The week had finally arrived for the big family Walt Disney World trip, partially courtesy of my Mom and Grandpa Murphy, whose inheritance provided some funds to supplement our park tickets. I think you all know how I treasure my vacations, so I wasn’t all that thrilled to be wasting a Saturday when we could have begun our trip on that day. But truth be told, it was nice to have a full day to tie up some loose ends, and get packed and ready for the week-long adventure. I was able to get to sleep at a fairly decent hour, especially considering that at 3:30am on the morning of Sunday, April 15, 2012, my alarm would be going off and I would be getting ready for the awesome travels ahead.
I got everything together and then headed over to Dad’s house, so that he could drive me to the Dayton International airport. 
My first flight departed at 5:55am and I sat next to some guy whom I thought was a girl until I finally realized that his mustache was just too darn thick. I had a layover in Chicago, arriving at 6:10am (gaining an hour), and then re-boarded at 7:10am. I paid little attention to the lady next to me because the moron behind me couldn’t sit still and kept bumping my seat. Because of some electrical malfunction issues, we sat on the tarmac for a good hour before we actually took off. This was of no consequence to me because my entire family was on a separate flight leaving out of Columbus and would not be arriving until about 12:30pm in Orlando. So the gist of it was, I waited longer before we took off; I waited less time at the Orlando airport to meet up with them, once I finally got there around 11:40am.
We had a little confusion hooking up, but eventually we found each other and headed toward the Disney’s Magical Express desk. This had been Silas’ first flight and he did quite well until the very end, when the pressure might have bothered his ears and made him cry. Adam and Megan also did quite well, so that Ashleigh, Denise & Aaron, and Mom & Bob weren’t too terribly embarrassed.
A quick change of clothes in the Orlando airport
The Disney people picked up all of our checked luggage (Mom actually had checked a bag for me), so we could be on our way posthaste. We took a comfortable bus (so comfortable that Silas took a nice nap on my lap) from the Orlando airport to our hotel – or ‘show-and-tell’ as Megan called it – the Disney All Star Movies Resort. Ashleigh, Carolyn, and I had stayed here in 2004, and it was very similar to the Pop Century Resort, where I have stayed three times since.
Silas grows drowsy on the bus to the All Star, eventually conking out
We got there, met up with Aaron’s Mom Barbara and sister Jenny, checked in, and immediately ate a late lunch. Jenny works for ABC and not only was she able to get three people into the parks for free during the two days that she was with us, but was able to get us a ridiculously great deal on the Disney Dining Plan – which included one quick service meal, one table service meal, and a snack every day. We also got one of the re-fillable mugs included, all for $30 per person. Throughout the week, I raved about how great of a deal this was. My first quick service meal consisted of chicken quesadillas, orange juice, and a giant, giant ice cream cookie. The orange juice was consumed to try and help stave off the cold with which I had awoken about an hour before I my alarm clock went off that morning. I loved almost every single thing about my trip, except trying to fight that blasted thing the whole week.
Megan hops in a car at the resort shortly before we board our shuttle to Epcot
After we ate and got settled, we caught the shuttle service to Epcot at around 3:30. It was good to be back. Although there was no hubbub being made, this was the 30th anniversary year of the park. Our first ride of the day was Spaceship Earth. This was also Silas’ very first Disney ride ever. It was pretty clear that he was going to be a good sport as he basically just took it all in as we traveled though the newest version of the history of communication on our planet. This was the same version of the ride that I had last ridden during my previous Epcot visit in 2010, the changes of which I thought were rather pointless. I miss the Epcot of yore.
The Ocker-clan, rarin’ to go. This Megan’s first visit to Walt Disney World.
Silas, Mom, Bob, and Ashleigh – happy as clams and heading to Epcot
In front of the iconic Epcot ‘golf ball’ – which I always point out to Adam is actually a ‘geodesic sphere’
Silas prepares to board his first Disney ride
On board Spaceship Earth
One of the original scenes still remaining: the Egyptian Temple
Silas enjoys the new interactive feature
Bob looks guilty as he and Mom exit the ride
Denise and Megan displayed in the Project Tomorrow exhibit seen after the ride
I had them email our postcard from the future to me. I hope my hair doesn’t look this way in the future.
Denise, Silas, and Mom stroll out of Spaceship Earth
It was getting close to 5pm when we boarded the walk-on The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Mr. Silasaurus (Adam’s name for him) was pretty wide-eyed during this one, while Megan lived in fear of encountering Bruce.
