Carrots for lunch

My day started very early while everyone else slept off their “Disney Fatigue”.  I rose early and caught the bus to Hollywood Studios in the hope of booking the boys into Jedi Training.   I arrived before the expected opening time of 8am and joined the queue to find it wasn’t opening until 9am today.  When it eventually opened I walked very briskly and joined the registration line at The Jedi Academy.  Nearly an hour later I arrived at the front of the line only to be turned away because the boys were not with me.  Feeling very happy, as you can imagine, I returned back to the resort to find the kids relaxing and Yvette trying to pack our Disney purchases into already full cases.  After delivering the disappointment we chose to head straight to Epcot.

We were returning to Epcot to ride Frozen Ever After and to enjoy a Princess Storybook lunch at Akershus Norwegian Restaurant – two of the most popular experiences in the whole of Disneyworld.  We had secured our bookings months earlier so Audrey was more than pleased for the wait to be over.

Given we had to wait until the afternoon for our big ticket experiences, we strolled the park squeezing in whatever else we could.  Our first ride was Spaceship Earth located inside the giant orb which dictates the park’s skyline.  Thanks to our fast pass we walked straight in and sat in our carriages which were to take us on a journey through the history of human communication.  While the ride itself was interesting enough what we enjoyed most was hearing the children identifying the significant people, places and moments of history which were on display before Dame Judy Dench’s commentary did.

We emerged from the ride into an Interactive Zone with a range of digital games to play.  Jack gravitated towards a car racing station while Harry and Audrey waited patiently for an energy game.  The game involved them shuffling virtual energy disks to parts of a virtual city that needed them.  They received extra points for using green energy in high demand areas.  They enjoyed it so much that we monopolised one of the games as a family for some time.

After working up a sweat, we chose to have a leisurely stroll through the park to kill time.  We weren’t far along our stroll before we were lured into joining another line to meet characters.  The kids and I lined up to meet Baymax from Big Hero 6 and the kids enjoyed dishing out knuckles and cuddles.  In the meantime, Yvette joined the queue to meet Joy and Sadness from Inside Out.  While we didn’t wait too long to meet Baymax it quickly became clear we weren’t to be as lucky in Yvette’s line.  We had learned that different characters spend different lengths of time with their visitors and these two seemed to stretch visiting time to the extreme.  I was just as excited to meet these two characters as the kids as we have used Inside Out in our school as part of our social-emotional program.  I even had the opportunity to pose for a photo with them while pretending to run the control panel.  The highlight of the trip was Harry’s “typical Australian” moment.  As the characters could not speak there was a moment when Joy tried to point at a logo on Harry’s jacket.  Harry saw the finger in front of him and could think of no other reason for it being there other than to be pulled.  Yvette and I burst into fits of laughter and poor Joy was left bewildered as she did not know the significance of having one’s finger pulled – it also meant she didn’t oblige with the customary passing of wind.

Our next experience was unexpected, but welcomed, because the weather had returned to the usual warmth without warning.  We stumbled across the cool zone by a well-known beverage producer with a red and white logo.  The zone offered free self-service samples of soft drink flavours from around the world.  Some of the flavours were refreshing while others were more suited to cleaning drains.

Suitably refreshed it was time for the first of our long awaited experiences with a Princess Storybook lunch at Akershus Banquet hall.  Again we checked in at the planned time and yet had to wait nearly 30 minutes for our table to be ready.  From our space in the line we could see first hand why the Frozen Ever After fast pass is so desired with a 90 minute (and growing) wait time.

When our family was eventually announced we were escorted to our table.  Again the décor inside the restaurant was medieval castle inspired with the staff dressed accordingly.  It was regarded as one of the more upperclass restaurants and was priced as such (thankfully our dining plan saved us again).  We enjoyed a buffet of Norwegian delicacies for starters and then a choice of Norwegian traditional dishes for mains.  I thoroughly enjoyed my seafood stew and finishing off Yvette and Jack’s steak and lamb as well.  Throughout the meal we were visited by Disney Princesses who cuddled and posed with our own Princess.  Part way through, the meal was also interrupted for a Princess Procession where all of the girls in the restaurant where led around by the princess characters to accolades of other diners.

While Audrey was feeling particularly regal, Jack had become a little pale.  In fact, he returned from the restroom looking quite dodgy.  He assured us he was fine but felt very tired so we discussed fulfilling our Frozen Ever After commitment and then heading straight home for rest.  While discussing these plans an incredible platter of desserts arrived at the table.  We managed to take a very small sample of each of these offerings before Jack projectile-vomited the entire contents of his stomach all over the table – and poor Cinderella.  Harry and Audrey headed for cover at a nearby table while Jack continued to make sure nothing was left in his stomach.  Thankfully I had to escort the littles outside to avoid the situation while Yvette stayed behind to curb the flow and minimise the destruction.

A short while later, Yvette and Jack emerged from the restaurant with Jack looking considerably better.  It was decided that Jack and I would make our way slowly back to the bus while Yvette took Harry and Audrey to Frozen Ever After.  Audrey thoroughly enjoyed her boat ride through Arendelle, and even Harry was mildly entertained.  By the time we were reunited at the bus stop Jack was almost back to his usual self.  Yvette ended up heading back to the resort with him so he could rest and she could continue packing, while Harry and Audrey convinced me to stay behind and have one last ride on Test Track.

We were incredibly lucky to jag a fast pass for the ride and avoid the 45 minute wait time.  Harry was given control of the design and it was good enough to be only a few points off the best score of the day.  The ride was again a lot of fun and only the promise of building a lightsaber lured them away from lining up for another turn.

As promised, we finished off our visit to Epcot with Harry building his own lightsaber.  After getting him started, Audrey and I explored the rest of the shop in search of gifts.  Unfortunately, one of the largest shops in Disney was still not large enough to keep us occupied for the 90 minutes it took Captain Indecisive to settle on his final design.  To be fair he did, in the end, design and build a unique looking lightsaber he was proud of.

With lightsaber and gifts in hand we returned to the resort to find organised chaos and a surprisingly well young man.  After discussing our options it was decided that the only way to get all of our belongings home was to purchase another suitcase tomorrow from the over-priced slim pickings on offer inside Disney.

