Our Month-Long Trip to Orlando (7/9 - 8/6) I'M BACK! TRIP REPORT COMPLETE!

[Kaycee]

I love this trip report! I just found it a few days ago, and I've read the whole thing. Even though I've been crazy-busy with work/family/life stuff, I've spent every spare minute reading this trip report until I got caught up. I can't wait to read the rest. I'm hooked.

 

[babieemelly]

Kristin - We had subs from Publix last summer and they were GOOD! We're definitely planning on getting them again for a quick lunch on this summer's trip. Thanks for the tip. And you're definitely right - GO YANKEES!

Claire - If "National Ice Cream Day" isn't a good reason for you to come over to the states, I don't know what is.

Kaycee - Thanks so much for reading, I really appreciate it!

 

[babieemelly]

Day 10 - Monday, July 18, 2005

I woke up pretty early again today, around 9:00. I could have slept longer, but our condo was right on the border of Emerald Island and the condo complex next door. They were doing construction and building new roads in the other complex throughout our entire trip, and the dump trucks were so freaken loud this morning I laid in bed until 10:00, and then went downstairs to have breakfast. My mom and dad were watching TV, and while I had my waffle we all watched "That Thing You Do" (I LOVE that movie, it’s one of my favorites of ALL TIME!)

Stitch and ET chillaxing in my room

I took a shower and got ready, and I let my hair dry a little while I read my Elle magazine. I then blew my hair (I'm sure you all care about my hair ) and watched "The Best Of Mad TV" on Comedy Central, and then I went around the house with the video camera and came up with stupid things to tape.

Stitch and I… we’re kind of in love. I need to grow up, I know

My pumpkin relaxing

Mike watching TV

Oreo in her new favorite spot!

My dad in the kitchen

At 1:45 we left for Sea World, and we were in the parking lot by 2:00 (we were really close to all of the attractions). I liked the entrance to Sea World, with the Anheuser Busch logo and a fountain, it was really pretty. We parked the car and were surprised to see that the parking lot was actually pretty crowded. Based on the crowds at Universal Studios we didn't expect there to be many people at Sea World

Our car in front of the condo

Dad taking out the garbage

We’re almost there…

We’re headed in the right direction

The entrance to Sea World

The parking lot… yes, I took a picture of the parking lot

We walked to the entrance of the park, swiped our tickets, and were in! We then spent twenty minutes trying to figure out what to do I had planned out our Disney and Universal days to a “T”, but I hadn’t given much thought to Sea World. I probably sould have. Anyway, we got a map and tried to find things that we were interested in, but there really wasn't much. Since it wasn't that hot out we decided to just wander around and see what we could find. The flamingos and other birds were right by the entrance of the park so we looked around and took some pictures.

 

[babieemelly]

After taking a few pictures we ventured further into the park, and still couldn't find anything to do. The layout at Sea World is horrible... everything is just meandering with no set pattern, so it was almost impossible to find our way around without the use of the map. It was a pain constantly looking at the map, though, and even with its aid it was still hard finding the attractions. We eventually ended up by the Penguin Encounter, though, and we went inside. I LOVE penguins, I think they're the cutest things! We got on the people mover and were brought across the length of the exhibit, taking pictures along the way. The exhibit was cute, but pretty small. The penguins were adorable, though, and it was fun getting to see them waddle, swim, play, and interact with each other. There was an aviary at the end of the exhibit with all different types of birds, but we just took a quick look as we walked by.

Done with the Penguin Encounter, we ventured back outside to find that within fifteen minutes it had gotten a LOT hotter out. It was really boiling out there. We walked around some more, and again got lost looking for something to do. We ended up at the bathroom and took a quick pit-stop, before trying to make our way to the other end of the park, but instead walking in a big circle. Something really needs to be done about that layout!

We ended up right near Journey to Atlantis and decided to go on. When I went to Sea World with school in 2001 this was one of my favorite rides. I remember it being very unique and a ton of fun, and we got absolutely soaked! They weren't letting anyone on to the ride with bags so we got a locker, and hopped in line. The listed wait time was 60 minutes, but the line was pretty short so we didn't expect it to be too long of a wait. The wait really wasn't too bad, about thirty-five minutes, and we were entertained by videos of a mime telling everyone through thought bubbles how they were going to get absolutely SOAKED! I remembered getting really wet the first time I was on this ride, so I didn't doubt the warnings!

We eventually got on to the ride, with my mom and dad in the third row, and Mike and I in the fourth row (there was another family in the first two rows). The boat first moved very slowly through a big, dark room that was supposed to be the mythological city of Atlantis. We saw the head of Medusa warning us to turn back as we ventured farther into the city. There were twinkling lights and bell sounds all over, and everything was just very magical. Everything was in neon and really bright and fantasy-based. After going through the city, we eventually went up the lift hill, and right at the top the head of Medusa came out at us from the ceiling and told us that she warned us to turn back, right before we plunged down the drop! When we got to the bottom we were all surprised to realize that none of us were wet. AT ALL. The people in the first two rows were pretty wet from when we got to the bottom of the drop and water splashed off of rocks and created a small wave that went over the front of the boat.

I remembered getting soaked last time, though, and there being a lot more to the ride, so I assured my mom, dad and Mike that the ride got better. I kept saying, "My friends and I all thought the ride was really crappy after this first drop, but it gets really good once you go back up. We thought this was it, but there's so much more to the ride!" I remembered it looking as if the city of Atlantis was caving in around you and stuff, so I figured that part was still coming up. We turned a corner and went back up another lift hill, at which point all of the water in the boat came rushing to the back, since the boat was tilted to go up the lift, and my feet were soaked up to my ankles

When we got to the top of the lift we were in a room that was pitch black... I mean, it was completely dark! WAY darker than other dark rollercoaster’s I had been on. The boat then connected to a track and turned into a rollercoaster, but it only lasted for about twenty seconds. At the end of the rollercoaster ride there was a small splash, but not anywhere near big enough to reach us in the car. And then the ride was over. That's it?! Yes, that was it. We all got a good laugh, though, talking about how the ride WAS crap! I don't know why I remember it being so amazing, but it wasn't. And we didn't get wet at all, except for my feet. That Mime had LIED to us!

Done with Journey To Atlantis, Mike and my dad contemplated going on Kraken (I love rollercoasters, but for some reason I was just never in the mood to go on them this trip). I loved it in 2001 and told them that it was really good, but they decided to pass. We had the big rollercoasters at Island's Of Adventure to satisfy any need for speed, so we got our stuff out of the locker and continued on our way.

Coming Up Next – What’s that smell?!

 

[Dina]

Melissa!!!!! Hey its me (Happymommy from the other board)! I haven't gotten to read through the entire thing yet! But, I'm glad you posted this over here too! I get to experience the magic all over again!!! Your family is so cute!!

 

[babieemelly]

Hey Dina!! I sent you a PM =]

Done with Journey to Atlantis, we got our stuff from the locker and realized just how hot it was. A big thermometer attached to one of the buildings told us that it was 97 degrees out with 85% humidity. It was SO HOT! It was 4:00 at the time, and it was weird for it to be so hot later in the day. Around here the heat is at its peak at 12:00 in the afternoon, and it cools off considerably by 4:00. The peak of the heat in Florida, though, was 4:00!

We wanted to make the best of it, though, so we went over to the Shark Reef since my dad had been looking forward to it. Of course it was all the way on the complete opposite end of the park from where we were : When we got over there we looked at the menu for Shark's Underwater Grill to see about having lunch, but everything was very exotic and expensive. My mom and I wouldn't have had a problem, but my dad and Mike hate seafood, so we decided to skip it. We took a few pictures of the tiger sharks and stingrays in front of the restaurant, though, but decided to skip feeding them. For some reason the last thing we wanted to do in the extreme heat was to handle raw fish

We then went in to see the Shark Reef exhibit. First we went through the dome of poisonous fish, in which my mom just ran through because she, "Hates fish, and this is BORING!” At the end of the glass cave of poisonous fish were some tanks with more poisonous fish. Some of them were really weird, like fish that look like plants in which the males give birth!

We then went over to the shark section and walked through a few corridors laden with replicas of sharks and real shark teeth. We then got on the people mover and went through the long glass corridor of sharks. My mom again ran through because, you know, she hates fish (I think it was more because of the fact that she's claustrophobic ), but my dad, Mike and I took a nice leisurely ride through the tank. I freaked out a little bit in the beginning, despite the fact that I had been through the same tank twice before. It was pretty crowded and I didn't like being closed into a cave-like structure with a bunch of sharks I got over it, though, and wow... those teeth were BIG! At the end my dad said that he was a little disappointed that there were no Great White Sharks like at the NY Aquarium in Coney Island, but it was still fun.

 

[babieemelly]

When we left the Shark Reef we were immediately hit by a wall of heat and humidity. The day had started out being pretty nice, but quickly turned into the hottest day yet. We decided to go over to the Wild Arctic since I love polar bears, and "Wild Arctic" just brought about such nice, cold thoughts Once again the attraction was across the park from where we were, so we slowly started the walk over there. We walked by the big lake in the middle of the park, past fountains and the swan paddle boats. Our first video tape was running out of space so my dad changed the tape while my mom sat down on the curb. She was bored and didn't want to do anything :

When my dad finished changing the tape, which really only took two minutes, we continued walking. And then the smell hit us. A horrible, horrible smell. What was that? It was like a mixture of dog crap and, well, more dog crap. Mixed with the heat it was a scent to be smelled And then…out came the Clydesdale Horses! They were gorgeous, but whew... they STUNK!

We waited for the horses to pass and then made our way over to Wild Arctic. I had looked up all there was to do at Sea World before we left, but I had forgotten that the Wild Arctic was a simulator ride. They did have a nonmoving room, though, where you just sit and watch the movie. My mom doesn't do simulators, they make her really sick, so she went into the regular movie theater. There was a ten-minute wait for the simulator, but we didn't feel like standing out in the heat so we all just walked into the theater. The movie itself was the same movie used in the simulator, but without the moving seats. I didn't really pay attention to the movie, though, because Mike and I were fighting about the ride : Mike thought that the ride actually brought you through the exhibit, but I assured him that the people on the other side of the wall were seeing the same movie as us. It was like you were flying through Alaska, and was nice, but I didn't see much of it.

