Canadian Buffoon's Solo Disney Vacation - Update 07/08! pp99 - Here today gone tomorrow

[Sandy Mouse]

Hard to say. I will say that I did not get towel animals everyday.
My room was clean, the bed was made, the towels were replaced.
And that's all I ask for.

You were in a Value. We stay at Pop, usually, and get towel animals a little more than half the time regardless of tip.

Sort of.
That shot is actually from the second ride.
After the first ride, I saw where the strobe was in the ride for the picture and posed on the second.
But it makes for better story telling if I pretend I fell asleep on the first.

Don't tell no one!

I won't tell no one. Promise.

I never know where the cameras are, except once on the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train when I was with a kid who knew. Her parents were in front of us and they all did the same salute thing.

I actually wasn't even going to do Safari.
But I'm glad I did!

WHAT?!? My favorite at that park!

 

[pkondz]

Finally catching up!

You go girl!

Okay, a contest - you know I think that’s a great idea! The prize is CANDY FROM CANADA!!!!!!!?????? I am an even bigger fan of that! (I mean, Canadian candy is HIGH on my list of great things, possibly just behind pickle-flavored things from Canada.) I am too slow to catch up, so I don't stand much of a chance, but I WANT TO WIN!

Trust me. You'll have as good a chance as anyone else to win.
At least I think so?

I guess we'll see, right?

Really enjoying all the sashaying. I always enjoy a good sashay - and when at WDW, it's even better!

Ya got that right!
I should make a shirt for my next (hopefully) Disney trip that says,
"Just Sashaying" or something like that.

Awwwww - I can’t believe you thought of us when you were about to board EE. I love it!!! Willow will REALLY love it - I hope I can remember to show her tomorrow.

Of course I thought of you guys!
I thought of all my DIS friends (well, except for that one, but I'm sure you know who that is.)
I've never taken a picture of that sign, nor had I ever planned on it... until your TR.
I saw that, recalled the pictures of Willow disobeying and almost cracked up right there.

But I didn't.
I really didn't want to be escorted out of the park in a straight jacket.
A possibility that's all too possible with me, actually.

LOVE your ride photo!!! I gotta show that one to Willow too - she’ll be so excited to see what the "funny guy” looks like and even more thrilled that he is being funny!

Yeah, that's me.
All my life.

First it was my parents, "So you think you're pretty funny, don't you!"
(It was, oddly enough, never really a question.)
Then it was other kids. "Think you're pretty funny, huh?"
Then it was my family... usually accompanied by some pretty major eye rolling.

So. I guess I'm the "funny guy".

EE single rider - I think this is one of the top 10 things Willow is excited about for our trip. To be honest, I think it’s one of my top things too!

So glad I even knew about it!
I think it was just the day before while I was stuck in the Toronto airport
that I re-confirmed which rides had single-rider lines.

This is interesting. I had the same thing happen in 2013. I had only been on Dinosaur once before when Willow was too little to ride. 2013 was the first time she made the height cut, and I was kind of sad about it as I didn’t like the ride - it was so jerky! But when we rode it, I felt like I had totally exaggerated the jerkiness in my mind. Maybe they did something to fix it?

Hmmm.... Don't recall reading about it anywhere.
But it's certainly possible, I guess.

"Boss, we keep having the guests snap their necks."
"Yeah, I know. And constantly having a gaggle of ambulances on standby is expensive."
"How about we tone down the jerkiness by a factor of a million or so."
"Great idea! Here's a gold star for you."

Really enjoyed your wandering-around AK photos. That's the kind of thing you can really only do comfortably on a solo trip, I think. Just wander and take things in with no rush. I don't know whether I’m capable of doing it, but I’d like to try one day.

I feel like that kind of wandering takes planning, though.
I was determined to do EE at least twice... without waiting an hour either.
So that means rope drop.
Which also allowed me the time to relax a bit afterward and just do what I felt like.

Thanks for that. Now my whole body has the creepy crawlies...

You're welcome!
Glad to be of service!

I'm glad we got that settled. (they don't have a little smilie standing against the wall with a tape measure, so this will have to do)

Wait! That smilie is cheating! He's jumping!

It's a lost art practiced by so few these days, and Ponzi does it quite well. If it ever became an Olympic sport, he would anchor the Canadian team, I'm sure.

