I’m finally taking some time to write about Disney Sea. Ron says my blogs are too long and that no one will read them all… but I say pffft… If you get bored before the end of it, feel free to ‘X’ me out!
Where to start on Disney Sea… Hard to know! The whole day here was amazing!
When we first entered the park, we were greated by a huge rotating globe. It was beautiful! It was part of a fountain with water coming out of the top and running down the sides. We’ll put up pictures of this. (At night, it lit up – beautiful!!)
(Click to view in Google Earth)
All around the globe, were different disney characters and here is where the girls met a lot of them. The previous day, Ron had bought them autograph books. These books now come with a spot on each page to insert a photo afterwards – neat idea! We stood around the characters in a mob of Japanese people all yelling, “MeeeKeeeeey!!!” MEEEEEEKEEEEEYYYY!!!!!!” (Mickey) or “MeeeeeNeeeeeeey!!!!” “MEEEEEENEEEEEEEYYY!!!” (Minnie) Here is where Ron got a little ‘clausterphobic’ and had to take a small break from the crowd… lol
After leaving the courtyard at Disney Sea and walking into the park, you can’t help but stare in amazement. As you walk through the entryway, the park opens up into a spectacular promise of excitement. Straight ahead is the ‘lake’ I guess you’d call it with cobblestone walls and walkways surrounding it. In the distance, a volcano which we learned actually erupts! When it does, fire and lava spew from the top as it roars so loud you actually think it’s real! This volcano is partially home to “Journey to the center of the Earth” (more to come on this ride!!)
The areas in Disney Sea are as follows; Mediterranean Harbour, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian coast, Lost river Delta, Port discovery, and the American waterfront.
This first area we walked into was part of the Mediterranean Harbour. To the right – you could follow the streets to Mysterious Island. To the left – The American waterfront. On the walk to the American waterfront, the streets look very similar to the side streets in New York. (reminded me of you Leona!!) At the end of one of these streets – the Tower of Terror!!
We hardly waited in line at all for the Tower. Sydney was pretty nervous for the short time that we did wait though… but again, she was a trooper! Now I know that California Adventure in Anaheim has this ride. And no, I haven’t been on it. The last time I was there, they were a week away from unveiling it. But even though I haven’t been on that one… I want to take a guess and say I think this one is scarier. Not for the ride itself, but for the story told throughout – all in Japanese! In a haunted tower ride, Japanese talking can actually sound quite terrifying!!! Once we were on the ‘elevator’ and dropping – that was pretty fun… except for the little green Japanese statue that kept talking to us between drops… freaky!! Once this ride was done, Sydney admited that she loved it! (Except for the green statue!!)
After the Tower of Terror, we walked along the American waterfront and through the edge of the Arabian coast. All with a plan – Journey to the center of the Earth! I had measured Karis before we left St Albert and knew that with the shoes she had on, she was a 1/2 inch above the height she needed to be for this ride – and Indiana Jones. Well, weren’t we surprised (and a little LIVID) to find out that she was still a good inch and a half too short! We were denied! Bugger! However… we’ve raised 2 kids near Galaxyland in west Edmonton Mall… and we have a few tricks… we weren’t done with this! 
In the meantime though we met Ariel at her grotto and walked through Mermaid Lagoon looking for King Triton’s Kingdom. This was one of the areas of the park that wasn’t geared towards an older crowd.
We walked right by Triton’s kingdom once not even seeing it and when we walked by again looking for Ariel’s live show, we came across it…
This whole area was underground! Or should I say “underwater”. It was a complete other area. Yet another part of our trip that I can never successfully describe. We have video and pictures… but again… they will never do it justice!
In the kingdom, there were rides such as ‘flounder’s flying fish coaster’, ’scuttle’s scooters’, ‘jumpin jellyfish’, ‘blowfish balloon race’. there is also an area called, ‘Ariel’s playground’ where water streams jump and leap all around you! Too neat! Karis got one in the face… we laughed hard at that. Sick parents we are….
Also, as I mentioned, there is a theatre in Triton’s kingdom with a live Ariel show. The theatre is done up to look like you are underwater and the show is all done in the air. All of the dialogue was Japanese, however all the songs were in English. The special effects done during this show were insane! A HUGE Ursula face, and all the Characters from the show all on wires and each controlled by a person. The people controlling each of these characters were in a body suit blended right into the character…. K, that hardly makes sense… but it does in my head!
Let’s just say… super cool!
Once the show was over, Ron & the girl’s ate some of ‘Ariel’s sea salt ice cream’ in the restaurant and got to meet Prince Eric, and his ENOURMOUS dog, while I browsed in the sleeping whale gift shop!!
Even though we had just had ice cream, we then went for lunch in the Lost River Delta area. This was right beside “Indiana Jones”! The ride I had been waiting for the most! LOVE this ride! As we finished up, Ron and I got to work with our massive stack of napkins. We rolled and folded, folded and rolled until we had the perfect ‘height boosters’ for in Karis’ shoes! This was actually really hilarious. We haven’t had to make ‘height boosters’ this big before and Ron was horrified and worried we were going to get caught. Her heals weren’t even in her runners!!! Very obviously sitting above the top! Ron carried her (because she couldn’t walk) pretending that she was just tired from all the walking. When we tried to just breeze past the attendants at the entrance we were shoo’ed (In Japanese) to the height checker. We were all holding our breath and praying that she didn’t look down and babbling in English trying to fluster her in hopes that it would work. And it did!!! And to top it off she put a GREEN WRISTBAND on Karis so from then on… that’s all we had to show! It proved she was tall enough for ‘Indiana Jones’ AND ‘Journey to the center of the earth’! BONUS!
