The Many Adventures of an Aussie Disney Honeymooner

[pkondz]

We did. Honestly, we got less of a reaction than we'd hoped. The guy at Geyser Point was great and very interactive, the guy at Territory Lounge didn't seem to be so into it.

Well that’s less than fun.

She assumed it was because he was intimidated by her beauty

 

[Steppesister]

I figured you might understand exactly how much travel this is after your recent Aussie adventures

I did! I did!

That sounds awesome! I would have loved to have done the tour at AKL too, but didn't realise they only do it on weekdays

OH shoot. I haven't done that one, but might at some point. If it's as good as the WL I'm sure it's fantastic.

 

[zanzibar138]

Chapter 6: In which we get two rooms and nearly see a parade

6.4. Hooray for Hollywood​

I’d put this day aside for us to spend some time at Hollywood Studios. I can’t remember if we’d ended up setting an alarm, but we had definitely decided against trying to make it for EE or even RD. I woke up feeling better again, but we still thought it best not to rush. In fact, we were so blasé about time that we decided to take the monorail to EPCOT and then the skyliner from there.

Literally all we did at EPCOT was walk from the main entrance to the international gateway. In hindsight, it might have been fun to take a friendship boat so we could say we did all 3 modes of transportation in one trip! The colour-by-numbers wasn’t open yet. Every time I saw it I thought it would be fun to go back later to see how it turned out, but we never did lol!



We saw Alice in the UK. I’ve met Alice before so didn’t feel an overwhelming need to wait in line to say hi. Instead, I just snapped a quick pic as we walked past.



It was fun to notice that we could see Aerophile from EPCOT. Kind of made me wish we’d made the effort to go up.



We made a quick detour to France to grab some breakfast at Les Halles, and saw a handy Photopass photographer. Once we saw the queue for Les Halles, we quickly gave up on that idea.





Without further ado, we headed straight for the skyliner.



What a fun way to get around! The group in front of us made a special request which I didn’t understand at the time, but looking back I suspect they requested a gondola with no character wrap. It was insanely difficult to take any photographs from in there! It was pretty quiet and we had a whole gondola to ourselves for the whole trip, and there was no line at CBR either when we transferred. We did briefly consider getting something from the coffee stall at that station, but by that time we were keen to just finish the journey.

We did eventually make it all the way to Hollywood Studios of course, which had a very different look and feel during daylight hours.



It was around 11am by that time, and we were getting pretty hungry. It was difficult to figure out what was going to be any good for breakfast, so we just started wandering in the general direction of where we wanted to start and stopped when we came to Backlot Express.



It was definitely NOT the ideal breakfast stop. I was pretty disappointed to find that none of the options were customisable, and pretty much everything had some kind of sauce or something pickled that I wouldn’t like. So I ended up with chicken strips, which was fine but not what I would normally get for breakfast. Ben got a burger, which was fine as well. At least this squirrel was enjoying his!



Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

The plan for the day was mostly to concentrate on shows, since we had already very conveniently ticked off most of the major rides at the AH party. First up was Minnie & Mickey’s Vacation, which we both found very enjoyable, although we do prefer the old style animation.



I was definitely keen for Muppet Vision, knowing that it’s on the chopping block. Logistically it made sense to do that next. I do have to agree that it’s getting a little dated, but it’s such a fun show. Ben enjoyed it too.





I had been keeping an eye on a couple of wait times, and I noticed the wait time for Rise had gone down to 40 minutes. Lots of other people must have noticed the same thing, because it had gone up to 50 minutes by the time we got there. We had already discussed that we’d be willing to wait up to an hour for it though after our first ride, so we still figured it was worth it. Turned out that it was only about a 20 minute wait until the start of the pre-show, which may as well be part of the ride really! I enjoyed getting some more photos of the amazing theming.









By the time we were done, I realised we were going to have to hoof it across the park to get to the next Beauty and the Beast show. There wasn’t another one at 3pm, and the 4pm show would clash with our dinner plans, so we hurried over. We arrived just as they'd opened up for standby. It was actually great timing - we were able to just walk straight in and managed to get decent seats about halfway down.

