"How Can The Second Trip Be As Good as the First??" (We're baaaack-- 9/1!)

[cdotla]

Hey Kylie! Joining in!

Sounds like great plans so far. Really looking forward to your review of Artist Point, as I really haven't seen any in depth reviews of the place.

Love your recent purchases/gifts for the trip, especially those gold flip-flops (where are they from?) and the Coach bag.

Already looking forward to seeing your photos of POR.

 

[DrMomof3]

Love your gifts!!! I think I'm more of a Griffyndor or Ravenclaw girl over Slytherin. Just sayin'.
I have to strongly disagree with you about JFK. Yuck! I try to fly out of HPN whenever possible but for long flights I prefer Newark to JFK.

Amanda

 

[klacey1]

I don't mind other non-Disney theme park. Busch Gardens (both of them) are beautiful and locally I love Hershey Park and even Dorney Park. There's just something about Six Flags I do not like!

I've never been to Dorney Park! Hershey was okay-- I'd definitely go back. Six Flags was fine (low crowds, thankfully!), but once every two years is more than enough for me!

Zach did a great job in the present department Love your Coach! I need to buy a summer Coach purse...I have a black one that I love, but I've seen some pretty nice summery ones...and every girl needs a purse for every season right

I am mildly obsessed with Coach. Last year, Zach got me a gorgeous lavender Coach bag for my birthday, so that's my current spring/summer purse. I definitely have a purse for every season...and occasion...and some spares, maybe, too

Happy belated birthday!

I love your Coach bag!

Thanks!

Hey Kylie! Joining in!

Sounds like great plans so far. Really looking forward to your review of Artist Point, as I really haven't seen any in depth reviews of the place.

Love your recent purchases/gifts for the trip, especially those gold flip-flops (where are they from?) and the Coach bag.

Already looking forward to seeing your photos of POR.

I do feel AP doesn't get a lot of coverage, which is probably why it was never on our radar until we combed the menu. I'm really excited! The gold flip-flops are Havainas, a Brazilian company. I've worn them a couple of times already and they'll DEFINITELY by great for Disney. They look like the cheap Old Navy pairs, but have much better support. I love them!

Love your gifts!!! I think I'm more of a Griffyndor or Ravenclaw girl over Slytherin. Just sayin'.
I have to strongly disagree with you about JFK. Yuck! I try to fly out of HPN whenever possible but for long flights I prefer Newark to JFK.

Amanda

Haha, I just love me some Alan Rickman, so I have to be a Slytherin girl! Tom Felton (the guy who plays Draco Malfoy) isn't bad either! I was also touched at the end of the seventh book-- it just seemed the Malfoys realized they were in over their heads and really just cared about their family and nothing more. That's my unpopular opinion, haha.
I'm definitely one of the few I know who loves JFK! I've actually never flown out of Newark, though! When I was young, we were constantly going to Ireland to see my dad's family. We always flew from JFK, so I think I just associate it with love and family and international flavor.

 

[klacey1]

So I think I promised a mini-Six Flags TR replete with pictures, but I ended up leaving my bag in the car so we wouldn't have to pay $1 per ride to put my stuff in a locker So this will be a picture-less TR!
We left three hours before the park opened, which proved wise. It's only about two hours away, but I anticipated large crowds. The crowds were fine (longest line we waited on was 15 minutes!), but we got lost about three times! I had my GPS on, but at one point, we were supposed to get off at this exit onto a parallel highway. The right highway was for local exits and the left...well, was not. I totally missed the exit and we merged onto the left highway. Unfortunately, since the highways were literally side by side, but stupid GPS couldn't figure out that we weren't on the correct side and failed to tell me how to correct. (And I am way too geographically challenged to figure that out myself...) Eventually, I had to pull a Gone in 60 Seconds move and cut through one of those police insets to get over to the right. Thankfully, no cops were around!
When we finally arrived, I realized I left both my ticket and parking pass that I prepaid online at home. (I'm usually not such a mess! I am much more organized for Disney!) Six Flags had great customer service on this one-- there were machines to reprint the park ticket and they let me go to Guest Services for a refund on the parking! By the way, parking was $20! INSANITY!
So our day was fun! We started with the big coasters-- El Toro, which is the wooden coaster with the steepest drop in the US. For a wooden coaster, it was very smooth. I loved it! We did a kiddie-type coaster themed for the Dark Knight (about as intense as Space Mountain), and then just some normal steel intense coasters. Lunch was incredibly expensive-- blew Disney's prices out of the water. It was about $12 for a small fountain drink and chicken tenders. We left around 3-- we had been in park since opening at 10:30 and done everything we wanted.
It was nice to spend time with some friends I hadn't seen in awhile, so any time in line was fine! Again, though, the crowds were very low, especially for a Saturday in June! I hope we get as lucky in Disney in August!
Sorry again for the lack of pictures! I hope everyone has a lovely 4th!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

I love airports, too! I think my favorite so far is the one in San Diego. I was pretty young when I was there, but I remember it being so bright and airy. Have you ever been to the ATL airport? It's a doozy!

