GarrettJD
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2003
- Messages
- 1,598
Cast of characters
Garrett, age 27- Your humble Narrator. Dedicated Disney nut who obsessively plans every single detail of his vacation, driving seemingly everyone else in the free world completely nuts with his constant talk about WDW. Is known for being the person you'd better not mention WDW too, as he'll never shut up... and heaven forbid if you say you're GOING to WDW... he'll try to plan your trip for you, too! He is in management at a major mall-based book chain and has singlehandedly sold enough copies of the Unofficial Guide and the Passporter to lay waste to a small forest. Has been to Disney only twice before (1984 and 2003), but is planning on making an annual trip if finances allow (fingers crossed...)
Nikkie, age 29- Music teacher extraordinaire who really needs the annual break from her students (what a great idea... going from a classroom full of screaming kids to a theme park full of screaming kids). Also a devoted Disney fan, especially of Winnie the Pooh. Not quite the rabid WDW aficionado I am, but she's getting there! Made her first trip last year with me after years of planning, and I think she was more sad to leave than I was... so we immediately planned the next trip!
Day 5- Saturday, June 5
Plan: Typhoon Lagoon til mid-afternoon, then dinner at Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Actual:
Finally, a late morning for us. However, remember-- we are still at WDW. Late at WDW means waking up at 8:00, instead of 6 or 7. Believe me, we needed the extra hour of sleep thanks to the long, exhausting (but fun-packed) day we had yesterday.
We arose at 8:00 and began to get eveything together for our first ever trip to a Disney water park. We chose Typhoon Lagoon because we were more interested in spending some time just relaxing-- the water slides at Blizzard Beach really didn't hold much of an appeal for us. Neither of us are swimmers, so we planned to use this day to just take it easy.
After a quick in-room breakfast and a trip to the food court to fill our mugs, we were packed and out the door at about 9:00. The first bus to Typhoon Lagoon came at about 9:15 and we got to the gate about 9:25 (a pretty short trip from Pop Century.) It was pretty hot today, but fortunately we were some of the first people in line. I managed to snag a park map beforehand, and we were able to plot out a good place to sit. At 9:45 they let us through the gates and up to the rope. We were able to skip the towel and locker rentals, so at 10:00 when they dropped the rope, we were able to easily find a nice spot in the shade and close to the wave pool. Once we got inside the park there was a nice breeze blowing, and it was pretty pleasant..
Nikkie wanted to settle in with a book, so I left her there and made my way to Castaway Creek. I grabbed a tube and settled in for a half trip around. I got out and rode one of the tube slides-- it wasn't really too exciting. I got back in Castaway Creek and floated back around to where I got in. I went back to our spot and Nikkie joined me for another full lap around the creek. It was now about 11:00 and we decided it was time for lunch.
We walked over to the Leaning Palms to get burgers and fries. On the way back to our spot we saw Chip and Dale walking around in their Bermuda shorts. Sort of made me wish we had a waterproof camera. We settled back into our spot and ate, relaxing and enjoying the breeze and relatively cool weather. The park didn't seem too crowded today-- this was a really good choice.
After we ate I went to the Storm Slides and rode all three. These were pretty fun, and there wasn't much of a wait. After riding them a couple of times each I was worn out from climbing stairs, so I stopped and watched some people come down the Humonga Kowabunga. Definetly not for me.
I went back to our spot and sat back down, but just then the big waves at the surf pool were starting up, and I just HAD to be a part of it. With Nikkie watching warily, I made my way about halfway out (about 5 foot depth) and proceeded to get tossed around like a rubber duck in a bathtub. I thought I would be prepared for the waves. I was wrong. After a few waves, I finally started to get the hang of it. There really is nothing like seeing that huge wave coming towards you and hearing everyone's screams when you hear that huge WHOOMP sound and a huge wall of water is coming right towards you.
