"Why are you wearing jackets in Orlando?"-Nov/Dec '18 - Our first time in the World (updated 2/26)
- Thread starter masterpabu
- Start date
SweetSerenity
Thank you evenin' star!
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Hi, I'm looking forward to reading your adventures
mamamelody2
DIS Veteran
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Following along. Great start!
Yanevernoinoz
Yanevernoinoz (Deb)
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Love the report and looking forward to the next chapters
wvgoofyfan
Mouseketeer
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Thanks for a great report! Glad mostly everything is working out as planned..... The sweets at WDW are enough to last a person a long, long, time. There is not much sugary stuff in our household (hubby is a diabetic) so a week at WDW puts me on sugar overload...
masterpabu
Mouseketeer
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Day 7 - Animal Kingdom & Jiko! Best bread I had
After getting up early, I did some laundry (yay me!) I swear I did so much walking back and forth between our room and the laundry room it almost wasn't funny.
Eventually got DFi awake and we were off to Animal Kingdom! We were really grateful for being at Kidani and getting picked up first so we always had a seat, and it really was nice being only 5 minutes way from AK.
We chose not to bring a bag into the park most days, and I made the choice not to bring my camera and stick to using my phone. But we definitely preferred the no bag route so it was quick and easy to get in, and we made our way to the Tree of Life.
Tough to be a Bug was a 10 minute wait so DFi was curious and wanted to see it, not knowing what kind of show it would be. At the end he was very entertained by it, particularly enjoying the bug "stings" and jabs" and everything else in the show. I'd be interested to find out if this seems to be the general sentiment among other men?
Walking towards Kali Rapids, we both really enjoyed the amount of work & attention to detail put into creating such an immersive park!
Our first fastpass was supposed to be Expedition Everest, however we found out it was "temporarily closed" while on the bus so we went to Kali Rapids instead as it was walk on. Luckily it was a nice day so getting splashed wasn't too worrisome. We joined a raft with another gentleman with his son who were doing their 3rd lap of the ride, the friendly kid assured us he barely got splashed so I trusted his advice
although the suspense of who will/won't get wet still made it fun.
Waiting to press the button on some unfortunate people, but luckily none went past
The jungle trek was really cool and we found the tigers having a cute daytime sleep together, which seems like a nice idea for us but we're in Disney so there's no time to sleep! (for us anyway)
We decided to use our multipass on Kilimanjaro Safaris, as by then it was a 90 min wait and I wasn't able to get fastpasses for this previously so great! I loved seeing the animals, especially seeing African elephants for the first time which was really cool for me, and luckily DFi enjoyed it too, afterwards he said it was his favourite thing about AK.
We went to the Exploration Trail, and I spent roughly 5-10 minutes just watching the meerkats. Who doesn't love meerkats?!
After a stroll through the Trail we headed to lunch at Flame Tree BBQ.
I very much enjoyed my mac & cheese, and tried my very best to eat as much of it (the portion sizes are about twice of what I'd normally eat :rofl
For a second you'd almost forget where you were! Is it Orlando or Asia?
Next stop Pandora!
Our next fastpass was Na'vi River Journey, and while it was visually very pretty, the lack of a story to the ride made it a little lackluster, and personally I was never a fan of the Avatar movie.
Having said that though, Pandora was really cool to see, the floating mountains were awesome to see and the Imagineering for this land, and just all of AK for that matter, blew us away.
Intro: The stick
Meet the stick (aka Na'vi Walking staff), this became DFi's favourite accessory for our park days, and it especially attracted attention with other people being amazed by it. When he took it out with us on other days people would ask with some bewilderment about what it was. I guess if someone's freshly arrived to the park and/or haven't been to the store at FoP then they had no clue what it was lol! DFi enjoyed the attention -queue my eye roll- :rofl:
Anyway!
We did manage to get some good photos taken at a photopass spot, I had decided to get the Memory Maker for our trip and I can say it's definitely worth it, especially if you're the sole designated photographer for everyone else (evidently that was me!). It's also worth it, assuming you can get your family/significant other to get in the photo and smile :rofl:
Some of our favourite photos from the whole trip were taken here, this photopass CM nailed it.
But of course it was me that couldn't keep a straight face through some of it :rofl:
Heading back to Everest!
Expedition Everest finally reopened in the afternoon and the wait time quickly rose but we were able to grab a fastpass for later on so that's a relief!
The following image is titled: "A good time for ice-cream, DON'T YOU DARE TAKE A BITE YET PUT IT BACK"
We looked around DinoLand for a bit and went on Primeval Whirl because it was a short wait. We thought it would be a cute roller coaster, but boy did it whirl! It completely slipped my mind that the ride would in fact whirl, like it's title clearly says.
After all the tummy churns we went to find a spot sit down and relax for a while, and as we exited the ride we noticed that a previous rider may not have been so lucky as we spotted someone's lunch regurgitated on the ground in 2 separate locations lol! Poor thing
We hopped over to the Dinosaur ride which was fun, very similar to Indiana Jones in DLR, but still enjoyable. Even though I'm past my mid-twenties I still automatically keep my eyes half closed in all dark rides to not get startled by anything popping out :rofl:
Luckily I wasn't startled! What's everyone looking at?
(Like a perfectly sane person I researched where each ride photo location was so I was prepared lol! DFi didn't believe it was intentional)
We decided to kill some more time and watched Finding Nemo the Musical, not really knowing what we were getting into. It was really cute and enjoyable, but it took me 15 minutes into the show until I realised we were basically going to watch a recap of the entire movie on stage lol! :rofl:
Still it was really cute and would be a good way to get out the heat if it were a warm day.
We finally hopped over to our fastpass for Everest, and had a nice chat with
another couple (that was sparked by their interest in DFi's walking stick lol) but alas just as we got closer to getting on the ride, it was again closed D:
So twice now we've missed out and decided we'll just try our luck another day and headed back home for the day!
stick again
_________________________________________________
After a short rest and a quick refresh we headed over to Jambo House for our dinner reservation at Jiko, which I knew I always had to do, and I stand by it!
