Ridin' those rides and Trekking thru Africa, a Solo TR! FINAL UPDATE 10/28

[PhoenixStrength]

Great narrative and pics of the WAT! DW and I will definately have to do this on our next trip. Can't wait for more of your TR!

Thanks! You should do it, I'm sure you will really enjoy it. It's a very unique experience and you get amazing views of the animals.

 

[KatMark]

I so want to treat Mark to that Trek next year for our 30th if I can save the money with the wedding and everything else. I know he would really like it.

You sure look like you enjoyed it.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I so want to treat Mark to that Trek next year for our 30th if I can save the money with the wedding and everything else. I know he would really like it.

You sure look like you enjoyed it.

I hope you can do it! I certainly understand why you don't know if you can, with paying for this secret trip, that trip and the wedding.

I LOVED it!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Hello everyone, TGIF!!! Sorry I haven't gotten another update up, I really hope to tonight. One of my sitters was already on vacation this week when my sitter that works the most (he works all day 7 days a week!) found out his father only has days left to live and he had to fly out to CA to see him before he passes, which will probably be this weekend. So that leaves me and one other sitter doing the work of 4 people So, I'm a little busy. Okay, I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get home visits done and getting my office work done. This weekend is actually going to be worse in the number of visits, but I don't have any office work since it's closed on the weekends so it will be a little easier to handle.

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I will really try to get an update up tonight after I do a few visits after my office work is done.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

DAY 6, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16TH, PART 5


I was still pretty hungry after the Wild Africa Trek (I only ate some of it, and it was small amounts anyway!), so I decided to get some lunch. Where, you might ask?

I got the Pepperoni Pizza with Caesar salad, and a No-Sugar-Added Strawberry Parfait for dessert. It was all pretty good.

While eating I took pictures of the room I was in, which I intentionally picked to be different from the one I ate in 2 days previously. There are several Hidden Mickeys in these pictures!

Little lizards and turtles on the ceiling!

A shot of the floor as I was leaving, and a statue out front.

I decided to head over to Expedition Everest, via Africa. Some Africa shots as I walked over.

EE as I crossed the bridge into Harambe

Then the trail to...

I was very, VERY excited as I started walking down the trail! Why, you ask, this is why!!

She was hidden mostly and almost no one was noticing her until myself and one other person started taking pictures, then a crowd formed. I kept going to get out of the crowd, so I was being bumped into anyway!

A couple Tree of Life shots.

Then I made to Asia!

A PP stopped me as I walked past (I think he was bored) and took a few shots of me with EE in the background. Here is the best one:

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST





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[PhoenixStrength]

DAY 6, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16TH, PART 6


I made my way over to EE, ignoring the warnings along the way, and got in the Single Rider line.

I was quickly in a train car (4th row!) and on my way. I took a bunch of pictures once again.

Tried for a sorta normal ride pic this time. Too bad I wound up blocking my own face!

I got right back in the Single Rider line and made it on in a few minutes, 7th row this time. More pictures!

Trying not to block my face this time!

I guess I was pretty lucky to have survived two rides!

I started to head back to the trail between Asia and Africa, stopping to see the Siamangs along the way.

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST





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[PhoenixStrength]

DAY 6, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16TH, PART 7

A shot of me in front of the Tree of Life again

A pretty waterfall along the pathway!

DeVine was still out, and walking on the path now, so I got some more pictures.

And then made my way thru Africa and toward the exit.

But a quick detour for some of the Oasis animal exhibits before leaving.

And some of the pretty waterfalls there!

Before making my way too the exit and bus stops.

NEXT TIME: But which bus stop did I go to????




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[ronnmel]

Can you imagine having DeVine's job? First taking what must be hours to get your face painted (great shots of her face BTW), then slowly walking around on stilts and hanging around tree trunks. "What do you want to be when you grow up? "I want to be a vine that walks!" No but seriously, she's awesome.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Can you imagine having DeVine's job? First taking what must be hours to get your face painted (great shots of her face BTW), then slowly walking around on stilts and hanging around tree trunks. "What do you want to be when you grow up? "I want to be a vine that walks!" No but seriously, she's awesome.

Yes she is awesome! I was SOOOO excited to see her since I didn't my first day at AK. I really hope she is there on my AK day on my next trip

And WDW is good at making odd career wishes come true. All the little girls who want to be a princess and boys who want to be a pirate can do just that!

 

[captaindavidhook]

Great Ak pictures! You look very cool and relaxed on EE. The artwork at pizzafari looks amazing. I have never eaten there. Pictures of devine look great as well. You went to bus stop # 12 right? What do I win.

 

[KatMark]

Great update. You are a brave woman taking pictures on EE. I won't even ride it.

You got some beautiful pictures if Ms. Divine; I didn't get anything that good.

Love those monkeys!

Can't wait to find out what bus you ended up in.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Great Ak pictures! You look very cool and relaxed on EE. The artwork at pizzafari looks amazing. I have never eaten there. Pictures of devine look great as well. You went to bus stop # 12 right? What do I win.

Thanks! Pizzafari is nice, I think they and Pizza Planet have the best CS pizza. And the paintings on the walls are amazing! And I was very excited to see DeVine, she hasn't been out the last few times I went. Last time I had seen her was 2008!

You'll have to wait and see which bus stop I went to

Great update. You are a brave woman taking pictures on EE. I won't even ride it.

You got some beautiful pictures if Ms. Divine; I didn't get anything that good.

Love those monkeys!

Can't wait to find out what bus you ended up in.

I am not afraid of any ride really, but EE is very smooth and easy so I wasn't afraid to take pictures at all. I think Dinosaur and Space Mountain are a lot rougher than EE is.

