Grateful, Thankful, Blessed: our 25th Anniversary SeaWorld Celebration (Spring ’18 TR)

[pkondz]

the ending (finally!!)

but i just got here!

The on-and-off drizzly rain had played havoc with Test Track’s ability to function,

Or wind... or sun... moon.... insects..... attitude...

and ….. some floral decals.

Completely honesty here: this ride was super fun . Oh, how I wish I had given it a try long before now.

Glad you liked it!

That 15 minute posted wait time turned out to be maybe 5. We literally had to wait behind one family, and that’s it. We couldn’t have time that any better if we had tried.

score

The only sour apple in the barrel was that bloody headache, which continued to worsen as our character meets went on. By the time we finished up with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy, it was morphing into a full-blown migraine…..complete with trademark nausea.

Sorry to hear that.

 

[MommyinHonduras]

I'm finally back on the Dis and catching up. I opted to not fill this with a bunch of quotes but congrats on the new job, closer to home. That will be great and for more $, hoping you settle right in and have great coworkers. If you ever divide to learn to dive I recommend here on the island of Roatan. We have the 2nd largest coral reef in the world. If snorkeling is ore your style then here is also perfect My DH and oldest DD dive but the rest of us just snorkel. I enjoyed your time in EPCOT minus your pesky headache but I really want to know more about Seaworld and its parks as I can see us doing that on our next trip.

 

[bankr63]

The chauffeur approves of the car (well maybe not the floral accents). And you really should be used to that kind of speed by now with my driving you know...

 

[travelbug]

I'm very late to join in, but I just came across your fun trip report and got caught up. Really enjoying it and can't wait to read more!

By the way, I'm a fellow southeast Michigander. Really hope you'll feel more and more at home and will grow to love it over time. It's kinda neat to hear you mention American chain restaurants that used to be a novelty for you, but now are easily found near where you live. I love hearing about all the great places you find to eat and go for entertainment in Orlando. You inspire me to want to branch out and sample more of what Orlando has to offer! I think I need to start assembling an Orlando bucket list.

 

[juniorbugman]

She called back a short time later to report that our neighbors were very helpful with an update: 8 houses on our side of the street had been impacted by the heavy but brief thunderstorm that rolled through on the Friday afternoon of our departure. A series of trees fell on the power lines 4 doors down from us, and Detroit Energy had apparently indicated that the repairs would not be made until sometime on Monday. While it was discouraging and maddening…..not only would we lose the contents of our refrigerator, but also all of the meat and other items that we had amassed in our freezer….there was little we could do more than 1000 miles away. At least we knew the source of the problem. I could feel that Morgan hated to be the bearer of bad news, and I assured her that as long as the cats were good, not to worry about the power outage for one single second. She promptly texted me some photos of their furry faces which reassured me that they were no worse the wear, power or no power.

Okay now that you have talked about the bad weather at home in Michigan I can tell you about the weather here in Ajax. We had such great winds that it ripped siding off the side of houses and lots and lots of shingles off the roofs in my neighbourhood. We had at least 10 houses damaged in just my little area on April 4 and Mother Nature wasn't finished with us yet because a month later May 4 she started again and this time there were at least 20-30 houses damaged and yes my house was one of the ones that was damaged both times. We at least did not loss power but had to pay for a partial roof repair both times. The insurance company has paid out and we will be getting the roof replaced. At least we only lost shingles off the roof - my neighbours on one side lost the siding off the side of their house and the neighbour 2 up lost many shingles and siding off the back and the side of their house. Unfortunately for them the repair people never came out to fix it and during the big rain storm a few weeks ago their house flooded and now inside work will have to be done as well as outside work. Haven't heard from her lately so don't know what is happening.
Did your pet person take home some of the food so that it wouldn't be a total loss? How long did the power stay out?

Okay back to your report - wow you certainly accomplished alot in your one day at Epcot. Hope you can go back another time and have the same good time.
Love the pink car design - see you did do it correctly if you won the challenge.
Glad to hear that you have found a job just like the one you left at home and hope you will enjoy it once you start.
I hope that they know that you are going away in October and will grant you the time off.

