Return of the Porg - A June 2018 TR *updated 6/24 Epic DISmeet highlights day 7 COMPLETED!*

[Gina Starr]

Hi! I have read your other trip reports and have always just been a silent follower but along with writing my own tr I wanted to try and get more active on other tr too so here I am!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

What a great evening at Animal Kingdom! I wish I could ride EE three times in a row but I would probably lose my lunch.

 

[MeghanEmily]

So beautiful

Three rides on Everest is nothing to scoff at! Nice!

Somehow I made it through the preshow.

I had a sliver and found out the inside was funfetti! How exciting! The cake was really moist and delicious, and it's just such a cute little cupcake!

This is so cute!

 

[Cloe Colton]

I feel like its so rare now to get those multiple rides on one ride in a row now. What a great evening in Animal Kingdom!

 

[paradesintherain]

Glad the lightning didn't affect your rides on EE! 3x is awesome! Sounds like a really good night, especially ending it with that delicious looking cake!!

I was too! Everest is so great at night!

Hi! I have read your other trip reports and have always just been a silent follower but along with writing my own tr I wanted to try and get more active on other tr too so here I am!

Welcome!! I lurked for so long, too! Really enjoying your TR so far!

What a great evening at Animal Kingdom! I wish I could ride EE three times in a row but I would probably lose my lunch.

Hahah, so far I still have a stomach of steel! I say, so far, because since turning 30 other aspects of my body have fallen apart so motion sickness might be on the way...

So beautiful

Three rides on Everest is nothing to scoff at! Nice!

I was a very pleased little kitten!

This is so cute!

And tasty! I feel like it can be kind of rare for really cute things to also taste good

I feel like its so rare now to get those multiple rides on one ride in a row now. What a great evening in Animal Kingdom!

Yeah, it's definitely all about timing - Rivers of Light had absorbed a bunch of the crowds at that point!

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 7 - June 27th - Animal Kingdom, again!







Well, here we are, finally at the last full day at Disney. I just bought a new iMac and I haven't transferred anything over so I don't have the FP plans handy for the day. Doesn't really matter, since I don't tend to stick to them very well anyway!

On this day I woke up around 8:30. It didn't disrupt my sleep but it's definitely easy to hear. It must be a lot worse on some of the lower levels, and it seems like it only plays one (super obnoxious) song on repeat. Dad left for his conference and I got ready with Fantasmic music on in the background!

I arrived at the bus stop around 9:50 and the sign was stating that an Animal Kingdom bus wouldn't arrive until 10:14, so I got a Minnie Van! I was trying to make it to Animal Kingdom in time for a Flight of Passage FP and the darn buses were not about to make me miss it! I thought about taking Lyft or Uber, but in the end I wanted a CM because they know where they're going on property! The driver was pleasant and the journey was quick - I made it to the park at the time the bus was supposed to arrive to Contemporary.

On this day the AP line was actually shorter so I got to use it!

I made a beeline for Flight of Passage, but there's always time for photos!

For posterity I took note of this super reasonable line.

It was a bright and beautiful day. Pandora looks stunning in that pre-noon light!

I ended up with a bit of a wait in the concrete corridor, but I won't complain about that when the standby line is 165 minutes! Being a solo rider seems to mean that you always end up in seat 16. This ride just does not get old! It's so fun to hear people gasping and laughing, and for some reason I ended up a little teary-eyed?! We'll chalk it up to last full day in Disney blues. When I exited the ride the robot thingy whose real name I forget was making jokes and talking to the crowd. Kind of cool!

Naturally, I wandered around Pandora a bit and took some pictures. Maybe some day I'll be able to resist!

Can you even handle those blue skies and the floating mountains?! I sure can't.

I was getting kind of hungry at this point, since I hadn't eaten breakfast. Satuli Canteen was, of course, on my mind but I had just eaten there the night before so I thought I'd try Pizzafari. Some good old-fashioned Disney pizza could hit the spot, right?

It had been a long time since I'd been in Pizzafari, and I'd forgotten how much I love the vibrant interiors! That's about the nicest thing I have to say for Pizzafari...

I went with a standard pepperoni pizza and Caesar salad.

The pizza was fine, it was edible. Pretty much what you'd expect. But it had waaaay to much sauce for my personal preference. I had to wipe gobs of it off the pizza, and then put a heavy layer of parmesan on for it to really be ok. The salad was basically lettuce and dressing, but it was fresh and crisp so I was satisfied with my little bit of greens.


After my meal I ventured toward Starbucks, and then remembered that Timon meets there, so I joined the line.

I waited maybe 5 minutes before getting my meerkat hug!

I told him that I loved him and I was going to see him in his show later, ya know, since he's the star. He loved that and broke into the hula for me, which likely prompted this reaction.

He's definitely one of my favorite character meets.

Since it was right there I felt obligated to grab some Starbucks.

I got my usual order, iced vanilla latte, skim milk. Super exciting stuff!

Sam was arriving soon so I wandered around the area a bit waiting for her. Fine by me, the Tree of Life trails are so lovely.

Just look how lush this place is! And not a person in sight!

Up next: Meet up with Sam and lots of character interactions! ​

 

[MeghanEmily]

Last days are hard, but it looks like you were making the best of it! Some gorgeous Pandora photos from this day! and your Timon meet is pretty precious.

 

[Lesley Wake]

eing a solo rider seems to mean that you always end up in seat 16.

I always get excited when I get that #8 spot!

It had been a long time since I'd been in Pizzafari, and I'd forgotten how much I love the vibrant interiors! That's about the nicest thing I have to say for Pizzafari...

I agree- beautiful inside, but food, meh!

 

[Gina Starr]

We did the same thing with the Minnie van due to stupid long bus waits! (Well, tried to...) I think we are going to start driving to the parks more because this past trip we had some bad bus luck.

Ew, I hate a lot of sauce on pizza! I’d actually be cool with just crust and cheese.

I need to do more character meets! Timon looks like a fun one!

 

[disneyAndi14]

AK 2 days in a row is a plus to me! I love this park so much. It is my favorite. The trails, the countries, and Pandora are just so beautiful and full of such detail!

FoP is always such a fun ride, never does get old.

 

[paradesintherain]

Last days are hard, but it looks like you were making the best of it! Some gorgeous Pandora photos from this day! and your Timon meet is pretty precious.

It was a very good last day! You know, as far as last days go!

I always get excited when I get that #8 spot!

I'm not sure that I've been that lucky yet... I've thought about asking, but it seems just too nitpicky (meanwhile, I always ask on Soarin')

I agree- beautiful inside, but food, meh!

And pizza is a pretty simple food! It should be a solid go-to!

We did the same thing with the Minnie van due to stupid long bus waits! (Well, tried to...) I think we are going to start driving to the parks more because this past trip we had some bad bus luck.

Ew, I hate a lot of sauce on pizza! I’d actually be cool with just crust and cheese.

I need to do more character meets! Timon looks like a fun one!

Driving to the parks can be kind of nice, except Magic Kingdom.

When I was younger I used to order pizzas without sauce. I still order light sauce most of the time! Chicago deep dish pizza is not for me, needless to say.

They're really fun! I only recently got into them, but I've had a great time.

AK 2 days in a row is a plus to me! I love this park so much. It is my favorite. The trails, the countries, and Pandora are just so beautiful and full of such detail!

FoP is always such a fun ride, never does get old.

I didn't mind it one bit! There's so much to see at Animal Kingdom.

Disney really did an exceptional job with FoP! Hopefully the Star Wars attractions are as good or better!

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 7 - June 27th - Animal Kingdom, part 2




After meeting Timon, I explored a bit and killed time until I met up with Sam and her dad. When Sam arrived, we promptly got back in line to meet Timon. The sun had shifted, and the lighting was worse this time around. Darn sun!

I think he whacked me with his tail, and this was me being like, "it's ok Timon!"

We went to Everest after saying hello to Timon. I told Sam that they had to ride in the front row, so we waited for that.

Everest is one of my favorite rides to take photos on. The views are superb, and the ride itself is gorgeous.

Bit of construction going on.

Despite appearances in the ride photo, they really loved being in the front! If you've never done it, you must! There's really no vehicle in front of you so it feels like you're going so fast, and all you can see is track and drops. It feels much less restrained somehow.

