"Anythings possible, for a Possible!" - Oct 15-25 TR(Final thoughts 5/25-Post 249!)

[laashley]

ps Laashley - I noticed your ticker. If I don't catch you before, have a great trip to the F&G show.

Thanks! We are looking forward to it!

Nope, at least last year they didn't have anything like that that I saw. It would be neat though. Hey, your only a week away...hope you and Chris have a great time. (Man, your going so often you can't keep up on the TRs!)

I know! I probably won't even attempt to do a tr for this trip, but I do hope when I finish the October one to roll right into the December trip. I have high enough hopes for those two. Thanks very much! I can't wait til we get to the WL.

 

[skier_pete]

Had to load this one in too...nicely done kiddo! (It's a videolink - so click on it to see.)

 

[PrincessInOz]

Pete - that's great. She did a fab job....and the bonus? (I think) We get to hear what you sound like!

 

[skier_pete]

Pete - that's great. She did a fab job....and the bonus? (I think) We get to hear what you sound like!

Yeah, that was me...not much of a bonus, though...

 

[onescgirl]

The journal entries are my favorite part of the post!

 

[skier_pete]

The journal entries are my favorite part of the post!

Yeah, they are pretty cute. We're definitely going to have her do that again next trip. Unfortunately, there won't be any more this trip. She filled in all the pages at that point, and we didn't make her do anymore. Next trip, we will be sure to have enough pages for every day!

 

[skier_pete]

We left DAK about 4:15 PM to make it over to our ADR over at Sanaa. It was a very short ride of course, and we got there a few minutes early. I was very excited to try this, one of the newest restaurants in the Disney arsenal. We got there and had to wait a few mintues to be seated. DD “entertained” the waiting area by playing the bongos.

While waiting for out table, we went out and checked out the main savannah area. There was a “local” African CM that was telling about the animals to guests.

This is the only restaurant in which the dining area actually looks out on the Savannah. Here’s a view from inside the restaurant. (Boma and Jiko don’t look out at anything.)

.

We were seated fairly quickly, and our waitress was extremely nice and attentive. I ordered a Mango Lasse for a drink. I’d never had one before, it best described as a fruit-flavored smoothie (No picture, sorry). We again ordered the bread service, much like at Jiko. It came with 3 different types of bread as well as three flavored dips we got: Breads - Naan, Onion Kulcha, and Paneer Paratha Accompaniments - Cucumber Raita, Mango Chutney,and Garlic Pickle

They were all delicious. We also got an order of Samosas to split. A good friend who is Indian introduced us to these. They are a fried dumpling with a potato and pea filling. We’ve had true authentic Samosas, and these were pretty darn good.

For the main course, DW and I both had the “Slow Cooked in Gravy, Simple and Well Seasoned” - Choice of two served with Basmati Rice or Five-grain pilaf. DW had the Chicken with Red Curry Sauce and Beef Short Ribs while I had the Beef Short Ribs and Coconut-Curry Lamb. I would have to say while they were very tasty, they were also a little on the boring side. I definitely want to come back here, but would likely try something different.

[

DD had the kids hamburger, which was a pretty good serving of food, though she didn’t really like the fresh cut French fries:

For dessert, DW had the Orange-Sesame Cake - with Passion Fruit Kulfi

Dessert Sampler - Chocolate Cake, Passion Fruit Kulfi, and Chai Cream

And DD had a standard ice cream scoop:

Overall this meal was probably our favorite of the trip. I thought the food was better than Boma, though maybe not as good as Jiko, but the theme-ing and the view plus the lower price made it a much better value. Of the three, we would choose to come back here again over either of the others, though I think the trick is to come back before nightfall, which is tougher in the winter time.

When we were done, we were pretty full, but decided to walk from Kidani back to Jambo House. The walk was probably no more than 10 minutes, but mostly involved walking through parking lots, so it wasn't very scenic. We never got to check out the Kidani pool, which had a pretty extensive play area.

