1 crazy family+2 resorts+5 parks+1 snake+1 surprise=A Mickeystoontown report 4/3x2

[Tiggerrn2]

Wow!!! So many updates!! I did that last week. Now I'm slacking again! Hunter got some awesome safari shots.
FOLK is probably my favorite show. My DH college roomie was a Samoan Fire Dancer as a side job in college. He would get slightly singed on occasion as well. Hazard of the job, I guess.

I don't think we've ever had the deserts at Pizzafari. But the sandwiches aren't too bad and you can never go wrong with Caesar salad.

Hoping whatever your family illnesses are, you all recover and feel better soon.

Hope you are all keeping warm and safe down there. I know it's been a bit chilly all around. Very chilly here-trying to keep the holiday spirit and roll with the cold. Time to head out for some shopping (with the required stop in one of the few Disney stores left). Have a wonderful day!

 

[wiigirl]

Awsome update!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

I'm sad that FOLK won't be up when we're there, since I don't go very often. But last time I was there, both the Peoplemover and Space Mountain were down, and we'll likely get to ride the new Mine Train in Magic Kingdom, so it's probably a reasonable enough trade off. Loving yesterday's updates!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Wow!!! So many updates!! I did that last week. Now I'm slacking again! Hunter got some awesome safari shots.
FOLK is probably my favorite show. My DH college roomie was a Samoan Fire Dancer as a side job in college. He would get slightly singed on occasion as well. Hazard of the job, I guess.

I don't think we've ever had the deserts at Pizzafari. But the sandwiches aren't too bad and you can never go wrong with Caesar salad.

Hoping whatever your family illnesses are, you all recover and feel better soon.

Hope you are all keeping warm and safe down there. I know it's been a bit chilly all around. Very chilly here-trying to keep the holiday spirit and roll with the cold. Time to head out for some shopping (with the required stop in one of the few Disney stores left). Have a wonderful day!

I'd never make it as a fire dancer since I'm such a clutz. I would have everything set on fire within two seconds of starting a show.

I could eat a Caesar salad every single day. I love salad!

Thanks! Hopefully, we'll get the results and know what our next step is. If a next step is even required.

It has been quite cold here. Today is supposed to be a little warmer. I think our high is 40something. Good luck shopping!

Awsome update!

Thank you!

I'm sad that FOLK won't be up when we're there, since I don't go very often. But last time I was there, both the Peoplemover and Space Mountain were down, and we'll likely get to ride the new Mine Train in Magic Kingdom, so it's probably a reasonable enough trade off. Loving yesterday's updates!

Those are almost the same words that I said! Great minds think alike!

 

[BridgetR3]

Stopping in to say hey from your FB group!

Glad Hunter was able to get good pictures because your rocks look animatronic!! Sorry I had to pick at you!

We have never eaten at Pizzafari but air conditioning in the summer is always great!! Usually we go to Restaurantasaurus.

Wow, the fire dancer caught his hair on fire?? How scary!!

I'm going to miss Lion King on our next trip in May. And I'll be honest, the new theater didn't look anywhere near ready on our last trip but I suppose it will be ready by July or August or whatever. I just hope they don't change the show. It's our favorite!

 

[DisneymoonJess07]

Great minds do think alike!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Stopping in to say hey from your FB group!

Glad Hunter was able to get good pictures because your rocks look animatronic!! Sorry I had to pick at you!

We have never eaten at Pizzafari but air conditioning in the summer is always great!! Usually we go to Restaurantasaurus.

Wow, the fire dancer caught his hair on fire?? How scary!!

I'm going to miss Lion King on our next trip in May. And I'll be honest, the new theater didn't look anywhere near ready on our last trip but I suppose it will be ready by July or August or whatever. I just hope they don't change the show. It's our favorite!

Hey girl! Good to "see" you!

No need to apologize. If I didn't want to be picked on, I'd just post wonderful spectacular stellar pictures and I wouldn't talk about our goofy selves.

Yep, caught his hair on fire! It didn't last but a second or two but it was obvious that he felt it because he's the one who put it out.

Ooh, inside scoop. Where's the theater located? You can tell that I'm totally not up to speed on my info.

Great minds do think alike!!

Yep!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Nothing like a chunk of red meat to get the juices flowing!

At some point in time, Lacey and Jesse had gotten Fastpasses for Expedition Everest but, for the life of me, I can’t remember when or how or anything about it. I only remember this because of our next set of pictures. After Festival of the Lion King, we made our way towards Asia. We were going to take one of the trails and possibly break into groups.

Some pictures along the way:









Before parting ways, we stopped to get something to drink as it was pretty hot and we were parched. We also discussed meeting up later at the resort, what time, etc. This is where I have a little bit of regret. You see, I wanted to take the annual pictures of Hunter on the trail. He’s not big on Expedition Everest so neither of us thought twice about splitting up. However, after riding Expedition Everest, Jesse and Lacey went on to ride Dinosaur which is one of our family favorites. The rest of us never got to do it so it was poor planning on my part. Thus, no silly family picture on Dinosaur. Makes me a little sad. Oh well, we’ll do it next trip.

Back to buying drinks and talking of splitting up. Lacey and Jesse went one way and Hunter set off on a road trip:







To nowhere!



Since it was obvious that Hunter’s mode of transportation wasn’t going to work for us, we set off on foot to the Maharajah Jungle Trek:











**Continued in next post

 

[mickeystoontown]

We arrived at the bat exhibit which is not one of John’s favorites. He’s not afraid of bats but he doesn’t like them one little bit. There have been times when he bypassed the bat portion of the trail or even skipped the trail all together. Again, not because he’s scared of them, he just thinks they are nasty rats with wings. However, today, he entered the area with us and we all looked around.
















Hiding over in the corner of the bat exhibit was a huge tortoise:



And, in one of the glass exhibits were lizards:









The backside of the bat exhibit:



**Continued in next post

 

[mickeystoontown]

I know that this will come as quite the shocker but John had a phone call and stopped on the side so as not to interrupt other guests:




John motioned for us to go on without him and that he would catch up. We made our way down the path and looked out the first viewing area to try and find the tigers. Look! He/she (I didn’t do any close inspection to see which.) was walking around and right in front of us too! Usually, they are lying down or walking right around the border of the enclosure where you can’t see them well.



Right after we walked up, I heard a little shrill whistle and noticed a castmember standing next to us. She moved down a little and closer to us and I could see that she had a bucket full of red meat. She blew the whistle again and the tiger stopped walking for a minute:





The castmember threw a chunk of the red meat out into the enclosure and the tiger walked over to get it.



The one in the back obviously wasn’t too interested. But this one was:



It was pretty clear that the castmember was trying to aim the pieces of meat in a certain direction so that the entire crowd of guests could get a good look:



Here comes the other one:









Nothing like a chunk of red meat to get the juices flowing:



We watched for a little while longer but moved on so that other guests could have their turn at watching.

**Up next: Holy crap! That looks like it hurt!

 

[BridgetR3]

Hey girl! Good to "see" you!

No need to apologize. If I didn't want to be picked on, I'd just post wonderful spectacular stellar pictures and I wouldn't talk about our goofy selves.

Yep, caught his hair on fire! It didn't last but a second or two but it was obvious that he felt it because he's the one who put it out.

Ooh, inside scoop. Where's the theater located? You can tell that I'm totally not up to speed on my info.



Yep!

From what I've read the new theater is behind the Tusker House restaurant in Africa on your way to the Safari.

Totally thought I had taken a picture of it but I can't find it. It's just a block of metal beams right now.

 

[BridgetR3]

Whoa!! What cool pixie dust that they were feeding the tigers as you walked up!!! That is awesome!

I don't like the bat house either but at least they don't come near you.

 

[Clarf]

First, LOL about you and John "smothering" Hunter! Hah!

Great tiger pictures! How lucky you happened to be there for that. I also like the bat pictures, but I like bats.

Sorry FOTLK was too loud for your Mama, but at least she can still hear well!

 

[mickeystoontown]

From what I've read the new theater is behind the Tusker House restaurant in Africa on your way to the Safari.

Totally thought I had taken a picture of it but I can't find it. It's just a block of metal beams right now.

I believe that's what I had heard as well. I look forward to seeing the new theater.

Whoa!! What cool pixie dust that they were feeding the tigers as you walked up!!! That is awesome!

I don't like the bat house either but at least they don't come near you.

In all of our trips, that was the first time that I had seen them feeding the tigers. As a matter of fact, it was one of the rare times that I've ever seen them walking around.

First, LOL about you and John "smothering" Hunter! Hah!

Great tiger pictures! How lucky you happened to be there for that. I also like the bat pictures, but I like bats.

Sorry FOTLK was too loud for your Mama, but at least she can still hear well!

Yeah, poor Hunter, he's sooooo mistreated.

I don't mind the bats but John doesn't like them at all.

For sure Mama has keen hearing. The woman can hear almost anything.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Holy crap! That looks like it hurt!

Every year, I do this same disclaimer: The following prayer picture is not meant to make fun or make light of religion. Hunter started saying a prayer under the prayer tree at the Animal Kingdom the year the park opened the Asia section. Since that first journey into Asia, he has stopped to say a prayer and take a picture. Most times, as is the case with Hunter, the picture just happens to include a silly face or expression. However, the prayer that he says is very real. Disclaimer over.

We let the other guests take our spot and watch the tigers gnaw on the chunks of red meat and we moved on to saying our prayers and finding “our” hidden Mickeys.



I wish that I could find a picture of Hunter in front of the following hidden Mickey which was taken years and years ago. He was barely higher than the Mickey itself. Now, he towers high above it.





More Mickeys in the murals:





A quick look around the corner to see another tiger, this time lying down:



These deer, for lack of a better word since I don’t know their proper name, were lying in the shade and I can’t say that I blame ‘em. It was pretty darn hot that day.



Did you notice the horns/antlers in the above picture? No? Here’s a close-up:



They came from this guy:



Holy crap! That looks like it hurt! He had holes right on top of his head. I’m a country girl who has gone huntin’ with her daddy many a time and know that they shed their horns or loose them in a battle with another buck but that did look like a big ouchy.

Up on the hill to the right of us was this big fella:



And this tall fella:



Peeking through a hole in the wall:



You can tell by Mama’s flushed face that it was warm out:



Another view of the tiger enclosure although I don’t know that we’ve ever seen them actually in there walking around:



Flags all above us:



The next section of the trail was the aviary and there were birds everywhere. Imagine that?!?





Boy would the birds in our yard like a bird house like this. All they have at our house is a wooden box with a hole in the front.






One of the sculptures just before you exit the aviary (or possibly right after)



**Continued in next post

 

[mickeystoontown]

As I said, it was hot and I could tell that Mama was getting tired. So, we made the decision to leave the park and go back to the resort to rest before our dinner ADR. As we made our way out, we stopped in The Oasis and took pictures of a few of the animals and pretty foliage in the area.













There was a CM there that noticed us looking at one of the animals and he came over to tell us what it was. (I can’t remember what “it” was.) and Mama struck up a conversation with him and the poor guy was getting an earful.





After a little while, Mama finished up the story that she was telling the CM and we stopped at the front of The Oasis to look at what I believe are spoonbills:





They built this intricate nests from twigs and leaves. You can kinda see one of the nests behind this plant:



Instead of going through the normal turnstiles, we took the path towards Rainforest Café. Didn’t really have a reason to other than we wanted to:




**Up next: Are you serious? I thought aloha meant family you meaniebutt!

 

[DisneyJo]

Wow so many updates!!!

I was laughing so hard at the difference between your safari photos and Hunters, good job you gave him a camera too!

I love all your trail photos too, we skipped AK last trip even though we were there for 10 days but this year we're definitely going back

 

[mickeystoontown]

Wow so many updates!!!

I was laughing so hard at the difference between your safari photos and Hunters, good job you gave him a camera too!

I love all your trail photos too, we skipped AK last trip even though we were there for 10 days but this year we're definitely going back

I've been a busy updating beaver!

Hunter really got the best shots on the safari. My side was pretty bland but I still enjoyed it.

Oh gosh! I'd hate to have to skip the Animal Kingdom. It's one of my favorite parks. (like I don't say that about all of the parks )

 

[BridgetR3]

Well you finally got some animals pictures after the safari!!

Oh the hidden Mickeys on that wall! Woohoo we are going to have to find them on our next trip!

OMG that poor "deer"!!! How in the world??? Oh that must have hurt! I would have been scarred for life after seeing that. Surely painful things like that don't happen to the animals at Disney right??? Geez!!!

 

[Valgoof]

I have never walked either animal trail. Definitely a must do for this trip. Bummer on missing Dinosaur. It is one of our favorites too.

How cool that you saw the tigers being fed!!! Nice of the CM to get them up and moving.