The Mole Mystery, Part 2....
7:03 AM
Downtown Orlando
4:18 PM
Downtown Orlando
Tuesday night 
we were able to spend some time in beautiful Downtown Orlando! While viewing the area from the top of the Plaza, we learned from members of the Downtown Orlando Board about the vibrant nightlife, great restaurants and future developments of the area. We did not have much time to see the area up close and personal but we hope to have the opportunity to visit the art museums, the theaters, Lake Eola Park and especially the Orlando Farmers Market! The market is held every Sunday and includes produce as well as handmade arts and crafts and other eclectic items.
we were able to spend some time in beautiful Downtown Orlando! While viewing the area from the top of the Plaza, we learned from members of the Downtown Orlando Board about the vibrant nightlife, great restaurants and future developments of the area. We did not have much time to see the area up close and personal but we hope to have the opportunity to visit the art museums, the theaters, Lake Eola Park and especially the Orlando Farmers Market! The market is held every Sunday and includes produce as well as handmade arts and crafts and other eclectic items. Star Tower Condos
The winner of the 67 Days of Smiles contest will be living in the middle of Downtown in walking distance to everything! Check out the Star Tower Condos.
Orange County
Regional History Center
We did get to spend some time at the Orange County Regional History Center where we learned a lot of interesting things about Orlando. Did you know that the original planned site for Disney World was St. Louis?
Dinner at Ceviche!
We also got to try out one of the restaurants Downtown called Ceviche. They brought out lots of delicious tapas for us to try. On the weekends they have flamenco music and dancing!
Disney's Hollywood Studios
12:05 PM
Assignment: Conquer Disney's Hollywood Studios in 4 hours!
Arrival time: 9:30 am
Departure time: 1:30 pm
Undaunted by the challenge before us, we quickly entered Disney Hollywood Studios and made a mad dash to the Toy Story Ride FASTPASS line. We had discussed our strategy on the bus ride there and decided to hit the 3 major rides and the American Idol Experience. When we got to the fastpass line, the next available time was already 1:15 pm! We knew we were in trouble....and we needed help!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the FASTPASS Service at Disney World, it is Disney's way of helping you avoid those long lines on their rides. Sounds great doesn’t it?Check out this link for more info.....FASTPASS
American Idol Experience
Since our Karaoke adventure had been cancelled the night before, April, still looking for an opportunity to be discovered, decided to audition for the American Idol Experience!
April had a bit of stage fright and forgot all the words to the song! She got so embarrassed that she attempted to run out of the room. Jason, the Casting Director, said she had the American Idol personality but lacked the American Idol performance....April took it well and is already working on her song for next time!
Later in the day we went to the American Idol Experience Show to see if it really lives up to the actual American Idol! From the bright lights of the stage to the unpredictable and sometimes harsh comments from the judges, we were not disappointed! Here is just a taste of what you will hear:
Judges comments:
“What’s up Pappa! You look like Barnie Rubble at happy hour.”
“There were more keys in there than the southern tip of Florida”
“You are so cute I want to put you on a key chain”
Check out the American Idol Experience website for more information for a guided tour of the experience!
Special thanks to Jason, Michael, and Mark of the American Idol Experience for all of their help and tips on how to conquer Hollywood Studios!
Rockin’ Roller Coaster
Rockin' Roller Coaster is a 2 minute thrill ride set to Aerosmith music. What can be more exciting than that? Take off at high speeds with the radio blasting through the streets and bright lights of Hollywood, CA.
Motion Sickness (Scale from 1-10): 4 if you sit in the front seat, 8 if you don’t!
Age Appropriateness: Kids 8 and up! Although it is set in the dark, this ride is not scary. There are a few loops and turns that might jerk small children around
Wait Time: I would recommend FASTPASSING this ride. The first time I rode it, I waited an hour and half which made the 2 minute ride not worth my time. This time we FASTPASSED it and I loved it! So strategize well with those FASTPASSES!
Special Thanks to Jessica in the photoshop!
Tower of Terror
From one thrill to another, we made our way to the Tower of Terror! This ride is based on The Twilight Zone, with creepy voices and dark hallways, preparing the first time rider to expect the unexpected! The thrill of this ride is in the pit of your stomach as you plunge down and up the dark freight elevator shaft!