So now we’re all cocky sauntering into Indiana Jones. Along the way 2 other attendants ask about her height and we cooly flip her wrist their way. Oh yeah!!
From then on, Ron sang, “We have the Golden ticket….” (even though it was green!;)
So… Indiana Jones! Just as cool as the ride in Anaheim!! It was different too, which made it neat. The same blaring theme music in the same large vehicles and it was just so wild! I love this ride! We avoided snakes, bugs, head hunters, poisous darts, an angry statue (there was that creepy Japanese yelling again!!) and a large boulder! The kids had a riot! And even though Karis was 1 1/2 inches too shirt… she made it out alive!! Here’s where I feel better about my parenting and the lessons I teach my children… lol
Parent of the year award goes to me! We got our kid on the coolest ride! Whoo hoo!!
Armed with the green bracelet, we now make our way back to “Journey to the center of the Earth”. We flash the green band as we nervously walk past the front attendants. We try to make as little eye contact as possible and hope to God that they don’t remember the parks’ “daily token white people” from when we tried to get Karis in earlier. Nothing was said so we walk as quickly (yet as unsuspiciously) as possible to the end of the line.
Here we again don’t have to wait! We load into a steel elevator which lowers us to… you got it… the ‘center of the earth’! They do well with making it realistic because man did it get hot in that elevator! Once we arrived at the ‘center’ we boarded these ’shuttles’. Sydney and I in the front and Ron and Karis behind us.
Here is where the Trauma began.
In a flurry of Japanese words and actions, 2 attendants concluded that the bar in Karis and Ron’s seat, wouldn’t come close enough to hold Karis in tight. No comments needed here people!
Yelling something about switching, they release the bars in Ron’s seat and my seat. Here is where we think that Sydney is moving back with Ron and Karis is moving up with me. But no. Before we can even conclude what is happening and what a bad idea it is, we are rushing down the track with Ron & I in the front seat and Sydney and Karis in the seat together behind us.
Suddenly I remember that Karis isn’t ‘technically’ tall enough for this ride.
In my head I try to work this out. I think back to grade 11 math (which by the way, I had to do TWICE so you’d think I’d be good at it)
If a speeding Bullet (or rollercoaster car) is moving 50000 miles an hour towards an extremely vertical drop and a child in the bullet (rollercoaster car) is an inch and a half too small to fit securely into the bullet (rollercoaster car)… what are the chances of said child FALLING OUT???!!!
I feel sick.
I look back at Sydney as we zip through areas with crystals and little weird animals (that I conclude must be what animals from the center of the earth look like) and see the sheer horror on her face. I try to tell myself that she is scared of the three eyed center of the earth animals. She is worried that they will escape in her fanny pack and take over the world. This is okay I think. I can explain to her that they can’t fit in her fanny pack. She’ll be fine. No! I snap out of it… she is not scared of the little animals. She is utterly terrified because she knows that the BIG DROP is coming and that her only savior is her little sister. WHO IS TOO SMALL FOR THIS RIDE.
Oh lord.
There goes my parent of the year award. I think one of those center of the earth animals is eating it.
Ron spends the whole ride turned around pinning the kids to the back of their seat and reassuring them. My plan is to watch out for the big drop… so I can warn them! I tell them my plan and yell frantically, “it’s okay… no drop yet! I’ll let you know… just a little one! Oh look at the pretty rocks…! Aren’t they pretty??? It’s okay… what pretty crystals! This is so fun! Yay! Oh look at the……”
BIG HUGE FIRE-BREATHING MONSTER THAT IS LUNGING AT US.
frick.
I look at Sydney. I think she’s stopped breathing.
Suddenly our bullet of a rollercoaster car takes off at breakneck speed. Seriously. I’m vaguely aware of my left cheek being suctioned cupped to the back of the seat while I unsuccessfully try to yell “DROP!” as I see it approaching.
The drop is over. The ride is nearly over. We cruise into the departure area at a leisurely speed like we’ve just been on it’s a small world or something.
Sydney is hysterical. She is never going on that ride again. She thinks she is going to puke. She can’t breathe.
We peel her out of her seat and try to coax her out of the fetal position. She is crying and a wreck. The Japanese ride attendants are concerned… at least we think so… we can’t understand them. We leave.
The next 15 minutes are spent outside trying to get Sydney calmed down. We explain to her how it was much more scary because she was with Karis… and not with a parent. She understands this, but is still, “Never going on that ride again”. Karis hugs her. As we start to walk, Karis whispers to me, “That ride was SO COOL!! I wanna do it again!!”
Oh the differences in our children….
Anyway… those were the main ‘adventures’ from this day at Disney sea. We saw many other things such as water & fire shows, other neat rides, (Sinbad’s adventure was amazing) and had a great time.
Hopefully I’ll get some pictures uploaded soon!
Kid’s are going snakey… time to get them out of the apartment!
Parent of the year winner, Shannon