Trip report of Disney's Vero Beach Resort and a mini-WDW trip report

Trip report of Disney's Vero Beach Resort

VERO BEACH

I just got back from a week vacation at Disney's Vero Beach resort and Walt Disney World. We had an AMAZING time. I'll start with my thoughts on Vero Beach.

We arrived to Disney's Vero Beach resort on Saturday, June 21st. As we arrived through the security gate, we got our first glimpse of the resort we would call home for a week. The outside architecture is designed to resemble the architectural traditions one would have found along "Old Florida Beaches". It is very Disney and very elegant. It almost reminded me of the Grand Floridian with the roofs painted green and the building painted in shades of tan and brown. However, the designs are in fact very different.

The lobby is 4 stories high and is quite impressive. In the center of the hardwood floor and directly below a two story chandelier made of iron and lights similar to those found in Splash Mountain's queue, is a beautiful tile design to resemble a sea turtle. We would later discover the turtle is very important to Disney's Vero Beach and their efforts to save the sea turtle. In fact, Disney took the additional effort to rebuild the sand dunes along its ocean front resort (they are much smaller and in some places non-existent along either side of the Disney-owned property), which serves as the breeding ground for sea turtles. Check-in went smooth and we entered our Inn room overlooking the ocean. It was an amazing view and the room was everything you would expect from a Disney deluxe room, with the added convenience of a microwave and fridge.

The next few days we spent doing what we wanted to do...just relaxing. Three days of swimming in the ocean, the amazing pool at the resort with its two story lighthouse slide (really cool ), playing the nine hole mini golf course that is themed to Peter Pan and Neverland (Skull rock, Sharks, aligators, wrecked ship, etc.). However, after three days we began to wonder if there would be enough to do for four more days.

What we decided to do was stay one more day at Vero Beach and then move up to Disney World for the last three days of our trip.

Vero Beach is an amazing beach resort with plenty of activities planned for children 10 and under, but for kids in their late teens, there wasn't enough to keep all of us occupied for a week. Disney did a superb job with this resort, its amenities, including tennis courts, archery lessons, a nature trail, planned activites, and of course the ocean right at your doorstep. We will definitely be coming back. It is the perfect way to unwind from anyone's hectic schedule.

Next, my report from WDW and MISSION SPACE!!!!

 

[CTXRover]

Awaiting Mission: Space to open

Well, I left off with us deciding to finish our week trip at Disney World (an added incentive was knowing Mission: Space was probably open during that week and I was only two hours from it ) We checked-in at Disney's Beach Club Resort and my brother and I went to Epcot around 1:00pm after lunch.

As one would expect, I could hardly keep from running from the International gateway (the entrance to Epcot's World Showcase accesible from Beach & Yacht Club, Boardwalk, and Swan and Dolphin) to Mission: Space. As I finally made the turn underneath the breezeway in Future World, I finally saw the ride, whose construction I had followed since the demolition of Horizons, before me. The gate/wall was still up, but I noticed that the Earth globe was spinning, the music was on outside, and the video monitors were on inside the globe. I knew from this website to stay around until 4pm for it to open....so I did. I came back around 3 to see what was going on and met a group of kids who were already in line for it to open!!!!. They explained how they had rode it 4 times the day before and couldn't get enough of it. I could hardly handle my enthusiasm.

I came back around 3:45 to see a huge crowd around the entrance of M:S. Oh well, I wouldn't be first that day, but at least I knew it would open . Right around that time a few Disney cast members came out esocrting a guy in shorts and a shirt. We all wondered, who could that be?? Well, who else, but BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY!!!. He had just rode it and was leaving. My brother quick got his picture with him as he was walking away. The only thing he said was the ride is very cool and we will love it (and also that goofy wave he does :lol: )

Four o' clock passed and out came Disney Cast members in the M:S uniform. However, for some unknown reason, we all stood there until 4:30 for them to open the gate. The wait was killing me, what was really inside that building!!!

Next, my Mission Space review!!

 

[CTXRover]

My Mission:Space review

Finally, I entered the building. The queue is truly breathtaking and as others have said, the gravity wheel needs to be seen to really get an idea of how massive it is. To my surprise, I thought the queue area (both inside and outside (as I would experience on my 2nd trip)) was extremely small. However, the line went very fast all 4 times I rode it, even with only 2 centrifuges going. Finally, that Disney CM asked me....."How Many?" "Two", I replied, and we were told to stand on row 1 in the blue room.

We entered the first of two pre-show rooms. The pre-show with Gary Sinise, in my opinion, is the best done pre-show anywhere!!! It is actually very vital to the story of the ride, it's realisitic and not "goofy" and it works on many levels to increase your excitement of the upcoming "training mission", no matter how many times you ride it (I went 4 ). After the first intro, we entered a circular hallway that circles the centrifuge. The way this movement is handled is flawless and shouldn't confuse anyone (even those who don't speak English, the computer graphics in the preshow area show how to follow the lines to the next area of the preshow very well). The music during this time really builds up the excitement.

In the second pre-show room, the lights dim and Gary Sinise talks to us once again. Finally, the doors open and we are moved into our capsules. The first time I rode it I was so overwhelmed by everything I didn't even really get a chance to take in the detail in the capsules. Each time I rode I saw something new. For instance, as you are waiting for the ride to start, be sure to play with the buttons and switches. Most of them have no purpose to the actual ride but to make the capsule extremely realistic. When you flip certain switches, lights come on. If you push certain buttons, beeping sounds are made, etc. During the actual ride, tiny monitors between the seats show you the flight path you are taking, etc. It was really impossible to take everything in on my first 4 times!!! :lol:

Now to the ride itself. As others have said....its Unbelievable!!!. In my opinion, it is the most incredible ride and experience you will ever have, ANYWHERE...period. The force on your body is unlike anything I have experenced and the cutting edge imagery is very realistic. There is so much to this ride that I will guarentee that you will miss a lot of what is going on if you only ride it once. Everytime I rode I saw something new, felt something different, and heard new things (in fact, the first time I rode it I didn't even really realize that CapCom was talking to us and I missed pushing one of my buttons :lol: ) The only thing I thought seemed weak was the weightless part. You do feel weightless for a second or two, not as long as I had hoped. However, if they took the whole zero G thing out, I wouldn't care. This ride is so unbelievable without it.

The post show is so much fun and for me is the best post-show area at any of the Epcot Pavilions. The race game is a lot of fun and you need to be an astronaut AND Mission Control to really experence this game (in other words, play it twice ). The videos from space are a lot of fun to make.

This is going to be a major hit for Disney and Epcot, and the entire theme park industry. The ride is so complex that most people won't even realize how complex it is unless they come to websites like this...it is that well done. I anxiously await my next trip in August for the Annual Passholder preview. I can't get enough of this ride!!!