Animal Kingdom

Highlights from our day at Animal Kingdom:

1. THE JUNGLE TRAIL

At the end of our jungle walk we met a very sweet young woman from South Africa. She had come to  work for a year at Disney in April. She told us a bit about where she was from and some of her struggles in learning to live in our country. Disney does all it can to make the transition as smooth as possible, but she was ready to go home! And it turns out that the city she was from in South Africa is the same city that is home to an orphanage that we helped raise money for in September!

She went on to express her gratitude not only to us, but to all Americans who generously give not only to her country but other African countries as well. How I wish I would have thought to take a picture of her!

2. NEMO ON STAGE

 The picture is a bit blurry, but we must have a picture of Marlin and Dory!

Mr. Ray picking up his students.

The sharks! Aiden liked the sharks!

Flo

Gil

3. Rafiki's Planet Watch

We weren't sure about taking time to head out to the Planet Watch area, but we were glad we did!

Our kids love animals and they enjoyed the hands on area!

They also liked the exhibit building where they saw a huge python, beetles and other animals.

Emma talked with one of the caretakers about working at Disney caring for animals.

Aiden liked the various samples of animal scat they had available for observation!

One of the nice things about the Planet Watch area is that is much quieter than the rest of the park! We brought our lunch along and found a quiet picnic table to stop and have lunch.

Rafiki!

      

 

4. KIDS WILDLIFE EXPLORATION PROGRAM

During our jungle walk we met a young employee named Emma and she gave our kids a card with a stamp and told them they could collect a stamp in every area of the park once they completed the task at each station.

Of course the kids accepted the challenge!

They had fun doing the tasks and somehow we kept running into the employee Emma at the various stations!

When we found the last station, we found Emma working there!

 So the same girl who got them started was able to give them their final stamp and their animal booklets. And she recited the wilderness pledge with them!

5. "IT'S TOUGH BEING A BUG" 3D MOVIE

Aiden sporting his 3D bug glasses for the movie.

We all loved the fun movie that squirts you with stink bug stink,

6. MEETING THE CHARACTERS FROM THE MOVIE "UP"

        Doug and Russell from the movie Up.                                         Moriah loves Doug!

7. TRICERATOPS SPIN!

Aiden loved it!!

8. AFRICAN SAFARI

Ready to go!



9. HAVING TIME FOR A SWIM AT THE END OF THE DAY!

Hollywood Studios

Ryan's Favorite Things:

Indiana Jones Behind the Scenes Show

Catching a nap during Disney Jr Live On Stage....He needed some rest :)

Star Wars Ride

Fantasmic

Michelle's Favorite Things:

Toy Story Mania

Beauty and the Beast on stage

Fantasmic

Aiden got to see Mater and Lightning McQueen!!

I'm pretty sure he's saying something about "rear-rear mirrors" in this picture!

Muppet Vision 3D movie...very fun!

Waiting in line for Toy Story Mania.

It is SO much fun!

Well worth our 1 hour wait!!

Aiden's Favorite Things

The Auto Stunt Show....he liked seeing the cars catch on fire!

Star Wars Ride....."Let's do it again!"

Disney Jr. Live on Stage

Moriah's Favorite Things :

The Star Wars Ride...she rode it twice!

Toy Story Mania

Beauty and the Beast on stage

Indiana Jones Behind the Scenes Show

Emma's Favorite Things:

Toy Story Mania

Beauty and the Beast on stage

Muppet 3D movie

The Auto Stunt Show

Downtown Disney

We spent an afternoon in Downtown Disney having an ice cream treat at Ghiradelli,

walking the streets, and playing at the Lego Store.

Moriah helped him build an "airplane car" to enter in the race at the Lego Store.

Aiden loved the Woody and Buzz Lightyear made out of Legos!



The Atlantic Ocean

After we spent the day visiting the Kennedy Space Center, we decided to drive to the Atlantic Ocean!
The wonderful ladies at the Space Center Information Desk gave us a map and directions and we were on our way! It was a beautiful way to end the day!

Kennedy Space Center

I was super excited to visit the Kennedy Space Center during our vacation!

Finding our tickets at best of orlando for $34 (reg.$50) made it even more exciting!

The special is good through sometime in 2013 so if you'll be in Orlando in the next few months take advantage of the savings!

We waited for Ryan to be able to go with us to the space center, and I'm glad we did because he really enjoyed it. We all did!

The Rocket Garden.

I remember this being in an episode of the Amazing Race!

 Walking in the footsteps of the astronauts as they began their journey to the moon!

The girls showing off their superhuman strength!

The first thing we did was the Shuttle Launch Experience which simulates a shuttle launch.

Mom was a brave soul and did it with us!

Emma and Aiden did not want to launch, so they watched from the observation deck.

Once you are seated and belted in you are turned 90 degrees so you are in take-off position, and then the countdown begins.

As you prepare for launch you feel your shuttle shake and then it shakes even more with the launch!

As you begin to orbit earth, the top of your shuttle opens to give you a view of space and earth below.

It is as close to a real shuttle launch most people will ever be able to experience!

It was very cool!

The ticket also includes a bus tour that takes you out to see the launch pads and the Saturn V building which is where the Saturn V rocket and the Apollo spacecraft (which were used in NASA's moon missions) are on display.

So after our shuttle launch experience we boarded the bus and headed out to the observation/viewing deck.

As we drove by we saw the building where the shuttles are prepared for launch.

When the shuttle is ready it is moved out through these doors in the back of the building and the crawlers (which we also were able to see) move the shuttle to the launch pad.

At the observation deck there is an exhibit room which has this model of a shuttle on the launch pad.

The model has moving parts too, and a presentation on how a shuttle is prepared for launch runs continuously.

Aiden loved this!

Aiden brought along a library book that showed a shuttle launch and he was able to see many of the things pictured in his book in real life! He excitedly pointed things out from his book as we rode along in the bus, like the launch pad, the crawlers and the Nasa building. He had so much fun!

Next we went to the Saturn V building and saw a film on the space race and then we entered the actual control room that was used on the day of the Apollo 11 moon mission. In here they show another short film about the July 1969 mission to the moon.

Following the film in the control room we went into the building where the Saturn V rocket is housed. 

 It is impressive!

And apparently you just can't help but pose for a picture underneath it!

It's hard to see just how huge the rocket is, but it has 5 engines (you can see one in the corner of the picture) and it runs almost the entire length of the building!

Aiden was very impressed by this huge rocket.

So impressed that he went to the nearby Moon View Cafe,

leaned onto the counter on his elbow and told the cashier,

"That's one cool rocket ya got there!"

The cashier laughed, we laughed, and then she said, "Well thanks, but it's not mine!"

The building is filled with artifacts and information from the Apollo space program.

They even have a moon rock that you can touch!

And you can even walk on the moon! :)

Our favorite things about the Kennedy Space Center:

Seeing outer space in the shuttle launch experience.

The moon landing show in the Saturn V building.

Taking our moon pictures.
Seeing the Saturn V.

 Having greater pride and appreciation for America's space program!