Day Four- Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom
The plan for today was to get to AK by 11:00 and leave around 4:00, but that wasnt how it went. DH (who has no sense of urgency) woke up around 9:45 and got ready, then made breakfast for DS. While DS was eating he made our breakfast and then finally decided to wake me up, handing me a hungry baby and breakfast at the same time. I fed the baby and tried to eat, and DH and DS finished breakfast at a painfully slow rate. By the time the baby and I were done eating DS still wasnt dressed and I was getting pretty upset about how late it was and how slow DH was moving. I am NOT a morning person, so I was crabby and ended up snapping at DH for making us so late and then we both felt bad (but we shrugged it off). Before leaving DS found a present from Mickey Mouse- a wallet for his pennies that even had some Disney Dollars in it.
By the time we left the room it was 11:40! We arrived at AK and remembered to use our Diamond Parking Pass so it was a short walk to the gates. I wanted to stop at the gift shop outside the park to get Pal Mickey a safari outfit before going in, and we were in there quite a while looking around. We bought the safari outfit and a stuffed monkey (mama and baby) for the baby, and DS used his Disney Dollars for a canteen and a dinosaur baseball. They also had a pressed penny machine there, so of course DS had to get one
It was about 12:30 by the time we got through security and into the park, and it was clear that we wouldnt be seeing much today.
We grabbed a map and times guide and circled the things we really wanted to do, then planned our route. First stop: The Festival of the Lion King. We stopped for some PhotoPass photos in front of the Tree of Life and worked our way over to the theater, looking at some of the animals along the way. When we got there we had about 45 minutes until the next show and debated going to do something else to kill some time, but since it was 92 and we were melting we decided just to wait in the shade. There were only a few people in line before us so when we finally got in we were able to pick our seats and I dont think they could have been better- first row right on the aisle in the Lion section! Simba was only a few feet away and we got to see lots of action there.
I fed the baby while we waited, and he finished just in time for it to start. During the show Scar came over and stared DS down, and he just leaned into me staring back at him with huge eyes, not knowing what to do.
One of the guys on stilts came over and stared at him too, slamming a foot on the bleacher right in front of him. It was in time with the music and very loud and DS just didnt know what to think! (I thought it was pretty cool, and we could tell DS was amused even though it scared him). Timone also came and sat next to us for a little while, giving DH a hug and kiss and playing with the baby. I didnt get the video camera going quick enough to get it, but it was really cute. That was our first time seeing the show, and we all loved it- if youre going to AK its definitely a must see.
We exited the theater and had no idea where the stroller was (the stroller park was mobbed and had more strollers than Id seen anywhere before) so I took the boys and sat in a shady area while DH started searching. By the time we found it and got loaded up it was 3:00, and we were really upset about how little we had done. We decided that we would stay for the EMH and see our must sees, and then just go to MK to see Wishes. Not letting it get us down, we went to Pizzafari for lunch- I had the Hot Italian Style Sandwich and DH had the Chicken Parmesan, and we both had the chocolate cake which was delicious! DS had a pb&j meal and some of our dessert. He was a little antsy during the meal and learned the hard way not to stand and play around on chairs
- we quickly decided that a nap would be a good idea.
I decided to do Expedition Everest while he slept, so we finished eating and headed over there. On the way we stopped to get our EMH bracelets and I fed the baby as we walked. While I was feeding him he had a major diaper explosion
and we were nowhere near a changing area, so we ran to a nearby boulder where a lady and her two young grandchildren were sitting and explained our emergency to her, asking if she would mind if we cleaned him up right there. One laughing grandma, two people, eight wipes and about ten minutes later he was clean and changed into a new outfit, still screaming over the rude interruption of his meal. DS had now fallen asleep and once I got the baby back to his eating session we had a peaceful (although extremely hot) walk to EE.
The fast passes had been distributed for the day, so I stood in line for about 40 minutes in front of a group of very smelly 13 year old boys. All I could think was thank God Im not behind them
This would be the first of many times I attracted stinky people this trip, oh joy! I must say that they were very polite and well behaved, and aside from the smell (which was mostly one boy) I would be proud if my boys turned out like them. I really liked the queue and the Yeti Museum, it was great theming. The ride was really fun, but I did have the surprise ruined for me and I think I would have loved it even more if I hadnt known about it. I wont mention what it is for the two people out there who manage to make it all the way without finding out
I had a coupon for a free photo but I didnt read it closely enough and we would have had to go all the way to the front of the park to get the voucher, then trek all the way back to redeem it so I decided it wasnt worth it and passed it off to some people in the front of the park later in the day.
DS was still sleeping when I got back so we headed over to Kali River Rapids so I could cool off. The fast passes there were also gone, but the wait time was only 20 minutes (and it actually went a bit faster I think) so I left DH and the boys and got in line. As I was walking up I noticed a couple standing in front of a sewer, covering their little girl (who looked to be 5 or 6) as she hovered over it and went to the bathroom. I guess when you gotta go you gotta go
The ride was fun- DH got a good picture of me coming under the bridge and I when I got off I laughed at the signs that said You will get wet, you may get soaked since our entire raft come out drenched! It was really refreshing to be wet in the hot sun, and I felt great the rest of the day as my clothes slowly dried. It was a little after 5:00 now and the only thing still open on our must see list was Kilimanjaro Safari, so we headed over there and I fed the baby on the way. Usually I have no problems walking and nursing, but with all the ups and downs and winding through crowds in WDW, it was really tough!