Ooooh, I'd like a gold medal to hang around my neck... all the time.

Stay gold, sashay boy. Stay gold.

Do you have Curly Wurlys up there? If the surprise eggs are a no go. What other candy do you have that we don't?

I've got to admit that I don't remember ever seeing them.
I Googled and apparently they are sold in Canada, so.... they must be up here somewhere.

I was hoping for a number in regards to your height.

Oh, you want a number? How about thirty two. That's a nice number.

I am not interested in seeing the new Cinderella. But Tomorrowland looks super interesting!!!

I don't know if I'll get to Cinderella or not.
I don't remember if I've seen a trailer for Tomorrowland or not.
Guess I'll have to look around on the internets and see what I can find.

You were in a Value. We stay at Pop, usually, and get towel animals a little more than half the time regardless of tip.

I would like to think that the towel animals are not in any way connected to tips.
I'd hate to think that it was something that could be bought.
Takes away from the magic!

I won't tell no one. Promise.

<Phew!> Thanks!

WHAT?!? My favorite at that park!

Maybe I just wasn't feeling it?
More like, I just wasn't feeling up to standing in a long line that morning.
But since there wasn't one...

 

[nebo]

ok I think i have this as nebo's new avatar

 

[nebo]

Yay! I am so proud of myself! .. now to get nebo over here!

 

[nebo]

I'm old. I can see when something is stupid.
(Oddly enough, it still doesn't prevent me from doing stupid things. Huh.)
I turned to this girl and said. "Save my spot and I'll take care of the garbage can."
She agreed.
I grabbed the garbage and walked it over to the side of the room and out of the way.

That girl looked at me like I was a conquering hero.


Took everything I had not to burst out laughing.

Link to next post - So I lied​

ok this is smidgy don't want to mess with nebos sign in... anyhow'''
we staked out a spot once at animal kingdom lodge's Kidani Village pool very few umbrealla tables, but scored one very near "pool view"
well EXCEPT for this large garbage can right in my view of the pool!!! harrumph!!! this will just NOT DO!!!

well, if something is not to my liking, I just.. um.. change it. once we were setteld, nebo looked at me.. ""dear .. what are you doing?" me "back in just a sec!"' SSCCRAPPEE!! SSSCCRRAPEEE!! ..okdone.. that pesky garbage can is now 5 feet to the northeast.
(about a half hour later , a CM moved it back... sigh .. cause it swa SO much better off 5 feet to the south west...)

 

[pkondz]

ok I think i have this as nebo's new avatar

Yay! I am so proud of myself! .. now to get nebo over here!

Yup! You got it! Way to go Smidgy!
And yes, get the big lug on here!

I do note, though, that the avatar needs some tweaking.
You can't really see the first two lines, so it looks like it just says "Beast".
Plus, I think Nebo is a little small.
I'll tweak it a bit and send you another one when I have a free minute, okay?

ok this is smidgy don't want to mess with nebos sign in... anyhow'''

we staked out a spot once at animal kingdom lodge's Kidani Village pool very few umbrealla tables, but scored one very near "pool view"
well EXCEPT for this large garbage can right in my view of the pool!!! harrumph!!! this will just NOT DO!!!

well, if something is not to my liking, I just.. um.. change it. once we were setteld, nebo looked at me.. ""dear .. what are you doing?" me "back in just a sec!"' SSCCRAPPEE!! SSSCCRRAPEEE!! ..okdone.. that pesky garbage can is now 5 feet to the northeast.
(about a half hour later , a CM moved it back... sigh .. cause it swa SO much better off 5 feet to the south west...)

I think I remember this story.
I'm pretty sure I remember you or Nebo telling about how the CM moved it back.
Can't mess with Disney ergonomics I guess.
Still, for 30 glorious minutes, you had a great view!

 

[Sandy Mouse]

I feel like that kind of wandering takes planning, though.

Yes it does.

Stay gold, sashay boy. Stay gold.

Keep sashaying, funny boy, keep sashaying.

 

[Sandy Mouse]

Yay! I am so proud of myself! .. now to get nebo over here!

You should be! It isn't easy adapting to this new setup.

 

[pkondz]

I have a dilemma.

I've been working on the next chapter.
I've got two options.
And I'm passing the buck.

