We had long wanted to bring our grand-nieces along for their first trip to Florida. Hang out on the beach, see the sights, a day or two at Disney to round it out. We would drive down, but logistics dictated two cars would be best, bringing the kid's mother along as well, and her fiancé. We were waiting until the youngest girl was old enough to actually experience the trip and remember it. This was the year: she is five-and-a-half.
Then our plans got pre-empted; the fiancé's family decided it was a good idea, and arranged a trip for an extended group, getting a good rate that included a flight down, stay at a Disney resort, and 8-day ticket package. This was out of our price range, so we scheduled a trip for the same time, stayed at our usual resort in Kissimmee, and got a two-day ticket to WDW intending to meet at the Magic Kingdom.
The trip down was uneventful; it was early May, and the traffic was relatively light. Being after Spring Break, the venues were not over-crowded. We timed our arrival for the same day as the family, and since they were delayed actually beat them there. They hit the Hollywood Studios the first day, and then we joined them at the Magic Kingdom. Because we intended to do it over two days, we could take our time and not rush from attraction to attraction. We skipped a day while they went to Sea World and we lounged around, and then met them again. The girls had appointments for a Princess Dinner, and brought dresses with them for the occasion. We went back with them to their resort and Sue splashed around with them in the pool
For the week, the weather cooperated; until the day before last, it was sunny and dry; then a bit more humid. The last day saw typical central Florida weather: hot, muggy, and afternoon thundershowers.
Overall, a good time was had by all. The girls enjoyed themselves, we had a good time, and at least as far as we were concerned there was a minimum of typical family vacation fuss. The girl's mother was a bit frazzled, but that's the way it goes.
