One Family's Disney Vacation: Day 6 -- Hollywood Studios

So, here we are on the last full day at Disney.  So far it has been a great trip.  Despite the crazy, jam packed schedule and being with each other non-stop in a small hotel room, we have had a wonderful time and have had really no big fights or meltdowns at all!  Paul and I are very pleased with the girls so far on this trip and only hope it continues at our last park of the trip.  Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Thanks to a great tip we received from the family who was sitting with us for dinner at Tepan Edo in Epcot, we arrived at Hollywood Studios before it opened.  We were told to do this so one member of our party could do the "Disney Dash" to secure Fastpasses to the Toy Story Mania ride. They informed us that if you do not get them first thing, you may not be able to get a Fastpass for this attraction, as they tend to run out very quickly.  This is by far the most popular ride in the park.  So when the park opened, off Paul ran with the rest of the throngs while the girls and I headed over to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground to wait for his return.

As it was still early in the morning, we were the only people in this playground for a while.  It was pretty fun for both the kids and this adult, too. With monumental movie props and play structures inspired by the Disney movie, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, you get the sense of what it feels like to be shrunk to bug size by Professor Szalinkski's Electromagnetic Shrinking Machine.

We waited there for about 15 minutes before Paul arrived with our treasured Fastpasses.  Apparently it was great advice to get these first, as our passes weren't good until 2:10 pm, and the stand-by line was already a 90 minute wait for the ride!

Our next stop was Muppet*Vision 3-D, a film featuring the Muppets.  This was high on our list of things to see, as all four members of our family are great fans of the Muppets!  Again, being there so early, with most of the crowd either waiting for Toy Story Mania, or at the other side of the park where the Tower of Terror and the Rockin' Roller Coaster with Aerosmith were, there was only a small group waiting to see the film.  It was very cute, with some rather funny parts, but I would still recommend  It's a Bug's Life at Animal Kingdom over Muppet*Vision 3-D.


We then hopped onto the Studio Backlot Tour, a behind-the-scenes guided walk and tram ride showcasing the art of special effects in movies.  This was interesting, but the girls didn't really like this; they found it boring and the portion of the tour where they recreate a movie disaster was scary for Maggie.


Next up on our itinerary was The Great Movie Ride. This attraction takes you on a tram ride through many classic movies, including Casablanca, Indiana Jones, The Wizard of Oz, and Alien.  We all enjoyed this ride, and the girls especially liked The Wizard of Oz portion.  The attraction is housed in a replica of Mann's Chinese Theater, complete with various foot and hand prints of famous actors in front.  It was fun to look at those when entering the building!

 

At this time we were close to our lunch reservations, so we headed over to 50's Prime Time Cafe. This place is a hoot!  It is decorated to look like a kitchen from the 1950s, complete with a waiting room that looks like an old living room!  We were seated at our table and told that the kids had to set the table for us, using the plate, silverware, and napkins left in the center of the table. The menu is classic fare, and perfectly fine, but the vanilla milk shake I ordered was great, super thick and creamy, just the way it should be.  The servers play up the part by reminding you to keep your elbows off the table and to eat all your veggies or no dessert (speaking of dessert, that menu is given to you on a view finder!).  This was a fun lunch.

The waiting area at 50's Prime Time Cafe.

When we were done with lunch we still had some time before our Fasspass time to Toy Story Mania, so we needed to decide what to do next.  For weeks leading up to this trip Maggie was most excited about going on the Tower of Terror.  She had ridden a smaller drop ride many times at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America and insisted she could not wait to tackle the Tower of Terror.  Every day, she would tell us that she could not wait to get to Hollywood Studios to ride the Tower of Terror.  So, of course we thought what a better way to fill the gap until our Fastpass time than to head on over to the Tower of Terror.  Um....not so much.  At that point, Maggie declared she had changed her mind and was not interested in the ride anymore.  So much for that.

We headed in the opposite direction and ended up at the Star Tours ride, which just got an over hall and had just re-opened in May.  This is a 3-D ride where you board a Starspeeder 1000 for a thrilling journey through George Lucas' Star Wars universe.  We were all very happy with this ride.  The cue was very fun (especially for this Star Wars geek)storylines" for the ride, so you can get a different experience during different rides.  We only rode it once though, as it was time for our Fastpass to Toy Story Mania.

Paul meets an Army Man outside the Toy Story Mania ride.

