TanzUnited99
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Clearskies photographic Journey to the World and Beyond - 8 theme parks & much more
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clearskies
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Thank you JollyHoliday! This is what 7+ hours of staking out a spot and a 3 hour drive home will get you. Consider me a bit touched in the head. Fortunately my family sticks by me.
Whew! that was a close call...good thing I posted the firework pictures.Well, I was going to tell you that I was over and done with you but then I saw the New York City pictures and I forgive you.Just kidding! Glad to have you back on the Disboards.
Thank you Lisa for sticking with me!
Whew, another close call ... thank you Tanz as well for sticking with meI was starting to wonder what had happened to you! Glad to see you back and yes your 4th July pics look soo good that I couldn't help but comment!NYC looks amazing and I hope to visit one day.
Btw I just want to let you know that we are now attending MNSSHP as well as WWoHP!
AWESOME on fitting in both IOA and the MNSSHP. I'm jealous. I wish they started MNSSHP earlier so that we could attend. You will not regret it. You are going to have an incredible trip!!
clearskies
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So, where were we......oh, a little while ago when we left off last we were headed back to Universal Studios for one final quick visit to the park and my sister's family. There was only one attraction that was a "must do" for me that we missed during our first visit, and that was the Horror Make Up Show. So, I was determined to at least see that show and anything else that we decided to do was fine by me.
After we made our way into the park, the Shrek 4-D movie was standing right there in front of us beckoning us to come in. Even though we had already seen the show the first day we visited, our family had a good time with it so why not, we headed in line to see it again. Again, I was not going to take out my camera for a 3-D movie but I did take a few more pictures in the pre-show area.
After we got out of Shrek we headed on over but to the Horror Make Up Show but we found that there was some time to kill until the next showing so we headed to our favorite ride in the park, the Mummy. This time around I asked the CM at the entrance if we could do a bag swap and he said we could. Awesome, I was able to bring my camera gear along on line. There is not that much to photograph though in the queue. Here are a couple of pics I took along the way.
The bag swap worked great. My wife went first with the kids and then when they were done they let me go on with both of my kids while my wife stayed behind. The Mummy ride did not disappoint. Our family once again had a great time on the ride.
After the Mummy, it was about that time to head back to get some seats for the Horror Make Up Show. We had not seen this before so we really had no idea what to expect but I was hoping it was not scary for my daughter.
I took a few pictures of the props before the show started and got a little nervous that this may not be for the kids
I was relieved to find that the show was a lot of fun for the whole family. The actors were very funny and they pulled in an audience member for the show and this was one of those shows where the script worked well for pulling in an audience member. We had a great time laughing along. There was a small surprise element that I won't describe in case anyone reading has not seen this show but it was not really scary.
After we got out my Sister's family had wanted to see the Beetlejuice Graveyard Review show. I had no inclination to seee the show myself but since we had seen everything else in the park that I had wanted at this point why not head over and watch. When we got in the show had already started. I would say that the show was a teeny tiny bit better than my expectations but bear in mind that the bar was set very low by me before heading in so I expected a marginal to downright ugly show.
Here are some pictures of the show.
Now I understand why Frankenstein is a "monster". Someone had the idea to dress him in this leather outfit in the blazing Florida heat. Trust me, you put me in that outfit and there will be some ugliness going on.
The bride of Frankenstein had a bit less costume to contend with....
Of course, nothing "screams" monster show like a pair of monster cheerleaders. How could you have one without them. Here is the first one....
here is the second one...now this is scary
The star of the show...
The Frankenstein's rocking it out like you know they can.
more monsters of rock....
After the show ended we headed out and I saw this fountain just outside that I thought would make an interesting shot.
Here is my last photo inside Universal Studios.
At this point I split from the rest of the group. I wanted one last run through the Forbidden Journey Queue to take some pictures. I was not going on the ride I just wanted one final chance to capture some of the tricky elements of the queue. My Sister's family did not have park to park privs on their tickets so the rest of my family stayed in US with them to spend time while I headed off on my own. I already showed pictures from this as part of my compilation of the Forbidden Journey queue earlier in this thread (a looong time ago) so I don't have anything more to show here. It was good to be able to take a bit more time going through the queue without feeling rushed.
After I was done I was realized I took a bit longer than I planned so I hurried out of the park to meet up with the rest of my crew. After we re-grouped we bid adieu to Universal for this trip. We were definitely happy with our experiences here and we decided it would be a certain future return destination for us. We definitely could not spend as much time here overall as the Disney parks but it is absolutely worth carving out some time to visit.
We are headed back to the Poly tonight to try the other restaurant there, Ohana. We'll see how it stacks up against Kona. I'll pick up from there in my next installment ( I promise later this week).
After we made our way into the park, the Shrek 4-D movie was standing right there in front of us beckoning us to come in. Even though we had already seen the show the first day we visited, our family had a good time with it so why not, we headed in line to see it again. Again, I was not going to take out my camera for a 3-D movie but I did take a few more pictures in the pre-show area.
