Trip Report *COMPLETE* How to Break a Disney Curse in Three Easy Steps: 1) Two Chipmunks 2) The Dapper Dans 3) The Best Mom Ever

Well, it finally happened.

I went to Walt Disney World, the place where, for the last three years and last three trips, I:

• Found out my company was closing, and thus I wouldn’t have a job in a month;
• Tore my ACL in Hollywood Studios, ended up at the ER, and had to be on crutches and use a scooter for the first time, all while racking up a massive hospital bill I’m still paying off;
• Got tonsillitis, my dad got the flu, and my mom got a bad cold, so we had to leave four days early on what was supposed to be our “do-over” trip.

(If you want the details about any of these trips, check out my pre-trip report here, where I wrote mini trip reports about these nightmares.)

Would this trip be different? Would my mom and I have fun on our first mother-daughter only trip? Would turning 30 slowly drive me insane? Most importantly, would I finally break my Disney curse??

Stay tuned to find out! *Dun dun dun*

Dun…

Dun…

Ha, just kidding. I really considered leaving you all in suspense about how my trip went, but I’m going to be upfront instead: this trip was probably one of my favorites that I’ve ever taken! Definitely top 3, if not tied for first place! My mom and I had an absolutely incredible time, and I can’t wait to go back with her! And I think she had a lot of fun, too, since this was supposed to be a “once-in-a-lifetime” thing, but since we’ve been home, she’s even said we need to do another trip, just the two of us, again! (Sorry, Dad!)

Here’s a quick refresher for everyone who didn’t read my pre-trip report:

WHO: My mom (Ele) and me (Carrie)

WHEN: April 7-April 13

WHERE: Beach Club Villas

WHY: My 30th Birthday!

My dad and I are the obsessive Disney lovers in our family. My mom adores the movies, but while she also loves the parks, they’re not the be-all, end-all for her like they are for me and my dad. So I was surprised when she not only didn’t immediately say no when I jokingly asked to go to Disney for my 30th birthday, but instead started asking questions about what the crowds were like and where I’d want to stay. Fast forward through months of waiting and anticipation (and that final trip where we all got sick, which was just this past Dec-Jan), and the day had finally arrived—we were leaving on our first mother-daughter Disney trip!!

 

[Darstarr]

APRIL 8, MONDAY: EPCOT, again (continued)

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After final hugs, we departed from our new friends, and headed back into Future World. On the way, I saw the popcorn stand with the different flavors. When we were there over Christmas, they were out of all the flavors but buffalo every time we tried, but this time they had all three (buffalo, cheddar, and sour cream and chive). You have the option of getting one flavor or mixing all of them together. We chose to mix all of them, which was a mistake, because it was really hard to discern separate flavors, even when eating individual kernels. I’d recommend picking one flavor.

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Then we decided to cross another item off our F&G list: violet lemonade! I’d never had the trendsetting drink, but I dutifully order one for me and one for my mom. It was pretty delicious! (They were out of flowers for the top, though).

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Since we were in the area, I also hopped back to the Citrus Blossom to get us two more orange wine slushies. We’d liked it that much the day before!

We sat on a bench right outside of Disney Traders, at the start of WS, and enjoyed our cool beverages. The skies had started to darken, and we kept shooting suspicious glances up at it. Sure enough, it started to rain, and we made a dash into the store. Since we were so close, we beat a lot of people in, and were able to hole up in a corner for a while. It poured for a good ten minutes, and then cleared right back up.

We emerged and I decided that since we were right there, I’d take some pictures of World Showcase. We always tell ourselves we’re going to slow down and enjoy things, and we always end up going, going, going! But this trip was the first time we (mostly) stuck to our take it easy plan.

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Welcome back!
Sorry about your Gpa

 

[carriehpotter]

Welcome back!
Sorry about your Gpa☹

Thanks! And thanks about my pop. He's doing well in rehab! It's just been a crazy few months!!

 

[LeighM]

Sorry to hear about your Grandpa! My family went through something similar when my Granddaddy broke his hip and had to have rehab. They allowed him to get bedsores, which then got infected, which almost killed him. Having your trust betrayed like that by medical staff that is supposed to do better just adds so much unnecessary stress to an already stressful time. Glad he's doing better in the new place!

