We Ditched The Kids! - UPDATE (7/22 - NYC trip)

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Mark! You are doing way better at updates than I am, and I don't have a fancy new promotion as an excuse. Hope things at going well in the new job.

Love your fireworks pics from MK. Too bad the lines were so long.
Not sure what happened to your bus VIP pass, I think Ponz has it. Not real bad though.

With the new FP it does feel like if you want to spend the day , you have a choice of leave or hang out in the shops on busy days. But then you paid too much for your ticket to leave, so you need to make it count by hanging out and spending more money.

Nice Pride Rock pic! That is a hard one to get sometimes. Glad you got to ride Dinosaur.

I am enjoying your TR... looking forward to more. i have a little updste, too.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

As we pulled into the park entrance, we could see the latest progress of Avatar land. Behold the magical floating mountains of Pandora!

Wow they have gotten a lot done. i'll be interested to se the finished project...hopefully they will get it done as quick as possible!

I’m interested to see what they do with Avatar. I was not a huge fan of the movie.

I am too. At first I didn't care for the idea at all but over time while reading more what they were planning on doing, it grew on me. I didn't even see the movie, lol I'm usually not into that type of genre.

It’s basically Pocahontas or Dances With Wolves featuring 8-ft. tall blue people.

This, is fantastic.

We met a mass of humanity walking in the opposite direction. This was everyone who had arrived for Rope Drop. It didn’t take long to hear the words “Everest is down--they don’t know how long.”

That seems to happen so much in the morning...very frustrating.

I really like the new version that skips the cheesy Save Big Red From The Poachers story that nobody paid attention to anyway. Now you can just focus on the animals. And we got to see plenty.

I agree!

Great shot of the giraffes. They are my favorite!

These elephants were NOT happy about the intruder. First one, and then another, and then a third began trotting over towards the antelope. A couple of them started braying in alarm. They herded the antelope over towards one side of the pen.

This is so cool, kinds of scary, but very cool!

He ran for the pool in the front of the elephant pen. More elephants sounded alarms. Soon, jeeps and 4x4’s started appearing on side dirt roads out of nowhere, similar to how Disney security reacts if you attempt to re-use last year's refillable mug at the resort.

Moving on, we neared Pride Rock at the end of the safari. When what to our wondering eyes should appear, but...

Wow! How lucky you and your wife were to see some lions! Great shot.

So, let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up: Single-rider is awesome. And, Expedition Everest is awesome. Man, I love that ride. I think it’s my favorite in Disney World. If only they’d fix Disco Yeti. I also finally got my obligatory broken track photo.

Yay for Single Rider! Glad you were able to get through quick and enjoy the ride.
I think I read a rumor recently that they were in the process of fixing the Yeti. I really hope that is true. It has been WAY too long since he has been up there...

Meanwhile, Julie enjoyed the trail. We should have bought lottery tickets that day, since the tiger was awake as well.

Like I said, you two were very lucky! Gorgeous animal.

Across the way, we could see the work being done on the viewing area for the new Rivers Of Light nighttime show.

LOL, who knows when that will be done! I can't believe all the issues they are having with it! I am excited for when it actually opens though.

That brought our AK visit to a close. We left the park, making sure to stop for a brief visit at the Christmas tree by the front gate.

Such a nice tree.Very unique with all the animals as the ornaments.

One new feature (or at least, new to me) we discovered on this visit was that they had started running buses directly between the parks. We got in line for a bus heading directly for Hollywood Studios. I had figured it would take at least an hour to hop between parks, but this bus shortened that to about 20 minutes. That was fantastic, and made park-hopping so much easier for us. Next thing we knew, we were at the front gates of...

That's great! Very convenient!

Great update! Looking forward to reading more!

 

[pkondz]

Holy crap! It's bigger that your face!! (Somewhere in there is a meathead joke)

 

[GoofyFan1515]

Oh, don't ENCOURAGE her.......

 

[justafigment27]

Sounds like a great morning at AK! What a nice safari you wound up with ... rogue antelope, lounging lions. Awesome!

Flame Tree Barbeque was closed the last time we were there ... gave us a chance to check out Restaurantosaurus (which was actually kind of neat inside), but I really missed the food and the peaceful outdoor dining area at Flame Tree.

