Day 18 -- Orlando, Florida
Sunday 7/15/2001
Today we got up and could not decide what we wanted to do. The kids had nearly grounded themselves from all the noise they made last night. Both me and Lilly felt tired and sat outside the trailer, after breakfast, and just could not get to make a decision. Lilly was tired from all the walking yesterday at the Space Center. After much thinking, we decided that Erik and Isabella would get to hang around the campground (read: go to petting zoo or whatever), while I stayed back and worked on diary and Lilly took Karl to the smaller waterpark (River Country) they have near the marina.
One of the many lakes/ponds on the campground - you can rent canoes and paddle boats if you like
After a little while Lilly came back without Karl and said that the water park was closed today. So much for that idea. Karl had stayed back with Isabella and Erik at the petting zoo. We thought a bit more and decided to visit Sea World instead; this was a very good day from a weather perspective and things were supposed to get a bit more rainy further into the week. Lilly biked back to catch Karl. She then told Erik and Isabella to wait back at the bus-stop by the petting zoo so that we could just swing by and pick them up with the truck.
Disney buses waiting at the large terminal
We got down to the bus stop 5 minutes later, but no kids could be seen. We drove back to our site loop and waited at the bus stop there, in case they'd decided to take the bus instead. Nothing. I drove back and checked by the petting zoo. Nothing. This went on for over 30 minutes when they finally showed up near the petting zoo where I was waiting with the truck. Erik had decided to take a bus "back home", against Lilly's recommendations. Isabella, who sensed this was the wrong bus, just tagged along and did not say anthing. She of course admitted that she thought it was a bad idea, but she somehow forgot to tell that to Erik! Well, they took the wrong bus and ended up having to take the complete loop (40 minutes) to get back to the petting zoo.
At the petting zoo here on Fort Wilderness
It was now after 12 o'clock and it did not feel quite right to go over to Sea World this late. But we could always stay late. We continued on and drove towards it. Halfway there we learned that Karl had taken off his shoes back at the campground. And that did it. It would not work with him walking hot pavement without shoes. This day was not meant to be for excursions. We cancelled the trip to Sea World and instead drove over to Wal-Mart and did some needed shopping. We ate our Sea World picnic in the truck on the Wal-Mart parking lot! It was very hot outside. Did you know that you can buy all sorts of Disney gadgets, such as T-shirts, at Wal-Mart for very low prices?
Swimming pool near our campsite
When we got back to the campground we putzed around most of the afternoon. We watched lots of crows eat popcorn leftovers that one of the campers had dumped outside of their trailer before leaving. There must have been about 100 crows in the trees around us, all squawking. What is also neat are all the little cotton-tail rabbits that roam around the campground. Many come around by the trailers. We now have our 3rd set of neighbors besides us. People appear to take very short vacations when visiting this place.
Birds coming to feast on popcorn leftovers
In the afternoon the kids went to the pool and took a swim. It was very nice outside. Isabella took a stroll by the little pond near the swimming pool and looked at some of the birds. We ate dinner by the trailer and went to bed early. The kids knew that they had better behave or else we'd spend another day back at the campground.
Isabella finds a long peacock feather near our trailer