jubileegirl
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2004
- Messages
- 211
When we were home from our holidays I asked Chloe what her favourite Disney moment had been, thinking that shed say Tower of Terror or Mission Space. She thought for a few moments, then a big smile came over her face and she said the opening of the Animal Kingdom. Well done, Chloe!! (What can I say to encourage you to get to the Animal Kingdom before opening time so you dont miss this?!?)
We were up and raring to go at 8 am complete with Danish Pastries to eat in the line at the turnstiles. The sun was warm but not yet too hot, the food was delicious and we all had that sense of well-being and anticipation. At 8-45 the turnstiles began turning and in we went! We were very near to the front of the crowd so just followed everyone else. We crossed the bridge onto Discovery Island and before we knew it along came a bus with Minnie, Goofy and Pluto all in on-safari gear.
I thought my face would split in two from smiling so hard! Minnie made a little welcome speech with some help from her friends, but then panicked as she realised there was nobody to lead the expedition. I am very thick because I didnt get it! But Chloe did and suddenly yelled there he is!! and in the distance, at the base of the Tree of Life was MICKIE! I dont think we could have had a better first sighting of the mouse!
After Minnie had a little chat with Mickie, who gave us our orders for the day, it was time for the opening countdown, and then the bus drove off in the direction of Kilimanjaro Safaris with about three quarters of the crowd following to jolly Disney music I wish Id written down what it was.
It was like being part of a parade as all the CMs from the shops and restaurants along the way came out to wave, also Lilo and Stitch and some street entertainers. I thought about feeling awkward and all British but then thought NAA! and really enjoyed dancing along behind the bus!
Before we knew it we were at Kilimanjaro Safaris and had about 2 minutes to wait for a jeep to take us on our big game adventure. Our driver told us loads of things about the animals we saw hippos, lions, elephants, giraffes, and lots of other animals. The Little Red bit was so quick that I think wed have missed it if wed blinked I actually think the Safari would be just as good without that storyline at the end although I guess it makes something of the ride if you dont see any animals!
We wanted to follow the Unofficial Guide plan as much as possible so next stop was Kali River rapids! I love the theming of this ride. Even though it was a walk-on we took our time going through the queue area and looking at all the scenery. Last time we were here I got drenched so was expecting another soaking. Sure enough I got fairly wet, especially from water sloshing around on the seat so I had a very damp bum, but John got the complete bucket-of-water-on-the-head experience!! I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself mind you, nobody would have noticed if I had!
Next on the list was Primeval Whirl, so off we went to Dinoland. This isnt my favourite bit of the AK its just all heat and concrete (plus too many things wanting your money!)
We queued up for about 10 minutes before we reached the front of the line and off we went. I tried to enjoy this, honestly I did, but there were far too many oops, were going to go over the edge moments for my liking! Chloe screamed just for fun, John yee-haad and I just held on tight with my eyes shut. I hated it!! What a wimp! I did ask myself secretly if my promise to go on everything this visit was a bit hasty. If Primeval Whirl scared the bejeezus out of me how on earth would I cope with the Hulk?!?
Next on the plan was Its tough to be a bug which had become part of Chloes repertoire of things to bring up when were having an argument over the past 5 years.
Ill explain Chloe hates bugs and is terrified of spiders. Shell ask for assistance because theres some enormous insect in her room and then you need a magnifying glass to find it! We dont tease her too much about this as she cant help it. Im the same about snakes and heights actually. However, on our last WDW trip, when she was 10 (and before we discovered trip planning boards like the Dibb), we told her she would love ITTBAB and ignored all those warning signs. She has been mentally unstable ever since!!!!!!!!! And whenever weve tried to encourage her to do something with the parental assurance that we would never let her do anything that would harm her, she replies yes you would you MADE me do that Bugs Life thing at the Animal Kingdom!
So this time around Chloe had decided that she would wait for us outside. You can see why we were a bit surprised, therefore, when she announced that shed give it another go and close her eyes when the spiders appeared. Thats my girl!!!!! (Except Id now lost my bargaining power, which had me saying well, you didnt do ITTBAB because you hate creepy crawlies, and therefore its OK for me to NOT do TOT and Dr Doom because I hate heights.)
Anyway, we wandered around the Tree of Life, enjoying spotting all the different animals, although there was a bit of an argument when John thought he saw a worm and Chloe knew it was an anteaters nose.
We walked right into the preshow area but the doors were literally closing for the next show so we knew wed have a bit of a wait. Never mind, lets enjoy the humour of the posters around the walls. Should have written them down as I cant remember any of them now! Then we tuned in to the background music and that DID make me and Chloe laugh! We love musical theatre so we played name that tune as the bees buzzed and the crickets chirupped to songs from the shows. We even joined in a bit until John moved away from us! I feel pretty finished him off!
Then the doors opened and I had a very nervous teenager hanging on to my arm!!
This is such a fun show we loved the stink beetle!
I think Chloe was lulled into a false sense of security, until the mood changed and the insects decided to get their own back on us. Major panic attack to my left!! However, she survived and was very proud of herself, quite right too!!
According to the Unofficial Guide we now had to go back to Dinoland for Dinosaur, which was another walk-on where was everybody ?!
I actually did this one in 99 but couldnt remember very much about it. I think that when you are extremely scared your body shuts down, including memory cells in your brain (this theory was going to reappear later when we visited MGM, but youll have to wait for that!)
Anyway, we rode Dinosaur great fun and lots of scream-time, although afterwards Chloe admitted shed kept her eyes shut probably scared that a spider from ITTBAB had escaped and was looking for her! I was very brave and looked that Jurassic reptile square in the eyes!! He wont mess with my family again in a hurry! Actually it was such a jerky ride that I was quite busy coping with the fact that I needed the loo middle-aged ladies weak bladder I think!!
After Dinosaur we realised that we would make the next Tarzan Rocks show if we hurried. Last time this was a brand new show and the film hadnt been released in the UK. Cant remember much about it really but this time I really enjoyed the music and the roller-skating bits. Chloe liked it too, John was completely indifferent. Perhaps its a girl thing, something to do with loin cloths perhaps?
By now the park was getting a lot more crowded. We decided to forget our touring plan as even if we did nothing else we knew wed had a great time. We wandered back to Kali River Rapids, but the long line of strollers parked outside told us that this was no longer a walk-on! However we did enjoy seeing lots of monkey action in the enclosure close by it had been monkey-less earlier.
We decided we were a bit peckish and as Flame tree barbecue was near we went there. The food was quite nice although the words flame and barbecue should have warned us that everything would have a charcoal tang to it! We really liked the seating areas tucked away in the trees behind the kitchen.
Whilst we ate we looked at our maps and discussed what we still wanted to do. We had 3 main things the Lion King show, the flights of wonder show and the parade. From the park schedule it was clear we couldnt do all of these so we had a vote each person choosing their first choice. Well, that didnt work as we each chose something different! John said he really didnt mind and so Chloe and I decided between ourselves that wed both like to see the Lion King.
A show was due to start soon, so off we went. We were in the elephants section and had good seats in the row behind the reserved row at the very front. Then just as things were starting a family rushed in and the CM told them to sit in front of us, saying being late has its perks! Now we couldnt see a thing! I tried very hard to remember that this is Disney and to be glad for their good fortune!!!!! GRRRR!
This is such a great show and we enjoyed every moment of it. I wonder if anyone ever says they didnt like it? Cant remember reading any negative reviews anywhere.
After the Lion King we realised how hot and tired we all felt. And so we decided to call it a day. Wed had a super time and even though we were leaving without doing everything, and knew we wouldnt be able to return we felt OK about that. The only missing thing was the fact that we hadnt had any interaction with any characters, whereas on previous visits wed spent hours lining up to do this. Chloe is at the mid-teen age when she didnt think it looked cool, so although we loved seeing various characters as we walked around, we didnt spend any time stopping for photos,not today anyway .
