Really, there were plenty of good times. But the way our evening ended certainly was not a highlight of the trip.Man, that sounded like a stressful day.
I'm just going by memory. I know DD made a pink car. I don't remember the score, but I do remember that it smoked DS's in the efficiency category. But he made a truck focusing on capability and power and he had help from BiL and me... so it goes without saying anything would have smoked him in efficiency. Still scored I think a 215 final vehicle score though!So, your kids are walking stereotypes.
Can't blame them there! Looks like they're having a blast in the photos.
See, if I'd do the opposite for her she'd just get upset and remind me that she told me she didn't want it. Seriously... CAN. NOT. WIN. with this one.Oh man, Drew does this all the time. Drives me nuts. I've gotten to the point where I do the opposite of whatever his first response is to a question, because I know he's going to change his answer.
That'll learn you. If it ain't broke...
Well, it does have a hill.I'm sure it's a great thrill ride, absolutely worthy of a FP.
Fair enough.I try hard to avoid thinking about that ride.
But there were trolls and you go backwards. If that isn't good enough, you might as well just not even get on EE because trolls are way cooler than a dead yeti.I don't miss it. I defy anyone to tell me what the story was.
"So, uh...you get in a boat, and there's a storm, and then some trolls find you, and you go backwards, and uh...then you get to see a painting of a cruise ship and an oil rig."
My brain still hurts.Wait, people thought you had a good idea?? I need to sit down.
Probably should have.I feel like "Where's Mom?" should have been the title of the TR.
I'm with him! You can't let pizza like that go to waste. It's a crime against humanity.
Disney security ruins all the fun.If only they hadn't confiscated your taser at the gate.
Nothing I hate more. I don't deal well with them.I'm sorry. I've been there. Irrational temper tantrums are why I don't have much hair left.
Iger needs to go...Disney not taking the opportunity to make money? What is this world coming to?
No kidding. I'm sure Fantasmic let out and the street got more crowded, but honestly, there was plenty of room for everyone. Not a big crowd waiting.As well you should have. C'mon, guys. Let's not go on autopilot here.
The mix of the music, scenes from the movies, actual lasers shooting from the tie fighters all in time with fireworks. Star Wars nerd overload. When the music hit and the show started, the look on DS's face was one of those things that you just will always remember from a trip like this.Cool! I'll look forward to seeing it!
It's hard. But frankly, service so poor should be complained about and they really throw those 1 or 2 poor souls out to the wolves when things don't go well.Wow, that is pretty bad. Terrible that the bus service wasn't adjusted, but also terrible that people are taking out their anger on what is most likely the wrong people.
It can! Thankfully it didn't hurt too bad this time!a! Sounds like in general Rider Swap can be an pricey endeavor!
Oh, definitely get in there! I've never gone in to sit down, but I always walk up to the bar and grab a drink to go.I have yet to actually make it in there. It is on my must do on our next trip!
True. But the tray inside the stroller where the kids sit has a cup holder too. We put the drinks in there while we rode so that we could put the rain cover over the drinks and keep them from getting watered down.The cupholders are for adults not kids...
No! We had our own boat.Were there people behind you? That must have been an awesome photo pass photo for them!
That is the worst. We sometimes would rather be in the rain in those super crowded gift shops. It must also be a nightmare for the CM's.
It really was. She loves him. He's the oldest cousin on either side of the family and he's always just been awesome with the younger kids.So sweet!
That's the truth.Disney is good for that. Sucks that it happened, but anyone with kids has had it happen to them! Disney is tones of fun but also SUPER exhausting...
They definitely underestimated something...I always feel bad for that person. They can ask a million times for a bus but ultimately they don't control anything. Sounds like they underestimated the amount of people going back to that resort.
Oh yeah, we do that sometimes. Honestly, I felt like DHS wasn't very crowded and didn't think it would be a big deal to get out of there. From what we saw inside the park, in no way did I ever envision such a chaotic and long wait for a bus.I think for once, your mom had the right idea! We did this after Fantastic the last time we were there. We took our time and the lines were at least a bit better.
Well, that's true.Not out of the ordinary for you.
No. They were asleep. I just took him and left while DW got some sleep.Dude, I feel your pain. We've had to do that with Cal a few times and it sucked. Luckily, *knock on wood* Q hasn't had one of those inconsolable nights...yet. Do you wake up the other kids too and take them along?
Tea without ice? Nah... gotta have my tea cold. What if it is a freshly brewed pot that is warm??? But I get your point. Worth trying. I mean the drinks are plenty strong, they could probably add volume to the drink without doing it at a big cost of adding alcohol.I wonder if they'd ever skip the ice if you asked? At MCD's, I always order my teas without ice...
We typically get something from the bakery case as well, but the caramel corn there is really good and we always get some of that.I can't remember if we've ever gotten the popcorn before. It's always the cookies or candy.
I know, I know... it isn't in Disneyland so it doesn't exist.Crap
YES I HAVE! D'oh!