Megan and Adam getting ready to enter The Seas
Aaron and Megan in their seashell Omnimover (with Jenny and Barbara in the background shell)
Megan was a’scared of seeing Bruce inside the ride, but once it was over, she had no problem in joining Ashleigh, Silas (hidden), and Adam inside of him
Since we were on that side of the park, we decided to enter The Land pavilion so that some of us could ride Soarin’. This ride is simply okay, so I didn’t have any problem sitting out with Silas so that Ashleigh could ride. Megan ended up a fraction of an inch too short – a situation we’d later rectify by rolling a pair of extra socks under her feet – to ride, so Mom and I took her and Silas on the Living with the Land boat ride. Megan cried for almost the entire duration and Silas took in as much as he could before he finally just conked out.
Silas dozes off during Living with the Land. It’s a good ride on which to doze.
Megan was a sad sack for duration of this ride
The wait for Soarin‘ was ridiculously long, so after finishing our ride, Mom took Megan around the pavilion for some shopping and I just sat in the Sunshine Seasons food court and let Silas sleep on my lap.
Megan spells out her list of demands for Mom. Mom is incredulous.
Bt the time everyone got off of Soarin’, it was time to make the trek from Future World over to The World Showcase for our 6:30 dinner reservations. I had wisely not eaten a big lunch, so that I could fill up on the appetizer bar (which included my favorite Gjetost Norwegian Goat Cheese). With a group our size, we were able to choose three different poses with Belle to be taken by the professional photographer so we let Megan & Adam in one, then Denise & Aaron and their kids, and finally the entire group.
Our group gets our photo with Belle before eating dinner at Akershus
The appetizers were every bit as good as I remembered and I think I ate an unprecedented amount of cheese and coldcuts. To make up for it I chose the pan-seared salmon with roasted root vegetable hash, and cardamom lemon grass glaze for my main course, and I didn’t eat a heckuva lot of the family style desserts (which included chocolate mousse, puff pastry, and rice cream).
Adam and Megan with Snow White
My salmon dinner (with some cheese and crackers still lingering about from the appetizer buffet)
Everyone is happy during dinner with the exception of Silas. Denise looks rather bored as well.
Any chance I get to have Ariel’s hands or gills on me, I take
Cinderella appears aghast as this sobbing Mr. Silassaurus
Milk finally helps Silas calm down and kick back – literally
It took quite a while to get our bill, so Denise took Adam on the Maelstrom boat ride located in the Norway pavilion, and Ashleigh, Silas, Aaron, Megan, and I eventually joined up with them. Always a fun high-seas adventure.
The three headed ogres of the Maelstrom looked particularly creepy that day
After we got off the Maelstrom, Ashleigh and I caught up with Denise, and Adam for a ride-thru of Mission: SPACE. The others had tried to head to the other side of Future World to catch Journey Into Imagination, but it had closed down, so Aaron caught u with us too. Adam was thrilled with his role as Commander in Mission: Space and took seriously the pleas of Gary Sinise from Mission Control to “pull back! pull back!”.
Despite his wedgie, Adam is pumped and ready to embark on Mission: SPACE
Ashleigh and I catch up with Denise and Adam and get ready for some stomach tightening thrills
Orange Team launch tickets indicate a more ‘exhilirating and intense’ ride
Engineer Brad and Commander Adam, ready for launch
Oddly enough, when we got off the ride about 8:45pm, it wasn’t any of the four of us who had gotten sick, it was Megan. She had spewed forth some of her dinner while waiting outside of Mission: SPACE. I took a photo of it and posted in on Facebook, with mixed results, but I’ll refrain from displaying it here. This was her first of three throw-ups of the trip for those fans of Catsafterme who are counting. Megan’s proud quote to me: “Uncle Brad, I vomit and it smells disgusting!”
With the sickness and the impending fireworks display looming above us, this was our last ride of the night and we began our trek toward the exit and our awaiting shuttle. Ashleigh and I stopped by the obelisk in search of West 6-D-2-6-13 – where we had left our Leave-a-Legacy faces almost 11 years earlier.
Silas and the mysterious levitating foot, calling it a day
Ashleigh finds her Legacy
We were on the bus by 9:30, each of us alternately sick with a cold, the stomach flu, teething, or merely exhausted. Troopers that we were though, we’d all be back on that Disney horse the next morning to keep on enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth.
Such a trooper, Silas cuddles up to Mom after a long day of airplane rides, Epcot rides, and the occasional nap
Our Florida trip will continue at the Magic Kingdom…
Bypass the Florida portion of the trip and jump to California…
Bypass the entire trip and continue with 2012…
I love Disneyworld! I’m looking forward to your next post of the Magic Kingdom.
Bev
May 3rd, 2012
I have never gone on the Epcot version of Soarin’ because the lines are always massive. Luckily we have the original at California Adventure which I can usually board in 20 minutes.
Rick Greene
May 4th, 2012