Sumter Oaks RV Park + Disney World Ft. Wilderness

Hi
all -- Dianne here.


We left the Groves in Ft. Myers and traveled to Bushnell, Florida for a short stay at the Escapees Sumter Oaks RV park prior to our Disney vacation. As the name implies, Sumter Oaks is a beautiful, peaceful park with lovely live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. It is in a rural setting, with owls calling and even a couple of sandhill cranes walking among the RVs!

All winter Roger has periodically had extreme allergic reactions to something on our trip. We've been trying to figure it out since Savannah. After a particularly windy day at Bushnell, Roger had his worst allergy attack EVER, even crossing the line into asthma. (He has never had asthma before). It's a particularly high pollen count here from LIVE OAK TREES.

These lovely live oaks that we have enjoyed since arriving in South Carolina last December have turned out to be Roger's nemesis!! I had to make two emergency runs to the local CVS, first for Mucinex DM and more tissues, then another emergency run for dust masks and an over-the-counter inhaler, just so that he could undo the motor home so we could get the heck out of there!! He was totally incapacitated. I think from now on springtime will be spent in Arizona or Utah. At least Charlie the cat has been vindicated. I've been wiping him down with baby wipes every day, just in case.

Saturday evening was a very happy time for us.

We drove to the Orlando airport and picked up our daughter, Amanda, and our 10-year-old granddaughter, Kaia. Happy faces all around!!! This is the longest we have ever been apart and it is SO good to see them!

The only one who might have been even happier was our dog,

Jasper. I've never seen him so excited, as he was when he saw Mandy and Kaia after four months apart. You'd better get used to the idea that there will be lots and lots of photos in the next few

blogs of our very-photogenic

granddaughter, Kaia. She is our only grandchild and she has been the center of our lives for the past 10 years.

Monday we packed up camp and all drove to Ft. Wilderness Campground at Disney World for a week's stay. We lucked out and are in loop 200, very close to the boat marina, Pioneer Inn, and dog park. Perfect location!!

We are a short boat ride to the Magic Kingdom from here.

Tuesday

we all got up early and spent most of the day at the Magic Kingdom.

Our strategy of getting there early worked out great. We made a bee line for Space Mountain, then Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion, all with a 20 minute wait or less. Kaia and Roger went on Splash Mountain.

Amanda and I stationed ourselves at the bridge to get a photo of them coming down the chute

toward the final splash. I'm not a roller coaster fan (Roger is), but I do really enjoy Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad. I didn't want to get drenched, so I passed on Splash Mountain.

After we'd hit the hot spots, we took in some of the lesser attractions, then used our park hopper passes to quickly check out Disney Hollywood Studios. By then we'd walked over 8 miles, according to my pedometer, and it was time to drag ourselves home to the RV. Talk about tired and sore legs!! We all collapsed for a while, then grilled hamburgers. After supper, Amanda took Kaia to the sing-along at the campfire and the outdoor movie, "Camp Rock."

Kaia wants to try her hand at blog writing, so come back in a few days to read our special guest writer's take on Disney World.

Roger here.... I can't add much to this. It is wonderful having Amanda and Kaia with us. It was also great that Kaia was able to see her other grandparents, John and Nan,

when we were in Bushnell. They drove down from Ocala to meet us for lunch at Chuck's Odd Cuples Cafe in Bushnell. Good food and good company! They are just as crazy about Kaia as we are, and as you can see from Kaia's face, she was very happy and excited to see them.

The last time we were at Disney, our other daughter Robyn was with us. She is now performing on an NCL Cruise ship in Hawaii for eight months. We wish she were here. I will be taking Kaia on the Dinosaur ride at the Animal Kingdom in her honor.