Welcome, Foolish Muggles! IoA/US/MK/SW *July 2013 Trip Report Link*

[MHTeacher]

Sounds like a lovely Mother's Day.

Thanks for all the pics of the slides at Atlantis.

 

[natebenma]

What a lovely Mother's Day! It must have been nice to take that peaceful stroll after a night with a houseful of 11-year-old boys. I just told Franklin what Ben got for his birthday and I must report that the 30-year-old is now super envious of the 11-year-old.

Okay back to work. Breaking news dictates that I have to actually do work at work, isn't that annoying?

All in all, it was a really nice weekend.

Sorry we made Franklin jealous!

Ben is currently into Box 3 (of 4) of the Death Star. He is a really great builder. He has asked me to take pictures of his progress and post it on FB. So far, I have taken the pictures, but have yet to download and post them.

Sounds like a lovely Mother's Day.

Thanks for all the pics of the slides at Atlantis.

Good luck with your busy week!

 

[natebenma]

My favorite Mayan Temples:

Coba Mexico

Mexican Pavilion- EPCOT

Atlantis Mayan Temple A towering temple with 5 daring slides: The Leap of Faith, Serpent, Jungle and two Challenger Slides.


Jungle Slide- this is a twisty body slide. I like this type of slide because you can sit and they don’t go as fast as the steep, straight plummets. The only problem with this slide is that it is a Very.Slow.Loader.

I swear that the person telling riders it was ok to go was waiting a full minute between riders. So if there were more than 7 people in line, I didn’t bother riding. And there were never less than that, so I didn’t try this slide.

One side of the Mayan Temple has some shallow water fun for little ones

Challenger Slides- these are steep twin body slides with timing mechanisms. Two sliders are sent down the slide at the same time, the one who gets to the bottom of the slide quickest is the “winner”. I am not a big fan of body slides, but Mark and I decided to try this once. I beat him by .03 seconds!

This was the only slide where Mark was asked to remove his watch. But I don’t think they asked me to. Mark blames this for his loss!

I’m not exactly sure what happens if you go up alone or your group has an odd number of riders. I think someone is sent down alone (because they don’t want to split up later groups)

Continued in Next Post

 

[natebenma]

The headliner slides of the Mayan Temple are the Serpent Slide and the Leap of Faith.

Serpent Slide- This is a tube slide for single or double riders that takes you through the Mayan Temple shark tank.

I love tube slides! I love sharks! I love this ride!

The only reason we don’t go on this more is that the temple is separated from the Current and the Power Tower by the large activities pool so to get to it, you either have to go a long way around or you have to swim through the pool- Ben’s favorite choice. So a lot of time, we would use this slide on the way to or from the waterpark.


This is the view from the temple:

The ride is a typical, enclosed tube slide, but when you get to the end, you find yourself in a plexiglass tunnel surrounded by sharks:

There are viewing windows so that people outside of the slide can see the riders and the sharks.

Leap of Faith- This is a steep body slide that ends in a tube that runs through the shark tank of the Mayan temple.

This slide is so fun to watch and listen to.


Oh, the screams!!!

Some of you may recall me mentioning that only one of us tried this slide back in 2009.

Yup, that’s Ben (age 7)

Ben skipped the ride this year, though.

Nate and Mark each took the Leap of Faith once during this trip.

Before this trip, I was really trying to psych myself up to try this just once. I even did a practice slide when we were in Puerto Rico!

But, when push came to shove, I returned to my senses! I just don’t like body slides. I don’t enjoy the water in my face, or gulping in water as I scream. I don’t understand waiting in line for 15 or more minutes for the privilege of receiving a wedgie. You can’t even see the sharks because you are either going too fast and/or your eyes are closed.

I wimped out.


Next up: The rest of the Water Park, Pools, Hot Tubs at Aquaventure and Time for Lunch


.

 

[Queila]

Hey Dee-
It is finally nice and warm here in Montreal and I am drooling all over your swimming pool pictures.
Q

 

[natebenma]

Hey Dee-
It is finally nice and warm here in Montreal and I am drooling all over your swimming pool pictures.
Q

Hi Queila-

Glad to hear you are enjoying some nice weather. It has been a really weird year for weather so far. The winter was warm and dry with very little snow. The only snow day the kids had off from school was on Halloween in October.

The spring has been cool and WET!!!

Hope we have a nice warm summer.

Do you have plans to visit the Cape this summer?

 

[mickeystoontown]

Wow! Those body slides look pretty steep and I can see why you wimped out. Now, the tube slide through the shark tunnels, that's one that I'd love to do. How neat is that!?!

