Is 7 Days Enough to Make a First Timer Fall in Love??--Aug'11 TR-- FINAL UPDATE 8/26

[heathsf]

Sunday, August 21 - Part 7

After finishing our yummy dinner in Mexico we returned to Future World yet again so we could use our FP for Test Track and finally ride it together.

We decided we wanted to do something fun for our ride photo:

THIS is why it is *so* much more fun riding together rather than separately! We both had more fun the second time around which again made me really wish he had been willing to wait instead of succumbing to the evil beckoning of the single rider line By the way, I think 3 out of 6 people in that ride photo are asleep.

While on line for Test Track, we found two people who were willing to take our extra Maelstrom FP that we didn't want. Why is it so difficult to give away FP? I feel like some people look at me like I'm trying to scam them. Other people had no idea what Maelstrom was!! But we did eventually make two people happy who did not think we were scamming them and who did want to ride Maelstrom. Hooray!

Now it was time to find a spot for Illuminations. We took a few pictures on our way:

Whenever we take a PhotoPass picture, I also give my own camera to the photographer and ask them to take a picture with that as well and they're always very happy to do it. (Side note: I tried this with the Fan Foto photographer on the Fenway Park tour [that would be the PhotoPass equivalent at a Red Sox game] and they said they were not permitted to use my camera - and as another side note, their picture quality was horrendous) So anyway, just for fun, here is a comparison of the picture that was taken with my point-and-shoot (photo #1) and the photographer's camera (photo #2):

It was getting very close to 9:00 at this point and I had already warned BF that if we didn't find a spot at least an hour before Illuminations, it would be slim pickin's but he insisted that he didn't mind. He wanted to ride Test Track again [together] and so did I. But the difference is that I've seen Illuminations at least 10 times already and this was going to be his first! But I didn't want to force him against his will to find a spot too early so we did the best we could considering it was about 8:45 at this point.

Now let me interrupt with some information that influenced where we looked for our Illuminations spot. In my PTR I had suggested a few different possibilities for the end of the night - one of which involved us going to MK for EMH until 2am and sleeping in tomorrow. Since we didn't take a break today like originally planned and since we were worried about a hurricane ruining the end of our trip, we decided to go to AK tomorrow for EMH since the day we had originally planned to go there (Thursday) was the day that Irene was supposed to arrive. So given that we would have to arrive at AK prior to 8am, we decided to rush out of Epcot as soon as Illuminations ends so we won't end up having an experience like last night's wait for a bus home.

That said, we looked for a spot near Future World so that we could make our quick getaway. There was a lot of empty space near the boat dock so I figured that would be fine once they turned off all the lights. At least we were right up against the railing. While the view of the fireworks was good, the spot where the globe ended up staying for the majority of the show was blocked from where we were standing. I was okay with this (because as I said before, I had seen it at least 10 times already) but BF wanted to see so he walked away a little bit and stood behind a small crowd but he's tall enough that he was able to see. As soon as the first part of the show ended, I grabbed him and we walked quickly toward the exit. There weren't too many people doing the same yet. By the time we made it to Spaceship Earth, the last round of fireworks was going up and we could see them fine from where we were standing. Once they ended, the masses really starting moving toward the exit but we were already out of the park. When we got to the Pop Century bus stop there was already a bus there and people were boarding. We knew we would have no problem making it on to the next bus that pulled up. Lucky for us, that happened right away. In fact, it was a coach bus and it arrived before the first bus had even finished loading. We were directed onto the coach bus where we each got a very comfortable seat

I snapped a picture as we were walking toward the bus.

When we got back to POP there was a movie playing on a portable screen next to the Hippy Dippy pool. I had heard about this at other resorts but not here so that was pretty cool!

It was Toy Story 3 and I kind of wanted to stay and watch but knew I had to be up early tomorrow. I just didn't know how early I'd be waking up...

Up Next: Why couldn't I sleep at 5:40am and EMH at AK

 

[teekathepony]

omg, I laughed so hard at your test track photo!!!
Yayyyy for easy bussing back to Pop!
I never saw them do the movie nights, that would be fun.

