Typhoon Lagoon & Epcot

Yesterday in the 7-11 next door we had bought some bread, margarine and peanut butter, so as to feed the kids a breakfast that they will eat. I get a cup of coffee from the hotel shop, and Anita and I have some bread as well. Everyone else goes off to breakfast. They go back to the Ponderosa.

Typhoon Lagoon's famous shipwreck

After breakfast we join up again and decide to try one of the Disney Water parks. We shall go to Typhoon Lagoon. Once again we all jump into the A-wagon and head off. We arrive before opening time. Russell takes all the valuables and he will get a locker. We are under instructions to find the spot that Russell and Brigitte always occupy when they come here. The gates open and everyone starts to move. Fortunately the Germans cannot get in first with their towels, so everyone has a chance of a good seat. Off we trek, but Oh calamity! Brigitte cannot remember exactly where it is that she should be going. We find a good place, but she's not sure it the right one. We set up camp anyway, and wait for Russell. When he turns up he advises it is not the right place, but a good one anyway.

It is decided that because I cannot swim too well, I will take the camera and video and try and get some good shots, whilst everyone else tries the rides etc. Well the idea is pretty good; unfortunately I cannot follow the crowd, and have to go in a different direction. I lose the whole party for next two hours. Everyone does the rides that they are able to, indeed Anita does the Humunga Cowabunga (which she appeared to be a little worried over.). She said afterwards that she enjoyed it, but to queue for any longer than a few minutes for a ten second ride was taking the mickey. Everyone enjoys doing the rides, whilst I wander fairly aimlessly trying to find seven people amongst perhaps a couple of thousand. After about thirty minutes I get very bored and go and try to improve on my tan. I sit and read my book, (on web page authoring no less (very sad)) and enjoy the sun.

Sometime later, everyone returns, having really enjoyed themselves. Russell and Chris take Andrew off and start chucking him around whilst Joy and Lauren swim together, with me taking some video. Anita and Brigitte sit and read their books. I return the cameras and go and have a swim with the rest.

On top of the mountain in Typhoon Lagoon there is what appears to be a shipwrecked boat. Every so often a whistle blows, water shoots out of the funnel and the wave machine begins. As the whistle goes everyone crowds into the swimming area to enjoy the large waves. The kids thoroughly enjoy this, although at times I'm worried over my swimming abilities.

As a family we decide to take to the lazy river, which consists of grabbing a few of the rubber tyres, placing yourself on them, and navigating around the circuit. Firstly I have lots of fun (!) trying to place myself into the ring. As I'm not overly confident in the water it is quite a feat to get into it. We traverse the area. Every so often there are water jets which are fairly cold on the bod if you know what I mean. After completing one complete circuit I then have the problem of getting out of the ring, which could be another chapter on its own. I finally extricate myself, and we return to the group.

Lauren decides that she wants a tattoo (well a stick on one as opposed to the one with needles). Brigitte decides she will have one as well. Lauren has a ring of flowers placed around her arm and Brigitte a rose on her back. (Silly story - Brigitte the following morning has a shower and uses a scrubber to scrub her back, forgetting that the tattoo was there. She manages to remove her tattoo - OOPS).

Andrew and Lauren find a bucket and spade and proceed to build a sand castle, with the help of Russell, Brigitte, Anita and I. A very fine sand castle it is too, once finished. Don't say were not typically British! We then decide to leave this park and return to Epcot, to do the things that we missed on our first visit.

So off we go. It should be pointed out that if you park your car in one Disney park and go to another you don't have to pay again. So we made sure that our ticket was showing as we pulled into the car park. The kids wanted to go on a few of the things that we had done previously. They especially wanted to go on the Universe of Energy ride, with the dinosaurs. Once again they marvel at the way the dinosaurs look and appear real. They also wanted to go on the Spaceship Earth Ride. We took in Body Wars and a few of the other minor rides.

We also spend a long time in the Sega area of Innovations. A few dollars are converted into tokens and the kids enjoy themselves on the motorbikes and other electronic games. Oh by the way, should Russell ever offer you a lift on a motorbike, be brave, not stupid, and say no. Don't ask me how but he got his electronic motorbike to go the wrong way around the track!

Hunger begins to set in, so we decide to leave the park and hunt for food. We go to a Pizza Hut, expecting it to be similar to home. It appears the same but the service, unusually for America, was very poor. Our pizza was late, the kids should have got toys with their meals and we had to ask for them later. They also only had one toy, and what use is a water pistol in the shape of a military tank to a girl? Still the pizza was OK, well it filled a hole, or two.

Off we go and return to the hotel, via the old 7-11 to replenish stores. Well beer, and bread and peanut butter, and crisps and the like. Once again the kids settle down and are quickly off to sleep, as tomorrow we are going to the Magic Kingdom, which has been a dream of mine for years.

The A-wagon with the Starlings