Bags by the front door…
And a taxi in the driveway must mean it’s time for vacation!!!
We meet my brother’s family at the airport….
And while Taylor had been on a plane once before…
It was Amber’s first time.
XM radio and a Mickey Mouse book were all he needed the whole trip.
Kelli just took a nap.
In Orlando, FL we took the people mover from one part of the airport to the other.
Finally, it was back in a cab for our ride into Walt Disney World.
Upon arrival we met my parents….
Who were very happy to see us.
They gave Kelli and I a ride over to our resort, the Disney Beach Club.
Our room was on the concierge level.
For the next week, 5662 would be our home.
The room was very spacious….
And I liked that the sinks were seperate from the toilet and shower.
The room had a great view, as well.
Seeing we were on the concierge level, we walked down and got a few beers.
Afterwards we went for a walk around the lake….
And decided to get some food.
There is a direct correlation between age and thickness of wallet.
Day 1, and we were off to a good start.
My parents left, and Kelli and I walked around a little more…
And then went back to the room and relaxed….
Before heading out to explore.
A few drinks, and Kelli was willing to be my model.
We finished our walk around the boardwalk….
And then headed back to concierge to see what treats….
They had waiting for us.
We grabbed some grub….
And then headed over to get more beer….
At the local brew pub.
They had a GREAT pumpkin ale.
Kelli made an appointment at the spa….
And then I went to the bar and met some pin traders.
They were very serious about the trading.
My parents stopped by to say hello, also.
After hanging out at the bar….
We walked back to our hotel…
Posing along the way for pictures.
What better way to end the night…
Than with room service.
The next morning after our run, we found the voodoo towels in the room.
With not too many days to relax, Kelli made for the sunshine, and I ducked into the shade.
It was getting close to SCUBA time, so we walked over to Epcot.
There was a beer and wine fest going on, and that worked out really well for us.
The SCUBA was in the front of Epcot, so we had to walk through the various countries….
And generally just enjoy ourselves….
Before heading over to The Seas.
We still had some time to waste so we did the ride….
And then checked out the aquarium.
I worked out the lighting…
So I could hand the camera to my father and let him take over while we went for our dive.
Kelli and I headed behind the scenes (no photos allowed there)….
And everyone else headed to dinner.
Our pin trading friends, GG & D, stopped by to see us.
We finally made it into the tank….
And you can just see me with the yellow sleeve, and Kelli is above me and to the right.
Lots of sharks!!!!
One of the most fun things about being in the tank was all the children waving at you.
Knowing how I like to take pictures of the food served, my family took pictures of their meal.
They said the food was really good.
The spotted eagle ray had a wing span of about 5-6 feet.
Coolest family photo, ever!!!!!!
While waiting for us after dinner, everyone decided to walk around….
And see the sights of Epcot….
Including the iconic ball.
They headed to Mexico….
And did the Mexico ride…
Later, Kelli and I met up with them and watched the fireworks.
Our first full day, and we were all having a great time.
This tended to happen only at the end of the day, when they were both worn out.
My parents took the kids and we headed to the boardwalk for some fun.
We went back to the brew pub for some pumpkin ales…
And my brother showed me the kids Disney cash that could be spent anywhere on property.
After the drinks, it was on to the dance club for some dancing.
Erin got freaky with Mathew….
And we all got drunk.
Well who is this beautiful woman??
With her I must have a picture.
SCUBA made us miss dinner, so room service again for us.
Sunday meant football.
And what better place to watch a game in Diseny World than ESPN.
We arrived early to be close to first in line. (find Kelli)
We got a great seat, and when the radio show started….
Yours truly was more than happy to voice his opinion about the media not talking about Ed Reed missing the first 6 games. (Check the TV in the background)
Home after the game, and we found the voodoo towel again.
With the sun getting low, it was almost dinner time.
Dinner that night was at Mexico in Epcot…
We all had our anniversary buttons on for the whole trip.
Love that lover of mine.
That night we took a cab to Lake Mary, about an hour away, to see….
Kelli’s cousin, Amy.
They hadn’t seen each other in 30 years…
So we enjoyed a quiet evening of conversation….
Before heading to bed.
The next morning we said goodbye….
Hopped in cab….
And met up with my family at Disney’s Hollywood studios.
Amber loved hanging out with Uncle Scott and Aunt Kel.
On the Tower of Terror, and do you notice the camera in the upper middle?
While going up and down, I took a few pictures….
Knowing that, can you find me?
For the record, Kelli hated this ride.
There is always something going on in Disney and that day was no different.
