"What's Your Problem?" Caught by loop and hook... (COMPLETED 4/20, post 426)

[Emma's Dad]

We watched Illuminations from about the same spot. :cool2:

Thought I t was pretty neat how much heat you could feel from the Flame Burst(s). I was ther in July...Florida Summer heat + Flame heat = HEAT.

:firefight

I like at the end when my Company lasers the SIEMENS logo on Spaceship Earth

Oh yeah... forgot about the HEAT. For us it was OK... it wasn't Florida hot at that time.

Hehe... that's good advertising there :thumbsup2

nice pics don!!:thumbsup2

Thanks :banana:

There's got to be a joke in here somewhere about how long this TR is taking, but I can't quite put my finger on it...:thumbsup2

Interesting tidbit of Disney trivia that I learned on a Segway tour a few years ago. Just a few steps to your left from where you took this picture is the only place in Disney World (aside from the tops of some rides) that you can see one park from another. Just before you cross the bridge into Mexico, if you look across the lagoon towards Morocco, you can see Tower of Terror at DHS. But you don't realize that's what you're looking at because when they built ToT, they used the same color scheme and architectural style as Morocco. Thus, you think it's just another building in Morocco. If you look close enough at this picture, I think you can see the tip of ToT sticking up beyond the trees in the right-center of the picture.

I hope your visit "off property" went better than mine did!

Great Pictures, by the way.:thumbsup2

Cool trivia! I never knew that... or I would have investigated it. Added that note to our next trip :woohoo:

Yeah... if you ask both DW and I the same question, you'll get 2 different answers about our "off property" adventure. Stay tuned :)

Okay, here's a little piece of trivia from my youth... :lmao:
I had a pair of ducks as a kid, a male and female. I named them, are you ready for this?... Scrooge and Goldie. I'm not sure what happened to them... you may have been in the presence of some real celebrities. :rotfl2:

I love the lights in the sidewalks too. :thumbsup2 Nice update! I hate for the fun to end. But, you'll probably have another TR to do by the time you get this one done. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

:rotfl: Another bit of interesting trivia. Come to think of it... the one was a bit "scroogy". :rotfl2:

The lights are just another small piece of that big Disney magic. Way back when I first visited Epcot I remember those lights and I can remember being mesmerized by the beauty of them and also marveled at the engineering it would have taken to make it. Doesn't seem like it would be so hard to make the lights now... considering how much we work with fiber optics in everyday items... but back then it was wayyyy cool!

I am also a bit sad the TR is almost at an end. I am really debating whether or not to do a PTR for the April trip. :confused3

[FreezinRafiki]

I'm not sure what happened to them...

I only know two things about what happened to them.
1. Your parents told you they went to live on a farm.
2. They were delicious.

:rotfl2::rotfl2:

[dvczerfs]

Okay, here's a little piece of trivia from my youth... :lmao:
I had a pair of ducks as a kid, a male and female. I named them, are you ready for this?... Scrooge and Goldie. I'm not sure what happened to them... you may have been in the presence of some real celebrities. :rotfl2:

I love the lights in the sidewalks too. :thumbsup2 Nice update! I hate for the fun to end. But, you'll probably have another TR to do by the time you get this one done. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

jeff, after they went missing, you didnt have chicken one night for supper did you?:eek:

[Emma's Dad]

I only know two things about what happened to them.
1. Your parents told you they went to live on a farm.
2. They were delicious.

:rotfl2::rotfl2:

jeff, after they went missing, you didnt have chicken one night for supper did you?:eek:

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

[itJeff]

I only know two things about what happened to them.
1. Your parents told you they went to live on a farm.
2. They were delicious.

:rotfl2::rotfl2:

jeff, after they went missing, you didnt have chicken one night for supper did you?:eek:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

We gave them to some friends, actually. They gave them to someone else. (Yes, I really do believe that is what happened). So, I know I didn't eat them :lmao: .... and I really don't know what happened to them. It's entirely possible that they were passed along from family to family, all the way to somewhere in Florida where they were donated to Disney and placed in Epcot. :laughing: Hey, it could happen.

[carissanboys]

All of your pictures in this installment were really beautiful! :cloud9:

I love the beginning of Illuminations, too. My favorite part. :thumbsup2

[Emma's Dad]

All of your pictures in this installment were really beautiful! :cloud9:

I love the beginning of Illuminations, too. My favorite part. :thumbsup2

Thanks, Car :goodvibes Glad you could catch up with the TR... you are one busy person :thumbsup2

I look forward to seeing the show again this year!

[stopher1]

I love, love, love your pics in your latest installment. Beautiful. What type of camera do you have?

[Emma's Dad]

I love, love, love your pics in your latest installment. Beautiful. What type of camera do you have?

Thanks :goodvibes Those were taken with a Sony Cybershot DSC-W55. Bought this camera from a box store several years ago. I also love the movie feature (all videos in this TR was also taken with this camera). I can drop this thing in my pocket and go!

[stopher1]

Thanks :goodvibes Those were taken with a Sony Cybershot DSC-W55. Bought this camera from a box store several years ago. I also love the movie feature (all videos in this TR was also taken with this camera). I can drop this thing in my pocket and go!

Well it sure takes some nice pic - that and you seem to have a very steady hand! I need to get a new one, and am starting to look at options. We've only ever really had a point & shoot type Olympus models from Costco. Never anything super fancy, but a few features like video and such. But I think it's time to get something a bit better this next time around. The ones we've had do nicely in bright light, but never very well in low light situations. Perhaps I'll have something in place by the time I take the family out west to DL later in the year...

[The Disney Fanatic]

May 3, 2009

Ahhh... another beautiful morning in sunny Lake Buena Vista, FL! Today we are heading back to Epcot to experience things we did not get to on day 2. This was also the park rated to be the least crowded for today by the crowd calculator. We knew today was going to be a long day because we have made the decision to view Illuminations this night... so we all slept in quite soundly until around 7:30 (believe me... this IS sleeping in for DD!).

After showers, dressing and a quick bite to eat in our room, we saunter over to Bus Stop 4 and wait for the next bus to Epcot. Seems this particular morning the buses were not timed very well... we witnessed 2 buses come and go for Magic Kingdom... and waited over 30 minutes for the Epcot bus to arrive. This is quite annoying considering how close we are to Epcot! Even more annoying since DW is not as patient as I am. She was ready to start calling people at this point... and she seemed peeved that I did not have a telephone number for the head of Disney transportation :confused: "You have every other Disney number in that backpack!" she says. Hehe... I have it now.

OK... so the bus ride goes uneventful from there and we arrive unharmed at Epcot's front gate. Through the bag check and turnstile we go and head straight for Soarin'. We just can't get enough of that ride! Standby line was only 20 minutes... so we get in line. DD still gets kick out of the golf ball! (ok... I admit... so do I)

Since Imagination! is so close, we walk on over to have some fun taking our pictures and playing with all the gadgets. First, we have to ride "Journey Into Imagination With Figment". The previous year DD did NOT want to get on the ride. Still not sure why she was fighting it, but this year was different. She was practically pulling me to get on the ride. With no one waiting in line, we grab our own car and hop on. I think my favorite part of that ride is where everything is upside down.

Once the ride is over, we take quite a while to play with all the interesting gadgets at ImageWorks. DD loves making music, so she was entertained with the motion sensor displays... the kind where you wave your arms and the instrument plays. DD and DW were doing that while I was at the picture kiosks. It's fun taking your picture and then making yourself into a lion! Unfortunately, the picture never made it to my email box. Not sure what happens after the picture gets transmitted... but it's been more the 6 months and no sign of it. Anyway... we all check out the area where you can run around and when the light catches you on an instrument, it pays part of the figment song. Well... rather than try to explain it to you, check out this video... even DW joined the fun here:

Video:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJbZJfXYwI/AAAAAAAADn0/TtDoMvkuwD0/s288/MOV02545.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5HqCT89ks5_CIEOibtZedw?feat=embedwebsite)

That song can surely get stuck in your head! Personally, I like the song. But I know there are others that despise it's very existence. I suppose it's comparable to IASM... which I loath to hear repeatedly. Go figure. Anyway, I digress... we exit the ImageWorks area and hang out at the leap frog fountains for a little while. DD was having a blast chasing the water "frogs" jumping back and forth. Have a mentioned she's a water baby? Where there's water.... you'll find DD playing in it...

Video:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJdJ-jXN-I/AAAAAAAADoU/5Be55rAGh3A/s288/MOV02553.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0ydqD1-V8IjcKJ-uRAQ5IQ?feat=embedwebsite)

And here are a few pictures from the same location:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SxQh7YeHkmI/AAAAAAAADhk/o1dBQ5sh04Y/s800/DSC02551.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/clFdGT0g0WrTEaOXGJObOw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SxQh-ll1BVI/AAAAAAAADhs/Anx9eCTOpR0/s800/DSC02552.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dpwnQZDFAU_OesVI36WEEA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SxQh-5uEoiI/AAAAAAAADhw/XR84-LErjHQ/s800/DSC02555.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DGoAzAI_NYIs7-gMn6qUUA?feat=embedwebsite)

From here we decide it's finally time to go check out World Showcase. This is DD's first time walking over to this part of Epcot. And it's been too many years since the last time DW and I were at Epcot... so in essence this is fresh for all of us. Check out these pictures I took along the way....

DD was happy to have found this hat... if you've seen the Disney Vacation DVD from 2008 you will notice that this is one of the hats the kids grabbed as a souvenir:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SxQh_D8h4KI/AAAAAAAADh0/Rzl9gMW_vP0/s800/DSC02557.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zfya-OyVBAe1cjoPx4dMWg?feat=embedwebsite)

This is one of my favorites... I love the "hidden" Mickey in this picture:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJhN3KMH1I/AAAAAAAADo0/viQgPfg_ONg/s800/DSC02558.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QWZkdRjTNIBn4dZfDArwVw?feat=embedwebsite)

... and in case you didn't actually see that "hidden" Mickey:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJsvrGOOQI/AAAAAAAADqc/UFgtKDAMwdc/s800/DSC02559.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bt6MpCJaC9Nc0jkBPAXI-w?feat=embedwebsite)

... and a few more in different colors:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJswMLRKdI/AAAAAAAADqk/o4q4xxsQWuQ/s800/DSC02560.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WKcvcfKKvwQghz98VWjvNQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJswnAmhbI/AAAAAAAADqs/2dR1idhWkkQ/s800/DSC02561.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z2EI2l5JYhAoPOdlw2QhnA?feat=embedwebsite)

Now you may be wondering why I took this picture... but I think it shows the true attention to detail and imagination that only Disney is able to provide on a daily basis. I really liked how they designed these signs and took the time to even put the "streamers" on top of it.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJsxLpeg3I/AAAAAAAADq0/f0MNr2gb1Os/s800/DSC02562.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/g4Oay6k23peMLe7FoCoFhA?feat=embedwebsite)

More awesome topiaries:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuPHOEkNI/AAAAAAAADrY/MbgOGio-Hpc/s800/DSC02565.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dWzHP-3Kcl6xFI3NhmeIzg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuPmF1eZI/AAAAAAAADrg/zgHqq5rAr94/s800/DSC02566.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uFC5ze2fmhC7Jv6pJnTElg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuQNSWgnI/AAAAAAAADro/02uEk3HnzwM/s800/DSC02567.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LdqWlFBnaoWj7o8R5WCj0Q?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuQjbTPkI/AAAAAAAADrw/HCNOejPy8rE/s800/DSC02568.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ikJ4QyLkwIBk96XUgr3eNg?feat=embedwebsite)


Now these ones were by the kid's playground. DD really liked this area and we spend a little time here so she could burn off some of that 6 year old energy :)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuSY4Iy6I/AAAAAAAADsM/0UaXHPQqWJ4/s800/DSC02571.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vk_4MNS_S53i3NvWvDWKUA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuTgMYkUI/AAAAAAAADsc/D6Usy72HGbs/s800/DSC02573.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JAh5SdrX_ASuDmKZaUWL9Q?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuTP31IyI/AAAAAAAADsU/bqVeTt3M6aE/s800/DSC02572.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_Aydkdo6ZAYYMGTmWrbRfA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuUIcCUJI/AAAAAAAADsk/ihs4YE8Mh4c/s800/DSC02574.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SY8PUe5-2KxQMuP1CUYvbQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuVIDmT8I/AAAAAAAADs0/pzq3KBANlIw/s800/DSC02576.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_ri8YlYILzOmht9A-10wsQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuV-KObRI/AAAAAAAADs8/09rj0hehd68/s800/DSC02577.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wXoIpkQm6lx0w_b8SqIPUw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJuWJxVmEI/AAAAAAAADtE/Tmfdx4DGxIY/s800/DSC02578.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JaLdGkhVYS7LFA4hRWXWxg?feat=embedwebsite)

And if you were interested to see what the play area is like, here is a small video as DD is playing:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/SyJu45cl9dI/AAAAAAAADtc/6sULWqFoV-c/s288/MOV02580.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_AUfstQgLKTuI2K9x37C5w?feat=embedwebsite)

I love the fake grass material they use under the equipment... nice and "springy". Wonder how much that stuff costs?? I'd even use it in my front yard! HAHA!

Day 6, Part 2: "Finally Caught By Loop and Hook" (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34698831&postcount=210)

My son and I are sitting here enjoying the pictures. I'm just now getting around to your TR (sorry). I'm loving it!

[Emma's Dad]

My son and I are sitting here enjoying the pictures. I'm just now getting around to your TR (sorry). I'm loving it!

I'm so glad you are enjoying the TR! I plan to have an update out soon! :thumbsup2

[stopher1]

I'm so glad you are enjoying the TR! I plan to have an update out soon! :thumbsup2

BEFORE you leave for your next trip back to CSR...right?!? :rotfl:

[Emma's Dad]

BEFORE you leave for your next trip back to CSR...right?!? :rotfl:

HAHA! Yep :thumbsup2

[FreezinRafiki]

BEFORE you leave for your next trip back to CSR...right?!? :rotfl:

He's got to - its the law.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y38IW_SOQIw/Rkus2bso8SI/AAAAAAAABVA/MoG5sEWDSLU/s320/vlcsnap-74167.png

:rotfl2:

[trennr]

(to the every popular "Pants on the Ground" rap.)

Times Runnin' out...Times Runnin' out.
Better get to work 'for you time runs out.

:lmao:

[Emma's Dad]

HAHA! I know... I know... I've been busy making igloos :thumbsup2

[Emma's Dad]

May 4, 2009

What an exciting day we have ahead of us! Back on Day two we performed a dry run of catching an Orlando public transportation bus (LYNX) from the TTC to Sea World. We are certainly glad we did the dry run... otherwise it may have taken us longer to get to where we were going. We manage to be up and ready and out the door around 8:00... catch a CSR resort bus to the GF... and a monorail ride over to TTC. Sounds like a round-about way of getting there... but it worked for us on day 2... and we like to do things the "easy" way! We arrive at our bus stop destination just after 8:30. Oh... our timing was not good here... because according to the bus schedule the bus has just left (8:31) :headache:

Earlier in the TR I did not go into much detail on how exactly one goes about getting to the bus stop. For those who are interested, here is a satellite view of the TTC and a path you take from the monorail to the actual bus stop:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S1iTBUTzAaI/AAAAAAAAEmE/tXTNv7KKSkI/s800/TTC-LYNX1.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Hh31r9vZwL_KmfA6n65orw?feat=embedwebsite)

Follow the link below to see the route we are taking to get to Sea World:

Link 50 - Route from TTC to Sea World (http://www.golynx.com/assets/userfiles/routemaps/50.pdf)

What we didn't know prior to arriving at TTC is the Link 50 route also has a stop at DTD! So... this knowledge will help us in April 2010 when we go visit Aquatica. Instead of hanging out at the TTC we could simply catch a WDW resort bus to DTD... then catch the Lynx bus to Sea Harbor Drive. My only concern when we go to Aquatica is the distance between the link stop and the front gate at Aquatica. Hopefully there is another stop at the end of Sea Harbor Dr at I-drive.

So the bus picks us up at the TT&C and we start making our way to Sea World around 9:00am. There are actually a few people waiting at the stop with us. At DTD we pick up more people and there was a couple with a little girl who was around DD's age got on the bus at that time. They ended up sitting across from us... and DD started talking to the girl. After a few minutes, DD asks if she could move over to the other seat so she can talk more with the girl. Our social butterfly! LOL! So the two chit-chat and are giggling the whole way to the park. :hyper2: The parents were nice... we made small talk. It was more fun watching two girls get to know each other. Turns out they were heading over to Aquatica and possibly back to Sea World... DD really wanted to meet back up later... but we just let them go without any further commitment. DD was not happy... but she gets over it pretty quickly.