While I was haing fun trying to bodysurf, storm clouds started gathering overhead. About 12:45 is started getting pretty overcast, so we decided to call it a day. Overall, we both really enjoyed our day at Typhoon Lagoon. I could have easily spent a couple more hours there (and we prabably would have stayed til 2 or 3 if it hadn't rained.) I really liked Castaway Creek and the surf pool. Nikkie simply enjoyed relaxing and resting in the shade. We'll surely be back here again.
We left the park about 1:00, and sure enough, it immediately began raining. Fortunately, we left early enough that we didn't have to compete for space on the bus. We got back to Pop Century about 1:30 and settled in for a nice long nap.
A few hours later, feeling pretty refreshed, we left Pop Century at 5:30 for our 7:00 PS at Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We figured the quickest method would be to catch a bus to Disney-MGM, then transfer to AKL. It worked really well, mainly because Pop Century is so close to Disney-MGM (usually only about 5 minutes.) On our way to AKL, we stopped at Blizzard Beach to pick up some people. Maybe we'll try Blizzard Beach someday, but the theme doesn't really appeal to me-- I prefer the tropical atmosphere of Typhoon Lagoon.
We arrived at AKL at about 6:15. I was really glad to be back at this resort, since our short visit here last year was one of the highlights of our trip. We immediately made our way through the lobby and out to the savannah area, where we watched the animals for a bit. We then browsed the gift shop and looked at all the neat little trinkets before going to Boma about 6:45 to check in for our PS. We were seated after only 5 minutes.
I love eating at Boma. The food is great, especially the soups. I love trying all the different things on the buffet-- things you probably wouldn't normally see on a traditional buffet. However, the food is not too exotic. We tried a little of everything and were not disappointed. The hit for me-- the sausage gumbo soup and the coconut chicken soup. Both were great. Of couse, you can't leave Boma without partaking of the dessert bar. Mmmmm....zebra domes, pineapple cheesecake... I could go on and on and on. However, for some reason the service tonight was disappointing. Our server wasn't too friendly, and we hardly ever saw her-- it took forever for our drinks to get refilled. Our service last year was great, so we'll chalk this one up to bad luck. It didn't really bother us too much as the food is so good. We'll definetly be back-- I think our trip just wouldn't be complete without a visit.
We left Boma at about 8:00 and caught a bus to Downtown Disney. Feeling pretty good after our meal, I suggested to Nikkie that we take in a showing of the new Harry Potter movie that had just opened yesterday. She agreed, so we got off at the Pleasure Island stop about 8:40 and walked to the AMC Theater to check showtimes. There was a 9:15 showing, so we picked up a couple of tickets and went on in. This theater is pretty nice, but I really prefer the Malco Theaters that we have here locally in Memphis. I'll spare you a detailed review of the movie, but suffice it to say that we both really enjoyed it. I'm a big Harry Potter fan, and as I work in a bookstore, I've been on the front lines of Potter-mania for the last few years. The movie was actually quite good, and while maybe not literal to the book, it was faithful to it in spirit. Seeing a movie at Downtown Disney is becoming a tradition of sorts, as we saw Finding Nemo here on opening weekend last year. Maybe we'll continue the tradition.
The movie was pretty long, and we got out about 11:45. I remembered that they had begun operating Pleasure Island ungated, so we went over there to see the New Year's Eve Countdown and fireworks. Boy, is this place loud. We counted down with everyone else and enjoyed the brief fireworks show. It was a nice little treat to end the day. Pleasure Island looks like it could be a fun place, but I don't think it's really for us-- we are not and never have been club hounds. However, I'd like to come back here to try the Comedy Warehouse and the Adventurer's Club.
We made our way out of Pleasure Island and back to the bus stop, where we caught a bus back to Pop Century at 12:30. It was a later night than we had originally planned, but it wasn't too bad since we relaxed at Typhoon Lagoon, took a nap, had a nice dinner, and then watched a movie. It was a great day overall. I worked on the trip report for a few minutes before we decided to turn in for the night.
