3 Trips in 1 year with a Side of Baseball and Scotland - Updated 10/3 The End

Scott texted me that he and Vinny were headed to United Kingdom and I met them there. We waited for a mutual friend to meet up with us as she was arriving that day. Saw Mary Poppins


Scott went to get some drinks for us all so I sat and had a wonderful time chatting with Vinny. Scott came back with the drinks and Leslie was right behind him. We sat and chatted for a few more minutes and then wandered the World Showcase. I took some pictures and we sampled some foods.




I stopped at the Poland Food Booth for my "soul" food. Kielbasa and potato pierogie with caramelized onion and sour cream - $5.50.


And the Sauerkraut pierogie with pork goulash - $5.50.


The potato pierogie was good but could have used a little more sour cream. The sauerkraut pierogie was good but that was NOT the goulash my Gram made. She was 100% Polish so I know Polish food. It was OK but not what I expected.

I had a beautiful view


Stopped to get a picture with Duffy




And then we said our good-byes. I was going to be heading out of the park and back to the resort. I stopped at the Scotland Food Booth and tried the Seared Scallop with Spinach cheddar gratin and Crispy Bacon - $4.75. I also got the Tipsy Laird: Whiskey Soaked Cake with Lemon Cream and Toasted Oats - $3.25.


These were both excellent. The scallop was cooked to perfection and the Tipsy Laird was not overpowered by the whiskey. While I ate I debated one last sample there. I had a bus driver from "Scotland" by way of Pittsburgh. I asked him if Haggis was anything like Scrapple. Scrapple is a regional thing so I was surprised when he said it was similar. That's when I found out he grew up in Pittsburgh. So I decided to give the Haggis with Neeps and Tatties (rutabaga and potatoes) $4.75 a try


I was so glad I did as it was really very good.

I headed towards the exit taking pictures


Took a last ride on Test Track and a one last picture of EPCOT


When I got back to the resort I headed to Mara for a scone for the plane and a drink. Then I remembered I had packed my resort mug. The CM was really nice and gave me a paper cup to get some iced tea. I took a few pics around the resort




A nursing baby Giraffe


Picture of my room from the pool area
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I headed to the Magical Express area to wait for my ride to the airport. I had been given 2 different times so of course I opted for the later one. It turned put that Joanne, the woman I rented my points from, was also on this bus. We sat and chatted on the way to the airport and my March trip started coming together. She was going to rent me points once again. We said our good-byes and I promised to email my info in the morning.

I thought I had plenty of time when we got to the airport. I had TSA pre-check so I headed there and then I hit a solid brick wall of trouble. I glowed when I went through the scanner. I had to go through again without my glasses and I glowed again. They used the wand and I had NO BEEPS!!!! They decided they had to search me because MY HEAD GLOWED!!!! I flipped out and demanded a supervisor. I have really short hair so there was nothing hidden there, I did not beep and they had taken almost an hour of my time already. The supervisor came over and asked what was going on. I asked her if only my head was an issue, I didn't beep and my hair is short so obviously nothing is hiding in it why do I need to be searched. She had some common sense and looked at the scan and my head and let me through. I got to my gate with about 10 minutes to spare.

My husband used to travel with his job getting extraditions and he HATED going through Florida. He once had a TSA agent tell him he had to unshackle his custody. He was to go through one line, the custody a different line and his partner a third line. They refused obviously. After 30 years in law enforcement my husband has an odd sense of humor. He looked at the agent - straight faced- and said, "OK but when he takes off I will have to shoot him as a fleeing felon and YOU get to do all the paperwork and explain it to my captain!" The TSA agent looked at him shocked and said. "Guns??? You can't have guns!!!" They missed their flight and his captain was NOT happy.

I made it to my gate in time and got one last picture


The ride home was a little bumpy but I got home on time. There was a bad weather pattern moving in and Joanne was held up for several hours for her flight to New York.
We landed and I headed to the baggage claim carousel. Called Jim to let him know and I waited. There were 2 flights on the carousel. I had a really BIG guy stand in front of me blocking my view. He was really nice and helped me get my suitcase and then I realized who he was - Vince Papale. The former Eagle football player that the Mark Wahlberg movie Invincible was about. I was so upset I didn't have my camera out.

