jsmla
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2001
- Messages
- 4,498
Just in case you forgot who we are
Me: Mom(43) Zoologist extrordinare)
Sam: DS(18) Carnivore
Liz: DD(15) Chocoholic
WDW Swan
6:30 am
Everyones up and dressed in stages today.
Liz 6:30 am-7:30 (plus approximately 10 minutes make-up time in the car)
Me 7:00 am-7:30 am (includes around 10 minutes for a caffeine infusion so that I can function at this ungodly hour)
Sam 7:25-7:30 (plus and extra 5 minutes when he gets sent back to brush his teeth)
Its Extra Magic Hour at the Animal Kingdom this morning and in the parking lot chaos reigns. The parking lot had opened rather late this morning and by the time we pull in it has turned into a demolition derby in there. Maybe one driver in five is actually following the instructions of the lone yellow Disney guy. The rest are criss-crossing the lot, all trying to snag that one spot five feet closer to the gate than anyone elses. I decide to put our lives in Disney hands and follow the rules. Dont these people realize theyll be walking 27 miles today? A few feet more or less isnt going to make any difference. (Another hint: Driving to EMH is a hassle. Disney doesnt have the lot staffed to handle many cars this early and the lot didnt open until almost 8. Just be a good Mouseketeer and take the bus.)
Security check and the turnstiles are mobbed. All the people from the parking lot are in a frenzy because they wont be through by opening. Disney pros that we are, we sail through the Rain Forest Café and go through the park entrance there with no wait. After all the hullabaloo the queue for the Safari is only about 5 minutes. Nice safari. This is the first time weve ever seen the lions up and about. The King of the Jungle even treated us to a nice loud roar. Cool. I was beginning to believe the lions werent real but just super-sophisticated audio-animatronic figures. I mistake the rhinoceros for a hippo which the kids think is pretty funny until I point out the vulture on my side of the jeep. They think this is hilarious. Well, if you think about it, vultures and chickens do have a lot in common. Besides, come on. How many of you expect to see a chicken on an African Safari? My kids entertain everyone for the rest of the safari by pointing out other exotica for me. Hey look, Mom, a unicorn! Next is the, and this is probably misspelled, Pangani Forest Trail. The misty early morning has the bachelor group feeling rather frisky. Theres a lot of hooting and hollering going on. Female gorillas beware. Liz prefers the naked mole rats. She thinks theyre cute. I like the way they clean up after themselves. Maybe if we crossed people with mole rats wed get a kid that doesnt leave its dirty ballet tights on the kitchen counter.
We still have some time before our breakfast trip to Boma and we decide to fill it with Its Tough to Be a Bug. This is the first time Ive ever really taken the time to admire all the carved animals that decorate the tree as we walk up the path. Its usually too hot or were late for our Fast Pass or their father, who has no soul, is with me. I really dont much care for this show. Im sure its a fine attraction but I have a major problem with the insect kingdom. I am from Louisiana and have had more than enough close encounters of the creepy-crawly kind already, thank you. Once, in a LSU dorm, I woke to find that I was sharing my pillow with a huge cockroach. Another tip: My own phobias aside, this show is pretty intense. I highly caution you against bringing your little one in until youve already seen it. Nearly every toddler, and there were a lot of them in there, was screaming in terror. In spite of the cuteness of it all this is not an attraction for babies. (Or me either if I speak truthfully.)
9:30am
Now its time for the real treat of the morning, Boma. BOMA! BOMA, BOMA!!!!!!! (You have to chant it for proper effect. We had dinner here last trip and are eager to sample the breakfast. Sam is looking forward to the unlimited meat bar and Liz plans to lay waste to the desserts. I want some of everything. Our PS is for 10:00 am. The check-in desk is swamped when we get there at 9:50. Were seated by 10 but I noticed that the people without reservations had to wait quite a while. We had two vouchers that we received from Paramount Travel with our 10 Day World Hoppers and I bought another voucher through Connections for Sam. Sam and I started out with the Kenyan press pot (coffee). Were not really coffee snobs. We just like to play with the pot. Liz had some sort of frozen pink concoction and we all had a round of Frunch. Sam and I are adventurous eaters and tried all of the exotic dishes in addition to a whole lot of the regular stuff. Next time Ill call ahead to let them know that were on the way. That way they can prepare Sam his own personal pork loin. It would be a whole lot easier on the other guests that way. Liz, however, was bitterly disappointed to discover that Boma doesnt serve Zebra Domes for breakfast. Shes batting zero with Boma so far. At dinner last year she was first mortally offended that the waiter pointed out the chicken nuggets to her and to her alone. The poor guy insulted Liz yet again by setting a bottle of ketchup squarely in front of her plate. What does he think she is, a baby? Strike three: she was then too mad to have the chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese which is what she really wanted in the first place. (She hardly ate a thing. Boy did she show that waiter!) Zebra Domes were Bomas only saving grace and now they dont even have that. While she was pouting and fiddling around at the pastry station I informed our nice waiter of our little problem. He was great. He brought a covered dish to Lizs place, whipped off the top with a flourish and ta-da! presented her with a plate full of Zebra Domes and all sorts of other gooey goodies from the dinner menu. So, should you ever find yourself at Eds table while dining at Boma, please give him another thank-you from us.
