Turning 50 and Fabulous... celebrations all around. (Trip 09/02/22-09/12/22)

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Day 3 - Lions & Tigers & Bears OH MY!

We were up and at it very early as Animal Kingdom has very early hours. We were in the park at 7:20 am.... we did our daily rope drop speed walk... this time to Flight of Passage. Who needs a gym membership?
The sign said it was a 40 minute wait, but we only waited 25 minutes. Don't ever believe the listed times, especially first thing in the morning.
The park still wasn't open to the public yet.
Radu decided that this ride was too much for his motion sickness, but he was able to wait in line with me all the way up to when you board the banshees. It was nice to have to not wait alone.
I LOVE this ride. I'm sure that I'm grinning from ear to ear as I fly through the air. I'm glad no one is looking at my goofy grin, as I'm sure everyone is facing forward.
We decide to ride the Navi River Ride as it is right there. The time said 25 minutes but we only waited 10. Some of the effects are not working anymore. I hope that they fix these things and not let it fall into disrepair.
The park is now fully open so we decide to walk over to the Safari. This is Radu's favourite thing to do in all of WDW. I feel like if I let him, he would just ride this over and over.



The animals were out in full force, including this cutie pie who allowed me to take a picture of her up close and personal. Speaking of up close and personal, if you ever get a chance to do the Savor The Savannah Tour... I highly recommend it. We did it January 2020 and thought it was such a great experience and worth every penny.



When you get off the Safari, the entrance to the Gorillas Falls trail is right there and we always take a stroll.
So many favourites can be found on this trail (meerkats, monkeys, hippos etc.), but the stars of the show are these big guys.




These were some of the boys in the bachelor group. It was funny to watch the antics surrounding the food in their environment. After quite a bit of time just watching and chatting with the cast members we head to the Festival of the Lion King show.

It was great to see the show almost back to pre pandemic production level. All the acts are there and performing. The only thing missing now is the audience participation aspect of the show. While I actually don't mind not having to snort like a warthog, I do miss the kids and sometimes elderly people dancing around shaking their instruments. I used to cry every time at this part. Seeing people so happy and proud always makes me emotional, as well I remember fondly when my two kids were in the show during their first WDW visit.
I LOVE this show. I think I have seen it at least 30 times and it never gets old. As a dance teacher, my heart is always so happy seeing the joy on the faces of these dancers as they perform.




Feeling a bit hungry, we mobile ordered food at Satuli Canteen. This is our favourite quick service restaurant on property. The food is delicious. I love getting tofu and not meat alternatives. I also like that there is plenty of seating and "real" plates and cutlery. Radu got the noodles with shrimp and green onion dressing. I got the tofu with rice and beans and green onion dressing. I love that we can eat here again with different base and sauce options and it's a different meal.



After a tasty lunch, we head over to It's Tough To Be A Bug, as you can see in our traditional bug eye picture.



This is such a great 3D show, but it always ends in screams from some unsuspecting children who are afraid of bugs or darkness. I feel like they need more of a disclaimer on this attraction. I always feel sorry for those kids.

We come out of the tree and decide to see the Bird Show (can't remember the name... it's changed so many times). I'm so glad that they took the UP characters out of the show and returned it closer to it's original format. The trainers and birds are incredible. We always try to sit in the flight path... between center stage and the perches at the back corners of the audience.



Frasier Crane taking flight.



Seeing the Bald Eagle in the show is amazing. What a majestic bird.



Honestly, this show is very entertaining and funny. Highly recommend you find time in your day to see it. If you are afraid of birds I would sit at the very back of the seating area.

Things We Learned:
1. Giraffes have the same amount of vertebrae that we have and prehensile, purple tongues.
2. Don't ever run into a pack of Painted Dogs.
3. If you don't want to ride Flight of Passage, you can still wait and experience the queue and pre show.

Day 3 - To Be Continued...

 

[Foxen]

Following on! We were at AKL shortly after you. Looking forward to hearing how the rest of your vegetarian dining goes!

 

[igrsod]

Following on! We were at AKL shortly after you. Looking forward to hearing how the rest of your vegetarian dining goes!

Welcome... so happy to have you following along. How was your trip?

 

[igrsod]

Day 3 - Continued

After the bird show, we decided to head back to Africa and catch the Drummers and the Acrobat shows back to back.