Overall it was a fantastic trip. My first totally solo and I loved it.

Stay tuned I will be doing March soon.
 
:wave: I just wanted to say hello. I just started reading your report. Still on day one and going back to finish reading now. Three trips in one year is great. I'm looking forward to hearing all about them.
 
:welcome:Thanks for joining in. Reliving the trips right now is taking me away from real life stress so I will be posting the start of Trip 2 tonight or tomorrow.
 
Trip 2 - March 2016

This will be from memory until I find my notebook. I began making plans for this trip as soon as I came home in September. I knew I was renting points again so I really needed to get my dates set for Joanne. I also knew since we would be heading to some baseball games we might not always get to the parks. I decided to surprise Jim with a Savannah view.

Then we had to figure out transportation. He was insisting on driving again. It's a 16 hour or so drive depending on traffic. My car is getting older and I would like it to last for a few more years. The biggest drawback is that it's a 16 HOUR DRIVE!!! I have a bad back and it is too much for me. I refused to go if he drove. I won the battle we flew. I really like Southwest out of Philadelphia. Usually they have great early flights. I checked and not only did they have a good flight down they had a great flight back and the price was reasonable. Airfare was taken care of.

Next step was a rental car. This gets a little tricky as Jim and I both have had issues with Enterprise and were banned from them and their affiliates at one point. The reason is really stupid. I was in a minor fender bender about 10 years earlier. It was 2 days before Christmas. Unfortunately the accident somehow caused my oil pump to seize so I needed a car quickly on Christmas Eve. It was 10 minutes til they closed and we all checked the car. It seemed OK. The day before I returned the car I realized the side view mirror was loose. Closer inspection showed it had been glued back on at one time. I mentioned it when I returned the car. They tried charging me $150 for the repairs. I refused to pay it. I didn't damage the mirror and I was not paying for it. Since it actually looked like chewing gum holding the mirror on I told them to do a DNA test to prove I did the damage. I was banned.

A few years later someone vandalized Jims truck. They smashed in every window and damaged the frame around one window. We think we know who did it because not one thing was taken from the truck including several pairs of handcuffs, some change and his patrol jacket. It was personal. Anyway he rented a car from Enterprise. The brakes failed one night and he tapped a bumper on a parked van. I took pics and there was no damage to either vehicle. We had Enterprise tow the car because we both felt it wasn't safe to drive. A month later we got a bill for $1000. The damage was a huge scrape on the under carriage. We called our insurance company and they denied the claim. Jim was banned.

I went to AAA and got a great deal on a car from Hertz. Even better the price went down before we left. Rental car done.

That left the baseball tickets and Jim's park tickets. AAA came in handy again. Jim's ticket was from there - 4 days with 3 days free and a park hopper. I had my AP from the September trip.

Baseball proved to be harder. Tickets and dates for Spring Training do not come out til after the World Series and they are released slowly. Then there is a problem with some teams not putting tickets on sale to January, like the Phillies. I wanted to surprise Jim with the games for Christmas but that wasn't to be. I knew we would get one game at the ESPN complex with the Braves and Phillies and I got awesome seats. I was happy. I finally had to tell him what was going on and it was a great thing I did. He has a friend/co-worker who works for the Phillies part time. He got us the 2 games in Clearwater a month before they went on sale and at a fantastic price.

All I had to do now was sit back and wait. We had a ride to the airport with our son in law. Our son would pick us up on our return. The son was also taking our dog for the week and making sure our house was ok and the cats were fed and watered.

OK enough of the boring picture less background.

Trip Number 2 with a side of baseball begins now. Day 1 March 9th

I was packed the night before the trip for once. I also had the backpack ready so nothing much to do in the morning. A good thing as I overslept. I get ready quickly though and a good thing as our son in law was a 1/2 hour early. Turned out that he took a vacation day and wanted to beat the traffic back home so he could go back to bed.
We were at the airport in no time and check-in and TSA was a breeze. We sat at the gate and my lack of caffeine kicked in. 5 minutes before boarding Jim asked me if I wanted a coffee from the McDonalds. My response wasn't very nice. We were boarded and in the air on time. I took a few pictures trying to get the sunrise. I was happier with these




That is the mouth of the Delaware Bay with Cape May to the left and Delaware to the right. There are also ships heading into the channel to head up towards Philadelphia. After that I pretty much put the camera away and read my Kindle. I did get a Dr. Pepper so at least got a little caffeine in me.

We landed in Orlando about 20 minutes early. After a quick stop at the rest rooms we were off to baggage claim. Since we rented a car there was no ease of Magical Express. The luggage was off the plane quickly and we were off to the Hertz counter for our car. I had reserved a Toyota Corolla size car. When we got there they offered an upgrade to a smaller SUV. Jim wanted it and the price was what I originally got the car for so I gave in. But I got to control the radio. Jim would listen to nothing but the 60's if I let him have the radio.

We were off to the parking garage and found the car - a Ford Escape. Jim was really happy. It was bigger and a Ford. I also let Jim do all of the driving. He got lost in the parking garage. Seriously!!! Finally on the road we were soon seeing this



And he found the resort


I had a text that our room was ready. Then Walker called to tell me they would be at the resort almost the same time we got there. I was happy. I got the scooter and Jim got our luggage. We found the room with no problem. It was very close to where I stayed in September. This was our view


And our room






Small kitchen area and my only real complaint is they only give enough coffee for one or 2 days


Some more of the view and animals
[url=https://flic.kr/p/HMsY9Y]




Pandora construction in the distance


Native bird


We headed down to Mara to get a mug and then Jim decided he wanted his own. We filled up our water bottles and were off to the bus stop and our first park.[/url]
 


Quick update

Day 1 continues. When I last posted we had arrived at AKL and were off to our first park of the trip. This part was for me and I wanted EPCOT. It was Flower and Garden time and I couldn't wait. In an ECV you get interesting perspectives quite often. This was my view as we headed to the entrance from the bus stop.


If that's anyone on here I apologize but just NOT a good look. I am older and plus sized unfortunately. This woman looked to be older than I am and spandex just isn't a good look. They were cute pants if you were thinner and younger.

Made it to the entrance and the reason I picked this park first




I love seeing how they switch things around every year. Jim wanted his favorite first ride so we were off to Spaceship Earth. I think it just gives him a Disney feel, who am I to argue? I took some pictures but managed to get a decent shot of this for once


I never knew the car was red. And our future. I was telling Jim to smile for his picture and this is what my face looked like? I am going back to crazy faces



Started to head over to Test Track and found Buzz Lightyear



We went on Test Track and Jim designed the car with a few design adjustments from me



We then just started to wander. Found Lightning McQueen



and Mater



Some pretty flowers



and some cactus


https://flic.kr/p/TfQJ9U


We headed over towards the Butterfly Tent. I LOVE Butterflies. I planted a Butterfly Bush on my front lawn/garden space years ago and would sit out there all summer taking pictures. Jim wasn't feeling the butterflies so he sat and waited for me.
Red Admiral



Common Buckeye


https://flic.kr/p/TfQJ9U


Monarch and one of my favorite pics for the composition of the picture more than anything. I don't do post editing yet so this is straight out of the camera



Great Southern White



And a Poppy



I headed out knowing I would be back again and found Jim where I left him. We headed off to continue wandering. We found

Mickey Mouse



Phineas and Ferb. Do not ask me which one is Phineas and which one is Ferb. I ask my grandson all of the time. His response has gotten funny, "Grandmom AGAIN??? You need to remember this."



Pluto



and Minnie



And we were at the World Showcase and ready to start some sampling of the food booths.

I will end here and hopefully update later in the day. But definitely soon. I need to get moving on this so I can plan my big November Trip.
 
When I left off we were in the World Showcase and headed to our first food booth. First up was La Isla Fresca and the Jamaican Braised Beef with Pigeon Pea Rice and Micro Cilantro for $5.75.


And the Tres Leches with Guava Puree for $3.75


The Jamaican braised beef was good but had no cilantro. The Tres Leches was awesome. I could have eaten it by myself.

