage of the light crowds at the rides. No one was really in the mood to be crushed in the crowds that morning. Once the ceremony was over the lines never really got too bad. I guess there were a lot of people from the press that day. There definitely were a lot of camera around.
We headed over to the Tiki Room (Skipping the Swiss Family Treehouse. No one would walk through it with me) and decided to start there. It's back to the original show with a few scenes removed. I don't remember the original well enough but it did seem a bit short. Still, I loved having it back as I did enjoy it when Amanda and I were on our honeymoon out in California. The kids loved it too, although Ari was scared of the thunderstorm.
Next up was the Jungle Cruise. We took the handicapped line for this and it was very helpful. We probably waited a little less than we would have in line and Ari got to rest. I carried her on to the boat and she got to sit right up front by the skipper. She loved this ride as you can probably tell by the picture of her sitting in the boat. It was the usual spiel from the skipper with the usual playing down of the gun use that they usually do nowadays. She tried to shoo the hippos away with the gun, which was actually funny. Most skippers have just tried to ignore or just mention the gun in passing. But enough about that. The ride was soon over and I walked past the crates with "Evans" stamped on the sides. Those are a tribute to the original landscaper of the parks: Bill Evans. It amazing the number of people out there I share a name with.
Up next was pirates of the Caribbean. We considered asking about the Pirates League for Ari, but with us being short on time and going to dinner afterwards, we decided it was best just to continue on to the ride. We did the handicapped entrance again which as I remember was basically the normal line. So it allowed Ari to conserve her strength while we waited. Again the wait wasn't very long. This was one of Ari's two favorite rides in all of WDW. The other was the new Ariel ride in New Fantasyland. She was watching everything as we went through and kept talking about it afterwards. Also, she had to buy a pirate sword before we left the gift shop. It was only $5 so we got it for her. You can probably see it in several pictures for this day and the next and she took it with her everywhere after we left the shop.
After pirates, we were all getting hungry. We headed over to Pecos Bill's since it was a fairly generic place to eat and no one wanted anything fancy with our dinner coming up. Amanda and I each got a taco salad. I love the way they do it. They basically give you the shell and a scoop of meat and point you at the extensive fixin's bar. I loaded the thing up with cheese, salsa, onions, lettuce, etc. and had a nice filling meal. As usual we split a soda. I think this was the only time we had counter service the whole week and didn't just split a meal. The portions at WDW are usually unusually large and have always been plenty to feed the two of us. For this we each wanted our own things on the salad and they weren't too expensive.
Next up was Tomorrowland. We actually hadn't set foot at all over here. We started with the Raceway since Ari had been asking about it all week. As usual, it smelled of fuel exhaust and the cars were really hard to control and we spent a lot of time trying to not hit the center track. Ari gave up on driving after a while so I had to drive from the passenger seat. Overall though she enjoyed it. I'm not sure there was much she didn't enjoy this week. She was extraordinarily well behaved during this trip (other than during travel periods) and handled the large amount of walking and lines much better than we ever expected. Again, thanks go out to Disney and the Cast Members for allowing her all the stroller time and for making her time go as smoothly as possible.
After the Raceway, we realized that we had missed Pooh Bear, so we made a quick cut back into Fantasyland to go on the ride. Pooh and Tigger happened to be waiting there with a short line so we got their autographs and a few pictures. Then it was off to the ride. We used the normal line and took her stroller through. She loved the little games and the honey touch screens. They kept her entertained for most of the wait. It was a little long, but not too bad. She enjoyed the ride but I'm not so sure she liked the bouncing portion. Or the hefalums and woozles portion. They scared her a bit. After the ride was done it was back to Tomorrowland.
We hit a few rides in here, bit I don't remember the exact order so I'll just list them out. One was the Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor. This is my mom's favorite. I always enjoy it and the kids had a good time. I'm not one for audience participation so I'm always a little nervous going in here, but I always get a laugh out of it.
We also hit Buzz Lightyear. This is a favorite of mine. For some reason I love this ride and have to do it at least once a trip, while the wildly popular Toy Story Midway Mania is something I'm completely willing to skip. I've never really enjoyed it. I got a fairly large score, about mid way up the scale. Not too bad for someone who only plays once every few years. Ari loved it and Lily had fun looking at all the colors. My parents had Lily and my mom got a picture of them with Lily from the ride.