I have learned from previous trips, that unless you want a full body, aerobic workout, you don't watch the shows from close up. They don't take no for an answer, and the music is so enticing that you can't help but move. We were feeling tired from it being our third day and not really having our Disney Legs yet, so we opted to sit in the shade by the bar area near the show. These guys put on such great performances and are worth your time to watch. I love that things like these shows are slowly coming back.... these are the things that make Walt Disney World so special.

After watching the entertainment, we decide it's so hot and we are exhausted, that a rest back at the hotel is necessary. On the way out we spot Kevin on the bridge from a distance. I wave, but I don't think she saw me. I figure I will catch a visit with her later in the trip (spoiler alert.... I didn't). I really enjoy seeing Kevin wandering the park and interacting with guests.



When we arrive back in the room... this was on the t.v.



How special is that... it wasn't quite my actual day yet, but the thought was there by the cast members at the front desk. It really meant so much and brought a smile to my face.

So after a rest, we head back to Animal Kingdom, we waited less than 5 minutes for a bus. So far our luck with the buses has been incredible, better than any trip we've taken.
As we enter the park, we decide it's a good idea to take a picture in front of the gorgeous tree of life. These are the times I wish we had photopass. Because it wasn't included in the annual pass this year, we decided it wasn't worth the added cost. For the most part this is true for us, but a picture together at the park icons would be nice.



So once in the park, we head straight back to Africa to do the Safari again.... how can I argue with this face? The joy he gets riding in this truck, seeing the animals is worth every penny.



The late afternoon Safari was even better than the early morning one. The animals were out and very active, as they seemed to be being fed at this time.
After the Safari, it was time to head to Tiffins for our dinner. This restaurant was one of Radu's very favs, and he was so excited to be back. I like it, but I like others better.

Just a note, they used to bring out bread to start the meal, and no longer do. I have to admit, I was a little put off by this. When you go to a Signature restaurant, I just think it should be a step above. It seems like just one more cost cut, and that really makes me sad.
For my meal, I ordered the North African-spiced Tofu, with Seasonal Vegetables, Wilted Kale, and Tomato Chutney.
It was delicious and the presentation was gorgeous.



Radu got the Whole Sustainable Fish (I believe it was Sea Bass). He said it was good but not great.... interesting from the guy who loves Tiffins. I found it hard to watch him eat his meal, when his meal was watching him. Eventually he ate it all, head, eyeballs...everything. The waiter was impressed how clean the bones were when he was done. It's a skill he has for sure.



At the end of the meal, the waiter brought out this very beautiful birthday dessert, not expected but very kind. We shared it and enjoyed every bite.



After the meal was over and we made our way out of the park, Radu informed me that he thought Tiffins was not up to it's usually high standards.
I would have to agree. The food was good, but not as outstanding as previous trips. Our waiter was ok, but not as attentive as the service we have had in the past. The little nice touches that made us fall in love with Tiffins have gone by the wayside. So sadly, I don't think this will be on our must do meals for our next trips.
Side note: we have 3 lists... Must do restaurants, Want to try/Could do if needed restaurants, and Never again restaurants. Tiffins is not on the never again list, just demoted to the Could do if needed restaurants.

We made our way back to the resort and happily rested our weary bodies after a long day of excitement.

Daily Thoughts:
Radu: Tiffins is not my favourite restaurant anymore.
Myself: We hardly went on any rides today, but the price of admission was worth it for all the shows we got to see.

 

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Day 4 - I Would Walk 500 Miles and I Would Walk 500 More

As Disney vacations now go, we were up and at it extremely early again so as to rope drop and get a boarding group for Guardians. I'm a morning person thankfully, but I feel for those who are not. I miss the days when I could plan our vacation before we arrived and have some sleep in days with Fast passes planned for the afternoon.... I digress.
We ended up getting boarding group 80 with an estimation of 660 minutes til our group will be called according to the app. Radu decided to pass this time, so I will ride on my own... I will probably like it better, as I was worried about Radu the whole time we rode it the first time.

After a quick breakfast in the room, we were off to Epcot and were in the park by 8:20.
Had to stop for a picture in front of this beauty. Not sure why Radu is making a duck face. Must have seen a teenage girl do it and thought it was a cool thing to do.



