"So what do you want to do next?" An April '10 TR...final thoughts 8/2 p. 63

[wdwgirl03]

We LOVED TS3!!! I just posted about our experience SO funny about the teenagers dressed as the characters---cute!! I am happy you guys loved it too. I think it is my favorite!

It was hilarious to see those teenagers dressed up. It was like when we went to see Harry Potter at midnight. My sister said she wanted to go up to them and shake their hands.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Friday, April 9, 2010 cont'd (part 5)

Again, I’m going to say that this post might contain possible spoilers…

Next up on our tour was a visit to the Animal Hospital. It was kind of funny because even though we were backstage we were also “on stage” since we were in some of the areas that you can see if you ever visit Rafiki’s Planet Watch. We got to see some of the rooms where they do check-ups and surgeries on the animals. Sadly I don’t remember much else from this part so maybe Dad could add some more.

In that same building we then got to take a short break. We went into a conference room where they had a bunch of snacks (goldfish, granola bars, etc.) as well as a refillable mug that says “Backstage Safari” on it. Yay for a souvenir! While we were in there Kelly also did a demonstration using the other girl as an “animal” to show how they train and condition them. That was kind of amusing. She took this one pole and would touch the girl on the arm and then praise her and give her a treat, aka tootsie rolls (somehow I doubt the animals get tootsie rolls, haha). She did that several times and then Kelly tried something different: she held the pole a little farther away from her arm. What the animal (or in this case, the girl) is supposed to do is touch her arm to the pole because they’ve learned to associate the pole with a treat. Kelly said this is really helpful like if they need to give the animals shots or whatnot.

After our break we went back out to our van so we could get to our next spot. Since Kelly called from out in the hallway, it was going to be a complete surprise. And let me tell you it was probably one of my favorite parts of the tour. Where did we end up? The giraffe barn!!! There we met another CM who works with the giraffes and got to talk to him. I wish I could remember his name, but I want to say it was something like Mark or Mike. He took us inside the barn and told us a little bit about the animals. As he was talking I noticed a schedule on the wall for how they rotate the giraffes on the savannah. Want another interesting animal fact? Have you ever heard how giraffes’ tongues are black? Turns out they are black because they are actually SUNBURNED! How crazy is that?! He also told us this funny story about how giraffes are really observant animals. He said there was one time when the CMs had this contest where they made giraffes out of rain barrels. Well, one of them was in the barn. Turns out that was a mistake because when they tried to get the giraffes in they wouldn’t go! I think he said one of the mothers got really protective of her young because it was just unfamiliar to them. Then we got a real treat. He told us that we were going to get to see Asante, DAK’s only male giraffe. It was really cool because he let us observe him from the top of the barn and then at ground level. At the top of the barn he opened up this window and Asante walked right by. Talk about a close encounter, we were almost literally face-to-face with a 17-foot tall giraffe!!! And then back outside we got to see him from ground level. Before he let us see him again though he warned us not to reach in and touch him. LOL! OK, I don’t consider myself a short person but I sure felt like it looking up at that guy. Oh my, it was awesome.

When we were done we thanked Mike/Mark but before the tour was over we still had one more thing to do. What better way to end the Backstage Safari Tour than with a ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris?! Kelly told us we’d be getting the “backstage” version though, so we’d be riding without the usual narration/audio. We went into the area where you normally unload at KS and hopped into our own jeep. There was another person driving so Kelly could give us some more secrets. Since it was mid-afternoon I was curious to see how many animals would be out. Surprisingly there were quite a few animals roaming around! Finally, pictures!!!

We saw this little guy crossing the street...

I thought it was so weird seeing giraffes sitting down!

An elephant eating...

Kind of looks like he's running straight for the truck. LOL.

And some of those secrets we learned:
-the water features at the beginning and end of the ride are there to help preserve the tires

-there is also a lamp near the Wildlife Preserve sign that tells the drivers when it is clear to go (kind of like the flashing lamp at Splash Mountain)

-the cattle guards (or those chains that you drive over sometimes) are there to keep the animals from entering/exiting an environment. Apparently the hoofstock, aka zebras, okapis, etc. don’t like them.