We discovered that we still had a huge amount of dining options to exhaust so we chose to eat at the restaurant at the resort, despite it being later than our usual eating time.  The restaurant was New Orleans themed as was the menu.  The food was good but it didn’t inspire me enough to give the suggested $80 tip.  Poor Jack required restraining from eating because, in his eyes, he was all better.  After dinner we headed back to our room for bed so the boys and I could head out early in the morning for our third and final attempt to register for Jedi Training.

Mark (on behalf of the wandering winrows)

Universal Studios

As you will know from previous blogs, our boys are Harry Potter nuts.  So we couldn’t visit Orlando without a trip to Universal Studios home to a recreated Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and Diagonal Alley.  A trip to Universal did mean an early morning taxi because we would be trying to visit 2 theme parks in a day.

We arrived on opening time at 8am and the process to enter was incredibly efficient and the crowds were half that of Disney.  The boys chose to visit Islands of Adventure park first as it was home to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.  The path to Hogwarts took us past Marvel Superhero Island (where the kids took advantage of there being no line up to meet Spider-Man), Cartoon Alley and Jurassic Park.  I was looking forward to riding the new Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster but was bitterly disappointed to find that it was closed, apparently due to weather.  Although it was cold and a little windy I wasn’t sure it warranted the closure.

The boys audibly gasped with excitement when Hogwarts came into view.  The replica was created with surprising detail and scale.  Just across the bridge a recreated Hogsmeade came into view to even more excitement.  As we passed between the two destinations the kids caught a glimpse of the Hippogriff ride whizzing past.  As non-thrill riders the lack of speed comforted them enough to join the line and have a go.  While in the line they studied the replica of Hagrid’s Hut.

Taking advantage of the adrenalin running through the boys’ veins I convinced them to have a go at the Forbidden Journey ride housed inside Hogwarts.  We entered the castle with the girls in toe so we all got the chance to see inside the castle.  Great care had been taken to recreate key areas of the castle’s interior much to our delight.  We were able to pass through Dumbledore’s office, common rooms and portrait galleries – complete with moving talking familiar portraits.  When the end of the line appeared the girls exited the castle and I convinced the boys to ride with me.  They were so glad they did because it was a real treat as we were whizzed through an adventurous journey comprising props, and 3D surround screens around familiar areas of Hogwarts and its grounds, while interacting with dementors and other characters.  It was wonderful.

On completion of the ride we met the girls at Filch’s Emporium where it became quickly apparent I was going to part with more hard-earned cash.  The shop provided a veritable treasure trove of souvenirs.  We managed to convince the boys to wait on purchasing things until they had seen the treasure in other stores.

Our next stop was to explore Hogsmeade in more detail.  Jack had been given a voucher for his birthday to visit Ollivander’s Wand shop to purchase the wand that chose him.  We were disheartened to find a long line to enter the shop so Yvette joined the queue while I watched the Hogwarts Frog Choir with the kids.  When the show had finished we checked that we were in the right queue to discover that all that was offered was a demonstration by the wand maker and purchases were made in a separate shop.  They did inform us that the experience we were looking for was offered at Diagonal Alley at the neighbouring theme park.  So we reluctantly left the line with the intention of changing parks.

Before changing parks Yvette and the kids explored the treasures offered in the Owl Post shop while I rode the Dragon Challenge.  The ride was a real fast-paced thrill ride complete with twists, turns and loops.  Once I had passed through the metal detector checking for empty pockets the wait was brief as I was a single rider.  The kids loved the shop as it included lovely details like a caged Book of Monsters.

I met Yvette and the kids in Honeydukes, surrounded by shelf upon shelf of the familiar fantasy sweets.  The kids reacted as the cliché suggests and would have left with mountains of sweets if they had been allowed.

We chose to leave exploring the rest of Hogsmeade until we had our interactive wands, so instead headed for Hogsmeade Station to board the Hogwarts Express, bound for Kings Cross station at Universal Studios Florida park.  We didn’t have to wait long for the train and were ushered to our cabin which had been made to look like a legitimate Hogwarts Express cabin.  The windows and cabin door had been fitted with screens which projected moving images to create the illusion that we were actually travelling aboard the famous train.  We travelled through the forbidden forest, across the viaduct and encountered the Ford Anglia before being greeted by Hagrid.  We all loved the journey, except for the illusion that we were being overrun by spiders.

We were delighted to arrive at platform 9 3/4 and reminisced visiting the actual King’s Cross station almost a lifetime ago.  From the station we followed the signs to Diagon Alley.  We walked through the brick wall and were instantly transferred into the fictional wizarding world.  We were immediately greeted by the sight of Weazley’s Wizard Wheezes but chose to head straight for Ollivander’s Wand Shop.

On arrival, we were gutted to be told that the process here was the same as at Hogsmeade.  Nevertheless we joined the line with the intention of working it all out as we went along.  The process began with waiting inside the shop, which had again been recreated to look just like it did in the movies.  We were then escorted as a group into a wand consultancy room.  The wand maker, who was true to character, chose a girl from the group and assessed her qualities.  He then selected a wand and asked her to try casting a particular spell which went horribly wrong.  The process was repeated until the right wand was found. We all then exited the room to enter the wand shop proper.  The boys begged to redo the process in the hope of being chosen, and since it was Jack’s birthday treat I obliged while Yvette stayed in the shop with Audrey who was a little anxious of the performance.  Thankfully, on our second attempt, Jack and Harry were chosen for the wand selection process, saving me the agony of spending all day at Ollivander’s.  The boys then purchased the interactive wands they were matched to while Audrey chose Hermione’s interactive replica as her wand.

As mentioned, the wands we purchased were interactive.  This meant that the children were given a map of both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, pinpointing sites where they could use their wand.  We headed for the first site with no idea what to expect.  The site was identified by a small plaque on the floor and instructions of the wand movement and spell required.  After a few attempts they were able to turn on the water fountain with an intricate flick of their wand.  This had them hooked and we spent the next good while completing all of the necessary spells to their great excitement.

As we wandered around Diagon Alley casting spells, we made stops along the way to explore the familiar sights.  The first of these was a visit to Gringotts to exchange muggle money and then for me to ride the Escape from Gringotts ride.  The ride was another 3D trip aboard a Gringott’s carriage through the underground vaults.  The others joined me for the walk through Gringott’s but did not ride.  Other sights we explored included Weazley’s and Borgin and Burke’s.

