delikado
<font color=teal>Knows how to wave like a madwoman
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2002
- Messages
- 363
<a href="http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=455600" target="_blank">Prelude - "I'd like to check-in. Please." </a><br />
10/16/03: Part One - "Do you know what time it is?"
Cast:
Ria (23) - yours truly, vacation planner, wannabe commando, wary of birds
Brent (24) - the boyfriend, tends to wander about aimlessly, first-time Disney guest, amateur photographer
After seeing about twenty other buses go by, the bus headed to the Animal Kingdom finally arrived at the Boardwalk bus stop. We hopped on, excited to enter the first theme park of the trip. Little did we know that it would take us our entire lives to get there! Are Disney bus drivers required to drive at the speed of molasses? Because that's what it felt like. I could've sworn we were getting passed by grandmas in wheelchairs.
But we wouldn't let something so insignificant as that ruin our vacation! We finally arrived at the Animal Kingdom, and took the requisite pictures at the entrance. We breezed through security and the ticket thingies, and tried to figure out a plan of attack. (What? I did say I was only a wannabe commando.) We ambled our way through the park, admiring the wildlife scattered around the area, until we caught a whiff of barbequed meats...
Ria: Is that barbeque I smell?
Brent: I think so. I thought you wanted to ride the Safari...
Ria: Um, yeah, we can do that later. After I get some barbeque. Doesn't it feel like it's dinnertime?
Brent (perplexed): It's only one o'clock in the afternoon.
Ria: I think I've been awake for too long today. Let's get some barbeque.
We lined up for lunch at the Flame Tree BBQ, and knowing that Brent can be somewhat indecisive when it comes to food, I told him to decide before we get to the cashier, otherwise the natives might get a little testy.
We both went for the smoked pork sandwiches, with a side of french fries, which came to about $100. But this was the easy part; I knew that locating an empty table would be the real challenge.
Now let me first say that I have absolutely no problem with people who save tables. I mean, if I was traveling with a truckload of kids, or if someone in my party was handicapped, I would do the same thing, too. But, there's no need to be rude about it. I saw a table that was being vacated, and since I didn't notice anyone around, I walked up to it with my tray in hand. I was about to put my tray down when a man rushed to the table, frowning and shaking his head at me. I looked behind him and saw a teenager in a wheelchair, and realized that they had been waiting for this table before we arrived. So, being the polite person my mother brought me up to be, I smiled, apologized, and backed away, saying that I didn't know he was saving the table. No big deal. And what did I get for my efforts? A snort and the cold shoulder.
Hello? Did I miss something here? Are snorts now considered acceptable means of communication? Oh, I forgot that we were in the Animal Kingdom. Still, I refused to let his deplorable behavior get me down, so I turned around and found another table seconds later.
Lunch was good, quick, and filling. It was probably the first time I'd been able to take a deep breath since we arrived in Orlando, notwithstanding the little girl behind me who was throwing crackers underneath our table to feed the birds. Birds who were not sitting at our table, but were now slowly approaching.
Ria: Did you ever see that Hitchcock movie, "The Birds"?
Brent: No, but I've heard about it. Why?
Ria (eyeing the birds suspiciously): No reason.
We got up and threw away our leftovers (much to the birds' dismay), and set off to find the Kilimanjaro Safaris, not before stopping by It's Tough to be a Bug! for fastpasses. We entered Africa, and for a few moments, Brent and I thought that we were really in... Africa. Honestly, as far as aesthetics go, Animal Kingdom can't be beat. Just thinking about the amount of time and money that was put into making everything seem so real boggles my mind. I would've been more than happy to just walk around this park and enjoy the scenery. Okay, so maybe that's a lie.
The wait time for the Safaris was 30 minutes, which was the most time we were willing to wait for any ride. The line actually seemed to move faster than that, but maybe that was because I was busy making funny faces at the animals around us (no, I'm not referring to the children).
Finally, we board our safari-mobile, which was being driven by a man named...I can't remember. I think he was actually a robot, because definitely sounded like one. The "poachers" came and went, and I didn't even know it. But the animals! The animals were great, though I think they were more amused with Brent, who used up an entire roll of film during that one ride. Oh well, at least we have a lot of giraffe pictures to show family and friends.
After our Safari adventure, we ambled over to the Tree of Life to ooohh and aaahh before heading to watch It's Tough to be a Bug! We breezed through the fastpass entrance, heckling the people who were stuck waiting in line. (I'm kidding! I'm a nice person!) I love 3-D shows, and this one was the best I've seen so far. We heard several children having meltdowns in the theatre, but besides that, it was great. Definitely a not-to-miss attraction for me.
