Florida Vaca March 2017: Part 2

We chilled in the room and started to get ready. We're kind of late and went to grab food at 7:45. Andy is a big breakfast eater (I'm a cereal girl) but he rushed and we were outside for the 8:07 bus. It is super nice to have bus estimate signs now.

We got through baggage and turnstiles and were outside Spaceship Earth at 8:39. I was on a mission and when ropes dropped around 10 till I booked it with the stroller. 5 months pregnant, jogging with a stroller to Soarin' proved worth it because I was in the first showing and in my seat at 9. This might be my favorite ride in all WDW and was a good start to the day.

I was out at 9:10 and swapped with Andy. Elliott and I went on Living with the Land and got off just as Andy was walking off Soarin'.

We get in line for Joy and Sadness which is sort of long and taking forever. We take turns distracting her and when it's her turn she is not into it at all. I should just give up with characters. We head over to Seas with Nemo and again she is not having the waiting in line. She sucks down a fruit pouch and nibbles on goldfish until it's our turn 15 minutes later. She likes the ride but is so tired. We skip the aquarium and Turtle Talk based on her mood and get a frozen fruit bar which she downs. Andy wants to go do Test Track so we split up (he says single ride is 15 minutes). I sit in a few spots before moseying to look at food booths. I knew a ton that intrigued me but ended up in America at the Smokehouse. Elliott is asleep by then, but I get a pulled pork slider which is really good. I sit in the shade to eat while Elliott sleeps until Andy arrives at 11:45. He eats and we head back to Spaceship Earth for our FP. Elliott wakes up after a 30 minute nap but I'll take what I can get. The ride is backed up from being closed in the morning so we wait for maybe 20 minutes in the FP line. Elliott is tired but sits in the Tula while we ride.

We head to the buses and thankfully one starts unloading as we walk up. We get on at 1:04 and pull up to All Star Sports at 1:14. Elliott gets a change and hangs in her diaper watching Frozen. I try to get her to nap again but we are both tired of each other and she's too wound up. I end up taking her out to Andy at the pool where we sit for a while. Andy ends up getting her to nap (after a fight) around 3:45 while I sit outside and snack on fries. I head back around 4:45 because our FP for Mickey and Pals ends at 5:40 so we gotta get going. Andy and I pack up with all the lights on and Elliott doesn't budge from her nap. I almost want to skip the characters but Mickey is her favorite so we wake her up and rush out like mad people at 5:10. We make the bus the last second but it's super crowded and takes forever to stop at Music and Movies. We finally make it to Epcot and literally run to character spot. Andy's mad at me because it's past 5:40. I tell him we have an extra 15 minutes and even if it passes that they can override and let us in. We get up at 5:56 and she of course lets us in with no issue (it pays to research). The waiting line takes forever and has nothing for Elliott to do, plus we just woke her up from restful sleep, so she is a handful. Once we get inside and can see the characters she lights up and wants to run. By the time (finally) it's our turn, she doesn't want anything to do with them. Luckily the photo people are really great and we get some basic shots with Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie. Pretty much a bust but oh well.

Andy asks if he can do Mission Space but I tell him that it's already 6:30 and time for our Frozen Ever After FP. We head to Norway and get through the line really promptly. The standby time was 105 minutes I think. The ride is really, really cool, and Elliott loves it. She's watched Frozen 384728 times this vacation and is all about Elsa and Anna. My complaint is that the ride is very short. Do not ever wait in a long line for a ride that lasts 2 minutes. Definitely worth it for us to have a FP.

We are ready to eat and since I know the booths pretty well, I take us to Urban Farms which isn't far from World Showcase entrance. We get pork tenderloin, mushroom, potatoes, and other veggies. It was so, so good and neither Andy nor I like mushrooms! Elliott isn't interested and Andy still wants to do adult rides. It's past 7 so I tell him to run and do it already and I take Elliott to Electric Umbrella to get a kid's meal. I pee my pants a little in line (thanks pregnancy incontinence) but I have no shame so I keep waiting. It takes forever but I get her some mac and cheese and a brownie. She has been liking the Dannon drinkable yogurts that come with all the kids meals. We head outside and she picks at her food until Andy meets us. I pee in a toilet and Andy gets popcorn before we head to the bus a little after 8. We aren't even going to try to stay for Illuminations.

Elliott gets a bath and her cough is full force and she's wheezy. She falls asleep around 10 (omg sleep is killing us this trip).  I am in and out but she's wheezing up against me and breathing really funny. I notice that her breathing is retracted and basically watch her from 3-4am. Use google and YouTube to confirm that she's definitely retracting. I'm too educated and know we need to be seen by someone. We wake her up and go to the ER just down the road.

We get to a room quickly but it takes two hours to be seen by someone. Elliott thankfully sleeps for about an hour of that and I notice her saturations go down when she's sleeping. The doctor examines her and notices crackles that are cause for concern. She orders a chest X-ray (honestly I wasn't expecting that one). Andy goes with her since I can't do radiation and says she complies fine. The X-ray showed inflammation but thankfully no pneumonia. Bronchiolitis and a prescription for albuterol and we are on our way out around 7:30am. I was surprised they didn't swab for the flu or RSV but I don't put up a fight or anything. We go back to the hotel to quickly pack up and are gone quickly.

We stop by McDonald's and head toward Marco. It's a 3.5 hour drive and Elliott falls asleep around 9 and wakes up around 11:15. There are bad citrus grove fires around so we have to detour. We don't get to Barfield until after 1 and are so glad to be out of the car.

Florida Vaca March 2017: Part 1

Day 1, Sunday March 5:
The night before our trip I was really hating myself for picking the early flight. I procrastinated with a lot and felt unprepared. I was googling parking reviews at 10:30 PM and Andy was angry with me..

Neither of us slept well but were both feeling fine come 2AM. Everything was ready to go so I pretty much rolled out of bed, grabbed Elliott and went to the car. She didn't fall asleep till 9:45 the night
before, so I was hoping she'd sleep in the car. Nope! But she wasn't cranky. The roads were empty and we got to our parking lot shortly after 4AM. We booked with PreFlight Airport parking which was really nice as far as airport parking goes. The shuttle was fast and we were at the United checkin desk around 4:30.

Security wasn't bad at all and we walked to our terminal. I had Elliott in the carrier and noted that would not be happening the rest of the trip - not comfortable while pregnant. Our gate was full, but Elliott was happy walking around and munching on food. I had called United the day before when check-in wouldn't let me select seats. I got real worried we'd be separated but customer service assigned for me, row 9, extra legroom for no charge! Yeah! Note to self: make the call.

We boarded early despite my gut telling me to keep Elliott out but she did really great. She cried in her seat during take-off (surprise, she has control issues and was clearly anxious about what was happening). But she slept once we were sailing and napped for probably an hour and a half until the captain called for landing. We arrived in Orlando at 9:29 AM- early for our 10AM ETA! We were off the plane in a second and even though we moseyed, were at baggage quickly. We waited until 10:30 for our bags, but Elliott was happy as long as we let her roam free. We trekked down to Avis for the rental car and waited probably 20 minutes before going to get it. We got a new Ford Escape which was perfect. We hit the road around 11:15. It was comfortable 70s weather.

We were pooped so decided to just go to the resort for lunch. I updated our checkin time online (we were earlier than expected) and got the text our room was ready as we were walking from the car. I immediately was bummed about our building selection. The resort reminds me of teen spring break and is hoppin with activity. Our room is fine for the 3 of us but pretty small - definitely wouldn't want to be here for a week. It works fine for the price but we will upgrade for future trips. We head to the food court around 12:15 and get pizza for lunch.

Despite running on little sleep, Elliott won't nap. We do rest though and she falls asleep around 3:15. We wake at 4:45 and head to Disney Springs. Although things are way nicer than they used to be, this still isn't my scene. It's crowded and touristy. We make it over to D-Luxe burger for dinner. Andy waits in line for a while and I run around with Elliott. I get a veggie burger, Elliott and Andy get cheeseburgers. I really liked my burger. We split a root beer float and it was just okay - needed more ice cream!

Andy wants to shop at leisure but I remind him how busy the next days will be and the importance of pacing ourselves. We stop at UA before trekking to the car around 7:30. Elliott fights sleep for hours but finally is asleep at 9:45.

Day 2, Monday March 6
We had a hellacious night of sleep. I was on the edge of the bed and Elliott woke a lot and was up in my business. She wants to be up at 5am and plays until I get her back to sleep around 6:40. Andy goes out to get food for us. I get up to shower at 7:20 and am quick. Andy gives Elliott some fruit, yogurt, and milk and I scarf some cereal. We get to the car at 8.

The drive to Magic Kingdom is quick and easy. We get to the lot and fight about Andy paying $20 for parking when it should be free for us. Get on the tram and fight again because I forgot to tell him selfie sticks aren't allowed. He thinks he's going to be sent back to the car and I tell him to chill.

The monorail is closed for servicing so we have to take ferry which is a process. We get through bags and I look down while at turnstiles and it's 8:52!!! Freak out at how long that took and tell Andy we have to run. The morning show starts just as we walk into the park and I book like a mad woman. I head through toward Tomorrowland ignoring that everyone is just standing there. Get to the entrance just as the show ends! It's crowded but almost everyone goes to Space. We are one of the first to Speedway but Andy stops to take off Elliott's coat while a dozen people pass him!!! I wait while the two of them go. I seethe a little about our start but lighten up when I see Elliott's face smile when they pull by at 9:15.

We head to Pooh for a 20 minute wait. Am thankful for interactive queues and she plays with other kids. She's very antsy but it's doable. She really likes the ride and claps when it ends. We head over to Dumbo where the wait looks overwhelming. The interactive queue isn't open there but we wrangle her and it goes by okay. Her face is funny when Andy does fast drops but she really likes elephants and is having a ball.

We go to Little Mermaid and it's a walk on. Another ride that she loves, surprise surprise. I'm thinking this is just too good to be true how well she's being.

At this point I remember we forgot to put on sun screen.. bad mom award. It's mostly overcast and we are in and out of buildings but I pray we don't burn. We head over to Small World for a 20 minute wait. She has hit the wall and is tired but enjoys the ride. We hop on Peter Pan with our FP and she is again tired, but in awe. We go across to Pinocchio's for lunch at 11:00. It's not busy so we get food quickly. Pepperoni flatbreads for Andy and I and mac and cheese for Elliott, all okay.

Elliott and I go to use our FP for Rapunzel. I let her watch Mickey in line but it's a short wait. I'm not prepared when I walk in the room and tiana is like right there. The exchange is awkward since I'm fumbling so much. Elliott just sits there pretty free of emotion. Rapunzel is super chatty, but again doesn't get any reactions from her until I tell her to blow kisses as we leave. Of course the photos of all of this are terrible.

It's 11:45 and We need to go recharge our batteries. I'm really happy with how the morning went and don't want to push it. Andy wants to ride a big ride so goes to Splash for a 30 minute wait. Elliott and I walk in the stroller, get a Dole Whip Float before going to buy the new baby some goods on Main Street.

At 12:15 I really want to go so start heading back to the car. Andy can take the bus. The ferry takes forever and getting the stroller on the tram is interesting to do alone, thankfully a man offers to help. I don't remember our exact lot name so spend 15 minutes roaming around. Get to the car at 1:00. Elliott passes out in about 30 seconds. Andy is on the ferry at this point so I wait for him there. He walks right by me so we fight again about the whole situation. We get to All Star Sports around 1:45 so Elliott got about 45 minutes of sleep.

Her nap is ruined and she's wired. I'm still tired though so we all hang in the room and decide to get up around 4 and eat at the resort since We ate lunch early. Burger and chicken nuggets are standard.

After the morning debacle we decide to bus it tonight. We wait maybe 10 minutes and get on at 4:45. We are at turnstiles at 5:15 and note that it was much more chill than earlier.

We get a picture together in front of the castle before heading to our FP at jungle cruise. Elliott is tired and waiting in lines is getting rough. But she likes the ride. Then we go back over to tomorrowland and decide to do Peoplemover. She definitely enjoyed that one. Then Andy goes to use his Space FP and I get in line for Buzz. It takes way longer than necessary and even though she is excited in line, isn't into it once it's our turn. By then Andy is back and we head to teacups since we never did those earlier. We wait maybe 15 minutes and again she likes it.

