Trip Report The Happy/Merry Birthday/UnBirthday Wishes Come True TR

We've only been home for four days, but we did so much on this trip, I'm sure I'll forget something if i don't get started!
Let's do this!

Who:
Party of 10
That's me (Ali), my husband Jim, our son Ethan, daughter Gwen, Jim's parents (Mutie and Papa), Jim's sister, her husband and their two daughters

What:
Our very first whole family vacation

Where:
5 bedroom vacation home at Windsor Hills Resort. Because there's 10 of us

When:
July 20th - 28th

Why:
Mutie's 70th Birthday celebration!

Disclaimer: This trip report includes two days of non-Disney events. If that's not your cup of tea, I'll see you at Day 3

Day 1
Wednesday July 20th
I was up like a Pop Tart at 3:30 am for no reason other than the butterflies in my stomach. We had a 9:40 am flight out of O'Hare, and we live about ten minutes away.
TOO EXCITED TO SLEEP!

Our cab came around 7:30, and we were checked in, through security and at our gate by 8:30.
Because my husband is an absolute sweetheart, he ventured off to find breakfast for all of us. He returned with banana chocolate chip muffins and juice for the kids and Intelligentsia coffee for me! For you coffee snobs out there, if you find yourself in Chicago, this is my favorite local coffee. It's pretty easy to find in the city, but out here in the burbs, Starbucks dominates.

Our flight boarded on time, but departure was delayed almost 30 minutes due to the ground crew. It was a very hot morning, and they were moving a bit slow. No matter, both of my kids were happy reading or coloring, and I was passing the time listening to HAMILTON.

Despite the delay, our flight landed on time, and we were picking up our rental car in no time! We reserved a mid-sized vehicle, but were upgraded to a minivan at no extra charge! Score!
This is the part where I thank God for smart phones and GPS. I just looked up the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, hit navigate, and we were there in less than an hour! I can't imagine the stress of navigating unfamiliar roads with hungry kids in tow without it!

Upon check in, we were told our reservation had been cancelled. WHAT!?!?!? Excuse me? No. Where's my room?
So, I'm trying not to freak out, and trying to keep the kids in line. Failing at both.
I turn to Jim, and he doesn't even bat an eye! He was so cool and calm! He was zen like Buddah. He spoke with the desk clerk and had keys in his hand in just a few minutes. Whew!
It turns out the booking site we used went out of business and cancelled all reservations the day before! Insane! They posted a notice online that basically said "It sucks to be you! Don't call us, there's nobody to answer your call"
Luckily, the Hilton had a room available, and they honored our original rate. Jim called our credit card company and got the original charge refunded in less than 10 minutes. Crisis averted!

After the potential drama in the lobby, this was a welcome sight!

We all jumped into our suites as quickly as we could, and headed for the waves!
The water was perfect! I'm used to Lake Michigan, which never seems to get warm. The Atlantic felt like bath water.
We strolled along the shore, Gwen collected shells and Ethan ran through the surf.
NOW we were on vacation!

We eventually went back for showers and headed out to find dinner. We ended up at a beach front restaurant where I enjoyed some very simple but fresh mahi mahi tacos. Perfect!

After a long day of travel, we were all ready for bed early. Seriously early. I think it was like 8:30!

Up next: Kennedy Space Center and Orlando at last!

 

[Zipadeelady]

Yeah!!! I need a good trip report to keep away those Disney Blues.

 

[TheMouseFan]

I'm in! Can't wait to hear all about it!!

 

[MerMom1981]

Yeah!!! I need a good trip report to keep away those Disney Blues.

I'll do my best!
You'll have to let me know if we were in the same place at the same time!

 

[Zipadeelady]

Ohhh! Maybe I'll be in the background of one of your pics!! My daughter and I were just talking about that. Wouldn't that be crazy!

 

[MerMom1981]

Ohhh! Maybe I'll be in the background of one of your pics!! My daughter and I were just talking about that. Wouldn't that be crazy!

That would be so crazy! I kept looking around for familiar faces the whole week

 

[Zipadeelady]

We kept looking too but didn't see anyone. Probably because we sere so busy dodging into the shops for some air conditioning.

 

[MerMom1981]

Day 2:
Thursday July 21st
I was once again, up before the sun. The bed was surprisingly comfortable. I was the problem here
Jim and the kids were up by 7:45 or so, and we decided to grab one more swim before breakfast. Jim ran out for a case of water the night before, and came back with a boogie board.
Now, I'm usually not very spontaneous. We had the space center on our agenda, and Jim's family would be expecting us in Orlando. It was a big deal for me to just seize the moment.
But I'm so glad I did!

Jim took Gwen out first to help her catch a wave!

Ethan was up next

The morning was so beautiful, and we basically had the beach to ourselves. It was hard to leave

We were all getting pretty hungry, so we went back to get dressed and figure out breakfast.
I hosed the kids down while Jim went to the coffee shop in the lobby. He returned with iced coffee, muffins, bananas and juice.
Somehow, we were all showered, dressed, fed, checked out and on the road by 10am.

Next up: Kennedy Space Center. Seriously this time

 

[MerMom1981]

Day 2 continued
So, we were on the road by 10am, and according to google, we only had a 37 minute drive ahead of us. Sweet!

We purchased our tickets online, so we were able to bypass the ticket counter and go right to security.
Every bag was checked and every person went through the metal detectors. There was no ambient music or welcome announcement. I understand and appreciate the purpose of security, but it was so somber! I felt like I was entering a courthouse!
That said, we were through security and entering the visitors center in 15 minutes or so.
Just steps from the gate, we found the Rocket Garden

We stood in the shadow of the rockets, as it was already HOT out there!
It was at this time that I realized that I knew nothing about KSC. I had done no research.
I planned our Disney itinerary in great detail, but this space stuff was Jim's thing. His approach is "we'll figure it out when we get there"
I was once again forced to go with the flow. It does not come naturally, but I did my best to roll with it

At the end of the Rocket Garden, we found a return capsul that could probably double as a solar oven.

I don't know how Jim and Gwen laid down on the hot vinyl!

After the rockets, we were all desperate for air conditioning. We staggered into the nearest gift shop and stood under the cold blast. Ahhh!
I would normally do my souvenir shopping at the end of a visit, but we were all overheated, and shopping is so much more fun than sweating!
Along with the requisite space shuttle magnet, space shuttle Christmas ornament and pull back toy space shuttle, I found some really cute NASA t-shirt and hat sets for the kids.

At the checkout, I asked our cashier for a map so we could figure out what to do next.
Jim was excited to find that included with our general admission tickets, they offered a bus tour to see the Saturn 5 rocket
"Oh, we have to do that!"
He doesn't ask for much.
This is HIS Magic Kingdom, so of course we did it!

I was concerned that the bus tour would take a few hours, which was more time than we intended to spend there.
Jim insisted that it would just be a quick ride.
Ok. This is me, going with the flow...

The queue for the buses was just around the corner from the gift shop, and it was moving quickly. We were on the bus and pulling away within 5 minutes.
It was then that the driver informed us that it would be a 40 minute drive.
Say what?!?!?

Next up: Our journey to Saturn 5

 

[MerMom1981]

Day 2 continued:

So, we hopped the bus for the Saturn 5, and the ride was almost as long as our drive from Cocoa Beach! I didn't want to spoil any part of this day for Jim, but I was concerned that the kids would be bored after five minutes and commerce to whine for the duration.
It turns out, I was worried for nothing! The drive was more of a tour, and we got to see the launch pads and assembly buildings and the Space X buildings on the way

We finally made it!

This picture doesn't convey the size of the rocket. It's enormous!

Do you see Jim & the kids? They're just under the first stage of the rocket! I wish I could've gotten an angle the showed the entire thing!

We were all ready for lunch at this point. We had unremarkable food court fare, but the seating area was right under stage two. I think this was Jim's favorite lunch of our entire trip!

We headed out to the bus back to the visitors center. Only a 15 minute ride.
The bus dropped us basically right in front of the Shuttle Atlantis center. This was the other big one on Jim's list, so in wet went!
The "pre-show" was a corny film about the development of the Space Shuttle. After the launch sequence, we were transitioned into a second theater with an enormous screen on the far wall. The final image of the film was of the Shuttle flying toward us. The big moment was when the screen went transparent, and we saw this

The screen raised, and now we were part of the story. This transition gave me goosebumps!

I wish we made this out first stop! There was so much to explore, but we were all running out of steam.
There was a flight simulator that we didn't have time to ride, but i knew we would be at Epcot the next day.

It was nearly 4pm at this point. Far later than I had intended. I started receiving text messages from my niece before we even reached the car! Sorry sweetie, your uncle was too busy having fun!

The drive to Kissimmee was over an hour. Too long after such a busy day. I was pretty agitated most of the drive. We had a great day, but sometimes, going with the flow leaves you flying by the seat of your pants. I realized we would be arriving at dinnertime with no dinner to eat, and no quick dining options.
Ah! The pros and cons of vacation rentals!

By the time we reached the rental house, we were all tired and hangry. Jim had no choice but to get back in the car and head to the grocery store. :-(

The kids ran in the house to play with their cousins, and I lugged our bags upstairs to unpack. We had the two bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor to ourselves. It was a pretty ideal setup.

The whole evening went off the rails. It was hours before Jim returned, and we still had to cook dinner! In the meantime, his parents arrived, and the kids were beginning to climb the walls.
I think we ate our desperate dinner of grilled chicken at about 9pm.

At this point, I was turning into a pumpkin.

Bedtime was a blur, but I know I dreamed sweet dreams, because the next day was Epcot!

Up next: Behind the Seeds, Frozen Ever After and a very full day at Epcot

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I'm in! The first two days sound great so far!

 

[MerMom1981]

I'm in! The first two days sound great so far!

Thanks for reading!
I've been such a slacker! Watching the Olympics has totally derailed my TR!
I'm hoping to get Day 3 posted tonight!

 

[MerMom1981]

Day 3
Friday, July 22nd:

You know that feeling when you wake up, and you're FINALLY in Disney World? Ok, so I was just outside of Disney property, but I still awoke with the giddy excitement of being on a Disney vacation!

It was once again unreasonably early. 4:30 am I believe. I heard the sounds of another sleep deprived soul downstairs, so I tiptoed down for a pre-dawn coffee talk with Mutie.
We were both excited about the day ahead, and still in a bit of disbelief that we were all there together. It was nice to have that opportunity to share a quiet moment, but before long, kids began to stir, and it was time to get the show on the road!

Jim and the kids and I headed out with Mutie and Papa, hoping to arrive at Epcot around opening. SIL and family would be meeting us in the park a little later.
We arrived just a few minutes after 9am and sailed right through bag check. I was randomly selected for a journey though the metal detectors. I do NOT wear cargo shorts, so I'm not sure which profile I fit!
Jim decided it was because I'm cute. LOL!

Anyway, we headed for the touchpoints, and I was half expecting our old magic bands not to work. I know, I'm silly. They were only a year old, but I brought our hard tickets just in case.

Once we were inside, we had one more stop to make before the fun could start. Scooter rental.
(Shreek! Gasp! Weeping and gnashing of teeth!)
Papa has arthritis and bad knees, so he can't walk more than a city block without being in pain. And did I mention Mutie was turning 70? We all wanted to play it safe

I had to snap a quick SSE pic while we waited

We had a Photopass taken, but they didn't show up on Memory Maker! Boo!

After our phantom photo shoot, we were off to The Land! SOARIN' had a 15 minute wait time. Let's go!

We loved it! I wouldn't say it was better it worse than the original, it was a great update. Papa (who had never been to Epcot before!) Especially loved it. He and Mutie have done a good deal of traveling, and he told me they'd been to almost every destination in the film! How cool is that!?

As we excited Soarin' there was an incident. I was walking behind Mutie in the scooter, and she was just coming around the corner when she bumped into a little girl! I saw it in slow motion, but couldn't do anything to prevent it.
I called out "Oh my gosh! Are you ok?"
The family didn't really respond, but another woman felt compelled to tell my mother-in-law off. It was an accident. I'm sure she apologized, and I know she felt terrible.
I tried to offer Band-Aids and Neosporin along with an apology, but the family didn't really acknowledge me. I hope that incessant didn't spoil their day.

Our moods were dampened, but we rallied and went to check in for the feature event of our day
Behind the Seeds!

Up Next: Veggie boats 2.0

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Uh- oh! At least you guys were nice and offered to help. That's all you could have done. Hopefully it didn't put a damper on the rest of your day. Accidents happen, especially with so many people in such tight spaces!

 

[Maggie Mae]

Sorry to hear about what happened with Mutie, but how sweet of you guys to offer a bandaid and the apology, it doesn't always play out that way! I am looking forward to the report. Your family is so sweet!

 

[MerMom1981]

Uh- oh! At least you guys were nice and offered to help. That's all you could have done. Hopefully it didn't put a damper on the rest of your day. Accidents happen, especially with so many people in such tight spaces!

Yes! Thank you! Accidents happen.
All any of us can do is try to do the right thing.
It did spoil the mood for a few minutes, but none of us wanted to let it spoil the entire day.

