Travels With Teens: Take Two “I Can Organize This Trip in My Sleep!”BC Dee in DC Roti & Fini p. 40

[rteetz]

I have heard about the Y.E.S. Program before and it seems like a lot of fun. The seas at Epcot is one of my favorite things to go to so I would definitely like doing this. Turtle talk is fun but I've only done it once.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

The Y.E.S class sounds amazing. Love that the kids had to do a little detective work and diagnose their creatures ailment. Would love to take part in something like this for sure.
Can't wait to hear where lunch is and just as importantly what lunch is?? Looking forward to the next installment

 

[SarahDisney]

I actually took a marine biology course in college (mostly for fun ... it was a two week summer course that did count towards my major, but wasn't something I was planning to pursue for the future), so this update was really interesting to me! We actually dealt with smaller animals mostly (we did learn about larger mammals, but our hands-on work was done using smaller marine animals that could be brought back to our lab (and were mostly released when we finished, except the ones we accidentally killed)), so I think I would probably love learning about the animals they have at The Seas...

That eagle ray jumping out of the tank sounds awesome! I really loving seeing the animals having fun (or doing things that look like having fun).

 

[annie170]

What an interesting class for the kids! I would have loved taking part in that. What were some of the other classes offered at EPCOT?

I love manatees. Poor Lil Joe. I'd want to hang out at EPCOT, too!

I think you may have missed my reply on your last post.

 

[natebenma]

Did I miss a reply? I'm always afraid of doing that!

I did respond to this in Post 246, in between my EPCOT chapter with Ben's class and the Flashback from Nate's trip:

If I missed a different one, can you repost? Thanks!

Such cute People Mover photos! I'll bet if Ben saw those two photos before your trip, he would have recreated it with you.

That's too bad your favorite salad was discontinued, but now you have me craving Sunshine Seasons' strawberry shortcake! You know that's the only thing I've ever eaten there. When we're on the dining plan, one snack credit is always saved for a strawberry shortcake.

Do you know how long they delay Illuminations until they just cancel it? Were the kids disappointed?

How many kids in your group had never been to Disney before this trip? Were they the most enthusiastic?

Looking forward to reading about the Y.E.S. class at Epcot?

BTW, how do you keep all your trip reports straight!? You must have a great memory and good notes.

Thanks! He did see that first picture and at the time agreed to recreate the photo. But when it came down to it, he preferred to ride with friends instead of going with me just to recreate the photo and I don't blame him.

The SS strawberry shortcake is SO GOOD! The salad and shortcake were a practically perfect meal!!!

We talked to another group who stayed and I believe they said Illuminations went off around 9:45. I think they try very hard not to cancel the show, but I'm not sure at what point in time they decide they just can't do it.

There were only 3-4 boys along with 3 chaperones who tried to stay for Illuminations. The rest of the group returned to the resort when we were done with dinner.

There were a lot of kids in the group who either had never been to Disney or it had been many many years. I'm not sure if they were any more excited than the kids who have gone more frequently, though.

Thanks! I do have a pretty decent memory and I rely on the pictures I take to help fill in the details of my reports. I try to take notes at the end of the day of what I did and any special stories, but sometimes I am so exhausted that my attempt to write about the day backfires. It happened during this trip (I can organize this trip in my sleep) and also during the DIS meet trip in August.

This particular set of trips/reports has proved to be a bit difficult to manage. Universal in Feb, Disney Class trip in June, Universal/Disney-Beach Club trip in August with a Yellowstone trip and brief hospital stay in between.



Hopefully I can remember a lot of the details of the Y.E.S class in EPCOT. I really liked it. No pictures were allowed backstage and we were so busy that day that I didn't get to make many notes.

Coming up!

 

[annie170]

I'm sorry, I totally missed your reply. I guess I didn't get the alert I usually receive. My apologies.

 

[emmysmommy]

Hi Dee! Darn if it didn't take me all this time to get back and get caught up. I enjoyed reading all about the first 2+ days!

Your sleeping pill saga was hilarious. I do believe you can master the planning in your sleep! They were fortunate to have you play such a key role in this trip with your organization and experience.

That's quite a list of firsts for a seasoned Dis veteran such as yourself....tinkling at the Tangled restrooms, Dumbo, and stand-by for Peter Pan and 7DMT. Nice! (The chances of me putting my camera down during rides is about nil as well - even on something as whirly as Primeval Whirl! I get that.)

Glad to see that lunch at CHH worked out! I love the upstairs DR. I'm a hummus sandwich gal myself.

I love seeing your vintage photos of the kids when they were tiny. The Peoplemover one was adorable. Keep trying to recreate those moments! I still do but the opportunities are fleeting now.

Glad your group was able to bounce to Epcot for a few hours of stand-by fun but bummer about the weather cancelling Illuminations.

The YES class for the Seas sounds like something I'd enjoy! Fascinating stuff and even manatee poop to see!

