ARDA Convention and Orlando Vacation

This past week I attended the annual convention for the American Resort Development Association in Orlando, Florida. AB and DW accompanied me too.

We enjoyed excellent accommodations at Wyndham's Bonnet Creek Resort right by Downtown Disney. AB was especially captivated by the fountain at the resort entrance where you can board buses to each of the popular attractions like the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT...



He also liked breakfast with Alice....



...the Mad Hatter...



...Tigger....



....and Mary Poppins.



Who knew that riding the monorail and entering the Magic Kingdom could be such serious business...





But dancing with Goofy on Main Street USA isn't...







One of the cast member's reaction watching AB dance...



AB reached a big milestone that day too: finally tall enough to ride Space Mountain...



Also popular: the Swiss Family Robinson's canons at Adventure Land...



The day after the conference ended we went to Discovery Cove. That included swimming with dolphins and stingrays.....



AB is an animal kid. He's always taken to dogs, now marine mammals too...



Lessons learned: you might just regret letting your six year old son take your map at EPCOT...



But it all turns out OK...



The exterior of the Chefs de France restaurant at EPCOT's France pavilion offered challenging yet satisfying climbing terrain...





But getting a boy's attention on the menu isn't easy when he's more interested in a fist full of crayons...



But Armand (giving a convincing virtuoso patronizing french Maitre'd performance)...



....shifted attention....



....by wheeling over a cheese and fruit cart bearing Ratatouille too...



Followed by a trip back to DW...