 

[heathsf]

Monday, August 22 - Part 1

I woke up at 5:40am on Monday morning needing to use the bathroom. My first thought was to check the weather for the end of the week on my phone. What I read made me feel like I had been punched in the stomach. Not only was Hurricane Irene still on a path to hit Florida, now it will be stronger than the meteorologists originally thought when it arrives. There was no way I was going back to sleep after reading that, I was wide awake. I called Continental to find out if we would have any options to change our flight. I wanted to do it as soon as possible so I could have some peace of mind. I was on hold for about 20 minutes at which time I spoke to a representative who I felt was very rude to me. Maybe I was too accustomed to speaking with Disney representatives since I had called quite a few times before our trip. The Continental rep told me that she "knew nothing" about a hurricane headed toward the U.S. Really!?!? Because it had been all over the news for the past few days already! And it wasn't just what she said, it was the way she said it. I was already upset about the idea of my vacation being ruined and speaking to this woman only made me feel worse. Continental had not issued any information about U.S. flights being affected by the hurricane so if we wanted to change the flights now it would cost us an arm and a leg. We would have to wait until it got closer. I hung up the phone feeling just as worried about a terrible ending to our trip and angry because this woman had upset me. I started getting ready for our morning at AK, but this wasn't a very fun start to the day.

When BF woke up I told him about my call and he again reminded me that while I can't control the hurricane, I can control whether or not I have fun while I'm here so I tried to adopt his optimism as we headed off to AK.

When we got to the bus stop we saw workers repainting the large orange "POP" nearby. No wonder the paint always looks so fresh...it probably is! Unfortunately, the humidity was attacking my camera and this is how the picture came out:

We didn't have to wait long for a bus and soon were on our way to AK. We arrived at 7:45 and people had already been allowed through the turnstiles.

As far as I saw, there was no welcome show. Or perhaps we missed it and it happened before we arrived, but I was expecting it at 8am. People were standing in a mob-style line at the ropes on either side of The Oasis. Just standing there! When there were animals to see! All you had to do was step off the main drag into one of the "alcoves"...

We spent a decent amount of time hanging out by these birds and ducks as they were very entertaining and BF really enjoys ducks. In fact, two of them walked right by our feet (on our side of the fence) which I didn't take any pictures of - only a movie. We hung out there until the rope was dropped and people started moving into the park. That's when we rejoined the mob to make our way toward Expedition Everest. I told BF we could either stay with the mob or cut through DinoLand USA. BF chose the latter and I was so glad we did. It was absolutely empty! Regardless of whether or not we "beat" the rest of the crowd, it was nice just to walk without hundreds of people on all sides of us. Not to mention it was quite a sight to see the totally empty parts of the park. Here is the documentation of our journey to EE:

When we arrived, we first grabbed a FP for later. The return time was for 9:50am but we would be able to get a new FP at 9:05. Then we got on the standby line which was stretching outside of the ride. And not moving. And neither were the cars on the ride. Hmm... It seemed that EE's opening was delayed this morning. We were not told how long it would be but once it did open we would be one of the first people on so I really didn't want to get off line. While waiting for news I snapped a few pictures.

I'm glad we waited because it opened at 8:15 and we walked right through the entire queue (with me saying to BF "look at the detail over here!" and "look at the detail over there!" and "isn't it cool how they did this?" and "isn't it cool how they did that?" the whole way through). I suppose BF missing all of the details on the queue was a worthwhile sacrifice for riding EE with zero wait. BF did enjoy ringing the bells though.

When we got to the loading area, we asked politely if we could wait for the front row. For this ride, they actually have a separate area for people to wait for the front row since it's a common request here. There were only two groups in front of us waiting and we were boarding in no time.

Since we had the front row, I decided to tighten my camera strap onto my wrist to the point of reduced-circulation so I could take pictures on the ride. *Spoiler Alert* If you have never been on EE and don't want to see a few on-ride photos, please skip this section. If you have never rode in the first row and want to see why you should:

I LOVE THIS RIDE!!! And I'm happy to say: SO DOES BF!! I knew he would. Even though it doesn't go upside down, it is still a very fun, exciting coaster. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to take a picture of our ride photo but I would get a second chance! When we exited, there was a 10 minute wait posted so we decided to ride again.

It only took five minutes to get to the boarding area. We didn't bother waiting for the first row this time. We let fate handle this one and we ended up toward the back. I caught our elusive ride photo this time:

Oh my gosh! I just noticed that the yeti is totally about to grab us in the picture!

Up Next: The ride that continues to scare me no matter how many times I ride it- Dinosaur!

 

[TanzUnited99]

Love your TT photo!

Thanks for the comparison of PP v the shot on your camera. We did not get PP this time round so it's nice to see the difference.

I'm glad you got to see Illuminations.

Oh no on the Continental phone lady spoiling your morning.

Wow at the AK mob and then the empty park shots at Dinoland - what a difference!

Love the EE photos! Brings back scary memories!

 

[PixieMama]

Your TT photo is hilarious! Not just you guys, but the kid in the back, too!

