wicket2005
<font color=deeppink><marquee behavior=alternate>H
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2005
Wicket2005 Day 7 22/07/05
Epcot, Florida Mall, Universal Studios
DH 43
Me 43
DS16
DS14
Hmm. One thing I will not miss at all is my alarm clock going off at 6 am every morning. It has the most annoying ring to it as well, the type that makes you want to turn it off straightaway. The poor kids are a bit late getting up this morning but we are soon on track and heading for the Ponderosa (again).
Todays park of the day is Epcot. Ride of the day Soarin. Everything goes according to plan and we are lined up ready for the rope drop. The characters come and open the park, the rope is dropped and everyone and I mean everyone veers to the right to head to The Land. Soarin is one popular ride.
As we are one of the first set of crowds in to the park, Soarin is a walk on ride much better than the 110 minute standby time we saw the other night. I am quite looking forward to this ride especially as it is not an extreme ride.
We all love Soarin, especially DS14 and we got the best seats in the house. Front row, no dangling legs to spoil the illusion of hangliding. Lovely scents fills the air and you almost want to lift your feet to stop them hitting the sea. The best bit is the golf course but I wont say anymore about it.
The line for Soarin is right out into The Land pavilion as we leave, everyone must have it as their number one ride on the to do list. We want to try an old favourite now, Test Track so we leg it right across to the other side of the park.
Test Track was fast and enjoyable. The only thing I forgot to do was tie my hair back so it whipped my face when we were outside. I love the speed of this ride. We tried to collect some Fast Passes but the machine wouldnt accept our cards. A friendly CM just gives us a pass to be used anytime today or tomorrow, how good is that?
We headed into Innovations next and set some emails/photos back to family. You cannot write anything but I had the bright idea of smiling insanely and waving. Though DS14 didnt join in at first, sometimes I think I embarrass him. He joined in with the family photo of us, anyway thought it would give the family back home a laugh.
Hubbie had to make an emergency exit to the restroom so whilst he was gone we had a game where you have to collect treasure with a ship AND I came 2nd! Much to my Xboxing/PS2ing/Computer gaming kids amazement and I went up in their estimations which cannot be bad.
Just a round the corner from here were some Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (Junior Edition) computer games. We spent ages here, the kids trying to get more than $1. DS14 managed $32,000 and DS16 $1000. It was a good laugh.
Next we headed to Imagination and had a go on the little Journey to Imagination ride. It was a canny little thing with quite another catchy tune, though I didnt sing it much to the familys relief.
On exiting we stopped off and had one of those photos done where they put your image in front of a Disney landmark. I choose to have one done with the castle and it turned out okay. It is nice to have a photo with the 4 of us on together. Hubbie liked some neat paperweights where they can laser 3D images of your family into a crystal. They looked way too expensive so we didnt bother.
DS14 discovered a computer where you can take someones photo then change them into animals or flowers or add clipart. Plus be able to send it as an email to someone. He very much enjoyed changing his Dad into a flower and emailing it to my parents with a smile on his face. He then takes one of us both and adds all sorts of goggly eyes and things to us, thankfully you cannot recognise us when he has finished and that is duly emailed back home. Simple pleasures but a lot of fun for the kids.
We head back to Test Track to use our passes up. Again it is an enjoyable ride though I wish I had brought a bobble for my hair today.
We head into the shops. I am after a Disney cd and DS14 wants to buy a hidden Mickey book. I had never heard of these before till I started reading these boards and he is very interested in it. Items duly bought we decide to sort of take it easy if you can call it that and have a stroll around the World Showcase.
Before we start they stop off and get some McDonald cardboard food for lunch. I dont think Disney and McDonalds quite go together. I pinch a few fries but am trying to be good. The only seat available to eat them is in the full sun but at least we can sit. It is one scorcher of a day again.
First stop is Canada where we spend a while finding our first hidden Mickey. Takes a bit of doing but we are chuffed that we have done it. Basically after this we just walked around the lagoon taking pictures, looking for hidden Mickeys, stopping in the odd shops and more often than not having a rest on a bench. After this walk around we decide to hop off.
