The TAC Disney Rally

Probably the best part of the stay at Disney...the other Airstreamers, or at least those people camping with us even if not in an Airstream.  I've not been to a TAC rally yet that I didn't like.  The amazing thing, I think, is that no matter what the time of year, there's other kids there and someone's usually even planned food or activities for the kids.  This rally was no different.  During the meet and greet (no pictures, darn it!) there was a pack of kids running all over the place.  Ages ranged from about 4 to 11, I think, yet they all managed to play together.  The parents were left to enjoy the company of the other adults with the occasional shout-out just to know where one's kids were and the occasional collision in the dark which resulted in a crying kid for a few seconds.

The greatest unplanned happy hour that I've ever been to occurred at this rally.  It was on our "fort day" (a day which you stay at the fort instead of going to a park).  I had been out bike riding and socializing while Andrea and the kids took a nap.  I ran in to one rally-goer that was jones'n for a happy hour.  So, I went back to the 300 loop where a large portion of the TAC ralliers were and started knocking on doors.  The last one I got to was way ahead of me.  He had a full spread cooking including special considerations for the kids.  A quick post to the Airforums rally thread and a couple of direct emails and all of a sudden there's a line of TAC ralliers streaming in to the 300 loop on bikes and others walking from their camper already in the loop.  It was rather fun cooking by lantern and flashlight.  This event generated the only pictures I took of the rally, but I think they are some of the best pictures I took the entire time at Disney.  This is what it's all about.  This is what made Disney fun for me.  It made the whole trip worth it.  The pictures need no captions.

Walt Disney World, Part 2

So this is where I make my critique of Disney.  The campground...awesome.  I wish we would have paid for one LESS day at the parks and done an additional day at the campground.  There's virtually endless bike riding; restaurants and stores on-site, a couple of heated pools, and Chip & Dale's campfire sign-a-long.  In the end, I don't think I'm going to be pushing to go back to Disney anytime soon.  Perhaps I'm spoiled living where I do in that Cedar Point is 1.5 hours away and there's 3 other amusement parks within a day's drive; but the 1.5 day drive to Disney combined with the price of park admission just wasn't offset by the fun factor.  The kids really liked the rides; the characters were kinda so-so.  Nevertheless, this post is mostly about the character breakfast that we went to (thanks, Grandma!) and the Chip & Dale campfire sing-a-long at the campground.

Daisy Duck in safari garb.  We were in Animal Kingdom for breakfast, thus the outfit.  Mason was not interested in a picture.

Parker was thrilled to see Goofy.  Mason, not so much.  Goofy was trying to get Mason to join the picture.

Parker is trying to identify the animal by using the charts overhead in the safari bus.

Rhinos! And Mason's head.

The sing-a-long dude.

Chip signing the boys' autograph books.

Chip and the boys at the campfire sing a long in  Fort Wilderness

Walt Disney World, Part 1

So finally on November 4th we arrived at the ultimate destination of the entire trip...Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL.  Disney has been somewhat of a Holy Grail for us.  We had planned to go there about 3 years ago but the plug was pulled due to some unexpected expenditures for an ailing pet.  So, some 1.5 years ago, the idea was presented to have a TAC (The Airstreamers Club) rally at Fort Wilderness which is Walt Disney World's campground.  So, of course, we signed on.  After 1.5 years of discussion and planning by a number of people, the date was finally upon us.  For all by Andrea, this was the first time to Disney World.  Even so, her last time at Disney was when she was 6 so even the check-in "cast member" at Fort Wilderness awarded her a "first time visitor" badge just like the rest of the family.  We checked into FW (Fort Wilderness) at about 12:30pm so we weren't going to a park that day.  Instead, we hit-up Downtown Disney and then went back to the campground in time for our meet and greet.  Unfortunately, I neglected to take any pictures at the meet and greet.  I think this was mostly because it was dark.  Something that I've never had to consider in a rally is daylight savings time.  Usually when this time of year rolls around the campers are long since winterized and stored in the barn.  So, when the meet and greet started, there was still some daylight.  By the time is was over, we were trying to find hors d'oeuvres and wine bottles in the dark.  So, still great for socializing...not so great for pictures.

At the T-shirt shop in Downtown Disney.  We didn't buy shirts, but the  pose-behind setup just couldn't be resisted.

The dragon and boulder in the background is all made out of Legos.

The dragon is Legos, too.

This was an "archaeological dig" site in Downtown Disney.

Parker had to have a Perry.  He chatters if you squeeze his foot.  Parker was having conversations with Perry on the bus ride back to the campground.

Of course, Mason had to have a Lightning McQueen car.

