Hijinks & Shenanigans but not much Mayhem@The Dark Side+Disney:Link to DL/Hawaii TR

[ProudMommyof2]

Go Ben! I bet he gets it done!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Finally getting all caught up again
OT-My wee sheep was baa-rilliant and even though he didn't have any solo lines all the sheep sang "baa baa Bethlehem" on stage and rocked Lots of mums got the same costume after I, ahem ,guided them to the right store so the kids really looked like a proper wee flock

Back to you I love EE though I can never manage to take photos while actually on the ride That view from the top is the best

Glad to hear Ben is planning his future exploits and love that he wrote you a note checking how you'd feel about it-what a thoughtful, kind-hearted kid
Gotta go post the the overseas Christmas cards but hopefully keep up to date with you from here all being well

 

[teekathepony]

Great story about Ben, I am so impressed with the extra effort of the power point too!
I love EE especially in the back. It's a better ride experience for sure! Great on ride pics.
Hmm sorry you had to skip Kali again.

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[KatMark]

Great photos of EE; I wish I could still do it. Maybe next time, I'll walk with Mark through the line and then just use the chicken exit.

I love Ben's note to you...great kid.

 

[dtr_angel]

That fruit and cheese plate looks like a great snack! Where did you get it from? I am SO looking forward to future trips with no dining plan.

I love the summer 2013 border with the mickey bar!

all the photopass pictures are great!

What incredible kids you have, that's so great.

Awesome EE pictures - I don't think I've ever noticed the view, that's so cool!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Love EE!!!
How cool that Ben made a powerpoint and presented it!!! that is awesome.
i'm sure that scored high points w his teacher.
i don't blame mark for wanting to skip Kali. i skipped it this year too. a few years ago i got so soaked i wanted to leave.

have a merry christmas!!!

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[natebenma]

Oh Everest how I love thee.

Haha, that's seriously a cute story with Ben.

And what wonderful photos Dee. Makes me feel like I was just there. Oh wait... I was!! But they do make me wish I was there NOW!!

I think I love EE more and more every time I ride.

When Ben gets interested in something, he goes ALL IN!

Thanks for the kind comments about the photos. Makes me wish I was there, now, too.

I have to admit. I love looking at the ride from the back of the train. Definitely a new perspective. Very cool!

I understand Ben's fascination with the real Everest. I think it is remarkable that people can ascend to the top of Everest, especially those that can ascend without oxygen. It's remarkable. I would implode.

On one of our ski trips to Colorado we spent our last day in Denver. We went to a museum that had an IMAX and watched the most absolutely fascinating movie on Everest. It included footage from the Australian climber who died on the mountain but was able to get patched through to call his pregnant wife at home. It was so moving and so sad. I think it was a freak storm that came on during the descent. Such a fascinating topic - getting acclimatized, the different zones, getting up and down in the allotted time. Crazy stuff.

It was fun out in the back. I think we actually asked, and it is one of the few coaster pictures I have without the boys, because they are behind us.

I was at the school working at the book fair the day Ben gave the presentation, so I got to go in an watch. He talked about the geology of Everest, first attempts to climb Everest, the May 1996 disaster, demographics of climbers- oldest, youngest, first woman, record holders for speed and number of times and he even discussed the economic vs. environmental impact the climbers have on the mountain.

It was some great work.

Go Ben! I bet he gets it done!

I am very proud of Ben, but a little skeptical of whether he will ever climb Everest. I can't get him to take a hike in the woods!

Finally getting all caught up again
OT-My wee sheep was baa-rilliant and even though he didn't have any solo lines all the sheep sang "baa baa Bethlehem" on stage and rocked Lots of mums got the same costume after I, ahem ,guided them to the right store so the kids really looked like a proper wee flock

Back to you I love EE though I can never manage to take photos while actually on the ride That view from the top is the best

Glad to hear Ben is planning his future exploits and love that he wrote you a note checking how you'd feel about it-what a thoughtful, kind-hearted kid
Gotta go post the the overseas Christmas cards but hopefully keep up to date with you from here all being well

I see a great future in the theatre for your young son. Just think of all of the animal roles out there! Thanks for sharing his tale.

