Getting ready to head out to the parks.
On Sunday we got breakfast at the club level, and enjoyed eating outside looking out over the plains. We planned to hit the Disney parks early, before the majority of the crowds showed up. We got the park hopper pass, so we would have freedom to move among the different parks. We specifically wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot.
The parks were being decorated for Halloween.
Our first stop was the Magic Kingdom. We saw the murals in Cinderella’s castle, and then got in the < 10 minute line for Space Mountain. The indoor coaster was a bit interesting, but Louisa was remarkably okay afterward. Of course, it probably helped that our next “ride” was a walk through the Swiss Family Robinson tree house. 
Up next was the Pirates of the Caribbean. Throughout all these rides we were really impressed with the amount of detail that went into the rides themselves but also the waiting areas.
The detail that went into the park design is amazing.
Our next stop was Hollywood Studios. We hopped on the monorail and then a bus. By this point the lines were starting to build up to get into the parks, and most of the monorail lines were headed into (not out of) the Magic Kingdom. However, we were soon at our next destination and watching physical stunts at the Indiana Jones live show. The show was interesting (and completely packed), since it let you see how some of the stunts are done. After that show, we headed to a different area of the park for a car stunt show. The show was probably our (or at least Louisa’s) favorite event. There was a lot of precision driving, motorcycles, jumps, and even a jet ski.
The car chase stunt show was awesome!
Besides the live shows, we hit up a Star Wars ride (another indoor coaster), the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area (giant insects and plants, anyone?), and got lunch at ABC commissary. We were happy to snag an out of the way table outdoors. Due to the crowds, we decided to get a fast pass for the Aerosmith coaster. The pass greatly reduced our wait time; I think our longest wait of the day was 45 minutes or less. This was another indoor coaster; it used a slingshot to launch the coaster (not too quickly, but still, indoors). Tony got a kick out of asking Louisa, “Do you see the cars? … Yes. Keep watching” – and then the cars disappeared.
One of the many themed buildings of Epcot.
After the coaster, we got in line for the bus to Epcot. Our plans for the rest of the day included sampling the different foods, and checking out the fire works and laser light show that would begin at 9pm. We sampled a sweet almond-topped pretzel at the Norway booth, yummy noodle dishes at the China area, French pastries, and fish and chips at the United Kingdom section. All the food was very good, and many of the workers were from the same country as the given pavilions.
Cool-looking sky after an afternoon storm.
At one point the rain swept through; we waited by splitting an ice cream sundae and getting a fast pass for the auto test ride. Unfortunately, the pass expired before the rain did, so Tony went on a space ride that involved spinning. Actually, Louisa tried to go on the ride, too. The workers told her that the ride would have similar G-forces to an airplane. Louisa has been on airplanes. The ride was one. Tony, Louisa, and two random guys were next in line, and entered the ride – which happened to be a row of 4 seats, and a screen, inside a self-contained sphere. Louisa was slightly nervous when she realized that there were should harnesses for the ride. But she decided to give it a try, anyway. Then, Tony accidentally hit a piece of paper while trying to get his seat belt on. Actually, it wasn’t paper, it was a handy dandy barf bag. Time out, the ride was no longer such a good idea. The unfortunately-closed pod 9 suddenly came into focus. The ride attendant mercifully opened the door and asked if we had seen a bag that a previous rider had left. We hadn’t, but Tony asked if Louisa could get off the ride. The attendant looked at her and asked, “ma’am, will you be alright?” “*shaking head no* No.” So, they let Louisa off the ride, and the guys had fun pushing the buttons and spinning in circles. The G-forces were incidentally stronger than those on an airplane, since Tony said his neck muscles were pushed into the seat.
After that ride, we got another fast pass for the GM test drive ride. The ride was really enjoyable; you basically sit in a little car and go through different “tests” (i.e. road conditions, “heat,” braking, and then an acceleration to 60 mph).
The fireworks and laser light show was fun to watch.
After the test ride, it was time to find a spot for the laser fireworks show. We had a perfect view by the lit Earth, and enjoyed seeing the fireworks and laser lights. Getting out of the park wasn’t too bad, which was good since we still had a few things planned for the morning.
Enjoying some kayaking before heading back home.
Monday morning we decided to enjoy some of the amenities at the hotel. We took a walk around the pond, then tried out the water tricycle. This was quite the experience, since the trike was difficult to move and steer. Fortunately by the time we got back to shore, a few individual kayaks became available and we were able to go exploring with them. Some of the white ibis didn’t seem to amused by us coming over to visit, however. 
