Joy to the World: an offsite Christmas extravaganza at Disney, Universal & SeaWorld – Dec. 2016 TR

AHHHHH! Ok I am talking to DH about doing this! My challenge is we want to take the kids - including the oldest who may not know her schedule until a couple weeks before-and it is during Thanksgiving week! Off to research if they are even playing that week!
If not-then possibly next summer-as we were upgrading our tickets to AP at GS at Epcot our last night dear hubs said 'I guess this means we have to come back next summer too!" :rotfl2: Well yes dear-all that whispering in your ear has now resulted in claiming the idea as your own (even though I have been talking about dates for late may/early June for awhile now)
 
Finally catching up! :)

Well it's hard to read how unhappy you've been so a great big hug from me. Families can be the worst and also the best at times!

I hope seeing everyone this weekend lifts your spirits and by then you will have finished at work so that will be something off your mind. Hang in there!!

Thank you :goodvibes . It was a very mentally therapeutic weekend......seeing everyone was good for the soul. I have felt "lighter" all week.

Safe travels! Family drama is always so difficult. My heart goes out to you. We are walking the difficult road of a parent with dementia, too.

I am so sorry to hear that :sad1:. It's not a situation I would wish on anyone else. Big hugs to you, my friend :hug:.

Sorry to hear about the trying times you have been having! Hoping a trip home, especially spending time with your son, will be just what you need.

It definitely was!! My only complaint is that time went far too fast. It seemed like we had just arrived when it was time to head home.

Gina, I'm sorry to hear about your mother. My aunt has lewy-body dementia that progressed super rapidly over the past four years. She's currently in a memory care facility here in Florida after my mom moved her down from New York. It's so heartbreaking to see family members go through that. A terrible disease that needs to be eradicated. *hugs*

I am so sorry to hear about your Aunt :(. I hope she is getting loving and attentive care at the facility where she is currently. It must be a comfort for you to have her closer by, rather than way up in NYS. That's a blessing for all of you, for sure.

I was just thinking today, as I was vacuuming out our vehicles, how cruel life can be. I watched my dad die a slow and painful from cancer: his mind was sharp as a tack, but his body wasted away on him. With my mom, its the exact opposite: her body is strong, but her mind is crumbling bit by bit. It's rather discouraging. But yet, there are others out there who are dealing with so much worse, so there's always reason to be grateful. My emotions are all over the board these days.

Take your time! Good things are worth the wait :)

Aw, thank you Joanna!!! :goodvibes It was fun to sit down today and finally get an entry posted!

You know that I work with people with Alzheimer's. I hope it eases your mind a little to know that when a person makes their own decisions to move in to a care situation they do much better than a person who is placed in to care without input.

While I know going to your sister's is not what you would choose for your mom try to be optimistic about it. Perhaps it's a new start for the two of them. At the very least it's an option to keep mom at home and out of long term care longer.

If I can offer any help feel free to email me any time or call if you would like.

You are such a doll. Thank you so much for the kind offer......one of these days, I just might take you up on that ::yes::.

I am trying to be as supportive as I can where mom's decision is concerned, and while her plans are tough for me to accept, I'm doing all my venting to Steve and Jake and giving her nothing but positive feedback and encouragement. If she is happy and comfortable, then I will be satisfied. That said, if my sister steps out of line at all (and I can prove it conclusively), I will not hesitate to report her for elder abuse. I hope that doesn't make me sound bad, but I whispered in my dad's ear as he lay dying that I would take care of mom for him, and I intend to keep that promise.

:grouphug: Take care of you and your family. We will be here when you are ready. Safe travels home to see family!

Thank you!! :goodvibes It was a great weekend, and we got to see a ton of family and friends. Best therapy in the world. My attitude has seen a very positive adjustment as a result :teeth:.

just a hug:hug: . And a wish for safe travels and a good time with family.

Aw, thank you :goodvibes. For the good wishes AND the hug!

Have a wonderful weekend! Praying that seeing your mom and Jake will help!

Seeing them just made my heart sing! And Jake was off this past weekend (a rarity for him) so we literally got to spend from Friday night to Sunday noon together. It was fabulous.

