Do You Like Pictures and Character Dance Battles? - Jan 2014 Parker Clan Trip Report Updated 9/15/15
- Thread starter KovuLover
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KovuLover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
PART FIFTEEN- MAKE SURE YOU KNOW JUST WHAT KIND OF VACANCY YOU'RE FILLING
We started day two with a morning in Hollywood Studios for extra magic hours. We ran straight for Toy Story Mania (which I did not get photos of until another day, so I'll save those for another post) and then went towards the excitement duo of Rock N' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. Unfortunately, the line for RNRC was too long for us to wait and still make our afternoon FPs at Animal Kingdom, so we "settled" for a quick ride on Tower of Terror (and by settled I mean excitedly waited for!). This ride has never been a favorite of my mom, and for the longest time the two of us would wait while my dad and sister went on repeatedly. The year before we worked up the courage to give the dastardly ride a chance again after our unpleasant experience when we had gone in the past, and we have been going on it every time since. It's still not her favorite, but I have learned to love it!
For the rest of this TR, I will be trying to combine photos of all the times we went on an attraction into one posting. For example, the below photos of the ToT were taken on different days, but for the purposes of saving posts I'll be adding them all here so they are all in one place and not spread through several postings. Enjoy!
The ride towers above all else when you turn the corner!
Entering the queue line! Did you know that the stand by wait time on the sign outside of the ride will never drop below 13 minutes? Spooky!
Once inside the lobby, the Disney detailing is just sublime. It truly does look like the occupants up and left suddenly in 1939 and the place hasn't been touched since.
This must be such an easy ride to keep clean! No need to dust here!
The more dust, the better!
A view of the lobby from the left entrance to the library.
I'm not brave enough to have my camera out on the actual ride, so all I have of our free falls through the Twilight Zone!
DISCLAIMER: We are from Massachusetts and as such are Boston sports fans. We spotted a Montreal Canadiens fan on our car, so we took advantage. Apologies if you are a MTL fan!
WEEEEEEE! (Except for mom, again always the trooper!
)
Our first try at the "look scared" photo. My dad heard "be scary" so he decided to be a monster instead.
The "OMG look at what's out there" shot.
This was our "look terrified" picture so that we would all look the same for my mom. Were we convincing?
Before I conclude with the Tower on the dark side of Hollywood, I'll leave you with this:
KovuLover
We started day two with a morning in Hollywood Studios for extra magic hours. We ran straight for Toy Story Mania (which I did not get photos of until another day, so I'll save those for another post) and then went towards the excitement duo of Rock N' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. Unfortunately, the line for RNRC was too long for us to wait and still make our afternoon FPs at Animal Kingdom, so we "settled" for a quick ride on Tower of Terror (and by settled I mean excitedly waited for!). This ride has never been a favorite of my mom, and for the longest time the two of us would wait while my dad and sister went on repeatedly. The year before we worked up the courage to give the dastardly ride a chance again after our unpleasant experience when we had gone in the past, and we have been going on it every time since. It's still not her favorite, but I have learned to love it!
For the rest of this TR, I will be trying to combine photos of all the times we went on an attraction into one posting. For example, the below photos of the ToT were taken on different days, but for the purposes of saving posts I'll be adding them all here so they are all in one place and not spread through several postings. Enjoy!
The ride towers above all else when you turn the corner!
Entering the queue line! Did you know that the stand by wait time on the sign outside of the ride will never drop below 13 minutes? Spooky!
Once inside the lobby, the Disney detailing is just sublime. It truly does look like the occupants up and left suddenly in 1939 and the place hasn't been touched since.
This must be such an easy ride to keep clean! No need to dust here!
The more dust, the better!
A view of the lobby from the left entrance to the library.
I'm not brave enough to have my camera out on the actual ride, so all I have of our free falls through the Twilight Zone!
DISCLAIMER: We are from Massachusetts and as such are Boston sports fans. We spotted a Montreal Canadiens fan on our car, so we took advantage. Apologies if you are a MTL fan!
WEEEEEEE! (Except for mom, again always the trooper!
)
Our first try at the "look scared" photo. My dad heard "be scary" so he decided to be a monster instead.
The "OMG look at what's out there" shot.
This was our "look terrified" picture so that we would all look the same for my mom. Were we convincing?
Before I conclude with the Tower on the dark side of Hollywood, I'll leave you with this:
KovuLover
KovuLover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
PART SIXTEEN- CHRISTMAS TIME AT ANIMAL KINGDOM
We wanted to make sure that we saw the Christmas decorations at all the parks before they were taken down, so we took extra time at the entrance of Animal Kingdom to appreciate the lengths that Disney goes to for its guests.
The Christmas tree outside of the park!
Look at these amazing decorations!
My sister's favorite. Who doesn't love this guy?
My personal favorites, the Lion King blocks! How cute!
Once inside the park, there were subtle touches of the holidays scattered everywhere. I took a lot of my pictures in DinoLand USA, so I apologize that I do not have photos of other parks of the park. Next time!
Even the giant dinosaur at the entrance to Dinoland got in the holiday spirit!
Dinos in the gift shop!
Look it's Santa! (kind of...)
The details of the buildings are just INCREDIBLE. Love this shot! You can also see the garlands that were up for the holiday.
Behind Baloo and King Louie are more garlands with ornaments!
That's all I have for AK Christmas decorations. On to the next post!
KovuLover
We wanted to make sure that we saw the Christmas decorations at all the parks before they were taken down, so we took extra time at the entrance of Animal Kingdom to appreciate the lengths that Disney goes to for its guests.
The Christmas tree outside of the park!
Look at these amazing decorations!
My sister's favorite. Who doesn't love this guy?
My personal favorites, the Lion King blocks! How cute!
Once inside the park, there were subtle touches of the holidays scattered everywhere. I took a lot of my pictures in DinoLand USA, so I apologize that I do not have photos of other parks of the park. Next time!
Even the giant dinosaur at the entrance to Dinoland got in the holiday spirit!
Dinos in the gift shop!
Look it's Santa! (kind of...)
The details of the buildings are just INCREDIBLE. Love this shot! You can also see the garlands that were up for the holiday.
Behind Baloo and King Louie are more garlands with ornaments!
That's all I have for AK Christmas decorations. On to the next post!
KovuLover
Last edited:
KovuLover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
PART SEVENTEEN- THE TREE OF LIFE
The symbol of the Animal Kingdom is a feat! The massive scale, the intricate detailing, and the connection to nature and the Earth is inspiring. There are so many different animals to see!
The sign at the start of the garden surrounding the tree.
How many animals can you count in these pictures? Just incredible!
How creepy is that ant? I would hate to see one that large!
This was as close as I got to my favorite animal: the horse! It was on the other side of the tree and I guess I never made it over to that side to get a better picture. That's number one on my list for next time!
Is that Pascal hiding in there?
We made it! Obligatory pictures in front of the tree!
Now one from the backside of the tree!
Around the park and back to the front!
FINALLY! I'd seen people with these special "magic shots" before, and heard about a rumored one with baby Simba. We asked every PhotoPass photographer we came across in the park if they could do the shot, and all of them said no. We had gone through the park and were on our way out when BAM! We finally found the guy! Woohoo! I'm was so excited and I think they came out great!
KovuLover
The symbol of the Animal Kingdom is a feat! The massive scale, the intricate detailing, and the connection to nature and the Earth is inspiring. There are so many different animals to see!
The sign at the start of the garden surrounding the tree.
How many animals can you count in these pictures? Just incredible!
How creepy is that ant? I would hate to see one that large!
This was as close as I got to my favorite animal: the horse! It was on the other side of the tree and I guess I never made it over to that side to get a better picture. That's number one on my list for next time!
Is that Pascal hiding in there?
We made it! Obligatory pictures in front of the tree!
Now one from the backside of the tree!
Around the park and back to the front!
FINALLY! I'd seen people with these special "magic shots" before, and heard about a rumored one with baby Simba. We asked every PhotoPass photographer we came across in the park if they could do the shot, and all of them said no. We had gone through the park and were on our way out when BAM! We finally found the guy! Woohoo! I'm was so excited and I think they came out great!
KovuLover
, and ToT is, hands down, my favorite ride in the World! It has been since my first time on it, in 1999! Miss it, can't wait to get back. BTW...you're right, the pics with Simba did turn out awesome!
KovuLover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
PART EIGHTEEN- DINOLAND USA
Our first FP of the day was for Dinosaur, so we made our way to none other than Dinoland! We walked under the archway which marked our arrival to the ancient land.
A raptor on the way to the attraction.
T-Rex!
That cute little Iguanodon that started it all.
...and the Carnotaurus that causes all the problems!
I want to take you guys back to the previous year (2013) when my mom and I decided to go on Dinosaur for the first time. We were so tired of having to wait for my dad and sister to ride it that we decided to finally try it for ourselves. The below was the result of that fateful first ride.
Needless to say, we were not amused. We loved the ride, but after being afraid of it for so long, it was very anti-climatic. We weren't really sure what was supposed to scare us as the dinosaur didn't jump out or do anything threatening. My mom and I were so happy that we went on and continued to go on every time we could!
We were all supposed to do thumbs down, but no one else did so I'm just awkwardly frowning by myself. Thanks family!
After we enjoyed Dinosaur, we exited through the gift shop area and made our way towards Dino-Rama.
Sean stepping in front of my shot. Haha!
Love this ride!
Sean again
Triceratops Spin!
The large yellow dino towering over the area. I think he has something in his eye...
