Free Tickets, Hollywood Studios and Epcot!

 

4 years ago Brad, Vincent and I went to Disney World.  I had a conference in Orlando and we stayed after for a few days to spend time in Disney.  At the time we bought a 10 day pass that didn’t expire figuring at some point we would be back before our kids were all grown.  Long story short we lost the tickets.  We had the original invoice, so we weren’t too concerned.  A couple weeks before we left on our vacation Brad spent a significant amount of time talking on the phone with people at Disney, emailing them and getting nowhere.  They just kept telling us that guest services could help us once we arrived.  When we got to Disney World guest services couldn’t really help us, they changed the computer services in the last couple years and they had to search the archives for our information which was going to take some time.  They ended up giving us park hopper tickets for Brad, Vincent and I for all 4 days.  It took some convincing on Brad’s part and it wasn’t without a few headaches.

Vincent, Brad, Joel, with Lightning and Mater!

Trying to look like they are wearing the hat

Joel and Vincent riding an ant

Joel being Joel and Vincent being Vincent

Joel wondering why his brother is strange and Vincent being funny!

Vincent and Lightning

Brotherly love

Since we had park hopper passes Brad took Joel and Vincent to Hollywood Studios on Saturday.  There were only a few things there the kids would like and only a few things at Epcot so it worked out perfectly!  I thought Brad was very brave to take the boys all by himself for the morning.  They had a great time and even came back with a few pictures.

Sisters!

Joel and Aunt Alyse

Joel and Daddy!

Joel, Aunt Alyse, Vincent, Cecilia and Brad inside Bruce the shark!

Alyse, Cecilia and I were able to relax in the morning and get a little bit of a later start.  When we all got to Epcot we met up with Tiffany and Dustin for a few minutes, saw an attraction or two and then met up with Brad and the boys.  Alyse and I went to see the Canada movie and Alyse had just bought a cup of coffee and no food or drinks were allowed in the theater.  She didn’t want to chug her coffee and the movie was going to start in 10 minutes, so we ended up hiding her coffee near the exit in the flower beds.  It was still there when we finished the movie!

Joel and Cecilia not happy I was taking pictures

Aunt Alyse and Vincent

Aunt Alyse and Cecilia dancing

Grandma Diane, Vincent and Joel...trying to stay warm

When we were in Epcot Craig and Diane went off on their own for a little while, and Tiffany and Dustin were trying to get in line for some of the more popular attractions.  Alyse, Brad, the kids and I spent some time at the kid friendly science type hands on activities.  Vincent was loving it!  Joel was asleep, he was exhausted from his trip to Hollywood Studios.  Cecilia was just along for the ride.  Alyse, Brad, Vincent, and Cecilia went on an interactive movie/show all about being Habit Heroes.  It talked about eating well, drinking water, and helping teach people to make healthy choices.  Vincent loved it!  He took it very seriously and wanted everyone to go in the exhibit.  He kept telling everyone that he was a habit hero and kept trying to drag Dustin to see the exhibit!

Vincent dragging Dustin around

After one of the times when we met back up with Tiffany, Dustin, Diane and Craig we decided to go see the movie Captain EO.  Diane, Joel, Cecilia and I decided not to go to the movie and we stayed outside a water fountain display that had jumping water.  Ok, I decided that the two little kids wouldn’t sit through the movie and Diane volunteered to stay with me.  At first we had the kids in the stroller and were feeding them a snack.  A squirrel came over by us while we were doing this and was a little too close for comfort.  Then it jumped in the basket under the stroller and then jumped on top of the stroller.  All I could think was that it was going to jump on the kids and bite them.  Then I thought about the squirrel that was in my apartment in undergrad (a great story!).  I was getting a little worked up about the stupid squirrel and that is when Diane reached for it like she was trying to pet it.  I think she touched its tail.  The squirrel ran off and tried to get some attention and food from other people and left us alone.  I was able to relax a little bit after he left.

Joel around the fountain.

Grandma Diane and Cecilia near the fountain

Joel loved watching the jumping water, but the problem was the wind was picking up so the water wasn’t landing where it was supposed to.  Joel and Cecilia didn’t care and loved jumping in the puddles.  Diane and I took turns chasing Joel and hanging out with Cecilia.  One of the times I was chasing Joel he stopped to climb up by the water and I quickly grabbed him at the same time a blast of water hit me in the back of my leg.  I had stopped right in the path of the jumping water.

When Alyse was in the Captain EO movie she sent me a picture of the screen and I instantly remembered watching that movie when I was a small kid and was in Epcot with my family.  I couldn’t believe they were still showing the same movie.  Vincent loved it because Michael Jackson was Captain EO.  Vincent now calls Michael Jackson Captain EO like it is his real name, which if fine by me.

Alyse and Brad drinking beer in Japan

Vincent and Mommy

As the day went on we started circling around the World Showcase.  Alyse got to see Aladdin which made her trip.  She was going to stand in line to see him until we found out how long the line was.  At one point she said “If I see Aladdin it is all over!”  Vincent was concerned that it was really going to be over (I think he thought she meant the whole trip would be over) since Aunt Alyse saw Aladdin.  Brad was happy to have Alyse around because she will drink beer with him and they were able to try beer from several different countries.  As the day went on the weather got colder and the wind picked up.  Alyse was actually wrapped in one of the kids’ blankets, Cecilia was wearing several layers of clothing, Diane bought a blanket and we bought a blanket just to stay warm.  It was in the 40’s and windy, so we weren’t being complete babies. 

Vincent and Mommy...a closeup with the camera on a weird setting

Aunt Alyse in a blanket...my computer won't let me flip the picture

Toward the end of the evening we went to use our Fast Passes for Soarin’.  Joel and Cecilia were too little to go so we had to spit up into a couple groups so everyone could go on the ride.  While we were waiting we saw Mickey, Pluto and a couple other characters.  They were all in a restaurant and at least 20 feet away from us.  Joel was so excited and had a huge smile on his face and couldn’t stop looking at them.  He loved it!   

Joel seeing Pluto and Mickey

Pluto far away at a safe distance, but close enough to make Joel happy

The original plan was that we would meet up with Tiffany and Dustin for dinner in Morocco after we went on Soarin’.  Well, the line was long and took forever, by the time we got done it was 9pm and the park was closing and the only ones that had eaten dinner were the kids.  We never made it to Morocco and Tiffany and Dustin had to eat alone, but it was probably more relaxing than eating with our three ring circus.

Joel enjoying looking at the fish

Dustin and Tiffany

Vincent and the drums he loves!

Brad and Craig had the idea to walk to the boardwalk and get food.  Great idea, but going into a restaurant wasn’t going to work because Cecilia was asleep in the stroller and I didn’t want to wake her up.  As they were all deciding on food we walked past a margarita stand on our right and a pizza stand on our left.  I personally saw no reason to continue walking or debating dinner, a frozen margarita and a pizza sounded perfect to me!  After some indecision on everyone’s part Alyse and I decided we were having pizza and I was getting a margarita.  Everyone else got their food from a different food stand.  It was one of my favorite dinners on vacation.