Ok, valid point.And in my defense, we never order ice cream in January
Wow, $400 for an account?! Thanks for the recommendation of flickr, I'll be checking that out.
Oh yeah... good luck with that. Sounds very familiar.Oh man, that DD tantrum sounds AW. FUL. It really makes me cringe because I can totally see my DD being exactly like that on a trip someday. She is already very hardheaded and vocal when she doesn't want something a certain way.
I can understand that. I wouldn't think most would enjoy it very much if they aren't into Star Wars. There's a lot of great visuals, but it just doesn't tell much of a story and I think you've really probably got to already know the story and be invested in it to get a lot out of it.I'm glad everyone enjoyed the Star Wars show so much! I just couldn't get into it for some reason.
Exactly. Seems pretty basic to me. They know that park closing is a big rush. I understand waiting sometimes, but when I saw the same bus driver come back on a return trip before we ever saw another bus that was kind of the end of my patience.Oh no! What a crappy way to end the night with that bus situation! I think if they tout their bus transportation as a perk of staying onsite, they should never have the ridiculous lines that some of the resorts tend to get at the end of the night. It's not rocket science to dispatch tons of buses to all resorts at park closing!
BTW: Hey @afwdwfan, where's mom?
When you're right, you're right!Any parent who spotted those drinks would understand the need for alcohol...
It gets a little more rare later. I reach the point of just deciding she's a big girl and she can take care of herself so I quit worrying about it.Hah! Kind of looking forward to seeing where this pops up in each update.
It really is. He's always been great with his younger cousins and LG.What an adorable photo!
I know!That's just shameful. My gosh. I would have so been tempted to reach over and grab a slice.
Yeah, but we actually found TSMM to have some good FP availability all week long. I was surprised by that!That's awesome! Guess that also explains why the park was so empty for the fireworks. Bummer you weren't able to use the passes, though.
Ahh, kids. They have their moments.
I know. I looked and saw that Gertie's does tend to close early. Which really makes no sense on a July evening. Fall or winter, yeah, I get that. Ice cream when it is 50 degrees out is less desirable than ice cream when it is still 80 degrees after the sun goes down.I can't believe all those places were closed for the night.
That is a matter of a Star Wars fan's opinion. So I can't argue with someone who's not a Star Wars fan saying they don't like it. It doesn't tell much story, but if you understand the main ideas of the Star Wars universe and know the characters, it is a fantastic show with some awesome visuals and the use of lasers and pyrotechnics to make it feel like a battle is going on around you.Good to know. I've yet to see the Star Wars show, but if it's better than HEA, I'm all for it.
I know. I was really disappointed by that. From what I've seen it seems like AKL is either on it with great bus service or it is just horrible with not much in between. We must have hit a bad week.Wow, that's ridiculous. One bus for all those guests...And add the end of a long park day and I can only imagine the reactions people were having. If there were any resorts even moderately close to AKL, you probably could have hopped on an adjacent bus and been back before the bus made one circuit.
With as popular as AKL is now, you would think Disney would have the bus system figured out.
I can't say that I love Frozen, but I like it. That said, DD has watched it so much that if I don't see it again in the next 10 years, I'm ok with that, but it is good.Not a fan of frozen (except Olaf), so I think I would've RATHER talked vs. listened.
I can think of two reasons why they wouldn't allow this
1) Health code
2) They can't sell you a pizza if they give you someone else's leftovers
And I didn't even take this one...I know you didn't have much time for photos, but the photos you have are fantastic. Another one here.
One of those isn't ours...Some good looking kids you've got there. Good thing they take after DW.
ProbablyHey Andy, where's mom? Don't see her in this picture...did she wander off again?
I hope it does too. This one was probably the worst one of the trip, but yesterday morning we had the worst one ever getting ready for school.I can really relate to your tantrum outbreaks with DD. I hope it improves.
This is just ridiculous. There's no reason you should have to wait 45 minutes for a bus. They basically say rule of thumb is every 20 minutes or less. That seems very reasonable and they've got enough buses to make it happen. They need to do a better job of dispatching them. When buses leave empty while other stops have huge lines, that really bothers me.I can relate to your bus woes too. For many years, I was an advocate for using the Disney transportation system vs. spending extra money on a car rental. Our December trip had such bad bus service that we rented a car this trip. Our lives got about a million times easier with the car - well worth the $197! So much less loss of time and standing around impatiently! This point was driven home when we decided to leave our car at the Boardwalk the last day (ate at Bon Voyage) and then later take the bus from MK to Boardwalk to get the car before heading to the airport. And the wait for that BW bus!!! It was awful. Other buses would come through and literally drive away with nobody, yet they just wouldn't stop for our miserable looking line. The guy at the front of the line said that it had been awful his whole trip and they waited an hour once and his kids all had to go potty the whole time. I think he had been waiting 45 minutes for this one. I think we're rental car converts now.
I hate it when the DIS happens.Oh my god! Twice now I thought I responded here and both posts are gone!
Well, I guess the margarita is worth the wait.I remember posting because you mentioned the San Angel Margarita and I commented that I would be having one Saturday. Well, since I'm at WDW now it will have to wait a tiny bit as I have some stuff to do today.