Unfortunately when it came time for the show to start, we instead got an announcement that it had been cancelled.

We wandered around a bit while we were in the area, and got some photos.





I decided it would be fun to ride RnR again while we were right there. The standby line was at an hour, which was way too long for me to consider, however I remembered there was a SR line, which I assumed would save me a bit of time. WRONG! That SR line DID NOT MOVE for like 20 minutes at a time. Several times I thought about leaving, but you know how it is once you’ve already invested time… I estimate I waited in the SR line for at least 75 minutes. I was pretty disappointed to note that many of the people in the SR line were in fact groups of people. Not just couples, but I counted one group of 8. I understand that people go into the SR line hoping for a quicker wait than standby, with the understanding that they won’t get to ride together. However, I couldn’t help but think that if the SR line could be left for single riders (or maybe even couples), it would serve a much more useful purpose! Ok, rant over. Although my knees, hips and back were all killing me from standing in one place for so long, I always do enjoy the ride, and even managed to score the last row!

 

[pkondz]

In fact, we were so blasé about time that we decided to take the monorail to EPCOT and then the skyliner from there.

That's one way to do it.
Kinda fun, actually, if you're not in a rush.

In hindsight, it might have been fun to take a friendship boat so we could say we did all 3 modes of transportation in one trip!

Opportunity lost!

It was fun to notice that we could see Aerophile from EPCOT. Kind of made me wish we’d made the effort to go up.

I've just never been interested. I mean... it's tethered...
If it was an actual balloon ride over WDW property... then I'd be interested!

Don't suppose they'll ever do that, though.

We made a quick detour to France to grab some breakfast at Les Halles,

Always a solid choice...

Once we saw the queue for Les Halles, we quickly gave up on that idea.

...unless everyone else is thinking the same thing.

The group in front of us made a special request which I didn’t understand at the time, but looking back I suspect they requested a gondola with no character wrap.

That's... weird.

It was definitely NOT the ideal breakfast stop. I was pretty disappointed to find that none of the options were customisable, and pretty much everything had some kind of sauce or something pickled that I wouldn’t like.

Too bad.

First up was Minnie & Mickey’s Vacation, which we both found very enjoyable, although we do prefer the old style animation.

I don't think I've see that. Huh. Is it new?

Cute seats, though.

Turned out that it was only about a 20 minute wait until the start of the pre-show,

Not bad! Especially for that ride.

Unfortunately when it came time for the show to start, we instead got an announcement that it had been cancelled.

Well, shoot! And especially as you rushed to make it in time.

Awww.

I remembered there was a SR line, which I assumed would save me a bit of time. WRONG! That SR line DID NOT MOVE for like 20 minutes at a time.

Really? That's not at all like other SR lines.

I estimate I waited in the SR line for at least 75 minutes.

 

[zanzibar138]

I've just never been interested. I mean... it's tethered...
If it was an actual balloon ride over WDW property... then I'd be interested!

Haha I'm the opposite. Always love a good raised viewpoint, but I have zero interest in going up in an actual hot air balloon. I like to have some sort of attachment to solid ground at all times

I don't think I've see that. Huh. Is it new?

I have no idea, so I googled it. It seems that it opened at the same time as MMRR. Would make sense since it's the same style of animation.

Really? That's not at all like other SR lines.

Yeah, I've always managed to save time by utilising SR lines before, even if only 5 minutes. I've never had to wait longer in a SR line!

 

[pkondz]

Haha I'm the opposite. Always love a good raised viewpoint, but I have zero interest in going up in an actual hot air balloon. I like to have some sort of attachment to solid ground at all times

I’ve gone on one once, and it was a really good experience.

have no idea, so I googled it. It seems that it opened at the same time as MMRR. Would make sense since it's the same style of animation.

Huh. Odd I’ve not heard of it then.

 

[zanzibar138]

Chapter 6: In which we get two rooms and nearly see a parade

6.5. An evening full of spectaculars​

We’d just left the very lengthy line at RnR, and it was just about time to head back to 50’s Prime Time for our early dinner reservation.

As we were wandering in that general direction, the caricaturists caught Ben’s eye, and we decided to commission one of Evie (not the dog being drawn in this photo).



We continued our leisurely stroll to 50’s Prime Time and checked in. This time my focus was less on making sure they knew about our honeymoon, and more making sure they were aware that we just wanted to be observers and not participate in any shenanigans! We ended up with a wonderful server, who struck the perfect balance, making it a fun experience without involving us in anything my shy little introvert brain couldn’t handle. We also really enjoyed the food and the free cocktail that came with our F! package. So glad I took the advice of @pkondz on this, as I consider it one of our better dining experiences.



After our meal, we were at a bit of a loose end, and happened across the Frozen Singalong. I’m not a huge Frozen fan and was planning to skip it, but we thought we’d give it a go. It actually turned out to be very entertaining with lots of adult humour!



MMRR was another ride we’d both really enjoyed and had agreed was worth a slightly longer wait, so we headed there next. I think it was posted at 45 or 50 minutes, but again I kind of count the pre-show as part of the ride, so it didn’t seem that long.





It was well and truly dark when we were done there, and we took the opportunity to get some more photos before wandering over to F!





We didn’t realise there shops and bathrooms in the F! area, so we stopped along the way to take care of some things, and picked up Evie’s portrait. Here’s how it turned out (photo was taken later).



We arrived at the seating area a little more than half an hour before show time. We found some seats in the premium viewing area and settled in. We were amazed to see how full it got – by the time the show started, even the seating right on the edges had filled up!



Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We both loved the show, but particularly Ben. It’s been a long time since I saw it at DLR, so it was tricky to compare, but I much prefer the stadium style seating arrangement (although it is fun to see it played on the Rivers of America). It’s a tricky show to photograph, but I managed to get some decent images.











On our way out, we stumbled across the projection show at the Chinese Theatre and lingered to catch the last of it. Obviously we didn’t have the ideal viewing position, but it was a fun little show.





And then, as we were leaving the park, we stumbled upon the EPCOT fireworks and watched for a while from across the lake. We were starting to feel like fireworks are pretty hard to avoid at WDW lol!





Ben would have been keen to go back the way we came (ie skyliner to EPCOT and then the monorail), but with EPCOT closing, we were stuck with the bus. The bus was pretty full, but it wasn’t too bad and we still got seats.

We decided to visit the front desk on the way back up to our room to see if they could do anything about our wifi situation. To start with, the CM there was a bit dismissive, telling us unfortunately they do have issues with wifi there due to the horseshoe shape of the building, and that we could go across to the main tower to use their wifi if we were desperate. Apparently the wifi issues are being addressed as part of the refurb that’s happening at the moment, but that wasn’t going to help us! Eventually the CM offered to see if she could get us into another room more in the middle of the horseshoe to see if that would help. She made some calls and found out that she would be able to get us into one of those rooms the next day. We were happy enough with that outcome, and agreed to pack up and bring our luggage down to bell services in the morning.

We finally got to our room and were just getting ready for bed when we heard the EWP music. I headed out to the balcony to see if we would be able to see anything. Not a great view, but we were able to catch a few glimpses of the floats, even from our second floor room! You can just see the outline of cranes in this photo, which is where they are working on the new Lakeshore Lodge.



And with that, we packed up the majority of our things ready for the morning, and put ourselves to bed in preparation for another big day!

 

[pkondz]

it was just about time to head back to 50’s Prime Time for our early dinner reservation.

I could go for some of that fried chicken and onion rings right now.

This time my focus was less on making sure they knew about our honeymoon, and more making sure they were aware that we just wanted to be observers and not participate in any shenanigans! We ended up with a wonderful server, who struck the perfect balance, making it a fun experience without involving us in anything my shy little introvert brain couldn’t handle.

Perfect! So glad you went.

So glad I took the advice of @pkondz on this, as I consider it one of our better dining experiences.

awww...

After our meal, we were at a bit of a loose end, and happened across the Frozen Singalong. I’m not a huge Frozen fan and was planning to skip it, but we thought we’d give it a go. It actually turned out to be very entertaining with lots of adult humour!

Glad you went to see that too! If you'd mentioned it in your PTR, I would have told you it was not to be missed. The storytellers make or break that show.

I kind of count the pre-show as part of the ride, so it didn’t seem that long.

Look at your itty bitty hat!!

Cute pup.
Are you happy with the finished product?
Sometimes a caricature is hit or miss. The nose is too long or the eyes too wide apart or...

We were amazed to see how full it got – by the time the show started, even the seating right on the edges had filled up!

Popular show.

It’s a tricky show to photograph, but I managed to get some decent images.

You got some really good ones.

On our way out, we stumbled across the projection show at the Chinese Theatre and lingered to catch the last of it.

Something I've never seen. Not sure why not.

And then, as we were leaving the park, we stumbled upon the EPCOT fireworks and watched for a while from across the lake. We were starting to feel like fireworks are pretty hard to avoid at WDW lol!

Ben would have been keen to go back the way we came (ie skyliner to EPCOT and then the monorail), but with EPCOT closing, we were stuck with the bus. The bus was pretty full, but it wasn’t too bad and we still got seats.

Good you got seats. Standing on the bus after a day in the parks seems more tiring (and longer) than it should.

We decided to visit the front desk on the way back up to our room to see if they could do anything about our wifi situation. To start with, the CM there was a bit dismissive, telling us unfortunately they do have issues with wifi there due to the horseshoe shape of the building, and that we could go across to the main tower to use their wifi if we were desperate. Apparently the wifi issues are being addressed as part of the refurb that’s happening at the moment, but that wasn’t going to help us! Eventually the CM offered to see if she could get us into another room more in the middle of the horseshoe to see if that would help. She made some calls and found out that she would be able to get us into one of those rooms the next day. We were happy enough with that outcome, and agreed to pack up and bring our luggage down to bell services in the morning.

1. Wifi just shouldn't be an option.. it's not like it's brand new technology. Heck, at my work, the rooms are shielded against electromagnetic interference, but with the use of repeaters (or whatever they're called), you can get a signal anywhere inside.
2. Bring your luggage down? You should have been able to just leave them in your room for them to pick up and drop off. Especially as it's due to a failure on their part.

 

[zanzibar138]

I could go for some of that fried chicken and onion rings right now.

I had the pot roast. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was really nice, particularly since I was craving vegetables. Ben had the platter and enjoyed everything, but the pot roast was his favourite too.

Look at your itty bitty hat!!

That was a piece of pixie dust from SDL - I got given it as a surprise gift with a purchase there. I always get stuff like that at the Asian parks, which is why I was so surprised with the lack of pixie dust at WDW!

Are you happy with the finished product?

Ben initially thought the nose was too short, but I think it's a pretty good likeness. I think they nailed her cheeky personality. Here's a side-by-side.

You got some really good ones.

Thank you!

Something I've never seen. Not sure why not.

It seemed to always be on at the same time as F! So you'd really have to choose one or the other to see it properly.

Good you got seats. Standing on the bus after a day in the parks seems more tiring (and longer) than it should.

We experienced a couple of less than stellar bus trips a bit later in the trip. Definitely not ideal.

1. Wifi just shouldn't be an option.. it's not like it's brand new technology. Heck, at my work, the rooms are shielded against electromagnetic interference, but with the use of repeaters (or whatever they're called), you can get a signal anywhere inside.

Totally agree! We have a wifi extender in our house to make sure the signal travels around the corner to the lounge room.

2. Bring your luggage down? You should have been able to just leave them in your room for them to pick up and drop off. Especially as it's due to a failure on their part.

