Disney’s Animal Kingdom

February 17, 2014 By Anne

We received 2 tickets to Disney..

We were invited to visit Walt Disney World and since we’ve been to the Magic Kingdom several tomes lately we choose to visit Animal Kingdom. I’m not sure my daughter has ever been there and I was hoping that it would intrigue my 13 year old son.

Of course since it was my daughter’s birthday weekend she had her Disney Birthday Pin on so every employee told her “Happy Birthday” all day long.

The first stop was the Wilderness Explorer Station. Savannah got a badge and booklet to collect additional badges in. The badges station are all throughout Animal Kingdom.

The next stop was It’s Tough to Be a Bug. This is a great attraction and so fun! Little ones might be a little frightened but I’d say ages 4 and up will love it. Ten years ago my son was so scared I had to take him out. He was three. Basically it’s a wonderful 3-D movie and there is water, mist and fog that comes up from the seats in front of you. Then at the end the “bugs’ crawl out underneath your bottom!

After It’s Tough to be a Bug, Savannah got her first explorer badge by learning more about bugs.

Then it was off to the Kilimanjaro Safaris! This is always a fun ride for everyone! You ride in an open-air vehicle for a tour of a lush African savanna. Where you can see exotic animals like lions and elephants. Savannah pretended to be afraid…

The Affection Section is a wonderful place where you can pet the animals. You have to take the Wildlife Express Train to get there. Trains are always a fun way to travel. At the Affection Section you can see Goats, Sheep, Donkeys, Cows and Pigs. There are brushes to brush the animals and food to feed them.

The goats were enjoying my husband’s cane. Not sure what made that popular but they really liked it!

The final stop was The Boneyard. My daughter had a blast playing on all the slides and structures.

Being the little diva that she is she had to strike a pose…

Despite the fact that it was a cold day we had a great time. How can you not have a great time at Disney?

Have you been to Animal Kingdom lately?

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Beautiful Sunday

February 11, 2014 By Anne

We had family visiting from Indiana this weekend so we took them my favorite restaurant, The South Beach Grill in Crescent Beach. It was a beautiful day!

Anne

Our Trip to Seaworld Orlando

February 10, 2014 By Anne

SeaWorld in Orlando, FL invited my family to come and explore their new Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin with them. We took the family towards the end of winter break and let me tell you it was cold! Fun but cold…. Our first stop was the seal feeding area. I was surprised that the children got in to get a close up of the feeding. Usually this area is filled to the max.

This guy was hungry, let me tell you! He barked and barked and if you didn’t feed him he gave you the shoulder. It was fun to watch!

Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins was new for us. It was cool how it looked like you were in the snowy mountains.

They had a fun ride before you got to see the penguins. You could take the mild ride or the wild ride! My daughter and I took the mild ride and my son took the wild ride. The wild ride does twists and spins and looked like fun!

And after being frozen from Antarctica, my son wanted to go on the Journey to Atlantis. Which would have been fine on a warm day but it was chilly! The Journey to Atlantis is a ride where you will get wet! He went twice and had a lot of fun, but I don’t know how he could stand the wet chill.

We also to went and checked out the Manta Aquarium and the Shark Encounter. These are great because it’s like you’re in the water with the fish. The aquariums are all around you.

Then we just walked around and explored the rest. We went over to the kids area and Savannah got stuck up in the high ropes and this momma being afraid of heights, was not happy. Thankfully a man offered to get her down. Not sure where big brother was….

Overall we had a great time. Even my son, who was not excited about going, admitted he had fun when the day was over. 🙂

Have you been to SeaWorld in Orlando lately?

Anne

Covered Bridges in Indiana w/w

July 16, 2013 By Anne

While on vacation in Indiana we took a drive into the country to see some covered bridges. We started in Bridgeton and went north up to Turkey State Park. I think we saw five altogether. We were able to see a few Amish houses and buggies, not as much as I would have liked.

Anne

Adventure Landing Jacksonville Beach Shipwreck Island WaterPark

June 13, 2013 By Anne

Having lived in Jacksonville for a little over a year now, we still haven’t seen all there is to see! The kids have been wanting to check out this cool place called Adventure Landing. It’s a big waterpark with go carts, mini golf and an arcade. I’ve been reluctant to go, but we were given passes to go visit the waterpark and try it out, so why not?

We were given four passes, but my husband was not able to come. They let me exchange a waterpark pass for 3 mini golf passes.! Yeah! So we played mini golf first.

They were working on their mini golf course, which I thought should have been done already in time for summer. But we still had a great time.

It was a hot day and the kids were ready to go get wet!

My daughter loved the pirate ship and the smaller slides. While my son was more daring and went on all the bigger slides. We also visited the wave pool. Savannah thought the waves were awesome!

After waiting for my son to come down the slide my camera shut off so I only got this picture at the end. He loved it!

We dried off and changed and played some games in the arcade. Overall we had a great time! The price for the waterpark is kind of high for me, $30 a person. If I were to pay, I would make sure to stay longer…But there are some coupons to be found below.

Adventure Landing & Shipwreck Island Waterpark is The Place to Play! Stay cool in the summer at Northeast Florida’s largest water park. Enjoy rides from mild to wild, including a Kiddie Play Area, Wave Pool and Lazy River! Practice your putting skills on our Miniature Golf Courses, twist and turn in the Go-Karts, practice your swing inside our Batting Cages or perfect your gaming skills in our Mega Arcade. Don’t miss our Wacky Worm Rollercoaster and Frog Hopper – rides perfect for younger kids! And, don’t forget to stop by and feed the alligators! Affordable family fun…so close to home. My Readers Save $5 with http://www.jacksonvillefamilyguide.com/coupon.php?bid=11088&lid=13938&dealid=1158®ionid=312