Amanda and I did Space Mountain. Still bumpy and hurt a little and the room wasn't all that dark so we could see the track, but not too much of it. I don't remember ever being able to see that well in there other that when the lights were on. Also the line was very different and we got stuck behind someone who had wicked gas. Not good on a small area. Overall we still enjoyed it.
I saved my favorite two for last. Of course they are not thrill rides or anything even close to it. One if the Peoplemover (Tommorland Transit Authority). I just love being up there and looking out over the park. I love riding it at night and seeing the castle lit up, but I didn't get that change this trip. There's always next time. The last it the Carousel of Progress. I just love watching animatronics and this is a great example of them. Plus I love history and getting the glimpses into the time periods plus knowing the connection this ride has to Walt and the 64 World's Fair make it that much better for me.
Well, after that it was a little wandering and hitting a few shops. We ended up back over in Adventureland and I grabbed a Citrus Swirl and Amanda got a Root Beer Float. We had to head out and the kids said their goodbyes to the park and we made our way to the docks. We were taking the boat to Fort Wilderness this time instead. They were cramped and not stroller friendly which was only really an issue since Lily was asleep, but we made it over there without any problems.
Next up was waiting around. We couldn't check in yet so we wandered the area. It brought back a lot of memories. I love all the times we stayed there when I was younger. I'd love to stay there again some day, but for now it's just too expensive for my tastes. Maybe one the kids are older. It's just as rustic looking as ever and almost exactly what I remember. Of course River Country is gone and Discovery Island is closed. Both of those were great diversions from the park. They were relaxing and beautiful. I understand why they were closed in general. I still miss them.
We headed over to the general store and picked up a few souvineers and I showed Amanda around the little area we were in and talked about the cabins we had stayed in years before. We almost took a horse and buggy ride and there were plenty of them available. Then we found out why there were so many available. They were really expensive for the short ride you got. So we wandered around some more until check-in started. We got our tickets and got our pictures taken (They'll be in with the PhotoPass pics I need to post) and waited for the doors to open.
We were seated right up against the stage, towards the left. Ari and I were right up against the steps. They show was as good as I remember and the food even better. I ate way too many ribs and beans that night. They were just so good. There was also cole slaw, chicken and strawberry shortcake. Beer and wine were included in the price, all you can drink. So we had a little too much of that as well. The kids loved the show, but Ari didn't like all the noise at the end. Everyone gets a washboard and they encourage as much noise as possible. Once we got through that she was good again.
Afterwards we wandered the trailer park area as it's known for it's elaborate light displays. Everyone seems to compete to make their little plot look the best. I have a few pictures of that as well. After a little walking and a few breaks we headed back to the boat. The boats were still crowded and came infrequently, so we ended up taking the boat to the Contemporary instead of back to the Magic Kingdom. It was a Party night anyway so we couldn't get back in. I got to see the gingerbread Christmas tree there on the way up to the monorail, which is way too difficult to find, especially when you are using strollers.We tool the monorail back to the Transportation and Ticket Center and got to see the Electrical Water Pageant along the way. After a quick trip on the travel (Ari's name for the tram) we were back at the car. It took way too long to get back from Ft Wilderness, but it gave everyone time for their food to settle before heading back to the hotel. Se we all got in the car and the girls passed out and we made our way back knowing that all we had left was our one last day at Epcot. I hate how fast these trips go. For once I'd love to have one where at the end I get to say that I have had plenty of time away from home and I've done everything I wanted to do. We did get quite a lot done, but there's never enough time to see all the little details and do some more of the relaxing things like wandering the gardens in World Showcase or exploring all the countries. All that and I've never seen any of the other parks down there other than Sea World, which I've seen in San Diego as well but that's another story all together.
