Our 'Meeska Mooska' Disney Initiation 11/21-11/25 Trip Report *Updated* 02/02/14

[Darkwing981]

Well everyone...I'm back !! I meant to post this earlier but unfortunately I was under the weather this past week; so not much computer action. Anyway, we got back from the World last week... and one word can describe it : Magical !!! I know people have their gripes/complaints about WDW/TWDC (some of it deserved), but from this 1st-time visitor, Disney is king in terms of being a worthwhile family destination.

We had plans on taking my little niece to WDW but unfortunately her mother fell ill to a stomach virus and was unable to travel. Realizing that separating a small child from their parent for an extended period of time wouldn't be the best option, my mother and I decided that we'd have to go at it alone.

11/21 Arrival / Kidani Village





We arrived at Orlando International Airport a little after 4 p.m. where we were transported to the resort via Disney's Magical Express. Unfortunately by that time it was raining heavily, but our driver kept everyones spirits up with some light-hearted humor. Really nice guy. In route to AKL, we made stops at AOA and Pop Century. IMO, AOA is really impressive when you view it up close in personal.



Well, we finally reached Kidani Village, and I was amazed just by the sheer size and architecture alone!



We were then met by a hotel clerk who issued us our Magic Bands. She couldn't have been anymore nicer. She basically outlined the MB mechanics and resort offerings. After that, we started our 10 hr. trek to our rooms. Seriously that was a long walk to get to and from our rooms; but it was well worth the effort!!





I swear staying in a Kidani Village is like staying in your own apartment. So spacious with all the comforts of home.



Mickey knew we were coming! lol

We had plans on visiting Downtown Disney that night but with the on-going rain, my Mother wasn't too keen on that idea. I also wanted to get something from the Sanaa restaurant but African/Indian style cuisine doesn't agree with my Mother. So we ordered pizza from off-property (Flippers) and headed to the concierge to organize our MB's and make FP+ selections.

The lady who was helping us with making FP+ selections (Jenny was her name) was really nice and really cute. I think she told us she was from Australia. She gave us some helpful hints on which rides to hit first and which ones had shorter wait times. Funny thing was as we were talking and strategizing with Jenny; the pizza guy who I had called about a half hour earlier was standing there waiting for me in the lobby! I thought he was late, but the poor guy had been standing there all that time waiting for me!! He finally called me and I met up with him to get our pizza. Of course I tipped him. LOL

And with that, we made the long trek back to our room to prepare for Magic Kingdom the next day!!

 

[MotherandDaughter]

Joining in!
The room looks beautiful!
Very excited to read more!

 

[wiigirl]

Joining in.

 

[Darkwing981]

Okay I'm back folks. Sorry for the delay; but hey better late then never. Alright when we last left off, we had arrived at Kidani Village.

After much strategizing, the day had finally come to hit the Magic Kingdom! With soooo much excitement I could barely sleep; but hey that didn't stop me
from requesting an early morning wake up call. Of course I didn't get it cause I had accidently knocked over the receiver. LOL

But no biggie as I was up-and-at-em' and ready to go. My mother wasn't exactly an early bird, plus she had to go off property to get a phone charger. So it was just me to explore the MK.

11/22 Magic Kingdom pt. 1

After a quick bite to eat, I rushed to the bus stop to catch the bus to MK.





Kidani Village is so impressive!

Unfortunately I missed the first MK bus loop which meant I missed the MK Welcome Show. No big deal cause I was gonna have a great day regardless.
One thing you'll realize when riding a Disney bus is just how large and expansive the WDW property actually is; it's like a city within a city.



We're Here !!!!! We're Here !!!!

After a quick search by security I scanned my MB I was officially in the MK!!






It may have taken me longer than most people to make it into the gates of MK; but once in, and I was in complete awe !!! LOL Once inside, I knew I had to check out two of the more popular rides early: Space Mountain and Peter Pan's Flight. So I darted over to Space Mountain first.



Okay being the Disney rookie that I am, I figured Space Mountain would be a cake walk compared to the other coasters. Wrong! While not outright scary, SM scared the living daylights outta me...but in a good way. It was so cool to actually ride a coaster in the dark though I probably missed most of the effects cause I had my eyes closed.

Up next was Peter Pan's Flight....



