It' still Monday, December 8
The cast:
Me: 34, 2nd trip to WDW (last time was 2001 but we only did MK 1 day does that count?)
DW: 36 also her 2nd / 1st real trip
DS: 5, ditto for him;
DWs best friend: 36, 1st trip, hereafter known as Auntie K
We leave Donalds breakfastosaurus, (here's a shot of DS and Pluto ) and Mom and Auntie K decide to make another pitstop, so DS and I check out Chesters and Hesters toy store together, while we wait. He loves this place as much as I do!
After much walking around and playing with the displays he spies the Power Rangers! (Ive already bought one for him and had it sent back to the resort) He has brought his own money on this trip for just occasions like this, and so he decides to purchase a black megazord. No shipping this one to the room, this babys riding with him!
Its almost 11:30, and time to head for Tarzan Rocks. We park the stroller out front, and taking a tip from the DIS tip-boards, we have wrapped a red bandanna around the handle for ease of identification. Either that or were showing our gang colours
Were seated towards the middle in the last row. Excellent view closer may be better, but we could see all the action. DS loved the show! Stunt monkeys on inline skates; singing and dancing; and of course Tarzan and Jane! Acrobatics too! It was a great performance! (Too bad we saw Cirque before any of the Disney live shows it was hard not to make comparisons, and for us, at least, Cirque won out.) Afterward, DS said that was his favorite thing so far at Disney World!!
The show was packed! Not standing room only, but very few empty seats which surprised me at first, but I guess when there are only 4 performances slated all day, and the show is this good, it makes sense. So needless to say (but Im going to) exiting wasnt exactly a picnic.
Now I know Disney has done their research on people patterns and traffic flow, but using the same general location for entry and exits doesnt exactly seem like the best way. At least not for those of us trying to fight through the crowd, like salmon migrating upstream against the current, trying to fight that identified stroller we took so much care to place our nametag into. Huh? Oh. Yeah, just over there a little. Pardon me maam... Yup, by the end. I can see the red bandana. Oh, Sorry! Yeah, right there
DS pipes up. Thats not my stroller.
Okay, right, sure. I can clearly see the bandanna. That, and Ive been pushing you in this thing all morning, and Im pretty sure Id know it if this werent the same one.
But thats not my bandanna! Cue the tension, the anxiety of losing something youve taken for granted, the security of your cocoonlike AK stroller. Who took MY STROLLER?! Weve got tears now, emotionally drained from watching Tarzan Rocks, Whyd they take my stroller? That wasnt very nice!! DS is hurt, confused and
Absolutely right! Somebody took our stroller. They too had read the tip board, and brought their red bandana (albeit theirs was ripped, and ours had a nicer pattern, thank you very much) and tied it around the handle of THEIR stroller. Which we now have. A quick check around the area, and, no, yeah, we are pretty much the last ones. Looks like this is all weve got.
DW has DS calmed down and is explaining that it was an accident that they (those nice people who cant read their name-card-in-the-plastic thing) made an honest mistake, and thought that our stroller was theirs. Hes not entirely sure, but hes willing to get in, and once he has his new Power Ranger toy, hes back to being himself again, crisis completed. Id like to say that I understand, you know, mistakes happen, were in Disney, feel the magic, move on but deep inside, I cant. Like too, but cant. Not my nature.
Take my stroller? Yeah? Well at least Ive got your hand-written list of attractions to see today!! You left your days plan in the stroller. In front of your nametag! So there! Na na na na na! Good Luck figuring out where youre going next!
(Now, if youre reading this, and you and your loved ones were taking in the Tarzan Rocks show Monday Dec 8th at 12:00 pm and you had a stroller with a ripped, red bandana on it, and you mistakenly ended up with my sons stroller with HIS bandana on it. Hope you had a really great day! Love ya! Mean it!)
Back to Asia we go, time to take the jungle trek. Again, great details in the buildings and enclosures! We loved the tigers! The bats were bigger than I expected, too! It had begun to warm up, so the coolness of the jungle foliage was a calming break after the stroller mix-up. We pass an ice cream cart, and like yesterday, and ice cream treat now would really hit the spot!
Passing by the Tree of life, we see ITTBAB has no line up so we enter. Auntie K is having a good laugh at the pun-laced movie posters: Termite ator! etc. We marvel at the carvings and DS is enthralled by the chimpanzee face near the theatre entrance.
We choose seats in the back row, far away from Hopper (see, Ive done my research! Cant have him popping out too close and scaring DS now can we?) And we loved it! The butterfly curtain is very neat, and while everyone got a kick out of the stink bugs, DS hid from the exterminator, and the scurrying bugs made Auntie K scream (just a little!) Very well done!
We stop by Disney Outfitters, where mom, shopping for shirts and things, finds a cute frilly white tee with a leopard spotted Mickey head on it, and DS and I check out shirts and hats. Auntie K could spend the entire week at Disney shopping, so were not too worried about losing her in the parks just page her in the shops youll find her!
I figure we had better get moving if we want to see FOTLK, but the shoppers in the crew arent done just yet. Go figure! So DS and I make our way over to Camp Mickey and Minnie, leaving instructions for DW and Auntie K to not be too long, and well hook up in line. We walked the path, over the bridge, and into a calmer, more relaxed section of AK. We found the stroller parking area, and got into line.
Good thing we went when we did. We were early, but I certainly wouldnt recommend trying to cut it close. It got crowded fairly quickly! Before too long Mom and Auntie K found us in line It pays to wear a white hat and we entered just after 2:00. Now I mentioned back in Part 2 about DS singing along with his Lion King CD during the car ride. He loves this soundtrack, and the movie! So when this tribal celebration began he was in heaven! He sang along, he clapped, and danced, enjoying everything about it! The colours, the music, the floats, and the acrobatics are a spectacular show not to be missed!
We decided to remain sitting after the show, for as long as we could, to let the crowds thin out. We were seated in the Elephants section, across the theatre from the main exits, so we had quite the number of people trying to leave before us. Once outside the calmer section of AK resembled Main Street in MK after a parade! Yikes! People everywhere! Please refer to my rant about entry and exits in the same general area of each other!
I went to find the exit stroller parking (didnt want another incident) while the rest of the crew headed for safer ground. I managed to find the new/old red bandanna and soon was stuck in the mass exodus out of Camp Mickey-Minnie.
Now to find my family. Ill just keep moving with the crowd, trying to find a good location to see, or be seen. Remember, its a good thing I wore a white hat!
Yeah, too bad the rest of my group is of average height, and not wearing hats!
It probably would have been a good idea to have had a plan. Cuz I dont see them, and Im almost too the bridge. Okay, lets think. If I were them, where would I be? No, not shopping, I mean if I were them HERE! Where would I be? Well its obviously not where I am, so lets go back!
I didnt plan on losing them. And now Im not sure whos lost. Them or me? Was I supposed to follow them? Didnt they see me heading out? Where are they? Urrrrgh!
So, back to being a salmon again, back against the current, back into Camp Mickey-Minnie. What must this place be like in August? OMG! This is low season? AUNTIE K! Ive found them! Wait. Ive only found her. Shes waving to me. Ill wave back. Good shes seen me, now well get out of this too-close-for-comfort stranger-touching experience. Uh-huh. Shes gone.
Can you feel my heart sinking? It must be at least fifteen minutes, since we parted ways. How far could they be? DW! Im saved!! Shes gotta have DS with her well shes not mowing people down and freaking out, so I assume shes got him with her so Im okay! But come to think of it shes not as happy as when we left FOTLK. Hmmmm.
Turns out mom and DS and Auntie K too, had spied Kenai from Brother Bear at the character greeting trails. They were first in line to get pictures and autographs but they didnt have the camera. I had the camera. Of course I did. GD friggin camera!!! And I wasnt there. No! I was over there, where I was supposed to be, remember? But Auntie K was supposed to find me and get me back? She waved!! (I feel like a Sienfeld episode now) It wasnt a get over here wave! It was more like a Hey I found you! stay there kind a wave! Apparently Auntie K failed communications-waving in school.
Feel the magic?
Its okay we got back in line and got the autograph and picture. Not too bad for a five year old who has just sat waiting for 15-20 minutes, huh? Me thinks its time to leave the park! So we start to head out before the parade will cut us off from the Oasis. DW and Auntie K want one more crack at the shopping thing.
Do they serve drinks on this flight?
Back to Outfitters we go. DW wants me to find a shirt or something, cuz I havent bought anything yet.
And do I seem heartbroken by that?
Man do I need to get outta this park! Im dangerously close to forgetting Im in Disney World!
Im not a shopper. Well I am, if its for me, and its a tool, or if I really need something. But shopping because I havent bought anything yet? I know I dont understand, so dont send me hate mail.
I did buy DS the coolest Mickey hockey sweater at Outfitters and its goes great with his new Sorcerer Mickey hat!!
We pack it in and happen to see Stanley (from Playhouse Disney) just before the exits so DS stops for pictures and an autograph. Were all in need of a big ol break, so its off to the hotel we go cuz we still have Spectro and Wishes to see today!!
Next: Part 7 Day 3 DS loses his head
Some pictures from MK (Day 2) and AK
Mom DS and 'Nicholas'
After Spalsh Mountain - He seems okay!
Ds with Mom and Auntie K!
Chirtsmas Tree in Town Square
DS playing the bongos
Link to Part 7
The cast:
Me: 34, 2nd trip to WDW (last time was 2001 but we only did MK 1 day does that count?)
DW: 36 also her 2nd / 1st real trip
DS: 5, ditto for him;
DWs best friend: 36, 1st trip, hereafter known as Auntie K
We leave Donalds breakfastosaurus, (here's a shot of DS and Pluto ) and Mom and Auntie K decide to make another pitstop, so DS and I check out Chesters and Hesters toy store together, while we wait. He loves this place as much as I do!
After much walking around and playing with the displays he spies the Power Rangers! (Ive already bought one for him and had it sent back to the resort) He has brought his own money on this trip for just occasions like this, and so he decides to purchase a black megazord. No shipping this one to the room, this babys riding with him!
Its almost 11:30, and time to head for Tarzan Rocks. We park the stroller out front, and taking a tip from the DIS tip-boards, we have wrapped a red bandanna around the handle for ease of identification. Either that or were showing our gang colours
Were seated towards the middle in the last row. Excellent view closer may be better, but we could see all the action. DS loved the show! Stunt monkeys on inline skates; singing and dancing; and of course Tarzan and Jane! Acrobatics too! It was a great performance! (Too bad we saw Cirque before any of the Disney live shows it was hard not to make comparisons, and for us, at least, Cirque won out.) Afterward, DS said that was his favorite thing so far at Disney World!!
The show was packed! Not standing room only, but very few empty seats which surprised me at first, but I guess when there are only 4 performances slated all day, and the show is this good, it makes sense. So needless to say (but Im going to) exiting wasnt exactly a picnic.
Now I know Disney has done their research on people patterns and traffic flow, but using the same general location for entry and exits doesnt exactly seem like the best way. At least not for those of us trying to fight through the crowd, like salmon migrating upstream against the current, trying to fight that identified stroller we took so much care to place our nametag into. Huh? Oh. Yeah, just over there a little. Pardon me maam... Yup, by the end. I can see the red bandana. Oh, Sorry! Yeah, right there
DS pipes up. Thats not my stroller.
Okay, right, sure. I can clearly see the bandanna. That, and Ive been pushing you in this thing all morning, and Im pretty sure Id know it if this werent the same one.
But thats not my bandanna! Cue the tension, the anxiety of losing something youve taken for granted, the security of your cocoonlike AK stroller. Who took MY STROLLER?! Weve got tears now, emotionally drained from watching Tarzan Rocks, Whyd they take my stroller? That wasnt very nice!! DS is hurt, confused and
Absolutely right! Somebody took our stroller. They too had read the tip board, and brought their red bandana (albeit theirs was ripped, and ours had a nicer pattern, thank you very much) and tied it around the handle of THEIR stroller. Which we now have. A quick check around the area, and, no, yeah, we are pretty much the last ones. Looks like this is all weve got.
DW has DS calmed down and is explaining that it was an accident that they (those nice people who cant read their name-card-in-the-plastic thing) made an honest mistake, and thought that our stroller was theirs. Hes not entirely sure, but hes willing to get in, and once he has his new Power Ranger toy, hes back to being himself again, crisis completed. Id like to say that I understand, you know, mistakes happen, were in Disney, feel the magic, move on but deep inside, I cant. Like too, but cant. Not my nature.
Take my stroller? Yeah? Well at least Ive got your hand-written list of attractions to see today!! You left your days plan in the stroller. In front of your nametag! So there! Na na na na na! Good Luck figuring out where youre going next!
(Now, if youre reading this, and you and your loved ones were taking in the Tarzan Rocks show Monday Dec 8th at 12:00 pm and you had a stroller with a ripped, red bandana on it, and you mistakenly ended up with my sons stroller with HIS bandana on it. Hope you had a really great day! Love ya! Mean it!)
Back to Asia we go, time to take the jungle trek. Again, great details in the buildings and enclosures! We loved the tigers! The bats were bigger than I expected, too! It had begun to warm up, so the coolness of the jungle foliage was a calming break after the stroller mix-up. We pass an ice cream cart, and like yesterday, and ice cream treat now would really hit the spot!
Passing by the Tree of life, we see ITTBAB has no line up so we enter. Auntie K is having a good laugh at the pun-laced movie posters: Termite ator! etc. We marvel at the carvings and DS is enthralled by the chimpanzee face near the theatre entrance.
We choose seats in the back row, far away from Hopper (see, Ive done my research! Cant have him popping out too close and scaring DS now can we?) And we loved it! The butterfly curtain is very neat, and while everyone got a kick out of the stink bugs, DS hid from the exterminator, and the scurrying bugs made Auntie K scream (just a little!) Very well done!
We stop by Disney Outfitters, where mom, shopping for shirts and things, finds a cute frilly white tee with a leopard spotted Mickey head on it, and DS and I check out shirts and hats. Auntie K could spend the entire week at Disney shopping, so were not too worried about losing her in the parks just page her in the shops youll find her!
I figure we had better get moving if we want to see FOTLK, but the shoppers in the crew arent done just yet. Go figure! So DS and I make our way over to Camp Mickey and Minnie, leaving instructions for DW and Auntie K to not be too long, and well hook up in line. We walked the path, over the bridge, and into a calmer, more relaxed section of AK. We found the stroller parking area, and got into line.
Good thing we went when we did. We were early, but I certainly wouldnt recommend trying to cut it close. It got crowded fairly quickly! Before too long Mom and Auntie K found us in line It pays to wear a white hat and we entered just after 2:00. Now I mentioned back in Part 2 about DS singing along with his Lion King CD during the car ride. He loves this soundtrack, and the movie! So when this tribal celebration began he was in heaven! He sang along, he clapped, and danced, enjoying everything about it! The colours, the music, the floats, and the acrobatics are a spectacular show not to be missed!
We decided to remain sitting after the show, for as long as we could, to let the crowds thin out. We were seated in the Elephants section, across the theatre from the main exits, so we had quite the number of people trying to leave before us. Once outside the calmer section of AK resembled Main Street in MK after a parade! Yikes! People everywhere! Please refer to my rant about entry and exits in the same general area of each other!
I went to find the exit stroller parking (didnt want another incident) while the rest of the crew headed for safer ground. I managed to find the new/old red bandanna and soon was stuck in the mass exodus out of Camp Mickey-Minnie.
Now to find my family. Ill just keep moving with the crowd, trying to find a good location to see, or be seen. Remember, its a good thing I wore a white hat!
Yeah, too bad the rest of my group is of average height, and not wearing hats!
It probably would have been a good idea to have had a plan. Cuz I dont see them, and Im almost too the bridge. Okay, lets think. If I were them, where would I be? No, not shopping, I mean if I were them HERE! Where would I be? Well its obviously not where I am, so lets go back!
I didnt plan on losing them. And now Im not sure whos lost. Them or me? Was I supposed to follow them? Didnt they see me heading out? Where are they? Urrrrgh!
So, back to being a salmon again, back against the current, back into Camp Mickey-Minnie. What must this place be like in August? OMG! This is low season? AUNTIE K! Ive found them! Wait. Ive only found her. Shes waving to me. Ill wave back. Good shes seen me, now well get out of this too-close-for-comfort stranger-touching experience. Uh-huh. Shes gone.
Can you feel my heart sinking? It must be at least fifteen minutes, since we parted ways. How far could they be? DW! Im saved!! Shes gotta have DS with her well shes not mowing people down and freaking out, so I assume shes got him with her so Im okay! But come to think of it shes not as happy as when we left FOTLK. Hmmmm.
Turns out mom and DS and Auntie K too, had spied Kenai from Brother Bear at the character greeting trails. They were first in line to get pictures and autographs but they didnt have the camera. I had the camera. Of course I did. GD friggin camera!!! And I wasnt there. No! I was over there, where I was supposed to be, remember? But Auntie K was supposed to find me and get me back? She waved!! (I feel like a Sienfeld episode now) It wasnt a get over here wave! It was more like a Hey I found you! stay there kind a wave! Apparently Auntie K failed communications-waving in school.
Feel the magic?
Its okay we got back in line and got the autograph and picture. Not too bad for a five year old who has just sat waiting for 15-20 minutes, huh? Me thinks its time to leave the park! So we start to head out before the parade will cut us off from the Oasis. DW and Auntie K want one more crack at the shopping thing.
Do they serve drinks on this flight?
Back to Outfitters we go. DW wants me to find a shirt or something, cuz I havent bought anything yet.
And do I seem heartbroken by that?
Man do I need to get outta this park! Im dangerously close to forgetting Im in Disney World!
Im not a shopper. Well I am, if its for me, and its a tool, or if I really need something. But shopping because I havent bought anything yet? I know I dont understand, so dont send me hate mail.
I did buy DS the coolest Mickey hockey sweater at Outfitters and its goes great with his new Sorcerer Mickey hat!!
We pack it in and happen to see Stanley (from Playhouse Disney) just before the exits so DS stops for pictures and an autograph. Were all in need of a big ol break, so its off to the hotel we go cuz we still have Spectro and Wishes to see today!!
Next: Part 7 Day 3 DS loses his head
Some pictures from MK (Day 2) and AK
Mom DS and 'Nicholas'
After Spalsh Mountain - He seems okay!
Ds with Mom and Auntie K!
Chirtsmas Tree in Town Square
DS playing the bongos
Link to Part 7
