I Knew There Was A Reason Why I've Always Hated My Birthday - COMPLETE

[MarieTheCat24]

LOL, that Feed the World song...every time I hear that on the radio, I think of Pop Up Video, and how they pointed out how wrong that whole song is. Still, I like it because Bono is in it, with his crazy 80's hair.

I'm with you on Animal Kingdom. I hated it until recently. Ok, hate is not the right world, I can't hate anything Disney, but I strongly disliked it, but I appreciate it now, it's really beautiful there.

I love your gorilla pics! I also love your evolution analysis! I agree, there's no way the real Africa is better than the Disney Africa. It's just not possible.

It's sooooo bad. It's ridiculous and that's why I love it so much.

Exactly. I didn't hate it, but I just didn't love it as much as I love everything else. I'm glad that has changed, though, because I was really missing out. AK is gorgeous!

Not sure if you are a Friends fan... but can I just say that the image that came to mind when I was picturing you sprinting out of the bird exhibit was just like Phoebe when she goes running in the park with Rachel! It seems like an appropriate run for someone who isn't into birds going through a bird infested place

That is exactly what I looked like.

OMG you updated again. When I commanded you to update at least 13 times before I left, I didn't think you would, but here we are with another update! 2 down, 11 more to go. I leave in 8 days. GO.

WOOOHOOO another shout out! I don't know about feeding the WORLD though. That's a lot of people, and I eat quite a lot myself.

Every time I see a view like that of EE I always think how weird it is that Epcot, MK, and MGM are minutes away. So many different worlds. I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM GOING IN 8 DAYS.

I love your trip report because I can always count on TV nostalgia. THE NAKED MOLE RAP!!! My friend has the Kim Possible beep as her text alert and every time I hear it I just get so happy.

OMG LMAO that first gorilla picture. He is like QUIET DOWN PLEASE I AM EATING. Uggghfhfkjsdhfsjk I love them so much.

"In case we ever need more proof that evolution is actually a thing, I have gorilla feet." HAHAHAHAHAjhskjhasdkasjh Please come with me to Disney World.

Unfortunately, I have finals next week so I can't dedicate my life to TR writing. I should get at least one more update posted before you leave, though. Maybe two. 1+1=11. Done.

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING IN 8 DAYS EITHER. I'm getting quite jealous. My laptop has been on the receiving end of some dirty glares.

That's awesome. You have high quality friends.

OH MY GOD YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I WISH I COULD. We were supposed to be there RIGHT NOW but then everyone had things and we had to cancel and it's so depressing. I should be dining at Via Napoli right now! IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!!! I HATE EVERYTHING!!! I need to move to Florida, get a job at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter so I can yell spells at people without judgment, and spend all of my free time at WDW.

 

[__disneygirl]

OH MY GOD YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I WISH I COULD. We were supposed to be there RIGHT NOW but then everyone had things and we had to cancel and it's so depressing. I should be dining at Via Napoli right now! IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!!! I HATE EVERYTHING!!! I need to move to Florida, get a job at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter so I can yell spells at people without judgment, and spend all of my free time at WDW.

If anyone in the whole wide world knows how you feel, it's me! I am the queen of canceled Disney trips! I honestly still feel like it's not real even though I know it is and know we are going for sure. But don't worry... you can't have the sweet without the sour and your next trip is going to be all that much better and more magical because of everything you've gone through.

 

[marDgreen88]

A Seeker-themed shirt? Does Disney think people are interested in buying such a thing? I wouldn't let anything referencing that jerk near my body.

Thank you!

HAHAHAHAHAHA I've got quite the mental image of giraffes, lions, zebras, etc. dining at Yak and Yeti after the park closes. I bet they're big fans of the Fried Wontons.

My dog used to make human-like expressions too. It was weird. He was quite good at expressing shame.

I was questioning it myself when I saw it on twitter! I knew you'd love it.
Oh definitely. I'm sure they have a big gathering at least once a week. The good news is that they would be safe to drink from those straws.

 

[MarieTheCat24]

If anyone in the whole wide world knows how you feel, it's me! I am the queen of canceled Disney trips! I honestly still feel like it's not real even though I know it is and know we are going for sure. But don't worry... you can't have the sweet without the sour and your next trip is going to be all that much better and more magical because of everything you've gone through.

This is true. Plus, I haven't really been myself since everything happened in July. I'm just off. I have ridiculous mood swings and my anxiety attacks are more frequent than they've ever been. I have no clue what I'm doing with my life and all this uncertainty is making me even more anxious. I'm really in no shape to travel. I need to get myself under control first.

I was questioning it myself when I saw it on twitter! I knew you'd love it.
Oh definitely. I'm sure they have a big gathering at least once a week. The good news is that they would be safe to drink from those straws.

