Me, my son, and a little hurricane named Matthew. (Updated 4/6 -- F&W time!)

[elcmum]

Your trip report is so entertaining! I'm from the Gulf Coast, so the Cat scale made me LOL. I hate to hear your room was stinky.

It made me literally LOL too! Try explaining it to an 11 year old, though! Thanks for following along!

Laughed at the Aussies holding up the check in line. So many times I was given the look of huh? when speaking to hotel staff. Our way of talking can be hard to understand. And I was called Back, Bev and a few other funny names even when swiping the magicband lol. I though Bec was an easy name. Realised after being there so long that Becca or Rebecca was better to respond to the question what is you name? haha.

Thank you! And yes. There are always the weird glances of "I know you could pass for an American but the weird tones coming out of your mouth are not."

I totally get the Bec thing, too! When I moved here and said my name was Liz they didn't get it. "Liss?" For years I just said Elizabeth until I adjusted my Liz pronunciation to "Lezzzz" and now I only get half-weird looks!

I love your TR too, btw! Sooooo envious of the trip! Hope you guys can make it back to the states soon!

 

[elcmum]

Rain, feel it on my fingertips... feel it on the windowpane...

Ahh, where did I leave you?

Sudden change of flight due to the tornado? Check.
Two hours of fun at MK with the refillable popcorn bucket purchase? Check.
Four hours of sleep the day of the tornado? Check.

We watched TV while getting ready in the morning, just to be prepared with the timeline of events.

But, we had more important things to do! By 7:45 we were out the door for EMH at Animal Kingdom.

And just a note: CJ wanted to bring his gift card in his lanyard. I told him, “I don’t have your gift card tied to my Disney gift card account…” (which was primarily how I was paying for food and incidentals during the trip) and then further added, “this responsibility is on you. Do not take the lanyard off, otherwise you will lose your money.”

(Oh, look! The popcorn bucket returneth!)

I will also tell you, I really felt like we had the best luck with buses on this trip. This may be because I was sort of insistent that we leave for the parks an hour prior to park open if we wanted to be there for rope drop, but there were only two times that our bus was shared with the other All Star resorts -- that was when we were on the Magical Express and later in the week, going from Disney Springs to the resort.

At 7:55am he was eating a cronut and we were waiting for a bus…

(Just a little precipitation.)

… and at 7:56am, we were on the EMPTY bus!

By 8:15 we were in line for COFFEE! We had plenty of time to kill, so it was java time for me and a smoothie time for CJ. If you ever visit this cart, just know that it takes more time for the attendant to make a frozen drink than it does a cup of coffee. We had plenty of time to kill for rope drop, though, so it wasn’t a big deal.

At 8:30 we were at the start of the line in the park and this cute little couple was in front of me.

I don’t know who they are or where they were from, but I kind of felt like these people were my spirit animals. I loved that they were there at rope drop and prepped and ready (with a cooling towel to boot) and at the head of the line. I want to be like them when I am at that age.

About 8:45am we walked in… and immediately saw Divine.

I really wish I had video of this, because she absolutely freaked CJ out. I said, “do you want to go and get a photo?” and he vehemently shook his head and walked away.

Good thing, though, because we had plans.

We made our way to the Flight of Wonder area and were held back by the rope… and the sweetest CM manning the area was talking to us. She and her husband both work for WDW just for the fun of it. We talked about the impending tornado and her response led me to believe that the CMs had been trained on how to give an appropriate response to guests to ease any fears or concerns. I kind of wanted to hear all the juicy dirt and gossip ("I can't wait to get out of here and get home!") but there was none of that. She was just polite and professional, and I realised later her response was absolutely appropriate given the situation and setting.

That said, we were counting down to 9am. If you recall our original plan for today was to be flying in and hopefully spend a few hours at the park starting at noon... and yet again it was cool and surreal, because here we were at rope drop and basically five hours ahead of my schedule. We hoped to do and see as much as possible, knowing the parks were all closing at 5pm to allow everyone enough time to get home before Hurricane Matthew made landfall, and I had frantically moved FP around two days prior knowing this was where we would be.

The rope was removed, the birds flew around us at 9am on the dot, and we very quickly walked to…

Expedition Everest!

