Well here we go again...
Pre-trip?
I don't know...
Pre-trip?
I don't know...
-
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Trip Report englanddg's Getting a bit Enthusiastic Escapade...
- Thread starter englanddg
- Start date
So, child on hand, I let the kid know we could save some time and take and Uber/Lyft back to the hotel, and then grab some dinner.
But, nope, she really wanted to ride the Magical Express. “They play the best cartoons and it is fun!”.
Um, ok!
The area hasn’t changed much since I saw it last. And, check in was super quick. Tap the band and go.
This is one area that I feel was dramatically improved with Magicbands. The other being room keys and park tickets. I really don’t miss shuffling around with various cards and keeping track of it all.
On the bus we talked about plans for the week. She has been really busy on the app making FP reservations and even an ADR (she wants to do Sci Fi Dine). I am glad that I haven’t bought the Universal tickets yet, because now she isn’t sure she wants to do Sea World!
Oh well. Still some time. This late in the game there isn’t much to be saved or lost with buying a few days before.
We also downloaded Disney Play...and, more on that later in the report. But, the short of it (according to her) is that “oh, is this like Kim Possible and Phineus and Ferb at Epcot?” (Referring to the World Showcase game she used to adore).
Maybe. I don’t know.
So, we sat back and enjoyed the commercials and some Disney Trivia (she got them all right, I missed the Christmas Tree question).
We dropped the bag off at the hotel, and walked the food court and shop, but, she already had plans for tonight and wanted to stick with them.
So, off to Disney Springs!
They were working really hard on this my last trip, and it is...very different. We actually had trouble recognizing the place!
The kiddo commented that “oh, they have Mac and Coach now. Hoity Toity!”.
She already had plans, it seems. She wanted Ice Cream. She remembers Ghiradelli, I think, but she had done some googling and found Vivoli il Gelato...I don’t remember this place, I think she was thinking of Ghiradelli...but, she is insistent that is the place...so...(shrug)?
Doesn’t matter any way, it was really tasty!
After sharing the ice cream waffle cone (chocolate chip gelato, very good!), we made it into World of Disney...but, it seems like half of it is closed for renovations. The kiddo did buy herself two new Stitch and Angel plush though (her little sister and little brother have “adopted” her other ones).
We watched the dance parties and took in the atmosphere, all on the way to her second place on “the plans”, and it was exploding across the lake.
Rainforest Cafe! Which was fine by me. I was famished! I decided on the Ahi Tuna tacos.
It was...ok. Spicy, but not in a satisfying way. I can say the tuna itself was executed very well. The vegetables were quite good, but pretty standard sautéed type stuff. It hit the spot, for sure (I was famished by this point), but I probably wouldn’t order them again.
The kiddo got...chicken strips. Now, if this is your first time joining me for a trip report, my kiddo eats so much chicken I am surprised she doesn’t cluck.
Grilled chicken, bbq chicken, teriyaki chicken, chicken skewers, you name it. Between that and bacon, she feels she would need nothing else to survive.
But, nope, she really wanted to ride the Magical Express. “They play the best cartoons and it is fun!”.
Um, ok!
The area hasn’t changed much since I saw it last. And, check in was super quick. Tap the band and go.
This is one area that I feel was dramatically improved with Magicbands. The other being room keys and park tickets. I really don’t miss shuffling around with various cards and keeping track of it all.
On the bus we talked about plans for the week. She has been really busy on the app making FP reservations and even an ADR (she wants to do Sci Fi Dine). I am glad that I haven’t bought the Universal tickets yet, because now she isn’t sure she wants to do Sea World!
Oh well. Still some time. This late in the game there isn’t much to be saved or lost with buying a few days before.
We also downloaded Disney Play...and, more on that later in the report. But, the short of it (according to her) is that “oh, is this like Kim Possible and Phineus and Ferb at Epcot?” (Referring to the World Showcase game she used to adore).
Maybe. I don’t know.
So, we sat back and enjoyed the commercials and some Disney Trivia (she got them all right, I missed the Christmas Tree question).
We dropped the bag off at the hotel, and walked the food court and shop, but, she already had plans for tonight and wanted to stick with them.
So, off to Disney Springs!
They were working really hard on this my last trip, and it is...very different. We actually had trouble recognizing the place!
The kiddo commented that “oh, they have Mac and Coach now. Hoity Toity!”.
