Trip Report And everything you do...celebrate you! *COMPLETED*

Oh what an adventure this year has been, and the journey only continued as we embarked on our 8th annual Walt Disney World trip together!

This trip report follows in the footsteps of the inspiration for my not-always-sunny pre-trip report: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/its-the-time-of-your-life.928664/

But we can skip that and get to the good stuff. A whirlwind of Disney, both the old and new, was just the thing we needed. A reminder that life is good, despite not always going to plan, and to never stop dreaming as we look to the future.

The cast: J - the husband. And myself. Goofy & Pluto Pook-a-looz babies.

Travel dates: September 2nd - September 10th...but Hurricane Irma changed that a bit. Returning home to All-Star Music.

Let the memories begin!

We arrived within the Disney bubble a little later than we were used to, and with an 11am - 12pm DINOSAUR fastpass that we were itching to get to, we barreled into Animal Kingdom around 11:45 desperate to make it. DINOSAUR is one of my favorite all time rides, and it was down for refurbishment last year, so it's safe to say I was going through a serious DINOdrought.

We powerwalked through the lush Oasis, taking in the familiar sights and sounds, maybe beginning to register that we were finally here at Walt Disney World!

Labor Day Saturday at Animal Kingdom probably wasn't the best idea. Especially when you see that both Na'vi River Journey and Flight of Passage were temporarily down on the My Disney Experience app, therefore inflating wait times at everything else. But we'd deal with that later. Must...get...to...DINOSAUR.

As we turned right and rounded the corner to the Dino Institute, there were CMs lined up in front of the entrance. Not good! We stood there panting and clutching the stitches in our sides as they announced the ride is down with no ETA of coming back up yet.

Ugh. Fine. We drowned our sorrows by splitting the Ribs, Chicken, and Pulled Pork Sampler at Flame Tree Barbecue. Food does solve a lot of problems.

This baby was definitely large enough to satisfy two starving adults...but it was a messy experience. At one point, J said to me: Um...you have meat in your hair.

The view didn't hurt either.

We took the time to reset our plans, as DINOSAUR would turn into a recovery FP, and Na'vi was our next one, but apparently down. Ah well, at least we had company! Look who stopped by during lunch:

Animal Kingdom is full of natural beauty.

And wildlife everywhere you turn.

As we cleaned up our colossal mess of a lunch and pulled up the app to see what we could do, J delivered the good news: Na'vi River Journey was back up. Whoopee! It's time to really get this party started.

 

[belledream]

I didn't catch this trip report early enough to comment while it was in progress but sounds like a WONDERFUL time!!! We leave for the airport early, too! Like you, DINO is one of my absolute favorite rides and I'm eagerly looking forward to it!!!
We leave in a week for our trip, and you gave us some wonderful spot ideas for sitting down and resting in Epcot!!! After your report, I fell like if I pace myself right and stick to what I've circled on the menus, I won't be overly full! We'll be in Epcot three whole days, so I might just be able to space things out enough!!

WE're staying at ASM, too and are hoping for Broadway, but we'll definitely thank the room fairies if we end up somewhere closer!

You've also reminded me of the simple joys of THE BLUE RIDE It will be a great place for my 72year old mom to rest her feet.

LOVING how often you go on Space Mountain and Under the Sea!!!! I will look at Ariel's castle in more detail! I love the themeing, too. Must admit, I'm loving J's princess comments. They make me laugh, as somebody who really cares about her princesses!!

WOW!!! HEA sounds amazing! I'm really excited to see it!

Thanks to your pics, I'm looking forward to trying the NEW grey stuff at BOG

And the Grand Floridian, I've never been in there but sounds like an amazing place to see! Especially if there's chocolate! And your'e right, all you really need is each other. NO MATTER WHAT.

Oh my gosh, you're leaving so soon! So exciting!!! Definitely take the time to stop and smell the roses. They're the moments I remember the most! 3 days at Epcot sounds AH-MAZING. I'd suggest taking a park break one of those days and heading to Boardwalk and/or Yacht & Beach Club. Resort hopping = LOVE.

We stayed in Broadway last year and LOVED IT. It was so charming and peaceful! I was hoping for it again this year but as you said, the room fairies put us closer in Jazz and we didn't complain.

Have a wonderful time and thanks for reading!

Be our guest three times in a day?? I think I just added to my bucket list!!