 

[DisneyGuy758]

Just so you know...they guy in the green shorts...those are swim shorts. I know. I own them.

Now back to your regularly scheduled trip report.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Those poor kids with no snow. Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Oh me too! I love that sign! No clue why, I just LOVE it.

I have heard that before! You are so right though, everything is so amazing. My brother is an architecture major so he is obsessed with all the buildings.

I'm an AK convert too! I always liked it but in January it just jumped WAYY up in my book.

That sign doesn't mean the animal buffalo...it means Buffalo, NY. and you're supposed to beware because it's not Florida, so why the heck would you wanna be here? LOL.

BOOYAH! (Tom Felton) What a great show.

I don't do birds either.

Look at THOSE chompas Stace! Kinda puts those dinos to shame a bit...

BAHAHA you are too funny.

HAHAHAH he's like "wahhh!" oh gorillas. How cute.

My sister has that gap too. She thinks it's super weird too. I kinda have one...but not really. I still pick stuff up with my feet though. Mainly because I'm too lazy to bend over.

Yeah, seriously. They have their own WATERFALL. It is most certainly Nah-Ta-Zu!!

 

[__disneygirl]

This is true. Plus, I haven't really been myself since everything happened in July. I'm just off. I have ridiculous mood swings and my anxiety attacks are more frequent than they've ever been. I have no clue what I'm doing with my life and all this uncertainty is making me even more anxious. I'm really in no shape to travel. I need to get myself under control first.

Ahh, I just want to hug you! It's weird how much we have in common, but you already knew that! And remember if you ever need to talk I am here!

 

[MarieTheCat24]

Just so you know...they guy in the green shorts...those are swim shorts. I know. I own them.

Now back to your regularly scheduled trip report.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Thanks for pointing that out!

Those poor kids with no snow. Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Oh me too! I love that sign! No clue why, I just LOVE it.

I have heard that before! You are so right though, everything is so amazing. My brother is an architecture major so he is obsessed with all the buildings.

I'm an AK convert too! I always liked it but in January it just jumped WAYY up in my book.

That sign doesn't mean the animal buffalo...it means Buffalo, NY. and you're supposed to beware because it's not Florida, so why the heck would you wanna be here? LOL.

BOOYAH! (Tom Felton) What a great show.

I don't do birds either.

Look at THOSE chompas Stace! Kinda puts those dinos to shame a bit...

BAHAHA you are too funny.

HAHAHAH he's like "wahhh!" oh gorillas. How cute.

My sister has that gap too. She thinks it's super weird too. I kinda have one...but not really. I still pick stuff up with my feet though. Mainly because I'm too lazy to bend over.

Yeah, seriously. They have their own WATERFALL. It is most certainly Nah-Ta-Zu!!

Good, I'm really am glad I'm not the only AK convert. It makes me feel better about myself. I was beginning to think I was just a really bad judge of awesomeness.

That's true. Buffalo is basically Cleveland but farther north. I mean, I've never been there, but I'm assuming. I have been to Chautauqua, NY and it was very Cleveland-like.

"LOOK AT THOSE CHOMPAS" is the best line.

Yeah, I think my laziness is what caused me to learn that my feet are useful for things other than standing and walking. I am soooooo lazy.

Ahh, I just want to hug you! It's weird how much we have in common, but you already knew that! And remember if you ever need to talk I am here!

Thanks, girl!

 

[MarieTheCat24]

JULY 5TH PART THREE: SAFAAAAAAAARI
Once we finished walking the Pangani Trail, it was time to use our Kilimajaro Safaris Fastpasses. WOO WOO SAFAAAAARI! SAFAAAARI!

But first, I made everyone wait while I ran to the restroom.

Then, I made everyone wait even longer while I admired the artwork outside of the restroom.

Look, it’s an advertisement for the Harambe Wildlife Reserve! Again, I cannot believe it took me so long to appreciate AK. I feel like such a failure of a Disney fan.

Hanging my head in shame, I headed back to rejoin the family and we got in line for Kilimanjaro.

Here’s my Golden Ticket:

It didn’t come with chocolate. Bummer. I'm of the belief that everything should come with chocolate.

The rules:

I don’t really know what this sign is talking about because birds clearly deserve to be disturbed. I mean, they disturb me, so I think it’s only fair that I disturb them back.

Here’s a bunch of people standing in line:

Doesn’t it feel like you’re standing right there? I can just feel the 8000 degree heat and smell the lovely wafts of body odor. Ah, Disney…

Foreshadowing...

I’m not entirely sure what the prop hose is for. Showering? Throwing it at someone and yelling “SNAKE”? Hosing down the safari vehicle? It certainly doesn't look like anyone’s gotten around to that in quite some time.

