DramaMama .......... Janet

Way to make it even bulkier!  Yuck.  

On with the report:

I took this photo of my FIL.  He was such a good sport.  He decided it was more fun to sit by a Lego man that made snoring sounds than stand around while his grandkids (and kids - let's be honest) created mini-figures in a store.

The second day was very full.  We rode some rides we didn't get to the day before.

This is Technic.  I think.

Then there were the air boats in a circle:

While the guys were riding I snapped this photo.  Sometimes you just have to take a pic if you already have a caption in mind.  

It just calls for "Sucks to Be You".  These divers are having a bad day.

There were a few other rides that day as well, but no photos of them.  We headed over to the Imagination area.  One of the sections lets kids use a car base and build their own vehicles to race.  We were here a good while - lots of fun for our guys.

We took some time to wander around the Lego towns.  The detail in the areas are impressive.  You may not be able to tell from the pics, but there are various cities represented like New York, DC, Las Vegas, and Miami Beach, as well as sections about race cars, pirates, and Star Wars.  

The Star Wars ones are obviously the newest ones.  They look shiny and new and are displayed more creatively.  Sadly, many of the older models are dirty and need some love (figures fallen down, boats on their sides in the water, algae growing on the ones with water).  It is an outdoor display and will show age quickly, but I hope they can find a way to clean them.  It is such a neat area!

I am probably close to the photo limit so I will continue later!

Time to add a few more pics before we head to church this morning.  

The safari ride is a slow meander through lego animals.  For small kids, they will love pretending they are driving the jeep.  Older kids - not so much:

What I liked about it were the Lego re-creations of the animals.  I was amazed at the detail.  

Also the first day we ate lunch at the Market Restaurant which had a few different and healthier options.  It was pretty good.  There is also a fried chicken restaurant and a burger place that smelled really good from the outside.  Larger group = restaurant with options.  I was hungry.  Food was a good thing.  

We had researched and heard that the Apple Fries were the signature dessert at the park.  Yes, I can vouch for them - amazing!!!

The skies were threatening storms so we went to one of the 4D short movies at the theater - a Clutch Powers adventure.  (For those not familiar with Clutch Powers, he is a Lego version of an Indiana Jones type character that has land and space adventures with other Lego characters on his team. "Team" is a loose term as they are each always trying to be first and eventually realize they have to work together.)  

There was thunder and lightening for a few hours which shut down rides and the ski shows so we shopped and decided to call it a day.  Just as we were leaving they opened Island in the Sky.  It is a larger circular enclosed disc with bench seating that rises high above the park and rotates slowly giving you a spectacular view of the park and surrounding areas.  Nicely done.

We headed out of the park, ate at a Sonny's for dinner and collapsed at the hotel.  Our youngest was asleep in about 10 minutes - a true record!

I am in!

My kids are older, but I would love to go to Legoland at least once. Maybe when my brother gets back to the states I can convince him to take his little ones and I'll help out with childcare.

Welcome aboard!  I am sure you would enjoy it with your brother's family.  The neat thing about this trip was that it was for the kids.  I had no agenda for what rides I wanted to do.  Unlike our Disney trips.....      

I live about 20 miles from LEGOLAND and have been several times with GKs. I think I enjoyed it as much as the GDs, especially like the miniature scenes and the gardens. Island in the sky is an enjoyable ride.

We all enjoyed it.  More on the gardens coming up later.  Island in the Sky provides beautiful views and is so relaxing!  We hoped to get in a second ride the second day but didn't have time.  If you live close you probably have annual passes.  They would be a great deal for locals!

Well, I had planned to do a little trip report on our 2 day trip to Legoland on our way down to be with family in South Florida, but I have taken so many pictures that it may not be such a little report.  Oh well......

My MIL wanted to treat us to Legoland Florida this summer.  Our boys are 10 and 7 and are fiendish about Legos. The park is really set up for families with children aged 2 - 12 years of age.  Ever up for new fun experiences we were happy to accept the treat.  We headed down on to meet the in-laws on a Friday at a hotel about 20 minutes away from the park.  Our plan was to do Saturday and Sunday (two day tickets aren't that much more than one day and just $15 more gets you the waterpark) and then drive down to the in-laws house Sunday evening.  We enjoyed ourselves and have an overall good review of Legoland.  

I know many readers here have been to Legoland.  I would love your input!  There were things we loved, things we were a little surprised by, and things we felt they could have done better.  Let's face it:  Disney has spoiled us.  We tend to expect more in a theme park.  We spent a good deal of time quietly talking in ride queues about how "at Disney....." and then admitting that having more visitors and more money should allow a place like Disney to provide more training for their employees and implement more successful load areas.  So..... I can see both sides of it.  Feel free to chime in with your opinions, too!

On to the photos!  Warning - they include lots of pics of our boys.  After all, the trip was all about them.  I don't have any pics of the water park areas but I will discuss them later on.

We immediately met up with a Chima character for a photo op.  The pic doesn't show it, but the costume needed some love.  And a washing machine...

There are many seriously cool Lego creations like this all around the park.  Of course Thrill had to go and point out how the loaf of bread in his apron could be considered a bit, um, off color.  Thanks, dear...

Next up was a jousting ride.  Our oldest was a bit big for it, but he enjoyed the theming.  It was really cute.

There are several play areas where kids can climb and bounce and blow off steam.  The roller coasters are about the thrill level of Disney's MIne Train or Primeival Whirl.  There is an indoor ride with an Indiana Jones feel where you can "blast" red dots kind of like the Buzz Lightyear ride.  

