BklynChick
10-30-2010, 02:12 PM
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Me - 30something and a true Disney freak, ready for a long-overdue trip!
Mom - 60+, loves Disney, but content to let me do all the planning
(Note: I will not go into great detail about food in this report, as I will be posting a separate “Dining Trip Report” in the Dining Forum.)
Monday was our first full “park” day, and we were headed to Animal Kingdom. First, we had a light breakfast at the POFQ food court. We didn’t wait long for a bus, and we were passing through the gates at 8:45am, just as the opening ceremony was taking place. We made a beeline to EE (which is quite a hike first thing in the morning!) and there was only a 5 minute wait when we arrived. Mom wasn’t riding so I left my purse with her and got on line.
On our last trip, EE was still under construction, and I promised myself I would ride on our next trip. This despite the fact that it is a little beyond my usual comfort level (I will ride SM and BTMRR, but not R&RC or Splash). I loved the details in the queue and let some people go past as I took photos. I didn’t linger too long so I wouldn’t lose my nerve. All in all, I enjoyed it - there was one big drop, and the backwards part did feel a little like going upside down, but it was worth it! What a fantastic addition to Disney’s “Mountains”.
After EE we set out for Killimanjaro Safaris. Of course, I got lost, as I always seem to do at some point at AK. We ended up at Maharajah Jungle Trek so we did that before finally making it to the Safari. It was a 30 minute wait. This was Mom’s first time riding and she enjoyed it. I think there were more animals out than on my previous ride. Next was Finding Nemo: The Musical. This was a very good show - it is amazing how those puppeteers can bring life to the characters.
We decided to have lunch after this, since we had early dinner reservations that night. We ate at Flame Tree Barbeque. The food was very good and the portions were big! Not your typical CS meal. I do wish they had some indoor seating so you could avoid the birds hanging around you.
After lunch we did ITTBAB (always fun when you have people next to you who have never done it - they came in and wondered why the seat was damp!). Next was Festival of the Lion King. Another show that never gets old. We had some time left before we were due to leave, so I thought I might get another ride in on EE. I knew I was in trouble when I checked Mobile Magic and the wait was described as “Temporarily Paused”. Sure enough, a trip to the Tip Board confirmed it was down. I thought about walking over and waiting for a while, but I figured that even if it started up, the lines would be crazy. We considered staying for the parade, but it’s not one of our favorites and it was getting really hot outside. So we decided to head out early for our dinner at Sanaa.
We had never been to AKL before so we took the bus to Jambo House to look around. We were told that there was transportation between Jambo and Kidani Village, but after getting the runaround, we decided to just walk. It wasn’t a bad walk, but if I were staying there, I wouldn’t want to have to do it every time I wanted to go between the two. We had a few minutes outside to view the savannah before dinner.
Sanaa is a very interesting restaurant. We were seated right near the windows looking out onto the savannah and saw many animals during our meal. We are familiar with Indian cuisine so we knew what we wanted to order. We were very pleased with the food and service, and I recommend eating here. Even if you are not knowledgeable about this type of food, the wait staff is extremely helpful and the food is presented in a way that is friendly for beginners.
After dinner we took the bus to MK to watch MSEP and Wishes (our only opportunity this trip due to MNSSHP). We arrived at 6:45pm and I figured we would have some time to browse the stores on Main Street before grabbing our spot. WRONG! Main Street was already packed with parade-goers. We grabbed one of the last seats on the sidewalk. (Later I heard that MK was so crowded that night, that they kept it open for an extra hour).
If you couldn’t already tell, I am a huge fan of Disney parades and fireworks. To me, there is nothing like that moment when the lights on Main Street go out, and you hear that familiar music of MSEP. What a thrill! I had seen it several times at Disneyland / DCA, but this was Mom’s first viewing since the 70s. I liked the new floats and remixed soundtrack, although I did miss the old music a little.
After the parade we headed up to the Hub to find a good spot for Wishes, and ended up in our usual spot (near the bride to Tomorrowland). All I can say is....Best. Fireworks. Show. EVER. Of course I sang along to the music (and I wasn’t the only one this time - I heard someone nearby singing as well!). I’m listening to it as I type this, and it brings back such good memories. I can’t imagine how they could ever top this show.
As soon as the fireworks ended, we headed out for the buses. While we waited for our bus, I got an extra treat - the Electric Water Pageant was passing by! I always wanted to see it but the timing never worked out. I was able to watch it while we waited for the bus, and then caught a last glance as we pulled away. A perfect ending to a great day!