 

[MerMom1981]

Sorry to hear about what happened with Mutie, but how sweet of you guys to offer a bandaid and the apology, it doesn't always play out that way! I am looking forward to the report. Your family is so sweet!

Thank you for your kindness!
I would hope that if the situation was reversed, they would offer help, and that we would be forgiving.

 

[MerMom1981]

Day 3 continued:

I had booked the Behind the Seeds tour well in advance, like before Papa decided he would be doing the parks with us. So here we were, a party of 6 with a reservation for 5...
Luckily, the tour was not full, and Papa was able to join us!

After a short wait, we were greeted by Nick the intern. He handed out earpieces for everyone, and led us backstage!
We were a fairly large group, about 15 or so. Among others, we were joined by a family from New Jersey, another from Florida, and a cast member on her day off.

The tour began in a small lab space where they cultivated insect larve as natural pest control. Instead of ladybugs, they are now releasing tiny wasps (that don't sting) that are natural predators of plant damaging insects.

After that, he led us into the greenhouse, and we basically did a reverse Living with the Land

He admitted that these rotating planters aren't the most effective growing method, but they're visually interesting.

Bitter melons in the strings greenhouse

Giant pumpkins

I don't remember the name, but this is a funky melon that is used as an air freshener! It had a sweet but not sugary fragrance.

Double hidden Mickey!

 

[MerMom1981]

Day 3 continued:

I guess I was kinda into hidden Mickey's after that!

The kids were pretty excited to help feed the tilapia!

Giant star fruit

Yes! The Mickey topiary!
This was in the spice garden. He passed out jars of different spices and asked us to identify them AND put then in order of price.
They were all easy to identify, although a few people didn't recognize the cardamom. Curious what they were? Peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, vanilla beans and saffron. Take the tour and impress the other guests! ;-)

And this concluded the Behind the Seeds tour. We all really loved it, and it was totally worth the price! Only $20 per adult & $16 per child.

We exited at the perfect time to grab a table at Sunshine Seasons and have a quick lunch.
Just as we sat down, I got a text from SIL that they were waiting for us in front to SSE.
Ok people, nobody gets to chew. Swallow your lunch whole, we have a FP+ to make!

 

[MerMom1981]

Ok, the Olympics are over, kids are back in school. Finally! I can get back to my trip report!

Day 3 continued:

We met up with the rest of the family at the mirror wall and hopped on our first FP+ of the day, SSE!
Gwen wanted to ride with Papa, and Ethan wanted to ride with his uncle, so I got to ride with my man!

After the kids got a chance to play a game or two, we split up again. Papa needed a Magicband, and I wanted to get passports for the kids, so we headed to Mouse Gear.
Gwen fell in love with a Baby Dory plush with big adorable eyes, and I'm a sucker (when at Disney anyway) so I bought that too.

It was time for our next FP+, so we headed over toward The Seas to find SIL & family.
Here began the first moment when I thought "ten people is just too many"
Just after we met up, Gwen and Ethan saw an ice cream vendor and NEEDED their first Mickey bars of the trip. I believe in ice cream every day when on vacation, but my plan was to do that a little later in France. Oh well! They ate their ice cream, and the rest of us waited
Right after they finished, my niece had to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW. BIL took her, and the rest of us waited. No big deal, this is how it goes with kids. The thing is, with a big group, it adds up to everyone waiting around for each other most of the time.

We were finally ready and headed in. After Nemo, we wandered around and enjoyed the aquariums. I realized that we had never done Turtle Talk, so we decided to catch the show before leaving.
While in line, I observed the most inappropriate clothing I've ever seen. A teenage girl, with her family, wearing the shortest shorts in creation. The bottom half of her butt was fully viable. Gah! Put some clothes on!

Anyway. We saw the show, it was cute and funny. Ethan came out desperate for a Squirt plush to keep Baby Dory company, so we grabbed one on our way out.

From there, we made our way towards Canada. Having young kids, we've never really explored the pavilions at World Showcase, so I was excited to see more of each country. The kids were enjoying their passports. They felt very official ;-)

We made it into the UK before the clouds began to roll in. I wanted to hurry to the KidCot station and hurry out, but somehow, we were there for 20 minutes. Mutie had a headache, so Jim went on a quest for ibuprofen. The kids were happily coloring, so I was the only one becoming impatient.
When we finally left, there was a group of string musicians playing in the street. Ethan immediately started to dance in front of them. It was so cute! I wish I had taken a picture!

The sky became ominous, so we quickened our pace as we headed to France