Vacation Lessons Learned

• Staying in a two bedroom condo with all of the amenities was way better than just sticking ourselves in a hotel room. We had a full kitchen, washer/dryer and two full baths, including a king-size bed and jacuzzi tub and full bath for Cathie and I. We loved having the space to get away from each other, and each person having their own bed.
• Throughout the week, we tried not to cram too much in. On our days at Universal, we would start early to beat the crowds, ride everything, and then get out there by oneish and go back and hang at the pool.
• Bringing snacks, drinks and lunch to the parks was genius. Not only did it save us a bundle, but we didn't have to wait in long lines for food only to eat stuff that was nasty to begin with.
• There's not much new under the sun. Each of the parks has pretty much the same as every other (with the exception of Animal Kingdom) with only minor differentiators. They've all got the 4-D movies where the water splashes on you and the seats vibrate. They've all got the 3-D rides where your car moves around a 3-D screen, log rides and circular rides where the kids control the vertical axis with a joystick.
• Emily is scared of just about every ride in every park except rides involving animals.
• Everyone needs to bring a Cathie with them to think of every detail and bring every conceivable thing that any of us could ever need before we think of it.
• This is the perfect time of year to go on vacation down to Florida. We never waited in lines more than 10 minutes at any park we went to, yet we still had beautiful weather.
• Disney has thought of every possible way to make money while you're on vacation. Every single one that's legal at least.
  

Nate's Top 5 Rides (Updated)

1. The Slingshot
2. Hulk (Islands of Adventure)
3. Spiderman (Islands of Adventure)
4. Men in Black (Universal Studios)
5. The Mummy (Universal Studios)

Maddie's Top 5 Rides*

1. The Slingshot
2. Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
3. Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
4. Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom)
5. Woody Woodpecker Rollercoaster (Universal)

*Maddie was not tall enough to ride a lot of the coasters at Universal/Islands of Adventure