We walked past our dinosaur friend and onward towards Asia!
KovuLover
Our first FP of the day was for Dinosaur, so we made our way to none other than Dinoland! We walked under the archway which marked our arrival to the ancient land.
A raptor on the way to the attraction.
T-Rex!
That cute little Iguanodon that started it all.
...and the Carnotaurus that causes all the problems!
I want to take you guys back to the previous year (2013) when my mom and I decided to go on Dinosaur for the first time. We were so tired of having to wait for my dad and sister to ride it that we decided to finally try it for ourselves. The below was the result of that fateful first ride.
Needless to say, we were not amused. We loved the ride, but after being afraid of it for so long, it was very anti-climatic. We weren't really sure what was supposed to scare us as the dinosaur didn't jump out or do anything threatening. My mom and I were so happy that we went on and continued to go on every time we could!
We were all supposed to do thumbs down, but no one else did so I'm just awkwardly frowning by myself. Thanks family!
After we enjoyed Dinosaur, we exited through the gift shop area and made our way towards Dino-Rama.
Sean stepping in front of my shot. Haha!
Love this ride!
Sean again
Triceratops Spin!
The large yellow dino towering over the area. I think he has something in his eye...
We walked past our dinosaur friend and onward towards Asia!
KovuLover
Zenyatta1
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2015
Yup! I think they fooled us and had us believing Dinosaur was so scary…Glad we finally went on and can now enjoy the ride together. The last two trips had me trying many new rides and enjoying (?) them all, enough to go on again, anyways! Can't wait to go back.
sara1215
Newbie here--please be patient!
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2015
I'm so happy I stumbled on this TR. My family will be staying in a suite at ASMu this coming February and I'm glad to see a positive review of the place.
KovuLover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
Hello there! I'm happy you stumbled upon this TR too!
Here are some pictures of the inside that I did not post in my original posting (I aplogize for the mess, the pictures were taken after we had been living in the room, not when we first walked in). Let me know if you have any specific questions about it and I would be more than happy to answer them!
Master bedroom:
The Disney touch!
Kitchenette:
Entrance to the first of two bathrooms and the chair pulled out into a bed in the living room. The other bathroom is to the left of the suitcase just out of shot. The sink is straight back, and the toilet and tub/shower are in a separate room to the right (you can see the black doorway below). The separation of the sink/mirror area and toilet/shower is great for when people are getting ready in the morning!
The living room with the couch pulled out into a bed as well. TVs are in both rooms and there are ACs in both rooms as well in the windows.
The poolside bar:
The Calypso pool area at night:
They do poolside movies on certain nights with popcorn!
KovuLover
Zenyatta1
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2015
This was the second year we stayed in a family suite. The first time, there were 4 adults; this past year, 5 adults. The suite worked very well for us and we enjoyed staying here. The room in the Calypso building was close to the pool, the food court and the buses. Great location. It was also surprisingly quiet in the family suites, too. Enjoy your stay!
KovuLover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
PART NINETEEN- EXPEDITION EVEREST FROM AFAR
Dinoland was in our rear view mirror and we made our way into Asia. The main attraction here is of course Expedition Everest, and that was where we were headed! For this post, I'm going to separate photos of the ride from a distance from the queue line and ride photos.
Taking in the mountain from across the lake.
Mom and Dad in front of Everest!
One of my favorite shots from the trip. The red flowers framing the mountain in the distance just make this look so serene.
Everest looming in the distance, but getting closer!
A mantle outside of Expedition Everest. Foreshadowing anyone?
A train heading into the mountain. Nothing could go wrong, right?
The Bazaar which serves as the Expedition Everest gift shop and exit of the ride.
Beautiful and colorful banners stretch across the walkways.
With that, we move onward toward our sure to be fateful encounter with the fearsome Yeti!
KovuLover
Dinoland was in our rear view mirror and we made our way into Asia. The main attraction here is of course Expedition Everest, and that was where we were headed! For this post, I'm going to separate photos of the ride from a distance from the queue line and ride photos.
Taking in the mountain from across the lake.
Mom and Dad in front of Everest!
One of my favorite shots from the trip. The red flowers framing the mountain in the distance just make this look so serene.
Everest looming in the distance, but getting closer!
A mantle outside of Expedition Everest. Foreshadowing anyone?
A train heading into the mountain. Nothing could go wrong, right?
The Bazaar which serves as the Expedition Everest gift shop and exit of the ride.
Beautiful and colorful banners stretch across the walkways.
With that, we move onward toward our sure to be fateful encounter with the fearsome Yeti!
KovuLover
Last edited:
KovuLover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
PART TWENTY- OUR MEETING WITH THE YETI
We had finally made our way to the entrance of Expedition Everest, and proceeded through the amazing queue line. Expedition Everest is one of the Parker family favorite rides! The attention to detail and amount of items that they have included in the queue line is astounding.
Here we go!
Making our way through the outside portion of the queue.
Once inside, we were immersed in the journey of other people who attempted to enter the sacred land of the yeti.
Camping equipment from some ill-fated trips on Everest.
Animal masks on display.
Is it me, or is the deer very creepy?
Now that we had walked through the line, we were ready to experience the ride!
On the way up the mountain!
Hmm we may have a problem...
Uh oh. Yeah, we definitely have a problem.
The Yeti tearing up the train tracks. It's time to get out of here and fast!
Family ride photos!
Katie and Sean at the back.
The Yeti trying to snatch us. Better luck next time!
Once we had faced the Yeti and made it out alive, we exited through the gift shop and past this guy.
KovuLover
We had finally made our way to the entrance of Expedition Everest, and proceeded through the amazing queue line. Expedition Everest is one of the Parker family favorite rides! The attention to detail and amount of items that they have included in the queue line is astounding.
Here we go!
Making our way through the outside portion of the queue.
Once inside, we were immersed in the journey of other people who attempted to enter the sacred land of the yeti.
Camping equipment from some ill-fated trips on Everest.
Animal masks on display.
Is it me, or is the deer very creepy?
Now that we had walked through the line, we were ready to experience the ride!
On the way up the mountain!
Hmm we may have a problem...
Uh oh. Yeah, we definitely have a problem.
The Yeti tearing up the train tracks. It's time to get out of here and fast!
Family ride photos!
Katie and Sean at the back.
The Yeti trying to snatch us. Better luck next time!
Once we had faced the Yeti and made it out alive, we exited through the gift shop and past this guy.
KovuLover
Last edited:
KovuLover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
PART TWENTY-ONE- HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A HIPPO'S TEETH?
The final "major" attraction at Animal Kingdom is none other than the Kilimanjaro Safari! We made our way towards Africa which is situated in the back of the park.
Entering the queue line for the safari.
The Black Rhinoceros!
Greater Kudu: I love this shot!
The Saddle-Billed Stork
White stork (I believe...)
The Nile Hippopotamus!
Usually the most we ever see of the hippos are the heads above water (and that is if we are lucky!) One ride though, our truck was stopped because a service truck was blocking the path. Low and behold, the truck was delivering food to the hippos so we were able to witness some activity and I took these shots!
I believe (s)he was hungry!
Just amazing!
Vultures! Warning sign for the bridge ahead over the next exhibit. Can you guess what it is?
The Nile Crocodile!
I'm not really sure what is on that one Crocodile's nose, but he shall be called Rudolph!
I definitely wouldn't want to fall into that!
KovuLover
The final "major" attraction at Animal Kingdom is none other than the Kilimanjaro Safari! We made our way towards Africa which is situated in the back of the park.
Entering the queue line for the safari.
The Black Rhinoceros!
Greater Kudu: I love this shot!
The Saddle-Billed Stork
White stork (I believe...)
The Nile Hippopotamus!
Usually the most we ever see of the hippos are the heads above water (and that is if we are lucky!) One ride though, our truck was stopped because a service truck was blocking the path. Low and behold, the truck was delivering food to the hippos so we were able to witness some activity and I took these shots!
I believe (s)he was hungry!
Just amazing!
Vultures! Warning sign for the bridge ahead over the next exhibit. Can you guess what it is?
The Nile Crocodile!
I'm not really sure what is on that one Crocodile's nose, but he shall be called Rudolph!
I definitely wouldn't want to fall into that!
KovuLover
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KovuLover
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
PART TWENTY-TWO- THE AFRICAN SAVANNA!
After the Crocodile exhibit, we moved on towards the African Savanna!
Sable Antelope!
Antelope!
White-Bearded Wildebeest!
Giraffe!
Baby!
Three giraffes in a row!
Elephant!
Zebra!
White Rhinoceros!
Mud bath!
Ankole Cattle (Watusi)!
Simba! ... I mean, er, African lion!
Addax Antelope!
KovuLover
After the Crocodile exhibit, we moved on towards the African Savanna!
Sable Antelope!
Antelope!
White-Bearded Wildebeest!
Giraffe!
Baby!
Three giraffes in a row!
Elephant!
Zebra!
White Rhinoceros!
Mud bath!
Ankole Cattle (Watusi)!
Simba! ... I mean, er, African lion!
Addax Antelope!
KovuLover
Last edited:
Zenyatta1
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2015
We enjoyed going in January. We went in 2013 and then again in 2014. The weather on our first trip allowed us to wear shorts during the day and pants (both with tops) during the evening. In 2014, we went during the Polar Vortex and it was COLD at night. During the day we could wear a light jacket or fleece, if needed, but we were very glad to have our heavy coats during the evenings. Disney can't be beat for their decorations, though! Beautiful everywhere we went and holiday music, too, for a few days.
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