Awesome trip!! Disney cruise, Universal, went with friends, AND it was a work trip and birthday trip. So many memories, it was truly magical. I recorded our daily highlights but first, here is a video Emma made of when we revealed the plan to everyone!!! It was MAGICAL.
The reveal took place in March, so they had a few months to wait but that gave us lots of time to plan and our anticipation to build. It was worth the wait.
Friday, May 8. DAY 1: Flew into Orlando. Boxes and Barretts went to Downtown Disney and spent the night at Hard Rock Hotel. Ramsey's went to beach.
Downtown Disney- Disney Quest. We all loved it. This was the Pirates of the Caribbean interactive game. The Barretts defeated the pirates. We rock!
Animators Academy. This was Ella's must do of the day. They took a class on how to draw Donald Duck. It was really neat. Below are her (8)and Emma's (13) drawing.
Buzz Lightyear Ride was a favorite too.
The adults and kids LOVED LOVED LOVED the Hard Rock Hotel. The pool was AWESOME at night. The temps were perfect to sit outside and eat dinner and talk. The kids swam and there was a movie playing at the pool each night. We also loved the hot tub.
Our room was linked to the Boxes so at night the girls would pass notes under the door.
FAVORITES OF THE DAY: EMMA- swimming at Hard Rock Hotel and Disney Quest. ELLA- Disney Quest, swimming, writing notes back and forth under the door with the Boxes. EVA GRACE- Flight here with friends, Disney Quest, swimming and movie at Hard Rock. BURT- Disney Quest. AMY- being with friends, Awesome hotel, Disney Quest.
Saturday, May 9. DAY 2: Went to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Ended the day at the Hard Rock Hotel Pool again.
Harry Potter World- Oh. My. Stars. AWESOME!! This is Universal Studios Side which is Diagon Alley.
The wand store was just out of the movie. Eva Grace has read the books so she picked the wand. We got Hermeines. It was interactive and would cast spells around the parks.
Riding rides in Harry Potter World.
LOOK!! It is the Hogsworth Express. Super neat train experience that takes you from Diagon Alley in Universal Studios to Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure.
Hogsmeade!!!! Totally Different, still super cool!!!
Casting more spells in between rides and checking out the stores.
Harry Potter World took up most of our day. When we were finished, we knocked out the rest of the 2 parks. The bigs went to ride the thrill rides while Jenny and I took Ella and Caroline. We loved Seussland!
Finally a roller coaster we can hold our hands up to and scream happy screams. Not screams for our lives!! We love Seussland!
IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!!
Comic strip fun brought to you by Burt and Ella.
I LOVE my minions.
These 2 couldn't leave without eating at the Hot Dog Hall of Fame!! They made a pit stop while the other 3 of us headed back to Hard Rock to eat at the pool and end the night!!
DAY 2 FAVORITES: EMMA- roller coasters, all the rides. EG- all of both parks, wands at Harry Potter. (She rode rides ALL day). ELLA- riding rides, Spiderman ride, wand, everything (It was her first time to really ride anything at a park. I was proud of her). BURT- rides, Hot Dog Hall of Fame. AMY- matching outfits, pool at Hard Rock, Harry Potter Worlds, wands
Sunday, May 10. DAY 3. Mother's Day. Left Hard Rock (BOO). Went to City Walk and ate at Bubba Gumps with Boxes, saw Kennedy Space Center, Went to Cocoa Beach, Swam at our hotel and hotel waterpark with Ramsey's. That night, the girls and dads went searching for crabs at the beach.
WAIT! First, let me take some selfies (EGB).
Arrived at hotel in Cape Canaveral with the Ramsey's. Chilled by the pool then played at the beach for a while.
Day 3 Favorites: Emma- water park at hotel, seeing an Atlantic Ocean beach
Eva Grace- same as Emma
Amy- being on A1A...Beachfront Avenue. hahahahaha. Seeing Atlantic Ocean Beach.
