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

[HockeyMomR]

Beautiful Pictures - the Rays are amazing. We enjoy the Baltimore Aquarium, so really enjoyed your pictures.

 

[natebenma]

I had heard that food at Atlantis was ridiculously expensive. And so it is.
The dig looks amazing so far!

Amanda

I think the translation for Atlantis is "OK, just hand over all your money now"

Beautiful Pictures - the Rays are amazing. We enjoy the Baltimore Aquarium, so really enjoyed your pictures.

I loved watching the Mantas swimming. So peaceful and powerful and beautiful. Getting ahead of myself, but the big highlight of our trip was snorkeling in the tank. One of the Mantas came within a foot of me and close to Nate, too. I plan on ending my report with the pictures from that swim.

 

[JanetMom]

"Nate can't come to the phone right now. He's on the throne"


Thanks for sharing your photos. I have never been on a Disney cruise and I didn't know that Dale Chihuly, the artist who created them, has pieces on those ships. He also has some sculptures at the Bellagio in Vegas.

In response to the Nate line -


I was wondering about the Bellagio flower sculpture. When I saw both of your pictures I immediately thought of the ceiling at the Bellagio.

 

[eandesmom]

All I have to say is wow wow ouch and wow

slides slides food prices and tanks




The place is insane!

Cute colonial day pic...we don't have those here out on the frontier so fun to see!

In my defense, I didn't just lose a child on the previous trip. It was both a husband and a child.

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.

They are lucky to have you along! But oh...you might have a sore tongue from biting it!

5 days!!!!!!!!!!

 

[natebenma]

In response to the Nate line -


I was wondering about the Bellagio flower sculpture. When I saw both of your pictures I immediately thought of the ceiling at the Bellagio.

I hate to waste a good line, so I used it again (check your TR)

All I have to say is wow wow ouch and wow

slides slides food prices and tanks




The place is insane!

Yes, Atlantis is totally over the top, in every way. Including prices!

Cute colonial day pic...we don't have those here out on the frontier so fun to see!

Here in Boston, we are all Colonial, all the time! I am chaperoning a field trip to the Freedom Trail tomorrow.

They are lucky to have you along! But oh...you might have a sore tongue from biting it!

5 days!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite line from my family's one day visit to the MK last year was after Mark and Nate had returned from putting something in the locker by the train station around 11 am. When we met up, Mark said

"You can't go to the front of the park right now"

"Why not?

"There are lots of people there who really need you, and you can't help them all"

I'm pretty secure in my knowledge of how to tour a Disney park, but UGH- I just learned (on another TR) I may have made a mistake in some of the info I distributed yesterday to the group. Need to do some damage control...

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Thank you so much!!!

I'm going to try to finish this up before my trip next week. I like my loose ends all tied up and I want to come back fresh and ready to start a new DISNEY TR.

Finally getting caught up on everything (at least with regards to the DIS if not the house

Everything looks amazing!!
Looking forward to more!
Your disney trip will be here in no time

 

[natebenma]

Finally getting caught up on everything (at least with regards to the DIS if not the house

Everything looks amazing!!
Looking forward to more!
Your disney trip will be here in no time

Atlantis is a wonderful place.

Disney trip is coming in 4 days. Ready or Not. And right now, it is NOT!

Nate is all packed. Not because he is motivated, but because he had to hand his luggage in on Wednesday for inspection.

I'm about half-packed. I need to clear a bunch of memory cards. I need to make up lists for Mark about running the house and checklists for Ben for what he needs to do every day since I won't be there to nag him. To complicate matters, Ben has two field trips (packed lunches instead of hot lunch at school) and a field day, so I have to make sure everything is in place for that.

At least I have finished all of the info I was compelled to send to the teachers organizing the Disney trip: Map of the resort and menu from the food court, a Photopass Tutorial (I prepurchased a CD for the class), a Fast Pass Tutorial, and a list of Park Hours, Parade and Fireworks times and a few helpful hints.

 

[natebenma]

In addition to the main tank of The Dig, there are other hallways and corridors with exhibits.

As you enter, the first thing you encounter is the South Anteroom- the original base camp established by the archaeologists who excavated the site:

This exhibit reminds me a lot of the queue line at Expedition Everest.


Continuing on, you will find tanks with Caribbean Lobster, poisonous Lionfish and large groupers:

The Jewel Tank is filled with beautiful, colorful fish:

About midway through The Dig you will find the Laboratory, The Crystal Room and the Touch Tank. If you are lucky, you will find the Touch Tank open.

We were not lucky very often…

We have had 2 5-day trips to Atlantis and visited The Dig at least twice every day as we walked to and from the waterpark. We only found the touch tank open 2-3 times while we have been there. We are partly to blame- we usually would visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon when it was less crowded.

Here is one of those times when we did find the touch tank open:

My urchin with an urchin

Sea cucumber

Continued in Next Post

 

[natebenma]

Continuing on, we encounter Jellies, Coral Reef tanks, Sea Horses and Moray Eels:

The Submarine Room is really interesting:

It was from this room that the Atlanteans launched an intense final effort to save their beloved land. Examine the diving suits with their elaborate helmets. Mounted on the wall is an Atlantean submarine. In the center of the room is a diving bell.

That blue window beyond the diving bell is the gift shop. This was usually closed during the times we were in The Dig. Although we did make it in once, I don’t really have pictures to post, but there is a tank inside with Piranhas.


