allie5
<font color=blue>WARNING! DHL men should be cautio
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2002
- Messages
- 1,572
Monday June 30th. After the soaking last night, I am amazed to wake up without showing any symptoms of triple pneumonia I wake up the rest of the sleeping housemates (hmm, Ive been watching too much Big Brother ) as I am determined to be at Animal Kingdom by 9am this morning. No one else is showing nearly enough enthusiasm for my early start and drastic action is needed to stir the lazy rabble. I threaten another "homemade breakfast" unless they are reporting for Safari Duty in the next 5 minutes. This does the trick and everyone emerges, albeit reluctantly. Mum doesnt like Animal Kingdom for some reason, and requests a leave of absence from this mornings excursion. She offers to keep DS with her, so I let her off!
DH, DD and I manage to get to AK just after 9. I am suspicious, however, as the car park is nearly full and the place is heaving. Oh dear, I hadnt consulted my itinerary before we left, and now I am sure I have brought us here on an early entry day. Yes, a CM confirms it....THAT is why the place is so busy. I dont envisage getting much done this morning. We head down to the Safari ride, (along with everyone else who has ever read a guidebook!!) and consequently there is a 50 minute standby line already at 9.15am! I hurry over to get a Fast Pass, which surprisingly only has a 50 minute wait. We now need food and wander into Tusker House to see what the offerings are. DH and I have a breakfast croissant and DD has a bowl of Frosties, all washed down with large OJs.
We still have awhile to the safari so head back up towards Camp Minnie Mickey. Lilo and Stitch are signing autographs, so I get in the line with DD. She LOVES these characters... I also shimmy in, hula style for a hug with Stitch! We try for the Lion King show, but are too late. DD spots Minnie and Mickey and we queue for more photos. DD is wearing a pair of Daisy Duck sunglasses which go down well with both Mickey and Minnie! Heading back towards the safaris, DD has another photo call with one of the Ants from a Bugs Life. This is the only ant this vacation that I dont stamp on . The Ant waves cheerily goodbye, not knowing how close she was to a woman with a can of Raid that wasnt afraid to use it.
We enter the safari through the Fast Pass entrance and walk through straight onto a jeep. Its a good safari, and we see all the animals except the zebra which seem to have mysteriously disappeared this trip and the lion which is asleep as usual. DD is now convinced he isnt real at all. Strangely, the ostrich eggs havent hatched since last year either, but are still in their neat little pile beside the road DD enjoys seeing the baby elephant in the back of the poachers truck and all in all, a good trip.
As we have a lunch ressie at the Wilderness Lodge, we dont have time for much else. Anyhow, the park is too crowded to do much AND its blisteringly hot. We head over to Its Tough To Be A Bug, but the line is 55 minutes and Fast Pass 50 minutes. We dont have time, so head back to the car, having accomplished diddly squat really. Ah, well, Tomorrow IS another day!
Back at the villa, we pick up mum and DS and whizz off to the Wilderness Lodge where we have a lunch PS for the Whispering Canyon Cafe. Having been in and out of nearly all the Disney Resorts over the last few trips, we have become kind of complacent at breezing through security....until today. Things start to look iffy when there is a line of about 10 cars waiting to get into the lodge. The security guy (I shall call him Adolf) was taking an age to admit anyone. He was writing down licence plates, and perfoming the Spanish Inquisition on every driver. When it was our turn, I lean over DH (who has a tendency to clam up when confronted by obnoxious little jobsworths) and explain most politely, in POSHEST Queens English, that we have a PS for the Whispering Canyon. Adolf declares we arent on his list and cant come in!! Hmmm, Adolf must be a fully paid up member of the American Phsycic Society, as I hadnt even given him our name yet!! He really is extremely rude ranting on an on about ID, hotel reservations, car licenses and other rubbish that had no bearing on us at all. I hate people like this and I am fighting to keep calm. I give him my Drivers licence (not good enough because UK ones arent Photo ID) and then my credit card. He STILL wont let us in!