Originally, I thought I'd post one chapter per half day (ish).
I'm at a point right now where I've only covered a few more hours.
It feels like a good point to either go on with the rest of the day, or;
stop there and post the rest later.

Pros and cons.
Pro: You'd get two chapters fairly close together... say in a few days.
Con: It's a fairly short (by my standards anyway) chapter.

So do I 1.) post what I've got and keep working on the rest for later,
or do I 2.) keep working and post a big chapter later?

I'll let you guys throw in your three cents. (Inflation)

 

[pkondz]

Keep sashaying, funny boy, keep sashaying.

You should be! It isn't easy adapting to this new setup.

Hey, look at that. A complete shout out without a single word!

 

[afwdwfan]

As long as you post, I don't care how you do it. I usually try to do the "half day per post" thing. Sometimes there are exceptions, sometimes not. I guess it just depends on how you feel about it. I don't care either way. I'll read it if it covers a few hours or a whole day. Doesn't really matter. Just don't go 6 months between posts or something like that.

 

[mmeb144]

Post what you have. I don't care when or how much, I NEED my Disney fix.

 

[Sandy Mouse]

Post what you have (you'll have more chapters).

 

[Pkltm]

Subscribing!! I am from Winnipeg two and I can confirm the bad transit here!!!

 

[Tracy161]

Three cents now?! Sheesh...

Okay, okay, my three cents are as follows: post what you have! Short chapters don't bother me at all! Plus that translates to more posts which is also a good thing!

 

[pkondz]

As long as you post, I don't care how you do it. I usually try to do the "half day per post" thing. Sometimes there are exceptions, sometimes not. I guess it just depends on how you feel about it. I don't care either way. I'll read it if it covers a few hours or a whole day. Doesn't really matter. Just don't go 6 months between posts or something like that.

Post what you have. I don't care when or how much, I NEED my Disney fix.

Well, a friend in need...

Post what you have (you'll have more chapters).

Three cents now?! Sheesh...

Okay, okay, my three cents are as follows: post what you have! Short chapters don't bother me at all! Plus that translates to more posts which is also a good thing!

Okay, looks pretty unani-mouse.
Post coming up in a bit.

 

[pkondz]

Subscribing!! I am from Winnipeg two and I can confirm the bad transit here!!!

Hi fellow pegger!
I must say that I'm thrilled to see you since in my experience,
pretty much anyone who's username starts with "pk" is absolutely amazing.

Can you believe that the phase two of rapid transit will actually be slower than the current system???
What the heck?

Anyway, glad to have you along for the ride.
You're pretty much getting in on the ground floor of the contest too.
(Who doesn't like free loot???)

Out of curiosity, which part of the city you in?

 

[pkondz]

Time to see a show.


Ya know, I alluded to the fact that there were at least four shows
(that I could think of, anyway) at AK.
1. FOTLK (which looks like a bad word, but really isn't)
2. Nemo (aka Finding Nemo - The Musical)
3. Flights of Wonder
and maybe this can be debated, but....
4. ITTBAB

My only regret, after making this a bonus point question is that I didn't go see ITTBAB.
No one guessed it! Even after I made a couple of comments that not all shows had been guessed.
It's a moot point since I never went, but it was a distinct possibility!
I've still never seen this show.
I didn't want anything poking me in the back.
Nope.
After throwing my back out while on vacation in Venice,
there was no way I was gonna let anything fiddle around back there!

There was only one other show on that list that I'd never seen.
Of course I've taken the kids to see FOTLK.
It's so highly rated, that I couldn't possibly pass it up when they were along!

And even though it doesn't seem to get much love,
we all enjoyed Flights of Wonder.

Which means, I was on my way to find Nemo.


Contest points so far

MAGICFOR2 4 points for being the first to guess Nemo.
mmeb144, Tracy161, afwdwfan 1 point each for also guessing Nemo.
(Yeah I know I said only the first person gets the points. I changed my mind. Deal with it.
I like people who comment.)
shan23877 awarded 1 point for guessing the tree.
(Yeah I know I said there'd be no points.... see previous comment.)
mmeb144 picks up 1 more point for the correct location of said tree.
Sandy Mouse 1 point because " 'frican lion" is hysterical.
afwdwfan 2 points because he asked for points so he wouldn't be thought of as a "complete loser".