Then, near the exit, is the Navigation Room:

When planning their journeys, Atlanteans would utilize city models that projected information about the weather, accessible routes and planetary positions. To view this information, they donned helmets fitted with specialized lenses that correspond to either land, sea or air travel.

The Ruins Lagoon:

Most, maybe all, of the main tank of The Dig is open air. There are a few places where you can view the tank from above. We will see a little more of the Ruins Lagoon in my Snorkel the Ruins post.

Next Up: Fins to the Left! Fins to the Right! Predator Tunnel


.

 

[jenseib]

I'm pretty sure there is more there than when I visited 10 years ago. I'm getting excited to do this!

 

[HockeyMomR]

Great pictures, the helmet pictures are priceless!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Atlantis is a wonderful place.

Disney trip is coming in 4 days. Ready or Not. And right now, it is NOT!

Nate is all packed. Not because he is motivated, but because he had to hand his luggage in on Wednesday for inspection.

I'm about half-packed. I need to clear a bunch of memory cards. I need to make up lists for Mark about running the house and checklists for Ben for what he needs to do every day since I won't be there to nag him. To complicate matters, Ben has two field trips (packed lunches instead of hot lunch at school) and a field day, so I have to make sure everything is in place for that.

At least I have finished all of the info I was compelled to send to the teachers organizing the Disney trip: Map of the resort and menu from the food court, a Photopass Tutorial (I prepurchased a CD for the class), a Fast Pass Tutorial, and a list of Park Hours, Parade and Fireworks times and a few helpful hints.

I'm tired for you just reading your "to do" list but if you approach it with the gusto you use while touring the world you'll be done in no time

Have a great time Cant wait to hear all about it and the next installment of this trip too

 

[natebenma]

I'm pretty sure there is more there than when I visited 10 years ago. I'm getting excited to do this!

I hope I am not spoiling the experience for you!

So funny that we have been doing some of the same vacations lately. Where should we go next???

Great pictures, the helmet pictures are priceless!

Thank you! Did you notice the family resemblence???

I'm tired for you just reading your "to do" list but if you approach it with the gusto you use while touring the world you'll be done in no time

Have a great time Cant wait to hear all about it and the next installment of this trip too

That wasn't even the whole list! Still have to call credit card company to notify them of travel, had a field trip to Boston today, flag football practice tonight and two games tomorrow. And grocery shop for Mark and Ben, although it looks like they will be dining out while I am away.

Who knew that a Disney trip could be less hectic than the preparation to go away?

 

[JanetMom]

Such great aquariums. Beautiful pictures of the jelly fish and sea horses, but the grouper are kind of ugly (in a loveable sort of way) and the eels are just plain creepy.

If only you could have gotten a picture of Nate wearing the diving helmet while on the throne.

 

[SgtClaymore]

That was a really awesome trip report and I love the pictures. It looked like everyone had a really great time. Thanks for sharing!

 

[DrMomof3]

I'm lucky that when I was in Atlanta, my nanny was here to take care of everything. If I left the kids with my DH, I'd have to make lists, too!

The dig looks like fun! I didn't realize there was such an elaborate backstory to Atlantis. Interesting.

I can't believe you're heading back to Disney already. Without a grey goose slushie. Tragic.

Amanda

 

[natebenma]

Such great aquariums. Beautiful pictures of the jelly fish and sea horses, but the grouper are kind of ugly (in a loveable sort of way) and the eels are just plain creepy.

If only you could have gotten a picture of Nate wearing the diving helmet while on the throne.

What a difference 3 years makes:

That was a really awesome trip report and I love the pictures. It looked like everyone had a really great time. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you so much!!! I'm glad you enjoyed it! We really love our trips.

I'm lucky that when I was in Atlanta, my nanny was here to take care of everything. If I left the kids with my DH, I'd have to make lists, too!

The dig looks like fun! I didn't realize there was such an elaborate backstory to Atlantis. Interesting.

I can't believe you're heading back to Disney already. Without a grey goose slushie. Tragic.

Amanda

I still haven't put together all the info they need.

I knew there was some backstory, but a lot of what I have included here came from an interestng pamphlet that is available when you enter The Dig. We were really surprised at how large the aquarium area was when we went through for the first time.

3 more days! Hard to believe. A day at Disney, even without a GGS, is better than a day at home.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

OMG Dee I cant believe how much Nate has grown up in 3 years Scarey how fast that happens! Somehow we dont notice until we look at old photos

Thanks for the brilliant report. I've really enjoyed holidaying with you

 

[natebenma]

OMG Dee I cant believe how much Nate has grown up in 3 years Scarey how fast that happens! Somehow we dont notice until we look at old photos

Thanks for the brilliant report. I've really enjoyed holidaying with you

Thanks once again for your comments! I love having you join us on our trips.


It really is amazing how quickly our kids grow up.

I haven't really done a lot of the same picture in the same place every year- my boys won't stand, or sit, for that. I love that JanetMom has a few places she takes milestone pictures.

As I was grabbing the old helmet pictures, I found this picture of Ben on the throne:

 

[natebenma]

The suspension bridge and areas overlooking the Predator Lagoon are the best places to see small hammerhead and other young sharks. The roots of the mangrove trees serve as a natural nursery for juvenile fish.

bonnethead

hammerhead

Continued in Next Post