The Adventures of Evan: Day 352 - Trip to Orlando (Day 5)

As we draw closer to the end of our trip I have so many people to thank. Let me begin with the staff at Universal Studios. The day started here at the resort for a picture session with Universal characters Woody and Winnie Woodpecker. They were gracious, took photos, signed autographs for the kids and wished us well. From here we went straight to Universal to soak in as much fun and sun as we could.

Pre-sweat photo for all of us here at the resort.

We wanted to make sure Nolan got to take part in as much of the attractions as possible today so we began with some toddler friendly rides such as the Woody Woodpecker roller coaster, Curious George play area and Springfield (from the Simpsons). The weather cooperated with us in the form of partly sunny skies and a high around 84 today. This was ideal for allowing us to ride as many attractions as possible without getting worn down. Again, the staff at Universal went above and beyond. Upon entering the park we saw Scooby Doo and gang doing photos and once the staff saw Evan they sprung into action and gave us a private session.

They gave Evan his own magnifying glass as a souvenir.

The new Mystery Inc.

The highlight of Evan's day was taking the train ride from King's Cross Station to Hogsmeade. He was giddy with excitement when the train pulled into the station. I couldn't have been happier seeing him bouncing from rail to rail (literally) and Nolan was feeding off of his big brother's energy. The Dementors, which we thought might scare Nolan, turned out to be very minor. Unfortunately Evan was two inches too short for the ride at Hogwarts, but the staff called us a tour guide and still walked us through the school explaining hidden Easter Eggs in a couple of the rooms.

All aboard!

Giddy with excitement.

It's blurry, but too good of a picture not to use.

Once the ride got started Nolan wanted to sit with me.

By this point it was close to 2:00 and the kids were fading fast. While walking back towards the parking deck the kids got a second wind in Dr. Seuss Land and we snuck in a couple more rides. Surprisingly they stayed awake the entire drive back to the resort. We shoveled a quick lunch down their gullets and whisked them to their beds for a nap. It was a pretty short period from pillow to sleep.

Last photo at the park. Kids were done!

Another shout out goes to Give Kids the World and Disney. They sent some pirate ship prints over for both boys. We'll likely frame each one and put them in the kids rooms as a reminder of this amazing experience. Evan wanted one of us to sleep in his room last night so I volunteered. Sitting in bed I asked him how his trip had been so far and he told me "it's been super great dad." This melted my heart and made me so proud to be associated with all these wonderful organizations and companies.

Day 1 walking in the gate.

Day 2 walking in the gate.

Let me take a step back for another quick story. Nolan was too short for one of the Simpson rides so he and I hung around in the carnival area around the attraction waiting for Cristy and Evan. Nolan was very taken by one of the events where you use a smallish net to catch a fish of near equal size. Obviously it being a carny game it's very tricky with a low probability of success. The woman noticed my Make A Wish button and we talked for a couple minutes while Nolan fumbled around with the net. I let her know that Nolan was Evan's little brother and that he was the wish recipient. Nevertheless she let him plunge both hands into the water and basically grab the plastic fish. He got to pick out his own bear and only then did she let us know that it was free for us, but the other carnies would likely charge for their games. I gave her my sincere thanks and then we were off with another keepsake. Such small acts of kindness can have such a lasting impression.

Nolan and his new bear.

This evening the resort had a Pirates and Princesses ball. There was a bit of everything, games, face painting, arts and crafts and dancing. In the photos below you'll see Nolan doting on the girls again, Evan doing the best he could to dance and most importantly everyone having a great time. The staff and volunteers here make sure NO ONE feels left out. If you're shy you won't be after a night here. We finished off the evening with ice cream at the parlor on site. In hindsight sugaring the kids up before bed was a bad idea as I hear Cristy doing her best to settle them down as I write up this blog.

Let's get this party started.

It lifts my heart to see so many decent and good people during this experience. Watching other parents with their kids at Give Kids the World is also heartwarming to see. I'm forever grateful to the folks who have helped make my children and wife so happy. Gratuitous photos from today can be found below.