Day 16 - We left the resort with a list of things Miracle wanted to accomplish for the scavenger hunt and the intention of picking up the artwork and final scores. Miracle received a Superior for her 3-D art and an Excellent for her Digital Photography. Angelica received a Good for her Digital Photography. As the morning wound down, Miracle realized she was in 8th place for the scavenger hunt and really picked up her efforts with only 3 hours to go. I broke the little finger on her sculpture 3-D art. It was not fixable so it went into the trash. We went back to the resort and rested until it was time for the celebration service.
Day 17 - We headed to Typhoon Lagoon. We didn't have a lot of fun and decided it was for two reasons. Remember in the 80's when all water parks were the same? It was much like that. Also, it wasn't very accessible... there were only three things I could do: the wave pool, the lazy river, and one slide.
Day 18 - We slept in and then headed back to Downtown Disney to go to Disney Quest. Once again, we were disappointed. It is simply an outdated arcade.
At the end of the day, we decided that if we come back to Disney, we probably won't purchase the water fun and more since of the three that we did, we only liked Blizzard Beach. There are other alternatives for things to do with the water fun and more add on - mini golf and a sports museum - but none of that really appeals to us either.
Day 19 - Magic Kingdom!!! We started the morning by asking if there was anything we needed to assist me. We were directed to the map for guests with disabilities which was slightly helpful in that it let me know which rides I could access but it wasn't overly helpful because we had already figured out all the tips listed on the pamphlet. We had a lot of fun. We made it through everything available except Tomorrow Land and we missed several parades and scheduled things we wanted to see... there just wasn't enough time. If we return, we will schedule two days to visit Magic Kingdom. Our favorite of all the parts we visited was Frontierland. There are two must ride rides there: Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! We didn't return to the resort until after midnight.
Day 20 - Epcot!! The girls were up and out the door by 8:00. I was so tired that I needed to stay back and rest some more. The girls returned around 12:30 and I asked them if they were done or if they wanted to go back - they had been to almost everything but wanted to go back with me.
When we arrived and I saw the ball in person, I was amazed. It has always been my dream to go to Disney - especially Epcot. It was a great day! We made it through everything with very few hiccups. It is more laid back and not as rushed as the other parks. There were a few things geared toward the younger crowd and we skipped those. The best rides at Epcot: ALL OF THEM!!!
Near the end of the day, a cast member asked me for my GAC - I asked what that was and he directed me to Guest Relations once again. This time I asked specifically for a Guest Assistance Card. It was hugely helpful. Often, a guest in a wheelchair will wait longer once they get to the front of a queue because they must them wait for an accessible ride. The GAC allows the guest to automatically go through some fast pass lanes which then balances out the wait time. By making it to the front of the line faster, it makes up for the extra wait time.
We were back at the resort before 8 and headed to bed early.
Day 21 - We arrived at Animal Kingdom before opening and headed straight to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. We had been told that if you arrive early in the morning, you are more likely to see the animals moving around. It was amazing! Do not miss the Lion King show! We also rode Everest - Miracle rode it twice. Once was enough for Angelica and I! Kali River Rapids is another part that you don't want to miss! We made it through the park and were back at the resort by dinner time. Another relaxing yet enjoyable day!
Day 22 - The girls went to Blizzard Beach without me as I needed the rest. I slept off and on all day. Disney with Lupus is overwhelmingly exhausting. When they returned, we packed up and loaded the car so we could leave early the next morning.
Day 23 - We left Orlando and headed west. The original plan was to camp at Gulf Port, MS but we quickly discarded that plan because we wanted to drive as far as possible and get away from the approaching storm that was hanging out in the gulf. We drove through heavy rains, often so heavy that I couldn't see and had to pull over. We made it as far as Beaumont, TX before stopping for the night.
Day 24 - We drove the rest of the way to Waco and met up with Autumn. She decided that we would enjoy staying at a hotel instead of throwing up a tent outside of their camper. They are waiting on a house contract to go through - hopefully it will work out this time. We went out to eat and then Miracle and I headed back to the hotel to rest while Autumn and MM and Angelica went to pick up some things we would need for the next few days.