I was so happy to see DeVine and be able to get such good pictures before the crowd made it difficult.

Stayed tuned for the bus stop update! I am hoping to get that done tonight

 

[Pluto0809]

I love Pizzafarri but also Flame Tree BBQ. I can't decide which one we will lunch at on our AK day. I might just let my Mom pick. I don't think I'm going to eat a whole lot of my Safari Snack, I'm just too picky.

I'm really hoping to catch DeVine this time, I've never seen her. I don't think my Mom even knows about her so I'm hoping it can be a surprise when we do see her.

I'm with the PP that said you are brave to take pictures on EE. I'm usually holding on too tight to take any!

Let's see, my guess for which bus you were headed to is EPCOT!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I love Pizzafarri but also Flame Tree BBQ. I can't decide which one we will lunch at on our AK day. I might just let my Mom pick. I don't think I'm going to eat a whole lot of my Safari Snack, I'm just too picky.

I'm really hoping to catch DeVine this time, I've never seen her. I don't think my Mom even knows about her so I'm hoping it can be a surprise when we do see her.

I'm with the PP that said you are brave to take pictures on EE. I'm usually holding on too tight to take any!

Let's see, my guess for which bus you were headed to is EPCOT!

I love both too. To be honest I was very hungry and Pizzafari was closer, so I chose there!

DeVine is great. I hope you get to see her. She is almost always along the path between Africa and Asia, close to the Africa side.

I'm hoping to get the next update up in an hour or so, so you will see where I went soon!

 

[mickeystoontown]

I've only seen Devine twice in all of our trips to the Animal Kingdom! You got some really wonderful pictures of her. She's gorgeous!

So, what is the "construction" pictures that you took a picture of while on Expedition Everest? It's the picture with all of the fence around it.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I've only seen Devine twice in all of our trips to the Animal Kingdom! You got some really wonderful pictures of her. She's gorgeous!

So, what is the "construction" pictures that you took a picture of while on Expedition Everest? It's the picture with all of the fence around it.

Yes she is, and she must have the patience of a saint to sit still for all of that makeup and costuming that takes place before she is there!

I have no idea what the construction is. The guy that was sitting next to me said he thought it was the start of getting stuff out of the way for Avatarland.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

DAY 6, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16TH, PART 7

So, when I left off I was leaving Animal Kingdom and heading to the bus stops. But which bus would I get on? Here are two pictures I took on the way to my destination, any guesses?

And I got off at......

















CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT (which no one guessed!)

I arrived a few minutes before 1pm and got off at the Barbados bus stop, thinking I would walk around, but then decided to head over to The Custom House first. Partially because I wanted some pictures and info, and partially because I had to go to the bathroom!

Some pictures from the walk over and inside The Custom House.

After using the restroom and getting a price guide from a very nice CM (there was only one person checking in at that moment), I headed back toward Barbados and walked toward the walkway around the lake.

When I got to the walkway I just turned toward Aruba and started walking around, taking more pictures along the way.

See how pretty the sky looks in that last picture? It started looking less pretty as I continued walking.

I headed toward Aruba, but the sky was starting to scare me, so I cut my visit short and headed toward the bus stop instead. I had been there for an hour though, and really loved the feel of the resort.

We stopped at Barbados, but no one got on. I got a shot of the Custom House though.

I had the bus all to myself.

Where was I headed to now? Downtown Disney. Why? Because I have always wanted to see POR and POFQ and wanted to ride the boat from there DTD to POR. Some pictures along the ride to DTD.

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST



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[PhoenixStrength]

More pics during my bus ride to DTD

I got off at Marketplace and started walking.

I made my way over to the boat dock and waited a few minutes before a boat came and unloaded.

They didn't let us on though after it unloaded and talked amongst themselves before telling us that due to the impending bad weather they were stopping the boat for a bit. Couldn't really blame them, here is the sky.

Since the weather was not going to cooperate with me riding the boat or walking around at POR or POFQ, I just headed to the bus stop for POP. It only took a few minutes for the bus to come, but then we stopped at Pleasure Island for a shift change. We sat there for about 15 minutes until they finished their check lists, and it was raining the whole time. We eventually got to POP, and the rain stopped just as we got off the bus!

Since the rain stopped and I was already at POP, I stopped in my room to change my shoes, then walked around Hourglass Lake taking TONS of pictures of POP.

There are signs from every year with highlights of that year all the way around the lake. Here is an example of one, then more pictures of the 50s buildings.

Some 60s area shots.

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST




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[PhoenixStrength]

More shots of the 60s buildings at POP.

I made my way over to The Centennial Bridge, which was still closed then since construction was still ongoing at AoA. But you could walk part way and get good pictures.

Then I headed back over and walked by the 70s.

Then onto the 80s! Best decade, since it's when I was born

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST


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[PhoenixStrength]

And finally, the 90s!

As I walked back around the front toward Classic Hall, I took some pictures of things near the building.

The Hippy Dippy Pool, and the flower sprinklers

I walked around the front of Classic Hall for a couple of shots too.

The check-in area has shadow boxes across the back wall with tons of stuff in them from every decade. Here are a few of them.

One of the benches in the lobby area.

I headed over to Everything POP food court next, which was very empty!

A Hidden Mickey in the floor

I forgot my notes and I cannot remember what I did next, but I know I tried the tie-dye cheesecake.

And then walked out to go back to my room. I got a shot of this sign in Everything POP on my way out.

I know it was only around dinner time then, but for some reason I don't have any more pictures uploaded for this day. I'll have to look at my notes when I get home to figure out what happened next!




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