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| | #61 (permalink) |
| Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Mateo, CA
Posts: 2,082
| Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World A Perfect Birthday Night – Day Five Part Three We decided to drive to Epcot not wanting to be dependent on Disney transportation late at night in the cold. It was ridiculous how much clothing we were wearing. I had on a turtleneck, a cashmere sweater, a suede jacket, a parka, a Mickey Christmas hat, tights, wool pants, boots, and gloves. I felt like the little brother in that scene from the movie A Christmas Story who couldn’t put his arms down because of all the clothing. If I fell, there was no way I was getting up unassisted. But I was warm!Our first stop at Epcot was Guest Relations to pick up a birthday button. Unfortunately, they were all out and I had taken off my pin from Animal Kingdom. Oh well, my sisters were only too happy to avoid the birthday hullabaloo we had experienced in the morning. We wanted to visit Norway before our Priority Seating at Teppanyaki Dining Room. Unfortunately, Maelstrom was posting a 40-minute wait. We grabbed some Fast Passes (we never did make it back) and decided to ride El Rio del Tempo instead, as Kirsten had missed the Mexico pavilion the other night. I know this ride is kind of cheesy, but we all enjoyed it. It helped that this ride was another of my mom’s favorites. I like the scene where the merchants are desperately trying to sell you their wares. I probably like it because when I really visit in Mexico, I wish I had a magic little boat I could sail away on to get me safely away without buying something! ![]() Our visit to Mexico over, we slowly walked to Japan. (Does anyone else feel weird when they write things like that in their trip reports?) We checked in a few minutes early for our 5:15 seating at Teppanyaki. It was so nice and warm in there. It was this very funny scene of little pockets of families sitting on the benches with huge piles of discarded clothing at their feet. I felt like I was at a ski lodge, not on vacation in Florida! ![]() We waited for a few minutes but probably got called right at our seating time. We walked into the second room where we could see six grills, each surrounded with a counter area and eight seats. We were seated with a beautiful family from Colorado. I’d never been to Teppanyaki before, and really I’d only been to this type of restaurant one time, long ago. I vaguely remembered commercials of chefs at Benihana’s throwing knives. So, I’d given Zack so many warnings about the hot grill and the knives flying through the air, I think he was fearing for his life. I was nervous about the grill, but they place the children at the end of the table, farthest away from the heat of the grill and with the coolest table in front of them. I don’t know if I could relax if I had a small child there, but there were plenty of little ones in the restaurant. Our hostess came over and took our drink orders, and in short order our food orders, as well. As we’d prepaid for the Candlelight Processional package, we splurged. I feel like I really got my money’s worth out of the experience as I ordered the sushi sampler for an appetizer, and the chicken and steak entrée for my main course. Zack didn’t want to eat most of his salad, so I also got to try some of the delicious Asian dressing they put on their salad. I remember seeing the recipe in Disney Magazine a little while ago and thinking, “Come on. It’s SALAD DRESSING. How good could it be?” Let me tell you, it is all that and a bag of chips. Now, if I could only find that recipe…Shortly after appetizers arrived, our chef arrived. He was so energetic and really friendly. We glanced around at some of the other tables, and other chefs seemed more subdued, so we felt we had lucked out. He was so funny about all of the food he was cooking. He’d put something down and say, “Oh vegetables. Aaahh, they look so good. Look at those beautiful vegetables.” Zack thought he was so funny. He did twirl around his spatula, but there was no knives being thrown. Zack turned and gave me a very pointed look. Hey kid, there are utensils being thrown, I just forgot which ones they would be. Although impaling a child during dinner would be a very un-Disney vacation experience, so, I should have figured. We were all wowed with the onion volcano. Basically, he sliced thick rounds from an onion, and then inverted them so the center of the onion was at the very top. He then had a hallowed out “volcano” in which he poured a little oil and water to make it erupt. There was lots of cheers and applause, which only seemed to make our chef more enthusiastic. ![]() Zack was having such a good time, and he loved all of the food being served including the vegetables. Disney magic at it’s finest, causing a child to enjoy eating vegetables! We finished our delicious dinner and then settled in for dessert. I got the chestnut cake, which was amazing, and definitely the most original birthday cake I’d ever had! We left very slowly; reluctant to leave the warm restaurant and our new found friends. The meal was incredible and Zack said it was his favorite of the whole trip. That’s saying something! This is the kid who has a whole rationalization about how pizza has all of the four food groups represented, and, thus, should be eaten every day. ![]() We ended up leaving the restaurant right about 6:30. I had heard stories about huge lines for the Candlelight Processional. Last year, without knowing better, we had gotten there about 20 minutes early and barely got in. I didn’t want to repeat the experience, and told my sisters that I would be perfectly happy to hold a spot in line while they explored some more. As we left Japan, we saw a huge number of people standing by the railing, so I handed my sisters one of the walkie-talkies and they turned towards France. Zack and I started to walk towards the back of the crowd, and people started to move away from the railing. So, we kept walking towards the American Gardens Theater, and people kept walking away from the railing. Finally, we were at the front of the theater with only one other couple waiting in line in front of us. Everyone else had just been taken pictures, but I stayed put, grinning ear to ear. I knew what we were in store for at 8:15. In short order, a few other people jumped in line behind us and it really started to build from there.If you want to know where to find the true Disney fanatic, hop in line for the Candlelight Processional an hour and a half before the show. I had so much fun hearing about other people’s trips. Most of them were either annual pass holders or vacation club members, and we laughed about how Disney World had become like our annual pilgrimage to Mecca! We made such fast friends that Zack went with some of the other kids in line to shop in Japan (like you’d have to ask him that twice.) When Zack got back, I went and grabbed some hot chocolate in the American pavilion and by the time I got back in line my sisters were there. They had walked around Canada and England and had time to see the movie in France. The time had passed so quickly in line. It was one of the most enjoyable hours of my whole birthday. It was no surprise that we got phenomenal seats in the dead center of the theater, about six rows back. The narrator was Edward James Olmos who did a really inspired job. He spent sometime at the beginning thanking the entire Disney family, but especially Walt and Roy. It was really touching. I’ve now been spoiled by the experience from this vantage point. The music was all around you. You could feel it welling up inside you. The lights of the trees were twinkling behind us, and being down between the trumpeters and the stained glass made you feel like you were in church. I know that I’ll always have to wait in line early from now on. There’s no way you can go back to the peanut gallery after those seats! It was a great finale to my birthday. Now all I needed to see was Illuminations and I’d be set for another year.We grabbed a spot near the boat dock in Germany and tried to do a little dance to keep warm. It was really getting cold. Before too long, the voice was being heard announcing that Illuminations was about to begin. When he finished talking, you can hear a sound like someone blowing out a candle. At that exact moment, the torches go out around World Showcase. I’ve seen this show a half dozen times and never noticed it before. It was Alice exclaiming, “That’s so cool! ” that made me take notice. We all loved Illuminations, but the fireworks at the end really took our breath away. As they were playing “Let There Be Peace on Earth” I just kept thinking about those soldiers and their families. I was watching beautiful fireworks, at Disney World, with my son by my side, and I had a moment where I realized how truly and profoundly blessed I am. I wish I could take that feeling with me during the day to day, when you feel so worn down. But, I’m getting to re-live it now. ![]() We exited Epcot, and I had complete joy in my heart. As we walked by the fountain, the cast members waved goodbye and giant holiday greetings were being projected onto Spaceship Earth. There is no price for the feeling I had. So, I know that Disney, and especially WDW, will always be an important part of my life. Plus, there was more. When we got back to the room, I opened a cornucopia of Disney gifts: a beautiful beaded bracelet with a Mickey clasp, new Mickey gloves, a Mickey wine stopper (which immediately replaced the cork in my bottle of wine from Boma,) and, my favorite, a complete set of Disney antenna balls from Zack. He’d gotten the holiday pack and then supplemented with some others. I now have a unique antenna ball for each month of the year (and two for March with the St. Patrick’s Day ball and the Easter egg ball!) Minus missing my Mom, it was one of the best birthday’s I’d ever experienced. ![]() Next Up… A Day Away from Disney- Can We Survive? |
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| | #63 (permalink) |
| Community Rank: Legend ![]() Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Newtown Square, PA
Posts: 17,661
| Re: Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World [ QUOTE ] Zack was having such a good time, and he loved all of the food being served including the vegetables. Disney magic at it’s finest, causing a child to enjoy eating vegetables! [/ QUOTE ] Oh my gosh, Karen!! This is truly where my kids actually started to eat veggies and it is also their absolute favorite Epcot eatery!! As for the rest of your update, you have me ing my eyes out!! What a magical ending to your special day!! |
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| | #64 (permalink) |
| Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 5,258
