Kevin Stringer
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- Joined
- Mar 3, 2000
- Messages
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DAY 11 SAT 17th NOV
The cast:
Me (Kev): 43. Thinking of changing my name to Nobody. After all, Nobodys perfect.
Tam: 37. Wife, mother and brunt of most of my jokes.
India: 10 on holiday, now 11. Eldest daughter and mate.
Georgia: 8. Youngest daughter and second mate.
Julia: ?. Tams mother and first time Florida visitor. Will be referred to as Granny (J) in an attempt to avoid confusion with
Dorothy: 76. My mum, hereafter referred to as Grandma (D).
If you want to know any more about us, then get and read the pre-trip report. You dont expect me to work hard do you?
Up around 7:30AM and a breakfast of toast and Twinkies. Lovely!
We get the bus to the Animal Kingdom and meet Sharon and Evan at the gate for 9:00AM entry.
Evan has bought India a plush Tigger and a Minnie for Georgia. This is a lovely gift from a very thoughtful, polite boy. The girls are well chuffed and carry their new toys with them all day. They also have great fun trying to teach Evan to speak English, while he tries to teach them Texan yall. Ill have him saying Good show old boy! properly before they leave or die trying!
Our first ride is the Kilimanjaro Safaris. We have an excellent guide and see loads of animals. Id forgotten just how good this attraction is.
We walk the Panganini Forest Trail straight after and have fun with the gorillas as always.
Next we head for Kali River Rapids. Everyone rides and Tam and Sharon get soaked. Deep joy! The two nagging woman get their comeuppance both at the same time. Dont worry about me complaining about Sharon, she knows me well enough by now to ignore my teasing. I only tease people I like.
Tam and Sharon drip off to a corner while the rest of us run round to ride again. This time we ALL get soaked, but even Granny(J) and Grandma(D) come off giggling like teenagers.
A trip to the bathroom (pronounced baaathrume, if youre Texan) to ring out shorts and shirts and we are off to the Maharajah Trail. It is still relatively early so the tigers are active. Usually they just lie around like stripy doormats, but today they seem to watch us with disdain as we crowd around to get a glimpse of them.
Its Tough To Be A Bug is next. India and Georgia sit this one out. India doesnt like the bee sting and Georgia works on the theory that if India doesnt like it, then she wont either! Granny(J) has fun here and I must say that I enjoy it enormously too. It helps to have a packed house screaming and laughing all the way through.
We are going to meet Kev and Trish (old friends from Florida) for lunch in Tusker House, so we wander over early and enjoy a cocktail while sat out in the warm sunshine. A beer is $4.50 and a cocktail is $6, so I decide to have a girly cocktail. I cant remember the names, but mine was red and Tams was green. Does that help? Tam cant remember what hers tastes like anyway, as she knocked it over and spilled most of it. She glances enviously at mine, but a growl soon puts her off any attempt to drink it.
Kev and Trish arrive and we all eat. The food in Tusker House is very nice as long as you like chicken. They have about half a dozen recipes for chicken on the menu, all of which are quite good. We should know, we have most of them between the 10 of us.
I catch up on news with Trish and Kev about WDW and their new home in Florida before we all set off to watch the last show of the Festival of the Lion King at 2:00PM. It seems a bit early for a last show, but the park shuts at 5:00PM today.
It is a very crowded show and they keep trying to pack more people in even after the show has started, which isnt really very good as we have lots of people walking in front and blocking our view.
I ask Granny(J) what she thinks of it afterwards and she says she enjoyed it, but wasnt keen on the people dressed as characters. There goes any lingering hopes of her running up Main Street with arms outstretched to meet Mickey!
After the Lion King we all ride Dinosaur, except India and Georgia who play in the Boneyard. Granny(J) is not too keen on Dinosaur as it is very dark and bumpy.
The girls and Evan then want to do the new dinosaur themed Dumbo type attraction. I think its called Triceratops Spin. I go with them and we all ride.