The walk from the bus to the front gate takes only a few minutes. Since we have platinum passes for Busch Gardens Williamsburg we are able to get in for free. :woohoo: My DW loves that word. You should see the twinkle in her eye when that word is used! HAHA! Anyway... here are pictures at the entrance and inside the front of the park:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2GvoXmvYvI/AAAAAAAAEoA/sMWxEQiwU_M/s800/DSC02662.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VWArpd4RLLRl1ZIpbcN1fA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2G2EYooy0I/AAAAAAAAEo4/GNwmru_QAk8/s800/DSC02663.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mT9Q1BFlF-KgOOQavhl4mg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2G2EifUyUI/AAAAAAAAEpA/BDbemYxcXj0/s800/DSC02664.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VQHwfkIs_bCV_NENKhfeow?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2G2FLli5lI/AAAAAAAAEpI/wyhQxq96bpY/s800/DSC02665.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LNUfv9sObaKuWpRDXBFM_w?feat=embedwebsite)

We pick up a map of the place and decide the first thing we are going to do is see the Shamu show "Believe" since it starts in 20 minutes. Prior to coming to Sea World we did not sit down and discuss anything about it. This was not a smart move on my part. I did not do much research about the park to see what shows were offered... or the see how the park was laid out... or even what rides were available to enjoy. We were now "flying by the seat of our pants". Let's see how well this works out.

Here's a few shots of the lagoon as we are walking to the stadium:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2G3gU2GrgI/AAAAAAAAEpw/l9iV55konCc/s800/DSC02667.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zzq5c3fsxAS7vpD92T7K6g?feat=embedwebsite)

You can see them bottom of Sky Tower in this picture:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2G3gk43rJI/AAAAAAAAEp4/1w4XrPAknAk/s800/DSC02668.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3s_TXGpToBwVevKFWxP1xA?feat=embedwebsite)

Sky Tower:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2G3g3xxyhI/AAAAAAAAEqA/-eBK313XzdI/s800/DSC02669.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UMnPGJT6Y7EAlYbz6vQdVA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2G3hLVk9NI/AAAAAAAAEqI/S7rlpViaTUk/s800/DSC02670.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VHOQzzS6TAlj7DNTACgl4g?feat=embedwebsite)

We make it to the stadium and find that many people have already begun to find their way to the good seats. Even though it was only 10:00am, the temperature was already rising... so DD and I wanted to get wet. DW on the other hand did NOT want to get wet... so she stayed up in the upper section, while DD and I found good seats in the "soak" section. BTW... they actually have the steps labeled so you know where you are most likely to get wet. It's not a guarantee... but it's fairly accurate. And if you see the show at this time of the day... take note... the stadium is facing east and that sun gets pretty hot in the soak section on the left side of the stadium. Good for drying out!

Since DW was in a soak-free zone, she now had control of the camera... so the next shots at the show were taken by her. I think she did a great job! The video is a little long... but it captures the essence of the show. At the 2 min 50 sec mark you will see where DD and I are getting soaked! Direct hit!

Video:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3Bdl7EcsbI/AAAAAAAAFEM/RL-V8Efras4/s288/MOV02683.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qe-htke59JupVa7Ga9QM7A?feat=embedwebsite)

Various pics:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2G3idqDguI/AAAAAAAAEqg/HcfmEv3Zpsg/s800/DSC02673.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_211OlUMXd780ziLVeilHA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3Bdo4hFrVI/AAAAAAAAFEY/O0AEFQeq9uw/s800/DSC02674.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/W8iEhtg4i8SJsE8oDMUTvQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdpejYRlI/AAAAAAAAFEg/ODv2Y-OWchQ/s800/DSC02675.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tICmkixTZt7SCEFqOQ0PPA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdpkULUaI/AAAAAAAAFEo/L4242Ypc5lM/s800/DSC02676.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fjmzQcPaSa8ucCuFVN5TWQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdqXzoLzI/AAAAAAAAFEw/sjPPz_d4kQ0/s800/DSC02678.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6SBQSavP0SFK-N5in1JD5g?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdreziHpI/AAAAAAAAFFA/knn8FHgh5Lo/s800/DSC02680.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QTy9DOvd2D5PCgsgssDOrg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdsQVzOlI/AAAAAAAAFFQ/82z52Nm9UcE/s800/DSC02682.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6vU-C6gt6qqOnxH5OMaGvg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3Bds9AavNI/AAAAAAAAFFY/cuPpuSOgoug/s800/DSC02684.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WSZ2x5YHXZ9i7AjMhdvvVw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3Bdt4gadBI/AAAAAAAAFFo/g44GiLQxz1o/s800/DSC02686.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ftv_8G67rkEcasCJ11EAXQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3Bdv_9OUvI/AAAAAAAAFGU/5n2O1u5FpVc/s800/DSC02691.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/r5b2iQoyPjhNPX9DD5sLqA?feat=embedwebsite)

Overall I thought the show was good. DD liked it. I wouldn't go out of my way to see the show again... but it wasn't bad either. It just wasn't a Disney show, if that makes sense.

With the show over, we decide to continue strolling around the other side of the lagoon. My next installment with take us through the rest of the day at Sea World. Ever hear of Manta? I didn't either... until later that day...

Next up... Day 7, Part 2: "Sharks!" (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35850419&postcount=313)

[FreezinRafiki]

I agree with your review of the show - good, but not great. But eventually it started feeling like one big advertisement for those little wooden whale tail necklaces that they just happen to be selling outside the stadium and at every gift shop in the place. :rotfl:

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Great pics of the show!!

Do you remember what the bus ride cost? Just curious.

I would have been in the wet seats as well,:thumbsup2 DW would have sat in the dry seats as well.

Looks like a nice park, we plan on visiting someday but we can't get ourselves out of Disney long enough.:lmao::lmao:

[trennr]

Yes...Heard of Manta...seen Manta on Travel Channel...must ride Manta next time I get the chance to go. :worship:

Also the Kraken is a pretty killer...in 2007 Me and SIL (Brother's Wife) must have rode the Kraken 5-6 times in a row. No one else wanted to ride...well DS10 (DS7 at the time) wanted too but was too short. We had Radios...kept telling the others that the line was slow once you got up in there...we would get on ride...make the trip back around and ride again...longest we had to wait was 2 loads. Me and SIL loved the Kraken...can't wait to try the Manta. :woohoo:

Oh yeah...that part about being FREE. I love that word too. :thumbsup2

[stopher1]

May 4, 2009

What we didn't know prior to arriving at TTC is the Link 50 route also has a stop at DTD! So... this knowledge will help us in April 2010 when we go visit Aquatica.

Good to know! Where abouts is it at DTD - near the Pleasure Island/West Side WDW bus area or somewhere else? We made our first ever visit to Sea World Orlando last October while in FL for my birthday. We've been to San Diego before, but never Orlando. The boys definitely want to go back - especially for Manta! We LOVED that ride. Went on it 3 or was it 4 times in 2 days, I can't remember. We had actually seen a webcam ride-through view of it last summer before going - that alone was pretty cool, but nothing quite like being on it yourself. Did you like it? Can't wait to hear.


We pick up a map of the place and decide the first thing we are going to do is see the Shamu show "Believe" since it starts in 20 minutes. Prior to coming to Sea World we did not sit down and discuss anything about it. This was not a smart move on my part. I did not do much research about the park to see what shows were offered... or the see how the park was laid out... or even what rides were available to enjoy. We were now "flying by the seat of our pants". Let's see how well this works out.

Here's a few shots of the lagoon as we are walking to the stadium:


http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S2G3idqDguI/AAAAAAAAEqg/HcfmEv3Zpsg/s800/DSC02673.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_211OlUMXd780ziLVeilHA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3Bdo4hFrVI/AAAAAAAAFEY/O0AEFQeq9uw/s800/DSC02674.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/W8iEhtg4i8SJsE8oDMUTvQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdpejYRlI/AAAAAAAAFEg/ODv2Y-OWchQ/s800/DSC02675.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tICmkixTZt7SCEFqOQ0PPA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdpkULUaI/AAAAAAAAFEo/L4242Ypc5lM/s800/DSC02676.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fjmzQcPaSa8ucCuFVN5TWQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdqXzoLzI/AAAAAAAAFEw/sjPPz_d4kQ0/s800/DSC02678.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6SBQSavP0SFK-N5in1JD5g?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdreziHpI/AAAAAAAAFFA/knn8FHgh5Lo/s800/DSC02680.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QTy9DOvd2D5PCgsgssDOrg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3BdsQVzOlI/AAAAAAAAFFQ/82z52Nm9UcE/s800/DSC02682.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6vU-C6gt6qqOnxH5OMaGvg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3Bds9AavNI/AAAAAAAAFFY/cuPpuSOgoug/s800/DSC02684.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WSZ2x5YHXZ9i7AjMhdvvVw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3Bdt4gadBI/AAAAAAAAFFo/g44GiLQxz1o/s800/DSC02686.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ftv_8G67rkEcasCJ11EAXQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S3Bdv_9OUvI/AAAAAAAAFGU/5n2O1u5FpVc/s800/DSC02691.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/r5b2iQoyPjhNPX9DD5sLqA?feat=embedwebsite)

Overall I thought the show was good. DD liked it. I wouldn't go out of my way to see the show again... but it wasn't bad either. It just wasn't a Disney show, if that makes sense.


More great pics! I agree it certainly isn't a Disney show, but we really enjoyed it, even with the seeming advertisement for the little whale tail necklaces :laughing: We actually ended up with one of those necklaces, since DW really wanted the Believe! DVD - and I was the sucker for the necklace. It was cheaper to get the deluxe DVD that included the necklace than to buy separately, so I did. And we've watched that DVD, I don't know, 20 or 30 times since October. DD just loves it, and every so often, pulls it out to relive the "Shamu, Shamu" parts. Plus I will admit it does have some cool bonus features that tell more about killer whales, and my middle child is very much an animal nut, so it's right up his alley. At this point, even still 5 months after visiting Sea World, he still says he wants to get a job there to become a whale trainer. He's been saying he wants to go into some sort of animal profession for years now, so it doesn't surprise me in the least.

We watched the show twice while there - once on each day. Actually sat in the stadium 3 times, but the first one was cancelled because the whales weren't cooperating and didn't want to do the show. Crazy stuff. We'd sat there for about a half an hour in preparation. The opening music had begun, and .... nothing. Finally a couple of the trainers came out and apologized saying they couldn't get the whales to move where they were supposed to go for the opening of the show. They were perplexed by the animals' behavior, and needed to cancel that particular show and to please try back later. So we did - and the show went on just fine. It was a wierd waste of time, if you will, but hey, if a creature that large doesn't want to move, he doesn't want to move!

Our first show (that actually went on) was in the upper section of the Soak Zone, and we got sprinkled. The next one we chose the 2nd row of the Soak Zone and man oh man did we get drenched. It was AWESOME! :thumbsup2

[stopher1]

Also the Kraken is a pretty killer...in 2007 Me and SIL (Brother's Wife) must have rode the Kraken 5-6 times in a row. No one else wanted to ride...well DS10 (DS7 at the time) wanted too but was too short. We had Radios...kept telling the others that the line was slow once you got up in there...we would get on ride...make the trip back around and ride again...longest we had to wait was 2 loads. Me and SIL loved the Kraken...can't wait to try the Manta. :woohoo:


My boys and I went on Kraken. They loved it. I was just so-so about it. I did go a 2nd time with them, but that was it for me. I sent my DW the 3rd time. It gave me a headache, which is why I refused the 3rd trip. DW didn't care for it at all. The boys can't wait to go back to SW to ride both again!

[Emma's Dad]

I agree with your review of the show - good, but not great. But eventually it started feeling like one big advertisement for those little wooden whale tail necklaces that they just happen to be selling outside the stadium and at every gift shop in the place. :rotfl:

Yep.. that's about right. We exited the stadium by the gift shop... and I kept on walking! LOL

Great pics of the show!!

Do you remember what the bus ride cost? Just curious.

I would have been in the wet seats as well,:thumbsup2 DW would have sat in the dry seats as well.

Looks like a nice park, we plan on visiting someday but we can't get ourselves out of Disney long enough.:lmao::lmao:

I believe the cost was $1.50 per person each way. It was less than $10 for all of us round trip. Sometimes it's good to get away from Disney for a little while... makes you appreciate Disney more!

Yes...Heard of Manta...seen Manta on Travel Channel...must ride Manta next time I get the chance to go. :worship:

Also the Kraken is a pretty killer...in 2007 Me and SIL (Brother's Wife) must have rode the Kraken 5-6 times in a row. No one else wanted to ride...well DS10 (DS7 at the time) wanted too but was too short. We had Radios...kept telling the others that the line was slow once you got up in there...we would get on ride...make the trip back around and ride again...longest we had to wait was 2 loads. Me and SIL loved the Kraken...can't wait to try the Manta. :woohoo:

Oh yeah...that part about being FREE. I love that word too. :thumbsup2

We didn't get to ride Kraken....but it wasn't because I didn't want to. More on that in the upcoming installment.

Good to know! Where abouts is it at DTD - near the Pleasure Island/West Side WDW bus area or somewhere else? We made our first ever visit to Sea World Orlando last October while in FL for my birthday. We've been to San Diego before, but never Orlando. The boys definitely want to go back - especially for Manta! We LOVED that ride. Went on it 3 or was it 4 times in 2 days, I can't remember. We had actually seen a webcam ride-through view of it last summer before going - that alone was pretty cool, but nothing quite like being on it yourself. Did you like it? Can't wait to hear.

The bus stops at the Marketplace... at the corner of Buena Vista Dr and Hotel Plaza Blvd... right in front of Earl of Sandwich. Very short walk to EOS.
You'll find out about Manta soon enough :)

More great pics! I agree it certainly isn't a Disney show, but we really enjoyed it, even with the seeming advertisement for the little whale tail necklaces :laughing: We actually ended up with one of those necklaces, since DW really wanted the Believe! DVD - and I was the sucker for the necklace. It was cheaper to get the deluxe DVD that included the necklace than to buy separately, so I did. And we've watched that DVD, I don't know, 20 or 30 times since October. DD just loves it, and every so often, pulls it out to relive the "Shamu, Shamu" parts. Plus I will admit it does have some cool bonus features that tell more about killer whales, and my middle child is very much an animal nut, so it's right up his alley. At this point, even still 5 monnths after visiting Sea World, he still says he wants to get a job there to become a whale trainer. He's been saying he wants to go into some sort of animal profession for years now, so it doesn't surprise me in the least.

We watched the show twice while there - once on each day. Actually sat in the stadium 3 times, but the first one was cancelled because the whales weren't cooperating and didn't want to do the show. Crazy stuff. We'd sat there for about a half an hour in preparation. The opening music had begun, and .... nothing. Finally a couple of the trainers came out and apologized saying they couldn't get the whales to move where they were supposed to go for the opening of the show. They were perplexed by the animals' behavior, and needed to cancel that particular show and to please try back later. So we did - and the show went on just fine. It was a wierd waste of time, if you will, but hey, if a creature that large doesn't want to move, he doesn't want to move!

Our first show (that actually went on) was in the upper section of the Soak Zone, and we got sprinkled. The next one we chose the 2nd row of the Soak Zone and man oh man did we get drenched. It was AWESOME! :thumbsup2

That's crazy that the show got cancelled! But I can certainly understand. I don't think you really want to go trying to make a killer whale do something he doesn't want to do :lmao: That is some COLD water, isn't it?? :scared1:

My boys and I went on Kraken. They loved it. I was just so-so about it. I did go a 2nd time with them, but that was it for me. I sent my DW the 3rd time. It gave me a headache, which is why I refused the 3rd trip. DW didn't care for it at all. The boys can't wait to go back to SW to ride both again!

Maybe we'll try hitting SW again just so I can ride Kraken and Manta! We'll be right down the street.... with free admission :scratchin

[dvczerfs]

caught up!!! i havnt been to sea world in about 12 years. do they still have the clyde and semour show?

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Sooo.....it seems pretty quiet in here.

Hello Hello Hello

[stopher1]

Sooo.....it seems pretty quiet in here.

Hello Hello Hello

Yes, yes it does, doesn't it. Of course, that's what happens when there are weeks, sometimes months between updates...

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Yes, yes it does, doesn't it. Of course, that's what happens when there are weeks, sometimes months between updates...


I'm not sure how this whole hi-jacking thing works, but I'll give it my best shot. opps am I supposed to call it a hijack or do we call it something else and do we need to ask for permission first.

I'm so confused...:confused3::confused3

[stopher1]

I'm not sure how this whole hi-jacking thing works, but I'll give it my best shot. opps am I supposed to call it a hijack or do we call it something else and do we need to ask for permission first.

I'm so confused...:confused3::confused3

I think you already made your declaration on the other thread... I'd say just fire away! pirate: Perhaps you could post some pictures - that seems to be effective...

[Captain_Oblivious]

I'm not sure how this whole hi-jacking thing works, but I'll give it my best shot. opps am I supposed to call it a hijack or do we call it something else and do we need to ask for permission first.

I'm so confused...:confused3::confused3

I think you need to start discussion on a tangent that has an incredibly tiny relation to something in Don's TR. I got on a roll yesterday thinking about dream trips and bucket lists...it doesn't take much to get me thinking about great future vacations. And this is a trip report, which has to do with a vacation. So I think that sort of topic fits as a potential hijack thread. :teacher:

[DisneyDaddy-O]

I think you need to start discussion on a tangent that has an incredibly tiny relation to something in Don's TR. I got on a roll yesterday thinking about dream trips and bucket lists...it doesn't take much to get me thinking about great future vacations. And this is a trip report, which has to do with a vacation. So I think that sort of topic fits as a potential hijack thread. :teacher:


I think I understand this now, since this is a TR about a Disney vacation, if I said something like, oh I don't know", I'd love to visit New Orleans one day or go on a road trip and follow the BBQ circuit in the US, that would be good?

Speaking of BBQ, has anyone ever been to some of those huge BBQ competitions I see on TV?

[stopher1]

I think I understand this now, since this is a TR about a Disney vacation, if I said something like, oh I don't know", I'd love to visit New Orleans one day or go on a road trip and follow the BBQ circuit in the US, that would be good?

Speaking of BBQ, has anyone ever been to some of those huge BBQ competitions I see on TV?

No, but I love to grill - and can't wait to try out one of these babies at the Grand Californian in December

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm34/stopher1_photos/DL%20Nov%2009/PC030022-2.jpg

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm34/stopher1_photos/DL%20Nov%2009/PC050058.jpg

Definitely a step above what we used at the Treehouses last month
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm34/stopher1_photos/WDW%20Jan%2010/2010-0113-00193.jpg
although it sure was nice having our own grill right outside our unit there in the trees...


I've been to New Orleans - on business, a couple of times. It's a neat city. I did NOT like, however, driving north across the causeway across Lake Pontchartrain - way too long for my liking. Kind of freaked me out a bit.

[Captain_Oblivious]

I think I understand this now, since this is a TR about a Disney vacation, if I said something like, oh I don't know", I'd love to visit New Orleans one day or go on a road trip and follow the BBQ circuit in the US, that would be good?

Speaking of BBQ, has anyone ever been to some of those huge BBQ competitions I see on TV?

I have not, but I've seen quite a few on the Travel Channel that I wouldn't mind visiting. We like to watch those shows on local food joints in various places, just in case we're ever passing through. Good to have a place to go that's not McDonalds!

[FreezinRafiki]

I think I understand this now, since this is a TR about a Disney vacation, if I said something like, oh I don't know", I'd love to visit New Orleans one day or go on a road trip and follow the BBQ circuit in the US, that would be good?

Speaking of BBQ, has anyone ever been to some of those huge BBQ competitions I see on TV?

No, but they look fantastic. There was this guy in La Crosse, WI that had a business called Rooster Andy's. He had a 7'x10' charcoal grill trailer that he hauled around to various parking lots around the city. He would fire it up and cook 1/4 chickens on it. He had his own special marinade - one of the secret ingredients was Old Style Beer. He sold the 1/4 chicken, beans, potato salad, and a dinner roll for like $6. All the smoke and smell was free advertising. He did fundraisers for local groups, too. Man, was that good chicken.
And I just found his website: http://www.roosterandys.com

[stopher1]

No, but they look fantastic. There was this guy in La Crosse, WI that had a business called Rooster Andy's. He had a 7'x10' charcoal grill trailer that he hauled around to various parking lots around the city. He would fire it up and cook 1/4 chickens on it. He had his own special marinade - one of the secret ingredients was Old Style Beer. He sold the 1/4 chicken, beans, potato salad, and a dinner roll for like $6. All the smoke and smell was free advertising. He did fundraisers for local groups, too. Man, was that good chicken.
And I just found his website: http://www.roosterandys.com

Thanks Barry - now I'm hungry!!

[FreezinRafiki]

I have not, but I've seen quite a few on the Travel Channel that I wouldn't mind visiting. We like to watch those shows on local food joints in various places, just in case we're ever passing through. Good to have a place to go that's not McDonalds!

Do you ever watch Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network? One of the places featured on there was Frank's Diner in Kenosha, WI. Turns out, its only 3 blocks from where DW works. I really need to get down there one of these days for their "garbage plate" breakfast. :thumbsup2

[carissanboys]

caught up!!! i havnt been to sea world in about 12 years. do they still have the clyde and semour show?

Yes, they do. :thumbsup2

I miss grilling. Our current townhome complex doesn't allow grilling in our back patio area. If we had a grill, we'd have to pull it out into the grassy common area where everyone lets their dogs poo and then don't pick up after them. :sad2:

But, if anyone is willing, I like my steak medium rare. :thumbsup2

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Do you ever watch Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network? One of the places featured on there was Frank's Diner in Kenosha, WI. Turns out, its only 3 blocks from where DW works. I really need to get down there one of these days for their "garbage plate" breakfast. :thumbsup2


I love that show, I think I remember that episode from the name "garbage plate". Some of the places on that show look awesome, I think a good 'ole American road trip is in order at some point. My DW and I drove to Vancouver before kids and it was a 2 week trip. That was one of the best trips ever, just drive, no worries, no real destination, stop when your hungry or tired.:thumbsup2

[stopher1]

My DW and I drove to Vancouver before kids and it was a 2 week trip. That was one of the best trips ever, just drive, no worries, no real destination, stop when your hungry or tired.:thumbsup2

Those are the best kind of trips! :thumbsup2:thumbsup2

[Captain_Oblivious]

Do you ever watch Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network? One of the places featured on there was Frank's Diner in Kenosha, WI. Turns out, its only 3 blocks from where DW works. I really need to get down there one of these days for their "garbage plate" breakfast. :thumbsup2

I love that show, I think I remember that episode from the name "garbage plate". Some of the places on that show look awesome, I think a good 'ole American road trip is in order at some point. My DW and I drove to Vancouver before kids and it was a 2 week trip. That was one of the best trips ever, just drive, no worries, no real destination, stop when your hungry or tired.:thumbsup2

I've only seen bits and pieces of that show--probably should tune in more often. I get sucked into Man V. Food and Food Paradise all the time.

I looked up the "garbage plate". Sounds great! (hold the jalapenos :scared:)

Road trips are awesome! As long as you have a portable DVD player.

[trennr]

Man all this food talk is making me hungry.

My favorite food show is "Man vs. Food" Not really for the Challanges...but the places he visits before hand.

[stopher1]

Man all this food talk is making me hungry.

My favorite food show is "Man vs. Food" Not really for the Challanges...but the places he visits before hand.

Definitely. Cool show, but some of his challenges make me sick just thinking about it. I've got a co-worker that is totally into that show - and eats a lot like that guy too!

[trennr]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/icon_twisted.gif My evil plan is working. bwuhahahahahaha!!!! http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/icon_twisted.gif

[Captain_Oblivious]

Man all this food talk is making me hungry.

My favorite food show is "Man vs. Food" Not really for the Challanges...but the places he visits before hand.

I agree! I couldn't care less about the challenges, since I'll never be attempting them (ok, that's not entirely true, I want to see if he pukes). But he does find some cool places to chow down.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/icon_twisted.gif My evil plan is working. bwuhahahahahaha!!!! http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/icon_twisted.gif

:stir: I must admit, I'm getting a kick out of this.

[stopher1]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/icon_twisted.gif My evil plan is working. bwuhahahahahaha!!!!


:stir: I must admit, I'm getting a kick out of this.

Another reason to not procrastinate and just get those TR's done quickly. :lmao:

But heck yeah - I'm getting a kick out of it too :rotfl2:

[stopher1]

I'm wondering how long it can go on before Don posts a real update, and not just something to complain about what you all started?!?

[FreezinRafiki]

I'll tell you one thing, I'll be cranking out updates to my next TR at a frantic pace, just to try and avoid what you guys are doing to poor innocent Don. :rotfl2:

[stopher1]

I'll tell you one thing, I'll be cranking out updates to my next TR at a frantic pace, just to try and avoid what you guys are doing to poor innocent Don. :rotfl2:

So you're saying you'll be doing them live then, aren't you?

We'll see... I'm sure trennr & Daddy-O & the Captain will be on to you soon enough :3dglasses (notice I left myself out of that one? :rolleyes1)

[DisneyDaddy-O]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/icon_twisted.gif My evil plan is working. bwuhahahahahaha!!!! http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/icon_twisted.gif


It was him....he did it!!

I just got caught up in the moment....:lmao::lmao:


I was always a sucker for peer pressure..

[FreezinRafiki]

So you're saying you'll be doing them live then, aren't you?

We'll see... I'm sure trennr & Daddy-O & the Captain will be on to you soon enough :3dglasses (notice I left myself out of that one? :rolleyes1)

Mine probably won't be live. There will be daily updates on Facebook, and possibly an occasional post on the DIS, but I just won't have any free time to work on a TR while I'm on vacation. I do that when I get back to work. :thumbsup2

[stopher1]

Mine probably won't be live. There will be daily updates on Facebook, and possibly an occasional post on the DIS, but I just won't have any free time to work on a TR while I'm on vacation. I do that when I get back to work. :thumbsup2

Oh yeah - I really only did mine after everyone was in bed or before they woke up - or while my wife was soaking in the whirlpool tub. I wouldn't want to take away from family time - and wouldn't want you to either! I hope you enjoy your time, and then when you get back to work, it'll be nice to see your report.

[Emma's Dad]

Wow... look what you guys did to the place! :scared1: I guess that's what I get for leaving the keys under the front mat. Note to self... I need to change the locks..... :idea:

[stopher1]

Wow... look what you guys did to the place! :scared1: I guess that's what I get for leaving the keys under the front mat. Note to self... I need to change the locks..... :idea:

When the cat's away....

you can thank trennr later

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wow... look what you guys did to the place! :scared1: I guess that's what I get for leaving the keys under the front mat. Note to self... I need to change the locks..... :idea:

Hey, we've given you a bump back to the first page of the trip reports board. I think we've done you a huge favor here. :laughing:

[JJBEAN]

Subbing. I love your TR! Great pictures and love the videos too! Your daughter is adorable! I'm only on page 6 but can't wait to read more!! :wizard:

[Emma's Dad]

caught up!!! i havnt been to sea world in about 12 years. do they still have the clyde and semour show?

Yes, they do... but we didn't see them this trip :sad2:

Yes, yes it does, doesn't it. Of course, that's what happens when there are weeks, sometimes months between updates...

:lmao::lmao::lmao:


http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/icon_twisted.gif My evil plan is working. bwuhahahahahaha!!!! http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/icon_twisted.gif


Another reason to not procrastinate and just get those TR's done quickly. :lmao:

But heck yeah - I'm getting a kick out of it too :rotfl2:

I'm wondering how long it can go on before Don posts a real update, and not just something to complain about what you all started?!?

I'll tell you one thing, I'll be cranking out updates to my next TR at a frantic pace, just to try and avoid what you guys are doing to poor innocent Don. :rotfl2:

Hey, we've given you a bump back to the first page of the trip reports board. I think we've done you a huge favor here. :laughing:

Hey! You guys scared all my crickets away!! :lmao::lmao:


Yes, they do. :thumbsup2

I miss grilling. Our current townhome complex doesn't allow grilling in our back patio area. If we had a grill, we'd have to pull it out into the grassy common area where everyone lets their dogs poo and then don't pick up after them. :sad2:

But, if anyone is willing, I like my steak medium rare. :thumbsup2

Ewwwww... no 5 second rule during your cookouts! Never know what you're putting back on the grill :scared1:

I hope all is well at your place, Carissa! Ready for another vacation yet??

Subbing. I love your TR! Great pictures and love the videos too! Your daughter is adorable! I'm only on page 6 but can't wait to read more!! :wizard:

Thank you :goodvibes Read slowly... you have plenty of time before the finish line... :lmao::lmao::lmao:


I really do need to kick in the afterburners, though. There are only 61 days left before our next trip!

[carissanboys]

I hope all is well at your place, Carissa! Ready for another vacation yet??

I was ready a longggggg time ago! :rolleyes1 Things are good. Just staying busy and the time is going by quickly. Chuck's already been gone 2 months!

I really do need to kick in the afterburners, though. There are only 61 days left before our next trip!

I saw that on FB today and thought maybe it was a countdown to your next trip. :cool1:

[Emma's Dad]

I was ready a longggggg time ago! :rolleyes1 Things are good. Just staying busy and the time is going by quickly. Chuck's already been gone 2 months!


I saw that on FB today and thought maybe it was a countdown to your next trip. :cool1:

Wow! It's been 2 months already?? Hope the rest of the time goes by quickly for you. This reminds me of an interesting conversation I had with DD yesterday. As we were driving down the road, out of the blue she asks, "Daddy, do you wish you were still in the Navy?" I was totally caught off guard by the question since nothing we were talking about included the Navy. I answered, "I do miss it sometimes, but I'm very happy that I am able to be home with you every day." She thought about my answer for a minute and then says, "I'm glad I get to see you every day, too!"

It would be very hard for me to be away from home for any extended amount of time at this time in my life. I pray every day for all the service men and woman out there that make this sacrifice for our country. And a very special prayer for the spouses, such as yourself, and the children who not only take on the extra responsibilities, but have to wait anxiously and patiently for their loved one's return. :hug:

And yes... that's exactly why I posted it on FB :goodvibes Still have not make a firm itinerary!!

[carissanboys]

Wow! It's been 2 months already?? Hope the rest of the time goes by quickly for you. This reminds me of an interesting conversation I had with DD yesterday. As we were driving down the road, out of the blue she asks, "Daddy, do you wish you were still in the Navy?" I was totally caught off guard by the question since nothing we were talking about included the Navy. I answered, "I do miss it sometimes, but I'm very happy that I am able to be home with you every day." She thought about my answer for a minute and then says, "I'm glad I get to see you every day, too!"

Awwwww :goodvibes She's such a cutie.

It would be very hard for me to be away from home for any extended amount of time at this time in my life. I pray every day for all the service men and woman out there that make this sacrifice for our country. And a very special prayer for the spouses, such as yourself, and the children who not only take on the extra responsibilities, but have to wait anxiously and patiently for their loved one's return. :hug:

Chuck was ready to come home the day they left. ;) As much as we miss having him home, I'm glad he's getting this opportunity to find out what being at sea is really like. He'd probably disagree with me, but I don't think he should retire from the navy without at least one deployment on a ship! And really hoping it helps his chances of finally making chief this year.

And yes... that's exactly why I posted it on FB :goodvibes Still have not make a firm itinerary!!

You've got time. :thumbsup2

[DisneyDadC]

great tr Don but I always read from the end to the beginning so I know what happens first.So could you please kick it up a notch and "GET ER DONE"
I will stick to the subject and not get involved in any sort of highjacking:rolleyes1:rolleyes1:rolleyes1:rolleyes 1

[stopher1]

I will stick to the subject and not get involved in any sort of highjacking:rolleyes1:rolleyes1:rolleyes1:rolleyes 1

yeah, right....

[DisneyDadC]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/cricket.gif


Sorry to interrupt you Don. I am sure you are working hard on your ending to this TR, so I wont bother you was just returning something of yours that the other Dis Dads chased away.:lmao::lmao:

[Emma's Dad]

May 4, 2009

With Shamu in our rear view mirror, we trek over past the hospitality center and pause for some photos by the fountains:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S41iHJ5fO4I/AAAAAAAAFKE/IfWh9qxvtew/s800/DSC02692.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/h90inhSvMpy4UKlKllWOCw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S41iLEUZ4YI/AAAAAAAAFKM/4MQMCj0Sclw/s800/DSC02693.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TYfD3aVwBahMNTyQvhpJFQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S41iLnnycYI/AAAAAAAAFKU/s0_xDN588HM/s800/DSC02694.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/giNPVxGyo22Ewh_UiAPHLQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S41iMIulx1I/AAAAAAAAFKc/xF0h3l9nN2M/s800/DSC02695.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CMI1qff1osiPzyhU-Tvyhw?feat=embedwebsite)

A little further down the walk we stumbled across an interesting piece of machinery. Now, I'm not a die-hard NASCAR fan, but I do believe this is one of Jimmie Johnson's old cars. But I don't remember Sea World ever sponsoring him. Feel free to chime in here you NASCAR fans! No plaque could be found to explain why the car was there. Oh well... DD liked posing in front of it!

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S41iRtfQt4I/AAAAAAAAFKk/N4frDafhgw4/s800/DSC02696.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/d9Y1eJdlAp9M8SSyhZKnVA?feat=embedwebsite)

At this point we are at a crossroads. Since we did not plan out today's activities, we spend a few minutes discussing what would be interesting to see and do. Lack of planning for this day is starting to cause anxiety and stress... neither of which do we handle well. But we finally agree that the next thing we should do (based on current location in the park) is to experience the Shark Encounter exhibit. We would discuss the next step while there.

The Shark Encounter exhibit was pretty cool! We spent quite a while just watching the sharks swimming around... admiring the different shapes and colors of the various sharks. It's amazing being able to see how see what they look like and how they run around in the tank. Here's a short video for you... DW took this one, and I gotta say... I LOVE the commentary :)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S4-pwgQVz5I/AAAAAAAAFMs/u5hZGv1eKYo/s288/MOV02698.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TgBPYoEaKGJRq4XCaEydgw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S4-pPLa1m4I/AAAAAAAAFMg/egkgIMceVy0/s800/DSC02697.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4cyBdUCGnS-r-JTODMtwlw?feat=embedwebsite)

Inside the building there is much more to experience. There are many exhibits throughout the building and is educational. DD had fun running from place to place. They also have this super-cool tube within an aquarium that contains all sorts of sea life and sharks. Some are more scary than others. Best part is the moving walkway that moved you down the tube. Pretty good idea to keep people moving... else they would just sit there and gawk. I took a bunch of shots inside here, but my camera just wasn't up to the low light and fast moving targets. Here are the "good" shots:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pHSVvrTXI/AAAAAAAAFPs/GlJxkC1oUIo/s800/DSC02703.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/A9i47AtMrsqUBFJFOtr-Xg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pHSzfGsII/AAAAAAAAFP0/e2lCqC0PbTI/s800/DSC02706.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ojK1wlNvwaHwjIgWjXoezg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pHXgUa76I/AAAAAAAAFQE/GPR5XfiFIbQ/s800/DSC02713.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fAiSnLsQlp9cUPkou8AXcw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pHX2WIxDI/AAAAAAAAFQM/d6MGHi0Fk-o/s800/DSC02714.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Bjnag0hdiEXu_qakUzqfqA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pHamzcRmI/AAAAAAAAFQU/hd8h39dfRTg/s800/DSC02715.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fxvEXXWKz_XYqKmWdWK89Q?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pHfaS38DI/AAAAAAAAFQc/y0dK-wKVUf0/s800/DSC02718.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/okh3q09T7WFtVi5JdNSYRQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pHfgNUpoI/AAAAAAAAFQk/vEPJlV2QFO0/s800/DSC02720.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z6Rc1yDpme87DSgIBctrpA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pHqzAwaDI/AAAAAAAAFQs/qn9I0Gb37sg/s800/DSC02722.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nPTtPw95pegdr8N_lOW11Q?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pHwf1Ta-I/AAAAAAAAFQ0/X_cQwaLNra4/s800/DSC02726.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SezvCH4Lzs6RGymuU0ey4A?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pH0pkQzaI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/q-wmrbLDGq4/s800/DSC02727.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZzgCkpKPjWIfVNNny5Wr4A?feat=embedwebsite)

This is a very short clip, but these guys were FASCINATING!

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pH-sLkhEI/AAAAAAAAFRE/LUC8dvi1Xho/s288/MOV02728.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Jo_ccMwowijL7-bJCvVOrQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pL33K0fYI/AAAAAAAAFR8/-LfWEI70oXo/s800/DSC02731.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vakGzxEWxKczb9fGJrvweA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pL7mBHQDI/AAAAAAAAFSE/E8B7Q7TN6A4/s800/DSC02733.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8LO003L6NSo9NjvYayhbAQ?feat=embedwebsite)

Shark tube videos!

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pMa8jCPOI/AAAAAAAAFSw/4dCtyGnfBIg/s288/MOV02741.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/F7yxsOYtFaqxNDPySHYjzw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pMl9Kb-AI/AAAAAAAAFS8/v-RPK-Earqc/s288/MOV02742.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q7nG15CaDmwkcl6fKNjwFQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pMAvgHiOI/AAAAAAAAFSU/XRffLynbFaY/s800/DSC02736.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/guSzV-mf5hpvF9JUpPwuwA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5pMA1VqsxI/AAAAAAAAFSc/70pHHjgxqBg/s800/DSC02739.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0F6ugKbIrsRPd2tba3nKnQ?feat=embedwebsite)

I admit... that area was very fun and cool to go through. There are a couple of exhibits that are probably too close together and people start coagulating together. Other than that... A+!

DW and I were able to side-step for a little while in the A/C and come up with at least a plan to get us to lunch. It was decided that the closest (and cheapest) eatin' place was the "Sandbar". They have hot dogs and such. So that's next on the list!

Next up: Day 7, Part 3: "Ummm... OK... Can we go back to Disney World now??" (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35931631&postcount=335)

[Emma's Dad]

Figured I'd get an update posted on my birthday :cool1:

[trennr]

Figured I'd get an update posted on my birthday :cool1:

Happy Birthday.

Look for his next update 3-16-2011. :lmao:

[FreezinRafiki]

Figured I'd get an update posted on my birthday :cool1:

Happy Birthday Don! In your honor, I officially call for a 24 hour moratorium on making fun of your slow moving trip report. Well, that and you just posted an update. That should keep the hounds off for a day or so!

Nice update. But now I'm hungry for some nice fried fish...:lmao:

[Emma's Dad]

Happy Birthday.

Look for his next update 3-16-2011. :lmao:

Thanks :thumbsup2 HAHA! Nah... must get it done SOON!

Happy Birthday Don! In your honor, I officially call for a 24 hour moratorium on making fun of your slow moving trip report. Well, that and you just posted an update. That should keep the hounds off for a day or so!

Nice update. But now I'm hungry for some nice fried fish...:lmao:

:rotfl2: 24 hours?!? That's like 5 minutes in my TR time :scared1:

[Disney Commando]

:bday: Don & many more! What time is the :cake: The Dads are ready to party party::rockband::drinking1:dancer::banana::cool1:

[Captain_Oblivious]

Figured I'd get an update posted on my birthday :cool1:

Happy birthday! It's my wife's birthday today too. Obviously very classy people are born on March 16. :lmao:

[DisneyDadC]

Happy Birthday
Good job on the update cool pics of the fish!!:thumbsup2

[stopher1]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Don!


Happy Birthday Don! In your honor, I officially call for a 24 hour moratorium on making fun of your slow moving trip report. Well, that and you just posted an update. That should keep the hounds off for a day or so!

Nice update. But now I'm hungry for some nice fried fish...:lmao:

Barry you're being generous here. He's already had months! In fact it's been so long, I'd forgotten that they'd gone over to Sea World...:rotfl:

Don't wait too long Don - that next trip is coming up fast!

[Emma's Dad]

:bday: Don & many more! What time is the :cake: The Dads are ready to party party::rockband::drinking1:dancer::banana::cool1:

Should be about 7:00 tonight! Welcome to join in the fun!! :woohoo:

Happy birthday! It's my wife's birthday today too. Obviously very classy people are born on March 16. :lmao:

That's awesome!! Tell her I said Happy Birthday from a fellow Pisces :thumbsup2

Happy Birthday
Good job on the update cool pics of the fish!!:thumbsup2

Thanks! Those rascals are hard to catch on "film"!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Don!

Barry you're being generous here. He's already had months! In fact it's been so long, I'd forgotten that they'd gone over to Sea World...:rotfl:

Don't wait too long Don - that next trip is coming up fast!

:rotfl2::rotfl2: I had forgotten, too!

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Happy Birthday Don!!!

Both of my boys would love the sharks, so now that you have been to Seaworld, the test is would you go again. I think we would like to explore a few more things on a longer trip. Seaworld is definately on the list.

Great job, love the underwater pics.

[Emma's Dad]

Happy Birthday Don!!!

Both of my boys would love the sharks, so now that you have been to Seaworld, the test is would you go again. I think we would like to explore a few more things on a longer trip. Seaworld is definately on the list.

Great job, love the underwater pics.

Hmmmm... would I go again? Absolutely! Would DW go again? Nope. My DW is forever spoiled by the Disney magic and if she visits a place that doesn't quite have that magic, it's off the list. She didn't feel the magic there... so off the list it went. We didn't see but half the park on the trip, so there is still more to explore.

[dvczerfs]

Figured I'd get an update posted on my birthday :cool1:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DON!!!!:thumbsup2nice pics, worth waithing for.:thumbsup2

[Emma's Dad]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DON!!!!:thumbsup2nice pics, worth waithing for.:thumbsup2

Thanks a lot, Dave! More pictures are coming soon!!

[stopher1]

Thanks a lot, Dave! More pictures are coming soon!!

Soon is such a subjective term... :rolleyes1

[itJeff]

Love the pics! :thumbsup2

There's an aquarium about 2 hours from here that has a shark tank with some walk through tunnels. It's a bizarre feeling to be surrounded by all those sharks.

Happy late Birthday! :)

[carissanboys]

Happy Birthday, Don! Sorry I missed it. Hope it was an awesome one for you. :goodvibes

[porknbeans]

Happy belated birthday.

[trennr]

John!!!! has been sighted!!!

Where have you bieno?

[DisneyDadC]

More ,more more,We want more:woohoo:

[porknbeans]

John!!!! has been sighted!!!

Where have you bieno?

Crazy busy at work. Everybody is doing more with less kind of thing. Hopefully we can land some of the prelim stuff 'cause I aint' getting paid for practicing!

I'm able to check-in about one a week. I'm around but doing more lurking than posting. Thanks for asking.

[Emma's Dad]

Love the pics! :thumbsup2

There's an aquarium about 2 hours from here that has a shark tank with some walk through tunnels. It's a bizarre feeling to be surrounded by all those sharks.

Happy late Birthday! :)

Thanks!! I know what you mean... kind of makes you feel like shark bait.

Happy Birthday, Don! Sorry I missed it. Hope it was an awesome one for you. :goodvibes

Thanks, Carissa! Had a wonderful birthday thanks to my DW and DD!!

More ,more more,We want more:woohoo:

And more you shall receive :wizard:

Happy belated birthday.
Crazy busy at work. Everybody is doing more with less kind of thing. Hopefully we can land some of the prelim stuff 'cause I aint' getting paid for practicing!

I'm able to check-in about one a week. I'm around but doing more lurking than posting. Thanks for asking.

Thanks :thumbsup2 I feel privileged that my TR pulled you out of lurking :)

[Emma's Dad]

May 4, 2009

The Sandbar is located pretty close to the Shark Encounter exhibit. On our way we see what appears to be a big fish tank in front of a small stadium area. Only... in this particular fish tank there were 2 people in it... a guy and a girl. They seemed to be diving down to the bottom on the tank and looking for things. It turns out to be "Pearl Dive", where, for a price (don't remember how much), you can have one of the divers pick out an oyster and then have the oyster opened. You get to keep the pearl from the oyster and can have it turned into jewelry. DD was absolutely fascinated with the divers and kept asking if she could go in the tank with them! Well... being the DIS Dad that I am, I kindly inquired to the nearest worker if it would be OK to throw DD in the tank for her own oyster. Still not sure why he walked away... shaking his head... I thought it was a valid question, ya know? HAHA! Anyway... here is DD posing with the divers:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KK7vVK-**/AAAAAAAAFcA/N-x-b-e-JnA/s800/DSC02746.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sWIMGtvpPZfjgCr44bIZOg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S5qN0uKhGqI/AAAAAAAAFUs/kJs5WzmyF94/s800/DSC02748.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wjOTqWnl9MEnW_XlnW01yw?feat=embedwebsite)

Just around the corner from Pearl Dive is Sky Tower. This was decided to be a must-do item... and since it is right next to the Sandbar we go ahead and check it out. Here is DD and DW walking toward the entrance:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6J9dvTVa2I/AAAAAAAAFXE/TXLwivrMXgI/s800/DSC02749.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FSiWU9jwYAydqgcl-sr6Ow?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6J9hinzYVI/AAAAAAAAFXM/hlFxAW2Zfk4/s800/DSC02750.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3z4YrMmjf5GHMMkIr4a9aw?feat=embedwebsite)

OK... here's a little information for those who are interested in the Sky Tower. If you do not have an annual pass, it will cost you $3 to ride. Fortunately for us, we all had passes and were able to ride for free. I found this description to be pretty accurate of the ride - SeaWorld - North End: Sky Tower (http://www.theotherorlando.com/contents/chapters/4/skytower.html). Not much to add except that I probably would not have experienced the ride if I had to pay $3 a person. Here are pics from the ride:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG54RT4qI/AAAAAAAAFYg/43BK55IDb7Y/s800/DSC02751.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/niB1QmYhnQnwoupg-D0Utg?feat=embedwebsite)

Back side of Pearl Dive from the Sky Tower:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG6kytUnI/AAAAAAAAFYo/kd_vgpCHGZ8/s800/DSC02752.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EUYceJibQvmta2RnnLqVyQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG7SBZTDI/AAAAAAAAFYw/ZrzIPZM1D0I/s800/DSC02753.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tkdBkzggJNuEfIzIKV7Nmg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG8MivO2I/AAAAAAAAFY4/Fxq3UPHlaZE/s800/DSC02754.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ARVC1teQIeWygO-bCE4dKw?feat=embedwebsite)

The lagoon, including the flamingo paddle boats:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG88BF0EI/AAAAAAAAFZA/n2zbIrNqeWg/s800/DSC02755.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kh5p8dHCxLfJbDhXrimYdQ?feat=embedwebsite)

Shamu Stadium:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG9vMQNCI/AAAAAAAAFZI/-J9xxmUo0Gc/s800/DSC02756.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SRSXIFApmBWXcpPTpLMGxw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KHBk4T-PI/AAAAAAAAFZ4/gcKF3wdI4Ag/s800/DSC02762.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PiA56sn0LCe4-hU542z0uQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG-LuitFI/AAAAAAAAFZQ/OyJR3SVqh7s/s800/DSC02757.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bLyTWRxL07fy8u8n8Zus8g?feat=embedwebsite)

This one shows the Renaissance hotel across the street from Sea World... and is where the bus stop is located:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG-3K_DEI/AAAAAAAAFZY/L5QZHZlQtcA/s800/DSC02758.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SqMa_cjPzBlYT48Y2ozyKw?feat=embedwebsite)

Manta!
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG_S7ka2I/AAAAAAAAFZg/11JTPd_aP-s/s800/DSC02759.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/i2Q0tDUpp4qBONZH1qmdlQ?feat=embedwebsite)

Kraken!
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KHAJMhdCI/AAAAAAAAFZo/W0sPPL00Vno/s800/DSC02760.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/s1oipZwQGt21nSy1WWjvsA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KHBGIDSBI/AAAAAAAAFZw/kFZDPJjm7I8/s800/DSC02761.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/P3elusbQm0Ge_4Txo1GHOg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KHCZbUlCI/AAAAAAAAFaA/08XjpIAGj-s/s800/DSC02763.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RJSYzpiFnJihUdri6gpMlg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KHDB-mGII/AAAAAAAAFaI/U5bPzsGpOyY/s800/DSC02764.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wF87st2VgRMk05HFU7Pqzw?feat=embedwebsite)

Here's a view of Aquatica behind the Journey to Atlantis ride:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KHEB_2yzI/AAAAAAAAFaU/6gu6pFTjl9k/s800/DSC02765.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ta9S_x5pm6UiD9GCL1ivBQ?feat=embedwebsite)

I'm sure in one of these pictures you could make out Spaceship Earth or even Space Mountain. It was definitely interesting to see the area from that vantage point in the sky. As we were descending, I happened to notice there were trains running around the Manta coaster! I had read about the coaster before leaving on the trip, but there were no notices about a soft opening or anything. As far as I knew, the ride was still in progress of being built. Would have to check this out later. The ride has come to a complete stop and we were cleared for disembarking.

Hungry. That's what DW is now. You know what that means? Yep.... time to eat. I've learned over the years that when the alert is sounded, there is a limited amount of time to get food into the mouth of "the hungry one" before a split personality appears. This grace period is usually just long enough to rally the troops in the correct direction and immediately travel quickly to the destination. Any attempts to thwart this effort will be met with extreme countermeasures such as yelling, kicking and/or throwing things. OK... so it's not quite THAT bad. And luckily we are right around the corner from the Sandbar. Another point we had to consider for today's visit to Sea World is the fact that we would have to pay for meals out of pocket. We thought that by having hot dogs and drinks we would come out pretty cheap. Ummm... not so in this case. The same size dogs you can get at 7-11 for $2 cost about $7 here. In all we spent just over $25 for 3 dogs and a drink... which we shared. We were not pleased. But... we should come to expect this at a theme park, right?

We even enjoyed some entertainment while sitting at the tables. Seems a friendly lizard-couple decided to take a friendly stroll along the edge of the eating area... stopping occasionally to perform a few dances and show off their stuff. One thing led to another... and suddenly we are faced with the x-rated version of the show. Before DD could start asking questions... we promptly finish our "meal" and head out. Not before I grabbed some quick shots of the actions first:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6O60U0m4uI/AAAAAAAAFdg/jgSG_poMDOI/s800/DSC02766.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JMJIWdw0XTkjVEzrLUtzGQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6O68L4NUlI/AAAAAAAAFdo/kdQQ5WrBn94/s800/DSC02767.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OMwjXS03MqmfjRaF1WBaPg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6O68VbaYMI/AAAAAAAAFdw/Qt4bIT2ypmU/s800/DSC02768.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/brs6LSJJudLg9KY94uJI6g?feat=embedwebsite)

All righty then... moving along... it was really starting to get hot out at this point. I think we were all starting to get agitated and in need of some A/C. BUT... I had already made it clear that I want to at least check out what was going on with Manta. So... plan is... check out Manta, then go see an indoor show. Sounds like a good plan, right? Let's go!

