Thursday, April 2 2009
Epcot
Last night we grabbed the maps for Epcot on our way upstairs to plan the day for today. Grandma and Joey really got into the map reading. Then Grandma read bedtime stories to the boys.
This morning Joey was up before us all and decided to serenade us for an hour until the alarm went off at 8am. We were dressed and headed to the bus by 9am. Daddy is fighting his sinuses and has a back ache so I was worried about how we would hold up for the 4th FULL day of Disney excitement.
We found out there is a ride at Epcot that is as popular as the Toy Story ride was at Hollywood Studios and didn’t want to make the same mistake twice so Daniel took off to get Fast Pass Tickets for Soarin’ right away!! Mommy and Grandma took the boys to Innoventions to play with the toys and tools of tomorrow. Alan and Eddie went right for the Fire Safety Show with Grandma. Mommy and Joey walked around and scoped things out. We found out about the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure. You have to get a ticket for a time to meet and get your assignment and communicator. Daddy had the tickets to get the Fast Pass so we had to wait until he met up with us. The Fire Safety had a miniature house at the end of the presentation where they taught the kids how to make a plan to get out of their own homes and meet at a family meeting spot. Then there was a cool fire truck to look at and stand in front of for a picture. You had to push a button on top of a fire hydrant and it took your picture. Then you could edit the picture and add stickers to it before emailing it to friends. I sent it to myself and dad since I have been living without internet all week!!
Daddy arrived right on que just as I hit the send button. We got the ticket for Kim Possible and headed to The Seas with Nemo & Friends. This was a really cool ride with cars shaped like shells and you rode in the dark through the sea and different parts of the movie. There were real aquariums and the characters from Finding Nemo were projected into the show.
After the ride you could take your time touring the aquariums and there was an arts and crafts center for the kids. The aquariums were AWESOME. We even saw dolphins and sharks!! They had several divers working with the fish and feeding them. There were some smaller aquariums with real clown fish and other fish from the movie. I think you could spend hours in this attraction!!
We finished up in time to head to “The Land” to use our Fast Pass tickets to Soarin’. Joey didn’t meet the height requirement so Grandma spent some time with him while the rest of our crew hit the line. Just as we were in our specific rows and next to go into the attraction Alan informed me he was gonna pee his pants. Daniel talked to the lady working the line and she had me step to the side to save the spot while Daniel took the boys all the way to the beginning to go potty and he was allowed to come all the way to the front of the line and we barely got in the next show. I was yelling at Daniel to run with Eddie and the workers were telling him NOT to run!! The ride holds 87 people and lasts 5 minutes. It takes as long to filter people out and seat the new people as it does for the ride to run. I learned a lot while I was waiting!! You get strapped into seats and put any flip flop type shoes that may fall off in storage. Then the lights go out and floor goes out from underneath you while the movie starts on a concave screen and your “hand glider” takes off over all kinds of cool scenery. They also had smells enhance what you were seeing. Like in the mountains and evergreens you could smell evergreens and in the citrus groves you could smell the oranges!! It really was awesome even if I had sea legs afterward and felt a little nausea at different points of the ride. Alan thought he was part of the movie and LOVED this ride!!!
I went to the bathroom while Daniel called Grandma and Joey to meet us at the Living With The Land boat voyage through amazing greenhouses and a fish farm. This was a really cool boat ride through the history of agriculture and reminded me a little of the days working at Living History Farms in Des Moines. Then you got to go through the future of farming and see all kinds of hydroponics and aeroponics growing plants that were HUGE and could grow all year round. They also had exhibits of works in progress.
Then Daniel and Alan went to get Fast Pass Tickets for the Test Track ride while Grandma, Mommy, Eddie and Joey headed to meet them in Norway for lunch.
We had a great lunch in Norway then got our communicator and assignment for Kim Possible. We were assigned to France on the complete opposite side of the park. We closed the cell phone communicator from Verizon and decided to go on the Maelstrom Viking Boat Voyage in Norway and take our time getting to France to complete our mission. The communicator cell phone was a very exciting thing and caused some fighting among ALL 3 boys!! Next time we will have to get more than one.
We started our journey to France. First we walked through China, Germany, Italy, and America. We stopped in America for the colonial band and to grab a picture with a Disney quote that mom has a picture of Paul and I standing next to when we came here as kids.
Our journey to France continued through Japan and Morocco. The mission in France took FOREVER!!! Grandma, Mommy, Eddie and Joey dropped out and let Alan and Daddy finish the mission. At the end of the mission they were sent on to Japan for a second set of scavenger hunt things to find. When the mission was over it was time for the tall people to go on the Test Track where you board the GM vehicle on the longest, fastest attraction in Disney history!!! Mommy and Joey went to find out about Honey, I shrunk the audience. We ended up riding Journey Into Imagination With Figment ride since there was NO waiting!!! It was a tour kind of ride and Joey seemed to like it quite a bit. It ended with a bunch of photo booths to take your picture and doctor it to email again. Joey was toooooooo tired to doctor it so I just emailed it to myself.
After the tall people finished Test Track Grandma let Alan and Eddie create their own Gigantic pixie sticks in a gift shop!!!
After the sugar rush it was time for the Honey I Shrunk the Audience 3-D show. The boys wereeall soooo tired and cranky and all they wanted to do was SIT DOWN. The waiting area was a place were they kept reminding you that you couldn’t sit on the floor!!! It seemed like forever and we had to stand through a 10 minute Kodak commercial before we could finally take our seats in the theatre. Alan really likes these 3D attractions even though there are parts that really scare him
There was still NO WAIT for the Journey Into Imagination With Figment so we all went on the ride and skipped the photo booth all together. Eddie, Joey and Grandma did find a sound activity to play with on the way out though.
Then it was off to Spaceship Earth. I immediately remembered this ride from the visit when I was a kid as the blue cars pulled up for you to board your trip through the past and into the future. There is a new touch screen in the front of the car where you answer some questions and they personalize the journey for you including a cool picture and the option to send a video postcard of the picture through email at the end of the ride.
Then we took the ferry boat across the Lake to have dinner in Germany.
Oh let me explain the Nemo treat. While I was emailing the electronic postcard from Spaceship Earth Joey got a hold of Eddies’ HUGE pixie stick and dumped a bunch on the bench causing a HUGE meltdown. Grandma took him back to the gift shop and he choose this treat instead of a new pixie stick.
In Germany we paid a fortune for Brats and Beer and decided to stay for the fireworks. Daniel thought it would be fun to just stroll through the rest of the countries and get different food to sample as we went. The next country was Italy and the restaurant was reservations only. They had a cool replica of the Trevi Fountain. The legend is when you throw your coin in this fountain in Rome you will find your true love within a year. I happened to have thrown a coin in this very fountain during spring break 1999 and was MARRIED before the year was up!!! Daniel even let the Disney photographer take our picture in front of the fountain.
When we reached America we decided to try for a picture of all three boys with the quote.
Japan had an awesome drum show going on so Eddie, Grandma, Joey and Mommy took a seat in the street to watch while Daniel and Alan went to check out the food. We passed on the food, but really enjoyed the show. If it would have been 5 minutes longer the rhythm would have lulled Joey to sleep.
Then we arrived in Morocco and the live music and belly dancing in the street was AWESOME!!! Again Daniel and Alan went in search of food while the rest of us enjoyed the entertainment. They were gone a really long time and came back with a plate of delicious food. We had chicken, lamb, humus, couscous, and some tangy salad and olives.
After the food and a potty break it was almost time for the fireworks show. There was a great place with a gap in the bushes for the boys to see EVERYTHING so we sat on the ground to watch. Daniel took Alan to get his popcorn treat and we just hung out ‘til the show started. It was sooo cool with fire, fireworks, laser lights and this really neat glowing earth that opened and shot out a bunch of fireworks at the end of the show.
Walking back to the bus there was a section of side walk with little spots glowing like the fireworks landed there. With the flash from the camera you can’t really see that effect here.
We made it to bus stop 15 to catch the bus and Joey fell asleep on the way to the bus stop. He transferred to my arms without flinching and Alan and Eddie both fell asleep on the bus. We tossed them in the tub and got them ready for bed. Then I grabbed the laptop and I’m sitting in the resort café to write tonight because the light was keeping the boy awake while I wrote last night and it’s now just after midnight. The plan for tomorrow is for Grandma, Mommy, Alan and Eddie to hit Magic Kingdom first thing and come back to the room for lunch and LONG naps. Then the whole crew hopes to return to Magic Kingdom and stay for the ending fireworks for our last day of vacation. Stay tuned for details.