After checking in we were led to a nice table by the window and given a verbal tour of the restaurant. We were then served with Moroccan mint tea (from memory?) which we both really liked and that's saying something because DFi doesn't drink tea ever.
Our server for the night was Onsy and he gave us a rundown of the menu. He was so friendly and entertaining, which added to the relaxed atmosphere which was great. He then brought us the bread, to which he claimed he got freshly made from Africa lol and I will never stop believing that it was one of the best bread & butter I've ever had. I love bread and butter regardless, but this was just amazing to me lol!
One of the best filet mignon’s I've ever had, the meat was so smooth and I could not rave about it more. In my early years of planning this trip I always said I would order this dish and I'm glad I did. I won't over-hype it, but that was great, I just wished I had more of that reduction sauce!
DFi ordered the short rib which was also so lovely. It was so enjoyable that I knew anything else I ate from now on would pale in comparison (which is a little sad but I’ll never forget it!).
And there’s always room for dessert! We chose the Kilimanjaro
I had asked if the pineapple component could be taken out the dessert (I'm a weirdo who doesn't enjoy fruity desserts), which was easily done, although Onsy suggested that they can place it separately on the side as it was still a good element that Dfi did enjoy (he didn't want his own dessert for some reason)
It was a really nice night, the restaurant didn't seem too busy at that time, or maybe I just didn't pay attention to where all the other guests were :rofl: but it felt nice and calm and relaxed and intimate (which I'd soon learn is vastly different to Cali Grill, more on that later!)
Now tipping was something DFi (and myself to a degree) reluctantly accepted throughout our trip, although this time DFi was happy to put down over the minimum because overall it was just a great experience, and Onsy was really up there on providing us with an enjoyable experience
We waddled back to the lobby to let our food settle and I got to just sit and stare at the amazing tree, and eventually we headed back to our room, stomachs and hearts full of content!
Eventually got DFi awake and we were off to Animal Kingdom! We were really grateful for being at Kidani and getting picked up first so we always had a seat, and it really was nice being only 5 minutes way from AK.
We chose not to bring a bag into the park most days, and I made the choice not to bring my camera and stick to using my phone. But we definitely preferred the no bag route so it was quick and easy to get in, and we made our way to the Tree of Life.
Tough to be a Bug was a 10 minute wait so DFi was curious and wanted to see it, not knowing what kind of show it would be. At the end he was very entertained by it, particularly enjoying the bug "stings" and jabs" and everything else in the show. I'd be interested to find out if this seems to be the general sentiment among other men?
Walking towards Kali Rapids, we both really enjoyed the amount of work & attention to detail put into creating such an immersive park!
Our first fastpass was supposed to be Expedition Everest, however we found out it was "temporarily closed" while on the bus so we went to Kali Rapids instead as it was walk on. Luckily it was a nice day so getting splashed wasn't too worrisome. We joined a raft with another gentleman with his son who were doing their 3rd lap of the ride, the friendly kid assured us he barely got splashed so I trusted his advice
although the suspense of who will/won't get wet still made it fun.
Waiting to press the button on some unfortunate people, but luckily none went past
The jungle trek was really cool and we found the tigers having a cute daytime sleep together, which seems like a nice idea for us but we're in Disney so there's no time to sleep! (for us anyway)
We decided to use our multipass on Kilimanjaro Safaris, as by then it was a 90 min wait and I wasn't able to get fastpasses for this previously so great! I loved seeing the animals, especially seeing African elephants for the first time which was really cool for me, and luckily DFi enjoyed it too, afterwards he said it was his favourite thing about AK.
We went to the Exploration Trail, and I spent roughly 5-10 minutes just watching the meerkats. Who doesn't love meerkats?!
After a stroll through the Trail we headed to lunch at Flame Tree BBQ.
I very much enjoyed my mac & cheese, and tried my very best to eat as much of it (the portion sizes are about twice of what I'd normally eat :rofl
For a second you'd almost forget where you were! Is it Orlando or Asia?
Next stop Pandora!
Our next fastpass was Na'vi River Journey, and while it was visually very pretty, the lack of a story to the ride made it a little lackluster, and personally I was never a fan of the Avatar movie.
Having said that though, Pandora was really cool to see, the floating mountains were awesome to see and the Imagineering for this land, and just all of AK for that matter, blew us away.
Intro: The stick
Meet the stick (aka Na'vi Walking staff), this became DFi's favourite accessory for our park days, and it especially attracted attention with other people being amazed by it. When he took it out with us on other days people would ask with some bewilderment about what it was. I guess if someone's freshly arrived to the park and/or haven't been to the store at FoP then they had no clue what it was lol! DFi enjoyed the attention -queue my eye roll- :rofl:
Anyway!
We did manage to get some good photos taken at a photopass spot, I had decided to get the Memory Maker for our trip and I can say it's definitely worth it, especially if you're the sole designated photographer for everyone else (evidently that was me!). It's also worth it, assuming you can get your family/significant other to get in the photo and smile :rofl:
Some of our favourite photos from the whole trip were taken here, this photopass CM nailed it.
But of course it was me that couldn't keep a straight face through some of it :rofl:
Heading back to Everest!
Expedition Everest finally reopened in the afternoon and the wait time quickly rose but we were able to grab a fastpass for later on so that's a relief!
The following image is titled: "A good time for ice-cream, DON'T YOU DARE TAKE A BITE YET PUT IT BACK"
We looked around DinoLand for a bit and went on Primeval Whirl because it was a short wait. We thought it would be a cute roller coaster, but boy did it whirl! It completely slipped my mind that the ride would in fact whirl, like it's title clearly says.
After all the tummy churns we went to find a spot sit down and relax for a while, and as we exited the ride we noticed that a previous rider may not have been so lucky as we spotted someone's lunch regurgitated on the ground in 2 separate locations lol! Poor thing
We hopped over to the Dinosaur ride which was fun, very similar to Indiana Jones in DLR, but still enjoyable. Even though I'm past my mid-twenties I still automatically keep my eyes half closed in all dark rides to not get startled by anything popping out :rofl:
Luckily I wasn't startled! What's everyone looking at?
(Like a perfectly sane person I researched where each ride photo location was so I was prepared lol! DFi didn't believe it was intentional)
We decided to kill some more time and watched Finding Nemo the Musical, not really knowing what we were getting into. It was really cute and enjoyable, but it took me 15 minutes into the show until I realised we were basically going to watch a recap of the entire movie on stage lol! :rofl:
Still it was really cute and would be a good way to get out the heat if it were a warm day.
We finally hopped over to our fastpass for Everest, and had a nice chat with
another couple (that was sparked by their interest in DFi's walking stick lol) but alas just as we got closer to getting on the ride, it was again closed D:
So twice now we've missed out and decided we'll just try our luck another day and headed back home for the day!
stick again
_________________________________________________
After a short rest and a quick refresh we headed over to Jambo House for our dinner reservation at Jiko, which I knew I always had to do, and I stand by it!
After checking in we were led to a nice table by the window and given a verbal tour of the restaurant. We were then served with Moroccan mint tea (from memory?) which we both really liked and that's saying something because DFi doesn't drink tea ever.
Our server for the night was Onsy and he gave us a rundown of the menu. He was so friendly and entertaining, which added to the relaxed atmosphere which was great. He then brought us the bread, to which he claimed he got freshly made from Africa lol and I will never stop believing that it was one of the best bread & butter I've ever had. I love bread and butter regardless, but this was just amazing to me lol!
One of the best filet mignon’s I've ever had, the meat was so smooth and I could not rave about it more. In my early years of planning this trip I always said I would order this dish and I'm glad I did. I won't over-hype it, but that was great, I just wished I had more of that reduction sauce!
DFi ordered the short rib which was also so lovely. It was so enjoyable that I knew anything else I ate from now on would pale in comparison (which is a little sad but I’ll never forget it!).
And there’s always room for dessert! We chose the Kilimanjaro
I had asked if the pineapple component could be taken out the dessert (I'm a weirdo who doesn't enjoy fruity desserts), which was easily done, although Onsy suggested that they can place it separately on the side as it was still a good element that Dfi did enjoy (he didn't want his own dessert for some reason)
It was a really nice night, the restaurant didn't seem too busy at that time, or maybe I just didn't pay attention to where all the other guests were :rofl: but it felt nice and calm and relaxed and intimate (which I'd soon learn is vastly different to Cali Grill, more on that later!)
Now tipping was something DFi (and myself to a degree) reluctantly accepted throughout our trip, although this time DFi was happy to put down over the minimum because overall it was just a great experience, and Onsy was really up there on providing us with an enjoyable experience
We waddled back to the lobby to let our food settle and I got to just sit and stare at the amazing tree, and eventually we headed back to our room, stomachs and hearts full of content!
Last edited:
masterpabu
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2018
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- 146
Thank you! And I definitely agree! although I feel like I may have had sugar withdrawals after the trip, particularly now when I'm writing the report
wvgoofyfan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2006
- Messages
- 409
A great update! and the pictures are awesome....I also enjoyed AKL very much and loved sitting by the fire in the lobby after dinner......By the way, just saw pictures of the baby giraffe and Mom who decided to circumvent the keepers plan and birthed her new baby girl right out on the Savannah in the middle of the afternoon...I think that was yesterday....so many guests riding along got the added benefit of beginning their children's sex education with the miracle of birth....Disney reports Mother and Baby doing very well and now bonding backstage in the giraffe building. It will be some time before they will be allowed out on the Savannah, lol.
masterpabu
Mouseketeer
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- Jan 10, 2018
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Oh my!! I just Googled that and saw one video of it, I couldn't imagine what it'd be like seeing that happen right in front of me!
That's really cool, even if it would put me off my appetite for a while lol all in all it's great news!
LeiaIsAPrincess2
Mouseketeer
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- May 10, 2018
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- 450
I would be so disappointed to miss Everest twice! That's just horrible luck but it looks like the rest of your day was amazing.
masterpabu
Mouseketeer
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- Jan 10, 2018
- Messages
- 146
The second time we were literally one train away from getting on the ride too! But we did manage to do it a few days later so phew! Luckily dinner at Jiko made us forget about it lol!
It's finally Friday so I can't wait to get back to completing the next few day reports! I have our Magic Kingdom day next and then Hollywood Studios, although we had a much, much shorter day there!
masterpabu
Mouseketeer
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- Jan 10, 2018
- Messages
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Day 8! Magic Kingdom, I'm sorry we weren't formally introduced
A not-so-early start to the day! I really thought we'd be up and at the parks before open as I wanted to do at least one rope drop, but that completely flew out the window on our trip lol! But hey it's a holiday and that's the only thing that makes me feel less guilty about it!
Good morning castle!
We made it to Magic Kingdom just a little after opening, really hoping to do SDMT but alas the line was already snaking past towards Dumbo so we decided to get breakfast and enjoy the chilly morning instead. It was a lot lot cooler this morning, sitting at about 10-11 degrees, I was layered up but not enough as it was still quite chilly, so I didn't mind being out in the sun today!
We wandered over to BTMR for our fast pass and it became one of my favourite rides at the parks, and it felt great just to be surrounded by other people having a good time!
As a sidenote, I found that very rarely and luckily, during our time at the parks we rarely came across any rude park goers, which I was anticipating but I was positively surprised that the majority of people we came across or bumped into were really friendly! I guess from all the stories you hear I was expecting the worst but luckily we came across so many nice people so yay!
Anyway end-spiel for now, we then hopped over to Splash Mountain because it was a 5 min wait.
We watched the logs come down a few times, being reassured that the extra splash water had been turned off for the cold morning so we walked on and did I mention that my DFi brought his stick everywhere?
Our seats were wet beforehand so that was the only reason I had to try dry myself in the sun after the ride. We had some time to kill before our fastpass for Haunted Mansion, and so we decided to go to do PoTC, and it was the only other time DFi chose to wait in a 40min line –shock- . I personally didn’t like some of the scents found/smelt in this ride, but the randomly placed photo spot was amusing.
We made our way back over to the Haunted Mansion and crowds had risen considerably by now, with most ride wait times being over 40 minutes (which I still think isn’t so bad!)
DFi had only been on DLR’s Haunted Mansion Holiday version and this was his first time experiencing it without the overlay, to which he confirmed “it is darker” lol. As someone who doesn’t like haunted-anythings, I found both versions to be much more preferable to Disneyland Paris’ one that’s for sure!
Making a mental note to come back later and rest here.
We walked through Fantasy Land and then popped over back to Main Street to get my ears embroidered, and DFi decided to get himself Jack Skellington ears at the same time.
While DFi waited for the hats, I left to go for a walk in search of some popcorn just as the crowds were settling in their spots for the parade, which made it like navigating through a maze of people and prams.
Some weird force in my mind made me choose the Pluto souvenir bucket, it looked cute although I never really saw how anyone ate from it, and that’s when I realised that it was designed to hold the popcorn in such an awkward way and made trying to eat it even harder, oops! (If anyone else shared the same sentiment I'd love to know!)
Finally I made it back to where DFi was, I found a good spot for the parade while he chose to peruse Main St Confectionery instead, but ultimately we decided to skip it and went to Space Mountain instead lol promising we’ll watch it next time!
After the ride DFi decided it was too warm to keep wearing his Christmas sweater and went to buy himself a shirt to change into lol! We had a nice chat with the lovely CM lady about the weather and how this time of the year in the parks have gotten busier compared to what it used to be (if only I got to visit before the secret got out lol!
)
Oh hello again!
Later on we went to Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor which was super fun, DFi was giggling throughout and I could tell how much he would have loved to have been selected for one of the gags. What I found amazing was how each of the audience that was selected were able to play along so well with the jokes and I convinced myself this probably wasn’t their first time because it was all just too good
We then hopped over to the People Mover, and I’m not sure how popular this is amongst the general WDW fanbase but we felt like it was such an underrated ride, it was so relaxing!
As the afternoon rolled into evening we went to the Carousel of Progress, and by the time we got out it was already dark! Darn these short winter days! Luckily the weather didn't get too much cooler, and we started feeling peckish as dinner was approaching.
So I thought I’d try myself a turkey leg! When we were waiting for Monster's Inc. earlier, I had mentioned to DFi that I wondered what the turkey leg would taste like (we don't eat it often/at all back home!), so of course he asked the group of people in front of us what they thought
Some of the girls said it tastes like chicken but gamey, so that was enough of a review for me to try giving it a go later lol!
It was the size of my face!
These look and smell good when you’re hungry, and luckily I thought it tasted quite nice. Until about a third of the way in that’s when it started feeling like way too much lol like waaay and I was questioning how anyone could want to continue eating it. It’d be great if they came in like a regular size!
We originally did plan to stay out on this night for the fireworks and closing, but that was still a couple of hours away and with most wait times being too long to feel like doing, I made the decision to call it a day.
DFi insisted he was happy to stay, but thinking of our half and hour trip back to AKV I thought I’d rather go home now, and that we could stay out next time (that’s what I thought at the time, and looking back on it we really should have stayed lol)
Goodnight MK!
On our trip home I was seated next to a father and what was possibly one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen. Now anyone who knows me would know that children don’t particularly thrill me, but this baby was soooo cute that DFi caught me out being clucky.
When a small baby with big bright eyes reaches out their tiny hands to try and touch you, how could you resist?!
Her dad chuckled and gently told her “no you can’t grab other people”, although in my mind I wanted to say NO ITS OKAY REALLY lol and for a while she was reaching out towards our Na'vi glowing walking stick, I guess kids were particularly entranced by it.
We got to our room and while DFi jumped into bed with a movie turned on, I decided to pop on the rose gold glitter skin
So happy with how pretty it looked! I also had a glowing set which DFi wanted, but he was too fidgety with his and the sticker didn't stick as well, oh well!
All in all a pretty good day and tomorrow we would be off to Hollywood Studios!
A not-so-early start to the day! I really thought we'd be up and at the parks before open as I wanted to do at least one rope drop, but that completely flew out the window on our trip lol! But hey it's a holiday and that's the only thing that makes me feel less guilty about it!
Good morning castle!
We made it to Magic Kingdom just a little after opening, really hoping to do SDMT but alas the line was already snaking past towards Dumbo so we decided to get breakfast and enjoy the chilly morning instead. It was a lot lot cooler this morning, sitting at about 10-11 degrees, I was layered up but not enough as it was still quite chilly, so I didn't mind being out in the sun today!
We wandered over to BTMR for our fast pass and it became one of my favourite rides at the parks, and it felt great just to be surrounded by other people having a good time!
As a sidenote, I found that very rarely and luckily, during our time at the parks we rarely came across any rude park goers, which I was anticipating but I was positively surprised that the majority of people we came across or bumped into were really friendly! I guess from all the stories you hear I was expecting the worst but luckily we came across so many nice people so yay!
Anyway end-spiel for now, we then hopped over to Splash Mountain because it was a 5 min wait.
We watched the logs come down a few times, being reassured that the extra splash water had been turned off for the cold morning
so we walked on and did I mention that my DFi brought his stick everywhere?
Our seats were wet beforehand so that was the only reason I had to try dry myself in the sun after the ride. We had some time to kill before our fastpass for Haunted Mansion, and so we decided to go to do PoTC, and it was the only other time DFi chose to wait in a 40min line –shock- . I personally didn’t like some of the scents found/smelt in this ride, but the randomly placed photo spot was amusing.
We made our way back over to the Haunted Mansion and crowds had risen considerably by now, with most ride wait times being over 40 minutes (which I still think isn’t so bad!)
DFi had only been on DLR’s Haunted Mansion Holiday version and this was his first time experiencing it without the overlay, to which he confirmed “it is darker” lol. As someone who doesn’t like haunted-anythings, I found both versions to be much more preferable to Disneyland Paris’ one that’s for sure!
Making a mental note to come back later and rest here.
We walked through Fantasy Land and then popped over back to Main Street to get my ears embroidered, and DFi decided to get himself Jack Skellington ears at the same time.
While DFi waited for the hats, I left to go for a walk in search of some popcorn just as the crowds were settling in their spots for the parade, which made it like navigating through a maze of people and prams.
Some weird force in my mind made me choose the Pluto souvenir bucket, it looked cute although I never really saw how anyone ate from it, and that’s when I realised that it was designed to hold the popcorn in such an awkward way and made trying to eat it even harder, oops!
(If anyone else shared the same sentiment I'd love to know!)Finally I made it back to where DFi was, I found a good spot for the parade while he chose to peruse Main St Confectionery instead, but ultimately we decided to skip it and went to Space Mountain instead lol promising we’ll watch it next time!
After the ride DFi decided it was too warm to keep wearing his Christmas sweater and went to buy himself a shirt to change into lol! We had a nice chat with the lovely CM lady about the weather and how this time of the year in the parks have gotten busier compared to what it used to be (if only I got to visit before the secret got out lol!
)
Oh hello again!
Later on we went to Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor which was super fun, DFi was giggling throughout and I could tell how much he would have loved to have been selected for one of the gags. What I found amazing was how each of the audience that was selected were able to play along so well with the jokes and I convinced myself this probably wasn’t their first time because it was all just too good
We then hopped over to the People Mover, and I’m not sure how popular this is amongst the general WDW fanbase but we felt like it was such an underrated ride, it was so relaxing!
As the afternoon rolled into evening we went to the Carousel of Progress, and by the time we got out it was already dark! Darn these short winter days! Luckily the weather didn't get too much cooler, and we started feeling peckish as dinner was approaching.
So I thought I’d try myself a turkey leg! When we were waiting for Monster's Inc. earlier, I had mentioned to DFi that I wondered what the turkey leg would taste like (we don't eat it often/at all back home!), so of course he asked the group of people in front of us what they thought
Some of the girls said it tastes like chicken but gamey, so that was enough of a review for me to try giving it a go later lol!
It was the size of my face!
These look and smell good when you’re hungry, and luckily I thought it tasted quite nice. Until about a third of the way in that’s when it started feeling like way too much lol like waaay and I was questioning how anyone could want to continue eating it. It’d be great if they came in like a regular size!
We originally did plan to stay out on this night for the fireworks and closing, but that was still a couple of hours away and with most wait times being too long to feel like doing, I made the decision to call it a day.
DFi insisted he was happy to stay, but thinking of our half and hour trip back to AKV I thought I’d rather go home now, and that we could stay out next time (that’s what I thought at the time, and looking back on it we really should have stayed lol)
Goodnight MK!
On our trip home I was seated next to a father and what was possibly one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen. Now anyone who knows me would know that children don’t particularly thrill me, but this baby was soooo cute that DFi caught me out being clucky.
When a small baby with big bright eyes reaches out their tiny hands to try and touch you, how could you resist?!
Her dad chuckled and gently told her “no you can’t grab other people”, although in my mind I wanted to say NO ITS OKAY REALLY lol and for a while she was reaching out towards our Na'vi glowing walking stick, I guess kids were particularly entranced by it.We got to our room and while DFi jumped into bed with a movie turned on, I decided to pop on the rose gold glitter skin
So happy with how pretty it looked! I also had a glowing set which DFi wanted, but he was too fidgety with his and the sticker didn't stick as well, oh well!
All in all a pretty good day and tomorrow we would be off to Hollywood Studios!
wvgoofyfan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2006
- Messages
- 409
Happy to see that you are making happy "Mickey" memories and glad to be reading along.........
masterpabu
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2018
- Messages
- 146
Day 9! We're going to Hollywood!
We treated ourselves to a mini sleep in this morning and made it to the bus at around 9 ish (because when we were walking to the lobby we noticed some giraffes walking about, so we stopped to watch them lol!)
Again, so much for rope drop!
There was a bit of a chill in the air this morning!
We got to the park and skipped over to Tower of Terror as the wait was 15mins, much to my displeasure lol. I was not looking forward to it especially now that I knew what the ride would be like, it just made me dread it more but I was sure to make DFi make up for it later!
We had brought our Pluto popcorn bucket with us today, and goodness I think I became more worried about keeping it from flying about on the ride
After the ride was done and dusted (promising myself never to do it again), we strolled down Sunset Boulevard, DFi again feeling the need to stop by every single shop along the street while I soaked up the warmth in the sun.
We weren't able to get fastpass for Slinky Dog and as we didn't make it for rope drop, my hopes of doing the ride slipped away each passing minute, as we eventually walked over to Toy Story Land and the wait was at 60 minutes -sigh-
We instead just went over to Toy Story Mania for our fastpass for that and had a very competitive round.
Titled: "Pluto amused by domino block and man pretending to push said block"
As much as we would have liked to enjoy the rest of the land more, it was incredibly crowded! If the theming around the land didn't already make us feel small enough, the amount of people in there sure did!
I got to longingly gaze at the Slinky Dash ride for a minute and accepted that there was nothing to convince DFi (or even myself) that we would feel like waiting in line, so here's to hoping on our future return I will be able to snag a fastpass or two!
Bye Woody, and bye crowds!
We went back out into the fresh open air and wandered over to Centre Stage in time to catch the March of the First Order. I can admit I've never watched any of the Star Wars films, and don't really have any plans to but I somehow love the Storm Troopers and Darth Vader thanks to the internet.
Also having seen videos of their interactions with park guests were always so funny, so to have it happen to us personally was awesome!
Towards the end of the show DFi went to get himself a beer, so I went over as well to wait for the Storm Troopers and co. to march back.
I was recording them make their way back, when in the corner of my eye (and unfortunately out of the camera shot) I saw DFi blow a kiss to them. The reaction to this was 100% expected and 100% hilarious
And thus that became one of our favourite moments!
We decided to see the next showing for Indiana Jones Stunt show, so we quickly went over and (finally!) got our popcorn bucket refilled and went to the show.
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this, but we really enjoyed it! The extra's that were "casted" from the crowd were hilarious, and similar to Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, I couldn't but wonder how some people just know how to be so funny!
A part of me now wished I was able to record the whole extra's interaction because boy it was funny, and DFi enjoyed it so much he wished we were sitting closer to the front so he could've been chosen (one of the things I must accept in life, marrying a guy who loves to be in the spotlight!)
Our next fastpass was for Rock n Roller Coaster, and while I was hoping this ride wouldn't be too bad, I would quickly learn that wasn't the case lol! While there was some fun in it I found myself feeling quite a bit wonky afterwards and definitely didn't feel like lunch would be necessary for me
We went to sit at the Ranch market for a while, DFi went to get some lunch while I nursed myself back alive with an effective cup of Coke.
Also while we were there a lady came up to us and asked, if I recall correctly, "What is that?!" as she was very interested by our Pluto bucket! I showed her how the bucket opened up and might have done Disney a disservice by telling her it's not the most practical bucket, but it was mainly still really cute lol! So you're welcome Disney Corporation
We only had our fastpass for Star Tours afterwards, and with some time to kill we strolled over to the Launch Bay, where DFi found himself his next favourite gadet and bought himself a Light Saber Umbrella.
Of course it's pretty cool to have, but for the price he better use that thing every time, even if the tiniest drop of rain falls! At least he decided to have it sent back to our resort so phew!
We went to Star Tours, and although I had enjoyed it the first time at DLR, this time round I felt woozy afterwards (I'd like to thank motion sickness). I simply concluded that sitting at the front row may have been a factor, as being in the back row last time I felt fine lol!
After a very long wait at ABC Commissary for one "frozen hot chocolate" and watching the very cute Star Wars Academy, we decided there wasn't really much else we wanted to do!
We had a dinner reservation at Disney Springs later anyway, so we called it a day at about 3 pm and went back to the resort for a rest.
So for us HS was very much a half day!
________________________________________________________
After a few hours of rest, we headed out to Disney Springs for dinner at Rainforest Cafe. DFi was determined for us to go there lol!
It was much cooler that night so we got out our warm jackets, and after showing my sister and a few people some of our photos, that's how I titled this trip report
We had to explain to a few people that yes, Orlando winter can get chilly! Not everyday of course, but on the cold days it was comparable to winter back home in Sydney so nothing we weren't used to. But it definitely added to the Christmas feel in the air, Christmas at home is always just hot!
Anyway! Dinner was nice, we had a table next in the Gorilla side (because apparently DFi liked it when he was younger) and although we planned to get the Volcano brownie dessert, we both were too full to keep going
We then went for a stroll through some shops and I absolutely adored the Christmas store. We didn't buy anything but planned to come back tomorrow morning anyway, and just enjoyed window shopping for now.
The nightly entertainment was also so lovely so walk by, and it was a nice night overall. In hindsight we definitely enjoyed Disney Springs at night a lot more than during the day, but we'd only find that out the next day
After an hour or two we called it a day and headed back to get a bus home.
Good night Disney Springs!
Again, so much for rope drop!
There was a bit of a chill in the air this morning!
We got to the park and skipped over to Tower of Terror as the wait was 15mins, much to my displeasure lol. I was not looking forward to it especially now that I knew what the ride would be like, it just made me dread it more but I was sure to make DFi make up for it later!
We had brought our Pluto popcorn bucket with us today, and goodness I think I became more worried about keeping it from flying about on the ride
After the ride was done and dusted (promising myself never to do it again), we strolled down Sunset Boulevard, DFi again feeling the need to stop by every single shop along the street while I soaked up the warmth in the sun.
We weren't able to get fastpass for Slinky Dog and as we didn't make it for rope drop, my hopes of doing the ride slipped away each passing minute, as we eventually walked over to Toy Story Land and the wait was at 60 minutes -sigh-
We instead just went over to Toy Story Mania for our fastpass for that and had a very competitive round.
Titled: "Pluto amused by domino block and man pretending to push said block"
As much as we would have liked to enjoy the rest of the land more, it was incredibly crowded! If the theming around the land didn't already make us feel small enough, the amount of people in there sure did!
I got to longingly gaze at the Slinky Dash ride for a minute and accepted that there was nothing to convince DFi (or even myself) that we would feel like waiting in line, so here's to hoping on our future return I will be able to snag a fastpass or two!
Bye Woody, and bye crowds!
We went back out into the fresh open air and wandered over to Centre Stage in time to catch the March of the First Order. I can admit I've never watched any of the Star Wars films, and don't really have any plans to
but I somehow love the Storm Troopers and Darth Vader thanks to the internet.Also having seen videos of their interactions with park guests were always so funny, so to have it happen to us personally was awesome!
Towards the end of the show DFi went to get himself a beer, so I went over as well to wait for the Storm Troopers and co. to march back.
I was recording them make their way back, when in the corner of my eye (and unfortunately out of the camera shot) I saw DFi blow a kiss to them. The reaction to this was 100% expected and 100% hilarious
And thus that became one of our favourite moments!
We decided to see the next showing for Indiana Jones Stunt show, so we quickly went over and (finally!) got our popcorn bucket refilled and went to the show.
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this, but we really enjoyed it! The extra's that were "casted" from the crowd were hilarious, and similar to Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, I couldn't but wonder how some people just know how to be so funny!
A part of me now wished I was able to record the whole extra's interaction because boy it was funny, and DFi enjoyed it so much he wished we were sitting closer to the front so he could've been chosen
(one of the things I must accept in life, marrying a guy who loves to be in the spotlight!)Our next fastpass was for Rock n Roller Coaster, and while I was hoping this ride wouldn't be too bad, I would quickly learn that wasn't the case lol! While there was some fun in it I found myself feeling quite a bit wonky afterwards and definitely didn't feel like lunch would be necessary for me
We went to sit at the Ranch market for a while, DFi went to get some lunch while I nursed myself back alive with an effective cup of Coke.