I didn't even consider that as an option lol! You guys are definitely used to a whole different level of service than we generally get in Aussie hotels.

 

[zanzibar138]

Chapter 6: In which we get two rooms and nearly see a parade

6.6. A character-filled start​

Today I had planned to start the day with a late breakfast at Chef Mickey’s, and then head to AK at our leisure and stay until the end of EEH. However, you may remember that Ben had decided we needed to do another AH party at MK, which happened to be this day. So once again, we ended up having to rush off from AK. Luckily we didn’t need the whole EEH to get everything done that we wanted.

Breakfast was booked for 10:20am, which gave us a good opportunity to get ready at our leisure and make sure everything was packed and brought down to bell services for our room change. It was still pretty foggy as we walked across to the main tower.



We checked in at Chef Mickey’s, once again hopefully mentioning our honeymoon.



We were seated in the little back room, which initially felt a bit out of the way, but ended up being fine. We went up to grab our breakfast first and enjoyed the large variety on offer (although I almost always got the same thing – Mickey waffles and bacon).



The characters came out to do their little dance.



They came around to visit in quite quick succession. They were obviously busy, but we didn't feel rushed.











Minnie was the last character to visit. We were keeping an eye on her to make sure we didn’t miss her, but to our surprise, she completely missed our table! Luckily I managed to catch her eye after she finished at the table next to us, and she gave an embarrassed expression and came back to us.



By that time, we'd had our fill of both characters and food. When our server brought us the bill, she also brought us 2 little plain cupcakes to celebrate our honeymoon. Nearly every table in the room got one for something - birthday, anniversary or general 'I'm celebrating' of some description lol! Sadly, we were a little too full to enjoy a cupcake after a large buffet breakfast. I had a little pick at mine as I was so excited to get something in honour of our honeymoon, but had to concede that I just could not fit it in.

We'd had a fun time at breakfast, but it was time to get on with the day!

 

[pkondz]

I had the pot roast. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was really nice, particularly since I was craving vegetables. Ben had the platter and enjoyed everything, but the pot roast was his favourite too.

I’m trying to remember if I’ve had the pot roast… not sure!

Here's a side-by-side.

Awww… cute pup.

It seemed to always be on at the same time as F! So you'd really have to choose one or the other to see it properly.

That’s probably why I have never seen it.

Totally agree! We have a wifi extender in our house to make sure the signal travels around the corner to the lounge room.

Right! I forgot I put one in at my mom’s house a few years ago.

 

[pkondz]

It was still pretty foggy as we walked across to the main tower.

Pretty, though.

We checked in at Chef Mickey’s, once again hopefully mentioning our honeymoon.

I almost always got the same thing – Mickey waffles and bacon).

Not the worst option you could have picked.

They came around to visit in quite quick succession. They were obviously busy, but we didn't feel rushed.

Okay, good. At first as I was reading that, I thought you were going to be disappointed.

Glad to see Ben really got into it.

Minnie was the last character to visit. We were keeping an eye on her to make sure we didn’t miss her, but to our surprise, she completely missed our table! Luckily I managed to catch her eye after she finished at the table next to us, and she gave an embarrassed expression and came back to us.

Good thing you were watching... and that she came back.

When our server brought us the bill, she also brought us 2 little plain cupcakes to celebrate our honeymoon. Nearly every table in the room got one for something - birthday, anniversary or general 'I'm celebrating' of some description lol! Sadly, we were a little too full to enjoy a cupcake after a large buffet breakfast. I had a little pick at mine as I was so excited to get something in honour of our honeymoon, but had to concede that I just could not fit it in.

Finally! Not much... but something!

 

[zanzibar138]

Pretty, though.

I actually loved a little bit of fog!

Glad to see Ben really got into it.

Ben wasn't interested in all the characters, but for the ones he was interested in, he had a lot of fun with them!

Good thing you were watching... and that she came back.

