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Walt Disney 2020

Day 2: A day at WonderWorks, a hurricane, tornado, art and ropes course fun!

I have to say that it was an extremely painful night. My fall had caught up with me. I tossed and turned and with each turn I cried a little. I don't know how it happened but it was the very top of my foot, by my toes, and right underneath it, that was really hurting. I got up once, in the middle of the ?night? (which was more like morning since we went to bed so late) and it took everything in me not to scream to try to walk to the bathroom. The next day the hubby would tell me that he heard me crying and making sounds all the way there. I was so upset thinking I done went and hurt my bad foot on the first day here and I'm not going to be able to do anything the rest of the trip. How would I be able to take those few steps required to get on rides at the parks and how would I be able to get in and out of the rides? The way I felt this night made me feel like I would be stuck in a wheelchair throughout the rest of the trip. 

After waking up, I gathered everything that I thought I would need downstairs, rolled it down the winding stairway like I was rolling a snowman, and sat on my butt and descended the stairs in the same fashion that I did back when I had my surgery on my foot. At that point I knew I was never coming back up the stairs again and whether she liked it or not, Sakari was going to have to trade me master bedrooms!

The doorbell rang...hmmm, who could this be? Sakari was sitting on the couch, in class because I still made her "go to school" during our vacation, and she could see someone standing outside as she peaked out the glass in the door and said it was a man. I wasn't so sure about answering the door to some stranger. He was persistent though and wasn't leaving. I decided to answer and he said he was the cleaning man. He was a much older gentleman and it was just him. No wonder this house wasn't getting spotless because how can only one person clean this entire huge home in time for the next renters? We chatted for quite some time. His wife used to help him clean but she had passed away. He has been cleaning for over 22 years. He explained that he had us coming in (today) and not yesterday. He also stated he had this house to be cleaned again on the 18th before the next renters came in. SAY WHAT? We are here until the 22nd! He was a very nice man and he gave the history of the homes in this neighborhood and how the builder liked different odd shapes and that was the reason for the drop off at the door and not so square living room and so on. He told us who owned the house and also told us that they owned the house next door as well. Good to know if we return. I declined his invitation to come in and clean and informed him that I had already cleaned everything except for the rooms we would not be using. I told him I was not planning on touching any of those or the laundry however when we left, we would make sure to have our area's cleaned and laundered. I also gave him a list of all the damages and how we found the house last night. I did not want to be blamed for any of it and I had pictures. Also, my hubby was still in bed at that point and I didn't want to wake him. 

 

 

So on with the day.  I had plans to take Sakari to visit WonderWorks. I figured she'd enjoy a place like that and the last time we had been there (in Tennessee) was when she was 1 years old...obviously she doesn't remember it. Instead of the regular amusement parks today, it would be a mind amusement park kinda day.

Staying in a home has its advantages. You can cook your own meals and save money by not eating out. So, after our late night grocery run the night before, we were armed with a variety of breakfast choices. 

The hubby decided to make breakfast while I finished getting ready for the day and trying to figure out how I was going to manage today with my foot. 

I thanked my lucky stars that I had decided to bring some (unused) pain medicine from my initial injury with me because I was definitely going to need them. I had really hoped they worked by the time we were able to start our day.

Breakfast sausage bowls for the win.

 

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After breakfast we were off to find WonderWorks. This place seemed to be situated right in the middle of a down-town type of place. Sakari was so amused at a house that was upside down. We parked in the parking lot and headed across the street for a better view of the outside. My foot was feeling a little better after the medicine and at least I was able to walk (still with quite a limp at this point). As the day went on, it got progressively better as long as I didn't bend it a certain way at the toes...so just picture a stiff leg walk with a slight limp and hop and you got my mode of walking today. 

 

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I love all the little details that go into these places from the upside down palm trees and electric poles to the steam coming out from under the (top) of the house where it landed. Also at night, the street light posts lit up. 

