Day 7 - Part 2 Flying to Mars, Soarin' Over California - All in a Day's Work

[CJK]

The Cast:

Goofy Gal (me) - Obsessive Disney Planner
Goofy Guy (my husband) - Tolerant of the Obsessive Disney Planner
Dapper Dad (my dad) - A fellow Disney lover!
Fanlover (my mom) - Fan of Disney, not fan of the heat
ToT Sis (my sister ) - Likes Disney, but Tower of Terror? Not so much...
Cocoa Bil (my bro-in-law) Likes Disney, especially their hot chocolate
Splashboy (my nephew) age 6 Never been to Disney, excited and nervous to try the big rides
Boomer (my nephew) age 4 Never been to Disney, age 4 going on 14

Dining Report
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=901786
Introductory Report
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=903652
Day 1 Peter Pan PLEASE teach me to fly!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=904193
Day 2 - Part 1 Prison or Disney?
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=904890
Day 2 - Part 2 The broom kissed the balloon
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=905052
Day 2 - Part 3 Conquering the Magic Kingdom
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=905863
Day 2 - Part 4 Splash Mountain vs. The Boy
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=906053
Day 3 - Part 1 Tower of Terror: Enter With Caution
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=907362
Day 3 - Part 2 Sittin' on Stranger's laps
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=908266
Day 3 - Part 3 Thank goodness for Dinosaurs!!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=908703
Day 4 - Part 1 Beware: Crush 'n' Gusher has a 48-inch height restriction
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=910433
Day 4 - Part 2 My Heroes: The Lifeguards
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=910561
Day 4 - Part 3 Move Over Tom Hanks - There's a New Man in Town!!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=911269
Day 5 - Part 1 Newsflash: Disney Waterslides Reveal Hidden Talents
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=912197
Day 5 - Part 2 Ghiradelli Sundaes and 4yr old Boys
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=913168
Day 5 - Part 3 Who Says Disney Isn't For Adults?!?
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=913984
Day 6 - Part 1 Becoming Famous in the Magic Kingdom!!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=914878
Day 6 - Part 2 Ballet Dancing Never Looked So Good!!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=915472
Day 7 - Part 1 Gorillas & Giraffes & Rhinos - Oh My!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=916191

Day 7 - Part 2 Flying to Mars, Soarin' Over California - All in a Day's Work

As soon as we got back to the van in the Animal Kingdom parking lot, the rain started to fall. It was so bad, we even considered pulling over for a few minutes. However, nothing was getting between Mission: Space and me. After all, weren’t windshield wipers and ponchos created for such occasions?

We arrived at Epcot and parked in the diamond lot parking area. The rain had lessened a bit, so Cocoa bil and I were debating whether we should put on our delightful ponchos or not. We decided to bite the bullet and put them on. True to form, the rain stopped just as we struggled to put those plastic hot, sticky masses over our bodies.

Next time you want the rain to stop, just ask me to put on a poncho.

First stop was Mission: Space. I was really excited to give this ride another go. Last year, Goofy guy and I went on it together and we were so terrified about being sick (I had a death grip on one of those white baggies…), that I don’t think we fully enjoyed the experience. It probably didn’t help much that Goofy guy was sick for the rest of the day. It likely didn’t help our relationship that trip much either!

This time, I was going to enjoy it! Dapper dad and Goofy guy decided to sit this one out. I don’t blame ‘em! I wanted their final memories of the trip to be good ones – and not memories of trying to figure out revenge on Goofy gal for dragging them on the ride kicking and screaming. As funny as that would have been, I decided to forget about it and ride with Cocoa bil.

There was no line at all; we walked right in. That’s usually a good thing, but I think Cocoa bil might have enjoyed looking around the queue area.

I can’t believe I just complained about NO line.

I need a reality check.

Before we knew it, we were settled in our seats where I proceeded to grab another motion sickness bag. Better to be safe than sorry. I reiterated the rules to Cocoa bil telling him to keep his head back and despite my stunning beauty, try to resist the urge to look at me during the flight.

I pretended not to notice the smirk on his face.

Blast off! What an incredible rush! I’ve never known Cocoa bil to be so expressive before. He may not have screamed like a girl, but he did laugh the whole time and say things like, “that’s awesome”, “what a rush” and “throw me your barf bag”.

Okay, so I made up the last one, but the first two were true. We both felt fine – amazing even. He was fascinated with how they created the G-force. It would be fun if they offered a behind-the-scenes tour of the attraction.

We quickly made our way down the looooong hallway after we left Mars. Cocoa bil wondered if the long hallway was there so that people had a chance to regain equilibrium before being seen by the general public. People looked drunk! Not that I’d know that from experience you understand. Hmmm, I wonder! Next stop was Test Track. We grabbed a fast pass for an hour later but proceeded to enter the single rider line right away. This ride will always be a favourite of mine. I ended up in a car far behind the others so I didn’t have time to boycott what was about to happen.

I neglected to do the math before we got on the ride. Here’s another riddle for you.

What do you get when you combine 3 car-loving males with 1 know-nothing-could-care-less-about-cars female, when you enter a showroom of multiple GM cars?

Give up?

Answer: Four happy males and one very bored female who is now seriously considering dragging Goofy guy on Mission: Space. I was outnumbered, and I knew it.

I think they finally took pity on me so we did leave eventually. Lucky for them - I was ready to start complaining about feminine problems…

Next stop was Soarin’. None of us had ever been on it before. We wanted to go on it to see if we thought the boys and ToT sis could handle it later that day. We were very surprised to see the standby line with a 70-minute wait! I still can’t understand why people would wait in line for so long. I’d rather go to the dentist. Fast pass wasn’t for 2hrs from now which wasn’t going to work for us either. We had to admit defeat. We’d try to get fast passes a little later once the rest of our gang arrived.

Our fast pass window for Test Track had opened so we made our way over there again. At the very least, we were getting a lot of exercise to help counteract all the food we were eating. Oy! On the way, we walked by the Living Seas. I was really disappointed that the boys wouldn’t get to experience Turtle Talk. I could just imagine the boys imitating Crush. Cool dude! Ah well, the kids got to be conductors, captains, talk to Goofy on the phone and spend time with their aunt Goofy gal…. What more could they ask for?

Test Track was just as good the second time. Too bad all the GM cars were still in the showroom.

We had a few minutes to wait before Fanlover et al. arrived. Why not have an ice cream! After all, it had been at least an hour since we had eaten anything.

The rest of the family arrived and we went to Universe of Energy. The boys were excited to see some dinosaurs. They missed the pre-show so I gave them a quick overview of Ellen’s dream saga and we were off. My favourite line in the whole show is still, “Bone-crunchin’, Human munchin’, Ellen lunchin’ shark”.

We were glad we saw this AFTER we swam with sharks at Typhoon Lagoon.

After the show, I made a run to Soarin’ to pick up fast passes for everyone while everyone else went to Honey I Shrunk the Audience. I didn’t know it, but this was among my biggest mistakes of the trip.

Remember how I kept expecting ToT sis to react to things like It’s Tough to Be a Bug but nothing happened? Apparently she finds snakes scarier than bugs. The ONLY time I wasn’t with my family, ToT sis apparently screams and jumps in her chair during Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Where’s the justice I ask you!!?? There I was getting fast passes for everybody and ToT sis decides to put on a show for everyone else while I’m gone! I’ll have to remember that when I blindfold her and take her back to Tower of Terror.

Since we were right there, we decided to give the Imagination ride a whirl. None of my family had been on this ride since the original had been replaced.

A moment of silence please while we mourn the loss of Dreamfinder.

They were so disappointed with the new one. Even the boys were bored! I usually try to defend Disney at every turn, but I just couldn’t in this case. Please bring back the fun!!

It was almost time for dinner (I know, we were eating yet again) so we made our way to Le Cellier by way of the rose garden path. It was so beautiful! On the way, I mentioned to Splashboy that there was a Hidden Mickey on one of the totem poles in Canada. I hadn’t learned my lesson I guess because I was still planning on showing it to him when we arrived.

He pointed it out to me.

Not only is he faster than me, I also learned that I’m becoming forgetful. In the short walk to Canada from the Imagination pavilion, I had already forgotten to look for Hidden Mickey’s.

Now I’m slow AND forgetful.

We were seated within minutes at 2 tables of 4, side by side. This was everyone’s first time eating at Le Cellier. I was excited to try the pretzel bread and cheddar cheese soup. Both were delicious! It was a very interesting dinner in general. We were at a steakhouse, but found the steak not to be so great. Ducking from rotten tomatoes being thrown at me. Mine was overcooked and Goofy guy’s was undercooked. Hopefully this was just a fluke experience. I’ve heard other people rave about the steaks here. Conversely, the lobster was incredible – possibly the best I’ve ever had. The maple crème brulee dessert was unbelievably fantastic. Splashboy had the moosehead dessert. It looked so good, that he didn’t want to eat it! He had some willing family members around to help him out however.

Prior to the trip, ToT sis and I had been talking about how we could thank Dapper dad and Fanlover for their financial gift to us which allowed this trip to take place. The plan was to take them out for dinner once we returned home to Canada.

Um, not Canada-in-Epcot-Canada – the other one.

ToT sis took this opportunity to make this announcement to Dapper dad and Fanlover. She started off by saying how much we all appreciated their generosity. But then she went off course.

She then started to thank Goofy guy and myself! Wait, this wasn’t part of the script! She went on to say how much she and Cocoa bil appreciated all of our planning for this trip and how it really helped make this trip so magical.

Oh wait, she’s complimenting us…please continue.

I was really touched. She and Cocoa bil explained that instead of going out to dinner when we got home, they’d like to have us all over for a nice dinner at their place followed by a slide show of all of our trip pictures.

Do I have a great family or what?

I had actually run out of tissues and had now resorted to using napkins. Goofy guy’s sleeve was next.

Our fast pass window opened up for Soarin’, so we rolled out of Le Cellier and slowly walked over. While we all were anxious to try this ride/show, there were concerns. We had had some bad motion sickness issues this trip and we weren’t crazy about repeating this pattern. ToT sis and Dapper dad were really worried about riding. Insert yet another wonderful cast member.

At the entrance of Soarin’, was a wonderful cast member who noticed Dapper dad and ToT sis’ reluctance to ride. She did a wonderful job of reassuring them by saying it was a gentle, relaxing ride. Success! We all got in line.

The wonderful cast members didn’t end there. Another CM noticed that the boys didn’t have Mickey Mouse stickers on their t-shirts. She just happened to have some with her so she gave some to the boys. They were happy to get a little more Disney magic in before they left for home.

sob

We board the ride and buckle in. We were all excited but a little nervous as well. They don’t supply motion sickness bags for this ride so we were on our own.

You know how in movies they often use slow motion to help illustrate a big scene? I wish we could have slowed down that ride. It was exhilarating. Each and every one of us loved the ride. Not only were we not sick, we were in awe. Cocoa bil gasped at the ski hill. Fanlover marveled at the orange smells. Everyone sighed with amazement with each new picturesque scene.

I was all choked up.

If that surprises you, you haven’t read this report very closely. You better go back to the beginning! I'll quiz you later.

We were all pretty sentimental right about now. Here we all were, at the end of a wonderful family vacation, all riding a ride together for the first time. We were all seated side by side, and were in absolute awe of what we were witnessing. I couldn’t have planned a better ending no matter how hard I tried. The ride ended far too soon but our enchantment with it will never end. We are still talking about it – 3 weeks later.

I may miss Food Rocks – but Soarin’ now has a very special place in our hearts.

Our family has never been so close. Thanks Disney. It was hard to believe we only had a few more hours left together. We were determined to make the most of it.

 

[agotta]

Awww! Can I join your family??? You guys sound like you had a fantastic trip. When do you go back?

 

[BamaGirl]

I am very happy that ya'll had a great trip ! I am sorry that end of your trip to coming up becuase I have loved reading your reports.

 

[jodistar]

Oh - I'm really sad it's over....What an amazing trip and trip report!

Will you be posting pictures? You know, while reading all of the reports I kind of pictured all of you but I would still love to see pictures (and see if I was close)

 

[patchchild]

I've had SOOO much fun sharing your family's vacation. Thank you for all the special details. I have to agree with some of the other posters though, you've GOT to go back soon, just so we get another report to enjoy!

 

[CJK]

Thanks everyone

I'm not sure if I'll be able to post pics or not. I'm getting together with my family soon to exchange pics from the different cameras so we'll discuss it then. I don't even have the picture of ToT sis on Tower of Terror. I'll try! I'll try to post the next installment today. Thanks again!!

 

[hsmamato2]

I'm so with you on the Figment thing, I still love him, but that's fond childhood memories...pictures! we need pictures! please????!!!!

 

[nextidiot]

Pardon me while I bump in. Can't wait for the next installment!

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks for another great report. I sure am going to miss your daily reports when you are finished. They are so fun to read. We are leaving tommorrow for our own WDW trip.

 

[PrincessAurora]

Thanks so much for all your great trip reports. They have given me so much joy sharing your familys experiences. I can't wait to see how Soarin' differs (if at all) from the one here. I tell people that it is a religious experience - the one true example of the "Disney Magic". Sounds like you agree. And once the clouds part, if you squint - you can see my house.

 

[kathymc]

I have been loving your reports - what magical moments you all have shared. Keep the reports coming and thanks for sharing!

 

[eleanor]

Next installment please.

 

[CJK]

Thanks everyone!! Sorry for the delay for the next installment. I'm working on it as we speak. Truth be told, I think I've delayed writing it because I don't want it to end!! I love re-living this trip. I'm ready to go back!

 

[momupnorth]

starting to get withdrawl symptoms!!!
Please try to finish the next installment soon. You have done such a great job sharing your experience, I can't wait for the next one, but will be very sorry to see it come to the end.
Thanks for letting us share your family's fun- helps make the waiting for our next trip a bit easier.

 

[CJK]

Sorry for the delay!! The next installment is here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=921037

Hope you enjoy!

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your report ~ Thanx for posting.