Escape from the North - A Week at the Yacht Club - April 2015- Complete* 1/5

pkondz · May 2, 2015

irene_dsc said:

Mrsd · May 2, 2015

We had a similar problem with our magic bands at Beach Club last year. But then when we went to ESPN to eat dinner they wouldn't work there and we had to go to the desk to get that worked out. Great trip report. Thanks for sharing.

Mrsd · May 2, 2015

We had a similar problem with our magic bands at Beach Club last year. But then when we went to ESPN to eat dinner they wouldn't work there and we had to go to the desk to get that worked out. Great trip report. Thanks for sharing.

Mrsd · May 2, 2015

We had a similar problem with our magic bands at Beach Club last year. But then when we went to ESPN to eat dinner they wouldn't work there and we had to go to the desk to get that worked out. Great trip report. Thanks for sharing.

SarahDisney · May 2, 2015

Sounds like a nice afternoon at the pool, and I'm glad the boys got into the pin trading.

I'm glad to hear you stuck pretty close to plan, and it sounds like a really nice arrival day!

kastoney · May 3, 2015

Love, love, love how you all started the trip. I'm always so consumed about getting to a park, that I never think to just stop and enjoy the resort for a while. Gonna have to take a page out of your book next trip.

Glad you finally got to see illuminations, though I agree with you it doesn't hold up to wishes or fantasmic. I'm also too impatient to wait for a spot, so the few times we've seen it we've just stopped in our tracks to watch it from wherever we are. Sounds like the fast pass may be a good option though

ursalita · May 3, 2015

Day 2
Animal Kingdom Part 2
It's a beautiful weekend and I should be outside doing yard work but all I want to do is work on my TR. :flower1:

We were up bright and early to enjoy our first full day at Disney. We were headed to Animal Kingdom for 8:00 EMH. We were at the bus stop a little before 8. We waited about 5 minutes for a bus and we were on our way. We were running late so we didn't make rope drop but we were at the park at about 8:15.

There was a little bit of a delay when the scanner didn't seem to like my fingerprint. They called someone over to take a picture of me and had me go through again. It was a little annoying when I just wanted to get into the park but they cleared it up quickly. This would happen again and they told me that sometimes your hand swells or lotions affect it. :confused3

I was tempted to tell them it was because I burned my fingerprints off that time I robbed a bank. :rolleyes1

We took a quick walk through the Oasis area but the Spoonbills were the only animals that were out. Sorry Spoonbills, you're a little boring. I overheard a CM saying "Happy Earth Day." I hadn't planned it that way but it was perfect to be at AK on Earth Day. :hippie:

Then we got some photos:

Our first Magic Shot of the trip:

We made a stop in the gift shop when Aidan saw a hat that he just had to have:

I didn't stop and wait for a chance to get a picture in front of the tree but I got a couple of shots as we were walking past.

I don't think I really appreciated all the detail on this tree during past visits.

We stopped at Pizzafari for some breakfast. I wrote about it in more detail in my DR if you're interested. After eating we took a walk through the Discovery Island trails and saw some animals and more views of the tree. We liked this guy:

He's a Galapagos Tortoise. I think. I might be completely making that up. :confused:

We were on our way to our FP+ here:

There was only a 5 minute wait at that time so the FP was completely unnecessary. On our way up the FP line the boys met some CMs and did some trading:

The boys loved this ride so much we did it a second time. They would have kept going but I had to put a stop to the madness. I was completely soaked as you can see in these PP pictures:

And so begins the downward hair spiral. :scared:

I love this picture as the boys adore Stitch but he couldn't wait for Jamie to move out of the frame? :confused:

Maharajah Jungle Trek is next.

KathyM2 · May 3, 2015

Great morning so far at AK. Are there any big drops on Kali? My DD hasn't been on it but not sure if she would like it...she is VERY wimpy when it comes to rides...won't even go on Pirates....You guys got pretty soaked! but the kids look very happy! I love those magic pictures, especially the one with Olaf.

ursalita · May 3, 2015

I finally figured out how you guys do those multiple quotes in a post. :woohoo:

pkondz said:
But how happy were you when they all started working???