 

[kid-at-heart]

LIFE UPDATE:

Sorry I have been scarce on the boards this week. It's been an incredibly busy week and I haven't had much time to work on an update here or catch up on your TR's. So I apologize for being so far behind! I'll do my best to catch up if/when things slow down.

The big reason for my absence is: I finally got a promotion! Those of you who have been talking with me through the years know how long I've been trying to get over that particular hump. So this is a very exciting time and the first raise I've gotten in 8 years. We may or may not have visited my favorite steak house when we got the news. The only downside is that it means the end of my long-running gag of comparing the interview process to Morgan Freeman's visits to the parole board in The Shawshank Redemption.

I'll start the new job (not only is it a raise, but the work location is 10 minutes from my house) at the beginning of May. In the meantime, I need to try and get things wrapped up in a good place in my current position. It's very possible that my DIS time could drastically decrease with the new position, so I don't know what that will mean for the future of TR's. But hopefully it will all work out.

In the meantime, I promise I'll try and catch up here and on your TR's as soon as I can!

How exciting! Very, very happy for your family. My husband has been hitting his head against the promotion ceiling for years. He works for the State in community health and the only way he can get a promotion is to switch departments. It is very frustrating because he likes what he does.

 

[Poolrat]

Is it wrong that I was cynically thinking they didn't charge you extra for a special "limited time magic" safari animal rumble in the jungle?

They kept them on the jeep for an extended amount of time, just so they would forget the encounter and just be mad they were on the jeep waiting to get off. I am sure the thought of " how can we charge them extra. " came to mind. Either that or a mind wipe to get all of you to forget. Glad Mark didn't succumb to teh attempted mind wipe.

I loved that feature. It needs to either be at every bus stop or they should just put that info on the app.

Now on the App would be awesome!!!!!!

 

[pkondz]

Oh, don't ENCOURAGE her.......

Like she needs it!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Once again, I apologize for my lack of activity here. I've been transitioning to the new job so I'm kind of doing two things at once. Combine that with lots of evening activities for the kids and I haven't been able to be here much. I'll do my best to catch up!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Monsters Inc. Too easy!

+1 Sometimes you get a softball.

I'm really nervous about this. I wasn't a huge fan of the movie either. This could go horribly wrong.

I do have faith in Joe Rohde and the Imagineers, though.

Hey, by being slightly late, you may have actually beaten a lot of the rope-droppers to the safari ride.

It sure felt like we did.

This sounded like a great thing to watch play out. Very cool.

It was really fascinating! And it was interesting to get a peek behind the scenes at how closely monitored the park really is.

Nice! Great picture.

Thanks!

We love the single rider line. We only go together when we have Fastpass, all of the other times are SR.

I feel like single-rider is going to be a tougher sell with my kids. I think they like having company, and I get that. But in the FP+ world, it's probably the only way to get multiple rides on the headliners.

Well yeah, who would want to separate from you?!

But then how do you explain that she went all the way over to Maharajah Trek without you. You shoulda just skipped that part!

I don't think it's any secret that everyone does just fine without me.

But I love the food at that new Marketplace. The view is better here though, I agree.

But...but...it's BBQ!

I think that's going to be great!

If they ever open it!

That's awesome! One of those, we-should-have-done-that-years-ago kind of things.

Agreed. That made park-hopping a much more attractive option with so much less downtime.

Did that back when I perused Theme Park Review's Forums. Went all the way out to DL, met up with a guy I'd only know through the forums, and talked to once or twice on the phone. Met up with group of people I also only knew via the forums. It ended up being a blast, and a group I traveled with multiple times over the next several years. So.....you never know!

I'm glad it worked out! True, you never really do know.

I just got back from another continent and spent a week staying at someone's house that I met through this site whom I'd never met in real life. It was fabulous! (Trip report coming soon!)

I can't wait to hear all about it! Australia is a bucket list destination.

That's a bummer. We only have three nights in the bungalow, but I've tried to plan a lot of our downtime then cause why spend all those points if we're running around?

It's definitely a factor! We felt like part of the cost was justified just in having the convenience of the location.