| Re: Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World What a great birthday evening! Teppanyaki is one of our "must do's" each trip. Our 3-year-old has been there twice with no problems - - but I do catch myself keeping a really close eye on her and the grill. I haven't done Christmas at Disney yet, but you are really making me want to (even with the cold temps )!And then to end your evening with great Mickey presents! You can't beat that! ![]() So glad that you had a great birthday! Jill |
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| | #65 (permalink) |
| Community Rank: Traveler ![]() Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 339
| Re: Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World Karen, love your Candlelight Processional description. I can't wait to go see it. I think we might make Teppanyaki our CP package dinner. Sounds great and will please everyone. What an awsome birthday one you will never forget and will want to repeat over and over and over!!! |
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| | #66 (permalink) |
| Community Rank: Wayfarer ![]() Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posts: 190
| Re: Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World Aloha Karen! I have spent the last hour and a half reading your wonderful and most eventful trip report. Like you, I have been an avid reader of the Passporter boards, and enjoyed reading trip reports. I could not resist telling you (with my first ever post) how entertaining and delightfult your trip report is. Thank you for sharing your vacation with us all. You brought back a lot of great memories of my December trip--I was in WDW at the same time as you were! Being from Hawaii, I am not accustomed temperatures cooler than 65 degrees and reading your report made me chuckle because I wasn't the only one freezing! Looking forward to reading the rest of your report. Mahalo! |
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| | #67 (permalink) |
| Eileeeeeeen!™ Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 12,996
| Re: Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World <sniff> somebody hand me a tissue! This woman can do it to me every time with her inspired trip report... <sniff> Great job! ![]() Can't wait for more. (Next time, I'll remember to bring tissues!) Eileen |
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| | #68 (permalink) |
| RED SOX NATION!! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Connecticut
Posts: 70,663
| Re: Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World Great updates Karen So glad you had an awesome birthday, and such fun at Teppanyaki (one of our now favorite restaurants - we did the CP package there too)! And glad you enjoyed the CP ![]() More please ![]() |
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| | #69 (permalink) |
| Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Mateo, CA
Posts: 2,082
| Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World A Day Away from Disney- Can We Survive? – Day Six Part One The wake-up call came early this morning as my sisters had an 8:30 flight out of Orlando. Zack and I hid in bed for as long as we could while my sisters grumpily got ready. I could tell that the “be-nice-to-your-sister-on-her-birthday” vibe was not in effect this morning. Something about booking them on an early morning flight that made them wake up at the crack of bloody dawn, I guess. Sheesh! It’s a free ticket; take it like a man, uhhh… woman.Zack and I got up at the last possible moment and began the great layering process to keep us safe from the arctic Florida winter. I broke out the parka for myself and the heavy leather jacket for Zack. We left the hotel about 7:00, and into temperatures that were already warmer than anything we had experienced the day before. My sisters were very appreciative on the drive to the airport. They both said that they had a great time. Did I convert them? I’m not sure. I think because I wasn’t my usual commando self and let them do things at their own pace, that they enjoyed it. I think they were blown away by the evening shows at the different parks and all of the holiday decorations. I was spot on in my picks for priority seatings, especially at the more ethnic restaurants. So, the food became a major highlight for my sisters. But, I don’t think they got into the character thing, and I don’t know that they feel the need to return all the time. I guess I’m making progress, but there’s still work to be done. ![]() We got to the airport quickly and by about 7:30 we had said our goodbyes and were driving towards Universal Studios. We needed to get gas for the rental car, so we got off I-4 an exit or two early and pulled into a Chevron. We were really close to Wet ‘ N’ Wild, and I thought I had remembered passing that on our last trip to Universal. So, I figured we were close. We must have taken a wrong turn because I just couldn’t find Universal, and I couldn’t see any signs either. Finally, I could spot the tops of the rides across the freeway, so I turned around and headed towards the park. It still took us quite a while to find the appropriate over crossing. I was shocked at how sparse the signage for Universal was. Don’t they want your money? ![]() As we were driving around in circles, we kept passing a little mini-amusement park on International Drive. It had little racecars, a ferris wheel, and a miniature roller coaster. I pointed at it and said to Zack excitedly, “Look Zack. It’s