March Break at Disney World - Day 2 Epcot

On day 2 of our Disney trip we decided to head to Epot - the weather called for a few sprinkles of rain, but we could handle that.  On our drive there the rain started - and well - it didn't stop all day long!!!  The good thing about it, though, was that Epcot is split into 2 distinct worlds - Future World and the World Showcase.  Future World is pretty much all inside buildings, so we spent them morning there, going from building to building. 

The first ride the kids and Brade did was the Test Track.  It is a futuristic 'test vehicle' ride in a GM 'testing facility' and they were taking on a test drive going at a top speed of 65 miles per hour on a 50-degree banked curve . . . the fastest DisneyWorld ride.  The kids came out loving it, although the picture shows that they might have been a little, tiny bit scared at the time - hehehe!

We found the Sum of All Thrills the perfect ride for all the kids - it is a simulated roller coaster ride that each child gets to design themselves in the design studio, and then their track is entered into the simulator for them to ride.  It was perfect because each child could make it as scary or as slow as they wanted it - oh and Daddy got three different rides out of it!

 Kaleb and Daddy

 Emma and Daddy

Navia getting ready for her turn with Daddy

We found the Coke Cool room, which had variations of Coke from different countries for you to taste - some were really yummy and others - well . . . I'm just glad I live here!!!

 Brade, Emma and Kaleb waiting for their next version of Coke

The kids had fun on Spaceship Earth - the ride inside the big golf-ball icon at Epcot.  It was a fun ride and we were able to answer some questions and then the computer put out images of us in the future as determined by our answers - Kaleb and Navia thought they looked silly.

We did a ton of other rides and show but the camera was mostly put away - oops!  The best one was in the Seas with Nemo and Friends.  There was an interactive show 'Turtle Talk with Crush' where Crush, the animated sea turtle from Finding Nemo talked in real-time with the audience.  Crush pointed out Navia, the little dudette with the extra big ears (Minnie Mouse ears), and asked where she was from and a few other questions.  It was a lot of fun and so cool watching how Crush was talking in 'real-life'with Navia and then with her 'rental units' (Mom and Dad).

In the afternoon it started clearing up and we decided to take on the World Showcase - pavilions representing 11 different countries - including Canada!!!

When we entered the World Showcase we found Duffy Bear - and we found out that he was the Disney mascot . . . guess you learn something new every day!!!  Of course the kids had to get his autograph and a picture with him too, even if they just discovered who he was!

In Norway we came across a Kim Possible challenge.  The kids received a cell phone will special messages and a task to complete.  It was pretty cool because as they found different locations and pressed the buttons that they were supposed to at certain times and things around them would happen - a flag would go up, smoke would come out of a chimney stack, a poster turned into a video just for them and other really cool things.  It made what would have been more of an adult area into a fun, kid thing.  So perfect for them!

Norway also had the cutest troll that they kids just HAD to get dressed up to take a picture with him!

In China we met Mulan, which Kaleb decided wasn't someone that he wanted to meet so just the girls did while Daddy and Kaleb got spots to watch the dancers.

We ate supper in Morocco and stayed for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth - a fireworks, colors and light show set to music.  The kids had fun watching it, but they were also looking forward to going home and fell asleep on the short drive to our house.

It was a great day at Epcot - maybe not the best weather - but if it was going to rain this was the place to be for it!  They were all looking forward to Day 3 - Hollywood Studios!!!  Hopefully I can tell you all about it tomorrow.

Animal Kingdom - Day 1 (part 2)

Oh, I forgot to mention that we took the kids to the 3D show "It's Tough to Be a Bug" - well - BIG, HUGE, MASSIVE mistake!!!  It features FLik and Hopper from "It's a Bug Life".  We thought that it would be a lot of fun, but when the bug came on and sneezed and water hit us it kinda scared Navia, but then when a large anamatronic grasshopper suddenly appeared and spiders started crawling all over - well, let's just say I had to take out Navia as she was sobbing so very hard and Kaleb, he was freaking out and crying.  Not a good thing!!!  So, take note all you other families out there - see it yourself before taking your children in because if they get freaked out on the first day it will take a little more to get them into some simple, fun rides.  For the rest of the week Navia would say she had to go to the bathroom right before the doors opened at another show, just in case it was the same.  Ug!  Lesson learned!!!

March Break at Disney World - Day 1

This year for March Break instead of just hanging out at home we decided to go on our first family vacation with all 5 of us.  The last time we did something like this was our trip to Prince Edwards Island, but Kaleb was just a baby at the time.

We had almost too much fun - and we're exhausted now - but it was all worth it!  So, it might take a few days, but I'm hoping to get up all the pics and show you what we're did while we were gone.  Sometimes I think I blog all of this for me as much as for you :)

We left on Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. to drive to Syracuse, New York.  We got to our hotel around midnight and woke up at 3:00 a.m. to get to the airport for our flight.  We ended up with first class flights, which the kids LOVED!  They got to have numerous drinks and snacks and enjoyed the pillows and blankets that were provided.  We're got to fly that way more often!!!

When we got to Orlando we ended up at the airport a little longer than normal, as Daddy kinda forgot his carry-on on the train.  Big oops!  See the bag in the left-hand corner - yep - that's the one!

We got our rental car and then took off to pick up some groceries and then to our place.  We rented a 4 bedroom home with a pool and hot tub instead of doing the hotel/resort thing - best decision of the trip!!!  Our first day there we just hung out at the pool, swam and I got things ready for our first day at Disney.

