A Halloween Adventure in Autism (11/7) Prayer Request for Catie (p.129)
- Thread starter KathyRN137
- Start date
mrsksomeday
My Prince uses a power wheelchair!
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2006
I love it!! I might have to get something Disney from there 
.
.
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
... I'm really enjoying my Mickey jewelry. I'm wearing it as I write the next installment, coming soon!!
Kathy
Kathy
DisMomAmy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
Chapter Twenty: Of Bugs and (Baseball) Bats!
November 1, 2009
Sunday Afternoon,
Animal Kingdom
We finished our shopping at Creature Comforts, still humming Iko Iko and Pata Pata. Those Jammin’ Jungle melodies really stick with you! Do I remember what the girls bought? No! Something tells me that we only took time for a quick little browse.
It was now 4:30 and the park was closing at five. We let the kids know that there would be time for one more attraction and Billy began lobbying for Its Tough to be a Bug, and he wasn’t being too quiet about it! This isn’t typically something that we include in our itinerary, although on past visits Ed had taken Aunt Rae to see it a couple of times while the kids and I rode EE. However, in the months leading up to our vacation Billy had spent a lot of time on YouTube pulling up videos of the various 3D attractions, so it came as no surprise to me that he expressed a sudden interest in this. Since it was physically very close and no one objected, we entered the winding queue and took a scenic walk to the base of the Tree of Life.
I always regret not taking enough time to really explore the Tree of Life Garden so I can admire the animal carvings, so I was happy to get the opportunity. At this late hour there were few guests in the queue, so we had lots of freedom to stop and take pictures along the way to the theater.
(Again, kindly disregard the incorrect date on my niece's photos!)
A brief wait in the “lobby” gave us time to laugh at the movie posters filled with buggy puns:
"I'm ready!!"
We selected a row in the darkened theater, settled into our cushioned seats and got ready for the show. I love how the ceiling is covered in tree roots, giving the illusion that we were underground. Tricia confided to me that she felt a bit nervous and I’m afraid that I found that funny. You see, she last saw ITTBAB on our first visit back in 2003 and hadn’t had the courage to come back. She was seven at the time, but the part of the show where spiders came down from the ceiling had frightened her and I remember having to take her out of the theater. (Billy, age five, had only laughed at them!)
Her reaction had surprised me at the time and her current admission of feeling anxious still surprised me even more. I reassured her that the spiders wouldn’t seem nearly as scary to her now, but I could see she was steeling herself for the arachnids’ appearance! I couldn’t really blame her, though. I found myself subconsciously leaning forward in my own seat when the wasps and hornets showed up!
Personally, I would think the part where the giant audioanimatronic of Hopper, the mean grasshopper, appears is the most frightening to young children. He comes out on the right side of the stage with a big whoosh of smoke and noise, so if you think your child might get frightened, pick seats in the middle or the left section of the theater.
The creepy crawly 3D show was much more enjoyable for us this time around, although I think we girls all held our noses when the stink bug let go! Billy just laughed and laughed… I think our reaction made the whole thing even funnier to him! We exited (after the roaches, of course) and Tricia said the spiders were a lot less scary than she had remembered. We started down the path toward the park exit and stopped to get a few shots of the tree as well as a few photopass pictures:
Continued, Next Post!
Kathy
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
Chapter Twenty, continued:
As we waited at the bus stop, we discussed dinner. We had no ADR planned because I had wanted us to have a flexible schedule that day, but I had sort of envisioned us having both a counter service lunch and dinner at the park. But since we had eaten such a late lunch at three, no one was close to being hungry yet. I thought about hitting Downtown Disney since it was an early park closing, but Ed said he would much rather go back to Kidani and crash a bit. The girls immediately began talking about going swimming and we figured it would be easy enough to hop over to Jambo House and grab something at The Mara afterwards.
We made it back to Kidani Village and took the elevator up to our room:
In the lobby, just outside the elevator:
On our way to our room we admired the colorful carpeting in the hallways and spotted the not-so-Hidden-Mickeys:
Once inside our villa, the girls made a beeline for the balcony and began taking pictures of the animals that were wandering around the savanna:
Billy decided to just kick back a little!
The moon was rising...
We all enjoyed some down time in our comfy room… the kids watched a little TV, Ed was doing something on his laptop (thank you DVC for the free Wi-Fi) and I think I just puttered around doing I-don’t-know-what! After about an hour, Tricia and Catie began making noises about the pool, but we thought it would be best to get dinner first so they wouldn’t have to rush then get showered up, etc. So, we gathered up our things and traipsed back down the hall to the elevator, looking out the windows as we went to see if the animals were still visible:
Getting over to Jambo House was easy; we just waited for the first bus to come along and we hopped on. All the buses except the ones going to Downtown Disney go to Kidani first and then to Jambo House. It took us a minute or so to get oriented and find the Mara… we had never eaten here, only at Boma, but it was easy to find.
