It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – an offsite, non-Disney, Christmas TR

[Lynne G]

Nice updates. No hat, come on, we like sarcasm and the other hats. Well, cute.

We also had low crowds at Aquadica, but that was because when we got there it was 62 degrees. I spent most of my time in Roa Rapids. It was the temperature of bath water.
So ready to be in Orlando heat right now, as it is getting colder by the day.

 

[dancin Disney style]

We'll have to wait a few years before we can put Dick's on our dining list!

I totally agree. Dick's is great for a 20 year old boy.

So much material....

And that's all I have to say about that .

Run Forest, Run!

 

[Vestmama4]

Love all your Aquatica pics and they bring back such great memories for me. My kids had me hopping the day we were there, so I didn't get to take too many pictures. The day we went it was hot with minimal crowds as well=perfection. Did your son and husband have a favorite water slide?

 

[disneyAndi14]

Wow, you sure find some interesting places to eat, I am surprised the food you get for the price, good finds! I think my 16 y.o. daughter would die of embarrassment at Dick's last resort LOL. Aquatica looks so nice on the day you picked. Great pictures.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I feel like I have mentioned it before, but if you're interested in the growing popular attractions on I-Drive, I HIGHLY recommend Escapology. Its really a lot of fun!

It is definitely on our radar .... I agree, it looks like a blast! You have to have a minimum of 4 people though or they merge you with another group, right?

They have had some great deals on Groupon. I know there are several different ones in the area...which one(s) have you tried?

Boo hoo - we don't get to see THE hat............

The humour is borderline for sure, I bet it can get a bit rowdy in there

I would guess that the evening hours, when its more of a bar than a restaurant, would have a totally different feel. We've done lunch both times we've visited, and its been super quiet both times .

Oh my Gina, that is quite a hat you had there! Really need to do something about that <ahem> growing problem. Don't worry DDS, I copied it over to my bucket, I'm pretty sure the original will be gone soon... (we'll just hang onto it for insurance).

Geez Munro, you know she doesn't need any help, right??? She's dangerous enough all on her own.

Methinks the masses are ganging up on me here .

My last post was a bit late, you got your next report in. Aquatica looked great, ideal crowds for me. I wish it had been like that in July! The changing rooms are better at Aquatica, Typhoon Lagoon's looked a bit old in comparison. Hope you are having a good weekend

I can imagine it is much more packed in the summer!! It's always been pretty manageable on our end of August trips, but not nearly as quiet as it was this time .

We are having a typical wintery Canadian weekend here. Freezing rain yesterday, steady snow today . I hope the weather is better where you are!

You posted your DHs and DSs hat and not yours?! They are good sports!

Love those tiny dolphins, how cute.

Yeah, don't tell the guys that I posted their pics and not mine. There might be mutiny .

Nice updates. No hat, come on, we like sarcasm and the other hats. Well, cute.

We also had low crowds at Aquadica, but that was because when we got there it was 62 degrees. I spent most of my time in Roa Rapids. It was the temperature of bath water.
So ready to be in Orlando heat right now, as it is getting colder by the day.

62 degrees, brrrr!! Yep, you would definitely want to stay in the water when the air is that chilly! And there's no better place to keep warm than Roa's .

So much material....
View attachment 145766

Run Forest, Run!

I really need to be more careful when you're around. You know I was sweet and innocent (and my mind was pure) before you came on the scene, right?

Love all your Aquatica pics and they bring back such great memories for me. My kids had me hopping the day we were there, so I didn't get to take too many pictures. The day we went it was hot with minimal crowds as well=perfection. Did your son and husband have a favorite water slide?

I don't know if they have a favourite, per se. They like them all . I know Omaka Rocka has been one that they repeat regularly. And the new one, Ihu's Breakaway Falls, gives them a good thrill (though they also get a wedgy and lots of water up the nose ).

Wow, you sure find some interesting places to eat, I am surprised the food you get for the price, good finds! I think my 16 y.o. daughter would die of embarrassment at Dick's last resort LOL. Aquatica looks so nice on the day you picked. Great pictures.