Taking the sea life quiz before going into "Talking with Crush"

One of the hands-down best things we did while at Disney was the "Special Agent P" adventure in Epcot.  There isn't a lot for kids at Epcot, but this was a diamond in the rough.  It was even fun for the adults.  You stop by a kiosk and a cast member gives the kid(s) a cell phone.  The phone is specially programmed to work the kids through a mission for Special Agent P (Perry's alter ego, for the non-Phineas and Ferb-watching readers).  You have to select one of the countries within Epcot and then go there.  The phone is setup to work specifically in that country.  You go to where it tells you or shows you and then you have to perform a task or give a response to the phone.  It was really neat in that Parker would enter the response and then something would happen right before us.  Honestly, it was awesome event as an adult.  I wish we would have started it sooner because there was something to do in every country of Epcot but we only did one.

Reading a message for Special Agent P

Obtaining a top secret message from an informant.

We found a clue!

This picture doesn't really do the experience justice.  Parker took a picture of the Norway sign and  then it opened (think window blinds) and played a song and movie.

Waiting for the Toy Story ride.  All rides at Disney have an entertaining wait.

In line to meet Buzz and Woody

This is in the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" play area.

Here comes Handy Manny!

This was an unplanned food stop.  Our plans for the entire trip were to go back to the camper for all meals.  We found that we didn't execute that well so this day we went to the Wolfgang Puck Express restaurant in Downtown Disney.  Wow, what a treat and for not more $ than we'd spend for the family to go out at home.  So, Foodie stop #4...brick oven pizza and spaghetti.  It was GREAT!

The boy eats like his daddy.

Salty Water

For the kids, the ocean is known as "salty water."  They like to visit it for the waves and to collect sea shells (Parker in particular).  Being in the mood for some meandering type driving and sight-seeing, we planned a two-lane-road, scenic route from New Orleans to Disney World which included two overnight stops along the Gulf of Mexico that would allow the kids to get some salty water time.

Our first stop was Gulf Shores, AL.  It was the off-season, so there really wasn't anyone around except locals and snowbirds.  Perfect!  The water was still warm enough to swim in, at least for the kids and I.  We stayed at the Gulf Shores State Park which has a top-notch campground.  And with your stay there, you get free access to the park's beach access area.  The park was a bike riding haven.  Parker did awesome riding almost through every loop looking for other Airstreams.  There were two, one of which we had met back at the Bayou Segnette State Park in New Orleans.  As much as the park had to offer, this would be an example of a poor playground.  The "playground" was not much more than a bank of 6 swings.  But, if we would have been staying more than just overnight, we would have partaken of many of the other features of the campground that most other campgrounds, let alone state parks, have to offer.  But, the main attraction for us was the beach.

Searching for shells

Parker's collection from the day

Not a great haul, but there would be more to come.

The next beach stop was one that I specifically picked out due to it's location.  It was St Joseph Peninsula Park in the Florida panhandle.  The park is as it's name implies.  It's at the end of a peninsula in the gulf.  It was nice because all sites (in the one camping area) are within walking distance of the beach.  The sites were all sand and although close together, offered good privacy and seclusion due to the dense growth between each site.

Walking to the beach from the campsite

Boardwalk over the dunes

Beach!

This beach ended up being better than Gulf Shores due to seclusion and layout.  The seashell population was much better, too.

That's me waaay out there in the water.  I never found where the water got too deep to still walk.

The campsite.  The Airstream looks nice in palm trees.

The Insectarium

This was s new one for the family.  An insectarium.  I had never heard of one before.  Even spell-check doesn't like me typing it.  But, it was what you'd expect from reading such a word.  It's a museum of insects, both alive and dead and even some fake (because you really wouldn't want to encounter the real thing).  There were some really neat exhibits and I was surprised how much the kids really wanted to see the live ones.

Despite the look on Mason's face, he really seemed to like this touch-the-bug exhibit.  There were scorpions in the tote next to the tarantula.  Did you know that scorpions (certain species, apparently) glow under ultraviolet light?  The staffer demonstrated and it was pretty cool.

The kids are crawling on an earthworm, fake, of course, but the whole exhibit was a blown-up version of what life is like in the soil.

OK, maybe not insects, but still a cool Koy pond.

There was also a butterfly house in the insectarium.  I've been in a few butterfly houses, but this one takes the cake, I think.

The two pictures above this are the same exact butterfly, one with the wings closed and the other open.  The pictures don't do it complete justice.  The difference is amazing.

The Aquarium

Part 2 of our mega pass was for the aquarium and IMAX 3D theater.  Of course, I can't show pictures of the IMAX movie, but Parker picked a deusy.  It was called "The Last Reef."  I was almost like a Disney movie.  There was a message and a side of it that only adults could pick up on, but at the same time it intrigued kids.  It was the closest that I've come to scuba diving since scuba diving.  I always though IMAX was cool, IMAX 3D puts it over the top.

But, really, this was mostly about the aquarium...

Parker the photographer, again

We were actually in a tunnel with water OVER us.  It was pretty cool.

We must get pictures with every possible prop

Petting the stingrays

More props

This was an aquarium where the kids could stick their heads up inside of the center.  I wanted to do it, but I wouldn't fit.

Despite being an aquarium, they had an outdoor parakeet aviary.  I think there was something like 200 parkeets.

The "big fish" aquarium