Posted outside the Mara:
The Mara Story -- the Masai Mara National Reserve is approximately 170 miles west of Nairobi and is part of the Serengeti ecosystem in Northern Tanzania. It has been a game conservation area since 1889. The reserve consists of well watered grassland plains, standing at an altitude of 1,650 meters/5,413 feet, and crossed by two permanent rivers, the Mara and Talek.
The western Kenya Highlands are drained by a number of rivers that empty into Lake Victoria. The Mara River in the southwest highlands flows southward for about 160 kilometers/100 miles, enters Tanzania, and turns westward to flow for almost another 160 kilometers 100 miles into Lake Victoria.
There were lots of family-friendly items on the menu, plus a few more exotic items such as African Stew. Ed told me what to get for him and he and Billy went off to find a table. We girls placed our orders and found ourselves magnetically drawn to the dessert case! Ah! The famous Zebra Domes! We surely will be giving you a try tonight!
But first: dinner. Ed had found a good table near a television that was showing Donald Duck and Chip & Dale cartoons… perfect for Billy. As much as he loves the Disney Parks, Billy craves the audio-visual stimulation of TV, DVDs, and computer games on a regular basis so this gave him an opportunity to get his fix and burn off a little steam.
Ed had the fried shrimp platter (sorry, no picture) and Billy chose chicken nuggets. Catie and I each had the half chicken platter, which was very good! Tricia had flatbread pizza:
Ed had gobbled down most of his shrimp before I had a chance to get a picture of his plate!!
We took our delicious watermelon, zebra domes and cheesecake desserts “to go.” (You know that I couldn’t wait and just had to sample one zebra dome right then and there… it was my first time trying one… yummy!)
It was very tempting to stay at Jambo House and do some more exploring in the cavernous lobby filled with African artifacts, but having no idea how long we would have to wait for a Downtown Disney bus to take us to Kidani, we opted instead to go straight outside to the bus stop. Game Four of the World Series was being played that night and Ed made no secret of the fact that he wanted to see it. Having given up watching Game Three the previous evening for the MNSSHP, I felt that I owed it to him.
It was a pleasant evening and a DD bus came along in about twenty minutes. Soon we were back “home” at Kidani Village and I paused to take a few pictures before heading back upstairs.
In the entryway:
When we got inside, the girls went straight to the balcony and were excited to see that zebra had joined the giraffe and cattle:
Continued, Next Post!
Kathy
As we waited at the bus stop, we discussed dinner. We had no ADR planned because I had wanted us to have a flexible schedule that day, but I had sort of envisioned us having both a counter service lunch and dinner at the park. But since we had eaten such a late lunch at three, no one was close to being hungry yet. I thought about hitting Downtown Disney since it was an early park closing, but Ed said he would much rather go back to Kidani and crash a bit. The girls immediately began talking about going swimming and we figured it would be easy enough to hop over to Jambo House and grab something at The Mara afterwards.
We made it back to Kidani Village and took the elevator up to our room:
In the lobby, just outside the elevator:
On our way to our room we admired the colorful carpeting in the hallways and spotted the not-so-Hidden-Mickeys:
Once inside our villa, the girls made a beeline for the balcony and began taking pictures of the animals that were wandering around the savanna:
Billy decided to just kick back a little!
The moon was rising...
We all enjoyed some down time in our comfy room… the kids watched a little TV, Ed was doing something on his laptop (thank you DVC for the free Wi-Fi) and I think I just puttered around doing I-don’t-know-what! After about an hour, Tricia and Catie began making noises about the pool, but we thought it would be best to get dinner first so they wouldn’t have to rush then get showered up, etc. So, we gathered up our things and traipsed back down the hall to the elevator, looking out the windows as we went to see if the animals were still visible:
Getting over to Jambo House was easy; we just waited for the first bus to come along and we hopped on. All the buses except the ones going to Downtown Disney go to Kidani first and then to Jambo House. It took us a minute or so to get oriented and find the Mara… we had never eaten here, only at Boma, but it was easy to find.
Posted outside the Mara:
The Mara Story -- the Masai Mara National Reserve is approximately 170 miles west of Nairobi and is part of the Serengeti ecosystem in Northern Tanzania. It has been a game conservation area since 1889. The reserve consists of well watered grassland plains, standing at an altitude of 1,650 meters/5,413 feet, and crossed by two permanent rivers, the Mara and Talek.
The western Kenya Highlands are drained by a number of rivers that empty into Lake Victoria. The Mara River in the southwest highlands flows southward for about 160 kilometers/100 miles, enters Tanzania, and turns westward to flow for almost another 160 kilometers 100 miles into Lake Victoria.
There were lots of family-friendly items on the menu, plus a few more exotic items such as African Stew. Ed told me what to get for him and he and Billy went off to find a table. We girls placed our orders and found ourselves magnetically drawn to the dessert case! Ah! The famous Zebra Domes! We surely will be giving you a try tonight!
But first: dinner. Ed had found a good table near a television that was showing Donald Duck and Chip & Dale cartoons… perfect for Billy. As much as he loves the Disney Parks, Billy craves the audio-visual stimulation of TV, DVDs, and computer games on a regular basis so this gave him an opportunity to get his fix and burn off a little steam.
Ed had the fried shrimp platter (sorry, no picture) and Billy chose chicken nuggets. Catie and I each had the half chicken platter, which was very good! Tricia had flatbread pizza:
Ed had gobbled down most of his shrimp before I had a chance to get a picture of his plate!!
We took our delicious watermelon, zebra domes and cheesecake desserts “to go.” (You know that I couldn’t wait and just had to sample one zebra dome right then and there… it was my first time trying one… yummy!)
It was very tempting to stay at Jambo House and do some more exploring in the cavernous lobby filled with African artifacts, but having no idea how long we would have to wait for a Downtown Disney bus to take us to Kidani, we opted instead to go straight outside to the bus stop. Game Four of the World Series was being played that night and Ed made no secret of the fact that he wanted to see it. Having given up watching Game Three the previous evening for the MNSSHP, I felt that I owed it to him.
It was a pleasant evening and a DD bus came along in about twenty minutes. Soon we were back “home” at Kidani Village and I paused to take a few pictures before heading back upstairs.In the entryway:
When we got inside, the girls went straight to the balcony and were excited to see that zebra had joined the giraffe and cattle:
Continued, Next Post!
Kathy
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
Chapter Twenty, continued:
After they had their full of animal-watching, they kind of flopped down on the couch and began watching TV, seeming just as lazy as they had been before! I guess two late nights in a row was catching up with us.
We were all yawning and no one seemed particularly interested in getting up and moving. We waited for the game to begin; the girls sent some text messages to friends and Ed called to make sure his brother had sent the cell phone chargers like we had asked. (He had.) After a while, Tricia asked if she and Catie and Billy could go swimming and Billy shouted out, No swimming! No pool! ... Im really not sure why. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it was now dark outside... or maybe he just wanted to watch the game with his Daddy. It was only eight oclock but all I wanted to do at that point was get into my pajamas and climb into that big soft bed!
Somehow I was able to convince the girls that it would be best for everyone to simply make it an early night. I could see that we were already slipping into the habit of staying out late and then sleeping in the next morning and I wanted to nip that in the bud quickly! The parks would only get busier as we progressed further into Jersey Week and I wanted us to be at Disney Studios bright and early the next morning. The girls were a bit disappointed, but once we began talking about Rock n Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Midway Mania, they began to get excited for the next day.
And dont forget Fantasmic! Billy added firmly. I want Fantasmic, please!
Yes, it would be a busy day at the Studios since we were going on a day that Fantasmic was showing; we planned to be in the park all day. So, we pulled out the sleeper sofa and during commercials the kids got into their pajamas. We all piled onto the pull-out and watched the game together while we nibbled on our zebra domes and cheesecake.
Whenever Billy stands in front of the television, Ed always tells him, "Son, your father's a policeman, not a glass maker!"
Well, we were thrilled when our team, the Yankees, held on to win again! Afterwards it was lights-out in the living room and after a few moments of giggling and shushing, it was finally quiet. Soon after, Ed and I turned out our own lights and we settled in for a good rest.
Tomorrow, we would Take On the Toys for the first time ever!
Kathy
After they had their full of animal-watching, they kind of flopped down on the couch and began watching TV, seeming just as lazy as they had been before! I guess two late nights in a row was catching up with us.
