Bumps, bruises, too many teenagers & swimming with sharks! NEW 11/17 pg. 32

[ddluvsdisney]

Thanks Amy!! I found the app. Before I asked you I had searched for Disney countdown and I got nothing.
Now all I need is a vacation to countdown to lol
I forgot to comment on the awesome nighttime castle pics you got and CM pics so FUN!!
I would have thought that CM and dessert party would be to much too.
I think when I booked it, I didn't even make an ADR for that night. Glad it worked out.

 

[disneyfan61]

Looks like you had a great day!

At least it was a nice sunny day to enjoy the pool.

Too bad about Splash. I think it was down once when we were there but came back up the same day.

We will have to try the dessert party sometime. It looks great!
You got some great pics of Tink & castle & fireworks. Too bad about the rude woman. Don't they realize when they have this huge backpack that they can hit people with it.

Something to think about when booking the party. I will try to remember to book it when the park stays open later.

 

[eandesmom]

Stitch had to be the worst ride/experience ever if you ask me. How it opened in the first plave us bad enough but the fact that its still there? Crazy I always wonder how traumatic it would be to the one who finds and reports a code brown.... Bummer that it meant a super crowded pool time for you.

Beautiful wishes pictures!!!! I really to figure out how to do it, I get better pics of them with my phone than my camera as I don't know what I'm doing. Rude people are so frustrating, ugh!

 

[Chicago Mo]

I LOVE your report!! the pictures are AMAZING!!!

 

[Angies1274]

Great pictures at Chef Mickey's! We always enjoy it there as well.

That's too bad about Splash being down.

Love your pictures of Wishes and the Dessert Party! Your Tink picture turned out great! Mine came out all fuzzy. Oh well...it was still so cool to see her flying toward us. It looks like you had a great seat at the party!! Sorry about the rude lady though.

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

What a great day at the pool and evening at MK! I liked the dessert party when we did it in April. However, I think it needs organized better. I stood up with Jeremy to get pictures of the castle show. Tom had made a bathroom run. When I turned around to sit back down to watch the fireworks, our chairs were gone from the table. Someone had taken them and was sitting by the rail. Very frustrating. They even saw us and never offered to give them back.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Thanks Amy!! I found the app. Before I asked you I had searched for Disney countdown and I got nothing.
Now all I need is a vacation to countdown to lol
I forgot to comment on the awesome nighttime castle pics you got and CM pics so FUN!!
I would have thought that CM and dessert party would be to much too.
I think when I booked it, I didn't even make an ADR for that night. Glad it worked out.

Glad you found the app! I love it!

I'm really happy with my new camera - it took some pretty good low light/night pictures.

Luckily CM was early at 5:15 & the party wasn't until 9pm so we were plenty hungry for snacks by then.

Looks like you had a great day!

At least it was a nice sunny day to enjoy the pool.

Too bad about Splash. I think it was down once when we were there but came back up the same day.

We will have to try the dessert party sometime. It looks great!
You got some great pics of Tink & castle & fireworks. Too bad about the rude woman. Don't they realize when they have this huge backpack that they can hit people with it.

Something to think about when booking the party. I will try to remember to book it when the park stays open later.

I think we were at the mid-point of our trip weather wise. It wasn't cold & wet any more but it wasn't crazy hot yet either. The weather was just right!

Splash was a disappointment. But we still had one more chunk of time planned for MK.

Overall we really enjoyed the party & should have just moved away from the rude lady...

Stitch had to be the worst ride/experience ever if you ask me. How it opened in the first plave us bad enough but the fact that its still there? Crazy I always wonder how traumatic it would be to the one who finds and reports a code brown.... Bummer that it meant a super crowded pool time for you.

Beautiful wishes pictures!!!! I really to figure out how to do it, I get better pics of them with my phone than my camera as I don't know what I'm doing. Rude people are so frustrating, ugh!

Stitch! Won't be rushing to get back there any time soon...

I suppose it's a good sign that the pool closed frequently for code browns... because you know they happen from time to time... at least we know they were cleaning up after them!

I LOVE your report!! the pictures are AMAZING!!!

Thanks Mo!

Great pictures at Chef Mickey's! We always enjoy it there as well.

That's too bad about Splash being down.

Love your pictures of Wishes and the Dessert Party! Your Tink picture turned out great! Mine came out all fuzzy. Oh well...it was still so cool to see her flying toward us. It looks like you had a great seat at the party!! Sorry about the rude lady though.

Chef Mickey's is usually a must-do for us. It's Alex's top choice.

I'm super excited that my Tink pictures came out... I was just snapping away & crossing my fingers.

What a great day at the pool and evening at MK! I liked the dessert party when we did it in April. However, I think it needs organized better. I stood up with Jeremy to get pictures of the castle show. Tom had made a bathroom run. When I turned around to sit back down to watch the fireworks, our chairs were gone from the table. Someone had taken them and was sitting by the rail. Very frustrating. They even saw us and never offered to give them back.

Wow - that stinks about your chairs. They were VERY strict about it at our party. No chairs allowed at the railing at all. They said it was a safety issue. Anyone at the railing had to be standing.

 

[MEK]

Forgive me for getting so far behind and I'm still here without being able to see your pictures.

Despite that, it sounds like you had a great evening. Don't you LOVE parking at the Contemporary?????? I love eating there and just leaving the car. It's the best.

The dessert party sounds like it was a ton of fun, except for back pack lady. Oh brother. I picture this gigantic backpack swinging all over the place. How nice of some strangers to offer your boys a great viewing spot.

woo Hoo to the lady's trip being right around the corner.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Forgive me for getting so far behind and I'm still here without being able to see your pictures.

Despite that, it sounds like you had a great evening. Don't you LOVE parking at the Contemporary?????? I love eating there and just leaving the car. It's the best.

The dessert party sounds like it was a ton of fun, except for back pack lady. Oh brother. I picture this gigantic backpack swinging all over the place. How nice of some strangers to offer your boys a great viewing spot.

woo Hoo to the lady's trip being right around the corner.

You are forgiven! I think we all get behind on the DIS from time to time!

I LOVE parking at the Contemporary - it makes thing so much easier! I wasn't sure whether Chef Mickey's & the dessert party were too much for one night, but I wanted to be able to park there so that's why we planned it that way.

School starts in just over a week, then the ladies trip will be soon to follow!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Day 8 – Thursday 4/26

Now that I finally got our waterproof camera developed, I am excited to share this update!!

Today was originally our DQ day but we flip flopped things since it had been so cold on Tuesday. Luckily the weather cooperated & it was a bit warmer today… we were headed to Typhoon Lagoon! It wasn’t exactly hot so the park wasn’t too crowded. I don’t have too many pictures today since it was a waterpark but I did buy a waterproof camera to bring along.

We arrived at Typhoon Lagoon around 9:50 for a 10am opening. I had to purchase a ticket but Tim & the boys were using one of their waterpark & more visits. We made it through the turnstiles & headed to the gift shop to rent a locker ($10 rental plus $5 deposit for a large locker). I also bought a gift card that is on one of those wrist things so we wouldn’t have to go back to the locker for money. FYI – they also rent towels.

After stopping at the locker to stash our stuff, we headed straight to Crush ‘n’ Gusher. Here is the description from the website:

Crush 'n' Gusher is a multi-rider, coaster-like raft ride for big kids, teens and adults at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.

Defy gravity and discover surprise after surprise as gushing jets of water rush your raft through this white-knuckle thrill ride. Up to 3 Guests can ride at once, or you can take the plunge yourself!

Each of the 3 waterslides propels you approximately 400 feet through hairpin turns, sudden drops and gravity-defying uphill climbs for an exhilarating plunge into Hideaway Bay.

The attraction is themed around an abandoned tropical fruit processing center and has 3 fruit-themed slides:
• Banana Blaster
• Coconut Crusher
• Pineapple Plunger

The Coconut Crusher and Pineapple Plunger slides accommodate up to 3 riders in one raft. The Banana Blaster accommodates up to 2 riders per raft.

We knew this was a very popular ride and wanted to make sure we could ride it several times. Wow! This was such a fun ride! We rode three times in a row without a line! I rode the ‘Banana’ with Alex, then the ‘Pineapple’ with Tim and finally the ‘Coconut’ with Zach. They warned me to hold onto my glasses on the ride & they were right! The water shoots up behind you as it propels the rafts forward. If I hadn’t been holding on, my glasses might have flown off my face. Fortunately I was wearing my old pair of sunglasses for just that reason!

My pictures are all out of order in PB since I had them developed onto a CD… I believe these are all from Crush ‘n’ Gusher:

After the third ride, a line had formed. I’m sure it would have been a very short wait but we opted to turn in our rafts & move on to something else. We worked our way around the park counter clockwise & rode the Storm Slides next.

Description from wdw.com:

Storm Slides are 3 wet and wild body slides for big kids, teens and adults at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.

Plunge down these winding waterways for a wild ride and a watery splash down! Each of the high-octane body slides zips you down 3 stories through caves, waterfalls and geysers then drops you into an invigorating pool at the bottom.

This tangled trio of twisting waterslides offers waves of excitement with 3 different body slides to choose from:
• Jib Jammer
• Stern Burner
• Rudder Buster

Storm Slides are located near the Humunga Kowabunga attraction. Climb the right slope of Mount Mayday to get to these attractions.

We headed up the hill, which was a little bit of a hike:

Then things got ugly… the CM said that we couldn’t wear water shoes or goggles down the slide. Alex started to freak out. He was OK about the shoes but was not happy about the goggles. We finally calmed him down & he decided to ride (rather than hike back down the hill). Tim & I held all of the stuff as we rode down. I think Tim went first, then Zach, then Alex, then me. This brings me to my next bump/bruise of the trip… Apparently Alex somehow got stuck in the slide because as I rode down behind him, I smashed right into him! He came out into the pool shortly after me and was crying & screaming… he was mad at me! He tends to blame people when accidents happen… Fortunately it wasn’t Tim coming down behind him, or a stranger, because that could have been much more ugly. A little banged up from the incident, we put our shoes back on & headed to the next set of slides. We’d had enough of the Storm Slides for one day!

Up next was Humunga Kowabunga (aka the wedgie slide). As described by wdw.com:

Humunga Kowabunga offers 3 high-speed waterslides designed for big kids, teens and adults who are at least 48 inches tall at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.

Are you brave enough to take a plunge down a near-vertical, 5-story waterslide? How about in the dark?

Seize your courage and shoot almost straight down Mount Mayday in any of 3 side-by-side, 214-foot long enclosed speed slides. You won't see where you're going as you zip downhill in the dark, drop 5 stories in seconds then splash down to a surprise ending. Drop in if you dare!

Humunga Kowabunga is located near the Storm Slides attraction. Climb the right slope of Mount Mayday to get to these attractions.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to ride with my glasses so I figured I’d sit this one out & hold the stuff… plus I’m not too interested in getting a wedgie. While I sat & waited for all of the boys to come down, I got quite an eye full of wedgies & girls losing their tops!

Tim & the boys came down and Zach LOVED it! Alex wasn’t very happy since he hadn’t been able to wear the goggles again. Zach wanted to ride again so we sent him back up by himself.

Zach on the left:

After this ride, we decided to find something family (and goggle) friendly to do. We opted for the family raft ride, Gangplank Falls followed by the individual raft ride, Mayday Falls.

Gang Plank Falls is a 4-person, family inner tube ride at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.

Get carried away aboard a giant inner tube with room for the whole family! Big kids, teens and adults can hop onboard and whoosh through caverns down a 300-foot long waterslide. Of the 3 Falls raft rides that include Keelhaul Falls and Mayday Falls, Gang Plank Falls is the medium intensity slide.
Enjoy the view on your crazy, curvy way down the mountain and watch for special effects and rock formations. This ride is dripping with fun so get ready to laugh your rafts off!

Each raft accommodates 4 Guests. If you have fewer than 4 people in your party, you may be asked to ride with other Guests.

Gang Plank Falls is located near the Keelhaul Falls attraction and the Mayday Falls attraction on the slopes of Mount Mayday.

Mayday Falls is a wild, inner tube ride for big kids, teens and adults at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.

Brave the rapids for a fast, turbulent trip down Mount Mayday that begins in the shadow of the iconic stranded shrimp boat, "Miss Tilly." Big kids, teens and adults, grab your single-rider inner tube and careen down this swervy, curvy waterslide through caves and waterfalls.

Mayday Falls is the longest waterslide in Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, and the highest and most intense waterslide of the 3 Falls raft rides. Hang on 'cause this one's a rush!

Mayday Falls is located near the Gang Plank Falls attraction and the Keelhaul Falls attraction on the slopes of Mount Mayday.

Those are my knees… at first glance at this photo, I thought I had somehow gone topless & didn’t remember!

The raft rides were a hug hit! Next we decided to ride the lazy river back around to the front of the park.

Castaway Creek is an inner tube ride in a meandering stream that encircles Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.

Guests of all ages can grab a raft and ease into the tropical retreat of this continuous flowing, 2,000-foot long, winding river that winds its way around the entire Water Park. Relax on an inner tube as your gentle journey takes you through cool mists and grottoes, lush rainforests and invigorating waterfalls.

Ride at your leisure and drift aimlessly along, or use Castaway Creek for effortless transportation to other areas of Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. There are 5 locations to enter and exit Castaway Creek.

Castaway Creek is located at ground level and rafts are included with the price of admission. Grab a raft just about anywhere along the creek's route to soak up the sun and go with the flow.

After the lazy river, the boys wanted to ride Crush ‘n’ Gusher again. I rode the ‘Pineapple’ with Zach while Tim & Alex rode the ‘Coconut’. Then we decided we were ready for lunch! I had reviewed menus ahead of time and thought Leaning Palms would work best for us since they had burgers, chicken nuggets & hot dogs. Much to my surprise, Alex wanted a turkey sandwich! He’d had one earlier in the week at Pecos Bills but it was very plain on a plain hamburger bun. Today’s sandwich was on a very seedy multi-grain bread with tomatoes & lettuce on it. Tim & I looked at each other as he opened up the sandwich but didn’t say a thing. Alex removed the veggies, put the bread back on and took a huge bite! He loved it!

After lunch, we were almost ready to call it a day but Zach really wanted to snorkel with the sharks. We headed over that way & Tim took Zach into the line.

Shark Reef is a snorkeling adventure with sharks for big kids, teens and adults at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.

Enter a captivating underwater world and see some incredible saltwater sea life up-close. Swim freely with leopard and bonnethead sharks, stingrays and schools of colorful tropical fish in this fascinating coral reef environment.
The reef surrounds an overturned sunken tanker. Less adventurous Guests, or anyone who just wants to get a spectacular view of the sharks without getting wet, can enter the tanker and view the undersea creatures through the portholes.

All the equipment you need to swim in the Shark Reef tank including snorkels, masks and lifejackets is provided at no additional charge. Children under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

If you would like to spend even more time exploring the waters of Shark Reef, you can extend your experience using tanks. Visit Hammer Head Fred's Dive Shop and ask about the SAS (Supplied Air Snorkeling) system. This equipment is available at an additional charge.

I think Tim would be horrified if he knew I posted these pictures… but I’m going to do it anyways!

There was a line to get into this area, then once inside, everyone gathered at the entrance to receive instructions from the CM. Then, in smaller groups, the swimming slid into the water & headed out across the reef.

It was at this point that Alex started pacing back & forth. He was freaking out about something… Turns out he was feeling like he had to snorkel but was REALLY scared to do it. He had just been at environmental camp with had 5th grade class two weeks before. He had tried so many new things & accomplished so much. I think he was feeling a little bit of that…
Tim & Zach met back up with us & Zach had LOVED snorkeling! I explained the situation to Tim. He went back in & borrowed a couple snorkels so we could see if that part would work for Alex. Alex was crying the whole time & freaking out. We kept telling him that he didn’t have to do it, but he wanted to. Once we showed him how to deal with the snorkel, Tim & Alex went back in to get in line. Would he do it???






















I had one picture left in the disposable camera…

HE DID IT!!!!! Tim said Alex went so fast he could barely keep up!

It was so exciting!

After that adventure, we called it a day and headed back to empty out our locker and return our key. We did make one stop for Alex’s favorite popsicle on the way out!

Next: The rest of our day 8

 

[eandesmom]

Oh my gosh I just got completely teary Amy! I'm so proud of Alex and I wasn't even there! Turkey on a textured seeded bread AND snorkling? That is so huge.

What a wonderful day. So fun seeing your pictures and descriptions. When we were there in 2010 I didn't do any of the slides as Eric either wasn't old enough, tall enough or something and maybe K didn't want to? I don't recall. But it's fun to read the actual detail as the 3 big boys certainly didn't tell me much. I wish we'd been early, we could have gotten more in at Crush and Gusher, the lines were too long to want to do much.

I could move in to that lazy river though. We loved that!

LOL on your knees.

 

[MRYPPNS]

Just figured out how to post from the iPad! I know what a big deal the shark thing was for Alex. Those are the things that keep us going back....all the gains that they can't learn in school

 

[natebenma]

Great update!!!

Sounds like your family had a really nice day at TL. Thanks for posting the ride descriptions- they really help me to picture and remember the different attractions.

Were there many (any) photopass photographers out in the park?

Crusher Gusher is a lot of fun, I'm glad you got lots of rides!

That is really awesome that Alex was able to overcome his apprehension about snorkeling to swim with the sharks. I know you and your husband are really proud, and he must be too! I love the picture of him and and your husband snorkeling.

The picture of your knees is hilarious. Bruises in just the "right" places!

My youngest son and I got season passes to Water Country this summer- good year for it. We went yesterday, probably headed back one more time before school starts up. Did you post that you had gone a couple of weeks ago?

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Great pics of TL!! We have only been to BB. I regret it now-think I like TL better and DS11 was to little when we went.. just wasn't into the slides yet. I was cracking up about the pic with your knees. To be honest I was reading it on my phone and had to look at it a couple of times before I figured it out.
The way Alex was freaking out because he wanted so badly to try it but was afraid at the same time is exactly what my DS11 would do.
Looked like another great day in paradise!!!

 

[MEK]

Amy - I only wish I could see your pictures right now from this update. Yeah Alex It's so funny because when my son Brian was that age he was terrified of the snorkling, too. But we did it together. Your story sounds SO familiar.

Be back later to see pics!

 

[KatMark]

W A Y T O G O A L E X!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



That is so awesome, and it looks like the family had a great day at TL. I'm going to have to get back there one of these days if just for the lazy river.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Oh my gosh I just got completely teary Amy! I'm so proud of Alex and I wasn't even there! Turkey on a textured seeded bread AND snorkling? That is so huge.

What a wonderful day. So fun seeing your pictures and descriptions. When we were there in 2010 I didn't do any of the slides as Eric either wasn't old enough, tall enough or something and maybe K didn't want to? I don't recall. But it's fun to read the actual detail as the 3 big boys certainly didn't tell me much. I wish we'd been early, we could have gotten more in at Crush and Gusher, the lines were too long to want to do much.

I could move in to that lazy river though. We loved that!

LOL on your knees.

It was a pretty awesome day Cynthia! I remember exchanging messages with one of the teachers who was with him a lot at environmental camp a couple weeks before. I was just so excited & proud of him I couldn't help myself.

We enjoyed the slides, but definitely liked the more family friendly slides better.

The lazy river was great, but hard to try to keep track of each other!

Just figured out how to post from the iPad! I know what a big deal the shark thing was for Alex. Those are the things that keep us going back....all the gains that they can't learn in school

Yay for ipad posting! I still haven't mastered that.

It was pretty awesome that Alex took the plunge. We were starting to worry because we knew how badly he wanted to do it so we were pushing him to try. If he hadn't, he would have felt so bad.

And as far as the reasons we keep going back... Tim was looking at the pictures from this day & noticing how smiley Zach was. He tends to run hot & cold and he was definitely having a good day here.

Great update!!!

Sounds like your family had a really nice day at TL. Thanks for posting the ride descriptions- they really help me to picture and remember the different attractions.

Were there many (any) photopass photographers out in the park?

Crusher Gusher is a lot of fun, I'm glad you got lots of rides!

That is really awesome that Alex was able to overcome his apprehension about snorkeling to swim with the sharks. I know you and your husband are really proud, and he must be too! I love the picture of him and and your husband snorkeling.

The picture of your knees is hilarious. Bruises in just the "right" places!

My youngest son and I got season passes to Water Country this summer- good year for it. We went yesterday, probably headed back one more time before school starts up. Did you post that you had gone a couple of weeks ago?

No - I was bummed that there weren't any PP photographers around.

We LOVED Crush 'n' Gusher - by far our favorite ride at TL. The Shark experience is right at the top too... especially after Alex gave it a try!!

We actually have four passes to Water Country that we have to use before they close around Labor Day. We thought about this weekend but golf & Water Country can't both happen if it's going to rain tomorrow.

We're busy on Saturday next weekend but we might try to go on Sunday. If not, sometime during Labor Day weekend. They were free tickets and I'd hate for them to go to waste! Let me know if you are heading back!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Great pics of TL!! We have only been to BB. I regret it now-think I like TL better and DS11 was to little when we went.. just wasn't into the slides yet. I was cracking up about the pic with your knees. To be honest I was reading it on my phone and had to look at it a couple of times before I figured it out.
The way Alex was freaking out because he wanted so badly to try it but was afraid at the same time is exactly what my DS11 would do.
Looked like another great day in paradise!!!

We'll probably try out Blizzard Beach in April. The following year (2014) will be a February trip based on the way Easter falls so I'll have to check out the refurb schedule because we won't have a choice of which waterpark to go to (if any) for that trip. Yes... I've planned out that far ahead... it actually works out well when we can have two trips within 12 months.

The knee picture... it's obviously my knees but for some reason when I first saw it I had to do a double take.

We were so proud of Alex for trying something so far out of his comfort zone.

Amy - I only wish I could see your pictures right now from this update. Yeah Alex It's so funny because when my son Brian was that age he was terrified of the snorkling, too. But we did it together. Your story sounds SO familiar.

Be back later to see pics!

I hope you've had a chance to look at my pictures. They aren't the best quality but I'm so glad we brought along the disposable camera. It was a two pack so I still have the second one for our next waterpark adventure.

I wouldn't exactly describe what Alex did as snorkeling... he did more of a head lift to breathe. And he went so fast, he didn't have much breathing to do.

W A Y T O G O A L E X!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



That is so awesome, and it looks like the family had a great day at TL. I'm going to have to get back there one of these days if just for the lazy river.

Thanks Kathy!! It was a great day!!

 

[natebenma]

We actually have four passes to Water Country that we have to use before they close around Labor Day. We thought about this weekend but golf & Water Country can't both happen if it's going to rain tomorrow.

We're busy on Saturday next weekend but we might try to go on Sunday. If not, sometime during Labor Day weekend. They were free tickets and I'd hate for them to go to waste! Let me know if you are heading back!!

We will go back one more time- Ben and I have passes for this year, we have one "Bring a friend free" and we got Nate a pass for next year (valid for the remainder of this year, too). My DH isn't interested in going so we will go during the week. Probably the week after next. Sounds like you are shooting for a weekend, but I'll send you a message to let you know when we end up going.

We'll probably try out Blizzard Beach in April. The following year (2014) will be a February trip based on the way Easter falls so I'll have to check out the refurb schedule because we won't have a choice of which waterpark to go to (if any) for that trip. Yes... I've planned out that far ahead... it actually works out well when we can have two trips within 12 months.

The family ride at Blizzard Beach is awesome!!! Blows away the family ride at TL.

 

[MEK]

Those are my knees… at first glance at this photo, I thought I had somehow gone topless & didn’t remember!

OMG - I thought the same thing. I had to do a double take! Love all the in-ride photos!