darthmacho
09-20-2012, 03:52 PM
Darth Macho’s Dream Trip, Day 11
It's Day 11, and We're Still Here!
The Cast:
DM: Darth Macho (41yo)
DW: Darth Wife (41yo)
DD1: Darth Daughter 1 (11yo)
DD2: Darth Daughter 2 (8yo)
The Stage:
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom Lodge
The Report:
Though we hadn’t had a 6AM wakeup since he first two days of the trip, it was not easy to get everyone moving that early after such a long day at DHS the day before. I was a little concerned about how this day was going to go because I didn’t plan well enough and scheduled our Tusker House Safari Breakfast on an EMH day at Animal Kingdom. I also figured that people had shuffled their schedules around Isaac, and that the parks would be more crowded for a few days. I don’t know which of my concerns factored in more, but we did get a late start, the bus stops were crowded, and we checked in late for our ADR. I decided to just roll with it, and adjust as we went along. We had a nice character breakfast at Tusker House, and it was off for a day in Harambe, Africa.
As I anticipated, the line for Kilimanjaro Safari was almost an hour already, so we grabbed a FP and headed straight to Pangani Forest Trail, where we got great views of hippos, meerkats, gorillas, and even a nice close-up of a duck! (The duck was floating just inside the glass of the hippo tank, looking back at us.) Just as we finished up our walk, it was time to ride the safari, but not before we grabbed another FP. The first trip was a good one, we had a lively guide that told jokes and asked trivia questions. He asked if we knew why elephants had large ears, and I answered, “to fly” but he trumped my joke by pointing out that elephants only fly at the Magic Kingdom. They only thing missing from the safari was the ending, which didn’t have zebras yet, so it was just a drive through the woods.
Our second ride was good too. We sat in the first row, and our second guide was lively too, she made a lot of puns and she actually talked about the rickety bridge. On this trip we got awesome views of the cheetahs, and even the CM got excited about it. They were up and moving around in plain view! We even got a nice photo of them.
After our second safari trip, the kids were asking if we could get turkey legs, so I checked my WDW app to see where to get them, and the only place listed was Trilo-bites over in Dinoland, so we decided to head over there. Along the way, we noticed a small gathering on the road, and from experience I knew that Devine was in the path. She was carefully camouflaged, but we spotted her nonetheless. As usual, she was captivating and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. (I probably should speak to a therapist about that.) We arrived not too long before she was heading in for her break, so we moved on.
At Trilo-bites, we got ourselves two turkey legs for our lunch. They were so huge that the four of us, including me, could not finish them. They tasted good, but they were very greasy and hard to handle, so we ate what we could and discarded the rest. This was our only day with two sit-down meals, so we didn’t want to over do it anyway. It was a fun experience for the kids, and the ibis and the egrets entertained us all as they jockeyed for a chance to get some turkey. I discouraged feeding them, but I caught both my wife and kids sneaking scraps to the birds, so if birds there harass anyone, I apologize in advance.
Afternoon consisted on a second, more fulfilling visit to Tough to Be a Bug, and seeing Wonders of Flight for the first time ever. These were great activities for a relaxing afternoon, though the benches in the outdoor Wonders theatre aren’t exactly cool or comfortable.
At this point it was about 2PM, and the kids were hinting that they wanted to ride Everest, even though the plan was to stay in Africa for the day. We had already ventured out of Africa for the Turkey Legs, Bugs, and now we were in Asia for Flights, so I told them we could check the wait and FP times, and if either was reasonable, we’d do it. They liked that Idea, so we walked over. Plan A was dashed immediately, since we were leaving for AKL at 4 and the return time was well after that. The alternative was the stand-by line, which posted 40-minutes, normally more than I’m willing to wait. We discussed it, however, and I could tell that the kids really wanted to do it, and this being our last chance, it was decided that I would wait with them and DW would get to putter around for a while, which she likes to do. I don’t like long waits, but I had always wanted to see some of the queue features of Everest, so I made it a point to absorb it all and discuss some of the interesting details with the kids. Unlike the boring 90-minute debacle with RnR the week before, the time zipped by and we enjoyed one last ride with the Yeti. For the record, yes, he is still down, and there was no sign of that bird that used to fly over the peak of the mountain. For all of its failings, Everest still thrills the kids, and while it doesn’t compare to Dinosaur or the Safari, I still consider it a must do at the Animal Kingdom. After the ride, I bought the girls two of those round, stuffed yeti toys that I know they really wanted from way back on our 2010 trip. I had no idea how we were going to transport them home, but I couldn’t resist getting them for the girls and they seemed really happy about the ride and the purchase.