Took a picture of a pretty flower while we shared our food


And then we moved on to Jardin de Fiestas. We got the Corn Quesadilla served with Roasted Mushrooms and Zucchini Blossoms topped with green tomatilla sauce for $5.50



This was a total miss. The mushrooms were the best part of the quesadilla. We were glad the sauce was on the side because neither of us liked it. There was no zucchini blossom to be found either.

Since we were in Mexico we headed into the pavilion to go on the ride and look around.
Gran Fiesta Tour




Moved on to Norway and found Anna and Elsa




Moving on we came to China and the Lotus House with one of my favorites - Beijing Style Candied Strawberries for $4.95


I was nice and shared them. These are so good with a nice sweet candied coating that balances the slight tartness of the berries. The only thing wrong with them is they get very sticky. Jim finally got in the Disney spirit and found a Hidden Mickey


Saw the Jungle Book sand sculpture although I never did see the movie til December at my nephews birthday party.


Timon and Pumbaa


The Train station in Germany. I love all the details


Saw Woody


But Japan and Hanami was calling my name. I had been looking forward to the Frushi - pineapple, strawberries and melon rolled with coconut rice and served with whipping cream topped with raspberry sauce and sprinkled with toasted coconut for $5.25


I was nice and shared one piece. It was every bit as good as I remembered it to be.

one more update coming up
 
We headed off to a FP+ for the Living Seas. I took a few pictures on the way
294 by Lorrie Knotwell, on Flickr

Jim
298 by Lorrie Knotwell, on Flickr

We found Nemo and I looked at some fish


Then I had a surprise up my sleeve. I told Jim I needed a bathroom and left the pavilion. Took a picture as I tried to prepare my surprise


I didn't tell Jim but I had booked an ADR at the Coral Reef for dinner. Now I was hoping to double the surprise and get a tank side table. I spoke to the CM and was able to get the table but immediately. Of course Jim decided not to answer his phone so I raced back to the pavilion. I had about 5 minutes to find him and get back to the restaurant. I found him and told him we were having dinner NOW!!! He was surprised. Believe it or not this is his happy face


We had some visitors




He stayed right there and watched us eat


I had the Lobster soup and Frisee and Endive Salad.




The soup was good as always. That salad was really good with a great balance of flavors and very filling.

Why Jim likes to come here is beyond me because all he ever orders is


Yep Steak! And well done. I told him he should just order a shoe next time. We had some entertainment while we ate too


We skipped dessert and headed over to Living with the Land. I would have loved to pick one of these for my son. He swears no pepper is too hot


Took a picture of Donald and nephews on the way out


We were back at the resort by around 7:30. It was a long but good first day.
 


Thanks for sharing. Very thoughtful posts and great documentation of the trip. I laughed pretty hard at your Spaceship Earth comment a few posts back. We've always had a good laugh making silly faces for it.
 
Thanks for sharing. Very thoughtful posts and great documentation of the trip. I laughed pretty hard at your Spaceship Earth comment a few posts back. We've always had a good laugh making silly faces for it.

Thanks for joining in. I got in trouble for my faces on a trip with my mom a few years ago. I decided funny faces are much more fun.
 
Day 2

This will be a quick all in one post update. I was up early and showered as is our usual pattern. I grabbed some coffee and my camera and headed out to the balcony to watch the sun rise and the Savannah come to life.





And our first visitors of the day. African Crowned Cranes


Some kind of duck


And a bird


This was our plans for the day


We were heading to Clearwater and I wasn't really sure how long it would take to get there and I wanted to get on the road early. I told Jim before the trip we would stop for breakfast on the way. Hint, Hint!!!!

As we headed out I showed Jim another part of the Savannah




And we were off to find the rental car. This is what I compromised on and upgraded to for Jim. I knew he would have hated the Corolla



I would actually consider one for my next car if it wasn't for I am usually driving 6 or 7 people quite often. It was a nice small SUV.