Not as late a night tonight - we were back in our room well before 8 PM, and went to sleep fairly early. For tomorrow we knew would be a long day....

SkierPete

 

[skier_pete]

I realized I forgot to edit the title - so I think everyone was passing the update by...so BUMP.

 

[laashley]

I love how your DD said something about "doing it the first time" with feeding the bird. So cute!

Hmmm... not so sure about Sanaa. I would like to try it, but not sure if I am brave enough.

 

[PrincessInOz]

That food at Sanaa is right up my alley. I love spicy food; and Indian rates up there pretty high for me. Was the curry spicy? And what other options did they have?

YUM!

 

[skier_pete]

I love how your DD said something about "doing it the first time" with feeding the bird. So cute!

Hmmm... not so sure about Sanaa. I would like to try it, but not sure if I am brave enough.

Yeah, I wonder if she was worried she would accidently drop the grape or something. Re-watching it, I was wondering if the CM is more worried about the audience member getting the trick right than that bird...who he knows will get it every time.

Hard to say, there are some things on the menu that are more standard fare than what we had.

That food at Sanaa is right up my alley. I love spicy food; and Indian rates up there pretty high for me. Was the curry spicy? And what other options did they have?

YUM!

While very flavorful, they were not very spicy. A few of the curries were listed as spicy but weren't really that hot at all. I don't think I've ever had anything at WDW that is particularly spicy...in America restaurants seem to be scared of making the food too spicy unless your ordering Buffalo Chicken Wings, at least at the more commercial franchise restaurants.

SkierPete

 

[khertz]

Such a cute video of DD!! Now which show is your DW going to participate in?!

Sanaa looks like a gorgeous restaurant, and you can't beat those kinds of view while you're eating. Until you listed them all together in the post, I guess I didn't really realise how many TS restaurants AKL has! They seem so interesting, but definitely not our kind of meal, so I'll have to experience them just through your TRs.

 

[skier_pete]

Such a cute video of DD!! Now which show is your DW going to participate in?!

Sanaa looks like a gorgeous restaurant, and you can't beat those kinds of view while you're eating. Until you listed them all together in the post, I guess I didn't really realise how many TS restaurants AKL has! They seem so interesting, but definitely not our kind of meal, so I'll have to experience them just through your TRs.

Gosh, I'm really surprised you and Laashley are both reluctant to try spicy/flavorful dishes. I would think living down there you would be used to spicy rich food. I LOVE the flavors of Lousiana! Jambalaya, Etoufee, Moufelatto (did I spell that right)...yum, yum yum. While I could never in a million years live down there, I wish I could come back down to visit just to eat. To me, that's the closest thing we have in the US to that Indian type of food...just Cayenne instead of Curry!

DW didn't volunteer for anything, but she wanted to do the Indiana Jones show but DD wouldn't let her. I think next trip I will encourage her to try and get in. It was a load of fun. Really the only other options as adults are the dunk tank in the Backlot tour, and there's a few spot in Flights of Wonder for Adults. You can't have FOB though!

 

[PrincessInOz]

While very flavorful, they were not very spicy. A few of the curries were listed as spicy but weren't really that hot at all. I don't think I've ever had anything at WDW that is particularly spicy...in America restaurants seem to be scared of making the food too spicy unless your ordering Buffalo Chicken Wings, at least at the more commercial franchise restaurants.

SkierPete

Not so over this part of the world. We are so closely located with Asia that we get pretty decent spicy food over here.

 

[crazycatlady]

Just got caught up on your report. It sounds like you had a great vacation!

I agree with your assessment of the MNSSHP. We are totally rd people and usually get to the gate at least twenty minutes or more before opening, so we are always ahead of the crowds. That along with using fps and going off-season, we never wait in lines for more than 10 or 15 minutes tops. I thought the party we went to a couple of years ago had way longer lines than we are used to and the park itself had a much more crowded feel to it. We enjoyed ourselves (especially the parade), but probably won't do it again.