Have a great trip back home. It is trying to see a parent make where they are living change. Hoping all are happy and you get some loving from family. Hugs my friend.

Thanks Lynne. It was a wonderful weekend. I think Mom and Jake had as much fun as we did.

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Thanks...that's really kind.

So after spending 4 days at the vet's office they are now currently residing at the Cat Castle. It's a cat hotel. Actually, it seems like a pretty good place. The day I dropped them off there were 130 cats being boarded there. The ladies that work there told me that after this week the numbers drop by about 25% and then after labour day they drop drastically. After labour day the 'boys' will spend a big chunk of their day roaming loose inside the hotel. They offered several discounts but the total cost is still over $2000. To be honest knowing that my aunt is totally fine with that cost I felt like saying I'd move them to my house for less money. GC could use an extra $1000 or so for her school expenses this year. My mom and I have had a ton of jokes over these cats and really the entire situation. Every day something happens. My aunt is a little slow and it would never occur to her that she should offer anyone a little something for all the trouble.....not that we would take it though. Just to see what would happen my mom has told her several times about the financial responsibility that GC has with school this year and has been telling her about how GC has helped with the cats and several other things. My aunt's response was "here, the nurse said you have to call the ambulance for my ride on Monday" and then hands my mom a paper with phone numbers on it.

It's an all inclusive resort......food and drinks are included and served by a waitress in a tight t-shirt.

If we could have found someone for $20 a day to come to the house it might have been a better option. Hard to say really. The days that I went to the house it took me nearly an hour each time because I felt like I had to actually see the cats to be sure that they were ok. One of them I couldn't find for three days and it really worried me. They are not the friendliest and would hide really, really well. As soon as I opened the front door I could hear them run. After speaking to several people some said that no they didn't agree with the cats being alone in the house for as long as 3 months and others said they would be fine as long as someone was there daily to feed etc. We really didn't know what to do.

Bless your heart for arranging for safe, comfortable care for those cats. I truly believe there's a special place in heaven for those that are kind to animals. It says a lot about your character to worry about those furballs like you have. Like @Monykalyn , I wish I were closer as I'd happily pitch in to assist.

A cat resort? How cute! Actually $2000 sounds pretty steep but I pay $20 per visit each day for the pet sitter to come to my house for a half hour visit. So I guess for 24 hour care it may not be too bad! I hope the cats don't order too much room service!:rotfl::cat:

I pay the same rate for our Pet Nanny. It's money I never regret. Knowing the babies are cared for well is worth every dollar.

AHHHHH! Ok I am talking to DH about doing this! My challenge is we want to take the kids - including the oldest who may not know her schedule until a couple weeks before-and it is during Thanksgiving week! Off to research if they are even playing that week!
If not-then possibly next summer-as we were upgrading our tickets to AP at GS at Epcot our last night dear hubs said 'I guess this means we have to come back next summer too!" :rotfl2: Well yes dear-all that whispering in your ear has now resulted in claiming the idea as your own (even though I have been talking about dates for late may/early June for awhile now)

Capone's is a great night out. We ended up going for the third time on our spring trip (they have an all new show) and had another fabulous evening out. We are booked again for October, and Steve's brother and sister-in-law are coming with us for that one. Their first time there and our fourth!! I think we might soon set a Capone's record for the most frequent visitors :rotfl:.

I wish you were thinking of early May versus later in the month. We may have been able to have a Dismeet!!
 
Whoops, almost forgot to tell you my (not so) big news...

I got a new job!

This one seems so perfect, it almost feels too good to be true. Two days per week, 9 am to 3-3:30 pm, as an office assistant at a commercial cleaning company. I started yesterday and was blown away by how friendly and helpful the other staff are. It's a complete 180 from the stress and chaos of the bank. The number of hours is perfect for me right now, and I'll have the option for more later if I want (but have been assured there will be no pressure if I prefer to keep things as they are currently).