We walked around the park some more after the show, deciding to pass on Kali River Rapids after seeing the people who getting absolutely drenched on the ride. However, I was hoping to try using one of those elephant spray thingies to get these unknowing parkgoers even more drenched, but as I expected, several young children were hogging the controls.
Brent: Do you think I should ask him if I can try to spray the people?
Ria: He probably won't let you, since he's clinging to that control panel like he's got nothing else to live for.
Brent (pouting): But I want to try it.
Ria: Well, I guess you could take him... Okay, I'll distract, you throw him over the bridge.
Brent: Ria, I just want to try the water thing.
Ria: (pause) Oh, my bad.
Seeing as it was almost 5pm, I suggested that we head back to the Boardwalk, since we had a dinner reservation at 7pm. The ride was without incident (honestly, aside from the slow drivers, we found the bus service to be quite efficient), and we were back at the Boardwalk before we knew it.
Was it only 6pm? We felt like we had been awake for a whole week by that point, but we made our way to Teppanyaki anyway. No way was I missing my first PS! We checked in a few minutes before our 7pm PS, and were seated soon after. I was secretly worried that we would be seated with a family with fussy children, but luckily enough, the family we were seated with was very pleasant, and their children were just as well behaved. I looked across the room at a little boy who was throwing bits of food back on the cooking surface (and not being reprimanded) and thanked the PS gods for sparing our tired souls. Brent ordered the scallop and shrimp combination, while I had the chicken and shrimp, and it was so yummy! Our chef (who was female, incidentally) wasn't too showy, but she was efficient and the food was great. You may not come out smelling too pretty, but heck, it was worth it. Our bill came to about $2,000.
About an hour and a half later, we managed to roll ourselves out of Teppanyaki (maybe we should've shared an entree) and stroll around the World Showcase, in hopes of working off some of the food we just inhaled. After walking for about five minutes, I noticed more and more people standing around the lagoon, as well as a number of poles that were on fire. (Strangely enough, no one seemed to be concerned that there were also a number of trees surrounding the poles on fire, so we just went with it.) Brent and I made no plans to see a fireworks show, but lo and behold, we were right on time for Illuminations!
We saw the show from the Japan pavilion (we obviously didn't make it very far from the restaurant), and it was amazing. I tend to get bored pretty quickly with fireworks displays, but the spinning planet thing made the show more "meaningful" for me. We didn't get to see any other shows during our visit, so I'm glad we managed to see at least one.
Tired and half-full from dinner, we walked home to the BWV, our home away from home. All-in-all, it was a great way to start our vacation, and we couldn't wait till morning!
10/16/03: Part One - "Do you know what time it is?"
Cast:
Ria (23) - yours truly, vacation planner, wannabe commando, wary of birds
Brent (24) - the boyfriend, tends to wander about aimlessly, first-time Disney guest, amateur photographer
After seeing about twenty other buses go by, the bus headed to the Animal Kingdom finally arrived at the Boardwalk bus stop. We hopped on, excited to enter the first theme park of the trip. Little did we know that it would take us our entire lives to get there! Are Disney bus drivers required to drive at the speed of molasses? Because that's what it felt like. I could've sworn we were getting passed by grandmas in wheelchairs.
But we wouldn't let something so insignificant as that ruin our vacation! We finally arrived at the Animal Kingdom, and took the requisite pictures at the entrance. We breezed through security and the ticket thingies, and tried to figure out a plan of attack. (What? I did say I was only a wannabe commando.) We ambled our way through the park, admiring the wildlife scattered around the area, until we caught a whiff of barbequed meats...
Ria: Is that barbeque I smell?
Brent: I think so. I thought you wanted to ride the Safari...
Ria: Um, yeah, we can do that later. After I get some barbeque. Doesn't it feel like it's dinnertime?
Brent (perplexed): It's only one o'clock in the afternoon.
Ria: I think I've been awake for too long today. Let's get some barbeque.
We lined up for lunch at the Flame Tree BBQ, and knowing that Brent can be somewhat indecisive when it comes to food, I told him to decide before we get to the cashier, otherwise the natives might get a little testy.
Now let me first say that I have absolutely no problem with people who save tables. I mean, if I was traveling with a truckload of kids, or if someone in my party was handicapped, I would do the same thing, too. But, there's no need to be rude about it. I saw a table that was being vacated, and since I didn't notice anyone around, I walked up to it with my tray in hand. I was about to put my tray down when a man rushed to the table, frowning and shaking his head at me. I looked behind him and saw a teenager in a wheelchair, and realized that they had been waiting for this table before we arrived. So, being the polite person my mother brought me up to be, I smiled, apologized, and backed away, saying that I didn't know he was saving the table. No big deal. And what did I get for my efforts? A snort and the cold shoulder.