Anyway, we climbed aboard our safari vehicle (my parents and I were in the front row) and were introduced to our wonderful driver, Kayla (I think). She was blonde, perky, and quite fabulous. She really knew her stuff, too, which was nice. Boring drivers who have no idea what they’re talking about are no fun.

We were kept in a weird holding pattern for a few minutes, but then we were off into the Harambe Wildlife Reserve for two weeks in the WILD!

We called Wilson (who is the opposite of Seeker in that I actually like him) and he said “SIMBA ONE” which is a phrase oft repeated by my family. We can’t mention the Animal Kingdom without someone yelling “JAMBO” or “SIMBA ONE.” They're just so fun to say! JAMBO, SIMBA ONE!

Our first animal encounter was with the Black Rhino:

It bears a slight resemblance to those diseased dinosaurs I pointed out earlier. Thankfully, we know it’s not diseased because its tongue is still inside its mouth.

Up next, we saw the hippos:

I wonder why they always stay smushed together in a hippo heap. Is it just because they enjoy a good cuddle? If so, we have that in common.

The Nile Crocodiles (as opposed to the American we saw earlier) are in here somewhere, I think:

Or maybe they’re not. I don’t know. They’re in the general vicinity. They might have avoided the photo. I’d imagine these bad boys aren’t nearly as vain as the American Crocodiles.

After all the ‘Sitting Around’ animals, it was Savannah Time! This is my absolute favorite part of the Safari. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I mean, it’s just so open. The animals are wandering about and for a little while, I genuinely forget I’m at a theme park in Florida. It is truly magical.

The tiny Thompson's Gazelles are so cute!

Spiraled horns!! It’s like they’re African Unicorns...with two horns.

If you read my TR from 2010, you may remember that I had quite the memorable giraffe experience. WE MADE EYE CONTACT, GUYS. I bonded with a freakin' giraffe. Because of that, I was a bit apprehensive about seeing them again. I mean, short of a giraffe licking me on the face, it couldn’t possibly get any better. I just really hoped it wouldn’t be super lame. What if seeing a giraffe had become about as exciting as seeing a squirrel on my walk to class? I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.

Thankfully, all my worrying was for naught. Seeing the giraffes still made the part of me that is eternally four years old (which is all of me) freak out.

Our driver stopped the vehicle for a bit so that we could watch this guy. Giraffes always seem so calm and gentle. I feel like they’re the yoga instructors of the animal world. Do they even get angry? I’m assuming they're not all 'STOP THE VIOLENCE' and that they’ll fight back if a predator attacks, but how?

OK, I’ve gotta look this up.

Do you think searching for “angry giraffes” on Youtube will work?

Yep. Found one. It says “Excellent Footage” in the title. This should be good.

Alright, two giraffes are standing next to each other. Everything seems fine. Wait, they’re bending down. They're basically bowing down Buckbeak-style except Harry Potter isn't standing across from them.

OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD.

They’re like slamming their necks into each other repeatedly.

Ugh, the sounds. THE SOUNDS. DEAR GOD THIS IS HORRIBLE. THEY JUST KEEP WHIPPING THEIR NECKS AROUND. AAAAHHHHHHH!!!

Whoa, OK, they’re taking a break now. Their little ears are twitching. I would normally find this adorable, but right now I'm incapable of such thought.

OH CRAP THEY’RE BOWING AGAIN. THEY’RE BOWING AGAIN. THIS CANNOT BE GOOD.

THE SLAMMING. OMG THE SLAMMING. IT LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE GOING TO KNOCK EACH OTHERS HEADS OFF. THIS IS TOO MUCH OMG I’M PAUSING THE VIDEO.

DEEP BREATHS, KARA. DEEP BREATHS. It's not like a giraffe neck is going to come flying out of the computer screen. This is not a 3D movie.

OK, I’m starting it again. They’re slowly walking now, right next to each other. It's like they're attached at the hip. OH NO THEY’RE BOWING. OH GOD MORE SMACKING. MORE SMACKING. ONE ALMOST SWEPT THE HIND LEGS OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE OTHER ONE. IT'S LIKE THEY'VE SEEN THE KARATE KID OR SOMETHING. THIS IS INSANE.

The guy filming this just asked if they ever kill each other by doing this! OH MY GOD! NO ONE ANSWERED. I BET THAT MEANS THEY DO. WHAT AM I WATCHING??? THIS WAS A MISTAKE! A MISTAKE!!!!!!

........

OH THANK GOD IT’S OVER.

Well, I think I’m scarred for life now. Yikes. That was quite intense. Thank goodness I have never had the displeasure of seeing that in person.

We now know that giraffes do get mad though, so YAY LEARNING, I guess.