With Diagon Alley done we needed to eat.  Obviously we had no option but to eat at the Leaky Cauldron.  There was a queue to be served and seated but it was an opportunity we couldn’t miss.  The food was average but the experience and Butterbeer were worth the wait.

Upon exiting Diagon Alley we intended to complete a quick tour of the rest of the park before heading back to Hogsmeade and the Islands of Adventure Park.  The first site we came across was the night bus and its conductor.  The bus was parked in Grimmauld Place, just outside number 12 of course, home of the Order of the Phoenix.

There wasn’t a lot more at the park that interested us or the children but we did want to wait for the main parade.  To pass the time to the parade we passed the Dolorian and train from Back to the Future and stopped at Curious George’s ball park. The kids had a great time firing balls at each other and strangers so much that we nearly missed the parade.

It turned out that it may not have been a big loss to miss the parade.  We had obviously been spoilt by the Disney parade because we found the parade to be absolutely miserable.  It did showcase some familiar characters but ultimately it was bland.

After the disappointment of the parade, we raced back to the station for the return journey to Islands of Adventure.  We were forced to join a decent line but I was pleased to find a shop part way that sold Boddingtons which helped pass the time.  As we neared the end of the line, we were amazed to find a projected optical illusion which made it look as though we were walking through the wall between platforms 9 & 10 to board the train.  The ride back provided more entertaining projections different to those we encountered on our journey here.

With the sun setting, the kids raced to Hogsmeade to cast the few spells scattered through the village.  Their excitement grew with each successful spell and I think they were close to believing they were actually wizards and witches.

Once they had completed each of the spells Harry wanted to ride the Flying Pterydon over the canopy of the Jurassic Park.  On the way to the ride we stopped to watch the Triwizard Show.  By the time we arrived at the ride we were forced to wait 20 minutes for the ride to reopen.  To pass the time I accompanied Audrey and Harry to climb the adventure playground nestled into the trees within the Jurassic Park area.  When the ride opened again we all headed to the entrance and Harry and Audrey took turns to soar over the trees swinging gently as we rode.  They loved it and would have ridden again if they had time.

We were left with precious little time to explore the Marvel Superhero Island area.  While there were some good thrill rides our kids were simply interested in the shops.  After a couple of purchases of unique items Harry asked to return to Hogwarts to buy something he had his eye on.  He didn’t ask earlier because he wasn’t sure what else he would find.  Yvette walked back across the park with the kids and let me take advantage of the lack of queues at a couple of the thrill rides, namely Doctor Doom’s giant drop and Spider-Man ride.  They were both great but by the time we met back up it was the park’s closing time.

Our original plan was to catch a cab back to our resort and eat dinner.  However, we were distracted on route by Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium.  We gave in to the distraction and chose to go with a sweet dinner.  It was a difficult decision but in the end we settled on sharing a sundae rather than one of the enormously impressive shakes before catching the cab home for sleep.

Mark (on behalf of the wandering winrows)

Return to the Magic Kingdom

We had a much needed slow morning today, waking late, watching some TV and eating a light casual breakfast at the resort.  The battery recharge was essential for our wellbeing because no one goes to Disneyworld with kids for a relaxing vacation.  We were beginning to understand why there were so many older couples without kids at the famed destination.  Those without kids were probably the only ones using the pools and golf courses regularly and catching the midday buses to the parks.

After our casual start we headed for the Magic Kingdom as we had booked a special lunch and some rides.  On arriving we had to split up so that I could try for at least one thrill ride while the rest of the gang tackled something more to their comfort.  I rode Space Mountain and was thankful for my Fast Pass because the stand by wait time was 90 minutes.  Space mountain is an indoor roller coaster.  Although faster than anything else we had ridden it wasn’t as fast as I was hoping for.  The thrill comes in the form of it being pitch black so your body is unable to anticipate the twists and turns.

Yvette and the kids rode the Tomorrowland Speedway.  The ride offers the chance to drive a petrol powered car around an extended race track.  As it is designed for children each lane has a guide rail that the vehicles sit on. The fun is that there is enough space between the rail and the vehicle’s guide that drivers get the sensation that they are steering the car.  It provided enough fun that the kids begged for another go before we left.

We had agreed to meet back at our special lunch reservation which was booked for 11:40am.  Today we were having lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table which is located inside the iconic Cinderella’s Castle which is synonymous with Disney (so much so it appears as their logo).  Audrey was incredibly excited and of course wore her Belle dress again.  It didn’t look quite as regal this time though because the lovely warm weather we had been enjoying turned today, as expected, and it was incredibly cold and wet.  In fact, Audrey looked like a drowned rat because the heavens had opened while they rode the speedway.

Once we had checked-in we were announced as the Royal Winrow family (about time we received the correct recognition) and were escorted to meet and greet Cinderella for an official welcome.  We were then led up a stone spiral staircase into the grand dining room.  The interior was made to look like a medieval castle and the staff were all dressed to match.

We were shown to our table and given menus.  As we perused the menus we again felt blessed to have the dining plan rather than pay the overpriced $350 total for our meal.  The meal was a 3 course fine dining experience but the real cost was in the peripheral experiences.  An example was Audrey receiving a wishing wand and star and the boys swords which they were dead chuffed about.

Throughout the meal announcements were made giving clues as to the Princess which was about to enter the room.  Audrey loved the chance to guess and her pride teetered on arrogance as she guessed each one correctly.  Once the Princess was announced they then appeared and made their way around every table to meet families.  Audrey could not contain her excitement.  She may not have eaten much but she was about as excited as we had ever seen her.

With lunch out of the way, we had another Princess experience booked in the form of Journey Under the Sea.  The ride took us through a condensed reselling of Ariel’s story with robotic models, lights and projections.  The kids never seem to tire of these rides because they of their familiarity with the story and characters.

Next we were due to ride Aladdin’s Magic Carpets but, as we had a little time, we took advantage of the break in the rain to explore the Fantasyland and Frontierland parts of the park a little closer.  We were able to admire Belle’s castle, Rapunzel’s tower, Gaston’s tavern, the recreated Mississippi River, the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse and other gems.