I really did not want to walk back.

pkondz said:
I know a lot of people were complaining when they first rolled out, but maybe they've got the kinks ironed out of them now.

Yeah. No problems at all. I also like how they use them to locate you to deliver food at BOG and they must use them to match up your ride pic & video on 7DMT. Creepy but cool.

pkondz said:
After seeing nothing but snow, melted water would be irresistible.

It was. Even I enjoyed it and didn't mind not having more time in Epcot.

pkondz said:
I wonder what they do if you have guests?

I did have a guest but we didn't make it to the pool that day. I can report that she didn't have any problems parking at the resort for the day.

pkondz said:
Oh. So you're that kind of guest, hunh?

You can't take me anywhere.

pkondz said:
I get "no standing"... but no going down head first or backwards... a little over zealous in the safety department don't you think?

I thought so, too. It was just the short slide. Even the drink thing was a little much. We were carrying half-full cups of margarita and following the kiddos through knee deep water. Pretty unlikely we were going to spill it. :rolleyes:

pkondz said:
Did they warm up enough that they'd ask on their own?

They sure did. It definitely brought Aidan out of his shell. I noticed him striking up conversations with strangers much more easily.

pkondz said:
I really like that shot!

Thanks.

pkondz said:
Probably #1 on my Disney bucket list.

Definitely worth it even if you go just for the ice cream.

pkondz said:
I'm thinking it's a lucky accident?

Probably.

pkondz said:
I love that. Just "walked over". No busses, no boats, no monorail.

It was really nice. It made the buses to AK and MK seem like they took forever.

pkondz said:
Disney will do that, won't it?

It hasn't been an easy year for him at school so it was really good to see those smiles.

pkondz said:
How many times did he "stab" you with it while calling you a scurvy dog?

So many times. I think he ended up with quite the arsenal: 4 swords, 2 daggers, and a gun when all was said and done.

pkondz said:
And that's the draw, right?
But you can ask them to take your photo with your own camera too, ya know.
That's what I did with my Tink visit.

I did know that they would take the photo with your camera but I thought it would be easier to just scan a band and not have to do the camera hand off. I also thought the photos would be nicer since they have higher quality cameras. I might end up getting it again just for the convenience factor.

pkondz said:
Where is it? Is it on that island between UK and France?

No. It's past Canada almost to the walkway over to Future World. Looking on the map I think it's the area they call Showcase Plaza.

pkondz said:
What got me here was the word "seat". Were there seats?
Or do you mean places to sit on the ground?

Sorry, I didn't make it clear. There were no seats, I should have said spots. Everyone was sitting on the ground before it started but stood when it started.

pkondz said:
That sucker's huge!
I'm not sure if I've seen that before.

Yeah, it's big. I just took a quick look at it but it's not all that accurate either. :laughing:

pkondz said:
Are you a fortune teller?

Wait... Shouldn't you be winning my contest?
Or are you being generous and letting someone else win?

I'm a giver. ::yes::

ursalita · May 3, 2015

irene_dsc said:
Yes. Yes it does.
View attachment 91917 View attachment 91918 View attachment 91919

So you already know.

Mrsd said:
We had a similar problem with our magic bands at Beach Club last year. But then when we went to ESPN to eat dinner they wouldn't work there and we had to go to the desk to get that worked out. Great trip report. Thanks for sharing.

I'm sorry you had trouble. We didn't have any problems after we got into the room. Thank you!

SarahDisney said:
Sounds like a nice afternoon at the pool, and I'm glad the boys got into the pin trading.

I'm glad to hear you stuck pretty close to plan, and it sounds like a really nice arrival day!

They loved trading but they stopped once they'd traded away all the pins they didn't want. They were very deliberate about it. It was a great day, thanks!

kastoney said:
Love, love, love how you all started the trip. I'm always so consumed about getting to a park, that I never think to just stop and enjoy the resort for a while. Gonna have to take a page out of your book next trip.