 

[carriehpotter]

Sorry to hear about your Grandpa! My family went through something similar when my Granddaddy broke his hip and had to have rehab. They allowed him to get bedsores, which then got infected, which almost killed him. Having your trust betrayed like that by medical staff that is supposed to do better just adds so much unnecessary stress to an already stressful time. Glad he's doing better in the new place!

Thank you! They didn't monitor him as they should, and he ended up with an ulcer and a urine infection (and some other minor issues). But because they weren't keeping an eye on things, they thought at first that his kidneys were failing and he got sent back to the hospital! It was so scary. Luckily, it wasn't that bad, but it was clearly negligence on their part. We're convinced the only reason they did anything at all is because at least one person from my family visited everyday, and we noticed his stomach swelling. Ugh! The new place is MUCH better, and he even took a few steps in physical therapy yesterday!

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 8, MONDAY: EPCOT, again (continued)

The rain hadn’t broken the humidity…if anything, it was worse. So we decided to head into the Mexican pavilion and visit one of our fav spots…La Cava del Tequila! I’m sure I’m going to jinx us by saying this, but we’ve always had great luck getting a table here (even before they packed the tables in so tightly) and this time was no different. We settled in and ordered our drinks and food (and water!). My mom got the Blood Orange Margarita, and I got my old standby, the Avocado Margarita (sooo refreshing on a hot, humid day!). We also ordered the Guacamole and Queso with chips for lunch. Both are some of the best I’ve ever had: the queso has an actual kick to it!

We would have lingered longer, but we always feel guilty about taking up a table when we’re done (and neither of us wanted a second drink), so we ventured out into the pavilion itself. The wait for Gran Fiesta Tour wasn’t too bad, so we hopped in line. I know this is a basic little ride, but I kind of hope they never do the Coco overlay. I love the three caballeros, and love seeing them in the ride!

After our tour, we roamed around the Mexican shops at bit. It's become a bit of a tradition that we each pick out a new piece of jewelry in the jewelry store, La Tienda Encantada, 1) because the pieces are beautiful and handmade in Mexico and 2) because they are relatively inexpensive. We each picked a bracelet, and then finally decided to move on. We walked back out into the crushing humidity, and saw a line forming over by Donald's M&G area. Like Ashley from See Ya Reel Soon, I love me some Mexican Donald, so I checked the app and saw he was coming out in like 5 minutes. We hopped in line (well, I did. My mom decided to sit this one out and found a place to lean in the shade). Soon enough, the Number 1 Duck came out and the line thankfully moved pretty quickly!

TBC in Norway!

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 8, MONDAY: EPCOT, again (continued)

We moved on to Norway next, and immediately noticed that Anna and Elsa’s M&G at Royal Sommerhus only had a 20 min posted wait! Flashing back to wait times of several hours when A&E first started meeting, we jumped right in line. Epcot continued to boast low crowds this day. And wouldn’t you know it? Even 20 min was a stretch…we waited exactly 7 min. You’ll get no complaints from me!!

This M&G was mixed. Usually we’ve found Anna to be more engaging and fun, but this time, she was rather flat and we felt rushed with her. But Elsa was great! She really engaged with me, asking about my favorite birthday treats, and promising to bake a cake with Anna and Olaf for my birthday. She also sounded remarkably like Idina Menzel.

After our trip to see the sisters, we decided it was time for dessert after our Mexican lunch-snack. I grabbed a table outside Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe, and my mom went in to order. I had one request, and one request only: SCHOOL BREAD! I know a lot think this treat is over-hyped, but boy do I love it! My mom soon came back with our goodies and not a moment too soon. A lady at the table across from me kept shooting me random dirty looks and finally sent her kid over to take the other chair at my table (without asking). So, of course, I was like, “Woah, excuse me, I need that.” The kid, who I knew was just the messenger, shrugged and went back to her table. Well, the look this lady shot me, I’m surprised I didn’t explode on the spot. Seriously? It’s not like I was hoarding five chairs. I had two at my table, and my butt was in one of them. And my mom was gone for like 5 minutes. So I was relieved when my mom came so that the lady wouldn’t try to take the chair again, and also felt vindicated, because yes, I’m not selfish…I had a need for the chair. Geez.

My mom had bought school bread, as requested, and also lefse. I didn’t use to like lefse, but when I tried it this time, it was a totally different story! I guess my taste buds changed. It’s just butter and sugar rolled in thin tortilla-esque bread, but it’s so yummy!

(The card in this pic is a dead gift card that we will not be using again. Thank you so much to @Rista1313 for pointing it out to me, though!)

We browsed the Norway shops next and despaired at how much Frozen has taken over. My mom had to drag me away from the Geir Ness display: Laila is my everyday perfume! It’s so beautiful and light! But I had two bottles at home, so I didn’t need more...

We then ventured into China, and I noticed all of the mini “topiaries” of the different Chinese zodiac animals. I thought they were awesome! So awesome that I only managed to take pictures of a few of them.

(The monkey)

(The snake)

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 8, MONDAY: EPCOT, again (continued)

The China Pavilion is just so pretty...

We decided to hunt for another egg and we found it easily enough. (I'm not going to warn for the scavenger hunts anymore since they're both over...hope that's OK!)

(Dramatic zoom in...dun dun dun!)

We shopped for a bit in the Chinese stores (my mom found a cool Panda bracelet with her name, which she was super excited about, since Eleanor is one of those names that's impossible to find!), and also looked in the gallery at the Shanghai Disneyland exhibit. I didn't think to take photos since we've looked at it so many times (sorry! I'm still getting used to this trip report thing!). My entire bucket list is made up of just visiting every Disney park around the world (including Disneyland)... the Asian parks in particular look so amazing!

We were getting thirsty, and there was a drink I'd always wanted to try at Joy of Tea, so my mom grabbed a bench and I went and ordered...Tipsy Ducks in Love! And boy is that thing strong. But also very good.

You may have noticed in my last few pictures of the Pavilion that the sun was gone and clouds were rolling in again. We'd just started to debate whether we should get inside somewhere, and I took this picture through the huge rock we were sitting by, which I thought was cool:

(Upon reflection, it's not )

I'd no sooner put my phone back in my pocket then the skies opened up. We made a mad dash for the closest covered area, which was the Refreshment Outpost...along with like sixty other people. And as I'm sure many of you know, that's not the best cover ever... It was really coming down...

My mom and I were standing close-ish to the front of the overhang, and suddenly, this big deluge of water just came off the tarp thing and drenched us. We were SOAKED. As the rain kept on, not letting up, we had to decide what to do. We had a Via Napoli reservation in about an hour and a half, but I checked the weather and it was going to rain for the rest of the night. Since we were now soggy and gross, we decided to brave the rain and just walk back to our room to dry off and change (the biggest perk to staying at BC!), and then decide what to do from there. We donned our ponchos and went out into the monsoon.

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 8, MONDAY: EPCOT, again (continued)

We got back to our room, dried off and changed, and then tried to decide what to do. It was still raining pretty hard out, so we didn't want to trek back into Epcot just to get wet again. We decided to let our Via Napoli ADR go, which bummed me out because I love their Quattro Formaggi pizza so much, but I knew it was the right thing to do. But now we had to find dinner! Cape May Cafe, which did have ADRs left, was out, since my mom is not a fan of seafood. We had a Beaches n' Cream ADR later in the week, so that was out, too. We looked at the menus of the remaining restaurants (interestingly, every restaurant at both Yacht and Beach had ADRs, including Yachtsman) and decided to try Ale & Compass over at Yacht. I'd read mixed reviews of the place, but the menu sounded pretty good. Plus, it meant the only time we had to go outside was briefly, and under an overhang!

We got over there and asked if they could accommodate a walk-up. The hostess was lovely and said she could squeeze us in, but it'd be about 10 min. No problem with us...we were just hungry! At this point, it was almost or just about 9:00 p.m. We found a spot in the lobby to chill, and I roamed around to check it all out and take pictures (we'd been to Yacht before, but only when it'd been decorated for Christmas, so this was new to me!).