After we got out of Shrek we headed on over but to the Horror Make Up Show but we found that there was some time to kill until the next showing so we headed to our favorite ride in the park, the Mummy. This time around I asked the CM at the entrance if we could do a bag swap and he said we could. Awesome, I was able to bring my camera gear along on line. There is not that much to photograph though in the queue. Here are a couple of pics I took along the way.
The bag swap worked great. My wife went first with the kids and then when they were done they let me go on with both of my kids while my wife stayed behind. The Mummy ride did not disappoint. Our family once again had a great time on the ride.
After the Mummy, it was about that time to head back to get some seats for the Horror Make Up Show. We had not seen this before so we really had no idea what to expect but I was hoping it was not scary for my daughter.
I took a few pictures of the props before the show started and got a little nervous that this may not be for the kids
I was relieved to find that the show was a lot of fun for the whole family. The actors were very funny and they pulled in an audience member for the show and this was one of those shows where the script worked well for pulling in an audience member. We had a great time laughing along. There was a small surprise element that I won't describe in case anyone reading has not seen this show but it was not really scary.
After we got out my Sister's family had wanted to see the Beetlejuice Graveyard Review show. I had no inclination to seee the show myself but since we had seen everything else in the park that I had wanted at this point why not head over and watch. When we got in the show had already started. I would say that the show was a teeny tiny bit better than my expectations but bear in mind that the bar was set very low by me before heading in so I expected a marginal to downright ugly show.
Here are some pictures of the show.
Now I understand why Frankenstein is a "monster". Someone had the idea to dress him in this leather outfit in the blazing Florida heat. Trust me, you put me in that outfit and there will be some ugliness going on.
The bride of Frankenstein had a bit less costume to contend with....
Of course, nothing "screams" monster show like a pair of monster cheerleaders. How could you have one without them. Here is the first one....
here is the second one...now this is scary
The star of the show...
The Frankenstein's rocking it out like you know they can.
more monsters of rock....
After the show ended we headed out and I saw this fountain just outside that I thought would make an interesting shot.
Here is my last photo inside Universal Studios.
At this point I split from the rest of the group. I wanted one last run through the Forbidden Journey Queue to take some pictures. I was not going on the ride I just wanted one final chance to capture some of the tricky elements of the queue. My Sister's family did not have park to park privs on their tickets so the rest of my family stayed in US with them to spend time while I headed off on my own. I already showed pictures from this as part of my compilation of the Forbidden Journey queue earlier in this thread (a looong time ago) so I don't have anything more to show here. It was good to be able to take a bit more time going through the queue without feeling rushed.
After I was done I was realized I took a bit longer than I planned so I hurried out of the park to meet up with the rest of my crew. After we re-grouped we bid adieu to Universal for this trip. We were definitely happy with our experiences here and we decided it would be a certain future return destination for us. We definitely could not spend as much time here overall as the Disney parks but it is absolutely worth carving out some time to visit.
We are headed back to the Poly tonight to try the other restaurant there, Ohana. We'll see how it stacks up against Kona. I'll pick up from there in my next installment ( I promise later this week).
TanzUnited99
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I'm going to get my fix of Universal Studios through your TR as we are not going to get to experience it this time. Love the Shrek 4D and Mummy pics!
Eek I am getting a bit freaked out by the pics of the pre-show area of The Horror Make Up Show. Though reading on the pic of the second scary cheerleader is close competition!
That last photo is awesome!
Ooh look forward to your review of O'hana as we are currently debating whether to try and get a cancellation for this place.
I'm very excited to be doing both! It's a shame you will not get to attend a party this time around (when are you going?) but am sure you will have a great trip! Is your aim to complete this TR before you go so you can return and start the next one
Eek I am getting a bit freaked out by the pics of the pre-show area of The Horror Make Up Show. Though reading on the pic of the second scary cheerleader is close competition!
That last photo is awesome!
Ooh look forward to your review of O'hana as we are currently debating whether to try and get a cancellation for this place.
Whew, another close call ... thank you Tanz as well for sticking with me
No probs!
AWESOME on fitting in both IOA and the MNSSHP. I'm jealous. I wish they started MNSSHP earlier so that we could attend. You will not regret it. You are going to have an incredible trip!!
I'm very excited to be doing both! It's a shame you will not get to attend a party this time around (when are you going?) but am sure you will have a great trip! Is your aim to complete this TR before you go so you can return and start the next one
clearskies
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You are making the right choice by picking IOA over US Tanz. My wife seems to prefer US but the rest of our crew enjoyed IOA a lot more. US does have some great attractions though. I am confident that you won't be sorry about heading over to IOA.
Eek I am getting a bit freaked out by the pics of the pre-show area of The Horror Make Up Show. Though reading on the pic of the second scary cheerleader is close competition!
The Beetlejuice show was scarierThank you Tanz. I really like the picture as well. Funny how a little thing that most people probably walk by without giving it a second look can spark an interest in others.That last photo is awesome!
It is decent (not great) but seeing how you will not eat the meat I would recommend that you opt for another place to eat.
