Where did this heat and all these people come from? The new PTR/TR link 5/7

[momof2TNboys]

Hi! I am following you from MeMom's TR. We were there at the same time. I thought it was so hot too! I love your pictures of AK. I love all the details of the park. Great TR, can't wait to hear more.

 

[kschafer]

I'm finally here and all caught up! Loving your report! Seeing all your CSR pictures made me a bit wistful, it's such a pretty resort. I'm happy to hear they could move you too.

FOTLK is such a great show! The tumble monkeys are my favorite too, I'm always amazed at their talent.

That's a great picture of you and Michelle, two wonderful ladies!!

Gosh Brook, with your big move coming up, I'm surprised you have much free time at all! Not sure if I said anything on FB but your new place sounds so nice. I would have gone with the flowers, yard and sweet landlady too!

We loved CSR a lot!

I sat on the right and DH sat on the left. He had the camera - but hardly took any shots at all.. I guess he was having too much fun looking at the animals!

That's a great shot of you and Michelle. Can't wait to read more and see the pics of CSR.

I definitely took many more pictures on this trip, it is much easier to do when you are not focused on everyone else!

Enjoyed the safari and Festival of the Lion King pictures.
It's nice that you were able to spend some time with a Dis friend.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

It was a very nice morning!!

You hear that C?!?!

 

[kschafer]

Hi! I am following you from MeMom's TR. We were there at the same time. I thought it was so hot too! I love your pictures of AK. I love all the details of the park. Great TR, can't wait to hear more.

Welcome The heat was a surprise for sure!

I see you have another trip coming up...love your title

 

[kschafer]

OK, just for you guys...

My camera obviously focused on the foliage in the foreground but you get the idea!

And for you tumble monkey lovers...

Just because I love watching it

 

[Poolrat]

And for you tumble monkey lovers...

Now that is something to look forward to when I see it next.

 

[momof2TNboys]

Welcome The heat was a surprise for sure!

I see you have another trip coming up...love your title

It is a long story of why we maybe going in September. I had a bounceback booked for December and my husband was fine with it. However, my work schedule has changed and I cannot take extended periods of time off after October 1st for around six months. So, a vacation in September seemed like a good idea since my December trip is a no go. Well, the glitch is that my husband is a huge University of Tennessee fan and the first football game is that weekend. He is a southern football fan that believes nothing should happen in the fall but watching football on Saturdays. So, for him to even consider this is huge. We have always had a deal that I can vacation anytime I want as long as it doesnt interfere with football season. So, fingers crossed he still agrees to go.
I would go without him, but taking my 4 and 2 year old to WDW by myself would drive me insane!!

 

[Cory's Gal]

So wonderful Katie that you got to meet up with Michelle!!! Awesome picture of the Gorilla with her baby hanging on, that must of been really cool too see!!! Loved your Rhino pic from the safari too, it looks like they were just chillin' out!!! I LOVE FOTLK and the tumble monkeys are my favorite part too!!!

 

[kschafer]

Now that is something to look forward to when I see it next.

Added some video for ya!

It is a long story of why we maybe going in September. I had a bounceback booked for December and my husband was fine with it. However, my work schedule has changed and I cannot take extended periods of time off after October 1st for around six months. So, a vacation in September seemed like a good idea since my December trip is a no go. Well, the glitch is that my husband is a huge University of Tennessee fan and the first football game is that weekend. He is a southern football fan that believes nothing should happen in the fall but watching football on Saturdays. So, for him to even consider this is huge. We have always had a deal that I can vacation anytime I want as long as it doesnt interfere with football season. So, fingers crossed he still agrees to go.
I would go without him, but taking my 4 and 2 year old to WDW by myself would drive me insane!!

Well if he doesn't want to go, just let me know! Oh, and I loved the pics of your TS party! My older son has a birthday coming up and we talked about a TS3 movie party but he will be turning 9 and is in that "in between" stage. He is very excited about going to the movie but decided on a pool party because he worried his friends would think TS is for kids!

So wonderful Katie that you got to meet up with Michelle!!! Awesome picture of the Gorilla with her baby hanging on, that must of been really cool too see!!! Loved your Rhino pic from the safari too, it looks like they were just chillin' out!!! I LOVE FOTLK and the tumble monkeys are my favorite part too!!!

We were SO excited to see the mama and baby at last, we waited awhile for her to make her appearance!

It was a really fun morning!

 

[MEK]

Katie -

Great update! Your FOTLK pics are really good and I am so jealous you got a picture of the lion. I never get the whole lion. I usually am lucky to get part of the head. I wonder if I need to do safari earlier in the day. By lunch time they are probably laying low!

Looks like you have a great morning in AK!

 

[Hobbitmomma]

Enjoying reading your report, thank you. I have a question. We (Hubby and 2 kids 10 & 12)will be staying at CSR in December. (Yes, the mind-numbingly crowded week between Christmas and New Years, but what can you do?) Anyway, said that you requested a certain area. Are there better locations than others? This is our first time staying at CSR and only our 2nd at WDW, so we are relatively new at this. I'd love to hear any suggestion you have regarding room location. Thanks.

 

[jenniferkeala808]

gotta LOVE those tumble monkeys!!!

 

[Poolrat]

Just because I love watching it

I may need to bookmark this post to watch often. I love me some tumble monkeys. Thanks

Enjoying reading your report, thank you. I have a question. We (Hubby and 2 kids 10 & 12)will be staying at CSR in December. (Yes, the mind-numbingly crowded week between Christmas and New Years, but what can you do?) Anyway, said that you requested a certain area. Are there better locations than others? This is our first time staying at CSR and only our 2nd at WDW, so we are relatively new at this. I'd love to hear any suggestion you have regarding room location. Thanks.

I have stayed there 3 times. There are 3 sections the casitas, the cabanas and the ranchos. They are all supposed to be themed around different sections of the southwest and Mexico I believe.
http://www.allears.net Has a great fact sheet on the resort. They each have a bus stop but the casitas are closest to El Centro ( the food and shops) and the cabanas are pretty close to the pool area. The ranchos are way in the back and are considered quiet but far from the pool in some areas as well as the furthest from El Centro. I think if you have a car it is not too far out but if you rely on the busses it can be quite a walk. Look at the map on allears and you can decide what is best for your family. You can request a certain section and building even but it is just a request.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

I think it's so neat how the hippos walk on the bottom of the water. Great picture of you and Michelle!

 

[Megablocks]

I LOVE the tumble monkey video! Thanks for sharing It is amazing how talented they are!

 

[klacey1]

Amazing pictures, as usual. Love the video, too-- I am so ridiculously uncoordinated that nearly anyone amazes me, but they are a talented group!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thanks Katie. We chose to go see Nemo instead of the Lion King at AK. We had previously seen FOTLK in 2005 and had seen the musical; but not Nemo. About the only thing that I regretted was not seeing the tumble monkeys; which you've posted a video of.

 

[BrooklynnsMommy]

Brooklynn loved watching the tumble monkey video (over and over and over!)

 

[kschafer]

Katie -

Great update! Your FOTLK pics are really good and I am so jealous you got a picture of the lion. I never get the whole lion. I usually am lucky to get part of the head. I wonder if I need to do safari earlier in the day. By lunch time they are probably laying low!

Looks like you have a great morning in AK!

Honestly, with the angle of the sun, I couldn't quite see on my camera what I was taking a picture of. I just pointed in the right direction and crossed my fingers. I got lucky on those two, and a whole lot of junk!

Enjoying reading your report, thank you. I have a question. We (Hubby and 2 kids 10 & 12)will be staying at CSR in December. (Yes, the mind-numbingly crowded week between Christmas and New Years, but what can you do?) Anyway, said that you requested a certain area. Are there better locations than others? This is our first time staying at CSR and only our 2nd at WDW, so we are relatively new at this. I'd love to hear any suggestion you have regarding room location. Thanks.

Welcome

the thing to realize about CSR is that it is a very big resort so you can't be close to everything so you need to prioritize your wishes. For me, I wanted to be close to a bus stop first (preferably the first stop, which is stop #2...crazy I know), second priority was the main building and last was the feature pool. I requested Casitas 4 or 5 first because it fit my priorities, my second choice was somewhere in the Cabanas section (equally close to main building/feature pool but the 3rd bus stop which surprisingly would have turned out to make a difference with the crowds we found)

If I had been with my kids and planned to spend a lot of time at the Dig Site pool (keeping in mind that there are quiet pools in all 2 sections), my first room would have been great, very close to the dig site but a little further from the second bus stop and on the opposite side of the main building

I would suggest starting with Kathy's page on CSR here on the Dis

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2338336

It is a wealth of info and the first several posts are full of great stuff. If you have more specific questions, there is ongoing conversation and lots of CSR lovers to help!

Good luck with your planning!

 

[kschafer]

I may need to bookmark this post to watch often. I love me some tumble monkeys. Thanks

You can request a certain section and building even but it is just a request.

Glad you enjoyed

Good point about the request. My case being a good example, I had made a request they couldn't accommodate the first night but could after that. If you don't like your assignment, ask what they can do for you. they were very gracious with my situation and did what they could to make me happy.

I think it's so neat how the hippos walk on the bottom of the water. Great picture of you and Michelle!

When I was there in 2008, we saw a hippo on the land and our safari guide commented on how rare that was. they weren't as cooperative for me this time.

I LOVE the tumble monkey video! Thanks for sharing It is amazing how talented they are!

Glad you enjoyed ! I wonder if they think their job is as fun as it looks?

Amazing pictures, as usual. Love the video, too-- I am so ridiculously uncoordinated that nearly anyone amazes me, but they are a talented group!!

I always took gymnastics in the summer when I was a kid but was never very good. I'm pretty uncoordinated too!

Thanks Katie. We chose to go see Nemo instead of the Lion King at AK. We had previously seen FOTLK in 2005 and had seen the musical; but not Nemo. About the only thing that I regretted was not seeing the tumble monkeys; which you've posted a video of.

I had seen FOTLK in 2008 and missed Nemo so obviously my first choice was Nemo but the show times weren't working with me on this morning. I love the singing and acrobats too but those tumble monkeys are so cute!

gotta LOVE those tumble monkeys!!!

Brooklynn loved watching the tumble monkey video (over and over and over!)

glad you enjoyed it Brooklynn!

 

[Melknor]

I just started reading your TR, but have to say from another fellow Iowan (DSM area). I secretly hope to take a trip by myself or another adult only trip. I love my kids, but sometimes you just need a break and what a better place to get away than to Disney!

I can't wait to read about your adventures!! I agree about going from the chilly IA weather to hot FL. I think we were there the week or so before you.