 

[Queila]

Hi Queila-

Glad to hear you are enjoying some nice weather. It has been a really weird year for weather so far. The winter was warm and dry with very little snow. The only snow day the kids had off from school was on Halloween in October.

The spring has been cool and WET!!!

Hope we have a nice warm summer.

Do you have plans to visit the Cape this summer?

We barely had any snow here either. Weird times. This Spring has been very wet so far but we mostly have warm days so I am not complaining. YET.


We have visited Cape Cod every Summer for the past 3 years but this year Joey changed jobs and his time off is VERY limited. Things have changed at my job and I do not have as much freedom to get away as I once used to have.

We have just booked a Disney trip for the end of August so that should take care of our official vacation time but I haven't given up completely on Cape Cod yet.

We might try a long weekend but it will probably be a last minute decision since I do not usually work Fridays and it will depend on the weather forecast for the Cape area. A nice sunny weekend in July will probably be too tempting to pass on.

We will see...

What about you guys. I am not sure if I missed it but are you planning any Disney trip for any time soon?

Q

 

[JanetMom]

I love all those slides. It would be fun to drift through the shark tank tunnel.

I also loved your Mothers Day hike through the estate. Gorgeous photos.

 

[natebenma]

Wow! Those body slides look pretty steep and I can see why you wimped out. Now, the tube slide through the shark tunnels, that's one that I'd love to do. How neat is that!?!

The shark slide is seriously cool! But I have NO idea why it is called The Serpent Slide.

We barely had any snow here either. Weird times. This Spring has been very wet so far but we mostly have warm days so I am not complaining. YET.


We have visited Cape Cod every Summer for the past 3 years but this year Joey changed jobs and his time off is VERY limited. Things have changed at my job and I do not have as much freedom to get away as I once used to have.

We have just booked a Disney trip for the end of August so that should take care of our official vacation time but I haven't given up completely on Cape Cod yet.

We might try a long weekend but it will probably be a last minute decision since I do not usually work Fridays and it will depend on the weather forecast for the Cape area. A nice sunny weekend in July will probably be too tempting to pass on.

We will see...

What about you guys. I am not sure if I missed it but are you planning any Disney trip for any time soon?

Q

End of August should be a nice time for a Disney trip- the crowds are usually pretty light.

Do we have another Disney trip planned? Yes and No. Check out my ticker. My son Nate "graduates" from middle school in June, and the school plans a class trip to Disney. Pretty cool, huh?!?

I am chaperoning the trip.

I have heard 145 teens and 40 chaperones are going. We will arrive on a Monday, on Tuesday and Wednesday morning we have Y.E.S (Youth Education Series) classes. Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon and Thursday are free times. We leave on Friday. Staying at All Star Movies.

I love all those slides. It would be fun to drift through the shark tank tunnel.

I also loved your Mothers Day hike through the estate. Gorgeous photos.

Atlantis is truly a beautiful, fun, over-the-top place!

Thanks for the nice words about the photos. The park is really gorgeous. We used to live just about a mile away and would bike to park BK (before kids). I like to visit once or twice a year. They also have outdoor natural sculpture displays there on occasion and there is a theatre group that performs in the summer.

 

[MHTeacher]

I would have wimped out too!

Just looking at pictures of Summit Plummet in Blizzard Beach scares me to death!!

 

[HockeyMomR]

Dee - you had me LOL at your favorite Mayan Temples - the one in Mexico at Epcot - I think I like that Mayan Temple too because the maragaritas are close!

The Serpent slide looks like so much fun. Thanks for the great pictures, so we all could enjoy the ride. Agree with you about the Leap of Faith, I do not do the wedgie type rides either!

 

[natebenma]

I would have wimped out too!

Just looking at pictures of Summit Plummet in Blizzard Beach scares me to death!!

I really thought I was going to do it. And then I thought. Why?

Dee - you had me LOL at your favorite Mayan Temples - the one in Mexico at Epcot - I think I like that Mayan Temple too because the maragaritas are close!

The Serpent slide looks like so much fun. Thanks for the great pictures, so we all could enjoy the ride. Agree with you about the Leap of Faith, I do not do the wedgie type rides either!

I figured most people reading this would rank the EPCOT pyramid as their favorite.

The Serpent Slide is a lot of fun. But if you want to get even more up close and personal with the sharks, there is an opportunity to SNUBA with them in the Mayan Temple tank. We saw people doing this once during our trip.

 

[MEK]

But, when push came to shove, I returned to my senses! I just don’t like body slides. I don’t enjoy the water in my face, or gulping in water as I scream. I don’t understand waiting in line for 15 or more minutes for the privilege of receiving a wedgie. You can’t even see the sharks because you are either going too fast and/or your eyes are closed.

I wimped out.



.

