Canadian Buffoon's Solo Disney Vacation - Update 07/08! pp99 - Here today gone tomorrow

[KatMark]

Can I have some points, pretty please?

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Dang it! Kat asked for points! That was going to be my jump in after finally catching up! I will admit to not reading the witty banter in between in anticipation of getting to the next oh so comical update! But I'm here now!

 

[Sandy Mouse]

I graduated college and also the DIS didn't alert me of an update. Yeah, let's just stick the blame on the DIS...

Congratulations!
I don't get a lot of notifications, either. Sometimes none for a week, then two in one day, although people were posting regularly.

Mmmm.... filet mignon..... Medium rare, I trust?

YYYYEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

I have Brie and bread to eat while I'm waiting.

Yum. I have Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Pieces (Hot Buffalo Wing flavor).

Actually it usually takes me anywhere from 8 to 16 hours to write one chapter.
The writing comes quickly enough, but it's the editing,
the contest scoring and the re-writing and proof reading that takes forever.
Oh. And don't forget anywhere from 1 to 3 hours for photo editing and uploading.

This is why I would never ever do a TR. That, and the fact that I'm really lazy.
You put a lot of time and effort into each chapter. Take your time. I've got a full bag of pretzel pieces and no where to go. Well, I do have work to do, and they pay me to be here, so...

 

[pkondz]

Can I have some points, pretty please?

Sure. No problem.
Consider it done.

Dang it! Kat asked for points! That was going to be my jump in after finally catching up!

First things first...

to the TR Ashley!

And now.... So.... Are you asking for points?
Or just pointing out that Kat asked for some?

I find it interesting that only about one sixth
of the people who have points have asked for them.
I mean... they're free!

I will admit to not reading the witty banter in between in anticipation of getting to the next oh so comical update!

That's okay.
While the banter is indeed witty, frequently hilarious and sometimes insulting,
I get how reading all 54 pages could be a little daunting.
So no worries.

But I'm here now!

Yes you are!

YYYYEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Good. Medium, well I deduct one point.
Well done, I deduct all of them.
There are some crimes that are unforgiveable.

This is why I would never ever do a TR. That, and the fact that I'm really lazy.

I may not have thought this through enough.
But now that I've started it, by golly I'm going to finish it!!

You put a lot of time and effort into each chapter. Take your time. I've got a full bag of pretzel pieces and no where to go. Well, I do have work to do, and they pay me to be here, so...

They pay you to eat pretzels!?!?
What an awesome job!

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

First things first...

to the TR Ashley!

And now.... So.... Are you asking for points?
Or just pointing out that Kat asked for some?

I find it interesting that only about one sixth
of the people who have points have asked for them.
I mean... they're free!



That's okay.
While the banter is indeed witty, frequently hilarious and sometimes insulting,
I get how reading all 54 pages could be a little daunting.
So no worries.

Psh what kind of contest participant getting into the game so late would I be if I didn't say heck yes I want some free points.

What kind of Disney person would I be if I didn't take advantage of all the few and fleeting and far between free things associated with anything Disney! I mean we aren't going to see the Mouse next year without that free dining plan!

And not catching up on all the banter I was able to read all of them in less than a day! And be ready for the next installment!

 

[pkondz]

Psh what kind of contest participant getting into the game so late would I be if I didn't say heck yes I want some free points.

Wish Granted!

What kind of Disney person would I be if I didn't take advantage of all the few and fleeting and far between free things associated with anything Disney! I mean we aren't going to see the Mouse next year without that free dining plan!

True!

And not catching up on all the banter I was able to read all of them in less than a day! And be ready for the next installment!

Coming soon. Possibly tonight.... but late.
Details to follow.

 

[pkondz]

Okay... I've decided to end the next update at the conclusion of the dive.
So there's good news and bad news.
The good news is, I should have the next update for you soon.
Possibly tonight, except it's a very busy evening with Kay's spring band concert.
So we'll see.
If not tonight, then tomorrow for sure.

The bad news is that by ending the next update where I am,
it will make the following update quite short.


WHADYA MEAN THAT'S GOOD NEWS?????

 

[BibbitybobityLu]

Anyone can ask for points.... once.
I've given out points to several people just for asking.
I even said I'd do it.

Surprisingly, very few have taken me up on the offer.

So I really don't have to pretend to be nice? Phew! Not sure I could have pulled it off...

While the banter is indeed witty, frequently hilarious and sometimes insulting,

What do you mean "sometimes insulting"?!

 

[pkondz]

So I really don't have to pretend to be nice? Phew! Not sure I could have pulled it off...

You're not fooling anybody Lyndsay. We all know you're a sweetheart.

What do you mean "sometimes insulting"?!

Those times when they are not threatening me with bodily harm.

 

[orangecats2]

Yeah, Ponzi insults me all the time. He never did tell us exactly how tall he is!

So, I'm not going to tell you how I like my steak. I need to stay in the lead.

Pretty sure I asked for points back in the beginning.

So if the update after this one is short it shouldn't take you very long to get it pumped out. Right?

 

[pkondz]

Yeah, Ponzi insults me all the time. He never did tell us exactly how tall he is!

Sure I did! Look, I'll even stand up with my back to the wall and measure it.




There.
Now to measure.



And there you go! See?

I am nothing if not accommodating.

So, I'm not going to tell you how I like my steak. I need to stay in the lead.

Close one.
You're flirting with deductions!

Pretty sure I asked for points back in the beginning.

Yes you did. See below.

You are correct.....I have been humbled. Now give me more points!!! Sixth place is not good!

See?

So if the update after this one is short it shouldn't take you very long to get it pumped out. Right?

 

[pkondz]

20,000 Leagues of Pixie dust

Before I even get started,
I'm just going to throw this out there like a wet noodle flapping in the breeze.

The Contest

I know I didn't post any bonus questions,
but there are still some...

Bonus points!

MAGICFOR2 – 1 point for flying characters, 2 points for tag fairies.
RGirl – 1 point for beerstiles.
Heluvsme – 1 point for jammies and tea.
Afwdwfan – 2 points for warming the waters.
Glittercat – 1 point for seeing seaweed.
Captain_Oblivious – 1 point for larger marine vessels.
Scoobymoons – 3 points for crudités. 1 point for listing da funk.
BibbitybobityLu – 2 points for being shameless, 1 point for being a binge-er and 1 point for in Tara we trust.
Ravens girl – 2 points for lovin’ it.
Lisaviolet – 1 point for getting picked up by random bikers.
Sandy Mouse – 1 point to put a band-aid on her foot. 1 point for pee.
KatMark – 1 point for thumb’s up. 2 points for asking for points.
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes – 1 point for letting the dogs… do what they do, 1 point for not commenting on sizes.
Thumper_Man’s Wife – 3 points for the invite.
Cinderkelly – 2 points for asking for points in a roundabout way and 3 points for effort.
courtneybelle - 8 points for graduating from college.
KatMark - 2 points for asking for points.
lilpixiebabe101 - 2 points for asking for points.


Contest points so far

afwdwfan 31 points
orangecats2 31 points
Sandy Mouse 27 points
Scoobymoons 25 points
MAGICFOR2 21 points
Tracy161 21 points
Rgirl 20 points
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes 19 points
Susan R 18 points
Captain_Oblivious 18 points
Laura74 17 points
shan23877 17 points
bankr63 16 points
courtneybelle 15 points
dawnbu40 15 points
KatMark 13 points
DonnaBeeGood 13 points
Steppesister 12 points
dgthree 10 points
ForeverDance 9 points
RockinDisney 9 points
Thumper_Man 8 points
lisaviolet 7 points
ddstratton 6 points
mmeb144 6 points
Backstage_Gal 5 points
Cinderkelly 5 points
TheLittleKatie 5 points
BibbitybobityLu - 4 points
Gracefulskinny 4 points
KathyM2 4 points
Self_resqing_princz 3 points
Glittercat 3 points
Thumper_Man's Wife 3 points
lilpixiebabe101 2 points
LookinUp 2 points
Ravens girl 2 points
RMColosimo 2 points
Heluvsme 1 point
quandrea 1 point

Oooohhhh... Tight race there at the top.
Still anyone's game though.
(And the usual disclaimer, if you notice an error, tell me!)


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A few of you.... a lot of you, asked how it was possible
that after so many death defying experiences in the water,
could I possibly have my Scuba certification.

Well, I guess I owe it to a love of reading, my parents...
and Jacques Cousteau...
and James Bond...

and Disney.

My folks bought me a set of five books when I was little that I really loved.
Heck, if I still had them, I might still love them!
They were what I'd call slim coffee table books.
And they were fascinating!
One book was about nuclear power I believe.
I don't remember that one as well as the others.
The second book was about dinosaurs.
I don't know many boys who aren't fascinated with those suckers.
The third book was about the moon landing.
The fourth book was about sharks, actually.
But presented in a scientific non frightening way.
I was fascinated.
And the fifth book.
I honestly can't tell you which I loved more.
The moon book, the shark book or the fifth book,
which was about sunken Spanish galleons.
The fifth book had lots of pictures of Spanish gold
and gold and jewel encrusted relics.
All recovered by.... as you probably surmised... scuba divers.
I was hooked.
So much so, that I must've bugged my folks to get me a dive mask.
I don't remember... but I do remember getting one.

(I suppose a Mardi Gras mask would've been cool too,
but possibly not as practical for keeping water out of one's eyes.)

I read and re-read those books (especially the last three) until they were falling apart.

Around that time, Jacques Cousteau, (whom you may have heard of
and whom you may know as the inventor of the aqua-lung, the first scuba ever)
had a TV show called: The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.
Later, he had another TV series entitled: The Cousteau Odyssey.
I loved watching anything with scuba divers and this had almost nothing but!

And then along came James Bond and Thunderball.
I was too young to see it in the theatre, but I did see it on TV.
If you're not familiar with that one, it's chock full of scuba diving scenes.

But where did that love for undersea adventure come from in the first place?

Welll, last, but actually first...
Possibly the first movies I ever saw were in our Church basement.
We may not have even had a TV at that time.
(Can you imagine???)
I don't know how or why the Church was showing movies in the basement, but...
I remember seeing Pinocchio there.
And I absolutely remember seeing...
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
It was my favourite movie for a long time.
Submarines! Underwater adventures! Wow!

How could I not love anything and everything to do with the undersea world?
So I guess you could say that at the core,
Disney is the reason why I was able to get back into the water.
So it's kind of fitting that I'd be doing this, no?


So now we have a very young little ponzi, with his mask on,
standing at the water's edge.
Very exciting. I was going to be a real 'nuff scuba diver!
I waded in... oh, about ankle deep... bent over and stuck my mask in the water.
I could see!!!!
It didn't take me long to go a little deeper.
Then start paddling...
Then jump off the dock into water that was deeper than I was tall.
(As long as it was from the end... not that other part where the seaweed was.)
I'd jump in and make a bee-line for the shore, about 10 yards away.

My mom has it somewhere in a blue book filled with my youthful accomplishments.
"Learned to swim (underwater) West Hawk Lake."

From there it was mask... mask and fins... mask, fins and snorkel.
Still wasn't scuba diving.... but I wanted to.
(As long as it was in a lake. With good visibility. No scary ocean.)


When I was in grade 12, one of my high-school teachers
(a certified dive instructor) offered to teach a dive class
to anyone who wanted to learn.
I think there was about a dozen or so of us.

Imagine my surprise when it turned out that I was the best at breath holding
and other snorkeling related skills.
(not that I was all that great... or even that much better.)
Really, it only makes sense. I'd been doing that since I was five or so.
For some, it was their first time.


The true test was... well, the open water test.
At West Hawk Lake.
I loved that lake... even though it had tried to kill me.
Nevertheless, I was a little nervous about diving for the first time,
outside of the confines of a nice critter-free pool.
I passed and got my certificate.
I did it by keeping my mind a nice complete blank slate.
So.. my normal state of mind...
I.e. I didn't think about sharks... I didn't not think about them too!


And that's how we got to today's update with yours truly
sinking below the waves (ripples, actually) to the circling sharks.

They really do circle.
They have to.
It's a circular aquarium.
If they didn't, they'd eventually wind up with their noses pressed up somewhere.
No! Not pressed up there! Get your collective minds out of the gutter!


Before we begin our underwater exploration,
just a few rules and regulations for safety, okay?

Over on the far left (or counter clockwise) is a cage-like divider
between the dolphins and the rest of the critters.
We were told to keep at least six feet away from the divider.
Melissa said that the dolphins were territorial
and it was best just to keep our distance.
I suspect that someone at some time
stuck his or her arm through the bars and was
playfully grabbed by a dolphin and either hurt or frightened.
Or maybe just seeing someone stick their arm through
was enough to create the rule.
It didn't matter to me. They told me to stay a body length away...
So I did.

We were also told that the water temperature was 78F (26C).
Melissa, our tour guide apologized if we thought this might be too cold,
but the fish's comfort came first, divers second.

I tried.
I really tried not to laugh.

All my dive experience came from West Hawk Lake.
There, the surface temperature is about 50F-70F
(depending on weather and date) in the summer.
But there's a thermocline around the 30 foot mark
where the water temperature is about 40F (5C).
78 degrees was hot tub temp almost!


And now for something completely... unnerving.
Let's talk about sharks, shall we?
I never did figure out exactly what species of sharks were in the aquarium.
Or, more importantly, what species were in the aquarium... with me!
But... I reasoned... Disney is hyper sensitive about safety.
I figured they wouldn't put us in with overly aggressive or dangerous sharks.
Yes, I'm sure that if a shark wandered over and I stuck my arm into its mouth,
it might result in some unfortunate nibbling.
I didn't really plan on testing that out.

I'm sure I'd read somewhere that people were told not to touch the fish,
but I don't remember Melissa saying that.
She might have. I just don't remember it.
I wasn't planning on grabbing Dory anyway.
That sounds like, but isn't, a euphemism for something naughty.


You may recall from the previous chapter
that the sharks had already been fed today.
Believe me when I tell you that I was very pleased when I heard that.
Quite pleased.

There are just two more things to cover and then we can get wet.
We were reminded that we would be seen by Disney guests and to act accordingly.
I knew we would be... in fact I was counting on it.
We were also told that the dive would commence with our Dive master,
Gordon, giving us a tour of the tank before setting us free.
The purpose of the tour was to guide us through certain areas
so the cameraman could position himself to film us.


Did I not mention that I had video?


I'll admit that the first part of the video is a little hokey.
(which you could purchase for an additional $30.... D'uh! Of course I will!!!)
All four of us are filmed swimming through the "coral" and encouraged to wave.
I actually couldn't wait for that part to be done.
I wanted to look around! Not be led around!


The entire tour is about three hours, and we've already used up a chunk of that time.
The actual dive time is forty minutes.
We were told not to worry about using air.
Indeed we were told to use as much as we wished.
We were simply told that if the gauges reached a certain point,
to come back to the "island" and they'd pop on a new tank.

I was pleased to hear that.
I'm not in the best of shape right now,
owing to my back not allowing me to exercise much.
And possibly to a healthy appetite, too!
So I didn't know how much air I'd be using.
Nice to not have to worry about it.


Shall we begin?

As I related in the last chapter,
we all paddled out on the surface to the martialling area.
Gordon glanced around, we all gave him the "Okay" signal.
(Not thumbs up! That means "Go up".)

I pushed the button to begin deflating my BC.
And as the air rushed out, I began to sink.
Soon, my head slipped beneath the surface
and I began my descent to the bottom.

I did a 180 degree flip and was now descending head first instead of feet first.
I instinctively equalized the pressure in my ears as I descended.
I was probably the second last to descend,
owing more to hesitation over not doing this for a few decades.
But once I started down, it all came back to me
and I was completely comfortable in just a few seconds.

And it was freaking amazing!
The official visibility in the Living Seas is listed at 200 feet.
And with my prescription mask.... I could see...
Everything!


Mind. Blown.


Which is to say, I forgot all about the sharks.
It was just another pool, right?
Bigger, but still just a pool, right?

I glanced at my watch as I headed down.
6:25pm.
Yes. It's waterproof. Supposedly down to 330 feet.
Considering the Living Seas has a max depth of 25 feet,
I figured it would be okay. (It was.)


Interestingly enough, you are not allowed to wear any jewellery in the aquarium.
Not even a wedding band.
But if you can't take it off,
I suppose they reason it won't fall off and you're good to go.
I left my wedding ring on.
I could take it off with a bit of effort, but I didn't bother.
They do, however, let you wear a watch.
Probably not likely to fall off and easy to spot if it does.
Also probably doesn't look like food.
Like a nice shiny earing would.


I spotted the rest of the divers on the bottom and quickly joined them.
Gordon motioned for us to follow him and the married couple swam after him.
I followed them. Melissa's husband followed me.
I figured since he was "Just along for the ride" that he'd hang back a bit.
And he did.

And I was so wrong about him.
But I'll get to that later on.


Gordon led us around... and through the "coral" reefs.
We'd stop. Dutifully follow, and wave like idiots to the camera.
I didn't care.
I was having fun!

And the video from the above still.
(Do me a favour. When the video ends, it will offer my other videos.
Don't click on them. You'll see them a bit later in this update. I promise.)

After a few more staged shots, Gordon signaled that we were free to explore!
At last!!

I happily swam away from the group.
And pretty much right away came up on my first shark.
They were kind of hard to avoid, since they're always swimming around.

But a miracle happened.
The shark swam by, oh about 10 feet in front of me.
And it didn't even bother me.

Now the video that we'd be given later showed us this kind of shark:

Which looks scary... but is essentially just a big puppy dog.
But I never saw one.
I saw lots of reef sharks.
Or more accurately, I saw lots of at least one reef shark.
For all I know, it might have been the same one who kept swimming by.
But it (they?) was so beautiful, that I wasn't scared of it.
Plus... it didn't get too close. So, there's that.


But there were other critters other than sharks.
Lots of them!
There were different kinds of rays and tons of fish.
But where were the turtles?

I was swimming over by the dolphin pen,
(but not too close. Remember the rule!)
and I looked down and...
Oh, no! I think a turtle has died!!!
I was so upset!
There was this big, beautiful turtle,
unmoving, nose down in the gravel.
I looked around to see if I could spot Gordon or the cameraman.
And as I looked to my right....
There was another turtle.
In exactly the same pose, but on the other side of the tank.

Oh.

Okay. I will admit to breathing a sigh of relief and gratitude.


Shhhh..... The turtles are sleeping.
I left them to their dreams of the EAC (East Australian Current.)



Where was I? Oh yes, the other non-shark-like critters...
Watch this:
(The hubby is exiting to the left, DW is entering from the right,
I'm in the middle and Melissa's DH comes in from the right at the end.
This might give the impression that we were all sticking together,
but this was right after we were told we could go on our own.)

Is that not the freaking coolest thing ever????
Oh. I trust everyone noticed the not-so-hidden Mickey head?

Apparently there's another (smaller) one inside the coral that I went through,
but I never saw it... or even looked for it.
I forgot.
I was preoccupied with breathing,
following directions and not being taken for a hors d'oeuvre.
You know. Like by that shark that's right in front of me?
Honestly, as long as he was heading away from me, I was okay with it.


Does anyone remember how I went on (and on... and on... and on...)
about wanting to spread some pixie dust?
And my frustration at being thwarted at every turn?

Well, this is how I was able to finally do something for others.

There are tons of fish.
There are cool turtles.
Awesome rays.
Majestic sharks (keep swimming atta way, buddy.)

But I probably spent most (oh, about 85-90%) of my time...


Interacting with children.



It was So. Much. Fun!!!


Here's me, swimming by the windows to the Coral Reef restaurant.

Sorry for the quality, but it's from a distance and a screen capture from the video.

I'm sorry to say.... No. I'm not. I almost burst out laughing at the time.
(Which probably would've looked pretty weird.)
But there was an elderly couple who were having dinner,
right by the window.
I swam by... stopped... the woman looked up... and almost jumped out of her seat!



She got over it right away, and waved gamely, but it was pretty funny.
Guess she wasn't expecting anything but fish swimming by.
This is Disney you know.
I hope she went home with the story of how she was startled
by the diver in the aquarium.


I swam by the coral reef several times.
I would always pause and make sure that I took a look around.
There were always little kids, at the tables a little farther back, waving like crazy.
I tried to make sure I waved back at all of them.

Who knows? Maybe I inspired some little boy or girl to try scuba for themselves.
If I can instill a sense of adventure in some child, I can be happy with that thought.


But that wasn't the best part.
Not by a long shot.


The people (adults would smile and wave too)
in the coral reef were prisoners of their tables.

But at the viewing galleries?
You can walk right up to the 8 inch thick glass and look in.

I swam around in lazy laps, greeting children wherever and whenever I saw them.
Parents would run and bring their kids to see me.
And I would play with them.
I'd place my hand on one side of the glass and almost always,
the child would place his or her hand opposite mine.


I played more games of "pattycake" then I ever have in my entire life.

I was finally doing it... I was finally spreading pixie dust.
I hardly noticed the fish. I forgot the turtles.
I was having the time of my life.

I remember playing with two boys who must've been brothers.
They ran up to the glass as I approached.
They backed off a bit so I motioned them forward.
I put my right hand on the glass and one boy placed his opposite mine.
I placed my left hand and the other boy copied his brother.
I then took my right hand and moved it up.
The boy slapped his hand on the glass.
I moved my left even higher.
The other did the same.
I was going to keep going up until they couldn't reach anymore...
but then thought better of it.
They might perceive it as a game... that they lost.
Or they might hurt themselves trying to jump too high.
So I placed my hand just a bit higher...
one boy gave a little leap and "high fived" me.
I backed up, gave them a "thumbs up" (they don't know that it means "go up",)
waved and swam off.

Parents and teenagers would wave me over to take photos.
I have no idea how many times my picture was taken with kids,
couples, groups and individuals.
But every picture was a snapshot of my happiness.

Another time, after I had "met" some kids,
I saw a ray gliding by silently below.
I thought, "I wonder if I can coax it to come up a bit so they can see it?"

So I swam underneath this guy:

And released some bubbles under his wings.
It didn't faze him a bit
and he continued to soar nonchalantly a couple of feet above me.
Suddenly I realized...
"I'm swimming two feet underneath a freaking stingray!!!!
And blowing bubbles at it!!!!"
How much cooler can you get?
You can't!!!


I started to make another lap over by the Coral Seas restaurant
and came across a reef shark essentially doing the same thing I was doing.
Only he was doing it in the opposite direction.
Now every other time I'd come across one of these guys, they'd been going away from me.
This one was coming at me.
Okay. No problem. He'll veer off soon enough.
He kept coming.
Any second now he'll turn.
He kept coming.
Uhhh....
At what seemed like a really short distance, he finally got bored and turned away.
I don't mind saying that it was a bit unnerving.

How close did he get?
About this close:

I might not have been able to touch him if I'd reached out...
and you know that wasn't going to happen!!!
But if I couldn't have touched him, he wouldn't have been much farther than that.

But you know what?
Even with my usual fear of water.
Even with my usual fear of sharks!
I was having such a wonderful time spreading pixie dust
that I forgot about it almost immediately.
It's kind of strange.
If I'd been wading in the ocean and saw that, I'd be completely done for the day.
Possibly forever.
But while scuba diving? In the Living Seas?
I was okay.


I continued to wave to the folks in the restaurant, pose for pictures and play "pattycake" with the kids.


My God. It was beautiful.


Did you know there was a VIP room with floor to ceiling windows into the aquarium?
And that there's an acrylic see through grand piano there?
It's used for special functions, like weddings.
There was something going on at that time, so I did see it.
But everyone was ignoring what was happening on the other side of the glass,
so I never bothered to go back again.


At some point in the dive (about 7pm),
I noticed that I was getting close to the point where I should get more air.
I swam back up to the island and was immediately helped by several CMs.
At first they told me that there was only a few minutes left
and to just keep swimming,
but another one said to go ahead and change the tank anyway.
The entire process took less than a minute and I was on my way again.


As they say, all good things must come to an end.
Clichéd, yes. But unfortunately true. At least in this case.
I heard a rhythmic "bonging" sound as Gordon banged on a piece of metal.
That was the signal that the dive was over.
I waved one last time to some folks and headed up.

I was tired from the swim... but grinning like an idiot from ear to ear!
I took off the BC & tank, fins and mask.
Melissa handed me my glasses.
The dive was over, but the tour wasn't quite finished yet.


We were led back to the locker rooms where individual showers
with shampoo and body wash awaited.
Ahhhh... That hot water felt good.
While 78F water is much warmer than what I'm used to,
(except when I'm in our pool.... yes we have one... because I hate water.
But Ruby wanted one. So....)
It does get a little on the chilly side after 40 minutes.

When we were all dressed,
I tucked my wet suit into the plastic bag that I had brought with me.
(See?)
We then all met up in another room.
There, Melissa had hot coffee for the adults and
hot chocolate for the little ones.
Boy that hot chocolate warmed me right back up!


Once we were all settled, Melissa showed us our video.
Even though we were the stars, we all ooohed and aaahed.
And yes... The married couple, as well as I, bought a copy.

And it was at this point that the nickel finally dropped.

One of the biggest rules in diving is "Always dive with a buddy".
Or never dive alone.
Running into a problem while underwater is not a good thing when
you're by yourself.
Disney never told me that I had to have a partner
in order to do Dive Quest.

But.

Remember Melissa's husband? Who came along for the ride?
Guess who spent the entire dive shadowing me?
He was behind me the whole time and I never even noticed him!
I only figured it out when I saw the video.
Wherever I went, there went my shadow!

You can see him in the picture (and video) where I'm playing with the child behind the glass
and at the end of the "hidden Mickey" video.

He never once mentioned that's why he was there.
I hope I didn't bore him too much with my antics.


Now, @Steppesister asked me if I thought her hubby would enjoy Dive Quest.
As an inexperienced diver, I can definitely recommend it.
But as for experienced divers?
The married couple were doing this for the second time.
And they planned on doing it again, sometime in the future.
So I suppose that answers the question, right?


There's just one last little bit to cover, before the dive is officially over.
Part of the fees we paid goes to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.

According to their website:
DWCF grants provide financial support for:
the study of wildlife;
the protection of habitats;
the development of community conservation and education programs in critical ecosystems;
and experiences that connect kids to nature through exploration and discovery.

So because of that, we each got the highly coveted (so I was told)...

DWCF pin!

We also each received a T-shirt.
Mine was a medium, so I asked if they had a larger size.
Melissa left for a minute and handed me a new shirt.
She asked me to try it on, but I knew it would fit.

I have a personal quirk (Oh, stop it. Yes I have several. This is just one.)
I don't like wearing new shirts until they've been washed.
So when I got home, I tossed the shirt into the laundry.
Later on, when it mysteriously reappeared,
all nicely laundered and folded
(we must have elves or something... I'll have to ask Ruby.)
I went to wear it and before I even tried to put it on,
I knew there was a problem...

It was a size Small! Melissa had grabbed the wrong one!
(Side note, Ruby heard me say it was too small...
and she thought she had shrunk it! )

However, my misfortune is your gain.
Remember this, from Chapter three?

I'll include a little something else, as well. But I won't say what quite yet.
Don't get too excited, it's nothing big.
Just a little something I got in Disney, but I don't want to say what since it's in a later chapter, okay?

I told you it wasn't anything big. It's Small to be precise.
But the winner will also receive the rare Dive Quest T-shirt.

(I included our dog's Nemo toy for scale and, well, it's appropriate, no?)

I only ask that if you don't have anyone who can wear it in your family
(either yourselves or your kids or someone else),
please let me know and I'll send it to the runner up.


And that was my diving experience at The Living Seas!


Am I forgetting anything?
Ah, yes.
Must put an end to the whining and angst.

Bonus questions!

1. I did do one more attraction that evening.
What was the next attraction that I visited?

2. I did see a nighttime show that night,
did I stay for Illuminations? Or go to another park?
(Wishes? Fantasmic!?)

3. At whichever park I happen to end the night...
how long do I wait for the bus?

Nighty night all!

Link to next post - Ain't got no Oogie Boogie​

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Melissa said that the dolphins were territorial
and it was best just to keep our distance.

I find it a tad ironic that it is apparently safer to swim with the sharks than it is the dolphins

All my dive experience came from West Hawk Lake.
There, the surface temperature is about 50F-70F
(depending on weather and date) in the summer.
But there's a thermocline around the 30 foot mark
where the water temperature is about 40F (5C).
78 degrees was hot tub temp almost!

But... I reasoned... Disney is hyper sensitive about safety.
I figured they wouldn't put us in with overly aggressive or dangerous sharks.

Probably a fair assessment!

I wasn't planning on grabbing Dory anyway.
That sounds like, but isn't, a euphemism for something naughty.

Interacting with children.



It was So. Much. Fun!!!

You probably made their day!

I swam by... stopped... the woman looked up... and almost jumped out of her seat!

I swam around in lazy laps, greeting children wherever and whenever I saw them.
Parents would run and bring their kids to see me.
And I would play with them.
I'd place my hand on one side of the glass and almost always,
the child would place his or her hand opposite mine.

A favorite game of Little Miss's when one of us is in the shower.

How close did he get?
About this close:

Yeah thats a little un nerving.

Remember Melissa's husband? Who came along for the ride?
Guess who spent the entire dive shadowing me?
He was behind me the whole time and I never even noticed him!
I only figured it out when I saw the video.
Wherever I went, there went my shadow!

I thought I noticed that in the video! That was good of him.

1. I did do one more attraction that evening.
What was the next attraction that I visited?

You mentioned it was after 7 so that rules out Figment, and Sum of all thrills. My first guess would be Soarin again because you are right there, however, your next question about park hopping leads me to think you are trying to trick us here. I'm going to go with Fantasmic as your last attraction. ( or do you not count the night shows as an attraction? if that's the case I will say TOT on the way to Fantasmic. )

2. I did see a nighttime show that night,
did I stay for Illuminations? Or go to another park?
(Wishes? Fantasmic!?)

I'll go with hopped to Studios and saw Fantasmic.

3. At whichever park I happen to end the night...
how long do I wait for the bus?

20 minutes.

 

[afwdwfan]

Do you suffer from the ravages of deleted comments?
Typed up all those clever quotes and almost as clever replies,
when all of a sudden <poof!> they're gone?

And somehow I seem to still lose them with the new Dis and it's auto save system from time to time.

The fifth book had lots of pictures of Spanish gold
and gold and jewel encrusted relics.
All recovered by.... as you probably surmised... scuba divers.
I was hooked.
So much so, that I must've bugged my folks to get me a dive mask.
I don't remember... but I do remember getting one.

So what you're saying... is that gold is significantly more important than your fear for your own life.

I did it by keeping my mind a nice complete blank slate.
So.. my normal state of mind...

That was easy!

We were told to keep at least six feet away from the divider.

So they're saying the dolphins are more dangerous than the sharks???? That's just crazy talk!

We were also told that the water temperature was 78F (26C).
Melissa, our tour guide apologized if we thought this might be too cold,
but the fish's comfort came first, divers second.

I tried.
I really tried not to laugh.

All my dive experience came from West Hawk Lake.
There, the surface temperature is about 50F-70F

I was kind of thinking 78 doesn't sound that bad. I've swam in the ocean... in February. Not the smartest thing I've ever done. But I'd have welcomed 78F.

I'm surprised you had a lake that had surface temperatures that warm though. I figured that in Canada, you'd have to bust a hole in the ice to find a spot to swim?

Yes, I'm sure that if a shark wandered over and I stuck my arm into its mouth,
it might result in some unfortunate nibbling.

Well, duh! Would you stick your arm in a wood chipper?

I wasn't planning on grabbing Dory anyway.
That sounds like, but isn't, a euphemism for something naughty.

And it was freaking amazing!
The official visibility in the Living Seas is listed at 200 feet.
And with my prescription mask.... I could see...
Everything!


Mind. Blown.

That's just awesome!

Gordon led us around... and through the "coral" reefs.
We'd stop. Dutifully follow, and wave like idiots to the camera.
I didn't care.
I was having fun!

Cool!

And pretty much right away came up on my first shark.
They were kind of hard to avoid, since they're always swimming around.

Well, you know, because that's what they do. Swim and eat. Better to catch one in swimming mode than feeding mode.

Which looks scary... but is essentially just a big puppy dog.

Does he play fetch? Roll over so you can scratch his belly?

Does anyone remember how I went on (and on... and on... and on...)
about wanting to spread some pixie dust?
And my frustration at being thwarted at every turn?

And I was reading the last update trying to figure out what on Earth that little story had to do with a tour... When it hit me. He's gonna provide underwater entertainment.

Who knows? Maybe I inspired some little boy or girl to try scuba for themselves.
If I can instill a sense of adventure in some child, I can be happy with that thought.

So I swam underneath this guy:

And released some bubbles under his wings.
It didn't faze him a bit
and he continued to soar nonchalantly a couple of feet above me.

Well, you know. Because only about 200 other divers have tried doing crap like that to him.

Suddenly I realized...
"I'm swimming two feet underneath a freaking stingray!!!!
And blowing bubbles at it!!!!"

But while scuba diving? In the Living Seas?
I was okay.

That's because they're Disney sharks.

I heard a rhythmic "bonging" sound as Gordon banged on a piece of metal.

What? Huh? I don't hear anything.

(except when I'm in our pool.... yes we have one... because I hate water.
But Ruby wanted one. So....)

You do what you gotta do to keep the peace...

It does get a little on the chilly side after 40 minutes.

There, Melissa had hot coffee for the adults and
hot chocolate for the little ones.
Boy that hot chocolate warmed me right back up!

Can I get some marshmallows in that hot chocolate, please?

Remember Melissa's husband? Who came along for the ride?
Guess who spent the entire dive shadowing me?
He was behind me the whole time and I never even noticed him!
I only figured it out when I saw the video.
Wherever I went, there went my shadow!

You can see him in the picture (and video) where I'm playing with the child behind the glass
and at the end of the "hidden Mickey" video.

He never once mentioned that's why he was there.
I hope I didn't bore him too much with my antics.

So if you were in a James Bond movie... the bad guys totally would have got the best of you.

(I included our dog's Nemo toy for scale and, well, it's appropriate, no?)

Nemo looks like he's had a rough life.

1. I did do one more attraction that evening.
What was the next attraction that I visited?

Turtle Talk

2. I did see a nighttime show that night,
did I stay for Illuminations? Or go to another park?
(Wishes? Fantasmic!?)

Illuminations

3. At whichever park I happen to end the night...
how long do I wait for the bus?

17 minutes

 

[BibbitybobityLu]

20,000 Leagues of Pixie dust

Wow that must have taken a lot of fairies...

BibbitybobityLu – 2 points for being shameless, 1 point for being a binge-er and 1 point for in Tara we trust.

Woohoo! Bout time being shameless paid off, other than in free drinks...
Tara will never let you down

We may not have even had a TV at that time.
(Can you imagine???)

Had they not been invented yet?

I remember seeing Pinocchio there

Ah yes that's why you wanted to scuba drive! Nothing like a tale about a wooden boy becoming real to inspire a desire to scuba dive!

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
It was my favourite movie for a long time.
Submarines! Underwater adventures! Wow!

Oh...or that...makes more sense...

I did it by keeping my mind a nice complete blank slate.
So.. my normal state of mind...

I call this florescent light brain...or Tuesday...

They really do circle.
They have to.
It's a circular aquarium.

If they didn't, they'd eventually wind up with their noses pressed up somewhere.
No! Not pressed up there! Get your collective minds out of the gutter!

Can't, shan't, wont!

I wasn't planning on grabbing Dory anyway.
That sounds like, but isn't, a euphemism for something naughty.

Are you sure?

You may recall from the previous chapter
that the sharks had already been fed today.
Believe me when I tell you that I was very pleased when I heard that.
Quite pleased.

But then there is always room for a snack!

There are just two more things to cover and then we can get wet.
We were reminded that we would be seen by Disney guests and to act accordingly.

Okay why is everything you are saying today sounds really dirty

so the cameraman could position himself to film us.

So there's a tape?

Did I not mention that I had video?

No. No you did not.

Shall we begin?

And it was freaking amazing!
The official visibility in the Living Seas is listed at 200 feet.
And with my prescription mask.... I could see...
Everything!
Mind. Blown.

I figured since he was "Just along for the ride" that he'd hang back a bit.
And he did.

Maybe he had heard you were coming and wanted to keep an eye on you...

(Do me a favour. When the video ends, it will offer my other videos.
Don't click on them. You'll see them a bit later in this update. I promise.)

Why did you say that?! Hey don't press that red button it will realise puppies and rainbows! Of course now I now really want to click it!

But I wont...I'm a good girl.

For all I know, it might have been the same one who kept swimming by.

They were probably thinking the same thing about you!

Oh, no! I think a turtle has died!!!

What??

Shhhh..... The turtles are sleeping.
I left them to their dreams of the EAC (East Australian Current.)

Thank goodness! That would have been horrific!

Is that not the freaking coolest thing ever????

I was preoccupied with breathing,
following directions and not being taken for a hors d'oeuvre.
You know. Like by that shark that's right in front of me?

Good plan I'm sure Tara would approve!

Does anyone remember how I went on (and on... and on... and on...)
about wanting to spread some pixie dust?

And being mistaken for the Child Catcher with balloons?

But there was an elderly couple who were having dinner,
right by the window.
I swam by... stopped... the woman looked up... and almost jumped out of her seat!

You tried to kill an old woman?!

I hope she went home with the story of how she was startled
by the diver in the aquarium.

Probably told her therapist!

Who knows? Maybe I inspired some little boy or girl to try scuba for themselves.
If I can instill a sense of adventure in some child, I can be happy with that thought.

I bet you did. I remember my brother watching the dives when we were kids and begging my mom to let him go and join them! He still scuba dives.
I, of course, was too busy eating...

So I swam underneath this guy:

Hi Mr Ray!

This one was coming at me.
Okay. No problem. He'll veer off soon enough.
He kept coming.
Any second now he'll turn.
He kept coming.
Uhhh....

You played chicken with a shark?! That is pretty bad-***...or silly...depends who won!

At what seemed like a really short distance, he finally got bored and turned away.

You won...so bad-***!

Hi Bruce!

If I'd been wading in the ocean and saw that, I'd be completely done for the day.
Possibly forever.

Yeah I have a feeling real life sharks are slightly less friendly then Disney sharks...

My God. It was beautiful.

It does sound amazing

But everyone was ignoring what was happening on the other side of the glass,
so I never bothered to go back again.

Well of course why else would you hold an event there and actually want to look at the aquarium?

As they say, all good things must come to an end.

hot chocolate for the little ones.
Boy that hot chocolate warmed me right back up!

Little one huh? Cause the "water was cold" sure...

Remember Melissa's husband? Who came along for the ride?
Guess who spent the entire dive shadowing me?
He was behind me the whole time and I never even noticed him!

I hope I didn't bore him too much with my antics.

Probably wished he could join in but he was too busy being a scuba ninja!

I don't like wearing new shirts until they've been washed.

That makes sense, who knows who else has wore them

Later on, when it mysteriously reappeared
all nicely laundered and folded
(we must have elves or something... I'll have to ask Ruby.)

More likely it was a fairy

1. I did do one more attraction that evening.
What was the next attraction that I visited?

It's Small World!
No??
Test Track?

2. I did see a nighttime show that night,
did I stay for Illuminations? Or go to another park?
(Wishes? Fantasmic!?)

Yes (I get points for that right?)

3. At whichever park I happen to end the night...
how long do I wait for the bus?

12784 seconds.

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

The dive looks fantastic. I tried to drown myself repeatedly with a snorkel mask at the shark reef in Typhoon Lagoon.

I'm going to guess you park hopped to your "dessert" park. And went on Splash finally and watches Wishes!

 

[KathyM2]

Wow....that is seriously the coolest thing ever....love the pics....I can't help but laugh when I picture you swimming up to the window and waving at people eating their meals....so funny!! I think I would jump too lol. But what an amazing once in a lifetime experience. It's a pretty neat place for diving too...I don't think I'd do it in open water...but there...might be worth trying to get over the fear. And to be so close to sharks and fish and all kinds of amazing creatures...just...wow. So sorry about the shirt size issue...too bad.

 

[ursalita]

Do you suffer from the ravages of deleted comments?

Yes!!!!

If you have a bunch of quotes and/or comments that suddenly disappear,
close your browser window and reopen it to the World's best TR.
Or this one.

You know, that works great when I'm updating my TR but never one I'm commenting on. I'll have to try it next time.

My folks bought me a set of five books when I was little that I really loved.
Heck, if I still had them, I might still love them!
They were what I'd call slim coffee table books.
And they were fascinating!

These sound like all books my boys would love! Treasure? Sharks? Like you the only one they'd be so-so on is nuclear power.

So it's kind of fitting that I'd be doing this, no?

They really do circle.
They have to.
It's a circular aquarium.
If they didn't, they'd eventually wind up with their noses pressed up somewhere.

That makes me sad. But at least the aquarium is HUGE!

It didn't matter to me. They told me to stay a body length away...
So I did.

You are such a good rule follower. Unlike us.

Melissa, our tour guide apologized if we thought this might be too cold,
but the fish's comfort came first, divers second.

She must get a lot of complaints about the temp so she just heads that one off at the pass.

I'm sure I'd read somewhere that people were told not to touch the fish,
but I don't remember Melissa saying that.

She must have thought it goes without saying.

There are just two more things to cover and then we can get wet.
We were reminded that we would be seen by Disney guests and to act accordingly.

So no obscene gestures?

I'll admit that the first part of the video is a little hokey.

Have you seen the 7DMT videos? Now that's hokey.

All four of us are filmed swimming through the "coral" and encouraged to wave.

That isn't so bad.

But once I started down, it all came back to me
and I was completely comfortable in just a few seconds.

Like riding a bike.

Gordon led us around... and through the "coral" reefs.
We'd stop. Dutifully follow, and wave like idiots to the camera.
I didn't care.
I was having fun!

I guess it's a little thing compared to the overall experience.

But it (they?) was so beautiful, that I wasn't scared of it.
Plus... it didn't get too close. So, there's that.

Amazing.

Is that not the freaking coolest thing ever????

Oh. I trust everyone noticed the not-so-hidden Mickey head?

I didn't, I had to go back. I was distracted by that gorgeous stingray.

Interacting with children.



It was So. Much. Fun!!!

How cool! That's definitely a unique experience.

But that wasn't the best part.
Not by a long shot.

How can it possibly get better?

I was finally doing it... I was finally spreading pixie dust.
I hardly noticed the fish. I forgot the turtles.
I was having the time of my life.

Awesome.

How close did he get?
About this close:

Whoa! I'd be desperately reminding myself that humans kill way more sharks than they kill humans.

He never once mentioned that's why he was there.
I hope I didn't bore him too much with my antics.

That's not a bad gig - trailing a solo diver in that awesome aquarium.

It was a size Small! Melissa had grabbed the wrong one!
(Side note, Ruby heard me say it was too small...
and she thought she had shrunk it! )

Oh, no!

1. I did do one more attraction that evening.
What was the next attraction that I visited?

2. I did see a nighttime show that night,
did I stay for Illuminations? Or go to another park?
(Wishes? Fantasmic!?)

3. At whichever park I happen to end the night...
how long do I wait for the bus?

I'm so bad at tests but I'll throw my guesses into the ring.

1. Spaceship Earth
2. Illuminations
3. 5 minutes

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

2 points for asking for points.

2 points for asking for points.

2 points for asking for points.

Pardon me, kind sir, but would you happen to have any spare points?

And then along came James Bond and Thunderball.
I was too young to see it in the theatre, but I did see it on TV.
If you're not familiar with that one, it's chock full of scuba diving scenes.

I do remember Bond nailing some bad guy with a harpoon gun and then saying, "He going the point."

And I absolutely remember seeing...
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
It was my favourite movie for a long time.
Submarines! Underwater adventures! Wow!

Giant squid eating me! Sign me up!

Disney is the reason why I was able to get back into the water.
So it's kind of fitting that I'd be doing this, no?

Well, when you put it that way, it does make sense.

Still wasn't scuba diving.... but I wanted to.
(As long as it was in a lake. With good visibility. No scary ocean.)

You could try in your bathtub, too.

We were told to keep at least six feet away from the divider.
Melissa said that the dolphins were territorial
and it was best just to keep our distance.

Wow, who knew? All this time, the dolphins were the real danger.

Let's talk about sharks, shall we?
I never did figure out exactly what species of sharks were in the aquarium.
Or, more importantly, what species were in the aquarium... with me!
But... I reasoned... Disney is hyper sensitive about safety.
I figured they wouldn't put us in with overly aggressive or dangerous sharks.
Yes, I'm sure that if a shark wandered over and I stuck my arm into its mouth,
it might result in some unfortunate nibbling.
I didn't really plan on testing that out.

As long as they weren't sharks with frickin' laser beams on their heads.

All four of us are filmed swimming through the "coral" and encouraged to wave.
I actually couldn't wait for that part to be done.
I wanted to look around! Not be led around!

No gang signs, please.

And possibly to a healthy appetite, too!

Well, when you keep eating cronuts and not even counting them as a dessert, I mean...

Gordon glanced around, we all gave him the "Okay" signal.
(Not thumbs up! That means "Go up".)

I probably would have gotten confused and signaled "pass interference" or "illegal formation".

After a few more staged shots, Gordon signaled that we were free to explore!

What were the other staged shots? Is that where you did the gang signs? Or do you get to shoot somebody with a harpoon gun?

But a miracle happened.
The shark swam by, oh about 10 feet in front of me.
And it didn't even bother me.

No frickin' laser beam. No problem.

But seriously, nice work.

Shhhh..... The turtles are sleeping.
I left them to their dreams of the EAC (East Australian Current.)

Dude...sweeeeeeetttt. No hurlin' on the shell, dude, just waxed it??

Is that not the freaking coolest thing ever????
Oh. I trust everyone noticed the not-so-hidden Mickey head?

I used my keen powers of observation.

But I probably spent most (oh, about 85-90%) of my time...


Interacting with children.

Awesome! I think I'd probably do the same! I can see where that would become addictive.

But there was an elderly couple who were having dinner,
right by the window.
I swam by... stopped... the woman looked up... and almost jumped out of her seat!

If I can instill a sense of adventure in some child, I can be happy with that thought.

I swam around in lazy laps, greeting children wherever and whenever I saw them.
Parents would run and bring their kids to see me.
And I would play with them.
I'd place my hand on one side of the glass and almost always,
the child would place his or her hand opposite mine.

It doesn't get old, I bet.

I was finally doing it... I was finally spreading pixie dust.
I hardly noticed the fish. I forgot the turtles.
I was having the time of my life.

I love this!

I backed up, gave them a "thumbs up" (they don't know that it means "go up",)
waved and swam off.

Then 5 guys suddenly grabbed you and hauled you back up to the island.

"I'm swimming two feet underneath a freaking stingray!!!!
And blowing bubbles at it!!!!"

Did he have a bunch of smaller fish riding on his back? Was he singing?

How close did he get?
About this close:

I was having such a wonderful time spreading pixie dust
that I forgot about it almost immediately.
It's kind of strange.
If I'd been wading in the ocean and saw that, I'd be completely done for the day.
Possibly forever.
But while scuba diving? In the Living Seas?
I was okay.

Very interesting. So Disney magic even works underwater.

Did you know there was a VIP room with floor to ceiling windows into the aquarium?
And that there's an acrylic see through grand piano there?

I had no idea, but now I know there's another part of Disney I'll never see!

As they say, all good things must come to an end.

I hate that phrase. All bad things come to an end too.

I heard a rhythmic "bonging" sound as Gordon banged on a piece of metal.

Is that a technical scuba term?

Remember Melissa's husband? Who came along for the ride?
Guess who spent the entire dive shadowing me?
He was behind me the whole time and I never even noticed him!
I only figured it out when I saw the video.
Wherever I went, there went my shadow!

So I guess he was a pretty cool dude.

So because of that, we each got the highly coveted (so I was told)...

DWCF pin!

It was a size Small! Melissa had grabbed the wrong one!

D'oh! Should have stuck with making the medium look like a smedium.

I told you it wasn't anything big. It's Small to be precise.
But the winner will also receive the rare Dive Quest T-shirt.

Well, I know my boys could wear it! Not me. Too many Dole Whips.

1. I did do one more attraction that evening.
What was the next attraction that I visited?

I'll say you lucked into a not-so-long wait at Soarin'.

2. I did see a nighttime show that night,
did I stay for Illuminations? Or go to another park?
(Wishes? Fantasmic!?)

And you stayed in Epcot for Illuminations.

3. At whichever park I happen to end the night...
how long do I wait for the bus?

A good solid 13 minutes. But you saw another resort get at least 2 buses before yours got there.