Universal Studios.” It really wasn’t very funny, but Zack thought I was hilarious. He kept laughing and telling me what a “good one” that was. What can I say; I got him up early that morning. But, there is no feeling as good as when your son thinks you’re the funniest person around. I know that I’m on borrowed time until my son thinks I’m lame, so, I eat this stuff up! What’s more funny is that I used to use a similar trick on Zack when he was a toddler, telling him I’d take him to Disneyland if he behaved and then carting him off to the Disney store. Heck, he didn’t know any better, (“they’re tourists.”) We finally managed to find our way to Universal, paid about $2200 for parking (well it seemed like that much,) and parked on the first floor of the Hong Kong section. I’m not sure who the brain trust is at Universal who decided it was a good idea to make people walk 3.2 miles before they got to the entrance of the theme park. It doesn’t make it any better that you are hassled to apply for credit cards multiple times and have to walk all the way through City Walk. It’s only worse when you’re exhausted at the end of the day. It is probably a very clever scheme to get people to use valet, because that is looking like the best deal in the country at the end of that trek. ![]() We finally did arrive at the gates, purchased our admission for Islands of Adventure, and stood around in the much-warmer-than-yesterday sunshine. I was really surprised at the small number of people waiting. It’s the week of Christmas, and there were maybe 200 people waiting for them to open the gates. Where is everyone? The gates opened about 20 minutes early and we stayed with the crowd run walking through the Port of Entry and veering toward the left. Most of the crowd turned onto Hulk, but we kept walking right onto the Spiderman ride. If you’ve been reading this report from the beginning, you know how my son feels about Spiderman. This ride is really the only reason we even bother to come to Universal. The ride has a vehicle that is somewhat like the ride vehicles on Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom and Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland. The ride is on a track like these two rides, with motion simulator actions. What makes it unique are the 3-D effects throughout the ride. There is one scene where your car is thrown off of a building and you are rushing towards the pavement below. The vehicle must be nearly vertical during that scene, and with the 3-D effects, it is incredibly realistic. Luckily, you are saved by Spidey’s web, the bad guys are captured, and the ride ends happily, happily enough that we immediately grabbed Express Passes (Universal’s version of the Fast Pass) for another ride around lunchtime. ![]() We back tracked to the Hulk coaster and deposited some of our clothing into the free lockers (free for an hour that is.) Zack had been a little too nervous to ride The Hulk the year before. I was feeling a little too nervous to ride it now. This is one big, bad coaster. You can see it from miles away, with seven huge inversions, and an initial launch that must blast you up a 100 foot hill. When I’ve shown some of my pictures from the trip with this coaster in the background, to a person, the reaction has been “Holy $#%@, is that the ride?” It’s no less scary on the ride. Everyone told me that the ride was fine because it was so smooth. Yes, it was smooth, but I didn’t think it was so great to be smoothly whipped upside down, sideways, and vertical at 65 miles per hour. The ride vehicle is also so open, that I felt like I was going to be thrown out at any minute. Zack, of course, loved every minute of it, something about enjoying the sensation of your stomach in your shoes. So, Mom that I am, we immediately got in line again for another ride. No Mom hath more love than to lay down her life on a roller coaster ride for her son, you know. Two times was enough for Zack, and two times was two too many for me, so we moved on. Halleluiah! We walked through Toon Lagoon and the Jurassic Park section and on towards Dueling Dragons. The line for this ride is epic going down through a dungeon. It must take nearly 10 minutes to walk to the ride vehicles, and parts of it are dark and confusing. We managed to find our way by following a group of energetic and knowledgeable teenagers, who’d clearly been there before. They told us that Ice was the better ride, so we headed there first. I was nervous after my experience on Hulk, but had a great time on this coaster. It’s nowhere near as intense as Hulk, especially from our position in the middle of the car. We took the shortcut at the end of the ride to get on the Fire coaster. We ended up agreeing with the teenagers that Ice was better, but we enjoyed both sides. The thrill rides out of our system we headed towards Suess Landing, and got autographs and pictures from The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and 2. We jumped in line to see The Grinch, not believing a posted 30-minute wait. After all, there’d been no wait for the coasters, how could there be a 30-minute wait for a character meet and greet? It was at least a 30-minute wait, and many people gave up after a little while. I get into this mind set once I get in a line and have waited for anything over 30 seconds that leaving it will be a waste of my time. So we waited, and waited, and waited. ![]() I am so glad we did. We had the best character