Celebrating Legacies, Love, and Jalapeno Pretzels: Anniversary TR (Replies 6/12)

[jenneth79]

Great update! I had no idea you could buy sneakers at Epcot! I love the navy coverlet on your beds. I don't think we had those when we stayed at the YC...perhaps it's a CL thing? (But it's been a few years and maybe they've changed things...)

Yep! I want to say it was at Der Teddybar, but I am sure it was Germany

I heard they recently changed the bedding at YC, perhaps that was it?

 

[IheartDDuck]

Hahahaha, I noticed the SAME thing when we were in line for Mission: Space Orange. My friend kept looking at me saying "wow, they really want to make sure you're ready for this ride".

 

[jecskc]

I am enjoying your report and I haven't read in a while because your links aren't in your second page or your dinig review links throughout the report. I thought you had gotten to chapter seven and stopped. But it just turns out you just went all stealth on us. Can't wait to read more.

 

[natebenma]

Chapter Fourteen
In which we get a little queasy, and a little electric!

While doing this, we took a picture of THIS as well:

(Uh oh….)

(Yes, I know if I had actually stopped taking pictures of the clouds I might have had time to put my poncho on and seek shelter.)

I know those clouds!!! At least once per trip, we have to race back to the BC from EPCOT when we see them. So far, we are two for two avoiding getting drenched, but only because we used the super secret entrance.

I love your pictures in the empty World Showcase countries. It is such a pretty walk over.

Good for you for braving M:S Orange. I won't be trying that any time soon. Ever.

Do you remember the folksy old "Living with the Land" song? That is what I miss most of all of the Disney changes from my visits in the 80s. Still a great ride though.

Do you like the Spaceship Earth finale? I think that is a great addition.

Thanks for the heads up on the Mango Gingerita. Sounds wonderful!

 

[Queenofallthings]

Mango Gingerita you sayOk, twist my arm, I'll try one next time! I figure if I pick up a GGS in France by the time I make it to China I'll need a refill

Is there anything more beautiful than a rainbow? Ok, a rainbow at Disney is perfection! Just beautiful!

The views from your room are amazing! You stayed at one of dream resorts!

 

[jenneth79]

Hahahaha, I noticed the SAME thing when we were in line for Mission: Space Orange. My friend kept looking at me saying "wow, they really want to make sure you're ready for this ride".

Nothing compares to the two girls who were in our pod with us, however. They really didn't speak English, so all they were looking at were these big red flashing lights and all sorts of "Warning, Warning" things going on and they were FREAKING OUT. I really wish I spoke Portuguese because when they got into the pod and saw the air sickness bags... the rush of words that came out (and the facial expressions) were priceless! They both seemed to enjoy the ride though and were much less icky than I was!

I am enjoying your report and I haven't read in a while because your links aren't in your second page or your dinig review links throughout the report. I thought you had gotten to chapter seven and stopped. But it just turns out you just went all stealth on us. Can't wait to read more.

OMG, I'm so glad you told me that, I zonked and completely forgot to update the TOC! Thanks, it's all up to date now!

Though I just realized I didn't link my dining review for Tutto in here either.... back to work!

 

[midwest2wdw]

Enjoying your report!!

 

[jenneth79]

Enjoying your report!!

and thank you so much for your kind words! I hope you continue to enjoy the updates... more picture heavy posts to come, I promise!

 

[jenneth79]

I know those clouds!!! At least once per trip, we have to race back to the BC from EPCOT when we see them. So far, we are two for two avoiding getting drenched, but only because we used the super secret entrance.

I love your pictures in the empty World Showcase countries. It is such a pretty walk over.

Good for you for braving M:S Orange. I won't be trying that any time soon. Ever.

Do you remember the folksy old "Living with the Land" song? That is what I miss most of all of the Disney changes from my visits in the 80s. Still a great ride though.

Do you like the Spaceship Earth finale? I think that is a great addition.

Thanks for the heads up on the Mango Gingerita. Sounds wonderful!

I do remember the song! And I have to say you're right, the finale at Spaceship earth is nice...and I like that they made the "descent" a bit more interactive as well.

