Tuesday 6 November
Julie (38) - demented planner
Brian (40) - planning, whats that?
Michael (11) - quiet, clone of his Dad, hormones just starting to kick in, auditioning for Snow Whites 8th dwarf, Grouchy
Andrew (5½) - not quiet, mummys boy, very fussy eater, favourite saying of the holiday Excuse me, is this ride scary?
The Plan Blizzard Beach
For some reason that I cant remember (or admit to) we didnt go to Blizzard Beach today but went back to finish what we had started at Animal Kingdom. OK time to come clean. I didnt tell the troops that Blizzard Beach was the plan for today because I didnt really want to go and as they hadnt even looked at the plan for the last couple of months they were none the wiser. I decided that rather than spend the day splashing around in water I wanted to see some more animals so that is what we did cunning eh, think Ill take control of the plan next time as well, all the hard work does have its advantages.
Anyway, a leisurely breakfast in the hotel and arrive at AK around 10.00 am. Its a little bit busier than last week but certainly not packed.
First stop was a Fast Pass for the Safari and then as it was a lovely warm sunny day we decided to head over to Kali River Rapids. Andrew again didnt want to go on because he didnt want to get wet, but then cunning plan number 2 came into force. We let him take his T Shirt off and he thought that was great. Brian and Michael were again on the wet side and got absolutely soaked. It seemed to be a feature of this holiday that wherever there was any water Brian wouldnt just get sprinkled on but absolutely drenched. Still, I wasnt complaining, it was hilarious !!! In fact it was so funny we stayed on for another go as no-one was waiting and again Andrew and I just got splashed, Brian and Michael were dripping. I like this ride !!!
Decided that two drenchings for the big boys was enough for one day so headed back to the Safari, trying to stay out of the shade so they would dry out, Brian and Michael both walking like John Wayne. Straight on to the Safari with our Fast Pass and again it was brilliant and we saw so many animals even though it was late morning by now and we thought they would have been resting. After looking at the photographs we have just had developed it really makes you realise how close you get to these animals. Absolutely awesome was the verdict all round.
Had to get a cookie from the Kusafari bakery to munch on and then it was off on the Wildlife Express Train. This was really weird, you actually sit sideways on the train, but where is the view? It isnt exactly scenic, is it?
Walked through the Habitat Habit nature trail and stopped about half way along to let the boys do a quiz looking for hidden animals and get a stamp in their Kids Discovery Club cards they started last week (given out free by the CMs). There are various stops around AK where you can do a quiz with the CMs and get a stamp in your card, unfortunately we didnt find all of the them as I think the CMs are only there at certain times during the day, but the boys loved doing this. It was while the boys were doing the quiz that I heard Brian chatting to someone. The same person who had said on Saturday Dont you think its a bit risky taking your kids on a boat trip in a strange country with people you have never met" (Illuminations Cruise for those who haven't read the previous trip report, and if not, why not !!!!) was chatting away to Mike and family as though they were old friends, which I suppose they were, it was their second meeting after all !!! Well we chatted again for ages and then carried on towards the Conservation Station where the kids all wanted to have a go at brushing the goats!!! Pleeeeease, all these exotic animals and they were absolutely thrilled to be brushing goats. Well, it takes all sorts.
Dragged the kids very reluctantly away from the goats and said our farewells to Mike, Juliet, Callum and Emilia. Why we didnt arrange to meet up again for a drink or something to eat later I dont know, (unless Mike and Juliet couldnt wait to see the back of us, the truth will come out when he writes his trip report) because I thought we got on really well and it would have been nice to sit down and have a proper chat. Oh well, you live and learn.
Decided to give the Conservation Station a miss as we wanted to catch the Pocahontas Forest Friends show so ice creams all round and then we headed off to Camp Minnie Mickey. We all enjoyed the Pocahontas show and thought the animals were really cute. Andrew and Michael got to sit up front so they had a really good view as they reserve the first couple of rows for children only, probably because the benches are all on the same level and they would find it difficult to see further back. I always manage to get the six footer in front of me though and today was no exception so I think the rule should also work in reverse and people of six foot and over should be made to sit in the back couple of rows so everyone else has a chance of seeing. Andrew managed to catch one of Pocahontas leaves at the end so it now has pride of place in the front of his autograph book. Little things like that mean so much when you are only 5 (sorry, Andrew, 5 ½ !!).
After Pocahontas the boys were desperate to have a play in the Boneyard so we headed over there and let them run riot for about 30 minutes while Brian and I just chilled out in the very pleasant sunshine. We never did find the dig site though, does anyone know if it is still there and if so, is it actually inside the Boneyard?
