On Monday, October 27, a couple from the Make-A-Wish Foundation will come to Lora's house for a bon voyage party; they will bring Pizza.
We will stay at the Redmont Hotel. On Wednesday, October 29, 2008, at 7:00 P.M., we will see Disney on Ice: Disney Land Adventure at the BJCC in Birmingham.
We will sit in seats 6-10 on L 25 (lower level).
This will jump-start our Make-A-Wish for Meadow.
If the kids are checked out of school soon enough, we will go to the Birmingham Zoo at 2630 Cahaba Road, Birmingham, AL 35223, 205-879-0409.
The drive to Birmingham will take about 2 hours. If we leave at 1 P.M., we should arrive at about 3 P.M., giving us 2 to 3 hours at the Zoo and a trip to Disney on Ice.
We checked into the Redmont Hotel and went straight to the Zoo, located at 2101 Fifth Avenue, North Birmingham, AL 35203.
The telephone number is 877-536-20085.
To celebrate the holiday season, we will be staying at the Redmont Hotel, where Hank Williams stayed before his death. During our pre-Halloween visit to Disney, we may see or hear him walk in the hallways.
We should leave the Hotel around 10 A.M. on Thursday morning to be at the Airport 30 minutes before flight time.
Hopefully, we will have a restful sleep in the haunted Hotel. This morning, we will begin our flight to Orlando, Florida. Meadow loves to fly, but the older kids have never flown. We will see how the flight goes.
Day 1: Monday, October 27, 2008
On Monday night, around 6:00 P.M., a couple from the Make-a-Wish Foundation came to Lora's. They brought two large Papa John's Pizzas: one with a thin cheese crust and the other with a thick pepperoni crust.
Marcus Jr. had gone to football practice with his dad.
The woman reviewed the packet they had brought, which included a DVD and a book about Disney parks. It had information about the dos and don'ts of what to take on the airplane. It was a lot of information to read over. They brought Meadow a humpy dumpy blanket, Marcus a small aircraft, and Madison a trigger toy.
They left at about 7:00 P.M., and my husband and I stayed until about 8:30 P.M.
I played with Meadow, and I put her to bed.
Lora called Southeastern Airlines to make sure that we had e-tickets. They said yes, and we were to bring a photo ID.
Lora should be getting a $1,500 check in the mail for Theme Park expenses, such as food and parking, so we will have to wait for it to arrive.
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| Make a Wish Pizza Party |
Day 2: Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Lora had a problem getting the check. She called FedEx, and they said the check had been delivered, but to the wrong address.
She called Fed-X, and they said they would contact the driver. She called several times that day.
Finally, she told the woman at Fed-X that she needed the mail because it contained a check.
She called the driver of Fed-X's cell phone number, and he said he had delivered it.
Lora told the Fed-X woman to stay on the telephone while she went through the neighborhood looking for the check. It had been at a neighbor's house all day, and the woman had been gone the entire time.
Day 3: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Lora picked me up at 12:30 P.M., and we picked up the kids at school.
Lora drove to Birmingham, checked in at the Redmont Hotel, and went to the Galleria Mall, where Lora bought Marcus a pair of shoes and a Disney shirt.
At 6:30, we were at the Civic Center, where we watched Disney on Ice, the Disneyland Adventure. Meadow enjoyed the show. When she heard the audience clap, she joined in and slapped her leg to the music.
The story was about an incredible family that went on a Disney vacation.
The father, Bob, "Mr. Incredible," mother, Helen," Elastigirl," daughter Violet, son Dashiell "Dash," and youngest, Jack-Jack Parr, were a family of superheroes.
Mickey and Minnie take you through the non-stop fun at Disney on Ice Disneyland adventure.
The incredible family swings through the jungle on the Jungle Cruise with Baloo, flies through Space Mountain with Buzz Light-year, and visits the light-years with Alice and the Mad Hatter. They saw the Disney Princesses Snow White and Cinderella in the Main Street parade. The incredible attractions of the Haunted Mansion, a small world, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Incredible Hulk save the day.
We rode back to the Redmond Hotel and dressed for bed.
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| Disney on Ice in Birmingham |
Day 3: Thursday, October 30, 2008
The following day, we woke up, packed our suitcases, ate breakfast, and left for the Airport.
