Close Encounters of the SQUIRREL! Kind. A Farewell to Wishes Solo Trip Mar 2017 - 10/25 New PTR!

[Pluto0809]

Did I Really Do Something That Stupid? Part 1

My alarm went off at 5:30 am on Saturday, March 18th, 2017 but I didn’t jump right out of bed, I hit the snooze at least once. I hadn’t slept too well the night before, I think mainly because I was really worried about Alex. I love all of my dogs of course but Alex is my heart and soul. It’s killing me that he is turning 11 in June.

I wanted to leave the room by 7:15 at the absolute latest because I was heading to AK for 8 am EMH. But with one thing or another, it was closer to 7:30 when I finally made it out the door. I had been running around like crazy getting ready and somehow I left my Magic Band on the table. I realized it just as the door clicked shut and I was locked out! Seriously, did I really do something that stupid? I’m just going to blame it on being tired and worried about Alex.

I made a detour to the Front Desk where a very nice CM just smiled and said it happened all the time. After verifying my ID, she programmed and handed me a grey band to use for the day. I was actually kind of happy as grey was the only color I did not have in the solid Magic Bands.



I headed straight for the buses, walked right on an AK one and still made it to the park in plenty of time. The time stamp on this next picture was 8:01 so not bad at all.



My FPs for the day were for later in the afternoon at MK so my goal for the EMH was to knock out some of the more popular rides before the crowds arrived. With that in mind I hung a right and headed towards Asia and Expedition Everest taking pictures along the way.













Everest was just opening when I got there, I guess it was down for the first 5 – 10 minutes of EMH, but it had just started up so I got in line. After about a 10 minute wait I was on the ride. Unfortunately EE is a one and done for me with my stomach issues. I wish I could ride multiple times but it’s just not possible anymore.

Hmmmm, I don’t seem to have any of my Photopass pictures for this day uploaded to Photobucket. And of course they are on my computer at home. Well, I don’t want to delay this update any longer so I’ll just have to do a PP catch up update later.

After EE, I headed down to Dinoland to catch Dinosaur.







The line was so short that they weren’t even showing the pre-show movie, just ushering everyone straight through that room and down the steps. I guess they figure those of use there for EMHs already knew the story.

Ride photo to come later but here’s some photos I took after the ride.











It was getting towards the end of EMHs now and I really wanted to hit the Safari before the main crowd entered the park. So that was my next destination.









As I entered the line, the CM said “Here they come”. I turned back and sure enough a wave of people was barreling down on the entrance to the ride. Thank goodness I made it there before that mass of people. While I was waiting in the short line, I got a text from Jim letting me know that he had a vet appointment for Alex at 10:40 am. He also let me know that Alex had eaten that morning and seemed a little better and that he (Jim) wasn’t feeling well and had a cold.

This turned out to be one of the best Safaris I have been on at AK. There were so many animals out and the best part was the male lion. Not only was he up and moving about, he roared! That was something I’d always wanted to see during the Safari so I was very happy. But of course I know you guys want me to shut up and show you my pictures so here you go.





















Continued in Next Post

 

[Pluto0809]

Did I Really Do Something That Stupid? Part 2





















The baby elephant was out but unfortunately she was playing hide and seek with us behind that rock and tree.



Double elephant butt!





Our guide made sure to point out the ultra-rare and elusive “Chevy”.





Cheetah photobombed by an Ostrich.





And there he is in all his glory, right before he started to roar for us.







Roar!! Looking back I wish I had managed to record it but I don't think I would have had time to get my phone out or even switch to the recording mode on my camera.







This gal was a little too curious and we had to wait for her to clear the road before we could move on.



This next picture is not zoomed at all.











Up Next: Gorillas and Lions and Dogs Oh My!

 

[warriorping]

Great TR! I really enjoying the pictures of the Flower and Garden festival

 

[rteetz]

I don't have a grey magicband either. I am a sucker for the ones you can buy now. I have 4 of them... not counting the solid color ones I have from trips.

Wow what an active morning on the Savannah! Love all of your photos!