-DAK is the only place to have crocodiles “trained” to go in at night

-The hippos are separated by gender

and then possibly my favorite,
-The flamingo island is actually a giant hidden Mickey!!!

So that was a fitting ending for the tour. After the ride we had to fill out a brief survey asking us what we thought of the tour. I think you know what I said. It was such an awesome experience, especially for an AK lover like me. I know some people are not big fans of DAK but I now have a new appreciation for it. If you ever get the chance to do the tour, go for it! Dad and I both loved it. And a big thanks to Kelly who was a great tour guide.

Since it had been a long day we decided to head back to Kidani for a quick break. But where did we decide to go for the evening??? Here’s a hint…”WHAT’CHU TALKIN’ ABOUT, JUDGE?!”

 

[jenbear123]

Okay you sold me on that tour!!!

Finally I know the purpose of those silly chains! I thought maybe they were to knock dirt off the tires or something. That's so interesting how the hoofed animals don't like them. Who knew! That giraffe encounter sounds incredible too. Wow. I might just have to do this tour on my next trip (new PTR in progress btw ). How much did it cost?

 

[SoonerGirl]

Oh my gosh, I would love love love to visit the giraffe barn! The tour sounds awesome, thanks so much for posting about it - it is now on my list of things to do!

 

[amyrella]

wow that seems really cool... i just looked up the price and its honestly not that bad... i think i'm gonna def have to book it!! i know my daughter will love it!!!

oh wait... you have to be 16... and shes def not 16

 

[wisblue]

Want another interesting animal fact? Have you ever heard how giraffes’ tongues are black? Turns out they are black because they are actually SUNBURNED! How crazy is that?!

Actually, he said that the part of the giraffe's tongue that sticks out of the mouth is the dark blue/black color so that it doesn't get sunburned. The CM (I think his name was Mike) asked us if we knew why this part of the tongue was so dark, and I took an educated guess that it was to prevent sunburn. He then told us that this is just a theory that a number of people who study the animals have.

He also pointed out that the floor of the giraffe quarters has kind of a rubbery texture. They do that to reduce the stress on the giraffes' hoofs and leg joints.

The giraffe house was probably my favorite part of the tour. If we do go the zoo tomorrow I'm going to look for the dark part of the giraffes' tongues. They're always out in the yard slurping at the trees.

 

[xoktenox]

Wow Sarah, the tour sounds like so much fun! Definitely something that I want to try now that I've heard more about it

I'd say since I've been back to WDW as an "adult", I've grown to have such an appreciation for AK. I really can't understand why some people don't like it!

 

[dancin_princess]

Sounds like you had a lot of fun on your tour. I didn't know that giraffe's tongues were black because they were sunburned. Pretty interesting.

 

[RachelNinja]

While we were in there Kelly also did a demonstration using the other girl as an “animal” to show how they train and condition them. That was kind of amusing. She took this one pole and would touch the girl on the arm and then praise her and give her a treat, aka tootsie rolls (somehow I doubt the animals get tootsie rolls, haha). She did that several times and then Kelly tried something different: she held the pole a little farther away from her arm. What the animal (or in this case, the girl) is supposed to do is touch her arm to the pole because they’ve learned to associate the pole with a treat. Kelly said this is really helpful like if they need to give the animals shots or whatnot.

Haha, I should somehow incorporate this method with my students ...

 

[leamom2princesses]

The tour sounds awesome Sarah. It's definitely something my family would enjoy down the road. I can see Lindsey going nuts over it.

We saw TS3 last night and loved it like others! It was really good.

 

[Bridora]

Thanks for sharing about the tour--sounds like something we'll have to do in the future. I love learning those little tidbits! And with all you & your Dad's talk about the details....I ordered both the Hidden Magic and the Windows on Main St. books for my DH for Father's Day. So, thanks to both of you for your wonderful recommendations! I read just the first tiny bit of the Hidden Magic book last night and had to restrain myself from reading it out loud to my DH! I didn't want to spoil his gift like that!