Now I know of four TRS I need to get to....before @pkondz
The posted wait was 80 minutes.
I wasn’t crazy about it, but then again, there was nothing else we urgently wanted or needed to do and we’d be in the air conditioning.
The line actually moved pretty well. I was worried about how the kids would handle such a long line, but they really did great.
We had a minor meltdown with DD here. She got in line with me and didn’t want one. After I got a drink for myself and DS, she got mad and decided she did want her own. Being on the dining plan, we had snack credits so it wasn’t that big of a deal, but I was frustrated that she chose to wait until after we had ours to tell me she wanted one too.
I usually get the San Angel Inn Margarita. Nothing fancy, just the standard. And I love it, so why change, right?
I’m sure people who saw margaritas in the kids’ cupholders thought we were awesome parents.
Quick question: Does anybody else say the Maelstrom spiel on the lift hill in a really crappy Norwegian accent?
“You are not the first to pass this way, nor shall you be the last.”
Just me?
The reason for the cropping is… well, you remember when we stopped at the baby care center and LG didn’t want to nurse? Well, DW might have used a few of the dark rides to accomplish that task. She didn’t realize there is a camera on this ride now.
It is physically impossible for us to walk past that shop without stopping.
it was less than 5 minutes later when they called my name. I called out the door to the family and got them all heading in the restaurant.
Except Mom and DD.
Yep… where’s Mom?
everyone else chose to order pasta dishes.
I don’t know what is wrong with them.
We were joking about it being such a waste and when they came to bus the table, BiL asked if he could have the rest of their pizza.
Meanwhile, the girls were picking their pearls.
This is where it all went south…
DD wanted to be carried. We told her that wasn’t going to happen
She threw an absolutely huge, ugly tantrum as we were leaving EPCOT.
It was just an altogether ugly hour or so with her being an absolute brat.
There’s a fireworks show getting ready to start in about half an hour. Who in their right mind would want ice cream?
This was literally the worst bus experience I’ve ever had.
Mom easily made it out in time to get on the same bus with us. We joked that we should have all just stayed in the park for an hour or so instead of trying to get back to the room.
I usually don’t wait in lines longer than 45-60 minutes, but I can imagine that air conditioned building was well worth the wait to get out of that hot Florida summer.The posted wait was 80 minutes.
I wasn’t crazy about it, but then again, there was nothing else we urgently wanted or needed to do and we’d be in the air conditioning.
I’ve learned this is a regular occurrence with a large group.We wandered around for a few minutes before the others arrived to meet up with us.
Ah, that’s the one I wanted to try on our next trip... now idk!DW ordered a Cucumber Margarita, took one drink and didn’t want any more. She didn’t like it and said she just wanted a frozen margarita from the stand outside, so BiL offered to take the Cucumber Margarita and buy her one from the stand.
Good to know! We got one for frozen over Soarin and TT and I was worried about that decision.The FP was definitely a must have for this one! The queue was massive and it was great to walk right past all those suckers and get right on a boat.
I absolutely agree! Even with all the backlash, the wait times for frozen show how needed these types of rides are at Epcot. I can’t wait to see the Ratatouille ride in France!Anyway, I thought the ride was very well done. I always enjoyed Maelstrom. I can’t say that I was terribly upset that it went away though. I think this is a very nice replacement and something much needed in EPCOT. The park really needs more to interest kids and while I get the traditional concerns about not wanting to see EPCOT overrun by characters, it just makes sense. I don’t want to see the countries lose their feel and identity, but if we can fit in an IP here and there to add to the experience, why not?
Great idea! I’m struggling with the same issue for our upcoming trip. We did a fantastic dinner package, so we’re definitely doing that but we will probably miss whatever fireworks they have going on (idk if it’s starwars or jingle bells jingle bam?)I threw out the idea of leaving EPCOT to head for DHS to see the Star Wars fireworks show. BiL and Niece are Star Wars fans so they were all in and everybody agreed that it would be a good idea so that we wouldn’t have to rush to try and watch it after Fantasmic.
We were seated in the main dining room for the first time last trip. I much prefer “patio” area.We were seated in the main dining room, just inside the entrance past the end of the long table in the middle of the restaurant. It was loud and boisterous, as it usually tends to be.
Awe, how sweet!At least DS was being nice and helping with Niece…
That’s terrible. The heat and fatigue of the day can definitely bring out the worst in some people.I felt sorry for one bus driver who was walking past us. Looked like it might have been the end of his shift or something and someone cornered him ripping him a new one about the bus service.