She already had plans, it seems. She wanted Ice Cream. She remembers Ghiradelli, I think, but she had done some googling and found Vivoli il Gelato...I don’t remember this place, I think she was thinking of Ghiradelli...but, she is insistent that is the place...so...(shrug)?
Doesn’t matter any way, it was really tasty!
After sharing the ice cream waffle cone (chocolate chip gelato, very good!), we made it into World of Disney...but, it seems like half of it is closed for renovations. The kiddo did buy herself two new Stitch and Angel plush though (her little sister and little brother have “adopted” her other ones).
We watched the dance parties and took in the atmosphere, all on the way to her second place on “the plans”, and it was exploding across the lake.
Rainforest Cafe! Which was fine by me. I was famished! I decided on the Ahi Tuna tacos.
It was...ok. Spicy, but not in a satisfying way. I can say the tuna itself was executed very well. The vegetables were quite good, but pretty standard sautéed type stuff. It hit the spot, for sure (I was famished by this point), but I probably wouldn’t order them again.
The kiddo got...chicken strips. Now, if this is your first time joining me for a trip report, my kiddo eats so much chicken I am surprised she doesn’t cluck.
Grilled chicken, bbq chicken, teriyaki chicken, chicken skewers, you name it. Between that and bacon, she feels she would need nothing else to survive.
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Of course, Rainforest did the usual show (a rainstorm, for those not aware, and all the animals come to life. The animals do “fidget” a bit, but the show is where it’s at!
We told the waitress we had done “dessert first”, which got us a bit of a strange look, but we were soon on our way to catch our bus. And...well, we walked past the T-shirt shop and the dancing fountains (she reminisced about running through them, a pastime she thoroughly enjoyed as a younger child)...
And, some of you may know what is coming...
Yeah, the old bus stops...are just that, the old bus stops! Now, we were a bit confused. And, with the new pathways, we ended up wandering around quite a bit to find our way out. We even made a complete circle just after the LEGO store!
Doh!
It, it did give us a chance to take some pictures of the LEGO figures.
My kiddo wants to know why “Snow White is missing her arm? I don’t remember that from the movie!”.
We also happened upon this place...
But, there will be more on that in a later part of the report! (wink).
Another thing we passed by was the cupcake shop, and we saw the strangest thing!
So, we got one to share (two desserts isn’t terrible, right?). Red Velvet, the kiddos favorite.
Really neat experience! We...will need to do that again. Nibbling the cupcake as we tried to find our way out...still feeling a bit disoriented (it all just looks so different!).
We eventually did find the busses. So, back to Pop!
Once in the room, whilst she took a shower, I pulled down the other bed. The quality isn’t as good as the other bed is...especially the sheets and mattress, but it looks comfortable enough!
I love that Pluto picture. And, the bed has its own reading lights, with a switch on the top of the “headboard”. Not too shabby! I will let you all know how it sleeps.
So, Day 1 done! Pretty exciting, overall. It was wonderful to see her so excited to see the place again, and to talk about her memories as we pulled up to places like AoA.
Tomorrow is Animal Kingdom and our first experience ever of the wonders of Pandora!
We told the waitress we had done “dessert first”, which got us a bit of a strange look, but we were soon on our way to catch our bus. And...well, we walked past the T-shirt shop and the dancing fountains (she reminisced about running through them, a pastime she thoroughly enjoyed as a younger child)...
And, some of you may know what is coming...
Yeah, the old bus stops...are just that, the old bus stops! Now, we were a bit confused. And, with the new pathways, we ended up wandering around quite a bit to find our way out. We even made a complete circle just after the LEGO store!
Doh!
It, it did give us a chance to take some pictures of the LEGO figures.
My kiddo wants to know why “Snow White is missing her arm? I don’t remember that from the movie!”.
We also happened upon this place...
But, there will be more on that in a later part of the report! (wink).
Another thing we passed by was the cupcake shop, and we saw the strangest thing!
So, we got one to share (two desserts isn’t terrible, right?). Red Velvet, the kiddos favorite.
Really neat experience! We...will need to do that again. Nibbling the cupcake as we tried to find our way out...still feeling a bit disoriented (it all just looks so different!).
We eventually did find the busses. So, back to Pop!
Once in the room, whilst she took a shower, I pulled down the other bed. The quality isn’t as good as the other bed is...especially the sheets and mattress, but it looks comfortable enough!
I love that Pluto picture. And, the bed has its own reading lights, with a switch on the top of the “headboard”. Not too shabby! I will let you all know how it sleeps.