The Sea World map was a little confusing. The entrance to Manta seemed to be just around the corner from where we were... but we were having trouble finding it. You know that conversation you have with your spouse when driving... and you realize you've made a bad turn somewhere? You have the map in front of you and you're mumbling "... stupid thing says it's RIGHT HERE..." all the while your spouse is yelling "JUST STOP AND ASK SOMEONE!" Yeah... we were there. The first worker I stop was clueless. I might as well asked her where the DIS Board was located. OK... slow, deep breaths... we can get through this. DW is starting to lose it... if there is one thing that will fire her up fast than a ragin' cajun is bad customer service. The next worker is a little better... he is at least able to point us in the correct direction for the entrance to the ride. A few minutes later and we are at the entrance. DD is too small to ride... so we stop yet another worker to find out if they do a "child swap" of any sorts. "Umm... I think so. Oh yeah... uh... go up to the exit and talk to the guy in the cage." I should have known at this point that this couldn't possibly work out ok... but we try it anyway.

DW heads up the exit and I start my way through the regular line. Turns out they are having the soft opening this day. The line seemed to be long, but the guy in front of me said it moves pretty quickly. The queue area was fascinating! They have aquariums set up throughout the line and also have a big aquarium that have manta rays swimming around. OH! and there was a water fountain at the beginning of the line! What a great idea! Although... I suppose if you drank a lot before the ride and there was a long wait you'd might regret it. It took about 20 minutes to get through the line, and I figured if I'm riding this thing, I'm riding in the FRONT! So while I'm waiting, I then remember that DW should be by the exit somewhere... but no... she is not. Don't know what that means yet... but I'll find out once the ride is over.

If you have no idea what roller coaster I'm talking about, visit this web site and they have a short video of it... http://www.ridetheflyingray.com/manta/ This is one SWEET ride! This was the first coaster I've been on that has you laying down on your belly! Very smooth and I love the inverted loop that takes you on your back. Really is an incredible experience. I was grinning from ear-to-ear as we pulled into the station.... then... about 10 feet from where we are SUPPOSED to stop... the train stops. And it doesn't move. I look up and I can see the control booth... which has about 4 people in it... shaking there heads... looking at clipboards. This can't be good. Now imagine being strapped into this chair... laying face-down... for about 10 minutes. That's how long it took these people to figure out what was wrong to get us off the train. Very uncomfortable.

As I'm walking down the exit ramp I am trying to figure out what happened to DW and DD. Found them hanging out at the very end of the exit area sitting on some rocks.... and DW does NOT look happy. She found out that they DO have a child swap process... and you are issued a card upon exiting the ride. You then hand the card to the person who is waiting to ride next. But guess who didn't get the card? Yeah... Muah. Didn't really matter at this point because DW was beyond consoling and just wanted to leave... so... we did.

Found these guys waiting for pictures as we were heading out:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6O69lFePPI/AAAAAAAAFeA/Lq8a6XR0UNk/s800/DSC02771.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eAmSb4PRgvCyMbwT1bA1HQ?feat=embedwebsite)

Well... we lasted until about 3:30pm that day at Sea World. There is still much to be seen there. DW did say that if DD ever wanted to go back, we would. If we do, I'll be sure to make a plan, because I certainly do not want to have another park day end like that again.

We get on the LYNX bus and start heading back to a REAL resort location. As luck would have it, the same family we met that morning was on the bus already! This made DD very happy and the two girls picked up right where they left off. DW and I were deciding what to do next. It was during this time when I was checking out the bus route map that I figured instead of going all the way back to the TTC, we could instead get off at DTD and grab some dinner there. This made DW very happy... as she's been wanting to eat there again. The bus stops at the Marketplace... at the corner of Buena Vista Dr and Hotel Plaza Blvd... right in front of Earl of Sandwich. It was a very short walk to EOS... a hundred feet at best. And that's exactly where we got our next meal from. Excellent food for those who are looking for a counter service meal. I don't recall what we ate, but I do remember DD knocking over her newly filled cup of fruit punch... and over the floor. Those kind of incidents always make for a good time getting to know the folks in the restaurant! HAHA! It was all good.

OK... we are almost done with this day... but have one more stop before the end of the night. I'll get you there ASAP... I know that has been ONE LOOOONNNGGGG Trip Report!

Up Next: Day 7, Part 4: "It's always nice to meet new friends" (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36172110&postcount=387)

[DisneyDadC]

nice update Don!:thumbsup2 the pics in your reports are worth waiting for.Keep up the good work.

[Captain_Oblivious]

I'm sure in one of these pictures you could make out Spaceship Earth or even Space Mountain.

Ok, show of hands--who was scanning the horizon for Disney buildings? Besides me, of course.

We even enjoyed some entertainment while sitting at the tables. Seems a friendly lizard-couple decided to take a friendly stroll along the edge of the eating area... stopping occasionally to perform a few dances and show off their stuff. One thing led to another... and suddenly we are faced with the x-rated version of the show.

Uh...they're just wrestling, honey. :idea: Hey, look a squirrel!

You know that conversation you have with your spouse when driving... and you realize you've made a bad turn somewhere? You have the map in front of you and you're mumbling "... stupid thing says it's RIGHT HERE..." all the while your spouse is yelling "JUST STOP AND ASK SOMEONE!"

Nope, no idea what you're talking about. :rolleyes1

Nice pictures!

[trennr]

Who knew crickets were an aphrodisiac for Lizards? :confused3

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

I swear I heard some really cheesy music and Barry White saying, "Hello baby!" :rotfl2: :rotfl2:


I was at 6 Flags in Hotlanta...waiting to get onto Superman...and the Coaster stopped about 10 feet from the end...those people were left hanging for about a half an hour...plus a Thunderstorm was fast approaching...needless to say I didn't get to ride.

[Emma's Dad]

nice update Don!:thumbsup2 the pics in your reports are worth waiting for.Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Carl! I'm seriously considering a better camera for this next trip... maybe even try one with manual settings.

Ok, show of hands--who was scanning the horizon for Disney buildings? Besides me, of course.

Uh...they're just wrestling, honey. :idea: Hey, look a squirrel!

Nope, no idea what you're talking about. :rolleyes1

Nice pictures!

Thanks!
HAHA! Didn't think of wrestling... looked more like a high school dance! :lmao:

[Emma's Dad]

Who knew crickets were an aphrodisiac for Lizards? :confused3

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

I swear I heard some really cheesy music and Barry White saying, "Hello baby!" :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

I was at 6 Flags in Hotlanta...waiting to get onto Superman...and the Coaster stopped about 10 feet from the end...those people were left hanging for about a half an hour...plus a Thunderstorm was fast approaching...needless to say I didn't get to ride.

:lmao::lmao::lmao: Barry White! :rotfl2::rotfl2: Crackin me up!

The worst part about getting hung up there is the leg bar. It was right in the middle of my shins and even with the padding it was still uncomfortable. Have to admit... I was really pitying the women... could not have felt good in the chest area! :sad2:

[cj9200]

Great update. Haven’t done Sea World in ages. Maybe next trip. Manta sounds really cool and I get the “It should be HERE” observation. Usually it is me with my head buried in a map with my DD pointing and saying, “There it is dad” in that condescending tone.

[that's nice]

Welcome back to your TR!!!!:woohoo:

I think when you know you can't do something you want to do it that much more... In your case getting off the RIDE!!! Glad it was only 10 minutes and not hours!

I heard about the birds and the bees.. but never about the lizards! Great lunch entertainment! Did you place your money in the slot at your table? :banana::rolleyes1:rolleyes1

Great pics BTW!!!

[itJeff]

... I don't recall what we ate...

Hmmmmm..... I can't imagine that you don't remember what you ate 10 months ago. :laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

----- Making a mental note to take pics of all the food we eat on our trip in May. That way I don't have to eat my words later. :rolleyes1 -----

With regards to the map reading and asking for directions. This is what I tell my wife, in those circumstances... "I don't ask for directions because very few people know how to give good directions." Of course that didn't help that one year on our anniversary, when we drove around for 1.5 hours trying to find a restaurant in an unfamiliar city. :eek: We try not to talk about that anniversary. :laughing:

I was definitely looking for Mouse-landmarks in the pics from the tower. I didn't make any out though... :confused3

Can't wait to see how the day ends! :thumbsup2

[FreezinRafiki]

Yep.... time to eat. I've learned over the years that when the alert is sounded, there is a limited amount of time to get food into the mouth of "the hungry one" before a split personality appears. This grace period is usually just long enough to rally the troops in the correct direction and immediately travel quickly to the destination. Any attempts to thwart this effort will be met with extreme countermeasures such as yelling, kicking and/or throwing things.

Umm... I'm contractually bound not to respond to this. Or even acknowledge that you actually said it.

Other than that, great update. I wonder how long you could keep one of those pearl divers waiting while DD posed and you pretended to fiddle with the settings on your camera? :rotfl2:

Ok, show of hands--who was scanning the horizon for Disney buildings? Besides me, of course.


:wave2:

[dvczerfs]

nice update don, man has that place grew since ive been there last!:thumbsup2

[stopher1]

May 4, 2009


Yay - another update. :thumbsup2

May 4, 2009The Sandbar is located pretty close to the Shark Encounter exhibit. On our way we see what appears to be a big fish tank in front of a small stadium area. Only... in this particular fish tank there were 2 people in it... a guy and a girl. They seemed to be diving down to the bottom on the tank and looking for things. It turns out to be "Pearl Dive", where, for a price (don't remember how much), you can have one of the divers pick out an oyster and then have the oyster opened. You get to keep the pearl from the oyster and can have it turned into jewelry. DD was absolutely fascinated with the divers and kept asking if she could go in the tank with them! Well... being the DIS Dad that I am, I kindly inquired to the nearest worker if it would be OK to throw DD in the tank for her own oyster. Still not sure why he walked away... shaking his head... I thought it was a valid question, ya know? HAHA! Anyway... here is DD posing with the divers:


Seems like a valid question to me!! :rotfl:


OK... here's a little information for those who are interested in the Sky Tower. If you do not have an annual pass, it will cost you $3 to ride.

This is exactly why we did not go on it when we visited SW last fall.


Shamu Stadium:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG9vMQNCI/AAAAAAAAFZI/-J9xxmUo0Gc/s800/DSC02756.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SRSXIFApmBWXcpPTpLMGxw?feat=embedwebsite)

Manta!
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6KG_S7ka2I/AAAAAAAAFZg/11JTPd_aP-s/s800/DSC02759.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/i2Q0tDUpp4qBONZH1qmdlQ?feat=embedwebsite)


You did get some nice pics from up there.


I'm sure in one of these pictures you could make out Spaceship Earth or even Space Mountain. It was definitely interesting to see the area from that vantage point in the sky.


I sure tried to see anything in your pics, but couldn't zoom in to inspect them - I'll bet you could see the DTD area hotels at the very least.



Hungry. That's what DW is now. You know what that means? Yep.... time to eat. I've learned over the years that when the alert is sounded, there is a limited amount of time to get food into the mouth of "the hungry one" before a split personality appears.


Too funny - since you have pretty much just described by 14 yr old :rotfl2:


We thought that by having hot dogs and drinks we would come out pretty cheap. Ummm... not so in this case. The same size dogs you can get at 7-11 for $2 cost about $7 here. In all we spent just over $25 for 3 dogs and a drink... which we shared. We were not pleased. But... we should come to expect this at a theme park, right?

:lmao::rotfl::rotfl2:

wow - don't you remember the class we had to take in Theme Park 101? EVERYTHING COSTS MORE - DOUBLE OR TRIPLE EVEN - ONCE YOU ENTER THE REALITY DISTORTION REALM OF A THEME PARK Oh wait, I guess you were absent that day...

We even enjoyed some entertainment while sitting at the tables. Seems a friendly lizard-couple decided to take a friendly stroll along the edge of the eating area... stopping occasionally to perform a few dances and show off their stuff. One thing led to another... and suddenly we are faced with the x-rated version of the show. Before DD could start asking questions... we promptly finish our "meal" and head out. Not before I grabbed some quick shots of the actions first:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6O60U0m4uI/AAAAAAAAFdg/jgSG_poMDOI/s800/DSC02766.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JMJIWdw0XTkjVEzrLUtzGQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6O68L4NUlI/AAAAAAAAFdo/kdQQ5WrBn94/s800/DSC02767.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OMwjXS03MqmfjRaF1WBaPg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6O68VbaYMI/AAAAAAAAFdw/Qt4bIT2ypmU/s800/DSC02768.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/brs6LSJJudLg9KY94uJI6g?feat=embedwebsite)


:rotfl: Oh cool - True-Life Adventures right there up close and personal. I love it. Too bad they didn't list that on the Times Guide... perhaps there would have been a bigger crowd around. Mental note though, for the faint of heart (or those dads not wanting to yet discuss the birds and the bees, or in this case, the lizards) - try to avoid theme parks with real animals during the spring, otherwise known as mating season! ;)


All righty then... moving along... it was really starting to get hot out at this point. I think we were all starting to get agitated and in need of some A/C. BUT... I had already made it clear that I want to at least check out what was going on with Manta. So... plan is... check out Manta, then go see an indoor show. Sounds like a good plan, right? Let's go!

The Sea World map was a little confusing.

AMEN to that!!

[ The entrance to Manta seemed to be just around the corner from where we were... but we were having trouble finding it. You know that conversation you have with your spouse when driving... and you realize you've made a bad turn somewhere? You have the map in front of you and you're mumbling "... stupid thing says it's RIGHT HERE..." all the while your spouse is yelling "JUST STOP AND ASK SOMEONE!" Yeah... we were there. The first worker I stop was clueless. I might as well asked her where the DIS Board was located. OK... slow, deep breaths... we can get through this. DW is starting to lose it... if there is one thing that will fire her up fast than a ragin' cajun is bad customer service. The next worker is a little better... he is at least able to point us in the correct direction for the entrance to the ride. A few minutes later and we are at the entrance. DD is too small to ride... so we stop yet another worker to find out if they do a "child swap" of any sorts. "Umm... I think so. Oh yeah... uh... go up to the exit and talk to the guy in the cage." I should have known at this point that this couldn't possibly work out ok... but we try it anyway.

DW heads up the exit and I start my way through the regular line. Turns out they are having the soft opening this day. The line seemed to be long, but the guy in front of me said it moves pretty quickly. The queue area was fascinating! They have aquariums set up throughout the line and also have a big aquarium that have manta rays swimming around. OH! and there was a water fountain at the beginning of the line! What a great idea! Although... I suppose if you drank a lot before the ride and there was a long wait you'd might regret it. It took about 20 minutes to get through the line, and I figured if I'm riding this thing, I'm riding in the FRONT! So while I'm waiting, I then remember that DW should be by the exit somewhere... but no... she is not. Don't know what that means yet... but I'll find out once the ride is over.

If you have no idea what roller coaster I'm talking about, visit this web site and they have a short video of it... http://www.ridetheflyingray.com/manta/ This is one SWEET ride! This was the first coaster I've been on that has you laying down on your belly! Very smooth and I love the inverted loop that takes you on your back. Really is an incredible experience. I was grinning from ear-to-ear as we pulled into the station.... then... about 10 feet from where we are SUPPOSED to stop... the train stops. And it doesn't move. I look up and I can see the control booth... which has about 4 people in it... shaking there heads... looking at clipboards. This can't be good. Now imagine being strapped into this chair... laying face-down... for about 10 minutes. That's how long it took these people to figure out what was wrong to get us off the train. Very uncomfortable.

As I'm walking down the exit ramp I am trying to figure out what happened to DW and DD. Found them hanging out at the very end of the exit area sitting on some rocks.... and DW does NOT look happy. She found out that they DO have a child swap process... and you are issued a card upon exiting the ride. You then hand the card to the person who is waiting to ride next. But guess who didn't get the card? Yeah... Muah. Didn't really matter at this point because DW was beyond consoling and just wanted to leave... so... we did.


Bummer about your DW and the lack of the child swap card, and "hanging out" like you did for 10 mins or so - but HEY - what an awesome ride. Glad to hear you got to go on it. That is definitely my favorite at SW!


We get on the LYNX bus and start heading back to a REAL resort location. As luck would have it, the same family we met that morning was on the bus already! This made DD very happy and the two girls picked up right where they left off.

Too funny, but very cool!

DW and I were deciding what to do next. It was during this time when I was checking out the bus route map that I figured instead of going all the way back to the TTC, we could instead get off at DTD and grab some dinner there. This made DW very happy... as she's been wanting to eat there again. The bus stops at the Marketplace... at the corner of Buena Vista Dr and Hotel Plaza Blvd... right in front of Earl of Sandwich. It was a very short walk to EOS... a hundred feet at best. And that's exactly where we got our next meal from. Excellent food for those who are looking for a counter service meal.

Yum!

OK... we are almost done with this day... but have one more stop before the end of the night. I'll get you there ASAP... I know that has been ONE LOOOONNNGGGG Trip Report!

Yes it has - but you know you're just trying to stretch it out until it's time to leave once for FL once again. :rotfl::lmao::rotfl2: Can't wait to read the rest. Until then, just keep yer ruddy eye out for pirate:pirate:pirate:

[Emma's Dad]

Great update. Haven’t done Sea World in ages. Maybe next trip. Manta sounds really cool and I get the “It should be HERE” observation. Usually it is me with my head buried in a map with my DD pointing and saying, “There it is dad” in that condescending tone.

