Jeff Turns 39 at Disney World

Few women admit their age. Few men act theirs. ~~ Anonymous

Jeff's 39th Birthday

Since we knew we'd be in Orlando on the day of Jeff's birthday, we had cake and celebrated an early birthday at home last Sunday. Long, Kim and Sophia joined us for dinner and cake. The only type of birthday cake that seems to be appreciated in my home is chocolate~~the girls are very much like their father in this aspect.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband! May you have many more......

Shades of Green

Finally, last Friday, it was time to make the drive to Orlando for the Disney Pirate and Princess Party.

Anna was so excited. She was driving us crazy with the, "how many more days?" questions every morning leading up to our departure date. Both girls woke up before 6 am on Friday morning. They were more excited about going to the Magic Kingdom than opening gifts on Christmas morning. Our niece, Mary Grace, also went with us. We left for Orlando after the girls were out of school on Friday afternoon.

We arrived at Shades of Green around 11 pm. We drove up to the gate entering the resort and there was not a gate guard to handle new arrivals. The only gate we saw that was operational was the one with a sign that stated "for returning guests only." So, we were wondering how we were supposed to enter. There was a car in front of us and the driver entered their security card and proceeded to drive through the automated gate. It was then that Jeff said, "just punch it." Two other cars had come in behind us so despite my inner voice screaming "this isn't a good idea," I did what Jeff encouraged thinking we could make it through the gate before it came back down. The gate quickly came back down and luckily it stopped just in front and above the hood of my van so no damage was done except to my ego. So, I backed up and then found a button where the cards are entered that I pressed and a slightly agitated voice replied back. I'm sure the security guard thought we were idiots. And, in this case, I have to agree. Although, I do believe they need to edit their sign to make it more clear that the gate isn't just for returning guests so that it is more clear to people like us who are arriving late with crabby kids in tow. The last thing we wanted to do was get stuck at a gate blocking everyone else from entering.

After our slightly exciting entry into the resort, everything else went smoothly for check-in. We unpacked, had a snack and then settled in for a good night of much needed rest. Jeff wasn't feeling too great this weekend but he was determined to have a good time despite not feeling 100%.

I wanted to mention that the Shades of Green Resort is beautiful. It has a rustic look that gives you the feeling of being in Hawaii. It is surrounded by lots of stones, greenery, and water. But, like any resort, you still have rude guests. My personal rule is that if it is before 8 am or after 10 pm, we only whisper in the hallways. I would think other people would be as considerate but that doesn't seem to be the case...in any hotel I've ever stayed in. Yet one more reason I love our motorhome and prefer traveling in it to a hotel any day of the week.

There were a lot of wild turkeys walking on the grounds on Saturday morning. The girls had fun feeding them from our balcony.

Downtown Disney Marketplace

We only had tickets for the special party event at the Magic Kingdom for this trip so we decided to go to Downtown Disney on Saturday morning to shop and have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe.

Saturday was also the day of Jeff's actual birthday. To celebrate the occasion we had dessert at the Ghiradelli Shop. The hot fudge brownie sundae is delicious!

Rachel and Anna had some birthday money they had saved up that was burning their pockets so they bought a few items from the shops. Rachel really wanted to get a princess makeover at the Bippidy Bobbidy Boutique. But, it was $50 for hair, make up and nails and over $200 for a full makeover with a princess dress, crown, etc. You know...I'm all for having a good time but geesh! I love Disney but I tell you....the cost of going is unreal. And, we know how to do it cheaply in some areas but we still never leave without dropping a few hundred dollars. I told the girls I'd give them a princess makeover when we got home and they could put on one of the millions of princess dresses there that we already had. While that seemed to appease Anna, Rachel swears she's going to the Bippidy Bobbidy Boutique for her birthday.

After about a thousand calories and having much less money (Jeff jokingly told the girls they couldn't poop for a week after the meal we paid for at Rainforest Cafe as he wanted to get his money's worth out of that meal), we returned to our hotel for a much needed nap before the night's activities.

Disney Pirate and Princess Party


This was our first time to try the Pirate and Princess Party. Our friend, Roger, joined us for the event. Now that we have gone to this Disney special event, my favorite vote still goes to the Not So Scary Halloween Party. Jeff, Mary Grace, and I did not dress up. Rachel and Anna dressed as pirates. There were a hand full of adult guests who had dressed up in the park as well. During the Halloween Party, the Disney cast members give out candy. For this event, they give out beaded necklaces and fake stones that look like jewels. Overall, the party is more focused on the princesses than the pirates. The beauty of this party, like the others, is the minimal crowds. There's nothing like a five-minute wait to get on Space Mountain. The girls loaded up on the jewelry being distributed. At one point, Rachel looked up at me and said, "Momma, look at all of my bling." I guess I've used the term "bling" one too many times in their presence. I even collected some beads myself. I told Roger, "I couldn't believe how many necklaces I had collected and that I didn't even have to show my boobs once to get them." Only those who've ever experienced Mardi Gras in New Orleans can appreciate that. I never flashed anyone for beads there either. I don't know about anyone reading this, but if I'm going to show my stuff, it's going to be for a heck of a lot more than a 10 cent plastic beaded necklace.

On a side note....did you know that Disney designed many hidden Mickeys throughout the parks? There is a book that can be purchased titled, Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets, that tells you how to find them. They are designed in stones, metal work, and other not so obvious objects in the parks. One that I found in It's A Small World were the leaves in the jungle room shaped like Mickey heads (see below). I just thought I'd share that interesting bit of trivia for those who didn't know. It's all most people can do just to see the shows and ride the rides without adding the task of looking for hidden Mickeys but I thought it was something worth noting for folks like me who've ridden It's a Small World more times than I care to admit and could use a distraction. There are also special targets on the Buzz Lightyear ride that will give you more points. Jeff knows those secrets so he always gets tons of points when he goes on that ride. You can read up on these at this link.


Back Home

On Sunday, as promised, we had a princess makeover at home. OK...it may not be as wonderful as what Disney does but it was a whole lot cheaper. And, the girls loved it nonetheless.

Did I mention....I hate to unpack. Not having to pack and unpack was one of the many bennies of living in a motorhome full time. We'd just move our home when we wanted to travel--no packing/unpacking required other than unhooking the water and sewage.