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

 

[skier_pete]

Not so over this part of the world. We are so closely located with Asia that we get pretty decent spicy food over here.

Well, there are certainly places here you can get spicy food...but the typical "chain" restaurant is usually not it. Buffalo has a pretty considerable Indian population, so there's a lot of Indian restaurants that serve good and spicy food. We also have some Thai restaurants as well, though I am not as into Thai cuisine.

Just got caught up on your report. It sounds like you had a great vacation!

I agree with your assessment of the MNSSHP. We are totally rd people and usually get to the gate at least twenty minutes or more before opening, so we are always ahead of the crowds. That along with using fps and going off-season, we never wait in lines for more than 10 or 15 minutes tops. I thought the party we went to a couple of years ago had way longer lines than we are used to and the park itself had a much more crowded feel to it. We enjoyed ourselves (especially the parade), but probably won't do it again.

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

Thanks for joining in. Things have been super-busy lately, which is why things are so slow. Really, only two days to go. It's getting harder and harder to remember exactly what we did, too! Fortunately we have pictures and video which help to remind me.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Finally, I'm all caught up! I love that your daughter got picked to take part. I took part once in the DHS backlot tour and it was a blast. My niece had wanted to do the bird thing too. I really enjoy that show, but the FotLK is definitely my favorite Disney show.

 

[skier_pete]

Finally, I'm all caught up! I love that your daughter got picked to take part. I took part once in the DHS backlot tour and it was a blast. My niece had wanted to do the bird thing too. I really enjoy that show, but the FotLK is definitely my favorite Disney show.

I'm nervous about trying that DHS backlot one...do you really stay dry under that raincoat? I hate being wet and walking around the parks.

The other day I was talking about my car's Key Fob (the buttons that remote open your car - I assume everyone calls them this). DD said to me "Ha, ha FOB - fear of birds." Yup, she is too much of a Disney geek.

 

[skier_pete]

You know, shortly after I got back from the trip, I wrote a list of all the things we did in our two days at Magic Kingdom. When I got around to typing up the first day earlier, I found that the file was missing. Did I delete it, I don’t know? I was able to re-construct that first day with fair accuracy using video/still pictures. Today was a bit more difficult as it’s now been 5 months since our trip, and I didn’t take a lot of pictures on the day….however, I will do my best.

The morning I do mostly remember, because we had yet another surprise treat. We did the “Family Magic” tour in the Magic Kingdom. That didn’t start until 10 AM, so before that we had an hour to use. Originally, we weren’t going to bother with Dumbo, but DD wanted to ride it again, so we went for it right at rope drop, and this time got on the first ride. After that, we were going to ride Peter Pan, but it turned out the ride was down. We waited about 5 minutes and grabbed a FP for later instead. We rode It’s a Small World, which I hadn’t ridden yet this trip. (It was closed still under refurb on Tuesday, re-opened for the MNSSHP on Thursday, but I didn’t ride with DD and DW.) The only change was the entrance and exit was reversed – the ride was exactly the same. I know many hate this ride, but our whole family likes it a lot, including me. What I love is the crazy amount of detail within the ride. I have no problem with changing rides in the park – but this one should be on the “untouchable” list – which if you were to ask me would also include Carousel of Progess, Hall of Presidents, and the Tropical Serenade (tiki birds). This is because these are original Walt concepts, the very first of their kind. It’s like declaring something a “historical landmark”.

Side Note: It seems pretty certain now that the original Tiki Bird show is coming back to MK starting this summer. I am thrilled beyond words. This is MY childhood memory of Disneyworld, and all will be right in the World when this is back. I was telling DD about this – and she was actually upset about Iago and Zazu leaving. I told her “I don’t much care.” She said “I don’t like change.”

