Florida...Still the Happiest Place on Earth

So I just realized that the last time I blogged was in January (yikes)! I apologize for being such a slacker, but so much has been going on lately (I will explain in my next few entries).

First and foremost...I took an impromptu mini-vacation to Orlando, which was awesome!

My boyfriend and I met for a coffee after school/work on a Monday at Winston Churchill and the 401 plaza. While there we were moaning and complaining about how much we hate the winter, and how nice it would be to go somewhere hot! As we go to leave, we realize, lo and behold, that there's a travel agent right beside the Starbucks. Seeing as I had a four day weekend the coming weekend (due to Fridays off school, and family day) we decided to go in and see if they had any last minute package deals. They didn't, but if we left for Florida that very night, until Friday, we could get our flights, hotel, and rental car for under $100/day. So, after about thirty seconds of weighing the pros and cons, we booked it.

We arrived to our hotel Tuesday morning. It was by no means nice, and we got what we paid for, but at the end of the day, it's a place to sleep, so we didn't mind. That first day, we bought a case of beer, some suntan oil, and relaxed by the pool (which we quickly discovered was not heated). In the evening we went to Downtown Disney, which is pretty much a shopping/dining/entertainment area on the grounds of Walt Disney World. We ate some dinner, walked around, then returned to the hotel, exhausted.

Now might be a good time to explain that Andrew and I are mildly obsessed with Disney World. We both love everything about it, as though we were still young children. I'm not even embarrased to admit it! Everything about Disney is always above and beyond in terms of customer satisfaction. Everything is always flawless, and I truly do believe that it's the happiest place on earth. It's so much more than a magical amusement park. There are numerous resorts which are amazing, tons of entertainment, gas stations, grocery stores, bars - you name it, and it's on site. One could vacation on Disney property and never have to leave. Anyway. That got off topic, but anyway...

Our second day we went to Epcot. Of all the parks, Epcot is our favourite, in particular, the world showcase. For those of you unfamiliar, the world showcase is a representation of eleven countries around the perimeter of the lagoon in the centre of it. It is our favourite thing to do in Florida. We always begin in Mexico, and end back home in Canada, sampling different beer and snacks from around the world along the way. It makes for such a fun day and I would recommend it to anyone going to Florida. At 9pm an amazing fireworks display happens in the centre of the lagoon, and words cannot describe it. The show is called "Illuminations: Reflections of Earth", and as mentioned, words do not give it justice. It's set to music, lasts about 25 minutes, and costs about $80K per night. Amazing. After the fireworks we walked to the Disney boardwalk, which is a boardwalk with all kinds of shops, restaurants, bars, and entertainment such as jugglers and magicians. It's definetly something cool to do, and doesn't involve spending money. It was actually here that we ran into David Cook, the winner of last years American Idol. He was just walking around totally unrecognized, with some girl. Of course, we asked for a picture with him, and he was so nice and down to earth. Afterwards we laughed and were a little embarrased at how star struck we were!

Our final day in Florida, we drove to Disney property and went to the Grand Floridian, which is the crown jewel of all Disney Resorts. We sat around the pool for most of the day, drinking pina coladas and loving life (keep in mind that this free loading WAS neccessary as our pool wasn't heated)! From there we walked around to some of the other resorts, and checked out the Disney wedding chapel (and no, it's not as cheesy as you are assuming). One thing that is really cool is a new resort called the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It consists of villas, all of which back out onto an African Pavillion. Imagine stepping onto your porch to see giraffes, zebras, and all the animals of Africa! Quite the experience. From there we went back to the boardwalk, had dinner, and walked around again. Then, back to our hotel to pack and get ready to go home :(

Although short, it was worth it to get out of the cold, even if just for a few days. The only downfall (besides missing school of course) was that it was just a tease, and made us want to go back!! I will post some pics from the trip for you to see in my next entry. I would definetly suggest to anyone who thinks that they have outgrown Disney to go again, and check out all it has to offer :)