(Pretty, pretty live flowers!)

They had an Easter Egg display, too! (Though, ours was bigger )

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 8, MONDAY: EPCOT, again (continued)

We soon got the table ready text, and were seated. On one side of us was a couple (middle-aged-ish) and on the other was a big round table full of a family with like three adults and seven children. Oh boy, OK.

Let me start off by saying that our waiter was LOVELY. He was the best server we had all week. His name was either Don or Donald (ask for him...you won't be disappointed). So professional, courteous, and still personable. He knew just the right blend of chatting with us (what we'd been up to, what our plans were for the rest of our stay, etc.), and backing off. So awesome!

And he was just the right amount of sassy asking when my birthday was and calling me princess...it was in an "we're all in on the joke" kind of way. I proudly showed him my ID when he carded me for my drink so he could see that my birthday was, in fact, in two days! I'm sure they get tons of people saying it's their birthday when it's not, which hey, they might not be able to make it around their birthday so who am I to judge? But he was so pleasantly surprised it was actually almost my birthday, that it made us laugh.

(I got the Seaworthy Breeze, which was Yacht Club Vodka with Grapefruit and Cranberry Juices. Very yummy!)

(My mom got moscato...her favorite!)

(Don't mind me...I really liked the place setting, especially the silverware! )

We were ravenous by that point, so we started with two appetizers, the Applewood-smoked Bacon Flatbread (with Caramelized Onion with Gruyère and Arugula) and the Parker House Rolls and Spreads (Bacon Jam, Pub Cheese, and Citrus Butter). The rolls were so GOOOOOD. All of the spreads were yummy, but especially the citrus butter!)

(I got the 10-oz New York Angus Strip [with Maître d’Hôtel Butter, Truffle Fries, House-made Steak Sauce, and Watercress Salad]. The steak was perfectly done, and the fries were scrumptious!)

Alas, I didn't take a pic of what my mom got, but looking at the menu now, I am about 98% positive she got the Bacon and Vermont Cheddar Burger. My mom loves a good bacon and cheddar burger!

Throughout dinner, one of the kids at the big table was loudly and consistently banging the end of a spoon on the table. And these spoons were heavy. It was very, very annoying, especially considering the adults only halfheartedly tried to stop him. But hey, it's Disney. Kids will be kids. What was more annoying was the woman at the table on the other side of us. ALL she did was complain about the kid to her husband, to us, to Don. Oh my lord. We get it. It's annoying. But you CONSTANTLY bringing attention to it made it so much worse! Ugh.

Anyway, we still had an awesome meal. The food was great and the service better. After were were done, Don offered dessert, and we were like..."No way! You'd have to roll us out of here!" Nevermind the fact that it was after ten and we were literally one of two tables left in the restaurant. But Don cajoled and said, "But it's your birthday! I have to give you a birthday treat!" We agreed, but only if it was to go, haha. And what did he bring me? A super well-packed dessert with a Tinker Bell light-up figure attached! So fun!

(This thing was pretty big for a free dessert! And it was so rich and decadent and chocolately! Yum!)

Before we left, I couldn't resist taking a light fixture photo. I'd been eyeing it all night and decided to bite the bullet. It was just so cool! @Doc Disney, you've infected us all!

With that, we went back to our room to sleep (me in my blessedly made pull-out) and our second day (finally, lol) came to a close!

UP NEXT: Animal Kingdom fun, part of the TR's name is explained, and I LOVE GIRAFFES.

 

[Rista1313]

That dessert looks to die for! Chocolate heaven. I have been curious about Ale & Compass... maybe if the situation presents itself!

 

[Swissmiss]

So I’ve been reading the latest update to your thread with all the windows open and vaguely aware of hearing thunder and occasional flashes of light. Simultaneously with getting to this paragraph...

APRIL 8, MONDAY: EPCOT, again (continued)
I'd no sooner put my phone back in my pocket then the skies opened up. We made a mad dash for the closest covered area, which was the Refreshment Outpost...along with like sixty other people. And as I'm sure many of you know, that's not the best cover ever... It was really coming down...