 

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Upon entering the building, you are greeted by a Robot who likes to tell jokes. Also, everything in the entrance is also upside down as well. 

 

The entrance after you pay is a little trippy! It reminds you of being at a carnival and trying to walk down a hall as your surroundings are spinning...only this is pretty psychedelic. Whew!

 

We came out into a room and the hubby immediately went to a gigantic screen of Google Earth. He wanted to try to find our home on there. I informed him that you can do this from home on your computer but something about it being on a super big screen intrigued him. Hey whadda ya know, our vehicles are in the driveway...but how can that be when we drove one of them to the airport and it should be there still. Hmmm, this Google Earth must be off and not trustworthy. 

 

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I was already hungry so the host in the room offered us a seat at the Earthquake Cafe. I can't believe there wasn't a line to get in. But, it was just a box with one table. I was feeling like maybe I was being tricked. We sat down and was told our hostess would be with us shortly to take our orders. Instead of soothing restaurant music playing in the background, these voices come on talking about earthquakes and how they must feel. Hey how nice of them to give us a little history of earthquakes while we waited on our server. Wait....what's this? Our light began to shake above us, the table started to tremble, we were experiencing a 5.3 richter scale earthquake. I imagine that's how this cafe got its name! Get us outta here!

 

Sakari assured me that we were ok and it was just part of the attraction. Whew!

Off to play with some electricity that put out 100,000 volts!

 

I'm sure a lot of people have lived to tell the story of experiencing a hurricane. Well, the closest thing that I can relate to was our last trip to St Thomas and the tropical storm that passed by us that later turned into a hurricane. However, this next simulation had us experiencing 74 mph winds with lightening and rain out the window. So much for having a good hair day. 

 

This next experience must have been what Rose & Jack felt when the Titanic went down. Freezing cold water with the temp of just 27*. The goal of this was to submerse you hand/arm down in the freezing water and see how long you could hold it there. Then you had to go over to a screen that would show you the temps of your body. The bluer it was, the colder and red was heat. I have to admit, I'm a wuse and hate cold weather so I did not last long but Sakari....whew, she was in there forever and said her hand was numb.  

 

The Antigravity Chamber was so impressive to Sakari. She just couldn't understand how the water was dropping instead of pouring. Then you had the ability to reverse the direction they were going in and also stop them in mid air. 

 

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In the stairways, you will find a lot of artwork that makes you go "hmmm". Eye trickery at it's best and here are just a few of them. 

 

THE BUBBLE LAB!!! We spent quite a bit of time in here. First playing with the bubbles and seeing how big we could get them or how long they would last and then it became a game of trying to bring the bubble up and over our bodies. Man we had so much fun and so much laughter. 

 

Have you ever laid on a bed of nails? Well I have...several times actually. It had been so long since the last time that I had done it that I didn't remember what it was like....and there's a reason for that. I'm pretty sure after the experience I had suppressed it deep into my brain from the terror I experienced. I convinced Sakari to do it and the look on her face told me that she didn't like it either. It doesn't really "hurt" but it is uncomfortable and it can pinch you when you try to get up when it's over.  Yea, I've done it enough times in my life that I never plan on doing it again. 

 

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Then it was game time...

 

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Light & Sound Zone coming right up

 

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Of course Sakari and daddy had to spell out the dogs names on the over sized Lite Brite

 

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One thing that not many people know about me is that I took piano lessons during my entire childhood into my teens. I played at weddings and church and for every neighbor, friend and relative that my parents could drag into our home growing up to listen to me. Honestly, it was a lot of fun in the beginning but after years I lost interest and my parents insisted on me continuing to play. It became something I no longer enjoyed. As a matter of fact I hated it to the point that to this day, I don't remember anything about how to play. I can play the chop sticks (I mean who can't) and a few other little tunes that kids learn to play, but Sakari was even amazed at the few things I did on there and insisted that I teach her. Once she learned, we both played it together. Of course I no longer hate the piano and wish I could actually play now. Funny how things change as you get older. I know if my parents had bought me a crazy looking painted piano like this, I might have just stuck with it. :)

 

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Even using her camera light on her phone, she was able to whip up a drawing on this unique board in no time. The only problem is, it disappeared rather quickly. 