So the standings so far:
MAGICFOR2 4 points
afwdwfan 3 points
mmeb144 2 points
shan23877 1 point
Sandy Mouse 1 point
Tracy161 1 point

Good luck to all participants! And remember, fighting fair is strictly discouraged!



Okay, now that that's out of the way, I've got a show to watch.

I got to the theatre just a minute or two before they opened the doors.
I grabbed a seat on the aisle, just a few rows up from the main walkway in the center section.

As mentioned, I had never seen Finding Nemo before.
I'd seen pictures, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect,
but I was still pretty blown away by the vivid colours, puppetry skill,
and in some cases, the sheer size of the production.

You've seen lots of photos already, so I'll spare you....
Yeah, no. Here's some more.

Right about there, I suddenly developed a craving for fish and chips.

Marlin with his eyes closed.
Wouldn't he look cute with some tartar sauce?
Hmmmm.... I might've been getting hungry.

Must admit.
I was pretty much taken by surprise at the sheer size of that pelican!

Duuuuude!
Marlin with his eyes closed again.
Still no tartar sauce, though.

After the show was over, I knew... I knew... it was just about time to go.

I didn't really feel like wandering around anymore.
And time was steadily ticking by.
But fear not! The day was far, far from over.


I started to head out of the park,
but first I wanted to grab a drink for the bus ride to my next destination.
I wanted a bottle of coke. Not a cup.
Something with a nice tight lid, so that when I inevitably dropped it,
I wouldn't dump it all over someone, or worse, myself.

I spotted a cart vendor nearby with only a couple of people ahead of me.
Yup. He's got bottles of Coke. This'll do fine.
Except that the couple of people in front of me were discussing their philosophical viewpoint
on the merits of actually buying something or just standing in the way of others!
I decided to try somewhere else.
I only had four days before I had to go back home.


There was one thing that was really prevalent in AK.
Something that you couldn't help but notice.

These:

were everywhere!

Don't get me wrong, the fact that there were construction walls all over the place
didn't detract from my enjoyment of the park.
But, wow! Sooooo much of it.

I crossed the bridge separating Dinoland from Discovery Island and took another pic of the construction.

Maybe they're building a toothpick.


I continued on my merry way and stumbled on a kiosk that sold... well, I presume food.
I really couldn't tell you.
All I wanted was a bottle of coke,
but I was told that only the cart vendors carry bottles.

I continued on my quest for the elusive bottle of pop.

Didn't stop me from taking more pics from time to time, though.
Love the details.

One last pic of the Tree of Life

Right around here I finally snagged a bottle of Coke and I headed out of the park.
Not sure what time it was exactly... probably around 11:30 - noon?
Something like that.

I could have easily spent more time in AK, but I felt like I'd done what I'd come to do,
so I was satisfied.
Given more days, I would have spent more time there.
But the time I did have was pretty darned good.


I exited the park and headed over to the busses.
Most people know that there's no bus service from park to park.
If you want to get to another park,
your best bet is to take a bus to a resort then another bus to your destination.
And that's what I was going to do too.

I mentioned previously that I'd give you wait times for the bus...
but in this instance, I can't.
Not because I didn't take the time to, well, note the time.
But because there was literally no wait.
I walked up to the bus stop as the bus was pulling up to it.
There were maybe four people waiting and by the time they got on,
I arrived at the bus doors and climbed in.

A short while later, I found myself here:

And I'm quite sure, some of you have figured out why I might have picked AKL as the transfer point.

Because it's close, right?

Uh, huh. Yeah. That's the reason.
That and maybe... maybe one more.



Some of you have already mentioned that I didn't eat breakfast that morning.
Truth is, I frequently only want OJ in the morning.
Oh, sure. I'll eat a big breakfast.
But when I'm going to have a big meal later,
or don't want to spoil my appetite for something,
I'll go without.

Well that abstinence was about to be rewarded.


I'd been to AKL once before with the rest of the family when we'd dined at Boma.
That had been a bit of a disaster since the rest of my finicky family
had eschewed most of the buffet items in favor of the mac 'n' cheese.
It did however, introduce me to a certain tiny bit of heaven on Earth.
And I had since learned that you could purchase this bit of heaven at The Mara.