We were told that this was, by far, the best attraction at Hollywood Studios.  We were very curious to find out if this was true.  When we got to the ride, we were very happy that we ended up getting our Fastpasses first thing that morning, as the stand-by line wait was at 120 minutes, and the Fastpasses were gone for the day.  We only had to wait about 15 - 20 minutes with our passes.  Thank goodness!

Toy Story Mania is an interactive, 4D attraction featuring the lovable cast of characters from the Disney·Pixar Toy Story films. You climb aboard a ride vehicle and play through a gallery of midway-style games.  Well, lets just say the ride lived up to its billing.  It was a blast!  Very fun, and for this competitive family, it was fun to play against each other to see who could get the best score for each game (I lost to Paul, unfortunately).  Ellie and Maggie absolutely loved it!  Paul and I could hear them laughing the entire ride.  I don't know if I would wait 2 hours for this (or any) ride, but I am certainly glad we had the chance to ride!

By this point in the day, we were exhausted!  After 5 whirlwind days, the heat and humidity that whole week, and not getting necessarily the best sleep every night, our family was pretty much done with the theme parks.  There was noting in particular left at Hollywood Studios we really wanted to see, so we decided to pack it in and head back to the hotel where we spent the rest of the day hanging by the pool, relaxing before our 5 am departure the next morning.

All in all, we really enjoyed our trip to Walt Disney World.  We are so thankful we were able to go, and know the memories will last for a very long time.  Thank you to Dream Come True Vacations, and especially our travel agent, Kim O., for helping us plan our wonderful, exciting, fun, memorable Disney vacation!

When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true!

Nine Years Ago....

This past week we celebrated my oldest daughter's 9th birthday.  I can't believe that my beautiful baby girl is one year away from "double digits!"

Happy birthday Eleanor Jane.  I love you very much.

One Family's Disney Vacation: Day 5 -- Magic Kingdom!

So this is it.  The day we have all been waiting for.  The reason to even come to Walt Disney World.  What everyone thinks about when they think of Disney.  What the week has been leading up to.  Today we conquer the Magic Kingdom.

We decided to get to the park before opening.  We took the boat there from our resort, which really was a quick and easy trip.  Totally recommend it if you stay at a resort that offers boat service.

We then took our place in the crowd and waited for the park to open.  We were able to catch the little show they have before the park opens, and the girls were thrilled to see the main Disney characters arrive on the train, along with some other characters like Pinocchio, Mary Poppins, and Alice in Wonderland.  Then came the countdown...10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...and off we went!

 

Since we were there during the magic park hours, before the park opened to the general public, the only two "lands" that were open were Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.  So, after a quick first ride on Peter Pan, Paul strode off to get Fastpasses to Space Mountain, while Ellie, Maggie, and I stayed in Fantasyland and rode many of the ride there, like Snow White's Scary Adventure and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Paul got the Fastpasses and rejoined us in Fantasyland.  We had some time before our window to ride Space Mountain, so we decided to check out a Disney classic, the Mad Hatter Teacups!

After than we headed over to Fantasyland and right onto Astro Orbiter.

Then it was off to Space Mountain!  Again, Paul and I weren't sure how the girls would react to that ride, it being in the dark and all, but we shouldn't have worried.  Another big hit for Ellie and Maggie; so much so, they wanted to do it again!  So Paul and the girls got back in line for Space Mountain while I headed over to Frontierland to get our next batch of Fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain. 

After their second round on Space Mountain the troops met me in front of The Haunted Mansion.  This ride caused a lot of trepidation with the girls.  They were very afraid that this would be a super scary ride.  We kept on assuring them that it is really more "funny" than scary, so they half-heartedly agreed to go on, especially since Paul and I really wanted to do it.  They got through it, although neither of them enjoyed it too much.

Then it was time for Big Thunder Mountain.  Another big hit with the girls.  I am getting the feeling that they are roller coaster lovers!

We had a little time before our lunch reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table, so we were able to get in another attraction that Paul and I (especially Paul!) wanted to see, The Hall of Presidents.  This is really cool, and the girls also got a kick out of it, as they are usually interested in the Presidents and American history.

Then we were off to our special lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table.  This was really quite a great experience!  In this lunch, you are able to meet Cinderella before you are seated at your table and have your professional photo taken with her, which you get to keep as part of the meal package.  Then, during lunch, four other princesses make appearances in the restaurant and go around from table to table signing autographs and posing for photos.  It was a wonderful way to meet so many of the famous princesses (Snow White, Ariel, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty were there during our lunch) as well as have a pretty good meal.  We were glad we did it and recommend it to any princess fan!

After lunch, we hit many of the other attractions at the Magic Kingdom, did some shopping on Main Street, saw the Flag lowering ceremony, and surprisingly, ended up riding the It's a Small World ride twice, because the girls loved it so much.

Then it was time for dinner at The Crystal Palace.  This is what I had been waiting for all day, as here we have another character meal, this one including the characters from The Hundred Acre Woods!  It worked just like the lunch at Cinderella's Table, where the Winnie-the-Pooh characters move from table to table while you enjoy the buffet.  I LOVE the Winnie-the-Pooh characters, but Eeyore is my all time favorite!

 After dinner, we were pretty much spent, after 4 whirlwind days at the Disney parks, so we decided to head back to Wilderness Lodge and spend the rest of the evening at the pool.  Especially since we had another park to see the next day, which would be our last full day there.  To be continued....

Remembering

From Bishop T.D. Jakes:

Thou who has been our help in ages past, thou who dispenses your comfort to all those who mourn. We seek your grace to strengthen us as we commemorate the lives of loved ones who have been lost on this day of anguish for our country and our world.

Wipe away the blinding tears that plummet down our cheeks like gushing streams of an overflowing riverbank. Our heavy hearts still search for the solace of your guidance through the maze of pain and the myriad of complex issues such tragedy releases.

Though hurt, we are compelled to commemorate those who are fallen on this day. Remember those who may not have lost a life but instead they lost a limb, those who gave their health for our wholeness, those who lost their emotional stability to help us regain our national security.

From first responders to heroic citizens we ask for your grace for these hurting heroes who often suffer in total silence. Fill the arms of mothers left empty and heal the hearts of fathers whose ears strain to remember the sound of fading laughter and frolic of children now gone. Wrap your arms around those who lost wives and husbands, parents, friends and confidantes on this day of terroristic espionage. Let that day which exhibited the worst in man be the catalyst of also revealing the best in our human hearts to love each other.

In spite of such pain we honor you as the God and guide who has enabled us to endure what we thought was impossible. Thank you for your sovereign grace that guides us beyond one moment of terror to a collective and individual destiny beyond that moment. Thank you for the occasional smile, the splendor of sunsets and the brilliance of sunrise. Since then you have granted us new friends and a renewed sense of purpose. Like stars in our night you have given us light in the midst of dark places for which we are so grateful.

Watch over us with your omniscient eye grating us your continued protection. Our enemies remain unrelenting. In the true spirit of our faith, we also pray for our enemies. Let the message of your love and light extend not only to those who mourn but to those who hate, that they might realize that hate will not replace the better choice of debate nor will destruction reconstruct the common chord of our shared brotherhood as human beings. Have mercy on the pain and misguidance that would make them seek the horrific option of destruction. Guide them to the light of your love.

Teach us collectively, the power of that love, the simple riches of your peace. Show us that the indomitable spirit of self-preservation need not lead us to the selfish indulgence of blind devastation and the malicious disregard for each other.

You are the God of all people, the father of every soul. Lord, teach your children to love each other as much as they profess to love you. 

One Family's Disney Vacation: Day 4 -- Epcot

After a successful day at Blizzard Beach, we hit our next Disney theme park, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or Epcot for the rest of you!

When we first arrived at Epcot, Ellie and Maggie were very excited to see Spaceship Earth, or as they call it, "the giant golf ball."  They were excited by it's size and were jumping up and down as we entered the park.

The one ride that we were very excited to try was Soarin', however we knew that the line for it would be rather long, so we decided to first get Fast Passes for that ride and then try something else.  So off we went to secure our Fast Passes.  When we got those, we moved on to The Seas with Nemo & Friends ride.

This was a very cute attraction, but the big highlight is the show after the ride called Turtle Talk with Crush.
This is a live show where kids of all ages can have a conversation with the totally tubular turtle from Disney·Pixar's Finding Nemo. After taking your seat, you watch Crush swim to the window from his ocean home and begin taking questions and chatting with audience members.  Ellie was thrilled to have Crush talk to her and answer her question about how long turtles live.

Then it was time to head back to Sorin'.  Soarin' is a multi-sensory attraction that simulates a peaceful hang-gliding flight over the Golden State of California.  An IMAX projection dome wraps 180 degrees around you, so you're engulfed by the impressive scenery.  Wow!  This was quite an incredible ride.  You really do feel as if you are gliding through the air.  The entire family enjoyed the experience.

