RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
- Messages
- 3,533
Monday, April 5: Not Quite My Friends!
After we finished with The Land, we headed on over to The Seas. Looking back, we probably should have headed over to get FP for something like Test Track, but I thought that we'd be able to use the GAC to prevent criss-crossing. More on that later.
The next stop was the scariest pavilion, in my opinion. The SEAS! I know it's a little less frightening with the addition of "Nemo and Friends," but I just don't like sea animals. Haha, again, another irrational fear because it's not like I've ever been stuck in a position where I could be attacked by sea animals!
The three animals I hate the most are sharks, whales, and octopuses/octopi (haha, whichever plural version you'd prefer). Here's why ...
SHARKS: The first time I got scared of sharks was in the first Ace Ventura movie. You know the scene when Ace goes to this tank and expects to find the dolphin mascot inside? It surprised me (even though I kind of knew something was going to happen) when it was a shark instead! From that point on, I was terrified.
Strangely, I used to watch Jaws all the time with my dad and didn't have a fear at all. Of course, the Jaws ride in Universal was a bit different. I was scared of sharks already, so I didn't want to go on. My older cousin (by about 6 years or so?) promised me that he would tell me when the shark was going to appear. If you've gone on that ride, you know that at one point, the boat goes into this shed to try to escape the shark. I had a feeling the shark would be in there, so I asked my cousin if it was going to appear. He LIED to me and said no, and I said, "Are you sure?" He assured me that it wouldn't. Then BAM, there was the shark. The fright was too much! I was in elementary school at that point, I believe. So that didn't help out the shark fear.
I've had to go to aquariums and zoos many times. When I'm with family, I have refused to go in. I was adamant that I would not step foot in that darkened, eerie section. When I was chaperoning field trips, I didn't have much of a choice!
WHALES: There's a huge blue whale hanging from the ceiling of the AMNH. If you've been to the museum or if you've watched Night at the Museum, you'll remember this because it's such a huge part of the building. Well, there's apparently another museum in Baltimore, I believe, that has a similar whale hanging from the ceiling. When we were on a big family vacation, we were walking along the side of this museum that had windows to peer into that one room. It was dark, and I peered through and tried to make out what the huge mass was. I looked even closer and realized it was a whale, and it scared me so much because I hadn't expected it! I had to walk on the other side of my mom after that. Ever since then, I've hated blue whales. This comes into play later during one of the attractions.
OCTOPI: This fear came from a dream. In my dream, I was with my family and they were insistent that we go to an aquarium. I was terrified, of course, and refused to go. My mom said that I could close my eyes and she would hold me and lead me through. That worked for a few rooms, but then suddenly my mom was gone. She let go of me! That meant I had to open my eyes, and when I did, I was in a circular room surrounded by one huge floor to ceiling tank. There was absolutely no way in or out. And in the tank was a HUGE octopus (I don't know if realistically there can be octopi that large) STARING at me. I was frozen in place and so upset that my mom had left me in a room with no escape! So ever since that moment, I'm scared of the octopus!
Haha, when Weird and I watched Night at the Museum 2: Battle at the Smithsonian, I SCREAMED when Ben Stiller opened up the box and the octopus tentacles fell out. Yeah, those movies are bad in terms of my fears because all my fears are in them, but I love the concept, so I watch it anyway. Haha, my mom said that I so should have made that movie first.
ANYWAY, those explanations are just to let you know that I do NOT like The Seas. I get scared once we step inside and there's that darker, eerier atmosphere. Haha, I can't fully enjoy the "Mine, mine, mine" seagulls because I know what's coming up!
Oh, and here's Weird's version of the same picture. I like his for different reasons, mainly because you can see Spaceship Earth in the background. It's kind of cool to think about how "close" they are together because when I'm in a certain pavilion, I really forget about everything else around me, so this is a nice reminder that everything is connected!
I know that the Nemo characters are on the walls outside of The Seas, but I don't think I ever photographed them before.
Of course, I had to get Bruce in there!
I like that Weird got Crush in his pic.
As I was taking this picture ...
Weird was taking THIS picture! Haha, you see that my parents are really good with the hydration business.
When I saw Weird's closer pic of the entrance, I was amazed that I didn't notice the fact that there's a little fishie in the A! I also started thinking about the person who designed it and how he/she chose how many bubbles to include and where to place them.
Inside the first room of the queue for the Nemo ride, there's this sign that has so much on it! It's kind of impossible to catch everything when you're walking by.
This time, we were able to see more and take a clearer picture. Why? Because there was a LINE. Yes, a LINE. It went all the way to right inside the entrance. I cannot believe that it was so crowded that we had to wait to go on the Nemo ride! We have always just walked on. We weren't planning on going back in that direction, so we just waited it out instead of leaving and returning later on. I just kept saying it over and over though ... "I can't believe there's a line for Nemo!" Thankfully, it keeps moving since it's constantly loading. It gave us a chance to enjoy more of the queue.