I spent a long time planning how we would do our trip without the craziness of the lines, etc as it was March Break.  I came across an amazing book and website called Touring Plans that showed what days were the busiest in all the parks and which ones weren't.  It also gave numerous touring plans of each park to save you from spending all your time standing in lines.  I told Brade about them and we decided to do it like the book said (they also had an app that we followed on the iPhone and it gave real-time wait times, which was pretty cool too!).  Anyway, all things said and done - it saved us a TON of time.  We were going on ride with waits of 0 - 20 minutes while later on we'd see that they were up to 120 minutes wait time!  If you go there you've GOT to do it this way!!!

So, our first day was chosen to be Animal Kingdom.  It was a gorgeous day and the kids had a blast.  We got there for the rope drop and were off to our first ride of the vacation - Primeval Whirl - a spinning roller coaster that the kids loved.  It also was the only roller coaster than Emma rode as she doesn't really like roller coasters ever since our Calaway Park days in Airdrie, Alberta.  Navia loved it so much that she quickly grabbed Daddy and dragged him back on while Emma and Kaleb went on the TriceraTop Spin.

As my back still isn't better I spent a lot of time taking pictures and watching the kids and Daddy on rides.  They couldn't wait to get soaked on the Kali River Rapids - which we came prepared with ponchos so that they wouldn't get too wet.  They came out all smiles and giggles!

Then it was onto the big roller coaster - Expedition Everest.  Navia and Kaleb loved it while Emma and I watched them.  Kaleb thought it was funny seeing Yedi pop out at them and talked about it all day long

 Navia and Daddy

 Kaleb and Daddy

We went to a Flights of Wonder bird show that was magnificent!  It was funny and unexpected as birds would swoop over our heads and around the show area.  

As we were walking around we found the Jungle Book characters Baloo and King Louie.  Navia was a little taken back and although she got their autographs she wouldn't stand by them for a picture.

Then we saw Donald Duck and just HAD to get his autograph too!  This time Navia decided to go in the pictures too, but on the side without the big Duck!

We went to see Festival of the Lion King - an amazing musical that enthralled all of us!  We were in the Simba section so had to growl like lions and Navia was cute doing that!

There really wasn't anything like this show and Brade and I absolutely LOVED it!

The kids with Pluto and Goofy (Emma's favorite character is Pluto - by far - so this was really exciting for her)  Navia was getting braver and braver through all of this and this time could even stand beside Goofy!

 Had to stop for Mickey ice cream treats - yummy!

Daddy took the kids on the Kilimanjaro Safari, which they loved seeing all the animals - rhinos, elephants, giraffes, etc.  Our kids are kinda animal lovers so they enjoyed seeing all the different animals that aren't around here.

As were were walking we noticed the trees moving - it wasn't a tree - it was a vine-lady on stilts - so cool!

We made sure to watch our very first Disney parade - Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade.  The kids had fun and were surprised as different characters would come up and 'talk' with them. 

There was another musical, Finding Nemo - The Musical, that was pretty cool too.  The fish were all huge puppets that were controlled by actors that you could see.  Very unique!  The bird in it was monstrous!!!  Probably 2 stories tall!!!

After Nemo we finished up our touring plans ahead of schedule so it was decided that we would go back to the Rapids and get wet again . . . and so it was back to the River, but this time without the ponchos so that they could get soaking wet!  Which they did!

Mom with the kids with Mount Everest in the background.

During this year of my teaching I told the kids that we wouldn't have a babysitter but I would give them a sticker for each day that they looked after themselves without getting into trouble.  They did pretty well and all went to Disney with almost $100 each - which they could spend on whatever they wanted, just knowing that once it was gone it was gone and they didn't get any more.  This worked out pretty well and the first night the kids found a gift shop and it was time to start spending their money :)  

 Navia got the cutest mouse ears - and a sucker.

 Kaleb got a Perry the Platypus stuffie - and a sucker.

 Emma got a huge marbled dinosaur egg - - - yep - and a sucker!

As we were leaving for the day Brade spotted a Turkey leg vendor and just HAD to get one . . . it was huge!

But it was yummy!!!  We kinda all helped him eat it, although he did get the most of it.

It was a great day and an amazing start to our Disney World vacation!  Day Two . . . Epcot!!!

'Flies to Light' on YouTube!

In August of 2009 I posted about Kaleb, Emma and I being involved in a friend of Braden's short film, 'Flies to Light'.  Well, it is now posted on YouTube so that everyone can see it - and it's really cool!

If you can't see below then click here and it will take you to the site.

Cy Hogg, the creator of the film, writes -  " 'Flies to Light' is a short Orwellian style adventure about the search for creativity as viewed through our protagonist, 052.  This film references parallels foud today where ofter creativity is forced and in some places people are taught to copy to become better 'artists'.  Using the fly as a metaphone for change, and the light as 052's perceived umbilical cord, his journey is an adventure for all.  This film was shot entirely on the Canon 5D mkll for less than $200."

Emma is the girl with her face being painted at 3:04 and Kaleb is the little boy in the film (3:08 - 3:43) who is transformed into a lion by 052.  I also ended up being pulled in as "Bobby's" mom so you'll see me as the mom with the old fashioned camera a couple times.  The kids are shown again at 3:58 on the left side of the stretcher (along with Emma's 2 friends) and Kaleb is in the background at 4:07.

It is the first time that the kids have seen it and they thought that it was hilarious and that they were sooo young - which I totally agree - can't believe how young they were when we had them stay up until 1am at a fair ground  with cotton candy and strange made-up people . . . it was a good thing that they knew them without their make-up too!  Oh and as a side note - when we got to the site Braden and I recognized the main actor (the guy with the light bulb headpiece on) as someone we went to Briercrest Bible College with . . . it is a small, small world!

Anyways, enjoy our kids first and only film debut!