Yellow_Stitch
"No need to expose your superstructure."
- Joined
- May 10, 2005
- Messages
- 561
Day Two 
We woke up for our 8:30 PS at the Rainforest Café at AKL and hit the bus stop. The restaurant wasnt quite ready to open so we browsed the gift shop. Lots of neat stuff, but nothing that shouted buy me! This was our first time and we thought it was great. This is one familys experience, so if youve had a bad time there Im sorry. The dining room we were in was more than half empty and service was fine. The food was excellent. We both had Tonga Toast with bacon and coffee. I had a smoothie and DW had a mimosa. DS5 had the kids breakfast and ate his usual sparrows breakfast. This would end up being the best breakfast we had on the trip. Other meals had good food and fun settings and characters, but none matched the food.
With full bellies we strolled onto The Animal Kingdom. Never having been, we thought it was impressive, but inviting. The paths are lush with foliage and they curve, always tempting you to find out whats around the corner. We had a hard time giving only cursory glances at the sights in order to get to Kilimanjaro Safari quickly. The standby was only 15 minutes and we got right on. This is a fantastic attraction! DS was in heaven and we all agreed this was the highlight of the trip. (Not just this ride: we rode 5 times in the week!) DS still talks about saving Little Red. We got some excellent pictures too. Turns out the attendance was very light, as you might expect for this time of year, and as per the Unofficial Guide. This was right before the Happiest Celebration started so I was thinking crowds might swell unexpectedly, but that really didnt happen until the actual opening day (May 5th.)
We enjoyed almost everything about AK. The landscaping and theming are perfect. It doesnt hit you over the head like MK does (which I love just for that fact.) Its more reminiscent of some of the country pavilions at Epcot, but more subtle . The village of Harambe in Africa is my personal favorite. Its understated and simple, not what you might expect from Disney. We spent less time in Asia, but it had a similar charm. The dinosaur area was nirvana for DS5 who lives and breathes dinosaurs. He was grinning ear to ear on the Triceratops Spin, but was too short for Primeval Whirl. Then we rode Dinosaur and everything changed.
Hes watched the movie countless times and was expecting something similar. Not Barney or The Land Before Time, but definitely not the Dinosaur equivalent of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Let me add that we liked the ride and wild rides in general, but DS was overwhelmed. This is so much more immersive than any nature show youve seen where crocs are ripping apart zebras or the like. Half of the ride is in utter darkness with your vehicle lurching along with deafening sound effects all around. Occasionally the lights reveal some gigantic beast about to rip your head off before you plunge back into the inky void. This tension builds until your time rover feels like its basically falling off a cliff before youre back in the unloading area. Grown men are weeping, oldsters are clutching their chests, fumbling for the Nitroglycerin in their pockets. Children are huddled in the fetal position as their wild-eyed parents try to comfort them and haul them out of the vehicle. DW was battered about the head and legs by the woman next to her during the ride. Said woman was shrieking and slapping and clutching the whole trip. I was trying to shelter my boy from the multi-media assault on his senses with limited success. Back in the light of the unloading area he was OK, but shaken. He said I made it!, with frantic energy, as if hed survived the sinking of the Titanic. In the exit corridor we asked if he wanted to ride again. His reply? No daddy! Its too dangerous!
We left AK before it closed in order to make our dinner PS at Boma at the AKL. We got there a bit early and explored the resort a bit. It was fabulous! The whole feel of the place was amazing. This visit has convinced us to book here for our next vacation. This whole trip was a success, but we also learned a lot about how wed like to do things next time. Back to this trip. Boma was great - food, setting and service, although our waitress was a bit too chummy for DWs liking. She parked right next to her like she was Aunt Cheryl and gabbed away about the place. Some may like that, but not DW! Heh! We enjoyed everything, even if the ingredients were most often a mystery. Still not sure what Pap and Sheeba was. It looked vaguely like mashed potatoes and DS loved it and ate it as such, but brother, those were not potatoes!
