Bumps, bruises, too many teenagers & swimming with sharks! NEW 11/17 pg. 32

[DisMomAmy]

Great AK day ! It's my favorite park.

My son, Jayden loves the giraffes and we always seem to have a ton of giraffe pics.

Looking forward to your next update !

I love seeing the giraffes too! HDDR update coming up today!

Very often, you can only see sleeping tigers on the trail. I'm glad you got to see some action.

I guess we got lucky! I think we were seeing the same tiger, just from different sides of his area.

Great pictures! Both you and Zach!

I have eaten at Flame Tree but never Yak & Yeti. What does Tim like to eat there? I've always wanted to try it!

I love Dinosaur. It has to be my favorite ride ever in AK. Kali is fun too and we also always save it for the end of the day.

Tim gets the Sweet & Sour chicken. He also likes the pork egg rolls. It's not my thing though... so I stick with Flame Tree. But it's nice that we work it out so he can have something a little different & we can all still eat together.

It's so great that you and Heidi live close enough to see one another. I need a DISer close to me .

Looks like you had a great AK day. I just love seeing Zach's pictures, it is so great to see what he thinks is worthy of photographing. It is good you had both cameras with you.

I can't wait to see your Hoop pictures, Bill and I had a fun time when we went. I am really loving your trip report .

Heidi & I are actually getting together for a little Disney time tomorrow! We're going to see Brave & check out the new Disney outlet that just opened in southern NH.

I love seeing Zach's pictures! I hope he continues to enjoy photography on our future trips.

HDDR coming up today!

You and Zach got some really great safari pictures!

Love the view from EE but I'm always too afraid to pull out my camera. I'll have to make a point next time!!

Can't wait to hear what you thought about the HDDR!!

It's funny you say that because the kids were freaked out that I had my camera out on EE. I just wrapped the strap around my wrist & turned the camera off after the dead end.

We really enjoyed HDDR - update coming up soon.

You got some great pics of the tigers.
We love Flame Tree too

I was glad to see the tigers because we didn't have such good luck seeing the baby gorilla last fall. We'll have to try that one again next time.

Great safari pictures by both you and Zach.

Flame Tree was our favorite QS too, can't wait to read about your Hoop review

The safari is a must-do, at least once on each trip.

And flame tree is a must-eat!

 

[DisMomAmy]

We were back at Vistana at 2pm. I changed my memory card and we headed to the pool for about an hour. This was the view from the back side of our villa:

Tim looked like he needed to drink the rum & coke that was in my new Disney mug:

Zach decided to check out the playground first.

Then it was sliding time:

Tim & I just watched the boys swim. It was only in the low 70s and breezy. Lying in the sun felt nice! The view from our chairs:

Zach convinced Alex to check out the playground on our way out. Alex had been at environmental camp with his 5th grade class a couple weeks before our trip. The boys thought this looked like a mini ropes course. They had to take off their swim shirts because it was too cold to keep them on.

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[DisMomAmy]

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This is the path from the parking lot side of our building toward the pool:

When we got back upstairs, we dressed for dinner and left around 3:45. We weren’t sure how easy or difficult it would be to get to Pioneer Hall for Hoop Dee Doo. We had to drive to Fort Wilderness, park and take a bus down into the campground. It was actually pretty cool to drive through there and see the campground. And it was pretty quick & easy. We arrived at Pioneer Hall at 4:20.

We hung out on a bench for a little while.

OK, well most of us hung out on a bench while Zach ran around and climbed on things.

Eventually I realized I needed to check us in so I went over and took care of that, then they sent us for our picture… which we ended up buying:

Then we lined up behind some other people at the bottom of the stairs to Pioneer Hall. A CM checked our tickets and sent the people in front of us over to the other side, so now we were at the front of the line. We hung out for a bit longer, chatted with the people behind us who happened to be from two towns over from us! At one point, a CM came over to the boys and told them he needed some help. He wanted one of them to ring the dinner bell!!! I was really happy that Zach wanted to do it & Alex was OK with that! A few minutes later, the CM came back out and got Zach to open the doors.

I also took a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vil6pwxCoYg (21)

We were then escorted to our awesome front & center seats! We were actually in the second row (the first row seats are right up against the stage), right in the middle! I had made the ADR on the very first morning that I possibly could and despite wanting to change it several times, I resisted the urge knowing that seats are assigned based on when you make the ADR.

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[DisMomAmy]

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Dessert time:

Our waitress:

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[DisMomAmy]

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The boys in the parade:

Then it was time to go! We made our way back to the buses & rode back to our car. We spotted this along the way.

So what did we think of the show? You may remember me saying that I had been there as a kid & Tim & I had gone during our 1997 trip, before kids. Based on these experiences, I had high expectations. I thought the kids would really like the show. Well, luckily, I was right! We all had a great time! The kids were singing the songs for weeks to come. The food was a great fit for us too! There was something for everyone… even Alex liked the chicken & bread. It was expensive, so we won’t go back any time soon, but I’m sure we’ll want to see the show again in a few years. In my opinion, the category 1 seats, were well worth the price. We had a great view and felt like we were right in the middle of the action! We had a great time & I'm so glad we finally did it!