I also forgot to mention that we had a buy one, get one half off coupon for Dick's from the Vistana (gleaned from one of their welcome packages from either May or October, and still valid when we visited at Christmas ). We find the dining deals for offsite restaurants are EVERYWHERE! (which is awesome for the budget!)

Yes, the Dick's dining experience can definitely make a person blush. Even me, as an adult .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

After the boys had conquered all of the slides in the park, they met up with me in Roa’s Rapids: my absolute favourite attraction at Aquatica!





I had already taken a couple of tours on Loggerhead Lane (the traditional lazy river with tubes) while the guys were enjoying the slides, since that’s WAY too tame for my men. While they were otherwise occupied, it was a good opportunity for me to enjoy a peaceful float around in the afternoon sun . I knew they would know, though, that when the time came for them to relax too, they would find me whipping along with the current in Roa’s.....and since they love it as much as I do, I also knew they would be happy to join me!


They had photographers taking photos in Roa’s, so since we had pre-purchased the one year Photokey (with a tidy little discount for passmembers) before we had left on our trip, once the boys located me in the rapids I encouraged them to stop for pictures. The more photos we can accumulate on the key in the next year, the more value we will get out of the purchase .








After Roa’s, we all trooped back to the cabana to rehydrate and relax for a few moments. While we were there, I tried to get those fellows of mine to pose for a nice photo....and this is what I got :





Sigh .....Jake poked Steve’s belly, Steve retaliated, and I caught their antics red-handed. Men!!


I sternly ordered them to behave and smile, and they dutifully complied this time:





What a pair of meat-heads .


The cabana attendants noticed we were taking some pictures (I'm sure they heard all the laughing), and came over to ask if we wanted them to take a family photo for us. I happily accepted their very kind offer....and thankfully, the guys behaved much more nicely for the Aquatica staffer than they did for me .





From there, we decided to spend some time in the wave pool. Just being out of the water that short time, we were starting to get hot and uncomfortable. It was now well after 2 pm, but it was still this warm:





For my Canadian friends, here’s our Celsius equivalent:





There are two wave pools side-by-side, but only one of them (the side that borders the Cutback Cove cabana area) was open for guest use. I would assume that the low attendance was the reason. I guess it wouldn’t make sense to staff the second side when one accommodated guests very nicely.





After the wave pool, we spent more time as a familiy in Roa’s Rapids and the boys took the opportunity to re-ride their favourite slides. They would leave, slide, then return to find me still bobbing along with the current, join me for a rotation or two and then dash off for another slide or two. Then repeat.


It was after 4 pm when I decided to take our picture wristbands from the Roa’s photographer to the photo kiosk at the front of the park (along with the confirmation of our Photokey pre-purchase) so they could add the pictures to our new card. This proved to be a MUCH bigger task than what we had ever anticipated, as what should have been a simple task took four kiosk staff, two managers, and 40 minutes to resolve (apparently they don’t get many folks pre-purchasing the Photokey product...trying to apply that pre-purchase versus paying at the park was more difficult than unlocking the secret of how they get the caramel inside the Caramilk bar). Eventually, with their apologies (and after the boys returned twice to find out what on earth was taking Mom so long) I had the activated Photokey in hand and just a few moments to make our final purchases at the gift shop with the 20% cabana discount. We had toured the store and perused the souvenirs earlier in the day, so we knew exactly what we wanted so we were in and out with bags in hand very quickly.


(A little added note here.....photo purchases didn’t go smoothly at any point on this trip. It was like the photo Gods were against me from the start. We had issues at Aquatica with activating the Photokey that we had pre-bought, the photos from Tussauds never showed up and necessitated not one but TWO trips back to iDrive360 for assistance, the Eye photos we purchased later that week also never became available online and required us returning to their location on International Drive for manual uploading, and even our “magic” shots at SeaWorld were missing the “magic”....so we had to return on our departure day to have them fix those, too!!)


The park was closing by the time we were packing up our stuff from the cabana. The guys had changed back into their street clothes, but since we were returning to the villa before dinner, I just stayed in my (now dry) swimwear and figured I’d shower and dress once we were back at the Vistana.


The balance of our Tuesday is coming up next .

