Dr. Jones and the Spitting Camel - Link to Alaska Cruise TR 9/18

[eandesmom]

Great fun! I love those mornings too! You actually can do a lot! And that is the right attitude about it, a little of this a little of that, no pressure, and just fun! SO good for you! I LOVE the astro-orbiter for the view! But it is rather precarious up there!!! I understand that!!

Precarious is a good word for it! It was a really fun morning. Very laid back and "whatever" (in a good way).

Great to actually sit and eat something at the bakery... I have never been inside! I think b/c if we do breakfast in the MK (which is really all we ever do if we eat at the MK) it is brunch, so I don't want to spoil my appetite!!! BUT they have cinnamon rolls, right? I think I have seen those and they look goooooooooood.

They do! they look HUGE. I've never had one but have heard good htings about them.

Can't wait to see where the rest of the day takes you guys!!!!

Your gang sounds so much like my group did back in 2008. Parents who just refused to show up any time before lunch- only to eat, ride one or two rides, and then say they were tired. Disney makes a killing off folks like this everyday!

But, I, on the other hand, refused to play that game and did like you. Up early-ish, and ready to hit the park with a list of "hey that's sounds fun"s. I"m so glad you got this peaceful, and relaxing time wiht the boys. You really had a nice time doing some things on that list!

well....in all fairness I know that Sandie was just trying to maximize K&T time and if the teens wanted to sleep (and were whining that they'd BTDT to her) then she wanted to be with them. And K DID need to work out. No one ever said they were tired, the only real whiner was Taylor. S&P were just trying to go along with the flow.

I detest that ride as well!! It is truly Frightening! I swear I almost got flung out of my seat when I was in like Jr. High, and I never went on it again. I will not.

I can do ToT, RnRC, whatever, but NOT that one.

Exactly! I think the big fear factor is the lack of feeling secure.

Can I tell you how very much I hate AstroOrbiter!? We rode it once and only once! Back in 05. DH had DS and I had DD. It completely freaked me out and I thought we were going to come flying out of the darn thing!

A recurring theme! The hidden terror of the MK. Who knew? I admit, I feel so much better now that almost everyone agrees with my assessment!

It looks like you had a productive morning!!! What a great way to start the day!

We really did, it was lovely. And even though we'd had a momma and the E's morning at DHS earlier in the trip, this was somehow way more magical. The other was good but felt like we were all missing the rest of our crew and planning around their arrival. This was just pure fun and relaxation.

 

[eandesmom]

why am I so late for this update?????

All I can say is, you certainly made up for your less than stellar safari pictures on this day. You got tons of great shots. Even the astro-oribter. I'm impressed. I think that ride spins way too fast to even see anything and then ....boom.....its over.

You're not late. I seem to have lost a lot of readers, probably due to the fact I'm late posting everywhere myself!

I was happy with the few shots I got from the AO but oh, it could have been way better, bummed me out. The cruise shots were pretty meh...point and shoot and low light = meh. I can't quite bring myself to buy a DSLR yet but will probably get one for Alaska. I don't love the idea of lugging it around on a trip like WDW or Hawaii but it'd be great for that.

Great PP Pics in front of the castle. Thanks for the JC tour. I haven't been on it for awhile myself.

You all look well rested and like you are having a great time!

Thanks! It was a very fun morning.

Awesome update!!! You guys are having so much fun I love doing new things. This year we are going to go to The Hall of Presidents, Liberty Square Riverboat, and Country Bear Jamboree. We are going to take it easy since it will be my daughters first time and she will be two. Im kinda excited about doing Disney Low Key Style. I really like how you are just sitting back and taking it all in, not rushing the kiddoz. Now thats a vacation

I haven't been on the Riverboat in decades. It is always closed when we are there! The E's and I would have gone that day but it wasn't an option. Same thing with the CBJ. Not that it's been closed but just hasn't made it onto the list.

How sad that the others chose not to come along, but it sounds like you and the Es had such a lovely morning at the MK! I think your mindset on how to approach that day was perfect: not try to hit everything, but just taking in some things without worrying about how to get on all the mountains...

Honestly it was fine. The stuff we did, they might not have wanted to. I think it really worked out well for all and it's pretty interesting to see how the mountain aspect ended up working out for some of us that day!

It was a great morning.