 

[Mickey_Mom]

AK has always been my least favorite park because of the sweltering heat. Outside of EE and Kali River Rapids and the air conditioned FOTLK and Nemo shows there hasn't been much for us to see. We've never seen the animals out and about or doing anything other than sleeping so the park has always been half days for us. My DH would gladly skip it altogether.

Our next trip though, I'm really excited about seeing AK from a totally different perspective with the not-so-blazingly hot temperatures.

Thanks for the look inside the tour! You've had an awesome day so far!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Okay you sold me on that tour!!!

Finally I know the purpose of those silly chains! I thought maybe they were to knock dirt off the tires or something. That's so interesting how the hoofed animals don't like them. Who knew! That giraffe encounter sounds incredible too. Wow. I might just have to do this tour on my next trip (new PTR in progress btw ). How much did it cost?

YAY! It was such a great experience. Now everyone knows why I was so excited to write about it. hehe

The giraffe part was definitely one of the best parts. It was so awesome getting to see one up close. Just posted on your PTR!

Oh my gosh, I would love love love to visit the giraffe barn! The tour sounds awesome, thanks so much for posting about it - it is now on my list of things to do!

You are very welcome. Glad you want to do it now too!

wow that seems really cool... i just looked up the price and its honestly not that bad... i think i'm gonna def have to book it!! i know my daughter will love it!!!

oh wait... you have to be 16... and shes def not 16

Yeah, there is the age requirement. I don't know how old your daughter is but if you want to do a tour she might enjoy the Family Magic Tour. That one is geared more towards younger kids and families. We did it several years ago and enjoyed it.

Actually, he said that the part of the giraffe's tongue that sticks out of the mouth is the dark blue/black color so that it doesn't get sunburned. The CM (I think his name was Mike) asked us if we knew why this part of the tongue was so dark, and I took an educated guess that it was to prevent sunburn. He then told us that this is just a theory that a number of people who study the animals have.

He also pointed out that the floor of the giraffe quarters has kind of a rubbery texture. They do that to reduce the stress on the giraffes' hoofs and leg joints.

The giraffe house was probably my favorite part of the tour. If we do go the zoo tomorrow I'm going to look for the dark part of the giraffes' tongues. They're always out in the yard slurping at the trees.

Ohhhh oops definitely misunderstood that then. I think I was thinking of your guess then about saying it was sunburned. I remember that part.

Wow Sarah, the tour sounds like so much fun! Definitely something that I want to try now that I've heard more about it

I'd say since I've been back to WDW as an "adult", I've grown to have such an appreciation for AK. I really can't understand why some people don't like it!

You should do it Kristen! We loved it!

Ugh, I guess since I love animals/AK I will never understand why people don't like it either. It's a great park.

Sounds like you had a lot of fun on your tour. I didn't know that giraffe's tongues were black because they were sunburned. Pretty interesting.

Yeah, I actually misunderstood what the guide said...if you look at my dad's response their tongues are dark to prevent sunburn (in theory). Whoops! I feel like an idiot now.

Haha, I should somehow incorporate this method with my students ...

The tour sounds awesome Sarah. It's definitely something my family would enjoy down the road. I can see Lindsey going nuts over it.

We saw TS3 last night and loved it like others! It was really good.

Glad you guys enjoyed TS3. One of Pixar's best in my book!

Thanks for sharing about the tour--sounds like something we'll have to do in the future. I love learning those little tidbits! And with all you & your Dad's talk about the details....I ordered both the Hidden Magic and the Windows on Main St. books for my DH for Father's Day. So, thanks to both of you for your wonderful recommendations! I read just the first tiny bit of the Hidden Magic book last night and had to restrain myself from reading it out loud to my DH! I didn't want to spoil his gift like that!

Awesome you ordered the books! I hope you both enjoy them. They're so fun to read/look at after you've been to WDW so many times. Makes you appreciated the parks even more.