At most of our character meals, there was someone coming around to make sure we'd seen everyone, so I don't think we'd have missed out. It would have been a pain to have to wait for her to come back though.

Finally! Not much... but something!

Even if they'd brought it to us at the beginning instead of the end, then we could have at least made sure we left room for it!

 

[zanzibar138]

Chapter 6: In which we get two rooms and nearly see a parade

6.7. All the animal shows​

We headed out to the bus stop, where we weren’t waiting long for the bus to AK. I was still spun out by how spread out everything was at WDW (compared to every other Disney resort). It’s crazy that one park is a 20 minute bus ride away from another lol!

Upon arrival at AK, we spent a bit of time with Photopass photographers. Ben nearly always missed the brief for the magic shots lol!











Today we were focused on the shows at AK, and first on the list was It’s Tough to be a Bug. I did see it many years ago at DLR, but had forgotten a lot of the detail so it was good to see it again before it gets retired. I also really enjoyed seeing the Tree of Life close up.







Next on the agenda was Feathered Friends, so we headed over to Asia.



We stopped to get a drink on the way over. I really was super impressed with the theming in that park, particularly in the Asia area.



Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We arrived early enough to be close to the front of the standby line. It was starting to warm up, so we were pleased to be let in so we could sit in the shade.



I enjoyed practicing my photography while waiting for the show to start.



Unfortunately I’d kind of forgotten about sports mode on my camera, so I didn’t get a heap of amazing action shots. We’d gone in with fairly low expectations, but both really enjoyed the show.







I had planned to see the Nemo show next, which meant walking back across the park again… Unfortunately the timing of shows hadn’t lined up wonderfully for us that day.





It was a full house for Nemo, but we’d arrived in enough time to get pretty decent seats. I really enjoyed the show, but Ben wasn’t a huge fan. I don’t think the puppets thing worked for him.



Next we headed back across the park to FOTLK. We ran into Kevin on the way through – loved seeing her out and about!





Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We entertained ourselves by watching the antics of this squirrel while waiting.



Eventually we were led into the theatre to be seated. It was quite interesting seeing how it worked with the ‘theatre in the round’ concept. I don’t know what it was about me, but I somehow always ended up with the tallest guy in the park sitting right in front of me



I really enjoyed this show too. Ben, surprisingly, not so much. I think he was put out because he was probably expecting more of a Lion King story.

I’d enjoyed all 3 shows so much that I hoped we’d get time to see some of them again.

I’d been planning to ride the safari later in the day, but for some reason, AK was pretty busy (for a random Monday) and I never saw it with less than an hour’s wait. We decided to check out the Maharajah Jungle Trek instead. On the way I noticed these cute statues. So wanted to steal them for our garden!



We found the trail and were pleased to see that it was pretty quiet. We loved seeing the animals, even if the tiger cub wasn’t out. I would have loved to see him, but wasn’t willing to line up and battle the crowds for it.







I also loved the theming of the trail.



We spent a few minutes just sitting quietly in the bird enclosure, and enjoyed some bird and people watching.



By the time we left the trail, it was getting late, and we thought we should get some dinner before all the restaurants started closing. I loved seeing the park in the sunset glow.



Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We were still pretty full from our brunch, and didn’t want anything too much for dinner, so we decided to share a platter at Flame Tree BBQ.



We didn’t realise we would have to fight the birds for our dinner lol!



We actually didn’t realise how massive the restaurant was and that there were so many seating areas to choose from. Otherwise we would have chosen somewhere with nicer views. Nonetheless, it was quite an enjoyable dinner.

As we were finishing up with dinner, the sun was really starting to set and it was getting close to closing time for the park. We headed over Everest, where the wait time had finally gotten down to 30 minutes.



By the time I’d finished my ride, the park was officially closed and EEH had started. The wait time had gone down to 15 minutes, so I rode it again!






(How cute is that couple in the last row!)

I noted that the wait time for Dinosaur had gone down to 10 minutes, so we headed over there next. I was determined to ride it at least once before it shut down! This time, we did make it all the way through, although I was ill-prepared for the photo opportunity – I’d assumed it would be right at the end!





I’d read about the negativity around Dinosaur, but thought if it was a similar ride system to Indy at DLR, how bad could it possibly be? Well, I stand corrected lol! Bits of it were fun, but there was a lot of just being jostled around in the dark. I didn’t feel a strong urge to have to ride it again.

By the time we were done with Dinosaur, we still had heaps of EEH time left. I could have gone back to ride Everest a couple more times, but we’d really done everything we wanted to, and neither of us felt the need to go back to Pandora. So we decided to just head straight on over to MK to hang out for a bit there before the AH party.

We just caught a little bit of the ToL show on the way out. It was then that I realised there were different shows and I would really have to make the effort to catch one of them at some point!



And with that, we made our way to the buses and joined the line to head to MK.

 

[pkondz]

Ben wasn't interested in all the characters, but for the ones he was interested in, he had a lot of fun with them!

Sounds like me.

I was still spun out by how spread out everything was at WDW (compared to every other Disney resort). It’s crazy that one park is a 20 minute bus ride away from another lol!

The park is huge. Walt wasn't messing around when he bought up all that land.
I tried to Google how long it would take to walk from the TTC to AK, but... because some roads are off limits and some you can't walk on... it came out to 8 hours +. With some cheating, you could do it in about an hour and a half. (But you'd probably get picked up by security before you got there.)

Ben nearly always missed the brief for the magic shots lol!

Dunno... looks like he's figured it out just fine.

Oh. Okay, I see what you mean.

I also really enjoyed seeing the Tree of Life close up.

Best part of the show.

Next on the agenda was Feathered Friends, so we headed over to Asia.

Fun show. I even got on stage, once.

I really was super impressed with the theming in that park, particularly in the Asia area.

It was my least favourite park at first, but now I love it.

I enjoyed practicing my photography while waiting for the show to start.

Thanks for sharing with us.

Had no idea they had a bald eagle! How cool is that??

I really enjoyed the show, but Ben wasn’t a huge fan. I don’t think the puppets thing worked for him.

That's okay. Plenty of other things to see and do for all tastes.

We ran into Kevin on the way through – loved seeing him out and about!

I think the technology is fascinating. She's a lot of fun to spot.

We entertained ourselves by watching the antics of this squirrel while waiting.

"You know you're from Australia when..."

I don’t know what it was about me, but I somehow always ended up with the tallest guy in the park sitting right in front of me

I really enjoyed this show too. Ben, surprisingly, not so much. I think he was put out because he was probably expecting more of a Lion King story.

Well, shoot. That's two shows Ben didn't care for. Did he like ITTBAB?

On the way I noticed these cute statues. So wanted to steal them for our garden!

So that's where they went! They used to be over by the bird show when it was called "Up! A Great Bird Adventure"
It only ran for a couple years.

Some great shots!

We spent a few minutes just sitting quietly in the bird enclosure, and enjoyed some bird and people watching.

Good place for that.

we decided to share a platter at Flame Tree BBQ.

You could've done worse.

We didn’t realise we would have to fight the birds for our dinner lol!

We actually didn’t realise how massive the restaurant was and that there were so many seating areas to choose from. Otherwise we would have chosen somewhere with nicer views.

I like to sit over by the water.

The wait time had gone down to 15 minutes, so I rode it again!

But does make me wonder... Ben didn't enjoy some shows. Won't do thrill rides. What did he think of the park?

(How cute is that couple in the last row!)

Aww...

I noted that the wait time for Dinosaur had gone down to 10 minutes, so we headed over there next. I was determined to ride it at least once before it shut down!

You look like "Oh my goodness!" and Ben is like "Meh. You've seen one dino, you've seen them all."

We just caught a little bit of the ToL show on the way out. It was then that I realised there were different shows and I would really have to make the effort to catch one of them at some point!

I love the ToL shows. Especially when they make the animals move.