There's a Crack in the Sidewalk! Take a Picture! UPDATE 8/13

[BeccaBellePA]

Hey lurkers out there - come join the fun!

That was me! Hi! I'm loving your TR! The pics are amazing, I think I need to head on over to the photog boards and get some of those tips! Can't wait to see more!!

 

[Villainess]

That was me! Hi! I'm loving your TR! The pics are amazing, I think I need to head on over to the photog boards and get some of those tips! Can't wait to see more!!

Hi! Thanks for reading. The Photog. board is a great group of people - very friendly!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Lovin' it so far!!

 

[Villainess]

Lovin' it so far!!

Thank you!

More on the way!

 

[Villainess]

I snapped some pictures as we made our way to Kilamanjaro Safari.

I spotted this clipboard and unfortunately the two picture I took didn’t come out great, but it is to track Guests’ Magical Moments.

During this time, DS fell asleep in the stroller. DSis and I took turns carrying him through the queue and onto our safari vehicle. I really thought he would have woken up with the jerky movement of the jeep but he was out cold!

The animals were very active on this trip. I couldn’t believe how close the giraffes were to the vehicle.

This one was right off the road, practically next to me!

I always sit on the right side of the vehicle! Duh! The left side has soooo many more animals on it, but since it was my family in the one row, I could tell them to move out of the way to get a picture.

Here are the lions, again super active.

In the end we found Little Red, protecting him from the devious poachers. Last year, DBIL taught DD a knock knock joke. It went like this:

DBIL: “Knock Knock”
DD: “Who’s There?”
DBIL: “Little Red”
DD: “Mom Mom”
So you know why, here’s a pic of Mom Mom and her red hair.

She’s also barely 5’ tall, so “Little Red” she is! But she is awesome and we love her!

When we got off the safari, DBIL decided to ask DD the knock knock joke and see if she remembered it. She did! He also taught her a new word, “Okapie!” So if you meet my DD on the street and ask what her favorite animal is, she will proudly tell you “Okapie!”

What to do next? The Pangani Forest Exploration Trail - especially since we were right next to it!

We saw a hippo, and Pop Pop was eaten by a skeletal one!

I tried to do this pose next, but stopped at the screams of my DD. “Noooooooooo! Mimi! No eat you!” I decided that the picture wasn’t worth the $50k I would need to pay for my daughters psychiatry visits 20 years from now when she decides that the moment where her mom was almost eaten by a skeleton hippo completely damaged her for life. No thank you! There are more ways I’d rather spend $50k – like in DVC points! LOL!

We visited Timon and company.

DS measured himself up to a gorilla. Boy does he look tiny here!

The gorillas were hiding and not very active. I was ready to walk by but Pop Pop was trying really hard for DS to see one. Can you see the gorilla in the picture? I to the winner!

Finally, he came down from the tree!

Coming Up - A Lemonade and a Parade!

 

[PookieB]

Great TR Danielle! Beautiful pics and thanks for sharing the eye candy in the beginning.

 

[MiaBella05]

Your pictures are just beautiful!!!

 

[Villainess]

We still had some time before our EE FP’s were valid and the Jammin’ Jungle Parade was scheduled to come through soon. We found a nice spot here in front of Tamu Tamu Refreshments.

Since AK always is about 30 degrees hotter than any of the other parks, and the sun was strong today, we got frozen lemonade and popcorn. DBIL, not being the fan of parades opted to find a bench to sit on in the shade and enjoy his refreshments.

Pop Pop, DSis, the kids and I sat in the sun and watched the parade.

Baloo came over to greet DD and DS.

More parade pictures – if you have the Jammin’ Jungle Parade soundtrack, feel free to play it and enjoy the pics!

I didn’t get a picture of the last float bc I noticed that the family on the float was having a bit of a mini crisis. The little girl on the float had a bloody nose; they didn’t have tissues on them and couldn’t get a CM’s attention. I was able to flag down one of the ‘important headphone-wearing’ CMs and told him the situation. He ran to catch up to the float. I’m sure they were able to help her.

Towards the end of the parade DD fell asleep. Now, I didn’t mention it earlier but when the kids were given the bucket of popcorn, DD claimed it as hers and gave DS allowances of popcorn. Now that she had fallen asleep, DS quickly seized the opportunity to grab all the popcorn he wanted.

It was time for EE. DBIL was on the phone with the ***’t manager of his store and would be with the kids and stroller. He insisted he didn’t want to ride EE. Off Pop Pop, DSis, and I went.

I snapped some pictures quickly through the queue and soon we were on board our train.

For some dumb reason I set my camera ISO to 1600 so they were all overexposed. I was able to ‘save’ some of them.

Here we are! DSis in orange with hands up, Pop Pop videotaping, and me holding the camera.

Coming Up - Cookies, Bugs, and Batons of Fire, Oh My!

 

[Villainess]

Great TR Danielle! Beautiful pics and thanks for sharing the eye candy in the beginning.

Thank you - oh, and about the eye candy! I may have to find some more photos for later in the report!

Your pictures are just beautiful!!!

Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying them!