 

[dixonsontour]

Great aquatica updates. We've been once to Aquatica and enjoyed it.

 

[chiamarie]

I have only done one, and from my understanding it's the best there is down here. It's called "Escapology" ( https://www.escapology.com/orlando ) I believe that they only require a minimum of 2 people, and they will NOT put you into a locked room with people you don't know. Be warned, they are addicting-ly fun. And again, I HIGHLY recommend it!

 

[Tricia's mom]

Omgoodness ! You look 15 years old in those pictures ! Lol , great shots.

Mmmm, tots ....my husband loves tots.. We may have to go to dicks...

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

A great day Gina, we could do with that warm sunshine right now. We too had snow over the weekend but it fell on Friday night and was gone by Sunday night thank goodness. It's just cold now!

 

[dancin Disney style]

You know I was sweet and innocent (and my mind was pure) before you came on the scene, right?

Ok sure, and I've got some ice to sell to an Inuit.

I also forgot to mention that we had a buy one, get one half off coupon for Dick's.

The sweet innocent type wouldn't even know where to get such a coupon.

Let's not forget who started this whole thing....actually I don't remember but I know it wasn't me this time. On that matter I am legitimately innocent.

 

[pigletto]

My internet went out on Saturday and I was unable to read on the Dis (as an aside I got a surprising amount of real life stuff done). It was fixed when I awoke this morning, and I am happily catching up on the Aquatica updates with my cup of tea. DD has been begging to go to Aquatica on one of the days of our May trip. We do have 3 down days but the budget is tight and I don't know that I have room for another set of tickets. But the more I look at your photos, the more I think I need to scare it up somehow. Remember I always used to say the girls in our family weren't waterpark fans? Well Aquatica changed that. We had such a nice time.
I can't even believe how empty the park is in those photos. Our day in March started like that, but it sure got busy as the day wore on. I think it's a done deal for this trip because I'm sitting here thinking we will have to get there early to get on the slides first thing. If I'm forming a plan the tickets are as good as purchased lol. All four of us have birthdays coming up. It's looking like Kennedy Space Center and Aquatica tickets will be gifts this year because lord knows the trip budget is maxed out with this exchange rate. Purchasing our Disney tickets in a week or two and that one is going to hurt.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Great aquatica updates. We've been once to Aquatica and enjoyed it.

It's our favourite waterpark in Orlando . We also enjoy Typhoon Lagoon (especially their wave pool), but Aquatica is our #1 overall for Roa's Rapids (I love, love, LOVE that attraction! ), the affordable cabanas, and the fact that its usually noticeably less packed with people versus TL.

I have only done one, and from my understanding it's the best there is down here. It's called "Escapology" ( https://www.escapology.com/orlando ) I believe that they only require a minimum of 2 people, and they will NOT put you into a locked room with people you don't know. Be warned, they are addicting-ly fun. And again, I HIGHLY recommend it!

Alright, I'm convinced!!! And now I'm officially on the hunt for a good Groupon deal .

Omgoodness ! You look 15 years old in those pictures ! Lol , great shots.

Mmmm, tots ....my husband loves tots.. We may have to go to dicks...

God love ya......15 years old. I wish .

Those tots were mighty tasty, and I liked that you had the option to dress 'em up with chili and/or cheese (though I'm a plain girl myself). A nice change from french fries, for sure!

A great day Gina, we could do with that warm sunshine right now. We too had snow over the weekend but it fell on Friday night and was gone by Sunday night thank goodness. It's just cold now!

Our snow has given way to a sub-zero Arctic chill. I abhor winter .

Ok sure, and I've got some ice to sell to an Inuit.

The sweet innocent type wouldn't even know where to get such a coupon.
Let's not forget who started this whole thing....actually I don't remember but I know it wasn't me this time. On that matter I am legitimately innocent.

Hey!! It wasn't me who started this!!

I think it was @Mrs Doubtfire .