I need some serious cheering up after that. Thankfully, I have a fun little anecdote to share. While we were watching the giraffes, a little boy sitting behind us loudly piped up, saying, “Mom, they’re tall enough to go on ALL the rides!” I almost started crying. He was just so earnest. He had this ‘Of course the animals go on the rides because we’re in Disney World, silly’ tone in his voice. It was precious. I wanted to sit down with him and discuss just how awesome animals are.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST~

 

[MarieTheCat24]

After watching the giraffes for a little while, we were forced to say goodbye and move on. Leaving giraffes behind is never fun. I'm terrible at goodbyes in general, so I'm a mess when they drag me away from my giraffe buddies. Thankfully, our driver turned on the African radio station and cheered me right up. I love that song.

These adorable elephants also cheered me up:

Is there anything cuter than a baby elephant and his mama? I think not. Especially when the baby is wrapping his trunk around his mother. I’m guess that’s the elephant equivalent of a baby latching onto someone’s finger.

There were even more elephants going about their elephant business (of standing in the shade) around the bend:

They're so fun to watch. I wish they had an elephant viewing area in addition to the safari. It goes so fast.

Here's a funky tree:

These flamingos were just chillin' on a Mickey-shaped island:

Y'all know how I feel about birds. These ones do live on a Mickey-shaped island though, so I like them more than I like other birds. Not that that means much.

Up next, the White Rhino:

If you look between the trees, there’s a group of them lying down off in the distance.

Here are some better pictures from a different angle:

And here’s a picture I took of Dad taking pictures of the rhinos:

We play 'dueling cameras' on vacation.

I resisted the EXTREMELY STRONG urge to burst into “Circle of Life” as we passed the lions’ rock formation. It’s probably for the best that I resisted. A sleeping lion doesn’t deserve such pageantry.

I thought about bursting into “Hakuna Matata” when we saw a warthog to make up for it, but I knew he wouldn't duet with me, so it just seemed rather pointless.

After the warthogs, we got the “OH SNAP!!! POACHERS!!!” call from Wilson, so Kayla (I think) stepped on it, and, to paraphrase the Queen, we were four-wheelin’ now, baby! It was quite the wild ride. A lot more jerky than I remember. We were flying all over the place. Thankfully, we managed to drive those nasty poachers right into Wilson’s patrol and everyone lived happily ever after.

Except for the elephants whose tusks made up the big pile at the abandoned poacher camp.

Those guys didn't live happily ever after.

They did get justice though, so BRING IN THE DANCING LOBSTERS.

UP NEXT: We say "Jambo" to Pizzafari

 

[JessicaFaye508]

I love the Safari! I have never been in the front row before - lucky!

but then we were off into the Harambe Wildlife Reserve for two weeks in the WILD!

Ahh I read that I got SUPER excited! I felt like I was really there!! I just get so wrapped up in there trip reports. I can't wait to go on another 2 week safari.. they never get old!

Jambo and Simba One are my favorite animal kingdom quotes to say too! They're just so classic.

BAHAHAHA the diseased dinosaurs and that rhino TOTALLY looks similar.

Oh my God.... HAHAHA your angry giraffe commentary. I'm cracking up right now. Even though if I saw the actual video I would probably cry. But LOL that sounds AWFUL! Youtube can really teach interesting lessons, I have to say.

OH MY GOD IT'S A MICKEY SHAPED ISLAND!?!??! Why have I NEVER noticed this before!?!?! Oh my God I feel like a Disney-obsessed failure right now. But that is SO COOL!

If Kristen and I were on Kilimanjaro with you, we would DEFINITELY sing the Lion King songs with you!

I wonder if anyone has ever fallen off Kilimanjaro. I mean, I probably would have heard about it by now... but it can sometimes feel very dangerous!

I can not explain how much I LOVEEEEE the Amanda Show and how much that dancing lobsters video just made my day! LOVE THEM!!!

 

[marDgreen88]

Hahaha! I can just picture your family standing there, twiddling their thumbs while you are taking pictures of bathroom artwork. Hahaha love it!

Don't you know? In times of trouble... you always need a hose! It's just always helpful, especially when you're caught in the middle of the jungle and have no means of hooking it up!

I LOVE the Savannah too! It's so awesome. The first time I saw it I seriously felt like I was in the middle of The Lion King. (Even though the lions were hiding from me.)

I love giraffes too! Have you ever fed one before? It's like disgusting... but also awesome. I dunno though! They just don't seem violent in the least. I'm sure they can be, but then why would they not bite my hand right off instead of just eating out of it? Who knows, really?

Ok so remind me to never look that video up. Thanks. (Were they at least 'bleating' like sheep?)