I remember first seeing them about two years ago and had the same complaint, except on our AK the bus arrival Tim was at 8:50 when we got to the bus stop and kept changing to further and further out until it read 9:24.

So even with better information, it's still possible to be annoyed by the buses.

I never even saw the movie, so I guess I better take care of that in the next couple years.

Did you see Pocahontas? If you did, then you've seen Avatar.

Definite improvement!

You saw more on your one safari than we saw in an entire swamp!

I guess the swamp people don't have as many tricks to keep the animals around.

This sounds like it would have been a cool interaction to see!

It was! Just fascinating to watch.

He also has a "pooh" cycle. We caught him in that one once.

I remember seeing photos in somebody's TR.

I always do the single rider line. Fran doesn't normally care to ride, so it's usually just me.

I have a feeling I'll be pushing for it more and more.

I like that trail, usually the tiger is out and more active than the animatronic lion.

I've caught him sleeping quite a bit too.

Always a good call!

I'll have to remember this. Not sure if we're hopping next trip, but I always forget they do this now.

It was so much more convenient!

 

[pkondz]

Once again, I apologize for my lack of activity here. I've been transitioning to the new job so I'm kind of doing two things at once. Combine that with lots of evening activities for the kids and I haven't been able to be here much. I'll do my best to catch up!

Not to worry. You do what you gotta do.

 

[Dugette]

Today is Scotty's 10th birthday--or as we like to think of it, the 10th Anniversary of When Scotty Happened!

So, I'm so far behind that this is an ancient memory, but happy belated birthday Scotty.

And so, on a crowded day, the FP+ system feels more like you’re being told, “Just pick the three rides you want to do today, and please spend the rest of the time in the gift shops.”

How were the checkout lines at the gift shops? Do they need to start FP+ for those too?

Even the Peoplemover line was backed up down the block.

That's never a good sign.

Looks like it's about to eat the Plaza Restaurant sign.

Mmmmm, that's my kind of dessert!

The Peoplemover is classic Disney for me. I’ve loved it since I was a kid, and even though it’s doesn’t offer any thrills, there’s something about it that makes it a must-do for me. I think it’s a combination of factors—it was ahead of its time in terms of being powered through electromagnetism, it is a great place to rest your feet, and it’s also great for both people-watching and giving you a nice view of the park. The model of Walt’s EPCOT and the chance to see Space Mountain with the lights on always help, too.

Great description. I've always loved the Peoplemover too!

She loved it! It really is great at night. As Julie put it, it feels a little more out-of-control at night. And it goes faster than 7 mph, so it does get the edge over the “Speedway” as a nighttime experience.

Big Thunder at night is great - feels like a different ride in some ways. Glad Julie got the chance to experience that.

Hopefully their photos turned out with a family staring at the fireworks in awe while everyone in the background is either giving them a murderous stare or holding their hands up in front of their eyes in agony.

Sorry you had to deal with that, though.

This is part of the problem with a long weekend--with limited time, we wanted to squeeze every dollar of value out of our park tickets. And this meant that we didn’t get a lot of time to enjoy the Polynesian resort.

Yes, we seem to have this same problem even on longer trips. So hard to enjoy the resort when there is just SO much you want to do at the parks too.

He ran for the pool in the front of the elephant pen. More elephants sounded alarms. Soon, jeeps and 4x4’s started appearing on side dirt roads out of nowhere, similar to how Disney security reacts if you attempt to re-use last year's refillable mug at the resort. Disney CM’s converged on the front of the pen just down the road from us. We couldn’t see around a bend, but eventually calm was restored and we were finally able to move on. I’d say we sat there a good ten minutes as they tried to restore order.

Wow! Sounds like quite the event you witnessed!

The animatronic lion has an “awake” cycle!

Great picture!

One new feature (or at least, new to me) we discovered on this visit was that they had started running buses directly between the parks. We got in line for a bus heading directly for Hollywood Studios. I had figured it would take at least an hour to hop between parks, but this bus shortened that to about 20 minutes. That was fantastic, and made park-hopping so much easier for us.

Huh, didn't know that. Big time saver, though.

Hope your new job is going well and worth all of those interviews!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Guess you'll just have to go again.
But I can totally relate.
Other than cost, it's one of the reasons I stay in Values on my short trips.
I know I'll have next to zero time to explore the resort.