My internet went out on Saturday and I was unable to read on the Dis (as an aside I got a surprising amount of real life stuff done). It was fixed when I awoke this morning, and I am happily catching up on the Aquatica updates with my cup of tea. DD has been begging to go to Aquatica on one of the days of our May trip. We do have 3 down days but the budget is tight and I don't know that I have room for another set of tickets. But the more I look at your photos, the more I think I need to scare it up somehow. Remember I always used to say the girls in our family weren't waterpark fans? Well Aquatica changed that. We had such a nice time.
I can't even believe how empty the park is in those photos. Our day in March started like that, but it sure got busy as the day wore on. I think it's a done deal for this trip because I'm sitting here thinking we will have to get there early to get on the slides first thing. If I'm forming a plan the tickets are as good as purchased lol. All four of us have birthdays coming up. It's looking like Kennedy Space Center and Aquatica tickets will be gifts this year because lord knows the trip budget is maxed out with this exchange rate. Purchasing our Disney tickets in a week or two and that one is going to hurt.

Welcome back! Glad to hear you're back connected to the world wide web . It's a amazing how much we feel like fish out of water when we're offline for a while.

I hear you on the effect of the exchange rate. We're doing the same as you for our April trip.....tickets are going to be purchased in lieu of Valentine's Day and Easter gifts (or at least, that's the current plan) In our case, though, its for Tampa Bay Rays tickets.....they are playing our beloved Blue Jays on 3 separate days during our trip, and when my guys found out, they almost begged me to work it into the budget (and the itinerary). 2016 single day tickets haven't been released yet though, so we can't move forward with that until they are able to be purchased by the general public. I am hoping they are not too pricey.....sigh, what I don't do for those guys (though we'll probably combine the game with a trip to a gulf beach while we're on that side of the state....its been on mine & Sunshine's wish list, so it seems like a good way to make the most out of the long commute).

Yep, Aquatica is really easy to fall in love with. Ah, to be in Roa's right now..........


I will try to get another update posted later today!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We returned to the Vistana, and the boys enjoyed some much-needed relaxation (catching up on the scores in the sports world) while I showered and did my best to repair my atrocious water park hair. There was no way I was going anywhere for dinner when I looked like Medusa’s first cousin . I also started a load of laundry in an effort to get the chlorine out of the swimsuits, and took some time to check emails and Facebook messages . Eventually, stomachs were rumbling and we decided it was high time for a hearty meal. There is something about frolicking around a waterpark that gives the appetite a real boost.


Considering everyone was quite hungry (a sensation that seems to become less and less frequent as the vacation rolls along), we decided it was a good time to check another restaurant off Jake’s Christmas wish list: Golden Corral, “The Best Buffet In The USA”.





Now, I know Golden Corral is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea for a variety of reasons. That said, it’s a place where we get really good value (important for us Canucks, who are realistically spending another 40% on top of the US cost )…..and if we choose the location wisely, we can generally still achieve a really good dining experience. Certain GC’s tend to be so loud and rowdy that the pandemonium ruins any enjoyment, but the one on south I-Drive near the Vistana Villages (which used to be the short-lived Wood Grill Buffet) has a much, much better atmosphere. It’s bright and sparklingly clean (again, not always the case in all Golden Corrals), and never seems to have as many unattended children running amok. So that is where we headed for the evening’s dinner.


The fellow handling the till as we arrived was having a great time greeting guests in his best Mickey Mouse voice (which I have to say, was surprisingly close to the real Mouse himself). We had a 10% off coupon which we presented him, and we paid for our three adult dinners and three soft drinks. There were lots of open seats from which to pick, so we found what looked to be the quietest area and the boys headed off immediately to fill their plates from the many selections on the buffet.





Something didn’t seem quite right with the total of our bill (it seemed kind of high, considering we had a discount), so I took a few moments to review it in greater detail. It turned out Mickey Mouse didn’t deduct our coupon, meaning we overpaid by just a tad over $5. Our server, Angel, came by to introduce himself and leave his server card, so I mentioned the error to him for his input. He assured me he would have it corrected and dashed off with the copy of our bill in hand.