Also while we were there a lady came up to us and asked, if I recall correctly, "What is that?!" as she was very interested by our Pluto bucket!
I showed her how the bucket opened up and might have done Disney a disservice by telling her it's not the most practical bucket, but it was mainly still really cute lol! So you're welcome Disney Corporation
We only had our fastpass for Star Tours afterwards, and with some time to kill we strolled over to the Launch Bay, where DFi found himself his next favourite gadet and bought himself a Light Saber Umbrella.
Of course it's pretty cool to have, but for the price he better use that thing every time, even if the tiniest drop of rain falls!
At least he decided to have it sent back to our resort so phew!We went to Star Tours, and although I had enjoyed it the first time at DLR, this time round I felt woozy afterwards (I'd like to thank motion sickness). I simply concluded that sitting at the front row may have been a factor, as being in the back row last time I felt fine lol!
After a very long wait at ABC Commissary for one "frozen hot chocolate" and watching the very cute Star Wars Academy, we decided there wasn't really much else we wanted to do!
We had a dinner reservation at Disney Springs later anyway, so we called it a day at about 3 pm and went back to the resort for a rest.
So for us HS was very much a half day!
________________________________________________________
After a few hours of rest, we headed out to Disney Springs for dinner at Rainforest Cafe. DFi was determined for us to go there lol!
It was much cooler that night so we got out our warm jackets, and after showing my sister and a few people some of our photos, that's how I titled this trip report
We had to explain to a few people that yes, Orlando winter can get chilly! Not everyday of course, but on the cold days it was comparable to winter back home in Sydney so nothing we weren't used to. But it definitely added to the Christmas feel in the air, Christmas at home is always just hot!
Anyway! Dinner was nice, we had a table next in the Gorilla side (because apparently DFi liked it when he was younger) and although we planned to get the Volcano brownie dessert, we both were too full to keep going
We then went for a stroll through some shops and I absolutely adored the Christmas store. We didn't buy anything but planned to come back tomorrow morning anyway, and just enjoyed window shopping for now.
The nightly entertainment was also so lovely so walk by, and it was a nice night overall. In hindsight we definitely enjoyed Disney Springs at night a lot more than during the day, but we'd only find that out the next day
After an hour or two we called it a day and headed back to get a bus home.
Good night Disney Springs!
wvgoofyfan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2006
- Messages
- 409
Lovely pic in front of the tree at Disney Springs...Do you really say you have not watched the Star Wars Films.....I am speechless at the thought of anybody missing out on all that entertainment....
masterpabu
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2018
- Messages
- 146
Thank you! And yes that is a sad truth of mine lol! I didn't grow up in a family that watched Star Wars, my sister and I just watched the usual classic Disney movies and the lot but never any Star Wars and I never got into it while growing up
I did watch The Last Jedi when DFi made me though!
DisneyLifePapioNe
UOAP
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2017
- Messages
- 2,689
Enjoying your report!
We were at WDW 11-23-18 til 12-6-18 on another of our trips.
We were at WDW 11-23-18 til 12-6-18 on another of our trips.
masterpabu
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2018
- Messages
- 146
Day 10 - Is one park closed because it feels like everyone's at Disney Springs
The next morning was more relaxed, we planned on going back to Disney Springs in the morning and then back to Animal Kingdom again in the afternoon.
It was also to be our last night at Kidani Village so we soaked up our time in our room for as much as we could!
After a sleep in we hopped onto the bus to Disney Springs. We had a nice time the night before, much more relaxed compared to today! We got there and headed to get some food, DFi got himself a pizza and beer (at least it was past breakfast) and I couldn't make up my mind! We wandered around to see what I felt like eating and all I really wanted was something sweet. So I got myself a thick shake from Ghirardelli and then we popped into Amorette's Patisserie, where my sweet tooth must've been satisfied for the next month and a half
Now I just wanted to enjoy the creme brulee, but DFi thought I was holding back from also getting the Mickey mousse. But I really wasn't, I already knew I would only just get through the brulee.
I was right
I was able to finish most of mine and DFi, being someone who doesn't even have a sweet tooth, gave up and I had to try fight some more of the mousse down. Suffice to say, I didn't need dessert for the next 2 days.
After the sugar rush came and went, we popped over to World of Disney, where it seemed like everyone was there.
It was a party night so that's the only way I understood why it was so crowded by midday, I didn't even get to look at everything because of all the people!
We ended up just getting some souvenirs, DFi insisting he buy me the big fluffy Minnie slippers, and to quote Gloria from Modern Family "they're like pillows".
After wandering around for a while we decided to go back to the resort for a bit of a refresh before heading out to AK later.
After a laying down for a few hours we got ourselves back out the room and headed for AK.
It was also dinner time for the animals just as we were going through to the lobby, so of course I stayed back for a few minutes lol!
Back to Animal Kingdom!
I've probably said this already but it is one of my favourite trees in the parks
Now for the first couple of days getting through the entrance was a bit of a fumble for me when it came to scanning my finger. I have very small, dainty fingers and no matter how I tried the scan just couldn't read my finger (I later looked up on the forums and was relieved it wasn't just me!)
Anyway! We made our way to Expedition Everest as soon as our fastpass window came around. And third time's a charm, we got onto the ride without a hitch! It was really enjoyable, eerie, but enjoyable, and I just loved everything about the theming in everything at AK.
I can admit I kept my eyes closed to avoid seeing the Yeti (yes I'm 25 but still get spooked by such things)
Our next fastpass was for Flight of Passage so off we went!
Who doesn't love a colourful sky!
Many times I wished I had taken out my camera with me to the parks, but alas hindsight is a funny thing. Next time I definitely will!
By the time we got to Pandora the sunlight faded and we got to see the land illuminated which was cool, but at the same time risky as even I struggled a little to see where I was going without squinting (I swear my eyesight is still in tact too lol!) Luckily DFi had his stick with him and I could at least see where he was and at times used it as a lead
We rarely ever saw the wait for FoP be anything less than 110 minutes, and it was a good thing I got fastpasses because there was no way either of us wanted to wait in line that long.
The ride was quite enjoyable, for some reason we skipped Soarin on our entire trip, so at least we did this!
The prior warnings about motion sickness and the like worried me a bit, and while it was quite fun and I did like the scent of the ocean in-ride, I did walk out finding myself a little woozy lol!
Woozy and trying not to stumble in the dark, we made our way back to Asia for some food before the Rivers of Light showing.
Boy did I miss rice! My love for rice aside, it was still one of the best quick service meals we had!
After a lovely quick feed, we went to get seats for the show. It was a rather soothing experience, and although water projections are nothing new, I really enjoyed the music throughout the show and it was one of the highlights for me!
Surprisingly DFi managed to get some photos and even videos while I was too busy watching Always good to have a second set of eyes!
After the show we made our way back out the park, saying goodbye to an amazing park!
We of course stopped by the shops, DFi again trying on as many hats he could while I looked for all the Lion King related items as requested by my sister lol!
It was also at this point where we both realised how there isn't a main attraction that is centered around The Lion King. Sure there's Festival of the Lion King (which we unfortunately didn't put aside time for) but we wondered why there isn't a ride for it. If anyone could provide some enlightenment on this please do!
We hopped back on the bus home, said goodnight to the pretty lobby tree and went back to enjoy a good and last night's sleep at AKV
The next morning was more relaxed, we planned on going back to Disney Springs in the morning and then back to Animal Kingdom again in the afternoon.
It was also to be our last night at Kidani Village so we soaked up our time in our room for as much as we could!
After a sleep in we hopped onto the bus to Disney Springs. We had a nice time the night before, much more relaxed compared to today! We got there and headed to get some food, DFi got himself a pizza and beer (at least it was past breakfast
) and I couldn't make up my mind! We wandered around to see what I felt like eating and all I really wanted was something sweet. So I got myself a thick shake from Ghirardelli and then we popped into Amorette's Patisserie, where my sweet tooth must've been satisfied for the next month and a half
Now I just wanted to enjoy the creme brulee, but DFi thought I was holding back from also getting the Mickey mousse. But I really wasn't, I already knew I would only just get through the brulee.
I was right
I was able to finish most of mine and DFi, being someone who doesn't even have a sweet tooth, gave up and I had to try fight some more of the mousse down. Suffice to say, I didn't need dessert for the next 2 days.
After the sugar rush came and went, we popped over to World of Disney, where it seemed like everyone was there.
It was a party night so that's the only way I understood why it was so crowded by midday, I didn't even get to look at everything because of all the people!
We ended up just getting some souvenirs, DFi insisting he buy me the big fluffy Minnie slippers, and to quote Gloria from Modern Family "they're like pillows".
After wandering around for a while we decided to go back to the resort for a bit of a refresh before heading out to AK later.
After a laying down for a few hours we got ourselves back out the room and headed for AK.
It was also dinner time for the animals just as we were going through to the lobby, so of course I stayed back for a few minutes lol!
Back to Animal Kingdom!
I've probably said this already but it is one of my favourite trees in the parks
Now for the first couple of days getting through the entrance was a bit of a fumble for me when it came to scanning my finger. I have very small, dainty fingers and no matter how I tried the scan just couldn't read my finger (I later looked up on the forums and was relieved it wasn't just me!
) Anyway! We made our way to Expedition Everest as soon as our fastpass window came around. And third time's a charm, we got onto the ride without a hitch! It was really enjoyable, eerie, but enjoyable, and I just loved everything about the theming in everything at AK.
I can admit I kept my eyes closed to avoid seeing the Yeti (yes I'm 25 but still get spooked by such things
)Our next fastpass was for Flight of Passage so off we went!
Who doesn't love a colourful sky!
Many times I wished I had taken out my camera with me to the parks, but alas hindsight is a funny thing. Next time I definitely will!
By the time we got to Pandora the sunlight faded and we got to see the land illuminated which was cool, but at the same time risky as even I struggled a little to see where I was going without squinting (I swear my eyesight is still in tact too lol!) Luckily DFi had his stick with him and I could at least see where he was and at times used it as a lead
We rarely ever saw the wait for FoP be anything less than 110 minutes, and it was a good thing I got fastpasses because there was no way either of us wanted to wait in line that long.
The ride was quite enjoyable, for some reason we skipped Soarin on our entire trip, so at least we did this!
The prior warnings about motion sickness and the like worried me a bit, and while it was quite fun and I did like the scent of the ocean in-ride, I did walk out finding myself a little woozy lol!
Woozy and trying not to stumble in the dark, we made our way back to Asia for some food before the Rivers of Light showing.
Boy did I miss rice! My love for rice aside, it was still one of the best quick service meals we had!
After a lovely quick feed, we went to get seats for the show. It was a rather soothing experience, and although water projections are nothing new, I really enjoyed the music throughout the show and it was one of the highlights for me!
Surprisingly DFi managed to get some photos and even videos while I was too busy watching
Always good to have a second set of eyes!After the show we made our way back out the park, saying goodbye to an amazing park!
We of course stopped by the shops, DFi again trying on as many hats he could while I looked for all the Lion King related items as requested by my sister lol!
It was also at this point where we both realised how there isn't a main attraction that is centered around The Lion King. Sure there's Festival of the Lion King (which we unfortunately didn't put aside time for) but we wondered why there isn't a ride for it. If anyone could provide some enlightenment on this please do!
We hopped back on the bus home, said goodnight to the pretty lobby tree and went back to enjoy a good and last night's sleep at AKV
LeiaIsAPrincess2
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 10, 2018
- Messages
- 450
Sounds like a perfect evening at Animal Kingdom!
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