Makes sense. We knew it was a one-time splurge, and I don't regret it. It was nice to even enjoy the atmosphere as we walked through, and the convenience was fantastic.

That's what I said!

Sorry, I wasn't listening.

Um, hang on. Lemme check.





no.

Dang. I was sure you would all head right to my gofundme page.

I think it's a great idea.
But isn't it just the deluxes that are getting them?

I didn't know the particulars, but it sounds like maybe not.

At first I laughed and assumed you were referring to the cranes.
But then I looked a little closer... that is a floating mountain there, isn't it?

Well, it's more of a "floating" mountain. But it's nice to see progress.

I was. Saw it twice.

So I guess you're more excited about Pandora, then.

And I haven't really appreciated that yet.
They did such an amazing job, that I forget that it's all fabricated.

It's really all in the details in AK. They'll get more rides eventually, but it's nice to slow down and enjoy the atmosphere.

No kidding! Followed by "I broke down in tears."

It's a crime against humanity, is what it is!

I've read a couple of TRs recently where they got lucky and saw the lion(s) up.

And one or two where he's...uh...marking his territory.

<groan>

Aw, come on! That's classic Dad joke material!

Oh yeah? You try wearing them!

They wouldn't go with my shoes.

Really! How much of a charge was it?

1.21 gigawatts!

See! Told you!

Yes. Yes, you did.

And I can honestly say that I've yet to see that.

Well, there's proof--miracles do happen! And I wasted mine on the dumb lion.

Yes. That would explain it.
The peons must wait.

I'm used to that.

That's not that bad, for that ride.

No, it's not. But I didn't have 30 minutes to kill.

Crap. It's such a massive time saver.

Good thing we waited!

Was she shocked?

A little bit, yes!

Yay! You were the last person to have visited AKL who hadn't gotten one.

I was starting to have a complex. Now I can cross it off the list.

And Disney thanks you for keeping their park open.

I felt a responsibility to make sure this place survives for future generations to see it.

You guys are really lucking out with the animals.
That VIP animal pass is really paying off.

It sure was! Maybe it comes with the room at the Poly.

And she got some nice pics, too.

Thanks! I agree.

Had that same experience.
5 minutes, 40 minutes... what's the difference?



(Hint: it's 35 minutes.)

Whew. I'm glad you gave the answer, because I was running out of fingers and toes.

I'd pay for that.
Maybe I can get it as an add on to my VIP bus pass.

I think there's an extra charge for the flux capacitor.

Funny. I do have a bad back, and I assumed this would be hard on it.
But it wasn't.
Prime Evil Hurl on the other hand... Never again.

Well, I know better than to get on that deathtr--uh, ride.

Went there for the first time last time.
It's a great little place.

Love it! It's a must-do for me.

Look out, Julie! Look out!

It's BBQ. We fight to the death for BBQ.

That's really unique.

I love that the themes extend to the Christmas decorations.

So glad they started that.

Man, what a time-saver! They needed that, badly.

Way better than doing the park-resort-park shuffle.

You better say DHS!

DHS! Ok, now what?

 

[Steppesister]

Oh, don't ENCOURAGE her.......

Like she needs it!

HEY!!! QUIET UP THERE IN THE PEANUT GALLERY!

I have a couple of calculators, cameras and maracas!! And I'm not afraid to use them!

Once again, I apologize for my lack of activity here. I've been transitioning to the new job so I'm kind of doing two things at once. Combine that with lots of evening activities for the kids and I haven't been able to be here much. I'll do my best to catch up!

We all go through seasons of being busy with real life stuff and times we can be here more. Everyone understands. Just hurry up and and get more awesome at your job and join us when you can.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Especially when the decorations are up- So hard when you have a new resort and a short trip. Besides the room you can always go back to look at the resort. Not the same as being able to start and end your day there as well as sleep there but ....

Sorry but I know that feeling of walking back to the room at the end of your day was nice...

Oh, definitely. And the convenience was the biggest part of the value we got from staying there. We prioritized seeing the Christmas decorations.

Hate when that happens.

Ugh. So annoying.

Still laughing.

Still laughing.....