Love love love your pictures. Pictures are worth a thousand words, but yours leave me speechless.

You gotta try it! 3 meals a day, 3 unique dining rooms?! It's practically begging to be done.

 

[belledream]

Perfect timing to catch some good skies.

Farewell, Grand Floridian! Until we meet again.

I became entranced by the gentle waves as we approached and departed from Polynesian.

The ferry tooted in the distance.

*weeps*

Savoring the last few moments of a simple boat ride. Simple, but such a highlight for us.

The smell of that sweet Confectionary air let us know we had returned to the Magic Kingdom.

We wandered around and gazed at the shop displays.

These bring me back to the days of being a child, peering excitedly and in awe at the scenes coming to life.

I'm thankful for a lot of things in life. One of them being able to just stand in the middle of Main Street at dusk and drink in all the colorful buildings, glowing with lights.

How fleeting these moments are...truly makes them that much more cherished.

 

[belledream]

We strolled down Main Street, popping in and out of the shops as we couldn't decide whether we wanted to indoors or outdoors!

Our babies looking so cute on display in the Emporium.

Continuing belledream's Chandelier Collection.

This one has always been my favorite. The arch windows, pinks, whites, and greens, the crown molding...perfection.

*dashes outside*

*and back inside* to find this tee. I love it, because I play Disney Emoji Blitz like a madwoman to collect these stickers, but I also want to SMH, because this is how we communicate these days.

She's never looked more beautiful. We were truly stunned. Like proud parents. Or adoring children.

We were on a mission.

Since the Blue Ride doesn't run at night, we waited as close to it as we could to get an evening ride in. Red lights on. It's go time.

It was a miraculous ride.

And it was a mission accomplished.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Just loving this report so far! I really loved seeing all the different foods at F&W! yummmmm !

 

[belledream]

Do we have time? To squeeze one more ride in before Happily Ever After? We do? LET'S GO!

And when we came out and it was this dark, we moved excitedly towards the hub, not taking our eyes off the castle the entire way.

I was so ready for this. Between the rookie jitters of our first viewing and trying to play it cool in front of my friend, tonight was about us. Just us, truly getting to appreciate and feel what Happily Ever After would become to us.

Once Upon A Time whisked us away to the many different stories and characters yet again.

And I freaked out over things like waterfalls 'gushing' from the castle all over again.

And then, we eagerly awaited Happily Ever After again. No matter what, this would be our chance to see these fireworks this year, and we wanted to remember all of it.

The message of the show really pulled me in tonight. I felt like the music spoke to me, my own personal story, and gave me the strength to face forward, not backwards as I have often done, in pursuing my dreams. As I was drawn into the grandeur of storytelling and sparkles, behind that blissful world of make-believe stood a message that could not be a fantasy. It was just real. Everything about the timing of this night, this trip, called for a new beginning for us. Tomorrow, and all the days after that, would hold new hope for us. Even at the risk of sounding melodramatic, I can say that Happily Ever After saved me. It inspired me not to just wish for my dreams to come true, but to seize them, and all costs, do everything in my power to make them come true. It's simply not something I can just hope for, but to choose to act, to make the necessary choices, to dive in with no hesitation, and to be my own spark when I need it. 'The battles, the stories, the losses, and all the glories' have shaped us in our lives everyday, and now it's our choice. We could really fly if we had the courage to move forward. Happily Ever After really helped me understand this, and it has stuck with me ever since.

"And so our journey comes to an end. But yours continues on. Grab hold of your dreams and make them come true. For you are the key to unlocking your own magic. Now go. Let your dreams guide you. Reach out and find your happily ever after."

I tend to feel sappy towards the end of Magic Kingdom nights, but it was not the end!

Evening Extra Magic Hours, commence!

That means, seeing MK in a whole new 'light', a whirlwind of silly rides, bad pictures, and some sugar to keep us going!

 

[belledream]

Just loving this report so far! I really loved seeing all the different foods at F&W! yummmmm !

We have another day of F&Wing in store!

 

[belledream]

You know how it usually cools down at night? Totally did not feel this way tonight, even after removing ourselves from the sea of people in front of the castle. What's the remedy for that? Dole Whip Float!!! (Leave it to me to somehow get the background in surprisingly decent focus...and then the subject like this).

We sat outside The Enchanted Tiki Room listening to the waterfall, watching the Magic Carpets of Aladdin fly, and taking turns downing this quickly-melting treat. Hoo, it was refreshing!

Walking through Frontierland at night has got to be one of the best places to be in my book.

It's totally the music loop.

Liberty Square Riverboat and its reflection both shined in the night.

We continued strolling along the empty pavements, watching the mysterious moon behind the clouds.

We were alone no more once we reached the Tangled bathroom area. Seriously, a huge line. We were like "What?"

Oh, it was because of the lantern Magic Shot that PhotoPass does here. I have all the love in my heart for the lantern scene, but we were not waiting for that.

Fantasyland music beckoned us forward.

Where we continued another tradition specifically earmarked for this day. Riding the carousel at night.

Because we like to maximize the fun!

 

[belledream]

Have you ever seen something so beautiful as the backside of the Cinderella Castle at night? The warmth you feel from Cinderella's Royal Table just behind those stained glass masterpieces, the blue and gold of the turrets bathing in the light. We spent ample time hanging around just taking it all in.

Made our wishes in a sweet moment in front of the fountain.

Life just felt good.

We've taken this shot pretty much every time we've been to Disney, but I don't think it's ever been this beautiful.

The reflection is more intense then the real thing?!

We wandered over to New Fantasyland to survey each landmark at night.

This is what I love so much at Extra Magic Hours. I don't need to ride a bunch of rides again with minimal wait times. I just want to be here.

 

[belledream]

So far, we had only rode the carousel on our EMH night. Logically speaking, that meant that we were due for a few more big ticket items tonight!

First up...DUMBO!

I spend the whole time watching these change colors. One of the coolest little effects on a Disney ride ever, don't deny it.

Second up...Goofy's Barnstormer! Our silly little baby Goofy. He said, "Oops."

This ride holds so much nostalgia for me. The sound of the plane whining as it thuds into the loading area. Those very looks-plushy-but-is-actually-rock-hard orange seats. And the exit queue.

After we finished our fun at Storybook Circus, we decided to take the walking path to Tomorrowland. We used to love walking here before it became a smoking area, but we figured it was late at night and there wouldn't be too many people around. I'm so glad we did. We walked the winding path enjoying the quiet, and came upon Space Mountain looking absolutely radiant.

The clock was nearly striking 11 pm and our time at the Magic Kingdom was coming to a close. We enjoyed walking through Tomorrowland with all the lights and music still buzzing around us.

We went front and center to get some last pictures of the castle, because we didn't have enough already, and I was not ready for this night to end. A jolt of reality hit me again as I thought about my mom's text, and I wondered to J if we would be back here for another day. His answer was, "I hope so."

Just as we got to an okay place to drag ourselves out of the park, we remembered our running joke that J wants to experience sitting in a courtyard in front of the castle eating a late night Corn Dog Nugget meal from Casey's Corner. As we approached the doors to Casey's, he said, "I kinda want it."

 

[belledream]

"Find your happily ever after!" I told J. But I also told him, we are getting apple slices with this instead of fries because let's be somewhat healthy and also I'm addicted to apples and haven't had one in five days. Of course, he forgot to specify to the cashier and she just assumed fries, and when our food was ready, I was like, "Ahh, apples!" and the cashier was like, "Let me get it for you." And she ended up giving us two because it they were the last ones they had for the night. Also, we were one of the last few guests admitted into Casey's. Even after they had officially closed the doors and some guests pressed their noses against the door hoping to come in, the manager let them in with a big smile. These people are amazing. We thanked them for working so hard and head back to the courtyard to live the dream. I present to you: Corn Dog Nugget Meal, Late Night Cinderella Castle Edition.

He had the first bite. DELICIOUS he said. I took one, skeptical. "Oh. That was pretty good," I said. And I really meant it. No sarcasm at all.

We sat on the turf, just as we had one day dreamed of doing, and ate every last corn dog nugget, french fry, and apple slice there was...with the most prime view that could ever exist.

I was beyond happy. I was not ready for this night to end, and this was just the experience that made me pick up our tray, turn away from the castle, and head towards the park exits with a smile, feeling wholesome and content.

Whether we'd be back or not, we wouldn't see this again!

Goodnight, Magic Kingdom! Thank you for...absolutely everything. When I walk through those archways, I know that any amount of time I spend here will be filled with happiness that cannot be tamed, nostalgia that is of ultimate comfort, and discoveries that know no bounds.

We got back to our room around midnight or so and settled in. Or so I thought.

J, being the sensible one of the two, his mind is not clouded by irrational-Disney-bubble-tone-deafness, pulled out the laptop to look up what was going on with Hurricane Irma. We didn't see any emails about flight changes, so we got on the phone with American Airlines just to check. The rep told us that our flight was cancelled and that MCO was going to be closed all weekend. Uh, what? No notification or anything! While J started to relay his frustrations to AA, I checked MCO's Twitter and there wasn't a definite 'we're going to be closed' tweet, but rather a 'we're monitoring the situation' tweet. We were so confused and starting to panic. The thought of cutting our trip short shook me briefly, as I just wanted to cry out, "I JUST WANTED THIS TO BE OKAY."

So, AA had cancelled our flight ahead of MCO being officially closed, and as J was on hold talking to different people seeing if we had any other options besides taking the next flight out 'the following Thursday' (?!?!), I started searching for any other flights that could get us out before the weekend. Everything was booked even though it showed availability. We played with the idea of renting a car and driving home as early as today (it was already early AM) but that was a pretty stupid idea. I can't remember how, but at some point, we heard that the official word was that MCO would close at 5pm on Saturday.

We ended up calling Expedia at our AA rep's 'suggestion', as she could do nothing for us. We went through the same motions explaining our situation, and when she finally got it, she went to work. We told her we'd take anything, any day before 5pm Saturday. 1 stop, 2 stop, any airport within reasonable vicinity of home. She finally came up with two flights that would leave on Saturday, both flying to Dallas, and back to the East Coast. One was at 6am and the other was at 9am, and we immediately told her we'd take the 6am flight. The further away from 5pm, the better. The transaction took a looong time to go through. We were on pins and needles thinking we'd get disconnected or the change wouldn't go through for some reason. But it finally did at 2am. Even after it was over, we were so wound up and processing what this would mean for the rest of our trip, I don't think I fell asleep until 3:30. And then I woke up at 5:30 because I was nervous as anything about how the rest of our trip would shake out.

We were supposed to go to Blizzard Beach/Typhoon Lagoon/Disney Springs today, Epcot on Friday, Animal Kingdom on Saturday, and Magic Kingdom on Sunday. But leaving at 6am on Saturday meant we would lose both Saturday and Sunday. Magic Kingdom was an 'easy' albeit sad cut, and the thing with Animal Kingdom was that we actually had a Flight of Passage FP for that day. We didn't get to it on our first day. It was literally the only thing left there and we sure could not miss it. So sadly, we agreed to give up our relaxing water park day, and go to Animal Kingdom today. The sooner I could get FoP out of the way, the better I'd feel. And we'd go to Epcot on Friday as planned.

So when I woke up at 5:30, I decided to let J sleep a little longer and go to the lobby to let Disney know of our flight change and also to see if they could do anything about our FoP FP. The CM told me there was no problem with the flight change and that Magical Express would pick us up at 3:55am LOL. Alright. Gotta go what we gotta do. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do about our FoP FP, and we'd just have to see if AK Guest Services could do anything differently, or we'd have to rope drop it. We'd get a one night refund on our resort stay and the two days on the park tickets we wouldn't get to use, but she said there was nothing they could do about the Dining Plan credits, so "go crazy." I guess we could do that.

I called my parents on my walks to and from the lobby and both of them wholeheartedly endorsed our decision and praised our actions. They also laughed at me for being upset. Yeah, yeah.

I went back to the room to see J was already getting ready. I was so proud of him for handling the flight debacle last night...I mean this morning. Two full days left, let's make the most of it and never look back!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I've read a few trips where Irma was involved and it breaks my heart. I would probably legit cry like a baby if I had to cut my Disney trip short. I mean, safety first but, mannnnn!

 

[belledream]

I've read a few trips where Irma was involved and it breaks my heart. I would probably legit cry like a baby if I had to cut my Disney trip short. I mean, safety first but, mannnnn!

We were honestly very lucky timing-wise. We had gotten all four parks and the bulk of our ADRs done. And yeah it was sad, but the overwhelming feeling was being grateful once we realized how lucky we were to actually get out!

