Shuttle Launch Highlights
For more pictures of the Discovery Space Shuttle Launch, go here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodeux/sets/
and click on Discovery Shuttle Launch 2006 and then Slide Show.
For a home movie of the blast off, go here:
jumpcut.com/ebodeux
Or click the thumbnail below:
- Seeing old friends at pre-launch brunch for shuttle pilot, Bill Oefelein.
- Exploring Kennedy Space Center - and the kid play area.
- Getting Luka a cool bomber jacket. We coveted the kid astronaut suites - they were way cool - but we figured we'd get more use out of the jacket and it is awesome too.
- Access to VIP viewing area - three miles away (or close, that is) to launch pad.
- Unobstructed view of launch pad and night launch. - Trying to see the shuttle launch, but having it scratched on Thurs, Dec 7, was still exciting. Lots of people! Lots of excitement and seeing the launch pad all lit up was cool. - Seeing the actual launch on Sat, Dec 9 was specatcular. - Seeing it take blast off, doing a "real" countdown, seeing go up into the heavens and become like a star.
- Running back to the buses to avoid the by-product of a cloud of hyrdochloric acid falling on us!
- The kids being troopers and liking the launch too (Luka: That was fun!; Axel: "Rrrrrr!" and pointing to the sky).
P.S. - The hotel in Cocoa Beach was not a highlight. The pool area looked fun, but it was too windy. First room we got, the door would not shut, then the next one had mold all over the wall. Ewwww! But, we finally got one that was acceptable. The staff was nice though. Holiday Inn in Cocoa Beach.
Disneyworld Highlights
For more pictures of our Disneyworld experience, go here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodeux/sets/
and click on Disney Dec 2006 and then Slide Show.
- Luka loving the hotel and asking if it was Disneyworld. It was great a hotel for families with kids with its kidsuites rooms - room within a room - we had the space themed room and the nice pool. Also, it being off-season, it was pretty empty (less noisy) and we were on the first floor just next to the pool (great for letting Axel nap). It was close to Disneyworld, had a fridge and microwave, was fairly roomy, and, it was a "steal" at a $100 a night. See http://kidsuites.com/index.html.
- Luka loving Downtown Disney - free to walk around with fun stuff to see and some inexpensive kiddie rides (train, carousel) that he thought were great. Also, statues of characters for great photo ops.
- Getting candy at Goofy's candy shop there that later served us well on "It's A Small World".
- Two days at Disneyworld. Expensive tickets (around $400 for the four of us and Axel was free!), and it was tiring for the kids, but we had fun. I was surprised and glad that we could take Axel on most rides -- just not the roller coasters, so we rarely had to split up.
- Low season crowds. Waits were usually 5 - 10 minutes or no waits. Only "long" wait was Thunder Mtn. Railroad and that was 40 minutes--not fun with the kids, so it was confirmed we'd never go here in high season.
- Reynald's favorite land was "Frontierland".
- We all loved the fireworks (every night!) and the parades: we saw three -- one in day time and two at night.
- Eating at Cinerella's castle and taking pictures with her before eating.
- Getting free "admission" to Mickey's Christmas Party by just leaving Cinderella's dinner after Mickey's party had already started! (Other day time guests had to leave and pay for admission again if they wanted to attend Mickey's Party - saved us about $45/each, though we would not have gone to it otherwhise).
- Seeing Santa in Mickey's Party parade and at Downtown Disney. Axel put up with Santa and didn't scream, and Luka was enchanted. However, Luka was disturbed because, even though he sat on Santa's lap twice, we forgot to ask him where his reindeer were! I would think that is a FAQ and hope he has a good answer!
- Seeing princes and princesses. Luka asked especially if we'd see princes, and we were so glad we did: Prince Charming in parades and shows, with their princesses. His favorite was Sleeping Beauty.
- Character sightings and photos: Tigger, Pooh, Mary Poppins (whose accent Mommy has to imitate (and badly) often now), Wendy, Chip and Dale, the Fox from Briar Rabbit (I think?), Buzz, Mickey...and others I may have forgotten.
- The Bear Jamboree and the 3-D Mickey movie with Donalad Duck and the talking animals on the wall.
- Some food is really bad there. Disney, are you listening? Just because we are captive doesn't mean we all want to eat greasy crap. Ever hear of cheese sticks or yogurt tubes? Some food was okay though - but you had to look for it. Our food at Cinderella's Royal Table dinner was verrrrry expensive, but it was quite good (the main dishes that is, my dessert was not up to par for the price - but no big surprise)
Mickey's Toontown Fair was great for little kids. We should have gone there sooner!
- We used the Unofficial Guide to Disney and it was a great resource.
- We pretty much rode all the rides we wanted, and some a couple of times. Including:
+ Swiss Family Treehouse
+ Jungle Cruise
+ Pirates of the Caribbean - welcome Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow (Reynald, then Luka & Mommy)
+ Splash Mountain (Reynald)
+ Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Eve and Reynald separately using parents switching out program)
+ Tom Sawyer Island - great for little kids
+ Country Bear Jamboree - a Luka favorite. Axel nursed through it.
+ The Haunted Mansion - Luka was a trooper. It was scarier for little kids than the guide book said.
+ It's A Small World - twice as it was a favorite of all involved
+ Peter Pan's Flight - kind of scary for Luka
+ Mickey's PhilharMagic - neat 3D show with Donald
+ Cinderella's Golden Carrousel - at least twice
+ Dumbo the Flying Elephant (twice, but it was low season, so it went sort of fast - see guide book on this one!)
+ Mickey and Minnie's Houses
+ Judge's Tent to see Mickey (Dada and Luka)
+ Kids Play ground in Toontown
+ Donald's Boat (Mommy and Luka - no water though, wrong season)
+ Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm (Luka and Dada - kid rollercoaster)
+ Indy Speedway (Mommy in one and then Luka, Dada, Axel in another - they also went twice)
+ Space Mountain (Eve and Reynald separately)
+ Tomorrowland Transit Authority
+ Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - one of the favs - the kids and I did it three times. Luka was a little frustrated with the guns - hard for him to shoot - but we thought it was one of the best rides since it was interactive.
+ Stich's Great Escape - hmmm. Good to try something different but kind of weird one.
We had a great time in Florida, but it was tiring, so I think we all appreciated coming home too!