 

[Joanna71985]

You survived Test Track! (I knew you would). But I'm sorry the day ended with a migraine

Can't wait for the SeaWorld segment!

 

[east_coaster]

Sorry to hear your EPCOT day ended with a migraine. Test Track is one of my favourite rides, and I could spend a whole day just wandering around the World Show Case. After a week drinking american beer (no offence!), my husband looks forward to EPCOT and getting a Moosehead in Canada!

 

[bobbie68]

Hi so happy to hear you enjoyed Test Track. I remember my first time riding it and felt the same way. Sorry you had a migraine on vacation. I suffer from migraines so I know what it feels like . Glad you were able to enjoy most of the day then go back home and relax.

I am glad to hear the kitties were doing well during the power outage. It stinks about the stuff in the fridge.

Can't wait to hear more about your trip

 

[chicagoshannon]

I"m so glad you liked Test Track. Duncan says he won't go on it again. We shall see. I think the part where they test your car in the dark scared him. I think I"m going to try to get him back on Splash Mountain in September.

 

[chiamarie]

I hate that you had that migrane!

But it was good for me to head out about that time as well. And it was a fun day! I can't believe we're only one day in! So much more fun to be had!!!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

but i just got here!

Or wind... or sun... moon.... insects..... attitude...



Glad you liked it!

score

Sorry to hear that.

Ah, fear not....there's lots to stick around for. We're just getting started! I'm just woefully slow on updating. Ideally I'd love to get an entry posted every day, but somehow that just never seems to happen .

I'm finally back on the Dis and catching up. I opted to not fill this with a bunch of quotes but congrats on the new job, closer to home. That will be great and for more $, hoping you settle right in and have great coworkers. If you ever divide to learn to dive I recommend here on the island of Roatan. We have the 2nd largest coral reef in the world. If snorkeling is ore your style then here is also perfect My DH and oldest DD dive but the rest of us just snorkel. I enjoyed your time in EPCOT minus your pesky headache but I really want to know more about Seaworld and its parks as I can see us doing that on our next trip.

Thanks for the congrats!

I promise you that there's TONS of SeaWorld coming up . 90% of the rest of this report, actually! I have a bazillion pics yet to share so stay tuned!

The chauffeur approves of the car (well maybe not the floral accents). And you really should be used to that kind of speed by now with my driving you know...

If you can live with the pink, I can live without the flowers. On the car, anyway. I'll just put them in my hair instead .

You'd think I'd be used to that speed after living for the last 18 months in Michigan. People here drive like maniacs!! They actually have MINIMUM speeds on the expressways! (which is why I avoid them, 'cause I'm sure I'd get a ticket ... for going too slow )

I'm very late to join in, but I just came across your fun trip report and got caught up. Really enjoying it and can't wait to read more!

By the way, I'm a fellow southeast Michigander. Really hope you'll feel more and more at home and will grow to love it over time. It's kinda neat to hear you mention American chain restaurants that used to be a novelty for you, but now are easily found near where you live. I love hearing about all the great places you find to eat and go for entertainment in Orlando. You inspire me to want to branch out and sample more of what Orlando has to offer! I think I need to start assembling an Orlando bucket list.

So glad to have you along! Which part of SE Michigan do you hail from? And.....are you a Spartans fan or a Wolverines fan? (very important, as it determines if we can be friends .... just kidding ).

Okay now that you have talked about the bad weather at home in Michigan I can tell you about the weather here in Ajax. We had such great winds that it ripped siding off the side of houses and lots and lots of shingles off the roofs in my neighbourhood. We had at least 10 houses damaged in just my little area on April 4 and Mother Nature wasn't finished with us yet because a month later May 4 she started again and this time there were at least 20-30 houses damaged and yes my house was one of the ones that was damaged both times. We at least did not loss power but had to pay for a partial roof repair both times. The insurance company has paid out and we will be getting the roof replaced. At least we only lost shingles off the roof - my neighbours on one side lost the siding off the side of their house and the neighbour 2 up lost many shingles and siding off the back and the side of their house. Unfortunately for them the repair people never came out to fix it and during the big rain storm a few weeks ago their house flooded and now inside work will have to be done as well as outside work. Haven't heard from her lately so don't know what is happening.
Did your pet person take home some of the food so that it wouldn't be a total loss? How long did the power stay out?

Okay back to your report - wow you certainly accomplished alot in your one day at Epcot. Hope you can go back another time and have the same good time.
Love the pink car design - see you did do it correctly if you won the challenge.
Glad to hear that you have found a job just like the one you left at home and hope you will enjoy it once you start.
I hope that they know that you are going away in October and will grant you the time off.

Oh my goodness....I am so sorry to hear about your storm damage!! That's so awful . Mother Nature sure can be cruel sometimes, can't she?

We did accomplish a ton at EPCOT . I still can't believe how quiet the park was on a Flower & Garden Saturday. We were seriously blessed!

As far as our October trip goes, I did clear it with my new employers before accepting the job. They are travelers, too (all over the USA and Europe) so they were very understanding accommodating . My one boss's mom lives in Florida so she totally understands my love for the south!

You survived Test Track! (I knew you would). But I'm sorry the day ended with a migraine

Can't wait for the SeaWorld segment!

I survived it AND loved it! A double win!

Sorry to hear your EPCOT day ended with a migraine. Test Track is one of my favourite rides, and I could spend a whole day just wandering around the World Show Case. After a week drinking american beer (no offence!), my husband looks forward to EPCOT and getting a Moosehead in Canada!

No offence taken! My husband hates American beer, too .

Hi so happy to hear you enjoyed Test Track. I remember my first time riding it and felt the same way. Sorry you had a migraine on vacation. I suffer from migraines so I know what it feels like . Glad you were able to enjoy most of the day then go back home and relax.

I am glad to hear the kitties were doing well during the power outage. It stinks about the stuff in the fridge.

Can't wait to hear more about your trip

Migraines are the worst, aren't they? I hate it when they end up ruining plans....not only for me, but for Steve. I am so fortunate that he is SO patient and understanding.

I"m so glad you liked Test Track. Duncan says he won't go on it again. We shall see. I think the part where they test your car in the dark scared him. I think I"m going to try to get him back on Splash Mountain in September.

Oh no! He didn't enjoy it? Poor kiddo!

Splash is an absolute no for me. I hate drops. Steve has done everything but beg me to ride with him (he LOVES that ride!) but no amount of bribery will get me to agree to plummet to my potential death. If the drop doesn't kill me, the heart attack I'll have on the way down will .

I hate that you had that migrane!

But it was good for me to head out about that time as well. And it was a fun day! I can't believe we're only one day in! So much more fun to be had!!!!

I just didn't want our fun day to end . It's such a joy to hang out with you, it really sucked to see it cut short.....for ANY reason.

As amazing as our Epcot day was, some of the best was yet to come ..... in large part, thanks to you . I can't wait to share the awesomeness of day 2!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I love The Seas!! That's where my son, Troy is working now in DCP. I like to go watch all the fish in the aquariums- especially the seahorses!!

Can't wait to hear about Test Track. We do prefer the original ride but it's still so fun! and FAST!

Your boy is a lucky guy. What a cool part of Disney to be assigned to!

Since I never got the chance to experience the original Test Track, you'll have to fill me in: what was different from the current ride?

I sound like a broken record but you would have LOVED the Living Seas. You could see into more of the giant tanks, the tank windows weren't blocked for the ride (the whole point of the ride was to look into the tanks), and they had some really neat old school dive equipment to try out. It was always a fantastic experience.

I love the fact that you've been visiting for so long that you have such a vast amount of Disney history in your back pocket. How neat it must be to see the changes over the years. I'm sure not all of them are positive, but super interesting nonetheless.

Oh, I really like Test Track. The open part is the part I most enjoy.

So glad the crowds were low for you. Epcot can get busy, even with it's size.

We did the SeaAqua tour when the kids were younger, just what they call snuba. You use scuba to breathe, but stay on the surface. They still talk about it, and I did enjoy it. Little one is still asking for diving lessons. I may humor here one of these days. I am trying to talk her into taking a life guard class next year, at school, to get her life guard license. She claims cannot fit it in, but I was hoping. It's a good skill to have, as I life guarded during college, having got my license at school like I want her to do.

We always like to stop at the Seas building.

I'd love to muster the courage to try diving someday. I have been tempted to do the SeaVenture at Discovery Cove (as a "trial" to see if it made me super uncomfortable) but haven't managed the nerve for that yet, either. Diving lessons for your DD would be AMAZING! I hope she changes on her mind on the lifeguarding......it would be awesome if she could get her license. Those skills never come in a miss!

Well, hi there stranger. The pace of my TRs has slowed down some, so it's safe to say hi again.

Hi Gina. Nice to "meet" you.
Read all the updates (well..... I may have skimmed a bit here and there. ) so I"m caught up.
I'm inundated with TRs right now, so will probably keep my commenting to less than my normal ridiculously large output.

Welcome aboard, @pkondz! Always glad to welcome a new reader!

I wish my output was also ridiculously large, but I'll admit I tend to post these days in fits and starts. I'm not always the most regular poster, but I try to keep things moving at least every few days. Bear with me and know that the entries WILL keep coming!

That would be great!!

We had brunch at Trail's End in May. On the weekends the breakfast hours are extended and they add brunch items to the menu! We love it there!! Nice to take a walk on the beach after our meal!!

Ooooooh, I had no idea they served brunch on the weekends! We may have to change up our plans to make that work . I have also booked Ohana for a late breakfast (it's an old favorite.....and I need to see Mickey at least once each trip! ) so the autumn plans are coming together nicely .

 

[travelbug]

So glad to have you along! Which part of SE Michigan do you hail from? And.....are you a Spartans fan or a Wolverines fan? (very important, as it determines if we can be friends .... just kidding ).

I'm in a Detroit suburb, about half an hour north of downtown. How about you?
So I got my Masters from Michigan State, so when they play the Wolverines, you know how I'm leaning! But if the Wolverines are playing anyone else, I'll cheer for them too. Pretty loyal to all the sports teams from Michigan, both college and pro. So can we still be friends? Ha

Something else we have in common is that I'm Canadian by birth. I was born in Niagara Falls and spent part of my childhood there before moving to the States to stay when I was 11. N.F. was a great place to live as a kid, back before it was so hugely commercial. I love going back there to visit. In fact, I'm way overdue for a visit.

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

Edited to add - OK, when I published this, there is a placeholder for an image at the end, but I didn't insert an image there. Plus it does not show up at all when I try to go and edit it out. Anyone know how I can get rid of it? Is the image itself showing up so you guys can see it, even though I can't see it?

 

[pkondz]

Ideally I'd love to get an entry posted every day,

 

[I-4Bound]

Aww...sorry to hear a migraine hampered your evening! So glad you liked Test Track! I talked my son into riding The Hulk at IOA last night, and he liked it! Hooray for new experiences!

 

[pattyw]

Your boy is a lucky guy. What a cool part of Disney to be assigned to!

Since I never got the chance to experience the original Test Track, you'll have to fill me in: what was different from the current ride?

Yep- Troy loves it there! Plus he's happy that now that the weather is getting very steamy he's in air conditioning most of the time!

The original Test Track was just that- it showed the various tests that cars are subjected to. Joe loved all the tools in the queue line! They also had test dummies in the queue. You went through brake tests- with and without ABS. And I loved the cold and hot room! It was like going through Buffalo (home) and Florida! The outside portion is the same- and my favorite!

So sorry about the migraine! I do get them as well. Seems one advantage of old age is that I get them rarely now!

Can't wait to hear about your Sea World day!

