Janice
Super Shopper
- Joined
- Aug 18, 1999
A Life on the Ocean Waves!
Day 13 Typhoon Lagoon & Epcot
Well, the sun was shining bright and there was not a cloud in the sky! We were up, breakfasted and out by 8-30 am and on the short journey to Typhoon Lagoon.
This is another first for all of us as Chris and I have never been to any of the water parks here in Florida, not being water fanatics, but we were enthusiastic and looking forward to a fun day.
We pull into the parking lot, there is no parking fee here, and I was surprised that it seemed fairly empty. Considering that this was the only Water Park open at the moment and the forecast had been very good a high in the top 80s we expected to see crowds. Another thing that struck me was the casualness in the parking lot. In all the other theme parks, you drive into the allotted space, one after the other, and wo-betide any one who goes out of turn. Here there were no attendants and you could park willy-nilly, so to speak.
We walked into the park through the entrance plaza and I had to stop and catch my breath at the themeing. I was amazed, although I should not have been surprised, after all this was Disney! After a few minutes, we had located lockers and were just aimlessly wandering soaking up the atmosphere.
I cannot tell you all how I imagined the water parks to be, but what I saw before me was more that anything I had expected. Now, I obviously cannot compare the water parks as this is my first, but if this is anything to go by, I cannot believe that we have missed out so much in the past! I mean, you dont really even have to like the water to appreciate the place.
We found a nice spot on the beach area, under a shade yes, it was that hot today and we just pulled together half a dozen beds and chairs and settled for a nice restful, peaceful day.
Within about 15 minutes James & Emma went off for a wander and to try the Lagoon Surf Pool, which I just stood and looked at for ages and ages. This looked so much fun but I am still feeling a bit under the weather and hey, its still early in the day! They had a great time and we did not see them for about an hour. When they came back, they had been round and tried a few things and their initial verdict was: Brilliant!
Now, Katie as you know by now is not a water baby, whereas Ian is. So, she settles down with the inevitable book (still that Bertolt Brecht fellow!*!*!) and Ian has a doze. Chris poodles off to do some video taping and well I just chill out.
James and Emma have disappeared again and we are beginning to feel peckish, so we decide to go and eat. Katie, Ian and I go off in search of vittles, whilst Chris holds the fort.
We queued for ages, and ages at Leaning Palms, and this would be my only complaint of the day, and instead of the usual Burgers, Chris and Ian had Chicken Fajidas (sp) Sandwich with Fries, Katie had the obligatory Pizza and I had a Caesar Salad with Chicken. We shared a couple of Pink Lemonades, as they were so very huge. The price was in keeping with what we had been charged at other WDW parks, and the food was very nice I was surprised that it stayed hot, considering the walk back.
After lunch, Chris and I had a wander and ended up on Castaway Creek, which is my sort of attraction. We had taken a walk around beforehand and seen the Humunga Kowabunga which James & Ian went on several times. They then insisted that I went with them and Chris on Gang Plank Falls assuring me that this was a gentle ride, and No Mum, you wont get your hair wet We were going to Epcot later and I did want to look half decent. Should I have trusted them? Well, those of you who have experienced this will know the answer to that. They purposely weighted themselves down into the raft and it got stuck just after we set off right under a mini water fall and guess who was in line for the fall yep! Yours truly. Having said that, I did so enjoy myself on this that we did it a couple of more times, with a little American boy tagging along with us because he was on his own. He was a dear little chap and must have thought we were all crazy! We had a great time on this, and there were absolutely no lines at all.
Chris and the lads went off after this to do some other slides, but I rejoined the girls to lay down and dry out in the sun. When they returned they decided to go and swim in Shark Reef, so we went to watch this and take some photos. The lads enjoyed this a great deal but I would not do it NO WAY.
It came to about 4 oclock and we decided to make a move to Epcot, so we showered and changed in the washrooms and said farewell to a great park. We will definitely recommend this as a great fun day out.
Epcot
We made our way to Epcot, leaving Typhoon about 5, and had no trouble at all parking right near the entrance. This is one bonus of arriving late in the afternoon; you can usually catch a parking bay near the front as people are starting to leave. We had put our warmer clothes on but still did not need jumpers.
We had another look at the Leave a Legacy feature and then made our way to World Showcase. We had come to go round the world and check out the Millennium Village.
First port of call; Mexico. We spent quite a while here, looking at all the gifts, arts and crafts. We managed to catch the tail end of a dance display, which I did not get the name of, but all the children were interacting with the dancers and looked to be having a great time.
Next Norway. Th queue for Maelstrom was really long, and we decided to give it a miss as we really had a lot to see. I mean, so many shops to look at! Mind you, the warm sweaters and clothing reminded me of home too much, so we moved on.