We arrived at the Magic Carpet ride and to Yvette’s relief only 4 of us could be accommodated on a carpet. While the ride offered little thrill for me, the kids thought it was great.  Harry and Audrey especially enjoyed controlling the altitude of the carpet.

Our plans for the day had now been exhausted so we were free to roam.  Yvette was keen to watch the Hall Of Presidents presentation so we chose that next.  When we turned the corner though our path was blocked by scores of people.  It turned out that we fluked front row seats to a parade which featured the Disney Princesses and related characters travelling on or beside elaborately decorated floats.  A standout was Malificent’s dragon which breathed fire.

As we had now missed the President’s presentation and had time for the next show we opted to explore Adventureland in more detail.  We climbed through the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse and had to confess to knowing little about the story to the children other than the bare bones.  We were also enticed by the Jungle Cruise.  On board the boat, we cruised a river while the guide told pun after pun when pointing out the robotic models of animals, which to be fair, looked more realistic than most.  Jack enjoyed the comedy as he always does, irrespective of quality – the boy just loves to laugh and be happy.

With the cruise over it was time to watch the President’s presentation.  We raced over and unfortunately missed it again.  As we only had half an hour to wait for the next one we decided to stay close by this time.  As luck would have it, right outside the Hall of Presidents we were able to watch the Muppets re-enact a famous moment in history in their own special way.  Again Jack in particular was thoroughly entertained by their humour.

It was finally our time to watch the President’s presentation.  I wasn’t that interested myself and I wasn’t sure the kids were either but in the end we were all glad we gave it a go.  It was a mix of projected film and a complete collection of America’s Presidents presented as talking and moving wax models.  Although I may have nodded off once or twice it wasn’t a reflection of the quality of the presentation.  It was interesting as the crowd cheered for certain Presidents and Yvette and I doubted anyone in Australia would show similar emotion for any of our Prime Ministers.  The American people are incredibly patriotic.

Despite being frozen to the core, we planned to stick around to watch the Wishes night time show (this time from the front of the castle) so had some time to fill. Harry was keen to ride the Orbital so we made that our first stop.  The elevated ride was very similar to the Magic carpet ride with riders operating a rocket through planets.  It travelled faster than expected which would have been fun if it wasn’t 5 degrees and windy and Audrey was wearing my jacket so I was quite exposed to it.  While we were on the ride, Jack took the opportunity to meet Buzz Lightyear.

Next the kids wanted to ride Tommorowland travellator.  We sat in slow moving carts which travelled on an elevated path through the whole section of the park, in and out of the buildings with some displays of fictional societal progress.  Part way along the ride stopped for a couple of minutes and we were pleased that it hadn’t happened in the pitch black of one of the buildings or we may have had some anxious children.

We then honoured our promise and gave the kids another go on the Speedway.  I was lucky enough to ride with Audrey who got a kick out of deliberately ramming the guiderail and then letting go of the wheel so it bashed from side to side.  It was fun watching her giggle until I had to catch her from being thrown from the car.

Before the Wishes show started we killed some time by giving the kids a chance to do some shopping.  We had been trying to delay purchases but could no longer.  Jack built his own Lightsaber (they didn’t have the parts Harry needed so he waited for another day) while we bought smaller trinkets.  We also had a pile of snack credits on our dining plan to use up so picked up some supplies for our trip out of the park tomorrow to Universal Studios.

It was nearing showtime so we found a space where the kids could watch it clearly and parked up.  To our surprise the family beside us had a 5 year old girl called Audrey.  The two of them passed the time playing happily with a bubble wand.  The show, as we had expected, was far more spectacular from the front of the castle.  It was all based on the premise of Wishes coming true using related sections of familiar Disney movies, fireworks and Tinkerbell on a rather long and high zip line to make the point.  A highlight for the true believers was the firing of a single star over the castle just as it happens at the start of every Disney movie.

With the show over we made a quick exit for the bus to get us much sleep as possible before our big day at Universal Studios, visiting both of their theme parks in one day.

Mark (on behalf of the wandering winrows)

We have lift off!

As previously mentioned, we had an early start this morning because we needed to catch an early taxi to Disney Swan Hotel to meet up with a full day tour we had booked to Kennedy Space Centre. We hoped to eat breakfast at the Swan but found the pickings there very slim and settled for a muffin and cup of mud stirred into dirty dishwater (aka American standard coffee).

The tour bus arrived at 7:45am sharp as booked and soon we were on route to Cape Canaveral and the home of NASA. The boys, and their friends, have had an interest in space and rockets ever since competing in the Youth Rocket Challenge through school, so when the chance arose to make their friends jealous and visit the Kennedy Space Centre there was no decision to be made.

Our tour guide drove us the hour out to the visitor’s centre sprouting facts and stories the whole way, none of which I really remember unfortunately. On arrival he organised for us to meet Colonel Robert Spinger, an veteran astronaut of 3 shuttle missions. It was a great insight hearing his stories and asking him questions. He even broke protocol and took photos with the kids and signed his autograph which gave them a real buzz.

Next we visited the Space Shuttle Atlantis centre which houses the retired Atlantis. After watching 2 brief videos designed to stir an affection for the ship the screen lifted to reveal Atlantis. The size of the shuttle is incredible and it is displayed to show onlookers inside the cockpit and the cargo bay. As well as the shuttle and a replica Hubble Telescope, there are a whole range of interactive activities including a slide to emulate the speed of the shuttle, a play space to experience climbing through the International Space Station and a shuttle launch simulator which was a true highlight.

Having visited Atlantis, we boarded a bus tour which ventured from the visitor’s centre onto the Cape Canaveral NASA base proper. On board the bus we were taken close by the Vehicle Assembly Building (World’s largest single storey building) where the rockets and shuttles are constructed, various launch sites (including 34B where all moon missions were launched) and the Saturn-V rocket hall which houses the said rocket. While driving we were all excited to spot alligators, turtles, tortoises and an eagle’s nest with daddy eagle home.

When the tour was over we raced into the IMAX theatre to watch a film about space exploration narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart which excited Jack. When that was over we had time to explore the Rocket garden but our visit to the new Legends exhibit was cut short by our need to board the bus home and take photos with the retired Launch countdown clock.

