AKL 20th Anniversary Trip, Very GAY, NOW COMPLETE!!!

[John's Mom]

Bumping to Page 1...and waiting for more!

 

[Viki]

DAY SIX

WEDNESDAY
“ Today always comes before tomorrow.” – Botswana


Oh, friends, this is an easy one! I won’t even have to divide this sucker!!!


From the night before we fell into a stupor for the next twelve hours and while technically I was up first, I was a bit distressed from all the revelry, so DP – for the first time that week – was actually showered first, which meant she was privy to a treat, as she made her way to the end of the Zebra trail to watch the 9:15 exodus of the animals from the Savannah, as they performed their own trek of coming in from the night to be properly fed and counted, before being released back later in the morning. She tells me it is a spectacular sight, a grand replay of the loading of Noah’s Ark. For some, she never saw them get so “happy,” running up to each other as they waited in line, hoping to find a partner to do a celebratory “Woo-Hoo! We’re finally going to eat properly” dance. One of the gems of the Sunset Safari was hearing about this whimsical event!

While DP was off witnessing such wonders, I am sad to report that House Keeping finally beat us, literally chasing us from our room. What else could we do but retreat to the warmth and coziness of the concierge lounge?

Did I mention that this was the day Hurricane – oh, I’m sorry – Tropical Storm – oh, I’m sorry – an ittie bittie passing rain, named Ernie, was in town? Well, it was and we were so scared that all we did the rest of the day was sit in the lounge, reading, watching Disney movies – Yeah! In honor of the rain they killed the never-ending cartoon loop – and regularly checking on the really, really nasty weather which never even happened, but which did not stop them from canceling flights. All in all there was a bit of drizzle, a few clouds, and persistent breaks of sunshine, all very threatening!

At some point in the afternoon, we roused ourselves to plan a trip to Victoria Falls and an early dinner at Boma, but honestly when the warm appetizers and cold beer started arriving we couldn’t compel ourselves to follow through.

For the rest of the night we continued to chill in the concierge lounge, munching on the munchies, and enjoying the movie loop, which consisted of:

REMEMBER THE TITANS (NOT BAD)
SHANHAI SOMETHING (WITH OWEN WILSON – STINKO!)
HOLES (ALWAYS DISTRACTING)
PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN (WOO-HOO!)
NEMO (SIMPLY THE BEST)

 

[Cass]

I don't like those fences... where was your room again? I've never had a view of a chain link fence - unless this is something new they've put in.

Great report ~ I'm really enjoying it

 

[Viki]

I don't like those fences... where was your room again? I've never had a view of a chain link fence - unless this is something new they've put in.

Great report ~ I'm really enjoying it

Cass, we couldn't see the fences from our balcony - we were on the Zebra trail, Arusha rock.

DP took photos of the animals at the fences that exist where different Savannahs meet - so there ARE Savannah rooms where you see fences. We saw them on the Sunset Safari as we traveled from one Savannah to another and she saw them when she went all the way to the end of the Zebra Trail to watch the animals come in from different Savannahs for their early morning feeding.

 

[Cass]

Ohhh, okay, now I get it!

Thanks for explaining that!

 

[Viki]

Ohhh, okay, now I get it!

Thanks for explaining that!

You are very welcome, indeed!

 

[Boston5602]

I love reading about your trip . You make me feel like I was right there. Hope you enjoyed all of your trip !!!!

 

[Viki]

I love reading about your trip . You make me feel like I was right there. Hope you enjoyed all of your trip !!!!

Hey, friend, we certainly enjoyed meeting you guys and you WERE right there!!!

And, yes, the entire trip was terrific from start to finish!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Hi Viki!
I'm enjoying your latest TR. As always the photo's are great. Congrats on the Anniversary. It sounds like to you had a great celebration!
My condolences on the passing of DP's grandmother. How wonderful to gather to celebrate her life.
Thanks for sharing your story and photos.

 

[John's Mom]

Viki,

So I'm bumping you back to the first page again, waiting for more of your trip report, and you're talking to disneytraveler. What's up?

Kathy

 

[disneytraveler]

Viki
How did you get those wonderful photos. Both you and Kimmar take great pictures. I have a Cannon digital but it gives me alot of problems.

 

[Viki]

Viki,

So I'm bumping you back to the first page again, waiting for more of your trip report, and you're talking to disneytraveler. What's up?

Kathy

LOL!!! Yes, well, we have to support one another, right?

 

[Viki]

And, actually, what's up is that I had a MISERABLE day at work and am now waiting for a couple, for whom I am doing a baptism on Sunday after worship, call me and work out the details of a complex service that involves two families - hers is Christian - his is observant Jewish. I'm excited about the service, but we all have to be on the same page.

All of which is to say ... no "pool" wine (Little Penquin, a White Shiraz from Australia) for me yet ... still gotta get some work done!

Next installment: tomorrow, I hope!

 

[Viki]

Viki
How did you get those wonderful photos. Both you and Kimmar take great pictures. I have a Cannon digital but it gives me alot of problems.