Glad you finally got to see illuminations, though I agree with you it doesn't hold up to wishes or fantasmic. I'm also too impatient to wait for a spot, so the few times we've seen it we've just stopped in our tracks to watch it from wherever we are. Sounds like the fast pass may be a good option though

We hadn't originally planned a park for that day but didn't want to be so close to Epcot and not go. It worked out perfect to do the Illuminations FP on that day since we didn't really need FP for rides. If we were doing a full day I don't know that I would have spared a FP for it since you can see it from many other spots.

KathyM2 said:
Great morning so far at AK. Are there any big drops on Kali? My DD hasn't been on it but not sure if she would like it...she is VERY wimpy when it comes to rides...won't even go on Pirates....You guys got pretty soaked! but the kids look very happy! I love those magic pictures, especially the one with Olaf.

There aren't any big drops, just a small one that gets you wet. Aidan is scared of drops and he loved it if that helps. I see you've started a PTR. Gotta go check that out. :goodvibes

KathyM2 · May 3, 2015

ursalita said:
There aren't any big drops, just a small one that gets you wet. Aidan is scared of drops and he loved it if that helps. I see you've started a PTR. Gotta go check that out.

Oh that's good to hear. Maybe we will venture on that next time

And yes...I have started a PTR and will be there in October...yahoooo! So following along intently with your report!

401Disney · May 3, 2015

Of all the trips I've taken to disney I've never done Kahli river Rapids. I think the idea of walking around in wet clothes for the day is what puts me off the most but my fiancé wants to try it this upcoming trip.

SarahDisney · May 3, 2015

ursalita said:
There was a little bit of a delay when the scanner didn't seem to like my fingerprint. They called someone over to take a picture of me and had me go through again. It was a little annoying when I just wanted to get into the park but they cleared it up quickly. This would happen again and they told me that sometimes your hand swells or lotions affect it. I was tempted to tell them it was because I burned my fingerprints off that time I robbed a bank.

I've had the same problem with the fingerprint scanner ... I guess my problem is also related to my life of crime?
I get the impression this happens more than you'd think ... they seem to know how to deal with it.

ursalita said:
I hadn't planned it that way but it was perfect to be at AK on Earth Day.

Very cool!

ursalita said:
We made a stop in the gift shop when Aidan saw a hat that he just had to have:

I love the hat!

ursalita said:
He's a Galapagos Tortoise. I think. I might be completely making that up.

Looks like a Galapagos Tortoise to me ... but I really can't tell Tortoises apart. We can just hope you're right.

ursalita said:
The boys loved this ride so much we did it a second time. They would have kept going but I had to put a stop to the madness. I was completely soaked as you can see in these PP pictures:

Since when is being dry important?
(And that's one of the reasons I've never done Kali River Rapids ... I may only spend 10-15 minutes on my hair, but I still like the way it looks and I don't want the water to mess it up)

ursalita said:
I love this picture as the boys adore Stitch but he couldn't wait for Jamie to move out of the frame?

Wait - I thought the whole point of the picture was Jamie half walking out of the frame? Is the picture actually supposed to be the boys and Stitch?

Sailormoon2 · May 3, 2015

Love the photo with Stitch!! great faces from the boys. I am tentatively hoping to experience multiple rides on Kali-and then walk the trails to "dry off". I'm figuring in August that won't be an issue.

pkondz · May 3, 2015

ursalita said:
It's a beautiful weekend and I should be outside doing yard work but all I want to do is work on my TR.

That's because you love us.

ursalita said:
We waited about 5 minutes for a bus and we were on our way.

Nice to start the vacation off with good bus karma.

ursalita said:
they told me that sometimes your hand swells or lotions affect it.

Then stop using it!!!! (the scanner... not the lotion.)

ursalita said:
I was tempted to tell them it was because I burned my fingerprints off that time I robbed a bank.