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My mom and I were standing close-ish to the front of the overhang, and suddenly, this big deluge of water just came off the tarp thing and drenched us. We were SOAKED. As the rain kept on, not letting up, we had to decide what to do. We had a Via Napoli reservation in about an hour and a half, but I checked the weather and it was going to rain for the rest of the night. Since we were now soggy and gross, we decided to brave the rain and just walk back to our room to dry off and change (the biggest perk to staying at BC!), and then decide what to do from there. We donned our ponchos and went out into the monsoon.

... I became aware that the thunder sound had been replaced by the sound of buckets full of water falling from the skies.

Sounds like you had a great dinner at YC - I love that the waiter put the glowing tinkerbell on your dessert package.

 

[carriehpotter]

That dessert looks to die for! Chocolate heaven. I have been curious about Ale & Compass... maybe if the situation presents itself!

It was SOOOO good. I was really pleasantly surprised. It didn't taste like a "free" dessert at all. I'm not sure if that't their normal birthday treat, or if it was just Don continuing to be awesome! My mom and I liked Ale & Compass a lot more than we expected to, honestly.

So I’ve been reading the latest update to your thread with all the windows open and vaguely aware of hearing thunder and occasional flashes of light. Simultaneously with getting to this paragraph...



... I became aware that the thunder sound had been replaced by the sound of buckets full of water falling from the skies.

Sounds like you had a great dinner at YC - I love that the waiter put the glowing tinkerbell on your dessert package.

What kismet! That's so funny.

We really enjoyed our meal at Ale & Compass! And yes, it was such a sweet and "extra magical" gesture. I've never gotten one of the glowing character drinks before, so I was excited, lol.

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 9, TUESDAY: ANIMAL KINGDOM

Yay, we’re finally going to a different park (lol)! We were up bright and early this morning because I wanted to rope drop Kilimanjaro Safari. I was pretty proud of my mom this morning, because she is NOT a rope drop person and never has been. My dad and I are (or we fancy ourselves to be). When I went with my friends in 2015, I rope dropped each day by myself. It’s going to be interesting to see how well my dad and I do rope dropping when we go, just the two of us, in September!

Anyway, we were at the bus stop by about 8:20ish. A bus came relatively quickly, and we were off! We didn’t quite make rope drop, but we tapped in exactly at 9. Not too shabby! I knew my mom was really trying because it was my birthday trip, so I appreciated it.

We hurried back to Africa to ride the safari stand-by. We had a FP for later in the day, but the safari is our favorite thing to do in AK and it was the only day we’d be there, so we wanted to try to ride it twice. Luckily, most people were on their way to Pandora, so the line was only at 20 min when we got there (and after we used the bathroom, haha).

(A slightly blurry pre-safari selfie! My mom hasn't quite gotten the hang of selfies yet...)

Every time we ride the safari, I say, “This is the time I’m just going to enjoy it and not take pictures.” And every time, I take pictures anyway

(The hyenas were still out for some reason, and our driver got super excited and stopped for a bit so we could get actually decent pictures of them!)

(There weren't a lot of giraffes out, which made me sad, as giraffes are the best animals ever.)

 

[Rista1313]

What are your dates in September?

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 9, TUESDAY: ANIMAL KINGDOM (continued)

I promise there are lions in the following photos! They were hard to get pictures of, but actually pretty easy to see, which was different.

It was a pretty good trip around Africa. No giraffic jam, though . That happened to me in 2015 when I rode the safari alone and It. Was. Awesome. Giraffes are the best (and, obviously, my favorite animal, haha).

My tentative plan was actually working out! We got off the safari with enough time to grab breakfast from Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery. I’m not sure why, but this place has become one of our favorite go-to breakfast spots. My mom got a cheese danish and I got the giant cinnamon roll (which is meant for two people, but oh well!).

We sat in the covered (ish) seating area right behind Tamu Tamu to enjoy our bounty. While we were sitting there, the musicians and dancers were out, and it was so fun to watch. People really get into it! At one point, they asked everyone whose birthday it was to step forward, but I was happy munching on my breakfast!

