faline
05-21-2010, 09:19 PM
Although we are early, we check in at Cinderella’s and are admitted immediately. After our picture with Cinderella, we only wait a few minutes before we are summoned upstairs for our table. We are each provided with a wishing star. A while later, we are each provided with a second wishing star. I receive a wand and Gene is presented with a sword. Although we are on a balcony, we are close to the windows and I can see the carousel from where we sit. When I made the reservation last November, I had paid in full and now request a Tables in Wonderland discount. Our server takes care of that for us.
Our appetizers are delivered and are good. We both order the pork and ice tea. The pork is delicious! Also, I’m hungrier than I thought I was! For dessert, I have a chocolate cake with cream cheese – very rich and very good! Gene had the rice pudding which he liked. At some point, there is a wishing ceremony. For anyone who needs to know the magic words are" Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo".
The photo package includes a picture of us with Cinderella; one of the Castle and 4 additional 4 x 6 pictures of us with Cinderella. There is a photo pass number included and the picture can be accessed through the photo pass system. The princesses arrive during dessert and we are visited by Snow White, Belle, Ariel, and Sleeping Beauty. All are very much in character, very interactive and very gracious! This is a very enjoyable character experience!
After lunch, we head to the exit. This is going to be a relaxed, relaxing vacation! Along Main Street and out in front, we have some more photo pass pics taken.
After a short wait, a bus arrives to return us to Coronado Springs. Along the way, a SUV coming from the other direction runs a stop sign and drastically cuts the corner. Our bus driver is forced to hit his brakes pretty hard and blows his horn at the offending vehicle. There aren’t many people on the bus and, when the brakes are applied with that level of force, Gene actually slides down a couple of seats! Safely back at our resort, we get unpacked and settled in. Ah! This feels much better.
Gene says he likes the room better than the one we had at French Quarter and he is glad we moved. If we had the king bed, we both would have been very happy at French Quarter but it has all worked out!
We had made reservations at Boatrights for Thursday evening. Since we have now moved over to Coronado, I call and cancel those reservations. Instead, I’m able to get a reservation for Maya Grill.
Around 5, we head out. Tonight, Animal Kingdom is having extra magic hour from 5 to 8. We enter the park and feel a bit like fish traveling upstream against the mass of humanity exiting the park! For a little bit, we follow a cast member who has just packed one of the parrots into some sort of parrot taxi but she takes a right hand turn to pick up more parrots.
Our first stop this evening is Expedition Everest which is a walk on. Throughout the time we are there, we see folks turned away at the entrance to rides when they are unable to produce a resort key.
We haven’t been on Primeval Whirl in years but the line is relatively short so we join it. This proves to be our longest wait of the evening and takes about 15 minutes. These seats are very small. I’m not a huge person and I didn’t fit very well in the seat. Additionally, the seat is upturned on the edge and apparently all of me didn’t fit in my assigned area. When Gene sat down in his seat, he managed to badly pinch part of my thigh – that’ll certainly be bruised – and boy did it hurt! This ride is very rough! Every time I ride it, I remember why I don't rush back to ride it again!
We quickly ride Triceratops Spin and Dinosaur. We literally walk right into It’s Tough to be a Bug. One little girl cries through most of it and is still crying as they leave the theater at the end of the show. Why would a parent make a child sit through something they find so frightening? It’s not even 7 p.m. yet and we’ve pretty much ridden everything available during extra magic hours so we exit the park and find a Coronado Springs bus waiting for us.
As we ride back to our resort, we see a car on the opposite side of a divided road, stop and make a u-turn which means the car is now facing the wrong way on the wrong side of the road and it then enters moving traffic on our side of the road! What are these drivers thinking?! For goodness sake, it can’t take more than 5 minutes to find a safe place to turn around and get to where you want to be!
Instead of getting off at our stop, we stay on the bus until we get to El Centro. After wandering through the store, we decide a little something to nibble might be in order. We head to Rix. It’s about 7:30 and it is not open. We find out later it does not open until 8. A lounge that doesn’t open until 8 p.m.? What’s up with that? As it turns out, we never end up visiting this establishment though it looks quote nice from the outside, looking in.
Anyway there is a bar outside by the lake. It doesn’t take Tables in Wonderland but, whatever. We order drinks and nachos. We watch a cormorant try to swallow a fish that appears to be too large for the size of the bird.
On the bus traveling here, we heard other folks talk about a gator that’s in the lake in this area. Sure enough, up swims a small gator – around 2 feet. The critter is clearly looking for handouts and, unfortunately, there are more than enough folks willing to provide them. While standing by the lake and watching quite large fish swim by, I suddenly see a large snapping turtle come by. He swims toward the gator but turns and starts to swim the other way. I’m still not sure he’s aware of the gator. Suddenly the gator becomes aware of the turtle and rather quickly heads that way. When the gator is almost on top of the turtle, the turtle finally seems to realize he may soon be a gator meal and quickly dives. The gator goes under as well but comes up empty! Whew! Feels like I’m in the middle of a nature show!
Nachos finished, we decide to walk back to our room. While we’ve stayed here several times, we’ve never even seen the main pool. We enjoy a very pleasant and pretty twilight walk back towards our room. Along the way, we check out the main pool and a quiet pool that’s right by our room. What a large quiet pool!
