Cast of Characters:
Me, Lori, 36. Disney nut and compulsive planner. Starts planning the next trip before the last one is over.
DH, Craig, 37. Not as crazy about Disney as the rest of us, but has recently stated his intention to become a bass fishing excursion guide at Ft Wilderness when he retires. Im sure I can be talked into retiring to Orlando
DD, Jessica, 9. Also a Disney nut, needs to be talked into going on the big rides, but would discover that Rock n Rollercoaster was actually a FUN ride this trip. DD is part fish and will give the pool slides a workout.
DS, Ryan, 5. Loves Disney, but would happily spend his entire vacation in the pool. Also not the bravest child on the planet when it comes to rides, but loved Mission Space (go figure).
DSIL and DBIL, 30-somethings (technically DBIL just turned 40, but close enough). Big Disney fans, recently purchased DVC points at Saratoga Springs, so this will be their last non-villa Disney stay.
Day 2, Saturday May 8th
We had called the night before to request that luggage services pick up our bags at 8am to transfer them to the Polynesian for us. They were there spot on time, and promised that our luggage would appear at the Poly between 3 and 5PM. This was perfect for us, as that was about when we had planned to check in.
Bags taken care of, we headed for Animal Kingdom. We took the rental van rather than the bus since we would need to move the van to the Polynesian anyway. DSIL had bought her park hoppers from AAA, but accidentally sent the diamond parking pass that came with them off in the checked luggage. So no close parking for us today. Fortunately we were early enough that there were only a few rows of cars there. We actually made it to the gates before opening and had time to go buy a Pal Mickey from the gift shop outside the gates. DD would end up wearing Mickey on the clip on her fanny pack all week. She got a kick out of him, and he had some interesting things to point out, especially in Animal Kingdom and EPCOT. We didnt find him to be quite as clever in the Magic Kingdom, but that may be because we know that park like the back of our hands. And by the time we got to MGM we were rather tired of listening to him, and we tended to ignore him, the poor thing.
We were let in the turnstiles a few minutes before 9, and we got to see the opening ceremony with the character bus and Mickey on the cherry picker near the Tree of Life. We headed right for the safari, which already had a 20 minute wait when we got there, so we grabbed fast passes and headed to the Tusker House, where we had a breakfast of very large, very delicious cinnamon rolls. We watched the African drummers for a bit afterward, and then it was time for our safari. We will use this grab a fast pass and get breakfast strategy on future trips to the AK! There were a lot of animals out this time. The highlights were getting to see the baby elephant and seeing the male lion walking around on his rock.
We headed over to Asia next. Somehow we never made it to this continent on our previous trip, presumably because it was too cold to get wet and I wasnt that enthused about seeing a bird show. But I had heard good things about the Flights of Wonder show since then, so we checked that out first. The kids really enjoyed this. One of the birds went right over our heads and DD was just cracking up at the singing parrot. We wont skip this next time. For a bird show, it is really very good.
We got FPs to Kali River Rapids, and walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek while we waited. The kids were impressed by the size of the bats. This was also migratory bird day (I wonder how they let the birds know that?) so the kids got their wingspans measured and stood in front of the silhouette of the bird closest to their wingspan. The kids couldnt be talked into doing Kali River Rapids (something I will never understand, given their affinity for water parks and the pool!), so DSIL and I were the only ones to ride it. I managed to stay pretty dry for the whole ride, only to get squirted by one of those darn elephants at the end. It was a hot day though, so it felt pretty good and we dried fast.
We were feeling a bit hungry at this point, so we decided to try the Flametree Barbeque for lunch. We got some ribs and BBQ chicken. DD normally loves ribs, but had a bit of trouble with these, so she ended up eating just the corn on the cob. I thought the ribs were pretty good, if a bit tough. DS had the mini hot dogs. I eventually lost track of how many hot dogs this boy ate in a week. It was not a small number. Macaroni and cheese would come in a close second.
After lunch, we decided to visit Dinoland. We knew Dinosaur would be down for rehab, but the kids really liked the Boneyard the last trip, and wanted to go back. We took a quick Triceratops Spin first (with no wait) and then let the kids loose in the Boneyard. On a trip to the rest room, DD and I caught a very funny juggling act right in front of Triceratops called Dip, Splat & Smear. When the kids were done in the Boneyard (or when the adults were about to pass out from the heat boy is that place hot), we decided to catch the Festival of the Lion King on the way out. We always enjoy this show, though the woman that plays the bird didnt hang from a wire this time. She just danced on the ground. We thought that was odd and actually rather boring the kids got a bit antsy during this part of the routine. Maybe shes a bird-in-training and isnt ready for the wire yet?
Am I boring everyone yet? this is much longer than I expected it to be
If you are still with me wed had enough of Animal Kingdom and it was close to check in time, so we headed over the Polynesian. We self-parked (nice and close at this hotel) and went to check in. We had two rooms reserved, and I had requested that they be close together (not necessarily adjoining I like my BIL and SIL, but didnt feel compelled to share living space) and preferably in Tokelau. We werent able to get Tokelau; we got adjoining rooms in Tahiti instead. We found this location to be much too far away from all the activity (the main pool, the snack bar, etc.) but very nice for access to the Ticket and Transportation Center, which was right down a short path. We took the monorail from there every time instead of walking to the Great Ceremonial House.
We found our rooms and had some problems with our keys. All 6 keys were supposed be coded for both rooms, but they only opened one door. Had to trek back up to the front desk to get them fixed. The guy at guest services couldnt figure out how to make the keys open both doors, and ended up coding 3 keys for one room and 3 for another. That works for us. By the time I got back with the new keys, luggage services had brought our bags up (it was around 4PM, so they were delivered between 3 and 5 as promised!). We unpacked a few things, just until we located bathing suits, and then headed for the pool. We had a 5:50 PS at Liberty Tree Tavern, which everyone voted to cancel in favor of more swimming.
After cooling off in the pool for an hour or two, we were left without dinner plans, so tried out Captain Cooks. It wasnt Liberty Tree, but the burgers and mac n cheese at least filled us up. We dropped our newly-purchased refillable mugs off at the room and caught the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Being so far away from the main building, Im not sure we really got our moneys worth out of those mugs, but they make nice souvenirs.
Spectromagic was scheduled for two showings this night, and the only other night it was showing was Tuesday, so we planned to see the late parade. We thought we could do some rides with minimal lines during the parade, but that wasnt the case. Magic Kingdom was mobbed. I know, never do Magic Kingdom on Saturday. I can see why. We did manage to ride Space Mountain and Buzz using fast passes, and get on the Indy cars (with the usual endless, noisy wait I hate this ride), the Carousel of Progress (now heres one I like, though no one will let me sing along), and the TTA in between fast pass times.
We found a spot on the Tomorrowland bridge for Wishes. Love this new fireworks show. The previous show that was still showing on our last trip I thought was kind of pitiful for Disney. The view from the bridge was pretty good, although the fireworks are not centered over the castle here.
After Wishes, we parked ourselves on the curb at the top of the hub for Spectromagic. We were happy to see a lot of people leaving. The kids entertained themselves and the people around us with a light saber battle in the street. Crowds for the second parade were pretty minimal. There was no one between us on the curb and the people on the benches behind us. Spectromagic is one of my favorites, so I really enjoyed it.
It was a long first day, so were asleep quickly when we got back to the hotel.
Up tomorrow: Mothers Day in EPCOT
Me, Lori, 36. Disney nut and compulsive planner. Starts planning the next trip before the last one is over.
DH, Craig, 37. Not as crazy about Disney as the rest of us, but has recently stated his intention to become a bass fishing excursion guide at Ft Wilderness when he retires. Im sure I can be talked into retiring to Orlando
DD, Jessica, 9. Also a Disney nut, needs to be talked into going on the big rides, but would discover that Rock n Rollercoaster was actually a FUN ride this trip. DD is part fish and will give the pool slides a workout.
DS, Ryan, 5. Loves Disney, but would happily spend his entire vacation in the pool. Also not the bravest child on the planet when it comes to rides, but loved Mission Space (go figure).
DSIL and DBIL, 30-somethings (technically DBIL just turned 40, but close enough). Big Disney fans, recently purchased DVC points at Saratoga Springs, so this will be their last non-villa Disney stay.
Day 2, Saturday May 8th
We had called the night before to request that luggage services pick up our bags at 8am to transfer them to the Polynesian for us. They were there spot on time, and promised that our luggage would appear at the Poly between 3 and 5PM. This was perfect for us, as that was about when we had planned to check in.
Bags taken care of, we headed for Animal Kingdom. We took the rental van rather than the bus since we would need to move the van to the Polynesian anyway. DSIL had bought her park hoppers from AAA, but accidentally sent the diamond parking pass that came with them off in the checked luggage. So no close parking for us today. Fortunately we were early enough that there were only a few rows of cars there. We actually made it to the gates before opening and had time to go buy a Pal Mickey from the gift shop outside the gates. DD would end up wearing Mickey on the clip on her fanny pack all week. She got a kick out of him, and he had some interesting things to point out, especially in Animal Kingdom and EPCOT. We didnt find him to be quite as clever in the Magic Kingdom, but that may be because we know that park like the back of our hands. And by the time we got to MGM we were rather tired of listening to him, and we tended to ignore him, the poor thing.
We were let in the turnstiles a few minutes before 9, and we got to see the opening ceremony with the character bus and Mickey on the cherry picker near the Tree of Life. We headed right for the safari, which already had a 20 minute wait when we got there, so we grabbed fast passes and headed to the Tusker House, where we had a breakfast of very large, very delicious cinnamon rolls. We watched the African drummers for a bit afterward, and then it was time for our safari. We will use this grab a fast pass and get breakfast strategy on future trips to the AK! There were a lot of animals out this time. The highlights were getting to see the baby elephant and seeing the male lion walking around on his rock.
We headed over to Asia next. Somehow we never made it to this continent on our previous trip, presumably because it was too cold to get wet and I wasnt that enthused about seeing a bird show. But I had heard good things about the Flights of Wonder show since then, so we checked that out first. The kids really enjoyed this. One of the birds went right over our heads and DD was just cracking up at the singing parrot. We wont skip this next time. For a bird show, it is really very good.
We got FPs to Kali River Rapids, and walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek while we waited. The kids were impressed by the size of the bats. This was also migratory bird day (I wonder how they let the birds know that?) so the kids got their wingspans measured and stood in front of the silhouette of the bird closest to their wingspan. The kids couldnt be talked into doing Kali River Rapids (something I will never understand, given their affinity for water parks and the pool!), so DSIL and I were the only ones to ride it. I managed to stay pretty dry for the whole ride, only to get squirted by one of those darn elephants at the end. It was a hot day though, so it felt pretty good and we dried fast.
We were feeling a bit hungry at this point, so we decided to try the Flametree Barbeque for lunch. We got some ribs and BBQ chicken. DD normally loves ribs, but had a bit of trouble with these, so she ended up eating just the corn on the cob. I thought the ribs were pretty good, if a bit tough. DS had the mini hot dogs. I eventually lost track of how many hot dogs this boy ate in a week. It was not a small number. Macaroni and cheese would come in a close second.
After lunch, we decided to visit Dinoland. We knew Dinosaur would be down for rehab, but the kids really liked the Boneyard the last trip, and wanted to go back. We took a quick Triceratops Spin first (with no wait) and then let the kids loose in the Boneyard. On a trip to the rest room, DD and I caught a very funny juggling act right in front of Triceratops called Dip, Splat & Smear. When the kids were done in the Boneyard (or when the adults were about to pass out from the heat boy is that place hot), we decided to catch the Festival of the Lion King on the way out. We always enjoy this show, though the woman that plays the bird didnt hang from a wire this time. She just danced on the ground. We thought that was odd and actually rather boring the kids got a bit antsy during this part of the routine. Maybe shes a bird-in-training and isnt ready for the wire yet?
Am I boring everyone yet? this is much longer than I expected it to be
If you are still with me wed had enough of Animal Kingdom and it was close to check in time, so we headed over the Polynesian. We self-parked (nice and close at this hotel) and went to check in. We had two rooms reserved, and I had requested that they be close together (not necessarily adjoining I like my BIL and SIL, but didnt feel compelled to share living space) and preferably in Tokelau. We werent able to get Tokelau; we got adjoining rooms in Tahiti instead. We found this location to be much too far away from all the activity (the main pool, the snack bar, etc.) but very nice for access to the Ticket and Transportation Center, which was right down a short path. We took the monorail from there every time instead of walking to the Great Ceremonial House.
We found our rooms and had some problems with our keys. All 6 keys were supposed be coded for both rooms, but they only opened one door. Had to trek back up to the front desk to get them fixed. The guy at guest services couldnt figure out how to make the keys open both doors, and ended up coding 3 keys for one room and 3 for another. That works for us. By the time I got back with the new keys, luggage services had brought our bags up (it was around 4PM, so they were delivered between 3 and 5 as promised!). We unpacked a few things, just until we located bathing suits, and then headed for the pool. We had a 5:50 PS at Liberty Tree Tavern, which everyone voted to cancel in favor of more swimming.
After cooling off in the pool for an hour or two, we were left without dinner plans, so tried out Captain Cooks. It wasnt Liberty Tree, but the burgers and mac n cheese at least filled us up. We dropped our newly-purchased refillable mugs off at the room and caught the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Being so far away from the main building, Im not sure we really got our moneys worth out of those mugs, but they make nice souvenirs.
Spectromagic was scheduled for two showings this night, and the only other night it was showing was Tuesday, so we planned to see the late parade. We thought we could do some rides with minimal lines during the parade, but that wasnt the case. Magic Kingdom was mobbed. I know, never do Magic Kingdom on Saturday. I can see why. We did manage to ride Space Mountain and Buzz using fast passes, and get on the Indy cars (with the usual endless, noisy wait I hate this ride), the Carousel of Progress (now heres one I like, though no one will let me sing along), and the TTA in between fast pass times.
We found a spot on the Tomorrowland bridge for Wishes. Love this new fireworks show. The previous show that was still showing on our last trip I thought was kind of pitiful for Disney. The view from the bridge was pretty good, although the fireworks are not centered over the castle here.
After Wishes, we parked ourselves on the curb at the top of the hub for Spectromagic. We were happy to see a lot of people leaving. The kids entertained themselves and the people around us with a light saber battle in the street. Crowds for the second parade were pretty minimal. There was no one between us on the curb and the people on the benches behind us. Spectromagic is one of my favorites, so I really enjoyed it.
It was a long first day, so were asleep quickly when we got back to the hotel.
Up tomorrow: Mothers Day in EPCOT