This was the line at EE at 9:03am.

By 9:05 we were given… the lucky pass!

And here we are… at the first ride. Don't let that face fool you.

He loves the crazy.

Let’s back up a little bit and talk about me and rides, though.

My mind is not as old as my body. I am 39, but mentally, I think I’m about 22. My mind is completely capable of riding extreme rides and I never get tired and never need a nap. My body is, well, a fan of naps.

So, during the first ride my body was all…

I love everything! I love the view! I love the clear skies! (read: what hurricane?!) I love all the elastic bands! I LOVE THE YETI! I feel so alive!

And then we went back for the second ride...

... and my body was all…

I love the ride! YAY! I’m going backwards again! Yayyyyyy….!

So we decided to do it again... and I tried to get some photos of the queue as we had a bit more time, and laughed when I saw this.

Poo and money. Very authentic.

And that is when I realised my son, bless his sweet heart, had taken the lanyard off and put it in the hanging bag/basket near his feet during the second ride.

He. Took. It Off.

Can you see the nerves on his face in this photo?

Thankfully as it was our turn to get on the ride for a third time and trying to get the attention of the CMs, we were in the same section of the ride and it was the same coaster, and his gift card and lanyard were tucked safely where he left them! Whew. Quick lesson learned.

So, there we are sitting on for the third ride (and it was 9:27am)... and I just sort of felt...

You know that feeling after you ate leftovers that were sort of questionable but you didn’t want to waste the food, and hey, it passes the smell test?

That was me.

So, there we were on the ride… and as we climbed up the hill to see the Yeti, I could no longer focus on the elastic bands or the view or the clear skies.

All I said to CJ was, “if I make it off this ride, I’m going to need Dramamine” and then proceeded to spend the rest of the fifteen years it took to finish Expedition Everest holding on to the bar in front of me for dear life and willing that delicious Joffrey’s coffee to stay in the hidden abyss of my stomach.

We made it into the gift shop and, thankfully, the CM behind the counter (who may have been earning her ears) learned very quickly that yes, they do sell Dramamine and yes, first aid items are stored below the cash register.

Mind, 0. Body, 1.

We hadn’t even used our FP for the ride, so I sat and rested and let CJ go through with his band and then my band, and then two more times in the single rider line before we called it quits and moved on to other areas of the park. Total times he rode it? SIX.

Note: when I was looking through our PhotoPass photos later that day I saw this… and laughed out loud. We like to do weird poses, and my delightful little boy was able to get his seat-mate to do a sleepy pose with him, too!

and this...

No seat mate pose here.

Half a pose here!

And I guess this is too long of a post for now, and I've only made it through the first hour of the park being open.

Just know that this is where we headed next:

Harambe!

I'll try and write a little less next time, too.



Coming next -- In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

It's perfect length! Don't shorten it!

Man he rode that ride ALOT!!!! And I love that he got his ride mates to pose with him... That teen girl was probably too embarressed to do it with him.

 

[elcmum]

It's perfect length! Don't shorten it!

Man he rode that ride ALOT!!!! And I love that he got his ride mates to pose with him... That teen girl was probably too embarressed to do it with him.

You're so sweet!

Yes, I don't know why it was so surprising -- he makes me laugh on a daily basis. I just never figured the kid that was afraid of Divine would con his temporary friends into joining him!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Kids are amazing like that! Always keeping us on our toes...

 

[Beccybooboo]

Thank you! And yes. There are always the weird glances of "I know you could pass for an American but the weird tones coming out of your mouth are not."

I totally get the Bec thing, too! When I moved here and said my name was Liz they didn't get it. "Liss?" For years I just said Elizabeth until I adjusted my Liz pronunciation to "Lezzzz" and now I only get half-weird looks!

I love your TR too, btw! Sooooo envious of the trip! Hope you guys can make it back to the states soon!

Haha its all in the pronunciation.
Thank you we will work our hardest to get back soon. Goal is Disneyland again for opening of star wars land.