Epcot
Last night we grabbed the maps for Epcot on our way upstairs to plan the day for today. Grandma and Joey really got into the map reading. Then Grandma read bedtime stories to the boys.
This morning Joey was up before us all and decided to serenade us for an hour until the alarm went off at 8am. We were dressed and headed to the bus by 9am. Daddy is fighting his sinuses and has a back ache so I was worried about how we would hold up for the 4th FULL day of Disney excitement.
We found out there is a ride at Epcot that is as popular as the Toy Story ride was at Hollywood Studios and didn’t want to make the same mistake twice so Daniel took off to get Fast Pass Tickets for Soarin’ right away!! Mommy and Grandma took the boys to Innoventions to play with the toys and tools of tomorrow. Alan and Eddie went right for the Fire Safety Show with Grandma. Mommy and Joey walked around and scoped things out. We found out about the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure. You have to get a ticket for a time to meet and get your assignment and communicator. Daddy had the tickets to get the Fast Pass so we had to wait until he met up with us. The Fire Safety had a miniature house at the end of the presentation where they taught the kids how to make a plan to get out of their own homes and meet at a family meeting spot. Then there was a cool fire truck to look at and stand in front of for a picture. You had to push a button on top of a fire hydrant and it took your picture. Then you could edit the picture and add stickers to it before emailing it to friends. I sent it to myself and dad since I have been living without internet all week!!
Daddy arrived right on que just as I hit the send button. We got the ticket for Kim Possible and headed to The Seas with Nemo & Friends. This was a really cool ride with cars shaped like shells and you rode in the dark through the sea and different parts of the movie. There were real aquariums and the characters from Finding Nemo were projected into the show.
After the ride you could take your time touring the aquariums and there was an arts and crafts center for the kids. The aquariums were AWESOME. We even saw dolphins and sharks!! They had several divers working with the fish and feeding them. There were some smaller aquariums with real clown fish and other fish from the movie. I think you could spend hours in this attraction!!
We finished up in time to head to “The Land” to use our Fast Pass tickets to Soarin’. Joey didn’t meet the height requirement so Grandma spent some time with him while the rest of our crew hit the line. Just as we were in our specific rows and next to go into the attraction Alan informed me he was gonna pee his pants. Daniel talked to the lady working the line and she had me step to the side to save the spot while Daniel took the boys all the way to the beginning to go potty and he was allowed to come all the way to the front of the line and we barely got in the next show. I was yelling at Daniel to run with Eddie and the workers were telling him NOT to run!! The ride holds 87 people and lasts 5 minutes. It takes as long to filter people out and seat the new people as it does for the ride to run. I learned a lot while I was waiting!! You get strapped into seats and put any flip flop type shoes that may fall off in storage. Then the lights go out and floor goes out from underneath you while the movie starts on a concave screen and your “hand glider” takes off over all kinds of cool scenery. They also had smells enhance what you were seeing. Like in the mountains and evergreens you could smell evergreens and in the citrus groves you could smell the oranges!! It really was awesome even if I had sea legs afterward and felt a little nausea at different points of the ride. Alan thought he was part of the movie and LOVED this ride!!!
I went to the bathroom while Daniel called Grandma and Joey to meet us at the Living With The Land boat voyage through amazing greenhouses and a fish farm. This was a really cool boat ride through the history of agriculture and reminded me a little of the days working at Living History Farms in Des Moines. Then you got to go through the future of farming and see all kinds of hydroponics and aeroponics growing plants that were HUGE and could grow all year round. They also had exhibits of works in progress.
Then Daniel and Alan went to get Fast Pass Tickets for the Test Track ride while Grandma, Mommy, Eddie and Joey headed to meet them in Norway for lunch.
We had a great lunch in Norway then got our communicator and assignment for Kim Possible. We were assigned to France on the complete opposite side of the park. We closed the cell phone communicator from Verizon and decided to go on the Maelstrom Viking Boat Voyage in Norway and take our time getting to France to complete our mission. The communicator cell phone was a very exciting thing and caused some fighting among ALL 3 boys!! Next time we will have to get more than one.
We started our journey to France. First we walked through China, Germany, Italy, and America. We stopped in America for the colonial band and to grab a picture with a Disney quote that mom has a picture of Paul and I standing next to when we came here as kids.