We walked back to our car and then drove the short way back to the hotel for a rest and freshen up before our evening plans to eat our way around World Showcase!!
We were up and raring to go at 8 am complete with Danish Pastries to eat in the line at the turnstiles. The sun was warm but not yet too hot, the food was delicious and we all had that sense of well-being and anticipation. At 8-45 the turnstiles began turning and in we went! We were very near to the front of the crowd so just followed everyone else. We crossed the bridge onto Discovery Island and before we knew it along came a bus with Minnie, Goofy and Pluto all in on-safari gear.
I thought my face would split in two from smiling so hard! Minnie made a little welcome speech with some help from her friends, but then panicked as she realised there was nobody to lead the expedition. I am very thick because I didnt get it! But Chloe did and suddenly yelled there he is!! and in the distance, at the base of the Tree of Life was MICKIE! I dont think we could have had a better first sighting of the mouse!
After Minnie had a little chat with Mickie, who gave us our orders for the day, it was time for the opening countdown, and then the bus drove off in the direction of Kilimanjaro Safaris with about three quarters of the crowd following to jolly Disney music I wish Id written down what it was.
It was like being part of a parade as all the CMs from the shops and restaurants along the way came out to wave, also Lilo and Stitch and some street entertainers. I thought about feeling awkward and all British but then thought NAA! and really enjoyed dancing along behind the bus!
Before we knew it we were at Kilimanjaro Safaris and had about 2 minutes to wait for a jeep to take us on our big game adventure. Our driver told us loads of things about the animals we saw hippos, lions, elephants, giraffes, and lots of other animals. The Little Red bit was so quick that I think wed have missed it if wed blinked I actually think the Safari would be just as good without that storyline at the end although I guess it makes something of the ride if you dont see any animals!
We wanted to follow the Unofficial Guide plan as much as possible so next stop was Kali River rapids! I love the theming of this ride. Even though it was a walk-on we took our time going through the queue area and looking at all the scenery. Last time we were here I got drenched so was expecting another soaking. Sure enough I got fairly wet, especially from water sloshing around on the seat so I had a very damp bum, but John got the complete bucket-of-water-on-the-head experience!! I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself mind you, nobody would have noticed if I had!
Next on the list was Primeval Whirl, so off we went to Dinoland. This isnt my favourite bit of the AK its just all heat and concrete (plus too many things wanting your money!)
We queued up for about 10 minutes before we reached the front of the line and off we went. I tried to enjoy this, honestly I did, but there were far too many oops, were going to go over the edge moments for my liking! Chloe screamed just for fun, John yee-haad and I just held on tight with my eyes shut. I hated it!! What a wimp! I did ask myself secretly if my promise to go on everything this visit was a bit hasty. If Primeval Whirl scared the bejeezus out of me how on earth would I cope with the Hulk?!?
Next on the plan was Its tough to be a bug which had become part of Chloes repertoire of things to bring up when were having an argument over the past 5 years.
Ill explain Chloe hates bugs and is terrified of spiders. Shell ask for assistance because theres some enormous insect in her room and then you need a magnifying glass to find it! We dont tease her too much about this as she cant help it. Im the same about snakes and heights actually. However, on our last WDW trip, when she was 10 (and before we discovered trip planning boards like the Dibb), we told her she would love ITTBAB and ignored all those warning signs. She has been mentally unstable ever since!!!!!!!!! And whenever weve tried to encourage her to do something with the parental assurance that we would never let her do anything that would harm her, she replies yes you would you MADE me do that Bugs Life thing at the Animal Kingdom!
So this time around Chloe had decided that she would wait for us outside. You can see why we were a bit surprised, therefore, when she announced that shed give it another go and close her eyes when the spiders appeared. Thats my girl!!!!! (Except Id now lost my bargaining power, which had me saying well, you didnt do ITTBAB because you hate creepy crawlies, and therefore its OK for me to NOT do TOT and Dr Doom because I hate heights.)