When we returned to our drop off point we chose to catch a bus to Disney Springs for dinner rather than return straight home. Disney Springs is Disney’s downtown area with shops and restaurants by the dozen. Initially we had to visit the Disney Store to collect a gift voucher which was part of our package but then we were dragged to the Lego Store. Although we refused to purchase anything we didn’t leave empty handed as the kids earned a Batman Lego for completing a challenge.

We were spoilt for choice for dinner but the busyness of the place eliminated some options. We settled on English fish and chips before visiting the Marvel Superhero store. We didn’t escape this store empty handed either. The night finished with a ferry ride from Disney Springs direct to our resort where we collapsed in bed.

Mark (on behalf of the wandering winrows)

In a galaxy far, far away…

We had little trouble getting the boys ready this morning because their moment had come. Today we would be doing all of the Star Wars experiences at Disney’s Hollywood Studios park. We had a light breakfast in our room and headed for the bus which again dropped us to queue for security and entrance to the park.
The underlying theme of this park is 1950’s Hollywood, complete with a replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.  Our visit started with a dash to enrol in Jedi Training but were disappointed to find it already booked for the day (this meant we would have to return another day). We were then treated to the March of the First Order. With the appropriate soundtrack blasting out of the speakers, Captain Phasma led a battalion of First Order Storm Troopers down the Main Street and onto the main stage. Once there they gave a demonstration of their power and weaponry in complete character with voice changers adding to the stage show. The boys were delighted by the theatrics almost believing it all to be real.

With the show over we headed for Launch Bay, a wretched hive of scum and vilianry. On the way we were amused by the stroller parking lot we stumbled across. Throughout our time at Disney we were shocked at the number of prams, wheelchairs and mobility scooters and were always thankful it wasn’t us. We joined the queue to meet Kylo Ren and then Chewbacca. While in line we were treated to a display of movie props and visits from Storm Troopers who interacted with the punters in character. When the meet and greet was over we left through the gift shop and were treated to further prop displays and I even indulged in a blue milk at Mos Eisley Cantina. The boys were in their element.

To change it up we had Fast Passed a seat at the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular so Jack could witness some real Hollywood magic. When we arrived we realised that it may have been a waste of a pass because the open air theatre fit thousands and no one missed out. While being a waste of a pass it was not a waste of time because it was amazing. Some people were pulled from the crowd to be extras so I kept my head low to avoid a second round of humiliation. The show was a staged re-enactment of filming some Indiana Jones scenes, demonstrating the intricacy of the stunts performed in the days before advanced CGI. Jack thoroughly enjoyed it and would have happily watched it all again.

After lunch we divided so Audrey could meet Olaf while the boys and I watched a movie about how Lucasfilm manage and maintain consistency in the ever expanding Star Wars franchise. Given the perception of sci-fi’s male dominance I was very pleasantly surprised to find so many women in the Lucasfilm executive ranks, including President. On the way back to meeting the girls, we loved watching the Star Wars stage show. Basically it involved costumed characters re-enacting famous scenes with the footage projected behind them. Disney do shows well with lots of vibrancy in colour and sound.

We all now rendezvoused back to watch the Path of a Jedi Film which condensed the whole Star Wars story into about 20 minutes using actual footage. It was Audrey’s first glimpse of the films so she was excited to share them and know what the boys keep talking about. It was also a good introduction to our next fast pass – Star Tours.

Star Tours was a standout experience for the boys and I. We entered the ride through a recreated ewok village, complete with full scale AT-AT.  The queue then snaked through a pretend spaceport to board a shuttle to travel on vacation to Naboo. The spaceport is run by convincing working models of familiar droids, including C3P0 and R2D2. Passengers are then boarded on shuttles which are a 3D simulation ride through familiar planets from the Star Wars universe. The storyline premise is that a spy is aboard and needs to be returned safely to the rebel base so the shuttle hyperspaces into a number of scenarios avoiding Imperial capture until it arrives safely as planned. It was a great ride that I know we will be doing again.

Audrey was keen to meet some characters like Sofia the First so I took the boys to the Muppet 3D Vision theatre. I think Audrey got more bang for her buck than we did, although Jack wouldn’t agree because it was right up his alley.

By this time we had just enough time for a fast passed ride and the evening show before we had to race back to Magic Kingdom for a special dinner reservation. The ride we chose was Toy Story Mania. We all loved the ride which involved us sitting in fast moving carriages while trying to shoot at moving targets with a virtual pop-action buzz lightyear blaster. It was great fun but all being competitive it was never going to end well.

The evening show was another highlight which I am glad we stayed to watch. It was a Star Wars spectacular which gave a brief rundown of the story so far, including footage from Force Awakens and Rogue One, by projecting footage and images on the Chinese Theatre with appropriately timed and coloured fireworks and laser lights, and soundtracks and voice pops blaring. It was a feast for the senses.

As soon as it finished we forced our way (pardon the pun) through the crowd to catch a bus to Magic Kingdom for our very late 9:15 dinner reservation. We would never normally even attempt a dinner this late but this one was a special event. We had read that the hardest restaurant to reserve in all of Disney was Belle’s themed Be Our Guest restaurant so when I fluked a booking I jumped at it despite the time. On route Audrey discreetly changed into her Belle dress in the darkened bus to the surprise of many other passengers when the lights came back on. The restaurant interior and exterior were accurately designed to look exactly like the Beast’s castle in the movie. The waiters were dressed as staff in the movie and the service and meal were very fine dining. We scoffed through delicious mains and struggled through delicious desserts before a photo opportunity with the Beast, the rose and tapestry.

It was obviously very late by the time we returned to the resort and to make matters worse we had a tour booked for early in the morning. Needless to say we crashed as soon as we reached the bed.

Mark ( on behalf of the wandering winrows)

The bucket list is reduced again

Today was the day I had been looking forward to for a while because I had tickets to my first NBA game. Although the game wasn’t until the evening, I knew I needed time to get to the Amway Centre, Orlando Magic’s court in downtown Orlando, and soak up the atmosphere so would have to leave in the afternoon. With this in mind we chose the park I was least interested in as our destination – Animal Kingdom.

