Tanner Life

So here I am... an official annual pass holder!!

We left Thursday when Andy picked me up after preschool and were off! After only a couple of stops, we were just below Gainsville before we knew it. Seems the drive is coming more easily to us each trip! The original plan had been to wait until Friday to leave, of course we can never do that! We didn't have reservations @ WDW, so stopped in Ocala for the night. After supper @ Cracker Barrel we found ourselves back at a hotel that we'd stayed at about 3 years ago, pretty funny!!

Friday morning we weren't in a huge hurry and ended up hitting the road about 9:30ish. We were only about an hour and a half away from the "Happiest Place on Earth". We checked in to "Shades of Green" and found ourselves in a familiar spot. Our room is on the 4th floor, our balcony looks just right of the 1st tee and driving range. In our 6 stays here (in about 17 months mind you) we have always found oursevles in this same section of rooms and we couldn't be more pleased!! We got oursevles settled and bought our annual passes at the ticket desk and fulfilled one of those crazy wishes that I hoped would happen someday in my life time! I hold my very own annual pass~ Funny thing that it's the year of a million dreams down here, that has always been one of mine!!!!

After lunch at the golf grille, Evergreens..we were off! We decided to head on over to ECPOT because we had dinner reservations for Biergarten in Germany over there. It was cooler than we expected during the day, brrrr.... We were pretty sure we were FINE though in our jeans, long sleeves & sweatshirts. After all, this is Flordia..right?!

We tried to get a fast pass to Soarin' and found out they were all gone for the day. So we decided to visit my favorite purple friend.... I LOVE THIS GUY!!






He's always been my favorite thing at EPCOT. I remember him from my very first visits. Of course back then, he wasn't out and about to meet. He was simply Figment who was a sidekick to Dreamfinder, do you remember him??? The old ride~ I also remember on our honeymoon in 1999 when I was shocked and almost in tears when he wasn't in the "new & improved" ride. Turned out that I wasn't the only one, as I talked to cast members who told me to "let your voice be heard"! Only one trip later and he was back in his home. I've been trying to visit with the guy for years and he's never ready when I get there....so, I was thrilled as a kiddo to get to meet the guy!!!

We rode Nemo and wondered around in the Sea, Turtle Talk with Crush has moved to a new area in there and was having a few technical issues...didn't get to see him. We tried to get on Test Track that was about an hour and a half wait (like Soarin') and there were no fast passes to be had. (Where are all these people coming from?) We caught The Universe of Energy and then headed on over to the countries. We walked around in China and Norway before heading to Germany for dinner.

Biergarten is the restaraunt in Germany that Andy has been drooling over for a few years now. He loves a little German restaraunt when he's at Fort Stewart and has been ready to try this place! We had reservations and went right in. It's much neater inside than I'd imagined. You sit with other people and it's a regular Oktoberfest for sure. The food is buffet style and there is tons to choose from. I tried some new things: some I liked, some I didn't. I don't think German will be my favorite food, but it was pretty good. After Andy finished his TWO HEAPIN' plate fulls, we hit the dessert buffet. Yummo~ The best cheesecake I have ever had in my life!!!! Ever~ The little stage show is pretty cute and we enjoyed our choice for sure!





We'd planned on hitting the American Adventure and I was going to buy perfume in Italy or France that I've thought about since January...but it was soooooo FREEEEZING when we came out from eating...we couldn't take it! We headed back to try for Soarin' one more time... almost 2 hours now...and ended up riding the Land boat ride instead. We wondered back to Test Track that was down to about 35 minutes, not too bad. We were glad we rode it, it'd been awhile. Too fun! By then the "board" said Soarin' was down (it was laser show time) so we headed back AGAIN. We only had to wait about 30 minutes for Soarin' and it was well worth it! I am sooooo glad that I was brave and gave it a try last time. It is now truly a favorite!!!! Fun stuff.

We came out and it was about 9:00. With extra magic hours, we had until midnight...but couldn't take it. ((I was quickly recalling a trip with my parents Christmas of 1996 when we were miserable cold and wore 2 pairs of socks, long johns, hats, gloves and and huge coats.)) I was also remembering being at home packing just a few nights ago saying.... nah...surely I wont need that scarf, hat and gloves...it's Florida..seriously.... There were droves of people in the same brand new huge coats and sweatshirts, the stores had racks and racks of warm clothes rolled out into the middle everywhere. It's Florida...what's going on??? At one point I told Andy that I was so cold, my face hurt!! It was FREEZING!!

We headed back to the hotel and that was the end of our first official day as annual pass holders. Looking at today, Saturday... we have a few things on the plans. Andy is currently waiting his tee time just down below the room at the Palms golf course. He has a 10:36 tee time. I am planning on heading to a park for a few hours, we'll see. We don't know where we'll spend the afternoon, but we do have dinner reservations tonight @ Olivia's @ Old Key West Resort! Who knows what the rest of the day will hold...I do know....that we'll layer up with clothes!! (Andy's already bought another fleece sweat shirt this morning at the store here!!)

Ohhhh..well, here he is... He's working on his putt, already been at the driving range and super close to tee time...seems I caught him out there!