Day 16 - Time to go park hopping
Today we decided to hit the last water park being Typhoon Lagoon. Although this did not have the big water rides like Blizzard Beach it still had some water slides that would get the adrenalin running. When we arrived we immediately headed for the Crush n Gusher which is a roller coaster style water ride. It was okay so we decided to go again when the first of 2 thunderstorms rolled in resulting in all water slides and activities to be closed down. After grabbing some mini donuts and keeping out of the tropical rain storm than ensued we were then allowed to hit the rides again.
This time we attacked the Humunga Kowabunga which was more of a straight drop with one bump however certainly did not compare to the Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach. After that we tehn rode the Storm Slider which again was pretty cool however still not quite as exciting. This is when the second storm came rolling in so we decided to change plans for the day and utilise the park hopper part of our tickets and return to the other theme parks to hit up our favourite rides.
After a quick change into dry clothes and grabbing a bite for lunch we made our way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to ride on the Aerosmith rock and roller coaster. As the line up was long we took up the option of the single rider which again is the best bet to cut the queue time by 75%. After conquering the Aerosmith rock and roller we left the park and made our way to the Magic Kingdom where we headed straight for Tomorrowland to take on Space Mountain which is by far the best roller coaster ride around. As there was no single rider option we had to line up for the obligatory 50 minutes before having one last, thrilling roller coaster ride.
After leaving the ride we decided to again attend the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor show to see if it was any different. This time we strategically placed ourselves in a position where maybe one of us would be chosen to interact with the animations. And guess what, it worked: Jacqui became a star of the show where the character asked where she came from. When Jacqui responded Melbourne, Australia they responded using her name and then described Melbourne as being an isolated Island known for its ice peaks, snow capped mountains and 14 Eiffel Towers. They then asked Jacqui if the description was correct to which she responded: No. The looks on their faces were ones of amazement and made you laugh.
After hitting the ride and show at Magic Kingdom we grabbed and ice cream and then said goodbye to the Magic Castle before making our way via the Monorail to EPCOT where my endeavours to meet Donald Duck in his standard sailor outfit was to continue. As soon as we arrived, we walked past the character meet and greet area and to my immense delight there was Donald, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto all lined up and waiting for kids of all sizes and ages to come over and say gidday. Zac and I joined the line and were willing to wait the 50 minutes to get a chance to meet our idols. Whilst in line there were Disney cartoons showing and the amazing thing was how old they were. Most of the cartoons that were showing were made between 1937 and 1948. Zac soon worked out that they were as old as Nana, Pop, Grandma and Papa. It is pretty clear why generations of families have made their pilgrimage to Disney Land or Disney World as we have all grown up with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy and they are a clear part of our lives and culture.
As I still consider myself to be a kid at heart, it was genuinely exciting to meet and greet the cartoon characters (even though you know they are just kids in costumes) with the biggest excitement came when I finally had the chance to meet with Donald. When it came to the other characters I was happy for Zac to go up first and then I would join in later however when it came to Donald I was in there first and took the chance to have a single photo. As I also see Donald as the number 1 character I let him know and he was very excited – hence the photo with the 1 finger indicating number 1.
After the meet and greet we then witnessed another excellent fireworks show prior to having dinner at an Italian restaurant selected by Talia. She was extremely impressive as she confidently walked up to the maitre de and asked if he had a table for 4. After an excellent dinner we then headed back to the “Test Track” to take one last high speed ride before saying our farewells to the Disney theme parks. It was a good day hitting up 4 theme parks in the one day and by the time we made it to our room we were exhausted and ready for a final sleep before having to get up, pack the bags and commence the next exciting part of the world trip being the Big Apple: New York.
This time we attacked the Humunga Kowabunga which was more of a straight drop with one bump however certainly did not compare to the Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach. After that we tehn rode the Storm Slider which again was pretty cool however still not quite as exciting. This is when the second storm came rolling in so we decided to change plans for the day and utilise the park hopper part of our tickets and return to the other theme parks to hit up our favourite rides.
After a quick change into dry clothes and grabbing a bite for lunch we made our way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to ride on the Aerosmith rock and roller coaster. As the line up was long we took up the option of the single rider which again is the best bet to cut the queue time by 75%. After conquering the Aerosmith rock and roller we left the park and made our way to the Magic Kingdom where we headed straight for Tomorrowland to take on Space Mountain which is by far the best roller coaster ride around. As there was no single rider option we had to line up for the obligatory 50 minutes before having one last, thrilling roller coaster ride.
After leaving the ride we decided to again attend the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor show to see if it was any different. This time we strategically placed ourselves in a position where maybe one of us would be chosen to interact with the animations. And guess what, it worked: Jacqui became a star of the show where the character asked where she came from. When Jacqui responded Melbourne, Australia they responded using her name and then described Melbourne as being an isolated Island known for its ice peaks, snow capped mountains and 14 Eiffel Towers. They then asked Jacqui if the description was correct to which she responded: No. The looks on their faces were ones of amazement and made you laugh.
After hitting the ride and show at Magic Kingdom we grabbed and ice cream and then said goodbye to the Magic Castle before making our way via the Monorail to EPCOT where my endeavours to meet Donald Duck in his standard sailor outfit was to continue. As soon as we arrived, we walked past the character meet and greet area and to my immense delight there was Donald, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto all lined up and waiting for kids of all sizes and ages to come over and say gidday. Zac and I joined the line and were willing to wait the 50 minutes to get a chance to meet our idols. Whilst in line there were Disney cartoons showing and the amazing thing was how old they were. Most of the cartoons that were showing were made between 1937 and 1948. Zac soon worked out that they were as old as Nana, Pop, Grandma and Papa. It is pretty clear why generations of families have made their pilgrimage to Disney Land or Disney World as we have all grown up with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy and they are a clear part of our lives and culture.
As I still consider myself to be a kid at heart, it was genuinely exciting to meet and greet the cartoon characters (even though you know they are just kids in costumes) with the biggest excitement came when I finally had the chance to meet with Donald. When it came to the other characters I was happy for Zac to go up first and then I would join in later however when it came to Donald I was in there first and took the chance to have a single photo. As I also see Donald as the number 1 character I let him know and he was very excited – hence the photo with the 1 finger indicating number 1.
After the meet and greet we then witnessed another excellent fireworks show prior to having dinner at an Italian restaurant selected by Talia. She was extremely impressive as she confidently walked up to the maitre de and asked if he had a table for 4. After an excellent dinner we then headed back to the “Test Track” to take one last high speed ride before saying our farewells to the Disney theme parks. It was a good day hitting up 4 theme parks in the one day and by the time we made it to our room we were exhausted and ready for a final sleep before having to get up, pack the bags and commence the next exciting part of the world trip being the Big Apple: New York.