Interesting observation here: 

MANY of the rides require you to put your bags, hats, glasses, etc. in cubbies to the side.  Even when I showed them I could loop my backpack through my leg and there was no way it could fly out they made me exit the ride and put it in a cubby.  This was ok on the rides where they only ran one train and no one else would be near the cubbies until we returned.  However, sometimes the cubbies were in the queue line with other guests.  Not that I don't trust my fellow man, but.....   A few times my in-laws waited with the bags while we rode.  

You may be thinking that this was an example of them being super safe.  Perhaps.  But we got to noticing that when they were supposed to be checking our seat belts or harnesses some employees just tapped the buckles or looked at them.  That doesn't cut it with MY kids, people!  

And while I am being safety picky:

While we were in line for the "boating school" we had a nice looooonnnggg time to watch their load/unload operation.  This particular ride allows guests to enter a small boat while on a conveyor belt and then have control of it once it goes off the belt.  The guests can steer and press the gas pedal to move through a fairly wide water course.  If you are lazy or a truly inept driver you can spend a long time out there.  We had about 4 of these boats out there while we were in line.  Some were just out there happily turning in circles while the rest of us waited in line.  No consequences.  Anyway, back to the loading process.  Once the boat comes back to the load house 2 "model citizens" (no cast members here) use ropes to bring the boat to the conveyor belt.  The guests in the boat are expected to exit and new guests enter before the boat goes off the conveyor belt.  It doesn't stop.  There are no handrails.  There are workers there but they do not assist.  I am mid 40s but am a little balance challenged at times.  My in-laws had sat this one out.  Thank goodness.

As I was saying, strict with some things; loosey goosey with others.  

We went on the the "driving school" for 6 -13 year olds.  They get a video driving lesson and are then taken out to a mini driving course.  I would love to have access to this for bike riding or playing.  It would make a neat addition to a city playground.  The kids buckle up and drive the little cars all around while the parents stand behind a fence and encourage or hide their faces.  The only bad part of this experience was that the load and unload was longer than their time to actually drive.  The kids get blank drivers licenses or you can buy one with their pic on it for $17.  

I'll pause here for now.  Lego safari pics coming up.  

And fewer complaints.

I promise.

Congrats on the anniversary and actually getting a restful trip alone to celebrate!

Excellent pics of the Globe!  

Man, I would so love those shoes.  I wore Keds/Vans style tennis shoes all through my teens and twenties.  Now I can't wear anything that flat.  Pity.

Oh well, have to find some other way to blow money at Disney.  I doubt I will have any problem...

In.  First page?  Wow, haven't gotten that in a while.  

Have fun.  Congrats on the discount; I love a good deal!

Great TR!  Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

I agree with DIT.  I pray everything goes smoothly and the family can make some special memories.  Some friends of ours got to go a year or so ago with Give Kids the World.  Their son has a heart condition that really rules their lives.  At this point it isn't considered terminal, but there is only so much the doctors can do and they certainly give him all they can not knowing what the future holds.  His mom was so touched by how much was done on the trip for their other son. The whole family was made to feel special, too.  Please give them our best wishes and let them know they are being lifted in prayer. 

you might run into the occasional group of cheerleaders here and there.

The main difference between them and the Brazilians are the hairbows.....

(No disrespect to cheering Fiend families, I was just amazed at how HUGE the bows were at the cheer/dance competition we took the dance teams to at Disney.  Thrill's propdance team had 9 guys - Americheer/Ameridance had to hunt around and find last year's backpacks to give them as goodie bag gifts instead of hairbows.)  

I camped at a few places in Mississippi growing up - nothing special - more about being with friends.  I had a nasty bike wreck at Tippah Lake in my preteens.   Don't have an urge to go back there.  Thrill and I have camped at a KOA in north GA.  Wouldn't recommend it - only there because of him doing the Chickamauga marathon.  

So, can I just say I WISHED we lived in Florida so I could just say THE FORT!

Would love to go that first week in December!  We have done Thanksgiving week a few times (gets more crowded every year) but not after that with the exception of the year when you got in free on your birthday (mine is 12/6).  That really didn't count for general crowd level because it was Christmas parade taping day at MK.  Main Street was closed but the rest of the park was Heaven!  Check dates for the parade taping this year and if it coincides with your trip just do another park that day.  If you like to stand in one spot for hours and "react" over and over for the camera and the overproduced made for TV parade then be sure and check on tickets.  I believe they are free (I think you still have to have park admission) but limited in number and must be gotten in advance. 

Finally caught up!  Great TR so far.  

Mickey D's can be forgiven since you had the full Irish breakfast.

Black pudding.....YUM!  That was a good looking plate.  

Keep it coming!

Others with RVs will be along to tell you more info, but I suggest getting the Fort Fiends app.  It will tell you the exact measurements of every site and a picture.  Armed with that info and the size of your camper you could put the sites that you would fit into in a message on your reservation.  Hope it all works out for a wonderful trip!

Though we live in GA now, when we visited Niagara Falls we were living in Detroit so we went through Canada and only saw that side.  Everyone I have talked to about it says that the Canadian side of the falls is prettier anyway.  Are you planning to RV up and back or hotel?  Praying for health and safety for your gang!

It's cause their castle is so small....

:rofl3:

They are compensating....

Gotcha.  I did notice how Sarah was dressed...necklace was adorable and her red hair, mercy that is pretty!   But "Disney Bounding"... I had not heard of that.

Here are a couple more sites to meander through.  I haven't gotten into Disney Bounding but it sounds like fun.  It is a neat, fashionable way to get around the rule that adults can't dress in costume in the parks (a wise decision on Disney's part, I believe).  This sort of thing takes a lot more creativity and thought anyway.

http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/09/11/disneybounding/

http://disneybound.tumblr.com/

Hope your birthday was magical, Mo!

I love how Sarah bounded as Ariel.  Any other bounding on this trip?  

Loving the report - what a special time for you two!

Amazing!

In!