Libby's 2009 Trip - Day 12

[Dimplenose]

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Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11

Libby’s Trip 2009

Day 12 Friday August 7th

I’m now beginning to feel that I am winding down to the end of my holiday. There are still a few odds and ends that we want to do but if they don’t get done then they’re no big deal. It’s funny how things that are so important when planning become less important once the August heat takes control.
After breakfast we decide to try and do some crazy golf. This time we head for Fantasia Gardens as we haven’t been there for a long, long time.



When we get there we find that there is still a wait but we don’t mind just sitting and waiting our turn.

It’s very hot today – and we’ve also probably chosen the hottest part of the day to play. We actually get a little sunburnt today. I think we may have sweated off the suncream during our game. But it’s not too bad.

While we are waiting I notice a big pavilion just across the water. I wonder what it’s used for? Despite being a little Disneyfied it looks fairly stark and uninviting.



Our minigolf gets off to a shaky start. DS doesn’t find this sort of game easy and keeps hitting the ball off the course (often into scratchy bushes where I as the protective mum go to retrieve them forgetting that I’m wearing shorts!) The small children in the family behind us decide to stare at DS as he plays which adds to the tense atmosphere.





Once we’ve managed to persuade DS to go first each time (so the watching kids are still playing their shots) he begins to relax and we have an enjoyable game. I love this course and the theming but would have liked a little more shade.



After golf it’s lunch time so we head for Coronado Springs. I must say that some of the most enjoyable things that we have done this holiday is to visit food courts in other resorts and have a wander around.



Coronado Springs is beautiful. We have a very nice lunch at the Pepper Market. It is set up a bit like the Legoland restaurant was when it first opened with lots of food stations. As you select your choice a card is stamped and once you have finished your meal you pay for everything. This had a big advantage over other food courts where your food is cooling down while you wait to pay but I didn’t like the way I was charged 10% for the privilege of serving myself.





After lunch we went for a walk. All of the guest rooms seemed a long, long way from the restaurants and central areas. I don’t think this resort would suit me as I’m already fed up with the 5 minute walk from our room to the food court at ASMu. All the same it is a beautiful resort and at this time of day almost deserted.





As we leave we spot a SHades of Green Bus.

We head back to ASMu for a little rest before leaving for AK. I have never seen the parade there so this is our main aim. We arrive about 20 minutes before the parade is due, get drinks and send DH for fast passes for Kali River Rapids before settling down for the parade.

I thoroughly enjoyed this parade. It was a good mix of Disney and pseudo-traditional. There were a lot of families chosen to be in this parade (and I don’t think that it was co-incidence that they were of a real mixture of ethnic origins) but we were watching in Asia and it was quite late in the parade – most of the families were looking rather embarrassed.



After the parade we still have a long wait for our fast pass window so I drag the kids off to Camp Minnie-Mickey for the holiday photo. We’ve not gone for a photopass offer as the kids have agreed to one posed photo only!



There are a few characters to choose from and they plump for Goofy. He’s very good with DS who is 18 and more then a bit fed up of posing with characters. (He did 4 years ago why would I possibly need another photo?)
We then go off to the Conservation Station (Rafikis Planet Watch or whatever it’s called). I’m a little disappointed that the poster have been changed as we used to love the picture of the lamb having its ear spot-welded !!

We don’t spend very long here but it’s nice to cool off in the air-conditioning. There are a few character greetings taking place. Jiminy Cricket seems to be the most popular.



We head back to Kali River Rapids but we are still too early and the standby time is 50 minutes so we go and try our luck with Expedition Everest. This has a standby line of 20 minutes so we join the queue and seem to be on the ride in no time. This is my second ride and I’m much less scared. I still don’t like the climb but as long as I don’t look down am OK. Of course the family try to “help” me by pointing out the view. We are sitting much further back than on our first ride and this time get a good look at the yeti.

It’s now gone 6:30 and we go back to kali River Rapids to find that the standby queue is non-existent. We still enter via the fast pass line. We stash all our belongings in the centre box and lift our feet off the floor and are ready to go. Luckily we didn’t get too wet but the ride did seem shorter than I remember.



On our way out of the park we try to buy prints of our photo but can’t be bothered to wait while the salespeople try to get everyone in front of us to buy a package.

We walk back to the car and make the 2 minute drive back to ASMu. I’m a bit sad when I realise that this will probably be our last family visit to AK.

We’re very tired and eat at the food court. We’ve being doing this a lot more than we planned t0 – maybe a DDP would have been good value for us. We have a quiet evening at the hotel (and I do yet more laundry!!)

[Ware Bears]

My friend stayed at Coronado Springs and loved it there.

I've noticed that about the families in the AK parade ~ they always look embarassed and try to avoid eye contact. Of course, if I was ever lucky enough to be picked I wouldn't be like that!!

How lucky you were to see Jiminy ~ I am so hoping to meet him this trip.

[suzycute]

We love Fantasia golf too but I agree that there's not a lot of shade and that sun can be brutal!