"Anythings possible, for a Possible!" - Oct 15-25 TR(Final thoughts 5/25-Post 249!)

[skier_pete]

We ate at GG for the 2nd time. We like the food, but the food is not our top restaurant. But, for characters & peace, it is one of our top restaurants.
My kids did not like the potato fries, but I LOVED them! I ate theirs.

I love the pictures of Dale & your DD, she looks adorable!

Does the top level rotate? For reason, I was thinking that I heard that it didn't. From reading the Dis, we knew to ask for the bottom level. I just hate that I didn't know that you didn't know, or I would've told you. I try to let everyone know to request the bottom level.

Hey there!
Somehow I missed out on that "bottom level" tip. I know for the future, now! It's good to occasionally screw up on a Disney plan. Keeps me from getting too cocky!

The top level DOES rotate - but the "center" portion does not. I've always found rotating restaurants pretty fascinating. There's one in Niagara Falls, Canaga not too far away. Any others I've ever been too are up high. It seems weird to have one at ground level that doesn't really showcase much, but again, the character interaction was good and the food was decent, so I'm all happy.

 

[skier_pete]

"A furious storm once roared ‘cross the sea.
Catching ships in its path, hopeless to flee.
Instead of a certain and watery doom
The winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon."


Let me get this out of the way right up front. A lot of people don't go to the water parks at WDW on the trips. To this I say - "What, are you nuts?" The two main water parks at WDW are both awesome in their own way, and they are to regular water parks what Disney parks are to regular amusement parks, they blow them away. In addition, the biggest *thrills* at WDW are in these water parks as far as I'm concerned.

So, we have been to Typhoon Lagoon twice before with DD (in August 2008 and back in April) and we were originally planning on trying out BB, but when I started looking at the 2011 trip, I noticed that if we go in November, Typhoon Lagoon is closed, so since we wouldn't get back until 2013, I thought we better give TL another try.

Truth be told, I haven't been to BB since 1997, and at that time we went to all THREE water parks (yup - good ole' River Country was not a decaying cesspool back in 1997). At the time, I liked BB much better - more slides and much longer slides. But I find I really, really like Typhoon Lagoon. Yeah, there's still a lack of slides (I think all told there are about 11 - 3 tube slides, 3 body slides, 2 speed slides, and the 3 crush 'n gusher slides.) But, the park is still lots of fun, and it's really all about that pyscho wave pool.

For those of you that have never been - instead of a regular wave pool with constant little waves, they have this one set so it drops a 5-6 foot wave every 90 seconds. And that wave mows down everything in it's path. You really have to pay attention less you get injured by it, but it is so MUCH FUN.

On to our day - one nice thing about the water parks is they don't open until 10 AM. This allows for a "sleep in" day - we didn't get out of bed until almost 8 AM, and got out of the room even a little late - probably about 9:20 AM. Fortunately, we hit a bus very quickly and still got to the park just before it opened. The park was significantly less crowded than what we had seen in either August or April the last two times. However, it was a near-perfect day, with highs in the mid-eighties.

We staked our spot in the shade, and while I wanted to go get the slides done early - the best way to avoid lines - DD wanted to go in the wave pool. Since DW is a bit poky about putting on sunscreen, I agreed to take her for a couple of waves:

I had wanted to buy a disposable waterproof camera ahead of time...but unfortunately we waited until we got to the park. $21 for the camera, plus later $11 to develop the pictures made these a $1+ per picture expense. So,for that, your going to get almost all of them!

After the wave pool, we hit the family raft ride _ Gang Plank Falls:

Then we did the other two tube slides - May Day Falls and Keelhaul Falls:

So far, no wait for any of them. We then headed over to the Storm Slides. DW did NOT like these, as you get pretty swamped with water. DD and I had fun, and we rode two of the three. Here's DD coming off the bottom:

Here's a shot of Miss Tilly from the Storm Slides...you get up pretty close:

DD really, really wanted this whole time to get back to the wave pool. However, I didn't want to be trudging back and forth across the park - plus I wanted to try Humunga Kowabunga

So, DD and DW don't want anything to do with the speed slides - besides, DD is probably too short. DW wants to take a picture, so I tell her when I get to the top, I'll wave from the top of the tube. However, she doesn't see me doing this, and takes a bunch of pictures of other people, but none of me...since they cost us $1 each, you get to see them anyways:

Now, I finally hit the bottom - plowing across the water...stand up...DW yells at me "You have to go do it again!" This gets a big laugh from all the people sitting watching the slides (there's a big sitting area at the bottom), probably thinking that I was hating having to do it again. Not at All! I said "sure" and started back up. I got about 1/2 way up the steps and stopped to rest. (The bad thing about no lines - you get really really tired of climbing stairs at the water parks.) I looked back down and I saw that DD was starting to come up. Now, I knew that she was really marginal as far as the height requirement - so I started yelling down to DW..."MEASURE HER! MEASURE HER!" Well, she couldn't hear me, and she's not the type to think about things like that, so it never occurred to her. DD is about 47.5 inches tall - and not at all brave, so it never occurred to me she would WANT to ride this ride. Well, she made it half way up and I told her she might not be able to ride. We climbed the rest of the way to the top, and sure enough - her head passed right under...so we had to walk ALL the way back down. I was especially bummed because DD was showing a rare case of daring and I had to tell her "No".