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

I'm so glad you got your flights and got out there before that horrible hurricane. You also had a wonderful time while you were there, so it's all good. I know, it wasn't the full time of your vacation, so I hope you can add onto your next one
As for the apple addiction???
I eat an apple and grapes every day for lunch. I started doing this over a year ago to lose weight. With this apple diet and cutting down on fats, sugars, I have managed to lose 30 pounds so far. I feel so much better without that weight. I also came away with a love, craving for apples, and continue with this lunch regime most every day.
Thanks for your great pic's!

 

[belledream]

I'm so glad you got your flights and got out there before that horrible hurricane. You also had a wonderful time while you were there, so it's all good. I know, it wasn't the full time of your vacation, so I hope you can add onto your next one
As for the apple addiction???
I eat an apple and grapes every day for lunch. I started doing this over a year ago to lose weight. With this apple diet and cutting down on fats, sugars, I have managed to lose 30 pounds so far. I feel so much better without that weight. I also came away with a love, craving for apples, and continue with this lunch regime most every day.
Thanks for your great pic's!

Very true, we had so made so many good memories up to this point and it kind of made us go all out for the last two days, which were amazing!

I happen to be eating an apple right now too...they are the best! Good for you!!

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Sad about having to cut the trip short but you definitely have the "savor the moment" down, as evidenced by your late-night EMH's and the Corn Dog overlooking the castle! Aren't great CM experiences amazing? Those magical unexpected moments are seriously a big part of the magic for me

So glad you were able to get out before the hurricane. It's nice to know our park tickets and hotel room will be refunded or transferred to another future trip if we ever had to cut one short. As for the dining plan, I guess we'd just try to hit up some signature restaurants!!
Looking forward to reading about your last few days!

 

[belledream]

Sad about having to cut the trip short but you definitely have the "savor the moment" down, as evidenced by your late-night EMH's and the Corn Dog overlooking the castle! Aren't great CM experiences amazing? Those magical unexpected moments are seriously a big part of the magic for me

So glad you were able to get out before the hurricane. It's nice to know our park tickets and hotel room will be refunded or transferred to another future trip if we ever had to cut one short. As for the dining plan, I guess we'd just try to hit up some signature restaurants!!
Looking forward to reading about your last few days!

Absolutely! The Disney customer service really does make Disney what it is (and majorly sets them apart from everyone else!).

We definitely had to shift our dining plans a bit...it all turned out pretty darn good.

Thanks for reading!

 

[belledream]

We truly had just beaten the rush. As we walked through the lobby to head to the bus stop, it was now PACKED...a mere 30 minutes later. Lines of people probably trying to get in, get out, change flights, book extra nights... I was alarmed but also relieved. Anyways, we hopped on an Animal Kingdom bus and soon found ourselves there. I went to Guest Services to see if anything could be done about our Flight of Passage FP. The moment I saw the CM's face, I felt reassured and hopeful. He just looked like a friendly guy. I explained to him that we had a FoP FP reserved for Saturday, but we would now be gone by then due to the hurricane, and if there was any way they could honor it today. He immediately verified that we did indeed have a FP scheduled and said he would give that one to us for today, but not the other two I had booked. Um, DEAL. As the transaction was going down, I gave J, who was standing over yonder in line, a covert thumbs up and a big smile. Thank goodness, and thank the good people of Disney.

We were admitted into the park a little after 8, and were escorted towards the entrance of Pandora, where we resumed waiting. Since we had gotten to AK pretty early, we were in one of the first 3 rows of people or so. A few times, through the power of tiptoeing, I was able to glance at the crowd behind us, and let's just say it was massive. We made it this far - we were rope dropping this baby and saving our FP for later. Giving us two rides when we had hoped for one at best!

As the sound of buzzing wildlife filled my ears, J and I ogled at the not-for-long empty sights of Pandora.

It was our first true morning here.

At long last, we were entering the queue. The breathtaking, luscious, monumental queue.

We had to move swiftly to keep up with the line, but actually let a party of two pass so we could just see this!

But the hype was real, and it compelled us to move on.

When we reached the indoors, I really started to wonder what was in store for us. All I really knew about this ride was that it was a Soarin'-like experience. And not remembering much about Avatar, I wondered what I might see that would be even remotely familiar.

The indoor queue slowly became more intense. We were still moving quickly though, and didn't see any of the other rooms!