After the movie we walked through a long hallway with winter clothes strung around, as well as shovels and other winter-related items. It was as if we were now in Alaska and these were the headquarters of the scientists studying the polar bears. We then walked into the main room, and wow... it was gorgeous! It really was absolutely beautiful... everything was really quiet, and the walls were all a subdued white color, with pink and blue on the ceiling. The pink and blue shades made it look as if you could see the Northern Lights. In the center of the room was a big pool of water with a few polar bears. Most of them were sleeping or under the water, though, but occasionally a few came to the surface. The beauty of the room made up for not getting to see many polar bears, though... it really was THAT pretty! My pictures don’t even do it justice.

We then went to the other side of the room, where the walruses were. They were huge! We got lucky because it was feeding time, and it was so cute! There were two little kids and their dad standing by the window, and I went and stood next to them to not get in the little kid's way. Then two girls, who were wearing tour group t-shirts and were about fourteen or fifteen, pushed into me and just stood right in front of me. This pissed me off to no end. I was getting SO sick of tour groups and obnoxious people who couldn’t speak English thinking they owned the parks. I yelled, "Excuse me, I can't see through you!" They looked at me with those all too familiar blank stares, and then moved away. Sometimes I hate people. I really do. The dad with the little kids thought I was talking to him, though, so I said, "No, not you, I meant those girls. Sorry!" I just hate when you're trying to be considerate of people, and then other people come and are inconsiderate of you : Whatever.

Across from the walruses was an area that looked like a campground set up by the scientists from the film. It was pretty cool.

 

[babieemelly]

We then went downstairs and saw the beluga whales under the water. We watched them swim around a bit, and they were really cute! The whole downstairs area was set up like a cabin in Alaska, so the atmosphere was really unique and fun. After spending about twenty minutes in the Wild Arctic we had seen all there was to see, so we left.

When the left it was hotter than ever, and we couldn't take it anymore. We looked to see if any shows were starting, but none of them started anytime soon. We wanted to see the Shamu show, since what's a trip to Sea World without Shamu? The next show didn't start for another two hours, though, so we decided to skip it. We walked around for a little while, but there was nothing left to do. My mom and I got into a fight because she kept complaining, and I told her to just make the best of it. The heat was really getting to us. So at 4:30, after only two and a half hours at Sea World, we left.

I felt really bad about our experience at Sea World. My mom and dad kept saying that they remembered it being a glorified aquarium from our trip in 1992, but I kept insisting that it wasn't. When I went in 2001 we all had a great time, but I guess that was because it was all of my friends together in Florida, and it was March so it was pretty cool out. However, we used American Express bonus points to get two free tickets, and then we paid $100 for the other two tickets with a AAA discount. I felt bad that my mom and dad had spent $100 and all of the American Express points to go somewhere that none of us enjoyed, especially since it was I who talked them into it. It really was a waste of time, there are more fish and animal exhibits at the NY Aquarium at Coney Island than there were here, and it's only $10 to get into the aquarium while it's $60 to get into Sea World. : Oh well, we chalked it up as a lesson learned, and needless to say, we won’t be back anytime soon.

Coming Up Next – That’s flippin sweet, gosh!

 

[whackamole]

Wow, I love this trip report but I can't believe you went to SeaWorld and didn't see one show or pet the dolphins or see the sea lions. SeaWorld is actually my favorite park down there. I guess the heat makes a big difference but I could spend hours at the dolphin exhibit alone.

Anywho, keep up the good work. I always come to this forum to see if you posted an update first thing when I get to work. I'm a big kid still.

 

[babieemelly]

After leaving Sea World we decided to get something to eat, since we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. That’s right, we actually got out of an amusement park without buying food, drinks, or souvenirs… definitely a first for us!

We drove over to Cracker Barrel since that had quickly become our new favorite restaurant (we need some up North!), and were parked and seated by 5:00. Our waiter told us that he works at a different Cracker Barrel, but the one we were at was short staffed so he had to come over here on his day off. He had been there since 5:00 in the morning! At first we weren’t sure what to expect out of him, because you know… he was missing a few teeth and his hair was a mess, and his uniform wasn’t the cleanest. He turned out to be one of the nicest waiter’s we had on the whole trip, though!

They had just added Fruit Tea to the menu, and I wanted to try it. I was going to order it, but I wasn’t sure if I would like it, so our waiter (I wish I would have gotten his name) brought me a sample to try. I thought that was really nice of him! The tea tasted like regular iced tea, but with a fruitier flavor. Hence the fact that it was Fruit Tea It had lemon, orange, mango and pineapple juice, and was really good, so I ordered it. My mom got a Mexican salad, my dad got fried pork chops, and Mike and I got chicken fingers. Those of you who are familiar with Cracker Barrel know that you get lots of side dishes with your order, so I got cold slaw, apple sauce (to which the waiter replied, “Pork chops and apple sauce!” from the Brady Bunch We ALWAYS make fun of that episode when any of us say pork chops OR applesauce ), and mashed potatoes.

On our first trip to the Cracker Barrel our waitress had forgotten to bring us biscuits and corn muffins, and we had never been there before so we didn’t know to ask for them, but our waiter brought us out a bunch to eat while we waited for our food. He was only supposed to bring three of each, since only my dad, Mike and I got food that came with them, but he brought us a whole plate full to share. I usually love corn muffins but these were gross! They were really hard and bitter. The biscuits were delicious, though.

While we were waiting for our food a big group of eleven people came in and were really loud and made a big deal about where they sat, and how the table was set. They ordered drinks and their food, and each person ordered something but completely changed around what the menu said, in order to customize their meals… every single person did this. All eleven of them. The waiter was very accommodating, though, and didn’t mind. A few minutes later he brought them out their drinks, and after finishing them the whole group just got up and left. It was horrible! The waiter came out and looked very confused, and then called the bus boys to come out and clean up the table. He looked at us and another couple who were seated in the back part of the restaurant and said, “I can already tell this is going to be a fun night!” I felt so bad!

Eventually our food came out and everything was delicious. I loved dipping my chicken fingers in the mashed potatoes and apple sauce It was So good! When we were waiting for the check the couple in the room with us was playing with the solitaire peg game that they have on every table. The guy had dropped a peg, though, and when he reached over to get it the glass lamp on the table was knocked over and completely shattered. The waiter came running over and screamed, “Fun night!” Everyone was cracking up, he really was a fun waiter. The mess was cleaned up in no time, and we got our check and left (leaving the waiter a really good tip).

We then went back to the condo and relaxed. My mom and dad walked Oreo, and then we all watched Mad TV. It seemed like it was always on! We also watched an hour and a half long special on Comedy Central with a guy from Blue Collar TV (I hate that show and don’t watch it) doing his standup. He was really, really funny! Mike and I cracked up the whole time! I don’t remember his name, though, I just know that it wasn’t Jeff Foxworthy

When the comedy special was over we talked about what we wanted to do that night. We had originally wanted to go over to Islands of Adventure to go on the water rides, but it was really hot and we were all pretty tired, so we decided to go another day. We then decided to go to Old Town and then play miniature golf, just to get out of the house for a while.

We left at 7:30, and first stopped at a small shopping center right near Celebration. My dad and Mike wanted to run into the Nike store to see about getting shoes. While they went to Nike, my mom and I went to a big Orlando gift shop and then walked through Payless. We didn’t get anything in either store, but my dad wound up getting a $50 pair of sunglasses. Now, $50 isn’t a lot of money for a good pair of sunglasses, but he had just bought a new pair of sunglasses only a week ago in Jersey on our drive down. And I mean, does he REALLY need a $50 pair of sunglasses?!

The palm trees in front of our condo

A big dragonfly… ew!

I took a picture of myself in the rearview mirror

We drove over to Old Town and arrived at 8:00. The area looked nothing like how it did online. We parked in front of Old Town’s own hotel, which was really a run-down dump of a motel. The type you see couples check into and then check out of an hour later We parked, though, and walked onto the main strip of attractions. Old Town is basically a few blocked off streets with stores, a fast food stand or two, and a few rides that looked as if they would fall apart at any minute. It definitely wasn’t what we had expected. And after walking by a bar and getting hit on by a 45-year old drunk guy, I was officially skeeved out.

We decided to just walk up each side of the street and see if there was anything worth doing, since we were already there. We went into the Movie Character shop, which had all celebrity memorabilia. They had a lot of stuff pertaining to Gone With the Wind, the Wizard OF Oz, I Love Lucy, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and… Napoleon Dynamite?! That’s right folks, the Napoleon Dynamite stuff was right up there with the classics! Everything was really expensive! My dad offered to buy me a Napoleon poster, but I didn’t want it.

We left and continued walking down the street, and we passed a wax museum, with a really cute ET wax figure in the front window. I wanted to go in, but it was small and really expensive, and we’ve already been to Madame Tussaud’s here in the city, so we skipped it. We then went into an old memorabilia store, with all stuff related to Coke and Pepsi products. They had 25 cent cans of Coke so my mom bought a few, and we left. We were going to walk around more but the area was really, really gross. Worse than the area surrounding Coney Island (the boardwalk is great, but the surrounding area is not cool), and that’s saying a lot. We walked back to our car and high tailed it out of there.

We then drove over to Congo River Golf to see about playing a round. We pulled up to the course on International Drive, and it was really, really big! It was also pretty crowded. My mom and dad pulled into the parking lot and Mike and I ran out to go see how much it was. It was $12 each, but we had a coupon to each play for $9.95. Mike and I took a quick look at the alligators on property that you could feed, and a small boat ride. The boat ride was TOO funny… the boat was TINY, and went around a little river that was maybe forty feet long, and there were actually people squished into the boats for a ride! I wish I would have gotten a picture because it was literally one of the funniest things ever! Mike and I went back to the car and told my mom and dad the price, but none of us wanted to play that bad to pay $10. No, it wasn’t expensive, but we usually play a few holes of mini golf and then get sick of it, so we didn’t feel like paying $40 to do that.

Mike balancing his sunglasses on his nose… yes, the kid is quite talented

Coming Up Next – Is that Fantasmic I hear?!