I didn't think it would be that difficult to get a clear picture of the lifeguard stand because I have a clear picture from last year. Then I remembered that last year I used the flash ... no wonder! This pic was from our last trip in 2008:
I'm trying to not use the flash because it washes things out and because it's annoying to others in dark places. So it requires a little bit more patience to get a pic otherwise they turn out like this!
Weird reminded me that to take dark pictures, there really has to be the least amount of movement when holding the camera. I took my time and got this, which I think is MUCH better in comparison!
Not only does the camera person have to stand very still, the subject in the photo needs to stand still too! Hehe. It's like the pic he took of me with the Soarin' FP. We thought the pic was taken, so we started moving away!
When we got to the next room of the queue, I realized that we were now underwater! I never realized that before. You could see the ripples of the water above. Also, since we always zoomed through the line, I never noticed the screen of the little fishies making shapes and such like they did in the movie. I really liked it when they formed the shape of Cinderella Castle!
I also knew that I wanted to find the boat! In my previous TR from 2008, there's a picture of my mom and me waiting in line and the people behind us were looking up. I didn't know it then, but there was a boat hanging above us (or "butt" if you're one of the cutesy fishies with Nemo!). Here's that picture.
This time, I saw it with my own eyes! I thought it was so cool and helped with the illusion that we were underwater. I held the camera to get a picture of it. Weird didn't think I could get it because he tried and his camera couldn't even take the picture since it tries focusing on something and there wasn't enough light. Hehe, but you can see it in mine! You can see the propeller closer to the top of the pic.
As we got closer to the actual ride, I was teasing Weird again about how he takes pictures of EVERYTHING. So I said, "Exit sign! Take a picture!" Hehe, and so I took a picture. I teased him a lot throughout the trip (and you'll see a few more pics like this), but of course, I told him that in the end, I'll be very gracious to have a TON of pics for this TR!
When we got to the point where we could see the clammobiles, I snapped a blurry picture of the "wall" that separates the queue from the moving walkway. There's Dory!
Then we finally got on the ride ourselves! Weird and I were in a clammobile and my parents and Matt were in another. I was really excited to ride this with him because (1) I knew he would protect me when I felt a little uncomfortable being with the sea animals [fake and real!] and (2) I wanted him to experience the part of the ride that freaked me out the first time I ever rode on it!
It wasn't the jellyfish section that scared me even though it is a little scary just because of how dangerous it was in the movie.
It was actually the part where that fish with the "flashlight" on its head just swoops down out of nowhere! Now that I know where it is, it isn't as scary. Plus, it depends on which clam you're in because it's not the same motion each time. It's actually very easy to see the mechanical arm that moves it, but the FIRST time I was on the ride with my mom, we both jumped because it came directly towards us! I remember wanting to tell Weird about it before riding it, but I wanted him to experience it himself. Of course, when we go on it together, it goes from side to side and it was very visible! Haha. Oh well.
Considering the darkness, it's kind of difficult to get any pictures or even video. In this one, you can see some of Bruce in it. I wasn't so happy about seeing any of the sharks even if they were fake. (Click for the video!)
I thought that I'd be able to capture the EAC on video because it's brighter in there, but nothing came up either! You can actually hear me laugh at the end of the brief clip as I say, "You can't see it!" I also had told Weird that the EAC part was really cool because it felt like you were moving along with it. The effect wasn't as good this time, and we didn't see many of the characters. Oh well. (Click for the video!)
The end of the ride really amazed Weird in the same way that it amazed me. I love the fact that they can project the animated images onto the screen and make it seem as if they're swimming with the real creatures. Haha, again, the first time I rode this, a shark just happened to swim by and it took me by surprise. I was waiting for it to appear this time (you know, since they sensed that I was on the ride), but thankfully, they decided to spare me this time.
Weird and I got off first, so I was able to turn around on the moving walkway in an attempt to get a picture of the three colored dots. I mean, my parents and Matt. It wasn't clear, and a CM said to keep moving (I don't know if it was directed towards me or another kid who was still on the walkway), so I snapped it and didn't hold it in place.
The Nemo ride isn't really the kind of ride that's a must-do, but I did want Weird to experience it! I was excited to show him the parts that scared me and just to sit in the clammobile with him because it's nice and cozy, hehe. It made me look forward even more to all the things we were going to experience together!
After we finished with The Land, we headed on over to The Seas. Looking back, we probably should have headed over to get FP for something like Test Track, but I thought that we'd be able to use the GAC to prevent criss-crossing. More on that later.