We had snacks at the Airport while waiting for our flight, which cost us $28.00.
We will leave at 11 A.M. on Southwest Airlines flight 1556 from gate C14 and arrive in Orlando at 1:00 P.M.
When we passed security at the Airport, a woman from KFW was waiting for us. She gave us a package that had everything we needed to rent a car and directions to GKW.
We went to baggage claim, collected our luggage, and loaded it on a cart. Then, we went to the rental car service, where Lora rented a Chrysler from Avis.
Lora drove us to GKW. We stopped at the gate, and she told them who we were. We were invited inside the gate, and Lora was given instructions to go to the admitting department.
Upon admission, we were given a packet with information, and a woman at GKW gave us a tour of the Villa where we would be staying.
We will be staying at Villa 192. There was a sign posted outside next to the mailbox, with a rabbit on it and the name Beasley Family written across the front.
Lora will have to attend a meeting tonight at 7 P.M., during which she will receive our theme park tickets.
After we had brought all our luggage into the Villa, we realized we hadn't had lunch, so we ordered two pizzas.
After lunch, we walked around the park, rode the carousel and train, walked through the castle, and Marcus played with the electronic boats.
Tonight, at the Gingerbread House, they are having a Christmas dinner. There will be a Christmas Parade featuring Cinderella, Prince Charming, Mickey, Minnie, and many others, followed by a Carriage ride. Santa will greet the children and give them presents.
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| GKW Villa, where we were staying |
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| GKW Villa, where we were staying |
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| GKW Villa, where we were staying |
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| GKW Villa, where we were staying |
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| GKW Villa, where we were staying |
While Lora was at her meeting, Marcus was playing with the electronic boats, and Madison, Meadow, and I were having fun at the Christmas party with all the Disney characters.
Madison, Meadow, and I boarded the carriage for the last ride of the day. The door was shut when Marcus came up. He wanted to board the carriage, but the driver said no because the steps were already loaded.
Marcus did not take no for an answer, so he started following the carriage. The driver stopped and let him in.
We rode around the Villa in the carriage; Lora was out of her meeting when we returned.
Day 4: Friday, October 31, 2008
We spent the day on the Island of Adventure.
We rode the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, the Dueling Dragons Roller Coaster, the Jurassic Park River Adventure (I did not ride any of the wet rides), Popeye & Bluto Bilge-Rat Barges, and Doctor Doom's Fear Fall.
We also rode the Pteranodon Flyers, the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad, Poseidon's Fury, The Cat in the Hat, and the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.
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| Thing One, Thing Two on the Island of Adventure |
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| Roller coaster on the Island of Adventure |
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| The Island of Adventure |
After all the wet rides, Lora bought some dry clothes for herself and the kids.
We watched Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue and ate ribs at Thunder Falls Terrace. Before we left for the day, we ate at Circus McGurkus café Stoo-Pendous at Seuss Landing.
The park opens at 9 A.M. and closes at 6:00 P.M.
The kids wore their Halloween costumes at GKW, and we joined the Halloween Party, but missed the parade.
There were big black pots of candy, face painting, and games at the party.
There was a princess-prince parade where each child was given a crown or a sword and had their picture made.
The kids all enjoyed being kings or queens for the day.
There was a line at the theater where a famous woman, Miyuki Sugimori, was molding candy into tiny animals for the children.
I stood in line with Meadow. She was the next-to-last person to receive a stick, with candy molded in her Alm, image.
Meadow was dressed as Elmo for Halloween.
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| Barney and friends at GKW |
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| Shamu at GKW |
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| Shamu at GKW Halloween Party |
Day 5: Saturday, November 1, 2008
We spent the day at Epcot.
We ate a continental breakfast at the Gingerbread House, which included cereals, toast, bagels, yogurt, fruit, coffee, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, and gravy.
Breakfast is served every morning from 8 to 10 A.M., and supper is served every day from 6 to 8 P.M.
We rode Spaceship Earth, Mission: Space, Test Track, and Soarin' at Epcot.
At Living with the Land, we boarded a trolley that took us on a voyage through an amazing greenhouse and fish farm.
We watched Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, The Sea with Nemo and Friends, and Talk with Turtle Crush.