Ella- beach and pool
Burt- Cocoa Beach
MONDAY, MAY 11. DAY 4: Finally board the Disney Dream Cruise Ship!!!
Of course it wouldn't be a Barrett, Box, Ramsey trip without making matching shirts! These were a favorite. Everyone picked out their own desing/saying.
Ella and Eliza made up a handshake for the cruise. It ended with this.
We also had matching doors!!! Complete with cupcakes for all the birthday girls. This became a game for the girls to see how much they could rearrange each door without getting caught. By the end of the week our door belonged to Kevin and Danna.
I miss this most about the cruise. All you can eat ice cream. It was addicting for everyone!!
Sailing Away Deck Party!!
(You can't cruise and not do this picture at the front of the ship. It isn't possible).
The rest of the day we swam, ate ice cream, ate more ice cream, watched movies on the deck, swam, and then realized we had 10 minutes to get ready for our show and dinner! WOOPS!!! We managed to pull it together, or look like we pulled it together. Only one of us had a shower, the rest of us counted the pool. We did much better the rest of the trip!!
Day 4 favorites: ELLA- swimming on boat while watching movie on big screen. AMY- getting on boat and them announcing our names, matching shirts, show. BURT- getting on ship and announcing our names. Emma- getting on ship. EG- getting on ship.
Tuesday, May 12, DAY 5: Bahamas, the girls first time on International soil. Pirate night on the cruise ship, fireworks and party on ship.
Ummm....this was what we found interesting in the Bahamas. Something about a skull... not sure.(Lucy, Ella, Lauren, EG)
Above: Inside the Atlantis in the big chair. Below: The Atlantis from the water taxi.
Pirate night and deck party.
Also celebrated 4 birthday girls at dinner! Lauren, Ella, Eva Grace and Sophie!
Day 5 favorites :
Ella- pirate night, Oceaneers Club
EG- pirate night
Amy- beautiful water at the Bahamas, unlimited food and ice cream, show, laying out by pool.
Emma- scavenger hunt on ship with friends
Burt- fireworks from ship
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13. DAY 6.
Castaway Cay, Stingray Excursion, snorkeling, beach all day, escargot for dinner
Remake of honeymoon picture from 16 years ago.
Snorkeling and stingrays. Burt was not diggin the stingrays.
The water was AWESOME. So clear! This stingray was probably a foot underwater but it looks like there is no water in the picture. It was crystal clear. We would snorkle in water 15-20 foot deep and you could see clearly all around you. Burt, Emma and Lucy saw 2 sea turtles, Eva Grace and I saw a fish as big as she is. Burt saw a huge star fish and we saw many other fish. It was our trip highlight.
EG getting the hang of it.
Our room staff always had neat things going on with our towels. He was great with keeping our room clean. We kept him busy!
We were all sunburned after our day of snorkeling. We had sunscreen on but the saltwater ate it off. We had a snorkle tan- our backs and booties were crisp :). At dinner though, the girls got to try escargot. They were so proud.
Day 6 highlights:
Emma- snorkeling
EG- eating escargot for first time, stingrays, snorkeling, all of Castaway Cay
Ella- Castaway Cay
Amy- Stingray excursion, snorkeling, free ice cream on ship, all of Castaway Cay, the beautiful clear water.
Burt- snorkeling and seeing sea turtles. Playing on balcony with Amy???
THURSDAY, MAY 11. DAY 7- Left ship. Went to Downtown Disney, ate at TREX, flew back home.
We were very sad to say goodbye to Vlad and Denver. They were 2 of our faves from the cruise. The girls loved them and gave them 2 hugs when leaving.
We loved the room balcony. At night it was peaceful leaving the doors open and listening to the waves.
Grumposaur x4...Hope he is including himself in that count!
The end of second grade for Ella was hard because it is our goodbye to University Heights Elementary. We have adored this school for 9 school years and were blessed with some wonderful teachers. Some of which, will forever be part of the girls' lives. 