At this point, she is real tired so we go to Baby Center to change into Jammies. We walk down Main Street to the Confectionery and get cotton candy to share. We play by the Train Station until Wishes starts at 8. Despite being cranky, she is into the fireworks and sings along with me in awe. Standing in the back gave me new insight to Disney Goers. People are stupid. A lot of people left after the first section (at minute 4). Since I'm a nutjob I know that Wishes is 12 minutes long. We did decide to leave just before finale fireworks since we really wanted to get the first bus back. That was a good idea because our line was already pretty full. We got on quickly and we're on our way by 8:20- back in our room before 8:45!

She fought sleep once again so I eventually gave her a bath. She ended up falling asleep around 10 (OMG).

I should note that she started to cough tonight at MK. Throughout the night it got real gross and she would wake up choking on phlegm. But somehow we both slept better than we did the night before. She woke up at 6:10 and I was just thankful it wasn't 5.

 

         

Eckhoffs Do Disney 2015: Part 3

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Back to the Magic Kingdom for a jam packed day-o-fun! We started our day bright and early and arrived at the park with plenty of time for the morning show, which I'm pretty sure started somewhere around 8:40 am. It was a bit chilly at this time, but the sun was shining and it warmed up pretty quickly.

After entering the park, we stopped in front of the castle to get a few pictures over with. That worked out well and then we all headed to Fantasyland to do Peter Pan's Flight. The line was moving pretty briskly, so we got on fast. Then we bounced over to It's A Small World. At this point, we split up. I stayed with Landry, while Taryn and Barrett did the Carousel about a thousand times in a row. Everyone else went to use their Big Thunder FP+, I believe.

Next up was the teacups. I didn't do this one. Then we split up again while some went on Space Mountain and the others went to do Buzz -both with FP+. Then we went back toward Dumbo. It was a bit of a wait, but Dumbo never disappoints. Then we went to see Goofy and Donald. Character meet and greets were a hoot with B.

Afterward, I ran back to Main Street to get a few baby goodies, while the others used their Mine Train FP+. The Emporium had a much better selection than AK, but I was still a bit disappointed. I got what I needed and ran back over to meet the rest of the group at Little Mermaid. This was a quick ride which I quite enjoyed. Then we strolled over to Be Our Guest for lunch.

We got in line, ordered at the kiosks, and found a table in what I believe is the Rose Room? It was nice and quiet in here with comfortable seating. Our food came probably within 10 minutes and I don't think any of us were disappointed. I got the braised pork with green beans and mashed potatoes and it was easily the best counter service meal I had the whole trip. I don't remember what Andy got (the ham and cheese sandwich?) but we split the triple chocolate cupcake which I would also recommend. Overall, two thumbs up for sure. We will be going back there.

At this point, Saxtons and Tissieres were going back to the hotel for afternoon rest time. I wasn't quite ready, so Andy and I stayed at the park with my parents. The four of us went over to do Pirates of the Caribbean. The wait was probably 25 minutes, but went quickly. Then we hopped over to Jungle Cruise, for probably a good half hour wait. I must say I am usually not a fan of this cheesy ride, but we actually had a great skipper (Nicolas - must've been good if I still remember his name). I actually laughed at the jokes when I normally just eye roll.

At this point it was probably 2:30 and I was ready to go. My parents were leaving to head back to Marco so we walked out with them to head to the bus. At this point, the details get a bit fuzzy but I will do my best to remember. After a bit of a rest, we met back up with my sisters to head back to MK at what I assume was 5:30ish pm.

We meet Tink right near the park entrance. If I remember correctly, this was Barrett's first meet and greet with a face character and he was so shy! He had been such a good sport with all of the costume characters, but it was a bit cute to see him blush. Then, we all decide to take the train from the Main Street stop over to Fantasyland. I actually don't think I've ever done this before, but it was quite relaxing since it was getting to be dusk.

We got off and decide to head over to the Peoplemover. This zippy ride was also quite relaxing, especially since it's fairly long and you have a good view. The dance party is hoppin' with the Incredibles characters, so we watch from afar. Then Barrett gets treated to a bubble machine and we head back toward Main Street since it's nearing show time.

We missed the lighting of the castle by Anna and Elsa but oh well. It's a little hectic, but most of us treat ourselves to ice cream. I got a kid's mint chocolate chip cone, which is not a choice I would ever make, but it looked good. Then we make our way to the street to snag a spot. Celebrate the Magic begins around 8:45 (cool, but I still prefer Magic, Memories, and Me), followed at 9 by of course, Wishes.

Afterward it's a mad dash to the exit and we all get separated but somehow meet back up on the way. Time for bed and our last day at the Happiest Place on Earth!


Thursday, January 8, 2015

After packing up the room and leaving bags with the bell people, we get to Magic Kingdom around 9 am opening. It is quite brisk outside. I believe Tissieres were shopping for souvenirs, but we meet up in the lobby to meet Mickey. The wait time doubles within 5 minutes, so we opt out.

We head over to Frontierland so the others can do Pirates. I run to buy Barrett diapers and go to pee and finish just as they are exiting. I think Andy and Eric went to use FP+ for Big Thunder or something. Allyson and I watch Tissieres as they ride Aladdin's carpet - it's still freezing.

We take the back way over to Fantasyland and decide to see Philharmagic. I think Tissieres do the Carousel a few times. Afterward, we have FP+ for Cinderella and Punzel! Another shy meet and greet and then we head toward the Plaza for a 11:10 lunch reservation. On the way we stop to dance with the move-it, shake-it parade which we have seen probably 5 times before, but actually participate in this time. The restaurant atmosphere is nice and not too loud or busy.  I got a veggie sandwich with cheese, veggies, hummus, and pesto which is decent for a veggie sandwich.

Afterward we head back over to Fantasyland to meet Anna and Elsa! I go first to try to get Barrett to warm up, but he's still shy. Tissieres make their way to the car to start their drive home. Andy and Eric try to do Buzz. Allyson and I go to the baby center to feed Landry. They manage to do Buzz after a wait and try to use FP+ for Space, but the machine is messed up and won't let them in. Andy gets a hot dog somewhere in there, too.

At this point, the rest of us are ready to go so we make our way to the bus stop a little before 2. We decide to go over to Downtown Disney since we have all afternoon and can't get in our rooms anyway. This is where things start to fall apart...

We decide to get on a bus to Saratoga Springs and then take a boat to Downtown. The wait time for the bus is one of the longest we had all week. Even as we enter, it takes 10 minutes to load a few wheelchair people. Curses! When we make it to Saratoga Springs, a Downtown Disney bus pulls up. But, we had planned to take a boat so we search for the dock. When we find it, we see a sign saying the boats aren't running today (I assume because it's cold). Luckily we can at least see Downtown, we just have to walk a long way to get there. And of course the bus stop to get back to Old Key West is on the opposite end. We don't have time to do much at this point, but head into a treat shop.

Thankfully the wait for the bus from Downtown Disney back to OKW is short. We get back to the hotel around 3:45 and hang in the lobby. It leaves us enough time to change clothes, charge electronics, etc. The Magical Express arrives just before 5. We make a stop at Saratoga Springs for more passengers and then to the airport. We don't need to check baggage, so we go straight to the food court for various McDonald's, Chik-Fil-A, and chinese. Security is another quick process and we are at our gate with just a short wait till boarding time... until we find out our flight is delayed (pushed back from 7:50 to 8:30 pm). There is a snow storm happening at home so we are just thankful to be making it out at all. We get in the air and it's a calm flight. They were able to make up most of the time in the air, which was splendid. We land around 10 pm Illinois time. The boys head to the car since it's a frozen tundra, while Allyson, Landry, and I wait for the bags. It times out perfectly that the bags come just before the boys arrive with the car.

The drive home is slow because the roads are slushy. We see several cars in ditches, but make it to town around 1 am. Another trip in the books!

Andy and I probably won't make it back to Disney for another 5 years or so, but it's crazy to think how different it will be to have a kid of our own to share it with!

Eckhoffs Do Disney 2015: Part 2

Monday, January 5, 2015

It's EPCOT day! We get ready and meet at the bus stop about 8:00. Mom and Dad drive their car, so we meet them outside the turnstiles. We probably arrive at the park around 8:30 for a 9 am opening, so we have some time. We all head in and head toward Test Track.

Everyone gets right on, while Taryn and I stay with the kiddos. Barrett is a little sad to not be able to go with everyone else, but we walk about the Chevy displays at the ride exit before everyone returns. The boys go on to do Mission Space, while the girls decide to head over the the aquarium. We stop to meet Chip and Dale on the way and then make it to see the fish. When the boys are set, we head next door to the Land to meet back up. We have Soarin' FP+ for 9:55, and decide to split up. Mom, Dad, Andy and I walk on the ride around 10:15 and are quickly in. That ride is so calming and cool. Then, we swap with the others. Mom is on Landry duty, while Dad, Andy, and I take Barrett on Living with the Land. We get stuck right at the end and have to wait about 10 minutes in the boats, but we make it off just as everyone else is exiting Soarin.' We head to do Journey into Imagination which is a success. Barrett plays with all of the interactive stuff before we walk back to the aquarium. Another FP+ for Seas with Nemo!

This is another good, relaxing one. Afterward, we spend some time in the aquarium before splitting up. Andy and I slowly make our way into the World Showcase, making stops to sit every few countries. It is another sunny, comfortable day. We make it to Via Napoli in Italy for our 12:45 reservation just a few minutes behind schedule. Andy and I split a pizza (huge, but we somehow finish it). Others get varieties of pizza or pasta and all is super tasty.

After lunch, we all hop on the boat to cross the lake. Andy and I rush to make our FP+ for Spaceship Earth and make it just in time for 2:30. I love Spaceship Earth! Mom and Dad stayed to do Sum of All Thrills, while everyone else went back for a nap. We left the park right afterwards and got on a bus within minutes - another score.

I took a nap. At this point, we were all wearing down. But Andy and I were ready to go around 5:15, so we got on the bus to go back to the park. I wanted to eat at Sunshine Seasons, so I could get something fresh instead of fried. I got a super salad with chicken, craisins, and a vinaigrette. I'm not really into cold chicken so it was just okay. Andy got a pork chop, green beans, and mashed potatoes I believe. We also split a M&M cookie.

The boat ride at the Mexican pavillion isn't anything special, but I wanted to do it. We got popcorn quickly, and walked right on to the ride. At this point, everyone else had made it to the park and were eating in various countries. We met up with my parents at the caramel place in Germany and discussed what to do next. We had missed the showing of American Adventure, so after some mulling we decided to go to Impressions de France. Of course we miss a show by seconds, and wait for the next. This show is actually really great. It's almost like Soarin' but in a theater. The images were beautiful and it was a nice thing to do since we were tired. Afterward, dad and I stopped in the Les Halles bakery (umm yummy) and got a chocolate eclair. It was awesome.

At this point it was about time to start Illuminations, so we caught up with the group in Canada. I will say we didn't have the greatest view and at this point it was pretty chilly outside. The show was still a spectacle and we follow the rush of people to the buses. We hop on and Tissieres get the last few spaces just before we pull away - close call. It's bedtime.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

We wake and are at the bus around 8:15 for a 9 am Animal Kingdom park opening. Tissieres had driven and picked up my parents on the way, but we met up just fine as crowds were really minimal. After opening, we head to the back of the park to hop on Safari right away. I was really disappointed in this attraction. I am not sure what I expected but I wanted to see more animals. (Also, this ride has a pregnancy warning which I ended up ignoring, but won't be doing so in the future. It actually is really bumpy. And yes, I see the eye rolls from here Taryn and Allyson.)

I was super sore and tired already this day. We had FP+ for the 10:00 Lion King show, so Mom, Andy, and I went to reserve seats while the others walked through Pangani. The show was good and not too long. I went with Allyson to the child care center and sat while she fed Landry. The others went to do Expedition Everest. We met up with Tissieres who weren't on the ride and were able to see the others as they rode. It was lunchtime and we had planned to do Yak and Yeti counter service just down the way. We decided to go inside the sit-down restaurant and this ended up being a good call. We only had to wait a few minutes as the restaurant was just opening. Andy got a burger and I got orange chicken, which was awesome. I ate the whole plate for sure.

It was nearing 1:00 and Andy and I wanted to check out the souvenirs for baby. AK did not have a great selection so this ended up being a bust. Then we called it a day and went to the bus. This was definitely the most disappointing day of the trip because I felt like I did not see much of the park at all. But at this point I was so exhausted that all I really needed was a nap.