My patience is just about up.....I realise Disney require a certain amount of security, but I dont accept that this has to be carried out by rude people like this. I tell him we have a PS and he will find our name on his list..he does, which he can then check against my Drivers licence. I tell him if he WONT let us in, then I want to see his immediate superior, to whom HE can then explain why HE made 5 GUESTS late for their lunch. Finally, it seeps through to Adolf that he isnt going to be able to get shot of us and waves us through with a cursory flick of his clipboard. The urge to give him a sign back "Churchill Style" is tempting but we dont!
We are now late for our PS, thanks to Adolf. I explain to the CMs at the podium about the guard and that I wish to make a complaint.I can see by their faces, this isnt the first time this has happened. Oh well, time to forget about that and enjoy lunch! The restaurant was nearly empty (it was after 2pm) but all credit to our server, Charlie, who made us feel very welcome and not at all uncomfortable (as can be the case with empty restaurants sometimes!!). I was surprised that the Whispering Canyon wasnt nearly as big as I had imagined! And I also didnt expect it to be literally in the lobby! It had quite a cosy atmosphere and I would like to visit on a cold winters day with the fire roaring!
Charlie explained about the All You Can Eat Skillet, and we agreed that this sounded very tasty. DH was in heaven as they serve Bottomless Milkshakes, and he managed to get to the bottom of quite a few I can tell you! Mum had pink lemonade, and I had a diet coke. Charlie brought us out some warm corn bread, that seemed to be sponge cake in disguise, but still quite tasty! The skillet arrived in double quick time and consisted of BBQ ribs, chicken quarters, sausage, roasted herb potatoes, corn on the cob, BBQ beans and individual pots of coleslaw. Anything could be topped up and we ended up ordering more ribs as they were melt in the mouth. Also, the roast potatoes were to die for and we got more of these too. Even DS ate quite a bit here, so a big thumbs up! DH was still working his way through the Milkshake flavours, so mum and I shared an Apple Crumble Pie and ice cream which was heavenly!
Whilst we were eating, another storm had brewed up and it was raining cats and dogs once more. My plan had been to go over to Magic Kingdom on the boat this afternoon, but the weather seemed against us. Charlie encouraged us to stay and sit out the storm, which we did. DH challenged him to a duel and asked for a longer straw (some of the things we had read about) and we were rewarded with some antics, though it was all quite low key!
The storm did eventually finish, and we decide to get on the boat over to the Magic Kingdom after all. The Pooh Ride was open today after having been closed for refurb..DD was eager to do this. We wander around the resort for awhile and personally, Im not too keen. Its another quite dark resort, and I found it very shabby round the edges. The toilet I used was dirty (by that I mean muddy tiles, thick dust and gungy surfaces and a bit pongy)..if I HAD been staying there I would have had a few words to say about that! I didnt find it nearly as appealing as the Beach Club or the Contemporary. Sorry Wilderness Lodge fans!!
We make our way to the boat dock and are lucky to get on a launch straight away. We go to Fort Wilderness first, sailing past the old water park, River Country. It still looks in tip top condition considering its been shut for a few years now! Its 4pm and I though the rain would have cleared out the parks, so I wasnt expecting the heaving throng at the gates! MK is packed to the rafters and more people are pouring in on the ferries, monorails and launches! Its the week of 4th July, so I guess this is how its gonna be for the rest of the week! We head straight to the Pooh ride, but en route we are halted by Belle who is about to start her Storytime in the Enchanted Garden. I leave everyone there, and wheel DS round to Pooh...standby is 65 minutes and Fast Pass is coming back between 9pm and 10pm!!! What a nightmare! Even the humble Tea cups have a 50 minute line! This is not working out! Its also HOT! After a wander around Fantasyland where everything had lines over an hour we decide to call it quits.
Its the only day that the parks beat us. I didnt realise just how busy things could get in Summer (having been spoilt by visits during quiet times). Never the less, we all had had a good day and enjoyed getting the ferry back to Wilderness lodge. DS had another "explosive" moment on the boat, much to the horror of a sweet old lady who had been "coochy..cooing" with him.....he let rip a doozy of a Number Two, which, only by sheer luck, hadnt sprayed the old dear from head to toe. She hastily manouvrered herself as far away from us as a small Disney Ferry boat would allow. On our return to the Lodge, I change DS in the lobby toilets which were much cleaner and nicer than the ones I had used earlier by the pool. I was also prepared, with large quantities of wipes, spare clothes and a decontamination sack (well, Disney Carrier Bag) for the offending nappy. I was thinking of leaving this as a souvenir with the security guard, but he had gone when we drove out
We got back to the villa at 7pm. Kidlets have a swim and then are in bed and asleep by 8.30pm. We pop out to Dominoes Pizza for one of their scrummy thin and crispy pizzas and some Cheesy bread.
Tomorrow: Rest Day.....We prang the car
DH, DD and I manage to get to AK just after 9. I am suspicious, however, as the car park is nearly full and the place is heaving. Oh dear, I hadnt consulted my itinerary before we left, and now I am sure I have brought us here on an early entry day. Yes, a CM confirms it....THAT is why the place is so busy. I dont envisage getting much done this morning. We head down to the Safari ride, (along with everyone else who has ever read a guidebook!!) and consequently there is a 50 minute standby line already at 9.15am! I hurry over to get a Fast Pass, which surprisingly only has a 50 minute wait. We now need food and wander into Tusker House to see what the offerings are. DH and I have a breakfast croissant and DD has a bowl of Frosties, all washed down with large OJs.
We still have awhile to the safari so head back up towards Camp Minnie Mickey. Lilo and Stitch are signing autographs, so I get in the line with DD. She LOVES these characters... I also shimmy in, hula style for a hug with Stitch! We try for the Lion King show, but are too late. DD spots Minnie and Mickey and we queue for more photos. DD is wearing a pair of Daisy Duck sunglasses which go down well with both Mickey and Minnie! Heading back towards the safaris, DD has another photo call with one of the Ants from a Bugs Life. This is the only ant this vacation that I dont stamp on . The Ant waves cheerily goodbye, not knowing how close she was to a woman with a can of Raid that wasnt afraid to use it.
We enter the safari through the Fast Pass entrance and walk through straight onto a jeep. Its a good safari, and we see all the animals except the zebra which seem to have mysteriously disappeared this trip and the lion which is asleep as usual. DD is now convinced he isnt real at all. Strangely, the ostrich eggs havent hatched since last year either, but are still in their neat little pile beside the road DD enjoys seeing the baby elephant in the back of the poachers truck and all in all, a good trip.
As we have a lunch ressie at the Wilderness Lodge, we dont have time for much else. Anyhow, the park is too crowded to do much AND its blisteringly hot. We head over to Its Tough To Be A Bug, but the line is 55 minutes and Fast Pass 50 minutes. We dont have time, so head back to the car, having accomplished diddly squat really. Ah, well, Tomorrow IS another day!
Back at the villa, we pick up mum and DS and whizz off to the Wilderness Lodge where we have a lunch PS for the Whispering Canyon Cafe. Having been in and out of nearly all the Disney Resorts over the last few trips, we have become kind of complacent at breezing through security....until today. Things start to look iffy when there is a line of about 10 cars waiting to get into the lodge. The security guy (I shall call him Adolf) was taking an age to admit anyone. He was writing down licence plates, and perfoming the Spanish Inquisition on every driver. When it was our turn, I lean over DH (who has a tendency to clam up when confronted by obnoxious little jobsworths) and explain most politely, in POSHEST Queens English, that we have a PS for the Whispering Canyon. Adolf declares we arent on his list and cant come in!! Hmmm, Adolf must be a fully paid up member of the American Phsycic Society, as I hadnt even given him our name yet!! He really is extremely rude ranting on an on about ID, hotel reservations, car licenses and other rubbish that had no bearing on us at all. I hate people like this and I am fighting to keep calm. I give him my Drivers licence (not good enough because UK ones arent Photo ID) and then my credit card. He STILL wont let us in!
My patience is just about up.....I realise Disney require a certain amount of security, but I dont accept that this has to be carried out by rude people like this. I tell him we have a PS and he will find our name on his list..he does, which he can then check against my Drivers licence. I tell him if he WONT let us in, then I want to see his immediate superior, to whom HE can then explain why HE made 5 GUESTS late for their lunch. Finally, it seeps through to Adolf that he isnt going to be able to get shot of us and waves us through with a cursory flick of his clipboard. The urge to give him a sign back "Churchill Style" is tempting but we dont!
