[For folks who don't want to meander over to RADP to read this...]
Howdy! I'm back. What a tiring trip! But we're back, and we had a great time as usual. Here's the background for the trip: It was our gift to my brother and his wife's for their 10th wedding anniversary. So our party had four adults in their late-30s or 40s, an eight-year-old girl, and a rather rambunctious four-year-old boy.
I took a bunch of pictures, but most are just shots of the kids. There are a few that will be interesting to the folks here, so I've posted those to my web site included links to them.
We flew down on Delta Express this time, instead of US Airways or American Airlines. What a difference. Even after losing 100 pounds, I still felt very cramped in the Delta Express seats. By comparison, the US Airways seats we were in in December (50 pounds heavier) were more comfortable, and the American Airline seats we were in in January were certifiably spacious by comparison. The flights did take-off and arrive on-time, so at least that aspect was good.
Airport security is much lighter now than it was in December or January. I didn't get snagged for a spot-check once, and things seems to go much smoother.
We tried the Town Center Publix (near the John Young Parkway exit off the Greeneway) this time. Folks have talked it up a bit here on the newsgroup recently, especially as compared to the Albertson's (at the Orange Blossom Trail exit off the Greeneway) which we used on our last few visits. Sorry, but I wasn't impressed. The produce selection was especially disappointing, as compared to Albertson's. The quality was comparable, as were the prices.
We stayed in a two-bedroom villa at the BoardWalk, one of our home resorts as DVC members. The two-bedroom villa is just a one-bedroom and a studio with a connecting door, but for us, the duplication of services (refrigerator, microwave, etc.) was excellent. My wife and I are earlier risers than my brother's family, so being able to make our protein shakes in the studio without waking the children sleeping in the living room of the one-bedroom was great.
We arrive late afternoon on Saturday, and decided not to visit the parks Saturday night, so we didn't get to see Spectromagic or Fantasy in the Sky. We did spend a little time walking the BoardWalk and saw some neat entertainment. My brother was especially impressed by the guy on the "piano bike". Late in the week, Discover Magazine sponsored some extra activities on the BoardWalk which we found interesting as well. Rachel enjoyed being filmed singing kareokie (sp?), and Nathan liked getting his picture on a sticker. I did notice that there was something missing from the BoardWalk: Popcorn. Perhaps there is some bird-related reason that there isn't any. We also took a surrey bike for a couple of spins around the lake -- thank goodness I've been riding to work since we needed the pedal-power to get over those two bridges.
We thought it important to get the kids to bed early, so they'd recover from the day of traveling and be ready to enjoy the next day. I had a little trouble convincing my brother's family that getting to the parks early is essential. After a mediocre experience early in the trip with getting to the park at 10-11ish, and a great experience mid-trip with getting to the park at 8-ish, they've finally been sold on the idea. Probably the most important tip anyone can get, I think, is that one: Get to the parks before they open; get to the attractions before the long queues have a chance to develop.
Following my own advice, we started out with Epcot. Due to the weather, the Flower and Garden Show wasn't really as evident as it perhaps would have been. I did note that there was a bit more decoration than I remember.
There were also a lot of flower pots floating in the little ponds, but I wasn't sure if those were related to the Flower and Garden Show or not.
We started with Rachel's favorite, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. I still enjoy that show, even though I've seen it a half-dozen times, now. What I was especially happy about was that Imageworks is back open. While it has changed a bit, there was still a good bit to do, and the kids, especially, had a great time.
One of the advantages of having the children so completely out-numbered was that we could split-up and take Rachel on some of the attractions that Nathan was too young or small for. We did that at Epcot, and took Rachel on to Universe of Energy, an attraction we knew that the frenetic Nathan couldn't sit through. We took Nathan over to the Wonders of Life, where he had a great time with all the character greetings they've added there. I was amazed at how many character greeting opportunities they've added.