Back in our room for some quiet, relaxed time. It feels so good to be settled!
I must say that cast members seem to be in exceptionally high spirits so far this trip. Everyone has been friendly and polite and enthusiastic. It’s wonderful!
Our appetizers are delivered and are good. We both order the pork and ice tea. The pork is delicious! Also, I’m hungrier than I thought I was! For dessert, I have a chocolate cake with cream cheese – very rich and very good! Gene had the rice pudding which he liked. At some point, there is a wishing ceremony. For anyone who needs to know the magic words are" Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo".
The photo package includes a picture of us with Cinderella; one of the Castle and 4 additional 4 x 6 pictures of us with Cinderella. There is a photo pass number included and the picture can be accessed through the photo pass system. The princesses arrive during dessert and we are visited by Snow White, Belle, Ariel, and Sleeping Beauty. All are very much in character, very interactive and very gracious! This is a very enjoyable character experience!
After lunch, we head to the exit. This is going to be a relaxed, relaxing vacation! Along Main Street and out in front, we have some more photo pass pics taken.
After a short wait, a bus arrives to return us to Coronado Springs. Along the way, a SUV coming from the other direction runs a stop sign and drastically cuts the corner. Our bus driver is forced to hit his brakes pretty hard and blows his horn at the offending vehicle. There aren’t many people on the bus and, when the brakes are applied with that level of force, Gene actually slides down a couple of seats! Safely back at our resort, we get unpacked and settled in. Ah! This feels much better.
Gene says he likes the room better than the one we had at French Quarter and he is glad we moved. If we had the king bed, we both would have been very happy at French Quarter but it has all worked out!
We had made reservations at Boatrights for Thursday evening. Since we have now moved over to Coronado, I call and cancel those reservations. Instead, I’m able to get a reservation for Maya Grill.
Around 5, we head out. Tonight, Animal Kingdom is having extra magic hour from 5 to 8. We enter the park and feel a bit like fish traveling upstream against the mass of humanity exiting the park! For a little bit, we follow a cast member who has just packed one of the parrots into some sort of parrot taxi but she takes a right hand turn to pick up more parrots.
Our first stop this evening is Expedition Everest which is a walk on. Throughout the time we are there, we see folks turned away at the entrance to rides when they are unable to produce a resort key.
We haven’t been on Primeval Whirl in years but the line is relatively short so we join it. This proves to be our longest wait of the evening and takes about 15 minutes. These seats are very small. I’m not a huge person and I didn’t fit very well in the seat. Additionally, the seat is upturned on the edge and apparently all of me didn’t fit in my assigned area. When Gene sat down in his seat, he managed to badly pinch part of my thigh – that’ll certainly be bruised – and boy did it hurt! This ride is very rough! Every time I ride it, I remember why I don't rush back to ride it again!
We quickly ride Triceratops Spin and Dinosaur. We literally walk right into It’s Tough to be a Bug. One little girl cries through most of it and is still crying as they leave the theater at the end of the show. Why would a parent make a child sit through something they find so frightening? It’s not even 7 p.m. yet and we’ve pretty much ridden everything available during extra magic hours so we exit the park and find a Coronado Springs bus waiting for us.
As we ride back to our resort, we see a car on the opposite side of a divided road, stop and make a u-turn which means the car is now facing the wrong way on the wrong side of the road and it then enters moving traffic on our side of the road! What are these drivers thinking?! For goodness sake, it can’t take more than 5 minutes to find a safe place to turn around and get to where you want to be!
Instead of getting off at our stop, we stay on the bus until we get to El Centro. After wandering through the store, we decide a little something to nibble might be in order. We head to Rix. It’s about 7:30 and it is not open. We find out later it does not open until 8. A lounge that doesn’t open until 8 p.m.? What’s up with that? As it turns out, we never end up visiting this establishment though it looks quote nice from the outside, looking in.
Anyway there is a bar outside by the lake. It doesn’t take Tables in Wonderland but, whatever. We order drinks and nachos. We watch a cormorant try to swallow a fish that appears to be too large for the size of the bird.
On the bus traveling here, we heard other folks talk about a gator that’s in the lake in this area. Sure enough, up swims a small gator – around 2 feet. The critter is clearly looking for handouts and, unfortunately, there are more than enough folks willing to provide them. While standing by the lake and watching quite large fish swim by, I suddenly see a large snapping turtle come by. He swims toward the gator but turns and starts to swim the other way. I’m still not sure he’s aware of the gator. Suddenly the gator becomes aware of the turtle and rather quickly heads that way. When the gator is almost on top of the turtle, the turtle finally seems to realize he may soon be a gator meal and quickly dives. The gator goes under as well but comes up empty! Whew! Feels like I’m in the middle of a nature show!
Nachos finished, we decide to walk back to our room. While we’ve stayed here several times, we’ve never even seen the main pool. We enjoy a very pleasant and pretty twilight walk back towards our room. Along the way, we check out the main pool and a quiet pool that’s right by our room. What a large quiet pool!
Back in our room for some quiet, relaxed time. It feels so good to be settled!
I must say that cast members seem to be in exceptionally high spirits so far this trip. Everyone has been friendly and polite and enthusiastic. It’s wonderful!