Anyways, back on topic. Since IaSW takes so long, it was already time to return to the front of the park for our tour. The “Family Magic” tour is a bit unique for those that haven’t taken it, as it’s one of the few tours really geared towards kids. When we got there, there were about 8 kids on the tour and maybe 12 adults. The tour starts out with the tour guide telling the kids “We’re going to go around a clean out the garbage cans….doesn’t that sound exciting?” but then she receives a parchment with clues on it.

This parchment explains that Peter Pan has stolen Captain Hooks favorite hook, and the Captain has threatened to turn the Magic Kingdom into the Pirate Kingdom unless is returned by noon and all the rides would be Pirate themed. Now, while most of the kids would be perfectly happy with the Magic Kingdom turning into the Pirate Kingdom, they still were willing to help out, and the clues take us around the Magic Kingdom.

In addition the guide said they would have to look out for Captain Hooks pirates disguised as CM. The way to tell is to run up to them and, making a hook with their finger, yell “ARGH”. If the CM says “ARGH” back, it means they’re a pirate and everyone should run away. If they give you a blank stare – then they are safe.

I don’t want to give away the whole tour, but it basically took you around to many different landmarks within the Magic Kingdom, like the Partners statue having to do goofy things along the way. The kids all absolutely LOVED the tour. Some specific highlights:
- The first stop was the barbershop. I had never realized where that was until now.
- After going up main street, we headed to Tomorrowland. We went up to the CM at the Buzz Lightyear FP machines. After clearing that she wasn’t a pirate, she gave everyone FP for Buzz Lightyear AND let us ride it immediately. Funny enough, DW and I had MET this CM in line for the princesses at MNSSHP on Thursday. Not sure she recognized us when we weren’t dressed as the Possible family! (No she did.)
- At one point they had to sneak up on Sonny Eclipse (inside Cosmic Rays) and jumping up and yelling “HEY SONNY!” This was extra funny because the tour guide and all the kids were crawling across the floor of the whole restaurant (yuk) and other kids that were sitting in the restaurant didn’t have a clue what was going on, but some of them started joining in.
- Making wishes at the Wishing Well.
- At the end, of course, they find the hook near Pirates of the Carribean, but who else is there…but:

Overall, we enjoyed it. I don’t know that I would do it again, but DD had a really good time, and it was fun for us too. It wasn’t too expensive (like $28 a person) and we had a good time. I even picked up some FP along the way as we were going.(Buzz and JC) I wouldn’t recommend it for adults only, and for kids I would say between 4 and 9 would probably be a good age…any older and it would probably considered too “corny”. The kids in our group all seemed to be very into the whole “scavenger hunt” aspect of it. Here’s DD and our tour guide, "Kristen", she was very good with the kids.

So, by now it was noon – and we decided to get some lunch. We went into Peco’s Bills and got burgers (no pictures today, sorry.) After lunch, I went and got FP for BTMRR and we went and rode the Jungle Cruise using FP,

as well as seeing the Tiki Birds UNM - who knew it was for the last time – YEAH!

Here’s where there is a bit of a gap as to what we did…we had planned to come back to the park in the evening to see the Main Street Electric parade, so we were planning on a mid-day break. Our plan was to stay at the park until about 2 PM, and then go back to the room for an hour or two, and then come back for dinner at 1900 Park Fare. However, I can’t remember exactly what we did in the afternoon before we left the park. We headed back for a swim and a little down-time.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thanks for sharing Pete. I've always wondered about the Family Magic tour. Looks like it was a lot of the fun for the kids and any time you can get FP is good, right?

I always seem to pick up some comments on my TRs about the speed of which I write them and post updates - but then, I'm such an old fogie that if I don't get the words down on screen ASAP, I'm going to forget what we did...and even having pictures is NOT going to be any help!
Sorry - you couldn't find the MK file. You seemed to have done well remembering the family highlights for your morning.

Looking forward to seeing your night...