Motion Sickness (Scale from 1-10): 4; Very little jerking motion with mostly an up and down sensation
Age Appropriateness: 10 and above; Having seen my 8 yr old niece crying from the terror of the dark halls and flashing ghosts I would recommend this ride for older kids, teenagers, and adults.
Wait Time: Although there is usually a line, it seems to move rather quickly. With limited FASTPASS use, I would check the wait time given on the outside of the ride regularly and just wait in line for this one.
Special thanks to Kevin in the photo shop and to the Sheridan family from Syracuse, NY for all of their help!
Toy Story
Using our FASTPASSES we headed to The Toy Story ride. It is a ride unlike any other as you enter an interactive 3D video game. April and I are both pretty competitive....ok, fiercely competitive, so this ride is right up our alley! Gus, a cast member, holds the record score of 455,000. To put that in perspective, April’s high score was 150,000....We have some work to do to beat Gus out!
Here are a few tips from Joe, Toy Story ride Cast Member, on how to make the most out of your game:
- Pull the string as fast as you can and don’t worry about accuracy
- Listen to the instructions for each game as subtle clues are given
- Different games within the ride have key elements you should focus on hitting:
+2nd game: shoot the donkeys in the barn for higher point values
+3rd game: shoot the flying plates for higher point values
+3rd game: shoot the flying plates for higher point values
+4th game: shoot the 1,000 point bats to turn them into 5,000 point bats
I am sure Gus, the lead scorer, is shaking in his boots now that his secrets are out! Report back with your high score!
Motion Sickness (Scale from 1-10): 6; I was so in to the game I didn’t notice much but as you switch from game to game you are turned around and jerked a bit.
Age Appropriateness: This is a great ride for kids of all ages!
Wait Time: We suggest this as your first FASTPASS option as the line can get pretty long. But if you do have to wait there is plenty to see as the line winds in and out of oversized toys and games. Half way through the line there is a giant Mr. Potato head that talks!
Special thanks to Jackie for all of her help and support!
Eating at Disney Hollywood Studios: Prime Time Cafe
After several recommendations from various Disney Cast Members, we headed to the Prime Time Cafe to take care of the rumbling in our stomachs! When you walk in to the cafe, you are immediately taken back in time with a 50’s kitchen set up. In typical Disney style, every detail is taken in to consideration! This Tennessee girl knows what she is talking about when it comes to home style cooking and the chicken pot pie I had there was incredible! Other recommendations include fried chicken and meat loaf.
Age Appropriateness: All ages will love this place but especially those that remember the 50’s!
Wait Time: Make a reservation beforehand or stop by early in the morning to put your name on the list. If you forget, you can still sit at the bar and enjoy the atmosphere and food.
When you go to Prime TIme Cafe, make sure and say hello to Adam who has worked at Disney for the past 18 years! Thanks Adam for your help!
Exceptional Customer Service!
April and I have both been to Disney Hollywood Studios several times but we agreed that this was the best time ever! We owe this all to the Cast Members that we spoke with along the way. We have never experienced such great customer service! The Cast Members are a wealth of information so we recommend you take advantage of their knowledge and let them help you make the most of your time!
Additional Tips for Disney Hollywood Studios:
- Get to the park early!
- Start at the back left hand corner of the park. Human nature will lead you to the front right corner with everyone else!
- Go directly to Toy Story (back left corner) to get a FASTPASS
- Go to the early showing of Lights, Camera, Action (which we highly recommend) because rainy afternoons are typical in Florida
- Visit the Back Light Tour before or after the Lights, Camera, Action show since they are in the same area of the park
- Keep an eye on attraction wait times as they fluctuate throughout the day
- Don’t go to the Great Movie Ride right after High School Musical....that is where everyone heads!
- For those with an older child that wants to ride all of the rides and a small child who can not ride all the rides, ask about the Parent Swap service which allows you to wait in line one time while riding twice. The older child rides with one parent and then rides again immediately after with the other parent. (Thanks to the Sheridan Family for this tip)
New post coming soon....
8:01 PM
We just got home from a jam packed day at Hollywood Studios (can't believe how blessed we were there today...can't wait to tell you!), the Orange County Regional History Center, and a VIP reception with the Leaders of Downtown Orlando (Downtown Orlando is the place to be every night of the week!). Stay tuned for a full blog tomorrow!