An hour later we roll out of Boma and back down (quite a ways down, the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a Deluxe Resort you know) to the car, all vowing never stuff ourselves like that again. Back at the Swan Sam decides to work off all those calories with a nap. Liz and I prefer to do our digesting poolside. The Swan/ Dolphin pool is incredibly nice. Its huge for one thing and not at all crowded. The slide is not as whiz-bang as the one at the Hard Rock but perfectly adequate for us. Liz and I grabbed shady loungers on the beach side of the pool and just relaxed. I brought a nice soothing biography of George III to read this trip. Almost too soothing really. I napped for most of the afternoon.
Sometime around three the rain chased us back up to the room. Liz and I clean up and decide to hit EPCOT. Sams not yet up for anything more ambitious than a little TV viewing so we have a girls afternoon out. At the Rose and Crown I get my $7 beer refill and we stroll towards the Mexico end of the World Showcase just shopping and people watching as we go. In the shop at China I buy a pair of enameled jingle bell balls. They are not only pretty and on sale but permit me to say balls a lot. Loudly, in public, and in front of Liz. (as in Liz, have you seen my balls lately? or Oh no, I think I lost my balls back in Norway.) Unicorns, indeed!
Magic Kingdom
8:00 pm
I cant believe weve been her so long and are just now getting to the Magic Kingdom. The rainy afternoon has yielded an unexpected bonus. The park is not very crowded at all. We walk back to Tomorrowland and take a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. More tips: If the line is extending out from the entrance to Space Mt. hop on the TTA. It gives you a look inside Space Mt. WDW often stacks the line to this ride by keeping most of it outside. A long line out the door discourages people from hopping in it. This night the line inside only filled one row of the queue area even though it looked horrendous from the outside. We waited 10-15 minutes tops to ride. Sam called the front.
Splash Mt. next. Its parade time and some nice person has left 4 FastPasses on top of the FP machine. We grab em, give the extra to a young dad riding solo, and enjoy our bonus ride. We can see the parade pass beneath us as we glide by, very nice. After Splash we watched the fireworks from the bridge to Frontierland and the parade from a spot in front of Pecos Bills where Im ashamed to say we all had a bite to eat. After the afternoon rain it has turned out to be a lovely evening. We take our time walking back through the park after the parade, watching the castle change colors and just enjoying just being here. Outside, our bus is waiting for us and we zip home in no time.
Aint life grand?
Jennifer
Me: Mom(43) Zoologist extrordinare)
Sam: DS(18) Carnivore
Liz: DD(15) Chocoholic
WDW Swan
6:30 am
Everyones up and dressed in stages today.
Liz 6:30 am-7:30 (plus approximately 10 minutes make-up time in the car)
Me 7:00 am-7:30 am (includes around 10 minutes for a caffeine infusion so that I can function at this ungodly hour)
Sam 7:25-7:30 (plus and extra 5 minutes when he gets sent back to brush his teeth)
Its Extra Magic Hour at the Animal Kingdom this morning and in the parking lot chaos reigns. The parking lot had opened rather late this morning and by the time we pull in it has turned into a demolition derby in there. Maybe one driver in five is actually following the instructions of the lone yellow Disney guy. The rest are criss-crossing the lot, all trying to snag that one spot five feet closer to the gate than anyone elses. I decide to put our lives in Disney hands and follow the rules. Dont these people realize theyll be walking 27 miles today? A few feet more or less isnt going to make any difference. (Another hint: Driving to EMH is a hassle. Disney doesnt have the lot staffed to handle many cars this early and the lot didnt open until almost 8. Just be a good Mouseketeer and take the bus.)
Security check and the turnstiles are mobbed. All the people from the parking lot are in a frenzy because they wont be through by opening. Disney pros that we are, we sail through the Rain Forest Café and go through the park entrance there with no wait. After all the hullabaloo the queue for the Safari is only about 5 minutes. Nice safari. This is the first time weve ever seen the lions up and about. The King of the Jungle even treated us to a nice loud roar. Cool. I was beginning to believe the lions werent real but just super-sophisticated audio-animatronic figures. I mistake the rhinoceros for a hippo which the kids think is pretty funny until I point out the vulture on my side of the jeep. They think this is hilarious. Well, if you think about it, vultures and chickens do have a lot in common. Besides, come on. How many of you expect to see a chicken on an African Safari? My kids entertain everyone for the rest of the safari by pointing out other exotica for me. Hey look, Mom, a unicorn! Next is the, and this is probably misspelled, Pangani Forest Trail. The misty early morning has the bachelor group feeling rather frisky. Theres a lot of hooting and hollering going on. Female gorillas beware. Liz prefers the naked mole rats. She thinks theyre cute. I like the way they clean up after themselves. Maybe if we crossed people with mole rats wed get a kid that doesnt leave its dirty ballet tights on the kitchen counter.