We quickly got on a bus and go home for a really long nap. We decided to leave for dinner around 5:45, so we hop on a bus to Magic Kingdom. We aren't staying to enter the park, but decide to take a boat ride across Bay Lake to the Polynesian for our dinner reservation at 7. It was around sunset, the weather was nice, and the boat ride was pretty short. We got to Ohana in plenty of time so people get various drinks and we eventually meet up with Joe, Dad, and Mom.

We get called to a table shortly after our 7 pm time slot and they happen to sit us at the most perfect table. We were right next to the window with a perfect view of Cinderella's Castle. But it was time to scarf, man..

I actually like that the menu is decided for you and is "all you care to eat." It was simple since we were a big group and everything tasted awesome. First, we were served welcome bread. I think this was pineapple something if I remember. Not everyone was a fan but I thought it was fine. Next we got lettuce wraps, which were delicious. Moving on to entrees, we got sweet and sour pork loin and sirloin steak - both really good. These were served with egg noodles and stir fried veggies. I am not sure what made the noodles so tasty, but they just were. They finished with bread pudding with bananas, ice cream, and caramel sauce. This doesn't sound good, but it's just amazing. I don't think I've ever put so much food in my stomach in my life. And I'm okay with that because it was worth it.

As we were eating, Wishes was going on. The restaurant played the music so we had all the bells and whistles to go along with the nice view. We take the monorail back to MK and hop on a bus for the hotel. It was a nice, rejuvenating day in prep for our big finish in the Magic Kingdom!

And yes, I am literally posting every picture I took. That is how terrible I was at photographing this trip. Oh well!

Eckhoffs Do Disney 2015: Part 1

I wasn't going to do a trip review for Disney, but figured what the heck. I'll try to condense as much as possible. It will still probably be a novel.

Day 1: Saturday, January 3, 2015

We woke at 2:30 am, loaded the car, and arrived at the Saxton's around 3:15. We pack the car and start the drive to Midway; roads are slushy and it's snowing. We arrived at Park, Ride, and Fly a little after 5 am and got on the shuttle right away. We got to Midway to check in, and the process maybe takes 15 minutes. We bypass to the "family" security which was super fast and we got to our gate probably around 6:15? We all grabbed something small for breakfast before loading the plane.

Take off was on time, but with the weather being poor, the flight was turbulent. I really thought we were going to die and I am usually a calm flyer. I finally take a short nap and we land just a few minutes ahead of schedule. We're safe! We didn't need to get baggage, so we search for the Magical Express station. After some confusion, we find it and board. Thankfully our resort is the first stop! We arrive at Old Key West about 11:30.

Check in was chaotic as the lobby was busy. We finally get checked in, but our room is not ready. We head to Allyson and Eric's room and catch Tissieres on the way. Perfect timing. We sort through groceries and quickly refresh. Our room opens just before we head to the park! The bus takes forever, but we get to Magic Kingdom about 2:00 maybe. It is crazy busy. We catch the dance party right as we walk in and separate to find lunch. Saxtons, Andy and I head to Tomorrowland Terrace and get burgers and chicken fingers. We quickly walk around before using our FP+ for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. It is pretty much awesome. Tissieres decide to head back to the hotel while the rest of us check off a few rides.

We walk right on to Peter Pan's Flight with FP+. That's a good start, so we head to Haunted Mansion. The wait is probably 30 minutes, but goes fairly quickly. Andy and Eric head next door to use FP+ for Splash Mountain, while Allyson and I go to the baby center so Landry can eat. It was nice to sit in the quiet for a bit. We meet up with the guys and head back. It's maybe 5:30 at this point, but we are all wiped and the park is really busy, so we take the bus back to the hotel. I think I just eat what's in the room, while Andy gets food at the grill station by the pool. We stay down there chatting for a while before hitting the hay.

Day 2: Sunday, January 4, 2015

We wake early to get ready for our 7:30 am reservation at Olivia's with the Saxtons, while Tissieres do characters at Hollywood and Vine. Thankfully Olivia's is right at Old Key West, so we don't have to go far :) There was probably only 3 other tables there, but for some reason service is a little slow. I ordered scrambled eggs and pancakes, Andy got biscuits and gravy, Eric got some crab cake thing, and Allyson got an Olivia's sampler (I think). It's all good. Our bus mojo still isn't that great, but we load the bus for Hollywood Studios and get there right at 9 am for park opening. It's much better crowd levels than MK yesterday. We meet Tissieres and the boys try to catch Rockin' Roller Coaster, but it's closed. They go on Tower of Terror, while the girls walk around. We go in to see Buzz and Woody, which is a hit. Then we move to the Disney Jr. show. Barrett is on energy steroids but loves seeing the characters.

We meet up with the guys again and get on Toy Story Mania with our FP+. The wait is short and the ride is quite enjoyable. I don't remember who got the most points but it was nice that we could all ride together. Next, we head to meet Mike and Sully - another big hit for Barrett, who gives them hugs and high fives. They stop to see the Lightning and Mater cars. Tissieres head back for nap time, while Saxtons and Andy use the Star Tours FP+ for 11:30. I sit at a table outside with Landry since I can't do this one anyway. I get a lemonade smoothie thing and Andy gets some popcorn. Allyson gets a chocolate shake and Eric tries the pulled pork mac and cheese at Min and Bill's. Then we head to the bus station where we wait for about 20 minutes - still no bus mojo. We get on the bus about 12:30. Eric and I head to the pool since the weather is perfect - about 80 and sunny. Andy joins after a bit. I soak for a few hours before quickly showering. We head back to HS about 5pm. Barrett and Joe stay in to catch up on rest.

First on the list is dinner. We try Brown Derby, but the wait time is too long. So we head back to Backlot Express for more burgers, chicken strips, and fries. It's dark by now so we check out Osborne Lights. It's definitely a cool display and we easily spot the not-so-hidden black cat. We mosey over to the academy and take a drawing class - Piglet! Then it was time for the 8:30 pm Fantasmic show.

The show is great, of course. Even with the mad dash of people afterward, we somehow manage to stay together and land in a bus immediately - score! We are all ready for bed. Mom and Dad have arrived at this point, so we figure our plans for tomorrow and head to our room.