Breakfast cronut yum.
Coffee is a must for me too.
Being a barista from Melbourne makes me a little fussy with my coffee haha. Starbucks is only if I am desperate. But I do like the Joffery's coffee I felt that to be the closest too back home.
I later found Dunkin Donuts and that is where my morning coffee then became a ritual.
Best Starbucks experience was at AK and met an Australian girl working there which was cool. I did enjoy the holiday flavours for the experience.
Expedition Everest is an awesome ride. On our next TR installment you might get to read about our family experience with EE. Lets just say I was the only one wanting to ride it again but it wasnt to be as the next opportunity to ride with fastpass I lost interest when I saw the longest line for fastpass on our trip. But thats okay I got to experience it
Sounds like you had lots of fun. Glad your son got his giftcard back.

 

[SpaceMtnGirl]

Following! We were at WDW the same time as you. We spent Oct 6 at DHS! So interesting to see what it was like at AK that day!

 

[elcmum]

Haha its all in the pronunciation.

Best Starbucks experience was at AK and met an Australian girl working there which was cool. I did enjoy the holiday flavours for the experience.
Expedition Everest is an awesome ride. On our next TR installment you might get to read about our family experience with EE. Lets just say I was the only one wanting to ride it again but it wasnt to be as the next opportunity to ride with fastpass I lost interest when I saw the longest line for fastpass on our trip. But thats okay I got to experience it
Sounds like you had lots of fun. Glad your son got his giftcard back.

So cool about the Aussie chick!

And yes, I've become a super wuss with the coffee. I like it loaded with sugar and milk over here, which basically means I don't want it to taste anything like caffeine... but I still need that special jolt.

I'm loving your TR! Can't wait to read more!

Following! We were at WDW the same time as you. We spent Oct 6 at DHS! So interesting to see what it was like at AK that day!

Very cool! Where were you staying? Did you suffer from the dreaded Box Lunch debacle?

 

[macraven]

Love it!!

 

[SpaceMtnGirl]

Very cool! Where were you staying? Did you suffer from the dreaded Box Lunch debacle?

We were staying at Beach Club so thankfully no! We normally stay at Pop but took a splurge trip and I guess we picked a great week for it!

 

[Beccybooboo]

So cool about the Aussie chick!

And yes, I've become a super wuss with the coffee. I like it loaded with sugar and milk over here, which basically means I don't want it to taste anything like caffeine... but I still need that special jolt.

I'm loving your TR! Can't wait to read more!

Yeah was awesome meeting an aussie working at Disney we met another at MK in the art place where the have the artists draw you disney drawings she was working behind the counter. And a kiwi at HM giftshop that was cool too.
Haha I get the cream and sugar too hide that dish water taste. I found that putting the hotchoc in their coffee at the resort was the only way to drink the muddy water they call coffee haha.
Lovin your TR too. Lots more to come from Ad he has his work cut out for him but he is doing a good job.

 

[Beccybooboo]

Had to edit my reply to your comments on our TR looked like I only commented on the biscuits hehe what I had written got lost in your quoted comments.

 

[elcmum]

Love it!!

Thank you!!!!

We were staying at Beach Club so thankfully no! We normally stay at Pop but took a splurge trip and I guess we picked a great week for it!

You did! I was definitely envious on the Friday of the folk that were at resorts with indoor restaurants!

Yeah was awesome meeting an aussie working at Disney we met another at MK in the art place where the have the artists draw you disney drawings she was working behind the counter. And a kiwi at HM giftshop that was cool too.
Haha I get the cream and sugar too hide that dish water taste. I found that putting the hotchoc in their coffee at the resort was the only way to drink the muddy water they call coffee haha.
Lovin your TR too. Lots more to come from Ad he has his work cut out for him but he is doing a good job.

Yeah! I don't know how he's keeping track of everything. Lots of room on a memory card??

 

[Beccybooboo]

Yeah! I don't know how he's keeping track of everything. Lots of room on a memory card??

We took our laptop and transferred all the photos from cameras and phones onto that, and we do have big memory cards in all the devices too though. Photopass photos uploaded onto the MDE account then downloaded onto laptop and phones. Samsung galaxy s7edges date all photos so that helps along with a good memory hahaha.

 

[elcmum]

We took our laptop and transferred all the photos from cameras and phones onto that, and we do have big memory cards in all the devices too though. Photopass photos uploaded onto the MDE account then downloaded onto laptop and phones. Samsung galaxy s7edges date all photos so that helps along with a good memory hahaha.

