Dee and Kay were very happy to see this day come (Friday, November 30th) because...
1) AK was by far the park that Kay most wanted to experience
2) This was the day that they could "sleep in" as we didn't have early breakfast ADRs and it wasn't EMH
However, since the boys were up at the usual time, we were ready to go early and we made it to AK before it opened.
AK Christmas tree - just outside the park
We had a short wait for the gates to open and we walked somewhat leisurely through the Oasis.
The amazing Tree of Life
Ralphie and I had a plan for the start of this day. One person would take everyone's KTTW to get FastPasses for EE and meet the rest of the party at the Safari. I volunteered to get the FPs and Ralphie and I agreed on a meeting spot. I sped over to EE and got 5 FPs and made my way to the Safari. Now, I have been to AK multiple times, but I feel really unfamiliar with its layout. I had a map with me, but kept feeling like I was going the wrong way. I did stop a few times to make sure I was on track and was feeling a bit panicked that everyone would be waiting and waiting for me and would be getting upset that I was taking so long. Finally I made to to the Safari and our meeting spot and I was...alone. I waited a bit, but my family was no where to be found. I wondered if they had gone on the Safari without me because they got tired of waiting??? I moved closer to the Safari and scoured the crowd - no sign of them. I then headed back to our meeting spot and just stood there, unsure of what to do. I was there a good 10min when I finally saw our crew heading over the bridge. They hadn't even made it to the Safari area yet! I was not happy, but Ralphie looked even unhappier! He was furious because Kay and Dee were totally lagging behind, stopping to take a zillion pictures or just to look around despite knowing that I was expecting to meet them. I felt so put out by them - here I had been so worried about holding them up and they really could care less that I would be waiting and wondering there at the Safari.
We headed towards the Safari and realized that we had been beaten there by many, many other park guests. The posted wait was already 30min. So we ended up not even riding then and decided to head over to the first Lion King show of the day.
NOT a good start to the day.
We barely made it for the show - we had to dump our strollers with the CM and run into the show. Nemo LOVES this show. Dee and Kay actually took him to the Broadway production of Lion King when it was in Cleveland and he didn't stop talking about it for months! He especially loves the fire dancer.
Upon leaving the Lion King show, we decided to see Pocahontas and her forest friends. I don't think we have ever seen this....and we won't be seeing it again. The kids really couldn't see much from our seats and the actress playing Pocahontas was severely overacting, such that Nemo thought she was just weird.
After that, since we were totally thrown off our planned schedule, we just decided to head to EE to use our FPs.
Kay said that she would sit with the boys while Ralphie, Dee, and I rode.
With FPs, you really don't get to enjoy the queue - I'm not really complaining that we didn't wait, but we had seen a Travel Channel show where they talked about EE and all the cool stuff in the line. However, there also wasn't time for me to think twice about riding and to chicken out!
VERY quickly we were escorted into the last 2 cars of the train. Dee had decided that she would ride alone because she was afraid that she would scream so loud that she would deafen one of us! Actually, they put a single rider with Dee - a guy who laughed when she kept warning him that she was going to scream a lot!
I was glad that I got to ride with DH because I was NERVOUS...but he didn't make it any easier for me. As soon as we sat down and they checked our lap bars, Ralphie kept saying, "I CANNOT believe that you are riding this. I CANNOT believe it my mom is riding this!"
Shut up Ralphie!!!! I was shaking in my
Crocs!
Then we headed out and up the hill, meeting the twisted and destroyed track. I had watched an EE run on
YouTube before our trip and basically knew the sequence of events on the ride. However, that really doesn't prepare you for the FEELING of the ride. I LOVED it!!!
Especially the backwards/upwards spiral. The big hill wasn't a big deal for me this time, I think because it is so fast and smooth and curves at the end. When we exited the car, both Ralphie and Dee said that they felt a bit woozy from the backwards part but I was ready for round 2! We checked out our ride photo and Ralphie thought that it was so funny of Dee and I that he bought it for her.
Yes, I realize that my eyes are closed (again) going down this hill. Dee's too! However, I promise that they were wide open the 2nd time around
We headed out to Kay and the boys to switch up so she and I could ride. But, she didn't want to go on this one either
EE would be right up her alley, but no go... So, Ralphie and I rode again.
We all headed away from Everest and were excitedly talking about the ride. I said,"Wow that huge animatronic Yeti is so cool!"
Dee's response: "What Yeti?"
Ralph says,"Um, the huge hairy Yeti that swipes at the train at the end of the ride???"
She says, "Oh yeah, I saw that shadowy thing."
I said, "Dee, there is the shadow of the Yeti early in the ride. We're talking about the huge, hairy, red-eyed monster that reaches out to the train at the end. Didn't you see it?"
She just looked at us both, confused,"I didn't see anything like that." Um...guess her eyes were closed for longer than just the big hill, huh?
We skipped Kali as we didn't feel like getting all wet again after our Splash experience and headed down the Maharajah Jungle Trek.
The Komodo Dragon
Icky Bats
Beautiful Tigers
Continued....
My MIL is very much like yours. I remember one time I said, "Now, Mary, there's one jar of babyfood you don't need to give her. Do not give her banana--I think she may be having problems with it. We get home and the baby is just crying. And her reply: "I don't know what the problem is. I gave her the bananas
. Plus, he has recently experienced her lack of listening during times that he knows that it is really important for her to be listening - such as when she watches the boys and he is telling her exactly what to feed Bear and she can't repeat back to him what he has just told her. He is finally seeing what has been driving me nuts! We are taking a trip to Hawaii in May - just Ralphie and I (I am going for a conference and he will golf/relax). Nemo and Bear are going to stay with my parents for 4 days and then Dee for 5 days. He is starting to really worry about her ability to hear us when we give her the instructions. He is seriously considering a sit-down with her - but who knows if she would listen during something like that!
despite the restrictions on his diet, he is a huge eater and becoming one huge boy! I was hoping that he could wear it on our next trip!