That's one of the things I love about my little point and shoot camera. It is easy to hold so I can take pictures on coasters like this or Big Thunder Mountain without too much awkward juggling.

The note from Ben cracked me up!

Great story about Ben, I am so impressed with the extra effort of the power point too!
I love EE especially in the back. It's a better ride experience for sure! Great on ride pics.
Hmm sorry you had to skip Kali again.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Ben and his Powerpoints. He prepared one a couple of years back titled "Top 10 Reasons We Should Go to Disney THIS SUMMER!"

Thanks for the your comments about the pictures. I love taking ride photos, even when I am getting dirty looks from my right.

It was slightly disappointing to miss Kali, but we had done Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges earlier in the week at Islands of Adventure, and frankly, that is a much superior water ride. Although I do like the views and theming on Kali better.

Great photos of EE; I wish I could still do it. Maybe next time, I'll walk with Mark through the line and then just use the chicken exit.

I love Ben's note to you...great kid.

That is disappointing that you can't ride EE.

Good idea to walk with Mark through the line since the theming in the queue is so great. We usually use FP, so there have been very few times when we have gone through the actual queue to take in all of the fantastic details.

I'm very proud of Ben. He is a very sensitive, thoughtful, hard-working young man.

That fruit and cheese plate looks like a great snack! Where did you get it from? I am SO looking forward to future trips with no dining plan.

I love the summer 2013 border with the mickey bar!

all the photopass pictures are great!

What incredible kids you have, that's so great.

Awesome EE pictures - I don't think I've ever noticed the view, that's so cool!

The fruit plate came from the Harambe Fruit Market which I think was just outside of the exit of the Safari/Trail. It was a nice change from the pastry-type snacks.

I love that Mickey bar border too! Very cute.

Thanks for the comments about the photopass pictures. Mark supported me on this trip about the pictures and the kids went along too without (too much) complaining.

They are good kids. Most of the time!

Love EE!!!
How cool that Ben made a powerpoint and presented it!!! that is awesome.
i'm sure that scored high points w his teacher.
i don't blame mark for wanting to skip Kali. i skipped it this year too. a few years ago i got so soaked i wanted to leave.

have a merry christmas!!!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

When Ben finds an interest, he gets a little obsessive. Don't know where he gets that at all!!!

Ben is having a great year, which is really impressive for 7th grade. That was a very tough year for Nate and whenever I meet a teacher, particularly 7th grade teachers, I tell them "Bless you for what you do!" His Social Studies teacher is fantastic and very supportive.

I don't mind being wet after Kali, but it really bothers Mark, so I was okay skipping it.

Merry Christmas to you and your family as well, if we don't have a chance to chat again!

 

[jenseib]

That is so cute that Ben put all the work into a power point.l I hope he got some extra credit for that one!!!
And I think it's wonderful he wants to work there, but I would worry as a mom too.

 

[KatMark]

Just wanted to pop in and wish you and yours a very

 

[natebenma]

That is so cute that Ben put all the work into a power point.l I hope he got some extra credit for that one!!!
And I think it's wonderful he wants to work there, but I would worry as a mom too.

Thanks!

The good news is the boy doesn't need extra credit. He is an excellent student. Now, if he could transfer any extra credit to his brother...

Just wanted to pop in and wish you and yours a very

The very same to you and your family!

What a great picture!!!



.

 

[natebenma]

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MY FRIENDS AND YOUR FAMILIES!!!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Happy Christmas Dee

 

[natebenma]

Happy Christmas Dee

The same to you and your family! Christmas is not a holiday to be "trifled" with. Or maybe it is!

 

[natebenma]

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!








After leaving Expedition Everest, everyone agreed that we would visit the Maharajah Jungle Trek.


I like this trail a lot more than the one in Africa. Except for the awesome gorillas in Africa, I find the ones here- the Komodo Dragon, the fruit bats and of course the tigers, to be much cooler. Part of the reason we have done this trail lately is that we missed it on our first couple of visits in Animal Kingdom.

In 2004, we never even stepped foot in Africa!

On our visit in 2008, I dont think we knew the trail was there until after we were back home.

But now it is a must-do for me.

As with everything in Disney, there is a backstory to the trail and this morning I decided to read about it. From the ever-reliable Wikipedia:

The trail is themed as if it had once been the hunting grounds for a wealthy maharajah who enclosed the forest to allow for easier hunting and then some time later died in a hunting accident. The themed storyline continues with subsequent maharajahs (including the original maharajah's bachelor brother) transforming the area into a nature preserve where the villagers live in harmony with the animals therein. These maharajahs are memorialized on the walls of the tiger enclosure. The forest was, at one point, also run by imperial British visitors, as evidenced in the Western spelling on the sign at the entrance to the Jungle Trek, which reads "Royal Anandapoor Forest". When their occupation of southern Asia ended, the British turned the forest over to the villagers of Anandapur, whom you encounter as you walk through the jungle. The trail's storyline also includes an homage to the founder of the Kingdom of Anandapur, Anantah, in the form of a tomb and sarcophagus situated at the entrance to the Jungle Trek's aviary.

So there you go!


I love seeing the Komodo Dragon. Lizards are supremely cool, and the bigger, the better:







And of course, whenever I see Komodo Dragons, I think of the Matthew Broderick-Marlon Brando movie The Freshman which is a funny take on mafia movies.


Then, the bats!

Theres not much middle ground when it comes to these flying rodents. Either you think they are cool or you are repulsed by them. I love bats- they are so important to our ecosystem and they are one of the best insect extermination devices ever created. We put up bat houses in our yard. We have been in caves with bats overhead and that doesnt bother us. The only place where bats dont belong is IN our house.

Once, when Mark was removing an airconditioner from our window, a bat which had nested within fell onto our bedroom floor. Fortunately, it was stunned, Mark threw a towel over it and tossed the whole thing out the window. After screaming like a girl!

Thankfully, it was just a little bat and not one of these big-boys!










And then, we come to my favorite part of the Maharajah trail- The tigers! To me, the tiger is the most beautiful, majestic animal on this planet. What can I say? Im a cat person!















The rest of the trail, especially the aviary with the gorgeous colorful birds is enjoyable too.



















Next Up: Let's Give it Another Whirl

 

[ProudMommyof2]

Ha Bats! We actually did have one in the house. We all had to get rabies shots, and in fact, they initially told us we would need to get the last one while at Disney in 2011. Fortunately, they let us delay it until we returned home but bats are a touchy subject here!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I love this trail too Dee. Sadly it seems more and more people are finding out about it's existence as they are becoming more crowded than they used to be I think.

I really enjoy watching the bats. They're just... fascinating.

WOW, the tiger came right over to you. Pretty cool.

 

[natebenma]

Ha Bats! We actually did have one in the house. We all had to get rabies shots, and in fact, they initially told us we would need to get the last one while at Disney in 2011. Fortunately, they let us delay it until we returned home but bats are a touchy subject here!

YIKES!!!

I will totally give you a pass about not loving bats. I am so sorry your family had to go through that.

 

[KatMark]

What a great update. I am with you...love the lizards.

I skipped right through your bat pictures (NOT A FAN AT ALL!).

What terrific tiger pictures you got. We have yet to see them up and walking.

 

[JanetMom]

Your tiger pictures are amazing! I can give lizards a miss, but I think bats are fun to watch. They have cute faces too!

We've not spent much time at AK on our last couple of trips, but your pictures are reminding me that we need to spend a day there (or a morning with a water park afternoon) on our next trip.

 

[MEK]

The M-trek is my favorite too (except for the gorillas). I totally agree. I think they are are SOOOOO COOOOOOL! You got some great shots of the tigers. I'm a cat person too! There is a big cat rescue in Tampa which I would love to see but you can only get in there once a day (3pm during the weekdays) so I'm not sure if its going to happen.

Belated Merry Christmas!