We took a boat across the bay to the World Showcase of Germany, where we ate a buffet lunch at the Biergarten Restaurant and enjoyed a live performance.
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| Biergarten Restaurant in Epcot |
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| Biergarten Restaurant in Epcot |
We walked to Norway, where we took a Viking boat voyage, to Mexico, where we took a musical boat ride, and Madison got lost.
On our way out of the park, we stopped and tasted the different flavors of Coke worldwide.
We took the tram from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom, which stayed open until 11 P.M.
The Magic Kingdom was still decorated for Halloween, with its orange pumpkins and orange and yellow lights.
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| Magic Kingdon |
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| It's a Small World Ride |
Lora, Marcus, and Madison walked through the Swiss Family Tree House, and once again, we lost Madison.
It took us 45 minutes to find her.
While Lora was looking for Madison, I took Meadow on the Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride.
We found Madison and were given a coupon for free ice cream.
Lora, Madison, and Marcus rode Big Thunder Mountain.
We all rode It's a Small World, the Haunted Mansion, and the Jungle Cruise, and watched the Enchanted Tiki Room Adventure.
Madison and Marcus rode Dumbo, the flying elephant, and we all rode the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Madison, Marcus, and I rode the Mad Tea Party teacups.
We all rode the cars at Tomorrow Land Indy Speedway, but Lora and Meadow's car broke down, so I had to push it into the pit area with my vehicle.
We rode Buzz Light-year's Space Light-year and watched Light-year Inc. Laughing Floor.
We took the boat back to Epcot, parked the van, and rode to GKW.
Day 6: Sunday, November 2, 2008
We ate breakfast at the Gingerbread Playhouse, which served breakfast from 8 to 10 A.M. daily. It rained or drizzled all day.
While Lora, Marcus, and Madison were riding the Tower of Terror, I met a family from Birmingham, England. They had been here for three weeks and had visited all the theme parks in Orlando.
She said her kids did not like hamburgers and fries, so she made fresh sandwiches daily.
Her kids all like PJs.
We got snacks of pretzels, cotton candy, caramel apples, Cokes water, and plain pretzels. Marcus bought some Star Wars dolls.
We went to Disney Studios to watch the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, The New Journey into Narnia: Prince Caspian, Playhouse Disney, and Beauty and the Beast.
Lora, Marcus, and Madison rode The Rock' n' Roller Coaster and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
We ate supper at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, which was awesome.
The tables were shaped like a car parked in front of a drive-in movie, and people could sit in the front or back of the vehicle without a top.
Marcus and Madison sat in front, while Lora, Meadow, and I sat in the back seat.
Lora and I shared a hamburger, onion rings, and a cucumber salad.
Marcus ordered a hot dog with fries, and Madison ordered a beef Mac with vegetable sticks, fries, and a milkshake.
We finished the night by watching the Fantasmic fireworks show.
Day 7: Monday, November 3, 2008
We spent the day at the Animal Kingdom and ate lunch in Asia at Yak & Yeti, a Chinese Restaurant.
Madison and I split a large plate of sweet-and-sour chicken, and Lora and Marcus split Honey Chicken.
Before we went to the THEME Park, we had a family picture taken with Mickey and Minnie.
I took pictures of Pluto, Goofy, and Mary Poppins at GKW.
We all rode the carousel at GKW three times.
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| Mickey, Minnie, and Meadow at GKW |
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| Group picture at GKW |
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| Goofy, Mary Poppins, and Pluto at GKW |
We all rode Mount Everest, Asia's legendary Forbidden Mountain.
We watched It's Tough to Be a Bug on Discovery Island " on Discovery Island.
We took the Kilimanjaro Safari in Africa and rode the Dinosaur. ride
After the parade at the Animal Kingdom, we rode the boat to the Magic Kingdom and stayed from 5 to 8 P.M.
We tried to finish doing the things we missed at the Magic Kingdom.
We finished the night by watching the fireworks show.
We were going to watch the World Showcase at Epcot, but did not make it.
We took the boat back to the ticket center, then a bus to the Animal Kingdom, and then we rode back to GKW.
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| Asia at Yak & Yeti, a Chinese Restaurant at the Animal Kingdom |
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| Parade at the Animal Kingdom |
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| Parade at the Animal Kingdom |
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| Dinosaur ride |
Day 7: Tuesday, November 4, 2008
We ate lunch at Lambert's Restaurant in Universal Studios.