The next stop was the scariest pavilion, in my opinion. The SEAS! I know it's a little less frightening with the addition of "Nemo and Friends," but I just don't like sea animals. Haha, again, another irrational fear because it's not like I've ever been stuck in a position where I could be attacked by sea animals!
The three animals I hate the most are sharks, whales, and octopuses/octopi (haha, whichever plural version you'd prefer). Here's why ...
SHARKS: The first time I got scared of sharks was in the first Ace Ventura movie. You know the scene when Ace goes to this tank and expects to find the dolphin mascot inside? It surprised me (even though I kind of knew something was going to happen) when it was a shark instead! From that point on, I was terrified.
Strangely, I used to watch Jaws all the time with my dad and didn't have a fear at all. Of course, the Jaws ride in Universal was a bit different. I was scared of sharks already, so I didn't want to go on. My older cousin (by about 6 years or so?) promised me that he would tell me when the shark was going to appear. If you've gone on that ride, you know that at one point, the boat goes into this shed to try to escape the shark. I had a feeling the shark would be in there, so I asked my cousin if it was going to appear. He LIED to me and said no, and I said, "Are you sure?" He assured me that it wouldn't. Then BAM, there was the shark. The fright was too much! I was in elementary school at that point, I believe. So that didn't help out the shark fear.
I've had to go to aquariums and zoos many times. When I'm with family, I have refused to go in. I was adamant that I would not step foot in that darkened, eerie section. When I was chaperoning field trips, I didn't have much of a choice!
WHALES: There's a huge blue whale hanging from the ceiling of the AMNH. If you've been to the museum or if you've watched Night at the Museum, you'll remember this because it's such a huge part of the building. Well, there's apparently another museum in Baltimore, I believe, that has a similar whale hanging from the ceiling. When we were on a big family vacation, we were walking along the side of this museum that had windows to peer into that one room. It was dark, and I peered through and tried to make out what the huge mass was. I looked even closer and realized it was a whale, and it scared me so much because I hadn't expected it! I had to walk on the other side of my mom after that. Ever since then, I've hated blue whales. This comes into play later during one of the attractions.
OCTOPI: This fear came from a dream. In my dream, I was with my family and they were insistent that we go to an aquarium. I was terrified, of course, and refused to go. My mom said that I could close my eyes and she would hold me and lead me through. That worked for a few rooms, but then suddenly my mom was gone. She let go of me! That meant I had to open my eyes, and when I did, I was in a circular room surrounded by one huge floor to ceiling tank. There was absolutely no way in or out. And in the tank was a HUGE octopus (I don't know if realistically there can be octopi that large) STARING at me. I was frozen in place and so upset that my mom had left me in a room with no escape! So ever since that moment, I'm scared of the octopus!
Haha, when Weird and I watched Night at the Museum 2: Battle at the Smithsonian, I SCREAMED when Ben Stiller opened up the box and the octopus tentacles fell out. Yeah, those movies are bad in terms of my fears because all my fears are in them, but I love the concept, so I watch it anyway. Haha, my mom said that I so should have made that movie first.
ANYWAY, those explanations are just to let you know that I do NOT like The Seas. I get scared once we step inside and there's that darker, eerier atmosphere. Haha, I can't fully enjoy the "Mine, mine, mine" seagulls because I know what's coming up!
Oh, and here's Weird's version of the same picture. I like his for different reasons, mainly because you can see Spaceship Earth in the background. It's kind of cool to think about how "close" they are together because when I'm in a certain pavilion, I really forget about everything else around me, so this is a nice reminder that everything is connected!
I know that the Nemo characters are on the walls outside of The Seas, but I don't think I ever photographed them before.
Of course, I had to get Bruce in there!
I like that Weird got Crush in his pic.
As I was taking this picture ...
Weird was taking THIS picture! Haha, you see that my parents are really good with the hydration business.
When I saw Weird's closer pic of the entrance, I was amazed that I didn't notice the fact that there's a little fishie in the A! I also started thinking about the person who designed it and how he/she chose how many bubbles to include and where to place them.
Inside the first room of the queue for the Nemo ride, there's this sign that has so much on it! It's kind of impossible to catch everything when you're walking by.
This time, we were able to see more and take a clearer picture. Why? Because there was a LINE. Yes, a LINE. It went all the way to right inside the entrance. I cannot believe that it was so crowded that we had to wait to go on the Nemo ride! We have always just walked on. We weren't planning on going back in that direction, so we just waited it out instead of leaving and returning later on. I just kept saying it over and over though ... "I can't believe there's a line for Nemo!" Thankfully, it keeps moving since it's constantly loading. It gave us a chance to enjoy more of the queue.
I didn't think it would be that difficult to get a clear picture of the lifeguard stand because I have a clear picture from last year. Then I remembered that last year I used the flash ... no wonder! This pic was from our last trip in 2008:
I'm trying to not use the flash because it washes things out and because it's annoying to others in dark places. So it requires a little bit more patience to get a pic otherwise they turn out like this!
