May 2011: The Year of Surprises! [TR]

[Kat in GA]

All caught up -- and joining in way late!

Let's see...

• 
  We have been to biergarten once - and just loved it. The kids had a great time dancing and listening and eating!
  
  I love that you met up with some WoW friends. I have so many friends that I have met through blogging - love when computer friends become IRL friends!
  
  The Pirates league looked amazing! I know my girls have outgrown BBB - but I wonder if this might be enticing?! I actually saw the pirate polish when I was at ULTA last week - but I prefer darker shades.
  
  My younger daughter is a whiner too. And some of our trips - wow - she has won the prize. I would just tell them that there is no whining, crying or complaining allowed at Disney It seemed to stop her for a moment anyway!

Well...I am looking forward to hearing about the last of your trip!

 

[lovethattink]

I'm glad you discovered the trails. They are really nice! Awesome you got to see the little monkey!

Funny about dh's shirt and your ds and Tinker Bell!

I know what you mean about the heat and eating! I am such a prissy girly girl that we don't eat outdoors unless it's in the 70's and I can enjoy my food without sweating up a storm! My husband doesn't like eating outdoors, but not for the same reason. So the kids think it's great when we actually do.

 

[Lidian]

All caught up -- and joining in way late!

Let's see...

• 
  We have been to biergarten once - and just loved it. The kids had a great time dancing and listening and eating!
  
  I love that you met up with some WoW friends. I have so many friends that I have met through blogging - love when computer friends become IRL friends!
  
  The Pirates league looked amazing! I know my girls have outgrown BBB - but I wonder if this might be enticing?! I actually saw the pirate polish when I was at ULTA last week - but I prefer darker shades.
  
  My younger daughter is a whiner too. And some of our trips - wow - she has won the prize. I would just tell them that there is no whining, crying or complaining allowed at Disney It seemed to stop her for a moment anyway!

Well...I am looking forward to hearing about the last of your trip!

I would love to go back to Biergarten. Upon reviewing my next trip, its weighing pretty high as an ADR.

We loved TPL! If your girls love pirates, I think they might love the TPL!

I've used the "no ___ at WDW" and it doesn't work for my family. I even tell them Uncle Walt is watching and he's not happy. I let them know that Uncle Walt tells Mickey everything. Nothing works.

Grats on your 1 day until your Year of Disney! That's amazing! I'll have to pop over to your PTR to see what that's all about!

I'm glad you discovered the trails. They are really nice! Awesome you got to see the little monkey!

Funny about dh's shirt and your ds and Tinker Bell!

I know what you mean about the heat and eating! I am such a prissy girly girl that we don't eat outdoors unless it's in the 70's and I can enjoy my food without sweating up a storm! My husband doesn't like eating outdoors, but not for the same reason. So the kids think it's great when we actually do.

I highly enjoyed the trail, and look forward to seeing it again next year!

DH just went along with it. He never thought that shirt would draw attention to him, otherwise, he may not have worn it. I was kind of shocked that DS didn't flirt with the Princesses .... guess he just has eyes for Tink.

And yes, I hear you. I don't want to sweat into my food. I couldn't do the Aloha show last year, because I was afraid of the weather - what if its too hot? It rains? I didn't want to be miserable while trying to enjoy the food/show. And if it got cancelled, then I was out 2 TS credits.

 

[Lidian]

We left off having lunch at FTBBQ - where we enjoyed being off our feet and chatting with each other.

Since we had taken our time getting out EE FPs and eating lunch, our EE FP said we could get another FP at 12:35pm. We decided we'd get KS FPs again to use later. When I got to the machine (the CMs were gone, but still only had 3 machines running), it wouldn't let me get another ticket. It was after 12:35 (I think 12:37). And here's my proof:

Yup, my original ticket lied to me. So we had to stand there like idiots for a couple more minutes. Mixed with the heat and depression on it being late in our trip, I was pretty livid over the incorrect information. Yes, it was just a few minute wait, but it was uncalled for.

After waiting it out, we finally got 4 more FPs for KS to use later. We decided to use our single Safari FP ticket. When I showed it to the CM, I half expected to be turned away - if you recall earlier, a CM used one ticket and gave us one FP and wrote that it was good for 4 guests. The CM let us through, but said it was only because Superman was with us. We walked about 10 steps and stopped ......

