Vacation...it's always over way to quick!
We had a lovely time this past week and I am so sad to see it end. Unfortunately, back to work tomorrow. I am consoling myself with the thought that I took the Monday after Thanksgiving and the Monday after Christmas off, so I have two five-day weekends to look forward to. Also, Tadd and I are taking a long weekend in December to do all the Christmasy stuff at Disney, so we have another mini-vacation in the works.
We all really loved the cabins at Fort Wilderness. I was worried that it would be too small or that the sleeping arrangements would be awkward, but it actually worked out really well. Tadd and I got the big bed in the bedroom, Tadd's mom and brother got the bunk bed, and Tadd's uncles shared the murphy bed in the living room. And it really was adorable. Like our own cute little cottage in the woods! We rented a golf cart for our four days, which was great. I only wish we could have had two golf carts, since we had 6 people. Instead, Tadd would take two trips from our cabin to either the Outpost bus stop or the Settlement boat launch, shuttling us wherever we needed to go. Even with the 2 trips, it was much more efficient (and more pleasant) than the Ft. Wilderness internal bus loop. I'm not huge a fan of Disney busses, although I understand how they have their place in the transportation system. We also found that we preferred to take the boats whenever we could. The only time we used our own cars was on the last day after checking out of the cabin. Tadd and I agreed that it would be so much fun to get a group of our friends together and rent a cabin or two with them. Even if we didn't make it to the parks, there is so much to do in the campground, it could be REALLY fun! We would both love to stay in the cabins again, although the price is definitely too high for just the two of us, but would be great to split with a group of friends.
I really think Tadd's family enjoyed themselves. We tried to inject some special things into each day of the trip. Sunday morning we checked in and spent the afternoon at the Studios. We rode all the rides and Tadd's mom got to see Fantasmic for the first time. Monday morning we went back to the Studios at opening to be able to get on Toy Story Mania before the crowds hit. Then we went back to the cabin to relax before our late lunch reservations at Whispering Canyon Cafe in the Wilderness Lodge. We got caught in a rainstorm on the way back from lunch, so we took a little bit to dry off and get ready for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. Tadd and I had printed custom shirts for everyone for the party, which was fun. When we got to MK, Tadd took his brother into the Main Street Barber Shop and they got colored gel combed into their hair. Between our shirts, the boys' colored hair, and our various other Halloween accessories, we all looked very festive! Tuesday we went to Epcot for the Food & Wine Festival, but surprised Tadd's mom with tickets for a special behind the scenes tour of The Land Pavilion. She is an avid gardener back in Tennessee, so she LOVED it. Bet met up with us for part of the day too. Tuesday night, back at the cabin, we used the grill in front of our porch to toast some marshmallows, which was a fun treat. Then Wednesday, after checking out and returning our golf cart, we had a lovely breakfast at Kona Cafe at the Polynesian resort, before heading off to our last day at Animal Kingdom. The four days were VERY tiring, but so much fun!
Then on Thursday, we introduced Tadd's mom to the wonder that is Ikea. They don't even have Target in their tiny town in Tennessee, so Ikea was extremely exotic to her. She LOVED it. We went shopping a few other places that she doesn't have in her area between Thursday and Friday. Then they headed home in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
As I am finishing up my vacation, my parents are just starting theirs. They will be gone for the next three weeks on a European cruise. They flew to Dublin today and tomorrow they will be in Venice for the start of their cruise. Sooooo lucky! I can only hope that someday Tadd and I are able to do something like that.
In the meantime...GO SOX!!! We are watching game 7 vs. the Tampa Bay Rays right now!
Pictures from our vacation:
Album 1: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=33547&l=f8edc&id=504344522
Album 2: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=33556&l=4e260&id=504344522