Me on Kali River Rapids (I'm the one waving)
We got to KS and there wasnt really a wait to board, and a few minutes later we (along with only 6 other people) were on our way. DS really liked seeing the animals, even though we didnt see any close up except for a couple of rhinos that we could have reached out and touched. DH got a great shot of them too
It was close to 6:30 when we were done and we decided to beat the rush and leave right away, giving us a little time at MK before Wishes.
The Rhinos on the safari
It was really nice not having a long walk back to the car, and we were on our way pretty quickly. When we got there we used the Diamond Parking again and I fed the baby while DH got the stroller loaded up. Again, it was great not having to unload the stroller and get on the tram, then get off and load it all back up again- all while juggling two kids
We took the monorail (DS wouldnt have it any other way, he was obsessed) and when we got there headed straight for Fantasyland.
A Hidden Mickey seen from the monorail
The tea cups didnt have much of a line so DS and I decided to ride and he thought they were the greatest. I was afraid to go too fast so I tested the waters for a few seconds and he did great, but I wasnt going to push my luck and make him sick. After that we took him to Poohs Playful Spot and let him do his own thing for a while. He had been going along with whatever we decided for most of the trip, so we wanted him to have some free time. I think this is the best themed play area in WDW, Im so glad they did it.
Wishes was at 9:00 so around 8:15 we decided to get going- we rode Winnie the Pooh on the way out of Fantasyland and stopped at Cosmic Rays to get dinner to go. The food was really good- I got the BBQ rib meal, DH got chicken fingers and fries to share with DS, and we both had the triple chocolate cake (of course) which DS really enjoyed.
We headed to our favorite viewing spot- the bridge to Tomorrowland- and got a great spot along the wall with only about ten minutes to go. The baby was getting fussy so I put him in the carrier and we ate our dinner, finishing just in time. DS has always loved fireworks, but tonight he decided he was afraid of them and refused to watch so he hid behind the wall until they were over. After that we sat on a nearby bench and I fed the baby while the crowds thinned out, and just as we finished a couple of CMs came over to shoo us out. Before they did they took DS over to the bridge to show him some huge tadpoles that were in the water, and they talked and played with him for a couple minutes, which he loved.
Some cool pictures of Wishes
As we made our way out the stores along Main Street were still open so we stopped at The Emporium and got another pressed penny for DS, still waiting for the crowds to thin a bit more. When we got to the monorail I remembered hearing that you can ride up front so we asked a CM about it and he told us wed have to wait for the next car and hope it was empty, which it was. We didnt feel like folding up the stroller so DH and the baby rode in the car behind us while DS and I climbed into the front car. DS was thought he was so cool in there, he was adorable! The driver was not very friendly, which was disappointing because I know DS would have had even more fun if he had talked to him- he wasnt unfriendly, he just never said anything unless I asked him a question (and didnt give much in the way of answers).
Our pictures from the front car of the monorail
When we got back to the car we headed to The Contemporary to redeem DSs arcade tickets and check out the other gift shop. After that we went home and showered, and got to bed extra early- 1:00! Thats it for now, sorry its taking so long to write! I will try to get part four done by the end of the weekend if I can!
Bringing the carrier helped to when we were doing lots of rides. He was also fussy a lot, but he always has been unless someone is holding him. Thankfully he's on his way out of that phase! If you want to go to MK I say go for it, just be prepared for lots of feedings to keep up hydration (whether nursing or bottle feeding). I also kept a spray bottle of water to lightly mist him when it got super hot.
I started to panic, thinking again about how we just cant have a vacation that goes smoothly, and tried desperately to remember if I had taken it out for some reason
I made sure I had it when we left the room because I didnt want to get all the way there and then have to turn around, so I knew it wasnt there
It couldnt possibly have fallen out because not only was it metal (yes, metal- I think its actual purpose is a cigarette case) and I would have heard it, but my back pocket was buttoned when I went to check for it. I asked DH if I had given it to him already, and of course now he thought I was joking
We both tried to remember if I had taken out for any reason and couldnt think of anything. Wonderful, here we go again
Finally he comes back, saying that he looked everywhere and was just about to give up when he looked under the map and found it. I guess I never put it in my pocket when we left, I just set it in the center console, which is not like me. Once again, crisis averted! 
We quickly paid and got our pennies/cash, then went back to the car where I fed the baby before leaving. 
) and sort of lost track of the time. I was feeling all guilty when we got there, thinking it would be busy because thats what they told me at check-in when I asked if I should bother making an ADR
We were the only people there besides a table in the back that was finishing up. The service was good, again a little slow (which I didnt understand because we were now the ONLY people in there) but we werent in a hurry so I didnt care. I fed the baby and we still hadnt ordered or even received our drinks by the time he was done (he is a pretty quick eater but since we were the only people in there it shouldnt have taken anywhere near that long). Once we ordered DH ran out to put our towels in the wash so they would be fresh for tonights showers. We finally got our food, and it was delicious! For appetizers we had the crab cakes and the artichoke dip (my mouth is watering just thinking about it!), for entrees we had the club sandwich and the Monte Carlo, and for dessert we had the key lime tart and the chocolate cake (yummy yummy yummy). We had so much food that I didnt even eat my sandwich (I did try it though, it was great) and we only ate half of our desserts. 
DH and I commented on how nice it must be to relax like that, wishing we were able to. We had a great time in the pool, DH and I taking turns going down the slide while the other watched the kids, DS laughing and loving it when we came down. A little while later the baby woke up wanting to eat, so we got out and took DS over to the kiddie pool to play and I grabbed an empty lounge chair and fed him. 
We ate dessert and waited for the bill, and finally left around 10:30. 
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