Saturday, January 16, 2016

Disney - It's All About the 'Ohana

Disney Marathon Weekend 2016, time for the Cook family to return to the Happiest Place on Earth, log some miles, both walking, and running, invest in the local economy, and escape from the cold of the Great White North for the Warmer Climes of the Florida Peninsula.
Okay, almost all of that was true.
Florida in January, 2016, was anything but tropical, but that's immaterial in the big picture.
Just being able to shed the sweatshirts and walk around in tee-shirts (proudly boasting Patriots gear, no less), was all Heather needed to give the weekend to come the thumbs up.
This year's marathon weekend featured a stay at the Polynesian Resort, where all were greeted with alohas and leis upon our arrival
Happily, we had the remnants of Christmas decorations scattered around some of the hotels, attractions, and parks, if only for a limited time.  Many of the holiday colors I captured were taken down within 24 hours, but we did our best to bask in the Christmas spirit in early January

The view from above is just as nice as it is up close 
Seeing the name of one of the Polynesian's eateries made the hotel choice feel like it was pre-destined
With some of the local fare under our belts, it was off to the Marathon Expo at the Wide World of Sports for our number pick-up and to drop a few more dollars into vendors' pockets.
Because it's not every day you get to pose with Miss Chiquita Banana.  She was quite appealing.
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for Andrew.  They've got him to a tee.
The signs were there
Back to the hotel for a quick rest before Part 2 of the day
Heather stopped outside the Wedding Pavilion at the Grand Floridian.  Yeah, she's already getting ideas.
Over to Disney Springs, formerly known as Downtown Disney, and the Force was strong in every store you stepped into.
The locals were a bit boisterous.
And when you've got Star Wars as your backdrop.....
It always leads to the inevitable light saber duel
I AM YOUR FATHER
We've been taking pics of Woody and Buzz ever since our first trips here.
Now, we can add Kylo Ren to the mix.
And of course, BB8.
Day One done, it's back to the tiki lounge to call it a day.
More to come (obviously) in the blogs to follow.
And remember - 'Ohana means family.

No comments: