I do have some pictures....
Sherry, I finally really 100% noticed the sounds in the bushes in bug's land. And realized I've always heard them, it just didn't really occur to me that it was something to be noticed, if that makes any sense.
Love it:
Contortion-Bar Suspension
Tremble-Torque Transmission
Anti-Lochness Brakes
Energy-Efficient Scare Conditioner
Dual Cup Holders
I mean...ending with the cup holder thing...hilarious!
Jumping ahead a bit...
This is the back of the sign for the Animation Academy, taken while we were waiting to draw...oh, I'm not going to tell you, but it was the easiest one to draw so far! (then again we've taken a few of these classes, so maybe we're just getting better...hard to tell...though one of the CMs did call it an easier character to do)
The Academy was the only thing E and I did in that building (oh, we did show them the zoetrope). Brother and SIL sat in the main room, watching things on their iphones and/or blackberries.
These are pix taken from the Academy line-up.
I've just realized that since this was after TOT, going to the Animation building was indeed next, so I can talk about it.
I mentioned that SIL and I went on it first while brother and son hung out. Then SIL and brother went on it while E and I were supposed to go straight to the Animation building.
However, I was really really tired of carrying around two bags (yes, two bags), and I wanted to get some money so I could have some sort of autonomy or a chance at buying something for them. So E and I "ran" over to the lockers and ATM area. First went to the ATMs to try to get money...alas, no dice. Why? It's a long story involving a strong magnet in the front of my purse, cards that either don't work or have difficulty working, and two TWO banks that don't want to reissue cards for some bizarre reason, b/c they *sometimes* work...after this trip I'm demanding all new cards NOW b/c it's ridiculous. So they didn't work in the Chase ATMs with their particular slot... However, same card DID work in the slot for the lockers. So there, ATMs. I was very frustrated, and still wanted something to use as currency, so I went to Greetings from CA (all the while dodging people waiting for HSM3 to come by) and bought a giftcard. He had a harder time activating the giftcard than getting my card to work, which is really amazing, b/c my card gives me a very hard time!
So now, happy b/c I have, at least, Disney fundage, we went to the building. I strollered E in, and as he was getting out...he spilled crackers all over the floor. Drat! So I'm trying to pick them up while uncaring patrons practically walk over me (I exaggerate, but they didn't seem to care what I was doing on the floor), and I'm keeping E away (he was stressed that he'd just lost a bunch of crackers) and blah blah blah...I'm just standing up with brother and SIL join us.
That's when they sat down and we went off to our art lesson, having already determined that it was going to be....Jack Skellington!
OK, OK, until a few months ago I was a devout Nightmare Before Christmas disliker. Yeah yeah yeah. Recently I kept flipping through a showing of Titanic, too, and maybe someday I'll decide to watch that, as well (never saw it...neither has hubby...it was a big point of similarity that took us far in our early relationship). Never say never and all that.
But now I've seen the flick a few times, and most recently I saw it on a HUGE screen TV where I could really see more detail, and, whatever, I was excited about drawing him. But what was better was E's reaction. I think he did some fist pumps, along with a bunch of "YES"s and "oh yeah"s. He said that he would try to draw Jack, unlike during our May trip, when his pictures involved aliens and monsters surrounding the initial attempt of the circle or oval or whatever the characters started off with.
So we went on in!
For those who haven't been, it's an auditorium/amphitheater style room, or as I describe it, it's like a Biology classroom freshman year of college...with the rows of seats starting high in the room and coming on down.
There are cushioned seats, the room is warmly lit, and there's a stage in front with a big overhead projected screen up above the animator's area. Obviously Bio classes aren't that cushy.
They don't cram you in. Everyone gets a drawing board thing and a pencil, and they pass out papers. Then the animator (who has a helper, also a working animator) leads you through drawing a character's face. Right now they've been doing little ads for Up, which isn't a bad thing, but I'd prefer they just get to the drawing.
A view of seats, the boards, and E.
E did ask me to help him with, oh, perhaps somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 of his picture. All I really needed to do was part of one side of the elements he had problems with, then he'd do the other side and fill in the rest... His aunt and uncle were very impressed (though they don't know that I helped), said that it was very scary, and even scarier than mine.
I don't have a pic of it, sorry! Maybe someday I'll get on that.
And on that note I have to end, b/c SIL is home and the rest of the evening must begin.