Best Moments: Typhoon Lagoon wave pool, great food at Boma, seeing Harry Potter at the AMC Theater
Worst Moments: Disappointing service at Boma (but we will be back)
Garrett, age 27- Your humble Narrator. Dedicated Disney nut who obsessively plans every single detail of his vacation, driving seemingly everyone else in the free world completely nuts with his constant talk about WDW. Is known for being the person you'd better not mention WDW too, as he'll never shut up... and heaven forbid if you say you're GOING to WDW... he'll try to plan your trip for you, too! He is in management at a major mall-based book chain and has singlehandedly sold enough copies of the Unofficial Guide and the Passporter to lay waste to a small forest. Has been to Disney only twice before (1984 and 2003), but is planning on making an annual trip if finances allow (fingers crossed...)
Nikkie, age 29- Music teacher extraordinaire who really needs the annual break from her students (what a great idea... going from a classroom full of screaming kids to a theme park full of screaming kids). Also a devoted Disney fan, especially of Winnie the Pooh. Not quite the rabid WDW aficionado I am, but she's getting there! Made her first trip last year with me after years of planning, and I think she was more sad to leave than I was... so we immediately planned the next trip!
Day 5- Saturday, June 5
Plan: Typhoon Lagoon til mid-afternoon, then dinner at Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Actual:
Finally, a late morning for us. However, remember-- we are still at WDW. Late at WDW means waking up at 8:00, instead of 6 or 7. Believe me, we needed the extra hour of sleep thanks to the long, exhausting (but fun-packed) day we had yesterday.
We arose at 8:00 and began to get eveything together for our first ever trip to a Disney water park. We chose Typhoon Lagoon because we were more interested in spending some time just relaxing-- the water slides at Blizzard Beach really didn't hold much of an appeal for us. Neither of us are swimmers, so we planned to use this day to just take it easy.
After a quick in-room breakfast and a trip to the food court to fill our mugs, we were packed and out the door at about 9:00. The first bus to Typhoon Lagoon came at about 9:15 and we got to the gate about 9:25 (a pretty short trip from Pop Century.) It was pretty hot today, but fortunately we were some of the first people in line. I managed to snag a park map beforehand, and we were able to plot out a good place to sit. At 9:45 they let us through the gates and up to the rope. We were able to skip the towel and locker rentals, so at 10:00 when they dropped the rope, we were able to easily find a nice spot in the shade and close to the wave pool. Once we got inside the park there was a nice breeze blowing, and it was pretty pleasant..
Nikkie wanted to settle in with a book, so I left her there and made my way to Castaway Creek. I grabbed a tube and settled in for a half trip around. I got out and rode one of the tube slides-- it wasn't really too exciting. I got back in Castaway Creek and floated back around to where I got in. I went back to our spot and Nikkie joined me for another full lap around the creek. It was now about 11:00 and we decided it was time for lunch.
We walked over to the Leaning Palms to get burgers and fries. On the way back to our spot we saw Chip and Dale walking around in their Bermuda shorts. Sort of made me wish we had a waterproof camera. We settled back into our spot and ate, relaxing and enjoying the breeze and relatively cool weather. The park didn't seem too crowded today-- this was a really good choice.
After we ate I went to the Storm Slides and rode all three. These were pretty fun, and there wasn't much of a wait. After riding them a couple of times each I was worn out from climbing stairs, so I stopped and watched some people come down the Humonga Kowabunga. Definetly not for me.
I went back to our spot and sat back down, but just then the big waves at the surf pool were starting up, and I just HAD to be a part of it. With Nikkie watching warily, I made my way about halfway out (about 5 foot depth) and proceeded to get tossed around like a rubber duck in a bathtub. I thought I would be prepared for the waves. I was wrong. After a few waves, I finally started to get the hang of it. There really is nothing like seeing that huge wave coming towards you and hearing everyone's screams when you hear that huge WHOOMP sound and a huge wall of water is coming right towards you.