encounter I’d ever had. The Grinch is a face character, but his makeup is of the same quality as that worn by Jim Carey in the movie. He ended up spending a couple of minutes individually with each family, which explained the long line. He asked where we were from, and when we said California, he asked if we had been to Universal Studios Hollywood. We said that we had, and told him about the story we had heard about when Jim Carey was filming the movie. On the tram ride, you go past the house from the movie Psycho, very near the set for The Grinch. Apparently, on a break from filming, Jim Carey hid in the house, and jumped out of it when a tram came by with a prop knife in his hand. Our Grinch’s response was, “Jim Carey, that hack. Whaddaya expect? He’s Canadian.” I sent Zack up to get a picture, and The Grinch called me over saying, “Come on Mom. I know you can’t resist an excuse to put your arm around me. Just keep your hands above the waist.” Then he told the photographer, “Make sure you take some good shots on the cheepo camera too.” ![]() ![]() ![]() He was so great, and Zack and I felt like the half hour wait was well worth it. It’s just a shame that so few families will get to experience it since The Grinch spends so much time with each one. If we ever go to Universal again around Christmas, the Grinch’s lair will be our first stop! ![]() Next Up – We Finish Universal and Head Back to our Happy Place |
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| | #70 (permalink) |
| Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Mateo, CA
Posts: 2,082
| Re: Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World [ QUOTE ] I could not resist telling you (with my first ever post) how entertaining and delightfult your trip report is. [/ QUOTE ] Welcome to the wonderful world of posting. I have to warn you about how addictive it becomes. I'm jealous of people with lots of stars and cool titles like "Passporter Trekker" or "Passporter Legend." You'll find yourself posting all the time once you start. ![]() Thanks for the comments; I'm glad you're enjoying the report! Karen |
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| | #71 (permalink) |
| Community Rank: Legend ![]() Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Newtown Square, PA
Posts: 17,661
| Re: Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World Universal is not Disney for me, but I some stuff there! Spiderman is so cool!! I'm glad that you had a great encounter with the Grinch, too!! What a fun day!! ![]() |
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| | #73 (permalink) |
| Community Rank: Traveler ![]() Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 339
| Re: Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World Universal is not for me, but it sounds like you and Zack had a great time. Don't you just wish you could bottle up that warm fuzzy feeling when your son does something that makes your heart soar!!! |
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| | #75 (permalink) |
| Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Mateo, CA
Posts: 2,082
| Sharing is Caring - Christmas Trip to the World We Finish Universal and Head Back to our Happy Place- Day Six Part Two We decided to stay in the Dr. Seuss theme, and take a ride on Cat in the Hat. The ride is basically a souped up, longer version of the Winnie the Pooh ride. There are a couple of spots where you whip around pretty quickly, and Zack had a good time laughing at my head bouncing around like a bobble head doll. It’s a good ride, and yes Dr. Seuss is a part of my son’s childhood, but it just doesn’t conjure up the Disney magic for me.We hadn’t been in Super Hero Land (or whatever you call it) for at least an hour and a half, so Zack had to go back. Our Express Passes for Spiderman were ready to be used, so we went for another spin with the webbed one. This time around I really tried to follow the story line. There were parts that didn’t make much sense (why is Jonah Jamison all tied up at the beginning?) I vaguely remembered the story line being more developed while you’re waiting in the main line, but you don’t get any of the details in the Express Pass or singles line. I expressed my confusion to Zack and he rolled his eyes and replied, “Mom, it’s not that complicated. Spiderman is the good guy, the rest of them are the bad guys. It’s a RIDE, just enjoy it.” Good advice my 11-year-old wonder kid. ![]() Zack wanted to eat at the Fantastic Four café (the food could have been complete crap, he just liked the theme.) I wanted to get any stomach buster rides out of the way first. Zack really didn’t want another ride on Hulk (thank God!) And, he thought Dr. Doom’s Freefall looked like a lame version of Tower of Terror (my sentiments exactly.) But, he thought the Storm Force ride looked fun, basically a souped up, longer version of the Tea Cups. Some original thinkers over at Universal, huh? ![]() I am usually a very comfortable single mother. Even with lots of happy families and couples around in Orlando, I am usually quite content with my mini-family of two. But, I could really use a strong, strapping, man type on the Tea Cups type rides. I’d love to spin really fast, but I can just never get that thing turned around very quickly. Ladies, you could make big bucks if you rented out your husbands in line at these rides. I always feel so bad for Zack when the other kids are whipping around in big blurs, while I slowly labor to turn the wheel a little bit, and then sink back in my seat in exhausted desperation. I’m all for equality, but I’d take a girlie version of one of those wheels in a snap. Oh well, at least Zack will never get sick!Our sad little spin over, we headed into the Fantastic Four café. Zack held a table while I waited in a line of about 6 people. That was 6 total people in line to order at the restaurant, not 6 people in my line. And then I waited, and waited, and waited. I know I’m biased, but I just felt like the service was so slow compared to Disney. If nothing else, Disney is going to allow you to spend your money quickly. And, I can’t think of a single counter service eatery at WDW that would only serve 6 people in about 10-15 minutes. The food was decent enough: pizza for Zack, pasta for me, and a diet coke to share. I just wish they’d do something about the service.After lunch, we did a bit of character hunting and snagged pictures and autographs from Spiderman, Bullwinkle, and Bluto. We also spent time taking pictures in Toon Lagoon at some of the sight gags. They have a great spot where it looks like you are grabbing the leash for Marmaduke. You’re standing up, but if you turn the camera it looks like you are being pulled through the air by the leash. It made for a really cute photo. (A note about photos. I need remedial help in getting my photos posted to this report. I can’t seem to make them small enough in total pixel size to post. I will leave a link to my Yahoo! photo album at the end of the report for those interested in putting a face to a name.)It was pretty warm, especially with all the preparatory layers of clothing on. I knew my parka was waterproof, so I bought a Universal Studios poncho for Zack and we got in line for Dudley Do-right’s Ripsaw Falls. Another epic line was in store for us on this ride. I think if the line were even half full, you’d be waiting a couple of hours to get on the ride. Luckily for us we ended up walking right on the ride. So, lesson learned. If the wait time on Ripsaw Falls or Dueling Dragons is listed as 10 minutes, it’s really a walk on because it will take 10 minutes to walk through the line! The ride is a typical log ride, with nowhere close to the theming of Splash Mountain. But, what makes it unique is the very long, steep plume at the end. Both times I’ve been on this ride, I’ve felt like I was going to come out of my seat and the wall of water at the end is enormous. Zack took the brunt of the water and his poncho wasn’t particularly helpful in keeping him dry. He refused to go on Popeye and Bluto’s Barges , and only agreed to go on the Jurassic Park ride if I switched my parka for his poncho. I made the exchange and proceeded to get pretty substantially soaked myself. I decided to wait out in the sunshine to dry off while Zack shopped in the store at the end of the ride. It had really turned into a nice, warm day. Temperatures were nearing 70 degrees, and it didn’t take long for me to warm up and dry off. ![]() Our next stop was Poseidon’s Fury. I’m not sure how to describe this attraction. You walk through a series of rooms under the premise that you have unleashed an evil curse and are trapped in Poseidon’s temple. In each room, special effects occur around you. There’s one room where you walk through a water tunnel, another room where there is a laser battle between Poseidon and an evil spirit. It’s pretty impressive and definitely worth a look. We were headed back through Seuss Landing, and I really wanted to get some pictures of the creatures on the Caro-Suess-el. Zack and I got in a short line and we were getting on when I saw a sign that you couldn’t take any pictures while on the ride. Huh? I really couldn’t understand this rule. I’m a pretty talented person able to walk and chew gum at the same time. I was pretty sure I could safely hold on to the pole with one hand, and take a picture with the other. But rather than be a rule breaker, I got off the ride and took pictures of Zack safely from the ground. Zack was not amused. He was willing to get on the ride with me, but he thought he looked way too old to ride it by himself. Sigh. We had to get into the conversation about how we’d never see any of these people ever again so who cares what they think. I hate that conversation. I hated it when I was a kid and my Mom would say it to me. It was right behind the “If all of your friends jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, would you” talk in terms of least favorite. I still hate the conversation, but somehow I can’t manage to bite my tongue so I end up playing the role of my mother. Strange how that happens.We were done with everything we wanted to see at Islands of Adventure. So with one more ride on Spiderman and a bit more shopping, we were on our way. On the way through City Walk, we stopped to get an ice cream sundae for Zack. He basically had time to finish this huge sundae while leaning up against the right side of the moving sidewalks in the trek back to the parking garage. So, I can’t tell you in mileage how long that walk is. But, I can tell you that it is just about as long as the time required for an 11-year-old to eat a two scoop hot fudge sundae. We found our car easily enough and were back at the Animal Kingdom Lodge a little after five. Phew! Ten hours of exile from WDW is about all I can take. ![]() Next Up… Oops! Don’t Feed the Animals |
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