Amen! Nothing worse than a water wedgie! That water park looks sooooooooo amazing and your pictures are stunning.

What a lovely mother's day. Such a pretty park!

 

[natebenma]

Amen! Nothing worse than a water wedgie! That water park looks sooooooooo amazing and your pictures are stunning.

What a lovely mother's day. Such a pretty park!

Thank you so much!!!

I really love having my underwater cameras- they never have to sit out while I am having fun. They are just simple point and shoots, but I am usually pretty happy with the photos I get.

The park is one of my favorite local treasures. It is gorgeous in all seasons, there are walking/biking trails, activities in the summer. All for a $2 parking fee!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Loving all the latest pics The serpent slide looks so cool I'd definitely have to do that one lol
Sounds like a really lovely Mother's Day (poor Nate without his mobile lol). Glad to see Ben can still wreck havoc with his mums photos
Less than 3 weeks until the trip of all trips to disney
Hopeful that you will survive even if grey goose slushies are banned!!!!

 

[natebenma]

Loving all the latest pics The serpent slide looks so cool I'd definitely have to do that one lol
Sounds like a really lovely Mother's Day (poor Nate without his mobile lol). Glad to see Ben can still wreck havoc with his mums photos
Less than 3 weeks until the trip of all trips to disney
Hopeful that you will survive even if grey goose slushies are banned!!!!

Thank you!

I had a really nice Mother's Day walk- I just had to share. I couldn't believe that the boys went without complaint! Maybe it was the lobster we promised afterwards!

Yes, my teen-trip is certainly coming up quickly! We still haven't been given flight info, but based on the pickup time from the school, I think I have figured it out. And I'm NOT happy! The class has two flights and I am on the later one. It looks like I won't get to Florida until 4 PM on Monday!

Not being able to make plans is killing me. I started spamming the trip coordinators with info this week.

Sent a Photopass Instruction Sheet (I prepurchased a CD for the class) and the menu for the All Star Movies Food Court. I'll be working on a Fast Pass Tutorial over the weekend.

These people don't know who they are dealing with... but they will soon learn.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Thank you!

I had a really nice Mother's Day walk- I just had to share. I couldn't believe that the boys went without complaint! Maybe it was the lobster we promised afterwards!

Yes, my teen-trip is certainly coming up quickly! We still haven't been given flight info, but based on the pickup time from the school, I think I have figured it out. And I'm NOT happy! The class has two flights and I am on the later one. It looks like I won't get to Florida until 4 PM on Monday!

Not being able to make plans is killing me. I started spamming the trip coordinators with info this week.

Sent a Photopass Instruction Sheet (I prepurchased a CD for the class) and the menu for the All Star Movies Food Court. I'll be working on a Fast Pass Tutorial over the weekend.

These people don't know who they are dealing with... but they will soon learn.

Good for you Dee! Show them what you're made of
They will miss some brilliant deals/tips if they dont listen to your expertise which would be crazy of them! I totally get your frustration-seems a shame to waste that first day by arriving so late when there's no need to We always arrive at that time but because it's a 9 hr flight for us theres really no better option. Usually by the time we get to the hotel and unpack we are so tired we eat and go to bed!

 

[natebenma]

Good for you Dee! Show them what you're made of
They will miss some brilliant deals/tips if they dont listen to your expertise which would be crazy of them! I totally get your frustration-seems a shame to waste that first day by arriving so late when there's no need to We always arrive at that time but because it's a 9 hr flight for us theres really no better option. Usually by the time we get to the hotel and unpack we are so tired we eat and go to bed!

Well, the saving? grace- the first day is not a scheduled park day, anyway. The school has planned for pool time and a pizza party.

I won't hit them too hard with my arsenal of tips and strategies- it may overwhelm mere Disney visitors- but I feel like I can share with the people here, because you can all handle the instructions.

 

[natebenma]

I’m guessing by now everyone is sick of slides and a bit waterlogged. Let’s just take one more jaunt around the waterpark to see some things we haven’t looked at yet, and then we will break for lunch.

We never had a problem finding a few chairs for our stuff in the waterpark. We didn’t always have prime real estate, but we never had trouble locating a home base. This was really important for when we split up and needed a place to regroup.

Looks like the cruise ships are in town!!!


The Baths Colonnade Pool:

My boys are 10 and 13, so these are not areas that we used at all, but if you have younger kids, these places might appeal to you:


Splashers Kid Pool:

Kiddie Slide:

Shallow Pool:

There are several pools in the water park and I found a couple of hot tubs tucked in the Mayan Temple. Actually, it was one tepid tub and one cool tub.

And finally, for those who need a little dry time, there were a couple of Ping Pong tables. We did actually see these in use once or twice:

Next up: Let’s break for lunch!