DW VI: Lots of Pictures

We received our CD-ROM with 140 pictures taken by the Disney professional photographers. Here are some of the better ones. First a shot of us at the Magic Kingdom. You'd think Bode would have been happier.

Next up are some pictures when Bode was made a Junior Mayor. He was quite thrilled.

They also took some pictures of the three of us eating our meal. Note here is evidence that I broke my Lenten vow and ate sweets. However, I justified this in my head by the fact we actually paid for the Disney trip and meals before Ash Wednesday. Therefore, since I bought the dessert before Lent started, it was ok to eat it. A technicality, yes, but I'm sure the Inquisition would let me off.

Next is a great picture of the three of us in front of Hollywood Studios.

Here are some great shots of Bode from Jedi Training Academy.

We also got some good shots with various characters whose pictures didn't turn out so well using our camera. Bode's favorite has to be those with Phineas and Ferb.

Finally, here is one of the three of us in front of "Mt Everest."

As I said in previous posts, it was a wonderful vacation, and we can't wait to get back to Disney. Anyone want to join us? Pleasant day to all.

DW V: EPCOT

Today was our last day at Disney World. We were up at the crack of dawn, on the bus by 0800, and patiently waiting outside the gates of EPCOT center by 0830. It was a perfect day--clear, blue skies, temperatures were in the low 70's, and the crowd was minimal. Here's an obligatory picture of Bode with the giant golf ball in the background. Evidently he was excited.

We initially intended to head straight for the soaring ride. Ashley's pre-park research informed us this was one of the hottest rides, with exceedingly long wait times. We didn't want to miss it. However, on the way there, we saw this woman waving people into the "Meet the Characters" area. There was NO wait. We walked in, and who other than Mickey Mouse comes over to greet Bode with a high-five and a hug. It was awesome. We proceeded to get a bunch of autographs and pictures--Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Stitch, Pluto, and Goofy. What a great start to the day.

Later, we realized how lucky we were, because when we walked by the Meet the Characters exhibit, the wait was 45 minutes. Chaching! After our quick detour, we were back on task and headed to the soaring ride. The wait time was only 10 minutes, which was about the length of time it took us to walk to the start of the ride. The experience was very cool--you really did feel like you were soaring through the air. Afterwards, we did a little boat ride, which was interesting. We went through the Nemo aquarium, and then we all went to the talking sea turtle show with Crush. The Imagination exhibit was a lot of fun, and afterwards, we went old school and watched Michael Jackson's Captain Eo. It must have been something back in 1986, but nowadays, those outfits and dance moves look a little dated :-) Outside were some cool fountains with jumping water. Bode could have spent all day there.

At some point in the morning, Ashley grabbed a Fast Pass for the test track. Our arrival window was 1155 - 1255. We got there promptly at 1158. The stand-by line was on the order of 40 minutes. We waited under 10--those Fast Passes sure work. The test track was great. You drive up a steep hill, go over some bumps, go into a "controlled" slide, and then finish up with a super fast spin around the track. We got up to 64.7 mph. Bode was going, "Weeeeeeee!!!" the whole time, so it's nice that he wasn't scared.

We ate a late lunch in Mexico. Once again, Ashley's preplanning activities paid off. We had a reservation at 1:10. When we checked in, someone was inquiring about a stand-by table. The response: "We aren't taking any stand-by sittings today." Chaching again! There was an erupting volcano on the wall, which Bode loved, although he might have expected a little more from it. But at the end of the day, he did say the volcano was his favorite part of the day.

We spent the rest of the day walking around the world. Bode was a bit tired and kept wanting me to carry him. The dude is over 40 pounds, which is a lot to lug around. We stopped often in shade to rest, and he even snapped a picture of Mommy and part of me.

That about wraps up our park summaries. I think I'll have one more DW post, but not for a few days. We plan on ordering a CD with all our Disney Photopass pictures. I'll post the best ones. For now, I will simply say we had an outstanding time and look forward to going back...but maybe not for a few years. Pleasant day to all.

DW IV: The Animal Kingdom

Today, we awoke to a slight change in weather. The first two days, the temperatures were in the mid-to-high 80's. This morning, the wind was blowing, there was the remnants of rain, and it was cold. Very cold. Ashley put on jeans and a sweat shirt. I needed a jacket, but opted for shorts. It did not seem like a great day for a visit to a theme park, but the alternative was to sit in the hotel. We opted for the former.