:lmao::lmao: True!

Welcome back to your TR!!!!:woohoo:

I think when you know you can't do something you want to do it that much more... In your case getting off the RIDE!!! Glad it was only 10 minutes and not hours!

I heard about the birds and the bees.. but never about the lizards! Great lunch entertainment! Did you place your money in the slot at your table? :banana::rolleyes1:rolleyes1

Great pics BTW!!!

Yeah... it only took quarters, though :rotfl2:

Hmmmmm..... I can't imagine that you don't remember what you ate 10 months ago. :laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

----- Making a mental note to take pics of all the food we eat on our trip in May. That way I don't have to eat my words later. :rolleyes1 -----

With regards to the map reading and asking for directions. This is what I tell my wife, in those circumstances... "I don't ask for directions because very few people know how to give good directions." Of course that didn't help that one year on our anniversary, when we drove around for 1.5 hours trying to find a restaurant in an unfamiliar city. :eek: We try not to talk about that anniversary. :laughing:

I was definitely looking for Mouse-landmarks in the pics from the tower. I didn't make any out though... :confused3

Can't wait to see how the day ends! :thumbsup2


Oh my! :scared1: That definitely sounds like "the anniversary that shall not be discussed"! Were the wheels missing from the car when you went to leave?? :lmao:

Umm... I'm contractually bound not to respond to this. Or even acknowledge that you actually said it.

Other than that, great update. I wonder how long you could keep one of those pearl divers waiting while DD posed and you pretended to fiddle with the settings on your camera? :rotfl2:

:wave2:

HAHA! I actually tried that move... those people can hold their breath for a LONG time... like 3 minutes! :surfweb:

nice update don, man has that place grew since ive been there last!:thumbsup2

Thanks :thumbsup2 When were you there last?

[stopher1]

Ok, show of hands--who was scanning the horizon for Disney buildings? Besides me, of course.


:wave2:

[dvczerfs]

i was there about 10-12 years ago. the big water ride was in and alot of construction but that was the only "ride" type of thing that was there.

[trennr]

Hey Don...I found some stuff...I think...:thumbsup2
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/DSC02757.jpg

[stopher1]

Hey Don...I found some stuff...I think...:thumbsup2
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/DSC02757.jpg

Good eyes Nate - I think you could be right.

[dvczerfs]

wow, nate, ow did you see that?:thumbsup2

[DisneyDadC]

good eyes Nate,I even zoomed in on all the pics and missed it the first time.

[Wherem I Now]

Ok, show of hands--who was scanning the horizon for Disney buildings? Besides me, of course.

:wave:

I've stayed in the Peabody hotel at the Convention center a couple of times. I could make out several of the Disney landmarks and could see the movement of the monorail going in and out of the Contemporary. It was really strange watching the fireworks from that angle and so far away.

Nice catch Nate!

[trennr]

Good eyes Nate - I think you could be right.

wow, nate, ow did you see that?:thumbsup2

good eyes Nate,I even zoomed in on all the pics and missed it the first time.


Nice catch Nate!


Looked on Bing Maps...put a pin marker on the Tower where Don took the Pics...then Traveled over to Epcot and put a pin marker on Spaceship Earth.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/bingmap.jpg
1] Seaworld Tower
2] Spaceship Earth
3] TOT
4] Dolphin
5] Swan
6] Blue Building.
Then I changed my view to travel acorss the land back toward Pin mark #1 (the tower) and saw that those round blue roofed buildings in the bottom of this picture were in the general direction...So I knew if there was anything to be found it would be in that picture...maybe the one with the Flamingo Boats too...but I didn't see anything there.

When I spotted the triangle shape of "The Dolphin" I had my bearings and picked out the rest...still wasn't too sure about Spaceship Earth. :confused3

[Captain_Oblivious]

Looked on Bing Maps...put a pin marker on the Tower where Don took the Pics...then Traveled over to Epcot and put a pin marker on Spaceship Earth.
1] Seaworld Tower
2] Spaceship Earth
3] TOT
4] Dolphin
5] Swan
6] Blue Building.
Then I changed my view to travel acorss the land back toward Pin mark #1 (the tower) and saw that those round blue roofed buildings in the bottom of this picture were in the general direction...So I knew if there was anything to be found it would be in that picture...maybe the one with the Flamingo Boats too...but I didn't see anything there.

When I spotted the triangle shape of "The Dolphin" I had my bearings and picked out the rest...still wasn't too sure about Spaceship Earth. :confused3

Wow...that's impressive work! :thumbsup2

[dvczerfs]

Looked on Bing Maps...put a pin marker on the Tower where Don took the Pics...then Traveled over to Epcot and put a pin marker on Spaceship Earth.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/bingmap.jpg
1] Seaworld Tower
2] Spaceship Earth
3] TOT
4] Dolphin
5] Swan
6] Blue Building.
Then I changed my view to travel acorss the land back toward Pin mark #1 (the tower) and saw that those round blue roofed buildings in the bottom of this picture were in the general direction...So I knew if there was anything to be found it would be in that picture...maybe the one with the Flamingo Boats too...but I didn't see anything there.

When I spotted the triangle shape of "The Dolphin" I had my bearings and picked out the rest...still wasn't too sure about Spaceship Earth. :confused3

nice work nate!:thumbsup2

[itJeff]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/trennr/bingmap.jpg
1] Seaworld Tower
2] Spaceship Earth
3] TOT
4] Dolphin
5] Swan
6] Blue Building.

Awesome idea! :thumbsup2

[Emma's Dad]

Hey Don...I found some stuff...I think...:thumbsup2


Awesome investigation! Oh.... SOOO close! After you found these I did some further investigation. With my original photo I could zoom in a bit more. This is what I found (using your initial findings and using Google Maps to orient):

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6odQeOZwUI/AAAAAAAAFm0/Mv27aFnH6tk/s800/Dsc02757a.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/I5500lyGzNcOVwxdjgy9_g?feat=embedwebsite)

[trennr]

Awesome investigation! Oh.... SOOO close! After you found these I did some further investigation. With my original photo I could zoom in a bit more. This is what I found (using your initial findings and using Google Maps to orient):

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S6odQeOZwUI/AAAAAAAAFm0/Mv27aFnH6tk/s800/Dsc02757a.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/I5500lyGzNcOVwxdjgy9_g?feat=embedwebsite)


3 out of 4 ain't bad. But I did put "???" on Spacship Earth.

[Emma's Dad]

3 out of 4 ain't bad. But I did put "???" on Spacship Earth.

LOL! Yeah! You were the first to sit down and figure out which picture had WDW in it! Ok... so you win the grand prize... party:

Oh... wait... there wasn't a contest to begin with..... :rotfl2::rotfl2:

[that's nice]

I didn't know there was going to be a prize!!!!!!!

I'll take mine as a float!!!!! ummmm... nevermind.. I think that was the other thread I was reading. :coffee:

[trennr]

LOL! Yeah! You were the first to sit down and figure out which picture had WDW in it! Ok... so you win the grand prize... party:

:banana::banana::banana::banana:

Oh... wait... there wasn't a contest to begin with..... :rotfl2::rotfl2:

:headache::guilty::sad1:

[FreezinRafiki]

LOL! Yeah! You were the first to sit down and figure out which picture had WDW in it! Ok... so you win the grand prize... party:

Oh... wait... there wasn't a contest to begin with..... :rotfl2::rotfl2:

:banana::banana::banana::banana:

:headache::guilty::sad1:

Don - I can't announce it officially yet, but it looks like you're going to win the caption contest over on my TR. If you want, you can transfer the prize to Nate. Let me just look it up again and see what that terms of that contest were...

oh yeah, "A winner will be selected and awarded absolutely nothing"

So there you go.

[trennr]

Don - I can't announce it officially yet, but it looks like you're going to win the caption contest over on my TR. If you want, you can transfer the prize to Nate. Let me just look it up again and see what that terms of that contest were...

oh yeah, "A winner will be selected and awarded absolutely nothing"

So there you go.

What...my caption wasn't good enough. :sad2: :lmao:

I mean a little boy thinking that little girl being turn into a statue because she got caught climbing with a sign clearly marked "No Climbing" right beside him. :confused3

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

[FreezinRafiki]

What...my caption wasn't good enough. :sad2: :lmao:

I mean a little boy thinking that little girl being turn into a statue because she got caught climbing with a sign clearly marked "No Climbing" right beside him. :confused3

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

It was good, but it's hard to compete with crop dusting. :rotfl2:

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Great job..love all the pictures from the tower. Those lizards remind me of something my son Jonathan got for Christmas. They are called Seamonkeys, they come in a little packet, you add the contents of the packet into this little tank that comes with it and within 2-3 days you have these tiny living "Seamonkeys". A few days later the Seamonkeys we "fighting" in the tank, DW sent me a text message at work about what the kids thought they were doing and she descibed it as an all out o**y :lmao:

Can't wait for your next update!!

[trennr]

It was good, but it's hard to compete with crop dusting. :rotfl2:

How about... "Did Dad just crop dust this girl?" :rotfl2:

[Emma's Dad]

I didn't know there was going to be a prize!!!!!!!

I'll take mine as a float!!!!! ummmm... nevermind.. I think that was the other thread I was reading. :coffee:

:lmao::lmao:

Don - I can't announce it officially yet, but it looks like you're going to win the caption contest over on my TR. If you want, you can transfer the prize to Nate. Let me just look it up again and see what that terms of that contest were...

oh yeah, "A winner will be selected and awarded absolutely nothing"

So there you go.

:rotfl2::rotfl2: Awesome! I hear there's a check in the mail somewhere... could you add another zero to it?? Wouldn't want to disappoint Corn Fuzz...

What...my caption wasn't good enough. :sad2: :lmao:

I mean a little boy thinking that little girl being turn into a statue because she got caught climbing with a sign clearly marked "No Climbing" right beside him. :confused3

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

:rotfl:

It was good, but it's hard to compete with crop dusting. :rotfl2:

pirate:pirate:

Great job..love all the pictures from the tower. Those lizards remind me of something my son Jonathan got for Christmas. They are called Seamonkeys, they come in a little packet, you add the contents of the packet into this little tank that comes with it and within 2-3 days you have these tiny living "Seamonkeys". A few days later the Seamonkeys we "fighting" in the tank, DW sent me a text message at work about what the kids thought they were doing and she descibed it as an all out o**y :lmao:

Can't wait for your next update!!

Oh my! A seamonkey "fight"... I really didn't need that visual... :lmao:

How about... "Did Dad just crop dust this girl?" :rotfl2:

Hey.... keep your comments on the correct thread.. HAHA :rotfl:

[FreezinRafiki]

Hey Don-
What site do you have your ticker through? I see it's getting the same ******* treatment that eyes on ears gets.

[FreezinRafiki]

Hey Don-
What site do you have your ticker through? I see it's getting the same ******* treatment that eyes on ears gets.

Never mind. Tim posted a link on the DDC.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2427342

[that's nice]

Never mind. Tim posted a link on the DDC.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2427342

I read your 1st post then I remembered reading something about this. Then I just posted it on the DDC page...


Really weird that a ticker would give a virus. :sick:

[stopher1]

A few days later the Seamonkeys we "fighting" in the tank, DW sent me a text message at work about what the kids thought they were doing and she descibed it as an all out o**y :lmao:


:rotfl::lmao::rotfl2: First lizards, now seamonkeys... wow! I'll bet you never thought your TR would turn into Wild animal kingdom, did you Don? :rotfl:

[Emma's Dad]

Hey Don-
What site do you have your ticker through? I see it's getting the same ******* treatment that eyes on ears gets.

Never mind. Tim posted a link on the DDC.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2427342

:scared1::scared1: I didn't even notice!! My Toy Story ticker is GONE!! Oh no! Red alert! Everyone man your battle stations! Time to go find a new ticker (that isn't blocked at work). Thanks for the heads-up!

I read your 1st post then I remembered reading something about this. Then I just posted it on the DDC page...

Really weird that a ticker would give a virus. :sick:

I read the technical stuff... makes sense to me why they'd block it. Hackers SUCK! :headache:

:rotfl::lmao::rotfl2: First lizards, now seamonkeys... wow! I'll bet you never thought your TR would turn into Wild animal kingdom, did you Don? :rotfl:

:rotfl2::rotfl2: Not in a million years... which... is about how long it's going to take to finish this TR... :surfweb:

[stopher1]

:rotfl2::rotfl2: Not in a million years... which... is about how long it's going to take to finish this TR... :surfweb:

:rotfl::rotfl2::lmao: Alright..... this is just for you buddy... :cheer2: Don, Don come on Don! You can do it! :cheer2:

Ok - that's your little pep-me up cheer for the day... NOW GET BACK TO IT :)

[itJeff]

:cool2:

:rolleyes1

popcorn::

pirate:

[stopher1]

It's getting awfully quiet in here...

pirate:pirate:pirate:

[stopher1]

Wow a week has gone by already...time sure flies by when having fun...but crawls when waiting on TR updates.

I think I hear the pirate:'s coming though

pirate:pirate:pirate:

[FreezinRafiki]

Wow a week has gone by already...time sure flies by when having fun...but crawls when waiting on TR updates.

I think I hear the pirate:'s coming though

pirate:pirate:pirate:


arrrrrrr....

[middlepat]

Wow a week has gone by already...time sure flies by when having fun...but crawls when waiting on TR updates.

I think I hear the pirate:'s coming though

pirate:pirate:pirate:

Shiver me timbers. pirate:pirate:pirate:

[that's nice]

Wasn't there a Man Law about finishing your current TR before heading back to the World? :confused3:confused3 :rolleyes1:rolleyes1

[FreezinRafiki]

Wasn't there a Man Law about finishing your current TR before heading back to the World? :confused3:confused3 :rolleyes1:rolleyes1

Let's not get too hasty, he still has almost 3 weeks.

But yeah, clock's ticking Don!

[Emma's Dad]

Uh oh... pirates are getting restless! Not that you believe me... BUT... I'm close to wrapping this thing up. :woohoo:

[stopher1]

Uh oh... pirates are getting restless! Not that you believe me... BUT... I'm close to wrapping this thing up. :woohoo:

Come now Don - we believe you... it's just fun to remind you how ever closer your NEXT trip is getting without having finished your LAST trip's report. So we watch :surfweb: and we wait popcorn:: and amuse ourselves along the way :rolleyes1

[Emma's Dad]

Come now Don - we believe you... it's just fun to remind you how ever closer your NEXT trip is getting without having finished your LAST trip's report. So we watch :surfweb: and we wait popcorn:: and amuse ourselves along the way :rolleyes1

HAHA! Even DW was razzing me about this TR! She says:
It's almost been a YEAR! Why don't you just finish it?!?
To which I reply:
Then what will the DIS Dad's have to complain about?!?
:rotfl2::rotfl2::lmao::lmao:

[trennr]

Uh oh... pirates are getting restless! Not that you believe me... BUT... I'm close to wrapping this thing up. :woohoo:


Good one!!!! :lmao::rotfl2::rotfl:

[Emma's Dad]

May 4, 2009

We decide during our wonderful dinner at Earl of Sandwich that we would be heading over to Magic Kingdom for the rest of the evening. We needed some extra magic in our day to make up for what we experienced earlier at the "other" park. So off to the Disney bus stop we go. Here's where we have a slight dilemma... which bus do we take? Can't go straight to MK from DTD. What to do? Well... my answer pulled up just as we got to the bus stop area. Seems we were meant to take the bus to the GF first. Then we'd hop on the monorail over to MK. This worked well. Any resort bus would have worked, but it was fun walking through the GF lobby again. Maybe next time we'll take the bus to CR and then walk over.

Once we arrive at MK, we hop on the train and head straight for Toon Town. Sivermist has been avoiding us all week and we figured we might find her hanging out in Pixie Hollow again. So... second stop on the train later, we get off and head into the Hall of Fame Tent which is home to Pixie Hollow. While we were waiting in line, DW had this brilliant idea :idea: to ask people as they were leaving to see if Silvermist was at the Hollow... unfortunately, Silvermist was still missing in action. Oh how she must LOVE all the gossip over at the Babbling Brook. :chat: :rotfl2: Such a water fairy!