Due to a late start we skipped breakfast and boarded the bus bound for the Animal Kingdom. It was about now that we were beginning to rejoice in paying extra for a room close to reception, buses and the restaurants. Some people had to walk over 2km from their room to reception in our vast resort. Again the bus delivered us to the constant queue to pass security and enter the park. Luckily the Magicband technology sped the whole process up.

Upon entering we were greeted by the sight of the Tree of Life. Although a prop, it did look incredibly life like and had sculptures of an array of animals carefully twisted into its trunk and branches. To our surprise we saw two red kangaroos resting in the sun at the base of the tree.

We picked up coffee knowing a Starbucks (not by any means our favourite) is present at each park to take into Nemo the Musical. We arrived expecting little but completely underestimated the show. The story is brought to life by puppets that are cleverly controlled by puppeteers blessed with remarkable voices. The sets and props are exquisite and the songs grand and tasteful. It was truly Broadway quality and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our next appointment was lunch at the exclusive, African themed Tiffins restaurant. We were unexpectedly asked to wait for our table to be prepared in the empty restaurant, despite arriving at the booked time. When we eventually sat down the meal was very nice and a bit fancy but certainly not worth the asking price of over $400 for 5 of us – a price we didn’t pay courtesy of our dining plan. Neither did we pay the suggested $85 tip.

After lunch we lined up to meet Pocahontas to tick another princess of the list. In line we stood next to fellow Australians who were in awe of our trip and asked many questions.

It was now time to divide and conquer. I was destined to bus back to the resort and change for my basketball game, while Yvette took the kids around the rest of the park. They met all the characters they could and checked out some of the animals which are housed at the park. Unfortunately, they were unable to join a Kilimanjaro Safari without queueing for over an hour but they had a great time regardless.

My adventure began with an eventful taxi ride which cost me nearly $100, but it was the only way to the game. When we pulled up I tried to pay by card but it didn’t work and had to pay over the phone with the head office in the back of the cab. As we were trying to complete the transaction we were constantly interrupted by police and car park attendants moving us on. So instead of being early I arrived at my seat just in time.

Despite the mishap, I was overjoyed to finally be at my first NBA game. In my much younger years basketball was my obsession and I watched the NBA with reverence and memorised the moves of the greats like Karl Malone and Shaq. A team I followed often was Orlando Magic so seeing them was a dream. They were playing Atlanta Hawks and, unfortunately, were destroyed by them on the court. Despite being disappointed by the team’s performance I was far from disappointed by the experience.  The game still offered all the hype and over-enthusiasm I was hoping to see.

I was hoping my taxi ride home would be cheaper with less traffic on the road at the late hour, but was plagued by roadworks and was forced to pay the same again. I collapsed when I got to the room because tomorrow had been declared family Star Wars day at Hollywood Studios so I knew I would need to recharge my force.
Mark (on behalf of the wandering winrows)

Presenting Princess Audrey

Audrey had been waiting for this day since her birthday 7 months earlier. For her birthday she received a voucher to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. For the uninitiated, this boutique, exclusive to Disney, is run by a team of Fairy Godmothers who transform girls into the Disney Princess of their choice. You can imagine how excited she was now. Unfortunately, she had to wait a little longer because she was booked for 3:40pm.
Thankfully we were able to keep her occupied for this time because today we had booked in to visit the traditional Magic Kingdom park where the boutique was housed inside the Disney Cinderella Castle. We caught the bus after breakfast at the resort which delivered us right to the door of the park. After passing through security, once the kids worked out by elimination which finger they had used for fingerprint scanning, we were taken into a true world of Disney. This was their flagship park and the crowds and exquisite detail showed it.

The kids were in awe of the kidtopia that had been created. Everywhere they looked they saw familiar characters unashamedly worked into every thing (some more subtle than others). Adding to the theme was the parade we had fluked on arrival which involved floats carrying characters like Chip and Dale and Buzz and Woody. Further down the street we were also greeted by a stage show involving many of Disney’s Princesses with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Before attending to our first ride of the day we succumbed to Audrey’s request to meet Merida.  Our fast-passed Barnstormer turned out to be a tame roller coaster designed for kids. Our kids enjoyed it though because rides are not their thing so it was a safe bet.

With the ride over the kids were then distracted by an opportunity to meet Goofy, Donald, Minnie and Daisy and get a photograph and autograph. Normally I would try to find a way to avoid the situation but I had committed myself to the total Disney experience for their sake so I lined up for nearly an hour to indulge them. At least we did tackle this situation with a degree of planning in that I joined one line with the kids while Yvette waited in the other so the kids could join her. Our careful planning and assessment of the length of each line paid off perfectly. After the photos, we were given our first taste of pain as we were delivered to a giftshop and the kids wanted everything from Star Wars merchandise to the cakes and treats. The plus side was that our package also included Memory Maker which meant we received a digital copy of every single photo taken by Disney staff of anyone in our family or of us on any ride. The photos are again delivered to the app courtesy of touching our Magicband on the photographer’s scanner. The photos, we were soon to discover, are delivered within 10 minutes as well.

With the pain of meeting Disney Characters over, we had lunch at Pinnochio’s Haus, again courtesy of our dining plan. We figured it was best to eat before Audrey was dressed up or sure as eggs she would have ruined the ensemble with food. Eating here gave us a wonderful view of the other side of the castle and the Adventureland which included Belle’s castle and Rapunzel’s Tower amongst other rides and attractions.

Next it was the time that our princess-in-waiting was looking forward to. We checked in to the boutique and Audrey was escorted to the closet of Princess gowns to chose her favourite. She settled on Belle and it came complete with wand and tiara. An assistant then laid it all out in a dressing room for her to change into. Next she was escorted to an individual booth and chair for the make-over to begin. She was grinning like a Cheshire as her hair was styled, her nails were painted with the final touch a sprinkle of fairy dust before she was announced to the court and rest of the room as Princess Audrey while everyone clapped. Few experiences will deliver the smile that one did. Our only regret was that the only shoes we had with us were her boots which didn’t exactly match the outfit. But as the photographer said she looked unique.

As we ventured further into Adventureland we couldn’t resist the temptation of the carousel and watching Mickey’s Philarmagic 3D movie. Despite the incredibly long line and knowledge that we would be incredibly underwhelmed, Yvette and I forced the agony of Its a Small World on the children as this was the ride we both remembered as an original for Disney. We were correct, it was underwhelming, especially given we had visited many of the places in the ride already.

Dressed as Belle, we couldn’t resist the attraction of going to the Enchanted Tales with Belle experience next, although I wish we hadn’t. We entered a room and were greeted by a talking wardrobe who handed out parts to people in the room for a brief re-enactment of how Belle and the beast fell in love. To my complete horror I was cast as a knight and was given script and costume. Harry and Audrey were also given minor roles which were far less involved and embarrassing. At the completion of the show I was forced to have a photo with Belle and my prop and Yvette literally skipped to take a photo- I thought she might burst with glee at my humiliation. Audrey was very excited though which softened the blow.

When we emerged from the show we were met by the “wishes” night show. This show again involved an incredible amount of fireworks being fired from above and behind the castle. While the show was stunning we lamented being caught behind the castle and vowed to see it again from the front where the effect would be greatest.

With Audrey keen to continue to explore all things Princess she went to meet Tiana, Cinderella, Eleanor and Rapunzel while the boys and I braved the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. On the way to our ride we witnessed some of the Magic Kingdom’s other night time spectacular which projected scenes from Disney Princess movies on the castle itself. It was impressive but not our cup of tea.

We met back up to find Audrey was very pleased while we were mildly pleased with our ride. Given it was now very late we decided to bus home and collapse. But before we did we purchased a unique gift, having a silhouette created of our family. We were all in awe of the talent of the man who cut our silhouette with nail scissors with such detail that included my facial hair and Audrey’s princess hairstyle.

Before exiting the park the kids managed to squeeze more out of the night.  Yvette and I again used our strategy of joining different lines so the children could meet Tinkerbell and Mickey Mouse.  Now it was time for a bus and bed.

Mark (on behalf of the wandering winrows)

All aboard the Disney Express

Boarding the train was uneventful except for the mile long walk with our bags down the platform to our carriage. As we had a sleeper we were expecting something similar to the sleeper we had in China with 4 bunk beds per cabin. Instead we found 2 seats in each of our 3 cabins which the conductors converted to 2 beds while we ate dinner in the dining cart. To our surprise all meals and drinks were included in our ticket price. To our discomfort, each cabin also housed a toilet beside the beds and a fold down sink so we had to complete our ablutions with strangers walking past in the aisle (we made sure not to be going the squat while stopped at a station). Thankfully the long journey took us through a mixture of major cities, small towns and natural beauty, although they all passed by quickly. It was interesting to witness nightfall on scenes typical of a US winter and to wake up near the vastly different swampy everglades of Florida.

When we arrived at Orlando Amtrak station we had no plan for getting to Port Orleans Riverside Resort in Disneyworld, our home for the next 11 nights. Thankfully, upon alighting the train, we were approached by a private minibus operator with an offer to take us and all of our accumulated luggage to the front door of the resort. We jumped at the chance and were willing to pay whatever it cost. The bus was large enough to take another family to their resort on International Drive, the heart of the holiday strip of Orlando, close to Universal. This detour gave us our first glimpse of the world’s theme park and leisure capital. It made the Gold Coast look more like Boonah with its size, diversity and tacky overstated themed resorts, attractions and restaurants.

We eventually arrived in Disneyworld and were immediately impressed by its size. In total it covers an area larger than Brisbane City Council and if you were to sleep in a different hotel room each night it would take more than 7 1/2 years to sleep in each Disney-run room. Our resort was themed as the name suggests and we immediately rewarded the travel weary children, and ourselves, with a welcome swim. At the other end of the train in DC it was impossible to predict we may ever by swimming again on this trip, but the negative temperatures of DC had been replaced with mid-20s in Orlando. The pool was slightly heated, taking off any edge, and the kids rode the waterslide repeatedly (I may have had a go or two myself).

After cooling ourselves off we changed and headed for Epcot as we had “fast-passed” a couple of rides. Fast-pass is a wonderful innovation operated by the aid of an app and a Magicband. The waterproof Magicband is worn on the wrist and acts as a room key, charge card for any purchases and manages dining plans. Wearers can book times for up to 3 rides per day to avoid queues and once those booked rides have been used more can then be booked. Checking-in simply requires scanning your Magicband and your fingerprint or entering your pin. We also used them to make dining reservations which was handy.

We rode the free bus service, which takes guests to any Disney park or resort and passed security. By scanning our Magicband we then entered the park and were instantly mesmerised by the attention to detail only Disney provides. We were issued 1st Visit badges on arrival which the kids wore with pride and each staff member we encountered welcomed and congratulated us on losing our Disney virginity. Others wore badges for birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoons and other occasions which were equally celebrated by every staff member. Christmas decorations still hung with Disney characters as the theme and that motif continued in every direction of the park.

Epcot is Disney’s dedication to the World and the future. A number of countries have areas around the Great Lake which showcase their culture and food and any links to Disney they may have (eg Norway and Frozen and China and Mulan) with rides and character meet and greets.

Our first ride was called Test Track and was in dedication to the future. We were tasked with designing a car which we then tested on the test track. The test track vehicles were generic but the technology of the ride was able to measure what our design would score on the track. The ride on the track was exhilarating, reaching speeds of nearly 100 miles/hour around tight corners – we all enjoyed it more than Yvette who bravely attempted it.  At the end of the ride the children enjoyed playing some games related to the experience.

Our next ride was the Finding Nemo Adventure which provided a slower pace. Sitting in giant clam shells we meandered through a condensed retelling of the story using moving models and screens. The ride spat us out to explore a range of aquariums and displays.

We had one more ride booked in for the evening.  Mission Space is a simulator designed to emulate taking a ride to Mars.  There are two levels of simulation depending on riders’ stomach for motion.  Needless to say I rode separately to Yvette and the kids.  We met up at the end of our respective rides in a room which was again filled with appropriately themed computer games and activities.

It was now dark and late so we headed off to attempt to decipher the dining plan which was included in our package. The plan credited us with a number of snacks, counter service meals and waiter service meals to be consumed throughout our stay. Our challenge was to determine what constituted snack, counter service or waiter meals. We were to discover that the meals we enjoyed from the Mexican Cantina by the lake were counter service meals and included drinks and dessert. We were able to enjoy the meals while watching the evening show, a laser light and firework show celebrating planet Earth. It was our first Disneyworld show and it was spectacular. As the kids joked, there were more fireworks than at the Boonah show and this is put on every night.