Now, I really like most of the changes that Disney has made recently, but this is not good. It is garish and too much like a fairground ride. I realise that this is part of the supposed themeing, but it definitely seems out of place to me. Please remove it quickly Mr Eisner, I know you read my trip reports.
After this we leave the Animal Kingdom and head across to the MGM Studios for Fantasmic!
Evan and Sharon want to ride Rock n Roller Coaster, so the rest of us walk to the Fantasmic! Stadium 1 ½ hours before it starts to stake out good seats. We are half way back and smack in the centre. Perfect.
I take the opportunity to write up my trip report with a couple of beers. Well, 3 if Im being honest.
Evan and Sharon return from riding Rock n Roller Coaster 3 times. Sharon is pleased that Evan likes it so much as he had never ridden it before this holiday. Now he has ridden it 10 times and cant get enough!
Fantasmic! is as brilliant as ever. The crowd is up for it and this helps the atmosphere.
On the way out Evan wants to ride Rock n Roller coaster one more time. All of us go through the pre-show so that the ladies can see the ride before we take the chicken exit. I would like to ride but 3 beers and an inverted coaster do not seem like a good combination. I ask Granny(J) if she would like to do it. Not for a million pounds is the reply. I cant blame her for that.
Leaving the MGM Studios, we get the boat back to the Yacht and Beach Club where we disembark to have dinner at Beaches n Cream. Burgers are shared and a large sundae is attacked by all. All the adults at least, as the children are busy playing air hockey in the games room.
A slow walk round to the Boardwalk and we say goodnight to Sharon and Evan. They are sad as they are going home tomorrow, but at least we will get to spend some time with them in the Magic Kingdom tomorrow morning before they go.
Back in the room the ladies enjoy the whirlpool bath. Not all together, you understand.
I partake of a couple of glasses of red wine on the balcony and do more trip report writing. See! Im not completely one-dimensional. I like beer AND red wine.
By the way, the wine we bought at the supermarket is by Robert Mondavi, the same company that ran the wine seminar in Epcot yesterday. At this point I should be congratulated for not making any Small World references.
You can read about our previous adventures at
http://freespace.virgin.net/kevin.stringer/index.htm
The cast:
Me (Kev): 43. Thinking of changing my name to Nobody. After all, Nobodys perfect.
Tam: 37. Wife, mother and brunt of most of my jokes.
India: 10 on holiday, now 11. Eldest daughter and mate.
Georgia: 8. Youngest daughter and second mate.
Julia: ?. Tams mother and first time Florida visitor. Will be referred to as Granny (J) in an attempt to avoid confusion with
Dorothy: 76. My mum, hereafter referred to as Grandma (D).
If you want to know any more about us, then get and read the pre-trip report. You dont expect me to work hard do you?
Up around 7:30AM and a breakfast of toast and Twinkies. Lovely!
We get the bus to the Animal Kingdom and meet Sharon and Evan at the gate for 9:00AM entry.
Evan has bought India a plush Tigger and a Minnie for Georgia. This is a lovely gift from a very thoughtful, polite boy. The girls are well chuffed and carry their new toys with them all day. They also have great fun trying to teach Evan to speak English, while he tries to teach them Texan yall. Ill have him saying Good show old boy! properly before they leave or die trying!
Our first ride is the Kilimanjaro Safaris. We have an excellent guide and see loads of animals. Id forgotten just how good this attraction is.
We walk the Panganini Forest Trail straight after and have fun with the gorillas as always.
Next we head for Kali River Rapids. Everyone rides and Tam and Sharon get soaked. Deep joy! The two nagging woman get their comeuppance both at the same time. Dont worry about me complaining about Sharon, she knows me well enough by now to ignore my teasing. I only tease people I like.
Tam and Sharon drip off to a corner while the rest of us run round to ride again. This time we ALL get soaked, but even Granny(J) and Grandma(D) come off giggling like teenagers.
A trip to the bathroom (pronounced baaathrume, if youre Texan) to ring out shorts and shirts and we are off to the Maharajah Trail. It is still relatively early so the tigers are active. Usually they just lie around like stripy doormats, but today they seem to watch us with disdain as we crowd around to get a glimpse of them.
Its Tough To Be A Bug is next. India and Georgia sit this one out. India doesnt like the bee sting and Georgia works on the theory that if India doesnt like it, then she wont either! Granny(J) has fun here and I must say that I enjoy it enormously too. It helps to have a packed house screaming and laughing all the way through.
We are going to meet Kev and Trish (old friends from Florida) for lunch in Tusker House, so we wander over early and enjoy a cocktail while sat out in the warm sunshine. A beer is $4.50 and a cocktail is $6, so I decide to have a girly cocktail. I cant remember the names, but mine was red and Tams was green. Does that help? Tam cant remember what hers tastes like anyway, as she knocked it over and spilled most of it. She glances enviously at mine, but a growl soon puts her off any attempt to drink it.
Kev and Trish arrive and we all eat. The food in Tusker House is very nice as long as you like chicken. They have about half a dozen recipes for chicken on the menu, all of which are quite good. We should know, we have most of them between the 10 of us.
I catch up on news with Trish and Kev about WDW and their new home in Florida before we all set off to watch the last show of the Festival of the Lion King at 2:00PM. It seems a bit early for a last show, but the park shuts at 5:00PM today.
It is a very crowded show and they keep trying to pack more people in even after the show has started, which isnt really very good as we have lots of people walking in front and blocking our view.
I ask Granny(J) what she thinks of it afterwards and she says she enjoyed it, but wasnt keen on the people dressed as characters. There goes any lingering hopes of her running up Main Street with arms outstretched to meet Mickey!
After the Lion King we all ride Dinosaur, except India and Georgia who play in the Boneyard. Granny(J) is not too keen on Dinosaur as it is very dark and bumpy.
The girls and Evan then want to do the new dinosaur themed Dumbo type attraction. I think its called Triceratops Spin. I go with them and we all ride.
Now, I really like most of the changes that Disney has made recently, but this is not good. It is garish and too much like a fairground ride. I realise that this is part of the supposed themeing, but it definitely seems out of place to me. Please remove it quickly Mr Eisner, I know you read my trip reports.
After this we leave the Animal Kingdom and head across to the MGM Studios for Fantasmic!
Evan and Sharon want to ride Rock n Roller Coaster, so the rest of us walk to the Fantasmic! Stadium 1 ½ hours before it starts to stake out good seats. We are half way back and smack in the centre. Perfect.
I take the opportunity to write up my trip report with a couple of beers. Well, 3 if Im being honest.
Evan and Sharon return from riding Rock n Roller Coaster 3 times. Sharon is pleased that Evan likes it so much as he had never ridden it before this holiday. Now he has ridden it 10 times and cant get enough!
Fantasmic! is as brilliant as ever. The crowd is up for it and this helps the atmosphere.
On the way out Evan wants to ride Rock n Roller coaster one more time. All of us go through the pre-show so that the ladies can see the ride before we take the chicken exit. I would like to ride but 3 beers and an inverted coaster do not seem like a good combination. I ask Granny(J) if she would like to do it. Not for a million pounds is the reply. I cant blame her for that.
Leaving the MGM Studios, we get the boat back to the Yacht and Beach Club where we disembark to have dinner at Beaches n Cream. Burgers are shared and a large sundae is attacked by all. All the adults at least, as the children are busy playing air hockey in the games room.
A slow walk round to the Boardwalk and we say goodnight to Sharon and Evan. They are sad as they are going home tomorrow, but at least we will get to spend some time with them in the Magic Kingdom tomorrow morning before they go.
Back in the room the ladies enjoy the whirlpool bath. Not all together, you understand.
I partake of a couple of glasses of red wine on the balcony and do more trip report writing. See! Im not completely one-dimensional. I like beer AND red wine.
By the way, the wine we bought at the supermarket is by Robert Mondavi, the same company that ran the wine seminar in Epcot yesterday. At this point I should be congratulated for not making any Small World references.
You can read about our previous adventures at
http://freespace.virgin.net/kevin.stringer/index.htm
