"This is NOT the once in a lifetime trip I was hoping for!" - (Baby Simba - 12/18)

[PopArtGal]

I have to say I take things slower since I don't do a lot of rides. My migraines are worst now and a lot of the rides spark one. So I tend to do other things hehe

 

[cheekypoppins]

such a good diser taking notes while the laundrys in way to go!!! I usually do it at night when the kids fall asleep

 

[katt789]

Too bad epcot was so busy that morning, but at least you guys had some fun, and got on soarin!I HAVE to try that croissont bread pudding! Read about it in Jess's TR and it sounds amazing! Yum!

God I love the beach club, it's SO PRETTY!! Even just for a laundry break!

I need to get to AK in the afternoon sometime, I'm sure it's way less crowded by that time, and I'd love to see it at night!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Yay, Safari pictures!!! You are right, that metal bar you took the picture of is where you overlook the Hippos on WAT.

I've never seen the Cheetahs that close before! And yay for an active Lion!

 

[jenseib]

I always love when I see pictures of the lion up and walking

 

[KatMark]

First, LOVE that Peanut is crawling. It all goes so fast.


Two good updates, Mel...although I'm sorry the first part of it had issues with your getting milk on your shirt and the crowds again.

I cannot believe you got pictures of the lion up and walking around; we have NEVER seen him move at all.

I love that photopass picture...a very different pose.

 

[gracer9977]

Really? You would get in line instead of trying to get a FP early in the day and do other rides with shorter lines in the middle of the day? (I don't mean that in a rude way, just confused/curious)

Hi. No I would totally use Fast Pass and come back for the shorter line. I would never voluntarily wait in a long line unless I really wanted to ride it and there was no other option.

I am pretty excited about Cedar Point FINALLY getting a Fast Pass like system. You have to pay an extra $50.00 (which seems ridiculously expensive) to get a wrist band that lets you bypass the main line. Last year was the first year they had it and we tried it for one of the days we were there and it was Awesome. We didn't wait longer than an hour to ride anything which was amazing.

 

[Pluto0809]

Bummer that you spilled your chocolate milk. I did something similar with my Grand Mariner Slushie.

I really want to try Sum of All Thrills but I'm afraid my stomach couldn't handle it.

I've actually scene Living With The Land with a line like that! When we were there in November, the line stretched all the way back to Soarin'.

You got some great pictures on the Safari. I see that Stephanie beat me to the question you had about the WAT. I love the pictures of the Lion and the Cheetah. Someday I will see them moving around!

 

[AvasMommy526]

Innovations looks so fun! I can't remember ever spending a lot of time there but since it will be pretty hot when we are there and I really think Ava will enjoy it, we will make some time definitely!!
Bummer about the chocolate milk, that is totally me, I always spill Glad it came out though!
Love the Safari and the photo of the 4 of you!!!!

 

[SAT887]

Love the safari pictures! Also, the PP is excellent - I like the different pose, it helped showcase Claudia better I think. EE does look better with the gray skies, gives it some realism.

 

[mickeystoontown]

What a good Diser you are for taking notes while doing the laundry. I need to do better at taking notes because most of my trip report writing comes from memory.

I've never seen the savannah look so empty! But, like you said, what animals you did see were up and about and waiting for their pictures to be taken. Very cool that you got to see both the cheetah and the lion walking around.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Wow, those animals really were active! AND THE LION!? I wasn't sure he could actually stand up! (So funny that you're doing safari pics now, because that's my next installment, too! Guess I had better get to it!)

Your mei tai carrier (spelling?) is gorgeous!

Ooooh, I love the way EE looks in the mist!

 

[shan23877]

Cool lion and cheetah pictures! You're right-EE does look really good in the gray weather.

 

[glaserjm]

Hi Mel! I just started following along and didn't want to be a lurker, so wanted to pop in and say hi! I look forward to reading about the rest of your adventure...it is disappointing when our Disney plans don't get exactly how we imagined them for the months prior, so good for you for choosing to focus on the positive and list your accomplishments rather than list the things you wanted to do but missed!