So, Day 1 done! Pretty exciting, overall. It was wonderful to see her so excited to see the place again, and to talk about her memories as we pulled up to places like AoA.
Tomorrow is Animal Kingdom and our first experience ever of the wonders of Pandora!
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MinnieM123
Premium Member
Another thing we passed by was the cupcake shop, and we saw the strangest thing!
Ha! I love this --a cupcake ATM!
Cupcake ATMs belong everywhere!Ha! I love this --a cupcake ATM!
Ariel1986
Well-Known Member
Enjoying the report so far, I remember your previous ones- I can't believe how quick your daughter has grown up!
We stayed a couple of nights at Pop in July and we really liked the new rooms. I believe all the values (except AoA) are going this way now too. Hope you've had a great AK day!
We stayed a couple of nights at Pop in July and we really liked the new rooms. I believe all the values (except AoA) are going this way now too. Hope you've had a great AK day!
MinnieM123
Premium Member
Just had a silly thought about that ATM. What if you went to a store to buy a notebook and a pen. Clerk says, "That will be $5.00, please -- cash, credit or debit?" You say, "I'm paying with a red velvet cupcake today."
Day 2 - Simba, Baloo and the Big Blue Guy, Too!
So, bit of informational housekeeping from yesterday’s posts.
First, once change at Pop that I meant to note is that the kid’s activity / tv / waiting area in the Lobby has been removed. It appears to be used for storage now?
This was a place the kiddo used to enjoy, and noticed was missing. I suppose in today’s world (yeah, sounds so old?), it isn’t really needed? Especially with what Disney is attempting to do with online check in (which is another topic I will touch on later). But, it was still neat to have an area, playing old cartoons, etc.
Another one is about the Minnie Vans. No, I didn’t spell that wrong or attempt a pun...Disney did that for me (though, they are really SUVs from what I have seen).
These are Minnie Vans.
As soon as I got on property, and opened the Lyft app, I was prompted about this service. I failed to take a screenshot, but got one from MDE as well that is very similar.
These are a fleet of “Lyft powered” taxis that are owned and staffed by Disney. Pretty neat! They offer a flat rate one way for up to six passengers, offer car seats and other accommodations that the run of the mill Lyft will not.
The cost is $25 per trip, and whilst that is not cheap (a normal Lyft would be about $10 to get to a park like Animal Kingdom...because I checked), if you have a larger group or need car seats, it is a better option than a taxi or even a standard Lyft!
It is a neat idea to get places quickly, especially if your group doesn’t have the time to spend playing the Disney Bus Shuffle to get to an ADR or a show across property!
I am sure we will use the service at least once on our trip. Not because we really need to...per se, but because the bright red polka dotted Minnie Vans have peaked my kid’s interest.
So, how did the bed sleep? Quite well! No complaints! Not as plush as the other mattress, but quite serviceable!
So, woke up, walked hourglass lake and sipped some coffee, took a shower (that shower is AMAZING), and woke the kid up to start her routine.
The past few trips we have taken (not all Disney) she , as she has turned into a teen, has indicated she appreciates a bit of privacy and space in the room whilst she gets ready in the morning. So, this means I have about 20 minutes to burn, and that means, time to go grab some food!
Ah, the Bounty Platter. The first time I came to Disney I stayed at CBR, and I thought it was a themed breakfast for that resort or something.
Little did I realize this bouquet of breakfast benevolence was the fuel of Disney Champeens!
So, breakfast done, we walked over to the busses, stopping through to speak to the concierge desk first to see if my package had arrived for the Halloween Party. See, costumes were all rather last minute. So, to be sure we got the kiddos choice (well, the important part, the Pikachu shirt), I had shipped it here.
No dice.
Well, somewhat worrying, but I do have a backup plan.
Hrm, well, soon after, on to the packed bus we went! And, I do mean PACKED! We were toeing the yellow line!
And, we arrived just fine!
And, then it dawned on the kiddo that she had forgotten her sunglasses. Well, that is solvable!
We also looked at the pins. We both have quite a collection already, and whilst there were some great offerings, nothing really stood out.
As we walked into AK, I had a really good feeling about things. The energy was positive, and CMs we’re out everywhere answering questions of guests, talking about the animals, and doing shows.
We saw the Macaw show where they even timed them to fly in over Discovery Island last the Tree of Life. So fun!
Well, this is all nice and good, but we came here for one thing, and one thing only!
So, bit of informational housekeeping from yesterday’s posts.
First, once change at Pop that I meant to note is that the kid’s activity / tv / waiting area in the Lobby has been removed. It appears to be used for storage now?
This was a place the kiddo used to enjoy, and noticed was missing. I suppose in today’s world (yeah, sounds so old?), it isn’t really needed? Especially with what Disney is attempting to do with online check in (which is another topic I will touch on later). But, it was still neat to have an area, playing old cartoons, etc.
Another one is about the Minnie Vans. No, I didn’t spell that wrong or attempt a pun...Disney did that for me (though, they are really SUVs from what I have seen).
These are Minnie Vans.
As soon as I got on property, and opened the Lyft app, I was prompted about this service. I failed to take a screenshot, but got one from MDE as well that is very similar.
These are a fleet of “Lyft powered” taxis that are owned and staffed by Disney. Pretty neat! They offer a flat rate one way for up to six passengers, offer car seats and other accommodations that the run of the mill Lyft will not.
The cost is $25 per trip, and whilst that is not cheap (a normal Lyft would be about $10 to get to a park like Animal Kingdom...because I checked), if you have a larger group or need car seats, it is a better option than a taxi or even a standard Lyft!
It is a neat idea to get places quickly, especially if your group doesn’t have the time to spend playing the Disney Bus Shuffle to get to an ADR or a show across property!
I am sure we will use the service at least once on our trip. Not because we really need to...per se, but because the bright red polka dotted Minnie Vans have peaked my kid’s interest.
So, how did the bed sleep? Quite well! No complaints! Not as plush as the other mattress, but quite serviceable!
So, woke up, walked hourglass lake and sipped some coffee, took a shower (that shower is AMAZING), and woke the kid up to start her routine.
The past few trips we have taken (not all Disney) she , as she has turned into a teen, has indicated she appreciates a bit of privacy and space in the room whilst she gets ready in the morning. So, this means I have about 20 minutes to burn, and that means, time to go grab some food!
Ah, the Bounty Platter. The first time I came to Disney I stayed at CBR, and I thought it was a themed breakfast for that resort or something.
Little did I realize this bouquet of breakfast benevolence was the fuel of Disney Champeens!
So, breakfast done, we walked over to the busses, stopping through to speak to the concierge desk first to see if my package had arrived for the Halloween Party. See, costumes were all rather last minute. So, to be sure we got the kiddos choice (well, the important part, the Pikachu shirt), I had shipped it here.
No dice.
Well, somewhat worrying, but I do have a backup plan.
Hrm, well, soon after, on to the packed bus we went! And, I do mean PACKED! We were toeing the yellow line!
And, we arrived just fine!
And, then it dawned on the kiddo that she had forgotten her sunglasses. Well, that is solvable!
We also looked at the pins. We both have quite a collection already, and whilst there were some great offerings, nothing really stood out.
As we walked into AK, I had a really good feeling about things. The energy was positive, and CMs we’re out everywhere answering questions of guests, talking about the animals, and doing shows.
We saw the Macaw show where they even timed them to fly in over Discovery Island last the Tree of Life. So fun!
Well, this is all nice and good, but we came here for one thing, and one thing only!
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Voxel
President of Progress City
Why is that commercial so amazing.
Voxel
President of Progress City
The tunnels of Atlanta Airport of quiet fun to explore. I actually like having a lay over there.
Voxel
President of Progress City
@englanddg I'm glad to hear that your enjoying your trip!! Hope you continue having a blast!
Pandora!
I was impressed. Very...impressed. The visual coming into the valley, the winding paths with interesting things to look at.
Wow.
What...was not so wow, were the wait times! As this trip was so short planned, I had no chance to ever get FP for either of the Pandora rides... One look at the 190 minute wait for FoP, and we backed off. (though, I did admit I considered offering we pull up a movie, like...Avatar, to watch on the iPad as we waited!)
The River ride wasn’t as bad, at 45 minutes, but neither of us were interested in starting our day that way. So, we decided to use the old “wait till near the end of the day” trick that always seems to work pretty well at Disney Parks.
See, the psychology of it is two fold. One, families tend to enter the park and head to the hot rides earlier in the day. Later in the day, as most of them are filtering through shows and smaller experiences, the lines at the major attractions tend to wane.
Two, the closer you get to the nightly show, the smaller the lines, and during the show...some rides will even turn into near walk ons.
The only issue here is that we both really wanted to see this show, as it is new for both of us. So, unlike Illuminations, which we will gladly skip to near walk onto Soarin’, this was not the case here.
But, let’s see how it works out!
So, we wandered back to Africa. This is my first time seeing Harambe Villiage and the other expansions here. They really flesh out this part of Africa.
We watched the drum band throw a dance party, and contemplated heading over to Rafikis, but the kiddo decided she wanted to see the Gorillas first.
Along the path we saw our first chance to use the Play app.
This app is external of the MDE app, and was interesting to both of us. We installed it on the ME bus over. The basic idea is that they have set up little interactive sections about the park, and you can interact using your cell phone. So, we popped it up!
And...
Yeah, it was slow, and not very amusing. Basically a trivia game. And, you had to wait a long time to play that...
Mind you, she is on an iPhone 7, and I am on an iPhone X...not exactly old tech!
But, a bit much for a trivia game. Neither of us were very interested.
So, we decided to just try it the “old fashioned way”!
I was impressed. Very...impressed. The visual coming into the valley, the winding paths with interesting things to look at.
Wow.
What...was not so wow, were the wait times! As this trip was so short planned, I had no chance to ever get FP for either of the Pandora rides... One look at the 190 minute wait for FoP, and we backed off. (though, I did admit I considered offering we pull up a movie, like...Avatar, to watch on the iPad as we waited!)
The River ride wasn’t as bad, at 45 minutes, but neither of us were interested in starting our day that way. So, we decided to use the old “wait till near the end of the day” trick that always seems to work pretty well at Disney Parks.
See, the psychology of it is two fold. One, families tend to enter the park and head to the hot rides earlier in the day. Later in the day, as most of them are filtering through shows and smaller experiences, the lines at the major attractions tend to wane.
Two, the closer you get to the nightly show, the smaller the lines, and during the show...some rides will even turn into near walk ons.
The only issue here is that we both really wanted to see this show, as it is new for both of us. So, unlike Illuminations, which we will gladly skip to near walk onto Soarin’, this was not the case here.
But, let’s see how it works out!
So, we wandered back to Africa. This is my first time seeing Harambe Villiage and the other expansions here. They really flesh out this part of Africa.
We watched the drum band throw a dance party, and contemplated heading over to Rafikis, but the kiddo decided she wanted to see the Gorillas first.
Along the path we saw our first chance to use the Play app.
This app is external of the MDE app, and was interesting to both of us. We installed it on the ME bus over. The basic idea is that they have set up little interactive sections about the park, and you can interact using your cell phone. So, we popped it up!
And...
Yeah, it was slow, and not very amusing. Basically a trivia game. And, you had to wait a long time to play that...
Mind you, she is on an iPhone 7, and I am on an iPhone X...not exactly old tech!
But, a bit much for a trivia game. Neither of us were very interested.
So, we decided to just try it the “old fashioned way”!
We got a beautiful view of this fella!
So, Gurilla walk complete, we had a FP calling our name...for Everest. So, we entered Asia.
On the way we spied this...
Wait, what? Kali River 10 minutes?
Um...yes please! (Will we get soaked? Yes...bring on the soakage! Says the kiddo)
In line the group in front of us had a child walking with no shoe on, just a socked foot. After a few moments, the kiddo figured out it was because he had stepped in some gum.
Well, there is a reason I carry wet wipes in my daypack! Huggins diseninfectant wipes to the rescue! I offered up several wipes and the poor kid was able to get the gum off and shoe back on.
Ok kid, pay it forward!
So, ready to get soaked?! YAS!!!!
But...we didn’t get soaked. Only slightly wet. The kiddo says she prefers Popeye’s. Well, my child, that is coming later!
So, on the way, we spotted Everest, and it is as pretty as ever!
We showed up for FP, and when it said 10 mins, I was like, nah. No way.
Oh yes. We walked...and walked...and walked...and walked...and stopped. Here...
And within a few minutes we’re here!
Never have we experienced that. How cool!
Afterwards the kiddo decided she had to have a Mickey Ice Cream, because that “is my tradition”, I was informed.
Okey doke!
And, she still eats them the same way. Walking, and sort of trying to chase the ice cream with her mouth. Too amusing. I have video of her doing that exact same thing every trip back to the first one.
