The Holy Land Experience...just WOW!!!!

We'd been hearing for a few years this was amazing but had never made the time to go when in Orlando...this was the trip ...we were doing it. We were meeting cousin Floyd and his wife Marilyn for a quick weekend and this was the perfect chance. They are not as big on Disney as we are and with it being Spring Break time was NOT the time to go to Disney, so was a perfect time for The Holy Land Experience. We all arrived about the same time to a really nice 2br/2bath condo and got settled. We were all hungry so we headed to the quaint town of Celebration and decided on lunch at The Columbia...always a great place. The weather was perfect so we sat out on their porch and had a great afternoon meal. Then we walked the town a bit and just enjoyed the day.

Back at the condo after a few hrs we decided it was Happy Hour so out came the wine and snacks. Lunch had be later and big so snacks for the evening were just fine. We engaged in some fun cards and then off to bed, we needed to leave by 10a in the morning.

After a nice nites sleep i fixed some breakfast and off we went...oh thank goodness for cell phone directions...we were there in about 20min and since we'd  pre-bought our tickets we went right in. As soon as we got in we asked someone to label for us the things we needed to do in which order so we got the most out of our day. I'd read it was a full day so I knew we needed to keep moving. Another great day, a few clouds but that was ok to keep the heat down as we were outside a good bit walking from building to building for the productions....we started in Lazarus House it was a small inside area for seating and was awesome, you felt like you were really there. The sets the characters so much detail. Even the folks that were in shops or just helping us get around dressed for that time period...it was great.

I could use a flash with these 2 pics...so really showed some color...

Once they got started...no flash

This was a great start to the day, next we headed to a huge building called Church of all Nations. I have no idea how many people this holds but thankfully it was a slower day and we got great seats. Then we sat through the first of 4 live stage productions that are about God With Us ..this one was subtitled ...Redeeming Love. It was 30 min and was so good it was finished before you knew it. 

This was about Ruth and Boaz, Jesse and his sons and King David...was amazing

This is a beautiful sculpture in the courtyard of the Church if the Nations ..

A beautiful lake and a great "sign" made out of shrubs.

HE IS RISEN

Now we moved on to The Temple...

Jesus at the Temple...Pharisees, Simeon and Caiaphas try to find a way to get rid of Jesus...

It just kept getting better and better...next was The Story of Maria Magdalena

Then it was time to head back to the Church of all Nations for another God with Us production...this one was..Unwavering Courage: A story about Queen Esther  that reminds you to always place your trust in God.

After this we went to a tour of the Jerusalem Model....what a model and the guide was soooo good.

A great way to see the Passover Story

Our next stop was Simeon's House

After this we had to skip one production so we could go to The Scriptorium...a 55 min sort of self guided tour. It was a building with many rooms in it that held temperature monitored displays where the oldest Bibles and scrolls are held. The lights were on in the first room we walked into...and there was a recording telling what was in that room...when he finished the lights would fade out and you went to the next room where they would come on..and the recording would begin explaining that room...just amazing the collection in this building.

This is the oldest and has never been opened...

Things that happened during the Holy War

About the wonderful couple that own this collection....

Next was our last stage production in the God with Us series...Eternal Hope

God's plans in Gethsemane, and in the lives of people He encountered

Our last inside production and was it ever powerful...some tears were shed...

Our last production was outside and was at the tomb of Lazarus....

Lazarus rises...

This had been a very full day but went by so quickly...it cost $50 /pp to come in and we wondered about that, but when we left we all thought that was a bargain for what we got. It was unbelievable what these folks had shown us...so much attention to detail...was well worth our time.

Thanks so much...it was a wonderful day.

It was dinner time...so we found a seafood place and had a nice dinner. Back at the condo we chatted the evening away and just enjoyed visiting. The next morning we packed up, stopped for some breakfast and headed our separate ways...thanks guys we had a great time....safe travels.