Well... strike 2 for Silvermist. Hopefully we'll be able to get her autograph on our next trip. There's always a reason to go back to WDW :) I thought DD would have been very sad not to get her autograph... but to my surprise she took it all in stride. From there we walk on over to Minnie's Country House. This is a first for DD and she is having fun going through everything. Too bad the place was so busy. Seemed there were people everywhere at this time. Here are some shots from this visit:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D50ojJRVI/AAAAAAAAFog/8Ffh4CFD_fU/s800/DSC02773.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xEMvM2NOTptuvz_AxktBFQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D50-v7I4I/AAAAAAAAFoo/3y6vA3qH6NA/s800/DSC02774.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1pq5zCBZ1l_Rvoz4IpufUg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D51SX8wYI/AAAAAAAAFow/WCHh6E1Nncc/s800/DSC02775.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/h1ZHAX83VYEviemiyc0Wtg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D514zgATI/AAAAAAAAFo4/CkDKZb-mQKY/s800/DSC02776.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LmUnOQ_Yyw9pkSAU2WjqpQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D52EsWPfI/AAAAAAAAFpA/fwpRvc2R3Q0/s800/DSC02777.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pJtWJEiDr_FwV3THVftLmw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D52_7-CtI/AAAAAAAAFpI/CrFTDDLCoy4/s800/DSC02779.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/20UtCqmadCowRSn3Xrle_Q?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D53ntSpsI/AAAAAAAAFpQ/vzQluNVYR8k/s800/DSC02780.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/L05crleQnboJ92V0F3ju0A?feat=embedwebsite)

Guess what DD hasn't done yet at WDW?? She has never been on Barnstormer! Can you believe it? Ok... she's only been to WDW one other time, but still... she is quickly growing out of rides like this. The ride is just across the street, so we walk on over and get in line. I was able to get this shot of Donald's boat while in the queue:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D54FbLyAI/AAAAAAAAFpY/DYkqRiuQAFw/s800/DSC02781.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5mVwavGOF0w7bSKb2g1VEA?feat=embedwebsite)

A little while into our wait, there was a little boy in front of us that was around DD's age. They started chatting it up and soon looked like they were best of friends! By the time we got to the front of the line, they were both asking if they could ride together. We talked it over with the boy's dad and he agreed it would be OK. We found out that the family lives very close to the parks and on occasion they will head to a park for dinner and some rides! Talk about a DIS Dad! Another 15 minutes went by before we were on the ride and sailing through the air on Goofy's homemade airplane... which lasts all of 30 seconds.

The two children decide after the ride that they wanted to do the Indy Speedway next. The new friends did not have much time, but we tried anyway. The sky appeared as though it was getting angry... and possibly develop into a thunderstorm. I was getting pretty concerned that we might get stuck on the cars during the storm. This is what I saw:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D54cx_MAI/AAAAAAAAFpg/WrCCPKCgOjs/s800/DSC02785.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/P5SiLctsATdjh7FIVOIkRw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D56QCGHlI/AAAAAAAAFp4/pEvo2hY01XM/s800/DSC02791.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/daxA6_xRsPKg_CBouUJpFg?feat=embedwebsite)

But as time went by, even though the clouds gathered quickly, we were saved from rain and lightning. Hurray! Again, the kids wanted to ride together, but had to say no due to the height requirement. Instead, we got in a car right behind them. Here is a picture of the two just before getting in the car:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D55bgTlvI/AAAAAAAAFpo/zTIh6tCZJL4/s800/DSC02786.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LbFSWWZ2wP67kkOGNoHrpA?feat=embedwebsite)

And some snapshots during the ride:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D55_5kroI/AAAAAAAAFpw/bnMsxq7qHJs/s800/DSC02787.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gkwr3iWLA8U4JCfQWwWIfw?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D6NRUupQI/AAAAAAAAFqU/mseL3fQuWDk/s800/DSC02795.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/I6d4xbEluxs0JxiiE7i5Qg?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D6N0Sz9wI/AAAAAAAAFqc/r9nuzFnu014/s800/DSC02796.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1wUGtRjlitqfGqOfwWLlMA?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D6NKUkjUI/AAAAAAAAFqM/ZnjNkbqw9zc/s800/DSC02794.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QfqKyTQCPdChXh647wGR3Q?feat=embedwebsite)

Once the ride was over, we said our goodbyes to our new friends. Unfortunately, I did not think to write down their information to stay in contact with them. Who knows... maybe they are here on the DIS boards and will see the picture? Yeah... going to need some pixie dust for that to happen pixiedust:

We mosey on over to Tomorrow Land... still sad to see Space Mountain closed for refurb :( The crowds in this land are non-existent because of this fact, so we hop in the standby line for Space Ranger Spin. Wait time was posted at 15 minutes and even that was stretching it. Turned out to be less than 10 minutes. Funny story... as we are waiting in line I was checking out all the stuff in the queue... then I turned around to say something to DW... but for some reason she was 3 rows back. Huh? Why is my wife back there... she should be right next to me! Then I turn even more and realize my mistake. Yeah... my WIFE is next to me. HAHA! I had just found my wife's doppleganger! Seriously... in the low light, this other person could have been my DW's twin. I pointed her out to DW and she gasps... "Oh my! She DOES look like me!" Only took a few more minutes in line and we were in our Omnimover and out to destroy Zurg's secret weapon! DD road with DW this time, so I got to zap targets all on my own. I love this ride! When the ride was finished, I took DW aside and asked her if it would be OK if we stopped her twin and asked for a picture. She thought about it... and even though we both thought it was kind-of nuts to do it, we did it anyway. We chatted with her for a little while and then I took a picture of them together. They are not quite as "twin-looking" in the brighter shop area, but still a good match. What do you think?

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D6ODM2ALI/AAAAAAAAFqk/PJ2fKVUwVF0/s800/DSC02797.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/c3L0r_KIkcu0oeZnMxu9ZQ?feat=embedwebsite)

Last on the list of things to do is catch Spectromagic. None of us had seen this parade, so we lined ourselves up right in front of the train station by the steps. We did not wait long before the parade started. DD liked it... DW said it was cool... and I loved it! We'll definitely do this again :)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D6OgrKfAI/AAAAAAAAFqs/mSSNxnbQEaU/s800/DSC02798.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JT7vd8IIew6HDLUQ3uu3bg?feat=embedwebsite)

Small video:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D7CvF8_2I/AAAAAAAAFq8/GZGV0siXx2I/s144/MOV02803.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6gQBQzgBuePzd4GxSnrabg?feat=embedwebsite)

We did not stick around for Wishes this night. We were all pretty tired and DD was ready to pass out. So out the gate we went... got on our resort bus... and retired for our last night at CSR. Amazing how some Disney magic and new friends can melt away the stress of what happened earlier in the day. The last day is always bitter-sweet... let's see if it can be an uneventful, pleasant trip back to our other home!

Day 8: "The End" (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36339970#post36339970)

[Emma's Dad]

Wow... just realized that today is the 11 month anniversary of this trip report! :lmao::lmao:

[stopher1]

Very cool. Very eventful. Very chatty. Very fun.

So sad about Silvermist... perhaps this month. Wow - that's pretty cool, there are only a couple more weeks to wait by this time... of course, your DD has waited much, much longer... but for me, I've only got a few weeks to wait and see.... oh, wait, scratch that thought... I guess unless you post success on FB I'll be waiting to hear about Silvermist for months won't I?!? :confused3 :rotfl:

Nice pics. Glad the angry looking sky didn't get ya!

Glad you didn't get upset with your wife for not being there with you... OTOH that would have been a fun thing to watch though. :rotfl:

Enjoyed it!!

[Emma's Dad]

Very cool. Very eventful. Very chatty. Very fun.

So sad about Silvermist... perhaps this month. Wow - that's pretty cool, there are only a couple more weeks to wait by this time... of course, your DD has waited much, much longer... but for me, I've only got a few weeks to wait and see.... oh, wait, scratch that thought... I guess unless you post success on FB I'll be waiting to hear about Silvermist for months won't I?!? :confused3 :rotfl:

Nice pics. Glad the angry looking sky didn't get ya!

Glad you didn't get upset with your wife for not being there with you... OTOH that would have been a fun thing to watch though. :rotfl:

Enjoyed it!!

Yeah... we're on a mission this year to hunt down that flighty fairy! AND... if a do a TR for this next trip... it will NOT take a year to write! :lmao::lmao:

I down-played my confused reaction. Seriously... I was like "WHAT? HOW? WHY? Ummmm... Honey?" The video of my reaction would have been priceless! :rotfl2:

[FreezinRafiki]

Well... strike 2 for Silvermist. Hopefully we'll be able to get her autograph on our next trip. There's always a reason to go back to WDW :)

Good luck. When we were there last month, it was Fawn, Tink, and Terrance. From what I've been hearing, your best bet for other Farries is a hard ticket event (Halloween or Christmas party). Hopefully when the new Fantasyland opens, all of the Farries with be there.


A little while into our wait, there was a little boy in front of us that was around DD's age. They started chatting it up and soon looked like they were best of friends! By the time we got to the front of the line, they were both asking if they could ride together. We talked it over with the boy's dad and he agreed it would be OK. We found out that the family lives very close to the parks and on occasion they will head to a park for dinner and some rides! Talk about a DIS Dad! Another 15 minutes went by before we were on the ride and sailing through the air on Goofy's homemade airplane... which lasts all of 30 seconds.

Isn't it amazing how fast kids can make friends?


Once the ride was over, we said our goodbyes to our new friends. Unfortunately, I did not think to write down their information to stay in contact with them. Who knows... maybe they are here on the DIS boards and will see the picture? Yeah... going to need some pixie dust for that to happen pixiedust:

Pixie Dust? This picture is what, almost a year old now? You're going to need Pixie Dust, the Blue Fairy, a magic lamp, a sorcerer's hat, and at little bibbity bobbity boo to find this kid again!

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D6ODM2ALI/AAAAAAAAFqk/PJ2fKVUwVF0/s800/DSC02797.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/c3L0r_KIkcu0oeZnMxu9ZQ?feat=embedwebsite)


"OK kids, let's just let this man take his picture and we'll be on our way. Don't make him angry, he might pounce. Just calmly walk away and don't make eye contact."

Although, yeah, I can see a resemblance.

let's see if it can be an uneventful, pleasant trip back to our other home!
Hmmm... based on this tease, I doubt it!

[Emma's Dad]

Good luck. When we were there last month, it was Fawn, Tink, and Terrance. From what I've been hearing, your best bet for other Farries is a hard ticket event (Halloween or Christmas party). Hopefully when the new Fantasyland opens, all of the Farries with be there.


I have heard through various channels that we have to try in the mid-afternoon at Pixie Hollow. Whatever it takes this year!

Isn't it amazing how fast kids can make friends?

Most definitely!

Pixie Dust? This picture is what, almost a year old now? You're going to need Pixie Dust, the Blue Fairy, a magic lamp, a sorcerer's hat, and at little bibbity bobbity boo to find this kid again!


:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao: STOP! You're killing me! :rotfl2::rotfl2:


"OK kids, let's just let this man take his picture and we'll be on our way. Don't make him angry, he might pounce. Just calmly walk away and don't make eye contact."

:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

[dvczerfs]

wow, an update!!! i all most blew by it!!! nice pics don. dont you just love it when the rain storm goes around wdw? :thumbsup2 happy 11th mon. anni by the way!!:thumbsup2

[stopher1]

:thumbsup2 happy 11th mon. anniv
:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

[cj9200]

Great update and pics. Save those ones of Toontown. I am hoping it is still there when I go in June for one last look around.

[that's nice]

After all the teasing, I had to go back and read all your updates. I mean what right do I have to tease if I didn't read everything! :confused3:confused3

Why does it take so long to get through Minnie's house? I mean the line is always long and slow. :confused3

Glad you got through the Speedway with no rain.. this will foreshadow an event in my TR. :rolleyes1:rolleyes1

Glad you liked Spectro! I love it and my DW doesn't care for it. :confused3:confused3
I donno? :confused3

Great update!!! Is there one more or was that the end? ;)

[Emma's Dad]

wow, an update!!! i all most blew by it!!! nice pics don. dont you just love it when the rain storm goes around wdw? :thumbsup2 happy 11th mon. anni by the way!!:thumbsup2

Thank you :) That this trip was awesome! Not a single drop of rain the whole week we were there!

Great update and pics. Save those ones of Toontown. I am hoping it is still there when I go in June for one last look around.

Yeah... I'm going to get more pics of Toon Town this year. Will be good for the memories.

After all the teasing, I had to go back and read all your updates. I mean what right do I have to tease if I didn't read everything! :confused3:confused3

Why does it take so long to get through Minnie's house? I mean the line is always long and slow. :confused3

Glad you got through the Speedway with no rain.. this will foreshadow an event in my TR. :rolleyes1:rolleyes1

Glad you liked Spectro! I love it and my DW doesn't care for it. :confused3:confused3
I donno? :confused3

Great update!!! Is there one more or was that the end? ;)

HAHA! I didn't know pirates could read pirate:pirate: Glad you are catching up... you've only had a few months to do it :rolleyes1

Uh oh... can't wait to hear what happens! popcorn::

I can see Spectro being a love it or leave it kind of parade. It's not interactive... and some love those kinds of parades. All the colors and lights are just fascinating to me. Wish I had a manual setting on my camera and could take some long exposures some time. That would rock!

There will be at least one more update... possibly two. Gotta wrap this up! But I have to admit... your TR has been a treat to read! :cool1:

[stopher1]

There will be at least one more update... possibly two. Gotta wrap this up!

Yes; yes you do. Just you can start all over again in a month. ;)

I've noticed that when it comes to Disney visits... some of us are in a perpetual mode of planning for trips, others seem to be in a perpetual mode of reporting on their trips... I wonder which camp you're in... hmmm, I just can't seem to figure that out.... :rolleyes:

[Emma's Dad]

Yes; yes you do. Just you can start all over again in a month. ;)

I've noticed that when it comes to Disney visits... some of us are in a perpetual mode of planning for trips, others seem to be in a perpetual mode of reporting on their trips... I wonder which camp you're in... hmmm, I just can't seem to figure that out.... :rolleyes:

... and then there are those who do both :rolleyes1 :lmao:

[stopher1]

... and then there are those who do both :rolleyes1 :lmao:

True, but I've noticed that some of them get what needs to be done - done. Quickly. To get it over with. :goodvibes

[Emma's Dad]

True, but I've noticed that some of them get what needs to be done - done. Quickly. To get it over with. :goodvibes

HAHA! So true!! I guess that's why my middle name is PROCRASTINATOR :lmao::lmao:

[carissanboys]

Wow Don. There is a serious amount of testosterone on this thread. :rolleyes1
Your daughter is as cute as always. :goodvibes Outgrowing rides like Goofy's Barnstormer??? :confused3 That ride still scares the crap out of ME! :rotfl: Thank goodness it's short.

[Emma's Dad]

Wow Don. There is a serious amount of testosterone on this thread. :rolleyes1
Your daughter is as cute as always. :goodvibes Outgrowing rides like Goofy's Barnstormer??? :confused3 That ride still scares the crap out of ME! :rotfl: Thank goodness it's short.

Think of Tim Allen in Home Improvement as he is grunting like an ape! :rotfl2::rotfl2: Yeah... that's what it's like around here.
Thank you... each day I look at her and wonder how something so cute could actually be my offspring :lmao: She already has too many boyfriends... good thing she still thinks of them as boy friends! HA!
As far as the rides go... her favorite is Rockin Roller Coaster... so... yeah.... Barnstormer is "kids stuff" to her. She's my thrill ride companion :)

[carissanboys]

Think of Tim Allen in Home Improvement as he is grunting like an ape! :rotfl2::rotfl2: Yeah... that's what it's like around here.
Thank you... each day I look at her and wonder how something so cute could actually be my offspring :lmao: She already has too many boyfriends... good thing she still thinks of them as boy friends! HA!
As far as the rides go... her favorite is Rockin Roller Coaster... so... yeah.... Barnstormer is "kids stuff" to her. She's my thrill ride companion :)

For the record, I am fine on BTMRR! Barnstormer just goes so fast! :scared1: And we won't discuss RnRC. :rolleyes1

[Captain_Oblivious]

So close to the finish! You can do it! :thumbsup2

[that's nice]

For the record, I am fine on BTMRR! Barnstormer just goes so fast! :scared1: And we won't discuss RnRC. :rolleyes1

Well the cat's out of the bag, your RnRC experience is known to the WORLD!!! :lmao:

I love it! :thumbsup2

[carissanboys]

Well the cat's out of the bag, your RnRC experience is known to the WORLD!!! :lmao:

I love it! :thumbsup2

I just hate the take off. The rest of it I can handle. But, of course, they take a picture DURING the take off! :sad2:

Sully and I were looking at that picture yesterday after I posted it and just laughing. I look like I'm crying! :rotfl:

[DisneyDaddy-O]

happy 11th mon. anni by the way!!:thumbsup2

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

So close to the finish! You can do it! :thumbsup2

Go Don Go!!!

[trennr]

Well Don...I'm going to be in DC Starting tomorrow...I'll wave South at you. :wave2:

I fully expect that this TR will be done when I get back and check next Thursday or Friday. :thumbsup2

[Emma's Dad]

Well Don...I'm going to be in DC Starting tomorrow...I'll wave South at you. :wave2:

I fully expect that this TR will be done when I get back and check next Thursday or Friday. :thumbsup2

Thanks, Nathan! I'll wave back North!

