No Work and All Play – Disney on the Company’s Dime! (8/1 There and Back Again)

[thecapells]

Yak and Yeti TS is really good, we had the pot stickers for app, they were great. The service was great and our server really funny. I would choose YY over rain forest as well. Great TR.

Sounds great! I can't wait try the table service version on our next trip!

 

[All7OfUs]

Sorry about my long absence. DH took a bunch of time off, which really threw off my posting groove thang.

Lunch in Anandpur- excellent! Those little take-out boxes are simply too cute! And you liked it?? Even better; hope to be hitting that sometime soon!

I remember that mural from our last trip. It stood out as kinda pretty to me too.

 

[thecapells]

Sorry about my long absence. DH took a bunch of time off, which really threw off my posting groove thang.

Lunch in Anandpur- excellent! Those little take-out boxes are simply too cute! And you liked it?? Even better; hope to be hitting that sometime soon!

I remember that mural from our last trip. It stood out as kinda pretty to me too.

Yeah, I really enjoyed the Yak and Yeti counter service - can't wait to try the table service next time around!

The thing that stood out about the mural is that it was the entrance to the restrooms.
You don't often see restrooms with that kind of artwork...

 

[thecapells]

I headed back onto Discovery Island and was a bit caught off guard by this:

Random (at least to me) bird display. But very cool.
Then it was onto my destination – the Tree of Life itself.
It was time to explore the inside and find out why “It’s Tough to Be a Bug!”

But first, we have to admire the intricacies of the Tree.
The Mighty Elephant:

Cool little ankylosaurus

Some fellow primates

and lastly, a big chimpanzee complete with a really nice carving on the tree.

Then I arrived at the theatre and they were already loading for the next show.

So I donned my honorary bug glasses and took the obligatory self portrait!

The show was fun as per usual.
My favorite part was the bugs who squirm past you on the way out.
It’s just a small thing but such a great touch!
I did also notice how scary it can be for little ones – lots of darkness, loud noises, and scary movement.
Just a warning…

Then it was back out into the heat for some scenery appreciation!
That means entering the Tree of Life Garden

For a great view of the majestic Tree

And then I noticed a very lonely CM with a beige vest.
You know what that means…
PHOTOPASS TIME!!

Next stop was across the way.
I noticed the Island Mercantile and recalled that some characters were making an appearance over there.
Here I found Lilo and Stitch

Then it was time to make my way towards the exit.
Along the way I decided to explore a bit in the Oasis.
I came across feeding time for the birds...

But not too much else was going on down the paths.
I reached the exit plaza and had an idea.
Stay tuned – we’re not quite “out of the woods” yet…

 

[All7OfUs]

Yeah, I really enjoyed the Yak and Yeti counter service - can't wait to try the table service next time around!

The thing that stood out about the mural is that it was the entrance to the restrooms.
You don't often see restrooms with that kind of artwork...

Actually that is exactly why I remembered it too. We had been eating at the Flame Tree, and had run out of water (we always order free water with ice), and I went in search of a place to fill up. I walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, well you get the idea. I swear, I was dying of thirst before I made it to this bathroom and found life-giving liquid. I was pretty irritated!!

 

[dawnbu40]

Great pics of the tree and I love the self portrait! However, little kids aren't the only ones creeped out by It's Tought to be a Bug!

 

[WrightFamily06]

Great pictures of all the wood carvings I agree with you when it comes to It's Tough To Be A Bug , def scary for the little ones especially when it goes pitch black, the smoke fogs up the room, water sprays and some of us get stung on our seat ! Awesome Photopass pictures , we def have to put Lilo & Stitch on our list for next time never even knew they were there at AK . Can't wait to hear about your next adventure , sounds like it's gonna be a really good one !

 

[lovegrumpy]

I love how you tell your day. Can't wait to read more.

 

[pipersmom]

As always, very cool update and picture. Not sure why, but I didn't know you could actually get that close to the tree..lol..don't know if I thought you had to admire it from the distance or what, esp since I knew It's Tough to be a Bug was in there..lol. I'm thinking we'll prob skip that, Piper is very easily startled, and I can just hear the blood-curdling scream now! Maybe if I prepare her well first, we'll wait and see. We'll def check out the mercantile for characters, thank you for the tip!

 

[thecapells]

Actually that is exactly why I remembered it too. We had been eating at the Flame Tree, and had run out of water (we always order free water with ice), and I went in search of a place to fill up. I walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, well you get the idea. I swear, I was dying of thirst before I made it to this bathroom and found life-giving liquid. I was pretty irritated!!

And to have your life-giving liquid adorned is such vibrant colors must have made it that much more memorable!

Great pics of the tree and I love the self portrait! However, little kids aren't the only ones creeped out by It's Tought to be a Bug!

Really? It's not that bad for grown-ups.
And you even go on real thrill rides!!
If *I* can handle it, you can!

Great pictures of all the wood carvings I agree with you when it comes to It's Tough To Be A Bug , def scary for the little ones especially when it goes pitch black, the smoke fogs up the room, water sprays and some of us get stung on our seat ! Awesome Photopass pictures , we def have to put Lilo & Stitch on our list for next time never even knew they were there at AK . Can't wait to hear about your next adventure , sounds like it's gonna be a really good one !

The bugs crawling towards the exit at the end is my favorite part.
I made sure the kids were leaning all the way back when I knew it was coming.

Lilo and Stitch are a fun duo as they play off each other during the Meet.
Stitch is always a blast but it's definitely more fun with Lilo around for him to "show off" to.
She has great reactions to his antics.

I love how you tell your day. Can't wait to read more.

Thanks! Lots more day coming - The day is only 1/2 over!

As always, very cool update and picture. Not sure why, but I didn't know you could actually get that close to the tree..lol..don't know if I thought you had to admire it from the distance or what, esp since I knew It's Tough to be a Bug was in there..lol. I'm thinking we'll prob skip that, Piper is very easily startled, and I can just hear the blood-curdling scream now! Maybe if I prepare her well first, we'll wait and see. We'll def check out the mercantile for characters, thank you for the tip!

Even if you skip the show, definitely go up and check out the tree carvings.
They are really neat.
You can wander the paths around the Tree of Life without actually going in.
There are amazing little secret places and waterfalls.
Our favorite is on your way to Africa.
Take the last path to the right before going over the bridge to Africa.
It's a secluded little path with some exotic animals and a waterfall.
Great scenic shots there - we did it back in November and I have photos in that TR if you want to check 'em out. (the link is in my signature)

 

[thecapells]

So I headed out of the park and noticed Flik was heading through a CM-only entrance.
I quickly asked the handler when he would be back and was told 15 minutes.
Well, I was in no hurry and I’ve never seen Flik so I wandered around the Entrance Plaza.
First, I came across a Photopass photographer about to leave.
I sweet-talked her into one more person before she left and she obliged.
But she made me do some silly poses (which I think were actually a lot of fun).
So here I am acting like an animal!

Then I wandered over to a shady area, grabbed a bench, and called home.
I had a nice little chat with the kids and told them everything I’ve already done today (and it was only around 12:00 or so).
They were excited to hear about Dinosaur! and Dinoland and were jealous of all the characters I’ve already met.
When I hung up, I chatted with some cast members who wandered by and just relaxed.
I don’t think I’ve ever just “hung out” like this before so it was kinda neat.
Then the CM entrance opened and I couldn't believe it!
I expected Flik but instead came a parade of characters.
Unfortunately there were no Photopass photographers.
So I begged the handlers to take shots.
Each character set up in their own little section and had their own little line.
But no one was there – lines maxed out at maybe 2-3 people per character.
And some had nobody waiting at all (these were primarly the chars that weren’t recognized).
And, now, for your pleasure – the Animal Kingdom Entrance Parade…

First up was Flik! I was excited about this one as he looked really cool

Then I hopped over to Rafiki! Who needs to go to Rafiki’s Planet Watch when you can catch him here!
He was in character being very playful and trying to steal people waiting in line for other chars.
It was fun to watch him hopping around and sniffing the guests.
And, of course, he kept “mooning” people.

Next up – another character I’ve never seen before – Pocahontas’ raccoon friend Meeko!

Back to the Lion King, Timon was next!
Now I’ve taken pics with Timon before but I couldn’t resist doing so again - especially with no line.
He was playing back and forth with Rafiki and it was fun to watch.

Then it was on to Song of the South.
This was interesting as I’ve never seen the movie nor have I rode Splash Mountain.
I’ve seen the Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da clip and know the characters, but that’s about it.
So, now I got to meet both Brer Bear (boy is he tall!!!)

And Brer Rabbit

And that concludes the parade.
Six characters – absolutely no lines.
You can’t ask for a better send off than that.
So I headed to the buses for another first – bus transport from one park directly to another park.
On the way I snapped this photo – it just seemed really neat.

So, it was not even 1:00 and AK is already in the books.
I have enough time for one more park – who’s up for a whirlwind tour of the Studios?

 

[dawnbu40]

What an awesome group of characters you ran into! We've never gotten pictures with Flik or Brer Rabbit and I haven't seen Brer Bear since I was a kid. (I have seen Song of the South. When I was a kid we had a nearby drive-in and one summer the 2nd movie was always Song of the South. Wow, I feel old )

The "animal" pic is fun and you look like you were having a great time!

and P.S.-I'm not the one who gets creeped out by the Bugs. (that would be the Princess lol)

 

[pipersmom]

Very cool that you got to meet some of the less known characters! Can't wait to see what happens at DHS!

 

[WrightFamily06]

Nice update I really enjoyed how the Photopass photographer had you pose , and it seems like you had a blast doing it also ! Awesome character pic's we also came upon this opportunity when we were there in May and met most of the same characters you did w/ really short lines , it was a really big treat to meet characters you don't see often & with such short lines ! Can't wait to see your tour of the Studios

 

[praisehisname]

Can't wait to eat here this fall!

Beautiful scenery pictures! Love the character parade as you were leaving, especially since no one else was around to make the lines long!

 

[boxmaster]

I
But first, we have to admire the intricacies of the Tree.

Cool little ankylosaurus

What are the two birds directly above the ankylosaurus?

Great pics. Looking forward to actually putting my camera to some good use.

 

[MEK]

Read your update the other day and then American Idol came on and I forgot to comment. Anyway - great character interaction and perfect timing - love it! You had such a great time at AK. Makes me want to be there right now!

 

[All7OfUs]

Hey Mike,

I'm diggin' your AK day!! Only 1:00 and you've met a slew of characters, hung out just for the fun of it, wow, you sure know how to solo tour!

 

[thecapells]

What an awesome group of characters you ran into! We've never gotten pictures with Flik or Brer Rabbit and I haven't seen Brer Bear since I was a kid. (I have seen Song of the South. When I was a kid we had a nearby drive-in and one summer the 2nd movie was always Song of the South. Wow, I feel old )

The "animal" pic is fun and you look like you were having a great time!

and P.S.-I'm not the one who gets creeped out by the Bugs. (that would be the Princess lol)

Yeah, it was a blast catching that whole gang of chars.
And you gotta have fun with the Photopass photographers - we're in Disney after all!

As for Bugs, just have the Princess pretend her Prince Caspian is close by to save her...

Very cool that you got to meet some of the less known characters! Can't wait to see what happens at DHS!

Stay tuned - DHS is coming up!

Nice update I really enjoyed how the Photopass photographer had you pose , and it seems like you had a blast doing it also ! Awesome character pic's we also came upon this opportunity when we were there in May and met most of the same characters you did w/ really short lines , it was a really big treat to meet characters you don't see often & with such short lines ! Can't wait to see your tour of the Studios

The Studios tour was probably the 2nd most hectic part of my trip.
I booked around that place and it was a blast knowing I could go at my pace.

Can't wait to eat here this fall!

Beautiful scenery pictures! Love the character parade as you were leaving, especially since no one else was around to make the lines long!

It was good - you'll definitely enjoy Yak & Yeti

What are the two birds directly above the ankylosaurus?

Great pics. Looking forward to actually putting my camera to some good use.

I believe it's a pelican and probably an eagle or something.
But I defer to Ms. Wildlife Biology herself.
Mom should be catching up on the TR and hopefully will weigh in for you.

Read your update the other day and then American Idol came on and I forgot to comment. Anyway - great character interaction and perfect timing - love it! You had such a great time at AK. Makes me want to be there right now!

Yeah, AK was fun at my pace with no real hurry to get anywhere.
I skipped some stuff but since I was just there, it was no real loss.
This trip was to hit the stuff I don't get to do with the kids and that was accomplished!

Hey Mike,

I'm diggin' your AK day!! Only 1:00 and you've met a slew of characters, hung out just for the fun of it, wow, you sure know how to solo tour!

And we're just getting started!

 

[thecapells]

There was barely a wait when I arrived at the bus stop.
I quickly boarded and the basically empty bus made its way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Some background on my touring plan for DHS:
Since I’m not a thrill ride guy, I don’t go down Sunset Blvd for anything other than Fantasmic!
In addition, I avoid the horribly shortened Backlot Tour (I can still remember the original 4-hr tour)
as well as Lights! Motor! Action! which I’ve never seen (nor have any desire to).
So, DHS easily becomes a ½ day park full of shows, character meets, and a couple of rides.
But first, I had to go find my friends in beige.
We started with the standard shot:

Next, the photographer tried to get me to hold Mickey’s hat.
I don’t think this one worked so well…

And then I asked for a Magic shot of Stitch which I’ve never had before.
I really like this one – it’s very random but a lot of fun:

And to top it all off, a big “Ta Da!” to get us moving!

Then I was off.
It was late in the afternoon already (about 1:30) and I had lots to do.
But first I noticed this guy off to the side.
Looks like my movie is about to start.
Roll em!

As I headed up the street, I was greeted at the Sorcerer’s Hat by High School Musical 3: Right Here, Right Now!

Veering right, I headed towards the Animation Courtyard and past Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Then I noticed these guys who I don’t recall seeing before.
I guess we’re usually just in too much of a hurry to notice them…

Can you guess where I was going by now?
Welcome to Pixar Place

I didn’t expect to have any success but I was in luck.
Fastpasses were not sold out yet (it was about 1:30) so I was able to grab one for Toy Story Midway Mania for 8:30.
Woo-hoo!!!
As you can see from the pic below, the Stand-By was 80 minutes – I still can’t believe people wait that long when they can simply come back with Fastpass later.

Now I could slow down and enjoy the rest of the day.
So I wandered over to the Toy Story merchandise area and noticed this huge cookie jar.

The line for the new Buzz & Woody Meet & Greet was closed and they said they’d be back around 2:30.
So I figured this was a perfect opportunity to explore Narnia.
Step through your wardrobes and join me!