Mike wants to try the Cantoloopy next trip... so I should have a report on that in my NEXT TR...lol. I fear I'm going to have TR and DRs in duplicate a month from now if I don't finish this one!

Mango Gingerita you sayOk, twist my arm, I'll try one next time! I figure if I pick up a GGS in France by the time I make it to China I'll need a refill

Is there anything more beautiful than a rainbow? Ok, a rainbow at Disney is perfection! Just beautiful!

The views from your room are amazing! You stayed at one of dream resorts!

I was super excited about the rainbow. It was one of my favorite things about living in Florida when I was younger... we got a lot more of them there than we do up here.

I think the China / France split is a PERFECT distance for frozen drinks. Equivalent would be Mexico / Germany as well.

 

[jenneth79]

Ok, now the DIS is wacky. It's posting my replies before the OP!

 

[jenneth79]

Chapter Fifteen
In which you, dear reader, experience animal picture overload.

After a fairly relaxing afternoon, Mike and I showered and got ready for our dinner at AKL. As I mentioned earlier we had planned on meeting some friends of ours in DTD later that night.

Then we got this text message:

“Stuck in Fairy Line. Want drink bad. Kids want chicken nuggets then sleep. Not going to make it tonight.”

I realize there are benefits to traveling without three kids.

So, we took another look at the park schedules and decided we would give DHS a try if we felt up to it after dinner as they had EMH going on. I don’t think I’ve mentioned quite yet how efficient the cab system is at Disney, at least in regards to the Deluxe resorts. We never had a wait of more than 5 minutes after asking for a cab at the valet stand, and the cab drivers (with one very noticeable exception which you will hear all about on day five’s report….) got us where we needed to go quickly and efficiently.

My first impression of AKL….WOW. It doesn’t seem so impressive until you walk into the main lobby and then I have to say it’s probably one of the most stunning hotels I’ve ever seen. The wall to ceiling windows overlooking the savanna and all the artifacts from different areas of Africa are so cool. We spent a bit of time in the gift shop then walked outside to see the animals. We had arrived just before dusk, so I think they were probably more active than usual, so we got to see some of the “wildlife”. There was also a safari tour guide (or he used to be back in Kenya) sharing all sorts of information about the animals out in the paddocks who was super nice and knowledgeable.

The attention to detail is apparent in the exterior of the hotel as well:

(it really was just a perfect day….)

(the giraffe refused to turn around, so I focused in on the zebras!)

(“stop staring at me!!!”)

(I would so want to stay on this guy’s GOOD side…)

There was another rare species out that day…. The coach pin purse of madness!!!

This is a great picture for perspective… look how massive these windows are!

Probably enough pictures for this post….. Continued shortly….

 

[jenneth79]

Chapter Sixteen
In a place much like this one, a night much like tonight....

We made our way back inside and took the elevator to Jiko (one small issue with AKL is finding the restaurants… they aren’t easily spotted!) Where we enjoyed one of our favorite meals during our whole trip! (Read all about it HERE.)

The staff had a nice card for us to wish us a happy anniversary, which was a really sweet touch. Also, I said this in my DR and I’ll say it again: if you love wine, you will LOVE this place. So many to choose from!

Our waiter took a few pictures of us after dinner, which gives you a pretty good idea of the layout in the lounge/bar area:

It ALSO reminds me to tell you about something I learned this night which annoyed me, and I had no idea about. When you shop in any of the Disney parks, they will hold your packages for you and either delivers them to your hotel (room if staying CL) or to the front of the park when you leave. This makes things super convenient and encourages people to spend more money! Win-win for everyone, right?

This, dear reader, does NOT extend to the resorts.

After buying a bunch of stuff at the AKL gift shop, I asked them to send it over to YC. The woman at the cash register was very apologetic but said that they no longer sent packages from resort to resort. Seeing as I had already bought everything I couldn’t do anything but carry the bag around for the rest of the night. This is why I wanted to share, because it was a shock to me, and perhaps an assumption others would make as well.

Anyway, we had decided to head over to DHS after dinner and saved some money by getting on the bus to do so!

I loved AKL, the theming, the people, the animals, and the food. But, I hate the fact that the only option you have for any park is to take a bus. I would rather have a walk option (Like the Epcot resorts) or a walk/monorail/boat option like the MK resorts. I don’t dislike the bus system, I just like to have options.

Anyway, after about a 10 minute wait we were on our way to DHS! I would say we entered about 25 minutes before closing, so it was another “salmon upstream” moment walking in. Mike had never been to DHS before, and the last time I was there it was still MGM, though I have to say not a whole lot has changed since 1998. I knew he would absolutely love Tower of Terror though, and what better way to first experience it than at night?

We walked up and noticed the standby time was about 30 minutes, but discussed at least riding this then heading back to the hotel if we were tired. The line wasn’t nearly that long, but we had enough time to at least appreciate all the details.

Pixie dust experience #1 for the evening: They ran the FULL CYCLE to the ride for Mike’s first time. I believe there were two short drops, and three full drops. Then, when you get to the part at the end where the black and white hypnotist wheel comes in? They pulled us up again AFTER THAT CAME ON. Then dropped us. I wonder if it was the last cycle of the (normal hours) night, but it was simply amazing.

The look on my husband’s face after that ride made the whole cost of the trip worth it.

Pixie dust experience #2 came right after. As we were walking through the gift shop, each of us reverting to our inner 10 year-old selves talking about how “awesome” and “cool” that was, a man walked up to us and asked us if we were planning on riding again. Laughing we said “Yes, immediately!”

Then he handed us FPs and said his family was heading out and he wasn’t going to use them. When we walked up to the entry line, they were checking resort keys, but ushered us into the FP line once we proved we were guests staying on property.

(Super awesome!!!)

So we got RIGHT BACK ON!

Second time was fun as well, but nothing could compare to the experience earlier, so we decided to skip the third trip. We were about ready to walk down to take the boat back to YC (we really just wanted to ride ToT at night, then go to bed…ha….) but just about that time Fantasmic let out, and we decided we’d probably be better off waiting a bit. So we walked over to RRC (is that the proper abbreviation? RnR? RnRC?) and waited in line….and waited….and waited…. Ouch.

On the positive side, I was able to take a pretty cool picture of the ToT from the queue:

My impressions of this ride? LOUD. Too loud. I didn’t like it at all it was so loud. I also have super sensitive ears. It also jostles you around a lot. I’d say of all the coasters at Disney, it’s the once that bounces you around the most.

By the time we (finally) escaped the Dude that Looks Like a Lady Ride, we made our way out of the park, stopping for a few Photopass pictures along the way:

Then it was off to bed, for there is a park we haven’t visited yet……

 

[annnewjerz]

Sunday, February 12th
Early morning ADR at CP in MK (Which means Early Entry! Yay!)
Mad Tea Party
Cinderella's Castle, Wishing Well (My favorite spot in the park)
Back to Epcot (Are you dizzy yet? I am!)
China, American Adventure, Italy, Germany, Morocco
....and la Cava visit #2
Dinner at California Grill (Get to watch the FW from the roof! )
Off to MK for EMH...looks like it will be open until 2AM, so we'll have plenty of time to hit all our favorites!
Crash.

Lurker here! I was just finishing up the last few pages of your TR (I had hopped over after lurking on your dining review) and realized we'll be in the MK the same morning for a pre-park opening breakfast at CP!

Keep an eye out for a late 20s couple sans children at a breakfast filled with Winnie the Pooh and friends... Only in Disney!

Hope you have a great trip. We're from NJ, flying in on 2/10 also. We've been down for a trip from Friday-Sunday before, so a four-day trip should be a walk in the park.

Good luck and keep your fingers crossed for nice weather in the Tri-State/DelMarVa area on departure day!

Ann

 

[natebenma]

Glad you were able to change plans on the fly when your friends had to pass on your meeting.

Have to go over and check out your Jiko report!

Very cool rides on ToT!!! Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy RnR more. It's not my favorite either. It is very jarring. Love the music though. Aerosmith was my first concert, when I was in 8th grade. Steven Tyler passed out during the second song. Concert over. Good times!

I agree with you about AKL. That used to be the resort I really wnated to stay at. Beautiful, Beautiful resort. And Look! A giraffe from our balcony!But not being able to walk to a park is a deal breaker.


I DID NOT KNOW THAT ABOUT RESORT TO RESORT PACKAGE NON-DELIVERY!!!

Thanks for the heads up.

Now here's a tidbit to share with you- a little too late, but maybe it would come in handy on a future trip.

At HS, there are luggage lockers in between the bus stop and the park entrance. They are HUGE and they are $1!!! (one use only). We have used them on our AK-BB-Boma-HS days.

From my 3rd Annual "Never" going to Disney in the summer again TR:


Earlier in my report, I wrote about how we discovered the luggage lockers outside of Hollywood Studios. I am going to repeat this part of my report, since this is actually when we found them.

As we exited the bus and headed towards the HS entrance, we passed a small green-colored building.

Thanks kldmom2000 for taking this photo during your trip in August!

I looked over and noticed that there were luggage lockers at this building, with a rental fee of $1 (4 quarters). Although I don’t often carry around a lot of cash at WDW, and usually no change, I did have a supply of quarters and pennies to use for pressed penny souvenirs. So we stashed our backpack and Ziploc of wet BB clothes in a GINORMOUS* INEXPENSIVE locker. How awesome is this??? Huge locker, we didn’t have anything that needed to be searched at bag check, and it was a huge savings from the $7 plus $5 deposit for a locker inside the park! About the only disadvantage of these lockers are that they are single use. You can’t keep coming back to get stuff, plus it would be inconvenient since it is outside of the park. But it was perfect for our needs.

* FYI: The dimensions are: 23"H x 16"W x 29" Deep. I looked it up.


I have since read that there are similar lockers at EPCOT (front of the park) and at the TTC, but I haven’t confirmed that there are any at Animal Kingdom.

****************************************************

 

[jenneth79]

Lurker here! I was just finishing up the last few pages of your TR (I had hopped over after lurking on your dining review) and realized we'll be in the MK the same morning for a pre-park opening breakfast at CP!

Keep an eye out for a late 20s couple sans children at a breakfast filled with Winnie the Pooh and friends... Only in Disney!

Hope you have a great trip. We're from NJ, flying in on 2/10 also. We've been down for a trip from Friday-Sunday before, so a four-day trip should be a walk in the park.

Good luck and keep your fingers crossed for nice weather in the Tri-State/DelMarVa area on departure day!

Ann

Ann! I'm super excited to get another pre-opening entrance in at MK, we'll be yet another non-kid table so come on over and say hi! I'll probably be the one holding on to Tigger. Love Tigger. I already feel sorry for the poor CM who gets to play him that day.

Dear Future CM, whomever you are, I apologize in advance....

I just checked the weather again, and I swear I'm not going to do it until at least the middle of next week. I saw "Showers" today and panicked.

I hope you also have a safe and fun trip! It's funny now every time I hear "Tri State Area" I think of Phineas and Ferb

 

[jenneth79]

Chapter Seventeen
In which our heroine triumphs over the Yeti.

The fourth day of our trip was an extra special one for my DH and me. It happened to be our third wedding anniversary! Mike gave me my present, a simply amazing ring from Tiffany and Co:

(Picture taken at my desk once we got back…. Since I had to return the ring. He got the wrong size. But the REASON he got the wrong size is adorable. He bought the size of my ring finger (5) when my right hand is a bit bigger (6). So sweet!) I felt bad not being able to give him a gift, so I wrote him a letter and he read that. We chatted a bit about how it feels like the time has just flown by, then we got ready for an early trip over to Animal Kingdom.

The CL lounge provided us with new breakfast options. I opted for a type of breakfast nut bread that was very good and Mike grabbed a chocolate éclair. It was our first disappointment with the breakfast offerings, but just because there was way too much chocolate in it. If you’re a chocolate lover and see one of these in a CL lounge, go for it, you’ll probably love it!

Downstairs we went and made our way over to the bus stop. Our plan was to try to get there just as the park opened, but we weren’t sure if we were going to make it!

Not sure if this is helpful to anyone, but it shows the bus service from the front of the YC:

So we got on the bus, and lo and behold, guess when we pulled up to AK?

Yay! Made it for “rope drop”!

As soon as we walked inside, we spent a few minutes wandering through the Oasis, but our main goal was to make it over to EE as fast as possible! After coffee. And photopass. With coffee.

(Priorities!)

Then it was off to Expedition Everest and what we expected to be a super long line. Except it wasn’t. The wait time was 5 minutes! We walked right on!

I loved it! Yes, the Yeti was definitely in “disco” mode, but it was still a super fun coaster! The whole concept of going backwards, wow! Needless to say as soon as we got off, we ran around and got right back on. This time we went for the front car!

I was going to film a video of the ride, but realized halfway through I was on the wrong setting. So I snapped a few photos nonetheless:

(view from top of EE)

(oh no!)

We got on a third time (again, STILL NO WAIT!) and decided to sit in the back car. EE is pretty interesting in the fact that the front and back cars have a faster ride either in the beginning (going forward) or the second half of the ride (going backwards). The middle is also just a quick but smoother ride no matter what. I loved them all.

We decided we really should head over to the Safari but I still grabbed a set of EE FPs for later.

Up next, the super picture heavy obligatory Safari post!

 

[natebenma]

Pretty ring!!! So did he pick that out with your input?

Nice smooth morning so far. We did not encounter those chocolate eclairs. They sound wonderful!!!

Woo-hoo on super fantastic rides on Everest!

Looking forward to seeing your animal pictures.

 

[jenneth79]

Pretty ring!!! So did he pick that out with your input?

Nice smooth morning so far. We did not encounter those chocolate eclairs. They sound wonderful!!!

Woo-hoo on super fantastic rides on Everest!

Looking forward to seeing your animal pictures.

He came up with it totally on his own! I'll admit my DH is better at dressing than I am, for certain! He picks out a lot of my clothes. He also picked out my engagement ring as a complete surprise with no input from me, yet it's exactly the ring I'd have picked if I could. Maybe that's a sign we were meant to be. Or he has better taste.

He bought me a matching necklace this past Christmas which I can't wait to wear on our trip next weekend w/ my tunic I bought in Morocco. (Epcot) I thought it would make a nice outfit for dinner at CG!

Safari pics coming soon!

 

[jenneth79]

Chapter Eighteen
In which we go on safari!

We really only had two priorities on this day, ride EE and check out the Safari in the morning before things got too hot. Expedition Everest was out of the way so we made our way over and got in line for the safari. It was about a 30 minute wait, but we decided to stand in line vs. getting FPs. There are some nice videos that play as you wait, and the decorations are pretty cool as well:

Finally we were loaded into our vehicle, and we waited a bit longer because the tram in front of us was taking a bit longer than expected to get going. We had the Best. Driver. Ever. I think his name was Jim. I wish I had written it down because he was so funny, but here’s a picture at least!

I loved the fact that he broke from “character” every once in a while because the ride itself was undergoing repairs. The bridge (the ones that shake, rattle, and roll?) didn’t do any of those. They were just bridges. He hilariously told us he was going to make us all THINK the car was going to tip over when the time came, and went through this whole “oh no, the bridge is going to collapse!” bit which had those of us who had been on the ride before rolling with laughter.

Here is a selection of shots we took with both the Kodak Easyshare as well as the D70 (they are probably not in order, but both Photobucket and iPhoto were giving me a headache last night trying to load these up and I just gave up trying to order them properly:

(Side note: We did get to see the most adorable 1 year old baby elephant…. You can see him center rear of this picture: )

(didn’t frame this intentionally, but it still looks kinda cool.)

The only bummer for us was the fact that we missed the lions.

Ok, up next more wandering around AK, and one of my new favorite watering holes!

 

[jenneth79]

We interrupt this report to allow Jen to go on her mini Disney vacation! We're heading out Friday morning and I'm not sure I'll have time to update between now and when our flight leaves. Weather looks to be typical Florida confusion, so we'll see what we get.

Coming back on Wednesday, and will pick up the report from there!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Jen