For all those waiting for the end... it's coming... been crazy getting ready for the next trip, getting work done, and getting spring cleaning done. Closure is on it's way!! :cool1:

[Captain_Oblivious]

For all those waiting for the end... it's coming... been crazy getting ready for the next trip, getting work done, and getting spring cleaning done. Closure is on it's way!! :cool1:

So is the next ice age. :lmao:

[itJeff]

So is the next ice age. :lmao:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

[FreezinRafiki]

So is the next ice age. :lmao:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

Let's put this in language Don might understand:


SELECT *
FROM TRIP_REPORTS
WHERE AUTHOR = 'EMMA'S DAD'
AND STATUS = 'COMPLETED';

0 rows returned

:lmao::lmao:

[that's nice]

Let's put this in language Don might understand:


SELECT *
FROM TRIP_REPORTS
WHERE AUTHOR = 'EMMA'S DAD'
AND STATUS = 'COMPLETED';

0 rows returned

:lmao::lmao:

What the heck it that MS-DOS?????

I think I remember writing like that on a comodore 64. :surfweb::surfweb:

:lmao::lmao:

[Wherem I Now]

Thanks, Nathan! I'll wave back North!

For all those waiting for the end... it's coming... been crazy getting ready for the next trip, getting work done, and getting spring cleaning done. Closure is on it's way!! :cool1:

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/mikewva/TJI_Sipress_EndIsNear.jpg

[itJeff]

Let's put this in language Don might understand:


SELECT *
FROM TRIP_REPORTS
WHERE AUTHOR = 'EMMA'S DAD'
AND STATUS = 'COMPLETED';

0 rows returned

:lmao::lmao:

:rotfl2: That's funny. Really. I will refrain from geeking out here. I will refrain from geeking out. I will refrain.....


What the heck it that MS-DOS?????

I think I remember writing like that on a comodore 64. :surfweb::surfweb:

:lmao::lmao:

:confused: :sad2:

SQL Tim. SQL. But you get points for getting one letter correct. :lmao: That's okay, not everyone is cool enough to speak geek. :cool2: :3dglasses :laughing:

[itJeff]

Ok. I lied.

if NOT(Don.trip_reports.getLastUpdate() > add(Calendar.DATE,-5))
{
Don.trip_reports.startHijack("pirates", 5);
}

pirate: pirate: pirate: pirate: pirate:

[that's nice]

Ok. I lied.

if NOT(Don.trip_reports.getLastUpdate() > add(Calendar.DATE,-5))
{
Don.trip_reports.startHijack("pirates", 5);
}

pirate: pirate: pirate: pirate: pirate:


I knew you couldn't resist!:rotfl2:

I had to google this fine code....

On a side note.... Anyone know if this TR will be done in 6 days?? From what I can remember there is a MAN LAW about this.:confused3:surfweb:

[Emma's Dad]

Let's put this in language Don might understand:


SELECT *
FROM TRIP_REPORTS
WHERE AUTHOR = 'EMMA'S DAD'
AND STATUS = 'COMPLETED';

0 rows returned

:lmao:

:lmao::lmao: Thanks for the morning laugh!! :rotfl2::rotfl2:

What the heck it that MS-DOS?????

I think I remember writing like that on a comodore 64. :surfweb:

:lmao:

:rotfl2: I remember copying Pacman in the 8th grade on an Apple IIe :thumbsup2

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/mikewva/TJI_Sipress_EndIsNear.jpg

HAHAHA! Might be a good thing!

:rotfl2: That's funny. Really. I will refrain from geeking out here. I will refrain from geeking out. I will refrain.....

:confused: :sad2:

SQL Tim. SQL. But you get points for getting one letter correct. :lmao: That's okay, not everyone is cool enough to speak geek. :cool2:


Definitely a valiant attempt!

Ok. I lied.

if NOT(Don.trip_reports.getLastUpdate() > add(Calendar.DATE,-5))
{
Don.trip_reports.startHijack("pirates", 5);
}

pirate: pirate: pirate: pirate: pirate:


Dude... we have reached a new level of geek-dom here! Yet, I feel somewhat inspired by what I am seeing!!

I knew you couldn't resist!:rotfl2:

I had to google this fine code....

On a side note.... Anyone know if this TR will be done in 6 days?? From what I can remember there is a MAN LAW about this.:confused3:surfweb:

:rolleyes1

[stopher1]

On a side note.... Anyone know if this TR will be done in 6 days?? From what I can remember there is a MAN LAW about this.:confused3:surfweb:

:rolleyes1

I'm sure he'll be posting it as they are ready to head out to the airport...so he can meet the letter of the Man Law... just don't forget the laptop this time around Don :rotfl:

[FreezinRafiki]

I'm sure he'll be posting it as they are ready to head out to the airport... just don't forget the laptop this time around Don :rotfl:

Can you imagine what we'll do to this report while he's gone if he doesn't finish before he leaves? :stir:
http://phillyimprov.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/mushroom-cloud.jpg

[stopher1]

Can you imagine what we'll do to this report while he's gone if he doesn't finish before he leaves? :stir:
http://phillyimprov.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/mushroom-cloud.jpg

Yes, I CAN imagine... the :hourglass is ticking Don...


How are you feeling Barry - your FB post this morning sounded a bit, shall we say, uncomfortable.

[FreezinRafiki]

How are you feeling Barry - your FB post this morning sounded a bit, shall we say, uncomfortable.

Yes, better now. You know it's bad when when a female friend says she would rather birth a 9 lb baby than go trough that. :scared1:

[Emma's Dad]

I'm sure he'll be posting it as they are ready to head out to the airport...so he can meet the letter of the Man Law... just don't forget the laptop this time around Don :rotfl:

Nah... it will be before then :thumbsup2 And trust me... I will NOT forget the laptop this time! :rotfl2:

Yes, better now. You know it's bad when when a female friend says she would rather birth a 9 lb baby than go trough that. :scared1:

:scared1: That sounds ominous. Glad you feel better!

[Captain_Oblivious]

Can you imagine what we'll do to this report while he's gone if he doesn't finish before he leaves? :stir:
http://phillyimprov.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/mushroom-cloud.jpg

Was this the x-ray of your kidney, Barry? I'm sure that's what it felt like.

[Emma's Dad]

May 5, 2009

For some of you, I'm sure you thought this day would never come. The day in which Emma's Dad posts his final entry in the never-ending saga of a trip report from April 2009. I kind-of feel like saying "I told you so". As noted in the first paragraph of this TR, I do tend to get distracted... and procrastinate often. However, I will not say those words. Instead, I offer a humble apology for allowing houses to be built faster than it took to complete this endeavor. Come to think of it, many major events have occurred during the time it took to write this TR:


Michael Jackson gives up the ghost
Sonia Sotomayor was sworn is as the first Hispanic to hold a seat in the Supreme Court
President Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize
Tiger Woods admits indiscretions
Fantasyland expansion project officially broke ground

These are many events that seemed impossible or had come as big surprises... yep... just like the ending of this TR!! :rotfl2:

Anyway... I digress. it's our last day in the World! As millions of people have done before, we prepare for the inevitable end of our wonderful vacation. Words cannot express the feelings that come with the final farewell... the lack of desire to get up in the morning... the dread of packing the suitcases and hoping everything fits... the tears (that you try to hide from your kid). For some it's harder than others. My DW has had enough. She wants to get back home to our own stuff. Me... well... I could stay for a few more weeks :woohoo:

Our flight to depart from Orlando International is scheduled for 4:45pm. Fortunately, I called ahead and was able to get a late checkout. This gives us plenty of time to play around at the resort until we needed to arrive at El Centro for the ME bus ride to the airport.

With the late night at MK, we were all able to sleep in until around 7:30ish. The sleep really felt good. I have to admit... those new queen beds are TOTALLY worth it! They felt soooo good. I really did not want to leave! But... we all managed to eat some quick breakfast and start packing up our stuff. As we were packing it seemed as though it would not all fit into the bags. But after some wheeling and dealing between the cases, we made everything fit... and hopefully make it under 50 pounds!

It was close to around 9:30 when everything was ready for departure. DD and I then spent a few hours in the pool while DW enjoyed her quality time with "her" hammock. It was a very enjoyable way to spend that morning. Originally we were going to try to hit a park, but it just didn't make sense. Besides, DD really likes the pool and could literally spend the entire vacation there! HAHA!

I'd say it was around noon by the time we got all showered up and ready to move on to the next level of departure. One more cursory search around the room to make sure nothing of value is left behind and we were finally dragging our luggage to El Centro. While walking, I was going through a mental checklist... and that's when I realized I had forgot to do something. We're flying Southwest... which means you have to print out your boarding pass prior to the flight. And if you wait until you get to the gate, you pretty much have the pick of leftover seats. So now I'm anxious to get to the lobby so I can have the front desk print our our boarding passes (hoping all the while we get an A or B seating).

The nice lady at the counter had no problems getting to the Southwest site and printing out our boarding passes. We didn't get A seating... but we did end up with B seating. Should be good enough. Just want to be sure one of us is next to DD and that we are close enough together. OK... with that done... rather than keep our luggage by our side during lunch, we decide to check it in at the front desk. Then, off to the Pepper Market we go!

Lunch at the Pepper Market was good. Nothing unusual there except that it seemed a conference session had let out or something. It was very busy with a bunch of people who had name badges. Still, plenty of food and service was quick. Our bellies were full and we still had another 20 minutes to kill. The gift shop was a perfect place to mull around. There were a few snack credits left from our QSDP, so we bought a few things for the road. I've heard of other people having a LOT of snack credits left at the end of their trip... but we really enjoyed using them throughout the week. Those Mickey Head Ice Cream Bars are just TOO good to pass up! Anyway... here are some final pictures of DD and I as we were trying on the hats in the store:

Me and Mickey ears:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D7DUGagXI/AAAAAAAAFrI/XIJsAjbwO6M/s800/DSC02805.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rbuJCjoNl5yZqPF_1pJ1rg?feat=embedwebsite)

DD and Mickey Ears:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D7Dnv9moI/AAAAAAAAFrQ/fjFoXBuxr6o/s800/DSC02807.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gAMcNBBeUYhqn8IDTo2uMA?feat=embedwebsite)

For all the DIS Dads out there:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D7EXvhaQI/AAAAAAAAFrY/_BX1mH2wCqQ/s800/DSC02809.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PZb6NAuTg4ibdmHUTuUizQ?feat=embedwebsite)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D7Ev_nfaI/AAAAAAAAFrg/UPTgKUU5KbY/s800/DSC02810.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FyntBXb5-lf_g5cdBALoGA?feat=embedwebsite)

Peace out!
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D7FZRYvKI/AAAAAAAAFro/X4I_5c0a70k/s800/DSC02812.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CkWSB1VuQvdss31QPUkhMQ?feat=embedwebsite)



Back to the luggage room we go... and it takes just a few minutes for the CMs to gather our belongings. The staff there was very pleasant and helpful. I noticed as we were getting the luggage that the ME bus had pulled up to the front of El Centro. That's good timing! We get loaded onto the bus and off we go to MCO! (Yeah... had to rhyme that one)

We happened to find a young man who was asking if anyone needed help with their luggage. We promptly accepted his help.. and to our surprise he started to go back out the door of the airport. We thought he meant helping us get the luggage to the check in counter. DW and I look at each other, confused, and then followed him out the door. That's when he proceeded to tell us that he has an "in" and that he can express check in our luggage using the outside check in counter. Cool! The guy just saved us at least a half hour wait to get our check in luggage handled. He got a pretty good tip for that move! Hope we can find him again on our next flight out of MCO!

Well... the rest of the traveling back to our Virginia Beach home went very well. We got through security with no issues and embarked our flight in the scheduled time... we even had a whole row of seats to ourselves on the plane. And although leaving WDW behind was emotional and difficult, it was still nice to be back in our home city. Another enjoyable WDW trip behind us :)

Although I did not plan to write this TR, I am glad I did it. I have a feeling that as the years go by, and more Disney trips get counted, the memories will get mixed together and I just don't like it when that happens. Thank you for letting me share these moments with you and I certainly hope you have gained something from it... whether it be useful information or just a few laughs. And certainly I would think SOMEONE had to learn a little patience! :lmao::lmao: May God bless each of you today and every day!


party:The Endparty:

[stopher1]

Now it's time, to say goodbye, to all our company....

...what a cute ending...

Adios, adieu, farewell, sayonara, aloha...

it could be so sad for you that you've come to the conclusion of your report - until you stop and think whoa - you'll be right back there in the world in mere days! :cool1: Whew! That was close...all the saddness isn't even needed. We should all stretch out our reports to last between one and trip and almost right up until the next one! :lmao::rotfl2::rotfl:

Very nice pictures. Very nice report, and very nice ending. So glad you didn't end up with C passes. Enjoy the next trip! Can't wait to hear about it too. :)

[DisneyDadC]

Way to go Don plenty of time to spare.I know you took alot of ribbing for this TR ,but you came through.As always all good things must come to an end.I look forward to your next one.:thumbsup2

[Captain_Oblivious]

May 5, 2009

Michael Jackson gives up the ghost
Sonia Sotomayor was sworn is as the first Hispanic to hold a seat in the Supreme Court
President Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize
Tiger Woods admits indiscretions
Fantasyland expansion project officially broke ground

These are many events that seemed impossible or had come as big surprises... yep... just like the ending of this TR!! :rotfl2:
[/B]

:lmao::rotfl2:

Nice job, Don. With plenty of time to spare. And the best part is, you don't have to wait long to go back!

So...did you start your new trip report yet? Well? WELL??? :lmao:

[AJRitz]

Nice work Don - really gave us the flavor of your trip. You just decided that it was best to . . . savor the Magic. Yeah. That's it. You were procrastinating or distracted. You were just helping us all savor the Magic!

[that's nice]

Great finish. I feel the same way when it is time to go home.. I just don't want to go. My DD and DW feel the same way. It is sad to leave.

Looking back, how did you like CSR? I think, so far, the CSR is my favorite resort. Granted we have only stayed at CSR, CBR, & POP.

I'm looking forward to your 4/10 TR!!!!!! :cool1:

[disneychic]

Great Trip Report! :thumbsup2 This seems to be the trend for me lately -- reading other people's trip reports to help pass the 25 days I have left until I'm back at WDW!!!!

[Emma's Dad]

Great finish. I feel the same way when it is time to go home.. I just don't want to go. My DD and DW feel the same way. It is sad to leave.

Looking back, how did you like CSR? I think, so far, the CSR is my favorite resort. Granted we have only stayed at CSR, CBR, & POP.

I'm looking forward to your 4/10 TR!!!!!! :cool1:

I was going to do a likes/dislikes commentary at the end, but figured it would take me another week! LOL. We have only stayed at POP and CSR recently (Several off-site stays and one SOG stay in years past)... so my experience is narrow... BUT... CSR has been the BEST resort so far! For our small family of 3 it meets our needs and is just a fabulous resort. We are staying at CSR again in 6 days :woohoo: Although... DW did mention that she'd like to possibly try a deluxe resort next year. Guess we'll see what the budget is like.
I'd give CSR 2 thumbs up :thumbsup2:thumbsup2

Great Trip Report! :thumbsup2 This seems to be the trend for me lately -- reading other people's trip reports to help pass the 25 days I have left until I'm back at WDW!!!!

All right! A short-timer! I'm so glad you liked my TR :cool1: Reading about other people's WDW experience is really helpful, too. I always get a new idea or two when I read one. Thanks for tuning in!

[dvczerfs]

nice update. congrats on the end! :thumbsup2

[FreezinRafiki]

For some of you, I'm sure you thought this day would never come.

:wave2:


Come to think of it, many major events have occurred during the time it took to write this TR:

Michael Jackson gives up the ghost
Sonia Sotomayor was sworn is as the first Hispanic to hold a seat in the Supreme Court
President Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize
Tiger Woods admits indiscretions
Fantasyland expansion project officially broke ground



Some people start - and finish - two trip reports. :rotfl2:



Peace out!
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTi81UdLw0M/S7D7FZRYvKI/AAAAAAAAFro/X4I_5c0a70k/s800/DSC02812.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CkWSB1VuQvdss31QPUkhMQ?feat=embedwebsite)

Anyone else notice the irony of Don posting this picture on 4/20? :lmao:

And certainly I would think SOMEONE had to learn a little patience!
:confused3

I admit, I was one that may have gone a bit overboard with "encouraging" you to finish this report. But in all honesty, we kid because we love you. You did a great job on this report! I look forward to reading your next TR (should you decide to write one!)

[Wherem I Now]

Great job and a great finish to the TR Don! Have a great trip next week. And while I know that this TR was a lot to handle at times, I would like to see another, or at least I hope that you consider a Stopher style report for this upcoming trip.

[stopher1]

Great job and a great finish to the TR Don! Have a great trip next week. And while I know that this TR was a lot to handle at times, I would like to see another, or at least I hope that you consider a Stopher style report for this upcoming trip.

:rotfl: Hey - I like that! stopher style! I'd vote for a stopher style report too Don! :thumbsup2

[porknbeans]

Don, I don't know what all these guys are complaining about, with my kindergarten reading level the speed that you post your reports is perfect. ;)

Enjoy the next trip. I'll be waiting for the posts....at glacial speed! :laughing:

Honestly, I'm jealous. I haven't gone in 2 years and I won't be back until (maybe) next year. I'm living/reading vicariously through you my friend!

[trennr]

Don...just so you know...I'm proud of you for finishing this TR. :thumbsup2

So what if it took almost a whole year to do it.

Can't wait for the next TR... :lmao: