WDW - Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. – My August 2011 Trip Report

fractal · Aug 28, 2011

After Splash we decided to make our way out of the park. It was getting really hot and the Beach Club pool sounded like a nice way to spend the afternoon.

We entered Adventureland where I convinced Toni to go on Pirates. She wasn't a big fan of it. It actually scared her more than all the other rides combined. First, during the queue she kept complaining that this was a "boys" ride. Then the ride itself scared her - especially the cannon battle. She was pretty relieved when it was over.

I on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed it. Last trip I didn't really get into the ride but on this trip I appreciated all the details and nuances. The cannon ball battle scene is outstanding - as is the burning town. Jack sparrow sometimes seems to be a brilliant addition and other times I feel like his addition is "forced". Regardless, it's a ride I fell back in love with.

After PotC we stopped to get a Dole Float (for me) and a vanilla swirl for Toni. This was my first ever Dole Float. I was impressed on how big it was. It definitely hit the spot on that hot afternoon but I had to keep a step ahead of the melting sun. I liked it but after awhile the pineapple flavor became too much for me. Next time I think I would try a Citrus Swirl.

Sorry - no pics of PotC or Dole whip. I know, what was I thinking? At this point it was all about getting onto an air-conditioned bus! It was also at this point that I could have sworn they moved the Haunted Mansion.

See - look how happy I was on the bus!

As you enter the BC there is a small "breezeway" between the exterior door and another set of doors into the lobby. I had Toni pose for a picture there.

Then I got both of us in the picture.

I also took a few minutes to take some lobby pics...

Up next - Storm-along and storm at T-Rex.

mamamouse · Aug 28, 2011

oh I love Columbia Harbour House

and i bet just like you'll remember the shooting gallery with your dad ,the time you spent with Toni that morning will stick with her too

Oh n look at that it's a "famous HollyBelle mirror shot" I bet she'd be proud!

fractal · Aug 28, 2011

We met up with the others at the pool. My biggest complaint with the Beach Club was the temperature of the pool water. It was a 95 degree day and the pool water had to be over 85 degrees. It really wasn't refreshing at all. I was hoping someone would show up with a truck full of ice cubes to dump in. I guess there is not much they can do about it and I bet over the winter people complain that the water is too cold. It didn't seem to bother the kids though -

I wanted to take some pictures but all they wanted to do is go down the pirate slide. So I joined them. The slide is fun, however, if you go down the slide flat on your back it did hurt a bit as your back hit the seam of each "panel". The proper way to go down is with your back off the slide - but watch your head, because you start out in a tunnel. My smaller, lighter kids didn't seem to have this problem.

After a couple times down I called it quits on the slide but Toni and Sterg kept going on. Over and over. This presented a photo-op. I wanted to get them at the bottom of the slide before hitting the water. After a few pictures showing just a blur, I finally got the settings correct;

Where was Alex during all this? She was in the Resort fitness room "Ship-Shape" on the treadmill. She was preparing for her mandatory 16min, 2mile run for pre-season field-hockey scheduled the Monday after we returned. Val was content lounging by the pool, sipping on her Long Island ice-tea and periodically going in for a dip.

After wearing out the "jib" slide, Toni and Sterg made their way to the center of the pool. They have different games run by the CM's for the kids. Dancing, hot potato, and other things that Toni participated in. They also had put up a volleyball net for the older kids and adults. Alex had finished her run and joined in on a pretty intense volleyball game - nothing like in "Meet the Parents" but pretty competitive.

I wasn't in a position to take pictures as I was tossing a "surf ball" around with Sterg. It's one of those small balls that you can bounce off the water. We were having a good time at Storm-along-Bay despite the bath-water temperature.

fractal · Aug 28, 2011

dreamscometrue said:
3 things:

1. Great trip report...thanks for taking the time to do it.

2. Very nice photos.

3. If you like Sanaa and Kidani, you'll probably enjoy Jiko and BOMA, and Jambo House (a.k.a....Animal Kingdom Lodge).

Thanks! Jambo house and it's restaurants are definitely on my list for next trip. We may even have to cheat on the Beach Club.

HouCuseChickie said:
Beautiful picture!!! So pretty

We LOVED the new interactive Pooh queue back in December. The girls would later tell me that the ride scared them a bit (still scratching my head on that one), but it's pretty fun. The honey walls were our fave part.

That's too funny about that lady and the Haunted Mansion. You handled it very well though!

Your bathroom anxiety with Toni totally played into my paranoid parent fears. I actually thought about a similar scenario while we were there- thinking about what things would be like in a few years- just the mere thought of it gave me a small panic attack. Glad everything turned out OK.

Can't wait to read more! :wave:

Thanks! Yes- parenting can be pretty stressful. :hammer:

mamamouse said:
oh I love Columbia Harbour House and i bet just like you'll remember the shooting gallery with your dad ,the time you spent with Toni that morning will stick with her too Oh n look at that it's a "famous HollyBelle mirror shot" I bet she'd be proud!

Thanks - and I hope so!

Yes- I have no problem shamelessly stealing great ideas!

Ariel484 · Aug 28, 2011

Yes, definitely try Jiko at some point...it's out favorite restaurant on the property. I can't vouch for Boma...we're 2 of the very few people who didn't like it :lookaroun

Sounds like a really fun morning with Toni! She really seems to "get" Disney. You should be proud!

WDW_Princess24 · Aug 28, 2011

LOVE the Winnie the Pooh pics! It's one of my favorite rides!
Awesome pic of the drop on SM! Seeee, you're not doing to bad with that camera there!

sweetpee_1993 · Aug 28, 2011

First the video from Sanaa. At 55 seconds I see one of those last second teenager additions. Love it! LOL!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your MK adventures with Toni. Awesome stuff! The pic of her on BTMRR...Toni's so pretty!

I totally can feel ya on the shooting arcade story with your dad. I think my earlier memories of WDW are a lot of why I'm so attached to the place. Those were the happy times.

Gosh, I think I might have to turn-tail and actually ride Splash Mountain this go around. With it being hot it may not be such a horrible thing...particularly when we'll be heading back to our room for a swim anyway. What's a little funky-feet-water smell when you're already hot & sweaty??? I do love Brer Rabbit. My brother & I had a storybook with the record when we were kids. Looooved it! Wish I still had that!

So you mentioned the scratching on your back on the Flying Jib slide at Stormalong Bay. My youngest, 13, is very slim & light. In the past at Schlitterbahn he's had some complaints that the slide joints hurt his back. He's got a bony spine. I'll be sure to tell him to sit up on the Flying Jib to avoid the ouch. These are the little tips I'm really looking for so thanks! ((I know it's not in my signature...we're doing 6 nights at the Yacht Club next month after our Dream cruise!))

I'm eatin' up your report! Can't wait for more! :wave:

myhappyplace · Aug 28, 2011

Wow, I had an excellent time reading your report!! I join the others awaiting more.

I've never visited the AKL, but have now been inspired to, before my little brother turns into a teenager

He'll be 9 when I think our next trip will be, so I am glad that it's such a fun age. I'm sure, like Toni, they'll always remember the fun they had at DW when they were little. You're making great memories for her, and don't let the older ones fool ya, they're having fun too.

fractal · Aug 28, 2011

After pool time we got ready for dinner. Tonight was T-Rex at DTD. We didn't have a reservation, I called there around 5:30 they had no reservations available but said the stand-by was about 15 to 20 minutes. We could live with that.

The bus ride for BC to DTD was the longest of our trip. Correction, Typhoon Lagoon was longer because the drop is right after DTD. We made the most of it on the bus. Sterg and Toni showing off their mugs:

As we (finally) got dropped off at Dtd we quickly made our way to T-Rex to accomplish two very important things;

1) put our name in for a table - the wait was 45-50 minutes. Done.

2) Use the bathrooms at T-Rex. The downside to refillable mugs on a long bus trip.

T-Rex was absolute chaos. There is an elevated podium to the left of the entrance where one would give your name to a receptionist. There is another woman that controls the flow of things by announcing the name of the party they were taking next for seating. As your name was called, you entered a line that started about 30 ft inside the restaurant but had actually extended outside of the restaurant. On the right side of the entrance was a gift shop, so you had people moving in and out of the gift shop thru the front entrance. This left little room for those that finished their meals and merely wanted to leave the establishment. As a backdrop you have dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures roaring and screeching between intermittent meteor showers that literally shook the place. To top it all off, it started to rain. So those waiting in line crammed into the building, while those leaving balked and decided to wait out the rain in the gift shop that was already jam packed. Picture the choas of the ride "Dinosaur" made into a restaurant. It was CRAZY!

After I put our names in I dodged raindrops, and the huge puddle in front of the Lego store, to meet up with everyone at the "World of Disney".

This gave us some time to shop for gifts, explore the store, and take some pics. Toni was here in 2007 to do Bibbity -Boppity-boutique. She had no interest this time to become a princess, but wanted to peek inside for nostalgic purposes. She did like this Goofy hat though...

Val did a good job of picking up most of the gifts we needed, while I used the opportunity to take some pictures. It's a great store and we always make sure we get there at least once every trip.

The kids thought I kinda looked like the genie with my camera.

fractal · Aug 28, 2011

30 minutes after I put my name in I started to get antsy, so I went back to T-Rex to listen for our name ( there is no "buzzer"). The plan was for me to call Val when our name was called and then for them to meet me there. By now the rain was really coming down. The mass of humanity that was either waiting in line to be seated, jammed into the gift shop, or finished with dinner and trying to leave, OR staying put at the entrance to stay dry was twice as big as when I left the scene. I regret not taking a picture of this.

The problem with waiting inside the restaurant for your name was that you would never hear it. The speaker was outside and although there are no doors, once you are within the walls of T-Rex, any outside sound was drowned out by the jammed in crowd, the bellowing creatures or the meteor strikes. So I had to somehow wait outside in a downpour to hear our name. If the point of the restaurant was to replicate the chaos one would feel if you were dropped in the middle of the Jurassic period, they did a pretty good job of it.

I luckily found a small crevice to the right of the entrance behind a Jeep that was used as a prop and the front wall of the building. Even luckier was the umbrella somebody left wedged between the top of the jeep and the wall. I took this picture of the view I had. The rain pouring through the groin of a dino skeleton.

An hour after I put our name in it was called. I stood in a line, while Val and the kids arrived and stood at the bar. I was waiting for a server to call my name to be seated. This routine took another 10-15 minutes! At this point I was getting pretty frustrated and almost decided to leave - but for what and where? Finally we were seated and Val and I immediately ordered this - a giant margarita with a bottle of Corona throw in for good measure...

fractal · Aug 29, 2011

The alcohol started to take the edge off my nerves. So did our server. She was calm, cool and collected. An oasis of stability in a sea of pandemonium.
Her demeanor and body language said " Dinosaurs? What Dinosaurs?" I finally started to relax, despite this hanging over my shoulder.

I took a picture of Val and the kids during a meteor shower. ( not something one would ever expect to say ).

Some more pics inside T-Rex - it was actually pretty cool.

This guy and his giant bug friend were to my right...

fractal · Aug 29, 2011

The food was pretty tasty and the portions were generous.

Sterg and I had the rotisserie chicken. The chicken was done perfectly.

Alex had the ribs, which she enjoyed. Toni also had ribs which was exciting for her because she got to order off of the adult menu.

and Val had this salad which she said (after a few drinks) was awesome.

After eating I made my way into the Ice Cave for this shot.

And then some shots of the "underwater" bar. T-Rex is a sensory explosion of sights and sounds.

Up next - Night time @ Magic Kingdom.

PolynesianPrincess · Aug 29, 2011

You and Toni got quite a lot done at MK!! Good for you guys!! :sohappy:

I definitely laughed at the HM comment.... Move the mansion?! Uhhhh, no. lol

Ellen Ripley · Aug 29, 2011

Super report! Anxiously awaiting more!

fractal · Aug 29, 2011

Ariel484 said:
Yes, definitely try Jiko at some point...it's out favorite restaurant on the property. I can't vouch for Boma...we're 2 of the very few people who didn't like it :lookaroun

Sounds like a really fun morning with Toni! She really seems to "get" Disney. You should be proud!

I think Jiko is in our future!

Toni almost had as much fun as I did!

WDW_Princess24 said:
LOVE the Winnie the Pooh pics! It's one of my favorite rides!
Awesome pic of the drop on SM! Seeee, you're not doing to bad with that camera there!

Thanks! The "Pooh" queue is very well done. Thanks for the compliment, slowly climbing the steep photographic learning curve.

sweetpee_1993 said:
First the video from Sanaa. At 55 seconds I see one of those last second teenager additions. Love it! LOL!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your MK adventures with Toni. Awesome stuff! The pic of her on BTMRR...Toni's so pretty!

I totally can feel ya on the shooting arcade story with your dad. I think my earlier memories of WDW are a lot of why I'm so attached to the place. Those were the happy times.

Gosh, I think I might have to turn-tail and actually ride Splash Mountain this go around. With it being hot it may not be such a horrible thing...particularly when we'll be heading back to our room for a swim anyway. What's a little funky-feet-water smell when you're already hot & sweaty??? I do love Brer Rabbit. My brother & I had a storybook with the record when we were kids. Looooved it! Wish I still had that!

So you mentioned the scratching on your back on the Flying Jib slide at Stormalong Bay. My youngest, 13, is very slim & light. In the past at Schlitterbahn he's had some complaints that the slide joints hurt his back. He's got a bony spine. I'll be sure to tell him to sit up on the Flying Jib to avoid the ouch. These are the little tips I'm really looking for so thanks! ((I know it's not in my signature...we're doing 6 nights at the Yacht Club next month after our Dream cruise!))

I'm eatin' up your report! Can't wait for more! :wave:

You caught the "double six-shooter" by Sterg! Too much.

Toni and I had a great time that morning! Thanks!

Do Splash Mountain, sit in the second row, it's not that bad and a bunch of fun! A cruise AND 6 nights at YC! Awesome. You are going to have a great time. Good luck with the Flying Jib!

myhappyplace said:
Wow, I had an excellent time reading your report!! I join the others awaiting more.

I've never visited the AKL, but have now been inspired to, before my little brother turns into a teenager He'll be 9 when I think our next trip will be, so I am glad that it's such a fun age. I'm sure, like Toni, they'll always remember the fun they had at DW when they were little. You're making great memories for her, and don't let the older ones fool ya, they're having fun too.

Thanks! AKL is worth the trip. Thanks about Toni and yes, despite their antics and complaining my teenagers really do love WDW.

derelicte19 said:
You and Toni got quite a lot done at MK!! Good for you guys!! :sohappy:

I definitely laughed at the HM comment.... Move the mansion?! Uhhhh, no. lol

Toni and I crushed MK that morning!

It was a blast.

I hate when they go and move major attractions from one side of the park to another. :ROFLOL:

mansionmaiden said:
Super report! Anxiously awaiting more!

Thank you!

mamamouse · Aug 29, 2011

cool I think I'll have to try T-rex sometime,actually because of your views on sanaa I called yesterday and booked a lunch,I was shocked we got in because we're only 31 days away from arrival and I thought it would be a shot in the dark,so awesome!!!!

disneygirl1 · Aug 29, 2011

Great update! As a single mom to a 9 year old boy, I TOTALLY know how you feel with the whole bathroom anxiety b/c I am the same WAY!!! I usually try to find a family restroom so that I can just stand outside the door and not have to worry about anyone else being in there with him, but in instance where there is not one, I am literally pacing in from of the mens room waiting for him to come out. If he's not out in less then 5 I am screaming for him at the door! :ROFLOL: I am SO thankful I have my brother and cousin coming with us this week to Disney... One less thing I have to worry about this trip! :lol:

We LOVE T-Rex. We have eaten there twice so far and both time I thought the food was delish. Highly recommend the frozen mojito too!! YUM!!!

I think the atmosphere alone is worth a trip there!!!

dreamscometrue · Aug 29, 2011

myhappyplace said:
I've never visited the AKL, but have now been inspired to, before my little brother turns into a teenager

If you go, take the time to visit both Kidani Village and Jambo House. The 2 buildings are separated by a 10-12 min. walk (lobby to lobby), but if you're going to take the time to go there, check out both gift shops, lobbies, pools, the flamingo pond, fitness centers and all 4 savannahs. (Even some resort guests aren't aware of the new Pembe savannah 'behind' the Maji pool Bar.) It's worth booking a meal at one of the 3 sit down restaurants and then taking time to explore these beautiful resorts.

LivFreeorDisney · Aug 29, 2011

An hour after I put our name in it was called. I stood in a line, while Val and the kids arrived and stood at the bar. I was waiting for a server to call my name to be seated. This routine took another 10-15 minutes! At this point I was getting pretty frustrated and almost decided to leave - but for what? Finally we were seated and Val and I immediately ordered this - a giant margarita with a bottle of Corona throw in for good measure...

I don't like margaritas or Caronas. But I want this more than anything else at WDW!

fractal · Aug 29, 2011

My rating for T-Rex is a 7 out of 10. The family rating was 8 out of 10. The kids enjoyed it more than the adults, but not by much.

I thought the food was above average and the portions were plus-sized. Once we sat down, the drinks and entrees came quickly. Prices were a bit high, but what isn't in Disney? The atmosphere was big, loud and prehistoric. The dinos are convincing. I could see smaller children getting scared or loving it. The restaurant is definitely something to see. Kinda like a KISS concert, you may not like the music, but the show itself is worth the price of admission. Our server was very good - I left her a well deserved 20% tip. My biggest complaint was the entire check-in process. Like I said before, the only word that can properly describe it is chaos.

Alex had no complaints with her food.

After our Mesozoic Meals, we decided to head to Magic Kingdom. Throughout the day, Toni and I bragged about our conquest of the MK mountain range. Not to be outdone, the teenagers wanted to use extra magic hours to match our feat. Our plan of attack was to take a bus to the Contemporary then walk to MK. I was up for a MK nightcap as was Toni. Val, however, decided to call it a night and head back to the resort; or so she thought.

Five minutes after we boarded the bus to Contemporary, Alex discovered that she left her Keys to the Kingdom card with her mother. We called Val and she hopped on the next bus to Contemporary which fortunately showed up literally as we were talking with her. She wasn't too happy when she exited the bus but it saved Alex's evening. At this point Toni hit a wall and decided to go back with Val so in the end it worked out.

Hey, follow that monorail!

So I started the morning at MK with Toni and now i was finishing the day at MK with Alex & Sterg. This worked well because most of the sibling problems typically occur when Sterg and Toni are together. I was getting tired but it's not like I had to get up for work the next day.

We entered the gates and this time headed towards Frontierland as the "lines app" showed a 60min wait for Space Mountain.

BTMRR was a posted 10 minute wait but really took about 20 minutes. It was still a mine-load of fun! Waiting for the next train.

It really is a different ride at night. You miss many of the detailed themeing but gain some great lit views of the Kingdom, not to mention the cooler air.

At this point, EMH kicked in so we went next door and waited about 15 minutes to ride Splash. Another ride that changes personalities at night. I did get a bit lazy with the camera, sorry no pics. After Splash we hit PoTC, then Alex and Sterg grabbed Dole floats and we were off to complete the Mountain Range.

WDW - Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. – My August 2011 Trip Report

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