When the show was done, one of the performers came into the seating area to put his instrument away and he came over to talk to us. He saw my button (and my shirt...I was going full out ), and said I should have come over with everyone else! Since I didn't come over, he insisted that he sing "Happy Birthday" in Swahili to me. It was so cool and sweet! We grabbed a photo after his impromptu extra performance:

Once we were done our breakfast, it was just about time for our Festival of the Lion King FP. We usually never get FPs for shows, but we'd missed this on our last trip, so I wanted to be sure to see it! We sat a lot closer than usual since we had FPs, and that was nice (usually we're in the back since we're running in at the last minute). The show was beautiful, as always.

 

[carriehpotter]

What are your dates in September?

August 30-September 8 (so we'll just miss each other ). We were originally going for low crowds, and then the SW:GE announcement happened after we were booked, flights and all

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 9, TUESDAY: ANIMAL KINGDOM (continued)

Off to Pandora we went. We were excited because we had barely spent any time in the land over Christmas because it had been mobbed. And my first time in the land, on my 2017 trip with B, my best friend, I’d already torn my ACL by that point and was scooter-bound…not the best perspective!

We utilized the path “behind” Festival of the Lion King to walk over (this path is so awesome). It was nice and peaceful, at least at that time (it was probably around 11:30ish). Once we got into Pandora, we stopped for some PP photos.

(I clearly didn’t follow directions well. Not sure what I was looking at. Mom did pretty good, though.)

(Sometimes I wish the PP photographers would engage a little more…like telling my mom her shirt was wackily pulled to one side here. Otherwise, this would have been such a nice photo… I wish I had noticed, too!)

Then I proceeded to go photo-crazy, as I’d yet to run around taking pictures here. It miraculously wasn’t too crowded, so it was a good time.

It was time for our Na’vi River Journey FP. We’d ridden this for the first time over Christmas, and we actually all really enjoyed it. I’ll agree with most everyone here and say that it’s not worth more than a half hour wait, but we find it beautiful, immersive, and calming. And the shaman AA is really breathtaking.

(I tried hard to get a shot of her since we were in the back row, but this was the best I got.)

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 9, TUESDAY: ANIMAL KINGDOM (continued)

After our river journey, we decided to just roam around the land a bit and soak it in. Though it’s small, it really is so peaceful if you find yourself on the right path! Eventually we wandered into Windtraders, the only store. My dad and I had basically dashed through here when we got off Flight of Passage over Christmas (it had been so packed, we had to get out), so we wanted to actually take a look at the Pandora merchandise this time. A lot of it is pretty silly, but we had fun looking at everything, especially the Banshees. I debated getting one briefly, but as my mom pointed out…what was I going to do with it once I got home, and did I even want to wear it around the park since it was so hot? I quickly decided not to get one .

They had just gotten a big shipment of new pins (the CM had a great time showing me all of them), which the pin collector in me needed. I ended up buying all of them . The CM at the register meticulously wrapped each one so they wouldn’t rub up against each other and potentially scratch on their way back to BC, which I really appreciated and thanked him for.

I also got this Direhorse plush, because I’m actually five years old:

It was around 12:30/1:00ish at that point, and those pastries were feeling hours away (which they were). So we decided to have lunch at a new to us location, Satu'li Canteen. I left my mom to find a table (inside was really crowded, so she stuck to scouting the covered outside tables) and went in to order. I’d told her about the cheeseburgers pods here, but I’d also mentioned they removed the adult entrée, so we’d have to either get the kid’s meal or a la carte. I debated getting one of the bowls, as I’d read such good things, but on that particular day, none of them appealed to me, so I decided to get the cheeseburger pods, too. When it was my turn to order, I asked if I could get the pods a la carte and was told yes. So I ordered 4. Then the CM (another awesome one!) asked if I was getting them for adults, and I said yes, 2 adults. She let me know that she could still key the order in as the adult entrée, where you get two pods plus slaw and chips, and that it would work out to be a little cheaper. Awesome, OK then! So I ordered two adult entrées. No dessert, because I had another plan for that .

With our bounty in tow, I found my mom right outside at a table covered with an umbrella, so we had some shade…perfect! It was another hot, humid day.