Sounds like it worked out to be a good plan!

I made the mistake of having two phones that ran of room rather quickly, and then had to delete some photos while uploading one phone to the cloud, and vice-versa.

 

[elcmum]

In the jungle the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...


So, around 9:46 am I was feeling okay, thanks to the fast-acting work of Dramamine, and we were done and on our way to Africa.

Just before 10am we breezed into the line for Kiliminjaro Safaris, and I know… if you’ve seen one photo, you’ve seen them all. But, think about those beautiful skies we had on EE and then a short hour later, this was the start of the rain.

Still, the safari was enjoyable and it appeared that there were a lot of animals enjoying the weather, but I was still a little bit nervous that something was going to blow through quickly and we were going to be stuck.

And then I got over it when no one else appeared to be concerned.

Let’s take more photos!

(Heads up: At some point during the trip my phone ran out of memory. I have a spare back-up phone and used that to take photos, until that ran out of memory. For whatever reason, I chose to delete a ton of photos from this day, so the details are all kind of sketchy, so, if I pretend to be Sherlock Holmes, here are the details about the day that I do recall and can piece together by fleeting memories and timestamps on photos…)

By 10:16am we were done, out of Africa, and in need of… ponchos!

I purchased this poncho from Amazon prior to our departure, and through some silly weird glitch, wasn’t able to get a second one for CJ in time. It didn’t matter, I ended up buying a Disney poncho for CJ… until he decided he liked the one I was wearing and asked to swap.

Also, at some point I went to Creature Comforts and purchased an Animal Kingdom mug. I was going to buy a Disney Starbucks mug in every park, but that idea was gone when I realised how expensive they were… and ended up with just the one AK mug that I gave to my oldest child. I may have been the moron who did this before going on Kali River Rapids, too.

If there is something about Animal Kingdom that is more amazing than any of the other parks, I have to say it is the theming. If I was alone, I would have just walked around and studied the details of items...

Around 10:27 am there was more ominous weather. The paper bag which held the mug was a pain to carry (with the popcorn bucket), but the blessing was being able to carry everything under my poncho and try to keep the Starbucks bag dry-ish.

We also stopped by Tamu Tamu for a Dole Whip. Mmmm.

Let’s just face it and be real: I am not good with directions, especially in a place that I have not visited for, oh, 15 years.

For most of our time at AK I just felt like I was lost. I was forever looking at the paper map or map on my phone, and we walked around aimlessly for most of the day, trying to figure out where we were going. I’m not going to lie… but I was frustrated. I was tired, cranky, and trying to drag my son around to different attractions and he didn’t seem to want to do or see much. He doesn't want to meet characters, doesn't like shows, and so he wasn’t really a big fan of AK.

I did force him into getting PhotoPass snaps at some point… this must have been after he ate the Dole Whip and then proceeded to dribble it down his shirt.

One thing I do remember was sitting down for FlameTree for lunch. We shared the chicken, pork and ribs sampler (chicken and sides for me, pork and ribs for him) and a drink, and that was the moment a voice came overhead saying they were closing the park. We had been told the park was closing early, but this was around noon.

Minutes later there was a corrected version that all parks were closing at 5pm. We sat in light drizzly rain eating and enjoying the food, and trying to figure out what to do to make the best of our time.

I really really really wanted to see the Nemo and Lion King shows, and had a plan for us to see both of them before 5pm.

Off we went to Nemo...

... but this is the only photo I have of proof that I was there.

If you ask CJ now, this show was probably the second best thing of his day. He even asked to see it again for our next trip.

I was absolutely blown away by the puppetry and talent.

You know how Simon Cowell would always critique singers on American Idol and say they were better suited for working on a cruise ship? I guess I kind of felt like theme park talent were the substandard level of cruise ship workers. This was not the only time that I felt horrible for my perceptions, as it was evident with the show that everyone (main cast and minor roles) took their performance seriously, and I would later watch parades and be absolutely amazed away by how immersed the CMs were with their roles.

Bravo, Disney. Bravo.

So, we both loved Nemo.

We left the theatre and I was trying to make the next Lion King show, and it was absolutely pelting down. It was the moment I thought, “yep, this is the beginning of the hurricane” but still wanted to see the show.