When you arrive early, you have a few good choices, Soarin, Frozen or Test Track or Remy. We opted for my favourite... Soarin'. I don't think I will ever get tired of this ride. It makes me so happy every time. We got to sit in the middle section again, so life is good. We met some fun people while waiting for our flight. I love how friendly people are at Disney. I also love when we get to ride with someone who's never been on the ride before. Their reactions are priceless. Look at how excited these faces are.



I also always take a feet flying picture each time. It's a weird tradition I have.



We had so much fun just walking on Soarin' and it was still a walk on, so we decided to ride it again. No regrets.
After the second ride, we decide to hop on over to Living With The Land. I also really love this ride, although it probably needs some updating. The green houses are my favourite part. We did the behind the seeds tour years ago, as the kids and I just love the different plants in the green houses, and wanted to spend more time in there. We enjoyed it and the kids still talk about it to this day.



While we were in the fish area, we saw Radu's dinner from last night, well at least his dinner's relatives. It explains why sea bass has been the fish of the day at each restaurant we've been to so far.

We decided to knock out Test Track next. The wait said 50 minutes and while most times have been inflated, the line was out the door. So we decide to just do single rider. We walked straight on. The best thing was that I got to ride with a young couple from Ottawa. It was fun to meet some fellow Canadians. I don't mind doing single rider at all, especially if it gets us on and off quicker. The only downfall with this ride, is that single riders don't get to design a car, but I've done it many times before, and some of the test screens didn't work anyways. Half the fun is seeing how your car performs.

When we got off Test Track we found what we were going to have for lunch... Coastal Eats for Radu and Mac & Cheese booth for me. They were side by side along with the French Fry Booth near Test Track. The booths were not open yet, but we will be back.

Radu wanted to catch the Jamitors and there was a little bit of time to kill before their show, so we headed to the new Club Cool.



This is such a fun hidden gem at Disney. One last free thing left. We tried them all, except the Beverly. I've been there and done that, and don't need to try it again. I've only seen one person on all of our trips that has liked it... I wonder about that person... hmmmmm. Anyways, my favourite was the Korean (apple lychee), second was the Russian cucumber Sprite. The only one I didn't like was the Chinese sour plum. It's so fun to try all the different flavours from around the world. I only wish that we could buy them too. I would have paid for the Korean Joy.

When we had our fill of pop, we head out of the store and the Jamitors were just setting up. Such a fun and entertaining little set. So much talent. I think I've said it before, but I will say it again.... these are the things that give Disney character and are what make a day at Disney so magical.



After the show, we head to Spaceship Earth. Every trip, we think it will be the last time we get to ride Spaceship Earth in its current form. That has been for at least 5 trips... I wonder when they are going to refurb this ride. I think originally it was supposed to be done for Epcot's 40th... that isn't going to happen. It's ok. I like it just the way it is. At the end of the ride when you answer all the questions, we try different strategies each time. This time we answered the opposite to what we would usually. That way we would see something different than previous trips. When the little video starts.... low and behold Radu's character has no head. Not sure what happened... I saw him look and smile when the photo was taken. I think I may have married a vampire... He is originally from Romania and Dracula's brother is named Radu.... things that make you go hmmmm.

We now decide to go to the Seas pavilion. We rode Nemo with no wait, but a long walk through the queue. Then we watched the Turtle Talk With Crush show. Always get a giggle from the audience participation. I love how the kids are so mesmerized talking to Crush. Such precious memories.



After the show, we spent a good half an hour hanging out with the sea life. We spoke with the Cast members there and learned so many cool facts about the animals. I have had the opportunity to Dive in the tank twice and can't wait to hopefully do it again. If you have your PADI card, you can dive in the tank and it's totally worth it dude (she says in a turtle accent).



While we were under the sea, our boarding group was called... it was only 12:30.. way earlier than we thought it would be. So off I went to ride. And it was much more fun by myself... no worrying if Radu was going to get sick. This time I got "I Ran" by Flock Of Seagulls. It was better than Conga.

Things We Learned:
1. The loggerhead turtle at The Seas is at least 100 years old.
2. Cucumber Sprite is very refreshing
3. We accomplished so much before lunch just by rope dropping. Take that Genie+/-
4. I may need to sleep with one eye open.

Day 4 - Continued...