AK has always been my least favorite park because of the sweltering heat. Outside of EE and Kali River Rapids and the air conditioned FOTLK and Nemo shows there hasn't been much for us to see. We've never seen the animals out and about or doing anything other than sleeping so the park has always been half days for us. My DH would gladly skip it altogether.

Our next trip though, I'm really excited about seeing AK from a totally different perspective with the not-so-blazingly hot temperatures.

Thanks for the look inside the tour! You've had an awesome day so far!

haha, that's kind of how my sister is...she likes EE, Dinosaur, and maybe the safari. I don't think I could ever go a trip and just skip DAK. Love it!

We did have another great day.

 

[MickeyisBeast]

The tour sounds awesome! Hopefully I'll be able to do it eventually, lol
Giraffes are my fav animal- I'm so jealous you got to get so upclose to them!
And, I'm lovin all the facts you learned, they are really interesting

 

[Cory's Gal]

Wonderful review of the tour Sarah! That was so awesome to go into the giraffe barn and be SO CLOSE to one!! It was cool to be able to see him from up above and from down below. The personal Safari ride looked like a lot of fun too and thanks for sharing some secrets from it!! Also good to know you were able to see so many animals in the afternoon like that, we always ride first thing in the morning because they say the animals are so active but it seems you and your dad got to see quite a bit! I like the pic of the giraffes sitting down, I don't know if I have ever seen them sitting before!!! Looking forward to hearing about what you did the rest of the day!!!

 

[Angies1274]

Great update!! Wow! The tour sounds like so much fun! That was so interesting about the giraffes. Hmm...I didn't know that their tongues were sunburned! (edit-oops...I guess I should have read above.) It's so cool that you were able to get so close to them!!!You got some really great animal pictures and I loved all your secrets. I knew the one where Flamingo island was a hidden Mickey. Isn't that so cool? I'm not sure where I read it but I made sure to take a picture of it this trip... just for that reason.

 

[meeko_33785]

Hey! I'm back from Disney and just got caught up with your report. Sounds like you had a good time at the Backstage Safari tour.

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

That tour sounds awesome. I'll have to talk DH into it! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[wdwgirl03]

The tour sounds awesome! Hopefully I'll be able to do it eventually, lol
Giraffes are my fav animal- I'm so jealous you got to get so upclose to them!
And, I'm lovin all the facts you learned, they are really interesting

Glad you enjoyed all the little facts. I didn't know if I should post them or not...didn't want to ruin everything if anybody ever does the tour!

Wonderful review of the tour Sarah! That was so awesome to go into the giraffe barn and be SO CLOSE to one!! It was cool to be able to see him from up above and from down below. The personal Safari ride looked like a lot of fun too and thanks for sharing some secrets from it!! Also good to know you were able to see so many animals in the afternoon like that, we always ride first thing in the morning because they say the animals are so active but it seems you and your dad got to see quite a bit! I like the pic of the giraffes sitting down, I don't know if I have ever seen them sitting before!!! Looking forward to hearing about what you did the rest of the day!!!

I loved getting to see the giraffe! It was actually kind of freaky when he first opened the door to see him from the upper part of the barn. He was just like RIGHT THERE. Still, very cool.

A lot of times in the past we've gone to AK in the afternoon and haven't had as much luck seeing a lot. This time was great though...maybe they coax them out for the tour.

Great update!! Wow! The tour sounds like so much fun! That was so interesting about the giraffes. Hmm...I didn't know that their tongues were sunburned! (edit-oops...I guess I should have read above.) It's so cool that you were able to get so close to them!!!You got some really great animal pictures and I loved all your secrets. I knew the one where Flamingo island was a hidden Mickey. Isn't that so cool? I'm not sure where I read it but I made sure to take a picture of it this trip... just for that reason.

Yeah, I should really go back and correct that statement about the giraffe tongues...my dad actually corrected me and told me it's a theory that they're black to prevent sunburn. Don't know how I heard something so different. Oh well.