Wait a minute ... really? I'm not sure what was going on ... but I have never seen the FP have a serious line. When we finally saw the regular line, I honestly believe the wait was shorter there. I truly don't understand it ... but we did have about a 25 minute wait in the FP line for the Safari. At this point, I'm struggling to keep a happy face on. I want to SCREAM! I'm hot, my feet are in massive pain, my legs are cramping, and we keep having to wait - even though I planned for little to no waiting. Yes, I'm whining and ranting, but I was seriously just over it. It was 1pm and we've only walked a trail and been to Rafiki's.

When we went to board, I was a bit confused. We were pulled out of the normal line and boarded on a hidden-like bus. (I think it was a handicap-access bus?) Our driver was AWESOME! This is a ride you can usually enjoy (if animals cooperate) with the worst of the drivers. So we were in for a double treat!

Did they change the trail? Because for most of the two-week journey, it felt like something was different, like we were going through the trail a different way - but only up to a certain point. To be honest, at one point, I felt like we were touring it backwards. But my memory isn't what it used to be ... so maybe not. I could probably compare videos.

I recorded our experience, and afterwards, realized I had the camera, too. So no pictures of our KS adventure. We did see lots of animals. I had never seen a giraffe before, and we saw 2! We also saw 3 cheetahs - which I had never seen before either. The lioness was in her usual spot. With our two-week journey cut short ... we left the ride. I was in a MUCH better mood at this point. We decide to head to Finding Nemo ... but first ....

DIVINE! HUZZAH! I've searched for her for the past two years, and then stumble upon her by chance! I pulled out my video recorder, and instead of handing the camera to DH, I was multi-tasking. I don't know why, so don't ask. I guess I like to complicate things? Anyway, here's a few shots of DiVine (see if you can spot her - she's honestly in each picture) :

Here she is crossing the street ...

We didn't stay for her entire set, we were on a mission. DH knew how much I wanted to see her, so when I put the cameras away and started to walk off, he said that I could stay and watch if I wanted - we could skip something else if time was a factor. Awww, he was thinking about me! I told him that I wanted to see her, I saw her, and now I'm ready to move on. I may have stayed longer, but she was just doing the same thing over and over, so it got bland.

On our way to Nemo ... I saw a PP Photographer. She was the only one who asked me for MY camera as well. She wasn't doing anything, so I approached her and asked if she would take our picture. I'll confess, I absolutely LOVE DS's expressions in these pictures.

We arrive in time to watch Finding Nemo, the 2pm show. Again, no pictures, but I do recall being surrounded by the Rude Teenager convention. As usual, we loved the show. I'm glad we didn't skip out on it - it's truly at MUST see show! After Nemo, we decided to explore DinoLand. We had never explored it. We found the KDC - it was the same CM from the Pangani trail one! She played with the kids for a bit, talked about the croc that was across the street (I didn't believe her, but we did go visit the croc). I asked DH if he wanted to ride Dinosaur. DD would ride with him and I'd take DS to the playground. DH saw the wait was 15 minutes and decided to bypass it. DD was a bit upset, but she knew we'd ride EE twice later, so she perked back up.

We decided to find the rest of the KDCs and made our way to the one at Discovery Island. A CM flagged DH down and thanked him for taking time out of his busy day to join us (as Superman, yet again). Another CM stopped DH as well and commented on Superman joining us all at AK. Throughout the day, several CM's announced that Superman was visiting AK, so everyone would look around until they found DH and then stare. It was great the attention DH was getting ... but at this point, he was feeling embarrassed and I think he was regretting the shirt.

We arrive at Discovery Island, but... the parade was ready to start, so we were ushered into a store (we were actually be ushered out of the park). I asked a CM in the store and she told me we were heading in the opposite direction. I pointed out that I wasn't given an option of which direction to head. She said to tell the CMs marking the parade where you are going and that you need to pass. I went back to the CM who was ushering us out of the park and showed him the map. He let us pass. We wandered around aimlessly trying to find the KDC. At this point, I was lost. So I asked another CM. At this point, DH had found it. I honestly don't recall what this KDC was about, as I walked away. They had bugs in containers, and I just can't handle that.

Once they were finished, we realized we were trapped on Discovery Island until the parade was over. We made our way to the main road and let the kids watch what was left of the parade, and we followed behind it to Asia.

It was time for EE and then EE.

I handed our belongings to DH and DD and I hopped the FP line for EE. We had about a 10 minute wait for the first one. And we were behind some very gassy people.

After we ride, we hop back in line to use our 2nd set of FPs. We had almost no wait this time around. After we exit the train, we were walking through the gift shop when I saw DH and DS. They asked if I was getting back in line for the 2nd time, and I said we were done. We start to leave the gift shop when DD realizes she forgot her hat. She had stuck it in the net and forgot about it on the 2nd ride. I asked the nearest CM where we could go check to see if someone had turned it in. He directed us back out to the platform where we were let off the train. I stood at the doorway and flagged down one of the CMs. Let me just say, he was the RUDEST CM I have EVER met. He yelled at me for being on the platform. Wait a minute, I was in the doorway, not on the platform. Plus, I saw the safety line 10+ feet away. I don't know what his problem was, but I refused to budge. I told him that my DD had left her hat on the ride and was wondering if he found it (since I saw him checking the nets). He acted like I was retarded for asking HIM. Seriously? You're going to be a jerk? He said I needed to talk to the ladies in pink and acted like I was a moron for not knowing that. Why would I talk to them? They're just handing out cards with your picture number on it. So I complied - and immediately let the lady in pink know how much of a jack___ that guy was. She apologized for his behaviour and asked DD what her hat looked like. She came back with her hat, and gave her a sticker. She also apologized again. I do hope she told her manager about that jerk. Anyway ...

DS did tell me he'll ride EE with me when he turns 13. He said he'll be all grown up by then and can ride. And this is also where I found out why he has a fear of "trains". All along, he's been scared of the yeti on EE, and has thought that the yeti was on all trains. He could have ridden BTMRR if I had known it was a yeti he was afraid of.

Speaking of the yeti ... I did catch a glimpse of him this year. DD didn't see him the first ride, but knew where to look the 2nd ride. He wasn't moving, just the strobe lights.

Hat in tow, we make our way around Asia and stop at the KDC. DS was a bit apprehensive about this one, since it was dealing with sounds. He kept his fingers in his ears. The CM tried to reason with DS, but the more the CM talked to DS, the closer DS got to me until he was in my lap. I reassured DS that there wasn't any loud noises. He did eventually go stand next to his sister, but never pulled his fingers out of his ears until we were a good ways away from the KDC.

So that's 5 KDCs down, 1 to go! WOOT! We decided to head over to Camp Minnie-Mickey for the 4:45 showing of FotLK and to get the remaining KDC.

Both kids participated in the final KDC. When the CM saw it was their last stamps, she asked for the other CM to come over as well. They pulled out booklets for the kids and performed a cute little ceremony for gathering all the stamps. (Sorry I didn't get video or pictures, I'm really kicking myself.) After the ceremony, they gave them the Rafiki Ya Wanyama stamp. They explained what it meant, and had to take an oath to be a friend to all animals. All the kids around were jealous! Several had a temper tantrum when they couldn't get the Rafiki stamp, but the CMs explained to the other kids that they could get one after they finished all their stamps. I felt bad for those kids (and their parents), but we worked hard for our ceremony and the activities took 5 minutes or less to complete. We never went out of our way to get a stamp (well, not technically, we were in each area, just had to check for the KDC station).

After our stamps, I checked out the lines for the characters. LOOOOONG. So we used the restroom and hopped in line for FotLK. We were near the front, so we tried to keep ourselves entertained as best as possible since we had about a 30 minute wait before the doors would open.

Once the doors opened, we were sat in the giraffe section on the first non-handicap row - nearest the aisle.

And ... I think I'll stop here. Stay tuned next time for: DS is perfect - Timon says so!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Yuck to the gassy people in line and the rude CM.

Too funny about all the attention your DH got for his shirt.

 

[mtgirl29]

Been missing you, Miss Lidian! I am glad to see you are back and cannot wait to read your next installment! Lovin' all your pics! It makes me want to go back right NOW! I am getting ready to run to WM and then I will settle in for a wonderful read! CANNOT WAIT!

 

[KatMark]

Way to go on getting the Rafiki stamp, kids.

I have never seen a FP line longer than the standby line at the Safari...that is so odd.

Glad you and DD got to do EE twice. Tell DS he can sit out with me...I'm not doing it anymore.

Great photopass pictures of you, DS, DD and Superman.

 

[mrssmith06]

Ok Ok, forgive me, but what is a KDC??? Is this kind of like doing the passports in Epcot? Apparently I didn't know they did anything like that in AK! I know my kids would love it, they enjoyed their Epcot passports so it's something we will have to do in AK next time!!!

How funny about FotLK, because when we went we also sat in the giraffe section, 1st non handicap seat nearest the aisle!!!

That's so funny about your DH and his superman shirt

 

[Lidian]

Yuck to the gassy people in line and the rude CM.

Too funny about all the attention your DH got for his shirt.

Yuck is right!

I was loving it .. DH... not so much after awhile.

Been missing you, Miss Lidian! I am glad to see you are back and cannot wait to read your next installment! Lovin' all your pics! It makes me want to go back right NOW! I am getting ready to run to WM and then I will settle in for a wonderful read! CANNOT WAIT!

Sorry Miss TK. Real life jumped at me and I had to tame it. But things should be pretty smooth sailing for now. Are you guys going to see Cars 2 this weekend? (Well, anyone for that matter.) Our drive in is showing it this weekend (along with Green Lantern - who DS thinks is starring DD's teacher ). I think we might go tonight.

What are you going to buy me at WM? And on your way to WDW, stop and pick me up, mkay? I'm totally ready to go back!!!

Way to go on getting the Rafiki stamp, kids.

I have never seen a FP line longer than the standby line at the Safari...that is so odd.

Glad you and DD got to do EE twice. Tell DS he can sit out with me...I'm not doing it anymore.

Great photopass pictures of you, DS, DD and Superman.

Thanks, Kathy! They were soo proud of their membership cards and for collecting them all. We tried last year, but only found two places (I didn't know it was marked on the map!).

I had never seen it longer either! The line was backed all the way up to the exit - we seriously hopped line and as soon as it turns around the bush, we stopped. If I had known it was that long, we would have tried later. But it was worth it - we had a great driver!

Sorry that you aren't doing EE anymore. DD and I absolutely love it. DS says he'll ride it when he's 13 ... so he can sit with you until then.

Thanks for the compliment. So much DH didn't tell me before we got married... first part Turtle, now Superman? Sheesh!

 

[Lidian]

Ok Ok, forgive me, but what is a KDC??? Is this kind of like doing the passports in Epcot? Apparently I didn't know they did anything like that in AK! I know my kids would love it, they enjoyed their Epcot passports so it's something we will have to do in AK next time!!!

How funny about FotLK, because when we went we also sat in the giraffe section, 1st non handicap seat nearest the aisle!!!

That's so funny about your DH and his superman shirt

KDC = Kid's Discovery Club.

And ... maybe. Never done Passports in EP ... but they have 6 stations (one in each area of the park) and they kids do an activity to learn about animals, their habitats, etc. Once they finish the activity, they get a stamp. If they get all 6 stamps, they get the Rafiki Ya Wanyama stamp. They get a card (that folds) to collect their stamps on and its their official "membership card". I'll get a picture of it for you.

I meant to do the Passport thing this year, but ended up forgetting about it, which was okay, because we wouldn't have finished. We never made it to the UK side of WSC.

That's funny that you guys had the same seating as us!

Totally loved the Superman antics all day.

Here's pics, sorry they are blurry, took them with my phone.

There's a space for the kids to write their name and the date.

Each activity took 5 minutes or less to complete - and I can tell you what they all are (except Discovery Island - since I didn't stick around when I saw bugs). But I didn't want to spoil it for anyone who wishes to discover it on their own.

 

[Kat in GA]

Ugh for the rude CM. I just had a friend return and say they had problems with rudeness, too. I hope these are just isolated incidents.

We have never looked for the KDC - we might have to do that - but then again, it sounds like a "hot" chore. Maybe we'll do it when we go again in November!

 

[Lidian]

Ugh for the rude CM. I just had a friend return and say they had problems with rudeness, too. I hope these are just isolated incidents.

We have never looked for the KDC - we might have to do that - but then again, it sounds like a "hot" chore. Maybe we'll do it when we go again in November!

It really wasn't bad - we only went out of our way for Discovery Island (and was thankful we did - we didn't know there were exhibits there!!). So if you plan to be in each of the areas, its totally worth doing. Most of the centers were shaded, and I even sat down at some of them. They weren't off any beaten paths or anything. I think Africa and Discovery Island were the only ones not shaded - but then again, I think the Africa and DI one was shaded with trees. It wasn't overly hot at either place. I know the other ones were under "carport-like" centers.

Overall, we encountered more magical CMs than rude ones ... But I do say, the rude ones were just extra rude. Especially since we were doing exactly what the CM inside told us to do ... and we stood in the doorway so that it didn't look like we were trying to sneak back on the ride or get near the safety zone or anything. Oh well. Hopefully the lady in pink did something about it ... even if it was give the guy some water and a chill pill.

 

[mrssmith06]

OH YEAH!! We did get one of those cards but it was in Rafiki's planet watch where they try to identify bugs and animals in the grassy area, and that was our last stop in the park I remember not knowing what it was and never really had a chance to read it, so I guess our kids only got 1 stamp LOL. I'll have to remember this for next trip!

 

[mtgirl29]

Did you ever find out if KS was different this time around? I totally know what you are talking about with the rude teenagers....ugggghhh!
I absolutely love your family pic in front of the Tree of Life!!! DS does have an adorable look on his face.
So funny about DH and his Superman shirt. It sounds like a lot of the CMs were very playful that day.
GROSS! About the gassy people. I noticed that there was some stinky funk a couple of times we were waiting for various rides, too.
We actually got DS on EE this year!!! He only rode it once, because that is what we requested, that he ride each ride (that he was tall enough to ride) at least once and if he didn't enjoy it he wouldn't have to ride it again on that trip. I guess he didn't enjoy it, because when we asked him if he wanted to ride again, he declined... (If that is not a run-on sentence...wow!)
I really enjoyed hearing about all your adventures, since we got rained out on our AK day, we didn't do much there. Thanks for sharing!!!

As for WM we had to get basics....body wash, shampoo, dog food....etc.
So glad you are back and hope it wasn't anything too daunting in your everyday life.

 

[lbuzz52]

Well I read your update and before I could comment my dear son decided to climb in the pantry and see how much ketchup he could fit in his belly button needless to say, that's one child who did not earn staying up late tonight. An I've forgotten some of what I wanted to comment on.

I can't believe you got hit by gas and rude cm's at the same ride. That's too cute though that your ds says 13 is all grown up. He must think we are ancient

great job with the kid stops. Are theyvsomewhat hidden? The only one we noticed was at RPW

 

[PixieMama]

We've never done the KDC stops... my oldest says AK is her favorite park, so maybe we'll have to make sure to do that on our next trip!

 

[Lidian]

OH YEAH!! We did get one of those cards but it was in Rafiki's planet watch where they try to identify bugs and animals in the grassy area, and that was our last stop in the park I remember not knowing what it was and never really had a chance to read it, so I guess our kids only got 1 stamp LOL. I'll have to remember this for next trip!

Totally try it next trip. And that's kind of how it was for us last time. We got the card at Rafiki's and then forgot about it.

Did you ever find out if KS was different this time around? I totally know what you are talking about with the rude teenagers....ugggghhh!
I absolutely love your family pic in front of the Tree of Life!!! DS does have an adorable look on his face.
So funny about DH and his Superman shirt. It sounds like a lot of the CMs were very playful that day.
GROSS! About the gassy people. I noticed that there was some stinky funk a couple of times we were waiting for various rides, too.
We actually got DS on EE this year!!! He only rode it once, because that is what we requested, that he ride each ride (that he was tall enough to ride) at least once and if he didn't enjoy it he wouldn't have to ride it again on that trip. I guess he didn't enjoy it, because when we asked him if he wanted to ride again, he declined... (If that is not a run-on sentence...wow!)
I really enjoyed hearing about all your adventures, since we got rained out on our AK day, we didn't do much there. Thanks for sharing!!!

As for WM we had to get basics....body wash, shampoo, dog food....etc.
So glad you are back and hope it wasn't anything too daunting in your everyday life.

I haven't compared the videos - no time lately.

Thanks for the compliment! DS's face was ... I dunno, but it was hilarious! We have some great PP pics where DS is like ... "not again!"

I loved how playful the CMs were with DH's Superman shirt. It was great and really helped me keep my cool that day.

I'm so jealous that you got Jay on EE! I wanted DS to try everything once, and a few rides we did force him on (with much coaxing). I think he would have been fine if he would have given the rides a chance, but I didn't push the "scary" ones. I did push the non-scary ones though. Maybe next year he'll ride.

Sorry that you got rain at AK. But ... our day isn't over yet.

Thanks for picking up more body wash. I was almost out.

And it was mostly just a nasty bug encounter ... where I almost broke my finger. So .. I stayed off the PC for a couple days to let it heal. Stupid bugs. You know, I blame you for my bug problems this year with your post and threats.

Well I read your update and before I could comment my dear son decided to climb in the pantry and see how much ketchup he could fit in his belly button needless to say, that's one child who did not earn staying up late tonight. An I've forgotten some of what I wanted to comment on.

I can't believe you got hit by gas and rude cm's at the same ride. That's too cute though that your ds says 13 is all grown up. He must think we are ancient

great job with the kid stops. Are theyvsomewhat hidden? The only one we noticed was at RPW

So how much ketchup did he fit into his belly button? And where's the pics?

Sorry to hear he decided to have his own adventure, its funny, but its not. I promise, I'm laughing with you ... even if you aren't laughing yet. My kids have pulled some crazy stuff ... so I feel ya there.

I know .. gas and rudeness? C'mon! How about neither!

And yes, DS must think we're beyond ancient. DD certainly does.

The KDCs aren't hidden at all, but they aren't labeled either. The only one that may consitute as "hidden" is the one on Discovery Island. You do have to walk down a pathway (that I walked past twice before DH saw) to get to it. The rest, you walk by on your way to attractions, but if you don't see the CM's, you probably won't notice it. They're all marked on the park map, so I did follow it to find them, and they're all on main pathways. If you're looking for it, once you get in the general area, it sticks out like a sore thumb. However, if you aren't looking for it, you'll probably walk right past it without giving it a second glance. They aren't flashy - and the only one that really has CMs that draw you in is at RPW and Pangani Trail. But that's because you practically have to walk through their booths to get to where you are going. For instance, the Asia one is located next to the DVC stand.

Clear as mud?

We've never done the KDC stops... my oldest says AK is her favorite park, so maybe we'll have to make sure to do that on our next trip!

I totally recommend it! And take pictures of the ceremony! As I've mentioned earlier, they're all easy to find (with the exception of Discovery Island), shaded, and most have a place for mom/dad to sit down.

 

[Becc1]

Glad that your back with another update! I'm going to have to check out more of the KDC for the kids next time, they only did the one in Camp Minnie Mickey! Boo on the crabby CM, glad your DD got her hat back, I can't tell you how many times my DS forgot his hat or rides on our last trip!

 

[Lidian]

Glad that your back with another update! I'm going to have to check out more of the KDC for the kids next time, they only did the one in Camp Minnie Mickey! Boo on the crabby CM, glad your DD got her hat back, I can't tell you how many times my DS forgot his hat or rides on our last trip!

Thanks!

The kids had a blast with the KDC, so it's definitely a must do every year now. There's no way they'll let me slide without it.

I'm glad DD's hat was found. It was the only time she lost it, and I partly blame me - I always remind everyone to get their stuff as we're exiting the ride, but I forgot on our 2nd go of EE.

Sorry to hear your DS misplaced his hat several times.

 

[jm106]

I am popping in quick but plan to try to catch back up(finals on summer classes and kids are home so no time.) Hope to read your latest soon!