Hello? Did I miss something here? Are snorts now considered acceptable means of communication? Oh, I forgot that we were in the Animal Kingdom. Still, I refused to let his deplorable behavior get me down, so I turned around and found another table seconds later.Lunch was good, quick, and filling. It was probably the first time I'd been able to take a deep breath since we arrived in Orlando, notwithstanding the little girl behind me who was throwing crackers underneath our table to feed the birds. Birds who were not sitting at our table, but were now slowly approaching.
Ria: Did you ever see that Hitchcock movie, "The Birds"?
Brent: No, but I've heard about it. Why?
Ria (eyeing the birds suspiciously): No reason.
We got up and threw away our leftovers (much to the birds' dismay), and set off to find the Kilimanjaro Safaris, not before stopping by It's Tough to be a Bug! for fastpasses. We entered Africa, and for a few moments, Brent and I thought that we were really in... Africa. Honestly, as far as aesthetics go, Animal Kingdom can't be beat. Just thinking about the amount of time and money that was put into making everything seem so real boggles my mind. I would've been more than happy to just walk around this park and enjoy the scenery. Okay, so maybe that's a lie.
The wait time for the Safaris was 30 minutes, which was the most time we were willing to wait for any ride. The line actually seemed to move faster than that, but maybe that was because I was busy making funny faces at the animals around us (no, I'm not referring to the children).
After our Safari adventure, we ambled over to the Tree of Life to ooohh and aaahh before heading to watch It's Tough to be a Bug! We breezed through the fastpass entrance, heckling the people who were stuck waiting in line. (I'm kidding! I'm a nice person!) I love 3-D shows, and this one was the best I've seen so far. We heard several children having meltdowns in the theatre, but besides that, it was great. Definitely a not-to-miss attraction for me.
We walked around the park some more after the show, deciding to pass on Kali River Rapids after seeing the people who getting absolutely drenched on the ride. However, I was hoping to try using one of those elephant spray thingies to get these unknowing parkgoers even more drenched, but as I expected, several young children were hogging the controls.
Brent: Do you think I should ask him if I can try to spray the people?
Ria: He probably won't let you, since he's clinging to that control panel like he's got nothing else to live for.
Brent (pouting): But I want to try it.
Ria: Well, I guess you could take him... Okay, I'll distract, you throw him over the bridge.
Brent: Ria, I just want to try the water thing.
Ria: (pause) Oh, my bad.
Seeing as it was almost 5pm, I suggested that we head back to the Boardwalk, since we had a dinner reservation at 7pm. The ride was without incident (honestly, aside from the slow drivers, we found the bus service to be quite efficient), and we were back at the Boardwalk before we knew it.
Was it only 6pm? We felt like we had been awake for a whole week by that point, but we made our way to Teppanyaki anyway. No way was I missing my first PS! We checked in a few minutes before our 7pm PS, and were seated soon after. I was secretly worried that we would be seated with a family with fussy children, but luckily enough, the family we were seated with was very pleasant, and their children were just as well behaved. I looked across the room at a little boy who was throwing bits of food back on the cooking surface (and not being reprimanded) and thanked the PS gods for sparing our tired souls. Brent ordered the scallop and shrimp combination, while I had the chicken and shrimp, and it was so yummy! Our chef (who was female, incidentally) wasn't too showy, but she was efficient and the food was great. You may not come out smelling too pretty, but heck, it was worth it. Our bill came to about $2,000.
About an hour and a half later, we managed to roll ourselves out of Teppanyaki (maybe we should've shared an entree) and stroll around the World Showcase, in hopes of working off some of the food we just inhaled. After walking for about five minutes, I noticed more and more people standing around the lagoon, as well as a number of poles that were on fire. (Strangely enough, no one seemed to be concerned that there were also a number of trees surrounding the poles on fire, so we just went with it.) Brent and I made no plans to see a fireworks show, but lo and behold, we were right on time for Illuminations!
We saw the show from the Japan pavilion (we obviously didn't make it very far from the restaurant), and it was amazing. I tend to get bored pretty quickly with fireworks displays, but the spinning planet thing made the show more "meaningful" for me. We didn't get to see any other shows during our visit, so I'm glad we managed to see at least one.
Tired and half-full from dinner, we walked home to the BWV, our home away from home. All-in-all, it was a great way to start our vacation, and we couldn't wait till morning!
$100 and $2000 LOL! I know it's expensive, but I did laugh out loud at those comments. 