 

[fizz13]

really...fantasmic? You're not going to disney are ya? Great report, I think Old Town is one of those places you just have to take for the Kitsh factor, it is cheap, tacky and can be fun with friends in a party mood. Friday and staurday nights are great with all the vintage cars and carnival rides. Just don't go there for quality shopping
Claire xx

 

[NYPOOH]

I'm loving your trip report!! It's been keeping me busy at work! Can't wait to read some more!! Go Yankees!!!

 

[babieemelly]

We're getting to Disney soon, I promise! I have one more day to report on, and then we're off to Disney!

After leaving Old Town we drove around trying to think of something to do. We really didn't want to go back to the condo, but if we couldn't think of anything to do then we would just go back and hang out. I thought and thought and thought, and finally it came to me... the Disney Boardwalk! We drove onto Disney property, and I told my dad to just follow the signs to Epcot, and then to the Yacht and Beach Club, and the Boardwalk would be somewhere in that area. We passed Fantasia Gardens for the first time, and it looked nice, but nothing special. We continued driving and my mom and dad didn't believe my directions. How could I possibly know where to go? When we drove past Epcot, and then past the Yacht and Beach Club, and found the Boardwalk, they were shocked. My mom asked me why I can't remember anything school-related, but I know how to get to the Disney Boardwalk across the country in Florida, without ever having been there. I'm just good, Mom, I'm just good. We parked and walked into the Boardwalk Villas.

The Boardwalk Villas lobby was gorgeous! I absolutely loved the atmosphere. It reminded me of the old pictures and videos we always see of Coney Island during the turn of the century. It was very nice. My mom and I ran into the bathroom, and it was really nice and clean. And they had coconut soap! I LOVED that coconut soap!

We then went out the back entrance of the villas to the Boardwalk, and walked all the way to the left to the Atlantic Dance Company. There really wasn't anything going on down there, though, so we walked to the other side. We saw a performer balancing a bottle on a knife that was held in his mouth which was cool, but when he was done with that trick he left. I was going to take a picture, but I was afraid to. I didn't want to be responsible for my flash being the thing that scared him into dropping the knife and getting severely hurt in front of all the kids in the area At 9:00 we saw the higher fireworks from Illuminations, and at 9:10 we heard the Princess Medley from Fantasmic. "See it in your mind, and you will find, in your imagination!" I love that song! After walking around for a while, and going into a few stores, we decided to leave at 9:45. The Boardwalk was nice, and had a really fun atmosphere, but there just wasn't much to do.

After leaving the Boardwalk we drove over to the IHOP in I4, right near the condo. The entire Summer they had a special where you can get different kinds of funnel cakes, and my dad wanted to try it. It was pretty empty, which was good. My mom and dad got funnel cakes with different types of fruit on the side, Mike got a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, and I got an apple crisp (like apple pie without the crust, covered in cinnamon with ice cream and crumbled crust on top). Everything was SO good! The restaurant started getting crowded at around 10:30, from the Disney and Universal parks letting out. Everyone was in there for a late night snack.

Mike was leaning down in the booth for this picture, and we were all cracking up over how small he looked

We were back at the condo by 10:50, and were greeted by more frogs on the door and windows. They were there every single night! We all relaxed and watched repeats of The Surreal Life, Hogan Knows Best, and half of the Celebrity Fit Club on VH1 from the night before, which we hadn't seen yet.

I LOVE this picture of Oreo!

My dad trying to do push-ups…but Oreo wouldn’t let him!

She loved her Mickey hand from Pet Tails at Downtown Disney!

At 12:30 I went up to my room and listened to my MP3 payer while I took some trip report notes. I also again redid our touring plans, and got rid of all mornings at the parks. I knew we wouldn't be able to get up early enough to get there at opening, and not be cranky, hot messes by the end of the day. I listened to the Wishes theme song (the one sang by actual singers, the last song on the soundtrack), A Whole New World (the Peabo Bryson version), and Beauty and the Beast (the Celine Dion version) and got really excited for Disney. I couldn't wait to get there already!

With visions of giant mice, and the sweet sounds of tales as old as time, filling my head, I drifted off to sleep at 2:30 in the morning.

Coming Up Next – “I’ve Seen Fire and I’ve Seen Rain”

 

[cjhinch]

I am loving reading your trip report!! Like everyone else has said, I can't imagine having a month long vacation! That must have been so relaxing.....yet tough to come home and have to go back to normal, everyday life! LOL

I can't wait until you make it to Disney!

 

[Sandy22]

This is such a fun report...loving all the pics

 

[babieemelly]

Day 11 – Tuesday, July 19, 2005

I woke up at 10:00 in the morning, and my mom and dad were out. I went downstairs and watched "Little Shop of Horrors" on TBS and relaxed. I grew up with that movie and it’s still one of my absolute favorites. At around 10:30 my mom and dad called and said they were at Subway, and asked if Mike and I wanted sandwiches for lunch. I wanted a turkey and American cheese sandwich, and I woke Mike up to ask if he wanted one, and he did.

I took a shower at 11:00 and got ready. Afterwards I ate my sandwich at the table in the dining room and watched "Behind the Music: The Backstreet Boys" on VH1. I used to be the BIGGEST Backstreet Boys fan, and I kind of liked their newest CD, so it was interesting. I never knew there was so much drama behind the scenes. And how weird is it that the Backstreet Boys already have a Behind the Music? Damn, I feel old.