We will be checking into Disney on 8/27 and returning early on Labor day (9/5). School starts for my kids the Wed after Labor Day so we always need to make our plans to be back home around Labor Day.I'm very excited to be doing both! It's a shame you will not get to attend a party this time around (when are you going?) but am sure you will have a great trip! Is your aim to complete this TR before you go so you can return and start the next one
The one year we attended the MNSSHP they started the parties on the Friday of Labor Day Weekend. It was a bit odd to be celebrating Halloween so early but we were thrilled to get a chance to experience the Party and we had an awesome time.
I am hoping to get the TR wrapped up by the end of this month. I did not mean to drag it out so long. I am thinking that I probably won't write a TR for our upcoming trip. I don't feel that I have enough time to devote to writing this in the manner that I would like.
Thank you very much April.Amazing photos as always! Thanks for the NYC fireworks photos- They are awesome!
I am so bummed! I missed your entire TR. I am sorry I missed it. (Boy you work fast
). I went and read through the entire report and you did a great job. Unfortunately I can not comment since it is already in the Completed Trip Reports section. I am going to make a couple comments/questions here if you don't mind- You did a great job with your new camera gear!! I especially like the sunset shots, many of your wide angle pictures and your animal shots.
- That dragon and knight outside the Lego store is awesome. My son is going to love that when we go. He is also going to love the Woody and Buzz Rocket. Thank you for posting those. I did not realize they changed the area.
- I am sorry you could not find babycakes. I am definitely going to find it and I will confirm the location for you for your next trip.
- Nice fireworks pictures but next time don't be afraid of using your tripod. Give it a try.
- Thank you so much for the Wild Africa Trek review. I am seriously considering that. Which lens did you bring? Could you bring any additional lenses with you?
clearskies
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Tonight's dinner is at 'Ohana. We had eaten there in our prior trip and enjoyed it so we figured it was worth a return visit. There always seems to be a huge crowd of people waiting to be seated and as with our prior visit they were running a bit behind schedule so after we checked in I went off to try another attempt to capture one of my favorite gift shop displays in Disney. I just get such a kick out of these two.
Still not the best lighting but better than our last visit to the Poly
I walked around and took a few more pictures until we were ready to be seated.
Once we were paged and shown to our table the calvacade of food started. A parade of Bread, Salad, Dumplings, Chicken Wings, Noodles and Skewers of Shrimp, Pork, Beef and Chicken came our way. It was just way too much food to eat and it seemed like we were wasting a lot because we simply could not eat it all. If you are really hungry then this may be the place for you. I think I am of the mindset though that I would prefer less quantities of food that I specifically order vs massive amounts of food cooked the same for everyone. The food ranged from very good to so-so. I'll say that some of the meat was too dry for my taste. I'll give high marks to the wait staff though since our servers were excellent.
One big winner from the meail was the dessert. I can not eat it but the rest of the family raves about the bread pudding that they serve. Unfortunately most of our crew were too stuffed to really eat too much but what they did eat they said was still spectacular.
The chef was nice enough to prepare a non-Dairy dessert for me. I could not eay all of it but it was good.
One other plus (or perhaps minus for some) of 'Ohana is the entertainment. Here was our master of ceremonies for the night.
Her entertainment is geared more for kids with the coconut races and dancing around the dining room but at one point she got some of us adults up and dancing as well.
Though we thought the meal experience was good we came to the consensus that if we are heading to the Poly to eat then Kona would be our first choice of restaurants. Overall we think the food is better at Kona. Too bad that Kona does not have the bread pudding for the dessert option though.
After dinner I decided to stick around and wait for Wishes again at the beach. This time I was thrilled to find that my son decided to stay with me but the rest of the family headed back to rest. We headed to the beach and I took some pictures while waiting.
continued in the next post.....
Still not the best lighting but better than our last visit to the Poly
I walked around and took a few more pictures until we were ready to be seated.
Once we were paged and shown to our table the calvacade of food started. A parade of Bread, Salad, Dumplings, Chicken Wings, Noodles and Skewers of Shrimp, Pork, Beef and Chicken came our way. It was just way too much food to eat and it seemed like we were wasting a lot because we simply could not eat it all. If you are really hungry then this may be the place for you. I think I am of the mindset though that I would prefer less quantities of food that I specifically order vs massive amounts of food cooked the same for everyone. The food ranged from very good to so-so. I'll say that some of the meat was too dry for my taste. I'll give high marks to the wait staff though since our servers were excellent.
One big winner from the meail was the dessert. I can not eat it but the rest of the family raves about the bread pudding that they serve. Unfortunately most of our crew were too stuffed to really eat too much but what they did eat they said was still spectacular.
The chef was nice enough to prepare a non-Dairy dessert for me. I could not eay all of it but it was good.
One other plus (or perhaps minus for some) of 'Ohana is the entertainment. Here was our master of ceremonies for the night.
Her entertainment is geared more for kids with the coconut races and dancing around the dining room but at one point she got some of us adults up and dancing as well.
Though we thought the meal experience was good we came to the consensus that if we are heading to the Poly to eat then Kona would be our first choice of restaurants. Overall we think the food is better at Kona. Too bad that Kona does not have the bread pudding for the dessert option though.
After dinner I decided to stick around and wait for Wishes again at the beach. This time I was thrilled to find that my son decided to stay with me but the rest of the family headed back to rest. We headed to the beach and I took some pictures while waiting.
continued in the next post.....
clearskies
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I was curious if we were going to have the Electrical Water Parade in front of us again while wishes was going on and sure enough there it was for better or for worse intruding into our view. It would have been better if the boats would just sit still for the pictures so that they could some out clear. I removed most of them where I could from the pictures since they were not behaving.
Here are the results of this nights fireworks shooting.
After the show my son and I headed back to the resort. It was great having some company this time around!!
Our next day is going to be a big one. We are finally hitting the Disney parks and we will be headed to 3 in one day. We are starting off with an early breakfast ADR at Tusker House so it is off to get some sleep so that we don't run out of gas the next day.
Here are the results of this nights fireworks shooting.
After the show my son and I headed back to the resort. It was great having some company this time around!!
Our next day is going to be a big one. We are finally hitting the Disney parks and we will be headed to 3 in one day. We are starting off with an early breakfast ADR at Tusker House so it is off to get some sleep so that we don't run out of gas the next day.
TanzUnited99
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Thanks for the review of O'hana - I agree though in that I think I would enjoy ordering specific food in small quantities compared to large quantities of food that I am not choosing. Btw the meat situation has changed which is why I was debating booking an O'hana ADR - think I may leave things as they are though.,
We got in touch with Disney and a really nice chef from AKL rang us and said he would ensure the type of meat we eat is provided at all restaurants we have ADRs for - his name was Chef Mijahidi and his phone call made our day!!
Love the firework pics of Wishes - am glad your son decided to stay with you. Looking forward to hearing about your Disney parks day and how you fitted 3 parks into one day!
Also want to say that it's a shame you will not be doing a TR for your upcoming trip though I understand your reasoning. I will just continue to enjoy reading this one.
We got in touch with Disney and a really nice chef from AKL rang us and said he would ensure the type of meat we eat is provided at all restaurants we have ADRs for - his name was Chef Mijahidi and his phone call made our day!!
Love the firework pics of Wishes - am glad your son decided to stay with you. Looking forward to hearing about your Disney parks day and how you fitted 3 parks into one day!
Also want to say that it's a shame you will not be doing a TR for your upcoming trip though I understand your reasoning. I will just continue to enjoy reading this one.
norybell
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Clear skies, where did you watch the NYC fireworks from?
Despite having lived here for 10 years, I have yet to see them. I always have a crazy work week the week of the 4th, and never feel up to the crowds!
I really hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I have to mention it...don't those monster cheerleaders look a bit like drag queens? Just sayin'...
Love your pictures, as always...I'm having a major craving for the Poly right now!
Despite having lived here for 10 years, I have yet to see them. I always have a crazy work week the week of the 4th, and never feel up to the crowds!
I really hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I have to mention it...don't those monster cheerleaders look a bit like drag queens? Just sayin'...
Love your pictures, as always...I'm having a major craving for the Poly right now!
clearskies
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That is such great news on the Chef calling you. I thought you were pescatarians. Disney really does an outstanding job accommodating to dietary needs. I love hearing stories like these. I am very happy that you will be able to experience more foods that you can eat.Thanks for the review of O'hana - I agree though in that I think I would enjoy ordering specific food in small quantities compared to large quantities of food that I am not choosing. Btw the meat situation has changed which is why I was debating booking an O'hana ADR - think I may leave things as they are though.,
We got in touch with Disney and a really nice chef from AKL rang us and said he would ensure the type of meat we eat is provided at all restaurants we have ADRs for - his name was Chef Mijahidi and his phone call made our day!!
Thank you for the Wishes pics comments. The experience is even better when I get to share them with someone.
On the TR for the upcoming trip. I could change my mind but right now I am of the mindset that I won't write one but I probably will post pics on a flickr or pbase account and if I do I can at least PM you for a link to see pictures.
Hi Nory. We went to Weehawken NJ. This was a perfect location to see the show but there was definitely a price to pay. We staked out our spot over 7 hours and the drive home was about 3 hours. Fortunately we were with friends and we had a good time. I was thinking of taking trains but I would have had to take at least 2 transfers and it would be a long journey by train as well. This is definitely not something I would do every year but I am happy we did it once.
LOL on the cheerleaders. I was thinking the same but did not want to offend anyone myself. I don't have too many readers and I don't want to drive anyone else away. Too funny
Thank you for the comment on the pics Nory!
MNTwinsMom
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Thanks for more great updates. More incredible wishes pics! Did you happen to see video of July 4 fireworks from the Poly beach? I was irritated with the water pageant floats until the end of the show when they lit up the patriotic scenes and they were a great compliment to the red, white and blue fireworks. TTC firework photos are my favorite though
Your NYC firework shots were awesome too! Sounds like quite an adventure!
Can't wait to hear about 3 parks in one day . . . My husband and I have done that twice, but never included AK as one of those parks.
Your NYC firework shots were awesome too! Sounds like quite an adventure!
Can't wait to hear about 3 parks in one day . . . My husband and I have done that twice, but never included AK as one of those parks.
clearskies
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Thenk you MNTwinsMom!Thanks for more great updates. More incredible wishes pics! Did you happen to see video of July 4 fireworks from the Poly beach? I was irritated with the water pageant floats until the end of the show when they lit up the patriotic scenes and they were a great compliment to the red, white and blue fireworks. TTC firework photos are my favorite though
I did not see the video. I would like to check it out Is there a link somewhere in these boards to it? I can certainly see how the stars and srtipes on the barges would look good with a 4th of July version of Wishes.
Thank you! I was very pleased with the outcome. There was a lot to endure to see the show so I am pleased that I was able to get some good pictures. Being there was an unforgettable experience.
I think it sounds more ambitious than it was. The last park. MK, was just to see the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes. We go back to the MK the next day for rides.
mickeystoontown
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We ate at Ohana for the first time this past May and I have to agree that there's simply too much food! Having said that, we loved the meal and will definitely be going back. We haven't eaten at Kona but may have to give it a try.
As always, your pictures before and during the fireworks are spectacular. So very beautiful!
As always, your pictures before and during the fireworks are spectacular. So very beautiful!
aprilisis
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Thank you very much April.
I am so bummed! I missed your entire TR. I am sorry I missed it. (Boy you work fast
- You did a great job with your new camera gear!! I especially like the sunset shots, many of your wide angle pictures and your animal shots.
- That dragon and knight outside the Lego store is awesome. My son is going to love that when we go. He is also going to love the Woody and Buzz Rocket. Thank you for posting those. I did not realize they changed the area.
- I am sorry you could not find babycakes. I am definitely going to find it and I will confirm the location for you for your next trip.
- Nice fireworks pictures but next time don't be afraid of using your tripod. Give it a try.
- Thank you so much for the Wild Africa Trek review. I am seriously considering that. Which lens did you bring? Could you bring any additional lenses with you?
Thanks! Wild Africa Trek was AWESOME. I brought the Tamron 75-300mm lens with me. You can only bring one lens. They are pretty strict. I could only bring the camera (it has to be strapped around your neck, too). I had to leave the bag and all of my other belongings in a locker. The lockers are right where the tour starts- in the woods sort of off behind the bridge to Africa. I felt totally safe leaving my things there, though- and I am not one to leave ANYTHING in any theme park lockers EVER. I have to say- you would love this tour. It gives you the opportunity for SO many good photos. I was happy with the lens that I took because the animals were all pretty far away... except the crocs! You get very close to them.
clearskies
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I can definitely see how 'Ohana can bet hit or miss. We went there the previous year ant most of the family really enjoyed it then. It probably depends on how hungry you are and how the meat is cooked on your skewers. We'll go back at some point but we are only headed to Kona on our upcoming trip.
Thank you Lisa
You are selling me on the Trek April. It will be a bit pricey for the 4 of us but it does look awesome. I am scheming that I can use my primary camera with a decent zoom lens and have my son carry our second camera with a wider angle lens. I am just worried that our AK day is at the end of the trip and everyone might be tired. I'll have to share my plans here at some point. It is a bit crazy. I am also wondering what heppens if it rains? I 'm talking the monsoon type rains you can get in Sept.
clearskies
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Well, we have covered lots of Disney resort experiences and pictures, we have experienced Wishes from various off site locations and even an Illumination Cruise but this report has been lacking in any Disney Park action but that comes to an end now. Thank you for any readers who have patiently stayed with me to this point in order to get to Disney Parks. Unfortunately, the end is drawing near of our trip. The bad news is that we only have 2 park days left. The good news is that they are jam packed with Disney Park action.
As I mentioned on this particular day we are visiting 3 parks. Here's the quick rundown of our plans:
- First head to Animal Kingdom to eat an early breakfast at Tusker House at 8:10AM
- After breakfast hit some of our "must-do" AK attractions
- Head over to EPCOT sometime before noon
- Spend the rest of the day in EPCOT until a somewhat early dinner at Le Cellier at 5:35 PM
- After dinner, head over to MK and see the Main Street Electrical Parade at 9PM and Wishes at 10PM
Seems a bit crazy to plan all that after a week of park action but hey I had our pseudo down day the day before, remember
AK did not open until 9AM so our 8:10AM breakfast ADR would be our first experience getting into a park before opening. The tough part was getting my family mobilized so early. Somehow I managed to get my family up and going (albeit groggily) so that we were ready to hit the road at about 7:15 AM. The drive to AK is not far from the All Stars resorts and I was pulling up into the parking booths before 7:30 AM and then realized one of my many tactical errors. I never checked what time they opened up the booths. It was a ghost town. No one in the booths, no life in the little building next to the booths, no cars. So we sat there for a while wondering how long we would have to sit there waiting to get into the parking lot as well having my family count the minutes that they could have had in extra sleep as instead of sitting in a car. It tried to convince them that it was was some family bonding time but that didn't quite work.
Fortunately, it was not too much longer that a few other cars pulled up behind us and waited. OK, if other cars are coming then they are sure to open up soon I said hopefully to the family. Then at about 7:35 AM the CMs came out and we were on our way into the park and walking into the turnstiles.
Ah, our first Disney Park of the trip. Don't hate us that we cheated on you.
They had someone at the turstiles with a list of those with breakfast ADRs and we were checked off and soon heading into the park before 8AM.
I soon realized the appeal of an empty park is not quite the same at AK as it probably is at MK or even the other parks based on the way the park is set up. The big picture spot for us with the Tree in the background never has people in it since behind that spot it is areas that people don't go into.
I am now looking forward to a fairly empty main street with a clear path to the castle this Sept when we have an early ADR for the Crystal Plalace.
I stopped and took a few pictures along the way. It was also a bit hazy already so the light was not what I was hopng for. It was going to be a hot time in AK today so perhaps it was good we were getting out early since you do seem to feel the heat there more than any other park.
When we entered Tusker House we were about 15 min early but they were ready to let us in. First you head over for a group shot with Donald. Unfortunately that is all you are going to see of him. He stays outside for pics of people entering the whole time.
We had a great waiter who got us beverages and then the rest of the family headed to the buffet while I waited for a Chef to make my rounds. Fortunately I did not need to wait long and soon we were all eating.
We learned some new words while eating
I believe that I told my children I was a Nyani.
They enthusiastically agreed. I think getting them up early had something to do with that.
As we ate we were greeted my Mickey, Daisy and Goofy all in their safari attire. It was nice to see Daisy since she is a bit more rare for us and I think this is the only character meal she makes an appearance at.
I did not really get a decent picture that I can show you of Mickey. Here are a couple of Daisy and Goofy
I should say a few words about the food. First of all let me say that the juice they serve is outstanding. I forget what they called it but it was awesome!! As far as the rest of the food goes, I would say that it is good but I can't say we ate much of it. It was still a bit early for us and we just can't seem to eat too big a meal early in the morning. What little we ate was tasty enough though.
While eating we devised our plan of attack. Now, I have seen people describe AK as a half day park but I respectfully disagree. I can easily spend the entire day in Animal Kingdom. It is one of the best themed parks, I love animals and I can spend a long time walking along the trails, the shows are some of the best disney has to offer and it has some great rides as well. This particular day though were were in tactical strike mode. We did not pland to spend too much time so we had to plan for a few "must dos" and then head out of dodge. We decided we would focus on the following attractions to tackle before heading out to EPCOT:
1. Kilimanjaro Safari
2. Expedition Everest
3. Dinosaur
4. Lion King
Our plan of action was that I would first grab FPs for the Kilimanjaro Safari ride just outside the restaurant and then we would head straight over the Expedition Everest. That will wake them up for sure. After EE we would hit Dinosaur and then make our way to the first showing (10AM) of the lion King show. At some point before or after the Lion King we would use our FPs for the Safari and after that it is EPCOT here we come.
So after we left Tusker House it was about 8:50 AM but people were in the park alreay. I told my family to walk ahead to EE and I would grab FPs for KS and catch up. Unfortunately when I got to the FP machines they were not up an running yet. I begrudgingly decided rather than wait that we could skip the safari this time around and I went to join up with the rest of the family on their trek to the himilayas in search of a Yeti.
We made it there and flew through the queue with practically no one in front of us.
Once we got to the front though my daughter chickened out. I don't blame her. It is a duanting ride for a little one. Heck I first went on the year before and I was scared. Yeah I am a chicken. Moving on.... So my wife and son went first and I stayed behind and took some more pictures while waiting.
When my wife and son finished, my son went off with me to ride again.
Here is the obligatory pic of the Yeti tearing up the tracks...uh oh...what are we going to do now?
I did not get a picture of the disco Yeti in position B at the end. We have yet to see the position A, moving Yeti. Will that ever be fixed?
No matter, it is still a great ride.
After we survived the Yeti experience we were off to one of the most maligned park areas in all the Disney Parks, Dinoland.
First some pictures along the way
Ok, now we are entering Dinloand.
OK, for 100 points, what is the significance of 498? (no looking it up)
Coming up next (very soon).....one of the toughest rides to photograph in Disney
As I mentioned on this particular day we are visiting 3 parks. Here's the quick rundown of our plans:
- First head to Animal Kingdom to eat an early breakfast at Tusker House at 8:10AM
- After breakfast hit some of our "must-do" AK attractions
- Head over to EPCOT sometime before noon
- Spend the rest of the day in EPCOT until a somewhat early dinner at Le Cellier at 5:35 PM
- After dinner, head over to MK and see the Main Street Electrical Parade at 9PM and Wishes at 10PM
Seems a bit crazy to plan all that after a week of park action but hey I had our pseudo down day the day before, remember
AK did not open until 9AM so our 8:10AM breakfast ADR would be our first experience getting into a park before opening. The tough part was getting my family mobilized so early. Somehow I managed to get my family up and going (albeit groggily) so that we were ready to hit the road at about 7:15 AM. The drive to AK is not far from the All Stars resorts and I was pulling up into the parking booths before 7:30 AM and then realized one of my many tactical errors. I never checked what time they opened up the booths. It was a ghost town. No one in the booths, no life in the little building next to the booths, no cars. So we sat there for a while wondering how long we would have to sit there waiting to get into the parking lot as well having my family count the minutes that they could have had in extra sleep as instead of sitting in a car. It tried to convince them that it was was some family bonding time but that didn't quite work.
Fortunately, it was not too much longer that a few other cars pulled up behind us and waited. OK, if other cars are coming then they are sure to open up soon I said hopefully to the family. Then at about 7:35 AM the CMs came out and we were on our way into the park and walking into the turnstiles.
Ah, our first Disney Park of the trip. Don't hate us that we cheated on you.
They had someone at the turstiles with a list of those with breakfast ADRs and we were checked off and soon heading into the park before 8AM.
I soon realized the appeal of an empty park is not quite the same at AK as it probably is at MK or even the other parks based on the way the park is set up. The big picture spot for us with the Tree in the background never has people in it since behind that spot it is areas that people don't go into.
I am now looking forward to a fairly empty main street with a clear path to the castle this Sept when we have an early ADR for the Crystal Plalace.
I stopped and took a few pictures along the way. It was also a bit hazy already so the light was not what I was hopng for. It was going to be a hot time in AK today so perhaps it was good we were getting out early since you do seem to feel the heat there more than any other park.
When we entered Tusker House we were about 15 min early but they were ready to let us in. First you head over for a group shot with Donald. Unfortunately that is all you are going to see of him. He stays outside for pics of people entering the whole time.
We had a great waiter who got us beverages and then the rest of the family headed to the buffet while I waited for a Chef to make my rounds. Fortunately I did not need to wait long and soon we were all eating.
We learned some new words while eating
I believe that I told my children I was a Nyani.
They enthusiastically agreed. I think getting them up early had something to do with that.
As we ate we were greeted my Mickey, Daisy and Goofy all in their safari attire. It was nice to see Daisy since she is a bit more rare for us and I think this is the only character meal she makes an appearance at.
I did not really get a decent picture that I can show you of Mickey. Here are a couple of Daisy and Goofy
I should say a few words about the food. First of all let me say that the juice they serve is outstanding. I forget what they called it but it was awesome!! As far as the rest of the food goes, I would say that it is good but I can't say we ate much of it. It was still a bit early for us and we just can't seem to eat too big a meal early in the morning. What little we ate was tasty enough though.
While eating we devised our plan of attack. Now, I have seen people describe AK as a half day park but I respectfully disagree. I can easily spend the entire day in Animal Kingdom. It is one of the best themed parks, I love animals and I can spend a long time walking along the trails, the shows are some of the best disney has to offer and it has some great rides as well. This particular day though were were in tactical strike mode. We did not pland to spend too much time so we had to plan for a few "must dos" and then head out of dodge. We decided we would focus on the following attractions to tackle before heading out to EPCOT:
1. Kilimanjaro Safari
2. Expedition Everest
3. Dinosaur
4. Lion King
Our plan of action was that I would first grab FPs for the Kilimanjaro Safari ride just outside the restaurant and then we would head straight over the Expedition Everest. That will wake them up for sure. After EE we would hit Dinosaur and then make our way to the first showing (10AM) of the lion King show. At some point before or after the Lion King we would use our FPs for the Safari and after that it is EPCOT here we come.
So after we left Tusker House it was about 8:50 AM but people were in the park alreay. I told my family to walk ahead to EE and I would grab FPs for KS and catch up. Unfortunately when I got to the FP machines they were not up an running yet. I begrudgingly decided rather than wait that we could skip the safari this time around and I went to join up with the rest of the family on their trek to the himilayas in search of a Yeti.
We made it there and flew through the queue with practically no one in front of us.
Once we got to the front though my daughter chickened out. I don't blame her. It is a duanting ride for a little one. Heck I first went on the year before and I was scared. Yeah I am a chicken. Moving on.... So my wife and son went first and I stayed behind and took some more pictures while waiting.
When my wife and son finished, my son went off with me to ride again.
Here is the obligatory pic of the Yeti tearing up the tracks...uh oh...what are we going to do now?
I did not get a picture of the disco Yeti in position B at the end. We have yet to see the position A, moving Yeti. Will that ever be fixed?
No matter, it is still a great ride.
After we survived the Yeti experience we were off to one of the most maligned park areas in all the Disney Parks, Dinoland.
First some pictures along the way
Ok, now we are entering Dinloand.
OK, for 100 points, what is the significance of 498? (no looking it up)
Coming up next (very soon).....one of the toughest rides to photograph in Disney
clearskies
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2007
- Messages
- 666
I told you I would be back soon...We are still on the path entering Dinoland but we got sidetracked for a minute as we watched a sidewalk artist who was quite good.
We couldn't dilly dally too long though. We had places to go so we were soon on our way.
We headed straight through to one of my favorite attractions Dinosaur. Though it is a favorite, it is brutally difficult to photograph since it is so dark and you are in a ride vehicle that moves like a bucking bronco. I was willing to give it a try with my new fastest lens (85mm f/1.2) because I love a challenge.
first some pictures before the actual ride.
For 200 points, does anyone know what the writing on these pipes signify?
ok, on to the ride. Well, thanks to my lens for the first time I actually got a few shots that came out on this ride,
There was not much of a line and we enjoyed it so much we rode twice but by the time we were done and it was 9:45 and we had to motor to get to the 10AM Lion King across the park.
Goodbye really fake looking dinosaur
See you next trip cartoon like Dino whose name escapes me right now
OK, we have 5 more min to get there doing good....
No, we can't stop Daisy. We need to get to the theater
Whoa ... a beautiful princess...ok we can stop for a minute.
Yeah, you're cute too Meeko
one more pic...
Whew we made it just in time.
I don't think we will ever tire of the FoLK show. This show my friends is top notch Theme park entertainment. I used only one lens a 300mm lens so these are "zoomed in" quite a bit. I had my son take picures with another camera and lens but unfortunately we lost the picutres.
Sit back and enjoy the Festival of the Lion King...
Whoa, back up Pumbaa perhaps a bit too much close on this.
Too many pictures.....more to come up next
We couldn't dilly dally too long though. We had places to go so we were soon on our way.
We headed straight through to one of my favorite attractions Dinosaur. Though it is a favorite, it is brutally difficult to photograph since it is so dark and you are in a ride vehicle that moves like a bucking bronco. I was willing to give it a try with my new fastest lens (85mm f/1.2) because I love a challenge.
first some pictures before the actual ride.
For 200 points, does anyone know what the writing on these pipes signify?
ok, on to the ride. Well, thanks to my lens for the first time I actually got a few shots that came out on this ride,
There was not much of a line and we enjoyed it so much we rode twice but by the time we were done and it was 9:45 and we had to motor to get to the 10AM Lion King across the park.
Goodbye really fake looking dinosaur
See you next trip cartoon like Dino whose name escapes me right now
OK, we have 5 more min to get there doing good....
No, we can't stop Daisy. We need to get to the theater
Whoa ... a beautiful princess...ok we can stop for a minute.
Yeah, you're cute too Meeko
one more pic...
Whew we made it just in time.
I don't think we will ever tire of the FoLK show. This show my friends is top notch Theme park entertainment. I used only one lens a 300mm lens so these are "zoomed in" quite a bit. I had my son take picures with another camera and lens but unfortunately we lost the picutres.
Sit back and enjoy the Festival of the Lion King...
Whoa, back up Pumbaa perhaps a bit too much close on this.
Too many pictures.....more to come up next
clearskies
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2007
- Messages
- 666
We are still watching the Festival of the Lion King....Fantastic colorful costumes...great singing and music...outstanding stunts...this has it all.
After the show ended an we made our way out we saw Chip and Dale. My daughter loves those squirrels (I know they are chipmunks) so we had no choice but to stop for them even though there was a bit of a line. We had a little extra time anyway since we skipped the Safari.
They had a little fun with my daughter. Dale kept her autograph book and wouldn't give it back for a while.
After a fun greeting it was time to head out of the park. We made our way to the park exit taking a few more pictures along the way....
Yet another example of the great attention to detail that Disney incorporates into their parks. It's just as much about the little touches as the big things. I love that I always see new things when I in the parks. There are so many details if you look around.
Too big a line fo Lilo and Stitch...we'll capture you from a distance.
A few more...
We were leaving the park at about 11AM. Not bad...we rode EE twice and Dinosaur twice...saw the Lion King and had a couple character greetings.
Up next will be EPCOT
Goodbye Animal Kingdom..It is tough to leave you so soon...We'll see you next time.
After the show ended an we made our way out we saw Chip and Dale. My daughter loves those squirrels (I know they are chipmunks) so we had no choice but to stop for them even though there was a bit of a line. We had a little extra time anyway since we skipped the Safari.
They had a little fun with my daughter. Dale kept her autograph book and wouldn't give it back for a while.
After a fun greeting it was time to head out of the park. We made our way to the park exit taking a few more pictures along the way....
Yet another example of the great attention to detail that Disney incorporates into their parks. It's just as much about the little touches as the big things. I love that I always see new things when I in the parks. There are so many details if you look around.
Too big a line fo Lilo and Stitch...we'll capture you from a distance.
A few more...
We were leaving the park at about 11AM. Not bad...we rode EE twice and Dinosaur twice...saw the Lion King and had a couple character greetings.
Up next will be EPCOT
Goodbye Animal Kingdom..It is tough to leave you so soon...We'll see you next time.
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