So...at that point, we hopped in Castaway Creek to move to the front of the park:

Next up - More wave pool antics!

 

[skier_pete]

We got out of Castaway Creek at the front of the park as I wanted to hit Crush 'N Gusher. DD was too small here too, so I rode alone. A fun ride, but would be more fun with all three of us!

I don't have a picture. Another comment - I was very disappointed that I didn't see ANY photopass photographers at TL...in April there were quite a few, but I didn't buy the photopass CD...this time we did, but we didn't see a single one!

After CnG we stopped and got one of our favorite snacks in all WDW - the freshly fried mini-donuts! They are simply incredible. We got a dozen (though they actually give you about 18 in the "dozen" and went back to our beach chair to munch. Now, DD finally got her way and got to go in the wave pool!

After being pummeled for about 20 mintues, she decided she had had enough - and we headed over to Ketchakiddie Creek - the kids play area. For those parents that are concerned that going to TL with little ones is a waste of time, this is a great play area for the under 5 set. DD still likes it, because she wants to make sand castles and ride the mini-raft ride.

DW and I sat in the shade, and talked to a woman who was there from California. She was american and she was married to an Italian man, and they spoke to their kids in Italian. Obviously from talking to them, they were a bit more upper class - kids in private school - but one of the fun things about WDW is meeting people that you wouldn't normally meet - but at Disney, you're kind of all equal - at least in the parks!

So, after that, it was almost 2 PM and we were getting pretty hungry for lunch, so we went over to the "Leaning Palms" and had lunch. I can't remember exactly what I ended up having, I think I ended up with a pulled pork sandwhich or something. DW had the salad, and DD had the pizza. No pictures, but the food, while fine, is nothing special here. (The kids meals do come in a bucket though!)

After that, it was back to the wave pool for a little longer:

DD took this one - notice DW and I's head just barely above the water!

We then tried to take a few shots just before the wave hit. DW got absolutely furious with me on this one! I kept saying "Wait, Wait, Wait" and I took it just as they got pounded. Still, I think it was worth it.

One last shot on the way out of the park. I was getting really annoyed with DD because I was trying to get back to the room to have a little time to chill, but she kept stalling / didn't want to leave. When I took this picture I was pissed at her!

The worst bus wait of our trips always seem to be returning from the water parks. This was also the case here, but was still only about 15 minutes wait. We had GREAT bus Karma this trip!

Still to come...Mom and Dad's night out - @ Jiko!

 

[laashley]

Thanks for the tips on KP. Funny thing is Germany is exactly the one I will be requesting, how did you know that!

Typhoon Lagoon looks like so much fun. We haven't gone with the kids yet, but I know they would absolutely love it. Guess I should add that to our itinerary for the next family trip (the 4 of us).

 

[skier_pete]

Thanks for the tips on KP. Funny thing is Germany is exactly the one I will be requesting, how did you know that!

Typhoon Lagoon looks like so much fun. We haven't gone with the kids yet, but I know they would absolutely love it. Guess I should add that to our itinerary for the next family trip (the 4 of us).

Germany's a good one...there's a little more searching for the items, so it's a bit more of a challenge.

Definitely check out one of the water parks! Either one is pretty awesome. BB as I said has more and better slides, but TL has the Crush n Gusher, the Shark Reef (which we didn't do this time) and that incredible wave pool.

 

[Disneychix]

Holy cow, you lasted a long time at TL! I can't wait til DS gets a bit older and becomes a stronger swimmer and we can hit up the water parks. He's a scaredy cat just in a pool!

You got some great $1 water shots!

 

[skier_pete]

Holy cow, you lasted a long time at TL! I can't wait til DS gets a bit older and becomes a stronger swimmer and we can hit up the water parks. He's a scaredy cat just in a pool!

You got some great $1 water shots!

Yeah, DD is a chicken about rides, but she's fearless in the water! She loved getting plowed by those waves.

It really is something to think about...10 years ago when you would go on vacation, you had to be somewhat selective about the pictures you take - as film/developing usually cost about $10 a roll for 24 pictures. Now, we go on vacation and come back with 600 shots...and I'm sure there are people that take many many more. Since we never seem to actually print any pictures, they don't ever cost us any money. WE still own our film cameras, including a very nice Canon SLR, but I can't even imagine pulling them out to use them anymore.

 

[PrincessInOz]

You certainly got your money's worth from the waterproof camera. The pictures are great! And I couldn't tell that it wasn't you coming down HK at all! You could have said you did it multiple times and DW got great pics of you in the splash

 

[skier_pete]

You certainly got your money's worth from the waterproof camera. The pictures are great! And I couldn't tell that it wasn't you coming down HK at all! You could have said you did it multiple times and DW got great pics of you in the splash

I was pretty happy with the way the pictures came out considering a little junky disposable camera. It is interesting that if you look real close, the whole picture is never in focus....usually the stuff on the edges are a little fuzzy. I can't complain too much as the alternative was NO photos.

And I never thought of claiming that WAS me coming down Humunga Kowabunga. That was the first time i ever did that slide! I would've done it multiple times too...I was kind of disappointed it wasn't more wild than it was! It really didn't hold a candle to Summit Plummet, which is just nuts!

I could ride the water park slides for hours if it wasn't for all the trekking up the stairs. That gets kind of old after a while. Plus I have foot problems andwithout good padding I really get a lot of foot pain. I wore my TEVAs most of the day, so didn't really have an issue. I'm wondering if next time I should have crocs!

 

[onescgirl]

I don't blame your DD for stalling, I wouldn't want to leave either! We love the Disney waterparks!
That's a great picture of her under the water!

 

[skier_pete]

I don't blame your DD for stalling, I wouldn't want to leave either! We love the Disney waterparks!
That's a great picture of her under the water!

I call her methods "The Art of the Stall"...she is especially adept at this at bedtime, or before leaving for church. Though, I wouldn't mind more time in the water parks either. I think when we are relugated back to those awful end of August trips, we'll have to plan 2 water park days!

 

[skier_pete]

When we told DD's 2nd Grade teacher we were taking this trip, she gave us some homework to study for the trip, as well as a writing journal that she could write in each day. When she got back, she had to present it to the class. We just got it back, and I thought it was worth sharing. It kind of gives you some insight into what were the highlights of each day for her:

This covers our travel day and the first three days of the trip....going forward, I'll put each one in with the individual day.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Pete - It's so stinkin' adorable! And funny!
An Airplane to Disney, Kali, the view from your AK window, Soarin' smells, Tifoon Lgoon, Shogree donuts (with chocklets), Hidden Mickeys and the Wave pool.



Has your DD managed to cover your TR in 4 pages...with diagrams?

 

[mermaid764]

Joining in

I loved your last TR and am looking forward to following along on this one

 

[laashley]

I absolutely adore that journal! So fun and funny to see it through her eyes. She definitely summed up the days pretty well.

 

[skier_pete]

Pete - It's so stinkin' adorable! And funny!
An Airplane to Disney, Kali, the view from your AK window, Soarin' smells, Tifoon Lgoon, Shogree donuts (with chocklets), Hidden Mickeys and the Wave pool.

Has your DD managed to cover your TR in 4 pages...with diagrams?

Ha! She really did cover it well...only a few more years until SHE'S writing the TRs. And those Shogree donuts are probably my favorite food in all of WDW!

Joining in

I loved your last TR and am looking forward to following along on this one

Thanks and :Welcome:

I absolutely adore that journal! So fun and funny to see it through her eyes. She definitely summed up the days pretty well.

Its funny looking at them again. Why is she so far away from us at Typhoon Lagoon? Are getting swamped by the wave?

And speaking of waves, can you believe the size of that wave on Kali!

Actually another thing I should scan in...she did a series of drawings of Stacy - from the "Top 7 Must Sees" video that used to play in the resort rooms. That's my little Disney addict!

G'd night all!

 

[skier_pete]

When we got home from the water park, we had just enough time to relax a little bit, let DD do a bit of homework, and go drop her off at Simba's Clubhouse. For those that have never used the Disney babysitting services before, this was definitely first class. There were games, toys, TV, and video games all available, as well as crafts and the like. I suspect DD spent most of the time watching TV, but I don't blame the staff for this. I guess the real test is that DD really wanted to go back there again later in the trip. Unfortunately, we didn't have any other solo dinners planned, and at $11.50 an hour, I couldn't see paying it just to let her watch TV. However, it was good to know on future trips in case we ever wanted to come back and dine at Jiko.

Because, we most certainly wouldn't mind doing that. The meal was excellent from top to bottom. Yes, it was very expensive, and for that reason I can't say we would do it every trip, but we really enjoyed ourselves.

For one thing, it is nice to get away from the kids. Not just your own kids, but "kids" in general at WDW. And while there were a few in the restaurant, they weren't very close to us, and it really gave the restaurant a different feel.

Second, the decor was simply beautiful.I loved the hangings from the ceiling that were supposed to give the impression of birds:

The main wall actually slowly changed color via lighting effect throughout the night, and it was supposed to be an affect of the sun setting. Very affective (note the bird scupltures continue on this wall:

The area where much of the cooking was done was open as well, and you could watch the staff at work. This was pretty neat.

Even the menu had an interesting color pallette!

We are not normally a "go all out" family that spends to the max on dining experiences, but tonight we were celebrating our night out, and I'd received a very rare bonus at work, so we went all out. We started out with a bottle of African wine, can't remember exactly what it was, but probably a Reisling as that is DW favorite, either that or Pinot Grigio:

Supposedly because it was our first time here, the chef sent over a small salad for us to taste. I don't remember the details of it, but based on looking at the menu, I think it was "Cucumber, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad - Made with rocket cottage cheese, and watermelon vinaigrette":

We started out with appetizers, not one but TWO. We got the Artisan cheese selection, which if you have really good eyes you can read about here:

It was while taking that picture that I realized what a DISboard nerd I have become! For those that prefer to see food as opposed to read about it, the cheeses listed above are from left to right below:

I thought the cheese plate was so-so. While some of the cheeses were good, they were NOT paired with the different sides directly, so you weren't getting the affect of a certain flavor improving the taste of the cheese, or knowing what flavor went with what. Also, I assumed they would be African cheeses, and they weren't.

Next we got the Taste Of Africa: Trio of Dips with Assorted Breads and House-made Naan. We love Naan (Indian bread) as well as assorted Chutney's and Salsa's and this was not a disappointment. Very, very tasty.

For the main course, I had the "Seared Barbarie Duck Breast - potato and spinach masala, chanterelles, bruleed fig and port emulsion" This was super-duper delicious!

DW had the braised short ribs, though I don't see it on the current menu on Allears or the DIS. This was also very good, and she liked it quite a bit.

I didn't take a picture of dessert, either that or we didn't have one. I can't remember because we were all happy and fat. Overall, it was a fantastic meal, though if there was any negative to it, it was the price. After tip, the bill ran to $206 for the two of us...which is quite possibly the most I've ever spent on a dinner for two. But, it was definitely worth it, and we were very happy to have dined there. I would definitely recommend it, but in fact I think we enjoyed Sanaa more, and at half the price I would probably recommend Sanaa first of the three Animal Kingdom hotel restauarants.

The evening wrapped up with us taking a short stroll around the site, we then picked up DD around 8:30 PM and went through the bedtime routine to get ready for an early rise tomorrow, our first MK day!

 

[skier_pete]

Ya know, I can't help thinking about Disney today. I turn 41 today, and as I look out my office window at the snow and cold (it's 20 here today) I remember last year turning 40 on a warm sunny day at MK. Eleven months is going to be a LONG time to wait! Today I got an extra 45 minutes in the car on the way to work, at least two snow-blows of the driveway, plus digging out my car. Yippee!

Hey though - 11 days until Christmas, and I get to open presents today!

 

[bjakmom]

Ya know, I can't help thinking about Disney today. I turn 41 today, and as I look out my office window at the snow and cold (it's 20 here today) I remember last year turning 40 on a warm sunny day at MK. Eleven months is going to be a LONG time to wait! Today I got an extra 45 minutes in the car on the way to work, at least two snow-blows of the driveway, plus digging out my car. Yippee!

Hey though - 11 days until Christmas, and I get to open presents today!

We are home one week today and it is soooo bitter cold - I am dreaming of our days at the pool- and I thought 68 was a bit cool - silly me! ps: I agree - the shogree donuts with chocklet are my favorite waterpark treat, too!! - that journal is priceless!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great update on Jiko! I must get myself there sometime. Love the food porn.

Ya know, I can't help thinking about Disney today. I turn 41 today, and as I look out my office window at the snow and cold (it's 20 here today) I remember last year turning 40 on a warm sunny day at MK. Eleven months is going to be a LONG time to wait! Today I got an extra 45 minutes in the car on the way to work, at least two snow-blows of the driveway, plus digging out my car. Yippee!

Hey though - 11 days until Christmas, and I get to open presents today!

Happy Birthday! or Happy 20th Anniversary on turning 21. It's summer in Oz...it's already wetter than normal, hotter than normal and much more humid than normal. If there was a big MOUSE around, I could almost pretend it's Disney! Enjoy your winter!