In the restroom at Lambert's, I met two women from Ireland. I told them about Meadow, and they said special people are given special kids.
At Lambert's Restaurant, I ordered shrimp and chips.
Lora and the kids ordered fish and chips.
Lambert's Restaurant was located along the San Francisco Bay. waterfront
We watched Beetlejuice, MIB, Johnny Newton, Terminator, Disaster, and Twister.
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| City Walk |
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| Universal Studios |
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| Universal Studios |
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| City Walk |
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| City Walk |
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| City Walk |
Lora and the kids rode the Mummy and the Hulk coasters.
I got 267,000 points, and Marcus got over 150,000 in the MIB ride.
We rode this ride twice. The second time, I doubled my score.
I took lots of pictures, and we ate a Danish before leaving the park.
We rode back to GKW to wash clothes, clean the house, and pack our bags.
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| Getting tucked into bed by Mrs. Rabbit |
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| Getting tucked into bed by Mrs. Rabbit |
Day 8: Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I got up, finished packing, burned the pictures to a DVD, and ate breakfast.
Lora and the kids finished packing, and we had to be checked out by 11 A.M.
We went to SeaWorld, and Lora and the kids rode the Kraken coaster.
We fed the rays and dolphins; we watched the sea lions, seals, penguins, and Manatees.
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| Sea World |
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| Sea World |
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| Sea World |
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| Sea World |
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| Sea World |
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| Sea World |
We ate chicken and steak, feta, and ended the day by watching the Sham Show Believe; it was awesome.
I bought Meadow a frog (like Build-a-Bear), and we named it Hopper.
We left the park at 3:30 P.M., Lora filled the car with gas, and we returned the rented car to Avis.
We arrived at the Southwest Airlines check-in.
They said the plane was scheduled to leave at 5:10, but now it is 4:45 P.M.
They checked our bags and Meadows's wheelchairs.
We walked through security.
Lora's jacket set off the security alarm, and she had to walk through it again.
Lora had a roll of quarters in her purse, which set off the security system again.
Marcus's bag had two snow globes from SeaWorld that were not allowed to go through, and
Madison had a tub of mud that wasn't allowed on the plane, which caused a delay.
We still had to take the tram to the gate where our airplane was to depart.
Lora and a security guard walked to SeaWorld's gift shop, where they boxed up the snow globes and shipped them to her house free of charge.
I went ballistic because I thought we were going to miss our plane.
I called my husband, and I told him I thought we were going to miss our flight.
I saw Lora and the kids, and we headed to the plane.
They were calling our names for final boarding.
We took off running. I pushed Meadow to run as fast as possible.
We made it. I let out an "Oh, Shit!"
We got on the plane, and Lora fastened Meadow in the car seat.
I was so flustered that I needed help fastening my seat belt
By this time, we were taxing down the runway.
We finally got seated, and the plane took off.
We were served pretzels and sodas.
It took us about an hour to get to Birmingham Airport.
We went to baggage claim and collected our luggage.
We loaded the van and rode Home.
Miyuki Sugimori - Japanese Candy Artist
Miyuki, the candy artist, works in the Japanese area of Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
She learned the craft of candy artistry from her grandfather. Her skills have brought her much success and notoriety, making her one of the few "Amezaikus" in the world and the only female in the trade. She has appeared on several television programs, including the Travel Channel and The Rosie O'Donnell Show. We are so fortunate to have her as a regular at the Japan Festival, for every year brings new surprises.
Miyuki takes various colors of warm taffy and creates the fastest and most ornate sculptures in minutes, right before your eyes. She then paints them for added character and realism. The number of animals, land and aquatic, and creatures of fantasy she can sculpt is astounding. Miyuki is extremely popular at Epcot and performs her show several times daily.
Meadow was dressed as Elmo, and her candy was shaped into Elmo, like her suit.
The two white candies on the top of her head are Elmo's eyes, and the orange candy is his nose.
She had her eyes closed.
This was a great image of Meadow.
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| Star Wars |
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| Riding the Dinosaur |
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| Disney Group Picture |
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| Captain Hook |
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| Family Group Picture at GKW |