 

[Nicole786]

Love the pics cant wait for more! What lens are you using? I usually bring my Canon's kit lens which takes so so pictures, and than a 50mm fixed lens which takes great pics but since its fixed you can't work with it too much, what are you using with these pics?

 

[Villainess]

Love the pics cant wait for more! What lens are you using? I usually bring my Canon's kit lens which takes so so pictures, and than a 50mm fixed lens which takes great pics but since its fixed you can't work with it too much, what are you using with these pics?

Hi! I have a Canon Xti... I'm saving for the 5d MarkII I rented a 24-70 f/2.8 L USM. I also rented a 15mm fisheye, but that didn't see too much love on the trip, unfortunately. I brought a Tamron 24-200 f/3.5 which is what is usually on my camera and that was never used since I was in love with the 24-70. I also have the 50mm f/1.8 which I do love and that was used quite a bit too. I brought a Tamron 70-300mm which I used in once in the safari AK photos I posted earlier.

 

[Goofy22]

The update is great the picss are too but the one of DS taking the is definitely priceless!

 

[Villainess]

The update is great the picss are too but the one of DS taking the is definitely priceless!

Awwww - thank you! I thought it was so funny that he didnt take the bucket away!

 

[Nicole786]

Thanks for the lens advice! I'm going to rent that 24-70. It looks large was it difficult to carry the camera around so heavy like that?

 

[marsa1969]

Oh, such great pictures. I can NEVER get good pictures for the lions and you got great close ups. I loved the EE pictures, you guys are so brave to film and shoot pictures while on that ride. Can't wait for more.

 

[Villainess]

I stopped to watch the train come down the mountain and got a sequence of motion pictures. I need to figure out how to make it a flipbook style to make it look likes its moving.

We met DBIL and DD was already awake from her nap. DBIL wanted to go in some AC, so we started to head back to the Tree of Life. On our way, we saw this CM who was checking on a new mama monkey and her baby.

She was telling some of the guests that the mama had just stopped carrying the baby around.

After watching the monkeys for awhile, I picked up a Sugar cookie for DS and DD since they were asking for a snack.

We didn’t have ADRs for dinner anywhere, but it was too early to eat. We walked into It’s Tough to be a Bug and waited about 6-7 minutes to enter the theater. I took a few pictures in the meantime.

Read this – disgusting, huh?!

I was a little worried if the kids would be scared, especially Hopper, but both DD and DS love the show. DS laughed and tried to grab the spiders after the theater went dark!

The final FOTLK was almost ready to start so we speed-walked over to Camp Minnie Mickey and took our seats just as the performers were entering the stage area. I’m not particularly fond of this show (ducks rocks, empty Mickey Bar sticks, and Dole Whips that are flying at my head). I really don’t know why; it is a good show, but really just doesn’t do anything for me. That didn’t stop me from photographing away.

DS clapped along and was just in awe of the show.

DD enjoyed it as well. We were in the giraffe section (her now second favorite animal to the okapie) and enjoyed making the “baa” sound. She is sitting on my lap for the show so I didn’t get any pictures of her.

My mission, should I choose to accept it was to get an impressive photo of the fire twirler. Mission accepted and it was time …

Not too shabby!

With the finale of the show, came the rumbling in our tummies. It was time to eat! We didn’t have ADRs anywhere, so as we exited the park we threw ideas around. Beaches & Cream? No one really felt like burgers. Big River Brewery? Hmmm… maybe. That was Pop Pop’s suggestion. T-Rex? Maybe. We didn’t want to go back to OKW, but weren’t sure if we would hit another park after dinner. After going back and forth, it was decided on T-Rex since DSis and DBIL weren’t sure if we would get back to DTD before they had to leave. This would also be a shopping trip for them!

We took the bus to SSR. From there we would jump on the boat over to DTD. As we drove into SSR, DD spotted a playground. She has learned fast that if you want/like something, show it to Pop Pop and he will build/create it! And that is exactly what she did! “Pop Pop. Me like that. U make for me?”

Here is a pic I found on the internet of the playground.

And here is a drawing Pop Pop has created for a playhouse/playground that he is going to build for them.

Each of their rooms is slated to be 8’ x 8’. I’m seriously considering moving in!


Coming Up - DTD, Legos, and Dinos!

 

[Villainess]

Thanks for the lens advice! I'm going to rent that 24-70. It looks large was it difficult to carry the camera around so heavy like that?

It is large; You don't know how many people made those dumb "WOW look at that lens" jokes/comments. It is heavy but I got used to it quickly - when I would switch to the 50mm prime I kept checking bc I thought I lost a lens!

Oh, such great pictures. I can NEVER get good pictures for the lions and you got great close ups. I loved the EE pictures, you guys are so brave to film and shoot pictures while on that ride. Can't wait for more.

Thank you! This was the first time we saw the lions active like that. I was even more shocked that they were this active with it being in the mid afternoon.

 

[jessily]

Your photos are amazing! I especially like the popcorn stealing sequence Can't wait to read (and see!) more about your trip.

 

[MrsSpratt]

Love it love it love it!

 

[wendy1974]

Love the pic report and the pictures! Your children are too cute I don't know if someone has already asked this or not but what type of camera did you use?