2belles'mom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2000
- Messages
- 406
The Cast for Christmas 02:
Me, Disney Junkie and Master Planner
DH David, likes Disney
DD Katja, 6, Disney Junkie-in-training
DD Annika, 3, Disney Junkie-in-training
My brother, Steve
His wife, Sarah
Their son, Riley, 9
Their son, Tallon, 15 months
My mother--Nana
My father?Poppa
December 22
Day 4?Animal Kingdom and Say Hallelujah and Pass the Biscuits!
We awoke early and once again brought up breakfast from Roaring Forks. Our plans called for being on hand at opening for our Animal Kingdom Day. All of us?Nana and Poppa included-- were parking it today, so we got the crew downstairs and we loaded into both of the rental cars and were on our way!
We arrived at Animal Kingdom and I immediately realized I must have messed up on the opening time. My meticulously detailed planning had somehow missed something! There were WAY TOO MANY people there and the park was already open. I was getting a bit agitated about this, but tried to remain fairly calm. We entered and make our way immediately to Kilamanjaro Safaris. With a big sigh of relief we saw that we were going to be okay?the line for Kilananjaros was not bad at all. We had perhaps a 5-10 minute wait, tops. The ride was great, although last time we had a more authentic tour guide. In any event, the animals were out and about and everyone had a good time.
After Kilamanjaro we headed for Kali River Rapids. The weather was not what I would call warm, but it wasn?t cold either, and it was sunny. We decided to gamble with Kali. Two years ago, when it was downright COLD, we had done it and got fairly wet (I took the worst of it then). At that time they had these huge heat blowers near the exit, and we had been able to dry off and warm up. Sooo, with the sun out and all we figured this time we would dry out without too much time passing. Well, Poppa still had bad memories I guess, because he opted not to join us. We left our jackets and sweatshirts with the non-riders so we would have some dry clothes for after, and stowed shoes and socks in the center storage area so they would stay dry. The ride was a walk-on?there was literally no one there but us.
The ride was great, but I wound up getting TOTALLY SOAKED?in a completely lame way! At the beginning of the ride there is this geyser thing that sprays up as you are ambling along. It always stops before you get to it, but not this time, oh on sireebob. The thing kept going as we passed by it, and it just DUMPED mass water on me (only me!), completely drenching me from head to toe. It was ridiculous. Since I was already soaked, we went ahead and rode two times in row without getting off. As I said, no one else was there. Forget my nice dry sweatshirt, though--that was not going to work. I wound up buying new shorts and a t-shirt at a little stand near the exit and changing in the ladies room. There were no big heat blowers as last time?guess it was too warm out. My underwear was still wet and plastered to me, but at least the rest of me was dry!
After Kali, we went to Dinoland. Katja decided that she did not want to do Dinosaur, so she, Tallon, Annika, Nana, and Sarah went to ride Triceratop Spin, one of the new rides, while Dave, Steve, Riley, Poppa and I rode Dinosaur. No line here either?we were doing well!
Afterward, we made our way back to the tree of life for Its Tough To Be A Bug. For the first time, Katja actually stayed for the entire show! We had tried this two times previously at Disney?s California Adventure, and on both occasions she had freaked part way through. She was a trooper this time.
At this point we had a problem. It was drawing close to noon, and veryone really wanted to do the 12:00 Tarzan show (loved it last time) but if we did we would be bumping up against our 1:00 seating at House of Blues for the Sunday Gospel Brunch (which was pre-paid). Instead, we decided to go to the Boneyard and let the kids play for awhile, then take off. The Boneyard was a hit, the kids LOVED digging for the dinosaur bones (missed this last time). We left Animal Kingdom at about noon. Nana got cranky about this; AK is her favorite park, and she felt that both times she had been there we were short on time due to lunch plans or other circumstances. She really wanted to do the Gospel Brunch though (it had been her idea), so we were ok?
We arrived in Downtown Disney and cued up at House of Blues. After a bit of a wait we were seated?the tables are assigned, and ours was great, front and center! Right in front of the stage. The buffet was magnificent, and we had fun gorging ourselves. Biscuits, gravy, grits, eggs, all kinds of great southern goodies, salmon, shrimp, gumbo?I could go on and on. We had about ½ hour or so, and then the show began. WOW! It was like being in church in the deep south?the women were awesome, the ?preacher? was a complete hoot, the gospel music was powerful and inspiring. My mom and the girls got to go up on stage near the end and dance?they loved every minute of it. I bought a CD as we left?too much fun!
We returned to Wilderness Lodge a bit before four o?clock, and immediately got into suits and headed the pool?not much daylight left! We swam and hot-tubbed for as long as we could, then went up to our rooms. We decided to have a lazy evening of it, which is just what we did. We sat around and talked, grabbed a light snack later from Roaring Forks (who could possibly be hungry!!??) and made one additional trip to the pool for some night hot-tubbing. Very nice!
