karenfm
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2000
- Messages
- 134
WDW Day 2 (AKL Concierge, Sunrise Safari & AK)
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Cast: Me, Karen (family vacation planner) 39
DH, Mike (family vacation enjoyer) 38
DS1, Chris, 11
DS2, Bryan, 9
DD, Katheryn, 7
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Telephone rings at 6:00am its Mickey, Up and at em . We climb out of bed, get dressed and head over the Concierge Lounge. Were going on the Sunrise Safari this morning. Weve been warned not to eat too much, since a big feast will be waiting for us when were through. We sit down and have some coffee and juice. At 7:15, Safari cast members introduce themselves to the group and hand out nametags. They take us down to the bus and were taken into the Animal Kingdom by a back road. (Note: Security did our bag checks prior to getting on the bus, since you dont enter the parks from the front gate). We get a behind the scenes look at the AK and how it operates, but were asked to not take any pictures or video. I wont spoil this for anyone, but I just cant believe how many safari vehicles there are had to easily be over 75! At the end we disembark, walk a short way, and were at the fast pass entrance to Kilamanjaro Safari. There are 2 vehicles waiting to take us out. We get on the first one and were off. Its really great to actually be able to take photos of the animals and boy did we see a lot without trying to keep the camera steady. We actually stopped when there were animals we wanted to see and the driver would ask us if we were ready to move on! We had a rhino come right alongside of the vehicle (could almost touch him, but had to keep hands inside the vehicle, and when we got to the lions, since we were the first car, the lion actually started roaring at us he wanted us off his territory! At the end of the ride, we were taken into Tusker House for breakfast in a private dining room. Its a great combination of the usual American breakfast fare with some African specialty dishes. Very tasty! We all roll out feeling happily full.
DD wanted to use some of her money to get her face painted she was magically transformed into a Cat! ($8). We then rode the Kilamanjaro Safari using the fast passes we had been given earlier from the Sunrise Safari. This time we helped to save Little Red! We took our time walking, shopping and looking at animals, and headed over to Dinoland, stopping to see Its Tough to be a Bug (much to DS2s objections he hates the stink bug and all the other physical effects!) We rode Primeval Whirl and Dinosaur with a 5-10 minute wait at each. DD hid her head in Dads lap all the way through - she doesnt even appear in the photograph at the end of Dinosaur! By now it was 2:30pm and we were in need of some rest (up early 2 days in a row), so we left the park and headed back to the AKL. We stretched out in the room for a while and then went for a swim. Since we had eaten so much for breakfast, we had appetizers at the lounge, and then brought back some fast food from Maras to eat in the room. I found Maras to be pretty reasonably priced, for Disney that is. I stayed in the room with the oldest and youngest, while Dad took DS2 out to look at the animals through night vision goggle. Bryan is going to be a scientist some day!
By 10:00pm, after a great day, were all in bed. Tomorrow well check in early at the Polynesian Concierge and then head over to Kennedy Space Center to watch the shuttle take off!
***************************************
Cast: Me, Karen (family vacation planner) 39
DH, Mike (family vacation enjoyer) 38
DS1, Chris, 11
DS2, Bryan, 9
DD, Katheryn, 7
***************************************
Telephone rings at 6:00am its Mickey, Up and at em . We climb out of bed, get dressed and head over the Concierge Lounge. Were going on the Sunrise Safari this morning. Weve been warned not to eat too much, since a big feast will be waiting for us when were through. We sit down and have some coffee and juice. At 7:15, Safari cast members introduce themselves to the group and hand out nametags. They take us down to the bus and were taken into the Animal Kingdom by a back road. (Note: Security did our bag checks prior to getting on the bus, since you dont enter the parks from the front gate). We get a behind the scenes look at the AK and how it operates, but were asked to not take any pictures or video. I wont spoil this for anyone, but I just cant believe how many safari vehicles there are had to easily be over 75! At the end we disembark, walk a short way, and were at the fast pass entrance to Kilamanjaro Safari. There are 2 vehicles waiting to take us out. We get on the first one and were off. Its really great to actually be able to take photos of the animals and boy did we see a lot without trying to keep the camera steady. We actually stopped when there were animals we wanted to see and the driver would ask us if we were ready to move on! We had a rhino come right alongside of the vehicle (could almost touch him, but had to keep hands inside the vehicle, and when we got to the lions, since we were the first car, the lion actually started roaring at us he wanted us off his territory! At the end of the ride, we were taken into Tusker House for breakfast in a private dining room. Its a great combination of the usual American breakfast fare with some African specialty dishes. Very tasty! We all roll out feeling happily full.
DD wanted to use some of her money to get her face painted she was magically transformed into a Cat! ($8). We then rode the Kilamanjaro Safari using the fast passes we had been given earlier from the Sunrise Safari. This time we helped to save Little Red! We took our time walking, shopping and looking at animals, and headed over to Dinoland, stopping to see Its Tough to be a Bug (much to DS2s objections he hates the stink bug and all the other physical effects!) We rode Primeval Whirl and Dinosaur with a 5-10 minute wait at each. DD hid her head in Dads lap all the way through - she doesnt even appear in the photograph at the end of Dinosaur! By now it was 2:30pm and we were in need of some rest (up early 2 days in a row), so we left the park and headed back to the AKL. We stretched out in the room for a while and then went for a swim. Since we had eaten so much for breakfast, we had appetizers at the lounge, and then brought back some fast food from Maras to eat in the room. I found Maras to be pretty reasonably priced, for Disney that is. I stayed in the room with the oldest and youngest, while Dad took DS2 out to look at the animals through night vision goggle. Bryan is going to be a scientist some day!
By 10:00pm, after a great day, were all in bed. Tomorrow well check in early at the Polynesian Concierge and then head over to Kennedy Space Center to watch the shuttle take off!