Up next: Calling it a night? Or finding something else to do?

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Your boys did look like they had a good time!
We haven't been to HDDR since our honeymoon. Something to think about for next time.
That pirate ship at the pool looked so cute. Did the boys like playing there? They have something similiar to that at Bonnet Creek.

 

[MEK]

I think I am all caught up!

Disinfect and THEN take pictures! A good DISer takes pictures first and THEN disinfects!

Beautiful room and resort. The pool area also looks lovely. Looks like a fab resort with lots of room.

Love Zach's AK pictures. Nice safari pics in general. Love the HDDR pictures too! What a great show. Sounds like everyone had a blast.

Congrats to both boys for having such successful ends to the school year. I'm sure you are all excited for summer!

 

[eandesmom]

fun pool afternoon and I love the HDDR update!

It's actually making me crave fried chicken in a really big way

 

[natebenma]

I am very behind on your report, but trying to catch up.

Wow, the Vistana Villas room is GINORMOUS!!! What great spaces. And I love the views, overlooking the pool and the fountain area.

Where exactly is the resort located?

It sounds like things have been very busy with the end of school and baseball and swimming activities. Happy Summer to your family!

 

[KatMark]

I think I'm a couple of updates behind (don't remember if I commented on the morning at AK and yours and Zach's pictures -- great job!).

The kids look like they were having a blast at the pool with the slide and in the playground.

HDDR looks like a lot of fun. I'm not sure why we've never done it...even when the kids were little.

Sounds like a great day all around.

 

[natebenma]

All caught up!

I love the pictures from AK- both yours and Zach's. I love that you both have many of the same shots. Fantastic pictures on Everest, too!

The tigers are so beautiful! How great that they were up and about for you.

Overall, it looks like you had a really fun day at AK!

It's nice that you had some time to hang around the resort before your dinner.

My familly has never done the HDDR show, so I appreciate all your descriptions and pictures. Awesome seats!!!

BTW- in your chapter links post, I think the last two HDDR links are pointing to the same update. The last update you have, with the washboards, is not linked.

 

[JPFamilyMom]

The boys really looked like they had a great time, I'm glad you all enjoyed it.
You got some great pictures of the performers, and I love your family shot before the show and doing cheers with your drinks.

Can't wait to see if you continue the fun into the evening

 

[Moodyzblu]

Glad you all enjoyed Hoop Dee Doo ! Looks like you all were having a blast.
I love your pool area .. my guys would sure love it too.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Fun time at the pool! I wish we were going to be able to say it was in the low 70's next week, but I fear that is just a dream. LOL!

HDDR looks like a blast! How cool that Zach got to ring the dinner bell!

 

[Angies1274]

Great updates!!

Looks like the boys had lots of fun at the pool!!

Love your HDDR pics!! So glad to hear you had a great time!! It's definitely something I will be looking into for the future!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Hoop Dee Doo looks awesome! Your food looks delicious. Yum! Is it 2 credits on the dining plan?

 

[disneyfan61]

Just got caught up.

Your pics of AK are great. Love walking the trails & we love eating at Flame Tree also.

Pool looks like lots of fun!

Glad you all enjoyed HDDR. We went about 5 years ago & we had a great time also. Love the corny jokes.

So where is the new Disney outlet store???? I have not heard about it.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Your boys did look like they had a good time!
We haven't been to HDDR since our honeymoon. Something to think about for next time.
That pirate ship at the pool looked so cute. Did the boys like playing there? They have something similiar to that at Bonnet Creek.

The boys loved HDDR - it was a lot of fun!

The pool at Vistana Villages had the perfect mix of everything. They loved the slide but also really enjoyed the pirate ship. They are a little old for it, but still had some fun with it.

I think I am all caught up!

Disinfect and THEN take pictures! A good DISer takes pictures first and THEN disinfects!

Beautiful room and resort. The pool area also looks lovely. Looks like a fab resort with lots of room.

Love Zach's AK pictures. Nice safari pics in general. Love the HDDR pictures too! What a great show. Sounds like everyone had a blast.

Congrats to both boys for having such successful ends to the school year. I'm sure you are all excited for summer!

I'm a bit of a germophobe so I had to disinfect first.

We really liked Vistana Villages & will probably stay there again next April.

Thanks for the congrats... summer is going well so far - anxious for Alex's camp to start next week. He's been getting bored.

fun pool afternoon and I love the HDDR update!

It's actually making me crave fried chicken in a really big way

We enjoyed just hanging out at the pool and want to make sure we plan more time for that kind of stuff next year.

The food was pretty yummy at HDDR!

I am very behind on your report, but trying to catch up.

Wow, the Vistana Villas room is GINORMOUS!!! What great spaces. And I love the views, overlooking the pool and the fountain area.

Where exactly is the resort located?

It sounds like things have been very busy with the end of school and baseball and swimming activities. Happy Summer to your family!

We've been very spoiled by the space we get by staying off-site. The only problem with a GINORMOUS villa is having to keep it picked up! I'm going to lay down the law a bit more next year so I don't end up cleaning up after everyone.

Vistana Villages is located on International Drive. We used our GPS & Tim drove so I didn't pay as close attention as I could have but I think we took 536 right out of Disney (I think that's where the Disney arch is) then turned onto I-Drive. We didn't have to go far on I-Drive so traffic wasn't an issue.

Vistana Resort, which is a larger resort with similar villas, is located slightly closer. After coming out of Disney on 536, you turn onto 535 and it's right there. Driving from either resort is just as fast as taking a bus. You do have to park & get into the park but, depending how far away you have to park, it sort of evens out with how long you have to wait for a bus. MK is easier onsite becasue the bus takes you right there but otherwise the car works out fine... and the boys like riding the monorail from the TTC.

I think I'm a couple of updates behind (don't remember if I commented on the morning at AK and yours and Zach's pictures -- great job!).

The kids look like they were having a blast at the pool with the slide and in the playground.

HDDR looks like a lot of fun. I'm not sure why we've never done it...even when the kids were little.

Sounds like a great day all around.

We really enjoyed HDDR - you should check it out sometime. Lots of fun!

 

[DisMomAmy]

All caught up!

I love the pictures from AK- both yours and Zach's. I love that you both have many of the same shots. Fantastic pictures on Everest, too!

The tigers are so beautiful! How great that they were up and about for you.

Overall, it looks like you had a really fun day at AK!

It's nice that you had some time to hang around the resort before your dinner.

My familly has never done the HDDR show, so I appreciate all your descriptions and pictures. Awesome seats!!!

BTW- in your chapter links post, I think the last two HDDR links are pointing to the same update. The last update you have, with the washboards, is not linked.

Oops - I'll have to fix those links - thanks for the heads up!

Glad you enjoyed the HDDR update - it's a really fun show! The kids will probably be disappointed when we don't go back to see it again in April but at that price, it'll have to wait a few more years.

The boys really looked like they had a great time, I'm glad you all enjoyed it.
You got some great pictures of the performers, and I love your family shot before the show and doing cheers with your drinks.

Can't wait to see if you continue the fun into the evening

The waiters/waitresses all seemed to make a point of grabbing cameras from the families & taking group shots for them.

Glad you all enjoyed Hoop Dee Doo ! Looks like you all were having a blast.
I love your pool area .. my guys would sure love it too.

We really enjoyed the pool. Believe it or not that pool was pretty quiet. The main pool, which didn't have as much fun stuff, was mobbed the day we tried to swim there.

Fun time at the pool! I wish we were going to be able to say it was in the low 70's next week, but I fear that is just a dream. LOL!

HDDR looks like a blast! How cool that Zach got to ring the dinner bell!

The low 70s were too cold for me! Low 70s in NH seems warm but in Florida it's colder... I'm not sure why?

Zach ringing the dinner bell was definitely a highlight!

Great updates!!

Looks like the boys had lots of fun at the pool!!

Love your HDDR pics!! So glad to hear you had a great time!! It's definitely something I will be looking into for the future!

The pool was great! And HDDR was a ton of fun!

Hoop Dee Doo looks awesome! Your food looks delicious. Yum! Is it 2 credits on the dining plan?

The food was good! And it includes beer & wine. I had a yummy sangria. I'm not sure about the dining plan... we pay OOP. I think there are certain categories where you can sit & certain shows, but I'm not sure about the credits.

Just got caught up.

Your pics of AK are great. Love walking the trails & we love eating at Flame Tree also.

Pool looks like lots of fun!

Glad you all enjoyed HDDR. We went about 5 years ago & we had a great time also. Love the corny jokes.

So where is the new Disney outlet store???? I have not heard about it.

I had been wanting to walk the trails for a long time so it was nice to finally do it. They are much quicker than I thought. I suppose you could linger in there for quite a while but you can also take a quick walk through.

The kids LOVED those corny jokes! They were having fun with it for weeks.

There is a new Disney outlet at the new outlet mall in Merrimack. It's a nice shopping spot for a nice day. It's an open concept so I wouldn't go on a rainy or cold day.

 

[DisMomAmy]

We’d just left Hoop-Dee-Doo and the night was young so I convinced Tim we should go to Epcot for a little bit. It must have been around 7:00pm. One thing I wanted to add from HDDR now that I’ve looked at my notes… Alex really enjoyed the food. In fact, he commented, “I’m obsessed with this chicken!”

Moving on… we decided to go to Epcot & told the kids that we’d just be going on a few rides in Future World.

We headed to SSE first where I tried out my camera some more in low light. I didn't quite get the low light/movement combination right though...

We wanted to finally ride Ellen’s Energy Adventure, but it was already closed for the night. That’s one of the rides that must still close at 7:00. So we moved on to Mission: Space.

The boys were excited:

After our ride, the boys checked out the climbing area for a few minutes:

We decided to cross over to the other side of Future World & take a ride with Nemo & friends.

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