Next?Blizzard Beach
Me, Disney Junkie and Master Planner
DH David, likes Disney
DD Katja, 6, Disney Junkie-in-training
DD Annika, 3, Disney Junkie-in-training
My brother, Steve
His wife, Sarah
Their son, Riley, 9
Their son, Tallon, 15 months
My mother--Nana
My father?Poppa
December 22
Day 4?Animal Kingdom and Say Hallelujah and Pass the Biscuits!
We awoke early and once again brought up breakfast from Roaring Forks. Our plans called for being on hand at opening for our Animal Kingdom Day. All of us?Nana and Poppa included-- were parking it today, so we got the crew downstairs and we loaded into both of the rental cars and were on our way!
We arrived at Animal Kingdom and I immediately realized I must have messed up on the opening time. My meticulously detailed planning had somehow missed something! There were WAY TOO MANY people there and the park was already open. I was getting a bit agitated about this, but tried to remain fairly calm. We entered and make our way immediately to Kilamanjaro Safaris. With a big sigh of relief we saw that we were going to be okay?the line for Kilananjaros was not bad at all. We had perhaps a 5-10 minute wait, tops. The ride was great, although last time we had a more authentic tour guide. In any event, the animals were out and about and everyone had a good time.
After Kilamanjaro we headed for Kali River Rapids. The weather was not what I would call warm, but it wasn?t cold either, and it was sunny. We decided to gamble with Kali. Two years ago, when it was downright COLD, we had done it and got fairly wet (I took the worst of it then). At that time they had these huge heat blowers near the exit, and we had been able to dry off and warm up. Sooo, with the sun out and all we figured this time we would dry out without too much time passing. Well, Poppa still had bad memories I guess, because he opted not to join us. We left our jackets and sweatshirts with the non-riders so we would have some dry clothes for after, and stowed shoes and socks in the center storage area so they would stay dry. The ride was a walk-on?there was literally no one there but us.
The ride was great, but I wound up getting TOTALLY SOAKED?in a completely lame way! At the beginning of the ride there is this geyser thing that sprays up as you are ambling along. It always stops before you get to it, but not this time, oh on sireebob. The thing kept going as we passed by it, and it just DUMPED mass water on me (only me!), completely drenching me from head to toe. It was ridiculous. Since I was already soaked, we went ahead and rode two times in row without getting off. As I said, no one else was there. Forget my nice dry sweatshirt, though--that was not going to work. I wound up buying new shorts and a t-shirt at a little stand near the exit and changing in the ladies room. There were no big heat blowers as last time?guess it was too warm out. My underwear was still wet and plastered to me, but at least the rest of me was dry!
After Kali, we went to Dinoland. Katja decided that she did not want to do Dinosaur, so she, Tallon, Annika, Nana, and Sarah went to ride Triceratop Spin, one of the new rides, while Dave, Steve, Riley, Poppa and I rode Dinosaur. No line here either?we were doing well!
Afterward, we made our way back to the tree of life for Its Tough To Be A Bug. For the first time, Katja actually stayed for the entire show! We had tried this two times previously at Disney?s California Adventure, and on both occasions she had freaked part way through. She was a trooper this time.
At this point we had a problem. It was drawing close to noon, and veryone really wanted to do the 12:00 Tarzan show (loved it last time) but if we did we would be bumping up against our 1:00 seating at House of Blues for the Sunday Gospel Brunch (which was pre-paid). Instead, we decided to go to the Boneyard and let the kids play for awhile, then take off. The Boneyard was a hit, the kids LOVED digging for the dinosaur bones (missed this last time). We left Animal Kingdom at about noon. Nana got cranky about this; AK is her favorite park, and she felt that both times she had been there we were short on time due to lunch plans or other circumstances. She really wanted to do the Gospel Brunch though (it had been her idea), so we were ok?
We arrived in Downtown Disney and cued up at House of Blues. After a bit of a wait we were seated?the tables are assigned, and ours was great, front and center! Right in front of the stage. The buffet was magnificent, and we had fun gorging ourselves. Biscuits, gravy, grits, eggs, all kinds of great southern goodies, salmon, shrimp, gumbo?I could go on and on. We had about ½ hour or so, and then the show began. WOW! It was like being in church in the deep south?the women were awesome, the ?preacher? was a complete hoot, the gospel music was powerful and inspiring. My mom and the girls got to go up on stage near the end and dance?they loved every minute of it. I bought a CD as we left?too much fun!
We returned to Wilderness Lodge a bit before four o?clock, and immediately got into suits and headed the pool?not much daylight left! We swam and hot-tubbed for as long as we could, then went up to our rooms. We decided to have a lazy evening of it, which is just what we did. We sat around and talked, grabbed a light snack later from Roaring Forks (who could possibly be hungry!!??) and made one additional trip to the pool for some night hot-tubbing. Very nice!
Next?Blizzard Beach
Glad your day went ok even though the beginning was not what you planned.