We were all yawning and no one seemed particularly interested in getting up and moving. We waited for the game to begin; the girls sent some text messages to friends and Ed called to make sure his brother had sent the cell phone chargers like we had asked. (He had.) After a while, Tricia asked if she and Catie and Billy could go swimming and Billy shouted out, No swimming! No pool! ... Im really not sure why. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it was now dark outside... or maybe he just wanted to watch the game with his Daddy. It was only eight oclock but all I wanted to do at that point was get into my pajamas and climb into that big soft bed!
Somehow I was able to convince the girls that it would be best for everyone to simply make it an early night. I could see that we were already slipping into the habit of staying out late and then sleeping in the next morning and I wanted to nip that in the bud quickly! The parks would only get busier as we progressed further into Jersey Week and I wanted us to be at Disney Studios bright and early the next morning. The girls were a bit disappointed, but once we began talking about Rock n Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Midway Mania, they began to get excited for the next day.
And dont forget Fantasmic! Billy added firmly. I want Fantasmic, please!
Yes, it would be a busy day at the Studios since we were going on a day that Fantasmic was showing; we planned to be in the park all day. So, we pulled out the sleeper sofa and during commercials the kids got into their pajamas. We all piled onto the pull-out and watched the game together while we nibbled on our zebra domes and cheesecake.
Whenever Billy stands in front of the television, Ed always tells him, "Son, your father's a policeman, not a glass maker!"
Well, we were thrilled when our team, the Yankees, held on to win again! Afterwards it was lights-out in the living room and after a few moments of giggling and shushing, it was finally quiet. Soon after, Ed and I turned out our own lights and we settled in for a good rest.
Tomorrow, we would Take On the Toys for the first time ever!
Kathy
Not that I am bitter or anything
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
I didn't get to try Zebra Domes when we went to Boma for our first time in August and I was sickAll I had was tea
It is on the must do list for the next trip!
They are very light... rather mousse-like with a cookie bottom, but very sweet. They were so good with a cup of hot tea!
Kathy
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
...especially if the entire family is yawning like crazy!!
The ZDs were so yummy! And I learned about them right here on the DIS!
Kathy
(though the game was 
for us). Can't wait to hear how you all liked TSM!Great update. Your savannah had zebras and giraffes!! Both of my favorites. Can you give me a general idea of where you were? Also, can you get those little zebra yumminesses (like that word 
) on the DP as a dessert? Billy is just so cute in pics-always smiling!
) on the DP as a dessert? Billy is just so cute in pics-always smiling!
AmandaSparks730
<marquee><font color=purple> All shall know the wo
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2007
I've heard of these elusive Zebra Domes...but...what exactly *are* they?
Still toying around with the dates/hotel for our trip...I'm also trying to arrange a DISmeet with my TB friend Kara.
Still toying around with the dates/hotel for our trip...I'm also trying to arrange a DISmeet with my TB friend Kara.
Charleston Princess
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
I am so enjoying all your pictures around AKL and Kidani! It is just so pretty there, and I could look at giraffe pictures all day long!
ITTBAB scarred my children -- those spiders really were the worst part for them. I don't think I will ever convince them to go see it again. Kudos to Tricia for trying it again!
ZEBRA DOMES!!! Yum, yum, yum, yum!
ITTBAB scarred my children -- those spiders really were the worst part for them. I don't think I will ever convince them to go see it again. Kudos to Tricia for trying it again!
ZEBRA DOMES!!! Yum, yum, yum, yum!
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
Great update. Your savannah had zebras and giraffes!! Both of my favorites. Can you give me a general idea of where you were? Also, can you get those little zebra yumminesses (like that word
We were on the Red River Hog Trail, room 7726.
We always seemed to have cattle and giraffe and often we had zebra and ostriches. I never did see a red river hog!!
See below for description of the zebra dome yumminess...
Save for the team, the boys look cute in their matching shirts.
Tell Ed my brother's version of the TV complaint is "Tell Auntie Heather that she makes a better door than a window."
Very cute! The humor is lost on Billy, I'm afraid!
The best way to describe them is that they are more of a dessert than a pastry. They seem to be made of a soft cookie base topped with a scoop of chocolate mousse and coated with a chocolate shell. Then the shell is drizzled with white chocolate "stripes", hence the name. So sweet, but oh so good!
They are available at the Mara and at Boma, during dinnertime.
Kathy
Share this page
-
New! Disney World Logo Merch Including Bags With a Spot To Hold Your Mouse Ears
-
Club Pixar Comes to Life at Disneyland Resort During Pixar Fest
-
First Look at Jumbeaux's Sweets Coming to the Disney Treasure
-
Wade & Ember from 'Elemental' Arrive at Disneyland for Pixar Fest
-
New Decor at Disneyland Resort for Pixar Fest
GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