Oh and Claudia is gorgeous!

 

[ronnmel]

Awesome lion pics ! He loos much more scary when he's up and about rather than when he is lying around all lazy (thats how is is whenever I've seen him) !

EE looks really cool with the cloudy sky .. but i sure hope the weather got better for you guys !

Yes he does look much scarier standing up. Usually he just looks like a giant cat.

That was the worse day for us weather wise. It was chilly enough to need light jackets, and it was drizzling all day. It never rained hard though, and it got much warmer later on.

I have to say I take things slower since I don't do a lot of rides. My migraines are worst now and a lot of the rides spark one. So I tend to do other things hehe

That makes sense. It's hard to resist the temptation of doing rides, but if you can't do too many of them, it's easier to appreciate the other stuff.

such a good diser taking notes while the laundrys in way to go!!! I usually do it at night when the kids fall asleep

Laundry is boring, sitting there and taking notes meant not having to walk back and forth between the room and laundry several times, and it gave me a break from baby duties. I would have done it after everyone had gone to sleep, but I couldn't go on the balcony because the pack n play was in front of the door (and silly me didn't think of moving it), I didn't want to keep people up with the light on, and frankly, I was often exhausted.

Too bad epcot was so busy that morning, but at least you guys had some fun, and got on soarin!I HAVE to try that croissont bread pudding! Read about it in Jess's TR and it sounds amazing! Yum!

God I love the beach club, it's SO PRETTY!! Even just for a laundry break!

I need to get to AK in the afternoon sometime, I'm sure it's way less crowded by that time, and I'd love to see it at night!

I only had a tiny bite of the croissant bread pudding, but it was such an interesting combination! You'll probably love it.

Yes, the Beach Club is incredibly pretty.

AK is the one park where it makes sense to get there later. If you need to sleep in one day, or if you want to park hop from another park, it's a good park to go. The last few hours are often way less busy because everybody leaves early, or after the parade at the latest. There are still showings of the Lion King until pretty late, and then you have a good chance of being able to do EE several times with minimal wait.

Yay, Safari pictures!!! You are right, that metal bar you took the picture of is where you overlook the Hippos on WAT.

I've never seen the Cheetahs that close before! And yay for an active Lion!

Thanks for the info! Felines are my favorite animals so I was super happy to get to see BOTH the cheetahs and lions up and moving that day.

I always love when I see pictures of the lion up and walking

It was exciting to see him!

First, LOVE that Peanut is crawling. It all goes so fast.


Two good updates, Mel...although I'm sorry the first part of it had issues with your getting milk on your shirt and the crowds again.

I cannot believe you got pictures of the lion up and walking around; we have NEVER seen him move at all.

I love that photopass picture...a very different pose.

She's moving everywhere now! So cute to see her exploring.

The crowds and the chocolate milk incident sucked, but we had planned on doing laundry at some point anyway. Plus, it got us back to Animal Kingdom when we weren't even we'd make it back, and we got to see the lion walking so that was one major PLUS. It all worked on in the end, even though I felt like crying that morning.

I need to remember that photopass pose and do it again.

 

[ronnmel]

Love the safari pictures! Also, the PP is excellent - I like the different pose, it helped showcase Claudia better I think. EE does look better with the gray skies, gives it some realism.

Thanks! It's true, that PP picture is one of our best to show the four of us together.

EE looked very real that day. It was great!

What a good Diser you are for taking notes while doing the laundry. I need to do better at taking notes because most of my trip report writing comes from memory.

I've never seen the savannah look so empty! But, like you said, what animals you did see were up and about and waiting for their pictures to be taken. Very cool that you got to see both the cheetah and the lion walking around.

Taking notes during laundry is the best thing to do. Second best thing is take lots of pictures of the surrounding areas. Well if your TR are relying almost only on pictures and memory, I must say you are doing a darn good job!! I can only imagine how much more awesomer (yes, it's a word...) it would be if you took detailed notes.

I will take an empty savannah every day if it means an active lion.

Wow, those animals really were active! AND THE LION!? I wasn't sure he could actually stand up! (So funny that you're doing safari pics now, because that's my next installment, too! Guess I had better get to it!)

Your mei tai carrier (spelling?) is gorgeous!

Ooooh, I love the way EE looks in the mist!

Yes, THE LION IS REAL!! It was awesome. Totally made up for not seeing lots of animals on that safari. I read your installment too. It's okay that you didn't have a lot of animals either, since it kept the children happy and that's what matters.

Thanks! I got my Mei Tai (you spelled it right ) custom made. I love it, but haven't used it a lot this winter. Can't wait for warmer weather.

EE looked positively gloomy.

Cool lion and cheetah pictures! You're right-EE does look really good in the gray weather.

Thanks! I feel very lucky to have gotten those pictures. Looking at EE in the gray weather makes it more real.

Hi Mel! I just started following along and didn't want to be a lurker, so wanted to pop in and say hi! I look forward to reading about the rest of your adventure...it is disappointing when our Disney plans don't get exactly how we imagined them for the months prior, so good for you for choosing to focus on the positive and list your accomplishments rather than list the things you wanted to do but missed!

Oh and Claudia is gorgeous!

I'm super happy that you decided not to be a lurker. I should be posting several more updates this weekend, since it's a long weekend.

I used to live in regrets a lot before, and it's just not good for my stress level and emotional state, so I try to focus on the positive now (when I can). It was a hard trip to live through, but I know we had some great moments too and it's what I choose to remember.

 

[ronnmel]

Hi. No I would totally use Fast Pass and come back for the shorter line. I would never voluntarily wait in a long line unless I really wanted to ride it and there was no other option.

I am pretty excited about Cedar Point FINALLY getting a Fast Pass like system. You have to pay an extra $50.00 (which seems ridiculously expensive) to get a wrist band that lets you bypass the main line. Last year was the first year they had it and we tried it for one of the days we were there and it was Awesome. We didn't wait longer than an hour to ride anything which was amazing.

Oh good! You had me scared for a second. Disney has spoiled me, and I don't have much interest in going back to our local 6 Flags park. They too have a Fastpass like system that you have to pay for. It certainly helped, but it was not as good as Disney's FREE fastpasses. I'm glad it seemed to work out better for you at Cedar Point. I would have loved to try Cedar Point back when I was younger. I heard so much about the roller coasters there through TV travel shows. Now I get too affected by G-forces.

Bummer that you spilled your chocolate milk. I did something similar with my Grand Mariner Slushie.

I really want to try Sum of All Thrills but I'm afraid my stomach couldn't handle it.

I've actually scene Living With The Land with a line like that! When we were there in November, the line stretched all the way back to Soarin'.

You got some great pictures on the Safari. I see that Stephanie beat me to the question you had about the WAT. I love the pictures of the Lion and the Cheetah. Someday I will see them moving around!

I was really sad to have spilled my chocolate milk onto my new sweatshirt, especially since I had been eying that shirt all week and we all know Disney shirts are not cheap. I was very glad when I got the stain out! I hope your Grand Marnier Slushie spill did not cause a permanent stain.

I know that you can make tamer rides with Sum of All Thrills, but I'm not sure how fun they are or if they would help at all with the motion sickness.

Wow, a long line at LWTL in November? Crazy!

Thanks. At first I was disappointed that not many animals were out for that Safari, but once I saw the cheetahs and lion all was okay in my book. I hope you get to see a walking lion too! Try to go on a rainy/chilly day. I had heard it was the trick to see active animals, and it worked for me.

Innovations looks so fun! I can't remember ever spending a lot of time there but since it will be pretty hot when we are there and I really think Ava will enjoy it, we will make some time definitely!!
Bummer about the chocolate milk, that is totally me, I always spill Glad it came out though!
Love the Safari and the photo of the 4 of you!!!!

Innoventions IS fun! Make sure to do the Great Piggy Bank Adventure and the "Where's the Fire" game, as well as the escape the fire game at the end of that last game. I think Ava will love those.

I always spill too. So annoying.

Thanks! We got some great photos that day, despite the rain.

 

[ronnmel]

Day 5 part 5 – The One With The Teenage Attitude


We stopped at the Theater in the Wild to catch the 5pm showing of Finding Nemo.

We were seated pretty up high, way to the right of the stage, close to the exit doors.

It’s a cute, funny and colourful show which Peanut enjoyed.

Her and I had to miss the end though, as I had to go change a stinky diaper. She gets really fussy when her diaper isn’t cleaned, so I couldn’t just “wait it out”. I had no idea that the restrooms were outside and had left her hoodie with Otaku. I walked fast so she wouldn’t get cold. Once I was done I wondered if I would be allowed back in the theater, but the show ended and people started coming out so it was a moot point. Ron and Otaku had no problem finding me after they got out. Otaku asked if we had Claudia’s sweater. Ron said no, so Otaku went back inside to find it (people were still coming out, they were amongst the first to come out since we were seated so close to the exit). Ron then realized he did have the sweater in the backpack, so he went to get Otaku and told her it was his mistake. For some reason the whole incident freaked Otaku out and she went all teenager on us. She put on her earphones, listened to her iPod and followed several steps behind, moody. Ron tried to figure out what was wrong, said we were not upset with her, that it was his fault not hers, but nothing was working. I told Otaku that we would keep doing things and rides and when she was ready to have fun again she could join us.

Our plan was to watch the last showing of Festival of the Lion King, but Ron and I were both getting a bit tired and neither of us felt like sitting through another show. Plus, Peanut was getting quite squirmy and Otaku couldn’t care less. Instead we got Dinosaur FPs and went to a new counter-service restaurant for us, Pizzafari. It was really empty despite being 6pm, but I enjoyed the emptiness and took pictures while waiting for the food.

Ron wasn’t hungry and Otaku was pouting, so I was the only to get food. I got a cheese pizza and breadsticks. It was okay, but I’ve had way better breadsticks.

Ron ate my Caesar salad.

I got some aluminum foil to take the rest of the breadsticks to go. We gave Claudia her medication. She has to take something for reflux. It’s a pill that dilutes in water and we give it to her in her mouth with a syringe. That was a bit of a paint to have to do every day around dinner time. At least I put an alarm on my phone to remind me; otherwise I’m sure we would have forgotten quite a few times.

I walked around the room we were sitting in to take a few pics.

I know there are several hidden Mickeys in that restaurant, but I only found one.

After we were done eating I quickly took a walk around to take more photos. There are so many rooms at Pizzafari, all with cool murals. I hope I get to go back to explore some more.

One of the exits.

We went back to Dinoland. Otaku was still in her no fun mood, so we left her to keep an eye on Peanut while Ron and I rode our first ride together of the trip. FPs were not needed at all. In fact, it took us longer to walk through the FP queue than it did the other people to walk through the standby queue. LOL We walked straight onto Dinosaur. I tried to take this picture to show how empty it was, but it’s kinda blurry.

I know not everyone agrees, but I love Dinosaur for some reason. I love that it’s dark, loud and bumpy. I wanted to do a pose, but I forgot. Ron did not forget, and looked extra frightened for the occasion.

We exited and found Otaku pushing Claudia in the stroller in the souvenir store. Claudia was charming a lady once again, something she did quite a bit during the trip (and in our everyday life. She loves to smile at people and be all cute).


Up Next, Will The Teenage Attitude Go Away?​

 

[katt789]

Claudia looks like she's having so much fun in the nemo show! Awesome!

Sucks that okatu went all "teenager" I'll completely admit to having done that on trips, I usually just say that I'm "hangry" hungry angry, once you get some sugar in you, it kinda clears up everything.

Pizzafari is HUGE and so pretty! There's so much stufff in there to look at, glad you got some pics of the inside!

 

[Disneylvr]

Teenage girls are all about drama! I have a 10 year old tween and the drama has already started. I also wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying your trip report! Thanks for sharing it here on DIS.