While this title might be a bit misleading...this was not our very first vacation ever!
Our first ever family vacation actually happened in the spring of 2019. We drove down to Texas and stayed at Great Wolf Lodge while visiting family.
And we have done an overnight trip to the Omaha Zoo. And a couple of day trips to some local places that were super fun experiences.
This was our FIRST excursion after the fire. This was our FIRST (of hopefully many many many more to come) trip after our mindset shift of experiences and travel over stuff and things.
I took Aaron, Emmett, and Deagan to Orlando, FL!
It was an AMAZING experience and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to do that for them! I think we made memories that will last them forever! They always refer back to it and relive those days we were down there. I wish the whole family would have been able to join us, but Clint did not have enough vacation time accrued after being back to work from his laid off time period. And I was not confident in myself with being able to manage all five by myself in a crazy, busy, tourist city like that!
We had the opportunity to stay at an amazing resort. Legacy Vacation Resorts. And we highly recommend them!
Their Kissimmee location was fully equipped with rooms that offer more of an apartment style type stay! We had a FULL KITCHEN in our room! Which was mind-blowing to me. And it saved us so much money! We were able to grab some groceries and eat most of our meals there and home-cooked!
Food and dining is actually the LARGEST expense families face when traveling and going on vacation! It is really just not feasible (especially for large families like ours) to eat every single meal out at a restaurant - or even order in! Those bills add up QUICK! While yes! It is nice to not HAVE to cook every single meal. And it's nice to not feel like you have to WORK while on VACATION...it's really the easiest and best advice I can give you while traveling to save you the most money!
Take snacks with you. Or do a small and fast little grocery run once you get to where you are going! It might take a bit more planning and prep work. But I promise you, your pocket book with thank you afterwards!
And now, I make it a priority when booking reservations that we either find a place with access to a full kitchen OR a meal plan offering!
At any rate - you can check out a little tour of our room HERE!
Not only does LVR have a frugal minded atmosphere that I totally align with, they are also dedicated and committed to sustainable living and minimizing their carbon footprint! They give every guest a reuse-able water bottle at check-in and have refilling stations set up throughout the property. They also have solar panels to help with energy output and they donate 1% of their annual revenue to environmental organizations!
And that stuff doesn't even compare to their amazing amenities and accommodations! They have Bingo, snow-cones, a basketball court, sand volleyball court, mini golf course, playground, 4 pools and hottubs, and a game room! Not to mention a super fun splash pad that is perfect for babies and toddlers! They also have a pool-side bar and on-site restaurant (just in case you don't want to do all the cooking all the time). Oh! And I almost forgot to mention a washer and dryer right there in your room to help with laundry!!!!
If I haven't convinced you yet...
I have a 50% discount code for the Orlando (Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee) and Reno, NV locations!!!
VLRFAM
It will also get you a 20% discount at all other locations!!!
Get your next family vacay on the books HERE!!!!
And there is more to come about our Florida trip! We went to Clearwater lake and Legoland and The Sugar Factory and ICON Park!!!!