One note about the eatery at the Wonders of Life pavilion, Pure and Simple. I have to grumble about the false advertising on their sign "Guilt-Free Goodies". Note what's right below that sign:
We also took the children on Spaceship Earth. It is amazing how your whole perspective changes when you've got children with you. Perhaps it is sensitivity due to knowing what kinds of things can go wrong with these attractions, but I definitely found it a challenge keeping Nathan, especially from doing things on these rides that would tend to increase his chances of getting hurt. It took quite a bit of determination to keep him from standing on his seat on Spaceship Earth, and it was true struggle of wills to keep him from putting his hand outside the boat on El Rio del Tiempo, later in the week. Knowing the harm that has come to children on Spaceship Earth and rides similar to El Rio del Tiempo definitely added to my concern, but also my vigilance, for sure.
As I indicated earlier, Sunday was not one of the days that I was able to convince folks to get to the parks early, so that's all we were able to get in before lunchtime. As we're in money-saving mode, we went back to our room at the BoardWalk for lunch. The convenience of the BoardWalk can't be understated.
The afternoon was spent at Luna Park, including a lot of runs down the water slide. As a DVC member, we were lucky enough to be able to pool-hop to Storm-a-Long Bay later in the week, and although the kids noted a difference, they weren't ready to declare one better than the other. Clearly Storm-a-Long Bay is larger, and has different types of play areas, but Luna Park's slide is "more convenient" to access, and the whole aggravation-factor of getting over there and being ID'd on entry takes a bit away from Storm-a-Long Bay.
One thing about kids: They have little concept of consequences. Just because you *say* "If you stay in the pool, there won't be time to get back to the theme park before it closes," clearly doesn't mean it is true, to them.
As it is, by the time I was able to convince even my brother that that was the case, it was already 4pm and there
really wouldn't have been enough time.
Sunday night we cooked dinner for the kids in the villa while my brother and his wife enjoyed one of two anniversary dinners, this first one at Chefs de France. They relayed that they had a great time; both service and food were as good as I had promised them.
On Monday we arrived at Animal Kingdom about 9am, just after opening. By the time we got into the park, some of the queues had already developed. (That's why later in the week, we arrived before 8:30 and benefited greatly from getting there a half-hour before opening.)
Every time we visit Animal Kingdom we're amazed at how much more there is to see. This time, we found a little spread where there were some deer (?) behind a place where we've watched birds, never realizing that the deer were behind.
One thing Rachel really enjoyed was the personal attention from the CMs.
Here's a shot of some birds on the safari getting ready to stage their
own version of A Chorus Line:
We were all ready for the spot on the safari where we almost lost Nathan, last time (the rickety bridge -- last time, when it jerked, Nathan's mom was worried he'd pop right out). However, no bridge-effect this time.
We saw a cheetah on the safari for the first time -- just before the lion area.
We again split up, taking Nathan to the Conservation Station while Rachel enjoyed Festival of the Lion King, which Nathan probably wouldn't have sit through. Rachel wasn't happy with the seating arrangements, since we weren't in the front row, but once the show started she realized that she would be able to see everything.
We again went back to the villa for lunch and a swim, but this time, the memory of running out of time the day before as fresh, so we were back at Disney-MGM Studios in the mid-afternoon. Rachel and Nathan aren't that far apart in age, but still getting Rachel to sit through the Playhouse Disney show was a stretch. I suppose the fact that the show was relatively interactive helped.
The kids also spent a good bit of time in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground, and they loved getting their faces painted.
We've always enjoyed the Prime Time Cafe, where we had dinner. This time, owing to our new healthier lifestyle, instead of meat loaf, pork chops or fried chicken, both my wife and I had the salmon. I don't even remember it being on the menu last time, but there it was this time, just when we needed it. We didn't even have to talk to a chef to get exactly what we needed to eat healthily.
After dinner we enjoyed the park a bit more, and then headed to Fantasmic! By 8:10, the audience was more then 2/3 full. I had thought that by now there wouldn't be such a priority to get ther so far ahead of show time (9:00 that night), but clearly, there still is. Anyone who plans to arrive at Fantasmic! 10-15 minutes prior to show time is likely to get disappointed.
