I never thought that I wouldn't be able to handle a full-on theme park vacation, but those days are long gone. To stave-off utter exhaustion, we had to schedule low-key/sleep-in/lazy-river lounging kind of days.
We had a relaxing pool-side morning and in the late afternoon, we headed over to Walt Disney World for a game of mini golf at Winter Summerland.
First, we stopped at Cracker Barrel for a "Linner" (lunch-dinner, 4pm-ish).
I'm unashamed to admit that I absolutely love Cracker Barrel's chicken n' dumplins, with sweet tea, of course. Dan hates Cracker Barrel, so eating here was a huge sacrifice on his part. He loves me. Looking at the picture that I took of his plate, it looks like he ordered fried chicken covered in cheese and bacon. I have to admit, it doesn't very tasty.
Linner done and it was on to Winter Summerland!
Winter Summerland is my favorite miniature golf course. I've played it several times over the years, but this was Dan's first visit. I was eager for him to experience it. It was fairly crowded, so we picked the less busy course; and my favorite season, summer.
Both winter and summer courses have similar theming, but in reverse. For example, summer will have sandcastles and winter will have ice castles. They both have snowmen, but in summer, the snowmen are melting. The overall theming, even on the summer side, is Christmas. The course is located right next to Blizzard Beach Waterpark, which is themed to the storyline of a freak blizzard had occurred in Florida and a ski resort was built, but now everything has melted in the warm weather. It's a fabulous waterpark, overflowing with creative touches.
When we visited Winter Summerland, it was almost like fall, with leaves everywhere. Since this is Disney, they were very on top of keeping the course clear of leaves.
The course is adorable, with interactive elements, holiday music, and Disney characters. The challenge level of the holes is a range, so that little ones have a chance, and adult won't be bored.
I love the Holiday cards! The year before, we spent Christmas in Las Vegas.
The last hole involves a message from Santa over the "Winternet." This is the most dated part of the course, but it still makes me smile.
Here is a look at the winter course, we decided that one round was enough for us. See you next time winter!
To keep the holiday theme going, take a mini candy cane when you turn in your club. The candy canes were not just out because we were visiting at Christmas, but they have them year round. I'm not sure if they still do it, but many years ago, I got a free soda for getting a hole-in-one on the mystery hole of the day. If you get a hole-in-one, ask if they still offer this bonus.
The score board. That isn't my Dan up there, but he did win our game. He pretty much always wins mini-golf. It's maddening.
And finally, the surfing Santa statue at the entrance.
Winter Summerland is a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours. I highly recommend fitting in a visit on your next trip to Walt Disney World.