Next we tackled a character meet and greet where the girls got to meet all the main Disney characters in one nice, air-conditioned building.  So out came the autograph books for Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck, and Goofy!

After that it was getting close to our lunch reservations, so we decided to head over to the World Pavilion and check out some of the countries on our way to Germany for our lunch in the Biergarten.  We were also able to meet a couple of princesses in the World Showcase; Mulan in China, and Snow White in Germany.

After our delicious lunch, we headed back to the main center of Epcot to grab Fast Passes for the Test Track. Once we got those we decided to check out Captain EO in 3-D, the classic film starring Michael Jackson.  That was quite a disappointment.  It was so dated and even boring.  The girls didn't really seem to like it either.

When we emerged from Captain EO, it was pouring!!!!  We ended up waiting it out under the canopy there for about 15 minutes before we decided to chance it as our Fast Pass time for Test Track was expiring soon.  However, we ended up getting wet for no good reason, as Test Track was shut down and would not be reopening anytime soon. So we decided to bag it and, after much debate, decided to try out Mission: Space.

Mission: SPACE Attraction is a 5.5-minute motion simulator ride that realistically mimics what an astronaut might experience during a space flight to Mars. I personally, as a space nerd, was kind of excited about trying out this ride, but nervous as well, as I had heard it can be pretty intense, even on the easier, green side of the ride.  After going through the cue and getting to the point where we were just about to enter our seats to start the ride, the non-stop warnings blasted at us all throughout the cue and pre-show about the ride got to Maggie and she declared she was not getting on it. We kind of figured she may do that, so I took Maggie out of the ride and we waited in the pavilion for Ellie and Paul to finish.

When Ellie and Paul emerged from the ride the excitement on Ellie's face told me everything.  "IT WAS AWESOME!" she stated and wanted to go on again right away.  Since the cue was not long at all, I got to go on the ride with Ellie while Paul stayed with Maggie in the pavilion.

When Ellie and I finished the ride I got a text from Paul saying that he and Maggie were across the way in the Innoventions building. This was a pretty cool place, with lots of hands on exhibits for kids to try -- almost like a science museum.  While there, we tried out The Sum of All Thrills. Here you test your imagination by designing a thrill ride using an interactive touch screen that lets you determine height and speed while adding features such as dips and corkscrew turns. Once "built," you climb aboard your very own design in the 4-D robotic simulator that uses sight, sound and movement to give you a realistic experience. Pretty cool!

After that it was time to head back to the World Showcase for our dinner reservations at Tepan Edo in Japan.  We got there a little early and had time to kill, so we wandered around the gift shop in Japan.  While there both Ellie and Maggie were able to try on authentic kimonos with the help of a lovely Japanese girl!

Dinner at Tepan Edo, a teppanyaki restaurant, was delicious, and the family we sat with was able to give us some good advice regarding our upcoming visit to Disney's Hollywood Studios in a couple of days. 

Spaceship Earth. This was another big hit with the girls, especially at the interactive end of the ride, where you are able to see yourself in the future.

That concluded our trip to Epcot.  Despite not being able to ride Test Track, we had a very happy day!

Stockholders Restaurant, Weymouth, MA

Yesterday was Paul's birthday, so the girls and I wanted to take him out to dinner.  We weren't wanting to go into Boston or go anywhere that would require a drive of more than 15 minutes, so we kept our restaurant search local.  Luckily, there was a restaurant right down the street that we had heard some great feedback on, and, since it was a steakhouse, it was a perfect fit for Paul's birthday dinner, as he loves a good steak.  So off we went to Stockholders Restaurant.

We had 6:00 pm reservations, and we arrived at the restaurant promptly at 6:00.  We were seated right away, as there were still many tables available.  Our table was right in front of a large fish tank, which Ellie and Maggie were enthralled with, as it is stocked with the same variety of fish that are in Finding Nemo.

Our server came over promptly and took our drink orders and told us about the specials for the night.  After we perused the menu, she came back to take our orders.  Maggie ordered her usual pasta and marinara sauce from the children's menu, which surprisingly also came with french fries.  Ellie ordered her new favorite menu item, a Cesar Salad with steak.  Paul chose the 14 ounce as poivre New York sirloin with embedded peppercorns while I went with the pan seared scallops over a creamy lobster risotto.

After ordering we were presented with a basket of bread and crackers, along with olive oil for dipping, and cowboy caviar, which is a kind of black eyed pea salad.  The bread was a little stale, but the cowboy caviar was a nice, unique touch with the crackers. 

Our entrees arrived promptly.  Maggie's pasta was perfectly fine, but what can you do to pasta?  The french fries were very tasty.  I don't know if they were hand cut, but I hope they were, as Maggie's dish cost $9.95!  As do all the children's menu items.  A little pricey for a kid's menu, considering the range of choices aren't any different than what you would get at a casual family restaurant.

The salad portion of Ellie's meal was also perfectly fine, but the steak on top must just be the kitchen leftovers, as it was grisly and tough.  Almost inedible.

However, Paul did enjoy his steak.  It was tender and well cooked (medium).  He did state, however, that he wished he had ordered it with the optional presentation of peppercorn sauce instead of peppercorn encrusted, as the pepper taste kind of overwhelmed the dish.

My scallops were very good.  They were cooked perfectly and had a very nice sear to them.  The accompanying risotto, taste wise, was also good, however, as I pointed out to Paul, it isn't a risotto.  It was clumpy and sticky and did not flow on the plate.  I would have billed it as a cheesy lobster rice, and not risotto.  A little false advertising.

We did not order dessert, as I had earlier in the day dropped of a cake at the restaurant which they were kind enough to serve to us after our meal was done.

Service was pleasant, although quite slow, which was surprising as about halfway through our meal, the restaurant filled up and there was quite a large crowd waiting for tables.  Once we were served our meals, it was a long time before the server reappeared to check on us.  When we finished our meals, it was a good 10 - 15 minutes before our plates were cleared and another 10 minutes before the cake was presented.

All in all, our night a Stockholders was fine, but nothing ultra special.  I would consider giving it another try in the future.

One Family's Disney Vacation: Day 3 -- Blizzard Beach

Our third day in exciting Orlando, Florida brought us to the moment that one member of our party was most excited about. I won't tell you who, but I'll give you a hint.  In our family of four, this person is the only one who doesn't wear a two piece bathing suit.  Welcome to Blizzard Beach!

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The park looks like a frosty ski resort—complete with a functioning chair lift. It's an action-packed water wonderland with exciting waterslides and attractions for the whole family.

We arrived at the water park before it opened, and waited with the other water lovers for the rope drop.  Once that happened, we hightailed it over to the wave pool to stake out our primo seats under the shade of the palm trees.  After settling in and lathering up with some sunblock, we headed over to the chair lift to ride to the top of the "mountain" for our first waterslide ride, Teamboat Springs. This is a family raft ride down a winding river. Big kids, teens and adults can all ride together in a large raft that holds 4 to 6 people.  

Even early in the day, the wait for this ride was starting to back up, and it was already pretty hot.  Thank goodness for the misting stations along the cue for the ride!  

The whole family enjoyed this ride, and as a parent it was great to have a slide we could all participate in together.  I loved watching the girls faces as we rode down the slide and splashed down at the bottom.  The girls declared this attraction a hit!

Next, Paul really wanted to go to the Summit Plummet.  This premier waterslide attraction for big kids, teens and adults is not for the faint of heart. At a "chilling" 120 feet high, this sky-scraping ski jump of a thrill ride down the slopes of Mount Gushmore is one of the world's tallest and fastest free-fall body slide.  However, neither of the girls was down for that slide, so while he was off to defy death, the girls and I headed over to Runoff Rapids.

Runoff Rapids are three different inner tube waterslides. Each flume is different; the center slide is fully enclosed and accommodates one rider at a time. The two outer slides can accommodate rafts that hold up to 2 people.  On our first attempt, we grabbed one double tube and one single tube.  The girls rode in the double tube and I got the single.  When we got to the bottom of the slide, the girls wanted to do it again, and knowing that the wait for Paul at Summit Plummet would be long, we headed back up the stairs for a second ride.  This time Ellie took the single tube and Maggie and I doubled up.

We decided to head back to our spot at the wave pool, and on our way there we found Paul, who had just finished his slide. Another big hit!  Ellie wanted to go do Runoff Rapids again, so she and Paul headed there while Maggie and I went to the wave pool.