We arrived at the Animal Kingdom, but I didn't take a picture. I think I wanted to keep my hands in my pockets for the warmth rather than take pictures. Upon arrival, we headed back to the jungle safari. We intended to get a Fast Pass, but when we got there, wait time was less than five minutes, so we jumped on a jeep and cruised into the park. We saw all sorts of animals--rhinos, crocs, warthogs, elephants, giraffes, and even a cheetah that was jogging around its area. Here is a picture of Ashley and Bode in the jeep. Note the different attire.

After the safari, we walked around the park which was like a mini-zoo. We saw some gorillas and other odds and ends. Very nice. We then headed over to "Asia." There was a live bird show, so we figured that would be interesting. Turns out, the bird show was outstanding. I did not know birds could be trained to do the things they did. One caught grapes in the air, others flew around from point to point, the parrot sang songs, and this owl flew so close to our heads, I ducked. Once again, no pictures :-(

We had an early lunch with a bunch of cast members--Mickey, Goofy, and Pluto. This time, I took photos (probably because it was indoors).

After lunch, we were pleasantly surprised to see the sun shining. The wind died down, and it turned into a pleasant day. Ashley and Bode rode some rides, but even though he was tall enough to do the Grand Rapids, we decided against because neither one of us wanted to be soaked on a chilly day. We all rode the Dinosaur Ride, which was very good. I'm amazed Bode knows the actual names of all the different species. After the ride, he was talking about the pterodactyl. I had no idea he knew what one was.

There was a big boneyard, which was code for a play area with a lot of slides. Bode really liked that (yes, we came all the way to Disney and all he wanted to do was ride slides...but at least he had fun :-) We did a quick show about a Bug's Life, which was neat because you felt like you got stung on the butt. There were other little effects which really added to the realism. The show was in the base of the huge fake tree Disney built as the centerpiece of The Animal Kingdom.

The last thing we did was the Finding Nemo musical. The show was fabulous. Even though it consisted of people walking around with fish on sticks, it really came across like the fish were swimming the ocean. I will always be awed by what Disney artists and the creative teams can do.

We headed back to the room. Ashley wanted to take a nap (so did I). Amazingly, Bode was all energy. We don't know why he is not more tired. He's walking for most of the day. Every now and then, he wants to be carried, but usually this only lasts for no more than five minutes.

Tomorrow is our last day in the parks. EPCOT, here we come.

DW III: Hollywood Studios

Today we went to Hollywood Studios. Simply awesome. Here's a picture of us at the front of the park.

When the park opened, we quickly hustled to the registration for the Jedi Training Academy. We got Bode in the 1330 class, and then headed over to the live Disney Junior Show. It was very cool--Mickey, Handy Manny, Little Einsteins, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

We then went and got a picture with Mickey the Sorcerer.

We then grabbed a Fast Pass for the Toy Story ride. We walked down some of the streets. We saw Donald and Daisy, Chip and Dale, and maybe some others (I can't remember them all). We then went to lunch. Handy Manny, June (from Little Einsteins), Jake, and Agent Oso were all there, and they came to the tables where they would sign your autograph book and take pictures. Here are a bunch--I love the one with June and me :-)

Following lunch, we hurried over to the Toy Story ride. Very cool and well worth it. Afterwards, it was time for Jedi Academy. Evidently getting registered for Jedi Academy is tough to do. Good thing Ashley did some research and planning before we got there. Otherwise we would not have known to do this first thing. Bode's class started at 1330. Bode was the youngest in his class, but certainly not the weakest in the Force (ok, I'm biased). Each Padawan was given a robe and lightsaber. They then went on stage, learned some moves, and were taught the ways of the Force. Suddenly, Darth Vadar showed up, and each Padawan had to fight him. I took a movie of Bode's battle. It was hilarious.

Here are some still pictures from Jedi.

It was a great time. Sometime earlier, Ashley managed to snag a fast pass for the Star Wars ride, so we hopped on. Afterwards, we realized we needed to get Phineas and Ferb's autograph, so we hunted them down, got some quick pics, and then headed towards the front of the park.

We were kind of tired, but decided to watch the Indiana Jones live action stunt spectacular (or whatever it is called). It was shaded, and the sitting was a good rest. The action was great--I think I saw this years ago, but was again impressed by how much they could do live. Very cool

Afterwards, it was time to head back to the hotel. Once again, we were exhausted, and were smart (wimps) and went to bed early. At least we tried to go to bed. Bode was amped up and wanted to watch Phineas and Ferb all night. Fortunately we convinced him to go to sleep...at some point. Tomorrow: The Animal Kingdom.