karajeboo
DISmom by land and by sea!
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2007
- Messages
- 6,591
As soon as we got off EE, I was ready to take Ally on Dinosaur. When we were here in May, we didn't even make it to Dinoland, so it wasn't an option. So this would be the first time she was tall enough to ride it.
Now when Jeff and I honeymooned at Disney 10 years ago, AK had only been open for 2 weeks, and Dinosaur was called Countdown to Extinction. It scared us both so bad we swore we'd never ride it again. So when we came back last month, Jeff agreed to try it again.
He rode with his eyes closed the whole time and swore again that was his last time riding that!!!
So I told Ally to just remember that it's all pretend, yada yada yada, and she'd love it. She was a little nervous waiting in line, I could tell. So I joked about how much braver she is than Daddy and she giggled a little bit and called him a chicken.
So to prove that she rode it.....
When we got into our time travel jeep, I immediately put my arm around Ally just to make sure she was okay. Fast forward backwards (???) through the Cretaceous period and wherever else we traveled, like maybe the Bumpy period, the Knockaround period, and the BangMommy'sLegAround Period, and soon we were back in 2008.
I looked over at Ally and asked her what she thought. She hesitated a minute and then said, "That wasn't so bad. Let's ride it again!!!!"
I'm telling ya - she's my little adrenaline junkie!!!!
So off we go back toward EE to use our Fast Pass. We passed Nemo:The Musical, again, and she still didn't want to see it. "Mommy, Nemo is for LITTLE kids, I don't think I'd like it." No matter what I said, she was just not into seeing Nemo this trip.
Jeff and I just saw it last month and loved it!!! I highly recommend it for anyone! Even little girls who think they're not so little anymore.
So back on EE, for the second time. After we rode this time, we headed over to KRR to score a fast pass for later in the day. We passed by Flights of Wonder and saw that there was a 1:00 and 2:00 show, either one would work great for us. Ally was up for this show once I explained it to her.
After getting FPs for KRR, Ally wanted to head back and ride EE AGAIN!!! OK, this time the line was 30 minutes, but we really only waited about 20 minutes. After this time, my knee was hurting, my head was spinning, and I realized I was getting OLD!!!
Ally wanted to ride Dino again after this, so we wandered back there again, the wait was 40 minutes, and I said NO WAY. So I suggested we head back to Kali, grab a bite to eat on the way, and grab FPs for EE for later in the day.
As we were walking past EE, Ally said, "Mommy I don't know if I can ride it again. My tummy feels funny."
Say it ain't so, Joe! I mean, Ally! Can it be? Could the wild thing really be taming down?
I suggested we grab FPs just in case, and she agreed.
So off to ride KRR - and by this time it was downright HOT at AK. I swear this park is always a good 5-7 degrees hotter than the rest of Orlando. I don't know what it is, because there's plenty of shade. I think it's just the narrow pathways, and bottlenecks everywhere, and people trying to walk alongside their party of 8 on a path that only allows 4 people wide.
Speaking of which, I think I'd like to start a "Park Etiquette" class outside every theme park each morning. It would be required attendance in order to be admitted to the parks.
Subjects taught would include:
A. When and where to NOT stop and read the park maps. Is it just me or doesn't it seem like common sense to pull your group over the side of a path to stop and read a map. Or am I being unreasonable when I get exasperated at Joe and Jane Disney when they stop dead center of a path with their stroller for protection, Joe pulls the map out of his back pocket, and then proceeds to spin around with his arm pointed out, narrowly missing knocking my mickey ears right off my head, while Jane reaches over and grabs the map from him, spinning the other way to point out the direction SHE thinks they need to go. All the while guests are struggling to pass to the right and left of Joe and Jane's family, who of course are oblivious to the turmoil they're causing, and I of course, am stuck dead behind them with nowhere to go. Except of course to all the OPEN AREAS OFF TO THE SIDES!!!!!
B. Shower - it's not just for weekdays anymore. Seriously, I can understand a bit of a pungent aroma later in the day, but at 9:30am??? The park has only been open for 30 minutes, what have you done in 30 minutes to cause you to sweat right through your Right Guard already???
The afternoon parade is crowded and smelly enough as it is, so please give the rest of us a reprieve until lunchtime?
C. Line Jumping - OK, let's examine. There are two of you in line. And two of me - well, okay only one of me, but I have a partner, that makes two. Then the other 8 people in your party get in line behind me. Let's look at this mathematically. If the other 8 in your party cut in front of me, that sets me back 8 places, right? But if your first two move BEHIND me, it only sets you back 2 places, and you can ride with your party without inconveniencing anyone else. Novel idea!!!! Use it!
D. When the CMs say, "Move all the way to the end of the row," they are talking to YOU! Do not plop down in the middle of the row and expect everyone else to step over you. Who decided to make you king for a day? You do not deserve to sit in the center any more than anyone else. Furthermore, the Disney theaters are designed so that virtually all the seats are "good" seats.
E. Hey, you with the large party! Yeah, you! It is physically impossible for all 12 of you to walk abreast of each other down every pathway in every park! Well, I guess it IS possible, if nobody were walking the OTHER WAY!!! So break it up, let someone else pass. We have places to go, things to do, too, and I'd like to be able to get there and do it without having to wait for your highness to pass. Oh, and when you turn a corner, you don't have to cut it at the inside, so those of us who are coming the other way have to wait for you... and apparently bow as you pass.
F. Parade Manners - how about you scout out your spot more than 2 minutes before the parade starts? And leave us our space that we've been occupying for the past 40 minutes? And I can understand 4 people saving a spot for 6, or maybe 2 saving a spot for 4. But one person saving a spot for 8 to cram in at the last minute??? Enough said.
I know there are a LOT more rules I could teach, with some help from the rest of you who actually practice park etiquette, but they slip my mind at the moment. Probably because I'm still reliving the one smelly who saved a place at the parade for the other 8 smellies who joined her with 1 minute to spare!!!!
Where was I? OH, yes, heading to KRR....
This was an entertaining attraction this time, to say the least. We boarded our raft with a family of 10. The woman sitting off to my right was bundled head to toe in a rain poncho. I won't make fun of that, cause I've done it. But I also learned real quick that the poncho can't keep the water from coming UP into the seat. At most you can keep your head and upper body dry.
But it was so hot that I was looking forward to a good soaking this time.
But not our raft mate there. She looked at me with terror in her eyes and asked, "Is this really bad? Is it scary? Is it a big drop?"
I assured her that this was a very tame river raft ride, and she'd be fine. Her teenage son kept taunting her, however, which I found amusing. Actually, I find KRR to be rather boring. Now if you REALLY want to get drenched, check out Universal's Bilge River Rats ride. THAT is a good water ride!
But I digress. This poor woman was being heckled by her entire family. Ally and I just kept laughing at her, and when it was over, sure enough, she got the brunt of it, while Ally and I just got a little damp.
I swear we dried out just walking out the exit queue! It was THAT hot.
So hot, in fact, that neither one of us really wanted to eat, even though it was about 2pm by now. So we grabbed some hot pretzels and frozen lemonade. We were able to find a shady spot to sit and relax for a few minutes. Then off to catch the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch and Conservation STation.
I hadn't been out here since the park opened 10 years ago, and I remembered why. BORING!!!! But Ally did enjoy the petting zoo. Goats. Like you can't find goats at any petting zoo across the country. Oy vey!
Up next, Conservation Station and Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade!
Now when Jeff and I honeymooned at Disney 10 years ago, AK had only been open for 2 weeks, and Dinosaur was called Countdown to Extinction. It scared us both so bad we swore we'd never ride it again. So when we came back last month, Jeff agreed to try it again.
He rode with his eyes closed the whole time and swore again that was his last time riding that!!!
So I told Ally to just remember that it's all pretend, yada yada yada, and she'd love it. She was a little nervous waiting in line, I could tell. So I joked about how much braver she is than Daddy and she giggled a little bit and called him a chicken.
So to prove that she rode it.....

When we got into our time travel jeep, I immediately put my arm around Ally just to make sure she was okay. Fast forward backwards (???) through the Cretaceous period and wherever else we traveled, like maybe the Bumpy period, the Knockaround period, and the BangMommy'sLegAround Period, and soon we were back in 2008.
I looked over at Ally and asked her what she thought. She hesitated a minute and then said, "That wasn't so bad. Let's ride it again!!!!"

I'm telling ya - she's my little adrenaline junkie!!!!
So off we go back toward EE to use our Fast Pass. We passed Nemo:The Musical, again, and she still didn't want to see it. "Mommy, Nemo is for LITTLE kids, I don't think I'd like it." No matter what I said, she was just not into seeing Nemo this trip.

So back on EE, for the second time. After we rode this time, we headed over to KRR to score a fast pass for later in the day. We passed by Flights of Wonder and saw that there was a 1:00 and 2:00 show, either one would work great for us. Ally was up for this show once I explained it to her.
After getting FPs for KRR, Ally wanted to head back and ride EE AGAIN!!! OK, this time the line was 30 minutes, but we really only waited about 20 minutes. After this time, my knee was hurting, my head was spinning, and I realized I was getting OLD!!!

Ally wanted to ride Dino again after this, so we wandered back there again, the wait was 40 minutes, and I said NO WAY. So I suggested we head back to Kali, grab a bite to eat on the way, and grab FPs for EE for later in the day.
As we were walking past EE, Ally said, "Mommy I don't know if I can ride it again. My tummy feels funny."

I suggested we grab FPs just in case, and she agreed.
So off to ride KRR - and by this time it was downright HOT at AK. I swear this park is always a good 5-7 degrees hotter than the rest of Orlando. I don't know what it is, because there's plenty of shade. I think it's just the narrow pathways, and bottlenecks everywhere, and people trying to walk alongside their party of 8 on a path that only allows 4 people wide.
Speaking of which, I think I'd like to start a "Park Etiquette" class outside every theme park each morning. It would be required attendance in order to be admitted to the parks.
Subjects taught would include:
A. When and where to NOT stop and read the park maps. Is it just me or doesn't it seem like common sense to pull your group over the side of a path to stop and read a map. Or am I being unreasonable when I get exasperated at Joe and Jane Disney when they stop dead center of a path with their stroller for protection, Joe pulls the map out of his back pocket, and then proceeds to spin around with his arm pointed out, narrowly missing knocking my mickey ears right off my head, while Jane reaches over and grabs the map from him, spinning the other way to point out the direction SHE thinks they need to go. All the while guests are struggling to pass to the right and left of Joe and Jane's family, who of course are oblivious to the turmoil they're causing, and I of course, am stuck dead behind them with nowhere to go. Except of course to all the OPEN AREAS OFF TO THE SIDES!!!!!
B. Shower - it's not just for weekdays anymore. Seriously, I can understand a bit of a pungent aroma later in the day, but at 9:30am??? The park has only been open for 30 minutes, what have you done in 30 minutes to cause you to sweat right through your Right Guard already???

C. Line Jumping - OK, let's examine. There are two of you in line. And two of me - well, okay only one of me, but I have a partner, that makes two. Then the other 8 people in your party get in line behind me. Let's look at this mathematically. If the other 8 in your party cut in front of me, that sets me back 8 places, right? But if your first two move BEHIND me, it only sets you back 2 places, and you can ride with your party without inconveniencing anyone else. Novel idea!!!! Use it!
D. When the CMs say, "Move all the way to the end of the row," they are talking to YOU! Do not plop down in the middle of the row and expect everyone else to step over you. Who decided to make you king for a day? You do not deserve to sit in the center any more than anyone else. Furthermore, the Disney theaters are designed so that virtually all the seats are "good" seats.
E. Hey, you with the large party! Yeah, you! It is physically impossible for all 12 of you to walk abreast of each other down every pathway in every park! Well, I guess it IS possible, if nobody were walking the OTHER WAY!!! So break it up, let someone else pass. We have places to go, things to do, too, and I'd like to be able to get there and do it without having to wait for your highness to pass. Oh, and when you turn a corner, you don't have to cut it at the inside, so those of us who are coming the other way have to wait for you... and apparently bow as you pass.
F. Parade Manners - how about you scout out your spot more than 2 minutes before the parade starts? And leave us our space that we've been occupying for the past 40 minutes? And I can understand 4 people saving a spot for 6, or maybe 2 saving a spot for 4. But one person saving a spot for 8 to cram in at the last minute??? Enough said.
I know there are a LOT more rules I could teach, with some help from the rest of you who actually practice park etiquette, but they slip my mind at the moment. Probably because I'm still reliving the one smelly who saved a place at the parade for the other 8 smellies who joined her with 1 minute to spare!!!!
Where was I? OH, yes, heading to KRR....
This was an entertaining attraction this time, to say the least. We boarded our raft with a family of 10. The woman sitting off to my right was bundled head to toe in a rain poncho. I won't make fun of that, cause I've done it. But I also learned real quick that the poncho can't keep the water from coming UP into the seat. At most you can keep your head and upper body dry.
But it was so hot that I was looking forward to a good soaking this time.
But not our raft mate there. She looked at me with terror in her eyes and asked, "Is this really bad? Is it scary? Is it a big drop?"
I assured her that this was a very tame river raft ride, and she'd be fine. Her teenage son kept taunting her, however, which I found amusing. Actually, I find KRR to be rather boring. Now if you REALLY want to get drenched, check out Universal's Bilge River Rats ride. THAT is a good water ride!
But I digress. This poor woman was being heckled by her entire family. Ally and I just kept laughing at her, and when it was over, sure enough, she got the brunt of it, while Ally and I just got a little damp.
I swear we dried out just walking out the exit queue! It was THAT hot.
So hot, in fact, that neither one of us really wanted to eat, even though it was about 2pm by now. So we grabbed some hot pretzels and frozen lemonade. We were able to find a shady spot to sit and relax for a few minutes. Then off to catch the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch and Conservation STation.
I hadn't been out here since the park opened 10 years ago, and I remembered why. BORING!!!! But Ally did enjoy the petting zoo. Goats. Like you can't find goats at any petting zoo across the country. Oy vey!
Up next, Conservation Station and Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade!