Snow, Savannah, and NO School! A Feb 2010 TR! UPDATE marathon! New TR! Souvies! 3/6

[Happydog]

Morning, Jennifer! Are you settling back into the routine of regular life?

Wait.



IS this a trick question??!!

I KNOW you are just fishing for an update...

 

[Happydog]

Welcome back! Again!
What a great day at Epcot despite the rain. GGS can make all your worries go away!
Awwww your starfish story is adorable! What a cutie!!
That was so great of the resort to open up all of the games in the arcade!!
I am so glad you liked Jiko! Isn't it so cozy and wonderfully delish?!! My niece had the mussels when we went and what an odd combination with the cinnamon raisin baguette but it worked and was sooo good! I thought she was going to tip up the gigantic bowl and drink the rest!!
Looking forward to those pictures!!

Tracy

Hi Thanks! YES Jiko's was awesome! LOVED it. We did enjoy Epcot regardless! LAST day coming up!

Oh my Jennifer.....
There is a certain picture,
of a certain guy....
I don't mean one of the little guys....
holding a Grey Goose Slushie,
on a gloomy day at Disney,
That needs to be framed on your desk...
Facing you!

Yes, but then I would be depressed that he wasn't actually bringing it to me

 

[Happydog]

So this morning we awoke to a somewhat cloudy sky, and thus we gave up the idea of swimming in the AKL pool… Oh well, NEXT time!

We finished our packing, and took everything to the car. We then strolled around the AKL lobby and grounds for a little bit before we left. We then headed to the Contemporary and had lunch (I know, I know, but I love the Contempo Cafe!). I think there are a few photos of the Monorail coming through!

IN and OUT goes the monorail!

After lunch, we headed over to the park…

Here we are going over to MK via monorail!

The park was, well, BUSY. This was the first time on the trip where we really felt it was nuts busy... But I reminded myself that we had arrived at 1pm and it was a holiday weekend! So with that in mind we knew we were not going to get stellar FPs (at least in the time frame we had) and so decided that we should choose rides that we hadn’t tried or those other rides that are big load rides and crowd pleasers!

So after indecisiveness we decided to take the train over to Frontierland to try for FPs at BTMRR. We were very happy, however, that the weather shaped up to a perfectly sunny pleasant day!

With our FPs secured, we thought about rides in Fantasyland but as we got there, it was apparent that the crowds had descended on the park, and ever Its a Small World had a posted 60 min wait! So since the crowds were big, and the lines longer, we just decided to roll with whatever we could do.

Alice! Has everyone stayed on top of all the movie news? Any new updates with the movie!?

Here we are trying to rescue the sword, and with our luck run out, we decided to find ourselves a magical golden carousel instead.

Our next stop was Philharmagic. I forget how cool this is now! Here is DS7 hamming it up while we waited to go inside the theater! He is "stuck".

.

We went to Tomorrowland, then, grabbed popcorn and decided to ride the Transit Authority! If only because we also could enjoy the view!

The weather really did turn nice.

Here is a shot as we made our way back towards Frontierland -- I thought it was so pretty with the sky, etc!

So we decided to go back to frontier land in order to get our rollercoaster in!
Here is a shot from the top before it really starts going fast!

I have the last few hours our our Magical Disney getaway for my next post, and then with that and my my shopping post, we'll bring it to an end! Heck, I still have to write a TR, and start my PTR!!

Til tomorrow!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Nah, I was just checking on you...and maybe hoping for a little update!

So glad the clouds burned off, and it was a pretty day! Can't believe how busy it was -- you know it's bad when It's a Small World has a 60 minute wait!

Love the pictures of the boys on the carousel -- such cuties!

 

[SoonerGirl]

60 minutes for It's a Small World??? Seriously????

From your pictures it looks like it turned into a beautiful day, even with those crowds.

 

[mom2mek]

What were the dates of your trip? We were there Feb 6 - 13th. It looks like such a fun time you guys had...I will have to keep in mind the whole spur-of-the-moment trip idea!!

Sara

 

[IluvXU]

I totally loved the AK. I didn't realize how much I was going to love it myself. It really was beautiful. Isn't that where you own your points?

We do own there. I hope for sure next summer to stay there, but I am struggling between the two buildings. I need to find some reports /opinions from people that have stayed at both....

 

[Happydog]

Nah, I was just checking on you...and maybe hoping for a little update!

So glad the clouds burned off, and it was a pretty day! Can't believe how busy it was -- you know it's bad when It's a Small World has a 60 minute wait!

Love the pictures of the boys on the carousel -- such cuties!

Hi! Thanks! It was a very peculiar and busy week I have to confess. YES the clouds burned off and the sun came out! I think the carousel is wonderful.

60 minutes for It's a Small World??? Seriously????

From your pictures it looks like it turned into a beautiful day, even with those crowds.

YES, that is what it said! I was uber surprised! AND yes, the day shaped up nicely!

What were the dates of your trip? We were there Feb 6 - 13th. It looks like such a fun time you guys had...I will have to keep in mind the whole spur-of-the-moment trip idea!!

Sara

Hi! Yes, it was rather an unexpected thing! We were there Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The 9th - 12th it would be. So we must have been there at the same time!

 

[Happydog]

We do own there. I hope for sure next summer to stay there, but I am struggling between the two buildings. I need to find some reports /opinions from people that have stayed at both....

I think both are pretty. I think Kidani is newer, and the rooms are apparently gorgeous. BUT I loved the whole feel of the AKL resort, the lobby is so beautiful... the lobby at Kidani is nice too, AKL because you have better access to the pool. the feature pool has a neat area for kids.

 

[eandesmom]

I was wondering when you were going to hit the crowds! That's when we were there last year, Sat-Tues were insane with the holiday crowds.

The Contempo Cafe thing cracks me up. It's the WPE of this trip!

Looks like a very pretty day

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Looks like a beautiful day! Of course you made the best of those crowds! I love the picture of the three guys tugging on the sword!

 

[Happydog]

So alas, like Cinderella and the Pumpkin, we agreed that 5pm would be the fated hour and time we would leave Disney for home. Knowing that we had been given a special treat to even come, saying "Goodbye for Now!" Wasn't going to be too difficult, but it always is a little

So after our "Wildest RIDE" we took the time to check out the Country Bears -- which I have only memories from DisneyLand as a child -- and we also took a turn at the shooting gallery. We enjoyed the Tiki Room on the way back to mainstreet, and had thought about the Swiss Family Tree House, but again, with large lines, it was one of those things where it is hardly enjoyable if you are just shuffling after the next person in line through the tree. So with that we decided to grab some icecream and enjoy the end of the sun as it got lower in the sky.

Here are a few of my final BTMRR pics I forgot to post in the last update!

What follows are just the last pics I took while we lingered near the Plaza restaurant, eating our ice cream on the patio and me just taking random shots as the sun was shifting in the sky. We also saw the flag lowering ceremony which was something we hadn't seen before, either.

Chocolate and Strawberry... Ice Cream in Disney is always good no matter WHAT the temp is!!! Though I was seriously missing that peppermint icecream from last trip!

With that, we headed back to the car, The boys ran along the path, and we hopped into our car and headed for home!

We drove to Daytona -- saw all the hype for the races -- and ate dinner. We then continued our drive. It was uneventful, fortunately, and we ended up at my DBIL's house around 9am... We had made a stop for some groceries before we grabbed the dog. Home again, we had to dig ourselves INTO the garage!!! but it wasn't too bad, and again to get to the door. NOT as much as before, guess the drifts went the other way, but we could tell it had snowed AGAIN, and happy were we, to have escaped it!

Next POST ... souvenirs!!!

 

[Native NYer]

Ice cream in Disney always tastes better!

Can't wait to see what souvenirs you got.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Great couple of posts. I am so enamored with the idea of just picking up and going for a spontaneous trip. Boys are as cute as ever -- especially giving their all to remove the sword from the stone! It does look like it turned out to be a beautiful day. Glad you got to enjoy the sunshine and ice cream!

Looking forward to your souvies, next TR and PTR!! Lots of Disney in the Happydog household!! I wouldn't have it any other way!!!

 

[Happydog]

How does one spell that phonetically, anyhow??!! All I know is that I spent more money that normal this trip!!! BUT it was for birthdays, and with the AP discount -- I had great use for Fuzzy Disney MATH!!!!

So our first big set of purchases were related to Star Wars... Books, a Tshirt for DS7, action figures, and the space crafts for the action figures the AT-TE Disney Racer for DS4 as well. These were mostly for birthday, a few they had already opened but I don't have photos because they are already in the hands of little boys!

Next up, some Animal Kingdom goodies...

The bracelet and the key chain were for me, the magnet for the fridge!

My BELOVED Christmas ornament and a spare! I really liked this Tink at Christmas... I know it isn't much, but I had wanted it then and was glad to get it!

This was a big impulse buy for someone...

As you can see he is very fond of him...

For me....

A few more photos coming up, and a recap of the trip! I have to take a few boys to Karate now, so I will be back!

More to come, a Cruise, a few surprises, this and that!

 

[Charleston Princess]

You can really get a sense of how crowded it was with this shot!

A boy and his ice cream -- true Disney bliss!!!

Hurray for souvenir pics!!! Getting out my wish list now...

I this shirt! Connor needs it! Of course, being the Star Wars nerd that I am, I am sitting here quoting from the movie, "TK 421, do you copy?"

I have the giraffe key chain in this line! It makes me smile all the time!

Yep, both of these are going on the wish list!

I am in love with the shirt on the left! Too cute!

More to come, a Cruise, a few surprises, this and that!

Hurray for more fun!!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Do I spy some new tickers?

Love all the souvenirs!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Great souvies. I really like that bracelet!

Looking forward to hearing about your cruise. And, more surprises??? Do tell!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Good eye, DisMomAmy! I think we DO spy some new tickers!

Great souvenirs. Love all of it. Especially knowing that you got a discount on most of it!!

More, please!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Great finish to the trip! Nothing like some Disney ice cream to get you ready for the road...
Thanks for getting me ready for some souvie shopping! I certainly have a few more items on my list now!