"Ha, ha, ma'am. Very funny.... Now go away."
It's like saying "bomb" in an airport.

ursalita said:
Then we got some photos:

Hey! It's you!

ursalita said:
Our first Magic Shot of the trip:

That's just mean! You just got away from snow and cold!

ursalita said:
We made a stop in the gift shop when Aidan saw a hat that he just had to have:

Looks good on him.

:laughing:

ursalita said:
I was completely soaked as you can see in these PP pictures:

You look a little.... damp.

ursalita said:
I love this picture as the boys adore Stitch but he couldn't wait for Jamie to move out of the frame?

How badly do you want it fixed?

ursalita said:
I also like how they use them to locate you to deliver food at BOG

I thought that was great.

ursalita said:
and they must use them to match up your ride pic & video on 7DMT.

Yup. They do.

ursalita said:
Creepy but cool.

Cool yes, but I never really thought of it as creepy.
If Disney wants to use my magicband to track me and use that info to make the park more efficient or better or whatever, then I'm willing to let 'em if it means having the convenience of the band.

ursalita said:
I did have a guest but we didn't make it to the pool that day. I can report that she didn't have any problems parking at the resort for the day.

Yeah, parking's not a problem. But I do wonder about the pool.

ursalita said:
You can't take me anywhere.

I've heard that about you, actually.

ursalita said:
They sure did. It definitely brought Aidan out of his shell. I noticed him striking up conversations with strangers much more easily.

I like that! :goodvibes

ursalita said:
It hasn't been an easy year for him at school so it was really good to see those smiles.

Oh, yuck. Both my kids have had those "fun" years at school.
So much fun for one that we had to change schools.

Makes you want to bend over backwards to see them smile again.

ursalita said:
I think he ended up with quite the arsenal: 4 swords, 2 daggers, and a gun when all was said and done.

ursalita said:
I'm a giver.

I KNEW IT!!!!

Glittercat · May 3, 2015

Kali River Rapids is terrific if you don't mind getting drenched. It doesn't happen to everyone, but boy when it does it's something else! My daughter @flibberjibit LOVED this ride when she was 10, my son at 5 not so much.

I adore it, but it is one of the few that doesn't put strain on my legs, except getting in and out lol. My poor husband lifts me in and back out again, then CM's have my wheelchair ready.

It really is an entertaining ride and is quite beautiful! I think there used to be some videos of it up, so maybe you could view one before deciding.

pkondz · May 3, 2015

Glittercat said:
Kali River Rapids is terrific if you don't mind getting drenched. It doesn't happen to everyone, but boy when it does it's something else! My daughter @flibberjibit LOVED this ride when she was 10, my son at 5 not so much. I adore it, but it is one of the few that doesn't put strain on my legs, except getting in and out lol. My poor husband lifts me in and back out again, then CM's have my wheelchair ready. It really is an entertaining ride and is quite beautiful! I think there used to be some videos of it up, so maybe you could view one before deciding.

Hey! @Glittercat changed her avatar!

TheLittleKatie · May 3, 2015

OMG, I'm loving this TR already :love:

ursalita said:

Those excited faces!!! I don't know about you, but I love reading about the journey to WDW! It makes me feel excited and I'm not sure for what... To read your TR? To go to Disney myself? I don't know, there's just something really exciting about seeing pre-Disney photos! :hyper:

ursalita said:
I'm not nearly a frequent flyer so I made the mistake of packing the sunscreen (2 large tubes and 2 aerosol cans) in the carry-on. I didn't realize it was considered a liquid so it was confiscated by TSA right then and there. $30 bucks worth of sunscreen gone.

Oh noooo, we've all been there!!! :rotfl:

ursalita said:
The Southwest flight crew were their usual sarcastic selves. I'm probably in the minority but I'm not really a fan.

HUH?! I don't know much about Southwest airlines, what is it that they do?!

ursalita said:
We arrived just in time to get the last spots on the bus heading to Yacht Club. We were seated in the first row that is normally reserved for guests with disabilities so I got this unobstructed view:

Well, except for the giant dead bug on the windshield.

Awesome!!! Hopefully that bug was just hitching a ride to the most magical place on earth.. :thumbsup2

I know that's what I would do if I was a bug :goodvibes

ursalita said:
I had made a couple of FPs for the afternoon at Epcot but the boys wanted to go in the pool. I couldn't blame them after the winter we had so that's what we did. We changed into our suits and headed down to Stormalong Bay!

A great decision!

ursalita said:
It was pretty hot so Jamie and I split a margarita from Hurricane Hanna's.

This sounds like the perfect start to a vacation :goodvibes

ursalita said:
The No Way Jose was the best part of it. We absolutely destroyed it and nearly fought over every bite. Sammy looks like he wants to dive in here:

Ahhh you guys!!! I have No Way Jose envy!! I don't know if you remember from my TR, but Jamie doesn't like peanut butter, so we split the fudge mudslide instead.. BOY I wish we had just gotten one each! Even just the thought of peanut butter and ice cream makes my mouth water :laughing:

I'm glad you enjoyed it!!

ursalita said:

Great shot of the four of you! And Colleen you look lovely :goodvibes

From your first picture in your PTR I just imagined you looking completely different! But I love the blonde hair on you! :lovestruc

ursalita said:
I'm not sure how I feel about Memory Maker. I purchased it before the price went up so I paid $149. I tried to get as many photo opportunities as possible. Some of the photographers were better than others but I look at most of the photos and think I could have done better with my camera and I'm not even that good with it.

This is such a shame. I like the ones you've posted so far though!

ursalita said:
The boys were tired so they sprawled on the ground and played with their new toys while we waited for the show.

Aww this photo makes me feel so nostalgic! This was me as a kid at the nighttime shows, I was a sucker for those light up toys!!!

ursalita said:

GREAT shots!!! Fireworks and night shots are my downfall in my pictures I think. Did you use your DSLR? Maybe I need to make an investment. :confused3

Did you find it easy to use / learn?

ursalita said:

Love this lobby :love:

it's so fancy shmancy!

ursalita said:
We are scheduled to arrive at MCO at 12:20. I'm guessing we'll get to YC around 2 or later. There's a decent chance that the room will be ready but we'll have suits in our carry-on for the pool anyway. We have fast passes for Spaceship Earth at 3:40 and the Seas at 4:40 which we may or may not use. I think this afternoon will go one of two ways: the boys will see the pool and we won't be able to drag them away or they will be lured to Epcot to spend their gift cards in the Japanese store. I'm fine either way. At 6:40 we have an ADR for Beaches & Cream where we will split a No Way Jose. Lastly we have a FP for Illuminations to close out the day.

You nailed it!!!! You obviously know your kids well :goodvibes

ursalita said:
It's a beautiful weekend and I should be outside doing yard work but all I want to do is work on my TR.

I love this :goodvibes

I love writing my TR too! It's good to know I'm not the only person who passes up time outdoors to write about Disney :goodvibes

ursalita said:
I was tempted to tell them it was because I burned my fingerprints off that time I robbed a bank.

HAHA!! With a straight poker face and a blank stare this would have been perfect :rotfl:

ursalita said:

Love this, especially Sammy's face!!! :rotfl:

ursalita said:

Amazing! You guys are an adorable family :goodvibes

ursalita said:
The boys loved this ride so much we did it a second time. They would have kept going but I had to put a stop to the madness. I was completely soaked as you can see in these PP pictures:

Again, adorable family! (I'm a sucker for a family shot :laughing:

) And oh girl, I feel you on the hair front!!! Mine is a DISASTER in Florida! And you went on Kali TWICE already ?! That is two times too many in my opinion! :rotfl:

I always come off completely soaked!! Sounds like the boys enjoyed it though, and that's all that matters I guess :goodvibes

Great updates, can't wait to hear more! :goodvibes

ursalita · May 3, 2015

Day 2
Animal Kingdom Part 2

This update and several of the posts for the first half of this day are going to be pretty heavy on the animal photos. I hope it's not too boring. When we left off we'd just had a couple of fun rides on Kali River Rapids and were heading over to Maharajah Jungle Trek before our Safari FP.

It was about this time of the day that Sammy started getting really cranky, a state he settled firmly into for most of our day at Animal Kingdom. He's really a homebody at heart. He much prefers to be at home and will often resist going out and experiencing things. He was happy at Disney but he often wanted to go "home" to the hotel. Since this was the first day of the trip I think it hit him pretty hard on this day. He did get into the routine and after a couple days he was much happier. But this day was tough.

So despite Sammy's displeasure we headed out onto the trails. The first animal we came upon was the Komodo Dragon:

The boys really liked this guy. Then the bats:

I have mixed feelings about bats. I love seeing them come out at dusk in the summer to eat mosquitoes. But up close they are really creepy. :eek:

We had one in our house when Aidan was a baby. At first I thought it was a bird but when Jamie said it was a bat I ran out of the house in terror completely forgetting the baby. :scared1:

Jamie came out and was like, "Are you forgetting something?" He handed Aidan to me and went back in the house to shoo it out. I appreciate bats from afar. ::yes::

Then we were lucky enough to see this guy:

He's new to the park, I think the CM said he's been there for a few months. They are trying to get the females used to him. I believe she said he came from a zoo in Portland where he'd been a successful mate so they're trying him out here.

He's just a few feet away from these:

Jamie mentioned that the smell of the antelope must be driving the tiger crazy. The CM told us that they installed a - I can't remember what he called it - system to prevent the tiger and antelope from smelling each other. If it wasn't for that, they wouldn't be as relaxed as they are. I found that fascinating.

When we exited this section we entered an aviary.

The birds were pretty but a couple of them dive-bombed my giant freak head.

On our way out we saw this awesome creature:

He had his own CM guarding him so guests wouldn't get too close. When they tried to touch him, because of course they did, :sad2:

she told them that we were guests in his home. I thought that was awesome. :goodvibes

We left the Trek to head over to our Safari FP. Sammy's complaining had reached critical levels but I knew if we could just make it to the safari he would enjoy it.

We passed Flights of Wonder on our way:

Then his likeness in the Tree of Life:

Unfortunately that was as close as we would get to FoW this trip. I don't feel too bad about it because what I'm fortunate enough to experience a little later in the day completely makes up for it and then some.

Safari is next.

ursalita · May 4, 2015

401Disney said:
Of all the trips I've taken to disney I've never done Kahli river Rapids. I think the idea of walking around in wet clothes for the day is what puts me off the most but my fiancé wants to try it this upcoming trip.

It's a fun ride and can feel great when it's hot. I didn't mind the wet clothes too much since you dry off pretty quickly walking around in the Florida sun. It's the hair that's the problem for me. :sad2:

SarahDisney said:
I get the impression this happens more than you'd think ... they seem to know how to deal with it.

I'm sure it does. They handled it really quickly.

SarahDisney said:
Since when is being dry important?
(And that's one of the reasons I've never done Kali River Rapids ... I may only spend 10-15 minutes on my hair, but I still like the way it looks and I don't want the water to mess it up)

I didn't mind the wet clothes but I should have considered what it would do to my hair.

SarahDisney said:
Wait - I thought the whole point of the picture was Jamie half walking out of the frame? Is the picture actually supposed to be the boys and Stitch?

I guess I could crop it but I don't know why he was in such a rush. If I remember correctly there wasn't anyone else in line for a photo.

Sailormoon2 said:
Love the photo with Stitch!! great faces from the boys. I am tentatively hoping to experience multiple rides on Kali-and then walk the trails to "dry off". I'm figuring in August that won't be an issue.

Thank you, they got a kick out of the magic shots. The clothes dry off fast on the trails, you shouldn't have any problems. And it might be refreshing in August.

Escape from the North - A Week at the Yacht Club - April 2015- Complete* 1/5

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