Definitely. Especially when they have bus after bus after articulating bus to clear out the value resort lines. I’ve never had greater bus service than when we stayed at Pop Century. I remember waiting for a bus after our dinner at Boma last year and it felt like everyone was waiting forever. I’d hate to deal with that everyday on my trip.This night soured me on the bus service as a whole. I understand having to wait on a bus. Maybe I come off as sounding privileged, but they call AKL a deluxe resort. If I’m paying a deluxe price, I feel like I should expect my bus service to be something better than that???? I don’t know, but when you’re waiting 45 minutes to leave a park, and all you see is the very same bus show up twice for your stop while the values are cranking a bus past you every 5 minutes… it just doesn’t sit very well
Well, you did post a response, but indicated you'd had some difficulties and it was shorter than this one.Now I could swear that I posted responses here just like these, twice. But see no evidence of it. If these are duplicate posts, I'm sorry, just trying to keep up.
At least it was only about an hour in the end. But normally, I would not do that.I can see that but, ugh, 80 minutes.
I was afraid they'd get bored, but I think it helped that they hadn't been in that queue before and there were enough things to look at and do and the line kept moving fairly well so it kept them occupied.That's good. I've seen quite a few kids in lines not so long doing quite poorly.
I don't remember much, but that first line has always stuck with me.I had only been on the ride a handful of times so I don't even remember the spiel.
Good thing you had the boat to your family!
Ok, I'll give you that. I'm sure they're great, but the pizza...Nothing. Their pasta dishes are delicious!
Denited.So did they give it to him?
this seems to be very popular with young girls.
I don't know about that. I wanted to throw a tantrum of my own.You are a far better parent than I would be!
I just didn't think it would be bad getting out as low as the crowd seemed to be inside the park.We usually employ this strategy when leaving after fireworks, or some other show.
I don't either. We just knew we wanted to do TT at some point and by waiting it would maybe free us up from rushing to Rope Drop in EPCOT another morning. The line was actually shorter after we waited. I think they just had that rush of traffic once it re-opened to work through before it dropped back to a 45 - 60 minute posted wait. We actually only ended up waiting about 60 minutes.I usually don’t wait in lines longer than 45-60 minutes, but I can imagine that air conditioned building was well worth the wait to get out of that hot Florida summer.
I’ve learned this is a regular occurrence with a large group.
You might like it! Never know. BiL definitely did!Ah, that’s the one I wanted to try on our next trip... now idk!
I think that makes the most sense. For one, you'd have to walk halfway across the park to do Frozen at RD and that's just a lot of wasted time and energy first thing in the morning. You can get to TT or Soarin very quickly and easily at RD. And with Single Rider at TT and the third theater at Soarin, there are some options to possibly catch a manageable wait for whichever one you don't do first.Good to know! We got one for frozen over Soarin and TT and I was worried about that decision.
I absolutely agree! Even with all the backlash, the wait times for frozen show how needed these types of rides are at Epcot. I can’t wait to see the Ratatouille ride in France!
It's tough. I'm glad they're adding so many new things, but it does make it more difficult to plan! If they'd just spread the times out a little bit more. I mean start the fireworks in DHS even just 15 minutes later and it would be pretty reasonable to make it out of Fantasmic in time to find a decent spot.Great idea! I’m struggling with the same issue for our upcoming trip. We did a fantastic dinner package, so we’re definitely doing that but we will probably miss whatever fireworks they have going on (idk if it’s starwars or jingle bells jingle bam?)
I agree. I like the atmosphere of the main dining room and being able to see the ovens, but it is pretty loud and chaotic. The patio area just feels a lot more relaxed and is a quieter place to enjoy a meal.We were seated in the main dining room for the first time last trip. I much prefer “patio” area.
He's always been great with his little cousins.Awe, how sweet!
Especially 5 year olds. They don't need head and fatigue.That’s terrible. The heat and fatigue of the day can definitely bring out the worst in some people.
I've said that for years. People worry about bus service at the values, but I think Pop and AoA have been the best bus service I've ever had at a resort.Definitely. Especially when they have bus after bus after articulating bus to clear out the value resort lines. I’ve never had greater bus service than when we stayed at Pop Century. I remember waiting for a bus after our dinner at Boma last year and it felt like everyone was waiting forever. I’d hate to deal with that everyday on my trip.
She checked every nook and cranny of the stroller, including opening and closing canopies and flipping pockets and pouches inside out. She ended up sending DW’s phone flying about 8 feet away across the pavement after knocking it out of a pocket. Thankfully it was in a good case. I get the need for security, but this just seemed extreme, especially as people in the next line over are just getting the cursory look under the stroller and moving on.
Until we saw a restroom and we had to stop.
Please hurry…
In fact, since Pandora is technically a moon, I think I’m going to start calling this one It’s a Small Moon.
This is where I think it went bad for me. I wasn’t focusing 100% on the screen anymore. I was looking back and forth between DD and the screen. I kind of got to see how we were moving on the ride vehicles in relation to the room and I saw the other rows of banshees around us. It was neat to see all that, but I started feeling a little bit queasy. I tried to turn my focus back to the screen, but DD was yelling about something so I turned back to her again. Way before the ride ended, I was ready to get off. Mom made the recommendation that dad not ride it based on how I looked getting off.
We were able to meet characters and get pictures, but it seemed like a rushed experience.