We are now late for our PS, thanks to Adolf. I explain to the CMs at the podium about the guard and that I wish to make a complaint.I can see by their faces, this isnt the first time this has happened. Oh well, time to forget about that and enjoy lunch! The restaurant was nearly empty (it was after 2pm) but all credit to our server, Charlie, who made us feel very welcome and not at all uncomfortable (as can be the case with empty restaurants sometimes!!). I was surprised that the Whispering Canyon wasnt nearly as big as I had imagined! And I also didnt expect it to be literally in the lobby! It had quite a cosy atmosphere and I would like to visit on a cold winters day with the fire roaring!
Charlie explained about the All You Can Eat Skillet, and we agreed that this sounded very tasty. DH was in heaven as they serve Bottomless Milkshakes, and he managed to get to the bottom of quite a few I can tell you! Mum had pink lemonade, and I had a diet coke. Charlie brought us out some warm corn bread, that seemed to be sponge cake in disguise, but still quite tasty! The skillet arrived in double quick time and consisted of BBQ ribs, chicken quarters, sausage, roasted herb potatoes, corn on the cob, BBQ beans and individual pots of coleslaw. Anything could be topped up and we ended up ordering more ribs as they were melt in the mouth. Also, the roast potatoes were to die for and we got more of these too. Even DS ate quite a bit here, so a big thumbs up! DH was still working his way through the Milkshake flavours, so mum and I shared an Apple Crumble Pie and ice cream which was heavenly!
Whilst we were eating, another storm had brewed up and it was raining cats and dogs once more. My plan had been to go over to Magic Kingdom on the boat this afternoon, but the weather seemed against us. Charlie encouraged us to stay and sit out the storm, which we did. DH challenged him to a duel and asked for a longer straw (some of the things we had read about) and we were rewarded with some antics, though it was all quite low key!
The storm did eventually finish, and we decide to get on the boat over to the Magic Kingdom after all. The Pooh Ride was open today after having been closed for refurb..DD was eager to do this. We wander around the resort for awhile and personally, Im not too keen. Its another quite dark resort, and I found it very shabby round the edges. The toilet I used was dirty (by that I mean muddy tiles, thick dust and gungy surfaces and a bit pongy)..if I HAD been staying there I would have had a few words to say about that! I didnt find it nearly as appealing as the Beach Club or the Contemporary. Sorry Wilderness Lodge fans!!
We make our way to the boat dock and are lucky to get on a launch straight away. We go to Fort Wilderness first, sailing past the old water park, River Country. It still looks in tip top condition considering its been shut for a few years now! Its 4pm and I though the rain would have cleared out the parks, so I wasnt expecting the heaving throng at the gates! MK is packed to the rafters and more people are pouring in on the ferries, monorails and launches! Its the week of 4th July, so I guess this is how its gonna be for the rest of the week! We head straight to the Pooh ride, but en route we are halted by Belle who is about to start her Storytime in the Enchanted Garden. I leave everyone there, and wheel DS round to Pooh...standby is 65 minutes and Fast Pass is coming back between 9pm and 10pm!!! What a nightmare! Even the humble Tea cups have a 50 minute line! This is not working out! Its also HOT! After a wander around Fantasyland where everything had lines over an hour we decide to call it quits.
Its the only day that the parks beat us. I didnt realise just how busy things could get in Summer (having been spoilt by visits during quiet times). Never the less, we all had had a good day and enjoyed getting the ferry back to Wilderness lodge. DS had another "explosive" moment on the boat, much to the horror of a sweet old lady who had been "coochy..cooing" with him.....he let rip a doozy of a Number Two, which, only by sheer luck, hadnt sprayed the old dear from head to toe. She hastily manouvrered herself as far away from us as a small Disney Ferry boat would allow. On our return to the Lodge, I change DS in the lobby toilets which were much cleaner and nicer than the ones I had used earlier by the pool. I was also prepared, with large quantities of wipes, spare clothes and a decontamination sack (well, Disney Carrier Bag) for the offending nappy. I was thinking of leaving this as a souvenir with the security guard, but he had gone when we drove out
We got back to the villa at 7pm. Kidlets have a swim and then are in bed and asleep by 8.30pm. We pop out to Dominoes Pizza for one of their scrummy thin and crispy pizzas and some Cheesy bread.
Tomorrow: Rest Day.....We prang the car