 

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Now this thing...this AMAZED ME!!! I want one of these for home! I could have sat here and played for hours it was so neat and fun. There's water and there's land. Then there are animals walking around it. (It's all a gigantic sand box). You move the sand around to create mountains and streams of water and the animals will get trapped on the land or an island or fall off into water or whatever you decide. If you build up enough sand on the sides or in the middle, it would turn into a volcano. It was so cool to see what the animation would do. This interactive sandbox lets you be the creator of your own landscape. Dig ocean trenches, build Jurassic mountains or create safari flatlands, you have the power! This is all possible through augmented reality, while you interact with the sand in the real-world and computer-generated sensory inducing elements react to what you are doing.

 

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And here you have the game that has changed our life since Christmas. BEAT SABER! This is a VR game and my neighbors have been talking about it forever now and how much fun it is. They use it as a workout. Well, I just couldn't imagine it being that great but I played it here and omg the graphics. It's like you are right there in the game. I just knew we had to get Sakari one for Christmas. We haven't put the thing down yet but to charge. It is so much fun. The Oculus is just an amazing VR tool. Everyone that has come over has went out and purchased one. LOL

 

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Space discovery zone...

 

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The adventures of Professor Wonder. A cute little room you go into and it tells the story of Professor Wonder and how this museum became what it is. Animation of the professor going from picture to picture frame and coming to life and riding a motorcycle on the walls and floor was so life like and so adorably cute. 

 

I love any shows or rides that are 3d...or 7D or whatever you will give me. This place had a 4D motion theater and we couldn't wait to try it out. We went on a Wild West Mine Ride and it was so much fun. So realistic. 

After that it was time for another realistic ride on the wonder coaster. You pick what level you want, crawl inside the capsule and this simulation will have you twisting and turning and you really feel like you are on this roller coaster. I love these things! Of course Sakari wanted to do the hardest level. 

 

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Sakari had the best of both worlds. She rode it with me and then she didn't want daddy to feel left out and rode it again with him (without having to stand in line again). LOL

Now it was time for a potty break...off the ladies room I went...or was it?

 

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We headed outside for a little bit. I wanted to sit down and rest. I had been on my feet most of the day and it was starting to swell. We hung outside long enough for Sakari to go lizard hunting and hunting she did. 

 

There was 1 more floor to go before we were finished here and I was ready to tackle it. I didn't tell Sakari but they had a glow in the dark type of ropes course on the 4th floor and we were going to surprise her. So, we headed back in and up to the 4th floor we went. 

There was a game room up there (we didn't play because it was extra), a laser tag (which wasn't open) and the ropes course (which went above everyone's head that was down below playing video games). 

She was excited to go and off we went. I was going to attempt this. There were a few different levels and although I attempted to go up to the very top level, once I got up there, I didn't think my leg would allow this type of activity (and looking down at the hubby where he was shaking his head "no" at me) so I came back down to the lower level where I could pick more appropriate walks to do. But I was able to participate in some of it even if that meant I had to turn around and go back the way I came because the other area's were too advanced for my foot. Eh, at least I tried. I did decide to finish early so that I could go down and get some pictures of daddy and Sakari on the course. 

 

After the ropes course, we were DONE! I know my foot was completely done and hoping I'd make it back to the car to drive home. I was so swollen and in pain that even though I tried very hard to hide it, my family knew that I had over done myself today. It was time to go home and rest. But first, you have to pass all those lovely gag memorabilia in the gift shop before you can exit out. 

 

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Here is a short compilation of our day there. 

 

Dinner at home and then a lot of rest and tv before bed. Tomorrow was going to be our first "big day" at the parks and we were GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

 

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