The food was good and we ate plenty. Overall, for the price, I wasn’t wowed by the food or the character interactions. It just wasn’t anything special. I can’t complain about it and we’ll probably go back sometime. I just don’t know that it will be a priority for us unless it is another “package” type thing for Rivers of Light seating or something similar.
We waited about 10 minutes for a bus. As much as I hated the AKL bus service on this trip, they really do a good job getting you to and from AK…
We swam and then grabbed some nuggets and fries from the Mara because the kids, who ate hardly anything at the $30 or $40 buffet 2 hours ago, were hungry.
It's a Small Moon
We were able to grab a morning FP for Flight of Passage so our plan was to go straight to Na’vi River Journey to avoid waiting in the crazy lines.
We approached the security area and I chose poorly.
I noticed on the far left, there was a short line with 1 person in it.
What I failed to realize before I got there was that every other security CM was getting about 4 people through the line in the time it took her to check 1.
She was being super thorough.
She went through every square inch of the bag.
I thought everybody understood the importance.
And yes, the floating mountains definitely look like some kind of a big monster trying to pick up a smaller mountain. Seriously, don't you see it?
As for the ride, we thought it was good. It was a typical dark ride. I felt like it was too short, honestly, I’d have liked to have seen more. It’s something I’d try to do anytime I go back, but I see it like a Small World type thing. In fact, since Pandora is technically a moon, I think I’m going to start calling this one It’s a Small Moon. It’s maybe worthy of a 15 – 20 minute wait in line. The details are really interesting and there’s a lot to see, but it feels like it is a really short ride and not something I’d want to wait a long time to ride.
It was already hotter than hades, and we quickly learned that there is no shade in Pandora.
DD apparently likes flying on banshees even less than she enjoyed flying on Soarin.
I was next to her so I was close enough to reach over and put a hand on her to try to reassure her. This is where I think it went bad for me. I wasn’t focusing 100% on the screen anymore. I was looking back and forth between DD and the screen. I kind of got to see how we were moving on the ride vehicles in relation to the room and I saw the other rows of banshees around us. It was neat to see all that, but I started feeling a little bit queasy. I tried to turn my focus back to the screen, but DD was yelling about something so I turned back to her again. Way before the ride ended, I was ready to get off. Mom made the recommendation that dad not ride it based on how I looked getting off.
DS took his band to ride again. Unlike DD, he absolutely loved this ride!
Our service was fine, but we had a server who refused to split the bill.
The lions apparently decided it was too hot to even just lay on top of the rocks because we didn’t even see any of them out.
We swam and then grabbed some nuggets and fries from the Mara because the kids, who ate hardly anything at the $30 or $40 buffet 2 hours ago, were hungry.
So I wandered the resort and spent some time sitting on our balcony. I even got to watch a giraffe for a little while.
We were able to grab a morning FP for Flight of Passage so our plan was to go straight to Na’vi River Journey to avoid waiting in the crazy lines.
What I failed to realize before I got there was that every other security CM was getting about 4 people through the line in the time it took her to check 1.
She was being super thorough.
She went through every square inch of the bag.
Until we saw a restroom and we had to stop.
And yes, the floating mountains definitely look like some kind of a big monster trying to pick up a smaller mountain. Seriously, don't you see it?
As for the ride, we thought it was good. It was a typical dark ride. I felt like it was too short, honestly, I’d have liked to have seen more. It’s something I’d try to do anytime I go back, but I see it like a Small World type thing. In fact, since Pandora is technically a moon, I think I’m going to start calling this one It’s a Small Moon. It’s maybe worthy of a 15 – 20 minute wait in line. The details are really interesting and there’s a lot to see, but it feels like it is a really short ride and not something I’d want to wait a long time to ride.
I was next to her so I was close enough to reach over and put a hand on her to try to reassure her. This is where I think it went bad for me. I wasn’t focusing 100% on the screen anymore. I was looking back and forth between DD and the screen. I kind of got to see how we were moving on the ride vehicles in relation to the room and I saw the other rows of banshees around us. It was neat to see all that, but I started feeling a little bit queasy. I tried to turn my focus back to the screen, but DD was yelling about something so I turned back to her again. Way before the ride ended, I was ready to get off. Mom made the recommendation that dad not ride it based on how I looked getting off.
Soon enough characters were coming by. And apparently there’s still some issue with us actually getting pictures of Goofy at a character meal. At least we got one this time!
The food was good and we ate plenty. Overall, for the price, I wasn’t wowed by the food or the character interactions. It just wasn’t anything special. I can’t complain about it and we’ll probably go back sometime. I just don’t know that it will be a priority for us unless it is another “package” type thing for Rivers of Light seating or something similar.
We waited about 10 minutes for a bus. As much as I hated the AKL bus service on this trip, they really do a good job getting you to and from AK…
After our snack, we went back up to the room so that DS and DD could lay down and take a little bit of a nap. We were hoping to avoid a return of Evil DD that evening and thankfully, we had plenty of time to let them sleep for a while.
I’d noticed that TT was back up and running so we decided we’d go for it.
The posted wait was 80 minutes.