After meeting up with DW, who was over by the Tree having a great time watching the otters being fed, we decided we had time for one more activity, so we went over to Camp Minnie-Mickey. The fab-five were there, but we had seen them that morning at breakfast, so we opted for Baloo and Louie, and we were not disappointed. They really went all out with some wacky antics, including playing catch with the Yeti toys, and the kids loved all of it. We all really appreciate the characters that have a little fun with the guests and these guys, like Chip and Dale, and Lilo and Stitch, always seem to deliver.
After a leisurely walk through Discovery Island and the Oasis, we had to head for the bus to AKL. Once again, like when we were leaving DHS, my heart sank as we had to leave AK, not knowing when we’d return again. I was very happy that we had devoted 4 whole days to these two parks, when normally we cram everything into two half-days. This 14-day trip was truly a luxury and a treat. Nevertheless, I cannot wait to get back to these parks again.
Meanwhile, we wrapped up our day at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which was the second time we’ve visited, but the first time the kids really got to see it. They really loved Boma, and DW and I did too. It gets mixed reviews, but it was one of the best meals we had for the trip. Stay tuned for the review, but I will say now that the highlight for me was the desserts, and not even my beloved Artist Point could top it. The variety was amazing, but it is the Zebra Domes, by far my favorite treat, that put it over the top. They are sooooooo amazing!
Animal Kingdom Lodge is amazing! Not only do we love Boma, but also I want to try Sanaa and Jiko too. I think my new goal is to stay here for one trip, ideally with a Savannah view, but that may be a bit of a stretch. We might be able to pull off a split-stay at some point, but it absolutely killed me to pass up the bounce-back option for 2013, because one of the options was for AKL with free dining and a standard view. I do feel that we need more time to save for the next trip, so I’m looking at 2014. In any case, Staying at his resort is officially on my WDW bucket list!
As much as I wanted to explore the resort more, we were all pretty tired and decided to head back to Pop. The kids wanted to swim, but DW was wiped out, so I grabbed my iPod and took them over to the Bowling Pin pool for an hour or two so that DW could get some quiet time, but not before I stopped to pick up a pair of Captain’s Mai Tais for the road. I sipped my drinks and listened to podcasts while they enjoyed the pool. I gave them a little extra time because I knew the trip was winding down. It was a relaxing evening for all, though I did get some pretty mean bug bites, which became very swollen and itchy by the next day. It was a small price to pay for a great day. Day 11 was over, but I was just happy to have a Day 11, because before that our longest trip was 10 days. I truly feel blessed (and broke) that we were able to have this trip at all, and I’m happy that we’ll have memories to last a lifetime!
Stay tuned for the last 3 days of the trip, and more dining reviews!
It's Day 11, and We're Still Here!
The Cast:
DM: Darth Macho (41yo)
DW: Darth Wife (41yo)
DD1: Darth Daughter 1 (11yo)
DD2: Darth Daughter 2 (8yo)
The Stage:
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom Lodge
The Report:
Though we hadn’t had a 6AM wakeup since he first two days of the trip, it was not easy to get everyone moving that early after such a long day at DHS the day before. I was a little concerned about how this day was going to go because I didn’t plan well enough and scheduled our Tusker House Safari Breakfast on an EMH day at Animal Kingdom. I also figured that people had shuffled their schedules around Isaac, and that the parks would be more crowded for a few days. I don’t know which of my concerns factored in more, but we did get a late start, the bus stops were crowded, and we checked in late for our ADR. I decided to just roll with it, and adjust as we went along. We had a nice character breakfast at Tusker House, and it was off for a day in Harambe, Africa.
As I anticipated, the line for Kilimanjaro Safari was almost an hour already, so we grabbed a FP and headed straight to Pangani Forest Trail, where we got great views of hippos, meerkats, gorillas, and even a nice close-up of a duck! (The duck was floating just inside the glass of the hippo tank, looking back at us.) Just as we finished up our walk, it was time to ride the safari, but not before we grabbed another FP. The first trip was a good one, we had a lively guide that told jokes and asked trivia questions. He asked if we knew why elephants had large ears, and I answered, “to fly” but he trumped my joke by pointing out that elephants only fly at the Magic Kingdom. They only thing missing from the safari was the ending, which didn’t have zebras yet, so it was just a drive through the woods.
Our second ride was good too. We sat in the first row, and our second guide was lively too, she made a lot of puns and she actually talked about the rickety bridge. On this trip we got awesome views of the cheetahs, and even the CM got excited about it. They were up and moving around in plain view! We even got a nice photo of them.
After our second safari trip, the kids were asking if we could get turkey legs, so I checked my WDW app to see where to get them, and the only place listed was Trilo-bites over in Dinoland, so we decided to head over there. Along the way, we noticed a small gathering on the road, and from experience I knew that Devine was in the path. She was carefully camouflaged, but we spotted her nonetheless. As usual, she was captivating and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. (I probably should speak to a therapist about that.) We arrived not too long before she was heading in for her break, so we moved on.