We hadnt seen Mickeys Jammin Jungle Parade last week so decided that as it was about 3.30 and the parade started at 4.00 pm we would wander back to Discovery Island and stake out a good spot. We wanted to sit near the entrance back into Dinoland as we would just have time after the parade to see the last Tarzan Rocks show of the day before the park closed at 5.00 pm. Got really good spots quite easily although the whole area did fill up about five minutes after we got there so we really timed it right. The parade was great, enjoyed it much more than the MGM Stars and Motor Cars parade. As well as the usual floats with characters on there were also huge animal puppets (like the Tapestry of Dreams puppets at Epcot but done as various animals) which were really good and the people working them had a lot of fun with the crowd as they went past.
Parade over and it seemed that everyone else in the park had had the same idea of leaving Tarzan Rocks until last so Im really glad we got a parade spot near the entrance to Dinoland as we managed to stay ahead of the masses of people all going in the same direction and got really good seats for Tarzan which filled up very quickly.
Now I have heard various reports, good and bad, about this show but we absolutely loved it, especially the roller blading (think they were monkeys but my memory is a bit vague here). I do think it helps if you have seen the film though, and Andrew loves the Tarzan film so we were very familiar with the music. (Just to digress a bit I dont think I put it in my trip report but we did actually see the Hunchback show at MGM the day before and although it was OK I think we would have enjoyed it more if we had seen the film and knew the music beforehand).
Show over and park now closed so it was time to leave and decide on the plan of action for the evening. We took our time getting out of the park as we didnt see the point of rushing and then waiting ages to get out of the car park and Andrew parted with some of his dollars to buy a Mickey in safari suit which is really cute. Apart from Sorceror Mickey I think this is my favourite Mickey we saw all holiday.
Decided to head for the Perkins at Crossroads for something to eat and this was one of my favourite meals all holiday. It was nothing fancy, Michael had a grilled cheese sandwich and fries, Andrew had a kids hot dog meal (no surprises there then), I had a burger and fries and Brian had some sort of Cajun chicken but all the food was absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was also very very relaxing, especially after all the hustle and bustle of the buffet type places. Brian and I shared a brownie dessert which was also delicious and the boys got cookies included with their meals and all for a very reasonable price, but dont ask me exactly how much as I dont do bill paying !!! so Perkins was voted a hit by everyone.
As it was only about 7.30 pm we decided to give the Pirates Cove mini golf a try and this was great. We did Blackbeards Challenge and the themeing is really good with waterfalls and caves to go through and really nice lit up in the dark. Needless to say I had to retrieve my ball several times from the water hazards and came last, buy hey, I have to keep the men in the family happy otherwise they sulk !!!!
Back to the hotel after another tiring day are there ever any other kind in this place and asleep as soon as our heads touched the pillows.
Tomorrow Busch Gardens
Julie (38) - demented planner
Brian (40) - planning, whats that?
Michael (11) - quiet, clone of his Dad, hormones just starting to kick in, auditioning for Snow Whites 8th dwarf, Grouchy
Andrew (5½) - not quiet, mummys boy, very fussy eater, favourite saying of the holiday Excuse me, is this ride scary?
The Plan Blizzard Beach
For some reason that I cant remember (or admit to) we didnt go to Blizzard Beach today but went back to finish what we had started at Animal Kingdom. OK time to come clean. I didnt tell the troops that Blizzard Beach was the plan for today because I didnt really want to go and as they hadnt even looked at the plan for the last couple of months they were none the wiser. I decided that rather than spend the day splashing around in water I wanted to see some more animals so that is what we did cunning eh, think Ill take control of the plan next time as well, all the hard work does have its advantages.
Anyway, a leisurely breakfast in the hotel and arrive at AK around 10.00 am. Its a little bit busier than last week but certainly not packed.
First stop was a Fast Pass for the Safari and then as it was a lovely warm sunny day we decided to head over to Kali River Rapids. Andrew again didnt want to go on because he didnt want to get wet, but then cunning plan number 2 came into force. We let him take his T Shirt off and he thought that was great. Brian and Michael were again on the wet side and got absolutely soaked. It seemed to be a feature of this holiday that wherever there was any water Brian wouldnt just get sprinkled on but absolutely drenched. Still, I wasnt complaining, it was hilarious !!! In fact it was so funny we stayed on for another go as no-one was waiting and again Andrew and I just got splashed, Brian and Michael were dripping. I like this ride !!!
Decided that two drenchings for the big boys was enough for one day so headed back to the Safari, trying to stay out of the shade so they would dry out, Brian and Michael both walking like John Wayne. Straight on to the Safari with our Fast Pass and again it was brilliant and we saw so many animals even though it was late morning by now and we thought they would have been resting. After looking at the photographs we have just had developed it really makes you realise how close you get to these animals. Absolutely awesome was the verdict all round.
Had to get a cookie from the Kusafari bakery to munch on and then it was off on the Wildlife Express Train. This was really weird, you actually sit sideways on the train, but where is the view? It isnt exactly scenic, is it?