So, cross your fingers that this turns out to be "the one". If not, I'm staying home to herd kittens. Three strikes and I'm out!! :rotfl:
 
Friday, December 23rd :santa:

We opted to Uber to Capone’s Dinner & Show again this trip :car:, so that Steve could enjoy as many of the included beverages as he wanted without having to worry about driving. Uber has worked spectacularly for us on previous visits, and pick-up again this time was swift and timely :thumbsup2. We were dropped off at the entry door of Capone’s exactly 5 minutes before the doors opened to VIP guests at 6 pm.

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Precicely at 6 o'clock (I love it when people are prompt! :)), one of the resident gangsters came outside to distribute tickets and give us the secret code which would grant us entry to the lounge and dining room. As each party entered, mug shots were taken by Capone’s staff before we were ushered upstairs to the second floor for the pre-show entertainment in the Two Deuces Lounge. We strolled over first to the bar (for our complimentary beverage :drinking1, one of the inclusions with the VIP upgrade) and were immediately greeted by Vito, one of the memorable servers from our first visit in October. He shouted a hearty welcome to us, then stopped…..looked again :earseek:, and yelled HEY! I remember you guys! My friends from Canada!

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I have to say, we were rather impressed ::yes::. Considering the volume of people he would see each week, we were shocked that he remembered us specifically. That’s pretty awesome.


Vito chatted away enthusiastically with us as he poured our drinks, entertaining us with his big personality as he did on our first visit two months prior. Much as we could have enjoyed sitting down and continuing the animated conversation, there was other fun to be enjoyed in the VIP lounge so we moved onward to the hot snacks that were located next to the gambling tables: cheese and pepperoni pizzas, nachos and cheese, French fries, onion rings, and popcorn. We both helped ourselves to a small plate, but kept it to a minimum knowing that a veritable Italian feast would be served in less than 90 minutes.


We headed over to the gambling tables (“gambling” is a free perk for VIP guests, with each person being given an initial 5 chips to participate in either blackjack or roulette) and ran into our second grand welcome of the night: our friend Snaps.

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Oh My God! You’re back! My friends from Canada!


Again, we were floored :eek:…..and more than a little impressed. We’re not exactly what I would call “memorable” people :rolleyes1, so this really made us smile.


Snaps was working the blackjack table that night, so we sat down in two empty chairs and joined the others who had decided to play. I had never played blackjack before, but Snaps was happy to explain the concept and walk me through the first couple of hands (making my first play a free one, unless I won, in which case he promised me the winning chips). I ended up catching on pretty quickly and lady luck was definitely on my side :p. By the time the VIP hour had come to a close and it was time to begin seating us in the dining room, I was second behind the overall winner by one single chip. I may have missed out on the Grand Prize t-shirt, but I felt like a winner nonetheless! :teeth:


We were taken down to our table and offered the first of many beverages that we would drink that night.

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Thank goodness for Uber!!! :crazy2:

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:bitelip::bitelip::bitelip:

Our seats this time were dead center of the stage, but much further back. We had requested that we be placed near some Dis friends who were also joining us for the fun that evening, but who had opted to forego the VIP upgrade. While most of the VIP seating is directly alongside the stage, there are also a few that are not. This allowed us to be within chatting distance of @greenclan67 (Carrie), her husband Derek, and their other friends who came along :goodvibes.

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It really would have been a shame to have not been able to laugh and visit with them throughout the night!


We headed to the buffet for the first round of homecooked deliciousness, and were immediately glad we limited the amount of snacks in the VIP lounge. The smells emanating from the buffet stations were enough to kick start the salivary glands. Let me tell ya, Mama Capone knows how to cook!! :worship:

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There was lasagna, meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy, sage stuffing, different types of pasta, a selection of salads, freshly baked rolls, hot vegetables, freshly baked pizza, and a carving station that featured a massive turkey, roast beef, and stuffed pork loin. There were several kid friendly options (chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, etc.) and I’m pretty sure there was also a fish dish or two. As a finicky eater by nature, I absolutely *adore* this buffet. Everything is so darn good.

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As we dug into our dinner, a few of the characters from the show began milling about and stopping by tables to interact with guests. Not surprisingly, Steve ended up with a pretty girl fawning all over him :rolleyes2……it seems to be a recurring theme :rolleyes:. He swears it’s the bald head effect :o. And as usual, he quite enjoyed all the extra attention :rotfl:.