Fort Wilderness Trailer Park
Our last day in the Magic Kingdom. I always hate getting to this point. It was a short day as well as we had tickets to go see the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review over at Fort Wilderness that night. Well, we had two lands left to get to, with a few other missed rides to fit in as well. We made it in to the park, again by the ferry (Ari's favorite way to get there by far. She didn't think much of the monorail) and made our way in. After a few rounds of Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (Finished up the Main Street mission against Cruela) we headed for Adventureland. Other than a quick ride on the Magic Carpets earlier in the week and a visit with Aladdin during the Christmas Party, we hadn't even set foot into Adventureland. We met Peter Pan on the way and were the last to get to see him at that point. Ari loved this as Peter is one of her favorite characters. He had to run off to be part of the official grand opening ceremony of New Fantasyland. We decided to keep going and take advantage of the light crowds at the rides. No one was really in the mood to be crushed in the crowds that morning. Once the ceremony was over the lines never really got too bad. I guess there were a lot of people from the press that day. There definitely were a lot of camera around.
We headed over to the Tiki Room (Skipping the Swiss Family Treehouse. No one would walk through it with me) and decided to start there. It's back to the original show with a few scenes removed. I don't remember the original well enough but it did seem a bit short. Still, I loved having it back as I did enjoy it when Amanda and I were on our honeymoon out in California. The kids loved it too, although Ari was scared of the thunderstorm.
Next up was the Jungle Cruise. We took the handicapped line for this and it was very helpful. We probably waited a little less than we would have in line and Ari got to rest. I carried her on to the boat and she got to sit right up front by the skipper. She loved this ride as you can probably tell by the picture of her sitting in the boat. It was the usual spiel from the skipper with the usual playing down of the gun use that they usually do nowadays. She tried to shoo the hippos away with the gun, which was actually funny. Most skippers have just tried to ignore or just mention the gun in passing. But enough about that. The ride was soon over and I walked past the crates with "Evans" stamped on the sides. Those are a tribute to the original landscaper of the parks: Bill Evans. It amazing the number of people out there I share a name with.
Up next was pirates of the Caribbean. We considered asking about the Pirates League for Ari, but with us being short on time and going to dinner afterwards, we decided it was best just to continue on to the ride. We did the handicapped entrance again which as I remember was basically the normal line. So it allowed Ari to conserve her strength while we waited. Again the wait wasn't very long. This was one of Ari's two favorite rides in all of WDW. The other was the new Ariel ride in New Fantasyland. She was watching everything as we went through and kept talking about it afterwards. Also, she had to buy a pirate sword before we left the gift shop. It was only $5 so we got it for her. You can probably see it in several pictures for this day and the next and she took it with her everywhere after we left the shop.
After pirates, we were all getting hungry. We headed over to Pecos Bill's since it was a fairly generic place to eat and no one wanted anything fancy with our dinner coming up. Amanda and I each got a taco salad. I love the way they do it. They basically give you the shell and a scoop of meat and point you at the extensive fixin's bar. I loaded the thing up with cheese, salsa, onions, lettuce, etc. and had a nice filling meal. As usual we split a soda. I think this was the only time we had counter service the whole week and didn't just split a meal. The portions at WDW are usually unusually large and have always been plenty to feed the two of us. For this we each wanted our own things on the salad and they weren't too expensive.
Next up was Tomorrowland. We actually hadn't set foot at all over here. We started with the Raceway since Ari had been asking about it all week. As usual, it smelled of fuel exhaust and the cars were really hard to control and we spent a lot of time trying to not hit the center track. Ari gave up on driving after a while so I had to drive from the passenger seat. Overall though she enjoyed it. I'm not sure there was much she didn't enjoy this week. She was extraordinarily well behaved during this trip (other than during travel periods) and handled the large amount of walking and lines much better than we ever expected. Again, thanks go out to Disney and the Cast Members for allowing her all the stroller time and for making her time go as smoothly as possible.
After the Raceway, we realized that we had missed Pooh Bear, so we made a quick cut back into Fantasyland to go on the ride. Pooh and Tigger happened to be waiting there with a short line so we got their autographs and a few pictures. Then it was off to the ride. We used the normal line and took her stroller through. She loved the little games and the honey touch screens. They kept her entertained for most of the wait. It was a little long, but not too bad. She enjoyed the ride but I'm not so sure she liked the bouncing portion. Or the hefalums and woozles portion. They scared her a bit. After the ride was done it was back to Tomorrowland.
We hit a few rides in here, bit I don't remember the exact order so I'll just list them out. One was the Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor. This is my mom's favorite. I always enjoy it and the kids had a good time. I'm not one for audience participation so I'm always a little nervous going in here, but I always get a laugh out of it.