We sat in one of the back-most rows, so our egress was quick. However, we exited out the side exit, not the main entryway. I was figuring that, as had been the case in the past, they'd open the gate that led directly from the side exit to the parking lot. They didn't... they led us back onto Sunset Boulevard. That being the case, I'd recommend avoiding that path for exit whenever you have the choice between the two, since the main entryway is more direct.
Since Monday night was a late night, the plan called for sleeping in Tuesday, swimming at the pool, and then heading to the Magic Kingdom after lunch. In the end, given that we didn't stand and wait for the parade, that wasn't the best approach. However, crowds were light, so we didn't pay that badly (though clearly, our earlier-in-the-day experience at the Magic Kingdom, later in the week, was much better).
After riding Jungle Cruise, we again took advantage of our adult majority and split up, taking Nathan onto Tom Sawyer Island, while Rachel rode Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. We took great advantage of FastPass: I secured the FastPasses for Splash Mountain before riding Jungle Cruise, and then we rode Big Thunder Mountain during the afternoon parade. The ability for one, rather able-bodied member of the party to peel off quickly and get FastPasses for all, especially with comparatively slow-moving children, was key. It was getting late, so we saw the Country Bears and then headed to the Crystal Palace for dinner. Again, we found healthier choices, even on this buffet, than we expected (well, grilled salmon again) which was really helpful.
The park was closing by the time we finished dinner so we head back to the room.
Wednesday was Character Caravan day at the BoardWalk. The relatively unfettered access to the characters was a great advantage. Rachel wanted so much to get a picture with Minnie, but was put-off by the long queues in the parks. Here she walked right up to Minnie.
Virginia residents! Be on the lookout for a princess driving a red Subaru Forrester:
Okay, I thought that Walk Around the World bricks weren't being sold. Here's one, though, with a 2002 date on it:
Anyway, after late starts for four days, I finally convinced everyone that we should get to the parks early. We did so on Wednesday, on our second visit to the Magic Kingdom. The morning went like clockwork! We arrived to a practically-empty park, strolled into Fantasyland, and while the kids walked right onto Dumbo, I secured FastPasses for Pooh. They walked right off of Dumbo, right onto the Carousel, and from there right into Small World. While they were on Small World, I got more FastPasses, half for Haunted Mansion and half for Peter Pan's Flight. After Small World we finally rode Pooh, and then walked right onto Cinderella's Scary Adventure before splitting up between Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan's Flight. Most of Fantasyland visited with barely more than ten minutes standing in queue total.
My brother is a big car freak and has passed this onto his son, so they had to ride the speedway. I'm not sure why this one attraction doesn't have FastPass... it seems to always have some bit of a queue, more so than some of the attractions that do have FastPass. I suppose eventually it will indeed have it.
Incidently, Coming Soon posters were posted outside the old Lion King venue:
Anyway, the rest of the morning went along the same lines, heading into Tomorrowland we used FastPass and alternate attractions to ride the PeopleMover, Space Mountain (well, half of us), and Buzz Lightyear, with minimal wait times.
Another afternoon was spent by the pool, resting and avoiding the biggest crowds and heat of the day (though it was a relatively mild week). We cooked dinner for the kids while my brother and his wife had dinner at the California Grill, which they were more impressed with than even Chefs de France! After they got back, we tried to catch Tapestry of Dreams but it was canceled (as it was, again, the next night, unfortunately) due to wind. We did see Illuminations -- I sung every word (quietly, though -- didn't want to disturb anyone).
Thursday was another early morning, this time at Animal Kingdom. We started out split up, with Rachel seeing It's Tough to be a Bug, while Nathan played in the Boneyard. Much of the morning was spent at Hester's & Chester's, including several rides on the Primeval Whirl, which Rachel loved. After seeing it in person, I really don't understand any of the criticisms launched at this delightful take-off on 1950s traveling carnivals. Just like everything else at WDW, it is an idealized view, thereby purged of the seedy nature that Walt Disney was trying to avoid with his theme parks. The area is clean, bright, cheery and fun. Both Rachel and Nathan wanted to ride rides there multiple times, a very significant rave from them. What was even better is that they were able to do so without us riding with them. The area is confined so we could keep track of each on their respective rides without having to ride with either.
