Islamorada

Hey friends!  I am back from a great week.  My work has an annual retreat in Islamorada down in the Florida Keys and we had a super time.  The guys take a fishing trip and this girl gets to go to the spaaaaaaaaa.  We typically go a little earlier in the year but last week proved to be perfect temps and I swear it kept everyone in a better mood than usual.  The summer heat down there is no joke.
I don't take many personal trips.  Seems like most getaways are event related and this trip made me excited for future trips with our little boy.  Cheers to a great week!

 

Packing & Planning for SeaWorld Aquatica

I just got back from my second visit to Aquatica.  Packing and planning for theme park visits can be tricky.  You are stuck with your choices, good and bad...all day long.  A lot of people have the tendency to over pack for all those "just in case" items.  My tips for Aquatica.  One note, the child I had with me is 10 years old.  Adjust your kiddie stuff accordingly.

First, the DO-NOT list:
No water shoes - Many rides do not allow them at all
No loose cover-ups - Again, many rides make this a no-go
Camera - If you have someone not swimming and sitting on the sidelines, this is okay.  Otherwise, there are lots of photographers there.  They will give you a wrist band to scan to purchase photos at the end of the day.  Most rides do not allow loose items to be carried on.
Sunglasses - I didn't take them in line and was fine.  Some of the rides are pretty fast and there is a good chance you will lose them at some point.
Food - This won't even make it thru the entrance.  No outside food is allowed.

The DO list:
Credit card - (versus cash) I was just saying, all parks really should go the Disney way and use a wristband to make purchases.
To my surprise, Aquatica offers this.  The park is huge.  The LAST thing you want to do is keep going back to your locker to get money.  You can link a debit/credit card to a wristband and any money you don't use goes back on your card at midnight.
Sunscreen - Obviously.  Hello...it's Florida.  Temps are already in the "feel like" at 100+  The park does a good job of providing lots of shade while you wait in line though.
Backpack - Carry everything in a typical size backpack and you are good to go with a small sized locker
Grocery bag - Stash a couple of these in your backpack to carry out wet swimsuits.
Towels - We took towels and they fit in the locker fine.  You can rent them if you want to pack light so towels can go either way.
Travel size/hotel size body wash & shampoo - There are free showers in the bathrooms by the lockers.  They do have some all-in-one body wash in the showers so you are covered it you want to pack light.

Lunch plans - Lunch is so so.  There are several spots to duck-in buffet style and grab food but the temps are FREEZING if you are wet.  It was so hot that we didn't have a big appetite and opted for hotdog and a drink.  We got fries but they were cold so we tossed them.  The prices are as you would anticipate, a little on the high side. 

We did see some all-day dining signs posted but didn't check into it.  I believe the signs said $20 or so but check the website for that info. 

My niece loved the Dippin Dots stations.  This little treat was perfect for a quick cool down and there are three different sizes.  These were $5-$8 or so and there were several spots throughout the park. 

If you are planning a trip, Aquatica is in a great spot in Orlando.  Nice hotels and lots of dining nearby.  Wet-n-Wild is a nearby waterpark.  It's a little lower priced but not nearly as nice.  It's about 40 years old and is closing next year.  

Cabana Bay is another nearby waterpark.  It's tiny in comparison to the major waterparks but huge for a hotel pool.  It's inside a hotel so it's much more temperature controlled.  It's really reasonably priced.  I took my nieces when they were 5 or so and they loved it.  

Have any fun summer trips planned?  I want to take a long weekend with my husband.  No theme parks for us but something outside to enjoy the water for sure.  :)    

Disney's Fort Wilderness: Cabin Tour

My first post from our trip to Fort Wilderness highlighted some of the areas around the resort.  As I shared, we stayed in one of the 300+ cabins on property.  Each cabin is numbered.  We stayed in the 2600 block in cabin #2695 on Moccasin Trail.  This is a great block to stay on.  There is a bus stop right in front and a pool plus laundry directly across the street.  We read online that the higher numbers are newer cabins but we only saw ours so we cannot say for sure.  

One thing we learned quick, you cannot drive your vehicle around the resort.  Well, you can drive it around BUT you cannot park it anywhere. You have to rent a golf cart or take the bus.  The golf carts go fast.  They are booked up to a year in advance.  Seriously.  

We didn't know that so my kids had to take the bus around. It's no charge to ride the bus and although some online reviews complained of a long wait, we never waited more than five minutes for the next bus.  Plus, if it's cold or rainy out, you are protected from the elements when you ride the bus. 

 

Home sweet home.  From this angle, the bedroom is on the left, bathroom is in the middle and the kitchen/family room/murphy bed are on the right.

You pull right up to your cabin.  You can unload and lock the keys inside.  

     

A BBQ grill is outside BUT there is no charcoal.  You can have it delivered for less than $10.00.  There is a vast grocery list of anything you can want or need.

There is inside dining plus this picnic table outside on the front porch.

 

 Our backyard view and a peek from the family room into the kitchen.

The kitchen is STOCKED!  Plates, glasses, flatware, mugs, saucers, paper towels...everything!

Had we known, we would have taken the time to get meals to cook at the cabin, especially breakfast and dinner.  The kids were so tired from playing at the pool all day and having dinner there (we grabbed pizza to go) would have been perfect.  And, who wants to get up early and get all these kids ready?!  I wish we brought breakfast supplies.  We will next time for sure.

A murphy bed pulls down for even more room to sleep.  There are nightstands, lamps and outlets too.

Yes, a bathroom is included.  And the vanity is FULLY stocked with towels.

Four to six can sleep on this side of the cabin.  The bunks are oversized and two toddlers easily slept in each bed.  We had plenty of pillows too.

There is a hanging closet, baby play pin, changing table, iron and lots of drawers for storage.

Our pool right across the street from the 2600 block.  This isn't as adventurous as the main pool that has slides and fountains but it's also not as busy so that was nice.  

We didn't see any towels at either pool so pack some or grab them from your cabin.

Walking to our bus stop.  There are colored loops so you know where your bus is going.  The kids loved running onto the bus and grabbing their seats.  The bus was ice cold inside, perfect for ducking out of the hot sun and cooling off in between stops.

Spring Beak: Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

Happy April, friends!
We took a quick getaway with the nieces and nephews and went to Disney's Fort Wilderness.  The kids had a BLAST!  It was so much fun.  I am not a camper.  At. All.
We went to River Ranch last summer and this is somewhat similar but  Disney's Fort Wilderness is a lot nicer.  More pricey but more nicey.
We opted for one of their 300+ cabins and we slept great.  There is literally everything to do..tennis, jogging trails, at least 10 playgrounds, pools, laundry, boating, beaching, dining, shows, horses, camp fires, sing-a-longs, archery....you get the picture.  You can tent camp, bring your RV, rent a cabin or stay at the lodge (hotel).
We had FIVE youngins with us so we opted for the cabin route so the kids could run and jump around without disturbing neighbors.
I'll do follow up posts with recommended activities, what to pack and a few tips for vising.
First up, here's what we saw....