At the end of the show we joined the thousands of others to catch a bus home. To our surprise the process was so simple and efficient and we were home in bed much earlier than expected.

Mark (on behalf of the wandering winrows)

Starting the year in DC

After our positive experience at the Smithsonian in New York, we decided to visit at least two of the Smithsonian Museums in the National Mall today – Natural History and Air and Space. The day started with breakfast again and after everyone’s good sleep we were able to get away much earlier.
One of the best things about Washington is that everything is within walking distance so there’s no need to navigate public transport. On route to the National Mall we passed by the site of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the FBI headquarters and through the Parliamentary Triangle. This route landed us at the entrance to the Natural History Museum but by passed many other Smithsonian gems like the African American and Native American Museums.

Once we had passed through security we were drawn to the Qrious Lab which provided many hands on experiences for children to engage in. The most engaging for ours was access to powerful digital microscopes and literally hundreds of samples of rocks, coral, fossils, shells, insects etc to see close up. The children were also given a QR coded card to scan which allowed them to record pictures and facts of the things they observed to be scanned and recalled on demand.

Next we explored the other levels which housed an enormous collection ranging from large taxidermic mammals, to archaeological finds of ancient man, to dinosaur skeletons and artefacts from around the world (including Australia which made us a little homesick). Of course we couldn’t leave without checking out the gem and mineral section which again housed an incredible display including a recreated gem deposit.

Having digested most of the museum it was time for a change of scenery so we walked further up the National Mall, past other Smithsonian galleries and museums to the Air and Space Museum, as seen in Night at the Museum 2. Again we had to pass through security to be greeted by enormous rockets and moon rovers towering above us. These great monoliths were joined by full size planes and other aircraft. It was a true sight to behold indoors. Among the actual aircraft and spacecraft were models and simulators for the kids to experience things like landing an aircraft on a carrier.

We were due for lunch and were disappointed to find our only option in the museum was MacDonalds. We had to take the option up and were introduced to the US standard free soda refills. Soda is drunk like water here with it being normal to fill drink bottles with the stuff.

Harry finished his lunch faster than usual because of the lure of a paper plane competition. He scoffed his lunch and raced to the Science of Flight exhibit to participate. He was disappointed to find that all competitors were restricted to the same plane and the competition was simply won by flying the plane through a hoop. Nonetheless it did consolidate the concepts related to flight he had learned in Belfast.

The balance of the afternoon was spent exploring the rest of the collection. We saw the Red Baron’s plane (probably a replica), Amelia Earhart’s plane, the Wright Brother’s flying machine and a heap of others. There was also some great displays dedicated to space travel including stunning pictures of deep space from the Hubble Telescope.

It was nearing time for us to collect our bags from the hotel and board our train to Orlando so we were forced to tear ourselves away from the Museum. We had just enough time to pass the Capital Building we had seen from a far each day in the US capital city. While vastly different from our own Parliament House it did offer a similar grandeur befitting a Nation’s house of Government.

We returned to the hotel and caught a taxi with ease back to Union St Station with plenty of time to board our 7:30pm train to Orlando. We had just enough time for a shake from the Shake Shack, which is always a treat and even stocked up on snacks given we were to be on the train for 18 1/2 hours.

Mark (on behalf of the wandering winrows)

Happy New Year

After waking earlier than usual this morning we wandered down to the lobby for buffet breakfast. Since we were too lazy for dinner the night before the made to order omelettes were a welcome sight. We again filled our boots in the hope of needing only a light lunch. When we returned to the room to gather our things for the day, the travelling finally took its toll on Audrey and she went into meltdown, falling asleep shortly after. With the morning’s events delaying our departure, we adjusted our plans accordingly. Instead of going to Alexandra for the Family First Day Festival (New Year’s Celebration) we chose to explore the local area for the afternoon and stay in the hotel to see the New Year in.

Our first stop for the day was the White House Visitor’s Centre. Since the only way of entering the White House for a tour is to pre-arrange with your Congressman we had to settle on the Visitor’s Centre for a glimpse of the US President’s residence. The centre presented many static displays of the history of the White House and Presidents with a few multimedia snippets as well. The walls were plastered with quotes from bygone Presidents and their staff. Of particular interest to Yvette and I were samples from Presidential business diaries. Their days were planned and documented to the minute, even 2 minute conversations were recorded.

We left the centre and headed for the Washington Monument. While we were underwhelmed by the size of the White House, we were more than overwhelmed by the size of the Monument. The obelisk towers over the landscape like a lighthouse does a cliff and is surrounded at its base by American Flags flying proudly. It is a fitting Monument to the obvious patriotism of the people.

In a direct line with the Monument is the Capital Building to the East and the Lincoln Memorial to the West. We only had time to explore one closely so opted for the Memorial. Leading to the entrance of the impressive Memorial building is a reflection pool that is fronted by war memorials. The pool, coupled with the setting sun, gave the Memorial Building an air of deity. Climbing the steps to the building, walking on the very stone where Martin Luther King delivered his “I have a dream…” speech, we could see the immense statue of Abraham Lincoln peeking at us through the large Roman columns. While Yvette and Jack read the profound words of America’s former President chiselled into the interior walls, I walked the exterior perimeter of the building with the littles hoping to catch a glimpse of the Pentagon. Unfortunately we didn’t see the aptly named building but did see the Arlington Military Cemetery over the Potomac River.

With the sun setting, and the Manager’s Reception calling, we returned to the hotel to indulge in more free drinks, snacks and games. It seemed that the Manager must have been in the festive spirit because the reception lasted longer than expected and Yvette and I struck up conversations with some parents of the children ours had befriended.

With a good number of beverages and snacks under our belt we went up to our room. The plan was to tuck the children into bed, order some more drinks and snacks to watch the New Year in on the TV. That plan was thwarted by Yvette falling asleep before the children so I was left to watch the ball drop in Times Square instead of the usual Sydney Harbour Fireworks.

Mark (on behalf of the wandering winrows)