I'll leave you with that for now :) Will update more soon...

Nashville 2014: Part 2

Yes, I'm still alive. I forgot I hadn't posted this, so in case you need a recap here is Part 1

We ended up napping a solid 2 hours on Saturday and didn't wake until close to 7 pm. We had scoped out a place to eat, so the boys woke everyone up and went to put our names in while Sylvia and I got dressed and ready.

The wait time for Puckett's restaurant was 2 hours so the rest of the family decided to try to find something shorter. Since it was Saturday night in downtown Nashville, of course wait times were going to be long everywhere. We ended up waiting the same amount of time at Rock Bottom. We ended up sitting down to eat at like 9:30. 

We got loaded nachos to start, which was good because service was slow. I got some type of fish tacos, but they were cold so I ended up not eating much of them. After dinner, Eric, Sylvia, Andy and I went out for a while. We listened to a set by the Travis Mann band at some whole in the wall place, which reminded me of Elvis. Afterward we went to try out Coyote Ugly. What a disappointment and a waste of time (and $5 cover for the guys). We were there for less than ten minutes before walking back to the hotel around midnight. 

The next day, I met Andy's parents, Eric, and Sylvia for breakfast at the Frothy Monkey. I got a simple breakfast of a bagel and fruit (pretty hard to screw up) but it was good and the place was cute. I would go back.

We planned to leave the hotel at 10 to go tour the Ryman. We saw a short video and got to tour part of it at our own pace. Since it's basically a museum, this was right up my alley. I might've taken the longest since I actually read plaques and signs. We also did the backstage guided tour, which was interesting. 

Afterward  it was probably 12:30, so we split up to grab a snack/lunch. Andy and I grabbed jimmy johns and met up with everyone at the Country Music Hall of Fame at 1:30. This was again right up my alley and I tried to take my time. Andy was actually quite patient with me considering he is not into this stuff. It took a few hours and by the time we got to the end (which obviously had the more recent famous singers who I'm most familiar with) I was tired. We unfortunately went through the last room a bit quickly, but again it was interesting to me at least. 

At this point it was probably 4pm on Sunday. We took time to go in all the boot stores on Broadway, and Andy got himself a nice pair. We stopped in a few boutiques, but I wasn't interested in anything, so we went back to the hotel for a short rest before dinner at Puckett's. It was more BBQ type place, so I got a salad and pulled pork sandwich - pretty good. The atmosphere was good and of course there was live music. Afterward we went to Tootsie's, then another bar to hear the Gin Blossoms (hey, jealousy). They played well but we only stayed for a few songs before going to Honky Tonk Central. I didn't care for the performers there as much and was really ready to sleep. We still stayed out till close to midnight.

Monday morning, we woke and met in the lobby where a few were eating breakfast before hitting the road around 10. We killed time by playing a 4 person game of monopoly on the iPad but it seemed to take forever. We were really cramped and hungry by the time we got to BWW in Effingham around 3. That queso and wings were a life saver. We pulled into our house around 6 pm. It felt good to be back.

Nashville 2014: Part 1

Andy's parents had been talking about the family taking a long-weekend trip for a while. They eventually settled on Nashville. On Friday, August 1, we loaded up with my in-laws in their Yukon, along with Andy's brother and his girlfriend to begin the 7 hour trek. 

Warning, I didn't take a whole lot of photos.

We left at 5 am, and the car ride went surprisingly fast. My MIL had donuts and fruit so we were able to eat breakfast. We tried to nap a little, but it just wasn't gonna happen, so the girls decided to put in Brave. By the time we were finished, we were stopping at Carbondale for a coffee/bathroom break around 8:45 am.

And before we knew it, we were near Kentucky Lake. My MIL had heard of this place called Patti's, which is a historical area/settlement (?). There is a block or two of quaint shops that we toured before sitting down at Patti's restaurant for an early lunch. Everything is themed old-southern. The bread which comes with the meal is baked in small flower pots, which was pretty cool, and is served with homemade butter (regular and strawberry - both amazing). The place is known for 2 inch thick pork chops, but they had a lot of other comfort-type foods that sounded good. I ended up with a spinach, artichoke chicken wrap which was different than I expected but pretty decent. It was a great out-of-the-box way to start off the trip. I offered a challenge that we not eat at any chain restaurants all weekend to keep it going.

We arrived in Nashville around 2pm on Friday afternoon. After some interesting first impressions at the hotel (DoubleTree), we got settled into our room, which we shared with Andy's brother and his girlfriend. We took a bit of a rest and waited for Andy's other brother and his wife to get into town. At about 4pm, we decided to all head down to Boardwalk to see the crazy Nashville action..

It was definitely interesting. And pretty busy considering it wasn't even dinner-time yet. We visited Honky Tonk Central and Tootsie's before we could finally get in to eat dinner at the Merchant. This was recommended to us and did not disappoint. There were so many things on the menu I wanted, but I ended up getting the grilled salmon BLT. Oh my Lord, it was heavenly.

Afterward, we went back to the hotel for a quick rest before heading back out with Andy's 2 brothers and their ladies around 9:30. We went to the Second Fiddle, which of course had live music but luckily wasn't too crowded. We were able to snag a few chairs and just listen. Ironically, we found a group of bachelors that we know from Illinois, which was pretty crazy.

We went back to the hotel around 11? I of course first woke at about 4am the next day but dozed in and out until about 7:30 am. I got ready and grabbed breakfast at the buffet downstairs (pretty decent, actually). We loaded up a little after 9 am to head to Opryland. 

We walked to the Grand Ol Opry but didn't really have time to take a tour, so we killed time at the mall before walking over to General Jackson's boat at 11:30. Immediately after loading the boat, we went to the buffet - salad, grits, baked beans, meat, cornbread, cheesecake, and cookies. Yeah, real southern food. Everything tasted surprisingly good, but the meat I could've done without. 

The entertainers sang for about an hour and they were all quite good. The group had several singers and musicians that rotated doing pieces that again, were real country, southern songs. When they finished, we went to the top of the boat to enjoy the weather and listen to acoustics while we cruised the last half of the way. 

After docking, we headed to the Opryland hotel to check things out. It's a pretty big place, so we spent a few hours meandering before heading back to our own hotel for a nap.

