Florida 2008 Part 4

Day two of Disney we were up early again and on the bus headed to Blizzard Beach, one of Disney's waterparks.  Because we stayed at the Pop Century, which is one of Disney's hotels, we had early access to parks.  On this day Blizzard Beach was open one day early so we had to take advantage.  Were one of the very first people into the park and everyone was headed for The Summit Plummet...so I told Chad to just follow everyone there and Jordan and I would wait for him.  Does it tell you something when just to get to the top of the slide you had to take a chair lift????  The Summit Plummet was a 120-foot drop basically straight up and down!  I don't think Chad had any idea what he was getting himself into!  The kids with him assured him that it was Disney, they couldn't kill him.  

It's kind of hard to see them but they are kind of up towards the top/middle.  You can see feet hanging down. 

Here's Chad after he survived the Summit Plummet!  This slide up up there at the top, it looks like you go flying into the air, but there's a hole and you really go straight down through it.  I didn't have the guts!

Jordan and I had fun in Tike's Peak.  I didn't really expect this slide to be all that daring, but...

...we totally got monstrously splashed at the bottom!  I didn't expect this at all...you can see by my face.  Poor Jordan, I was so surprised I didn't really have a chance to shield him.  He's a trooper!

Jordan likes splashing in all the fountains that spray every where.  It's funny to see us in bathing suits when it looks like we're next to a mound of snow.  Gotta love Disney!

I did get to do a couple tamer slides.  This was a cool toboggan slide where you were able to race everyone else.  There are 8 lanes, but only 7 people raced.  There are two people to the left of the purple bar, and then I'm in the third lane to the right of the purple bar...which makes me in the fifth lane.  I was neck and neck with this other guy but I totally beat everyone and got first place!  Is it sad that this totally had me excited?

The champion!

Jordan was a trooper and even took a nap in his stroller at the water park while we took advantage and did some slides.  He liked the lazy river.  Here we are having a snack!

After Blizzard Beach, we headed back to the hotel to relax and change.  We tried to get Jordan to take another nap but he wasn't having it.  We got ready and were off to Epcot.  Here are Chad and Jordan in front of the giant ball.  We never know what to call this thing...it actually has a ride inside of it...which Chad didn't know.  It's called Spaceship Earth...I guess we could call it Spaceship Earth...I just feel like no one else would know what we were talking about!  Anyway...here are the boys (and Nemo)!

By the time we made it through the front part of Epcot and all the way around World Showcase to the back, where Japan is, Jordan was asleep!  As long as he slept we didn't really mind where it was.  He's just so cute.  My friend, April, thinks I look at Jordan way to much while he sleeps, I was in heaven to be able to just watch him.  It's just so sweet.

Jordan woke up to find himself in Japan (at Epcot) where we had reservations for Tempann-Edo which is a hibachi restaurant.  Chad and I love hibachi!  Jordan really liked coloring at all the restaurants we ate at.  I think he has learned that crayons don't taste good...finally.  Fortunately, the food here tasted very good.  I love teriyaki sauce...I have no idea what's in it, where it comes from, or how to describe it, but it's the best.  For some reason, Jordan thinks I'm way more interesting in this picture than the camera.  What can you do?

Here are Chad and Jordan with one of the hostesses at Tempann-Edo.  The girls were all so sweet and nice.  I love that Disney is just a great place for kids.  Everyone is so nice and friendly.  All the cast members are helpful and want to talk and play with Jordan.  I have to say it makes any of the stress of getting there worth it to feel so comfortable with everyone and to know you child is welcome.  

Drumroll, please!  This was one of the highlights of the trip.  (For myself, anyway.  I loved being able to watch Jordan be excited, but this was a treat for me.)  The last time Chad and I were at Disney two years ago, I saw this and wanted to do it.  I was determined to do it this time.  In Japan you can pick an oyster and they open it for you.  There is always a pearl inside...you just don't know what color it is going to be or how big it is going to be.  It's so fun to pick an oyster and to watch her open it up for you.  The cast member played a song on the drum.  My pearl was 7 1/2 mm.  I chose a simple pendant setting and bought a silver chain for a necklace.  I love it!!!!!  

After I got to pick my pearl, we took Jordan to the Nemo ride.  We hopped into a shell and took a ride through the aquarium and looked for Nemo.  It was a quick ride, but cute.  After that you end up in the aquarium where you can walk around.  We tried to do Turtle Talk with Crush but Jordan really didn't want to sit still.  The part that we saw was really cool, basically Crush is in front of you on a screen and he talks to people in the audience.  I have no idea how they make an animated turtle talk to you one-on-one in real time, but it's definitely got something to do with Disney magic.  

After we snuck out of Turtle Talk we took Jordan to look at the fish in the aquarium.  He was in heaven.  We even saw some divers in the tank.  

Here we are with Nemo!

It seemed like our Epcot experience was short...but we definitely did exactly what we wanted to do and we had a good time.  Friday morning we did the whole wake-up-early-and-get-in-the-park-early thing again with Hollywood Studios (this used to be MGM but has been renamed).  this was kind of a bust...but it worked out actually.  The rollercoasters/big rides are open early but that's about it.  There wasn't much for Jordan to do.  We did get Fast Passes for the new Toy Mania ride.  We love Fast Passes!  There is no other way to do Disney.  Once you get your Fast Pass you are free until the time on the Fast Pass when you come back to the ride and basically walk right on with no wait.  The Fast Passes were going quickly so we got them so we could go back and ride after lunch.  Then we let Jordan wander around the streets of New York until other fun things for him opened up.  When Jacquie, my sister, saw this picture she said, "Is he in the middle of the street?"  Yes, he is, but it's totally a movie set thing, it's not real!

  
Playhouse Disney Live!  This is what we really wanted to do at Hollywood Studios.  We made it on time to the first show and got in with no wait!  We rock!  This was such a cool show and perfect for Jordan.  The audience just sits on the carpeted floor so the kids can stand up and dance around when the characters come out.  There is one stage and the characters are all puppets (I guess) from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, My Friends Tigger and Pooh, and Handy Manny.  I'm guessing if you don't have kids or work with kids you might not know what those are, but they are all preschool-aged shows on the Disney Channel.  Jordan was excited to see Mickey and Goofy.  He was in a trance most of the time.  It was a very cool show!

Here's Jordan just trying to take it all in!

We at lunch at the 50's Prime Time Cafe.  This is one of my favorite restaurants at Disney.  It reminds me of Ed Debevic's in Chicago.  Everything is 50's and your brother is waiting on you while mom is cooking.  The food is all mom's home-cooking and it is sooooo good.  Chad and I both opted for the pot roast.  Yum!  I can still taste it!  

After lunch it was perfect timing for our Fast Passes for Toy Mania.  This is a ride based off of Toy Story the movie.  It's a 3-D ride where you have a cannon in front of you that you use to shoot at stuff on a screen in front of you.  The ride whips you around to a ton of different screens while you try and rack up your points.  I totally beat Chad!  

That concludes my very abbreviated tale of our adventures at Blizzard Beach, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.  The fifth and final installment of our Disney vacation will highlight the the Magic Kingdom at night, Animal Kingdom, breakfast with Lilo and Stitch, our goodbye to the Magic Kingdom, and Disney's Boardwalk.