Flowers, Segways & DIS Meets, Oh My! - Updated 10/26, Final Thoughts-FINALLY!

[RachelNinja]

Awww, how disappointing it was to see anything but a level 4 crowd! I wish that one day, DISers could rent out the entire park and just enjoy it together! We wouldn't have to deal with rudeness, and if it's really crowded, it's all people we love anyway!

Yours is the second TR this morning that I saw pictures of the gorillas! I never appreciated them before or cared much about them, but I think i'd love to see their expressive eyes, as you said. That's actually a lot more interesting than seeing the smaller animals. What beautiful creatures!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Awesome update! I love the Animal Kingdom. That is crazy about the crowds though.

It's funny how you were searching for the baby gorilla...I've read so many TRs where people wanted to see it but didn't. When we were there we saw the baby and honestly I had no clue there even was a new gorilla! Maybe that is part of the secret to seeing it- go in clueless.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Congrats to Jared! He did so well this year!

Great shots of the meerkats and the gorillas. I just love how that baby gorilla hangs on underneath its momma!

I always love the Africa section of Animal Kingdom -- such great theming!

 

[BippityBoo]

UGH! Stinky crowds, but great pics!! The mama and her baby are sooo cute!! How great you go to meet your DIS friend! I have yet to do that. I am looking forward to reading more!!!

 

[KatMark]

Great update. I love the AK and would rather go there than the Studios. But for this trip I think we will miss it because there isn't much Mark will be able to do at the AK after his surgery as far as rides go.

Your pictures are great...especially of the giraffes (my favorite) and the elephants (Mark's favorite).

 

[disneydusted]

Congratulations to Jared!! Good job on all of his awards!
Your safari was great! You saw so many animals... the giraffe's came right up to our vehicle too... so close that I thought it might stick its head in the truck! The gorillas are so interesting, and you saw the sweet baby! What a sweet little one hanging on to his mom!
Very fun that you saw a fellow disser! I just went to Home Depot to get LGMH's to hang on my bag while we are there in August. Did you do that? Did you see any others with them?

 

[manntra]

Great job Jared!!!
It sure was HOT that day...and the day after that, and the day after that, you get the idea
I think I got there around 10 or so....I can't remember if we rode EE first or not...I probably made sure we did ...then I know we did the safari and the giraffes at that time were still hanging around by the road
Love your pictures of the safari...the cheetah and the lions!! Great timing!!

Tracy

 

[cdotla]

Michelle!!! Are you kidding me???!!!!!

Over 11 pages all ready??!!! You are putting all of us early May trippers to shame...I haven't even started yet!

I thought I could get caught up easily enough, but I am going to have to come back tonite when I have more time. Looking forward to it!!!

 

[Spartangirl]

Congrats to Justin and Jared!!! You have got to be so proud of both boys right now!!!

YIKES! Those don't look like level 4 crowds......ugh! Hope you still enjoyed yourselves though...

LOVE your animals pics...especially the gorillas! Like you, I could stand and watch them for a long period of time. That's very cool that you got to see the mama and her baby! I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of them this summer when I visit!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

It sounds like you have really great boys Michelle. You should be super proud. It just shows what a great mom you are!

I'm sorry AK was so crowded. That park always feels at least 10 degrees hotter than it really is so what a pain having all of those people around as well. You got great safari pictures!

 

[kcandbella]

Yay Jared!!!

Ugh it sure was hot that day. It looks like you had a great start at AK anyway. And the crowds at MK were not any better.

That baby gorilla is so cute! We didn't make it to any of the trails, and now I am wishing we would have!!!

 

[praisehisname]

Congratulations to both of your boys! You have every right to be a proud Momma!!!

That baby gorilla is so adorable! And you got a great picture of the lion; that is pretty hard to do!

 

[floridascgirl]

Michele, are you feeling at all homesick for your boys yet? I'm taking a short trip with my mom this summer and I'm worried that it won't be as magical with my DS & DH not being there. We're actually skipping the MK because I don't think that I can walk down Main St. without them. Just curious how you are feeling about it.

 

[SoonerGirl]

Holy cow!! YIKES on the crowds!! You got some amazing pics of the animals!! Love the Mommy gorilla carrying her baby! Too cute!!

Weren't the crowds crazy? Now you see why I was so taken aback at first!

I wish we could have seen the baby up close, but I was glad to at least get a glimpse

We had gone to AK on that Saturday and I think it was just as crowded and hot! We got to see the baby gorilla hanging of the mama gorilla too!

Looks like you had a fantastic safari trip! You saw quite a few animals in you two weeks!

AK always feels so hot! It's got so much shade too, you'd think it would be cooler

Are you doing a TR? I'll have to check your siggy for a link.....

OK, went back and looked, I opened your link and will head over there as soon as I'm done with my replies!

I am SO stealing some of your pictures from this morning! Yours turned out much better than mine...in fact maybe I will reference this post in lieu of my own when I get to this point in my TR

It was so great meeting you and your sweet Mom and getting to hang out with you for a bit!

No, you need to write your own post - gotta see the morning from your point of view too! Feel free to steal as many pictures as you like - you probably have some that I'm going to want as well!

Awww, how disappointing it was to see anything but a level 4 crowd! I wish that one day, DISers could rent out the entire park and just enjoy it together! We wouldn't have to deal with rudeness, and if it's really crowded, it's all people we love anyway!

Yours is the second TR this morning that I saw pictures of the gorillas! I never appreciated them before or cared much about them, but I think i'd love to see their expressive eyes, as you said. That's actually a lot more interesting than seeing the smaller animals. What beautiful creatures!

I think a DISers only weekend sounds like perfect idea! Who do you think we need to contact about that????

Oh, I love to go watch the gorillas. I hang out watching them at our local zoo too - awesome creatures!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Awesome update! I love the Animal Kingdom. That is crazy about the crowds though.

It's funny how you were searching for the baby gorilla...I've read so many TRs where people wanted to see it but didn't. When we were there we saw the baby and honestly I had no clue there even was a new gorilla! Maybe that is part of the secret to seeing it- go in clueless.

I love AK too, it is just so well themed!

Glad you got to see the baby - even if it was by accident

Congrats to Jared! He did so well this year!

Great shots of the meerkats and the gorillas. I just love how that baby gorilla hangs on underneath its momma!

I always love the Africa section of Animal Kingdom -- such great theming!

Thanks Jackie!

I was pretty happy with most of my pics from the trail and the safari.

I completely agree with the theming in Africa. I think Disney's attention to detail was one thing that really struck Mom, she commented on it a few times!

UGH! Stinky crowds, but great pics!! The mama and her baby are sooo cute!! How great you go to meet your DIS friend! I have yet to do that. I am looking forward to reading more!!!

I was pretty irritated about the crowds, but what can you do? I wasn't going to let it ruin my trip, so we just made the best of it!

I've had a few DIS meets now, and they are honestly some of the nicest people I've ever met

Great update. I love the AK and would rather go there than the Studios. But for this trip I think we will miss it because there isn't much Mark will be able to do at the AK after his surgery as far as rides go.

Your pictures are great...especially of the giraffes (my favorite) and the elephants (Mark's favorite).

He's having back surgery right? Yep, not many rides he could enjoy at AK after a surgery like that. But you could walk the trails and see the shows

 

[SoonerGirl]

Congratulations to Jared!! Good job on all of his awards!
Your safari was great! You saw so many animals... the giraffe's came right up to our vehicle too... so close that I thought it might stick its head in the truck! The gorillas are so interesting, and you saw the sweet baby! What a sweet little one hanging on to his mom!
Very fun that you saw a fellow disser! I just went to Home Depot to get LGMH's to hang on my bag while we are there in August. Did you do that? Did you see any others with them?

Thanks for the congrats to Jared, he's pretty proud of himself, as are his parents!

Those giraffes aren't bashful are they?! I love them though, they are such interesting animals!

I did go to Home Depot and got a couple of LGMHs and I made myself I very cute little tag to go on my bag. I lost it however, on like our 2nd park day

Great job Jared!!!
It sure was HOT that day...and the day after that, and the day after that, you get the idea
I think I got there around 10 or so....I can't remember if we rode EE first or not...I probably made sure we did ...then I know we did the safari and the giraffes at that time were still hanging around by the road
Love your pictures of the safari...the cheetah and the lions!! Great timing!!

Tracy

I remember Katie telling me that you were coming to AK that afternoon! Too bad we didn't plan to meet in advance - we could've gotten 'Lost on Safari' together!

Michelle!!! Are you kidding me???!!!!!

Over 11 pages all ready??!!! You are putting all of us early May trippers to shame...I haven't even started yet!

I thought I could get caught up easily enough, but I am going to have to come back tonite when I have more time. Looking forward to it!!!

Hey Trish! It won't take you all that long to get caught up, I really haven't gotten very far yet. There are links in the first post to make it faster - you can skip all the chatter

Congrats to Justin and Jared!!! You have got to be so proud of both boys right now!!!

YIKES! Those don't look like level 4 crowds......ugh! Hope you still enjoyed yourselves though...

LOVE your animals pics...especially the gorillas! Like you, I could stand and watch them for a long period of time. That's very cool that you got to see the mama and her baby! I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of them this summer when I visit!

I am proud of my kids, but right now I'm about ready to strangle my oldest! He's got finals Monday & Tuesday, has a double header in baseball on Monday night, so he really needs to be fully prepared for all of his finals by the end of the weekend. He's already in summer mode though and I'm having a hard time getting him to focus!

They certainly aren't what I perceived a level 4 crowd to look like! We just rolled with it though, no sense in letting it ruin our trip!

Aren't the gorillas just too cool?! They are so much fun to watch.

 

[SoonerGirl]

It sounds like you have really great boys Michelle. You should be super proud. It just shows what a great mom you are!

I'm sorry AK was so crowded. That park always feels at least 10 degrees hotter than it really is so what a pain having all of those people around as well. You got great safari pictures!

Thanks Kelli! That's sweet of you to say

AK is so hot! Wonder why that is?

Yay Jared!!!

Ugh it sure was hot that day. It looks like you had a great start at AK anyway. And the crowds at MK were not any better.

That baby gorilla is so cute! We didn't make it to any of the trails, and now I am wishing we would have!!!

The trails are a must do for me everytime, so much to look at! You'll just have to put them on your list for next time - there's always an excuse to go back!

Congratulations to both of your boys! You have every right to be a proud Momma!!!

That baby gorilla is so adorable! And you got a great picture of the lion; that is pretty hard to do!

Thanks Denise!

I was really happy to get a photo of the lion, I looked back through my past pictures and I think this is the first one that I've ever gotten!

Michele, are you feeling at all homesick for your boys yet? I'm taking a short trip with my mom this summer and I'm worried that it won't be as magical with my DS & DH not being there. We're actually skipping the MK because I don't think that I can walk down Main St. without them. Just curious how you are feeling about it.

I can't say that I was ever homesick. There were times that I thought about my kids, like when riding their favorite rides or eating at their favorite places, but really it was just nice to enjoy WDW from a different angle. Don't get me wrong, I missed my family, but not so much that it effected my ability to enjoy my trip in any way.

 

[photographymom517]

Hi Michelle! I read your entire TR so far! I saw the link in your siggie & said to myself "I'll read it tomorrow" and I guess that was over a week or so ago! It was nice to be able to sit on a Sunday afternoon & relax with a cup of coffee & read your entire report so far!

I loved the photos of CSR. I have a good friend who used to work there & I think the resort is beautiful, although I have never actually been there myself! I was impressed with the room you had. It looked alot nicer than most of the Moderate resort rooms. I also thought it was very nice how there were doors to the bathroom instead of just a curtain. The colors of the room were pretty! Very nice! And of course...love the hidden Mickeys!!!

The pics of you & your mom together were so nice! I am jealous, I wish I could take a trip alone with my mom...we would have so much fun shopping & eating!!! But its just too hard with all the kids in the family. We couldn't leave them with the guys.

I loved all the pics you posted so far, especially those of AK on the trail & safari! We somehow managed to miss BOTH last trip but its ok because I am looking forward to both this trip!!! What setting did you use on your camera? Your pics on the safari were great! Loved the close-ups and the pic of the baby gorilla with its mama!

Also glad you decided to take pics of the food! Would you believe that we stayed at AKL last year & I forgot to get zebra domes every single time I was at Mara (which was about 5-7 times!) We were usually there for breakfast so I wasn't thinking of dessert foods at the time! lol I have heard they are yummy! Hope we both get to try them at some point! That steak & mac n cheese looked absolutely delicious!

Naked man?!? LOL I actually had a similar experience last year. Although, I was sitting on our balcony at AKL after dark. I looked across to take some pics of the resort at night...and there was a curtain completely open, with the lights in the room ON, and the guy was naked...and it was not a pleasant site. We'll leave it at that since this is a family-oriented site!

I think there was more I wanted to write, but I can't remember it all now. I will have to go back & re-read some!

Can't wait to read more of your report!!!

 

[cdotla]

Phew...finally caught up!

First off, funny you should have trouble finding chairs at the pool. We did too! The entire time we were at the Beach Club (8 days) I don't think we could get enough chairs, even just the adults, without doing a herculean hunt.

Funny thing, 85% of the chairs didn't have anything on them but towels. At least once a nice woman offered to give up her 10 yr olds chair, saying he would be in the pool the whole time anyway. And we of course returned the favour by only taking 2 chairs for our family of 4 since the kids would not be laying out anyway. But I don't think everyone operates on this basis.

How very smart of you to have saved your bottled waters from your CS meal for later, using your mugs instead since you were right by the food court! I will have to keep that in mind. Although it sounds great in theory having access to the fountains for refilling mugs, invariably I always wanted a drink after the marketplace closed.

Although I can only see the top of it, I love the pattern of your swimsuit!

And great idea with the mirror shot! I typically have so few pics of me since I am the only one who takes photos...I will have to keep this in mind. Better a mirror shot than nothing!

You and your mom looked gorgeous for your meal at Jiko! That must have been such a special time for the two of you!

I also neglected to purchase some of those infamous zebra domes at Mara when we were dining at Jiko! Darn!

Can't believe that naked man you spied!!! I guess it takes all kinds! I would not have been pleased if my 7 yr old daughter had witnessed that!

Beautiful night photos of CSR!

And congrats to both Justin and Jared!

 

[jenjolt]

Love your pictures of AK!! You aren't kidding you had some crowds! I'm starting to think there is no down time in Disney anymore! I remember going when I was 10 in the middle of October and I think my dad and I were the only people in EPCOT that day LOL!!!!

Glad you had such a great DIS meet with Katie!!!!