So here's the story... After a long week in south Florida staying with my in-laws, I needed a little Disney fix. I mean after all, I did drive all the way from MD and sat around in the wind and rain while my husband went fishing all week! Our weather was not good and I found myself sitting around or eating and shopping. Not how I planned my "week in the sun." I begged and finally got my husband to agree to a one night stay at the Dolphin before heading home.Unfortunately, he is not a Disney fan 
.
I packed my bags and made the 2.5 hour trip to Orlando. I booked the Dolphin for a decent price on our way there. We checked in around 1130 and our room was ready! The front desk was very nice and the line went quick. I was pretty impressed.
Next we headed over to the pool area. My son flocked right to the play area next to the beach. We come all the way to WDW and he wound rather climb a jungle gym? Okay...so then he headed to the beach area to make some new friends and dig in the sand. We also decided to rent a paddle boat. For $15 you get 30min in the boat and trust me...30min is more than enough! I have forgotten how hard it was to operate a paddle boat. At least that was my work out for the day!
And we watched the baby ducks!
After all that playing and paddling we worked up an appetite. We walked to the Big River Grille, which was less than impressing. Oh well...we were hungry and it came with a nice view of the Boardwalk and the sun was shining so all was good. It was time for some pool games and to soak up a little Florida sun. We changed into our suits and let my son play at the pool. He headed right for the huge inflatable obstacle coarse set up next to the pool activity area. My son was a little scared of the slide so he only went for a quick swim with my husband before we laid out and relaxed by the pool. I headed over to Cabanas for a Pinacolada! Yes, Mommy's last day of vacation treat!
Since we were only around WDW for a day it was time to get changed and head to DTD. On arriving we let my son buy his favorite annual toy...A "city bus" as he calls it! It was the 2014 Disney bus at the toy store. Every time we visit he buys some sort of transportation vehicle. At 5 y/o he is very easy to impress! My wallet is happy that he is easy to please.
No trip to DTD is not complete without a EOS sandwich. So I had the Holiday Turkey and my son had the mac and cheese. We also hit the Lego store and played in the sand at T-Rex. I do wish my son was not terrified of this place. He pretty much stands there and shakes upon entering. Maybe one day we can eat there again without him hiding under the table. I finally got him past his fear of the Rainforest Cafe.
Let's not forget about the train!
Let's talk the construction at DTD. Now I had to remain positive but... it was a little bit of a nightmare. Our bus from DTD to the GF took 1.5 hours because of the traffic problem around DTD. I know the end result will be enjoyable but it was hard to face. Since it was a holiday weekend there were more people than usual at DTD anyway and not you add the construction fences everywhere and you have a big problem. We finally arrived at the GF. I had planned on doing a little shopping but there wasn't much time. We looked at the beautiful Easter eggs for a few minutes and headed up to the monorail.
The monorail is my son's favorite Disney attraction. He thinks it is the most fascinating transportation vehicle. I picked the GF because it gives you a longer ride to the Poly and he could spend more time on board. I also enjoyed the view of MK and the resorts. I was wishing I had more time and could visit the parks but I had to settle with the scenic view.
Last stop...The Poly. We hit the Poly beach for a view of Wishes. When we got there they were playing Frozen on the beach. Appropriate, considering it was pretty cold by 830pm. We covered up with some beach towels and enjoyed the ambiance of the Poly until Wishes started. They paused the movie to pipe in the Wishes music. I can't believe I had never done this before! It is the perfect place to go on a non park night. I am going to keep this in mind for our next real vacation.
We cheated and took a taxi back to the Dolphin. It was getting late and we had a long ride planned for the morning. I had never done this before but I have to say it was a great plan.
I took time to explore the Dolphin since my husband put the little one to bed for me. I went to the store, which did not compare to the usual Disney resort stores. They had a candy shop and several places to eat. I found a spot to get some ice cream, which made my night! I would stay there again I suppose. It's not as fun looking as the actually Disney resorts but it does have Deluxe amenities at a much lower price. Having the boat for added transportation is a major plus for me. There are extra fees but even with the fees I paid about the same as a value resort on a holiday. A value would normally be much cheaper.
(No we did not stop here...)
So...one day was not enough for me. I must get back to work and start looking for deal for our next vacation, Oct 2014. No plans yet but I will be holding out for the deals for fall. Hopefully free dinning or a resort discount. It will be over Halloween so I am excited to maybe hit the MNSHP for the first time! Who knows... Okay guys, be nice. This was my first EVER trip report. Thankfully it was a short trip for this first timer!
.I packed my bags and made the 2.5 hour trip to Orlando. I booked the Dolphin for a decent price on our way there. We checked in around 1130 and our room was ready! The front desk was very nice and the line went quick. I was pretty impressed.
Next we headed over to the pool area. My son flocked right to the play area next to the beach. We come all the way to WDW and he wound rather climb a jungle gym? Okay...so then he headed to the beach area to make some new friends and dig in the sand. We also decided to rent a paddle boat. For $15 you get 30min in the boat and trust me...30min is more than enough! I have forgotten how hard it was to operate a paddle boat. At least that was my work out for the day!
And we watched the baby ducks!
After all that playing and paddling we worked up an appetite. We walked to the Big River Grille, which was less than impressing. Oh well...we were hungry and it came with a nice view of the Boardwalk and the sun was shining so all was good. It was time for some pool games and to soak up a little Florida sun. We changed into our suits and let my son play at the pool. He headed right for the huge inflatable obstacle coarse set up next to the pool activity area. My son was a little scared of the slide so he only went for a quick swim with my husband before we laid out and relaxed by the pool. I headed over to Cabanas for a Pinacolada! Yes, Mommy's last day of vacation treat!
Since we were only around WDW for a day it was time to get changed and head to DTD. On arriving we let my son buy his favorite annual toy...A "city bus" as he calls it! It was the 2014 Disney bus at the toy store. Every time we visit he buys some sort of transportation vehicle. At 5 y/o he is very easy to impress! My wallet is happy that he is easy to please.
No trip to DTD is not complete without a EOS sandwich. So I had the Holiday Turkey and my son had the mac and cheese. We also hit the Lego store and played in the sand at T-Rex. I do wish my son was not terrified of this place. He pretty much stands there and shakes upon entering. Maybe one day we can eat there again without him hiding under the table. I finally got him past his fear of the Rainforest Cafe.
Let's not forget about the train!
Let's talk the construction at DTD. Now I had to remain positive but... it was a little bit of a nightmare. Our bus from DTD to the GF took 1.5 hours because of the traffic problem around DTD. I know the end result will be enjoyable but it was hard to face. Since it was a holiday weekend there were more people than usual at DTD anyway and not you add the construction fences everywhere and you have a big problem. We finally arrived at the GF. I had planned on doing a little shopping but there wasn't much time. We looked at the beautiful Easter eggs for a few minutes and headed up to the monorail.
The monorail is my son's favorite Disney attraction. He thinks it is the most fascinating transportation vehicle. I picked the GF because it gives you a longer ride to the Poly and he could spend more time on board. I also enjoyed the view of MK and the resorts. I was wishing I had more time and could visit the parks but I had to settle with the scenic view.
Last stop...The Poly. We hit the Poly beach for a view of Wishes. When we got there they were playing Frozen on the beach. Appropriate, considering it was pretty cold by 830pm. We covered up with some beach towels and enjoyed the ambiance of the Poly until Wishes started. They paused the movie to pipe in the Wishes music. I can't believe I had never done this before! It is the perfect place to go on a non park night. I am going to keep this in mind for our next real vacation.
We cheated and took a taxi back to the Dolphin. It was getting late and we had a long ride planned for the morning. I had never done this before but I have to say it was a great plan.
I took time to explore the Dolphin since my husband put the little one to bed for me. I went to the store, which did not compare to the usual Disney resort stores. They had a candy shop and several places to eat. I found a spot to get some ice cream, which made my night! I would stay there again I suppose. It's not as fun looking as the actually Disney resorts but it does have Deluxe amenities at a much lower price. Having the boat for added transportation is a major plus for me. There are extra fees but even with the fees I paid about the same as a value resort on a holiday. A value would normally be much cheaper.
(No we did not stop here...)
So...one day was not enough for me. I must get back to work and start looking for deal for our next vacation, Oct 2014. No plans yet but I will be holding out for the deals for fall. Hopefully free dinning or a resort discount. It will be over Halloween so I am excited to maybe hit the MNSHP for the first time! Who knows... Okay guys, be nice. This was my first EVER trip report. Thankfully it was a short trip for this first timer!