Buuuuut, I was tired, wet, cranky… and so was CJ.

He whined... and I lost my cool. I’m terribly embarrassed about it now. Instead of the experience being about him, it was about me. (Hint: this would again happen at HS. Aghhh, it makes me so sad just thinking about it.)

We made the decision to follow other people (there was sort of a mass exodus) and head out of the park. CMs had started stacking chairs, wrapping garbage bins together with plastic wrap, and tying down anything that could be broken or cause damage with heavy winds.

I later apologised to him and actually admitted that leaving the park at 2pm was probably the best thing that we could have done, because around 7pm, this was the food court at ASMo.

Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn!!!! I'll get to all this in the next update.

Coming next - The update with NO photos

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

If there is something about Animal Kingdom that is more amazing than any of the other parks, I have to say it is the theming. If I was alone, I would have just walked around and studied the details of items...

This is why I want to go without children one day. There is so much to see and explore and with kids, it's practically impossible to see any of it.

For most of our time at AK I just felt like I was lost.

OMG! I think Animal Kingdom is so confusing! We have been a couple times over the years and I still don' know my way around it at all!


I hope you guys faired ok with dinner and food for the next day!?!

 

[macraven]

Your son looks so cute in the pictures !

 

[Beccybooboo]

In the jungle the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...

(Heads up: At some point during the trip my phone ran out of memory. I have a spare back-up phone and used that to take photos, until that ran out of memory. For whatever reason, I chose to delete a ton of photos from this day, so the details are all kind of sketchy, so, if I pretend to be Sherlock Holmes, here are the details about the day that I do recall and can piece together by fleeting memories and timestamps on photos…)

I was tired, cranky, and trying to drag my son around to different attractions and he didn’t seem to want to do or see much. He doesn't want to meet characters, doesn't like shows, and so he wasn’t really a big fan of AK.

As sherlock holmes your doing a great job I am really enjoying your adventures.
Love the rain safari pics. Great shot of the Lion.

Don't be too hard on yourself as parents giving our children a Disney experience it can be hard when they whine because we as parents work hard to give them that experience and think look where we are and how lucky we are...were they as kids don't understand that concept...as much as we want them to. We can get a little grumpy but we make sure they know we love them and all is forgiven and forgotten.

I loved all the cooky signs that AK has they are really cool.
But must say AK was our least favourite park.

 

[elcmum]

This is why I want to go without children one day. There is so much to see and explore and with kids, it's practically impossible to see any of it.
OMG! I think Animal Kingdom is so confusing! We have been a couple times over the years and I still don' know my way around it at all!
I hope you guys faired ok with dinner and food for the next day!?!

YES! Or else I need to walk around with a compass in my hand. I think it's probably because there isn't something like a massive castle in the middle of the park , and so you lose your place. I'm sure they probably designed it that way, but I enjoy logic and order (and I'm embarrassed to admit that because I am a thoroughly right-brained individual) when it comes to getting around.

And the food situation fared fine! I just looked at my photos and realised there were ZERO taken that night (hah!) so I'll probably do a quick update on what happened.

Your son looks so cute in the pictures !

Thank you! I think he's pretty cute, too. He now has braces so it makes me laugh when I see his "before" pictures!

As sherlock holmes your doing a great job I am really enjoying your adventures.
Love the rain safari pics. Great shot of the Lion.

Don't be too hard on yourself as parents giving our children a Disney experience it can be hard when they whine because we as parents work hard to give them that experience and think look where we are and how lucky we are...were they as kids don't understand that concept...as much as we want them to. We can get a little grumpy but we make sure they know we love them and all is forgiven and forgotten.

I loved all the cooky signs that AK has they are really cool.
But must say AK was our least favourite park.

Thanks! It sucks because he'll see the photos and say, "that's where you were mad at me!"

Ahh, parenting guilt is the worst kind of guilt.

And yes, AK is my least-favourite park. I'm working on our Oct 2017 trip and decided I'm okay with AK being the first park we visit and being there a few hours. I suspect I'll stick with that unless all the reviews of Pandora come back to be outstanding and then I'll shuffle it with another day or go ahead and get Park Hoppers.