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Once the non-VIP guests had all been seated and everyone had been granted the uninterrupted opportunity to make at least one trip through the buffet line, the show kicked off in a flurry of singing, dancing, and corny jokes.

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While this show incorporated a holiday overlay for the Christmas season, it still kept audience participation as an integral (and entertaining) part of the night. Some poor guests were less than enthused about being whisked from their seats to the stage, but their hesitance only made it funnier :laughing:.

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Or, maybe it was all the alcohol? :drinking1 Meh, who cares? :lmao:

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The “holiday overlay” turned out to be pretty minimal, and the script was largely unchanged from the show that we saw in October. That was a-okay with us, as we really enjoyed the show in the fall and it was great to see it a second time (and the Christmassy touches they did incorporate were perfect for the season).

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Round two was just as funny as the first time. Most of the actors and actresses were different from the October show (the exception being the amazing gentleman who played Fingers Salvatorio…..his personality stole the show the first time, and easily did so again on this night!) so while it was essentially the same script, it was quite different in many ways.

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Near the end of the show, the servers began tossing some balls into the crowd. While baseball has never been one of my finer skills (and I’m definitely not known for being overly coordinated at the best of times) I somehow :confused: managed to catch one. Perhaps it does pay to be one of the few sober folks at the end of the night :rotfl2:.

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I turned in the ball to the gangster working the bar, and he handed me a little Capone’s gift pack: it was filled with an assortment of little trinkets from the gift shop including a pen, post cards, a plastic fedora, a drink cozy, and a bracelet.

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The final bow was taken right around 10 pm, to a well-deserved round of applause.

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We stuck around for a little bit, chatting it up some more with Vito and Snaps (we seriously can’t say enough good about those two……not only are they amazing servers who really make the night at Capone’s memorable and special, but they are just two fine fellows all the way around) and conversing with Carrie and Derek. We beckoned our Uber around 10:30……I think we were literally among the last to leave. Steve promised Vito and Snaps we would see them again in the spring, and we would hold true to that promise ::yes::.

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We had another excellent Uber driver shuttle us back to the Vistana, where we fell into bed and slept soundly right through to morning. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and our travel day back to the frosty north. But first, we’d have a little time in the parks and one final epic dining experience to cap off an amazing vacation…..because every great trip should start and end with ice cream .


Our final full day is next.
It was a great fun night. Next time we are both there at the same time seats together:)
 


Whoops, almost forgot to tell you my (not so) big news...

I got a new job!

This one seems so perfect, it almost feels too good to be true. Two days per week, 9 am to 3-3:30 pm, as an office assistant at a commercial cleaning company. I started yesterday and was blown away by how friendly and helpful the other staff are. It's a complete 180 from the stress and chaos of the bank. The number of hours is perfect for me right now, and I'll have the option for more later if I want (but have been assured there will be no pressure if I prefer to keep things as they are currently).

So, cross your fingers that this turns out to be "the one". If not, I'm staying home to herd kittens. Three strikes and I'm out!! :rotfl:

Woot! Woot! Congrats!! :thumbsup2

Its not three strikes you're out, its third time's the charm!! ;)
 
I loved your Capone's update! And I know what you mean about the servers. I went almost 4 weeks in between trips, and Snaps remembered me from the last time too. They are an awesome bunch

Whoops, almost forgot to tell you my (not so) big news...

I got a new job!

This one seems so perfect, it almost feels too good to be true. Two days per week, 9 am to 3-3:30 pm, as an office assistant at a commercial cleaning company. I started yesterday and was blown away by how friendly and helpful the other staff are. It's a complete 180 from the stress and chaos of the bank. The number of hours is perfect for me right now, and I'll have the option for more later if I want (but have been assured there will be no pressure if I prefer to keep things as they are currently).