Thankfully the stand-by queue wasn't too long as there was steady movement. As for the ride itself, I can see why PPF is so popular. It really does feel like you're in the movie as you sail through London and Never Land. The scenes and animatronics were impressive.

After that, I decided to hit up IASW. I thought it was pretty cool and the song is really catchy. Here's a few good shots I took:







With time to kill before my first FP+ selection, I decided to hit up Winnie the Pooh. While a little too kiddie for me, the ride itself has some great visual effects and the kids really seemed to enjoy the interactive queue. I myself got a kick out of running my hands through the interactive honey on the wall. LOL



You silly ol' bear.

Well that's about it for now. I'll be back for pt. 2 where I check out New Fantasy Land and more fun stuff.

 

[MotherandDaughter]

Loved this update!
Peter Pan is pretty spectacular. I love the scenery!

 

[Darkwing981]

Okay I'm back! When we last left off I was on the way to checkout New Fantasy Land....so let's go!!

11/22 Magic Kingdom pt. 2

With my FP+ for Dumbo coming up, I headed over to new Fantasy Land to check out the offerings.



The construction for the Mine Train is really a sight to behold. Too bad it wasn't ready for out trip; but I'm sure it'll be a popular crowd-pleaser when it opens next year.



Visually, The Beast's Castle is impressive. And while I like the idea of a themed restaurant based on the movie, I wish that they'd have put in a dark ride adjacent to the restaurant. I wanted to go in and check it out, but the line was pretty long so I guess I'd have to save it for next time.



We're goin to the circus!!

With minutes before my ride on Dumbo, I stopped to check out a show featuring some circus CM's performing an act straight out of vaudeville. Pretty funny stuff.

Unfortunately as I was heading towards Dumbo, it started to rain a bit. So I ducked off into the Big Top Souvenirs Tent. Apparently a lot of people had the same idea as the entrance to the tent filled up in a hurry. I'm sure the cashiers were really happy about that.

Thankfully the rain only lasted a few minutes. And with that, I was off to realize a childhood dream....



Even though the ride itself is simple; the fact that I was finally riding one of the most popular rides in WDW history was such an awesome feeling. Of course I tried to go as high I could. LOL Fun Stuff !!

After that, I wanted to try out another legendary WDW attraction : The Haunted Mansion.





The queue was really fun.

I was a little nervous going through the Mansion by myself, but the experience was a real hoot!! Towards the end, a spirit popped up beside me and switched heads with me!!! Of course I took my own head back before the ride ended. LOL

Around this time I headed back to Main Street to meet up with my mother who'd finally made it into the park. Also The Move It, Shake It , Celebrate It parade was getting underway. Really fun stuff as I saw some characters I didn't even expect to see (ex. Sebastian, Genie, The Mad Hatter). We even got some great photo ops during the parade.

 

[Darkwing981]

11/22 Magic Kingdom pt. 3

After taking a spin on the Mad Tea Cups, we headed over to Frontier Land to grab a bite to eat at the Columbia Harbor House. Not my first choice; but the food was decent at least. After that it was time for my second FP+ selection: Big Thunder Mountain !! Obviously my mom decided to skip this one. LOL



Lot's of thrills on this one and I still closed my eyes on the big drops. I know.. I know but I can't help it. Awesome ride though.

After that, we decided it was time to go see 'The Mouse' himself. So we headed over to Town Square Theater.



When we finally got there, my nerves started to set in as I was finally gonna meet Mickey Mouse; a character that I'd had grown up watching as many others have. Well, here goes....



Without hesitation, Mickey came over to hug me. And he asked if I could help him with a trick. Of course I couldn't say NO! LOL



I don't think he quite memorized the exact cards; but he eventually got the trick right. LOL



I tell you this was the definite highlight of our trip. No matter how old you are, to be able to talk and interact with a childhood favorite is something truly special. This was a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life!

After getting some gifts for my niece at TST, we headed out to catch the Celebrate a Dream Come True parade. Really great to see most of the classic/contemporary Disney characters in this one. I even saw a few villains like Foulfellow and Jafar! After that, my mom decided to head back to the resort as I headed back to new Fantasy Land to meet more characters.



I even sneaked a kiss with Daisy. Shhhhh... don't tell Donald.







Bros 4 Life !

After that I decided to check out Under The Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. Pretty fun ride and I really got into the 'Under the Sea' portion of the ride.



I even got up enough courage to meet Ariel; although it does feel weird being the only adult male in line to meet a Disney princess.. but whatever.



I wanted to meet Gaston at his meet-n-greet spot, but his line was long and it was getting late in the day. So I opted to try a LeFou's Brew; really tasty stuff. After that I checked out Mickey's PhillarMagic (really underrated show) and headed over to Adventure Land to close out the day.

 

[Stretchy Shorts]

 

[Darkwing981]

11/22 Magic Kingdom pt. 4

With like an hour to kill before my last FP + for the day, I decided to hit up Pirates of the Caribbean and The Enchanted Tiki Room.



I was a little worried that I'd get wet on Pirates; but there were only like a few splashes from the fireball cannons. After that it was smooth sailing and the animatronics seemed to be in rare form. I liked it.



I heard horror stories about the 'New Management' version of this attraction. So thankfully I got to see this one in it's original form. It was pretty amusing and surreal to be surrounded by a flock of singing birds and the effects were really great.

Well after a days worth of activities, it was time for the 'Main Event' ! LOL Never hadn't ridden Splash Mountain before, I was really intimidated by the deep drop at the end. But hey I said to myself: "You survived Space and Big Thunder Mountain; so what's one more wild ride?" LOL

While on the ride, I kept anticipating the 'big drop' while at the same time trying to focus on the ride's story. The scenes and animatronics were impressive...but I just couldn't stop thinking about that 'big drop'. Well after much angst it finally happened and well... the expression on my face tells the story...




All I have to say is ...WOW!!!! And I even kept my eyes open this time.
So with that, my day at MK was done and I headed to the bus to ride back to Kidani Village.

Once back at our room, I checked on my mom to see if she needed anything, and headed back out to catch the Downtown Disney bus to go see Cirque Du Soleil. Throughout the day I was debating whether or not to check it out; but since I've heard so much about these shows, I'd figure I'd satisfy my curiosity.

I missed the first few minutes of the show because I had to get a ticket but once inside, I was treated to an unbelievable showcase! I'll tell you the amount of skill and athleticism by the performers was amazing and I was glad I got the opportunity to witness a Cirque Du Soleil show.




So with that, I headed back to the bus to get back to the AKL and Kidani Village. After a fun-filled day, I needed to crash and get ready for Epcot the next day.

I hope everyone enjoyed this update (feel free to comment) and I'll be back in a few days to post some Epcot pics. Enjoy.

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[kelowatt]

Love your update! Love the pic of you and and Donald. I just got back from an all adult trip with my sister and my dad. And now you'll be a pro when your niece is ready to go with!

 

[MotherandDaughter]

Loved the update!
It looks like you had a fun day!

 

[Darkwing981]

Alright everybody I'm back. Sorry for the delay (holidays stuff in all). Well when we last left off, I was livin' it up in MK! Now onto day 2 and my adventures in Epcot.

Epcot pt. 1


You'd think that after a full day at MK and DD I was worn out. Nah, I was charged up and ready for round 2. After a special wake up call from Olaf, I hopped in the shower and checked on my mom. As usual she was not an early bird and would catch up with me at mid-day.

Thankfully it was a sunny day so I took a quick shot from the balcony of my room.



Guess most of the animals decided to sleep in that morning.

So with that, I grabbed a quick breakfast from the lobby and headed out for a day at Epcot. While on the bus, I didn't realize I wasn't supposed to be eating/drinking; but the driver didn't say anything...so I guess I was in the clear.

After the standard gate procedures, I was finally in Epcot with the first stop being Test Track!



I wanted to make sure I hit Test Track first as I've always heard how popular it was. While in line, I struck up a conversation with a local couple who told me they were regulars. Surprisingly they weren't aware of the MB's. After a decent wait time, I was in the design room. It took me awhile to figure out how to work the screen; course it didn't help that I was on a time limit. After designing my car, it was time to test her out!! The ride itself was really impressive as you were put through certain situations to test your car's efficiency and stamina. I think my final score was 1.95 or something. Not bad for a Disney rookie.

After that it was off to the Chevy showroom...





Ya like my ride?

After that I headed off to Innoventions.



While waiting to take a tour through the Vision House, I got to play around in the Test the Limit Lab. So fun to smash things without actually breaking anything. I also stopped by the Habit Heroes attraction (I think this one caused a lot of controversy awhile back). I think you had to enter in a password in order to get in; after several failed attempts I gave up. Not worth the aggravation.

I finally got to walk through the Vision House and there's even a story to go along with it. Very informative stuff. Before leaving, I wanted to try Sum of all Thrills; but the line was growing so I had to skip that one. Looked like fun though.

With some time to kill before my 1st FP selection, I decided to checkout World Showcase starting with Canada.





Ahoy...waterfalls!!

I wanted to catch the O' Canada film, but a show was in-progress so I'd decided to comeback and catch it later. Next was Morocco to meet a childhood crush: Princess Jasmine






Ummm....just ignore the guy on the left.



Oh alright Aladdin you can pose with us. But just this once!!!

All kidding aside, I loved Aladdin growing up so it was a huge thrill to meet the characters.


And with that I rushed back to Future World to use my FP for Soarin' ! I've always heard how popular this attraction was with park guest and now I understand why. It truly feels like you're flying across the world!!! I loved every minute of it!!!



Believe me I wanted to ride it again; but having already used my FP for it, I knew I'd have to wait longer the second time around. Besides there was still much more for me to see and do.

Well that wraps up part 1 of my day at Epcot. Stay tuned for part 2.

 

[Mousemom234]

Settlin' in to follow along. Great pictures.

 

[MotherandDaughter]

I enjoyed the part!
Test Track is on of my favorite rides!

 

[Darkwing981]

Sorry for the delay everyone, but here's the rest of my day at Epcot.

Epcot pt. 2

Okay when we last left off, I had ridden Soarin' (absolutely amazing experience!) I had a little downtime before my 2nd FP+ selection: Under the Seas w/ Nemo. So I decided to checkout Living with the Land.



I found the ride itself to be very relaxing and very educational. I got to learn about the different types of agriculture that makeup the environment. I also had no idea that cinnamon came from trees and I think I saw a peanut butter tree. Fascinating stuff indeed.

After that it came time to use my FP for Nemo. I had also gotten a call from my mother who agreed to meet me outside of the attraction after I was done.


Of course having not seen the actual movie, I was worried that I'd wouldn't be able to follow what was going on. But fortunately that wasn't the case at all as the ride eases you into the movies story while providing some great visual effects.

After the ride, I hung out a bit to checkout the aquarium and it's inhabitants (ex. Sharks, rays, seahorses). I even spotted a real life Nemo. LOL

Oh and I even got a chance to see some Manatees that were being cared for and rehabilitated. I've wanted to see Manatees up close and personal so this was awesome!!




I wanted to catch Turtle Talk w/ Crush but didn't want to keep my mother waiting so I headed on out.



These guys were a riot.

After we grabbed a bite to eat at The Garden Grill, it was off to Mission Space to use my last FP for the day. I don't think I was ready for the Orange version; so I opted to go Green instead. As usual my mother decided to take in the scenery outside.



Time to go where no brave WDW guest has gone before!

Alright for the ride, we were split into the different teams; each in charge of a different spaceship. I was paired with a woman, her little daughter and I believe the woman's mother. Thing is though, the little girl was scared to death to get on the ride but her mother kept re-assuring her that everything was okay. I asked the grandmother if everything was okay. Unfortunately there was a language barrier so she deferred to her daughter who said 'Yes'. I didn't know what to expect from the MS but it turned out pretty well; even though I was the only one on our team who was really responding to the commands.

But as navigator, I led our team to safety and myself, the mother and grandmother gave the little girl a round of applause for toughening it out. So that was nice.

After that my mother and I headed off to do get some a T-Shirt for my father. He was adamant about not wanting a Mickey shirt so we found a nice Epcot shirt for him. We even got a few pics with SSE:



Ah Ha...Da World Is Mine!!! Bwwwhaaahaaa!!!




I wanted to checkout more of WS so I said bye to Mom and was on my way...

 

[Darkwing981]

Epcot pt. 3

Back at WS, and my first stop was France to meet Belle. I think I really impressed her with my charm.



Take that Gaston !!! LOL


Some more of World Showcase...



Italy



China

I really wanted to delve deeper into the countries; but with so many hours in the day, I didn't have much time. But I was really impressed with what I saw and hope to get another chance someday. Anyway it was off to the popular Maelstrom ride in Norway.



As you can imagine, the queue was packed but thankfully it wasn't a long wait. The ride itself was pretty fun, and I even stuck around to see the short film on Norway. The film seemed a little outdated, but was informative.

Next was Mexico....




Wow...I was completely blown away by the inside of this place. It's like you're really roaming around a Mexican city complete with a restaurant. The Gran Fiesta ride reminded me of IASW with the emphasis being on Mexico and it was also great to see The Three Caballeros.

With the sun beginning to set I wanted to hurry and meet Snow White in Germany.



Whew...made it.

With about three hours before the Reflections fireworks show, I decided to try out the American Adventure.



Honestly I was expecting nothing more than a walkthrough museum with this one. But then we were ushered upstairs to the theatre to watch an actual show. The show itself was really impressive with the animatronics and changing backgrounds. They really put a lot of money into this pavilion and it shows. After that, I headed back to Canada where I saw the O' Canada film with Martin Short that I skipped earlier in the day. Really cool effect where it feels like the room is moving but it really isn't. The film itself looked a little dated, but I liked how it was presented in widescreen format where you had to turn your body to see everything .

With about an hour left before Reflections, I headed over to the Epcot Character Spot to see some special friends.




Best Buds




The Goofmiester



Don't faint Minnie !

After that I my last ride for the day was SSE itself. All these years I thought SSE earth was just a symbol of Epcot....never realizing it was an actual ride. LOL
Another interesting ride as it covers the evolution of technology by man. Towards the end of my the ride, I had my picture snapped so it could be displayed on the giant globe in the middle of a large interactive room. Unfortunately it only caught half of my face. So I quickly darted out of the room before I was embarrassed. I enjoyed the ride though.



And with that I rushed back and forth and to get something to eat and prepare for the fireworks show. I wound up getting fish and chips from the Yorksire Fish Shop (yummy) and something sweet at Fountain View (though I was hoping they had ice cream). I even stopped to try out some drinks at Cool Club. No I didn't taste the infamous Beverly. LOL

With minutes before the start of Reflections; I franticly searched for a good spot to view the show. I found a pretty good spot between a family and another guy (he sounded French). I noticed there was a small space available so I asked if I could squeeze in. The French guy was a little rude to me, but the guy he was talking (the father of the family) moved so I could get up closer. And with that I was treated to an unbelievable fireworks display. Reflection was simply awesome and a great way to close out a great day at Epcot !!

And with another full day under my belt, I caught the bus back to AKL to prepare for my day at AK. Hope you all enjoyed this update and I'll be back soon.

 

[MotherandDaughter]

I haven't seen the O Canada film. I have to check that the next time I go!

 

[Darkwing981]

I haven't seen the O Canada film. I have to check that the next time I go!

It's pretty cool.

 

[Darkwing981]

Okay made it back finally. Happy New Year Everyone !!

Sorry for the delay, but here's the last day of our WDW trip featuring Animal Kingdom !

Pt. 1

I was gonna be on my own for the day as my mother isn't a zoo person. So after a quick shower I headed out to catch the bus to AK.

Considering we were staying at Kidani Village, it didn't take long to get to the actual park. After the standard bag search, I was on my way to see Disney's version of a zoo. lol





Good morning Mr. Lemur; can I take your picture?

I had to get a picture in front of the Tree of Life; I asked a CM who was more than happy to take my picture. He even showed me where I could find the Pizzafari restaurant, Real nice guy.



The Tree of Life is really amazing when you see it in person.

With plenty of time to kill before my FP for Kilimanjaro Safari; I headed over to Discovery Island to see some of the animals. Unfortunately most of them weren't out but I did notice the great architecture.



I eventually found my way to ITTBAB. There was hardly anyone there, so I decided to check it out.



The 3-D show is really immersive and you get to interact with the various insects that are showcased. You'll definitely take a 'beating' during the show; but it's really fun! Also watch out for crawling bugs where you sit.

After that I headed on over to Asia to check out the Maharajah Jungle Trek.





It was really fun to watch the Fruit Bats and the CM who was standing by was very knowledgeable about these creatures behavior.




By this time, my stomach was 'growling'. See what I did there? So I headed on over to Pizzafari to grab a big breakfast. I'll be back with part 2 soon.

Take Care