Back to our nest at the ASM to recuperate for the next days adventures.
Day 1
We woke up for our 8:30 PS at the Rainforest Café at AKL and hit the bus stop. The restaurant wasnt quite ready to open so we browsed the gift shop. Lots of neat stuff, but nothing that shouted buy me! This was our first time and we thought it was great. This is one familys experience, so if youve had a bad time there Im sorry. The dining room we were in was more than half empty and service was fine. The food was excellent. We both had Tonga Toast with bacon and coffee. I had a smoothie and DW had a mimosa. DS5 had the kids breakfast and ate his usual sparrows breakfast. This would end up being the best breakfast we had on the trip. Other meals had good food and fun settings and characters, but none matched the food.
With full bellies we strolled onto The Animal Kingdom. Never having been, we thought it was impressive, but inviting. The paths are lush with foliage and they curve, always tempting you to find out whats around the corner. We had a hard time giving only cursory glances at the sights in order to get to Kilimanjaro Safari quickly. The standby was only 15 minutes and we got right on. This is a fantastic attraction! DS was in heaven and we all agreed this was the highlight of the trip. (Not just this ride: we rode 5 times in the week!) DS still talks about saving Little Red. We got some excellent pictures too. Turns out the attendance was very light, as you might expect for this time of year, and as per the Unofficial Guide. This was right before the Happiest Celebration started so I was thinking crowds might swell unexpectedly, but that really didnt happen until the actual opening day (May 5th.)
We enjoyed almost everything about AK. The landscaping and theming are perfect. It doesnt hit you over the head like MK does (which I love just for that fact.) Its more reminiscent of some of the country pavilions at Epcot, but more subtle . The village of Harambe in Africa is my personal favorite. Its understated and simple, not what you might expect from Disney. We spent less time in Asia, but it had a similar charm. The dinosaur area was nirvana for DS5 who lives and breathes dinosaurs. He was grinning ear to ear on the Triceratops Spin, but was too short for Primeval Whirl. Then we rode Dinosaur and everything changed.
Hes watched the movie countless times and was expecting something similar. Not Barney or The Land Before Time, but definitely not the Dinosaur equivalent of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Let me add that we liked the ride and wild rides in general, but DS was overwhelmed. This is so much more immersive than any nature show youve seen where crocs are ripping apart zebras or the like. Half of the ride is in utter darkness with your vehicle lurching along with deafening sound effects all around. Occasionally the lights reveal some gigantic beast about to rip your head off before you plunge back into the inky void. This tension builds until your time rover feels like its basically falling off a cliff before youre back in the unloading area. Grown men are weeping, oldsters are clutching their chests, fumbling for the Nitroglycerin in their pockets. Children are huddled in the fetal position as their wild-eyed parents try to comfort them and haul them out of the vehicle. DW was battered about the head and legs by the woman next to her during the ride. Said woman was shrieking and slapping and clutching the whole trip. I was trying to shelter my boy from the multi-media assault on his senses with limited success. Back in the light of the unloading area he was OK, but shaken. He said I made it!, with frantic energy, as if hed survived the sinking of the Titanic. In the exit corridor we asked if he wanted to ride again. His reply? No daddy! Its too dangerous!
We left AK before it closed in order to make our dinner PS at Boma at the AKL. We got there a bit early and explored the resort a bit. It was fabulous! The whole feel of the place was amazing. This visit has convinced us to book here for our next vacation. This whole trip was a success, but we also learned a lot about how wed like to do things next time. Back to this trip. Boma was great - food, setting and service, although our waitress was a bit too chummy for DWs liking. She parked right next to her like she was Aunt Cheryl and gabbed away about the place. Some may like that, but not DW! Heh! We enjoyed everything, even if the ingredients were most often a mystery. Still not sure what Pap and Sheeba was. It looked vaguely like mashed potatoes and DS loved it and ate it as such, but brother, those were not potatoes!
Back to our nest at the ASM to recuperate for the next days adventures.
Day 1