Stay tuned for part 2...

Cruising the Bahamas: Part Three

Thursday and Friday

(A wopping one photo in this one..)

After a few busy days, I was kind of looking forward to having a day to do nothing. Since we were at sea all day Thursday, Andy and I had booked two massages for 9:15am. I grabbed a light breakfast at the Park Cafe, and we went to the spa. We each had separate appointments so we were in different rooms. I was slightly disappointed with the massage. The woman was very nice, but it was a very light massage. And I remember not liking the music they played. Give me sounds of nature, not 70s disco. I'm spoiled because now I compare everything to our Hawaii trip. Our couples' massage there was heavenly and we were right on the beach.. Oh, to be back there..

After the massage, I waited for Andy in the spa lounge chairs overlooking the ocean in the back of the boat. How peaceful. Then we found his family at our usual place on the pool deck and started to soak up the sun. It was so darn hot. The pool deck is completely exposed to the sun, but there are other decks above that go around the pool area, so you are completely blocked from wind. Here is where I should discuss the accomodations for the pools. I have mentioned a few times the Solarium, which is the adult pool. It's in a completely separate area and is for adults only, but is not very large (maybe 10' x 15'). It's mostly shaded with a part glass ceiling so you don't really get sun exposure/a tan. The outdoor pool area consisted of two pools about the size of a standard family pool. However, the outer half of each pool had water only 1-2 inches deep - just enough to get your feet wet. So that leaves an area about 8' x 12' (?) that's actually deep enough to submerge.

I've said before that there were 3000 people onboard. How in the world do you take turns being in a small area with that many people? You don't. So I maybe spent 10 minutes total in the outside pool. I also should mention here that 340 Argentinian girls were onboard celebrating their Quinceaneras (15th birthdays). So there were teen girls everywhere being rude and wearing thongs. They took up an entire pool on their own.

Mid-afternoon I heard there was a Harry Potter trivia contest. I was all about it, because let's admit, I'm a bit of a super fan/HP genius. First off, the event was incorrectly advertised so I was in the wrong room and was late. I'm disappointed in my 16/20 but will note that everyone who did better than me was on a team of like 5 so if we divided HP knowledge by person I would've wipped everyone (I'm competitive and a sore loser). The ones I got wrong were only wrong because of technicalities (yes I'm explaining/making excuses to make myself feel better about the loss)...

Back to the pool deck to just hang. Most of the time I was on this deck I was in the shade because of the heat, so I didn't get a very good tan. We all showered and got ready for our last night eating at the My Fair Lady. This night I had a starter that was advertised as pita and hummus and ended up being something totally weird. It just happened to come with a miniscule pita stick and a teaspoon of hummus, but I ate it nonetheless. I had a lamb shank which was good, and finished with chocolate ice cream. Then we decided to walk around the boat. There were a lot of parts that I had never gone to, and it was a great sunset to watch.

The photo above is probably the closest I got the edge of the boat the entire trip. I don't think I ever even touched the railing and literally would stay a good ten feet away from that thing.

We had some time in the room before heading to the 9pm theater show. It was the RC singers and dancers doing various numbers from musicals. This was right up my alley and I quite enjoyed it. Not sure anyone else did but I was entertained. Immediately following the show, the comedian was set to start. He, like the magician, lives on the boat most of the year. He was an older guy with very adult-focused humor. It wouldn't be something I would actively seek to do again, but it was okay. He was funny, but I don't think a 23 year old girl and a retired aged male have the same sense of humor.

Then there was some kind of interactive game show that we checked out. I was pretty tired and wasn't really interested in the game, so we headed back to our rooms and packed up. We had to set our luggage outside to be checked by security. We wouldn't see it until we were off the ship. Thankfully, we had a carry on, so we kept everything we needed (toothbrush, makeup, clothes). Not sure how that worked for everyone else.

We woke and were already docked at the port. We got a quick breakfast, finished packing, and met the fam at our check-out point around 8:40am. Again the process was pretty efficient, but a lot of slow moving lines. We made it to the baggage point and found everyone's luggage pretty quickly. We loaded up the van and were on our way by 9:30.

At this point, we weren't sure what we were going to do the rest of the day. We had our van but no real plans. Our flight wasn't leaving until 4:55pm. Somehow we ended up at a camping park with air boat rides. We had to wait an hour for our turn. It lasted about a half an hour and we saw one alligator. It was okay.

We dropped off Andy's brother and SIL at the airport for their earlier flight before grabbing lunch at Chili's. We made it back to the airport about 3 hours before our flight. It was the longest wait ever. Finally we were boarded. The take off, flight, and landing were incredibly turbulent. I usually enjoy the thrill of flying, but not this time. I really thought we were going to fall from the sky and die. Andy's arm probably still has nail marks from my grip. Thankfully, we landed. It seemed forever for us to get luggage, find the bus driver, and drive home, but we made it to our house around 10pm. It was a good trip, but was also so nice to be back in our own bed!

We will probably never cruise again. I'm glad we did it once though so I could see for myself what it's like. My main dislike is that it's a very busy and crowded experience. I remember being worried about germs/getting sick (have you heard of meningitis?) and people breathing/touching the food on the buffet. I enjoy isolation - peace and quiet. I don't really get the thrill of being on a boat vs. a hotel, although the ports give you a variety of things to do which is nice. It was nice that all the food was included, so walking up just to get snack was convenient. There was a good amount of entertainment provided, if you need a schedule of activities to be satisfied on vacation. All in all, it was a good trip because we were together as a family.

Cruising the Bahamas: Part Two

Tuesday and Wednesday

On Tuesday morning, we woke up and were already anchored in the Bahamas at the RC's private island, CocoCay. We snagged breakfast, prepped for a day at the beach, and headed down to Deck 2 to load onto the ferry boat. CocoCay is a very small island and doesn't have accomodations for the boat to dock directly on the shore, so we had to take ferry boats from the ship to the island. It was probably a 5-10 minute ride and each boat held 200 passengers. We had to swipe our "SeaPass cards" while exiting and entering the boat so they could keep a correct count of everyone.

We got to the island mid-morning and I was surprised at how neat it was. There were huts and shops, an area with hammocks under palm trees, and of course beach chairs everywhere. There were several outdoor bars, as well. There were a handful of beach activities you could do at cost, but I really just wanted to bum out in the sun. We found the rest of Andy's family and I got cozy in my beach chair. I'm definitely a beach girl. I could spend a week alone on the beach reading and sleeping and be thrilled. I was a little disappointed because I think we chose to sit at the noisiest spot on the island - right next to the band. I guess there were 3000 guests staying on the boat, so we probably wouldn't find silence anywhere we'd go. I still was able to read almost all of my book and got plenty of sun. They had a huge buffet area with several stations for lunch, so we ate right on the beach. It was a really pretty setting. We packed up and made our way to the ferry around 2:30. We had a quick swim in the Solarium before the ship left port again at 4:30. We showered and headed to the dining room again at 6pm.

All ten of us ate together this night. Apparently we never got the memo that you had to wear Red Carpet attire. Literally everyone was in evening gowns and suits - like way nicer clothes than 85% of the guests wore to our wedding. The fanciest thing I brought was my $12 old navy cotton tank dress, and the only shoes I had were old navy flip flops. Thankfully I didn't care. We were totally getting judging eyes from everyone, and actually got turned away from the dining room because the women didn't have heels on (we snuck in when no one was looking). So that happened. Finally we ate and I had some sort of salad (it had artichokes and lots of beans I remember), Corvina fish, and cheesecake. All of the food was excellent. This was probably my favorite food of the whole trip.

It was this night that we saw the magician. What a cheeseball. His wife was his assistant and they live on the ship most months out the year. You could tell he says the exact same things at each show, it was so rehearsed. I mean, the magic and illusions were pretty sweet, but I couldn't get over the cheesiness.  We headed to our rooms to prep for our next day in Nassau, and were going through all of our options for activities.

The next morning, we got breakfast and met everyone near the Guest Services place to decide our plan of action for the day. We had ported in Nassau, Bahamas before we even woke up, but we had no idea what we would be doing that day. We knew we didn't want to stay on the ship, but all of the possible activities were outrageously priced, and none of them seemed worth it to me. I remember repeating "I just want to go to the beach" about a million times. According to guest services, it was a half an hour walk to a public beach. I was the only one who seemed to care to spend the whole day there, so we ended up deciding to go tour the Atlantis hotel with Andy's parents and brother's family, but the tour wouldn't leave until 1pm.

Three of the four boats that were docked at the Bahamas. Ours is in the middle.

We decided to spend the morning at the beach, even if it meant a walk. We had to swipe our SeaPass cards leaving the boat, and pretty much walked right onto the island. I remember never showing my Passport and thinking how weird that was. There were a total of 4 cruise ships docked, so the place was pretty crowded with tourists (lots of locals yelling and haggling for you to use their services). The walk to the beach was maybe 20 minutes, so not that bad. And the beach was wonderful. It was quiet (Hallelujah!), the sand was white and soft, and the water was a clear blue. We found Andy's two brothers and SIL and enjoyed the sun. I could've stayed there all day, but it ended up being maybe an hour before we had to leave again. We made the walk back, got through the laidback "customs" place, and were back on the boat for lunch. We quickly changed clothes and exited the boat again to head to Antlantis' island. It was a short 5-10 minute bus ride across the island.

As you can see it was vey windy.

The tour began at the shops in Atlantis, we went through the Casino, and started touring the aquarium and "The Dig." Apparently the Dig was constructed to mimic the real Atlantis community. There were fifteen chambers with various items, but all had glass to view the fish. I think they said Atlantis has the biggest ocean exhibit for marine life in the world other than the ocean itself. It was a pretty lengthy tour since it was so big, I was kind of over it by the end, but I'm not really up on my marine life. Once we exited the Dig we walked through the pool areas to another part of the ocean exhibit. I will say, Atlantis' pool area is pretty darn sweet. There were about a million different sections, and it was gigantic. They had their own huge manmade lagoon beach with a large blowup obstacle course in the water, several different pools, of course the popular slides, and kids water play area. Andy and I decided to walk around the grounds after the tour ended to see the sites.

Although everything was so cool, it was also very crowded and loud. I would never stay there unless it was during slow season. Plus, the resort allows docked cruise ship guests to use its pool services for a (large) fee, so there were even more people around. But I won't say that I didn't regret not getting the Aquapass and spending the day at their pools rather than doing the tour..

We met back up with the family in the hotel lobby, and had a drink while visiting. Andy and I decided to make the 4pm bus to the ship, so we said goodbye and got right on the shuttle. This driver was very informative. I think he took a longer route through town, but he showed us a lot of the local sites. He talked about different trees and plants, how to cook various native fruits, history of the town's churches and hospitals - it was actually really interesting. We really should've tipped him!

We got through the port business and were back on the boat. We changed into our suits and headed for the Solarium for some quiet relaxing after the busy day. I remember the pool felt really wonderful after sweating all day, and I finished my book on the comfy lounge chairs. Andy's brother and SIL met up with us and we exchanged stories about our day. I ate dinner in the Solarium at the Park Cafe (it was so much more peaceful than the Windjammer buffet area). We showered and spent some time in our room before heading to the Love and Marriage Gameshow.

I had been looking forward to this ever since we got on the boat. The whole family had been trying to convince my in-laws to sign up for the show because we were there for their anniversary. They weren't really into the idea (I can't blame them), so much so that my MIL left the room during auditions. Each couple had to audition in front of the audience by singing or saying a set of lines determined by the cruise director, Mark. Awkward. But the show was absolutely hilarious. It featured three couples, one married 0-5 years, one 5-25 years, and one 26+ years.

The youngest couple was on their honeymoon. They were college students from Ole Miss and since I'm in the judging mood I'll add that they had only been dating since the previous fall. Andy and I could've beaten the pants off of them.. The other couple had been married 17 years I think and their daughter was in the audience, so that would've been uncomfortable. The last couple was from New Jersey. The husband basically forced the wife to do the show and was a riot. The wife was so uncomfortable that it was funny - they ended up being the winners. It was definitely a highlight of the trip.

The boat was set to take off from the Bahamas at 11:30pm that night, and there was a big party on the pool deck. Andy and I checked it out and sat in some lounge chairs on the upper deck to see the view as we left the island. After that, it was time for bedtime. The next day we were set to sail all day at sea.