At 1:45 we left for Island's of Adventure. I wanted to take the camera, but my dad was charging the batteries and they were finished yet, so I decided to leave it at home. Besides, we were planning on going on the water rides today and we didn't want the camera to get ruined, so it wasn't a big deal.

When we got to Island's of Adventure it was starting to rain, so we paid $4 for the VIP parking. Parking is usually $10 and $14 for VIP parking, so since we park for free we just paid the difference. We parked all the way in the front of the lot and still had a pretty long walk, but it wasn't too bad.

Once entering Island's of Adventure we went to the right and over to Poseidon's Fury. There was a 30 minute wait, the first ten of which were outside in the sun. I was literally melting... OK, not literally, but it was hot! Within minutes, though, the line moved and we went into the dark dungeon that holds the main part of the queue. The lights were flickering in there and it was very cool and damp, which felt great. We waited for about 25 minutes inside, and we looked at the pictures on our phones to pass the time.

At the front of the line the line split into two rooms, and we were ushered into the back room, along with about 100 other people. The room was huge and really dark, and there was a guy dressed like an explorer in the front of the room. He explained to us the fight between the God's of Fire and Water, and how we were now stuck in the hidden ruins unless we helped Poseidon defeat the God of Fire. All of the sudden the lights went out and it was pitch black, and the loud voice of the Fire God warned us that there was no way out. Kids were screaming and crying all over the room!

The lights then came back on and we were told to turn around. The wall behind us completely opened up, and a ton of water starting swirling around a tunnel leading out of the room. We then all had to walk through this tunnel of water, which was awesome! I SO wish I had my camera. As we were walking through the tunnel it was so loud due to the extreme amount of pressure needed to keep the water swirling around in a large circle, and not just falling onto everyone. My feet got wet, but everything else stayed dry. It felt amazing!

At the end of the tunnel was another big room wit different leveled platforms to stand on. The four of us went to the very back where there was a lot of room. The room was really dark and there were skeletons all around. A video of Medusa then started playing, and our guide interacted with and talked to the video. Medusa told us that there was no quick escape now, but she would try to help us find a safe passage through the temple. The wall on the right side of the room then lifted, and we were all ushered into the next room.

The next room was really small, and again really dark. Our guide stood at the front of the room with a big sword and didn't know what to do, or how we were going to find a way out. The lights in the room then again went completely out, and when they came back on the scenery in front of us had been moved away and the room was now HUGE! There was a screen on the left side with the Fire God, and a screen on the right side with Poseidon. The Fire God told the guide to give him the magic sword or he would kill us all, but the guide ran and put the sword in the hands of a statue of Poseidon. With that, the whole room erupted in flames. In response, Poseidon filled the room with water, with huge walls of water coming down over the fire, and splashing down all over the place. Eventually all of the fire was put out with Poseidon winning the battle, and we were all let out of the temple. I LOVED this attraction, it was very unique and the special effects were awesome. It wound up being one of my favorites of the whole trip. I highly recommend it.

On our way out of Poseidon' Fury we passed Mytho's, Island's Of Adventure's only sit-down restaurant. The restaurant was ranked the #1 theme park restaurant for three years in a row, and I remember it being expensive from seeing a menu online. We looked at the menu, though, and it wasn't as expensive as I had thought. We went inside to make a priority seating, but our only plans at Island's of Adventure for the day were to go on the water rides, and you get absolutely drenched on the water rides we wanted to go on. We didn't want to eat while we were dripping wet, so we decided to have a late lunch/early dinner then, at 3:45.

The front of the restaurant was separate from the actual restaurant, so our waitress led us through a dark, dingy-looking tunnel to get to the main seating area. At the end of the tunnel was a huge cave-like room, which served as the dining room. The restaurant was awesome! There were huge faces carved into the walls, and in the middle of the room was a sky light really, really high up, in a spiraling tunnel. The banisters were held up by little brass men, and there was a big open kitchen so you could watch the chef's prepare meals. The atmosphere was incredible, and definitely very unique. It fit in perfectly with the whole theme of the Lost Continent.

We were seated at a huge booth that could have easily fit 8 people, and ordered. I got a cheeseburger with applewood bacon and pink lemonade, my mom and Mike both got the grilled chicken club, and my dad got a steak and mushroom wrap. The food was absolutely delicious. I got onion rings instead of fries with my burger, and they gave my onion straws, which I LOVE. You know, the really little, crunchy ones? My dad's wrap came with homemade fries, which were round, small, and very crunchy. Like fry chips! It was definitely the best food we had eaten so far. Everything was very fresh and had such a unique taste. The great food coupled with the amazing atmosphere quickly made Mythos one of my favorite restaurants. I wish I had the camera, but I took some pictures with my camera phone. I later wound up deleting these pictures, though. The bill came to $60, plus we had my Dad's NBC 25% food discount, so the bill only came to only $45, which was an awesome value for the amount of delicious food we had.

When we were done eating we left the restaurant and ventured back out into the heat, ready to get drenched!

Coming Up Next – The Universal Language For "MOVE!"