After the block party parade we headed over to lights camera action for a show.
Always wearing the buttons.
The show was really cool….
With lots of action….
And excitement!!!
Afterwards we did the backlot tour.
After the ride you walk through a collection of old props….
Including one from one of Kelli’s favorite movies.
We met up with Jim and Chris while we were there, and rode the Areosmith rollercoaster with them.
Kelli rode with my father.
After the ride, Kelli played with Taylor’s light saber.
We ended up seeing Jim and Chris a few times through the trip….
Including later that night for dinner.
Amber played a game at the restaurant….
And then we all ate BBQ……
Amber, however, just couldn’t last.
The next day after our run, and it was another voodoo towel.
Today we were heading to Animal Kingdom.
We arrived at the park…
Just in time to grab a quick picture….
And then join up with the family for the show a Bugs Life.
Afterwards Kelli, my father, and I headed to The park’s roller coaster, Expedition Everest.
There was plenty to do while waiting in line….
And lots of things to see.
Of course, the ride was a lot of fun!!!!
I took this picture just before the big drop.
Good times!!!!
There were drums sitting around that the kids loved banging on.
Waiting in line, and it seems someone has already carved Kelli’s intials.
Time for the safari ride….
And these are the animals we might see.
Some of the highlights included rhinoceros…
Swimming hippos……
Large Crocodiles…..
And Giraffe.
See the road ahead…..
This thing kept the animals from moving between areas.
The baby elephant was also cool to see.
A few cheetas lying in the shade.
Afterwards, it was time to eat.
I should get 2BCHBMS for Kelli and me.
My brother’s family headed back to their hotel, while Kelli and I went to see my parents camp site.
Somehow they call this “camping”.
Check out the wild bird eating a frog.
From the campground we went to downtown Disney to the Disney store.
This is the spot where I lost my wallet. (recovered by guest services within 10 minutes).
Dinner that night was at Norway in Epcot…..
Which for Amber was heaven!!!
She got to meet all the princesses!!!
Seriously, she could not have been more happy.
Taylor was more impressed with his Mickey Mouse raviolis.
Amber made sure to get all the autographs….
And a picture.
Now Taylor must have a thing for red heads because when Arial came around he changed his tune.
Snow White was the last of the princesses to come by.
Afterwards, it was time for a dance with her dad.
1980’s band Exposé was at Epcot for a show. Check out the album “Exposé @ Epcot – Orlando, FL” for those pictures.
After the show, we headed up to see The American Adventure.
Fun if you’re a history buff.
Afterwards it was back to concierge for some drinks.
From there we swung by my brothers place to see his room and view.
While my parents watched the kids….
We slipped into the bar to get a drink with everyone else.
From there we hopped the monorail over to….
The Contemporary to see Kelli’s boss from the Melting Pot, Dana.
She also got see see Dana’s brother, Barry.
Well, it was late, so we went home for the night.
The next morning we met with my father….
Signed a waiver….
Watched a video…..
And then road an off-road Segway.
While on our ride, we passed my mother and the kids.
We weren’t the type to follow the rules.
One of the more fun things we did on the trip.
The Segway tour included a few stops to give your legs a rest….
At one point we turned around, and I got to lead.
Afterwards, we had a traditional Disney breakfast.
It’s her goof ball.
Why must they torment us with the voodoo towels?
The girls did an Afternoon Tea…. (photo: Erin Habicht)
That included lots of yummy treats!!! (photo: Erin Habicht)
While the girls went and did their tea party thing….
We grabbed some beers….
And enjoyed our man time….
While the ladies enjoyed their woman time.
A few drinks and everything is funny.
Time to put it out.
Inside the kids were playing horse back rides…..
And Taylor showed how he jumps from one bed to the other.
We took the kids to the monorail……
And found the girls and their leftovers from the tea party.
Look how nicely they share.
Inside the Magic Kingdom we headed straight to…
Get our silhouettes done.
The same woman has done Mathew and Erin for over 10 years.
Taylor explains that he didn’t save any waffles for his Aunt Kel.
Looking good!!
Now….
It was our turn.
Overall, they came out really well.
We stopped for the quintessential Disney picture…..
And then headed to Taylor’s favorite ride.
Taylor and I rode together…..
And he proceeded to kick my butt.
Habichts on every screen.
Behind bars, where I would like to keep them sometimes.
We were short on time, so we left the park after the ride….
Hopped on the monorail…..
And headed back to goofy ball land.
Dinner was in Germany, and I loved the beer steins.
There was plenty of entertainment…..
Including some interesting instruments….
And we got Amber to do the chicken dance.
Afterwards, it was drinks in Paris….
Texting for Kelli….
And then fireworks.
Of course there are always fireworks in my life with Kelli.
We walked around Epcot by ourselves for a while and got some food.
And of course we came home to the voodoo towel.
Our last morning in Walt Disney World, and we had a pumpkin ale….
Hopped on the bus….
And went to our Disney Cruise ship.
A cool cutaway model of the ship.
Our home for the next 4 days, room 7574.
Very spacious accommodations….
And a present from my parents.
The shower was separate from the toilet….
Which was nice when it was time to get ready for the night.
For now we were still in port….
So we relaxed on our balcony.
Muster time!!!!
Ah, the joys and fun of mustering.
I swung by my parents room to say thanks for the bubblies!!!!
Afterwards it was poolside to bring a cold drink….
To my bathing beauty.
We left port just after 5pm….
And I took a quick look at the map to see where we were going.
Time for dinner, and we posed on the balcony for a shot.
Dinner that night was at…
Animator’s Palate.
There seems to be a lot more group shots than I remember.
Fun was had….
And there was plenty of good….
Delicious food.
The room started in black and white, and then changed to color over the course of the meal.
Happy 40th anneversary!!!!!
Even on the cruise ship they were getting us with the voodoo towel.
As you might have guessed, the ship was full of Disney artwork.
My mother and Kelli played bingo….
While I walked around to see what there was to be seen.
After my walk about it was topside for some hottub fun.
We checked out piano bar #1….
With my parents….
We then grabbed some late night eats…
That my father was sure to get his fill of.
After that, Kelli and I headed to piano bar #2.
Back in the room for the night and Kelli took a bath.
The next morning we arrived in Nassau, Bahamas.
Kelli and I took a van across the island to go SCUBA diving again.
I didn’t bring my underwater camera….
So we have a few pictures of the marina….
And dive boat, but that’s it.
After our dive, we headed back to…..
The ship.
The fun part of diving, cleaning your gear.
Always wanting a different picture before going out every night, we got a little nutty.
Dinner that night was at Parrot Cay.
The food, as was the case most times, was really good.
Another group shot.
Later that night, we headed to the Spa for some relaxing time.
After the spa, it was a late night dinner at the exclusive restaurant on the ship, Palo.
Ah, nothing like good champagne!!
The food there was fantastic!!!!
A mid-meal palate cleanser…
Before moving on to the main course.
Love!!!!!!
Not quite, but that is what our buttons said.
After dinner, it was time for fireworks off the side of the ship.
Thanks to the hard work of Sarah, we were able to give my mother and father a nice surprise.
Kelli and I sat in front of this picture for 30 minutes and talked about the vision of Walt Disney.
The next morning we awoke to find ourselves at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.
There was a 5k run…
To one end of the island and back.
Overall winners in the male and female groups.
Of course, the only prize was a bottle of water and a towel.
The breakfast of a champion.
We took the private shuttle…
To our private cabana.
Kelli, in her element.
Ah, relaxing in the sun, nothing makes her happier.
The cabana was nice…
With a stocked bar.
Contain yourselves, ladies.
We took the private shuttle over to….
Another cabana….
This one for a 1 hour massage.
Life is good.
Outside, Erin and my brother were waiting for their turn.
There are plenty of adults only places…..
And we made sure to find them.
We caught the tram back to the cabana with Erin and Mathew…
And found my mother and the kids waiting for us.
We jumped in, and on our private shuttle, again, to….
The private area….
To enjoy private times.
Seriously, we needed a few more days like this one.
On an island in the sun, we’ll be playing and having fun. We give it a “10”!!!
Back on the ship, and you can see our cabana…
Which seems so far away, so quickly.
Check out the sexy body!!!
Our before dinner picture for the last night.
We had a nice little cake waiting for us at dinner…
And Erin said goodbye to her favorite waiter.
Always with the voodoo towels.
After the first dinner, we went back to Palo for our second dinner.
Kelli left a nice note in the restaurant’s guest book.
The trip was coming to an end, and it was time to get off the boat.
We gave our bags to my parents for them to drive home in their RV….
Said one more goodbye…..
And then hopped on the bus with the kids.
Goodbye Disney!!!
Ah, the calm relaxing scene of the airport security line.
After making it through security, we had 3 hours to kill…
So Outback Steakhouse it was.
Well, that’s the end, and just like the entire trip, Amber and her Aunt Kel are holding hands!!!!