 

[afwdwfan]

Ben and I were both really looking forward to this- we love the oceans and sea creatures and we have been involved in many marine programs in our area since he was little. I honestly think shark was one of Ben’s first words. In preparation for this class, he purchased a book from Amazon, “A Short Introduction to Marine Biology”

Cool! So is he a big fan of shark week?

I'm glad you were able to go along for this program.

The first part of our program was about animal care. We went into a classroom where the instructor discussed what it is like to care for all of the fish/animals in The Seas Aquarium. Then the students were divided into 3 groups and they were given a medical case history of an animal to diagnose.

Cool!

The last part of our class was some time at the top of the tank. While we were there, we heard a splash and our instructor turned around excitedly. One of the eagle rays had jumped out of the water. The teacher told us this was very unusual and she had never seen it happen in the 11 years she worked there. Ben saw this happen and said it was one of his favorite parts of the morning.

I'm glad he got to see something unique like that. And that he was looking at the right place at the right time.

When the class was over, we regrouped with the 3 chaperones who did not go to the class and we proceeded to lunch, a place that was new to me.

Hmmm... lots of good options in EPCOT!

 

[jwwi]

Great information about the yes program, it sounds very interesting. I can't imagine where you went for lunch?

 

[melk]

I've been enjoying your report! My kids had done a YES program at the Living Seas several years ago but it was geared for younger children. This looked very well done and interesting for the kids.

And I must comment on your son's "Quint" shirt...love it!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Funny story about the cockroach! Although I would probably be skived out. I have an irrational fear of bugs. I've luckily never seen one at Disney which is pretty amazing considering the size of the place. Let's hope it stays that way!

That looks like a really great program at The Living Seas...so cool. I would have liked to go while I was in school!
I wonder if some of it is similar to what they offer during those behind the scenes tours at the Seas.
I think I'm definitely going to try and do the Behind the Seeds tour at LWTL next year! Think it'll be fun for DH and I and it doesn't take that long which is nice.

Aww, sad story about Lil Joe but at least he is in good hands now! I love seeing the manatees. 100 lbs of lettuce! You'd think they weren't vegetarians...haha.

Lunch!! My favorite part of the day! Hmm, where could you be going?

 

[natebenma]

Loving your trip report.

I hope to do the y.e.s. program someday.

and thanks!!! Glad you are enjoying the report.

I know that families can do some of the Y.E.S. classes and there are really great deals on theme park tickets if you signup. You need at least 10 people for a class, and if you are doing it individually (rather than a group like we do), I think there are some classes that are offered on a schedule at different times of the year. Larger groups can probably contact Disney to see when and where they can schedule a class.

 

[natebenma]

I have heard about the Y.E.S. Program before and it seems like a lot of fun. The seas at Epcot is one of my favorite things to go to so I would definitely like doing this. Turtle talk is fun but I've only done it once.

I was excited to hear about this class when it was scheduled. It is a nice consolation to not doing the MK Space Mountain lights on/lights off like every other class from our school has done EXCEPT the two years m boys went!

My whole family loves the ocean and sea cratures, so this was great for us.

My boys were too old to have much interest in Turtle Talk when we started taking them to Disney.

:

The Y.E.S class sounds amazing. Love that the kids had to do a little detective work and diagnose their creatures ailment. Would love to take part in something like this for sure.
Can't wait to hear where lunch is and just as importantly what lunch is?? Looking forward to the next installment

I loved that activity.

I guess some of the boys were not as interested in the class as they would have been with one that had thrill rides (the one we did in 2012 had RNR and Tower of Terror), but Ben said it was one of his favorite things from the trip.

Here's a hint on lunch. It was not Sunshine Seasons or any of the countries. That narrows it down.

I actually took a marine biology course in college (mostly for fun ... it was a two week summer course that did count towards my major, but wasn't something I was planning to pursue for the future), so this update was really interesting to me! We actually dealt with smaller animals mostly (we did learn about larger mammals, but our hands-on work was done using smaller marine animals that could be brought back to our lab (and were mostly released when we finished, except the ones we accidentally killed)), so I think I would probably love learning about the animals they have at The Seas...

That eagle ray jumping out of the tank sounds awesome! I really loving seeing the animals having fun (or doing things that look like having fun).

That sounds like a fun class. Marine biology is one of Ben's interests and possible career choices. He has let us know that he can go to grad school in Hawaii if he pursues that course of study.

The little critters are interesting too! My dad volunteered as a marine docent, working at a local Science center and occasionally going in to schools. He instilled in me early that they are sea stars NOT starfish.

Talking about the animals having fun, as I was reading up about the EPCOT dolphins, I came across the info that they were originally in the main tank, but they were so playful that they harassed the other animals. They would spin the turtles with their noses.

What an interesting class for the kids! I would have loved taking part in that. What were some of the other classes offered at EPCOT?