Our journey to France continued through Japan and Morocco. The mission in France took FOREVER!!! Grandma, Mommy, Eddie and Joey dropped out and let Alan and Daddy finish the mission. At the end of the mission they were sent on to Japan for a second set of scavenger hunt things to find. When the mission was over it was time for the tall people to go on the Test Track where you board the GM vehicle on the longest, fastest attraction in Disney history!!! Mommy and Joey went to find out about Honey, I shrunk the audience. We ended up riding Journey Into Imagination With Figment ride since there was NO waiting!!! It was a tour kind of ride and Joey seemed to like it quite a bit. It ended with a bunch of photo booths to take your picture and doctor it to email again. Joey was toooooooo tired to doctor it so I just emailed it to myself.
After the tall people finished Test Track Grandma let Alan and Eddie create their own Gigantic pixie sticks in a gift shop!!!
After the sugar rush it was time for the Honey I Shrunk the Audience 3-D show. The boys wereeall soooo tired and cranky and all they wanted to do was SIT DOWN. The waiting area was a place were they kept reminding you that you couldn’t sit on the floor!!! It seemed like forever and we had to stand through a 10 minute Kodak commercial before we could finally take our seats in the theatre. Alan really likes these 3D attractions even though there are parts that really scare him
There was still NO WAIT for the Journey Into Imagination With Figment so we all went on the ride and skipped the photo booth all together. Eddie, Joey and Grandma did find a sound activity to play with on the way out though.
Then it was off to Spaceship Earth. I immediately remembered this ride from the visit when I was a kid as the blue cars pulled up for you to board your trip through the past and into the future. There is a new touch screen in the front of the car where you answer some questions and they personalize the journey for you including a cool picture and the option to send a video postcard of the picture through email at the end of the ride.
Then we took the ferry boat across the Lake to have dinner in Germany.
Oh let me explain the Nemo treat. While I was emailing the electronic postcard from Spaceship Earth Joey got a hold of Eddies’ HUGE pixie stick and dumped a bunch on the bench causing a HUGE meltdown. Grandma took him back to the gift shop and he choose this treat instead of a new pixie stick.
In Germany we paid a fortune for Brats and Beer and decided to stay for the fireworks. Daniel thought it would be fun to just stroll through the rest of the countries and get different food to sample as we went. The next country was Italy and the restaurant was reservations only. They had a cool replica of the Trevi Fountain. The legend is when you throw your coin in this fountain in Rome you will find your true love within a year. I happened to have thrown a coin in this very fountain during spring break 1999 and was MARRIED before the year was up!!! Daniel even let the Disney photographer take our picture in front of the fountain.
When we reached America we decided to try for a picture of all three boys with the quote.
Japan had an awesome drum show going on so Eddie, Grandma, Joey and Mommy took a seat in the street to watch while Daniel and Alan went to check out the food. We passed on the food, but really enjoyed the show. If it would have been 5 minutes longer the rhythm would have lulled Joey to sleep.
Then we arrived in Morocco and the live music and belly dancing in the street was AWESOME!!! Again Daniel and Alan went in search of food while the rest of us enjoyed the entertainment. They were gone a really long time and came back with a plate of delicious food. We had chicken, lamb, humus, couscous, and some tangy salad and olives.
After the food and a potty break it was almost time for the fireworks show. There was a great place with a gap in the bushes for the boys to see EVERYTHING so we sat on the ground to watch. Daniel took Alan to get his popcorn treat and we just hung out ‘til the show started. It was sooo cool with fire, fireworks, laser lights and this really neat glowing earth that opened and shot out a bunch of fireworks at the end of the show.
Walking back to the bus there was a section of side walk with little spots glowing like the fireworks landed there. With the flash from the camera you can’t really see that effect here.
We made it to bus stop 15 to catch the bus and Joey fell asleep on the way to the bus stop. He transferred to my arms without flinching and Alan and Eddie both fell asleep on the bus. We tossed them in the tub and got them ready for bed. Then I grabbed the laptop and I’m sitting in the resort café to write tonight because the light was keeping the boy awake while I wrote last night and it’s now just after midnight. The plan for tomorrow is for Grandma, Mommy, Alan and Eddie to hit Magic Kingdom first thing and come back to the room for lunch and LONG naps. Then the whole crew hopes to return to Magic Kingdom and stay for the ending fireworks for our last day of vacation. Stay tuned for details.
Comments