I briefly considered how expensive this ride was going to be.
The line actually moved pretty well. I was worried about how the kids would handle such a long line, but they really did great. They had fun designing cars. Again, I’m a bad TR writer and didn’t get pictures, but DD’s car was pink and efficient and made to look pretty while DS built a truck with the biggest wheels possible and it crushed the capability rating.
After I got a drink for myself and DS, she got mad and decided she did want her own.
Next was the most important thing there is to do in Mexico. Visit La Cava del Tequila!
Well this time, I did decide to change it up. I chose a Blood Orange Margarita.
I’m sure people who saw margaritas in the kids’ cupholders thought we were awesome parents.
Just me?
The reason for the cropping is… well, you remember when we stopped at the baby care center and LG didn’t want to nurse? Well, DW might have used a few of the dark rides to accomplish that task. She didn’t realize there is a camera on this ride now.
I don’t know what is wrong with them.
I almost forgot to mention this... a couple came in and were seated at a table next to us. They ordered a pizza and a couple of drinks. They each ate 1 slice of a large pizza and then left. We were joking about it being such a waste and when they came to bus the table, BiL asked if he could have the rest of their pizza.
I finally just picked her up and started walking to the boat which only made her madder. Mom offered to take her and she calmed down some for Grandma, but she was still whining about the stroller tray. We boarded the boat and I sat in the back with the stroller while everyone else found seats near the front. DD calmed down considerably once she was away from me and the stroller.
We were far enough back that I think it was bus number 4 that we were finally able to get on. By the time they finally dispatched more buses to the AKL stop, we’d been waiting over 45 minutes, and there wasn’t a sole around waiting at the other bus stops. We still couldn’t fit all of the AKL guests into the queue, but at least they had 3 buses waiting in line to pull up to the bus stop.
People were really getting ugly in the line. There was a CM with an iPad that caught an earful from some guests. I guess that didn’t do anything.
I felt sorry for one bus driver who was walking past us. Looked like it might have been the end of his shift or something and someone cornered him ripping him a new one about the bus service.
All the kids were asleep by the time we boarded a bus. Sis2 again helped us with DD and I think everyone holding a kid was at least able to get a seat. This night soured me on the bus service as a whole. I understand having to wait on a bus. Maybe I come off as sounding privileged, but they call AKL a deluxe resort. If I’m paying a deluxe price, I feel like I should expect my bus service to be something better than that???? I don’t know, but when you’re waiting 45 minutes to leave a park, and all you see is the very same bus show up twice for your stop while the values are cranking a bus past you every 5 minutes… it just doesn’t sit very well.
Mom easily made it out in time to get on the same bus with us. We joked that we should have all just stayed in the park for an hour or so instead of trying to get back to the room.
I JUST switched to SmugMug and really like it so far. Paying $24/yr.Wait, what's up with PB?? Can we no longer use it? What is everyone using now? Help please!
We wanted to make sure to get an early start this morning so we could hit Pandora at Rope Drop.
We were able to grab a morning FP for Flight of Passage so our plan was to go straight to Na’vi River Journey to avoid waiting in the crazy lines.
We approached the security area and I chose poorly.
I noticed on the far left, there was a short line with 1 person in it.
What I failed to realize before I got there was that every other security CM was getting about 4 people through the line in the time it took her to check 1.
She was being super thorough.
She went through every square inch of the bag.
She checked every nook and cranny of the stroller, including opening and closing canopies and flipping pockets and pouches inside out. She ended up sending DW’s phone flying about 8 feet away across the pavement after knocking it out of a pocket. Thankfully it was in a good case. I get the need for security, but this just seemed extreme, especially as people in the next line over are just getting the cursory look under the stroller and moving on.
I thought everybody understood the importance.
And yes, the floating mountains definitely look like some kind of a big monster trying to pick up a smaller mountain. Seriously, don't you see it?
Thankfully we had that FP and the line for Na’vi River Journey was a virtual walk on.
We must have made it just in time because it was lined up past the beginning of a queue with a CM holding a sign marking the end of the line when we came out.
As for the ride, we thought it was good. It was a typical dark ride. I felt like it was too short, honestly, I’d have liked to have seen more. It’s something I’d try to do anytime I go back, but I see it like a Small World type thing.
In fact, since Pandora is technically a moon, I think I’m going to start calling this one It’s a Small Moon.
I made sure to really take in the Na’vi animatronic at the end of the ride. Having heard how impressive it is… well, it’s a big blue animatronic. It moves fluidly, but I didn’t get that lifelike feel from the eye contact or anything like that. Maybe hearing the reviews and comments about it set the bar too high, but I just didn’t get all the fuss about it.
we quickly learned that there is no shade in Pandora.
As hot as AK tends to have a reputation for being, I felt like Pandora was even worse.
I didn’t have any problems with it, but I did have to work a little bit to fit my leg in.
DD apparently likes flying on banshees even less than she enjoyed flying on Soarin.
Way before the ride ended, I was ready to get off. Mom made the recommendation that dad not ride it based on how I looked getting off.