 

[java]

Stomping my foot!! DISNEY!!! Aren't you dying to get there by now? And I love that Mythos restaurant in IOA. Hello ....cute waiters there when we went(and I am an old married lady with 4 kids! but I know cute!) I think that Fury thing is one of the coolest "walk thru" thing I have even done. I love it. I can't get over the fact that you missed Shamu and Kraken at Sea World I am sticking with the trip report though really enjoying it. I am thinking you might be watching the Yankees right now. 6-5 yankees(you are too young I think to remember Joe Girardi but boy I loved him.....)

 

[babieemelly]

Stomping my foot!! DISNEY!!! Aren't you dying to get there by now? And I love that Mythos restaurant in IOA. Hello ....cute waiters there when we went(and I am an old married lady with 4 kids! but I know cute!) I think that Fury thing is one of the coolest "walk thru" thing I have even done. I love it. I can't get over the fact that you missed Shamu and Kraken at Sea World I am sticking with the trip report though really enjoying it. I am thinking you might be watching the Yankees right now. 6-5 yankees(you are too young I think to remember Joe Girardi but boy I loved him.....)

I LOVE your comments! Believe me, I couldn't WAIT to get to Disney. We did eventually get there. And for ten whole days. In the report we'll get there tomorrow morning, when I'll have two updates up. I promise!

I know, I can't believe we missed Shamu either. Who goes to Sea World and doesn't see Shamu? I mean, besides us Hopefully next time, whenever that is!

Of course I watched the Yankee game. And I perfectly remember Joe Girardi!! He's the manager of FL now I played softball for the Joe Torre league here in my neighborhood for seven years, and my brother played baseball here for 10. Joe Torre grew up in my neighborhood and started a baseball organization for kids. When the Yanks won the series in 96 we all got to be in the Ticker Tape parade, it was CRAZY! Really ridiculous. My dad was interviewed on Regis and Kelly and everything. Anyway, to make a long story short, we met Joe Girardi and he was an amazingly nice guy

 

[babieemelly]

On our way to Toon Lagoon we saw that the 8th Voyage of Sinbad show was going to be starting in fifteen minutes, and my dad wanted to see it. We went in and got seats towards the back, and waited for the show to start. There was a girl in our row who was about 20 years old, sleeping on the floor under the bench... Ew. I hate even looking at the floor in theme arks, why would you possibly lay on it?! Anyway, the show started right on time and was all about Sinbad and his dorky partner, as well as a female counterpart, trying to slay the evil beggars. The guy who played Sinbad made me REALLY wish I had taken my camera, he was GORGEOUS! Way hotter than even Tarzan, and wait until you see the picture I got of HIM

The show was really good... well, the first half was. Halfway through the show the goofy sidekick of Sinbad popped out of a contraption at the top of the stage and started lip-synching to a pre-recorded track saying that, "Due to lightening in the area, the remainder of the show must be canceled for the safety of our performers. For the next ten minutes, we will do a pyrotechnic demonstration, thank you!" It was weird that they canceled the show since it was in a completely covered arena and there was no water around, but what can you do. We didn't feel like sitting around watching explosions, so we left.

We walked around to Jurassic Park and went into the Discovery Center, since it was now open. It was cute, with all moving dinosaurs and an incubating area where you can see baby dinosaurs hatching The kids in the area really got a kick out of that! There were also dinosaur DNA samples and a few other things. My dad and Mike looked around while my mom and I sat on a bench and relaxed in the air conditioning.

By the time we left it was starting to drizzle, and by the time we got over to Toon Landing Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls was closed. We went into the restaurant next door, I think it was Blimpie's, and we waited at a table, but there were all flies around so we went outside to sit at a table under the awning. It didn't really rain that hard but there was a lot of lightening, so the ride still wasn't open within twenty minutes of sitting there. We saw people walking into the building, though, and we realized that they were letting people wait on line until the ride re-opened. Since we knew we'd get wet we had all bought really cheap waterproof flip-flops from Walmart, and brought them with us. We changed into the flip-flops and left our shoes and bags in a locker (which was $2 for two hours) and went over to the ride.

We got on line and were standing in an outdoor portion of the line, right before you enter the building. We were the last ones in line for about ten minutes, before about fifty 15-year-olds in matching shirts came running up behind us. When you see kids in matching shirts, it's never good. They were pushing and screaming, and taking their shoes off and filling them with water from a nearby fountain and then dumping the water onto each other... who acts like that? This one girl was right on top of me, and I kept turning around and giving her a dirty look, but she'd just stare at me.

Eventually the ride opened and the line moved, and we went into the indoor portion of the line. The first part of the line is supposed to be like an underground mine, and the whole room is very, very small and dark, with tiny winding hallways. I usually don't get claustrophobic, but stuck in a small tunnel with fifty obnoxious kids behind me, I started not to be able to breathe. To make matters even better, all fifty of them started clapping in unison and singing in Spanish, with their voices and applause echoing throughout the room. I had to get out of there! I told my mom that I needed to leave because I was really starting to freak out, but I took a few deep breaths and just tried to tune them out.

Eventually we got out of the "mines" and were in a long, red hallway. They started singing and clapping again, all while I could feel the girl behind me pressing up against me. I was so pissed off and annoyed. Seriously. I turned around and screamed at her, "Move back! All of you, move back! If you touch me again, I'll make sure you're all thrown out!" She started at me, shook her head and said, "No comprende... back?" Now I knew they spoke English, I had heard some of them speaking it before. I looked at her and said, "Are you joking? GET OFF OF ME!" She again just stared at me and smiled. So I smiled back, turned around, and signaled for Mike to push into me. He knocked into me and I pretended to fly backwards, and since the girl was right up my butt I pushed into her and she went flying backwards into her friends. Whoops. Hey, I tried being nice about it, but if you don't speak English I guess pushing is the universal language for, "Get the frig off of me, now.”

After coming out of the tunnel we went up a long ramp and down the other side, and as we were coming down I felt someone up against me. Can you guess who it was? I was so annoyed. Then I looked back and the kids were holding each other up, like when people crowd surf at concerts, and passing them around. I seriously felt like I had just stepped into the Twilight Zone... what was going on?! When the line moved in front of us, we just stood where we were and didn't move, so there would be room in front of us. Then each of us moved up on our own and kept space between us, so we had room. Finally, after forty minutes on line with the tour group from hell, we were on our boat and drifting away.

The ride was SO much fun! The animatronics are very cheap looking, just a lot of cardboard cut-outs waving and moving back and forth, and there wasn't a set story line to follow. Well, there was, but it wasn't as important as the ride itself. There were several small drops, waterfalls, and dripping water, and we were absolutely soaked before we even got to the main drop. When you go down the main drop it's REALLY steep, and the spray water at you from all angles, and we walked off dripping wet. I was literally able to ring out my hair, shirt and shorts. We were just DRENCHED! As we were getting off the ride we heard an announcement saying, "You MUST remain seated, don't splash, and keep your hands in the boat and out of the water!" The announcement was repeated four times, before someone else came on and said it in Spanish. Who could they have possibly been talking to?!

We had wanted to go on Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges, the roaring rapids ride, but we were already drenched, and I remembered from 2001 that you also get soaked on that ride. I didn't want to get any more wet than I already was, and my mom and dad agreed, so we decided to leave. No matter how hot out it is, it's never comfortable walking around dripping wet, with your hair dripping onto your back and your clothes sticking to you. When we got to CityWalk my mom and dad wanted to look in the main Universal Studios Store right outside of Island's Of Adventure. I was really uncomfortable, though, and didn't feel like walking around, so we left.

Coming Up Next – Oreo goes for a “walk”

 

[kstinw19]

We were the last ones in line for about ten minutes, before about fifty 15-year-olds in matching shirts came running up behind us. When you see kids in matching shirts, it's never good. They were pushing and screaming, and taking their shoes off and filling them with water from a nearby fountain and then dumping the water onto each other... who acts like that? This one girl was right on top of me, and I kept turning around and giving her a dirty look, but she'd just stare at me.

To make matters even better, all fifty of them started clapping in unison and singing in Spanish, with their voices and applause echoing throughout the room. I had to get out of there! I told my mom that I needed to leave because I was really starting to freak out, but I took a few deep breaths and just tried to tune them out.

Eventually we got out of the "mines" and were in a long, red hallway. They started singing and clapping again, all while I could feel the girl behind me pressing up against me. I was so pissed off and annoyed. Seriously. I turned around and screamed at her, "Move back! All of you, move back! If you touch me again, I'll make sure you're all thrown out!" She started at me, shook her head and said, "No comprende... back?" Now I knew they spoke English, I had heard some of them speaking it before. I looked at her and said, "Are you joking? GET OFF OF ME!" She again just stared at me and smiled. So I smiled back, turned around, and signaled for Mike to push into me. He knocked into me and I pretended to fly backwards, and since the girl was right up my butt I pushed into her and she went flying backwards into her friends. Whoops. Hey, I tried being nice about it, but if you don't speak English I guess pushing is the universal language for, "Get the frig off of me, now.”

After coming out of the tunnel we went up a long ramp and down the other side, and as we were coming down I felt someone up against me. Can you guess who it was? I was so annoyed. Then I looked back and the kids were holding each other up, like when people crowd surf at concerts, and passing them around. I seriously felt like I had just stepped into the Twilight Zone... what was going on?! When the line moved in front of us, we just stood where we were and didn't move, so there would be room in front of us. Then each of us moved up on our own and kept space between us, so we had room. Finally, after forty minutes on line with the tour group from hell, we were on our boat and drifting away.

Good for you I am so glad that you stuck up for yourself! Once again, the matching shirts and different language means one thing...the Brazilians! I believe they are actually speaking Portugese and yes, they all know English! They are the absolute worst guests in the park and I wish Disney would do something about them, not sure what to do but at least talk to the tour companies and make them bring more adult chaperones or something. I don't want to offend any Brazilians here, but if you are one...CONTROL YOUR CHILDREN and teach them some manners!!

They are usually just there in the summer, which is one of the main reasons we go in the Fall, to avoid them. I wouldn't mind the cheering and clapping, it's when they start cutting lines, pushing and shoving that I cannot stand. And I would have been right there with you yelling back

Glad they didn't spoil your ride or your trip. Can't wait to get to Disney!