DAY 4 THE DAY AFTER THE DAY BEFORE THE DAY OH STOP IT WILL YOU?.......
I awake at 5.00a.m. Again today. Made myself some coffee and some really healthy looking pop tarts from Wal-mart which DS had insisted were delicious (hot chocolate fudge and marshmallow flavour)! Hmmm - not too bad!
As I open the patio door to my master balcony I am greeted by a cacophony of noise which appears to be coming from the lake. There is the usual buzzing and clicking of the cicadas but above that is a very weird honking sound. Its pitch black so I have no intention of investigating further just in case it happens to be a crocodile's mating call - but I make a mental note (crayon across the forehead) to find out the source of this din later today.
Its a balmy 74 degrees and the sunrise is spectacular as it peeks through a solitary cloud on the horizon. Looks like another warmish day in paradise.
I start the door banging and toilet flushing ritual at about 7.00 this has little effect so I make good use of that handy ice dispenser in the door of our" walk-in" refrigerator. DD does not see the funny side and I have a feeling that I will pay for this parental shenanigan later today! So Mr. Popular I am then for the next couple of hours!
Were off! (Or maybe its the rotting apple core left in the Happy Bus last night).
We head off down the Sherbeth Road shortcut to Animal Kingdom for our date with Safari Mickey at the Restaurantasaurus (who on earth named it that?). We get to the gates at 7.45a.m. but thats as far as we go until they open at 8.00. Why do they take a booking for 8.00 if they wont let you in until then?
I park Happy and we walk to the entrance gate. Actually we start to walk but you know what its like you think Ill just get past this bloke in front and those two kids and that big family -. Before you know it you are in top gear and at full tilt to try to get to the front of the queue. Its like watching those demented walking races at the Olympics you know where those blokes swivel their hip from side to side in order to get up as much speed without actually running!
As usual all this is for nought when DW announces I think Id better just pop to the toilet before we go in and I spend the next few minutes grinding my teeth at all the people I overtook casually strolling past me.!
EVENTUALLY! We are in the park and making our way to the Restarestaresta ....Restarestaresta.......oh whatever.
We book in and are told to take a seat and they will call us when out table is ready. We have our photo taken at the "photo spot". We wait - and we wait - and we wait - until we can wait no more and DW enquires as to why we are waiting. Simple explanation - completely forgotten about by the lady collecting the guests for their meals! FUME FUME GGRRRRRRR.
Finally at 8.35 we are shown to our seats and all the woes are put behind us They are quite a nice family but that Mrs.Woe and her eldest daughter could loose a few pounds couldnt they?
The buffet is very good lots of choice and plenty of it! The characters are very playful too and they all stop by our table to shake hands, pose for photos and sign autograph books. The character breakfast is well worth doing I think. I would definitely book another character breakfast next time maybe in one of the hotels so that we can have a bit of a nose round. Actually - I've just watched the video back and the breakfast was enormous (well - mine was anyway!).
We roll out of the Restarestaresta........ Diner place - into the park at about 9.30 and walk straight on to Dinosaur. When we came here in 2002 this ride was broken so it was a must-do on my list. However I would not recommend this ride on a very full stomach like mine! I feel very queasy after this and for-go the Triceratops Spin and just send DD and DS on their own.
DD wants to have a dig in the Boneyard and I need a little longer to recover my equilibrium so we sit and watch for about 20 minutes. Long enough Im bored now so its back to the plan.
Kali River Rapids is the next stop and we walk straight on again (Im beginning to get spoiled by the lack of crowds now). The ride is really good but unfortunately DW finds herself on the seat that is going backwards down the big drop! You know what this means dont you?
WHOOSH!
Yup shes soaked! Oh! - How we laugh! Oh! How we cry! - Oh! How my ankle hurts after another vicious and totally unprovoked kick from DW.
We retire to the Maharaja Jungle Trek to try to dry her off but I can tell by the way she is walking (legs akimbo styli) that she is very uncomfortable. I tactfully suggest a trip to the ladies to dry her underwear beneath one of the hand dryers and OUCH! What was that one for? Theres just no pleasing some people!
We fastpass the Kilimanjaro Safari while we take a trip to Rafikis Planet Watch.
Its more of a petting zoo really but worth the trip to see that walking dustbin in the foyer. I thought I was seeing things but it really does move of its own accord.
Then onto the Safari lots of animals around and we get to see Little Red the baby elephant which was born here earlier this year very cute!
Then it's the Festival of the Lion King - brilliant show - spectacular.
Our final destination for today was to be Bugs Life but it has techy problems and as the park is now getting a little more crowded we decide to head back to Bahama Bay in favour of a laze in the pool.
We have a quick change of clothes and I offer to assist in the removal of DWs shrunken underwear but like I said no pleasing some is there?
As we are walking across the path to the pool there appears to be quite a crowd of people looking over the fence towards the lake and pointing. As we get closer it turns out to be an eight foot Alligator which is making its way up the bank towards the pool.
Theres some bloke with a video camera walking towards it hes obviously a Brit (dressed in some exclusive designer clothes from Matalan!) and thinks that he can out run this thing if it decides to turn on him! Hes shouting to his wife that this will look good on the home video Im tempted to run back and get my video camera in readiness for the big bucks that I can make from Youve Been Framed and Kirstys Home Videos when the damn thing eats him - but to be honest I hope it does eat him (one less in the Jacuzzi).
As I collect my free coffees from reception I enquire as to the likely danger from the said creature and I am assured that the man is on his way to collect it. Apparently its quite common to have them basking around the lake but when they get to about six foot then they can become a bit dangerous! (You dont say!)
We swim and jacooze for a while and then shower and change before our date with destiny at the Ponderosa again. It's another English victory in our quest for obesity. There's just something about that phrase - "All you care to eat"!
As four of the staff roll our bloated bodies back to "Happy" there is a small squall blowing in so I hoist the main brace and set sail for Wal-Mart on the Irlo Bronson River to try to quell the burning desire in our DS for a Laptop.
The roadworks along here are pretty bad so I don't think we will be trying this route again in a hurry. We pass a big green shop called Value Pawn - DS is tickled pink as he thinks it says Value Porn!
Into Wal-Mart - Nope no laptops here either. A very helpful lady suggests we try the other Wal-Mart thats just down the road. Yeah right! Thats like getting on the M1 at Birmingham and being told that London is just down the road!
Any way they dont have the cheap laptops but do have an all-singing all dancing one for $1100.00.
I do feel sorry for DS as he had saved up and set his heart on buying this thing. I have one of those sinking feelings you know when you are saying one thing but you know that its inevitable that this is actually gonna cost you - big time!
We head back home with a rather large black cloud in the back seat.
I think we need to chill a bit tomorrow. The heat of the days and the Doppler rain in the evenings is putting a bit of a strain on both people and plan.
Tomorrow its Typhoon Lagoon so it should be a bit more of an R&R day.
I check the weather channel before retiring and yes - you guessed it Hot and sunny tomorrow with rain forecast for the afternoon. Whats new?
Oh! And yes I forgot to find out what that honking noise in the lake was must ask tomorrow.
Night all.
I dream of being chased by a six foot alligator wearing my DWs knickers and carrying a laptop. Damn that third cheeseburger I ate in the Ponderosa!
ZZZZzzzzzzzzz Hic!.........zzzzzzzzzzz
I awake at 5.00a.m. Again today. Made myself some coffee and some really healthy looking pop tarts from Wal-mart which DS had insisted were delicious (hot chocolate fudge and marshmallow flavour)! Hmmm - not too bad!
As I open the patio door to my master balcony I am greeted by a cacophony of noise which appears to be coming from the lake. There is the usual buzzing and clicking of the cicadas but above that is a very weird honking sound. Its pitch black so I have no intention of investigating further just in case it happens to be a crocodile's mating call - but I make a mental note (crayon across the forehead) to find out the source of this din later today.
Its a balmy 74 degrees and the sunrise is spectacular as it peeks through a solitary cloud on the horizon. Looks like another warmish day in paradise.
I start the door banging and toilet flushing ritual at about 7.00 this has little effect so I make good use of that handy ice dispenser in the door of our" walk-in" refrigerator. DD does not see the funny side and I have a feeling that I will pay for this parental shenanigan later today! So Mr. Popular I am then for the next couple of hours!
Were off! (Or maybe its the rotting apple core left in the Happy Bus last night).
We head off down the Sherbeth Road shortcut to Animal Kingdom for our date with Safari Mickey at the Restaurantasaurus (who on earth named it that?). We get to the gates at 7.45a.m. but thats as far as we go until they open at 8.00. Why do they take a booking for 8.00 if they wont let you in until then?
I park Happy and we walk to the entrance gate. Actually we start to walk but you know what its like you think Ill just get past this bloke in front and those two kids and that big family -. Before you know it you are in top gear and at full tilt to try to get to the front of the queue. Its like watching those demented walking races at the Olympics you know where those blokes swivel their hip from side to side in order to get up as much speed without actually running!
As usual all this is for nought when DW announces I think Id better just pop to the toilet before we go in and I spend the next few minutes grinding my teeth at all the people I overtook casually strolling past me.!
EVENTUALLY! We are in the park and making our way to the Restarestaresta ....Restarestaresta.......oh whatever.
We book in and are told to take a seat and they will call us when out table is ready. We have our photo taken at the "photo spot". We wait - and we wait - and we wait - until we can wait no more and DW enquires as to why we are waiting. Simple explanation - completely forgotten about by the lady collecting the guests for their meals! FUME FUME GGRRRRRRR.
Finally at 8.35 we are shown to our seats and all the woes are put behind us They are quite a nice family but that Mrs.Woe and her eldest daughter could loose a few pounds couldnt they?
The buffet is very good lots of choice and plenty of it! The characters are very playful too and they all stop by our table to shake hands, pose for photos and sign autograph books. The character breakfast is well worth doing I think. I would definitely book another character breakfast next time maybe in one of the hotels so that we can have a bit of a nose round. Actually - I've just watched the video back and the breakfast was enormous (well - mine was anyway!).
We roll out of the Restarestaresta........ Diner place - into the park at about 9.30 and walk straight on to Dinosaur. When we came here in 2002 this ride was broken so it was a must-do on my list. However I would not recommend this ride on a very full stomach like mine! I feel very queasy after this and for-go the Triceratops Spin and just send DD and DS on their own.
DD wants to have a dig in the Boneyard and I need a little longer to recover my equilibrium so we sit and watch for about 20 minutes. Long enough Im bored now so its back to the plan.
Kali River Rapids is the next stop and we walk straight on again (Im beginning to get spoiled by the lack of crowds now). The ride is really good but unfortunately DW finds herself on the seat that is going backwards down the big drop! You know what this means dont you?
WHOOSH!
Yup shes soaked! Oh! - How we laugh! Oh! How we cry! - Oh! How my ankle hurts after another vicious and totally unprovoked kick from DW.
We retire to the Maharaja Jungle Trek to try to dry her off but I can tell by the way she is walking (legs akimbo styli) that she is very uncomfortable. I tactfully suggest a trip to the ladies to dry her underwear beneath one of the hand dryers and OUCH! What was that one for? Theres just no pleasing some people!
We fastpass the Kilimanjaro Safari while we take a trip to Rafikis Planet Watch.
Its more of a petting zoo really but worth the trip to see that walking dustbin in the foyer. I thought I was seeing things but it really does move of its own accord.
Then onto the Safari lots of animals around and we get to see Little Red the baby elephant which was born here earlier this year very cute!
Then it's the Festival of the Lion King - brilliant show - spectacular.
Our final destination for today was to be Bugs Life but it has techy problems and as the park is now getting a little more crowded we decide to head back to Bahama Bay in favour of a laze in the pool.
We have a quick change of clothes and I offer to assist in the removal of DWs shrunken underwear but like I said no pleasing some is there?
As we are walking across the path to the pool there appears to be quite a crowd of people looking over the fence towards the lake and pointing. As we get closer it turns out to be an eight foot Alligator which is making its way up the bank towards the pool.
Theres some bloke with a video camera walking towards it hes obviously a Brit (dressed in some exclusive designer clothes from Matalan!) and thinks that he can out run this thing if it decides to turn on him! Hes shouting to his wife that this will look good on the home video Im tempted to run back and get my video camera in readiness for the big bucks that I can make from Youve Been Framed and Kirstys Home Videos when the damn thing eats him - but to be honest I hope it does eat him (one less in the Jacuzzi).
As I collect my free coffees from reception I enquire as to the likely danger from the said creature and I am assured that the man is on his way to collect it. Apparently its quite common to have them basking around the lake but when they get to about six foot then they can become a bit dangerous! (You dont say!)
We swim and jacooze for a while and then shower and change before our date with destiny at the Ponderosa again. It's another English victory in our quest for obesity. There's just something about that phrase - "All you care to eat"!
As four of the staff roll our bloated bodies back to "Happy" there is a small squall blowing in so I hoist the main brace and set sail for Wal-Mart on the Irlo Bronson River to try to quell the burning desire in our DS for a Laptop.
The roadworks along here are pretty bad so I don't think we will be trying this route again in a hurry. We pass a big green shop called Value Pawn - DS is tickled pink as he thinks it says Value Porn!
Into Wal-Mart - Nope no laptops here either. A very helpful lady suggests we try the other Wal-Mart thats just down the road. Yeah right! Thats like getting on the M1 at Birmingham and being told that London is just down the road!
Any way they dont have the cheap laptops but do have an all-singing all dancing one for $1100.00.
I do feel sorry for DS as he had saved up and set his heart on buying this thing. I have one of those sinking feelings you know when you are saying one thing but you know that its inevitable that this is actually gonna cost you - big time!
We head back home with a rather large black cloud in the back seat.
I think we need to chill a bit tomorrow. The heat of the days and the Doppler rain in the evenings is putting a bit of a strain on both people and plan.
Tomorrow its Typhoon Lagoon so it should be a bit more of an R&R day.
I check the weather channel before retiring and yes - you guessed it Hot and sunny tomorrow with rain forecast for the afternoon. Whats new?
Oh! And yes I forgot to find out what that honking noise in the lake was must ask tomorrow.
Night all.
I dream of being chased by a six foot alligator wearing my DWs knickers and carrying a laptop. Damn that third cheeseburger I ate in the Ponderosa!
ZZZZzzzzzzzzz Hic!.........zzzzzzzzzzz
Hope DS managed to get his laptop.