 

[BlvInMagic]

That's great that the front desk was able to help you so swiftly with a Magic Band replacement. I would have figured they would have made you wait for a Security Cast Member to escort you back to your room and unlock it for you. So nice to see that they just streamlined the solution and bonus, you got an extra Magic Band out of it AND made it to AK in time for EMH Very cool! I can't believe you were able to hear the lion roar -- that is so awesome!! Everytime we've done the safari, he's always snoozing -- but then again, we've never done early EMH at AK.... something for my "Must Do" list now! Last Spring we went on the Safari just after a down-pour.... it was still lightly raining during our trek and the animals were super active and out and about. The guide mentioned that the animals enjoy the rain

 

[missjackiemcg]

I am so excited to see you guys in January! I need to send you my preliminary itinerary to see if any of our days over lap.

Me, too!!! I need school to get finished (one more week!!!!!!) so I can start putting our days together

the male lion. Not only was he up and moving about, he roared!

You always have such awesome pictures from the safari, but I have to say these were some of the best!! Especially the lion roaring one--you can almost see steam coming from his mouth! So cool!!

 

[Llobal]

Safaris photos are my absolute favorite. I've had one safari where the lion went on and on making noise and we got to sit and enjoy it for a few moments before we had to move on. It was incredible.

 

[Tracy161]

Being solo made it much easier to find places to stand for fireworks and parades.

Yes! Being solo helps duck and weave in general, too! Which is one reason I just love my solo trips

The Express Bus was wonderful, I know you will love it in August.

Yay!!!

I think mainly because I was really worried about Alex.

The time stamp on this next picture was 8:01 so not bad at all.

Wow! That's great, very impressive given the Magic Band related stop you made!

After EE, I headed down to Dinoland to catch Dinosaur.

Dinosaur = one of my faves!

This turned out to be one of the best Safaris I have been on at AK. There were so many animals out and the best part was the male lion. Not only was he up and moving about, he roared!

WOW!!!!!!! How exciting!!!!!!

But of course I know you guys want me to shut up and show you my pictures so here you go.

Great update! Sounds like you had a great morning start at AK.

 

[missangelalexis]

Stinks that you left your band in the room, but at least it was a quick fix!

Sounds like you used your EMH time wisely! Nice job beating the crowd to the safari. Love all the pics, especially the cheetah photobombed by the ostrich and all the lion ones!

 

[Pluto0809]

Great TR! I really enjoying the pictures of the Flower and Garden festival

Thank you so much! I'm glad you are reading along.

I don't have a grey magicband either. I am a sucker for the ones you can buy now. I have 4 of them... not counting the solid color ones I have from trips.

Wow what an active morning on the Savannah! Love all of your photos!

Right now I just have the Pluto one although there are plenty I want. Jim wants the new Boba Fett one so I'll probably get that one for him for the next trip. I'm hoping they will come out with Pluto in the new style.

It was an amazing Safari, so many animals.

That's great that the front desk was able to help you so swiftly with a Magic Band replacement. I would have figured they would have made you wait for a Security Cast Member to escort you back to your room and unlock it for you. So nice to see that they just streamlined the solution and bonus, you got an extra Magic Band out of it AND made it to AK in time for EMH Very cool! I can't believe you were able to hear the lion roar -- that is so awesome!! Everytime we've done the safari, he's always snoozing -- but then again, we've never done early EMH at AK.... something for my "Must Do" list now! Last Spring we went on the Safari just after a down-pour.... it was still lightly raining during our trek and the animals were super active and out and about. The guide mentioned that the animals enjoy the rain

I thought I would have to go back to my room too so I was really relieved when she just handed me the new band.

I've mostly seen the Lion sleeping too but he's been up once or twice before this trip. Early morning is great but if you are too early, some of the animals may not be out yet.

Me, too!!! I need school to get finished (one more week!!!!!!) so I can start putting our days together

You always have such awesome pictures from the safari, but I have to say these were some of the best!! Especially the lion roaring one--you can almost see steam coming from his mouth! So cool!!

35 days till ADR day for me so I know you are closer!

Thanks! I was extremely happy with my shots that day. I didn't mention it but I had the whole front seat to myself so I was able to slide back and forth to get more pictures. My favorite is actually the second lion one. I just love how regal he looks surveying his domain.

Safaris photos are my absolute favorite. I've had one safari where the lion went on and on making noise and we got to sit and enjoy it for a few moments before we had to move on. It was incredible.

It was over so fast, I wish he had gone on a little longer. It was definitely an awesome experience.

Yes! Being solo helps duck and weave in general, too! Which is one reason I just love my solo trips

Yay!!!





Wow! That's great, very impressive given the Magic Band related stop you made!


Dinosaur = one of my faves!


WOW!!!!!!! How exciting!!!!!!




Great update! Sounds like you had a great morning start at AK.

I love my solo trips but I always feel a little selfish because both Jim and my Mom like to go too.

Yay, another Dinosaur lover!

It was an awesome safari that's for sure.

Stinks that you left your band in the room, but at least it was a quick fix!

Sounds like you used your EMH time wisely! Nice job beating the crowd to the safari. Love all the pics, especially the cheetah photobombed by the ostrich and all the lion ones!

I was so mad at myself for doing that, I'm glad it didn't mess up my morning plans.

Thanks, I was very happy with those pictures.

 

[Pluto0809]

Gorillas and Lions and Dogs Oh My!

First up, here’s the two Photopass pictures missing from the last post. I was apparently in a “fisty” mood since I raised my fists on EE and shook my fist at the Dinosaur. Looks like I was in the very back row on EE.





As I was exiting the Safari, I saw a bunch of people off to one side oohing and aahing over something so I detoured to see what was up. I had no idea you could see some of the gorillas from the exit path. Well at least this guy for sure.





Seeing him made me really want to see the babies so I made a snap decision to walk the Gorilla Trail very quickly. I wanted to make the 10 am Festival of the Lion King show so I didn’t have a whole lot of time.

I skipped over the Colobus Monkeys and the Okapi all together and walked quickly through the bird sanctuary without taking photos. I did pause at the Hippos since I love them and there was one in the water.





He had a passenger on his back. I really tried to get a picture with both him and the bird but I couldn’t get the angle right.



Meerkats are another of my favorite so I stopped for a bit to watch them and the zebras behind them.







I got to the gorilla enclosure and the babies were right up against the glass along with hordes of people watching them. Pictures here are hard due to the reflection and the dirty glass.





Yep horrible pictures, you’ll just have to take my word for it that the babies were there. I really enjoyed seeing how much they had grown since the last time I saw them. Lily was also there and I’ve been watching her for years. I think I first saw her in 2011 when she was a baby. I fast walked the rest of the way through the trail and then headed to FOLK.



I was definitely a bit towards the back of the crowd and ended up near the top of the Elephant section when they let us in.



The theater was packed.





I noticed that the lights looked a bit like hidden Mickeys.



Once again my pictures are pretty bad since I was so far up in the bleachers.













I love that show and if you can’t tell, the Tumble Monkeys!

It was now time for an all-important meet and greet so I booked it across the park and back to Dinoland. I was hoping to make it in line just before they came out but instead it was right after so I had about a 20 minute wait.











As you can see, Pluto was very happy to see me and even gave me some sloppy doggie kisses. Pluto Greet in Park #2 done!

I was running about 15 minutes behind my schedule, I planned on hitting up Flametree as soon as it was open at 11 am but it was closer to 11:15 when I got in line. I ordered my usual ½ chicken meal and planned on using a snack credit for the chocolate mousse. The CM rang me up for the meal credit and then went back in to do the snack credit. He could not get it to work though so he called over a manager who just gave me the dessert for free! Yay, extra snack credit for later.



The seating areas were still fairly empty and I had a whole covered section to myself most of the time I was eating. I did have another animal visitor but he was much politer than the squirrel from the day before. He just wandered around for a few minutes and then left when he realized I wasn’t going to feed him.



I was pretty much done with everything I wanted to do at AK so after lunch I decided to hit up a few stores and then head out. First though I got some Photo Pass pictures in front of the tree.





I ended up debating with myself for a while in the one store over a shirt. It wasn’t Disney but I thought it would be good for work. It was a bit pricey though so I was hesitant. I think I took it off the rack and put it back on about 10 times before I left.

Because I did that, I just missed the 12 pm Express Bus to MK. I signed up for the 12:30 bus and the CM said to be back around 12:20. I forgot to take a picture of the Express Bus location but it’s easy to find. It’s right on the corner next to Tusker House where you turn to go to the FOLK theater.

I used the restroom and walked quickly through the store in Africa. I saw the shirt there again and decided to go ahead and get it but they didn’t have my size. Should have grabbed it before! Then I spotted another PP photographer in an odd spot and stopped for another set of pictures.





I headed back to the Bus area and was soon led out to my private bus to MK. Yep, I was the only one on the bus! I used my time wisely though and hopped on the Shop Disney Parks App and ordered the shirt I saw. So what was this shirt I agonized over for so long?



I ended up absolutely loving this shirt! I’ve worn it several times and have gotten a lot of complements on it. It’s my little piece of Disney without screaming Disney.

I also got a call from Jim somewhere in there after Alex’s appointment. The vet diagnosed him with pancreatitis. It’s a pretty serious chronic disease but it’s manageable with food and monitoring. He ended up staying all that day and also on Sunday for the Vet to give him fluids and meds. When I got home I did a lot of research and found a special food (needed to be low fat but high protein which is hard) that seems to be working. He hasn’t had another attack since the first. But don’t stop worrying, the dog drama isn’t over yet!

Up Next: Surviving a Packed Magic Kingdom

 

[missangelalexis]

Cute pictures from the trail, glad you got to see the baby gorilla!

Great pics with Pluto & Goofy!

I completely know what you mean about spending too much time debating on whether to buy an item or not. Glad you decided to go for it, it's cute!

Aww poor Alex And more dog drama?? Oh no!

 

[Tracy161]

I was apparently in a “fisty” mood

He had a passenger on his back.

How cool!!!!!!!!!!!

Lily was also there and I’ve been watching her for years. I think I first saw her in 2011 when she was a baby.

Awwww, that's awesome!

Once again my pictures are pretty bad since I was so far up in the bleachers.

Hey, bad pictures are far better than no pictures, right?!

Pluto was very happy to see me and even gave me some sloppy doggie kisses.

I ended up absolutely loving this shirt!

The shirt is amazing!!! So pretty!

But don’t stop worrying, the dog drama isn’t over yet!

Aww, poor Alex! Sorry to hear the drama isn't over

Great PP pictures throughout, too!!!

 

[rndmr2]

Love the baby Gorillas!

I love the Lion King show! So much fun! My dad for some reason doesn't care for it so when we went last time, he waited in line with us then when we were shown to our seats he kept going and went to get coffee.

Nice PP pics, that one with the butterfly is cute, is that new? I had never seen that one before.

The top is pretty

 

[rteetz]

Caught up!

Looks like a great day at AK. FOTLK is just the best. I missed it during my trip last week though.

You got some great PP photos!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I had the whole front seat to myself so I was able to slide back and forth to get more pictures.

That is the ultimate!! Rob and I got a row to ourselves, but he just wouldn't scoot out of my way!!

He just wandered around for a few minutes and then left when he realized I wasn’t going to feed him.

At least you didn't have to fling him by his tail!!

It’s my little piece of Disney without screaming Disney.

No hidden mickeys whatsoever!?

 

[Pluto0809]

Cute pictures from the trail, glad you got to see the baby gorilla!

Great pics with Pluto & Goofy!

I completely know what you mean about spending too much time debating on whether to buy an item or not. Glad you decided to go for it, it's cute!

Aww poor Alex And more dog drama?? Oh no!

I was happy to see the two boys. Mom and I missed walking that trail in November.

I do the debate thing all the time with myself! I've done it before too where I didn't get something and then regretted it later. I'm glad Disney added the Shop Parks app so I can go back later if I want too.

Yep, more dog drama but not till the next day.

How cool!!!!!!!!!!!

Awwww, that's awesome!

Hey, bad pictures are far better than no pictures, right?!



The shirt is amazing!!! So pretty!

Aww, poor Alex! Sorry to hear the drama isn't over

Great PP pictures throughout, too!!!

I loved seeing the bird on the hippos back, I wish I could have gotten a picture with both.

I guess bad pictures are better than none but I want all of mine to be perfect. LOL.

I do love my giraffe shirt!

More dog drama to come but not till the next day.

Love the baby Gorillas!

I love the Lion King show! So much fun! My dad for some reason doesn't care for it so when we went last time, he waited in line with us then when we were shown to our seats he kept going and went to get coffee.

Nice PP pics, that one with the butterfly is cute, is that new? I had never seen that one before.

The top is pretty

I do too! They are so fun to watch.

I can't believe your Dad doesn't like FOLK but then again my Mom isn't a huge fan either. Well I think she likes the show, it's the craziness beforehand standing in the hot line and then trying to get seats that she doesn't like.

I think I might have seen the butterfly one once or twice before but I think it's fairly new.

Caught up!

Looks like a great day at AK. FOTLK is just the best. I missed it during my trip last week though.

You got some great PP photos!

FOLK is usually a must do for me so I try to fit it in even on a short trip. I usually skip it with Mom though because waiting in that hot stuffy line is hard for her.

That is the ultimate!! Rob and I got a row to ourselves, but he just wouldn't scoot out of my way!!

At least you didn't have to fling him by his tail!!

No hidden mickeys whatsoever!?

I probably would push Jim out of the way if he wouldn't move.

Nope, no tail flinging with the bird!

No hidden Mickeys. The shirt isn't even made by Disney. But I still say it's Disney since I bought it there.

 

[Pluto0809]

Surviving a Packed Magic Kingdom Part 1

Once again the transition from AK to MK on the Express Bus took right around 20 minutes. This left me with some time to kill before my first FP at 2 pm but that was OK because I had an important task. I headed down Main Street, making a quick stop along the way for some Photo Pass pictures.







I also took a few pictures of the window displays as I walked.









Why does Lumiere look like he is screaming to get out of the window in this next one?



Pluto was due out at 1:10 pm so I got in line about 1:00 with one or two families in front of me. The corner of Main Street was behind scrims.



I hate to say it but this Pluto was a bit of a dud. He didn’t even notice my bag or Pluto shirt. It was really just a quick hug, photo, done. But at least Park #3 for the trip was done!





I headed back up Main Street and took a left into Adventureland. You can kind of get a sense of the crowds by these next few photos.







I still had a bit of time before my 2 pm Pirates FP and the Tiki Room was the best way in that area to fill the time.









Finally it was time for my first FP.





I keep trying for this next artsy photo of the boats through the cannon hole. Didn’t quite get the lighting right this time.



I apparently only took one picture the whole ride. I think I was placed in a row with other people and I didn’t want to block their view.



My next FP was for BTMR at 3 pm but since I used the Pirates one right at the beginning, I had some time to spare. Also, I was hungry again. For some reason I was a bit of a bottomless pit on this day which would come back to haunt me later. At that moment though I was really craving a Mickey Pretzel and I wanted to find a spot for the 3 pm parade. I headed into Frontierland and found a pretzel cart. I ended up buying a bottle of water also because I didn’t feel like fighting the crowds in Peco Bills to get a free glass.

Directly across the way from the pretzel cart, I spotted a pretty decent spot for the parade. It was between a garbage can and a pole and just big enough for my butt.



It was right outside the door of the Frontier Trading Post (pin store).



I planted myself there right around 2:30 and enjoyed my snack.



It was during this time that I realized that the kids I had seen the previous day feeding the squirrel were most likely band kids. Several marching bands passed by before the parade. Being a band geek myself with 8 years of playing trumpet in the marching band, I really enjoyed them.









I apparently didn’t bother standing up for this last band.



And then the grand marshal and family of the day came by. I always take a picture just in case it ever turns out to be someone from the DIS.



Continued in Next Post

 

[Pluto0809]

Surviving a Packed Magic Kingdom Part 2

My view wasn’t perfect since people stood up on the planters to my left. But having seen the parade multiple times already, I was fine where I was.



I ended up getting a lot more zoomed in pictures this time around.























I never did get anything other than the back of Merida’s head.





As you will probably guess by the next series of photos, I’m kind of obsessed with the Maleficent dragon.









On the way to the resort on DME the day before, there was a segment on the TV about the dragon float. They mentioned the spinning wheel in the middle section. I can’t believe I never noticed that detail before!



I did catch her spurting fire but unfortunately it was a little past where I was standing.











Pluto never looked my way.





I ducked into the pin store after the parade was over and looked around until the crowd thinned out a bit. Then I headed over to BTMR to use my 2nd FP.



After my wild ride, I headed back towards Fantasyland but was side tracked by a cart that had no line. I did say I was a bottomless pit, didn’t I? I got my usual Mickey Ice Cream sandwich and noticed that this was the cart that was offering Maple Popcorn.



I’ll eat popcorn if someone puts it in my hand but it’s not my favorite and I don’t go out of my way to get it so I just stuck with ice cream.



The park was an absolute mad house at this point. I decided to head up into FL to see what the wait time was for IASW. I had a 7DMT FP coming up at 4:05 but had about 15 minutes to spare before it started.

I took this next picture as I walked to show just how crowded MK was. The sign is turned a bit sideways but this was where a CM was holding up a sign for the start of the line to Haunted Mansion.



IASW ended up having a wait time of 45 minutes so I just decided to wander in and out of some stores instead of waiting in that line. Soon it was time for 7DMT.



Continued in Next Post

 

[Pluto0809]

Surviving a Packed Magic Kingdom Part 3

The Fast Pass line was even a bit backed up but that gave me some time to get on the MDE app and make a 4th FP for Dumbo. I think my new FP was for around 6 pm.



I keep trying for photos on this ride but they mostly come out like this.



I did manage to get a very blurry picture of the witch this time.



And here’s my ride photos.






I had a lot of time to kill in between my 7DMT ride and the Dumbo FP I had booked so I looked around for something to do. Well, all the wait times were still ridiculous and I had the choice to just find a bench to sit for a while or wait in one of them. I choose to wait in a line and picked IASW that had one of the smaller wait times.



The only thing that sucked was the part of the line that was outside the building.



It was really hot at that point and the first 15 minutes was spent in those outside lines. I was boiling by the time I got under the awning part.

Getting closer.



I timed my wait and it was 36 minutes from getting in line to boarding a boat.









The hippo always deserves more than one photo.









I was happy to see that the screens at the end of the ride were actually working this time. The didn't work for Mom and I in November.



It was around 5:15 when I got off of IASW and I knew I needed to get something small for dinner before doing the 7:45 pm Wishes Dessert Party. My original plan was to try one of the Mac and Cheese bowls at The Friar’s Nook but bottomless pit remember? Instead I headed to Columbia Harbor House. I guess I was really early for dinner as there wasn’t much of a line and I found a whole room for myself upstairs.



I got the fish and chicken meal which I proceed to eat every bite of except for the cole slaw which I don’t like.



I had a nice view out the window as I ate.



It was time for my Dumbo FP when I finished eating so I headed that direction. I saw one of the band groups near Gaston’s Tavern.



I caught a picture of the Mine Train as it zoomed by.



Almost there.



When I made it out to the outdoor portion of the line I was handed a “ticket” for the ride.



I think this was an easy way for the CMs to keep track of the number of people for each ride. When we got on the ride, the CMs came around and collected them.









While in line for Dumbo I made a 5th FP for Buzz Lightyear. It was for 8:20 – 9:20 and I knew it would be cutting it a little close to make it with Wishes being at 9 pm. But I figured being by myself I could do some fancy dipping and dodging and make it on time.

I still had a bit of time before I needed to check in for the dessert party so I took the back path to Tomorrowland and got in line for the People Mover.



I watched a bit of the dance party while I waited.



Relaxin’



It was still pretty early but I headed down to the dessert party entrance area anyways. I stopped for a quick Photo Pass picture along the way.



I found a seat on a planter near the entrance. I called Jim and talked to him a bit. He said Alex was feeling better but the vet wanted him back the next day for observation. He also said he was feeling a little better but was going to call it an early night and get some sleep. At 7:15 pm they started checking people in for the party so I said goodbye and headed in.

Up Next: Wishes Dessert Party and Viewing #2