Month: May 2013

A Visit Home!

My kids and I took an overnight together and went to my hometown of Wooster, Ohio. The mission, to get some awesome pizza! Mission accomplished! We visited my favorite childhood memory, Coccia House located at 764 Pittsburgh Ave., Wooster, OH. We all started off with a house salad as an appetizer and them moved right into a Large Pep/Sausage and Small Cheese! Can I just tell you that it is still as good, and tastes the same, as it was those many years ago!

After our meal, we took a tour of my memories. We drove through the downtown area, past the house I grew up in, the elementary school I began my education in, and got to visit with some old neighbors. It was a fabulous time of remembering and catching up. It has been too long since seeing some old friends, and a man that I consider to be one of my original mentors.

I have to say that the motel we stayed at was not the best choice. I chose it because of cost and got what I expected. However, I was hoping to get a bit more than expected. So, if you are heading to Wooster, avoid the Super 8 on Madison Avenue south of town. There were me and my three kids in a single room. One bed! My daughters got the bed, I slept in the recliner, and my son was on the floor. You would think the lady at the desk would count and realize we needed something different. Oh well, learn from experience.

Saturday morning we got up early, and headed to Der Dutchman Restaurant in Walnut Creek, OH. Great buffet meal, service was awesome, and the food was delicious. I bought a few items from the bakery in honor of Mother’s Day for my wife and hope she is able to enjoy it with us on Sunday.

The trip home was a bit more challenging than I had hoped. I drove down US Route 62 and ran into a detour that was not well signed at all. As a result, we ended up driving way out of the way. It’s also an area of the state that has NO CELL COVERAGE. The company that gets that big hole plugged stands to make a lot of dinero.

I am glad the driving part is done, but it was a really nice time with my kids that I can never forget. I love building memories with the great people!

The Planning Begins…an adventure story to visit Walt Disney World

Greetings, friends!!

Well, the threetrandswdw family is beginning the planning of our adventure to Disney World in December!  My birthday is shared by two very special people in my life.  First, my father!  He was a man that I have learned was wiser than I realized.  Second, Walter Elias Disney!  And, this year I will celebrate my birthday at Walt’s Park!

We have selected, at this point, to stay at The Art of Animation Resort in a Lion King Suite.  For those who are aware of this property, it is just about a year old.  The Lion King suites were the second section to open up about 9 months ago.  And, we are now trying to figure out the sleeping arrangements.  We have three adults and three kids traveling with us, so there may need to be someone on the floor to accommodate everyone sufficiently.  I am really looking forward to seeing this resort and spending time looking around.

Our plan is to spend our first day just making use of the resort area and maybe a small trip to Downtown Disney to see how the construction of Disney Springs is progressing.  After that, it’s going to be quite the marathon.  While my family is going to enjoy whatever they choose to do on the second day, I am planning to spend my birthday doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour at Magic Kingdom Park.  It’s my gift to myself!  Once that is complete, I am hoping to hit one or two headliners and a good bit of time to stop and smell the park.  I truly love looking at all of the elements that ARE The Magic Kingdom atmosphere.  It will be decorated for the Christmas holiday, so I will most assuredly enjoy the decorations and ambience that will be in the park.  For dinner the family will all gather at ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort followed by the viewing of Holiday Wishes from the Poly beach.

So, where are we now?  We are inching toward Advanced Dining Reservations day and still hoping for some kind of deal that will include Disney Dining.  Failing that deal, we will still make the reservation for ‘Ohana.  We are looking at numbers between driving and flying.  I am hoping we fly, personally!  Making use of Disney Magical Express is as much a part of the move into vacation as the time at the resort.  And, it could mean an extra day in park!

I’ll try to post progress every week or two and hope you all enjoy the journey with us!

May God Bless You All!!!