So, cross your fingers that this turns out to be "the one". If not, I'm staying home to herd kittens. Three strikes and I'm out!! :rotfl:

Yay for the new job! Instead of 3 strikes, I like to think of it as third time's the charm :)
 
Third time 's the charm! The hours and days seem perfect! Glad you were able to find something to help get you out of the house because I know I would need that! Glad to hear you had such a good weekend!
 


I wish you were thinking of early May versus later in the month. We may have been able to have a Dismeet!!
I would LOVE earlier May but kids school interferes :(

This one seems so perfect, it almost feels too good to be true. Two days per week, 9 am to 3-3:30 pm, as an office assistant at a commercial cleaning company.
Seems like a much better fit for you and your skills! YAY-third times the charm!!
 
I've already given you a "WOO-HOO" on the new job. I know this will be the best fit. I'm in awe of you for hanging in there with the bank for as long as you did. I would have told them, well, lots of inappropriate things.

And for those of you who need a smile for your Thursday, say hello to Eli Michael. He is two months old and just about the cutest thing in the world. At least
to his auntie anyway!Baby Eli.jpg
 
Great update on Capones, how great that you were remembered, it makes it more special - you know what they say though - once seen never forgotten :rotfl:

And a big :thumbsup2 on the job front. Fingers crossed, this will be the one for you.
 
Ok all caught up. I guess I'm happy that you haven't posted many updates since I was last here. ;) ICE looks incredible. I'm going to try to convince my traveling party that we need to go when we're there Dec of 2018.

Sounds like 3rd time is the charm in the job department. I hope it continues to be a happy work environment for you. :)
 
It was a great fun night. Next time we are both there at the same time seats together:)

Absolutely! :teeth:

Woot! Woot! Congrats!! :thumbsup2

Its not three strikes you're out, its third time's the charm!! ;)

Ah, how I pray that's the case! :p My ego has had enough hits lately!!! :rolleyes:

I loved your Capone's update! And I know what you mean about the servers. I went almost 4 weeks in between trips, and Snaps remembered me from the last time too. They are an awesome bunch

Yay for the new job! Instead of 3 strikes, I like to think of it as third time's the charm :)

Thanks Joanna!!

And isn't Snaps just the best?? I think he's single, too :scratchin.....just throwing that out there ;).

Third time 's the charm! The hours and days seem perfect! Glad you were able to find something to help get you out of the house because I know I would need that! Glad to hear you had such a good weekend!

Thank you!! I have definitely felt more "peaceful" this week :cloud9:. It is nice to not be tense and anxious all the time.

Hey, congrats! I hope this job will be the one :)

Thank you!! :goodvibes So far, so good!! Thursday went as well as Tuesday did!

I would LOVE earlier May but kids school interferes :(

Seems like a much better fit for you and your skills! YAY-third times the charm!!

Ah yes, I forgot about school :headache:. Do your kiddos get an October break? Maybe you could plan to meet us for an autumn trip!

I've already given you a "WOO-HOO" on the new job. I know this will be the best fit. I'm in awe of you for hanging in there with the bank for as long as you did. I would have told them, well, lots of inappropriate things.

And for those of you who need a smile for your Thursday, say hello to Eli Michael. He is two months old and just about the cutest thing in the world. At least
to his auntie anyway!View attachment 262724

Human Resources sent me an "exit survey" asking for my feedback on why I chose to discontinue my employment with the bank. I must admit that I didn't hold back on my thoughts: I was brutally honest, not to be unkind to the management, but to hopefully be a catalyst for some much-needed change (and pave the way for a smoother initiation for the next person to fill that position). Nothing I said was inappropriate (ha ha, I think those things but they rarely come out of my mouth....unless I'm talking about my sister :rotfl2:) but it was definitely direct.

As for that baby......oh, my heart :love:. He has to be the cutest little fellow I've laid eyes on in a long, long time. Like a baby food commercial baby!! And I love, love, LOVE his name!! Eli was what I had picked out for Jake's little brother, had we had another child.

Congratulations on the new job. I hope this one is the right fit for you. It sounds wonderful.

Thank you!! :goodvibes My manager is giving me a lot of complimentary feedback, so I am hopeful that this one is a great fit!

