mkingdon
Obsessed...and admits it!!
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2002
- Messages
- 408
Previously on this tour...
Introduction
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four 23rd August 2007
Felling mighty fine after our relaxing rest day, I was semi conscious from 6ish, but didn’t grace the world with my presence until around 7.15. After yesterday’s “battle” at MGM with enormous crowds, we had all agreed that today we would do the only decent thing and get to a park early.
Rebecca is up and about before me, and she finds it very amusing to photograph Dad asleep.
How I laughed when I saw this photo later, and then changed my will accordingly.
So in attempt to get on a ride pre dusk, we sacrifice breakfast…saved me making it again anyway….and we’re out of the door by 8.20 ish. Great stuff. I know that the Animal Kingdom opens at 9am, so we should be there prior to that, and can have a decent stab at doing some rides before they are inundated with the cast from Ghandi.
My positive thinking is cut short by Louise who informs me that we need to call at the supermarket first as she has a “condition” that needs some medical attention.
Oh, you mean that supermarket in completely the opposite direction to the theme parks? No problem, oh light of my life. Is it too much to ask that for fourteen days out of three hundred and sixty five we can avoid any medical mishaps?? I can only conclude that it is.
I shall not divulge the exact nature of the complaint, yet, as we hear more from it later. Plus you may be eating, and it would not be fair.
So we pull up at Goodings, my how I’ve missed the place, and Louise rolls from the moving car, Professionals style, as I handbrake turn it to a stop. We follow her in as we figure we may as well get some breakfast now that we are totally wasting our early rise.
Having acquired what she needs to treat what ails her, we meet by the sandwich bit, and choose our breakfasts.
We all choose sandwhiches, apart from Emily who chooses a dozen apple turnovers…that’s my girl!! We quickly exit, jump in the car and make our escape. We eat as we go, and we’ve finished and arrived at around the same time.
As we cruise through the car park toll booths, not paying due to our superior onsite status, I get a weird look as I appear to have some sort of strange disease, but it is really just crumbs around my mouth and all down my shirt.
We pull into Unicorn 25, near the top of the row no less, at 9.00am.
We just miss a tram, so we take our position at the poles (bloody immigrants, but at least they let you know where to queue for the tram), and wait for the next tram. It turns out there is but one tram on duty, and many people start to walk to the main gates.
I spend my time much more productively by tutting and looking at my watch.
Finally the tram returns, the CM on the back greets us with the usual white noise over the speakers, and we finally make the main gate.
The bag check is a little over zealous this morning, inspecting not just Ryan, but my “fanny pack” too. I draw the line at any further “sack” inspections, and tell the guard he’ll have to trust me that no-one has been near that one for years, so it poses no risk to security.
In years gone by the mission at this stage was
a) get a stroller
b) get a safari fast pass
Well, with the advent of Expedition Everest, and my girls growing up seemingly overnight, we do neither. We start the yomp to EE at a decent pace. Look at all the foolish souls pausing to take photos and look at animals…what do you think this is..a holiday????
I do take some photos but only whilst walking, so there is no family pose in front of the tree I’m afraid.
However, my photographic skills are not diminished by snapping at full pace….
There lies our objective troops….
We arrive hot and sweaty at EE at around 9.15, and see a 20 minute wait posted. I quickly obtain fastpasses for later, and we join the queue.
They have made a decent job of making the queue interesting, no doubt anticipating the enormous waits.
The excitement builds as we only managed one go on this ride last year.
I even pretend that the artefacts are interesting and take a photo of one
We are just about to get onto the platform when everything stops. We wait a while….trying to interest ourselves in the “exhibits” in the queue, but we want to ride, and ride NOW.
All too predictably we hear an announcement that the ride is “experiencing problems” and is not working at this time.
We are less than pleased….see
Continued....
Introduction
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four 23rd August 2007
Felling mighty fine after our relaxing rest day, I was semi conscious from 6ish, but didn’t grace the world with my presence until around 7.15. After yesterday’s “battle” at MGM with enormous crowds, we had all agreed that today we would do the only decent thing and get to a park early.
Rebecca is up and about before me, and she finds it very amusing to photograph Dad asleep.

How I laughed when I saw this photo later, and then changed my will accordingly.
So in attempt to get on a ride pre dusk, we sacrifice breakfast…saved me making it again anyway….and we’re out of the door by 8.20 ish. Great stuff. I know that the Animal Kingdom opens at 9am, so we should be there prior to that, and can have a decent stab at doing some rides before they are inundated with the cast from Ghandi.
My positive thinking is cut short by Louise who informs me that we need to call at the supermarket first as she has a “condition” that needs some medical attention.
Oh, you mean that supermarket in completely the opposite direction to the theme parks? No problem, oh light of my life. Is it too much to ask that for fourteen days out of three hundred and sixty five we can avoid any medical mishaps?? I can only conclude that it is.
I shall not divulge the exact nature of the complaint, yet, as we hear more from it later. Plus you may be eating, and it would not be fair.
So we pull up at Goodings, my how I’ve missed the place, and Louise rolls from the moving car, Professionals style, as I handbrake turn it to a stop. We follow her in as we figure we may as well get some breakfast now that we are totally wasting our early rise.
Having acquired what she needs to treat what ails her, we meet by the sandwich bit, and choose our breakfasts.
We all choose sandwhiches, apart from Emily who chooses a dozen apple turnovers…that’s my girl!! We quickly exit, jump in the car and make our escape. We eat as we go, and we’ve finished and arrived at around the same time.
As we cruise through the car park toll booths, not paying due to our superior onsite status, I get a weird look as I appear to have some sort of strange disease, but it is really just crumbs around my mouth and all down my shirt.
We pull into Unicorn 25, near the top of the row no less, at 9.00am.
We just miss a tram, so we take our position at the poles (bloody immigrants, but at least they let you know where to queue for the tram), and wait for the next tram. It turns out there is but one tram on duty, and many people start to walk to the main gates.
I spend my time much more productively by tutting and looking at my watch.
Finally the tram returns, the CM on the back greets us with the usual white noise over the speakers, and we finally make the main gate.
The bag check is a little over zealous this morning, inspecting not just Ryan, but my “fanny pack” too. I draw the line at any further “sack” inspections, and tell the guard he’ll have to trust me that no-one has been near that one for years, so it poses no risk to security.
In years gone by the mission at this stage was
a) get a stroller
b) get a safari fast pass
Well, with the advent of Expedition Everest, and my girls growing up seemingly overnight, we do neither. We start the yomp to EE at a decent pace. Look at all the foolish souls pausing to take photos and look at animals…what do you think this is..a holiday????
I do take some photos but only whilst walking, so there is no family pose in front of the tree I’m afraid.

However, my photographic skills are not diminished by snapping at full pace….

There lies our objective troops….

We arrive hot and sweaty at EE at around 9.15, and see a 20 minute wait posted. I quickly obtain fastpasses for later, and we join the queue.
They have made a decent job of making the queue interesting, no doubt anticipating the enormous waits.
The excitement builds as we only managed one go on this ride last year.


I even pretend that the artefacts are interesting and take a photo of one

We are just about to get onto the platform when everything stops. We wait a while….trying to interest ourselves in the “exhibits” in the queue, but we want to ride, and ride NOW.
All too predictably we hear an announcement that the ride is “experiencing problems” and is not working at this time.
We are less than pleased….see

Continued....