What a great morning. We too had breakfast in the MK at the bakery and I agree it was the perfect way to start our day.

It's lovely, isn't it! I loved eating outside. There aren't many tables so we were lucky to get one but I hope to try and do it again. Not sure if it will work out in May, but it could!

 

[tinacaplan]

Just catching back up again... sigh... Your morning at MK does, indeed, sound magical. I love the parks first thing in the morning, I really do. Its one of the great side benefits of travelling with smaller kids who naturally wake up earlier. And you are absolutely right that the parks just feel so different when they're half empty.

I remember thinking the Jungle Cruise was dated way back when... but then I read raves about it and rode it again on this most recent trip. So fun!

 

[that's nice]

All caught up again!

Sorry your dinner at Tusker wasn't the best.. but it wasn't the worst right?

I made sure when I bought my current camera that it took AA batteries. Then if you are ever out and they die, you can just buy some overpriced AA's and stick 'em in there!

Love your morning at MK! Sounds like what we did this past trip.

We went on the Astro Orbiter for the first time in Dec.. man that thing really spins fast! I was a little shocked at how fast it went.

Great updates as always!

 

[eandesmom]

Just catching back up again... sigh... Your morning at MK does, indeed, sound magical. I love the parks first thing in the morning, I really do. Its one of the great side benefits of travelling with smaller kids who naturally wake up earlier. And you are absolutely right that the parks just feel so different when they're half empty.

I remember thinking the Jungle Cruise was dated way back when... but then I read raves about it and rode it again on this most recent trip. So fun!

Yes, I remember getting to the parks far earlier in 2004 even though we were staying offsite, than we managed most of our 09 trip.

It is dated, and wonderfully so!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

The astro-orbiter is something we hardly ever do, either. Just seems like the line is always so long. One time, though, we had a great Astro Orbiter experience. I think this was on our May 2009 trip. It was the end of the evening and we noticed that there was almost no line. I guess everyone was lining up for fireworks. We ended up being the last group let up the elevators and the last spin for the night. Wishes started during our ride - which was amazing enough, but then when we got off, the CM let us stay up at the top of the tower and watch the whole rest of the show. Talk about magical!!

 

[eandesmom]

The astro-orbiter is something we hardly ever do, either. Just seems like the line is always so long. One time, though, we had a great Astro Orbiter experience. I think this was on our May 2009 trip. It was the end of the evening and we noticed that there was almost no line. I guess everyone was lining up for fireworks. We ended up being the last group let up the elevators and the last spin for the night. Wishes started during our ride - which was amazing enough, but then when we got off, the CM let us stay up at the top of the tower and watch the whole rest of the show. Talk about magical!!

WOW! I think the cool factor of that would have made me forget any feelings of instability. I also think it might be a bit less freaky at night. Maybe not but it seems so. The line is always ridiculous.

 

[eandesmom]

All caught up again!

Sorry your dinner at Tusker wasn't the best.. but it wasn't the worst right?

The food was fine, actually pretty good, it was the atmosphere that was lacking for me. Very unrelaxing. Not stressful exactly but not really the respite I'd like at dinner lol. But the food is pretty darn good, espeically for a buffet and my whole gang really liked it. In fact other than my MIL, I'm not sure anyone else had anything but nice things to say about it.

I made sure when I bought my current camera that it took AA batteries. Then if you are ever out and they die, you can just buy some overpriced AA's and stick 'em in there!

Love your morning at MK! Sounds like what we did this past trip.

I'm on the cusp of buying a new camera...which unless I buy a backup battery, won't really solve the issue. LOL.

It was a great morning

We went on the Astro Orbiter for the first time in Dec.. man that thing really spins fast! I was a little shocked at how fast it went.

Great updates as always!

I was surprised as well. Part of the problem really, I think I thought it was far more of a kiddie ride than it really was!

 

[mrsksomeday]

Such a great MK no plan morning, sometimes it is great to just go with the flow. We haven't done the MK Bakery, Bill would love the pastries, we will have to try it. I hope your evening went as planned.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Laid back mornings at the Magic Kingdom are great!

Love your view of Main Street while you enjoyed your breakfast! Sigh! It looks so relaxing!

Okay, you are a braver woman than I am -- Connor and I got to the top of Astro Orbiter, took one look, and left. I am iffy about heights -- that ride is one that I can't stand!

Now the Jungle Cruise, on the other hand, is one of my favorites!!!

 

[eandesmom]

Such a great MK no plan morning, sometimes it is great to just go with the flow. We haven't done the MK Bakery, Bill would love the pastries, we will have to try it. I hope your evening went as planned.

Oh you should definitely try the bakery on your next trip, it's wonderful! It was good to just roll with things, it was absolutely lovely.

Laid back mornings at the Magic Kingdom are great!

Love your view of Main Street while you enjoyed your breakfast! Sigh! It looks so relaxing!

It was the perfect start to the day!

Okay, you are a braver woman than I am -- Connor and I got to the top of Astro Orbiter, took one look, and left. I am iffy about heights -- that ride is one that I can't stand!

Now the Jungle Cruise, on the other hand, is one of my favorites!!!

LOL! I couldn't admit in front of the E's I really didn't want to go on it. Thankfully I was behind them so they had NO idea I wasn't going up and down at the rate they were.

 

[brookelizabeth]

Sounds like it's a perfect start to a great morning at MK!! How funny that the CM on the Jungle Cruise used the Laugh Floor jokes?! I've never heard that before! Our last guide was a bit odd too...maybe they are attempting to change the script? Who knows!

I skipped a lot of the chatter while catching up, but I did see your note about Hawaii! What a wonderful trip that will be! Of course you plan to do a mini-TR here, right????

 

[eandesmom]

Sounds like it's a perfect start to a great morning at MK!! How funny that the CM on the Jungle Cruise used the Laugh Floor jokes?! I've never heard that before! Our last guide was a bit odd too...maybe they are attempting to change the script? Who knows!

It was really odd to say the least. The rest of the boat thought it was really funny though so if you hadn't heard it, it'd probably be good. Who knows!

I skipped a lot of the chatter while catching up, but I did see your note about Hawaii! What a wonderful trip that will be! Of course you plan to do a mini-TR here, right????

I can't wait. I am SO tired of rain and cold. Although the fact that I just returned from a soggy, windy cold soccer game probably has something to do with it.

 

[eandesmom]

It was 10:30 and had been a productive morning so far. The gang was up, Jeff and &K were actually at the gym working out. The rest were doing whatever it was they did.

We had a VERY clear mission on where to go next. A place the E’s assured me they’d never been and were dying to visit. I’m not sure if we did go there in 2004 or not. To me, this is a classic and is a very strong childhood memory of Disneyland with my parents. It has a special place in my heart. Would they think it was cool? While there is a lot to be said for a “whatever” day, there is a lot to be said for proximity. We were very lucky in that both were present in our next never done.

Where could that be?

Nowhere but my favorite treehouse in the world!

Honestly, just looking at it makes me happy. I don’t know why, I mean it’s not an attraction you hear everyone waxing on and on about and yet, for me somehow, it captures it all. I imagine I was grinning like an idiot during the entire time, hoping the E’s would feel the same way.

We had a wonderful engineering conversation about this marvel. Perfect for the boys who want to be an architect and engineer respectively.

Time to head up!

Looking down on now familiar waters

More engineering

A nice view of my nemesis

A lovely lookout

Loving the details, use of the “ship”

We LOVED it! In fact, since returning home, both boys have read the book 
The item next on our list was to go get some Splash FP’s. Our window had opened. Yep, despite being stuck on splash, emergency exit and wanting to shoot the bear and not really laughing at the laughing place, they wanted to go on it.

So we set off. And immediately were distracted by…

Ok. I know a LOT of people complain that the DL version is better and to be honest, I’m not sure I’d ever been to it at all before as it really seemed new to me. The E’s certainly never had. It was cool (we were HOT already though it was only 11 ish) and more importantly, very entertaining to us all. Of course, I have no pictures to show for it. There was literally no wait and we walked right in. Just in case you need a refresher…a song for you. As looking at the Treehouse makes me smile…so does a mental visit to the Tiki room, via this song.

Sufficiently cooled off and entertained, off we went to grab our FP’s for splash. Which we did and then proceeded to our next never done.

The boys had been wanting to do this for a LONG time. I am almost positive we did it in 2004 but they say no. I know we did in 2001 in DL, but of course they don’t remember that. One of my very favorite DL memories is from here, from a CS location that doesn’t exist in the FL version. I was nervous about this one. The reason I know we did it in 2001 in CA is that it was miserably hot during the visit to the attraction. As Animal Kingdom seems to run warmer than all the other parks, this one to me (at least in my mind) ran warmer than any other MK attraction. We weren’t hurting for heat on this day already but…I confess, I wanted to go too!

Continued in next post

 

[eandesmom]

Where?

Why to try and find Injun Joe!

Let me tell you. It’s a short ride but on that exposed heat absorbing raft…a hot one! You can definitely see the haze in my pictures.

Eric didn’t seem to mind a bit

Evan, on the other hand was less thrilled about my picture taking

Upon arrival, we set off to explore!

We checked out the Liberty Belle from afar. Sadly, she wasn’t open. She wasn’t open in 2009 either but someday I’ll ride her again!

It was time for some caves and mystery mines. Tip. If you are overheated on TSI, head to the mines! Yeah, it’s dark and tiny and people may run you over but it’s cool, AND cool.

We didn’t run into Injun Joe. Guess that’s a good thing.

Gotta love a good rope bridge!

And the view

We hoped we’d be visiting that mountain later!

Next up, the Fort!

Aka…little boy paradise

Why?

I think the pictures speak for themselves

I have to tell you, poor Eric really needs some upper body strength, he could barely lift that gun!

What’s a boy to do after some good gunfighting?

Play checkers of course!

What’s a mom to do while boys play checkers?

Check out the BEST women’s bathroom in the MK. There is a small one tucked inside the fort. Pristine and so very very cool (A/C cool that is) it was like an oasis to me.

It was about noon. Miracles of all miracles (no, not really) Jeff had herded the cats and they were actually on their way to the park, relatively on time for lunch. We headed down into the underground caves again for a little bit, chasing each other in the dark and then caught a raft back.

It was a GREAT morning. To this day TSI ranks as one of Eric’s all time favorite places and the Treehouse, one of Evan’s. Both boys were inspired to read some classics I’d been nagging them to do, Evan in particular latching onto them. To be honest, this spur on the classics has led both, but especially Evan, to be more open to trying some of the great “boy” classics that he might not have otherwise considered as they don’t have the “newberry award” sticker or the buzz from his friends. I can’t tell you how rewarding it was, about a month ago, when he was home sick. I was able to download a bunch of things for free to the Kindle and he tucked into Treasure Island and Gullivers Travels.

All that said, we’d been going pretty hard since 7:30 am and were ready for a break and I, in particular, was VERY excited about our lunch plans.

Anchors Away! Aweigh

 

[Mndisneygirl]

What a fun morning! Now I'm really curious where you're going to lunch?

 

[DisMomAmy]

We haven't been up the tree house in years! The boys have never been up there - I think the last time I visited was in 1997 when DH & I went to WDW - after we got married, before kids. Back in the day when we just headed left at the top of Main Street & made our way around the park clockwise! We'll definitely have to check that out soon!

Thanks for the Tiki Room link - I'll have that song in my head for the rest of the day! I think Zach would really get a kick out of that show - it was closed when we were there in March from the fire. It's been MANY years since I've been in there!

By the way - a couple of your photo links don't work...

 

[Flossbolna]

I really need to go to Tom Sawyer's Island on my next trip!!! I have been meaning to do that island for so long now! I am just always deterred by the raft trip... Seems so much waiting involved.

 

[em36]

I know that lots of people find TSI boring, but my family loves it. After standing in lines and being surrounded by people all day, it is nice to take the raft over to the island and have some room to explore. My dd's get to run around and burn off some energy. They love the rope bridge and the escape tunnel. I am enjoying your trip report and looking forward to your next update.

 

[KatMark]

Great updates, Cynthia. We've not done Swiss Family since our boys were both with us last (back in 2000 ). I may attempt it myself this trip (Mark can't handle all of those stairs). Although we prefer the OLD Enchanted Tiki House, we enjoy the cool air in the new one and it kind of grows on you after awhile (the song sticks in your head all day like It's A Small World). Believe it or not, we have NEVER done Tom Sawyer's Island. Thanks for the pictures...I'm not even sure I've seen many pictures.

You and the E's had a great and productive morning.