After playing in the pool for a while, and grabbing a frozen lemonade, Ellie and Paul returned from their slide and we all decided to relax in Cross Country Creek. This is Blizzard Beaches' lazy river attraction where you grab an inner tube raft, put your feet up and chill out in this gently meandering stream that flows around the perimeter of Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park. Pass through polar caves—large cave-like tunnels—and under gentle, misty waterfalls as your raft drifts aimlessly along. This would have been a very nice experience, if not for the plethora of people who insisted on pushing their way through the people who were just calmly riding in their tubes.  Rudeness abounded on this attraction.

After that, we headed back to the wave pool.  As I am not the biggest fan of water parks I decided to head back to the resort to relax a little before our night out at Disney's Boardwalk and our dinner at Kouzzina by Cat Cora.  Paul and the girls stayed for another couple of hours of waterslide fun!

One Family's Disney Vacation: Day 2 -- Animal Kingdom

Our first full day in the Disney World resorts brought us to our first official theme park Animal Kingdom!

We woke up early that morning and dined on a breakfast of cold cereal in our hotel room.  After dressing and catching the shuttle bus we arrived at our destination.  Ellie and Maggie we so excited to be there.

One of the attractions that the girls had been anticipating ever since we started planning our vacation was the newest roller coaster at Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest.  We had purchased Birnbaum Guides Walt Disney World for Kids for them to use to see all Disney had to offer, and to find rides and attractions they may want to explore on our trip, and Expedition Everest made it to the very top of the list for them.

We were thinking that we may need to get a Fastpass for this ride, as we had heard that the wait can get pretty long, but we were at the park so early that the wait in the stand-by line said it was only 15 minutes, so we went for it.  The 15 minute wait time I think comprised about 13 minutes of walking through the cue area and only about 2 minutes of actual standing and waiting for our turn on the ride.

Once we got to the front of the ride, Paul and I were concerned that one (or both) of the girls would change their minds about attempting the ride, but that was not the case.  They bravely climbed into the car, and off we went.

We are next to ride Expedition Everest!

Any concerns Paul and I had about the girls liking the ride were put to rest when after it was over, they immediately proclaimed it "awesome" and insisted we do it again.  So, we got right back in line for round two!

After Expedition Everest, we next tackled another popular ride at Animal Kingdom, the Kali River Rapids.  That was also a very fun ride with a relatively short wait.  Maggie was the one in our raft that ended up getting the brunt of the splashing.  She loved it, though.

We then grabbed Fastpasses to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride and checked out the Maharajah Jungle Trek, a self-guided walking tour of native Asian wildlife.  The girls loved seeing the silver back gorillas on this tour!

A sleeping gorilla.

After that, it was time for us to use our Fastpasses for the Kilimanjaro Safari. This ride provides the chance to see African animals including giraffes, black rhinos and lions, as they roam the 100-acre savanna in the park.  This was great!  We saw so many wonderful animals and being able to see them in an open air truck really made you feel like you were in the African grasslands.

After that, it was time for our lunch at Tusker House (review to come), with which we received priority seating for the Finding Nemo: The Musical show.  We had time before we needed to be at the show, so we stopped by the Tree of Life to catch the It's Tough to be a Bug movie.  This 3-D attraction ended up being a favorite of both the adults and kids.  The 3-D effects were done very well, as were the "interactive" effects of the film.  A must see!

Our family fooling around while checking out the Tree of Life on our way to It's Tough to be a Bug.

Then we headed over to Finding Nemo: The Musical -- and not a moment too soon.  We were getting to the hottest part of the day; the perfect time to sit and relax for about 30 minutes in a nice air-conditioned theater.  The premium seats were excellent, and we sat right next to the stage, which enabled us to see much of the action up close.  The production was wonderful, and the girls found the show both entertaining and magical.

After the show, we headed over to try out the DINOSAUR ride, a thrilling adventure aboard a time rover that transports Guests to the age of dinosaurs on a daring quest to bring back a living piece of history. This ride was very loud, dark, and rough, and when it was over, Maggie declared her dislike of it.  In fact, I think she kept her eyes closed and covered her ears for the entire ride.  Ellie, however loved it, and while she and Paul got back in line to ride it again, Maggie and I partook of some of the carnival games in Dinoland USA while waiting for them to finish.

After that we headed to dinner at Yak and Yeti (review to come).  When dinner was done, the park had already closed for the evening, so we went to catch the shuttle bus back to our resort.

Our first theme park was done, and all-in-all, it ended up being a very successful, fun day.  Coming up...

Blizzard Beach!