The Sea Witch Stole My Voice! Our Two Week Land and Sea Adventure! COMPLETE 4/12

[englishrose47]

See...your brothers and I together perhaps=t-r-o-u-b-l-e. You'll have to keep us in line....

I would love to put The Bros in charge of bathoom rating !!!

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

WOW! I was really busy for the past week or so and was way behind! Not to worry...all caught up now! Looks like you guys are still having tons of fun! Can't wait for the cruise portion!

 

[debraW76]

Great update Leesa! It seems you and your mom are doing what I never get to do and that is stop and see all the little things. With little ones we are always in a hurry to get to the next thing. I get to do that now though through your TR!!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

WOW! I was really busy for the past week or so and was way behind! Not to worry...all caught up now! Looks like you guys are still having tons of fun! Can't wait for the cruise portion!

Yep, the fun never stops in our family.

Great update Leesa! It seems you and your mom are doing what I never get to do and that is stop and see all the little things. With little ones we are always in a hurry to get to the next thing. I get to do that now though through your TR!!

I am glad that you are enjoying taking all the little details that we managed to capture.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Leaving Germany we bypassed Italy for the moment as we needed to hustle over to America to catch the next performance of the Fire and Drum Corps and also the Voices of Liberty. We made it just in time! I had just finished watching the HBO mini-series John Adams before the trip so I was feeling all patriotic. And yes I can feel patriotic about American history as I am half American. lol

Here's a video I took of them performing the Star Spangled Banner. Darn people kept walking in front of me and blocking my view!

Spirt of America Fife and Drum Corps

After their performance we made our way inside to wait for the Voices of Liberty to come out. We grabbed a spot on the floor. There is a circle on the floor and if you sit right on the edge you have the best view and also the best acoustics.

They sang quite a few songs but I only got these two on video. One of the men serenaded a woman sitting next to me, even took her hand. Well when he went to move away she wouldn't let go! lol

Here's some video

Voices of Liberty

and then them singing America the Beautiful

They were wonderful and when they were done they came around to talk to the guests.

After the performance was over Mom and I went back over to Italy. Not sure why exactly, I think Mom wanted to look in the stores for something. I stayed outside and took pictures.

Mom came and found me once she was done browsing and we made our way over to Japan where we stopped and Mom bought me a Kaki Gori since I had bought the Cloudberry Horn and the pretzel.

As we approached the stand that sells the Kaki Gori I saw somebody that looked really familiar. I was 99% sure that it was a Diser whose trip report I had read back in 07 and I was also familiar with her from reading another of her reports on a different board. Well I decided to be daring and ask if she was who I thought she was.

So I tap her on the shoulder and say "Excuse me but are you Mandy?" Oh man did she looked freaked out that I knew who she was! lol I quickly explained who I was and gave her my screen name and then she realized who I was. lol It was such a random meeting and too funny.

We made sure to grab a picture to commemorate the occasion.

We chatted until our respective treats were ready and then we parted ways.

Here I am with my cherry flavoured Kaki Gori

It was so delicious and very flavorful! I have had flavoured ice before and this was 100 times better. I chose the cherry flavour for two reasons. 1) Well I simply like cherry 2)It reminded me of the book and movie Memoirs of a Geisha where the Chairman buys Sayuri/Chiyo a cherry Kaki Gori!

So with yummy treat in hand we headed into the big store in Japan and browsed. I was making a bit of a mess trying to eat and walk around so I went outside to finish up my treat. Well it started to pour!

It lasted for a few minutes and then stopped.

I went back inside and found Mom and we went to head out but it had started pouring again! So we decided to dally and went to look at the Tin Toy exhibit.

We went back outside at this point and it was still coming down hard. I didn't want to go out in that so we sat down on the window ledge with all of the other people seeking shelter from the rain.

This storm was ridiculous, it was coming down so hard! Turns out that there were tornado warnings for the area that afternoon. Thank goodness I only learned this after the fact from Nichole as I would have been a bit freaked if I knew that then.

In fact it was coming down so quickly that Japan began to flood! The water was coming up to peoples ankles and a little shop across the way from us was beginning to flood! The guests who had taken shelter in the store had to help out the CM and they had all grabbed whatever was handy to try and push the water out of the store.

Eventually a CM showed up in big rain boots, gloves and sporting an umbrella. She had arrived to unclog a drain that was causing the flooding. She clearly was not janitorial staff as she was dressed way to nicely. She must have been the manager on duty. What a lovely job!

Here's a brief video of the guests efforts to keep the shop from flooding.

