Orlando 2014-Part I

MAY 2014
Isaiah 4 years old, Jonathan 2.5 years old

    My boys are becoming quite the travelers and great travel companions at that!  This year we were fortunate enough to be able to mix business with pleasure and join Jaime and his family at their work convention in Orlando.  I can't even begin to tell you how much fun we all had.  The first day after all getting together to meet the Disney characters at breakfast  we were on our own, as Jaime had meetings all day.  But it turned out to be one of the few days with NO rain showers, so it was the perfect day to spend out at the pool.  And not just any pool.  Pools covered over 10 acres of this hotel's property.  There was a sand reef that involved an amazing kiddie pool.  Shadowing the kiddie pool was a huge pirate ship with two water slides.  Lunch for the kids that day was brought to them in sand buckets.  Disney World is not called the most Magical Place for nothing!  With the fast passes and the line activities Disney has so brilliantly created, the line waits were not bad at all.
    The day we went to Epoch Center it poured.  But the boys got a kick out of us shuttling them around in their covered stroller in the rain.  That day when we came back for naps we enjoyed hot cocca on our balcony and witnessed a torrential downpour from high, dry ground.  Such a cool experience.
    The boys loved looking at there maps, riding the shuttles around town, meeting all the Disney characters, and riding all the magical rides at Magic Kingdom.  I think it is safe to say Jungle Cruise was their favorite ride. We went on it three times in two days.   They also LOVED the waiting area for Dumbo.  Instead of standing in line for hours, they give you a pager and send you to their "waiting area."  Waiting area...aka kid's circus arena.  Dumbo is flying over head, the circus music is blasting, cotton candy and popcorn smells are in the air.  The parents get to sit in the well air conditioned dome while the kids get to go buck wild climbing, sliding, and tumbling in this HUGE circus jungle gym.  The boys didn't even want to leave when our pager went off.  Needless to say we skipped our turn a few times.  Isaiah went on Splash Mountain TWICE...once with me and once with Jaime.  On our last day when the rain storms finally did clear up I realized what a blessing those dark, portly clouds were to us.  The temperature, humidity, and crowds literally tripled!

And now I will let the pictures do the talking...

Our Hotel was right on the lake.

Just getting to our hotel and checking out the AMAZING grounds.  

Sometimes Isaiah sure looks ALOT like his Grandma Betty

Breakfast with the Disney Characters on our first morning.

Jonathan was a bit skittish.

Isaiah not so much.

Pool day.  Can you spot Isaiah and Jonathan?  Hint:they both have on their life yellow jackets

Of course, they made the pool noodles into swords.  

Lunch delivered in sand pails. 

The kiddie water slide coming off the pirate ship.  

Bus rides to the  Convention Center to visit Daddy 

On the Convention Floor with Aunt Diana, Gabe, Grandma Betty, and Uncle Leo 

Grandma Betty amd Aunt Diana

Aunt Diana and Daddy

There were all kind of fun characters to meet on the Convention Floor.

Coca Cola Polar Bear was the COOLEST!!!  His eyes blinked and rotated.

Boys spent hours on the Play Lands.

Fun Exhibits.  

McDonald's at its FINEST.