Hello Florida & Happy DAVE-cember!
Although large crowds & high humidity are not my thing (wilderness & snow worshiper here), couldn’t have been more excited to celebrate Dave’s 18th birthday in the place he loves best…DisneyWorld Orlando.
Limited myself to 3 full days. Up by 630am each day, stayed ‘til park closings at 11pm – 3 FULL days. If you’re gonna do it, go BIG, right? Arrived late Saturday afternoon – was the last to arrive in Orlando (Mountain time zone challenged). After hotel check-in, rushed to Magic Kingdom for dinner at Cinderella’s castle, followed by fireworks.
Spent Day 1 at Hollywood Studios, Day Two around Epcot, Day 3 in Magic Kingdom.
Can’t go wrong sharing time & memories with family! Happy DAVE-cember!
Fav Park – Epcot (World Showcase fan)
Fav Dinner – Coral Reef (lover of fish – both in the tank & in my belly)
Fav Ride – Aerosmith’s Rock N Rollercoaster (not generally a thrill ride guy but the music rocked)
Fav Impromptu Christmas Event – Candlelight Procession (American Adventure Pavilion/Epcot)
Fav Breakfast – Akershus Royal Banquet Hall/Norway (smoked fish & pastries – my kind of breakfast :))
Fav Buffet – trick question/no such thing as a favourite buffet (reason Americans are bursting at the seams)
Fav Character – Lady Tremaine & Stepsisters/Cinderella (idea to Disney: an ‘all-Villains’ Park, cool huh?)
Least Fav Character – Ariel, little Mermaid (met 2 of them – both were creepy, been left underwater far too long)
Fav Stage Show – Beauty & the Beast/Hollywood Studios (yep, even better than Fantasmic!)
Most Over-rated Grand Opening – Fantasyland (wait ‘til 2014 when everything is built)
(kinda my) Fav Retro Ride – It’s a Small World (but ride needs a major do-over; the 1970’s were 40 years ago)
Fav Gift Store – see Buffet response above (exchange ‘bursting at the seams’ with ‘hoarders’)
Fav Language Choice when bored with English – German (Epcot’s Spaceship Earth will never be the same)
Fav Hat – Michaela’s Candy Cane Holiday hat (no Mickey ears for us)
Fav Christmas Xtra – Gingerbread House (Grand Floridian)
Overall Fav – Christmas Lights & (fake) Florida Snow, Hollywood Studios (absolutely the best!)
YouTube video ‘David’s 18th Birthday Bash’
xmas lights & fake Florida snow (short clip)
Beauty & Beast (stage show clip)
Magic Kingdom (fireworks clip)
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- arrival dinner at Cinderella castle
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- castle dancin’
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- Florida’s version of lodgepole pines
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- Day 1: Hollywood Studios
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- Beauty & the Beast stage show
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- Mickey slays Dragon at Fantasmic!
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- best Xmas light show ever!
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- Day 2: Epcot
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- bird watching
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- gingerbread house at Grand Floridian
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- ’tis the season!
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- Disney Dining Plan STUFFED
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- Day 3: Magic Kingdom
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- why I’m not a huge fan of Disney: humidity & whole lotta PEOPLE
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- David & Michaela
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- castle posers
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- thumbs up for DAVE-cember
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- Fantasyland flex contest
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- goodbye DisneyWorld
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- meanwhile…back in Colorado
I can honestly tell you [that] I had never heard of ‘Gotcha Day’ until 8 or 9 years ago when my friend’s cousin Patricia began celebrating this day for her adopted daughters. Both girls had a birthday and both girls had a ‘gotcha day’ – and I just couldn’t get it right (utilizing the limited brain space God provided).
Fast forward to 2012 & Ro’s first ‘Gotcha Day’. Yeah, I’m a total hypocrite 🙂
Happy 1st Gotcha Day Ro!
Gotcha Day (sometimes called Gotchya Day, Adoption Day, Family Day, Adoption Anniversary Day) is a day celebrated by American families of adopted children to recognize the day they received the child. The Gotcha Day is the day that the child was placed into the family’s home for adoption, in other words, the day the family Gotcha. It is the most celebrated of adoption related events. In her book, The Joy of Family Rituals, Barbara Bizou wrote, Gotcha Day “is designed to show your adopted child how much you wanted him and that every year you continue to cherish him.”
Families who adopt animals, particularly dogs, will often refer to the day they adopted their pet as the animal’s “gotcha day.”
Gotcha Day 2012
My hiking buddy, Rowan O’Roark turned 1 today. Happy Birthday little guy!
January (after 1st 2012 hike)
February (22.7 inch record snow)
March (Cheyenne WY)
April (Mt Galbraith)
May (Great Sand Dunes)
June (1st 14er: Mt Bierstadt)
July (Boulder Rez)
August (Lake Dorothy)
September (Ben Tyler trail)