And we were off. I have seen this in other TR's so was excited to find it in person


Getting to Clearwater from Disney property is actually fairly easy for the first part of the trip. You just need to take I-4 West towards Tampa. We passed restaurant after restaurant and I was getting angry!!! I told Jim at least 4 times we were leaving early to stop for breakfast. After about an hour he pulled into Bob Evans!!! I have one about a mile or two from our house and that is what he chooses. At least I had coupons in my phone. Our orders were messed up and my coffee refill came as we were ready to leave. If they had been busy I might have been a little more OK with it but they were really slow. To make things worse Jim picked a truck stop area. We had to get out of the parking area with 18 wheelers. I had a heart attack when he forced his way in front of one.

We survived and were on the road again. I had directions from Google Maps AND my GPS and Jim still missed the exit - THREE TIMES!!! He just kept driving in circles. The only problem was we had plate pass and not the Sunshine pass so I had no idea what the tolls were going to add up to with the administration cost. I told him not to talk to me again. So he used the GPS on his phone and yep - he got lost again! The funny part was I posted this on facebook and he got to read every post on his phone. I used his phone once and messages pop on it.

Finally he figured out where to go and we were on our way again. I do know where to take a cruise from Tampa though. The ride from this point was beautiful.




We look like we will drive straight into the gulf


Finally we found Clearwater



The stadium was easy to find. It is a little unusual in that parking is in an odd location with a restaurant. We got there really earl, around 11 AM for a 1 PM game. I was hoping to maybe get some autographs for the kids and had a couple of baseballs in my bag but the Phillies weren't out. We found our seats and they were AWESOME. We were 13 rows from the field just to the right of home plate and on an aisle. I was thrilled.



The Phillies came out and the ball girls were Hooters waitresses.



View of the game



John Mayberry Jr. He used to play for the Phillies



The dugout



The Tiger player here looked like he still belonged in High School



Got the ball on the bat. My practice has started to pay off



And one last action shot.




The Phillies tied so I was happy. After the game I wanted to stop at the Best Buy we passed for a new camera strap. The one I had was just really too short and uncomfortable. I got a nice Black Rapid strap but it was a HUGE mistake. We got turned around and missed the road we needed. By the time we figured that out we were already closer to Tampa than we would have been going back. We saw a much less touristy area of Tampa than we planned. Thankfully the GPS did help us here. We missed an accident on I-4 but it took us three hours to get back to the resort. It's about a 2 hour ride. I was in a really bad mood at this point. I was hungry, tired and low on caffeine. I had wanted to head to a park for the night but we got back to late for that. I finally stormed out and walked for a bit to calm down. I headed to Mara to get something to eat. I just got a sandwich but wound up eating only half of it. Jim knew to let me blow off some steam. I have stress attacks on vacation when things go wrong. He just gave me the space I needed. I went to bed early and just went to sleep.

Overall it was a good day but stressful at times. I had really wanted to go to Magic Kingdom after the game and Columbia Harbor House for dinner. Getting lost and having no time for the park was bothersome. I try really hard not to let things get to me but it was just a really bad day and I really needed caffeine.
 
Sorry I have been MIA. Jim had surgery on his foot in April. The following day he had a stroke. He was in the hospital for a week and then rehab for 3 weeks. He was home for 2 days and had a second stroke in late May. I have been dealing with him, tons of drs. appointments, grandkids and planning a HUGE trip after Thanksgiving.
 
I'm sorry to hear about Jim! We will patiently wait for more updates - no hurry! Hoping he recovers fully and you can enjoy your upcoming trip!
 
I'm sorry to hear about Jim! We will patiently wait for more updates - no hurry! Hoping he recovers fully and you can enjoy your upcoming trip!

Thank you. I have the notes for the trip reports written up so I should be doing a whirlwind posting to get caught up in the next day or two.
 
Finally getting around to getting some updates in, maybe even finish March.

Day 3
I woke up in a much better mood thankfully. After being married as long as we have been Jim knows that vacations can be a stressor for me. I grabbed a quick shower and headed down for COFFEE and a scone. I needed caffeine and I love the scones at Mara. While Jim got ready I sat on the balcony and watched the Savannah come to life again.
We had Zebras


Wild Somali (not Dis friendly name)


Some Addax



and Crowned Cranes


Not sure what these are but it was the only time I saw them


The fence that keeps the animals contained


Then we were off to the Animal Kingdom for a couple of hours. We were going to another ball game but at ESPN so we had some time in the morning.