Great update on Capones, how great that you were remembered, it makes it more special - you know what they say though - once seen never forgotten :rotfl:

And a big :thumbsup2 on the job front. Fingers crossed, this will be the one for you.

I have no idea how they managed to remember us, given the sheer volume of folks they would see each month. My memory is not nearly as sharp!

And thank you for the congrats on the new job. It is nice getting back to a happier balance in this crazy life of mine.

Congrats on the new job!! I hope it works out for you!

Thank you!! :goodvibes

UGH Dis hasn't been notifying me of updates. I'm so behind. Off to catch up now. :)

Welcome back!! :flower1:

Ok all caught up. I guess I'm happy that you haven't posted many updates since I was last here. ;) ICE looks incredible. I'm going to try to convince my traveling party that we need to go when we're there Dec of 2018.

Sounds like 3rd time is the charm in the job department. I hope it continues to be a happy work environment for you. :)

I have been horribly tardy with updates, and feeling rather badly about it actually.....so knowing it was actually beneficial for at least someone gave me a big laugh this morning! :rotfl: I am going to wrap up this report within the next week, unless the sky falls or some other major issue crops up that I'm not expecting. There's really only one more full day to post about, so I know I can do it! I plan to put an entry up later this afternoon or evening, since Steve has to work and I'll be just chilling here at the house with the two furballs.

Thank you for the good wishes on the job. It's wonderful to feel "back on track" again. The office manager asked me on Friday if I'd consider moving up to the Operations Manager position (for which they have also been seeking candidates) which really took me aback. It was great to know that she thinks I'd be capable of being successful in that role (especially since their business serves a totally different industry that what I've worked in before) but I'm not so sure I'd want quite that much responsibility. I rather enjoy my two days a week right now: it's low stress and just enough. It was flattering nonetheless. After the discouraging environment of the bank, such an offer was good for the soul.
 
Thanks Joanna!!

And isn't Snaps just the best?? I think he's single, too :scratchin.....just throwing that out there ;).


I have been horribly tardy with updates, and feeling rather badly about it actually.....so knowing it was actually beneficial for at least someone gave me a big laugh this morning! :rotfl: I am going to wrap up this report within the next week, unless the sky falls or some other major issue crops up that I'm not expecting. There's really only one more full day to post about, so I know I can do it! I plan to put an entry up later this afternoon or evening, since Steve has to work and I'll be just chilling here at the house with the two furballs.

Thank you for the good wishes on the job. It's wonderful to feel "back on track" again. The office manager asked me on Friday if I'd consider moving up to the Operations Manager position (for which they have also been seeking candidates) which really took me aback. It was great to know that she thinks I'd be capable of being successful in that role (especially since their business serves a totally different industry that what I've worked in before) but I'm not so sure I'd want quite that much responsibility. I rather enjoy my two days a week right now: it's low stress and just enough. It was flattering nonetheless. After the discouraging environment of the bank, such an offer was good for the soul.

Bahaha! That would be a fun date (especially considering I worked at GMR)

That's great! Glad to hear the new job is going well
 
I have continued to read your wonderful report, I am sorry for all the stress with the job market. I hope this one is the one! Capones dinner theatre looks like a very fun evening. How nice the servers remember you two.
 
Saturday, December 24th :santa:

Just like that, it was Christmas Eve Day.....and nearly the end of our week-long festive epic vacation. It never ceases to amaze us how slowly time passes during the week BEFORE a vacation, and how fast it flies by while you're there.

We had packed up most of our stuff the night before, as we like our check-out morning to be as painless and stress-free as possible. We both rose fairly early so that we could wash and dry one final load of laundry while we had showers and grabbed a quick breakfast at the villa. We had a few things left to eat up (yogurt, fruit, etc.) so it was "breakfast in" that morning. I cringe when I have to throw out food.....it's such a waste.

After checking out of the Grande Vista, we decided to spend our final part day at Universal: with our newly-activated annual passes, it seemed silly to pay for any other non-park activities when we had plenty to keep us busy there. We had no idea if it would be crazy busy or not, but if it was, we were willing to roll with the flow. With all of our stuff stowed securely in the rental vehicle, we headed to the parking garage next to Citywalk.

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It honestly wasn't bad heading into the hub.....crowds were lower than we expected considering it was both a Saturday and December 24th. Quite a nice surprise.

I let Steve decide whether he wanted to start in Universal Studios and then transition to Islands of Adventure, or vice versa. Of course, I already knew what he'd pick before I ever asked the question :rolleyes:. IOA is his happy place, so that's where the morning's adventures kicked off.

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There were lots of photographers at the entrance to the park, so we stopped for a couple of pictures.

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One of them was a magic shot, so we made a mental note to stop at one of the photography stores within the parks to have the "magic" element added before we headed to the airport. I wish it was automatic, but alas.....'tis not yet so. At any rate, we did remember.....and this was the final result:

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We strolled through Marvel Superhero Island first, but there wasn't a whole lot going on just yet: no characters were strolling about, which I suspected is what Steve had been most specifically hoping for. I asked him if he wanted to ride Spiderman......wait times were not at all bad......but he opted for us to just keep strolling for the time being. He decided he'd rather see if Kong had a reasonable standby time as we had enjoyed it so much earlier in the week.

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Surprisingly, Kong's wait time was listed at only 20 minutes.....and the actual wait was even less. Or, shall I say.....it WOULD have been less, except that the ride went down when we were literally about 3 ride vehicles from boarding :headache:. Since we were so close to the front of the line by that point, we decided to wait it out, and thankfully they had the systems running again within about 15 minutes from the time the stoppage began. There was some grumbling from a few impatients within the line, for sure, but most folks were pretty good about the delay. What can you do?

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We loved the ride the first time, and it was equally fun on the second go round :thumbsup2. I love it when they add less extreme rides that more people (ride chickens included) can enjoy.

After Kong, we continued on through Jurassic Park. River Adventure was only a five minute wait, and I offered for Steve to ride while I watched from the splash zone, but he wasn't interested in getting soaked on our travel day: he has a tendency to get VERY wet on that ride, especially if he's in the front row of the boat ::yes::. We opted instead for our customary JP photo op:

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Our meandering then took us from Jurassic Park to Hogsmeade: the Wizarding World was wonderfully quiet and surprisingly empty, all things considered. It always feels very special to explore the Harry Potter areas when the crowds are so low: a very different experience from when guests are shoulder-to-shoulder.

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We walked around a while, took a bunch of photos, and then decided to stop for a beverage :drinking1: if any day ever called for a Butterbeer, it was departure day. There's no better way to drown one's end-of-vacation sorrows than with a cup of that sweet and frothy wonderfulness.

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We opted to go into Hogs Head versus grabbing drinks from one of the carts. It was a leisurely, relaxing morning so it would be nice to sit and enjoy our Butterbeers while immersed in the charming Three Broomsticks decor.

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The restaurant side was very full (I guess that's why the outside streets were empty :rotfl:) but the Hogs Head area was quiet. I secured us a table while Steve collected our drinks.

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Ah....there she is :cloud9:. Sweet, foamy perfection :love:.

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We savoured every last mouthful as we enjoyed those relaxing, un-rushed moments inside Three Broomsticks with Butterbeers in hand. We talked a lot about the trip, all the fun we had had over the past week, and how we could hardly believe that tomorrow was Christmas Day. We chatted about the upcoming move, and how things were about to get VERY busy as soon as we arrived back home: this week had been an oasis in a very chaotic time of our lives, but it was back to the real world for both of us soon. Departure days are always hard for me emotionally, but this one was really weighing on me strongly.

While Steve made a brief stop at the restrooms, I meandered around Hogs Head and Three Broomsticks to capture some photos of the Christmas decor that decked their halls.....it was minimal, but it was there. And surprisingly, it really "fit".

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With our cups emptied and more folks starting to roll through the doors, we figured we should vacate our table and keep moving on through the park. Time was at a premium today, and we didn't want to waste a second of it.

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To be continued in the next post.
 
Oh Christmas Eve already. We were in a Sea World that day and had pre-purchased express passes which we really didn't need that day. It was lovely weather last year.
 

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