 

[dalmatian7]

No- I haven't had those- but we're due for a dinner at Happy Jack's and will stop at a store to look for those!



It's pure Buffalo too!! It's funny- we have a Tim's at the airport and I hear so many people that comment as we exit to baggage claim how much they missed Tim's in Florida!! I think we have one every mile on the road! What do you think, Gina? You, me, Steve, and Joe open a Tim's in Orlando?? Near the Vistana of course! We would have a gold mine between the Canadians and WNYers on vacation!!

I am terribly behind but just wanted to let you all know that when you open you Tim's, I will be in line to get a job. I need a break from accounting and just want to see people, not my computer during the day. We actually have one here in NEPA (just south of the NY border off I-81.) It isn't close enough that I get there often, but we drink Tims coffee at home. I can't believe with all the Canadians in the south for the winter they haven't opened any.

Congrats on the new job! I hear you on commutes. Mine is 15 minutes and that is plenty. I was too used to under 10 for many years. I hope everything works out well for you.

Ugh on the power being out. When we came home in Sept, luckily when we came in the door I realized the breaker was tripped on the freezer, things were just getting soft, but were still cold mostly frozen (I tested by stress eating some ice cream bars) so we clicked it back on. One more day and the half of cow worth of meat I had just put in there would have been gone.

I am a 4-H leader and DD is currently a cloverbud so not a "real" 4-Her (she can show an animal) until next year. This year she is doing Rocketry. We don't have the rocket built yet (the kit is in the mail) but it should be fun to test. If we end up doing Kennedy Space Center, it will be a nice bookend to the project even though she will have finished it by the fair in August.

Loving your report as always.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I'm in a Detroit suburb, about half an hour north of downtown. How about you?
So I got my Masters from Michigan State, so when they play the Wolverines, you know how I'm leaning! But if the Wolverines are playing anyone else, I'll cheer for them too. Pretty loyal to all the sports teams from Michigan, both college and pro. So can we still be friends? Ha

Something else we have in common is that I'm Canadian by birth. I was born in Niagara Falls and spent part of my childhood there before moving to the States to stay when I was 11. N.F. was a great place to live as a kid, back before it was so hugely commercial. I love going back there to visit. In fact, I'm way overdue for a visit.

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

Edited to add - OK, when I published this, there is a placeholder for an image at the end, but I didn't insert an image there. Plus it does not show up at all when I try to go and edit it out. Anyone know how I can get rid of it? Is the image itself showing up so you guys can see it, even though I can't see it?

We are in Livonia, so about as far from the D as you are but just in a different direction. Close enough for all the good stuff Detroit has to offer (sports venues, Belle Isle, and the DSO, just to name a few) but far enough from all the not-so-nice aspects of the city.

Even though you're a State fan I'll cut you some slack . Our son is actually a huge Spartans fan, so he and Steve enjoy a spirited rivalry most of the time. I must purchase one of those "house divided" fan plaques for Steve's man-cave ... I've seen them around and keep thinking it would be ideal for our rec room!!

Niagara Falls is one of my favorite places in Ontario. We honeymooned there in 1993, and have spent MANY family vacations on both sides of the NF border over the years. For the last many years before we moved, we'd go at least once a year and often more......so I miss it now that we're in Michigan. It was a lengthy drive from our Ontario home (about 4 hours) and pretty much as long from here. I hope you get to go back for your visit sooner rather than later!

I hate it when trip reports "stall", so I feel awful when I don't get regular updates posted. Perhaps a little trip reporting OCD going on . But, life tends to always be a little crazier than I anticipate, so despite my best intentions, I'm usually a "couple of times a week" girl more than a daily poster. All subject to change, of course, depending on what fate throws at me in the coming days .

Aww...sorry to hear a migraine hampered your evening! So glad you liked Test Track! I talked my son into riding The Hulk at IOA last night, and he liked it! Hooray for new experiences!

How awesome!! I am so glad he enjoyed the ride! How are the crowds? And the weather?

Yep- Troy loves it there! Plus he's happy that now that the weather is getting very steamy he's in air conditioning most of the time!

The original Test Track was just that- it showed the various tests that cars are subjected to. Joe loved all the tools in the queue line! They also had test dummies in the queue. You went through brake tests- with and without ABS. And I loved the cold and hot room! It was like going through Buffalo (home) and Florida! The outside portion is the same- and my favorite!

So sorry about the migraine! I do get them as well. Seems one advantage of old age is that I get them rarely now!

Can't wait to hear about your Sea World day!

The summer humidity has finally rolled in, huh? Glad to hear that Troy is generally indoors......I always feel SO bad for the CM's who have to deal with the elements (and people!!) all day long.

Steve would have LOVED the original Test Track as well . The inside portion sounds like an entirely different experience now! Did it change when the sponsorship changed from GM to Chevrolet?

I can only hope that I grow out of my migraines as well. Thankfully I have become pretty adept at identifying when they're coming on and minimizing their effect.....except on rare occasions (like when we were at Epcot). I just felt SO bad for cutting short our unbelievably fun day.

I am terribly behind but just wanted to let you all know that when you open you Tim's, I will be in line to get a job. I need a break from accounting and just want to see people, not my computer during the day. We actually have one here in NEPA (just south of the NY border off I-81.) It isn't close enough that I get there often, but we drink Tims coffee at home. I can't believe with all the Canadians in the south for the winter they haven't opened any.

Congrats on the new job! I hear you on commutes. Mine is 15 minutes and that is plenty. I was too used to under 10 for many years. I hope everything works out well for you.

Ugh on the power being out. When we came home in Sept, luckily when we came in the door I realized the breaker was tripped on the freezer, things were just getting soft, but were still cold mostly frozen (I tested by stress eating some ice cream bars) so we clicked it back on. One more day and the half of cow worth of meat I had just put in there would have been gone.

I am a 4-H leader and DD is currently a cloverbud so not a "real" 4-Her (she can show an animal) until next year. This year she is doing Rocketry. We don't have the rocket built yet (the kit is in the mail) but it should be fun to test. If we end up doing Kennedy Space Center, it will be a nice bookend to the project even though she will have finished it by the fair in August.

Loving your report as always.

I agree!! With all the northern snowbirds, we are baffled that Tim Hortons haven't branched out to Florida (especially when they are owned by Burger King, and the corporate structure should already then be in place). @pattyw , I think we need to give some serious consideration to your business proposal!! I think we'd have one amazing crew to get the project off the ground!

I am so happy that your freezer items were able to be saved....talk about good timing on your part! Why does it always seem like these kinds of things happen when you JUST stock up on all the expensive items? I know it ripped my heart out to throw out so many packages of pork, beef and chicken. Such a waste . Especially when we have a generator (it came with the house) but just hadn't had a chance to get it serviced and hooked up yet. Sigh.

I hope you'll show us all photos of your DD's rocket project when you have it all built.....I know I'd LOVE to see it, and I'm sure the others here would as well! What a fun task to pass the time until she's able to show her animals. What livestock do you guys raise? Cows? (just my guess based on your comment that you put half a cow of beef in your freezer)

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hey all, hoping to get a new entry up later tonight. Sounds like its going to be too darn hot here in SE Michigan this weekend to do anything but shop and trip report! (not that I'm complaining after the winter we just had!!). Stay tuned!

 

[I-4Bound]

Crowds at Universal were very manageable. Since we have APs this year, we slept in, got to the parks around 4:00, and spent 4 blissful evenings there. It was great for my teenagers. I was frustrated by our one Disney day. All the decent fastpasses were gone very early on, and rides that used to be walk-ons had big waits. I guess it just goes with the territory now, but it makes me long for the good old days when you didn't have to wait 45 minutes to ride something like Pirates of the Caribbean! We had good weather overall. We got back home this afternoon and I'm definitely feeling the "vacation hangover" coming on. I'm hoping to squeeze in a little bonus trip before summer ends.