It was pretty steamy so I mentioned Warung Outpost and their frozen margaritas. Who can say no to a frozen margarita? Having learned from previous mistakes I just got a regular lime margarita.

Maharaja Lime Margarita: Sauza Silver Tequila, Triple Sec, Agave Nectar and Lime Juice


My margarita was nice and refreshing on such a hot day. I tend to prefer margaritas on the rocks, but frozen was definitely the way to go. Sam got the mixed margarita, I believe she also enjoyed hers.

Triple Yeti Blast: A Layer of Kali River Mango, Maharaja Lime and Bali Hai Strawberry Margaritas


For some reason I thought food and drinks weren't allowed on the animal trails, but the CMs told us it was ok, so we sipped on our beverages as we walked through Maharajah Jungle Trek.

I took a ton of pictures of the bats, because I love them and find them so adorable. But the pictures are a little NSFW.... who knew that bat anatomy is so similar to human anatomy?

Anyway, next up are tigers, and I can definitely show those pictures!

Reminds me of my kitties!

Look at that tongue!

The thought of an aviary must be a nightmare for those who are afraid of birds. Grateful that I am not one of them

This little guy is very odd looking.

Sam and her dad had a FP for Everest once we finished the trek. I had one, too, but decided to forego it and try for some air conditioning at Festival of the Lion King! So, for the time being, we split up.

I stopped at the Dawa Bar to chug some water, but ended up ordering a Bloody Mary after I saw someone else get it.

The current menu describes a Bloody Mary that's a bit more fancy with bacon and the works, but it also lists a spicy Berbere sauce - which I think must have been in it when I had it. I was totally surprised by the first sip! It was definitely spicy, but no a spicy you'd expect from a Bloody Mary. It reminded me of a sauce from Sanaa, which makes sense. Anyway, after I got used to the flavor shock I really enjoyed it. I drank it while waiting in the FP line for Festival of the Lion King (oh yeah, I booked a last minute FP for it). Between the frozen margarita and the water I chugged I ended up being too full to finish the drink, which is a shame because it cost almost $11!

When I got in the theater I asked if I could sit in a front row seat, and the CM let me! I figured the worst that can happen is they say no! I ended up sitting next an adorable little girl who told me how much she loves the bird part, and the she got to participate in the show for the first time! It was definitely a unique and special experience to sit that close to the performance. The performers are so interactive!

The finale gets me every time!

I said goodbye to Simba on the way out. Why can't Simba have a M&G? If Marie, a 4-legged cat, can have a M&G then Simba should be able to also!

Up next: a dance party! ​

 

[Cloe Colton]

Despite appearances in the ride photo, they really loved being in the front! If you've never done it, you must! There's really no vehicle in front of you so it feels like you're going so fast, and all you can see is track and drops. It feels much less restrained somehow.​

I never really thought about that, I feel like I need to try this now!

I took a ton of pictures of the bats, because I love them and find them so adorable. But the pictures are a little NSFW.... who knew that bat anatomy is so similar to human anatomy?

LOL

I said goodbye to Simba on the way out. Why can't Simba have a M&G? If Marie, a 4-legged cat, can have a M&G then Simba should be able to also!

Agreed, at least give like Baby Simba a M&G, thats similar enough to Marie! How amazing would it be to get Simba and Nala a M&G!?​

 

[disneyAndi14]

Those bats have some large anatomy I do love watching them, they are so creepy and cool at the same time!

Your cold beverages look yummy even on this cold winter day!

I love the two visits with Timon, I haven’t met him yet.

 

[missangelalexis]

I will say that I've gotten teary eyed on FoP before too! It's such an incredible ride!

Sounds like a great time! Adorable pics with Timon!

 

[paradesintherain]

I never really thought about that, I feel like I need to try this now!

Oh yeah, you should try it at least once! I've tried most of the rows, including back, and front is by far the best!

LOL

Agreed, at least give like Baby Simba a M&G, thats similar enough to Marie! How amazing would it be to get Simba and Nala a M&G!?

It would be the BEST THING EVER!

Those bats have some large anatomy I do love watching them, they are so creepy and cool at the same time!

Your cold beverages look yummy even on this cold winter day!

I love the two visits with Timon, I haven’t met him yet.

I didn't even realize until I later looked at the pictures. It was quite the surprise!

Very yummy, I would repeat it for sure

Oh you should! He's so much fun, I haven't had a bad meet with him!

I will say that I've gotten teary eyed on FoP before too! It's such an incredible ride!

Sounds like a great time! Adorable pics with Timon!

Whew, I'm glad I'm not the only one! I really kind of surprised myself with that reaction haha

I love that little meerkat!

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 7 - June 27th - A Chipmunk Dance Party!





After an excellent show at Festival of the Lion King I met back up with Sam. We had some very important plans to meet some very cute rodents. On my way, I passed a park icon, so I took photos of a park icon.

For some reason, I was really appreciating the roadside carnival charm of Dinoland today. I know it's a very divisive little land, but I think I'm solidly on the side of thinking it's adorable.

I had never really taken the time to look up in the store there, but wow, there is so much to see!

We tried to meet Chip and Dale at their location, but they closed the line right as we got there so they could start their dance party. Boo! But, on the bright side, Chip did give me a hug when they arrived on the "dance floor" and as you can tell, I was quite thrilled about it.

Then Sam went out to dance with them and I took, literally, 74 photos. Candids are the best, ok! Plus, the chipmunks were entirely too cute in their dinosaur costumes. Can they always wear them?

They had lots of wicked dinosaur dance moves!

Dale spent a lot of time dancing with Sam, and I think they both had a blast.

Donald crashed the party for a minute!

Chip was a bit harder to get some quality time with. There was one little girl there who was soooo pushy and kept jumping on the chipmunks and tugging on them and keeping other kids from getting near. Her parents did nothing, and the character attendants did the best they could to gently redirect her, but she was PERSISTENT.

After the cutest dance party ever it was time for Dinosaur. This was their first time riding it! Earlier in the trip the ride had been down, and then they never ended up getting on it for one reason or another. I crossed my fingers that all the animatronics would be working, and the sound would be audible. Luckily, the Disney gods smiled on us and the ride was working BEAUTIFULLY. I didn't notice a single broken AA -- there were at least 3 on my last trip. The sound was perfect, you could actually hear Seeker, the asteroid effects were terrifyingly loud. And it seemed even darker in there than before! Glad that Dinosaur seemed to have gotten a little love amidst all the rumors about rebranding it to Indiana Jones (rumors that I am VERY against!).

Sam's dad went back to their resort after Dinosaur (Sam's mom had stayed back because she wasn't feeling well). So Sam and I headed to Pandora with the idea of getting a DAS for Flight of Passage.

Their scanner wasn't working to give us a DAS return time, though, so they just sent us through the FP line. The flight was breathtaking, as always! After our ride we went to Satu'li Canteen and split some cheeseburger pods and the blueberry dessert. I know everyone says it, but the cheeseburger pods taste EXACTLY like McDonalds cheeseburgers. It was fun to try, but I'm not sure I'd repeat it. As for the dessert, I found the passion fruit blob on top very off-putting, but once I pushed that to the side I found it to be a pleasant, lightly blueberry flavored cheesecake!

Cheeseburger Steamed Pod: Steamed Cheeseburger Pod stuffed with Ground Beef, Ketchup, Mustard, Pickle and Cheddar Cheese served with Vegetable Chips

Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse: Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse with Passion Fruit Curd


here's me with a cheeseburger pod, maybe it'll help persuade you to try them!

And here's a bit of a cross-section of a pod.

Up next: more Animal Kingdom and more characters!​

 

[Gina Starr]

What a fun time at Animal Kingdom! I rarely find myself back in Dinoland since I stopped riding Dinosaur. Nothing against the ride, it’s just so jerky and my motion sickness gets bad on it. But the dance party and Chip and Dale in their little costumes is adorable!

I love Satu’li Canteen! I’m in the group that loves the cheeseburger pods but I can’t eat them anymore since I had to go gluten free and really miss them!

 

[richmo]

Also a Satu'li fan and I'll definitely hit it next week. The cheeseburger pods look interesting, but I like the bowls so much, I think I'll stick with them.

 

[missangelalexis]

Ahhh the chipmunks are so dang cute! Great photos and sounds like a fun night with Sam thus far!