We’re with the massive swell of a crowd pouring into DisneySea at gate opening time. My eyes are darting from the ground to make sure I don’t trip on someone in this throng, to the buildings which all depict an Italian coastal village. Amazing set design here. There is already a queue for the plushy store on the left as you enter. Inside a brand new bunny is being revealed and the crowd wants it. This afternoon Boo will buy one with her birthday money, “it’s new today daddy!”

We’ve come without a plan so step slowly around the harbour, just trying to take everything in. The scenery could only hold the Girls’ attention for so long, the merchandise pull wins out and Fid and I find ourselves with time to look at the map. We end up in steampunk land – AMAZING. Our first ride is Journey to the Centre of the earth, what a thrill. Then onto 20,000 leagues under the sea, so well done. Boo sussed out that we weren’t really underwater, very impressive when even Disney can’t fool her.

We take a break and discover not only can you get beer at this park, it’s tots ok to be drinking it at 10am! We walk into a waterside café with a half dozen tables with beer drinking customers! We also discover some weird steamed ginger chicken monster gyoza, delicious! Steamed buns were the theme, later we had a weird curry & cheese steamed pink and yellow “Spring” bun, that and weird flavoured popcorn, I liked curry and the Herbed Tomato the best.

We’re onto the flying carpets then into Ariels grotto before going on the Indiana Jones Ride. Boo has wanted to go on here since that time in Paris that her idol, Evie went on but she got knocked back because she was too little. All those years of anticipation where killing her as she queued. She was buzzing with anxiety when we eventually got on.

We couldn’t talk the kids into going on the Rapid thingy ride, it had a loop, it’s only a Disney loop, but we couldn’t convince them. We headed back past the Indiana Jones ride and along the river, complete with his crashed C-3PO plane, and on to the American waterfront. It’s all so incredibly well done here we just wandered around trying to take everything in. We ended up circling the park three times.

Autopia is a staple for any Disney visit for us, so at DisneySea we had to do their alternative – Aquatopia. Fid and I find a dock on the harbour to refresh ourselves while the girls do their bit to lift the Disney stock price. We’re into the Toy-Story arcade where once again Fid brings me down, the creeping hand of time…

We cross the park to do Journey to the Centre of the earth again, then talk ourselves out of a third spin and go watch the light show instead. We were far enough away from the waters edge to stay dry, man what a show. The crackers top off the night for us, then we’re on our way home. A detour into the last shop sees boo wrestle with whether to blow her cash on this new-special-just-released-today stuffed rabbit, frivolity wins, but she’s still beaming from her purchase.