The Best and Worst Rides

      Disney has some amazing rides. Some were a big hit. The kids laughed. They gasped. Their eyes opened wide. The adults cheered. Others were not. The kids screamed. They cried. Their heads buried. The adults consoled them.

Primeval Whirl - Norah's face is the perfect mix of fear and exhilaration. 

Fast! (check) A Blast! (not so much)

     Blizzard Beach is one of two fantastic water parks at Disney. The kids enjoyed all the slides, but really loved the zip line (left). The 120 foot drop makes Summit
Plummet the second-tallest and fastest free fall slide in the world. The grown kids braved that one. (right)

      Before we even left for Florida, Nadia proclaimed that the only thing she wanted to go on, was the flying Dumbo ride. Having never seen that movie, we weren't sure what her fascination with that ride was. Yet, true to form, it ended up being her favorite.

     Even the wild animals at Disney were courteous and accommodating. Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom was a hit for the whole crew.

     The Hollywood Tower of Terror is the coolest ride in Disney. Scary, thrilling, and awesome. Nina loved it so much, she did it twice.

Disney Characters

Taking pictures with Disney characters was hit or miss for our gang. Nadia didn't always like posing for the photos, but loved hugging all of them.

Pluto and four Goofy's

Minnie loved their outfits.

Hugs.

More hugs.

Dinner with Winnie the Pooh and his pals.

Biggest hug of all.

First Stop: Disney World

     We decided to kick our travels off with a nice, quiet, stress-free, last-minute trip to Disney World. Or rather... We had a crazy, busy, well-planned trip to Disney World coincidentally fall at the beginning of our journeys. Either way, it was a great way to kick things off. We spent one week in Orlando with Jenny's parents, her sister and our nephew. We stayed on the Disney property, at the Port Orleans Riverside Hotel. Six days worth of parks, tons of rides, lots of restaurants, and numerous shows made for an exhausting, yet memorable time. Everything that Disney does is truly first rate, and we will all never forget this trip.
     A special thanks to Jenny's Mom for footing the bill for the whole thing. Without her generosity, we're pretty sure our kids would never have had the opportunity to go. Thanks Grandma Terry!