We enjoyed our cheeseburger pods but agreed that next time we’d share one entrée if they still have that option. The chips were good, too, but we weren’t a fan of the slaw.

Once we were finished, I told my mom I’d be right back, and I ran over to Pongu Pongu. I ordered a Rum Blossom and a Pongu Lumpia, both things I’d wanted to try for a long time. As I waited for my drink, I was serenaded by one CM with a rendition of “Sweet Caroline.” The CM making my drink scolded him and said, “Like she hasn’t heard that one before.” Let’s just say, I’m glad I’m not a Red Sox fan because I’d go absolutely mad.

The CM made the drink strong. Not sure if that’s the MO, or if she felt bad about the song, but hey, I’ll take it!

We really enjoyed both. I liked the Lumpia a bit more than my mom, but I also really like pineapple.

While we were sitting there, the robot mech show thing was going on, and that was fun to listen to while still sitting in the shade. Not sure I would have wanted to stand in the sun for it, though.

Happily full, we bid Pandora adieu and made our way back down the same path to Africa. It was time for our safari FP! Before we left on safari, we saw a lonely PP photographer and just had to take advantage!

(I wish this had been Simba instead of the lion from The Lion Guard, which we don't watch.)

Safari time! I do love how each safari really is different. This one had way less lions, but way more giraffes, so I considered it a win!

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 9, TUESDAY: ANIMAL KINGDOM (continued)

(Did I mention I really like giraffes?)

(This fencing makes it so difficult to see the elephants But look--baby!)

After our second safari, we decided to hit up Gorilla Falls.

I took 90 million pictures of the meerkats, but I’ll spare you most of them. They’re definitely my second favorite after giraffes.

(Majestic.)

(Scurry, sniff, flinch!)

We were in by the naked mole rats when it started to rain. It came down HARD for probably about a half hour. But we had seen it starting to drizzle and had decided to hang out in the corner next to one of the cabinets, so we had somewhere to lean as it poured. Finally, it let up and we moved on to see the birds. We didn’t dilly dally too much through the rest of the trail, as it looked like it could rain again at any minute.

(The gorillas were being especially lazy...)

 

[carriehpotter]

APRIL 9, TUESDAY: ANIMAL KINGDOM (continued)

After we were done with the trail, we had just enough time to do something else (but not a ride...you know how it works) before our dinner ADR. So we decided to head into Dinoland to meet some characters! We’d met Scrooge and Launchpad over Christmas but had missed the others.

On the way, we stopped for a few more PP pics:

(My mom decided to sit this session out. She didn’t understand why there was a PP photographer here. I told her it was an “internet thing,” haha.)

(Not sure about this angle…)

(Better.)

(I look SOOO scared. )

(I love these little areas off the path for pics with the TOL. They always have much shorter lines for the photographers than on Discovery Island!)

On the way to Dinoland, we saw Kevin!

We finally made it to Dinoland, ready for some characters. These were some awesome M&Gs! And the lines weren’t long at all.

First I hopped in line for my main boy, Don Duck. Donald is one of my favorite characters. I love that he's not "perfect" (though I know Mickey didn't use to be, either).

After we took our picture, Donald didn't want me to go. It was so funny. He was swooning over me and kissing my hand and begging me to stay on one knee (it would have been nice if the photographer got any of this, but she was engaging with Donald along with the character handler, asking what Daisy would think). I told Donald I wouldn't tell Daisy if he wouldn't, and he agreed. He made me pinkie swear and then he kissed my hand. As I finally left, he stayed leaned against a barrel watching me go (I looked back twice and he was still watching and waving). So I think I'm engaged to a duck now?

My mom had gone to get in line for another M&G (stay tuned for the next post--it's one of the three steps in the TR title ) because we didn't have much time. So I was alone for this one. While it seems hit or miss, this trip all of the characters seemed extra great when interacting with an adult, which made me happy. I get that a lot of people think M&Gs are for kids, but if I waited in line for it, that probably means I'd like some interaction, too! Every time we've done the M&Gs in Dinoland, they've been awesome--I highly recommend them!

UP NEXT: We finish our day in AK and then we park hop into the eye of the storm!