Me - 30something and a true Disney freak, ready for a long-overdue trip!
Mom - 60+, loves Disney, but content to let me do all the planning
(Note: I will not go into great detail about food in this report, as I will be posting a separate “Dining Trip Report” in the Dining Forum.)
Monday was our first full “park” day, and we were headed to Animal Kingdom. First, we had a light breakfast at the POFQ food court. We didn’t wait long for a bus, and we were passing through the gates at 8:45am, just as the opening ceremony was taking place. We made a beeline to EE (which is quite a hike first thing in the morning!) and there was only a 5 minute wait when we arrived. Mom wasn’t riding so I left my purse with her and got on line.
On our last trip, EE was still under construction, and I promised myself I would ride on our next trip. This despite the fact that it is a little beyond my usual comfort level (I will ride SM and BTMRR, but not R&RC or Splash). I loved the details in the queue and let some people go past as I took photos. I didn’t linger too long so I wouldn’t lose my nerve. All in all, I enjoyed it - there was one big drop, and the backwards part did feel a little like going upside down, but it was worth it! What a fantastic addition to Disney’s “Mountains”.
After EE we set out for Killimanjaro Safaris. Of course, I got lost, as I always seem to do at some point at AK. We ended up at Maharajah Jungle Trek so we did that before finally making it to the Safari. It was a 30 minute wait. This was Mom’s first time riding and she enjoyed it. I think there were more animals out than on my previous ride. Next was Finding Nemo: The Musical. This was a very good show - it is amazing how those puppeteers can bring life to the characters.
We decided to have lunch after this, since we had early dinner reservations that night. We ate at Flame Tree Barbeque. The food was very good and the portions were big! Not your typical CS meal. I do wish they had some indoor seating so you could avoid the birds hanging around you.
After lunch we did ITTBAB (always fun when you have people next to you who have never done it - they came in and wondered why the seat was damp!). Next was Festival of the Lion King. Another show that never gets old. We had some time left before we were due to leave, so I thought I might get another ride in on EE. I knew I was in trouble when I checked Mobile Magic and the wait was described as “Temporarily Paused”. Sure enough, a trip to the Tip Board confirmed it was down. I thought about walking over and waiting for a while, but I figured that even if it started up, the lines would be crazy. We considered staying for the parade, but it’s not one of our favorites and it was getting really hot outside. So we decided to head out early for our dinner at Sanaa.
We had never been to AKL before so we took the bus to Jambo House to look around. We were told that there was transportation between Jambo and Kidani Village, but after getting the runaround, we decided to just walk. It wasn’t a bad walk, but if I were staying there, I wouldn’t want to have to do it every time I wanted to go between the two. We had a few minutes outside to view the savannah before dinner.
Sanaa is a very interesting restaurant. We were seated right near the windows looking out onto the savannah and saw many animals during our meal. We are familiar with Indian cuisine so we knew what we wanted to order. We were very pleased with the food and service, and I recommend eating here. Even if you are not knowledgeable about this type of food, the wait staff is extremely helpful and the food is presented in a way that is friendly for beginners.
After dinner we took the bus to MK to watch MSEP and Wishes (our only opportunity this trip due to MNSSHP). We arrived at 6:45pm and I figured we would have some time to browse the stores on Main Street before grabbing our spot. WRONG! Main Street was already packed with parade-goers. We grabbed one of the last seats on the sidewalk. (Later I heard that MK was so crowded that night, that they kept it open for an extra hour).
If you couldn’t already tell, I am a huge fan of Disney parades and fireworks. To me, there is nothing like that moment when the lights on Main Street go out, and you hear that familiar music of MSEP. What a thrill! I had seen it several times at Disneyland / DCA, but this was Mom’s first viewing since the 70s. I liked the new floats and remixed soundtrack, although I did miss the old music a little.
After the parade we headed up to the Hub to find a good spot for Wishes, and ended up in our usual spot (near the bride to Tomorrowland). All I can say is....Best. Fireworks. Show. EVER. Of course I sang along to the music (and I wasn’t the only one this time - I heard someone nearby singing as well!). I’m listening to it as I type this, and it brings back such good memories. I can’t imagine how they could ever top this show.
As soon as the fireworks ended, we headed out for the buses. While we waited for our bus, I got an extra treat - the Electric Water Pageant was passing by! I always wanted to see it but the timing never worked out. I was able to watch it while we waited for the bus, and then caught a last glance as we pulled away. A perfect ending to a great day!