Really did have me when I say it.

You see that, @pkondz ?? It's funny!

Yes it is. Moves better that RNR for some reason.

I might have to test that out myself!

Good deal and wonderful pictures as always.

Thanks!

Not sure it is new, but those buses can be hard to find. Usually at the end of the row.

It was new to us. But we don't go every year, so I don't know how long it's been around.

Counting on DHS unless.... you got on the wrong bus.

Always a possibility with us...

Well, you DO have more opportunities in the near future........

That beats the alternative.

Awww, what terrible punishment........

We'll suffer through it if we have to.

Hey, you just got a promotion.........

And 4 kids who expect me to send them to college!

You could have walked there by then...........just sayin'

Had to point that out, huh?

Agree on the A-list attractions, but I'm not sure how much Avatarland is going to change that.......at least for me. But it is still one of my favorite parks for all the "not so highly regarded" things that are very appealing when you slow down a little and take in the full experience!

Sounds like we're on the same page. You have to look a little deeper to appreciate AK, and not be in a rush. Hopefully they'll stick the landing on Avatar.

WHAT? They had an opening show??? Haven't seen them do that in a while now............

Is it gone? I didn't even know!

Aww man, now I'm going to have that thought stuck in my head the next time EE is down first thing! One of our recent trips it was down early then also........

So frustrating!!

I'm guessing either gored or stomped on. No way I'm making one of those two angry.......

Good point. Leave me out of that.

Nice info.........no wonder you got that promotion!

I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T! I mean, S-M-A-R-T!

Yeah, we've seen zebras acting up, but that sounds like a really cool thing to experience!

It was neat to watch it play out!

 

[pkondz]

You see that, @pkondz ?? It's funny

Yeah... We're laughing with you. Yeah, that's it....

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Sadly, no. With three women in my house, I just try to catch the stray coins that fall off the table when they’re done with the hard cash. Although the Poly is definitely on my Disney “bucket list” if I should ever be so lucky.

I know that feeling. Every payday I get this false sense of relief, and 24 hours later I'm wondering where it all went.

I experienced this the last time in WDW, staying at Riverside. It was fairly helpful. It did seem to be updated more effectively than this particular one, though.

Hopefully they'll do a better job as they go. I love POR by the way.

I felt pretty much the same. I didn’t like the idea when I first heard of it. The movie was OK, but didn’t understand why Disney needed an outside property in their parks. Still, the rest of Animal Kingdom has some amazing detail, so I too am keeping an open mind and waiting to see what the Imagineers do with it.

I think having bio-luminescent plants lit up at night is going to be pretty special.

When I first heard about dropping the “Big Red” story, I was a little disappointed. But riding last time without it, I really didn’t miss it. You’re right, it allows for a more focused safari experience.

The Big Red story mostly felt tacked-on and a little preachy. It was unnecessary and anti-climactic at the end, and I'm glad they did away with it.

It took me a few times before it clicked in

Just tell @pkondz that it's funny.

Pretty amazing! That’s the first time I’ve read of something like that happening. I never would have thought the CM’s were so prepared for it. It just goes to show how much goes on behind the scenes that guests never notice.

Is it wrong that I was cynically thinking they didn't charge you extra for a special "limited time magic" safari animal rumble in the jungle?

No, you're not wrong! But it was pretty cool to get a glimpse of that. They seem prepared for just about anything!

I have yet to go to this place. Everything I’ve read about it seems great. Another for the “must do list”.

Mmmm...BBQ...

I found a quarter this morning. You can have it.

I loved that feature. It needs to either be at every bus stop or they should just put that info on the app.

On the app would be amazing! I second the notion. As long as the wireless connection doesn't keep dropping.

Well, duh!!!

Yeah... I'm not either. I watched it once, back in when it first came out. I felt kind of "meh" about it. DW found it on TV this weekend and DVRed it. She was watching it yesterday evening. I sat down for about 10 minutes and then got up to go watch something else.

I found it entertaining enough the first time through, and I liked the special effects. Then I saw it again and found it overly preachy. Also, I found the original shooting script (I know I've shared this before, but it still makes me laugh):

Trying to keep an open mind... but I'm pretty damn stubborn so that's kind of difficult.