Weird reminded me that to take dark pictures, there really has to be the least amount of movement when holding the camera. I took my time and got this, which I think is MUCH better in comparison!
Not only does the camera person have to stand very still, the subject in the photo needs to stand still too! Hehe. It's like the pic he took of me with the Soarin' FP. We thought the pic was taken, so we started moving away!
When we got to the next room of the queue, I realized that we were now underwater! I never realized that before. You could see the ripples of the water above. Also, since we always zoomed through the line, I never noticed the screen of the little fishies making shapes and such like they did in the movie. I really liked it when they formed the shape of Cinderella Castle!
I also knew that I wanted to find the boat! In my previous TR from 2008, there's a picture of my mom and me waiting in line and the people behind us were looking up. I didn't know it then, but there was a boat hanging above us (or "butt" if you're one of the cutesy fishies with Nemo!). Here's that picture.
This time, I saw it with my own eyes! I thought it was so cool and helped with the illusion that we were underwater. I held the camera to get a picture of it. Weird didn't think I could get it because he tried and his camera couldn't even take the picture since it tries focusing on something and there wasn't enough light. Hehe, but you can see it in mine! You can see the propeller closer to the top of the pic.
As we got closer to the actual ride, I was teasing Weird again about how he takes pictures of EVERYTHING. So I said, "Exit sign! Take a picture!" Hehe, and so I took a picture. I teased him a lot throughout the trip (and you'll see a few more pics like this), but of course, I told him that in the end, I'll be very gracious to have a TON of pics for this TR!
When we got to the point where we could see the clammobiles, I snapped a blurry picture of the "wall" that separates the queue from the moving walkway. There's Dory!
Then we finally got on the ride ourselves! Weird and I were in a clammobile and my parents and Matt were in another. I was really excited to ride this with him because (1) I knew he would protect me when I felt a little uncomfortable being with the sea animals [fake and real!] and (2) I wanted him to experience the part of the ride that freaked me out the first time I ever rode on it!
It wasn't the jellyfish section that scared me even though it is a little scary just because of how dangerous it was in the movie.
It was actually the part where that fish with the "flashlight" on its head just swoops down out of nowhere! Now that I know where it is, it isn't as scary. Plus, it depends on which clam you're in because it's not the same motion each time. It's actually very easy to see the mechanical arm that moves it, but the FIRST time I was on the ride with my mom, we both jumped because it came directly towards us! I remember wanting to tell Weird about it before riding it, but I wanted him to experience it himself. Of course, when we go on it together, it goes from side to side and it was very visible! Haha. Oh well.
Considering the darkness, it's kind of difficult to get any pictures or even video. In this one, you can see some of Bruce in it. I wasn't so happy about seeing any of the sharks even if they were fake. (Click for the video!)
I thought that I'd be able to capture the EAC on video because it's brighter in there, but nothing came up either! You can actually hear me laugh at the end of the brief clip as I say, "You can't see it!" I also had told Weird that the EAC part was really cool because it felt like you were moving along with it. The effect wasn't as good this time, and we didn't see many of the characters. Oh well. (Click for the video!)
The end of the ride really amazed Weird in the same way that it amazed me. I love the fact that they can project the animated images onto the screen and make it seem as if they're swimming with the real creatures. Haha, again, the first time I rode this, a shark just happened to swim by and it took me by surprise. I was waiting for it to appear this time (you know, since they sensed that I was on the ride), but thankfully, they decided to spare me this time.
Weird and I got off first, so I was able to turn around on the moving walkway in an attempt to get a picture of the three colored dots. I mean, my parents and Matt. It wasn't clear, and a CM said to keep moving (I don't know if it was directed towards me or another kid who was still on the walkway), so I snapped it and didn't hold it in place.
The Nemo ride isn't really the kind of ride that's a must-do, but I did want Weird to experience it! I was excited to show him the parts that scared me and just to sit in the clammobile with him because it's nice and cozy, hehe. It made me look forward even more to all the things we were going to experience together!
You went on some crazy update binge and threw me all off. 
I just can't stand rides that do nothing but tell the movie. I don't know. I didn't ride it when we went this time. And rides like that make DH fall asleep and then he is grumpy for the rest of the day so I try to avoid them at all costs. I'm sure with kids it'll be different. (Nope not with child!!!)
I have to say, I like going on the Nemo ride. Partially to cool off in the AC but mostly because I know my little girl will like it.
I feel like that makes them feel so much more comfortable when they are editing their own writing.
AOL still doesn't automatically save drafts. I only use my AOL account for email subscriptions & Facebook. I use Gmail for everything else, it's much better.