We were itching to go through the doors, and when we finally did, we were 'linked' to our Avatars with our real silhouettes. We watched the really lengthy and very cornily-acted preshow. Wasn't sure if that was by design or not. But none of it mattered once we entered that intimate room with the bikes. Sliding in, and feeling the restraints on my back and legs got me really jittery! The 3D glasses felt really loose on my face and the last thing I wanted was for them to fall off and ruin my experience, so I tucked them under my hair and assumed an absurd but worth-it appearance. And then, our journey began.

Jawdropping experience. The scenery was breathtaking, bright and new to my eyes and my imagination. And then it took me, down, around, here, there, as I tried to soak in every thing and place that I could see. The wind. The water. Everything was so real. And the whale. You see it coming, but then it just keeps coming, and oh my gosh, I screamed with terror and delight. Riding the wave was so surreal and such a treat, because am I actually ever going to experience that? A definite 'no'. When we entered the dark forest, the sound my banshee breathing triggered a feeling. The actual feeling of my banshee's breathing on my legs. I didn't know if I had felt it up to that point yet...and it was a freaky sensation, yet I wanted it to keep going. As the forest slowly came to life with color and sparkle, I got a serious case of the goosebumps. The music was taking over, and making, the experience. I don't think the smile on my face ever came off. I wondered how we would be brought back to reality after such an adventure, but the ending scene was perfect as the sun set on Pandora and all its living things.

Flight of Passage lived up to the hype. And we were so so grateful we'd get another go later on!

 

[belledream]

Windtraders is actually perusable at 9am in the morning!

I took a picture of this because I couldn't get a decent picture inside Na'vi River Journey, so this suffice to jog my memories.

We didn't really give much thought to the banshees before or during our trip, but once we saw them in person, we could see why they were so popular. The idea is really ingenious...

So here's our situation with the dining plan. We had 7 QS and 2 TS credits left. Our original plan for today was to pay OOP for a QS lunch, and use 2 QS credits at Satu'li Canteen for dinner (very excited). We didn't want to eat any TS at AK today, so we thought, why not burn through some major QS today?

And Satu'li Canteen serves breakfast? We're not big breakfast eaters at WDW, but it had to be done!

I got the Vegetable Goat Cheese Frittata, which a real power meal for first thing in the morning. The frittata was not unlike the one from Be Our Guest, but the cheese on top was the winner. The beef was a little on the dry side (left over from the day before maybe?) but the chimichurri sauce helped solve that problem!

J chose the Slow-roasted Pork Shoulder Potato Hash which was some of the most seasoned pork, potatoes, and sausage I have ever tasted. Seriously powerful stuff. And it was addicting. He also got Cherry Coke...for breakfast...

Breakfast was actually a very good idea for us. If you remember, we had just come off a 15 hour day at Magic Kingdom, and I got 2.5 hours of sleep after that, so I was anticipating a crash today. This helped prolong that for now.

Outside, I just couldn't get enough of the flora and fauna amidst the glistening waterfall.

It is truly some kind of alternative paradise.

Since we had zero FPs on the books for the time being, we opened up the app to see where we should go next. Is that a Na'vi River Journey FP we see? I call it!

 

[belledream]

Ooh so mysterious, this place.

Following are my attempts to take pictures with a point and shoot. I should leave it to the pros.

I guess it's better than nothing.

After hanging around for a bit, we decided to go try our luck at a morning safari. We took the exit towards Africa and I thought to myself, 'Oh how I love empty walking paths!' Except this one was absolutely lined with people. Waiting in line for Flight of Passage.

I was appalled.

I could basically see Festival of the Lion King by the time the line was ending.

 

[belledream]

While we waited briefly for the Kilimanjaro Safaris, we came to the realization that our Animal Kingdom mornings have changed forever. We will never head here first anymore, with Flight of Passage around. It's just weird how life has changed!

This is what this rhino has to say to us for not making him first priority anymore.

I loled.

It was a beautiful morning to see some animals, lively and awake, going about their days.

Who's this guy creepin' out of the shadows?

Really close giraffe alert!

The elephants were having themselves quite a breakfast too.

This rhino was a little more friendly. Such a beautiful creature, really.

Zebra sighting.

We finally saw lions today! But it looks like their 'awake' shift was over. Thanks, Pandora.

These lions probably got 10x the amount of sleep I got last night.