Well, that's been part of the saga, right? We started out with our own digital, but you haven't seen proof of that because we lost it on day two. Then we picked up disposables, and finally we purchased a Kodak digital at Exposition Hall. They are all good, but I still want to work on the food photos - it's hard to get it right when it's so close up.

We'll just have to take more trips, eh?

 

[Viki]

Hi Viki!
I'm enjoying your latest TR. As always the photo's are great. Congrats on the Anniversary. It sounds like to you had a great celebration!
My condolences on the passing of DP's grandmother. How wonderful to gather to celebrate her life.
Thanks for sharing your story and photos.

Thank you - and EVERONE - for your condolenses. It means a lot. It's been a tough week and it's so good to be surrounded by so many good wishes.

 

[John's Mom]

I hope this isn't a dumb question. What is an interventionist?

 

[disneytraveler]

Well, that's been part of the saga, right? We started out with our own digital, but you haven't seen proof of that because we lost it on day two. Then we picked up disposables, and finally we purchased a Kodak digital at Exposition Hall. They are all good, but I still want to work on the food photos - it's hard to get it right when it's so close up.

We'll just have to take more trips, eh?

Ah i bought a disposable one to .
Yea more trips and more photos . My digital kept singnaling no memory or change battery, and i when i changed battery or made more room in memory
it still signaled.

 

[Viki]

I hope this isn't a dumb question. What is an interventionist?

Ooooh, what a good question - especially on such a tough day!

An interventionist - ME - is someone who is sent into a system (family, business, congregation, you name it) with the goal of helping the system achieve a higher level of organizaitonal functioning. In other words, if all goes well, by the time I leave the system can imagine more possibilities (than before I entered).

This is very hard work - and that's fine, most days. I am, after all, a type A personality. I both work and play (WDW!!!) hard. My job is to both support and challenge and it's an art, not a science. When I err, I tend to err towards the "challenge" side. And that always KICKS right back AT ME!!!

 

[John's Mom]

Wow! What a great job!

 

[Viki]

DAY SEVEN

THURSDAY
“NO MATTER HOW LONG THE NIGHT, THE DAY IS SURE TO COME.” AFRICAN PROVERB

Early to bed, early to rise!

Having rested the night before, eschewing a sweet little trip to Victoria Falls, and gone to bed disappointingly sober, I was up with the giraffe by 6:45 AM, and that meant we were at our first Epcot rope drop in ages. Regularly staying at the Epcot Resorts - BWV or, better yet, BCV, we are used to being penned behind the International Gate until exactly 9 AM.

At the front gate by exactly 8:45 AM, they let us in the park and then held us at the fountain until 9 AM, at which time the CMs and characters came to greet and lead us to the Land,

where we all wanted to ride the same exact ride – SOARIN’ – at exactly the same time. Although the crowd was miniscule, I still tried a bit of misdirection to thin the lines even a bit more, walking right at the front of the pack, arm raised high, shouting, “This way to FIGMENT!”

Needless to say, I was hardly successful, very few people stopped in their tracks to double check their maps, but nevertheless it was a thrill when the flight attendants announced that our group was officially the first ride of the day! Yeah!!!!

We were also standing in row 2 for the very first time, the occasion of which made me a bit apprehensive when I considered the notorious “Hanging Feet,” not to be confused with the other Florida staple of the notorious “Hanging Chad.”

Imagine my surprise, therefore, when Gwen and I agreed, after the ride, that we PREFERRED row 2 to row 1, vastly enjoying the experience of being ever closer to the action, with our delightful toes barely skirting the treetops and our “glider” threatened by the pounding surf! Woo-Hoo! Soarin’ Times, indeed!

Exiting our exhilarating ride we picked up a fast pass and did, in order, because, why NOT, the following rides/attractions:

1. THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: I love this, really! But it’s message that primitive living is wiser than modern life was a bit challenged by a USA article that morning on the Masai’s poisoning of so many lions, who are preying on their goats and cattle, that Kenya’s lion population may go extinct within the decade!

Oh, and while we are on the topic, the film’s major theme is that in the circle of life there are just too many human beings, which is only true if you believe in limited resources – on the other hand, I say “UP” with the space program and planet or not, let’s go mine Pluto!!!

2. JOURNEY INTO THE IMAGINATION WITH FIGMENT:

Which I rate as 2 notches above the TIKI ROOM, which I rate one notch above STITCH’S GREAT ESCAPE.

3. SOARIN’: Second ride of the morning and this time, spurred on by a great sense of adventure and a new-found fascination with podiatry, we volunteered to sit in aisle 3. A wonderful choice and, really, who does not enjoy an early morning view of so many naked piggies?

4. TURTLE TALK WITH CRUSH: Which was SUPER DUDE, at least 5 turtle shells above FIGMENT.

5. YUP, SOARIN’ AGAIN: Where, quite to the chagrin of the CM, we REQUESTED row three, a decision which was only slightly marred by its placing us next to a elderly gentleman who was literally scared to death of heights! I tried to embrace this guy, but my misgivings increased when he started crying out for the MERCY button!!!

All ended well. It was a terrific morning and it was, by then, 11 AM, and you know what that means? Yes, indeed, a lost afternoon in Mexico!!!