DS16 is after Oakley sunglasses and has been hitting any Sunglass Huts or Oakley stores hard everytime we have come across them but I know there is a shop in the Florida Mall. So we decide to hop over to the Florida Mall.
It takes some finding but eventually we find the Oakley shop. DS16 is in heaven and ends up buying his sunglasses, plus trousers and a teeshirt. He is well chuffed. DH is after a new watch as his old one has conveniently broken as soon as we arrived in Orlando. He finds a good jewellers and is well chuffed with his new watch. Surprisingly I dont buy anything, I just want to get back into the parks.
We hop back into Universal Studios where we hit the Cheesefactory shop just at the entrance and have some delicious sandwiches. DS14 has the most gigantic cookie, it looks to be the size of his face.
The Mummy only has a 20 minute wait and we have never been on it before so we get it line. I feel a bit nervous as it is a bit spooky and you dont know what the ride is going to be like. Anyway it was excellent and I am pleased to get another ride ticked off my to do list.
Another ride on the to do list is The Men in Black. We manage to get on this ride and again find it is another excellent ride. I like it when it spins round fast and as per usual I come last in the scores. I did tell the kids to hit the red button which naturally boosted the scores.
Next stop Earthquake and a good opportunity to sit down for a while. The preshow is okay and the effects in the actual ride are good. It must have some pretty amazing mechanics, judging by the way it is all reset so quickly.
On the way out we pop in the Shrek 4D show. We all love Shrek so it is a delight to watch again. We nipped into the large Universal shop for a mooch around before leaving the park.
For the first time we manage to get lost leaving the park. We get on Universal Boulevard okay but reach a junction which doesnt have any signs so we end up going straight across thinking we would still be on the Boulevard, no, no. Anyway suffice to say we took a minor detour getting home, still got to see some more of Orlando.
Another busy but enjoyable day. I love Orlando.
Epcot, Florida Mall, Universal Studios
DH 43
Me 43
DS16
DS14
Hmm. One thing I will not miss at all is my alarm clock going off at 6 am every morning. It has the most annoying ring to it as well, the type that makes you want to turn it off straightaway. The poor kids are a bit late getting up this morning but we are soon on track and heading for the Ponderosa (again).
Todays park of the day is Epcot. Ride of the day Soarin. Everything goes according to plan and we are lined up ready for the rope drop. The characters come and open the park, the rope is dropped and everyone and I mean everyone veers to the right to head to The Land. Soarin is one popular ride.
As we are one of the first set of crowds in to the park, Soarin is a walk on ride much better than the 110 minute standby time we saw the other night. I am quite looking forward to this ride especially as it is not an extreme ride.
We all love Soarin, especially DS14 and we got the best seats in the house. Front row, no dangling legs to spoil the illusion of hangliding. Lovely scents fills the air and you almost want to lift your feet to stop them hitting the sea. The best bit is the golf course but I wont say anymore about it.
The line for Soarin is right out into The Land pavilion as we leave, everyone must have it as their number one ride on the to do list. We want to try an old favourite now, Test Track so we leg it right across to the other side of the park.
Test Track was fast and enjoyable. The only thing I forgot to do was tie my hair back so it whipped my face when we were outside. I love the speed of this ride. We tried to collect some Fast Passes but the machine wouldnt accept our cards. A friendly CM just gives us a pass to be used anytime today or tomorrow, how good is that?
We headed into Innovations next and set some emails/photos back to family. You cannot write anything but I had the bright idea of smiling insanely and waving. Though DS14 didnt join in at first, sometimes I think I embarrass him. He joined in with the family photo of us, anyway thought it would give the family back home a laugh.
Hubbie had to make an emergency exit to the restroom so whilst he was gone we had a game where you have to collect treasure with a ship AND I came 2nd! Much to my Xboxing/PS2ing/Computer gaming kids amazement and I went up in their estimations which cannot be bad.
Just a round the corner from here were some Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (Junior Edition) computer games. We spent ages here, the kids trying to get more than $1. DS14 managed $32,000 and DS16 $1000. It was a good laugh.