Anyway, we wandered around the Tree of Life, enjoying spotting all the different animals, although there was a bit of an argument when John thought he saw a worm and Chloe knew it was an anteaters nose.
We walked right into the preshow area but the doors were literally closing for the next show so we knew wed have a bit of a wait. Never mind, lets enjoy the humour of the posters around the walls. Should have written them down as I cant remember any of them now! Then we tuned in to the background music and that DID make me and Chloe laugh! We love musical theatre so we played name that tune as the bees buzzed and the crickets chirupped to songs from the shows. We even joined in a bit until John moved away from us! I feel pretty finished him off!
Then the doors opened and I had a very nervous teenager hanging on to my arm!!
This is such a fun show we loved the stink beetle!
I think Chloe was lulled into a false sense of security, until the mood changed and the insects decided to get their own back on us. Major panic attack to my left!! However, she survived and was very proud of herself, quite right too!!
According to the Unofficial Guide we now had to go back to Dinoland for Dinosaur, which was another walk-on where was everybody ?!
I actually did this one in 99 but couldnt remember very much about it. I think that when you are extremely scared your body shuts down, including memory cells in your brain (this theory was going to reappear later when we visited MGM, but youll have to wait for that!)
Anyway, we rode Dinosaur great fun and lots of scream-time, although afterwards Chloe admitted shed kept her eyes shut probably scared that a spider from ITTBAB had escaped and was looking for her! I was very brave and looked that Jurassic reptile square in the eyes!! He wont mess with my family again in a hurry! Actually it was such a jerky ride that I was quite busy coping with the fact that I needed the loo middle-aged ladies weak bladder I think!!
After Dinosaur we realised that we would make the next Tarzan Rocks show if we hurried. Last time this was a brand new show and the film hadnt been released in the UK. Cant remember much about it really but this time I really enjoyed the music and the roller-skating bits. Chloe liked it too, John was completely indifferent. Perhaps its a girl thing, something to do with loin cloths perhaps?
By now the park was getting a lot more crowded. We decided to forget our touring plan as even if we did nothing else we knew wed had a great time. We wandered back to Kali River Rapids, but the long line of strollers parked outside told us that this was no longer a walk-on! However we did enjoy seeing lots of monkey action in the enclosure close by it had been monkey-less earlier.
We decided we were a bit peckish and as Flame tree barbecue was near we went there. The food was quite nice although the words flame and barbecue should have warned us that everything would have a charcoal tang to it! We really liked the seating areas tucked away in the trees behind the kitchen.
Whilst we ate we looked at our maps and discussed what we still wanted to do. We had 3 main things the Lion King show, the flights of wonder show and the parade. From the park schedule it was clear we couldnt do all of these so we had a vote each person choosing their first choice. Well, that didnt work as we each chose something different! John said he really didnt mind and so Chloe and I decided between ourselves that wed both like to see the Lion King.
A show was due to start soon, so off we went. We were in the elephants section and had good seats in the row behind the reserved row at the very front. Then just as things were starting a family rushed in and the CM told them to sit in front of us, saying being late has its perks! Now we couldnt see a thing! I tried very hard to remember that this is Disney and to be glad for their good fortune!!!!! GRRRR!
This is such a great show and we enjoyed every moment of it. I wonder if anyone ever says they didnt like it? Cant remember reading any negative reviews anywhere.
After the Lion King we realised how hot and tired we all felt. And so we decided to call it a day. Wed had a super time and even though we were leaving without doing everything, and knew we wouldnt be able to return we felt OK about that. The only missing thing was the fact that we hadnt had any interaction with any characters, whereas on previous visits wed spent hours lining up to do this. Chloe is at the mid-teen age when she didnt think it looked cool, so although we loved seeing various characters as we walked around, we didnt spend any time stopping for photos,not today anyway .
We walked back to our car and then drove the short way back to the hotel for a rest and freshen up before our evening plans to eat our way around World Showcase!!