We still have some time before our breakfast trip to Boma and we decide to fill it with Its Tough to Be a Bug. This is the first time Ive ever really taken the time to admire all the carved animals that decorate the tree as we walk up the path. Its usually too hot or were late for our Fast Pass or their father, who has no soul, is with me. I really dont much care for this show. Im sure its a fine attraction but I have a major problem with the insect kingdom. I am from Louisiana and have had more than enough close encounters of the creepy-crawly kind already, thank you. Once, in a LSU dorm, I woke to find that I was sharing my pillow with a huge cockroach. Another tip: My own phobias aside, this show is pretty intense. I highly caution you against bringing your little one in until youve already seen it. Nearly every toddler, and there were a lot of them in there, was screaming in terror. In spite of the cuteness of it all this is not an attraction for babies. (Or me either if I speak truthfully.)
9:30am
Now its time for the real treat of the morning, Boma. BOMA! BOMA, BOMA!!!!!!! (You have to chant it for proper effect. We had dinner here last trip and are eager to sample the breakfast. Sam is looking forward to the unlimited meat bar and Liz plans to lay waste to the desserts. I want some of everything. Our PS is for 10:00 am. The check-in desk is swamped when we get there at 9:50. Were seated by 10 but I noticed that the people without reservations had to wait quite a while. We had two vouchers that we received from Paramount Travel with our 10 Day World Hoppers and I bought another voucher through Connections for Sam. Sam and I started out with the Kenyan press pot (coffee). Were not really coffee snobs. We just like to play with the pot. Liz had some sort of frozen pink concoction and we all had a round of Frunch. Sam and I are adventurous eaters and tried all of the exotic dishes in addition to a whole lot of the regular stuff. Next time Ill call ahead to let them know that were on the way. That way they can prepare Sam his own personal pork loin. It would be a whole lot easier on the other guests that way. Liz, however, was bitterly disappointed to discover that Boma doesnt serve Zebra Domes for breakfast. Shes batting zero with Boma so far. At dinner last year she was first mortally offended that the waiter pointed out the chicken nuggets to her and to her alone. The poor guy insulted Liz yet again by setting a bottle of ketchup squarely in front of her plate. What does he think she is, a baby? Strike three: she was then too mad to have the chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese which is what she really wanted in the first place. (She hardly ate a thing. Boy did she show that waiter!) Zebra Domes were Bomas only saving grace and now they dont even have that. While she was pouting and fiddling around at the pastry station I informed our nice waiter of our little problem. He was great. He brought a covered dish to Lizs place, whipped off the top with a flourish and ta-da! presented her with a plate full of Zebra Domes and all sorts of other gooey goodies from the dinner menu. So, should you ever find yourself at Eds table while dining at Boma, please give him another thank-you from us.
An hour later we roll out of Boma and back down (quite a ways down, the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a Deluxe Resort you know) to the car, all vowing never stuff ourselves like that again. Back at the Swan Sam decides to work off all those calories with a nap. Liz and I prefer to do our digesting poolside. The Swan/ Dolphin pool is incredibly nice. Its huge for one thing and not at all crowded. The slide is not as whiz-bang as the one at the Hard Rock but perfectly adequate for us. Liz and I grabbed shady loungers on the beach side of the pool and just relaxed. I brought a nice soothing biography of George III to read this trip. Almost too soothing really. I napped for most of the afternoon.
Sometime around three the rain chased us back up to the room. Liz and I clean up and decide to hit EPCOT. Sams not yet up for anything more ambitious than a little TV viewing so we have a girls afternoon out. At the Rose and Crown I get my $7 beer refill and we stroll towards the Mexico end of the World Showcase just shopping and people watching as we go. In the shop at China I buy a pair of enameled jingle bell balls. They are not only pretty and on sale but permit me to say balls a lot. Loudly, in public, and in front of Liz. (as in Liz, have you seen my balls lately? or Oh no, I think I lost my balls back in Norway.) Unicorns, indeed!
Magic Kingdom
8:00 pm
I cant believe weve been her so long and are just now getting to the Magic Kingdom. The rainy afternoon has yielded an unexpected bonus. The park is not very crowded at all. We walk back to Tomorrowland and take a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. More tips: If the line is extending out from the entrance to Space Mt. hop on the TTA. It gives you a look inside Space Mt. WDW often stacks the line to this ride by keeping most of it outside. A long line out the door discourages people from hopping in it. This night the line inside only filled one row of the queue area even though it looked horrendous from the outside. We waited 10-15 minutes tops to ride. Sam called the front.
Splash Mt. next. Its parade time and some nice person has left 4 FastPasses on top of the FP machine. We grab em, give the extra to a young dad riding solo, and enjoy our bonus ride. We can see the parade pass beneath us as we glide by, very nice. After Splash we watched the fireworks from the bridge to Frontierland and the parade from a spot in front of Pecos Bills where Im ashamed to say we all had a bite to eat. After the afternoon rain it has turned out to be a lovely evening. We take our time walking back through the park after the parade, watching the castle change colors and just enjoying just being here. Outside, our bus is waiting for us and we zip home in no time.
Aint life grand?
Jennifer
WOW!!! I need to remember that request on my next trip to the world. Lucky you (and Liz)!
