Stop and Smell the Roses But Watch Out for the Bees! July '12 It's a Wrap Folks! 2.23

[TinksThree]

You got AWESOME pics inside Sci-Fi! I'm so glad that you guys were enjoying the Park Hoppers. I love the freedom of them.

I'm sorry that you weren't feeling well- I hope that it passed quickly!

Thanks! I actually took several more but they turned out so poorly I didn't post...which was why I had so few! But the bad ones were as we were leaving and everyone was hurrying me so I couldn't take the time to do better! Those Park Hoppers were so awesome and we may never go back without them! Personally I think that was what made Keith happy...leaving and going places that worked better at the time. You can't plan how crowds will be for the most part. For October he has asked me several times if we have them and I keep saying yes!

The sickness passes but not nearly as quickly as I would hope! At least the rest of Animal Kingdom was good!

 

[amandaw]

Oh goodness! I sure hope you got to feeling better & didn't get "sick sick".

I'm loving all of your tidbits of information - very interesting!

I love It's Tough to be a Bug, too! Such a cute show! I want to take Reid to see it this year - hopefully he'll like it too.

 

[sherylcin]

Well, I'm shocked just a little!! You actually left DHS without riding TOT!! What!!?? I guess if you're coming back the next night........... I love AK too and I especially love being able to take the time to stop and enjoy the streetmosphere!! I'm sure liking all the "Disney Facts" too! Keep 'em coming. Some of them I've heard but I've already learned a lot!! So sorry you weren't feeling well. I think that's one thing we all hope to avoid on vacation. Hope it doesn't hang around long.

Forgot to ask you before, about how long do you think it took you to get to HDD from your resort? (Total travel time)

 

[TinksThree]

Oh goodness! I sure hope you got to feeling better & didn't get "sick sick".

I'm loving all of your tidbits of information - very interesting!

I love It's Tough to be a Bug, too! Such a cute show! I want to take Reid to see it this year - hopefully he'll like it too.

I was so scared it was going to turn into something more! I am not a germaphoid but on this trip I was diligent on hand sanitizer and washing hands good. We decided my body wasn't used to not having germs on it!

I'm glad the tidbits are interesting and you enjoy them! I have had fun with all of the findings and in some cases remindings!

It's Tough to Be A Bug is one of our favorites! I may go to AK just to see it if little else!!

Well, I'm shocked just a little!! You actually left DHS without riding TOT!! What!!?? I guess if you're coming back the next night........... I love AK too and I especially love being able to take the time to stop and enjoy the streetmosphere!! I'm sure liking all the "Disney Facts" too! Keep 'em coming. Some of them I've heard but I've already learned a lot!! So sorry you weren't feeling well. I think that's one thing we all hope to avoid on vacation. Hope it doesn't hang around long.

Forgot to ask you before, about how long do you think it took you to get to HDD from your resort? (Total travel time)

It is shocking isn't it!? That should speak volumes of the crowds and tour group issues we ran into! If it keeps me from TOT, well....

Some of the info I read I had heard before and then some things were so cool, I thought. I am glad you are enjoying them as well!!

I took a picture at the bus stop at 5:45pm and the picture I took at the beach once we docked at Ft. Wilderness was at 6:22pm. Since we waited a few minutes for the bus at POFQ I would say it was probably 35-40 minutes based on the time stamps. It was a very easy commute and felt very fast!

 

[Angies1274]

Great updates! It sounds like the park hoppers were really working out for you!

Love TSMM!! It's so much fun! However, I really wish we didn't have to do the mad dash into the park just to be able to ride.

Sorry the wait time was so long for ToT. We probably won't be returning again in July either for the same reason you have.

I know I said it before but I'm loving all your Disney facts/secrets. I really liked the part about remembering the word NaHTaZu when you think of Animal Kingdom. So cool!

Sorry you didn't feel well. I hope it didn't last long.

 

[TinksThree]

Great updates! It sounds like the park hoppers were really working out for you!

Love TSMM!! It's so much fun! However, I really wish we didn't have to do the mad dash into the park just to be able to ride.

Sorry the wait time was so long for ToT. We probably won't be returning again in July either for the same reason you have.

I know I said it before but I'm loving all your Disney facts/secrets. I really liked the part about remembering the word NaHTaZu when you think of Animal Kingdom. So cool!

Sorry you didn't feel well. I hope it didn't last long.

We really were loving the Park Hoppers! I am anxious to see how Keith handles things in October since I have very few firm plans! I love TSMM and TOT and those reasons (along with Indy) alone are why we even go to DHS but I agree that I am not a fan of the mad dash either! I am so glad you are enjoying the tidbits as well! I really liked that thought on AK and glad you did too!!

 

[TinksThree]

First off...Happy Fall Ya'll!!! I just love this time of year!!

And since Keith is okay with talking about Disney at Disney but wants no discussion of the trip right now, I am sharing with those I know don't mind me talking Disney and Mickey Mouse stuff!

Today was a Magical Mickey Mail Day!! I got my "Mickey Mail" plus a t-shirt I had ordered and will take on the trip just in case it is a little cool in the evenings (or days) who knows what the weather will truly be!

Mickey Mail!!

and my new shirt!!

Well, I am off for an afternoon and night of college football!! I hope everyone has a great first day of fall!!!

 

[Angies1274]

Yay for Mickey mail!! Love the new shirt! So cute!

 

[solana131]

Happy Fall right back at ya! This is my favorite time of the year

That shirt is so cute! What are the Mickey cards?? Are those your passes? I have never seen the passes directly from Disney before. Once we got them at our AAA office and once through UnderCoverTourist (never again). Those are so cute!

 

[amandaw]

YAY! for Mickey Mail!!!

And your shirt is so cute!!

 

[TinksThree]

Yay for Mickey mail!! Love the new shirt! So cute!

Thanks! It made me smile and then Keith rolled his eyes ...but I do love getting that envelope in the mail!!

Happy Fall right back at ya! This is my favorite time of the year

That shirt is so cute! What are the Mickey cards?? Are those your passes? I have never seen the passes directly from Disney before. Once we got them at our AAA office and once through UnderCoverTourist (never again). Those are so cute!

Isn't fall great?! I just wish the fall around here would cool off slightly!! It is still trying to reach 90 degrees everyday! But you can feel it in the air!

The Mickey cards are luggage tags. These are holograms and look really cool! I haven't used the tags before but I will probably use these! So I take it UnderCoverTourist wasn't that great?

YAY! for Mickey Mail!!!

And your shirt is so cute!!

I love Mickey Mail!!! I was excited the shirt looked like the picture once I got it! I am not a pink person, really, but Madison picked out the Minnie and I was so partial to the picture portion I decided to overlook the pink part of it!

 

[mickeystoontown]

It's nice that we know that we can all come on the Dis and talk and talk and share picture after picture after picture and, so long as it's about Disney, we all love it! I am loving the Minnie shirt. Did you order it from Disneystore.com?

 

[IheartDDuck]

Yay, Mickey Mail is the best! I always lament the fact that since we're part of DVC, we don't really get Mickey Mail. Boo.

 

[TinksThree]

It's nice that we know that we can all come on the Dis and talk and talk and share picture after picture after picture and, so long as it's about Disney, we all love it! I am loving the Minnie shirt. Did you order it from Disneystore.com?

I love that about the DisBoards!! And Keith loves it because it keeps him from having to discuss things over and over!!

I did order it from the Disneystore.com! they had them on sale for $10 and I just couldn't pass that up!

Yay, Mickey Mail is the best! I always lament the fact that since we're part of DVC, we don't really get Mickey Mail. Boo.

We didn't get Mickey Mail for the July trip because we were doing room only and all military discounts so it was fun getting it this go around! They should offer some type of Mickey Mail I think!!

 

[sherylcin]

Yay, Mickey Mail is the best! I always lament the fact that since we're part of DVC, we don't really get Mickey Mail. Boo.

I agree! The closest we get is the arrival of the luggage tags from ME!

 

[sherylcin]

Love the Minnie shirt! So cute! Of course, I am partial to almost anything with her likeness!

Not very long now until your trip. So excited for you!! (and a little jealous I'll admit it!!

 

[TinksThree]

Moving along we make it to Kilimanjaro Safari. The wait was around 20 minutes so we queued up and soon we were going into the wilds of an African Safari!

FACTS: 1) the fuel used to power the jeeps are liquid propane for low emissions to keep with the environmental protection goals, 2) the grass is brown rather than green by design since natural grasses are used. Both in Africa’s savannah and in Orlando the climate allows a cycle of growth and decline. 3) There are human made boundaries that provide guests protection from the wild yet still providing a feeling of being in the wild, 4) The termite mound, baobab tree and the ostrich eggs are not real but modern engineering although most of the savannah area is natural, and 5) the song that your jeep driver tunes into is called “HapaDuniani” incorporating a modified version of Baba Yetu-The Lord’s Prayer in Swahili, as sung by the Voices of Celebration. I always love hearing this and even hear this on the bus rides. I find myself singing along and found this but of knowledge valuable!!

Pictures along the way….

Hippos!!

My favorite!! Giraffes!!! So excuse the number of pictures here!!

Elephants…including a baby!! Ahhhhhhhhh, how cute!!

The Flamingos

Continued in the following post...

 

[TinksThree]

This guy was not too concerned he was blocking our passage!

This rhino was close enough to touch as well!!

And the lion was up and walking!!!!!!

A few more before I journey is over....

We saw so many animals in the middle of the day in hot July!! So while morning or late afternoon may be most recommended, we scored on this safari adventure!!!

We then decided to do something we have never tried since our FPs were still a little ways off. We decided to head over to Rafiki Planet Watch! I wish I had focused more on the book for this. The visit would have meant a lot more, even though we enjoyed the journey immensely!

We boarded the Wildlife Express train. This was really pretty cool!! We enjoyed the ride over. There were some neat “behind the scenes” things to be seen!

The train you ride on to Rafiki Planet Watch are actually were modeled after the model -railroad of Severn Lamb, Ltd. at Alcester, England, not far from William Shakespeare’s Stratford-on-Avon cottage.

We exited and headed into the Conservation Station.

We saw snakes and tarantulas….

We learned about animal dung and various types of animal food…

Continued in next post...

 

[TinksThree]

Rafiki was out!

This owl was very cool!!!

The veterinary area….

I snapped a picture of the petting area

And then I moved back inside to wait on the others. Before long we are ready to head back to the train station!

Soon we were back on the train and headed to Kali River!! Along the way we get sprinkles...

We arrive to find out lightening is within 10 miles so the ride has been shut down until further notice. We decide to leave. The sky really was beginning to look ominous and we had no idea how long the wait would be! So we leave and I snap a picture of the flag whipping in the wind….see those clouds!

The trees were getting in on the action as well!!

We head back to our resort to freshen up. The rain had already been here!

I took this because of the weather…..

Soon we were ready to head for our dinner ADR...but would my ickiness from earlier try to ruin the night?!

 

[solana131]

The Mickey cards are luggage tags. These are holograms and look really cool! I haven't used the tags before but I will probably use these! So I take it UnderCoverTourist wasn't that great?

Oh yeah....luggage tags. I knew that Sorry, I always book room-only, so I am new to this Mickey Mail stuff. I just get the ME booklet.

Undercover Tourist was a great price, but I got the paper tickets and they don't work well in the FP machines or entrance booths. I found out the last day of our trip that we could've gone to a Guest Relations desk and they would've just given us the plastic ones instead. Nice to know that before We struggled with them all week! From now on I will just get them through AAA.

Great AK update! I have never seen Flamingos in the trees...and the lion moving around is so cool. I usually get to see just his lazy butt laying down hiding!