Disney World

We had a great trip to Orlando and the weather was gorgeous the entire trip. As usual, we would've loved to spend more time. Unfortunately, the cold crud seemed to linger with us for the trip. Jeff and I both had it. Rachel and Anna now have it. I'll probably be visiting the pediatrician with them tomorrow. It took antibiotics to help Jeff and I get rid of it (and we still aren't over it 100%). And, I suspect Anna and Rachel need the same. But, they pressed on like little troopers as they did not let illness slow them down one iota at Disney.

We arrived Thursday evening late in the day and then woke up early and went to the Magic Kingdom on Friday. Our friend, Roger, joined us at the park on Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday. Either Roger is a glutton for punishment or we simply entertain him. I haven't figured out which it is yet.

We went to EPCOT on Saturday, Valentines Day.

Here is an interesting bit of trivia for all you Disney fans...EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. Jeff said that he thinks it really stands for "Every Person Comes Out Tired." That isn't what Mr. Disney said but I think Jeff's opinion is more appropriate.

Roger also joined us at EPCOT and we met up with Mike, a coworker of Jeff's, and Mike's wife, Wendy. It was Mike and Wendy's first visit to EPCOT so we served as tour guides to help them navigate and to choose how to most efficiently spend their time since they only planned to be there for one day.

I think the best part of our visit to EPCOT was the stop at the World of Coke exhibit. Neither Jeff nor I have ever stopped there out of all of our visits to EPCOT. Actually, we never even noticed it being there. Nor have we ever visited the World of Coke in Atlanta, GA. So, we made it a point to stop there on Saturday. But, Jeff was set up. Roger had been to the World of Coke before. And, he knew which Coke products were good and which weren't. He deceitfully encouraged Jeff to try the Italian Coke product called "Beverly." Of course, the rest of us were in on it too. Roger told Jeff how delicious it was. So, it was the first thing that Jeff went for. And, Jeff was thirsty so he took a big gulp. Jeff took a big swig and quickly said, "Oh God!" I thought I was going to pee my pants I was laughing so hard. I took a small taste of the Beverly drink myself and I have to admit, it was pretty bad! Poor Jeff....I almost felt sorry for him....almost. Are you kidding? Feel sorry for him? We live for stuff like that! :-)

During our trip around the World Showcase at EPCOT, we visited the American pavilion. We wanted Mike and Wendy to see the show there as it is one of the better ones in the World Showcase so we waited for it to start. And, in usual Disney style, there was entertainment to keep you busy while waiting for the main show to start. Anna was singled out by the singers. Most people would answer the city and state that they are from when asked where they live. Anna gave a different answer which was very appropriate considering where we were in the World Showcase. You'll have to watch the video to see how it turned out. However, I keep trying to add the video here and am not having much luck for some reason. I'll try to do it another day to see if I have any better success.

We spent Sunday at Hollywood Studios. The highlight of that visit was going to the new American Idol Experience show. We never watch TV at home so neither Rachel nor Anna have ever seen the show on TV but they sure did enjoy it at Disney. They enjoyed it so much that we went to two different shows that day. It's pretty realistic too. We got to vote on the people too. The park guests voluntarily audition to be in the show. And, the winner at the end of the day gets a pass to be at the front of the line at a real American Idol audition. They even had judges that were similar to the three on the real show....including a guy that was a bit candid like Simon is in the real show. We had a blast!

We spent Monday at the Animal Kingdom which is my least favorite of the parks. But, we still had a great visit nonetheless. The Everest ride always kicks my bootie.

Tuesday was our final day at Disney and it was also Anna's 6th Birthday. We spent it at the Magic Kingdom. Anna's favorite character is Winnie The Pooh so we got her a stuffed Pooh bear that was as big as her and it was waiting for her when she woke up on her birthday. Jeff and Rachel ventured to the Magic Kingdom the night before Anna's birthday to buy the giant Pooh for Anna.

She also got some Pooh earrings and a Pooh necklace from us. She had the best time at the park too. Since Disney is allowing any guest in for free on their birthday in 2009, we got other perks since we were already Annual pass holders. Anna got a $62 gift card from the park to use while at the Magic Kingdom. She bought toys for herself and Rachel. Anna was sad that we had to leave a bit early to return home to Georgia today. We had to return home today as Jeff has to travel for work to Dayton, OH, tomorrow. It's hard to believe our little girl is 6 already!

On the way home from Orlando, Rachel noticed a billboard as we we driving down the interstate. She asked us, "What are adult toys?" Jeff began explaining..."You know, remote controlled airplanes (I added, "and, battery controlled.") And, Jeff said, "Lots of action packed movies." I know our children have to learn about the real world at some point but some times they aren't quite ready for the real world and then parents are left in trying to figure out how to explain something to a child who is not mentally ready to comprehend the full scope of the subject. Or, in our case, you lie (sort of) a little just to get past the moment. Of course, the "We Bare All" sign was just a few miles up the road too.