Opening crowds


I found a nesting mom


Proud dad maybe?


We were headed straight back to Kilimanjaro Safari. It's one of my favorite attractions. Look close and you might spot me


Found an Okapi


Greater Kudu


Rhino


Bongo


The hippos were out but I don't always take pics of them since I have some great ones from our zoo. I did get this guy


That is a Great Blue Heron. We have some in my area and I have been trying to get a good picture of one for at least 6 years. They fly over me when I don't have a camera or so close I can touch it when I am driving. I really think they are playing with me.

For the first safari ever there was not one crocodile out. I was surprised by that as they are always there.
Did see the Painted Wild dogs


Up close and personal with a Giraffe


Mandrill


Elephants had their backs to me. My one granddaughter swears I only take animal butt pics because of this.

Ostrich playing Follow the Leader


Cheetah
142 by Lorrie Knotwell, on Flickr

And the Lion



We also saw the Warthogs, Ankole Cattle, Wildebeest and Antelopes. I was not disappointed.

We wandered around for a little bit. This just made me laugh


And as we headed out I saw Flik


We were back to the resort in no time to get the car.
 
Day 3 Part 2

When we got back to the resort I took the scooter to the room and grabbed what we needed for the game while Jim got the car. The ESPN sports complex is really close to Animal Kingdom Lodge so we were there in no time. Parking was free but the programs were more expensive. I could have gone without the programs but Jim wanted one. Took some pictures heading in




We had really good seats again but there is NO shade at this stadium. Our view of warm ups
226 by Lorrie Knotwell, on Flickr

Goofy


And I got some great action shots again


Former Phillie









We won the game but I got a little sunburned. Not too bad though as I did keep putting block on my legs and nose. There was a really nice woman next to me who offered me some when she thought I didn't have any. She said I needed to watch that hot Florida sun. The game was really good and the Phillies won.

After the game we headed back to the resort and rest for a bit. Jim had a headache which isn't that unusual when he's in the sun. He cooled off and then we were off to Hollywood Studios for the night. We went on Toy Story Midway Mania and I beat Jim. He usually beats me on Buzz Ranger's ride in Magic Kingdom so it evens out.

We walked around a bit and I took pictures knowing some of this would be gone soon




I took pics of the Muppet Fountain but from a different perspective


I was getting really hungry so we headed to ABC Commissary for dinner. I got the steak and Darth Vader Cupcake and Jim had Chicken Tenders




The steak was surprisingly good for a QS steak. Jim wound up not eating very much as he still wasn't feeling that great after the heat earlier. I wanted to use my Tower of Terror FP+ but Jim passed. For the 1st time in forever I went on it without a camera. We then got stuck in the crowds for the fireworks. I have no clue where they came from because the park looked deserted earlier. We did have an OK view.


I actually liked the way the fireworks lit up the trees





We waited for the crowds to clear and then went on the Great Movie Ride. And then were off to see a couple of characters




Jim had no idea who Kylo Ren was but played along. Chewbacca he had fun with. I have a cute little Pug/Chihuahua mix named Chewbacca so of course Jim told him all about our Chewie. Chewbacca motioned for a BIG dog and Jim said no "LITTLE!" Chewbacca was confused. It really was a great way to end the day.
 
Day 4

This will be quick and easy. The morning started the same as every other morning. I get up first, get coffee and a scone and suit on the balcony watching the Savannah come to life while I jot down notes and thoughts from the previous day. I also jot down plans for the day and compare to see if I accomplished what I had hoped. So far all was going according to plan - I think! I lost my notebook so a lot of this is based on pictures jogging my memory.

Today was our last baseball game in Clearwater. We left a little later than the first day since we had no plans to stop anywhere. Jim managed to find the right exit this time so we were good. I took pictures of our ride.

Heading through Tampa


If I am right that bridge heads to St. Petersburg. My sister in law grew up there and was stuck in St. Pete because of a hurricane closing that bridge.