ELEPHANTS are my favorite. I have no idea why. I just love them so much. I LOVE THE BABY. And now there's a new baby too! TWO BABIES!
(When I went on the safari in June 2010, the baby was like a month old and his mother was washing him with her trunk. Sweetest thing ever.)

Oh MY. The dancing lobsters. The Amanda Show. Can I just say... that when my family first got the internet when I was in like 5th grade I think, I would spend HOURS upon HOURS upon HOURS on amandaplease.com ... is that still in existence? I need to know. Oh my gosh. "I'M GONNA HIT YOU IN THE HEAD WITH A FRYING PAN!" That's a good'un. YUP! (Oh thank you once again for that walk down memory lane.)

 

[JessicaFaye508]

. Can I just say... that when my family first got the internet when I was in like 5th grade I think, I would spend HOURS upon HOURS upon HOURS on amandaplease.com ... is that still in existence?

I'm sad to report that it no longer exists My friend actually looked it up the other day. It's such a shame, really.

 

[__disneygirl]

Hey-oooooooooooooo Kara!!!!!! SUP. Nothing going on here besides my Disney trip. I'm going to Walt Disney World in three days. Anyway great update!

All the ads/posters on the sides of various buildings at AK are one of my favorite things about the park. I really want to take the Wild By Design Tour one day.

Aww that rhino! I am so happy he is just relaxing and not diseased.

OMG the twisted horns are so cool!

You are onto something here. The guy who invented Angry Birds is a millionaire now. You need to create Angry Giraffes. This will be better than Angry Birds because birds have been characterized as angry for years. I mean just look at Alfred Hitchcock's "Birds". People have seen this before. People have not seen Angry Giraffes. You need to set up a meeting at Apple ASAP.

TALL ENOUGH TO GO ON ALL THE RIDES omg. That is the cutest thing ever.

AAaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwww mom and baby elephant!!! I was wrong. A baby elephant wrapping its trunk around its mama: THAT is the cutest thing. EVER.

Sigh. I need a Mickey shaped island to live on.

Aw, it sucks that the lion was sleeping but I think you missed a grand opportunity to sing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" for everyone on board the safari. See, this is why we need to travel together and have a show on the Travel Channel. You can provide the awesome 90's references and I can do the music cues. This is the only thing people want in a good TV show nowadays. That and Angry Giraffes, which you've already mastered! Move over Samantha Brown.

 

[MarieTheCat24]

I love the Safari! I have never been in the front row before - lucky!

Ahh I read that I got SUPER excited! I felt like I was really there!! I just get so wrapped up in there trip reports. I can't wait to go on another 2 week safari.. they never get old!

Jambo and Simba One are my favorite animal kingdom quotes to say too! They're just so classic.

BAHAHAHA the diseased dinosaurs and that rhino TOTALLY looks similar.

Oh my God.... HAHAHA your angry giraffe commentary. I'm cracking up right now. Even though if I saw the actual video I would probably cry. But LOL that sounds AWFUL! Youtube can really teach interesting lessons, I have to say.

OH MY GOD IT'S A MICKEY SHAPED ISLAND!?!??! Why have I NEVER noticed this before!?!?! Oh my God I feel like a Disney-obsessed failure right now. But that is SO COOL!

If Kristen and I were on Kilimanjaro with you, we would DEFINITELY sing the Lion King songs with you!

I wonder if anyone has ever fallen off Kilimanjaro. I mean, I probably would have heard about it by now... but it can sometimes feel very dangerous!

I can not explain how much I LOVEEEEE the Amanda Show and how much that dancing lobsters video just made my day! LOVE THEM!!!

You're right, they never get old. I do find it a bit suspicious that my two week safaris always seem to get cut short, though. I think they're up to something...

I thought about including a link to the giraffe video. I really didn't want to subject people to that kind of torture though, so I left it out. I took one for the team on this.

Well, next time I go on Kilimanjaro, you guys are just going to have to join me. I'll let you know when we finalize our dates so you can plan accordingly.

The Amanda Show was my life. My friend and I were OBSESSED. We watched the episodes over and over, did our own reenactment of the sketches, and quoted it all.the.time. Moody's Point was the best.

Hahaha! I can just picture your family standing there, twiddling their thumbs while you are taking pictures of bathroom artwork. Hahaha love it!

Don't you know? In times of trouble... you always need a hose! It's just always helpful, especially when you're caught in the middle of the jungle and have no means of hooking it up!

I LOVE the Savannah too! It's so awesome. The first time I saw it I seriously felt like I was in the middle of The Lion King. (Even though the lions were hiding from me.)

I love giraffes too! Have you ever fed one before? It's like disgusting... but also awesome. I dunno though! They just don't seem violent in the least. I'm sure they can be, but then why would they not bite my hand right off instead of just eating out of it? Who knows, really?

Ok so remind me to never look that video up. Thanks. (Were they at least 'bleating' like sheep?)

ELEPHANTS are my favorite. I have no idea why. I just love them so much. I LOVE THE BABY. And now there's a new baby too! TWO BABIES!
(When I went on the safari in June 2010, the baby was like a month old and his mother was washing him with her trunk. Sweetest thing ever.)

Oh MY. The dancing lobsters. The Amanda Show. Can I just say... that when my family first got the internet when I was in like 5th grade I think, I would spend HOURS upon HOURS upon HOURS on amandaplease.com ... is that still in existence? I need to know. Oh my gosh. "I'M GONNA HIT YOU IN THE HEAD WITH A FRYING PAN!" That's a good'un. YUP! (Oh thank you once again for that walk down memory lane.)

No, I've never fed a giraffe before. I'm so jealous that you have! Where did you do it? I want to go to there.

Nope, they weren't bleating. They were kind of grunting. It was weird.

OMG One of my favorite memories ever is the afternoon my friend and I spent hitting each other with random stuff for our own "Hillbilly Moments."

Are you going to do a TR for your upcoming trip? Please tell me you are. You have such an awesome sense of humor.

Hey-oooooooooooooo Kara!!!!!! SUP. Nothing going on here besides my Disney trip. I'm going to Walt Disney World in three days. Anyway great update!

All the ads/posters on the sides of various buildings at AK are one of my favorite things about the park. I really want to take the Wild By Design Tour one day.

Aww that rhino! I am so happy he is just relaxing and not diseased.

OMG the twisted horns are so cool!

You are onto something here. The guy who invented Angry Birds is a millionaire now. You need to create Angry Giraffes. This will be better than Angry Birds because birds have been characterized as angry for years. I mean just look at Alfred Hitchcock's "Birds". People have seen this before. People have not seen Angry Giraffes. You need to set up a meeting at Apple ASAP.

TALL ENOUGH TO GO ON ALL THE RIDES omg. That is the cutest thing ever.

AAaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwww mom and baby elephant!!! I was wrong. A baby elephant wrapping its trunk around its mama: THAT is the cutest thing. EVER.

Sigh. I need a Mickey shaped island to live on.

Aw, it sucks that the lion was sleeping but I think you missed a grand opportunity to sing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" for everyone on board the safari. See, this is why we need to travel together and have a show on the Travel Channel. You can provide the awesome 90's references and I can do the music cues. This is the only thing people want in a good TV show nowadays. That and Angry Giraffes, which you've already mastered! Move over Samantha Brown.

It's soooooo soon. Are you all packed yet?

Whoa, I didn't even know the Wild by Design tour existed until you mentioned it. That sounds awesome. Yet another reason why I need to go to WDW for like 2 months.

We'll use my money from Angry Giraffes to buy our own island and do some remodeling to make it Mickey shaped.

DARN IT. I cannot believe I missed that. I love "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." I'm so disappointed in myself. You are so right. This is why we need our own Travel Channel show. Where are they headquartered? I think we need to go pitch it to them. Talk to some people at Disney while you're down there, too.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Ahh those details!

That's a really fantastic philosophy to have.

YES. Ugh birds.

HAHAHA I love that. "Simba One!"

The American Crocodiles are so vain. Typical. USA!

Like the pic of the giraffe's rear. Very nice.

OH MY GOD WHY WOULD YOU YOUTUBE ANGRY GIRAFFES!?!? You're gonna be SCARRED!!!

Yep, you're scarred.

Ugh I can picture this. It sounds terrible. Ew.

WHY did you do that. Oh my goodness.

Awww precious child! I want a little boy. And raise him on Disney, of course!

Speaking of precious, have you seen the new commercial for the Chipmunk movie? It is SO funny because the girl chipmunk that is like the girl version of Theodore finds this papaya-ish thing on their deserted island and she goes "my precious! my precious!" in this really raspy voice and it is HILARIOUS. Okay I'm posting a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQmsyzBlplc

SO funny. I crack up every time.

I LOVE the African radio station. <3333

My sister is OBSESSED with elephants. It's like you and giraffes. SO funny.

OH MY GOD! I NEVER noticed that that island is Mickey shaped!!! That's awesome.

I think I've definitely sung both of those songs on that ride. Ah well.

BAHAHAHAH the dancing lobsters. LOL.

 

[marDgreen88]

No, I've never fed a giraffe before. I'm so jealous that you have! Where did you do it? I want to go to there.

Nope, they weren't bleating. They were kind of grunting. It was weird.

OMG One of my favorite memories ever is the afternoon my friend and I spent hitting each other with random stuff for our own "Hillbilly Moments."

Are you going to do a TR for your upcoming trip? Please tell me you are. You have such an awesome sense of humor.

The place I fed the giraffes was our little local zoo over here, the Metro Richmond Zoo... hahaha I mean if you're ever in the area!

Hillbilly moments were seriously the best. What the heck ever happened to Amanda and Drake?! I miss them.

And YES! I am planning on doing a TR! I was worried that nobody would read it. You seriously just made my day. Coming from a hilarious person like yourself, that is quite a compliment!

 

[MarieTheCat24]

Ahh those details!

That's a really fantastic philosophy to have.

YES. Ugh birds.

HAHAHA I love that. "Simba One!"

The American Crocodiles are so vain. Typical. USA!

Like the pic of the giraffe's rear. Very nice.

OH MY GOD WHY WOULD YOU YOUTUBE ANGRY GIRAFFES!?!? You're gonna be SCARRED!!!

Yep, you're scarred.

Ugh I can picture this. It sounds terrible. Ew.

WHY did you do that. Oh my goodness.

Awww precious child! I want a little boy. And raise him on Disney, of course!

Speaking of precious, have you seen the new commercial for the Chipmunk movie? It is SO funny because the girl chipmunk that is like the girl version of Theodore finds this papaya-ish thing on their deserted island and she goes "my precious! my precious!" in this really raspy voice and it is HILARIOUS. Okay I'm posting a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQmsyzBlplc

SO funny. I crack up every time.

I LOVE the African radio station. <3333

My sister is OBSESSED with elephants. It's like you and giraffes. SO funny.

OH MY GOD! I NEVER noticed that that island is Mickey shaped!!! That's awesome.

I think I've definitely sung both of those songs on that ride. Ah well.

BAHAHAHAH the dancing lobsters. LOL.

I really don't know what I was thinking. I guess that's what I get for writing these installments in the middle of the night. The rational 'don't watch angry giraffe videos on Youtube' part of me just doesn't exist at 3 AM.

HAHAHAHAHAHAH I saw that commercial the other day. So funny.

Elephants are excellent animals to be obsessed with. Your sister has good taste.

The place I fed the giraffes was our little local zoo over here, the Metro Richmond Zoo... hahaha I mean if you're ever in the area!

Hillbilly moments were seriously the best. What the heck ever happened to Amanda and Drake?! I miss them.

And YES! I am planning on doing a TR! I was worried that nobody would read it. You seriously just made my day. Coming from a hilarious person like yourself, that is quite a compliment!

Cool. I wonder if my local zoo lets people feed giraffes....I need to do some research.

Amanda was in Easy A with Emma Stone, but that came out over a year ago. I don't know what she's doing now. She needs to organize an Amanda Show reunion.

I can't wait!

 

[MarieTheCat24]

JULY 5TH PART FOUR: Finishing Up at AK
After our safari, we decided it was time to grab some grub. At the Animal Kingdom, this means only one thing: PIZZAFARI!

There’s a Buffalo (???) living outside the building:

I guess he escaped from the Pangani Trail in search of pizza.

As it was only 11:30ish, the place was nearly empty. We had our food in no time. Benefits of eating early, folks.

Unfortunately, this is the only picture I took of our...well, my food:

I really have to get better at this whole food photography thing.

If you can’t tell (and you probably can’t because the lighting is so bad), I got a Chicken Caesar Salad with Chocolate Mousse for dessert. Also, I had an Orange Fanta to drink, which was honestly one of the best decisions I made all trip. Chicken Caesar Salads are always delicious, but, as it turns out, they are supermegaawesome delicious when paired with orange pop.

*Cue NBC’s “The More You Know” shooting star graphic*

Everyone else got pizza. They enjoyed it. Jess (Disneyfreak508)’s TR has some wonderful pictures if, for some strange reason, you don’t know what Disney pizza looks like.

After stuffing ourselves silly, we decided to go to Camp Minnie Mickey and see Festival of the Lion King.

Yep, that’s a dragon rock formation/water feature. Oh, Disney…

I’m pretty sure I mentioned this in my last TR, but the character figures throughout Camp Minnie Mickey remind me of the Campout at Walt Disney World VHS tape I watched over and over as a kid (and a few weeks ago on Youtube).

Mickey and Minnie sing “Mountain Greenery.”

What more could you ask for?

Anyway, we got in line for FOTLK. After waiting for a bit, the heat started getting to me and I felt weird. Mom and I got out of line to find a bench in the shade. Once I was sitting down, it didn't take long for me to start feeling better. We figured we would still be able to head into the theater at the last possible second (don’t worry, DIS Police, we weren’t going to cut everyone to sit with our family), but they were experiencing technical difficulties that forced cancellation of the show. Boo. I LOVE FOTLK, so this was incredibly disappointing. I guess it was for the best, though, because Mom and I probably would have gotten stuck in the Giraffe section or something.

Has anyone ever heard a giraffe make a bleating sound? I really think it’s a big scam. Someone at Disney was probably like “We need a fourth African animal. Giraffe? OK. What sound does a giraffe make? You don’t know? Let’s just say it’s a giant sheep. People won’t question that at all. Everyone will be too busy aw-ing over the adorable kid who made the ‘baa’ sound to wonder why the heck they're also making a 'baa' sound.”

I’d look this up, but we all know how my last attempt at gathering giraffe knowledge went.

*SHUDDER* I will never be the same.

We met back up with the rest of the group momentarily before splitting up again. Mom, Katie, and Wade wanted to head back to CSR for some pool time, but Dad and I stayed back to check out the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

We had to hike all the way to the back of the park in the scorching heat, but that’s OK because there were tons of things to look at.

It’s all so pretty! It’s also all wham!

After walking for what felt like three days, we finally made it back to the trek.

Lovely birds? Someone sound the Oxymoron Alarm!

Our first animal encounter was with a Komodo Dragon.

I don’t really do reptiles, so we didn’t stay for long. This guy does have ‘dragon’ in his name, though, so that makes it the coolest of reptiles I don’t really do, obviously.

These pretty lanterns were lining the paths:

Instead of pointlessly warning us about nonexistent buffalo, the lovely people of Anandapur posted a much more relevant warning:

It’s a good thing I packed my tiger repellent. (I didn’t really pack my tiger repellent. Unless tigers hate Purell, a bottle of Dasani, and/or Disney gift cards. In which case, I did pack my tiger repellent.)

Before we saw tigers, though, we saw bats.

This one's my favorite:

I think there should be a giant hunk of watermelon hanging next to me at all times. It’s not fair that there isn’t.

This next bunch of pictures came from Dad’s camera hence the fact that they’re way better than mine.

We watched the bats for quite a while. They’re fascinating. I usually have an aversion to winged creatures, but there’s something about bats that draws me in. I think it’s because their bodies are fuzzy. I just can’t hate something fuzzy.

Once we headed back outside, it was tiger time!!

They live here. I’m jealous. I am jealous of tigers. I think this is a new low for me.

Another warning sign from the friendly Anandapurians:

A well-decorated tree:

Why aren't all trees this festive? The naked, winterized trees outside of my house right now could really use some ornamentation.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST~

 

[MarieTheCat24]

So, this is part of the tiger exhibit:

Yeah, this whole area is absolutely gorgeous. I took more pictures of the scenery than of the animals. I guess that’s how you know you’re at Disney LOL.

Anyway, here’s (part of) an animal:

A tiger tail! Is this not the cutest thing ever?

All we could see was his little tail flopping around because he was up against the base of the window. Full body or not, tigers are adorable.

Here’s a full tiger getting his snooze on:

So cute! I wish the tigers had been more active, but it was a zillion degrees out so I can’t say I blame them for chillin’ in the shade.

More pics of the tiger viewing area:

Further down the trail, we saw some funky deer-like creatures.

Unfortunately, they weren’t making the deer face, Kristen and Jess. Maybe in July… *wink wink*

Here’s more scenery:

Pretty rockwork!

Pretty drinking fountain!

Pretty prayer flags!

Pretty bench!

We skipped the bird building because I wasn’t about to torture myself for the second time that day.

Also, the chicken line was clearly marked.

Wait, I can’t call it a chicken line if I’m using it to avoid birds, can I?

What’s another animal that’s easily spooked? Horses? Rabbits? Piglets?

Actually, why don’t we just call it the Kara Line? From now on, any path that successfully allows you to avoid birds should be referred to as the Kara Line.

Before making our way to the park exit, we stopped to watch the Gibbons. Or one Gibbon. I don’t know where the rest of them were. I wonder if their little house is air conditioned….

Walking back to the bus stop was not fun. It was very hot. I kept looking down to make sure I wasn’t melting. I fully expected to see a big puddle of me sizzling on the concrete.

Thankfully, I only saw a monkey.

Discovery Island is so BRIGHT. I love it.

The Tree of Life:

We followed this bird’s advice (reluctantly…birds are not trustworthy) and continued out to the bus stop.

We waited maybe 10 minutes for a CSR bus to arrive. Either CSR has AMAZING bus service or we got really lucky during this trip because waits were almost always minimal. It was nice.

While on the bus I listened to a family argue about A) whether or not Pleasure Island still exists and B) what Pleasure Island actually is. They were each incredibly adamant about their answers. It was hysterical. Of course, they were all wrong, but I didn’t dare tell them that. I value my life.

UP NEXT: CSR knows me so well