I agree - the crossbody bag is the best kind of park bag. And oh my goodness, I love that Coach bag!

 

[klacey1]

I love airports, too! I think my favorite so far is the one in San Diego. I was pretty young when I was there, but I remember it being so bright and airy. Have you ever been to the ATL airport? It's a doozy!

I agree - the crossbody bag is the best kind of park bag. And oh my goodness, I love that Coach bag!

Ooo, I've never been to San Diego! Southern CA will probably be our next big vacation though, so maybe I will get to see it soon! Ack, ATL is crazy! We've flown AirTran AND Delta a lot, which both use ATL as a hub, so I've frequented there! That subway system they have going on is just nuts! It's huge there!

 

[klacey1]

I hope everyone is enjoying this long weekend! It's been pretty crazy for us. One of Zach's good friends from high school came up from Pittsburgh for the holiday, so we've been visiting (aka lots of drinking and eating!) with him and Zach's other friends since Friday. Today, Zach's family is holding a BBQ, so we'll head over there in a couple of hours. I'm very excited to have ribs and steak-- his uncle is a grill master! Anyone else have plans for the 4th?

Yesterday, we went to the mall and took advantage of some of those great holiday weekend sales! Unfortunately, I couldn't really find summer clothes. I'm still looking for some sundresses for Disney (and the summer in general). Zach picked up a pair of jeans, which is pretty much the most casual he'll get in the summer or any other season. He refuses to wear any kind of shorts or sandals.

I did manage to pick up some waterproof make-up for our trip, though! I'm a huge make-up junkie and spent waaaay too much money on products! Now, New York definitely gets sticky in the summer, but nothing like Florida. I wanted to pick up a few things that hopefully won't melt in the heat. Disney is one of the few places Zach and I have a ton of pictures of the both of us, so I want to look good! I also refuse to carry around a make-up bag around the parks, so I want everything to last all day.
I picked up this water-resistant mascara:

And this waterproof eyeliner:

I'm going to test drive them today-- it's supposed to be 86 and humid!
I did get this sundress for Disney in the mail on Friday. I love the color (I got it in a bright pink) and how light it feels, but...the top part is a little small. See, I'm pretty small (5'3", fairly small boned), but I'm fairly well-endowed. It can be tricky buying dresses without trying them on since many can fit, but be way too revealing in the chest area. I think I'm going to keep the dress (Zach told me it's definitely not too bad, but I'm thinking I should get a second opinion!) and maybe wear a thin cami underneath in the parks.

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend and has a fun and safe day!

 

[Nermel9]

Six Flags sounds like fun, I had no idea it was so expensive for other things, like parking and eating, though! I haven't been there in years, I'd like to go and ride the coasters, but I feel like I'd be disappointed after spending so much time in Disney lately!

Waterproof makeup is such a great idea for Disney! That dress is really cute, I don't think it looks too revealing! I can't find dresses anywhere, I just want a dress for our Artist Point night, nothing fancy, but there is just nothing around right now! Pretty soon fall clothes are going to be out!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

I loooove makeup too. Especially the expensive brands. Sadly that's pretty much my taste in everything! Have you ever tried the Too Faced lash injection mascara? It's the best I've found so far. I completely understand wanting to look good in the pictures! I know some people don't do much (or any) makeup at Disney due to the heat, but I always wear a full face of it!

 

[Queenofallthings]

Jasmine has the same problem as you Kylie, tiny but well endowed, she hates it when it comes to things fitting everywhere but there

Jasmine is planning a trip to the mall on Saturday to pick up some MAC makeup she has run out of and I think I'll join her...girl's day at the mall and then appetizers and cocktails on a patio...

I love the dress btw!!

 

[klacey1]

Six Flags sounds like fun, I had no idea it was so expensive for other things, like parking and eating, though! I haven't been there in years, I'd like to go and ride the coasters, but I feel like I'd be disappointed after spending so much time in Disney lately!

Waterproof makeup is such a great idea for Disney! That dress is really cute, I don't think it looks too revealing! I can't find dresses anywhere, I just want a dress for our Artist Point night, nothing fancy, but there is just nothing around right now! Pretty soon fall clothes are going to be out!

Haha-- one of the friends that I went with did the College Program awhile back, so we pretty much compared it to Disney the whole day! I know-- I'm having trouble finding sundresses I like, too! The dress definitely doesn't look too revealing on the model, but I'm definitely "hanging out" more than she is!

I loooove makeup too. Especially the expensive brands. Sadly that's pretty much my taste in everything! Have you ever tried the Too Faced lash injection mascara? It's the best I've found so far. I completely understand wanting to look good in the pictures! I know some people don't do much (or any) makeup at Disney due to the heat, but I always wear a full face of it!

I'm right there with you on the expensive taste!! My taste is definitely a lot larger than my paycheck! I did try the Too Faced mascara on at Sephora and really loved it! I was actually stuck between that and the Stila, but I decided to go with the latter because I know I really like their eye-shadows, so I thought the mascara would be for me, too. I think I might try Too Faced when I run out (or in a month when I get the urge to buy make-up again haha)!

Jasmine has the same problem as you Kylie, tiny but well endowed, she hates it when it comes to things fitting everywhere but there

Jasmine is planning a trip to the mall on Saturday to pick up some MAC makeup she has run out of and I think I'll join her...girl's day at the mall and then appetizers and cocktails on a patio...

I love the dress btw!!

It really is a problem-- I always see great priced dresses and tops online but have to be so careful about ordering because I don't know how they'll fit!
That sounds like the perfect day!! Have fun!

 

[klacey1]

So, I need everyone's help! On our last trip, we skipped Animal Kingdom. Zach just wasn't interested and since we had limited time, that was fine by me. I have only been once and thought it was alright.
Unfortunately, two of the attractions I loved last time-- Primeval Whirl and It's Tough to be a Bug are-- are under refurb during our vacation! Pretty much the only things I want to do are Dinosaur, Everest, the petting zoo (no joke!), and possibly the Festival of the Lion King. Zach is not too crazy about any of those attractions, actually-- Everest is a little high for him (will probably convince him, though) and my accounts of the dinosaur leaping out at you have pretty much scared him (although, again, I'll probably be able to convince him!). He'll be fine with the petting zoo and see FOTLK if I really want to, but I don't want him to HAVE to. I want him to find things to LOVE about AK-- or at least like it enough to enjoy himself for a day! So, what do you guys love about AK?? What can I lure him in with?? For that matter-- what should I love about AK? There's got to be more than two rides, a show, and a zoo there for me!

 

[Joyciemc]

I love the food! Flame Tree BBQ is great! I've also heard wonderful things about Tusker House.

Dinosaur is one of my favorite rides, so that's a priority for me. I like Everest, too.

We don't really get into the safari, but we do like walking the trails.

Safari Amber is a pretty good beer, if you're the kind of person that is into beer. On our last trip, I was eyeing the bar outside Tusker House; it looks like a great place to relax!

That being said, if you (or Zach) are not excited to go, it is ok to skip it again!

 

[Queenofallthings]

My favorite thing about AK is FOTLK...I absolutely love that show and I weep everytime I see it...while I'm singing at the top of lungs much to Jasmine's dismay

We also love EE, KRR, KS...but honestly...that's it! We usually spend half a day and head back to the resort

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

We love AK! If they had just a few more attractions it could easily be our favorite park. Everest is a must for us. I hate roller coasters, and I love it, so I hope you can convince Zach! I think Dinosaur is a hilarious ride! I don't know what it is but something about it just cracks me up. That's always a must do for us. And we just love the safari. It is so peaceful out there. For some reason, I always think I'm going to be bored on it because it's the same spill over and over again, but it gets me every time. I just love it. Definitely see FOTLK! The bird show around Yak & Yeti is kind of neat too unless you're scared of birds. It's a kind of a one time thing, but I think it's worth it at least once! It was actually pretty funny. Speaking of Y&Y, I definitely recommend that for lunch, and the Tusker House lunch buffet is really good, too. It's got tons to choose from and it's a really good mixture of African-inspired cuisine and American favorites. One day I will get around to the trails and the Raffiki thing, but we're always too caught up in the other stuff.

 

[SoonerGirl]

I love AK! Everest and the safari are must do's for us. I really enjoy walking the trails too, there are so may great details to see! If you go out to Rafiki's Planet Watch (petting zoo) go in the morning, you may have a chance to see the vets at work then. The shows are awesome, FOTLK is my favorite, but Nemo and Flights of Wonder are also great. Maybe my favorite thing to do though is to grab a Lost on Safari at the Dawa Bar and just sit at those tables and relax

 

[jenny105]

No safari? Kilamanjaro and Everest are the main reasons I go to AK. I usually only spend a half a day there. I don't feel like there's enough to do for an entire day.

You can always have a character breakfast at Tusker House too! It's cute!

 

[klacey1]

I love the food! Flame Tree BBQ is great! I've also heard wonderful things about Tusker House.

Dinosaur is one of my favorite rides, so that's a priority for me. I like Everest, too.

We don't really get into the safari, but we do like walking the trails.

Safari Amber is a pretty good beer, if you're the kind of person that is into beer. On our last trip, I was eyeing the bar outside Tusker House; it looks like a great place to relax!

That being said, if you (or Zach) are not excited to go, it is ok to skip it again!

I love BBQ, but for some reason, Flame Tree's menu doesn't appeal to me. I wish it had more variety/sides. I do love Dinosaur, and think Zach will too, once he gets over the dino scaring him haha.
I am a huge beer lover (wow, that sounds bad!)-- what are some similar, more common beers to the Safari Amber??

My favorite thing about AK is FOTLK...I absolutely love that show and I weep everytime I see it...while I'm singing at the top of lungs much to Jasmine's dismay

We also love EE, KRR, KS...but honestly...that's it! We usually spend half a day and head back to the resort

I have only heard good things about FOTLK! I didn't see it the last time I was there, but again, the reviews are just glowing! We'll probably make time for it. I KNOW I'll be singing along, too, haha!
I think it'll be a half day park for us, too...the last time I was there, my traveling party stayed for probably three hours (family reunion trip about five years ago).

We love AK! If they had just a few more attractions it could easily be our favorite park. Everest is a must for us. I hate roller coasters, and I love it, so I hope you can convince Zach! I think Dinosaur is a hilarious ride! I don't know what it is but something about it just cracks me up. That's always a must do for us. And we just love the safari. It is so peaceful out there. For some reason, I always think I'm going to be bored on it because it's the same spill over and over again, but it gets me every time. I just love it. Definitely see FOTLK! The bird show around Yak & Yeti is kind of neat too unless you're scared of birds. It's a kind of a one time thing, but I think it's worth it at least once! It was actually pretty funny. Speaking of Y&Y, I definitely recommend that for lunch, and the Tusker House lunch buffet is really good, too. It's got tons to choose from and it's a really good mixture of African-inspired cuisine and American favorites. One day I will get around to the trails and the Raffiki thing, but we're always too caught up in the other stuff.

Haha, I'm not afraid of birds. I sort of forgot about that show-- maybe we'll make time for that. I rode the Safari a few years ago and thought it was just okay...I don't know how Zach would enjoy it, though...As much as I hear people like you who love it, I just can't imagine him getting into seeing the animals! I guess I don't know until I get him on it, so maybe we'll try? I feel like I'm going to have to be even more lax about AK than I am with the other parks-- and I already feel like I play it by ear with the rest!

I love AK! Everest and the safari are must do's for us. I really enjoy walking the trails too, there are so may great details to see! If you go out to Rafiki's Planet Watch (petting zoo) go in the morning, you may have a chance to see the vets at work then. The shows are awesome, FOTLK is my favorite, but Nemo and Flights of Wonder are also great. Maybe my favorite thing to do though is to grab a Lost on Safari at the Dawa Bar and just sit at those tables and relax

We live in the middle of horse country and love visiting farms, so the petting zoo and possibly seeing the vets at work really appeals to us! Thanks for the tip on the morning being the best time to possibly catch seeing the vets! I definitely like the idea of sitting with a drink and relaxing, too!

No safari? Kilamanjaro and Everest are the main reasons I go to AK. I usually only spend a half a day there. I don't feel like there's enough to do for an entire day.

You can always have a character breakfast at Tusker House too! It's cute!

I think we're probably going to only do AK for a half day, too. When there's so many other things we love to do in WDW, why waste time doing something we're not that into?

 

[Joyciemc]

I love BBQ, but for some reason, Flame Tree's menu doesn't appeal to me. I wish it had more variety/sides. I do love Dinosaur, and think Zach will too, once he gets over the dino scaring him haha.
I am a huge beer lover (wow, that sounds bad!)-- what are some similar, more common beers to the Safari Amber??

Now that you mention it, Flame Tree has a pretty limited menu. But the BBQ chicken salad is what I always get and I love it!

Nothing wrong with being a beer lover! Safari Amber is brewed by Anheuser-Busch, so the beer snob in me doesn't want to recommend it too highly. It's pretty much like a Sam Adams, or maybe Yeungling lager. I was pleasantly surprised by it and think it's cool that it is only served at AK and AKL (I think- I could be wrong about that)
Mmmm, is 11:30am too early for a beer?

 

[MEK]

I love the Nemo show. I have seen that many more times than FOTLK. It is really a great show. Definitely worth seeing if you haven't already.

And the Safari - truly the best themed, most immersive attraction at all of Disney.

Heck - I love the AK in general. It is a photographer's dream. Take the walk behind the tree of life to see all the cool animal carvings.

Front seat of EE is EXCELLENT. The one thing I haven't done - EE in the dark. I want to do that sooooooooo bad.