The day began early with the errrrr.....errrrr....errrrrr.....sound of my princess alarm clock at 4:30am! I had hoped that instead of a buzzer I would awaken to the sweet songs of birds flocking to my open window and alighting on my princess bed. But apparently these days, princesses wake up the same way as everyone else!
The Daily Buzz
Wallaby Ranch Hang Gliding
By daybreak, we were ready for our magical ride in the sky! Wallaby Ranch offers tandem hang gliding year round. I can't begin to tell you how much fun it was! I wasn't sure what to expect but before you know it you are flying through the sky at 2,000 feet high! The glider is attached to a small plane until you reach your designated height. This part of the flight is smooth sailing and a bit surreal. But when the glider is released from the plane, the roller coaster ride begins, mine being guided by Malcolm Jones, Wallaby owner! For those of you that get motion sickness....on a scale of 1-10, 1 being "smooth as butter" and 10 being "I shouldn't have eaten Mexican for lunch", I would give hang gliding a 3 keeping in mind that you can always ask your instructor for the level of excitement you desire. A big thanks to all of the great staff at Wallaby!
SkyVenture Indoor Sky Diving
By 10 am, the day had just begun. From hang gliding we went straight to indoor sky diving at SkyVenture Orlando. Unreal....is this really my life? Today I flew like a SUPERHERO or at least that is what I felt like! You jumped in to the wind tunnel and were instantly lifted up as if you were flying. I incidentally got a bit carried away assuming my superhero persona and karate chopped the instructor right in the nose! He assured me that happens at least once a day. April is a natural at skydiving and now has a new dream to become certified to jump from planes all by herself! On the same scale of 1-10 on the motion sickness scale for indoor skydiving, I would give it a 1: "Smooth as butter" rating! A BIG thanks to the instructors at SkyVenture and well wishes to Nick and his fragile nose!
Taverna Opa
We enjoyed a great time at Taverna Opa Orlando with delicious authentic Greek food (we even ground our own chickpeas for hummus!) for lunch and a bit of dancing and throwing napkins as well!
Pirates Adventure Dinner
We capped off the day with an entertaining evening at Pirates Adventure Dinner. It is an interactive pirate dinner show (Melissa got picked to participate!) that proved to be very entertaining for our rowdy crowd. We would recommend it to any family that is looking for a fun night out! But I would advise you that it is about a 2 1/2 hour show that lasts until 10 pm.
Words really can not describe our day so we will leave you with this montage of the days events including a recording of the Orlando evening news that featured US! Please take careful notice of the princess tv!
And as for THE MOLE in the group, we collected valuable evidence today that we believe will lead us to the identity of the individual. We have included it in the video montage so watch carefully!
We have arrived in ORLANDO!!!
12:51 PM
After a long flight, we arrived safe and sound in Orlando!
To April’s delight we were met by Steve Williamson who had created a beautiful personalized sign with our names on it!
We met up with a few of the other finalist in the airport and then made our way to our All Star Vacation Home. The house is great with lots of fun surprises in each room! Check out the video to see just what we mean!
The house sleeps 12 comfortably but we both agreed you could convert the closets into rooms and max it out with 25 (You might want to check the rental rules first!) The All Star Vacation community is conveniently located to all of the main attractions of Orlando. If you are looking for a great location with a more luxurious feel in a home away from home, we would recommend All Star Vacation Homes!
We are sharing our home with teams Kate/Daz and Kyle/Trina. Kate and Daz are from Australia. This is their first time in the U.S. so we are trading cultural stories. More on this later as April will be trying Vegemite for the first time ever!
Our itinerary for tomorrow includes Hang Gliding, Sky diving, and Karaoke! So stay tuned!