The phone cover Jim bought me in Hollywood Studios. I hate my phone but I love this cover so I haven't upgraded the phone yet.


The bridge feels like we will never find land again


We found Clearwater


Clearwater Thrashers mascot


Jim treated to lunch. I settled for a hot dog with a ton of toppings. I LOVE a good toppings bar


Jim got chicken nuggets and fries. We split the fries


We had the same seats as the first game so I was happy with the view. I took pics of warm-up stretches to show my grandson the baseball player

Toronto Blue Jays


Phillies


Phanatic calling the first pitch


Having fun with Toronto


R. A. Dickey. I had seen a special about him so it was nice to see him pitch in person


Great diving catch


Our player was hit by the pitch


This actually caused the 2 men behind us to have a debate on whether he was hit and where. I showed them the picture so they were happy. Then it turned out they both were from the same area as we are. Small world.

The drive back took almost no time as we got on the correct road immediately




I was amazed by the little areas of beach along the highway



When we got back to the resort Jim wasn't in the mood to head to a park so we tried for a table at Boma. I knew they had availability but wouldn't seat us so I just said I would head up to the concierge. I got called back down by Jim the supervisor seated us immediately. Turned out our waitress was originally from Philadelphia too. I enjoyed the meal tremendously. Jim had TWO RIBS!!! They were the most expensive ribs ever.

With that our ballgames were done but we still had a couple of days left in the parks for Flower and Garden among other things.
 
Day 5

This will be another quick update. We headed to Animal Kingdom for the morning and got there before rope drop again. I was prepared for the birds this time and was really happy with this picture


We had a FP+ for Safari so I told Jim that since I know I will get caught up in the crowds head back there and I'll catch up. I also made sure to tell him the FP line. By time I got there he was in the regular line. I had to find him. He does drive me crazy at times. We had a great ride again with quite a few animals out and about.

A couple of Okapi


Rhino


Kudu


Bongo and Baby


The crocodiles were out


Wildebeest were already tired


The elephants were by the Flamingoes


And the scariest beasts of all


These toy animals were in a crevice at the end of the ride. I really would go on this one ride over and over. It's always different.

We took a stroll along the Pangani Trails or Gorilla Trails I forget what they are called since they changed the name.
Mom and baby Zebra


And then the reason I love the trail - the Gorillas. The babies were out and having a great time playing together. They reminded me of my 2 youngest grandsons. The boys are 14 months apart and they can get into some mischief together.




Run to mom for protection


I could spend all day watching them. We moved on eventually and headed to Dinosaur for our FP. Found Tarzan on the way
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We went in the stand-by line since it had a 10 minute wait time and we had almost 20 minutes for our FP time. We would have been better off waiting as stand-by turned into 30 minutes and the people in front of us were holding spaces for family. Two people turned into about 10 people. I wasn't happy especially when they made the cut off at the entrance and we had to wait. I know it's a short wait at the point but it's the principle involved.

After the ride we left the park and headed back to the resort to drop off the scooter and grab the car. We were off to Groveland to visit my aunt. My dad's sister has lived in Florida for about 40 years now so I try to visit when I can. She had lunch for us and we had a wonderful visit. We talked about so many things and told me some stories about my grandmother. I knew my dad had a rough childhood but he always made it seem like it was fun. My aunt showed me another side of it. Too soon we said our good-byes and were back to the resort. Jim decided he was a resort bus driver since he somehow wound up driving through that line. He missed the sign where to go. He parked the car and I was back up to the room for the scooter and we met at the bus stop. We were off to Epcot for the evening. He wanted to see the concert that night - Starship. I still have no clue who they were.

Daisy


We got some food at the Smokehouse. Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash with White Cheddar Fondue and Pickled Jalapenos - $5.45. and Warm Chocolate cake with Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce and Spiced Pecans - $3.75


Smoked Pork Ribs with Roasted Corn Salad - $6.50.


Pulled Pig Slider with Crispy Onions and Cole Slaw - $6.25


We shared them all. The hash was really good although I passed on the jalapenos. The cake was more mine as Jim usually doesn't eat as many sweets and it was really good although a little dry since it was so late in the day. I tasted the ribs and they were ok but I am not a fan. Jim loved them. I ate the corn salad and enjoyed that. We both really liked the Pulled Pig but we skipped the roll. I find them to be dry usually.