We did the same thing at AK... took the route through DinoLand to get to EE, instead of going through Asia. I agree, I don't think it's necessarily quicker, but the crowd is definitely thinner!

I think EE is my #1 WDW attraction. The detail in the queue is fabulous, and the ride itself is awesome!

 

[Leshaface]

I'm not sure how I missed your San Angel Inn update

Anyway, AWESOME updates! I love the TT picture of you two I like seeing pictures of people enjoying themselves on rides! This makes me wish I would have gotten a picture of us riding TT the very first time in 2008. We had shocking looks on our faces, since we didn't know what to expect. We looked genuinely freaked out

Ugh, why can't all customer reps be Disney Reps? They just make everything so much easier.

Bring on Dinosaur!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I always love doing silly things in ride photos! I think the kid in the middle seat in the back of your TT photo is actually texting....

Good idea cutting through Dinoland to get to EE. It's always my route of choice and it always works out. Glad you guys loved the ride. The back is a lot of fun on it. I think it makes the sensation of going backwards stronger.

 

[teekathepony]

I love doing Everest twice in a row! We did that last year with no wait too. Fun!
Love the pics of your walk through empty dino land!

 

[FosterA]

First of all, so sorry that the pesky hurricane had to cause you worry. ugh! I'm like that too, I get very nervous about stuff and worry way before it even happens.

Secondly, so cool that BF loved Test Track. That is one of the only major attractions I did not have time to do when I went to WDW so I'm really looking forward to it. I think my husband should really like it too!

Also....is the front row of EE really really cool? I might have to try to wait for the front and see. When I rode it back in Feb, I did single rider and sat next to a stranger so it was a little weird. I'm ready for a re-do!

Keep up with the report, you give great details!

 

[heathsf]

Love your TT photo!

Thanks for the comparison of PP v the shot on your camera. We did not get PP this time round so it's nice to see the difference.

I'm glad you got to see Illuminations.

Oh no on the Continental phone lady spoiling your morning.

Wow at the AK mob and then the empty park shots at Dinoland - what a difference!

Love the EE photos! Brings back scary memories!

I do feel that the PP package is really expensive (even with the pre-order discount), especially when the photographers will take the same pictures with my camera (for free!) but there really is a quality difference. It's also nice if you're traveling with a family (with kids) to have everyone in the picture together, I'm sure it's a real convenience.

Your TT photo is hilarious! Not just you guys, but the kid in the back, too!

We did the same thing at AK... took the route through DinoLand to get to EE, instead of going through Asia. I agree, I don't think it's necessarily quicker, but the crowd is definitely thinner!

I think EE is my #1 WDW attraction. The detail in the queue is fabulous, and the ride itself is awesome!

EE is such a perfect example of what makes WDW so spectacularly different than any other theme park!

I'm not sure how I missed your San Angel Inn update

Anyway, AWESOME updates! I love the TT picture of you two I like seeing pictures of people enjoying themselves on rides! This makes me wish I would have gotten a picture of us riding TT the very first time in 2008. We had shocking looks on our faces, since we didn't know what to expect. We looked genuinely freaked out

Ugh, why can't all customer reps be Disney Reps? They just make everything so much easier.

Bring on Dinosaur!

Once again - just another reason for you and DH to go back and get that ride photo on TT!! Although next time might be a bigger family trip

I always love doing silly things in ride photos! I think the kid in the middle seat in the back of your TT photo is actually texting....

Good idea cutting through Dinoland to get to EE. It's always my route of choice and it always works out. Glad you guys loved the ride. The back is a lot of fun on it. I think it makes the sensation of going backwards stronger.

I think you're right about sitting in the back on EE. The first time I rode in the back I really felt like we might have been upside-down in the dark. I know we weren't but that sensation was there.....

Love the pics of your walk through empty dino land!

Thanks! It was very cool to experience it that way.

First of all, so sorry that the pesky hurricane had to cause you worry. ugh! I'm like that too, I get very nervous about stuff and worry way before it even happens.

Secondly, so cool that BF loved Test Track. That is one of the only major attractions I did not have time to do when I went to WDW so I'm really looking forward to it. I think my husband should really like it too!

Also....is the front row of EE really really cool? I might have to try to wait for the front and see. When I rode it back in Feb, I did single rider and sat next to a stranger so it was a little weird. I'm ready for a re-do!

Keep up with the report, you give great details!

You and your whole family will love TT!

About EE, I rode it single-rider twice in February (there was no chance of getting my mom on it) and it really wasn't as fun. It's so much more enjoyable when you're experiencing it with someone. You will enjoy it SO much more when you ride with your family - no matter where you sit. However, if the wait for the front-row isn't long I would definitely ask for it. The views are spectacular - I promise you will think it was worth it!

