Pudge Controls the Weather-A Land and Sea TR Apr 6-Apr 15 ( Last Day new 5/26)

[jecskc]

Sounds like you guys had a great AK day!!! I never knew they had kangaroos there either! (But I'm far from an AK expert! )

That Disney gift card app sounds so cool!!! I wish I knew about that in January!!

Your meal at Y&Y looks great!

We like AK, so we always have a good day there. And we really got the whole fast pass thing down there, so we never have to wait long at all. It works out. I was wondering if the kangaroos were secluded for a reason. As in, "does not play well with other" kind of thing. You really had to look for them and I had to really zoom in on my camera to get those photos. I would have never noticed them if DS had not pointed them out.

The Disney Gift Card app is the coolest thing ever. You definitely need to get one for your next trip.

Yak and Yeti was a win for us. We will definitely go back.

 

[IheartDDuck]

OMG, how adorable is she!? This picture just made my day.

 

[jecskc]

OMG, how adorable is she!? This picture just made my day.

Thank you!! She used to smile and not show her teeth and we told her she needed to show her teeth when she smiles, so she always does this silly little smile, but it is so cute, that I don't say anything. Thankfully, she and her brother got all of the good genes. Here's an example.

And he is completely unaware of how gorgeous he is.

 

[Pixie Princess]

CHH is a nice quiet retreat if you snag a spot upstairs. We didn't get over there this trip, but we did eat at 50's Prime Time and LOVED it. I can't wait to start making reservations for our Thanksgiving trip. Are you guys going during that time? We would so love to see you.

I know you have your June trip coming up. Who is going on that one ??

Also, is you SIL feeling better ?? I hope so !!

I hope we can go back over Thanksgiving! That was a great trip. The school system threw a huge kink in my plans by not giving us the whole week off this year. Boo! I wish they had never started that. Anyway, if I have my way, we'll be there.

So the trip in June is with my BIL, SIL and their kids. My SIL was hospitalized again over Spring Break, and I'm not so sure this trip will actually happen.

She is making some improvement in the resulting issues that have been caused by her vitamin deficiency, but is still having problems getting enough nutrients in to resolve the root problem. She seems to feel it is all systems go. She'll have to use an ECV, and I've done all that research. We are also worried about keeping her hydrated enough in the heat and humidity. She's constantly battling dehydration here. Can you imagine FL in June? I guess we'll just take it day by day and see what happens.

Probably more than you wanted to know, huh? If it doesn't work out, I think we'll go over Labor Day weekend. Hmm...maybe even if does work out we'll go that weekend. LOL!

 

[jecskc]

I hope we can go back over Thanksgiving! That was a great trip. The school system threw a huge kink in my plans by not giving us the whole week off this year. Boo! I wish they had never started that. Anyway, if I have my way, we'll be there.

So the trip in June is with my BIL, SIL and their kids. My SIL was hospitalized again over Spring Break, and I'm not so sure this trip will actually happen.

She is making some improvement in the resulting issues that have been caused by her vitamin deficiency, but is still having problems getting enough nutrients in to resolve the root problem. She seems to feel it is all systems go. She'll have to use an ECV, and I've done all that research. We are also worried about keeping her hydrated enough in the heat and humidity. She's constantly battling dehydration here. Can you imagine FL in June? I guess we'll just take it day by day and see what happens.

Probably more than you wanted to know, huh? If it doesn't work out, I think we'll go over Labor Day weekend. Hmm...maybe even if does work out we'll go that weekend. LOL!

I am sorry she still isn't well. I hope she improves soon. I will say that I don't think it is as humid in June as it is in August/September/October there if that helps. It can get really hot, though. How terrible for her.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

Hi I just stumbled on your trip report. I'm looking forward to hearing all about your Animal Kingdom Lodge stay and the Cruise.

It seems like you've got a lot accomplished at Animal Kingdom even though you didn't get there until the afternoon.

 

[jecskc]

Hi I just stumbled on your trip report. I'm looking forward to hearing all about your Animal Kingdom Lodge stay and the Cruise.

It seems like you've got a lot accomplished at Animal Kingdom even though you didn't get there until the afternoon.

Glad you stopped by to say hello. We did get a lot done. We had a plan and executed it perfectly. Worked out great !!

 

[kyirish25]

Great day at Animal Kingdom!

Yak & Yeti is our favorite restaurant at AK. I always get the Bonzai Blast and the wontons are worth the entire meal!

We always hit Kali very last thing so we can head out after getting drenched. The running joke is always to not sit next to me because that is the side that gets nailed. There are times they will put me across from them and sure enough me and some strangers get drenched and they get slightly wet.

Ready for Day 2

 

[jecskc]

Great day at Animal Kingdom!

Yak & Yeti is our favorite restaurant at AK. I always get the Bonzai Blast and the wontons are worth the entire meal!

We always hit Kali very last thing so we can head out after getting drenched. The running joke is always to not sit next to me because that is the side that gets nailed. There are times they will put me across from them and sure enough me and some strangers get drenched and they get slightly wet.

Ready for Day 2

That Bonzai Blast was so yummy and those wontons were definitely worth the calories - yummo !!

When I DO decide to ride Kali, that is exactly what we do as well, save it for last so we don't have to walk around all wet. And the same thing happens with me. I always get soaked. Not a dry patch on me. Not even the undergarments escape the drenching. So I really have to be in the "mood" to ride it.

Day two coming up later today !! This is where we meet you for the first time.

 

[jecskc]

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Day 2 – Part 1

We all got up around 7:30 AM. I had some coffee and a breakfast bar. I’m not sure what everyone else had. I need to have breakfast, the other members of my family don’t seem to need it or care much about it as much as I do. Although, DH is the breakfast master when it comes to cooking. He has seriously spoiled me on breakfast. He makes the best eggs and cooks the bacon just perfect. I really can’t find any place that does eggs as well as he does.

Anyway, this was our Epcot day. My FAVORITE park !!
It was pretty crowded when we got there, but at 8:45 AM, they were starting to let people in. So we got in pretty quickly

It was the Flower and Garden festival while we were there, so I tried to get some photos around the crowd. But it was pretty much impossible to get any photos without people in them.

There, that is better …

Once we all got in the park, the crowd dispersed a good bit.

DH took off towards the Land for Soarin’ fast passes,

while we waited at Test Track for him to meet us.

He got back pretty quickly and we quickly got in line. We had to wait a little bit, but not long. While we were waiting, someone from our cruise group recognized us and introduced themselves. Her name is Cher and she is on our Facebook group and she was also in our Fish Extender group (more on fish extenders later). Also, she was organizing a dismeet on the cruise the first day, so I was real excited to meet her. We ran into her and her family a lot this trip. In the parks and on the boat. Very nice people.

Anyway, we enjoyed our ride and took a couple of photos on the way out.

I loved the color of this car.

DH took the kids to ride Mission Space while I hunted down some coffee.

I met them in the gift shop and DS tried on this hat.

DD traded some vinylmations

Here’s a couple of photos I took with my Disney Memories app on my iPhone.

There’s a few borders you can use and some “stickers”, so it is a fun little app. Now I wish I had taken more photos with it. You can use photos that are already in your iPhone as well.

 

[Pixie Princess]

I am sorry she still isn't well. I hope she improves soon. I will say that I don't think it is as humid in June as it is in August/September/October there if that helps. It can get really hot, though. How terrible for her.

That's what I'm counting on. It got so hot and humid early last year. Hopefully that won't be repeated, and hopefully the nutrient issues will be worked out before we go.

I don't know how I missed the second half of your AK update, but I did. If I were pregnant, I'd swear I have a raging case of mommy brain, but as it is, apparently I'm just losing it. Anyway, I found the recipe for that Bonsai Blast. Gotta say I'm shocked. By your description of the taste I woudln't have though it had the liquers in it that it does. My guess was either lemon vodka or rum, blue curacao, sour mix, and a splash of triple sec or maybe Midori since it does have "bonsai" in the name.

Yak and Yeti does smell really good when you walk by. I've wanted to go there, but as you say, the kiddo determines where we eat. Last time I looked at the menu, I didn't see anything I thought she'd eat. I love the Yak and Yeti gift shop. They had the cutest flip flops there. I may have to get a pair if we go in June.

I'm glad you liked 50s Primetime. The food wasn't particularly special to me, and it didn't help that we had to wait 90 min. to get seated. However, I have to say, it is the location of one of my favorite Disney memories ever.

I had no idea there were Kangaroos at AK! I will absolutely be on the look out next time!! They probably do not play well with others at all. I really wish they would build "Australia" rather than "Avatarland" at AK. *sigh*

 

[jecskc]

That's what I'm counting on. It got so hot and humid early last year. Hopefully that won't be repeated, and hopefully the nutrient issues will be worked out before we go.

I don't know how I missed the second half of your AK update, but I did. If I were pregnant, I'd swear I have a raging case of mommy brain, but as it is, apparently I'm just losing it. Anyway, I found the recipe for that Bonsai Blast. Gotta say I'm shocked. By your description of the taste I wouldn't have though it had the liquers in it that it does. My guess was either lemon vodka or rum, blue curacao, sour mix, and a splash of triple sec or maybe Midori since it does have "bonsai" in the name.

Yak and Yeti does smell really good when you walk by. I've wanted to go there, but as you say, the kiddo determines where we eat. Last time I looked at the menu, I didn't see anything I thought she'd eat. I love the Yak and Yeti gift shop. They had the cutest flip flops there. I may have to get a pair if we go in June.

I'm glad you liked 50s Primetime. The food wasn't particularly special to me, and it didn't help that we had to wait 90 min. to get seated. However, I have to say, it is the location of one of my favorite Disney memories ever.

I had no idea there were Kangaroos at AK! I will absolutely be on the look out next time!! They probably do not play well with others at all. I really wish they would build "Australia" rather than "Avatarland" at AK. *sigh*

Ooooooo ... thanks for the recipe !! That is awesome. It really was a tasty drink. I would have thought it would be more sweet, too, but it was more citrus-y. And I like those kinds of things.

I was surprised at how well the kids ate there. Of course DD had Chix and FF, but she could still order from the kids menu. But I was really surprised at how much DS enjoyed his dish. He is branching out more, so that is good. And he liked the green beans, which were sooooo good !!

Loved 50's Primetime. That review is coming up later though, so you have to wait

Yeah, I am not so sure about the Avatarland. I wonder if that will really take off. A duck billed platypus would be really cool to see in person.

Hey, Susan B. is coming for a visit today. I will tell her you said hello !!

Smooch !!

 

[MeLaNie9]

Great updates with wonderful pictures, it certainly looks like the weather was great (ahhh those clear blue skies over Epcot)! We have tried Boma twice and also don't get the hype...looking forward to what you have to say about it. My DS7 has that astronaut helmet bought at Mission:Space. They each usually get to pick out one souvenir on each trip and he insisted on that! We have never done the Yak and Yeti TS, but we got the CS from there once (is it the same cooks/kitchen?) I ordered a noodle dish similar to your DS's but with shrimp but there was not a single shrimp to be found in it!

 

[jecskc]

Great updates with wonderful pictures, it certainly looks like the weather was great (ahhh those clear blue skies over Epcot)! We have tried Boma twice and also don't get the hype...looking forward to what you have to say about it. My DS7 has that astronaut helmet bought at Mission:Space. They each usually get to pick out one souvenir on each trip and he insisted on that! We have never done the Yak and Yeti TS, but we got the CS from there once (is it the same cooks/kitchen?) I ordered a noodle dish similar to your DS's but with shrimp but there was not a single shrimp to be found in it!

I have never eaten at the Yak and Yeti CS, so I couldn't say if the food is the same. but I am thinking not. I so would have said something about the shrimp not being there !! WTH !!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

You found all the awesome apps!! That photo app is so cool!

Epcot looks so pretty all flowery! Too bad DBF's sinuses would probably explode if we ever went during the F&G festival!

 

[Pixie Princess]

Ooooooo ... thanks for the recipe !! That is awesome. It really was a tasty drink. I would have thought it would be more sweet, too, but it was more citrus-y. And I like those kinds of things.

I was surprised at how well the kids ate there. Of course DD had Chix and FF, but she could still order from the kids menu. But I was really surprised at how much DS enjoyed his dish. He is branching out more, so that is good. And he liked the green beans, which were sooooo good !!

Loved 50's Primetime. That review is coming up later though, so you have to wait

Yeah, I am not so sure about the Avatarland. I wonder if that will really take off. A duck billed platypus would be really cool to see in person.

Hey, Susan B. is coming for a visit today. I will tell her you said hello !!

Smooch !!

Awww...give her a big ol' hug for me. We really need a girls trip to the World.

I love that Corvette at TT too!! And the color is sweet. Not your typical Corvette color. You really had to time photos of the Fantasia topiaries just right. Lots of people around.

 

[jecskc]

You found all the awesome apps!! That photo app is so cool!

Epcot looks so pretty all flowery! Too bad DBF's sinuses would probably explode if we ever went during the F&G festival!

There are some seriously cool Disney iPhone apps. The have a Disney dining app that has all of the menus and you can enter your reservations in it. Very handy.

Too bad about Wingnut's sinuses. F&G is so pretty.

 

[jecskc]

Awww...give her a big ol' hug for me. We really need a girls trip to the World.

I love that Corvette at TT too!! And the color is sweet. Not your typical Corvette color. You really had to time photos of the Fantasia topiaries just right. Lots of people around.

She says hello back!! A girls trip would be awesome. We are watching Cars right now. One of her cousins is getting married, so that is why she is in town.

It was super crowded for sure, but we worked around it very well.

 

[jecskc]

Day 2 – Part Two

More Epcot Flower and Garden Festival !! Some more topiaries.

Festival poster and pretty flowers.

It was time for our fast passes for Soarin’ and at this point the line was almost to the entrance. And the wait for Test Track was 45 minutes. Our return time for our fast passes was 10 AM. So in a hour, the headliners were already backed up. But since we got there at rope drop, we had already rode the big three in Future World.

DD saw the Butterfly garden and wanted to go in, so we did.

We snagged Test Track fast passes for later and then we rode Soarin’, which I LOVE.

This is my favorite ride in all of WDW, with EE and BTMR as close seconds. But my kids have this really strange fixation on whether or not they have to put on the center strap when they ride. The first CM said DD was OK, but another one made her put it on. So she cried. I don’t see what the big deal is, but whatever. This was the first time DS didn’t have to use it. After the ride, we got her something to eat. Usually, when they get emotional like that, it means they’re hungry. I made them eat breakfast the rest of the mornings we were there.

After Soarin’ we rode Nemo

And Figment

The kids traded vinylmations in the Figment gift shop.

After that we headed over to Club Cool to try out some sodas.

They were still out of the China one which is DD’s favorite.

 

[IheartDDuck]

I can empathize with your DD, because I too get emotional when I'm hungry.

Love that you got so much accomplished in such a short period of time.

The straps on Soarin' crack me up. I gave my friend Farrell a hard time and told her that she didn't come up to the red mark, so that meant she had to put it on.