We had a very nice view while we ate


Took a pic of Woody at night


We took our time heading back to the exit and I actually took one or two pics only. I wanted to just try and enjoy the time minus a camera in my face.
 
Day 6

This started out nice and early as we had an ADR at the Crystal Palace for breakfast. It was a little later than I usually like but at 8:35 AM this was our view


And a fairly empty castle shot


We were seated almost immediately. I skipped pics of the food but did get the characters








Jim loves Tigger


Jim took the pictures of me and they were not that great, my head looked as big as the characters.

While Jim finished eating I went to ask a question about food allergies. I was surprised that the head chef actually came out to talk to me but very grateful. We were in the early stages of planning a big family trip and my youngest grandson has a peanut allergy. I was very reassured when I was done with our conversation and let my daughter know that we were good to go here.

Jim was ready to go at this point so we were off. We headed to Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise but there was a wait and Jim said no. So we went to see some Pirates. I had a thing for light fixtures again but liked this picture. Cannons facing the boarding area


And I actually got one or two decent pictures on the ride so I was happy. we were then off to see a Bear



And a Mermaid. I think this was Jim's first ride on this one. He said it was OK.


Everyone's favorite It's a Small World was next. Ok my favorite, even Jim just humors me. The hippo was a little off


The Haunted mansion and a decent picture of the Bride was next


The People Mover and the crowds were building


Mickey on the Carousel of Progress


Then it was time for our Seven Dwarfs Mine Train FP. Jim wasn't a huge fan but said it was cute. My best indoor picture yet. The ride moves to fast to get a good focus.


With that we were done. We did go on other rides but no pictures. While we were wandering around the park I got a text from Scott inviting us to dinner at his house. We gladly accepted. Back to the resort to rest a bit and freshen up was next. I can't rest so I wandered the resort and took pictures.
Got this from the balcony. He seemed to know I was taking his picture and posed


Jim resting. I was surprised I could see him so I had to get the picture


The horns on these guys are really HUGE!


There is a Flamingo pool here too


I headed back up to the room to get Jim who always looks bored. We checked out the Savannah and I took pics of what I call the "Birth and Death of a Flower".






We headed to Scott and Vinny's and had a really wonderful visit. The food was good and the company even better. Jim almost went the wrong way heading back but it was dark and he was tired. I was kind of glad he no longer does long road trips for work though. All in all a good day.
 
The photo you got of Jim and tigger is a keeper he looks like he is enjoying the experience. Hopfully he has fully recovered from his foot opp and stroke.Was the Baseball games practice for the teams before the main seson starts. Animal Kingdom lodge has to be the best themed resort on property just a pity that the buses are so slow to the resort, how did you find the buses at the lodge.The drive to Clearwater looks good especially the long bridges you have to cross.You captured many good photos in your latest update thanks for sharing.
 
The photo you got of Jim and tigger is a keeper he looks like he is enjoying the experience. Hopfully he has fully recovered from his foot opp and stroke.Was the Baseball games practice for the teams before the main seson starts. Animal Kingdom lodge has to be the best themed resort on property just a pity that the buses are so slow to the resort, how did you find the buses at the lodge.The drive to Clearwater looks good especially the long bridges you have to cross.You captured many good photos in your latest update thanks for sharing.

He does like Tigger. The foot is getting better and he can start walking on it in a couple of days. The stroke has left lingering issues the biggest being visual. He has lost some of his sight. We see another specialist tomorrow so hopefully we will find out if he will regain any of it.

Spring training is like practice for the regular season. Teams play games for about a month while coaches decide on who has a chance to play in the big leagues but the games can be exciting.

I really loved Animal Kingdom Lodge, it was my third stay there and it was amazing. The buses weren't to bad for Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, the other two parks were a little slower but not that bad. Maybe we just went at a good time of year. The drive to Clearwater was really very scenic. I wish I had planned more time there just to go on the beach.

Thanks I love taking pictures and sharing them. Glad you enjoyed them.
 

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