I love manatees. Poor Lil Joe. I'd want to hang out at EPCOT, too!

I'll look up some of the other classes. I know a friend took a photography one there once.

Manatees are cool critters. Good point- live in the wild where you have to fend for yourself, or at EPCOT, in a climate controlled environment where your 100 pounds of lettuce is provided to you each day? That Lil Joe is pretty smart!

 

[natebenma]

Hi Dee! Darn if it didn't take me all this time to get back and get caught up. I enjoyed reading all about the first 2+ days!

Your sleeping pill saga was hilarious. I do believe you can master the planning in your sleep! They were fortunate to have you play such a key role in this trip with your organization and experience.

That's quite a list of firsts for a seasoned Dis veteran such as yourself....tinkling at the Tangled restrooms, Dumbo, and stand-by for Peter Pan and 7DMT. Nice! (The chances of me putting my camera down during rides is about nil as well - even on something as whirly as Primeval Whirl! I get that.)

Glad to see that lunch at CHH worked out! I love the upstairs DR. I'm a hummus sandwich gal myself.

I love seeing your vintage photos of the kids when they were tiny. The Peoplemover one was adorable. Keep trying to recreate those moments! I still do but the opportunities are fleeting now.

Glad your group was able to bounce to Epcot for a few hours of stand-by fun but bummer about the weather cancelling Illuminations.

The YES class for the Seas sounds like something I'd enjoy! Fascinating stuff and even manatee poop to see!

Good to hear from you again!

That really is a funny story about the sleeping pill. I'm so glad I was with a good friend, because one never knows what would happen if I had an evil roommate! Spoiler Alert- I have a similar incident during my August trip when I was there for the DIS meet...

Turtle Talk was new to me and I have a new dining place on tap. It is surprising that there are still things I have never done. I did cross off a few more new to me experiences in August. Always with the camera! I take pictures on Primevil Whirl, too!

A few things did not go as expected at EPCOT that night, but it is always great to be there!

The class was a great experience!

 

[natebenma]

Cool! So is he a big fan of shark week?

I'm glad you were able to go along for this program.

Surprisingly and sadly, no. Not sure why. He is getting past the fascination with nature (sea life, dinosaurs) he had up until a few years ago and now is into military history. So he spends a lot of time watching documentaries on TV.

I, on the other hand, should watch all the shark stuff. I think they are incredible creatures. My bucket list is to snorkel with sharks- not in a cage, but in the wild. There are a couple of places in the Bahamas that offer this: Stuart Cove Diving and a power boat trip to the Exhumas. I have snorkeled with sharks in controlled environments- at Dolphin Cove in Jamaica and in the main tank at Atlantis, but I want to do it in the ocean! I have never seen a shark in all of my time snorkeling.

I'm glad I was there too!

Cool!

I was really impressed with this part of the class. The kids had to request the medical reports and samples that they wanted or ask questions. They weren't just spoonfed the material.

I'm glad he got to see something unique like that. And that he was looking at the right place at the right time.

Cue the ray!

Hmmm... lots of good options in EPCOT!

Yes lots of great options to eat in EPCOT. But we didn't go to Sunshine Seasons or the World Showcase.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The Living Seas has a lot of interesting things that I didn't know about. I can see that the Y.E.S. program gives people a lot of information that would not be available to the public. I love the vet class.

We went to Turtle Talk with the grandchildren and my grandson was the only kid that asked an intelligent question. I was so proud.

This particular set of trips/reports has proved to be a bit difficult to manage. Universal in Feb, Disney Class trip in June, Universal/Disney-Beach Club trip in August with a Yellowstone trip and brief hospital stay in between.

I have some pictures from our Epcot morning that will help jog your memory.

 

[natebenma]

Great information about the yes program, it sounds very interesting. I can't imagine where you went for lunch?

I actually wish I had taken notes during the class. It was a great class with lots of interesting info, but of course I have forgotten a lot of what they told us.

I gave a couple of clues, so that should really narrow it down.

:

 

[natebenma]

I'll be back with more replies soon. Going into my hometown to take my dad to lunch and then to visit with my 7th grade math teacher.

:

 

[vleeth]

and thanks!!! Glad you are enjoying the report.

I know that families can do some of the Y.E.S. classes and there are really great deals on theme park tickets if you signup. You need at least 10 people for a class, and if you are doing it individually (rather than a group like we do), I think there are some classes that are offered on a schedule at different times of the year. Larger groups can probably contact Disney to see when and where they can schedule a class.

If we do Y.E.S., it will be with the homeschool days. I'm currently planning to go in fall 2018. When 2018 rolls around I'll see if the homeschool days ticket prices make my total come out better than free dining.

 

[afwdwfan]

Yes lots of great options to eat in EPCOT. But we didn't go to Sunshine Seasons or the World Showcase.

Well then... Electric Umbrella it is!