Maybe at some point I will make a montage video of that... hrmmm
We hiked past Nemo, which she said she was not at all interested in, and then went to Dinoland USA. She actually wasn’t nearly as interested in this as previous trips (where we would easily burn an hour in the Boneyard). We talked about doing Primeval Whirl...something she wanted to do every year she came but was too short...until the one year she finally was tall enough, and it was down for refurb!...doh!). Well, she wasn't really interested. But, the Dino Institute, she was.
That said, it wasn't until we got halfway through the queue, and she kept saying how it was "going to fly us through the treetops" that she realized that....this wasn't Universal's Jurassic Park area at all...no, this is the section of Disney based on a little remembered movie named Dinosaur...
Oh well! The ride was still great!
So, Gurilla walk complete, we had a FP calling our name...for Everest. So, we entered Asia.
On the way we spied this...
Wait, what? Kali River 10 minutes?
Um...yes please! (Will we get soaked? Yes...bring on the soakage! Says the kiddo)
In line the group in front of us had a child walking with no shoe on, just a socked foot. After a few moments, the kiddo figured out it was because he had stepped in some gum.
Well, there is a reason I carry wet wipes in my daypack! Huggins diseninfectant wipes to the rescue! I offered up several wipes and the poor kid was able to get the gum off and shoe back on.
Ok kid, pay it forward!
So, ready to get soaked?! YAS!!!!
But...we didn’t get soaked. Only slightly wet. The kiddo says she prefers Popeye’s. Well, my child, that is coming later!
So, on the way, we spotted Everest, and it is as pretty as ever!
We showed up for FP, and when it said 10 mins, I was like, nah. No way.
Oh yes. We walked...and walked...and walked...and walked...and stopped. Here...
And within a few minutes we’re here!
Never have we experienced that. How cool!
Afterwards the kiddo decided she had to have a Mickey Ice Cream, because that “is my tradition”, I was informed.
Okey doke!
And, she still eats them the same way. Walking, and sort of trying to chase the ice cream with her mouth. Too amusing. I have video of her doing that exact same thing every trip back to the first one.
Maybe at some point I will make a montage video of that... hrmmm
We hiked past Nemo, which she said she was not at all interested in, and then went to Dinoland USA. She actually wasn’t nearly as interested in this as previous trips (where we would easily burn an hour in the Boneyard). We talked about doing Primeval Whirl...something she wanted to do every year she came but was too short...until the one year she finally was tall enough, and it was down for refurb!...doh!). Well, she wasn't really interested. But, the Dino Institute, she was.
That said, it wasn't until we got halfway through the queue, and she kept saying how it was "going to fly us through the treetops" that she realized that....this wasn't Universal's Jurassic Park area at all...no, this is the section of Disney based on a little remembered movie named Dinosaur...
Oh well! The ride was still great!
So, after peeking at Restaurantosaurus, another old favorite lunch haunt, we decided we weren’t that hungry and moved on. We had a bus to catch back in Africa!
We crossed to Discovery Island and, Bugs Life was just about to kick off!
The show was ok. I had forgotten about the Maggots, but, and I dunno if this is a change or something was broken, but I don’t recall it being so reliant on the smoke/steam effect and the wind effect. I could have sworn there were some water sprays in the show?
Dunno...could just be remembering wrong.
Still was pretty cute, especially as I haven’t seen it in so long that I had forgotten most of it.
At this point, however, we were a bit peckish. And, we found the spot!
She got the fries, but wasn’t interested in the toppings after seeing them (and, I admit, I don’t understand how they call that drizzle of dressing a Tzaziki “salad”)...
I got the Falafal.
We walked over to Harambe and snagged a seat in the shade and devoured our snacks, and they were...
Really...really...good. Especially her fries and my Falafal. The only gripe, were I forced to make one, is that the Tzatiki sauce was a bit weak...
Oh well...off to catch our “bus”!
We crossed to Discovery Island and, Bugs Life was just about to kick off!
The show was ok. I had forgotten about the Maggots, but, and I dunno if this is a change or something was broken, but I don’t recall it being so reliant on the smoke/steam effect and the wind effect. I could have sworn there were some water sprays in the show?
Dunno...could just be remembering wrong.
Still was pretty cute, especially as I haven’t seen it in so long that I had forgotten most of it.
At this point, however, we were a bit peckish. And, we found the spot!
She got the fries, but wasn’t interested in the toppings after seeing them (and, I admit, I don’t understand how they call that drizzle of dressing a Tzaziki “salad”)...
I got the Falafal.
