Summer+Vero+WDW+DL=

Here we go again!! Back to back summer trips...

Cast:
Me, Lisa
DH, Steven
DD, Katie 17
DD, Khloe 15
DS, Kai 11

Our tradition is to spend Fourth of July someplace "new"..it doesn't have to be WDW related, but this year it is. Disney's Vero Beach resort! Our first time there. We head there after a one night stay in WDW, our first time at the Grand Floridian! This one night stay was a recent add on. Our flights got pushed back which didn't work for us, so we added a day sooner! We are renting a car from the airport and driving to WDW. This will be our first time having a car in Florida, we usually rely on Magical Express. We will spend the evening at the MK. Thank goodness we became passholders! After our night at the Grand Flo, we will walk to Konas for breakfast, then check out and head to Disney's Vero Beach resort. We will get there before the fourth of July, and leave a few days after. We plan a trip to UCF for Katie, since her goal is to transfer there after Disney's College/or Career start program, whichever pans out for her. We also plan on a visit to Celebration. Our wishes for Vero are simple. Relax, relax, relax. Activities and pool parties at the resort. (since we loved them so much at Disney's HHI resort)..and hopefully some turtle watching. We will also visit Mel Fischers treasure museum since we are all pirate nerds. We will plan on seafood at as many meals as we can!!! We have a 2BR villa, and have requested an Ocean view. We cannot wait for this brand new fourth of July adventure!
Checking out of Vero we will head back to WDW to where else? The Polynesian! Lagoon view, club level, room only summer discount since we now have our AP's. 4 days of Poly, Ohana's our first night to celebrate being back. We have Via Napoli, Yachtsman, Sci Fi, and Garden Grill booked. The only one not flexible is Ohana's. We will be easy peasy these days and see what we feel like doing and seeing. If ADR's need to flip, so be it. fgWe still have 3 leftover water mice coupons from our winning of multiple pool games in April at the Poly, so we will use those. (good for 1/2 hour each) As a family we need 3 mice when we go out, so this works perfectly for us.
When we leave WDW we have 1 1/2 weeks home before we sneak in a BD trip for DH to a cabin in Vermont (our other home away from home) then....2 wks later...

DISNEYLAND!!!!!!

This will be our second trip to Disneyland, my husbands job is bringing us back there again this August. Disneyland Hotel 10 nights. We have the same bldg/room type booked as last year since we loved it so much. Dreams tower (now Adventurers tower) , theme park/DTD view, club level. This is a completely renovated bldg and it is wonderful. As for planning? ...not so much. Even though this trip is across country, I learned last year that it required little planning. This has got to be the easiest trip we ever pulled off, in terms of feeling at home and navigating about rather naturally. Natalie (BrerGnat) was a huge help in answering so many of our questions last year, even about Southern California in general. She directed us to all the beaches, towns, and restaurants we should try. Disneyland is the flip side of WDW. Laid back is its middle name. ADR's? Not needed!!! How wonderful is that?? No running/roller derby competition at opening!!! Chill is the word. Magical and original is the setting. We will have hoppers for the majority of our days so we can come and go as we please. Both parks are an easy 5 minute walk from our room. And DTD is rightthere. I'm not so much a fan of DTD in WDW, however, we really like it in DL. Super relaxed vibe, never packed and impossible to walk and see things, live music each evening, and shows too. The stores and restaurants terrific. No busses or boats to be found. All is right in front of you. The monorail is more an attraction then a mode of transportation. It is much quicker of a walk to the parks. We know what we want more of this year..namely Laguna Beach was our favorite, so we will enjoy more time there. We loved all the farmers markets around the Hollywood area and plan on hitting the one in Malibu this year. We saw all the big touristy Hollywood attractions last year, and we will see if we'll repeat them. I'm so excited to see and swim in the new monorail pool at the resort and also to experience the two new restaurants there., both Polynesian style, right up our alley!

That's it in a nutshell! Wishing all my fellow intercotees a wonderful summer! ~Lisa