Japan Flooding

I think we took shelter outside the big store in Japan for about half an hour or so. There were a lot of people under there with us. Some of them were young guys traveling with a school group and they were due to perform in Downtown Disney later that week.

The rain was just coming down so hard and the flooding and huge puddle just made me not want to move at all. Disney really needs to work on the drainage problem at Epcot as this is not the only time we have experienced big problems with the drainage during a rainstorm.

Click here to continue

 

[jordanyosh]

Rain Rain Go Away.....at least it was in Japan...

I saw the Fife and Drum Corps for the first time my last trip. I loved it.

Of course i could sit and listen to VOL all day long. I'm a sucker for good harmonies....

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Rain Rain Go Away.....at least it was in Japan...

I saw the Fife and Drum Corps for the first time my last trip. I loved it.

Of course i could sit and listen to VOL all day long. I'm a sucker for good harmonies....

I was grateful that we were "trapped" somewhere that offered lots of shelter and it was amusing watching the struggles in the shop across the way to keep the water out.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Yummm! that Kaki Gori looks really good. We noticed in Okinawa that fruit flavored things tasted really fresh and well, "real" compared to the icky fake fruit flavors here in the U.S.

I think that rain storm was to give you the true Japan experience That happened to us at Epcot, too - I just thought it was the clouds - didn't think about drain improvements.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Yummm! that Kaki Gori looks really good. We noticed in Okinawa that fruit flavored things tasted really fresh and well, "real" compared to the icky fake fruit flavors here in the U.S.

Yes, it tasted much nicer and "real" compared to other flavoured ices I have had in the States. Also the flavour was spread all throughout the ice instead of it just being on top and then flavourless once you get to the center and bottom. Very very good!

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

that was a funny flooding story, nice job using what they had to try and stop the problem.

 

[Scrapbook Stacy]

Have you been on any other cruises besides a Disney cruise? Just wondering what you thought about them...

Thank you, Stacy

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

Does anyone else find it ironic that the CM was using a "Caution - Wet Floor" sign to divert the water!?

I loved the VOL video. I heard them sing The Star Spangled Banner and I nearly cried my eyes out. They are truly amazing. check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErV-Fmviebo

Great job so far.... I am loving your report!!

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

You weren't kidding when you said you have some bad luck with Disney and rain!! I can't believe how deep that got! Insane!

 

[kaysmommie]

OMG ! That was some rain and flooding in Japan. The poor CM trying to unclogg the drain. That is what HS looked was like on our day there. The park was above ankle deep in some places. Anyway great WS pics. Kaylee and I meant to try a Kaki Gori but never had a chance. It looks yummy though.

 

[englishrose47]

Hi Lessa I tooo experienced the flooding at Epcot not sure if the same day but the drainage needs work for sure !!!

 

[ladybugmom]

We got to see the Voices of Liberty, too! (Well, Ally and I did at least) I didn't get any pics b/c Brent was outside with a sleeping Claire--I might borrow some of your pics if you don't mind. They were FABULOUS! Sent chills up my spine! Great pics of the rain! I didn't get any of that either as I was too afraid that I might get my camera wet. I'll have to show Ally your videos--she'll love them!! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[jordanyosh]

I was grateful that we were "trapped" somewhere that offered lots of shelter and it was amusing watching the struggles in the shop across the way to keep the water out.

Because kicking water always prevents flooding...

 

[jcc0621]

And yes I can feel patriotic about American history as I am half American.

So I tap her on the shoulder

Excellent stalking skills!

This storm was ridiculous, it was coming down so hard!

Disney really needs to work on the drainage problem at Epcot as this is not the only time we have experienced big problems with the drainage during a rainstorm.

 

[ladybugmom]

Ok--Claire's down for a nap and I was able to share your videos with Ally! She really enjoyed them! When we got to the Voices of Liberty ones Ally said, "That's where we got to be dry!" Yep, we got a break from the rain to see them sing!! We can't wait to show these to Brent tonight since he didn't get to see this! Thanks for posting them!!

 

[WrightFamily06]

Nice update Lessa Great pictures & video of the Fire and Drum Corps and also the Voices of Liberty ! Would love to see them preform myself but the kiddies are still little to young to sit still for all the wonderful shows at the American Pavilion. Oh well one day they will appreciate history as much as there Mom and then I will get to watch . LOL Nice pictures also of Italy . I can't believe the rain you ran into in Japan ! Then to top it off a flood so crazy , hope it clears up in the next post !