Trip Report Soarin' Through Our Extended Family Vacation! COMPLETED

Welcome to my latest trip report! To see what my family was up to in July 2016, check out my last Trip Report!

This trip took place May 16-20, 2018, and it was different in a multitude of ways. Since that last trip, I gave birth to my youngest kiddo. C is now 1.5 years old (and totally awesome). And I'm now pregnant with our third (I hit 33 weeks pregnant on Friday of our trip!). Plus, we brought along my father-in-law and mother-in-law, seniors visiting from India for six months. So what do you do when you've got six travelers in need of MagicBands? Rainbow bands, y'all!

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My six-year-old (K) was pretty thrilled about this when we told her -- which we did not do until a month before we left. Too many variables that could've blown the trip, so we played it a little safe. We planned the trip just 62 days before it began, but I was able to nail down my Fastpass+ right at the sixty day mark. I covertly asked my kiddo what order she'd want to visit parks and which rides she'd love to ride if she could, blah, blah. She never caught on, and she gave me all the info I needed to plan!

So we started our trip bright and early on Wednesday, May 16, beginning our 9-ish hour drive from the Raleigh area at just after 5AM. (DD requested 2AM, but the grown-ups course-corrected her to a more reasonable hour.) We passed all the landmarks -- South of the Border being a kind of family joke from when I was a kid, so I always take a pic on the way by.

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For this trip we opted to stay in an Art of Animation suite. Previously we had stayed in a Little Mermaid room here, we stayed at All-Star Sports in 2016, and we considered a Fort Wilderness Cabin this time. But the in-laws both have some difficulty walking/get tired very easily, and I knew that we could get closer to the food court and bus stops at AoA. (Fort Wilderness Cabins would've been good for us because the in-laws are... picky eaters. I can not overstate just how picky they are.)

ANYwho, we arrived at Art of Animation around 230, and we'd received our room ready text somewhere along I-4, so we went straight through the lobby and to our room.

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Oh, wait! Before we passed through the lobby, we ran into this guy!

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Yes! Captain Hook (and Donald Duck but I missed a pic of him) was in the house! My husband and toddler grabbed a pic with him while K kept him at arm's length.

Okay, after getting Hook'd in the lobby, we headed to the room. I didn't take too many pics of the room (hello, internet full of photos already), but I'm not a degenerate, so I did take a few.

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We were in room 535 of Lion King building 10. For us, the location was perfect. We could walk to the main building in just a couple of minutes, making it easier for the seniors. Plus my little one loved the view:
 

SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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She growled at him every time she looked out the window -- which was often. It was a lot of fun (and inspired her souvenir for this trip, a baby Simba in his little blankie).

We also took a family selfie of the MagicBand variety!

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Fun, right? Purple is on C's foot because she's not always cooperative. ;)

While everyone else rested, by husband and I unloaded the van. We had... a ton of stuff packed into that vehicle. It took a couple of trips and the use of our stroller as a baggage cart, basically.

Oh, and it was raining.

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It's hard to tell, but the downpour was full of cats, dogs, lions, clown fish, you name it. And yet, this wasn't the worst rain of the trip. That would come a few days later...

Once we unloaded everything, the girls and I went out to explore! (Who needs to rest after a ten-hour drive? Not us!)
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Skyliner progress pic:

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SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My sister lives nearby, so she headed over after work with her two girls. The plan was to get in the Big Blue Pool, and we did -- for a couple of minutes. Then it was closed for weather, and we had four disappointed babes on our hands. We hit the food court and the arcade instead, so it was still a fun night.

Anyone need a cold one?

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After the gals left (sadly we didn't see them again before we left as they had unexpected plans on the Gulf Coast with her father-in-law's step-family), it was time to get my kids to sleep in preparation for our first park day!

The next morning started out beautifully. Cloudy, as expected, due to the storm that was skirting the state and would be dumping its copious waters on us shortly... But -- hey! -- it was lovely to start.

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Our first park was Epcot (chosen first by K, unbeknownst to her!). It was Extra Magic Hours day here, and while I would probably skip the park (or head out mid-day) ordinarily, this is actually my DD's favorite park, so I got on board. I tried to get us there by 8AM, but moving the in-laws and their son that early in the morning is... frustratingly difficult. You're in Disney World! Get up! At 'em! WE NEED TO CATCH THE BUS! (This was my internal monologue...)

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I was very excited to experience Flower and Garden this year! (Back in the college days, I'd take a trip to WDW at the end of the school year, so I hit F&G a few times in the early '00s.)

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It's... not easy to decent pics of these particular topiaries. They're too tall; we're looking up their noses instead of head-on. But they whole display is cheerful and festive!

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We had to pick up a wheelchair for my mother-in-law, so we headed to the left of Spaceship Earth to get one. We chose to pay for a length-of-stay chair commitment, which saved us some cash. I took a picture of the tickets for the wheelchair rental in case anyone wants to see what the process currently is. And because they should be able to figure out how to put these rentals on the MagicBand.

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Spaceship Earth is a beauty!

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We were finally on our way a little before nine o'clock, and we headed for Soarin' (Fastpass+ on that tier was for Test Track). Unfortunately, I was taking pictures on the fly while pushing the wheelchair, so my pics are not what I want them to be... Still, the Land. Our (DD's and my) favorite pavilion.

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The wait time was twenty minutes, I think. We used child swap on this one, so I stayed out with C, and we explored the lower level. We ended up at Sunshine Seasons and ate a chocolate croissant. I'm not sure how it happened. Disney magic, I guess. ;)

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When the others emerged from the ride, K was stoked to get another ride, so she and I made our way through the Fastpass+ line with our rider swap while the others settled into Sunshine Seasons to consume some of the million snacks we'd brought in with us. (Picky elders, remember? Stupid 30+ pound killer backpack full of snacks!)

Soarin' was perfect -- dead center seats, smells on point, six-year-old thrilled beyond belief. Not sure if it's the pregnancy or just me, but when it ends and the seats descend, it took my breath away. An unexpected thrill ride for me, I guess!

Oh, and we didn't eat snacks when we de-hang-glided. We ate this:

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I was not wowed. It's lovely (and a prettier shade of rose gold in person), but I didn't get any Nutella flavor, and the frosting was way too sugary/gritty for me. I think it's just a preference I have that I prefer frosting to be creamier... and for the cake to be the star, actually. So I am happy for those who love this to pieces and say go on with your bad cupcake selves. I'll stick to cheesecake from now on. ;)
 

SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After our Soarin' and snack adventures, we made our way to Living With the Land. This has always been a favorite of mine, and now my DD also loves it. (In 2016, I think we rode if 4+ times.) I figured the in-laws would like it because MIL gardens as a hobby. It was a calm and relaxing ride enjoyed by all. :)

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I won't include all of my pictures from this ride because, you know, you've seen them all before. But I think someday we will do the Behind the Seeds Tour. K and my husband would enjoy it as well, and I like to think we could pilfer some ideas for our own (little) garden. Oh, and FYI for anyone wondering about the wheelchair loading situation: on LWTL, they send you through the FP line. (I'll try to throw in this type of info when I think of it for those who might be curious.)

We next hit The Seas with Nemo and Friends with a completely unnecessary FP. ;)

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Terrible pics, but my iPhone weirdly takes much better shots on this ride than my big camera...

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Next we went to Journey Into the Imagination. This was a ride K was excited for C to ride because "she'll love the little purple dragon!" And she did! (She also loved going a little rogue in the queue, but I digress...) We waited about fifteen minutes for the ride. (Wheelchair through regular queue here.)

We got a little sidetracked on the way over, but I like these moments when the kids are just being curious and noticing the world around them.

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The after party at Imagination is always a hit, so we hung out in there for a bit. K used a gift card from our friends to buy a Goofy pixie stick. No picture of that wand of sugar, but it's now hanging in her bedroom, so I guess it's here to stay.

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SarahBella82

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Original Poster
I always take this picture of the Welcome to Imageworks sign.

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I do not always take pictures of lollipops, but when I do they're colorful and expensive ones. ;)

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C was keen on getting her sticky little hands on one of these, but luckily they were out of reach.

We had a FP+ for Spaceship Earth but a little time to kill before the window opened, so we took a bathroom break and then visited the Butterfly House. It was a little crazy in there, but it was fun and beautiful. Loved seeing the variety of plants that attract the butterflies.

Oh, hey! We stopped to visit Daisy and the 'Munks first! It took a laughably long time to get everyone organized for a group picture here. But Daisy is always photo-ready.

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Now on to the butterflies.

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SarahBella82

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Original Poster
After our time fluttering around with the butterflies and flowers, it was time to make our (slow) way over to Spaceship Earth. Here we encountered some grumpy cast members, but the ride itself was great. We were divided into three cars (K and me, the in-laws, and DH and C), so I'm not sure how much of the commentary my in-laws caught.
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This next picture sums up how I've felt for the past two days since returning from Florida:

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I feel you, bro.

So it was here that the day started to go off the rails a little bit. Clouds were gathering in the skies above, people were getting hangry, and we still had a Test Track FP+ that I was starting to think might get rained out. I could only control one of those three variables, so I led the way back to The Land for some grub.

I chose Sunshine Seasons for a number of reasons, the greatest of which is that my in-laws eat vegetarian on Thursdays, and they're crazy picky. I hoped the Vegan Korma on the menu might satisfy them (spoiler alert: meh). I also knew there were several kids' menu options, and I could get something decent for myself, too. I chose the Turkey Sandwich, which now comes with a tasty bacon jam. I enjoyed it tremendously. My six-year-old was grumpy and ended up with Mac and Cheese (she really wanted chicken nuggets but no dice). My husband joined his parents in Korma-ville. The verdict for the three other grown ups was that the Korma was okay but not spicy enough -- heat- or flavor-wise.

Yeah, so while we were in The Land, we noticed folks arriving in their rainy day finest, and a look at the forecast made it pretty clear the weather wasn't going to clear up definitively for the rest of the day. Then I discovered this:

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Nothing temporary about that business, y'all. Our MDE plans updated to Multiple FP+ Experiences, and TT never came back online. What's a crew to do when the rain is serious and the in-laws are worried about being out in the rain? Ride Living With the Land again, of course! (No pictures this time, evidently.)

It was still raining when we disembarked, and the conversation about whether or not to stick it out began. Ultimately, after lots of hemming and hawing by DH, he decided to take the in-laws and C back to the hotel while K and I pushed through. (Prior to leaving for the trip, we had discussed this possibility -- me staying behind with K so she didn't miss out even if the others were tired.) I got everyone situated with umbrellas, and we all walked back to the front of the park. K and I waved good-bye, and she wanted to pop into a gift shop, so that's what we did. (She was eye-balling a lanyard starter pack back at our hotel and hoped to buy one here.)

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No princess lanyard starter pack, but I did find lots of sparkly ears!

K and I discussed the FP+ situation. We had one left -- the multiple experiences one we received due to TT being down -- and I wasn't able to ride TT anyway, so DD decided to apply it to the other top tier ride: Frozen Ever After. We hadn't expected to be able to ride it this year, so she embraced the opportunity to do so. She used an umbrella, and I pulled on a poncho -- and we made our leisurely way to World Showcase. The rain was steady at this point, so my big camera stayed in my purse, and I didn't take a ton of pics during the afternoon.

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After our cruise through Arendelle, we stopped in to visit the gals. The wait time was 20 minutes, and then we were chillin' with the Queen.

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I love these carpets so much.

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Elsa and Anna were great today (Anna being the better of the two). Elsa chatted about sharing things with Anna, and Anna was pretty hyped up about hot chocolate.
 

SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Elsa was K's only must-meet character, and she was pretty smitten. She was a little chattier than last time we visited Arendelle, but she was definitely shy.

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After this, K and I talked about what she'd like to do. After our 2016 trip, we talked a lot about how we didn't go around World Showcase and how many beautiful and interesting things there are to see. Sadly I knew the rain would put something of a damper on this, as we wouldn't be lingering in each country. But I wanted her to see them and experience something of the WS. So we put on our happy faces and stepped back out into the rain.

We walked through the store in China, snapping this pic of a very peaceful Buddha. We actually did spend some time looking at the gardens in China as well, because they are beautiful. DD found the tiniest frog I've ever seen hopping along a path.

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After China, our next stop was at the Outpost. (Wait, is that what it's called still?) Music was made.

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Naturally, all that music-making made DD hungry (FYI: she's always hungry), so we decided to stop in France for an ice cream sandwich. It's possible that we stopped for a funnel cake along the way because... funnel cake. Also because mommy-and-daughter time. (We were really enjoying this!)

As Artisans de Glace, K picked out a chocolate macaron sandwich. I had my eye on the brioche ice cream sandwich, but I got on board

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Epcot was emptying out pretty rapidly, and wait times for Soarin' were at 15 minutes, so we scooted over to The Land again. This is my last picture of the day:

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I wish I could've had more time to enjoy the Flower and Garden displays, but it wasn't to be. As it is, I took this picture from under a poncho awning of my own creation. ;)

But honestly: who cares?! I was in Epcot with my big kid, about to ride Soarin' again! We were on the right-most side of the glider this time, and the distortion was extreme. Still fun. When we got off, the ride time was at ten minutes, so on we went! We walked straight through to Concourse B this time -- and smack dab in the middle! It was the most perfect ride to end the day. (We made it a theme this trip to start and end each park on the same ride. We had to fudge this at AK, but I'll get to that deluge in a bit.)

Bye until next time, Epcot!
 

SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So if you lost track, on day one at Epcot, I rode Soarin' three times, and my DD6 rode it four times! That's the inspiration for my trip report's title. Soarin' is our favorite ride at Epcot, and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to ride it so many times.

Okay -- on to day two. This was Magic Kingdom day -- and Extra Magic Hour again. We... did not get there much before nine. I was disappointed. We really missed out on the chance to knock out a few rides in that hour, and I love the parks at opening. But onward and upward!

My daughter loved reading the bus marquees and insisted that I take a picture of this one.

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Oh, and she picked up her princess pin lanyard the night before and became a pin trader immediately. This cast member brought a smile to her face by inviting her to check out his collection. He was terrific. The encounter was short and very sweet.

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We moved sloooowwwwwlllyyy up Main Street, U.S.A., as, evidently, my husband decided he needed to have seven trillion pictures today, and the in-laws wanted to video chat with India on the way up the street. Tick tock, people!

I distracted myself with pictures of the facades. I love the architecture on Main Street and would love to take some time on a longer trip to appreciate all of the detail.

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My little one was already exploring. She's a vessel awaiting the world at all times.

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SarahBella82

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Original Poster
Finally we approached Cinderella Castle, and she was as photogenic as ever!

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We were so late that we caught the Welcome Show. Booooooo to not getting on a ride before nine a.m. But let's go ahead and embrace the chance to watch the show in front of the castle (last visit we saw it at the Train Station).

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It was a show. What, you want an adjective? It was an okay show. It lacks the energy of the old show, in my opinion. But the opportunity for a kiddo to see so many lovely characters on such a magnificent stage does have appeal.

Finally we could move on to our first ride! This was the view from our first queue of the day:

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K has a couple of must-dos at Magic Kingdom, and the Haunted Mansion is her number one!

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SarahBella82

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Original Poster
More Haunted Mansion queue:

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It was an uneventful ride, where the wheelchair entrance was the unloading area. The lantern ghost tried to come home with us, but then he realized our house is crazy right now. He stuck with the HM.

Time for a stop at the Prettiest Bathrooms in the World.

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We headed to one of our favorites next: It's a Small World! The wait was 15 minutes, but the wheelchair entrance was a shorter wait than that.

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We love this ride -- even the song. I know. We might be a little weird. FYI: No names on any of the screens at the end.
 

SarahBella82

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Original Poster
At this point, the wait time for Peter Pan was up to 85 minutes, and Winnie the Pooh was at 30. We opted to head into New Fantasyland instead and rode Under the Sea as a walk-on basically (short wait in the wheelchair line).

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We stopped at Gaston's for a snack break. We pulled out some of the items we'd brought and picked up a few things from the menu: tea, a cinnamon bun, and macarons. For the size, those macarons are an incredible rip off. Steer clear unless you like overpaying for things. The cinnamon bun was decent and fed a lot of us.

C likes Gaston's fountain.

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We had a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FP+ coming up, so we packed up and made our way to Frontierland. I guided the group to the riverside path, where the views are lovely.

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iPhone pic came out better:

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Only DD6 and DH were riding BTMR, so we settled the in-laws in the shade, and I let C get out some energy. We eventually made our way to the little play area near Splash Mountain, and it was just right for her. She had a blast going down the slide over and over.

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K loved her first ride on Big Thunder, so she and DH used a couple of our other MagicBands to ride a second time. I hope that's not some FP+ etiquette that we ignored, but she thoroughly enjoyed her second ride.

Meanwhile at the play area, C was perking up with the sounds of the train and saying a questioning "Choo choo?" Sure, we'll ride, kid! We've got to get to Fantasyland again anyway!

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We had enough time to ride the full circle tour + an extra stop, but we chose to get off at Fantasyland and squeeze in a ride on Dumbo rather than remain on the train. I'm glad we did because the weather would've thwarted any effort to get on Dumbo later in the day.

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As you can see, clouds heavy with rain were quickly rolling in, and we were heading to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for our next FP+. Unfortunately, the skies opened up just as we arrived at SDMC, so we took shelter in the entrance of the Winnie the Pooh store. This was some heavy rain, folks, and we hung out there for about twenty minutes. C wanted to splash in puddles, so DH took the umbrella for himself and obliged.

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When the rain reduced to a drizzle, DH took K onto the roller coaster, the in-laws stayed under cover, and I took C to the Gaston-area bathrooms for some dry clothes. By the time she and I got back, they were done their first go 'round the mine, and DH and K took a couple of MagicBands for another spin. Thankfully the rain stayed away for a little while after this, so when they finished their ride, we took a long walk over to Pecos Bills. My thought here was that the in-laws could get a little spice and some tortillas (similar to the flatbread they enjoy at home), and we could all get some AC and rest.

But PB was busy, and everyone was at their wits' end. Well, maybe not everyone. DH and I were. Words were exchanged between several of us, and we all eventually crammed around a table built for four and grumpily ate our meals. To put a positive spin on this meal misadventure: my taco trio was tasty, and DD was thrilled to get the long-awaited strawberry lemonade slushie with a Mickey straw. :)

At some point during the morning I was able to move up our Pirates FP+, so we started to walk there after lunch. We stopped briefly to watch the Festival of Fantasy from afar, but no one was into it, and we just headed to Pirates instead. I was feeling super dehydrated (not good!), so I hunted down some water on the way.

And evidently I took not a single a picture at or on Pirates of the Caribbean. Tsk, tsk. This is K's second favorite ride (after HM), and it's probably my favorite in the park, so we giggled excitedly together and enjoyed the ride.

After that, I tried to snag a FP+ for Jungle Cruise, but they were for significantly later in the day. We went over to see what the handicap process was like there and received a return time of 40 minutes from then. To kill time, we enjoyed a visit to the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room.

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SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The Enchanted Tiki Room was as fun as ever -- and afforded me a chance to really rehydrate and cool off. At this point, I was on day two of pushing the wheelchair with MIL in it and wearing the thirty-plus-pound backpack from Hell. And I hit 33 weeks on this day, so I was extra grumpy about all of this. Feeling sick on top of that was a straw that broke this camel's back.

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When the birds sang their words and the flowers crooned, we left and returned to the Jungle Cruise. The timing was perfect, and I appreciated the puns and the relaxing boat ride.

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Who doesn't love a blurry JC pic, amiright? :p

The verdict on riding the Magic Carpets was that no one wanted to (except me!), so we hit up the bathrooms that are adjacent to both Adventureland and Frontierland. DH felt like his parents didn't get enough to eat at Pecos Bill's disastrous lunch, and he wanted to feed them (of all things!) fish and chips. Okay, dude: to Columbia Harbour House we go. Inexplicably.

The food was great. The restaurant wasn't busy in the least (it was around four), and the in-laws and K had a big ol' snack. C was asleep in DH's arms, so she got some MUCH-needed rest, too.

With re-filled stomachs, we navigated to Tomorrowland to use a Buzz FP+ that I'd picked up on the fly and subsequently moved back by checking and re-checking the app. I think I changed it from 6-something to late 4-something. It worked out really well for us.

But check out these skies on the way!

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As it turns out, we were able to save the galaxy from the Evil Emperor Zurg, but we were not able to prevent rain from falling yet again. When we exited Buzz we found folks in ponchos crowding the store but were relieved to discover that the rain wasn't really that heavy. We pulled out a couple of umbrellas and headed to Carousel of Progress for a trip through the decades (and a confusing timeline of characters who never age/age very little/we can't figure it out).

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We're big Monsters fans in our house, so we had to head to the Laugh Floor for some giggles. No pictures other than this beauty. Try to contain your excitement.

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It was around this time that the in-laws wanted to call it quits. I think we were hitting 6:30, and evidently that's their cut-off. But I'd picked up a FP+ on the fly for Haunted Mansion so K could end her day where it began -- with her favorite haunts. Everyone came with this time instead of splitting up, but I wish they'd just gone to the hotel because they were grumpy when K and I emerged a few minutes after seven.

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We took a few more family pics on Main Street, U.S.A., and headed for the buses. Much to our tired chagrine, AoA was located on Endor, so it took some time to get there. We waited under ten minutes for a bus (we had decent bus karma on this trip), and we grabbed some grub in Landscape of Flavors before calling it a night. Our last park day loomed ahead. Where were we going? You'll have to hook up to your Avatar to find out!
 

LeighM

Well-Known Member
Reading your trip report reminds me of why I never want to go on a WDW with a large group, extended family, or in laws LOL. My mother in law mentioned going with us once and I think she saw the look of horror on my face that I couldn't contain because it wasn't brought up again :joyfull: We went with my BIL/SIL in March and warned everyone ahead of time that I might have to leave the group and do my own thing because I just can't be around people for that long :)
 

SarahBella82

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Original Poster
Our final park day was Animal Kingdom day! I was very happy to visiting the park during its 20th anniversary year! Also, I was able to snag a Flight of Passage FP+ at 7AM sixty days out, so I was looking forward to seeing Pandora for the first time and riding this much-lauded ride. But first, we arrived.

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It was Extra Magic Hour, once again, and we got there around, maybe, 830. Not too shabby... except that I was watching the wait times on My Disney Experience, and Navi River Journey was creeeeeeeping up. I knew that our only chance of riding NRJ was to hit it early; based on reports I've read here, I knew we wouldn't wait an excessive amount of time to ride it. Also, to be perfectly frank, the other adults in my group wouldn't wait regardless. So we took a few pics on the way in and headed straight to Pandora.

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I loved Pandora! For starters, there's something exciting about exploring something new in a place you know really well (i.e. WDW). It was a thrill to peer into the multilayered land and to discover interesting things. I have seen Avatar a couple of times, so I'm familiar with the backstory. But I don't think it's necessary to have seen the film to appreciate Pandora.
 

SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
As we approached the Navi River Journey queue, the wait time was just 20 minutes, and I was happy that we would be able to ride when I'd really thought there was no chance. (Getting the other adults up for EMH was an unwanted lesson in patience everyday...) As we navigated the queue, I was impressed by the intricate weavings overhead and the placards describing the Navi creatures we would potentially see on the ride. Hey -- also note that there's a water bottle filling station in the line, so if you're quick enough, you can grab a cool drink, too.
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For the most part, all I've heard about Navi River Journey is that it's a waste of time, not worth a wait in the queue, and pointless with no story. My expectations we built upon that foundation -- but the ride seriously wowed me. From my perspective, the point of the ride is the journey itself. I don't need an elaborate start-to-finish plot to enjoy floating in another world. And so, I'll say, I loved it!

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When we excited, these guys were heading out. We didn't stop to listen because we had a Kilimanjaro Safari FP+ at 915, and we wanted to stop to get the in-laws something to snack on before we rode.

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SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So I lead the group to the Harambe Fruit Market, where we picked up some watermelon, carrots/celery, and a Mickey pretzel (my first ever!). As a side note, this was the day I was most disappointed to be saddled with the added task of pushing a wheelchair. I never had a free hand (or two) to take the pictures I really wanted to take. In fact, I told my husband as we left Pandora that I would be returning to the land by myself to take pictures later. (Sadly, this was not meant to be.)

But off to Africa!

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We rested for probably a half hour, during which time I solidified my dislike for pretzels -- especially the pretzels with the salty plastic cheese. I think I could eat either of them on their own (provided I scrape the salt off the pretzel...), but together they were too much for me. So I snuck carrots from my six-year-old and took a few pics while waiting.

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SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
When we finished, we were just steps from the Safari entrance, so in we went! The wheelchair entrance is straight through the FP+ line and onto specified wheelchair trucks. We had a couple minute's wait when we got to the loading area, but we were soon on our way. Our safari driver was... a little over the top. He spoke too quickly for me to catch everything he was saying, and his pronunciations were too high and low for the words to be clearly understood. I guess I got used to it over time because by the end I could make out a little more, but at the beginning it was tough.

I opted not to bother trying to take many pics, but I did try for a few. Here are some sloppy Safari pics for your pleasure (?).

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After our two-week tour, we hit the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (the Pangani Trail?). It was fine. The highlight was seeing C's face when she spotted the gorillas, four or five of whom were right up against the glass, lounging and rolling around.
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SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We continued on, catching some of the massive silver backs in their mountainside environment as well.

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I'm with this guy:

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We had an Expedition: Everest FP+ in the near future, so it was time for a trek to Asia. I did pause for a few pictures along the way.

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SarahBella82

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We did have a little time to kill, so we explored the Maharaja Jungle Trek first. It was hot, I was dehydrated, and my mental game was about done. It was a chore to hold my tongue and to fake happy at this point. But I tried. Some water helped, some one-on-one time with K helped (we were using a bird finding guide to find... birds), and we all made it out in one piece.

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For some reason, this fence with its multi-colored cloths appealed to me.

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After the Trek, we caught the (second, I think?) UP! A Great Bird Adventure showing of the day. I enjoyed this show. I think the inclusion of some Indian cultural/linguistic is a nice touch. The birds and their handlers were entertaining as well.

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