Post Disney

We did it!

We have friends who have done it. Family who love it. Have heard much about it, but resisted....until now.

We took Seth to Disney.

Marc had a conference in Orlando for three days, so we left three days early so we could vacation as a family at Disney before his meetings.

We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge. A very cool place. You get to see exotic animals 24/7 from your hotel window, etc. Seth loved it. And to enhance the experience, he brought his spy night vision goggles, so he could scope out the zebras and giraffes among others before bedtime.

The first day we hit both Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Surprisingly, our favorite attraction overall proved to be the safari. It was so much fun and adventurous.

Seth wasn't into seeing shows, so we skipped Lion King, though I would have liked to see it. We did have a character breakfast at Tusker House with Daisy, Donald, Mickey and Goofy. Great photo opps. and good food.

Magic Kingdom was particularly beautiful at night...all lit up. Seth isn't keen on fireworks....too dark and loud....so we didn't stay for that. But, we all enjoyed the Buzz Lightyear ride. That was a particular standout.

The next day we did Ecpot. Wow...is that place massive. I was there years ago, but had forgotten. The Nemo ride was fun...and Soarin, though a bit scary if heights aren't your things, was truly AWESOME. Seth had a mixed feeling about it, but was a trooper.

I enjoyed the foreign side of Epcot. Reminded me of my single days when I enjoyed traveling to Europe, the Orient, etc. Feels like another lifetime when I vacationed that way.

Our third day was Hollywood Studios. It was particularly muggy that day, and we were all sweating up a storm. Thankfully friends had advised us to bring the stroller so Seth wouldn't have to walk everywhere. Here we particularly enjoyed the car stunt show and Toy Story ride. Seth got to meet Buzz and Woody, and he loved that. And, he connected with two Power Rangers for photo opps, so that made him smile as he did his action poses with them.

The next three days, it rained torrentially in Orlando. Fortunately, I have two friends there, so we got to get together and did some indoor stuff like mall shopping and visiting playspaces and Downtown Disney. Seth had a blast at the huge Lego store. We managed to squeeze in a couple of quick hours by the hotel pool before the heavens opened up our last day there. So glad I had packed a rain coat for Seth!

Now I feel like I need a vacation from the vacation.

As good as it is to get away...coming home...though overwhelming with the unpacking and catching up....feels good too. And, who would have thought that the weather would be better right now in NY than Orlando.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend! Our community pool opens up, and I hope to do some chilling there while Seth plays lifeguard. He's been waiting all year to assist at the pool. Time goes fast!


PS -- If you're been to Disney, would love to hear your experiences. Do tell.

The Scoop on San Antonio

I promised I'd blog more on San Antonio, since a bunch of moms have expressed curiousity about it as a family travel destination, so here goes.

Let me start by saying I would highly recommend it.

From what I hear, places like Orlando get super crowded, especially during school breaks. Many don't realize that San Antonio also has a lot of offerings for kids as well.

If you have a busy boy, like I do, you'll be all the busier. Looking back on our trip, we did so much, it's hard to believe....and we were only there five full days.

Here's a quick breakdown....

(2) boat rides on the River Walk
Trolley rides around town.
Horse 'n buggy ride at night, with the carriage all lit up..so festive.
Lunch at the top of Tower of the Americas....great view.
Lunch at Rainforest Cafe....cool place. Could never get in in NY, so this was fun. Though, my son got scared during the simulated tropical rain storm.
Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe....my son is a little rocker, so he had a blast watching the videos and checking out the celebrity guitars on display. Good appetizers!
A visit to the Witte Museum -- great place! Wish they had one in NY. Cool outside treehouse for kids and loads of indoor science-related things to explore, including a weather center. Outstanding mechanical dinosaur exhibit!
Visit to the local firehouse....Seth can never get enough of this. I think my next book will be a family guide to firehouses in the U.S. (just kidding...but we do visit one wherever we go.)
Seth rode a mechanical bull (for kids) at a streetfair, and rode a real horse.
Visit to the San Antonio Children's Museum -- also great! Could spend hours...let's make that days.
The Botanic Gardens -- had a Diego/Dora Exhibit. Didn't love this, but Seth had fun.
Fiesta Texas (Six Flags)- was open at night this time of year, and gorgeous with spectacular holiday lights! Pricey, but Seth enjoyed the rides. The water park end was closed now.
Trip to Sea World -- yes there is a Shamu show! (How many Shamus are there anyway??)
Trip to the oldest amusement Kiddie Park in America (80 years....and it kinda looked it...but very nostaligic!)

And there's more we didn't do.....such as the San Antonio Zoo....water parks....African Safari park....etc.

.......Not to mention just walking the streets....shopping....etc. It's a haven for Mexican imports, if that's your style.

You might want to consider it as a future vacation spot. Where have you vacationed with your kids and enjoyed? Would love to hear.

Real R&R

We returned Monday from vacation in San Antonio. How great...and exhausting it was to get away.

I really needed a break from home, but travel with a four year old isn't the easiest. We wound up changing hotels after the first night, since the bed was too hard for me. We had gotten a room with two Queens, and Marc was sleeping with Seth. That proved to be a challenge since Seth enjoyed kicking and rolling all over him. So, we switched from the Sheraton to the Hyatt, where we got a King and a rollaway bed for Seth. This was a better choice.

But, life (six nights) in a smallish hotel room with a busy boy is far from R&R. Not to mention that it was lights out most nights by 9PM, on the early side for me...a natural night owl.

Seth was so hyped up the first couple of days due to the excitement of being away that even getting him to sleep took considerable energy.

I need some real R&R. It got me thinking back to my single days when you could go on a trip and your time was your own. Now it mostly revolves around making sure Seth is entertained on some level.

On one hand, it was cozy and a nice bonding experience as a family....and I do miss having that undistracted time away.

I'll Blog more about San Antonio and the trip itself later in the week, as I do think it's a cool place for families to visit...and a nice alternative to Orlando.