Next we headed to Imagination and had a go on the little Journey to Imagination ride. It was a canny little thing with quite another catchy tune, though I didnt sing it much to the familys relief.
On exiting we stopped off and had one of those photos done where they put your image in front of a Disney landmark. I choose to have one done with the castle and it turned out okay. It is nice to have a photo with the 4 of us on together. Hubbie liked some neat paperweights where they can laser 3D images of your family into a crystal. They looked way too expensive so we didnt bother.
DS14 discovered a computer where you can take someones photo then change them into animals or flowers or add clipart. Plus be able to send it as an email to someone. He very much enjoyed changing his Dad into a flower and emailing it to my parents with a smile on his face. He then takes one of us both and adds all sorts of goggly eyes and things to us, thankfully you cannot recognise us when he has finished and that is duly emailed back home. Simple pleasures but a lot of fun for the kids.
We head back to Test Track to use our passes up. Again it is an enjoyable ride though I wish I had brought a bobble for my hair today.
We head into the shops. I am after a Disney cd and DS14 wants to buy a hidden Mickey book. I had never heard of these before till I started reading these boards and he is very interested in it. Items duly bought we decide to sort of take it easy if you can call it that and have a stroll around the World Showcase.
Before we start they stop off and get some McDonald cardboard food for lunch. I dont think Disney and McDonalds quite go together. I pinch a few fries but am trying to be good. The only seat available to eat them is in the full sun but at least we can sit. It is one scorcher of a day again.
First stop is Canada where we spend a while finding our first hidden Mickey. Takes a bit of doing but we are chuffed that we have done it. Basically after this we just walked around the lagoon taking pictures, looking for hidden Mickeys, stopping in the odd shops and more often than not having a rest on a bench. After this walk around we decide to hop off.
DS16 is after Oakley sunglasses and has been hitting any Sunglass Huts or Oakley stores hard everytime we have come across them but I know there is a shop in the Florida Mall. So we decide to hop over to the Florida Mall.
It takes some finding but eventually we find the Oakley shop. DS16 is in heaven and ends up buying his sunglasses, plus trousers and a teeshirt. He is well chuffed. DH is after a new watch as his old one has conveniently broken as soon as we arrived in Orlando. He finds a good jewellers and is well chuffed with his new watch. Surprisingly I dont buy anything, I just want to get back into the parks.
We hop back into Universal Studios where we hit the Cheesefactory shop just at the entrance and have some delicious sandwiches. DS14 has the most gigantic cookie, it looks to be the size of his face.
The Mummy only has a 20 minute wait and we have never been on it before so we get it line. I feel a bit nervous as it is a bit spooky and you dont know what the ride is going to be like. Anyway it was excellent and I am pleased to get another ride ticked off my to do list.
Another ride on the to do list is The Men in Black. We manage to get on this ride and again find it is another excellent ride. I like it when it spins round fast and as per usual I come last in the scores. I did tell the kids to hit the red button which naturally boosted the scores.
Next stop Earthquake and a good opportunity to sit down for a while. The preshow is okay and the effects in the actual ride are good. It must have some pretty amazing mechanics, judging by the way it is all reset so quickly.
On the way out we pop in the Shrek 4D show. We all love Shrek so it is a delight to watch again. We nipped into the large Universal shop for a mooch around before leaving the park.
For the first time we manage to get lost leaving the park. We get on Universal Boulevard okay but reach a junction which doesnt have any signs so we end up going straight across thinking we would still be on the Boulevard, no, no. Anyway suffice to say we took a minor detour getting home, still got to see some more of Orlando.
Another busy but enjoyable day. I love Orlando.
It was worth the wait - I am really looking forward to Soarin' now, even more than before.
Good tip about Test Track, I'd better put my hair up as it gets knotted very very easily!
), but decided to think about it. DH pointed out later that it might be hard to display - they look great inside, against dark backgrounds with Halogen spots on, but they might just fade into nothing once you got them home on the mantlepiece - so we didn't bother. And I/m glad, as MIL bought us a similar thing with a Christmas tree inside and stuck it on top of the TV, and honestly it does not show up.
Off to the next part 