My first ride was with DD. We tried to talk her out of riding, but she insisted and then freaked out on the ride so I was trying to console her. I’m sure that played into my lack of excitement.”
We had a late breakfast seating for Tusker House.
This time, we booked a late breakfast to give us time to see Pandora and then eat.
Our service was fine, but we had a server who refused to split the bill.
I took a plate of breakfast food and then got lunch for my seconds.
DW is not a fan of AK, at all. She constantly asked me while walking through the park why it was so spread out…
The lions apparently decided it was too hot to even just lay on top of the rocks because we didn’t even see any of them out.
At this point, my sisters wanted to do the animal trails. It was just hot and I didn’t want to walk around. Since DD had been so grumpy the night before, we knew that we wanted to make sure we got a break that afternoon so I decided to take DS and DD back to the resort. Dad didn’t really care to walk around in the heat either so he was quick to offer to tag along and help get everyone on the bus.
the kids, who ate hardly anything at the $30 or $40 buffet 2 hours ago, were hungry.
That's no moon...
I had to post that one before anyone else beat me to it.
Ugh. that is the worst. They are def being more way more nit picky than they used to be. But I have terrible line choice making as well. The one morning, DH and I each picked a row to see who was faster. I lost...She checked every nook and cranny of the stroller, including opening and closing canopies and flipping pockets and pouches inside out. She ended up sending DW’s phone flying about 8 feet away across the pavement after knocking it out of a pocket.
Oh the potty breaks! So many potty breaks and usually at the wrong time..Until we saw a restroom and we had to stop.
Please hurry…
I see it! Now that is all I am going to see!the floating mountains definitely look like some kind of a big monster trying to pick up a smaller mountain
Me too. I think it's because it's not a real thing. Or I guess not a real thing I care about reallly. The ride is totally a it's a small world ride and once the lines die down for it, it will be fine. Something to ride while you wait for your FOP fastpass.Maybe hearing the reviews and comments about it set the bar too high, but I just didn’t get all the fuss about it.
Oh man! Not a good first time! I hope you ride it again and at least have a better ride.. I tried to turn my focus back to the screen, but DD was yelling about something so I turned back to her again. Way before the ride ended, I was ready to get off.
OMG! His face!!!! He seriously looks like What in the world is THAT?!?
And he is just still staring. So cute!
What time were you there? That sounds ideal time for us.We had our meal at the perfect time because we got to eat breakfast and lunch.
Isn't that always the way?! Sigh.then grabbed some nuggets and fries from the Mara because the kids, who ate hardly anything at the $30 or $40 buffet 2 hours ago, were hungry.
Crossing my fingers that it worked. Rest always helps!We were hoping to avoid a return of Evil DD that evening and thankfully, we had plenty of time to let them sleep for a while.
Sounds like she might have been new. I think they're trained to be that thorough, but they quickly realize it will bottleneck the line too much.We approached the security area and I chose poorly.
I noticed on the far left, there was a short line with 1 person in it.
What I failed to realize before I got there was that every other security CM was getting about 4 people through the line in the time it took her to check 1.
She was being super thorough.
She went through every square inch of the bag.
She checked every nook and cranny of the stroller, including opening and closing canopies and flipping pockets and pouches inside out. She ended up sending DW’s phone flying about 8 feet away across the pavement after knocking it out of a pocket. Thankfully it was in a good case. I get the need for security, but this just seemed extreme, especially as people in the next line over are just getting the cursory look under the stroller and moving on.
At least you didn't have another where's mom moment, but yeah, do a sergeant Carter...move it move it move it!I finally made it through and we lined up at one of the tapstiles to enter the park. In short time we were in. I was trying to get everybody moving towards Pandora. I thought everybody understood the importance.
I'll try Na'vi, but thus far, I'm not a big fan of the dark rides except to get out of the heat.As for the ride, we thought it was good. It was a typical dark ride. I felt like it was too short, honestly, I’d have liked to have seen more. It’s something I’d try to do anytime I go back, but I see it like a Small World type thing. In fact, since Pandora is technically a moon, I think I’m going to start calling this one It’s a Small Moon. It’s maybe worthy of a 15 – 20 minute wait in line. The details are really interesting and there’s a lot to see, but it feels like it is a really short ride and not something I’d want to wait a long time to ride.
I made sure to really take in the Na’vi animatronic at the end of the ride. Having heard how impressive it is… well, it’s a big blue animatronic. It moves fluidly, but I didn’t get that lifelike feel from the eye contact or anything like that. Maybe hearing the reviews and comments about it set the bar too high, but I just didn’t get all the fuss about it.
We came out and it was time to use our FP for FoP. It was already hotter than hades, and we quickly learned that there is no shade in Pandora. Unless you can find a spot where the floating mountains block the sun, you’re out of luck. As hot as AK tends to have a reputation for being, I felt like Pandora was even worse. We went up to the FP line and grabbed some Rider Swaps while the first group went in to ride. The first group was Me, DS, DD, DW and Mom. I have some motion sickness issues with simulator type rides and dad has even more extreme motion sickness sensitivities so we felt like having Mom and me ride first to gauge how bad it is would be best.
We went through the pre-show and boarded the ride. I’d heard about the ride mechanism being a tight fit. Mom was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to ride, because I have long legs and big feet. I didn’t have any problems with it, but I did have to work a little bit to fit my leg in. My knee barely fit underneath the part that it had to fit in and it was pressing tightly against it. I was able to maneuver my leg at an angle that worked, and the mechanism closed with no problems, but it certainly wasn’t comfortable. I could easily see someone with legs a little bit longer and thicker than mine not being able to fit in there.
We linked with our banshees and took flight.
DD apparently likes flying on banshees even less than she enjoyed flying on Soarin.
I was next to her so I was close enough to reach over and put a hand on her to try to reassure her. This is where I think it went bad for me. I wasn’t focusing 100% on the screen anymore. I was looking back and forth between DD and the screen. I kind of got to see how we were moving on the ride vehicles in relation to the room and I saw the other rows of banshees around us. It was neat to see all that, but I started feeling a little bit queasy. I tried to turn my focus back to the screen, but DD was yelling about something so I turned back to her again. Way before the ride ended, I was ready to get off. Mom made the recommendation that dad not ride it based on how I looked getting off.
I’ll go ahead and give my first impression of the ride. Remember, we did have Rider Swap passes, so we’d have a chance to do it again. But as of the first ride, I wasn’t impressed. I never cared for the Avatar movie to begin with, and I was among those who weren’t crazy about this land being added to AK. When I got off the ride, I felt pretty lackluster about all of it. We’d take some more time to explore the land some more before moving on, but I’ll share a post here that I made on a private Disdads FB page later on that afternoon during our break:
“Yep, I guess I’m that damn stubborn. I never was overly crazy about Avatar. I tried to keep an open mind. I have to say the Imagineers did a fantastic job on all the little details. But at the end of the day it’s still a non-existent place that I could care less about… kind of like Harry Potter at that other park. The boat ride was ok. Flight of Passage was pretty good but screwed with my motion sickness. Long story short, AK is still a half day park for me and Everest is still the main reason I’m going. I’m definitely going on Flight of Passage if I can make it work, but it wouldn’t ruin my trip if I missed it. Going back in a couple of days to give it another shot and see. My first ride was with DD. We tried to talk her out of riding, but she insisted and then freaked out on the ride so I was trying to console her. I’m sure that played into my lack of excitement.”
After we rode, Sis, Sis2 and BiL went to ride since their FPs were still good and we could save the Rider Swaps for later. Since Dad wasn’t riding, DS took his band to ride again. Unlike DD, he absolutely loved this ride! They all enjoyed it and then we took some time to explore the land a little bit and get some Photopass pictures. DD was being stubborn again and we didn’t get any with just our family so I won’t share the ones of the whole group.
You really haven't been having good results with servers this trip. Sorry AndyOur service was fine, but we had a server who refused to split the bill. We were paying out of pocket and Sis’s family and mine planned to use gift cards, so it was a pain in the butt to sort that out. I was away from the table when the bill came so I wasn’t able to question her or push the issue and Dad just gave her his CC to pay. I knew they’d use them anyway, so I just handed Mom some of our gift cards that we’d purchased to use on this trip.
When they're only 5 minutes away, it's easier to get a bus within a reasonable amount of time even if it's only 1 bus. When it's a 4 hour round trip, it needs to have more than 1 bus in the rotation.We waited about 10 minutes for a bus. As much as I hated the AKL bus service on this trip, they really do a good job getting you to and from AK…
Now why would they want to fill up on the expensive stuff when there's chicken nuggets to be had later?When we got back, the kids wanted to swim so I took DD and DS down to the pool while DW and LG were taking a nap. We swam and then grabbed some nuggets and fries from the Mara because the kids, who ate hardly anything at the $30 or $40 buffet 2 hours ago, were hungry.
I know it's still yet to come, but hoping the nap made her nicer/more tolerable later.After our snack, we went back up to the room so that DS and DD could lay down and take a little bit of a nap. We were hoping to avoid a return of Evil DD that evening and thankfully, we had plenty of time to let them sleep for a while.
I got a bigger kick out of the ostrich. I realize they have a tiny brain and are not the brightest bulb in the animal kingdom pack, but it still had me amused for quite a while. I was sitting out on the balcony enjoying my tea and the beautiful climate (February vs. blast furnace) and this one ostrich kept going back and forth between two points in the electric fence about 50 ft apart. It would stop, put it's head/neck down and examine the fence looking for a way through/hoping there was a gap. It would then walk back to the other spot and do the same. Lather, rinse, repeat ad naseum.I’m not much of a napper. Honestly, if I take a nap, I tend to just get more tired when I wake up if it was just a short one, or if it is a long nap it tends to throw my sleep schedule off. So I wandered the resort and spent some time sitting on our balcony. I even got to watch a giraffe for a little while.