Walked through the Habitat Habit nature trail and stopped about half way along to let the boys do a quiz looking for hidden animals and get a stamp in their Kids Discovery Club cards they started last week (given out free by the CMs). There are various stops around AK where you can do a quiz with the CMs and get a stamp in your card, unfortunately we didnt find all of the them as I think the CMs are only there at certain times during the day, but the boys loved doing this. It was while the boys were doing the quiz that I heard Brian chatting to someone. The same person who had said on Saturday Dont you think its a bit risky taking your kids on a boat trip in a strange country with people you have never met" (Illuminations Cruise for those who haven't read the previous trip report, and if not, why not !!!!) was chatting away to Mike and family as though they were old friends, which I suppose they were, it was their second meeting after all !!! Well we chatted again for ages and then carried on towards the Conservation Station where the kids all wanted to have a go at brushing the goats!!! Pleeeeease, all these exotic animals and they were absolutely thrilled to be brushing goats. Well, it takes all sorts.
Dragged the kids very reluctantly away from the goats and said our farewells to Mike, Juliet, Callum and Emilia. Why we didnt arrange to meet up again for a drink or something to eat later I dont know, (unless Mike and Juliet couldnt wait to see the back of us, the truth will come out when he writes his trip report) because I thought we got on really well and it would have been nice to sit down and have a proper chat. Oh well, you live and learn.
Decided to give the Conservation Station a miss as we wanted to catch the Pocahontas Forest Friends show so ice creams all round and then we headed off to Camp Minnie Mickey. We all enjoyed the Pocahontas show and thought the animals were really cute. Andrew and Michael got to sit up front so they had a really good view as they reserve the first couple of rows for children only, probably because the benches are all on the same level and they would find it difficult to see further back. I always manage to get the six footer in front of me though and today was no exception so I think the rule should also work in reverse and people of six foot and over should be made to sit in the back couple of rows so everyone else has a chance of seeing. Andrew managed to catch one of Pocahontas leaves at the end so it now has pride of place in the front of his autograph book. Little things like that mean so much when you are only 5 (sorry, Andrew, 5 ½ !!).
After Pocahontas the boys were desperate to have a play in the Boneyard so we headed over there and let them run riot for about 30 minutes while Brian and I just chilled out in the very pleasant sunshine. We never did find the dig site though, does anyone know if it is still there and if so, is it actually inside the Boneyard?
We hadnt seen Mickeys Jammin Jungle Parade last week so decided that as it was about 3.30 and the parade started at 4.00 pm we would wander back to Discovery Island and stake out a good spot. We wanted to sit near the entrance back into Dinoland as we would just have time after the parade to see the last Tarzan Rocks show of the day before the park closed at 5.00 pm. Got really good spots quite easily although the whole area did fill up about five minutes after we got there so we really timed it right. The parade was great, enjoyed it much more than the MGM Stars and Motor Cars parade. As well as the usual floats with characters on there were also huge animal puppets (like the Tapestry of Dreams puppets at Epcot but done as various animals) which were really good and the people working them had a lot of fun with the crowd as they went past.
Parade over and it seemed that everyone else in the park had had the same idea of leaving Tarzan Rocks until last so Im really glad we got a parade spot near the entrance to Dinoland as we managed to stay ahead of the masses of people all going in the same direction and got really good seats for Tarzan which filled up very quickly.
Now I have heard various reports, good and bad, about this show but we absolutely loved it, especially the roller blading (think they were monkeys but my memory is a bit vague here). I do think it helps if you have seen the film though, and Andrew loves the Tarzan film so we were very familiar with the music. (Just to digress a bit I dont think I put it in my trip report but we did actually see the Hunchback show at MGM the day before and although it was OK I think we would have enjoyed it more if we had seen the film and knew the music beforehand).
Show over and park now closed so it was time to leave and decide on the plan of action for the evening. We took our time getting out of the park as we didnt see the point of rushing and then waiting ages to get out of the car park and Andrew parted with some of his dollars to buy a Mickey in safari suit which is really cute. Apart from Sorceror Mickey I think this is my favourite Mickey we saw all holiday.
Decided to head for the Perkins at Crossroads for something to eat and this was one of my favourite meals all holiday. It was nothing fancy, Michael had a grilled cheese sandwich and fries, Andrew had a kids hot dog meal (no surprises there then), I had a burger and fries and Brian had some sort of Cajun chicken but all the food was absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was also very very relaxing, especially after all the hustle and bustle of the buffet type places. Brian and I shared a brownie dessert which was also delicious and the boys got cookies included with their meals and all for a very reasonable price, but dont ask me exactly how much as I dont do bill paying !!! so Perkins was voted a hit by everyone.
As it was only about 7.30 pm we decided to give the Pirates Cove mini golf a try and this was great. We did Blackbeards Challenge and the themeing is really good with waterfalls and caves to go through and really nice lit up in the dark. Needless to say I had to retrieve my ball several times from the water hazards and came last, buy hey, I have to keep the men in the family happy otherwise they sulk !!!!
Back to the hotel after another tiring day are there ever any other kind in this place and asleep as soon as our heads touched the pillows.
Tomorrow Busch Gardens