China: Now we spent an awful lot of time here, wandering around the fascinating shops and learning about their culture. The Silk dresses and dressing gowns were beautiful, but quite pricey. We had a bite to eat in the Lotus Blossom Café, which in our opinion was really nice. I cannot remember what Ian had, but it was delicious, that we shared it and got another portion. Beef I think, in a kind of bourbon glaze? Not at all expensive and worth the money even James tried the noodles and rice. We sat and chatted for a while and pondered about splitting up and going our separate ways, as we were spending so long in each area but then decided against it, cause we just lurv being together!! As we were leaving China the Pu Yang Acrobats were just warming up for their performance, so we sat on the pavement, almost in front with an unobstructed view, and watched these amazing boys and girls perform their acrobatics. Fantastic, clever and very brave young children. If you have the opportunity, do not miss seeing these youngsters perform. Their skills are truly amazing.
We now stood and watched Tapestry of Nations again, and still wonder and the glory of it all. Again, feet tapping, we made our way past the outpost and onto Germany.
We had a quick look around the shops in Germany but wanted to try and secure a good spot to watch the New Illuminations 2000. As we came out we spotted a gap along one of the fences and just grabbed the space and stayed put. The boys went off to get some beer and coffee, and we had about 25 minutes to wait for the show. The time soon passed and the crowds built up, and an aire of excitement was running through the place.
When the lights go down, and the music starts, you cannot help but feel the vibrations running through you. The fireworks, music, water fountains, colours are all timed to perfection and the sheer wonder takes your breath away. We all felt emotional, especially when the world floated to the centre. Now, we had a fairly good view, but there were some trees just obscuring it slightly but it did not detract from the magnificence of this spectacular. I think this was one of those occasions when James, Katie, Ian and Emma were lost for words. I dont think anyone of us could have spoken even if we had tried to. When the end came, the applause and cheers were rapturous and everyone was one if you know what I mean. Not one person from near where we were standing made to move off until the clapping and cheering stopped. It was amazing.
So, we had Italy, America, Japan and Morocco still unseen along with the Millennium Village. No choice for it, we had to come back tomorrow.
It was our last full day and we had so much to do. Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney and Epcot. We still had to get to the Harley Davidson shop for Emma as well. We had better get home and get some rest in!
Back to the villa, tea & toast and then swiftly to bed but not before the lads had a quick dip in the pool!
Day 13 Typhoon Lagoon & Epcot
Well, the sun was shining bright and there was not a cloud in the sky! We were up, breakfasted and out by 8-30 am and on the short journey to Typhoon Lagoon.
This is another first for all of us as Chris and I have never been to any of the water parks here in Florida, not being water fanatics, but we were enthusiastic and looking forward to a fun day.
We pull into the parking lot, there is no parking fee here, and I was surprised that it seemed fairly empty. Considering that this was the only Water Park open at the moment and the forecast had been very good a high in the top 80s we expected to see crowds. Another thing that struck me was the casualness in the parking lot. In all the other theme parks, you drive into the allotted space, one after the other, and wo-betide any one who goes out of turn. Here there were no attendants and you could park willy-nilly, so to speak.
We walked into the park through the entrance plaza and I had to stop and catch my breath at the themeing. I was amazed, although I should not have been surprised, after all this was Disney! After a few minutes, we had located lockers and were just aimlessly wandering soaking up the atmosphere.
I cannot tell you all how I imagined the water parks to be, but what I saw before me was more that anything I had expected. Now, I obviously cannot compare the water parks as this is my first, but if this is anything to go by, I cannot believe that we have missed out so much in the past! I mean, you dont really even have to like the water to appreciate the place.
We found a nice spot on the beach area, under a shade yes, it was that hot today and we just pulled together half a dozen beds and chairs and settled for a nice restful, peaceful day.
Within about 15 minutes James & Emma went off for a wander and to try the Lagoon Surf Pool, which I just stood and looked at for ages and ages. This looked so much fun but I am still feeling a bit under the weather and hey, its still early in the day! They had a great time and we did not see them for about an hour. When they came back, they had been round and tried a few things and their initial verdict was: Brilliant!
Now, Katie as you know by now is not a water baby, whereas Ian is. So, she settles down with the inevitable book (still that Bertolt Brecht fellow!*!*!) and Ian has a doze. Chris poodles off to do some video taping and well I just chill out.
James and Emma have disappeared again and we are beginning to feel peckish, so we decide to go and eat. Katie, Ian and I go off in search of vittles, whilst Chris holds the fort.