While I was haing fun trying to bodysurf, storm clouds started gathering overhead. About 12:45 is started getting pretty overcast, so we decided to call it a day. Overall, we both really enjoyed our day at Typhoon Lagoon. I could have easily spent a couple more hours there (and we prabably would have stayed til 2 or 3 if it hadn't rained.) I really liked Castaway Creek and the surf pool. Nikkie simply enjoyed relaxing and resting in the shade. We'll surely be back here again.
We left the park about 1:00, and sure enough, it immediately began raining. Fortunately, we left early enough that we didn't have to compete for space on the bus. We got back to Pop Century about 1:30 and settled in for a nice long nap.
A few hours later, feeling pretty refreshed, we left Pop Century at 5:30 for our 7:00 PS at Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We figured the quickest method would be to catch a bus to Disney-MGM, then transfer to AKL. It worked really well, mainly because Pop Century is so close to Disney-MGM (usually only about 5 minutes.) On our way to AKL, we stopped at Blizzard Beach to pick up some people. Maybe we'll try Blizzard Beach someday, but the theme doesn't really appeal to me-- I prefer the tropical atmosphere of Typhoon Lagoon.
We arrived at AKL at about 6:15. I was really glad to be back at this resort, since our short visit here last year was one of the highlights of our trip. We immediately made our way through the lobby and out to the savannah area, where we watched the animals for a bit. We then browsed the gift shop and looked at all the neat little trinkets before going to Boma about 6:45 to check in for our PS. We were seated after only 5 minutes.
I love eating at Boma. The food is great, especially the soups. I love trying all the different things on the buffet-- things you probably wouldn't normally see on a traditional buffet. However, the food is not too exotic. We tried a little of everything and were not disappointed. The hit for me-- the sausage gumbo soup and the coconut chicken soup. Both were great. Of couse, you can't leave Boma without partaking of the dessert bar. Mmmmm....zebra domes, pineapple cheesecake... I could go on and on and on. However, for some reason the service tonight was disappointing. Our server wasn't too friendly, and we hardly ever saw her-- it took forever for our drinks to get refilled. Our service last year was great, so we'll chalk this one up to bad luck. It didn't really bother us too much as the food is so good. We'll definetly be back-- I think our trip just wouldn't be complete without a visit.
We left Boma at about 8:00 and caught a bus to Downtown Disney. Feeling pretty good after our meal, I suggested to Nikkie that we take in a showing of the new Harry Potter movie that had just opened yesterday. She agreed, so we got off at the Pleasure Island stop about 8:40 and walked to the AMC Theater to check showtimes. There was a 9:15 showing, so we picked up a couple of tickets and went on in. This theater is pretty nice, but I really prefer the Malco Theaters that we have here locally in Memphis. I'll spare you a detailed review of the movie, but suffice it to say that we both really enjoyed it. I'm a big Harry Potter fan, and as I work in a bookstore, I've been on the front lines of Potter-mania for the last few years. The movie was actually quite good, and while maybe not literal to the book, it was faithful to it in spirit. Seeing a movie at Downtown Disney is becoming a tradition of sorts, as we saw Finding Nemo here on opening weekend last year. Maybe we'll continue the tradition.
The movie was pretty long, and we got out about 11:45. I remembered that they had begun operating Pleasure Island ungated, so we went over there to see the New Year's Eve Countdown and fireworks. Boy, is this place loud. We counted down with everyone else and enjoyed the brief fireworks show. It was a nice little treat to end the day. Pleasure Island looks like it could be a fun place, but I don't think it's really for us-- we are not and never have been club hounds. However, I'd like to come back here to try the Comedy Warehouse and the Adventurer's Club.
We made our way out of Pleasure Island and back to the bus stop, where we caught a bus back to Pop Century at 12:30. It was a later night than we had originally planned, but it wasn't too bad since we relaxed at Typhoon Lagoon, took a nap, had a nice dinner, and then watched a movie. It was a great day overall. I worked on the trip report for a few minutes before we decided to turn in for the night.
Best Moments: Typhoon Lagoon wave pool, great food at Boma, seeing Harry Potter at the AMC Theater
Worst Moments: Disappointing service at Boma (but we will be back)