It's funny because on our safari earlier in the morning I took a picture of the flamingo island and as soon as I heard that I had to go back and look at my picture to see if it was true.

Hey! I'm back from Disney and just got caught up with your report. Sounds like you had a good time at the Backstage Safari tour.

Welcome back! Hope you had a fun trip. We sure did enjoy the tour.

That tour sounds awesome. I'll have to talk DH into it! Can't wait to hear more!

Hopefully he goes for it after he got to do his steam engine tour! hehe

 

[wdwgirl03]

Friday, April 9, 2010 cont'd (part 6)

After our exciting day at Animal Kingdom we returned to Kidani for a break. In the evening then I decided I wanted to go over to Hollywood Studios for—what else?—the American Idol finale show! Before heading over to the theater we grabbed some dinner at the Backlot Express again. I wasn’t all that hungry so I just got the chicken nuggets from the kid’s menu.

Since we wanted to be sure we got into the finale we pretty much just went straight to the theater and waited in the holding area. It’s always fun to relive some of those AI moments on the videos they show, plus we got to see them do some of the filming of the crowd. It was only a few minutes before they let us into the theater. That’s probably the worst part of AIE, trying to get in there. There’s so much pushing and shoving because there’s always someone who HAS to get in and get the “best” seat. I will never understand that but maybe that’s just me.

Before the show started one of the CMs came out to pump up the crowd and give us instructions for how to react to the judges’ comments. He told us to cheer if they said something good and boo if they said something bad (especially the Simon judge). Then, I have no idea what made the CM do this, but he spotted this one guy in the audience and asked him what his name was. The CM asked him if he would be willing to do something during the show. When one of the judges made a bad comment, he wanted him to get up out of his seat, point, and scream “WHAT’CHU TALKIN’ ABOUT, JUDGE?” Everyone was just cracking up and I know I was curious to see if he’d actually get up and do it during the show.

Soon it was time to start the show! The finales are so much fun because they have all the winners from the day so it’s a little bit longer. All of the contestants were introduced and the competition for the golden ticket was underway.

Sadly I don’t remember all of the exact songs the contestants sang. I know one woman did something by Kelly Clarkson and a couple people did Stevie Wonder. Everyone was really good so it made for an interesting show. A couple memorable moments:

As I mentioned we had our audience friend who was picked on to yell at the judges. Well, one of the contestants was getting his feedback and the Simon judge said something negative. You could almost feel all eyes on that guy and I could see him kind of looking at the people he was with, like he was thinking “should I do it?!” Sure enough, the guy stands up and shouts out “WHAT’CHU TALKING ABOUT, JUDGE?” It was hysterical. Dad and I were laughing so hard. So funny!

Two of the contestants really stood out. There was this one girl from London named Rachel. When she performed her song…boy did she perform it! She worked the stage and the crowd and Dad said she just seemed so much more polished than what you’d typically see at AIE...like she had performed before. I’ll let Dad share what he found out about her when we got home! And then there was Marvin. You could totally tell he was just so excited to be there and was a crowd favorite. When they introduced the contestants he came out dancing which was pretty funny.

So when it came time for the results, any guesses as to who the final two were? Yup, Rachel and Marvin. But only one of them could walk away with the dream ticket. Who was the ultimate winner?

MARVIN! I’m pretty sure Dad and I both voted for Rachel and she probably would have won any other night. But overall it was another entertaining show.

When the show was over we went to see if we could get on Tower of Terror and/or Rock ‘N Roller Coaster.

We ended up doing the single rider line again (I am singing “all the single riders, all the single riders” now as I type this…haha!). It was a little bit longer than it was the other day but still not too bad. We ended the night with a ride on Tower of Terror. Again, we had a little bit longer to wait but the crowds were mostly heading to Fantasmic by that point. It might’ve been around 20-25 min.

And so another fun Disney day had come and gone. One last shot of the Studios before the bus ride back to the resort:

Up next: Flowers and fairies!