We queued for ages, and ages at Leaning Palms, and this would be my only complaint of the day, and instead of the usual Burgers, Chris and Ian had Chicken Fajidas (sp) Sandwich with Fries, Katie had the obligatory Pizza and I had a Caesar Salad with Chicken. We shared a couple of Pink Lemonades, as they were so very huge. The price was in keeping with what we had been charged at other WDW parks, and the food was very nice I was surprised that it stayed hot, considering the walk back.
After lunch, Chris and I had a wander and ended up on Castaway Creek, which is my sort of attraction. We had taken a walk around beforehand and seen the Humunga Kowabunga which James & Ian went on several times. They then insisted that I went with them and Chris on Gang Plank Falls assuring me that this was a gentle ride, and No Mum, you wont get your hair wet We were going to Epcot later and I did want to look half decent. Should I have trusted them? Well, those of you who have experienced this will know the answer to that. They purposely weighted themselves down into the raft and it got stuck just after we set off right under a mini water fall and guess who was in line for the fall yep! Yours truly. Having said that, I did so enjoy myself on this that we did it a couple of more times, with a little American boy tagging along with us because he was on his own. He was a dear little chap and must have thought we were all crazy! We had a great time on this, and there were absolutely no lines at all.
Chris and the lads went off after this to do some other slides, but I rejoined the girls to lay down and dry out in the sun. When they returned they decided to go and swim in Shark Reef, so we went to watch this and take some photos. The lads enjoyed this a great deal but I would not do it NO WAY.
It came to about 4 oclock and we decided to make a move to Epcot, so we showered and changed in the washrooms and said farewell to a great park. We will definitely recommend this as a great fun day out.
Epcot
We made our way to Epcot, leaving Typhoon about 5, and had no trouble at all parking right near the entrance. This is one bonus of arriving late in the afternoon; you can usually catch a parking bay near the front as people are starting to leave. We had put our warmer clothes on but still did not need jumpers.
We had another look at the Leave a Legacy feature and then made our way to World Showcase. We had come to go round the world and check out the Millennium Village.
First port of call; Mexico. We spent quite a while here, looking at all the gifts, arts and crafts. We managed to catch the tail end of a dance display, which I did not get the name of, but all the children were interacting with the dancers and looked to be having a great time.
Next Norway. Th queue for Maelstrom was really long, and we decided to give it a miss as we really had a lot to see. I mean, so many shops to look at! Mind you, the warm sweaters and clothing reminded me of home too much, so we moved on.
China: Now we spent an awful lot of time here, wandering around the fascinating shops and learning about their culture. The Silk dresses and dressing gowns were beautiful, but quite pricey. We had a bite to eat in the Lotus Blossom Café, which in our opinion was really nice. I cannot remember what Ian had, but it was delicious, that we shared it and got another portion. Beef I think, in a kind of bourbon glaze? Not at all expensive and worth the money even James tried the noodles and rice. We sat and chatted for a while and pondered about splitting up and going our separate ways, as we were spending so long in each area but then decided against it, cause we just lurv being together!! As we were leaving China the Pu Yang Acrobats were just warming up for their performance, so we sat on the pavement, almost in front with an unobstructed view, and watched these amazing boys and girls perform their acrobatics. Fantastic, clever and very brave young children. If you have the opportunity, do not miss seeing these youngsters perform. Their skills are truly amazing.
We now stood and watched Tapestry of Nations again, and still wonder and the glory of it all. Again, feet tapping, we made our way past the outpost and onto Germany.
We had a quick look around the shops in Germany but wanted to try and secure a good spot to watch the New Illuminations 2000. As we came out we spotted a gap along one of the fences and just grabbed the space and stayed put. The boys went off to get some beer and coffee, and we had about 25 minutes to wait for the show. The time soon passed and the crowds built up, and an aire of excitement was running through the place.
When the lights go down, and the music starts, you cannot help but feel the vibrations running through you. The fireworks, music, water fountains, colours are all timed to perfection and the sheer wonder takes your breath away. We all felt emotional, especially when the world floated to the centre. Now, we had a fairly good view, but there were some trees just obscuring it slightly but it did not detract from the magnificence of this spectacular. I think this was one of those occasions when James, Katie, Ian and Emma were lost for words. I dont think anyone of us could have spoken even if we had tried to. When the end came, the applause and cheers were rapturous and everyone was one if you know what I mean. Not one person from near where we were standing made to move off until the clapping and cheering stopped. It was amazing.
So, we had Italy, America, Japan and Morocco still unseen along with the Millennium Village. No choice for it, we had to come back tomorrow.
It was our last full day and we had so much to do. Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney and Epcot. We still had to get to the Harley Davidson shop for Emma as well. We had better get home and get some rest in!
Back to the villa, tea & toast and then swiftly to bed but not before the lads had a quick dip in the pool!
