Monday 21st September 2009.
Cast
Me : Sue (aka Suzycute)
DD: Kate (aka Wishspirit)
Day 3
We were woken by our Mickey and Stitch alarm clock at 7am. By 7.30 we were on the bus to Animal Kingdom for early entry. Our first stop was Expedition Everest which we both enjoyed and we got a fast pass for later.
We then went on the Kilimanjaro Safari where far more animals were seen than I ever remember before. We went to see Festival of the Lion King which was a great show and very well done.
We then went on the Kali River Rapids and being complete wooses, we got out our ponchos! We were on the ride with an American family of 6 who, we could tell, were rather amused by our plastic capes that was until they got ABSOLUTELY soaked, and maybe our plastic capes and smug expressions didnt seem so out of place after that!!
Neither of us are great fans of AK and knew that a half day here was enough.
We had begun to get in to quite a nice habit by this day (as we have adopted on all of our other family WDW trips) of returning to the hotel about 11.30 12 to escape the relentless Florida sun and humidity to have a rest for about 3 hours. I had a beer by the pool SO civilised whilst Kate rested in our room.
Later in the afternoon we returned to MK to watch the parade and I had a dole whip at Aloha Isle in Adventure Land (yum! - although Kate hates pineapple and cant eat ice cream!).
We wandered round soaking up the atmosphere for a while but it was SO hot - I love the heat but it was quite intense (but writing this in cool England where my central heating is now on really makes me appreciate it). We went back to BLT to get ready to meet some DIS buddies for an Illuminations cruise.
Kate has been conversing for some time on the DIS Unplugged board with DISers Becx and Gav and they very kindly asked us to join them on a cruise which had been organised by some other DISers Carol (Disney Enabler) and Michael who they had met on the recent Podcast cruise in May.
We got to the Boardwalk early and enjoyed wandering around enjoying the entertainment before sitting at the Yacht club pontoon. We had a text saying we were now meeting at the Boardwalk as the boat would be picking us up from there. We wandered round to meet Becx and Gav and their friends Aaron and Charlotte from the UK as well as Carol and Michael and their friend Sandy, who were from California. They were all lovely people and loved Disney as much as we do so it was a great evening.
There was a problem as Carol had been told they would pick us up from the Boardwalk but as it got way past 8pm and no boat arrived, we were finally told that we needed to be at the Yacht club pontoon and we had to swiftly make our way there.
Becx, Kate and Gav.
Kate was very anxious about the boat in case she felt ill and wanted to get off but the great people really put her at ease and she was fine. We had a great skipper, Scott, who took us on a trip as far down as DHS and then back to EPCOT to moor underneath the bridge between UK and France for Illuminations. He told us the story behind it and when it started, we had the most amazing view. Afterwards Scott dropped Kate and I back at DHS to get the bus back to BLT and took the others back to Yacht club as they were staying at BWV and BCV.
From l to r
Carol, Michael, Charlotte, Aaron, Gav, Kate, Becx, me and Sandy.
It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip considering we had never met these people before, they were so friendly and it felt like we could have chatted for ever.
As we got off the boat at DHS, another DISer recognised our lime green mickey heads on our t shirts and we had a quick chat.
We made our way back to BLT by bus and were soon asleep.
Cast
Me : Sue (aka Suzycute)
DD: Kate (aka Wishspirit)
Day 3
We were woken by our Mickey and Stitch alarm clock at 7am. By 7.30 we were on the bus to Animal Kingdom for early entry. Our first stop was Expedition Everest which we both enjoyed and we got a fast pass for later.

We then went on the Kilimanjaro Safari where far more animals were seen than I ever remember before. We went to see Festival of the Lion King which was a great show and very well done.
We then went on the Kali River Rapids and being complete wooses, we got out our ponchos! We were on the ride with an American family of 6 who, we could tell, were rather amused by our plastic capes that was until they got ABSOLUTELY soaked, and maybe our plastic capes and smug expressions didnt seem so out of place after that!!
Neither of us are great fans of AK and knew that a half day here was enough.
We had begun to get in to quite a nice habit by this day (as we have adopted on all of our other family WDW trips) of returning to the hotel about 11.30 12 to escape the relentless Florida sun and humidity to have a rest for about 3 hours. I had a beer by the pool SO civilised whilst Kate rested in our room.
Later in the afternoon we returned to MK to watch the parade and I had a dole whip at Aloha Isle in Adventure Land (yum! - although Kate hates pineapple and cant eat ice cream!).
We wandered round soaking up the atmosphere for a while but it was SO hot - I love the heat but it was quite intense (but writing this in cool England where my central heating is now on really makes me appreciate it). We went back to BLT to get ready to meet some DIS buddies for an Illuminations cruise.
Kate has been conversing for some time on the DIS Unplugged board with DISers Becx and Gav and they very kindly asked us to join them on a cruise which had been organised by some other DISers Carol (Disney Enabler) and Michael who they had met on the recent Podcast cruise in May.
We got to the Boardwalk early and enjoyed wandering around enjoying the entertainment before sitting at the Yacht club pontoon. We had a text saying we were now meeting at the Boardwalk as the boat would be picking us up from there. We wandered round to meet Becx and Gav and their friends Aaron and Charlotte from the UK as well as Carol and Michael and their friend Sandy, who were from California. They were all lovely people and loved Disney as much as we do so it was a great evening.
There was a problem as Carol had been told they would pick us up from the Boardwalk but as it got way past 8pm and no boat arrived, we were finally told that we needed to be at the Yacht club pontoon and we had to swiftly make our way there.

Becx, Kate and Gav.
Kate was very anxious about the boat in case she felt ill and wanted to get off but the great people really put her at ease and she was fine. We had a great skipper, Scott, who took us on a trip as far down as DHS and then back to EPCOT to moor underneath the bridge between UK and France for Illuminations. He told us the story behind it and when it started, we had the most amazing view. Afterwards Scott dropped Kate and I back at DHS to get the bus back to BLT and took the others back to Yacht club as they were staying at BWV and BCV.

From l to r
Carol, Michael, Charlotte, Aaron, Gav, Kate, Becx, me and Sandy.
It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip considering we had never met these people before, they were so friendly and it felt like we could have chatted for ever.
As we got off the boat at DHS, another DISer recognised our lime green mickey heads on our t shirts and we had a quick chat.
We made our way back to BLT by bus and were soon asleep.