We finished the morning on Kali River Rapids, getting drenched enough to keep us cool on our way out of the park.
We had dinner at Spoodles this night. I've mentioned before how incredibly helpful some of the chefs are at WDW. In the past, we have received incredibly great personal treatment from Chef Rob, both at Narcoossee and Artist Point, before his transfer to the Animal Kingdom Park. We've received similar attention from Chef Annette at Narcoossee. Now we've received the same treatment from Chef Marianne at Spoodles. I cannot say enough about how helpful and considerate these people are when dealing with dietary restrictions. The food she prepared for us (the menu's Moroccan spiced tuna for me, but a version of it with scallops instead for my wife -- the scallops are typically served in a cream sauce that we can't eat; then instead of couscous, a big serving of grilled broccolini) was precisely what we needed.
As I mentioned earlier, Thursday night we again went into Epcot to try to see Tapestry of Nations but again the weather didn't cooperate. We ride El Rio del Tiempo and the kids spent a good bit of time on a jungle gym area set up outside Germany, before his parents took Nathan back to the room while we and Rachel saw Illuminations again. This time we had a little excitement. We set ourselves up in Morocco, with Rachel watching through one of the notches cut into the relatively high wall. This is an obstructed view, with an island squarely between us and the center of the show. Early in the show, something went a little awry and one of the trees on the island caught fire. The show continued but we were intrigued by a CM running up and down the shore of the island with a bucket, putting the fire out.
Since Friday was our travel day, we spent the morning packing. We spent some time at Downtown Disney. The kids loved the fountains.
We had lunch at Fulton's, where our dietary requests for our crab and spinach salads with the dressing on the side, and for a fresh fruit dessert, were treated by the waiter with derision, though he dutifully fulfilled them. Attitude D- ; Execution B+.
So that's it. Another family vacation that we now need to recover from!
Next trip is in January, just Robbie and I, all alone. Peacefully alone.
Howdy! I'm back. What a tiring trip! But we're back, and we had a great time as usual. Here's the background for the trip: It was our gift to my brother and his wife's for their 10th wedding anniversary. So our party had four adults in their late-30s or 40s, an eight-year-old girl, and a rather rambunctious four-year-old boy.
I took a bunch of pictures, but most are just shots of the kids. There are a few that will be interesting to the folks here, so I've posted those to my web site included links to them.
We flew down on Delta Express this time, instead of US Airways or American Airlines. What a difference. Even after losing 100 pounds, I still felt very cramped in the Delta Express seats. By comparison, the US Airways seats we were in in December (50 pounds heavier) were more comfortable, and the American Airline seats we were in in January were certifiably spacious by comparison. The flights did take-off and arrive on-time, so at least that aspect was good.
Airport security is much lighter now than it was in December or January. I didn't get snagged for a spot-check once, and things seems to go much smoother.
We tried the Town Center Publix (near the John Young Parkway exit off the Greeneway) this time. Folks have talked it up a bit here on the newsgroup recently, especially as compared to the Albertson's (at the Orange Blossom Trail exit off the Greeneway) which we used on our last few visits. Sorry, but I wasn't impressed. The produce selection was especially disappointing, as compared to Albertson's. The quality was comparable, as were the prices.
We stayed in a two-bedroom villa at the BoardWalk, one of our home resorts as DVC members. The two-bedroom villa is just a one-bedroom and a studio with a connecting door, but for us, the duplication of services (refrigerator, microwave, etc.) was excellent. My wife and I are earlier risers than my brother's family, so being able to make our protein shakes in the studio without waking the children sleeping in the living room of the one-bedroom was great.
We arrive late afternoon on Saturday, and decided not to visit the parks Saturday night, so we didn't get to see Spectromagic or Fantasy in the Sky. We did spend a little time walking the BoardWalk and saw some neat entertainment. My brother was especially impressed by the guy on the "piano bike". Late in the week, Discover Magazine sponsored some extra activities on the BoardWalk which we found interesting as well. Rachel enjoyed being filmed singing kareokie (sp?), and Nathan liked getting his picture on a sticker. I did notice that there was something missing from the BoardWalk: Popcorn. Perhaps there is some bird-related reason that there isn't any. We also took a surrey bike for a couple of spins around the lake -- thank goodness I've been riding to work since we needed the pedal-power to get over those two bridges.
We thought it important to get the kids to bed early, so they'd recover from the day of traveling and be ready to enjoy the next day. I had a little trouble convincing my brother's family that getting to the parks early is essential. After a mediocre experience early in the trip with getting to the park at 10-11ish, and a great experience mid-trip with getting to the park at 8-ish, they've finally been sold on the idea. Probably the most important tip anyone can get, I think, is that one: Get to the parks before they open; get to the attractions before the long queues have a chance to develop.
Following my own advice, we started out with Epcot. Due to the weather, the Flower and Garden Show wasn't really as evident as it perhaps would have been. I did note that there was a bit more decoration than I remember.
There were also a lot of flower pots floating in the little ponds, but I wasn't sure if those were related to the Flower and Garden Show or not.
We started with Rachel's favorite, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. I still enjoy that show, even though I've seen it a half-dozen times, now. What I was especially happy about was that Imageworks is back open. While it has changed a bit, there was still a good bit to do, and the kids, especially, had a great time.
One of the advantages of having the children so completely out-numbered was that we could split-up and take Rachel on some of the attractions that Nathan was too young or small for. We did that at Epcot, and took Rachel on to Universe of Energy, an attraction we knew that the frenetic Nathan couldn't sit through. We took Nathan over to the Wonders of Life, where he had a great time with all the character greetings they've added there. I was amazed at how many character greeting opportunities they've added.
One note about the eatery at the Wonders of Life pavilion, Pure and Simple. I have to grumble about the false advertising on their sign "Guilt-Free Goodies". Note what's right below that sign:
We also took the children on Spaceship Earth. It is amazing how your whole perspective changes when you've got children with you. Perhaps it is sensitivity due to knowing what kinds of things can go wrong with these attractions, but I definitely found it a challenge keeping Nathan, especially from doing things on these rides that would tend to increase his chances of getting hurt. It took quite a bit of determination to keep him from standing on his seat on Spaceship Earth, and it was true struggle of wills to keep him from putting his hand outside the boat on El Rio del Tiempo, later in the week. Knowing the harm that has come to children on Spaceship Earth and rides similar to El Rio del Tiempo definitely added to my concern, but also my vigilance, for sure.
As I indicated earlier, Sunday was not one of the days that I was able to convince folks to get to the parks early, so that's all we were able to get in before lunchtime. As we're in money-saving mode, we went back to our room at the BoardWalk for lunch. The convenience of the BoardWalk can't be understated.
The afternoon was spent at Luna Park, including a lot of runs down the water slide. As a DVC member, we were lucky enough to be able to pool-hop to Storm-a-Long Bay later in the week, and although the kids noted a difference, they weren't ready to declare one better than the other. Clearly Storm-a-Long Bay is larger, and has different types of play areas, but Luna Park's slide is "more convenient" to access, and the whole aggravation-factor of getting over there and being ID'd on entry takes a bit away from Storm-a-Long Bay.
One thing about kids: They have little concept of consequences. Just because you *say* "If you stay in the pool, there won't be time to get back to the theme park before it closes," clearly doesn't mean it is true, to them.
As it is, by the time I was able to convince even my brother that that was the case, it was already 4pm and therereally wouldn't have been enough time.
Sunday night we cooked dinner for the kids in the villa while my brother and his wife enjoyed one of two anniversary dinners, this first one at Chefs de France. They relayed that they had a great time; both service and food were as good as I had promised them.
On Monday we arrived at Animal Kingdom about 9am, just after opening. By the time we got into the park, some of the queues had already developed. (That's why later in the week, we arrived before 8:30 and benefited greatly from getting there a half-hour before opening.)
Every time we visit Animal Kingdom we're amazed at how much more there is to see. This time, we found a little spread where there were some deer (?) behind a place where we've watched birds, never realizing that the deer were behind.
One thing Rachel really enjoyed was the personal attention from the CMs.
Here's a shot of some birds on the safari getting ready to stage their
own version of A Chorus Line:
We were all ready for the spot on the safari where we almost lost Nathan, last time (the rickety bridge -- last time, when it jerked, Nathan's mom was worried he'd pop right out). However, no bridge-effect this time.
We saw a cheetah on the safari for the first time -- just before the lion area.
We again split up, taking Nathan to the Conservation Station while Rachel enjoyed Festival of the Lion King, which Nathan probably wouldn't have sit through. Rachel wasn't happy with the seating arrangements, since we weren't in the front row, but once the show started she realized that she would be able to see everything.
We again went back to the villa for lunch and a swim, but this time, the memory of running out of time the day before as fresh, so we were back at Disney-MGM Studios in the mid-afternoon. Rachel and Nathan aren't that far apart in age, but still getting Rachel to sit through the Playhouse Disney show was a stretch. I suppose the fact that the show was relatively interactive helped.
The kids also spent a good bit of time in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground, and they loved getting their faces painted.
We've always enjoyed the Prime Time Cafe, where we had dinner. This time, owing to our new healthier lifestyle, instead of meat loaf, pork chops or fried chicken, both my wife and I had the salmon. I don't even remember it being on the menu last time, but there it was this time, just when we needed it. We didn't even have to talk to a chef to get exactly what we needed to eat healthily.
After dinner we enjoyed the park a bit more, and then headed to Fantasmic! By 8:10, the audience was more then 2/3 full. I had thought that by now there wouldn't be such a priority to get ther so far ahead of show time (9:00 that night), but clearly, there still is. Anyone who plans to arrive at Fantasmic! 10-15 minutes prior to show time is likely to get disappointed.
We sat in one of the back-most rows, so our egress was quick. However, we exited out the side exit, not the main entryway. I was figuring that, as had been the case in the past, they'd open the gate that led directly from the side exit to the parking lot. They didn't... they led us back onto Sunset Boulevard. That being the case, I'd recommend avoiding that path for exit whenever you have the choice between the two, since the main entryway is more direct.
Since Monday night was a late night, the plan called for sleeping in Tuesday, swimming at the pool, and then heading to the Magic Kingdom after lunch. In the end, given that we didn't stand and wait for the parade, that wasn't the best approach. However, crowds were light, so we didn't pay that badly (though clearly, our earlier-in-the-day experience at the Magic Kingdom, later in the week, was much better).
After riding Jungle Cruise, we again took advantage of our adult majority and split up, taking Nathan onto Tom Sawyer Island, while Rachel rode Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. We took great advantage of FastPass: I secured the FastPasses for Splash Mountain before riding Jungle Cruise, and then we rode Big Thunder Mountain during the afternoon parade. The ability for one, rather able-bodied member of the party to peel off quickly and get FastPasses for all, especially with comparatively slow-moving children, was key. It was getting late, so we saw the Country Bears and then headed to the Crystal Palace for dinner. Again, we found healthier choices, even on this buffet, than we expected (well, grilled salmon again) which was really helpful.
The park was closing by the time we finished dinner so we head back to the room.
Wednesday was Character Caravan day at the BoardWalk. The relatively unfettered access to the characters was a great advantage. Rachel wanted so much to get a picture with Minnie, but was put-off by the long queues in the parks. Here she walked right up to Minnie.
Virginia residents! Be on the lookout for a princess driving a red Subaru Forrester:
Okay, I thought that Walk Around the World bricks weren't being sold. Here's one, though, with a 2002 date on it:
Anyway, after late starts for four days, I finally convinced everyone that we should get to the parks early. We did so on Wednesday, on our second visit to the Magic Kingdom. The morning went like clockwork! We arrived to a practically-empty park, strolled into Fantasyland, and while the kids walked right onto Dumbo, I secured FastPasses for Pooh. They walked right off of Dumbo, right onto the Carousel, and from there right into Small World. While they were on Small World, I got more FastPasses, half for Haunted Mansion and half for Peter Pan's Flight. After Small World we finally rode Pooh, and then walked right onto Cinderella's Scary Adventure before splitting up between Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan's Flight. Most of Fantasyland visited with barely more than ten minutes standing in queue total.
My brother is a big car freak and has passed this onto his son, so they had to ride the speedway. I'm not sure why this one attraction doesn't have FastPass... it seems to always have some bit of a queue, more so than some of the attractions that do have FastPass. I suppose eventually it will indeed have it.
Incidently, Coming Soon posters were posted outside the old Lion King venue:
Anyway, the rest of the morning went along the same lines, heading into Tomorrowland we used FastPass and alternate attractions to ride the PeopleMover, Space Mountain (well, half of us), and Buzz Lightyear, with minimal wait times.
Another afternoon was spent by the pool, resting and avoiding the biggest crowds and heat of the day (though it was a relatively mild week). We cooked dinner for the kids while my brother and his wife had dinner at the California Grill, which they were more impressed with than even Chefs de France! After they got back, we tried to catch Tapestry of Dreams but it was canceled (as it was, again, the next night, unfortunately) due to wind. We did see Illuminations -- I sung every word (quietly, though -- didn't want to disturb anyone).
Thursday was another early morning, this time at Animal Kingdom. We started out split up, with Rachel seeing It's Tough to be a Bug, while Nathan played in the Boneyard. Much of the morning was spent at Hester's & Chester's, including several rides on the Primeval Whirl, which Rachel loved. After seeing it in person, I really don't understand any of the criticisms launched at this delightful take-off on 1950s traveling carnivals. Just like everything else at WDW, it is an idealized view, thereby purged of the seedy nature that Walt Disney was trying to avoid with his theme parks. The area is clean, bright, cheery and fun. Both Rachel and Nathan wanted to ride rides there multiple times, a very significant rave from them. What was even better is that they were able to do so without us riding with them. The area is confined so we could keep track of each on their respective rides without having to ride with either.
We finished the morning on Kali River Rapids, getting drenched enough to keep us cool on our way out of the park.
We had dinner at Spoodles this night. I've mentioned before how incredibly helpful some of the chefs are at WDW. In the past, we have received incredibly great personal treatment from Chef Rob, both at Narcoossee and Artist Point, before his transfer to the Animal Kingdom Park. We've received similar attention from Chef Annette at Narcoossee. Now we've received the same treatment from Chef Marianne at Spoodles. I cannot say enough about how helpful and considerate these people are when dealing with dietary restrictions. The food she prepared for us (the menu's Moroccan spiced tuna for me, but a version of it with scallops instead for my wife -- the scallops are typically served in a cream sauce that we can't eat; then instead of couscous, a big serving of grilled broccolini) was precisely what we needed.
As I mentioned earlier, Thursday night we again went into Epcot to try to see Tapestry of Nations but again the weather didn't cooperate. We ride El Rio del Tiempo and the kids spent a good bit of time on a jungle gym area set up outside Germany, before his parents took Nathan back to the room while we and Rachel saw Illuminations again. This time we had a little excitement. We set ourselves up in Morocco, with Rachel watching through one of the notches cut into the relatively high wall. This is an obstructed view, with an island squarely between us and the center of the show. Early in the show, something went a little awry and one of the trees on the island caught fire. The show continued but we were intrigued by a CM running up and down the shore of the island with a bucket, putting the fire out.
Since Friday was our travel day, we spent the morning packing. We spent some time at Downtown Disney. The kids loved the fountains.
We had lunch at Fulton's, where our dietary requests for our crab and spinach salads with the dressing on the side, and for a fresh fruit dessert, were treated by the waiter with derision, though he dutifully fulfilled them. Attitude D- ; Execution B+.
So that's it. Another family vacation that we now need to recover from!
Next trip is in January, just Robbie and I, all alone. Peacefully alone.