At Trilo-bites, we got ourselves two turkey legs for our lunch. They were so huge that the four of us, including me, could not finish them. They tasted good, but they were very greasy and hard to handle, so we ate what we could and discarded the rest. This was our only day with two sit-down meals, so we didn’t want to over do it anyway. It was a fun experience for the kids, and the ibis and the egrets entertained us all as they jockeyed for a chance to get some turkey. I discouraged feeding them, but I caught both my wife and kids sneaking scraps to the birds, so if birds there harass anyone, I apologize in advance.
Afternoon consisted on a second, more fulfilling visit to Tough to Be a Bug, and seeing Wonders of Flight for the first time ever. These were great activities for a relaxing afternoon, though the benches in the outdoor Wonders theatre aren’t exactly cool or comfortable.
At this point it was about 2PM, and the kids were hinting that they wanted to ride Everest, even though the plan was to stay in Africa for the day. We had already ventured out of Africa for the Turkey Legs, Bugs, and now we were in Asia for Flights, so I told them we could check the wait and FP times, and if either was reasonable, we’d do it. They liked that Idea, so we walked over. Plan A was dashed immediately, since we were leaving for AKL at 4 and the return time was well after that. The alternative was the stand-by line, which posted 40-minutes, normally more than I’m willing to wait. We discussed it, however, and I could tell that the kids really wanted to do it, and this being our last chance, it was decided that I would wait with them and DW would get to putter around for a while, which she likes to do. I don’t like long waits, but I had always wanted to see some of the queue features of Everest, so I made it a point to absorb it all and discuss some of the interesting details with the kids. Unlike the boring 90-minute debacle with RnR the week before, the time zipped by and we enjoyed one last ride with the Yeti. For the record, yes, he is still down, and there was no sign of that bird that used to fly over the peak of the mountain. For all of its failings, Everest still thrills the kids, and while it doesn’t compare to Dinosaur or the Safari, I still consider it a must do at the Animal Kingdom. After the ride, I bought the girls two of those round, stuffed yeti toys that I know they really wanted from way back on our 2010 trip. I had no idea how we were going to transport them home, but I couldn’t resist getting them for the girls and they seemed really happy about the ride and the purchase.
After meeting up with DW, who was over by the Tree having a great time watching the otters being fed, we decided we had time for one more activity, so we went over to Camp Minnie-Mickey. The fab-five were there, but we had seen them that morning at breakfast, so we opted for Baloo and Louie, and we were not disappointed. They really went all out with some wacky antics, including playing catch with the Yeti toys, and the kids loved all of it. We all really appreciate the characters that have a little fun with the guests and these guys, like Chip and Dale, and Lilo and Stitch, always seem to deliver.
After a leisurely walk through Discovery Island and the Oasis, we had to head for the bus to AKL. Once again, like when we were leaving DHS, my heart sank as we had to leave AK, not knowing when we’d return again. I was very happy that we had devoted 4 whole days to these two parks, when normally we cram everything into two half-days. This 14-day trip was truly a luxury and a treat. Nevertheless, I cannot wait to get back to these parks again.
Meanwhile, we wrapped up our day at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which was the second time we’ve visited, but the first time the kids really got to see it. They really loved Boma, and DW and I did too. It gets mixed reviews, but it was one of the best meals we had for the trip. Stay tuned for the review, but I will say now that the highlight for me was the desserts, and not even my beloved Artist Point could top it. The variety was amazing, but it is the Zebra Domes, by far my favorite treat, that put it over the top. They are sooooooo amazing!
Animal Kingdom Lodge is amazing! Not only do we love Boma, but also I want to try Sanaa and Jiko too. I think my new goal is to stay here for one trip, ideally with a Savannah view, but that may be a bit of a stretch. We might be able to pull off a split-stay at some point, but it absolutely killed me to pass up the bounce-back option for 2013, because one of the options was for AKL with free dining and a standard view. I do feel that we need more time to save for the next trip, so I’m looking at 2014. In any case, Staying at his resort is officially on my WDW bucket list!
As much as I wanted to explore the resort more, we were all pretty tired and decided to head back to Pop. The kids wanted to swim, but DW was wiped out, so I grabbed my iPod and took them over to the Bowling Pin pool for an hour or two so that DW could get some quiet time, but not before I stopped to pick up a pair of Captain’s Mai Tais for the road. I sipped my drinks and listened to podcasts while they enjoyed the pool. I gave them a little extra time because I knew the trip was winding down. It was a relaxing evening for all, though I did get some pretty mean bug bites, which became very swollen and itchy by the next day. It was a small price to pay for a great day. Day 11 was over, but I was just happy to have a Day 11, because before that our longest trip was 10 days. I truly feel blessed (and broke) that we were able to have this trip at all, and I’m happy that we’ll have memories to last a lifetime!
Stay tuned for the last 3 days of the trip, and more dining reviews!