Disney 2009Now we know how the Griswolds felt

Well, we've been here about a week, so I thought it's about time to update everyone. Trip has been great so far -- weather has been near-perfect!!

We arrived in Florida last Saturday, and checked in to our 'Pirate Room' at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, one of the largest on Disney's property. So, we got settled in, and off to Disney's Hollywood Studios for day 1.

Now, Hollywood Studios was the first park for a very good reason. For months, Alex has been researching new rides and attractions -- basically, ever since we decided to go to Disney, he's been on-line researching. One of the newest attractions is a 4-D ride/game called 'Toy Story Mania.' (It's 4-D because that's better than 3-D!). Anyway, Alex went on Disney's website, YouTube, everywhere he could to see videos, pictures, and reviews of the ride. He couldn't wait to get to Disney to ride this ride.

When we got to the park, we called our friends, the Muscente's, who arrived in Florida a few days earlier. They told us they went on the ride that morning, and loved it. So, naturally, that got Alex even more excited. We entered the park and immediately proceeded to the area where the ride was located (Alex knew since he had already memorized the park maps on the bus!). As we walked down the alley, we could see the new Pixar Animation sign that framed the game. We approached, and could sense Alex's excitement. As we worked our way through the crowd, weaving in and out of the hundreds of people, we arrived at the ride to be greeted by numerous Disney Cast Members (employees), who's sole job was to tell us that the ride was down due to technical difficulties. Alex's face dropped, and all I could think about was Clark Griswold punching the moose at Wally World. But, Alex was a trooper, and we decided to grab some lunch, and try back later. After lunch, we walked back, and the ride just reopened, and we were able to walk right on! So, that made Alex's day -- and, to top it off, it really is a great ride!!

So, we finished off the day at Hollywood Studios, and then did some swimming at our resort's pool. Sunday, we went to Blizzard Beach (water park) with the Muscente's -- it was a perfect day for swimming!! That night, we went to Downtown Disney, and had dinner at a new restaurant called TRex -- picture Rainforest Cafe, but with all dinosaurs. It was pretty cool -- Alex loved it...Hannah - not so much.

Monday we went to Animal Kingdom with the Musente's, then all had dinner with Cinderella, Prince Charming, and others from the Royal Family -- it was pretty fun! Tuesday we went back to Hollywood Studios where Alex rode Toy Story Mania 3 more times, and we had dinner again with the Musente's at Chef Mickeys, and got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. Good food, good friends, and Mickey -- what else could you ask for? Wednesday we went to the Magic Kingdom for the first time, and had a great breakfast in Cinderella's castle, and Hannah really hammed it up with the princesses! She chose to wear her Sleeping Beauty dress, and had a matching doll, complete with her own Sleeping Beauty dress, compliments of our neighbor, Tina. Hannah's new thing for this trip has been her autograph book -- she loves meeting characters and having them sign her book! Thursday we spent at Epcot -- it was also the day we checked out of our Pirate Room, got our rental van, and checked in to our new villa at the Marriott. Now, anyone who knows me knows how much I love Disney, but when it comes to hotels, I don't think many can compare to Marriott. Don't get me wrong, the Pirate Room was nice, but this one-bedroom villa at Marriott's Grande Vista even had Alex saying "hey, can we get one of these??" It's quite luxurious, to say the least!

So, that brings us to Friday, which we spent at Universal. Alex and Hannah got to meet Dora, Madagascar characters, Curious George, Marge Simpson, and some others. It was fun, but not Disney. We've been trying to get Alex to try new things. We asked him if he wanted to go on the new Simpsons ride -- it looked fun -- carnival-type of ride. He said no, so we didn't force him. Later in the day, he changed his mind. So, toward the end of the day, he and I went back to the ride. Neither of us knew what to expect, but it looked fun(ny), from the outside. The line was short, so we went right in. Little did I know that it was a ride simulator -- and a pretty intense one, at that (compare to Star Wars, or the old Back to the Future ride). It was funny, and Alex laughed (a little), but neither of us really liked it that much. I have horrible motion sickness, and Alex doesn't do well with loud noises or sudden movements, so this definitely wasn't the ride for us!! Although, Darese and Hannah both would have loved it! Needless to say, Alex didn't like it, and now is not a big fan of the Simpsons, either (not that he's ever seen the show before, but now he certainly won't watch it!).

So, that's all for now. We're here at the Marriott until Monday, and should be back in Ithaca Monday night, then back to work/school Tuesday. I'll try to upload some photos soon, but check back for other updates. Hope everyone is well!!

Here are some more photos....











Joe, Darese, Alex & Hannah