Just on its face, riding a dragon could make for a very cool ride. That's where I am.

Sorry folks. Park's closed. Yeti out front should have told you.

I don't think I'd punch a Yeti.

Epic dad joke. And you didn't even have the kids with you to use it on.

This is how Julie ends up hearing the same jokes 47 times.

Wow! Definitely cool!

You guys hit the Safari jackpot! Excitement in the elephant pen and an alert lion!!!

Just think how much cooler it could have been if that antelope had invaded the lion pen instead of the elephant pen!

Oh man, would they still be able to call it a "family attraction"?

Awesome!

Now I have to convince the rest of the family to use it.

Well said.

This is definitely one of the rides that is suffering because of FP+. The line used to move pretty quickly for it, but since FP+ it is always backed up and very slow. I guess when you have a park where there are basically only 3 or 4 rides to pick from...

Which is why you need to be able to ride a dragon. It was an agonizing wait in standby, though.

I don't even understand why this isn't something they'd have done from the beginning. I mean are people spending more money while they're standing at bus stops or while they're in an actual park?

Pretty much. Why didn't they do it sooner? I have no idea. But I'm glad they're doing it now.

Let us know when you start that trip report Jill.

What Glenn said!

Will do. Its supposed to start raining tomorrow afternoon so maybe I'll have the motivation to stay inside and start it.

Still looking for the bat signal...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

1432 pages later, I'm finding time to reply...

And you're STILL doing a better job of keeping up than I am! I can't remember the last time I was caught up on everyone's TR's.

So now that that's cleared up, I think I have my mindset in the right place.

I think so. Best to have a combination of optimism and realism when planning.

Awesome!

You know us pretty well.

I have to try and defuse the parts that make me an easy target. You have to work for your insults.

Actually, no. I'm still an easy target.

And, THAT my friends, is what makes a Disney vacation different than ANY other.

Oscar is the MAN!

Holy crap! It's bigger that your face!! (Somewhere in there is a meathead joke)

Mmmm...meat...

I like here more and more every day!

Hey, me too! She has that effect on people.

Nailed it!

Hi Mark! You are doing way better at updates than I am, and I don't have a fancy new promotion as an excuse. Hope things at going well in the new job.

I dunno. I'm still going pretty slow. Still working on replies! And I'm way behind on everyone else's TR's.

I'm on day 3 of the new job and haven't screwed anything up yet! At least, I don't think I have.

Love your fireworks pics from MK. Too bad the lines were so long.

Thanks! Disney really knows how to pack 'em in, that's for sure.

Not sure what happened to your bus VIP pass, I think Ponz has it. Not real bad though.

I was too cheap to pay for it.

With the new FP it does feel like if you want to spend the day , you have a choice of leave or hang out in the shops on busy days. But then you paid too much for your ticket to leave, so you need to make it count by hanging out and spending more money.

Exactly! Gimme more $30 t-shirts!

Nice Pride Rock pic! That is a hard one to get sometimes. Glad you got to ride Dinosaur.

Thanks!

I am enjoying your TR... looking forward to more. i have a little updste, too.

One of these days I'll get over there!

Wow they have gotten a lot done. i'll be interested to se the finished project...hopefully they will get it done as quick as possible!

I think 2017 was the anticipated finish date, right?

I am too. At first I didn't care for the idea at all but over time while reading more what they were planning on doing, it grew on me. I didn't even see the movie, lol I'm usually not into that type of genre.

I'm willing to bet you can enjoy the park without seeing the movie.

This, is fantastic.

There, now you've seen the movie.

That seems to happen so much in the morning...very frustrating.

It is! We need more rides!

Great shot of the giraffes. They are my favorite!

Same with my son!

This is so cool, kinds of scary, but very cool!

As long as they weren't charging at us, I was fascinated.

Wow! How lucky you and your wife were to see some lions! Great shot.

Thank you!

Yay for Single Rider! Glad you were able to get through quick and enjoy the ride.
I think I read a rumor recently that they were in the process of fixing the Yeti. I really hope that is true. It has been WAY too long since he has been up there...

That'd be cool. From what I read, it's an expensive and time-consuming fix. I think they probably need to shut the ride down in order to really do it right.