We walked over to Harambe and snagged a seat in the shade and devoured our snacks, and they were...
Really...really...good. Especially her fries and my Falafal. The only gripe, were I forced to make one, is that the Tzatiki sauce was a bit weak...
Oh well...off to catch our “bus”!
So, after a short wait thanks to FP...our bus arrived!
Though, that wait was made fairly interesting because the family right in front of us decided the queue was a great place to have a very loud, and very New York City style, family battle royale.
Thank goodness for headphones... (grins)
But, on the bus, things calmed down, and off we went!
We saw...this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
Though, that wait was made fairly interesting because the family right in front of us decided the queue was a great place to have a very loud, and very New York City style, family battle royale.
Thank goodness for headphones... (grins)
But, on the bus, things calmed down, and off we went!
We saw...this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And that’s about all I have to say about that.
As we were pulling in, the driver mentioned that Festival of the Lion King would be starting soon.
Well, since Cirque is closed, maybe this will suffice? (said the kiddo).
Works for me.
This show was great. We haven’t seen it since...2012, I think? We both had basically forgotten the entire thing. No idea if things have changed. It was really fun!
And, I have to admit a soft spot to the music!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And this!
And that!
And that’s about all I have to say about that.
As we were pulling in, the driver mentioned that Festival of the Lion King would be starting soon.
Well, since Cirque is closed, maybe this will suffice? (said the kiddo).
Works for me.
This show was great. We haven’t seen it since...2012, I think? We both had basically forgotten the entire thing. No idea if things have changed. It was really fun!
And, I have to admit a soft spot to the music!
So, quite a full day, it was getting time to try out our “trick”. Off to Pandora!
Now, I am gonna stop for a moment and mention something that bothers me. Not so Pandoran graffiti...
.....
The pictures speak for themselves.
But, the later queue is in very good shape, and really pretty!
Now, this last one really intrigued me, as I couldn’t quite figure out how they did it!
See, this little “bacterium” is moving around the sample cylinder, spiking. Ok, that is pretty easy to figure out. But, then they sprinkle it with “bioluminescence” from...”within”.
It’s an amazing trick. One that is worth paying attention to and pondering in the queue, but is probably often overlooked. Great attention to detail!
Getting close!
Now, FoP?
Wow. Soarin’ on steroids.
That’s all I can say. It is...amazing.
Well done Disney!
Now, I am gonna stop for a moment and mention something that bothers me. Not so Pandoran graffiti...
.....
The pictures speak for themselves.
But, the later queue is in very good shape, and really pretty!
Now, this last one really intrigued me, as I couldn’t quite figure out how they did it!
See, this little “bacterium” is moving around the sample cylinder, spiking. Ok, that is pretty easy to figure out. But, then they sprinkle it with “bioluminescence” from...”within”.
It’s an amazing trick. One that is worth paying attention to and pondering in the queue, but is probably often overlooked. Great attention to detail!
Getting close!
Now, FoP?
Wow. Soarin’ on steroids.
That’s all I can say. It is...amazing.
Well done Disney!
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MinnieM123
Premium Member
Fun trip so far!! Glad you got to go on FOP -- it is amazing!! Also, I really like the overall theme in Pandora--the imagineers did a great job with that area.
Sounds like you hit all the major attractions with reasonable waiting times, and that always helps. Kilimanjaro Safaris is always wonderful. One of my favorite coasters in all of WDW is Expedition Everest.
Restaurantosaurus is a great QS restaurant! Oddly enough, in all my trips to AK through the years, I had never gone there until last May. They had a grilled chicken sandwich that was so delicious, with some sort of spread they created for it.
The place was mobbed after 12. (Usually I eat lunch earlier, but I had just gotten out of the Finding Nemo show which let out after noontime.) Luckily, a nice CM helped me find an empty seat at a table.
Sounds like you hit all the major attractions with reasonable waiting times, and that always helps. Kilimanjaro Safaris is always wonderful. One of my favorite coasters in all of WDW is Expedition Everest.
Restaurantosaurus is a great QS restaurant! Oddly enough, in all my trips to AK through the years, I had never gone there until last May. They had a grilled chicken sandwich that was so delicious, with some sort of spread they created for it.
The place was mobbed after 12. (Usually I eat lunch earlier, but I had just gotten out of the Finding Nemo show which let out after noontime.) Luckily, a nice CM helped me find an empty seat at a table.
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Rista1313
Well-Known Member
So how long did you end up waiting?