We also hit Buzz Lightyear. This is a favorite of mine. For some reason I love this ride and have to do it at least once a trip, while the wildly popular Toy Story Midway Mania is something I'm completely willing to skip. I've never really enjoyed it. I got a fairly large score, about mid way up the scale. Not too bad for someone who only plays once every few years. Ari loved it and Lily had fun looking at all the colors. My parents had Lily and my mom got a picture of them with Lily from the ride.
Amanda and I did Space Mountain. Still bumpy and hurt a little and the room wasn't all that dark so we could see the track, but not too much of it. I don't remember ever being able to see that well in there other that when the lights were on. Also the line was very different and we got stuck behind someone who had wicked gas. Not good on a small area. Overall we still enjoyed it.
I saved my favorite two for last. Of course they are not thrill rides or anything even close to it. One if the Peoplemover (Tommorland Transit Authority). I just love being up there and looking out over the park. I love riding it at night and seeing the castle lit up, but I didn't get that change this trip. There's always next time. The last it the Carousel of Progress. I just love watching animatronics and this is a great example of them. Plus I love history and getting the glimpses into the time periods plus knowing the connection this ride has to Walt and the 64 World's Fair make it that much better for me.
Well, after that it was a little wandering and hitting a few shops. We ended up back over in Adventureland and I grabbed a Citrus Swirl and Amanda got a Root Beer Float. We had to head out and the kids said their goodbyes to the park and we made our way to the docks. We were taking the boat to Fort Wilderness this time instead. They were cramped and not stroller friendly which was only really an issue since Lily was asleep, but we made it over there without any problems.
Next up was waiting around. We couldn't check in yet so we wandered the area. It brought back a lot of memories. I love all the times we stayed there when I was younger. I'd love to stay there again some day, but for now it's just too expensive for my tastes. Maybe one the kids are older. It's just as rustic looking as ever and almost exactly what I remember. Of course River Country is gone and Discovery Island is closed. Both of those were great diversions from the park. They were relaxing and beautiful. I understand why they were closed in general. I still miss them.
We headed over to the general store and picked up a few souvineers and I showed Amanda around the little area we were in and talked about the cabins we had stayed in years before. We almost took a horse and buggy ride and there were plenty of them available. Then we found out why there were so many available. They were really expensive for the short ride you got. So we wandered around some more until check-in started. We got our tickets and got our pictures taken (They'll be in with the PhotoPass pics I need to post) and waited for the doors to open.
We were seated right up against the stage, towards the left. Ari and I were right up against the steps. They show was as good as I remember and the food even better. I ate way too many ribs and beans that night. They were just so good. There was also cole slaw, chicken and strawberry shortcake. Beer and wine were included in the price, all you can drink. So we had a little too much of that as well. The kids loved the show, but Ari didn't like all the noise at the end. Everyone gets a washboard and they encourage as much noise as possible. Once we got through that she was good again.
Afterwards we wandered the trailer park area as it's known for it's elaborate light displays. Everyone seems to compete to make their little plot look the best. I have a few pictures of that as well. After a little walking and a few breaks we headed back to the boat. The boats were still crowded and came infrequently, so we ended up taking the boat to the Contemporary instead of back to the Magic Kingdom. It was a Party night anyway so we couldn't get back in. I got to see the gingerbread Christmas tree there on the way up to the monorail, which is way too difficult to find, especially when you are using strollers.We tool the monorail back to the Transportation and Ticket Center and got to see the Electrical Water Pageant along the way. After a quick trip on the travel (Ari's name for the tram) we were back at the car. It took way too long to get back from Ft Wilderness, but it gave everyone time for their food to settle before heading back to the hotel. Se we all got in the car and the girls passed out and we made our way back knowing that all we had left was our one last day at Epcot. I hate how fast these trips go. For once I'd love to have one where at the end I get to say that I have had plenty of time away from home and I've done everything I wanted to do. We did get quite a lot done, but there's never enough time to see all the little details and do some more of the relaxing things like wandering the gardens in World Showcase or exploring all the countries. All that and I've never seen any of the other parks down there other than Sea World, which I've seen in San Diego as well but that's another story all together.