Like I said, you two were very lucky! Gorgeous animal.

It was nice to get the timing right to see them awake.

LOL, who knows when that will be done! I can't believe all the issues they are having with it! I am excited for when it actually opens though.

Yeah, it looks pretty cool. Hopefully they'll get it all worked out.

Such a nice tree.Very unique with all the animals as the ornaments.

That's great! Very convenient!

Great update! Looking forward to reading more!

I'm sure those buses will help sell the park-hoppers.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Oh, don't ENCOURAGE her.......

She'll do just fine on her own!

Sounds like a great morning at AK! What a nice safari you wound up with ... rogue antelope, lounging lions. Awesome!

Dare I say: Best. Safari. Ever!

Flame Tree Barbeque was closed the last time we were there ... gave us a chance to check out Restaurantosaurus (which was actually kind of neat inside), but I really missed the food and the peaceful outdoor dining area at Flame Tree.

Restaurantosaurus isn't bad. I like the buckets and shovels that came with the kids meals. But I'd never pass up Flame Tree for anything else in AK!

How exciting! Very, very happy for your family. My husband has been hitting his head against the promotion ceiling for years. He works for the State in community health and the only way he can get a promotion is to switch departments. It is very frustrating because he likes what he does.

Sorry to hear that. I was in the same situation. I could not break through for years, and was told I needed "diverse experience". It is very frustrating that you can't simply be promoted for being good at your job. And even worse when, as part of the state, you can't get a raise unless you get a promotion. It feels like working for a socialist country! I finally got sick of hearing the "diverse experience" thing and made a lateral move, mostly to take that criticism off the board. And I will say that it has been good for me--Looking back, it has been worthwhile for me to work in different groups and broaden my experience. So I would say to your husband: don't be afraid of change. There are definitely some positives to it, and if they want to see that you can succeed in different groups, maybe it's time to show them. I definitely understand the frustration, though.

They kept them on the jeep for an extended amount of time, just so they would forget the encounter and just be mad they were on the jeep waiting to get off. I am sure the thought of " how can we charge them extra. " came to mind. Either that or a mind wipe to get all of you to forget. Glad Mark didn't succumb to teh attempted mind wipe.

Now who are you again?

Now on the App would be awesome!!!!!!

Like she needs it!

Exactly.

Not to worry. You do what you gotta do.

Thanks. I feel like it's all I can do to tread water these days!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

So, I'm so far behind that this is an ancient memory, but happy belated birthday Scotty.

Thanks! I still need to update his age in my signature line.

How were the checkout lines at the gift shops? Do they need to start FP+ for those too?

They might! There's only so many places to put all these people.

That's never a good sign.

No. No, it's not.

Looks like it's about to eat the Plaza Restaurant sign.

Now that would be cool!

Mmmmm, that's my kind of dessert!

You'd have to fight Julie for it.

Great description. I've always loved the Peoplemover too!

Big Thunder at night is great - feels like a different ride in some ways. Glad Julie got the chance to experience that.

Yeah, it's a neat experience. We'll definitely do that again.

Sorry you had to deal with that, though.

Gotta love entitled people!

Yes, we seem to have this same problem even on longer trips. So hard to enjoy the resort when there is just SO much you want to do at the parks too.

Yep. We were short on time and were prioritizing other things, so we kind of knew this would happen.

Wow! Sounds like quite the event you witnessed!

So cool!

Great picture!

Thanks!

Huh, didn't know that. Big time saver, though.

Definitely. Saves you about 30-40 minutes, I'd say.

Hope your new job is going well and worth all of those interviews!

I haven't screwed anything up yet! At least, I don't think I have.

HEY!!! QUIET UP THERE IN THE PEANUT GALLERY!

I have a couple of calculators, cameras and maracas!! And I'm not afraid to use them!

As long as there are no whips!

We all go through seasons of being busy with real life stuff and times we can be here more. Everyone understands. Just hurry up and and get more awesome at your job and join us when you can.

I'm trying! Unfortunately, awesomeness doesn't come as naturally as fart jokes. But I know you of all my peeps understand the busy seasons!

Yeah... We're laughing with you. Yeah, that's it....

I knew it.



Hey, wait...