Oh, Flat Martini. You are the flooziest cocktail the world has ever met. You’ll just up and go with anyone who promises you a good time. And before I left for China, you headed to the happiest place on earth. Walt Disney World! Okay, well when you are a mother like me of two sweaty, whiny kids who are always asking for snacks sometimes it isn’t the happiest place on earth, but heck, when you are a cocktail, it’s a dream!
Kirsten Maxwell, from the incredibly fun and informative blog Kids are a Trip, hosted our little martini of love this week and I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit jealous. Check out their adventures. And be sure you stop by her blog and visit her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – it’s an awesome site for traveling with kids – especially those who have children with food allergies.
My three children were quite envious of Flat Martini’s latest adventure and even offered to take his place on multiple occasions. My 8 year old may have even used bribery and the words “toys”, “money”, and “anything you want” may have crossed his lips when trying to convince Flat Martini to give up his spot in my carry-on bag. Why did my kids want to go on my Flat Martini adventure? Well, I was headed to Disney World, sans children and hubby, and my only sidekick was my trusty Flat Martini. The kids may never forgive me for this one.
Flat Martini was super excited as we explored Chicago’s O’Hare airport on our way to Orlando. We sipped on some Starbucks and perused the magazine rack, while we anxiously awaited our flight. The flight was uneventful, but once we arrived, Flat Martini couldn’t wait to enjoy some Florida sunshine!
After slathering on the sunscreen, our first stop was the amazing pool at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort, where we played volleyball, splashed on the waterslide, and enjoyed some refreshing beverages (well I did at least). We had quite a day watching crazy kids wreak havoc on the staff, their parents, and one another, while we lounged poolside. The intense sun wiped Flat Martini flat out, so we called it a day. He stayed in the room to sleep it off while I headed out for dinner.
The next day was the best of our trip. Flat Martini and myself went out to explore the parks and boy did we have a blast! The first stop was Animal Kingdom, one of my kids’ favorite Disney parks (sorry kids). It kind of felt wrong to be there without them, but Flat Martini turned out to be a fantastic partner in crime. We rode Expedition Everest (Flat Martini screamed the entire time and almost shattered his glass), pretended to be explorers on the Kilimanjaro Safari (where Flat Martini almost lost his lunch the ride was so bumpy), and enjoyed the Birds of Prey show (even though Flat Martini almost got carried away by one of the birds)! Flat Martini also tried his first Dole Whip treat, which he proclaimed was: “Delicious, a bit too sweet, and in desperate need of vodka.” I’m inclined to agree.
Our day wasn’t over yet, so we headed to Epcot to check out the World Showcase. Flat Martini felt like he had died and gone to heaven! There was food and drink from all over the world, and Flat Martini even met up with some of his long lost cousins, including the Italian Margarita (who wasn’t flat by the way, go figure). After an evening of globe trotting and grazing, we found ourselves front and center for Epcot’s “Illuminations” fireworks show. Flat Martini couldn’t believe the heat coming off the water from the show and kept mentioning a fear of catching fire. Thankfully, he made it through in one piece and proclaimed the show a spectacular success.
The following morning, Flat Martini accompanied me to meetings and was able to meet some of my fellow travel writers. Little did I know, this little guy already had his own fan club, several of the writers in attendance knew about Flat Martini and his adventures. Dana Zucker from TriWivesClub and myself snuck off to get some pictures in the lounge during one of the presentations (shhh). We wish the bar had been open, so we could have shared a toast with Flat Martini, but hopefully you can see the dismay at our lack of beverages in this shot. Thanks Flat Martini for being a good sport!
A big thank you to Flat Martini for being the easiest travel partner ever. No clothes to carry, no toiletries to pack, even security was a breeze. My kids still don’t understand why a martini got to take their place on a fabulous Disney World vacation, and they probably never will.