A few minutes later, the boys returned with their initial plates artfully arranged with their favourite items. There was Jake’s plate filled with college student favourites like pizza, macaroni and cheese, chicken and steak fries covered with cheese and ranch):





And Steve’s meat-inspired masterpiece (nice to see he added some mashed potatoes just for variety):





I tend to take a more balanced approach, though I guess I seem to have forgotten my veggies:





One of the things that we love about Golden Corral is that everybody’s favourite(s) are on the buffet. Regardless of what you like or don’t like (which for our fussy family, there’s a lot of the latter….for Jake and I, anyway ) you’ll still find a ton to eat, and no one ever goes home hungry. On busier nights like this, the buffet stations are consistently refilled making everything hot and fresh. There’s salad for the health-conscious, veggie options for non-meat eaters, chicken done 10 different ways for the less adventurous, and every meat and side dish known to man. While a few of the items just don’t meet our taste expectations (Steve simply hates their stuffing), most stuff is pretty darn good….especially considering the price .


If there’s any downfall at all, it’s that it’s hard to find room for their plethora of desserts. I have learned over the years to choose carefully on the first course, in order to have room for a sweet ending.





They have an assortment of cakes, pies, cookies, fudge, puddings, squares, and yes….there’s the infamous Chocolate Wonderfall. They also have ice cream, both soft and hard, with a variety of toppings at their create-your-own (endless) sundae bar.


Steve’s never met a piece of chocolate cake or a strawberry sundae he didn’t like, and tonight was no exception .





My big kid thoroughly enjoyed his self-made sundae masterpiece, topped off with a healthy serving of caramel sauce….and indulged me with a trip-report worthy, foolish photograph .





Earlier in our meal, Angel had returned with a cash refund for the value of the coupon ($5.10). He also returned at the end of our dinner, as they were running a promotion where each family was given a to-go bag of a half dozen of their signature yeast rolls to take home. Steve remarked that they would make excellent after-hot-tub snacks for later that evening, and after leaving a tip for our server, we waddled out into the warm night air.

The total cost for the meal (3 endless buffets, 3 bottomless soft drinks, plus six free yeast rolls to-go): $46.60 including tax and the 10% off coupon.

There is a rather nice souvenir store in that same plaza, so we paid a visit there before heading back to the villa. They had some really cool tie-dye Orlando t-shirts for a great price, so we picked up a few of those as souvenirs for family back home (and one for me, too! I love tie-dye! ). Back at the villa, we poured ourselves some drinks and (you guessed it) headed out once again to the hot tubs. It would be another night under the stars, chatting it up with our northern neighbours from Wisconsin before we fell into bed near midnight.


We slept like rocks. Our Wednesday is next!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Good heavens....I just noticed we've entered the double digits for our next trip!!

96 days .

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

It always amazes me how much time you spend in the water, but I know how much you all love it whereas I don't really (but you'll be glad to know I do bathe daily!)

Anyhow I see you mentioning my name earlier, sometimes it's better just to let things lie.........

As for only 96 days, well you'll be packing the suitcases before we know it

 

[ArwenMarie]

40%? Ouch!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Good heavens....I just noticed we've entered the double digits for our next trip!!

96 days .

I'm at 51 and already dreaming of the sun, warmth and laying out at the pool allllllllll day looooooong

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

It always amazes me how much time you spend in the water, but I know how much you all love it whereas I don't really (but you'll be glad to know I do bathe daily!)

Anyhow I see you mentioning my name earlier, sometimes it's better just to let things lie.........

As for only 96 days, well you'll be packing the suitcases before we know it

LOL.....I am so relieved!!

We are definitely a family of water babies. I think we must have been fish in a former life....scratch that, maybe dolphins. That might explain my long nose .

40%? Ouch!

It's actually even worse than 40%. I'm rounding in our favour to make myself feel better. And the dollar is still falling..... .

I'm at 51 and already dreaming of the sun, warmth and laying out at the pool allllllllll day looooooong

You're going to schedule in a meal at Dick's though, right? I want to see what kind of a hat they make for YOU.

C'mon, live a little .

 

[bankr63]

I'm at 51 and already dreaming of the sun, warmth and laying out at the pool allllllllll day looooooong

53 here. We'll be chasing you down there DDS. Dreaming of exactly the same thing. The wind chill here this evening is brutal!