 

[heathsf]

Monday, August 22 - Part 2

After riding EE twice we turned around and walked back the way we came, toward DinoLand USA. It was still very empty.

Our next stop would be Dinosaur which I have rode too many times to count yet it still terrifies me every single time. It's a fun kind of terrifying (or I wouldn't keep riding it) however I would think twice before taking young children on. To me, the dinosaurs are VERY realistic and Disney, of course, does a great job of immersing you in the ride experience. On the other hand, I don't think that most adults share my honestly-frightened feelings about the ride. My mom hates anything scary and that included movies and rides, yet she thought Dinosaur was very tame (although bumpy). She couldn't believe that I find it so scary. So maybe it's just me? Okay enough rambling about that... Back to the TR where BF was doing his best imitation of a T-Rex:

I don't remember what the posted wait time said, but it was a walk-on.

And here is the ride photo:

Upon analyzing this photo, I have come to the conclusion that the only genuinely scared reaction is mine. More evidence that it is just me. BF thought thought the ride was really fun although it was rough. He also commented that the dinosaurs looked "really cool" with the exception that he thought "they were kinda lazy with the pterodactyl." This made me laugh but I could definitely see his point. If you remember the pterodactyl on the ride, you'll probably agree as well. If not, keep an eye out for it next time.

After leaving DinoLand it was already so disgustingly hot out so we decided to ride Kali River Rapids. I had only been on it once before and that was over five years ago so I was excited to ride it again. However I was really concerned about our things getting soaked and especially concerned about my socks getting soaked after the blisters I acquired on our first day from wet socks. We stopped into a gift shop and asked for a plastic bag large enough for my backpack to fit into so we could use that for extra protection. Now that we were prepared, we were ready for the rapids. But first we walked to Africa to check out the status of Kilimanjaro Safari since I felt it was more of a priority than Kali. I, of course, snapped some pictures on the way. Animal Kingdom's theming is impeccable. No matter how many times I'm there, I can't get over what an amazing job they did creating "Africa" and "Asia." I don't remember if I read this fun fact or saw it on one of the Disney Parks DVDs, but every building/structure in Animal Kingdom was either brought over from one of the countries/cities that it is representing or is an exact replica (down to the cracks in the walls) of a building/structure that actually exists. How cool is that!?

It was 9:14 when we arrived at KS and the standby wait time was 30 minutes. However, the FP return time was 25 minutes in the future, at 9:39. This was a no-brainer. We grabbed the FP and headed to Kali. On our way we stopped for a bit so BF could enjoy some African percussion instruments.

The posted wait time at KRR was 20 minutes. I think we may have waited a little longer than that and oh-my-gosh was it hot. At this point I really did want to get soaked so we could cool down a bit, although I was still worrying about my socks. For a minute I thought maybe I would take my shoes off but I should have known better than to think that Disney would allow that:

Ultimately my solution was to just take my socks off, figuring that my sneakers would be able to dry much quicker without socks on. On an unrelated note, I felt like the queue was pretty boring until the very end just before boarding the raft.

When you're riding you really can't predict who is going to get wet and who is going to get soaked. The raft keeps turning as you move and it's just a matter of chance. BF and I hardly got wet at all which was a little disappointing but on the bright side, my feet stayed totally dry.

Up Next: Maharajah Jungle Trek & Flights of Wonder

 

[Leshaface]

I think there may be a tie for the most genuinely scared reaction on Dinosaur. That little girl with her hands over her ears/face looks pretty realistic. But because this is your TR, i'll give the first place to you!

And I must agree with you about the theming of this park. It seems that a lot of my photos from AK are all of the buildings. They are just too neat to NOT take pictures of.

 

[teekathepony]

DH and I were the two who got soaked on our Kali river ride! I love that it's so unpredictable.
I totally agree about the theming in AK. So incredible!
My cousin (26 years old) is genuinely afraid of Dinosaur, so you're not alone!

 

[IheartDDuck]

You're not the only one who is genuinely afraid of Dinosaur. A few of my friends actually refuse to go on it again.

You're right, the pterodactyl is kind of lazy. I've often thought that myself.

I tend to avoid Kali because of the whole getting soaked thing. I always have bad luck. I would understand your trepidation because of the wet sock / blister situation.

 

[TanzUnited99]

I am with you on Dinosaur being scary! Zaheer was the same as your DBF - I look terrified in our photo and am hiding behind him!

I love the theming of AK as well - it is so well done Oh no on staying dry on KRRs - that's no fun but like you said at least your feet stayed dry.

 

[Cin]

Oh! I Love the pictures of the buildings. They are so beautiful. Animal Kingdom is really a beautiful place and full of detail. I don't remember seeing/noticing all that when I was there, but I think my senses were just so overwhelmed with info that I missed a lot mostly in just trying to read the maps, signs, and navigate! This time it will be a different pace as we won't be riding the thrill stuff so there should be plenty of time to stop, look, and listen. And take lots and lots of pics!

 

[heathsf]

I think there may be a tie for the most genuinely scared reaction on Dinosaur. That little girl with her hands over her ears/face looks pretty realistic. But because this is your TR, i'll give the first place to you!

And I must agree with you about the theming of this park. It seems that a lot of my photos from AK are all of the buildings. They are just too neat to NOT take pictures of.

Thanks for giving me 1st place!

DH and I were the two who got soaked on our Kali river ride! I love that it's so unpredictable.
I totally agree about the theming in AK. So incredible!
My cousin (26 years old) is genuinely afraid of Dinosaur, so you're not alone!

Ha, that's funny - I'm also 26! The unpredictability of Kali does make it more interesting. You never know if/when you're going to get soaked! I was a little disappointed that we didn't get wetter because it was soooooo hot. On the other hand, I rode a similar ride at Six Flags a few years ago and got 100% SOAKED....and when the sun went down I was quite chilly. But that was in NJ - not in FL!

You're not the only one who is genuinely afraid of Dinosaur. A few of my friends actually refuse to go on it again.

You're right, the pterodactyl is kind of lazy. I've often thought that myself.

I tend to avoid Kali because of the whole getting soaked thing. I always have bad luck. I would understand your trepidation because of the wet sock / blister situation.

While Dinosaur does scare me, I do still enjoy it. Even if it does make my heart rate soar! And the getting-soaked factor has kept me away from Kali for years - it was just so hot that day... but we didn't really get wet anyway!

I am with you on Dinosaur being scary! Zaheer was the same as your DBF - I look terrified in our photo and am hiding behind him!

I love the theming of AK as well - it is so well done Oh no on staying dry on KRRs - that's no fun but like you said at least your feet stayed dry.

You're right about my feet. If they had gotten soaked I probably would've wished I stayed dry!

Oh! I Love the pictures of the buildings. They are so beautiful. Animal Kingdom is really a beautiful place and full of detail. I don't remember seeing/noticing all that when I was there, but I think my senses were just so overwhelmed with info that I missed a lot mostly in just trying to read the maps, signs, and navigate! This time it will be a different pace as we won't be riding the thrill stuff so there should be plenty of time to stop, look, and listen. And take lots and lots of pics!

Definitely stop, look, and listen - especially at AK! You will notice more next time. I notice new things every time I'm there. In fact, I can't wait to go back and notice more new things!

 

[heathsf]

Monday, August 22 - Part 3

After our not-so-wet trip on the Kali River, we decided to check out the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

I'm afraid that I failed in the picture department here. I have walked through this area a few times before and taken lots and lots of pictures but this time I really just wanted to enjoy it with my own eyes. So to make up for it, I will first post the pictures I took on this trip, and then I will post some pictures I took in February just to show how many very cool animals you can find here.

First up: the Bat House

This one's eating:

Have you ever seen such a fantastically detailed water fountain? The imagineers did an amazing job having it blend into the surroundings.

Hehe funny face - but I just love the atmosphere of the picture.

This is where we realized we still weren't wearing socks from Kali. So we stopped at this bench to put them back on. But that's not why I'm posting this picture I'm posting it because it doesn't look like an amusement park, does it? I think it looks like we might have actually been in a jungle in Asia.

Okay, back to tigers!

This tiger literally flopped over right after I took this picture and started rolling around in the grass like a cute little kitty cat. I don't usually post videos but I just had to make an exception for this one.


Beautifully elaborate bird feeders

Okay, that's all I took on this trip. I literally didn't take my camera out at all in the first area of the jungle trek. But here are just a few pictures from previous trips:

Pretty cool right? I recommend taking the time to walk through this beautiful area.

After exiting the jungle, we watched the monkeys play for a bit. They are so entertaining.

Another example of spectacular theming. (Are you sick of seeing these "attention-to-detail" pictures yet?) Notice the advertisement for Yak & Yeti.

Up Next: Flights of Wonder and Lunch

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

Great pictures!
We tried the Maharaja Jungle Trek for the first time on this past trip, and it was amazing!

 

[skidisney]

Great Pics!! Reminds me of my trips down to the World!!!