One of my DIS friends even went so far as to mail me some!
(Yes, I mean you, DeeDee.)


I set off in pursuit of my prey.
Or should that be 'pray'?


I already knew that these delectable orbs were sold in packages of four.
Notwithstanding my love for these things,
I was pretty sure that even I could only eat one or two of them in one sitting.
But I had a plan!
I would purchase my four incredible comestibles and then look for a young couple with a child.
I would then offer to share my just desserts with them.


Then I thought, "Wait. Who's going to let their kid eat food from a stranger?"
Plus... I would probably want two... I'm not that altruistic!

So a young couple. That's what I want to find.
Someone who's on their first trip to Disney would be best.
Failing that... an older couple... or any two random people.


After a bit of searching, I found The Mara.
My pulse quickened.
I heard a roaring in my ears.

And... There they were!

A chorus of hallelujahs rang out.
Might've been me. Might not've been.


I quickly paid for my prize and hustled outdoors.
There was no way I was eating these indoors.
Nope. I knew, without a doubt, that I had to eat them outdoors.
Fresh air. Sunshine. Zebra domes.
It just doesn't get any better than that.


There were a handful of tables just outside.
A family of three was just leaving.
Too bad they're one too many, otherwise they could've had some zebra domes.
I sat down and just stared at my lovelies for a few seconds.
I looked around to see if there was perhaps a couple nearby...
I didn't care.
Eat! EAT!!!

I bit.
Oh. My. God.
Taste buds exploding like the fourth of July and Mardi Gras and Wishes all rolled into one.

One word.

Bliss.



I came back to my senses from worlds magical and unknown
to discover that I now had three zebra domes left.
I started to look around in earnest to see if I could spot a couple to share my wealth with.
As I looked, I picked up another zebra dome.
I didn't see a couple.
I saw a family of four, so that wouldn't do.
I noticed an older gentleman sitting alone.
Nope.

What to do?

I ate. That's what to do.
All problems become insignificant
when you have the taste of a zebra dome coursing through your body.

I now had only the two spare zebra domes left.

Ya know... I could probably eat one more.
These things are plenty rich, but... I hadn't eaten anything today, so...

Remember the scene in Jurassic Park (yeah I know... Universal, not Disney)
where one second there's a tied up goat and the next... there just isn't?

I looked down and there was one sole zebra dome... sitting all by its lonesome.


There is that guy who's by himself....



Wouldn't it be weird if a complete stranger walked up to you and offered you his leftovers?


I know I would find that weird.


Yeah. It'd be weird.




Yeah.




I ate it.
I'm not proud of that....
Oh, who am I kidding! Of course I'm proud of that!
And given the same circumstances I'd do it again!
Hello! Zebra domes! Do you really think I wouldn't?????

But four was definitely enough.
I did not buy more.

I want some right now, though.


I was ready to head out to the next park, but a pit stop was in order, first.
I liked the way they indicated the restrooms.

They had a lioness for the ladies room.

The place was deserted.
I got to thinking, "I bet about fifty percent of Disney guests never get to see a mens room.

You're welcome.

And no. I have no idea what I would've said or done if someone had come in while I was taking this picture!
(Note. I did not attempt to photograph the ladies room. There are limits.)


After photographing the highlights of AKL, it was time to grab a bus to the next park.
I got to the bus stop at 12:40... With nary a soul in sight.
Uh, oh. Does this mean I've just missed a bus and will have to wait a long time?
It just had that "gonna be a long one" feel to it.
And at 12:42 the bus hove into view.

Yes, I was moving on... and I was very excited about an upcoming event!
Which was really more like two!

Bonus points!
Where am I going?
I've got an ADR... Where is it?

I'll narrow it down for you.
I'm off to a park and I'm sure you've figured out it's not AK.
The ADR is inside that park, too.

Cast your votes!
And thanks for reading!

Link to next post! - Elbows off the table!​

 

[Scoobymoons]

Totally joining in! Loving the report. Strangely enough the only photo that my laptop has decided to forbid my viewing of is the bathroom.... clearly I need protecting and my laptop is the man/woman for the job! Anyway...looking forward to reading more

 

[dawnbu40]

So glad you enjoyed your zebra domes and didn't waste any by sharing with strangers who probably wouldn't have appreciated them

I'm pretty sure I am disqualified from guessing...