I’ve traveled a lot in my lifetime. I’ve flown in and out of 32 major US airports. I’ve watched as sorrowful tears were shed in a sad departure, or joyful tears in a long awaited reunion. I watched the many human emotions at their best in an airport, but none was greater than watching the excitement and joy of one who walked down that lonely terminal to the baggage claim to find someone there holding a sign with their name on it! I always wondered, when will my day come? How will I react to it? Will I run to that sign holder and embrace them in tears? Will I jump up and down and do a little song and dance? Will I run through the crowd screaming, “That’s me! I’M HERE!!!!!”? No one really knows how they’ll react in an extreme emotional time such as this. For instance, when my fiancé proposed to me, my reaction was nowhere close to what I had planned for the last 18 years of my life! Instead of jumping into his arms and shouting "YES!!" with tears of joy streaming down my face, I believe the words I said to him were, “Shut-up, are you joking?” and “Is this for real?” I even forgot to say yes! It’s like the burst of adrenaline is a drug that causes your brain to act on its own and you have no control over what you say or do.
I can hardly contain my excitement in the anticipation that maybe…. just maybe, Orlando International Airport will be the site of my “Sign Holder Moment.” If that moment finally happens, will I be able to contain my joy or will I stand in shock and disbelief that this time that sign has my name on it? Stay tuned to see if my dream will in fact become a reality when Melissa and I arrive in Orlando tomorrow……
I can hardly contain my excitement in the anticipation that maybe…. just maybe, Orlando International Airport will be the site of my “Sign Holder Moment.” If that moment finally happens, will I be able to contain my joy or will I stand in shock and disbelief that this time that sign has my name on it? Stay tuned to see if my dream will in fact become a reality when Melissa and I arrive in Orlando tomorrow……
It all began last February when I met up with my sister and her family in Orlando for a Disney World vacation. It was a typical perfect winter day in Florida with sunny skies and temperatures in the low to mid 70s. We had enjoyed a fun filled morning at Animal Kingdom and had decided to hop over to Magic Kingdom for the afternoon parade. We got there just in time to get curb side seats and a Mickey Mouse shaped chocolate covered ice cream. The parade began with chipper singing and dancing. One by one the floats passed by and then there he was. He looked straight at me and waved! I was mesmerized by his good looks. He was after all Prince Charming.......Ahhh....but then I got another glare from Snow White as she intertwined her arm with his as if to say, “He is mine”. It was at this point that I realized that all the Prince Charmings were taken by one princess or another. My heart sank...
Later that day, we stopped to take a rest on a bench. As we sat contemplating how much fun we were having, we were suddenly interrupted by laughter. We turned to see what the commotion was. As I turned, as if in slow motion, I saw him and our eyes locked from across the walkway. The children ran to him and he gave each one special attention. They laughed and smiled and at that moment I realized that sometimes love doesn’t look like Prince Charming. He motioned me forward and reached out his arms. We embraced in a hug, a long hug, a hug long enough for my sister to get out the camera and take a picture of the special moment....but when he finally let me go we each had to go our separate ways.
As I contemplate my trip back to Orlando this Sunday, I am brought back to that moment and left pondering....Would I see him again? Would it be like that first moment when our eyes locked?
So I have put together this video, in hopes that he may see it and we might rekindle that moment once again!
Check out the website to see who the other finalist are. We all get to hang out for a few days doing fun stuff like skydiving, visiting a theme park, and eating at some of Orlando's best restaurants! It is going to be so much fun! Plus we are staying in resort houses just like on the show Big Brother or The Real World! The only difference is that we don't get eliminated till they choose the final couple! Of course the first thing we have to do when we get there is a personality test.....I guess if they find out you don't have a personality then they might send you back immediately. What if they find multiple personalities? Is that considered a bonus? You get more for your money then right?
It is official! We are finalist in the 67 Days of Smiles in Orlando contest! Check out our entry video...
6:58 AM
Becoming a Blogger...
4:08 PM
Why is there is so much pressure in writing the first blog? It's as if the weight of the first words is heavier than all of the others.
It's the first sentence of a novel that determines if one will continue reading on or put it back on the shelf. Once it is read, you can't rewrite it.
It's the first impression that determines if he will call you or not. Once you have met, you can't truly ever start over.
You have one chance; one first impression; one first blog.
But then I remember, we have no followers....YET! I find this to be a relief since I was beginning to stress myself out with my deep thoughts!
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make a sound? If you write a blog and no one is reading, do your words really matter?
So now that I have gotten the first blog out of the way, I move on to step two of becoming a blogger: Find people who care to listen!
If you write it, they will come!