The Wilderness Must Be Explored (for 15 days!)- A Mother/Daughter Trip! NEW 3/6
- Thread starter Happy Duck
- Start date
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
Other than your waitress it sounds as though you had a fantastic meal!
You always seem to know what to say to the characters to get a reaction, I'm useless at that but love watching others
What can I say... we're awesome at making fools of ourselves!
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
in the BIG BLUE WORLD
Hello morning! Time for some Animal Kingdom fun! After going to sleep at midnight, we woke up at 8am. That's pretty awesome, and really normal. Who sleeps "normal" in Disney!?!?
Unfortunately, Mama felt a bit sick. It looked like I had passed on a version of the cold. We got her some meds and she seemed to do okay. Better living through chemistry!
I had problems getting ready that morning. I really wanted to wear this new headband that I got. It had Mickey heads all over it and it was really cute! But it wasn't sitting just right with my braid and it just didn't look the way I wanted it. I wanted it to look perfect for my Pocahontas photos. Such a girl moment. I'm normally not like that at all!
Mama went to get breakfast. Our usual. Splitting a bagel and container of grapes.
We got to the bus stop at 9:15. And waited. And waited. The buses were very behind. It was the longest morning wait we had so far! Normally, things move much faster.
We finally left at around 9:45.
THEN we had to stop at Blizzard Beach. Yuck.
We didn't get to Animal Kingdom until 10:15! We were supposed to be in line for Pocahontas at this point. But that wasn't happening right now. I was sad.
Instead, we decided to go to the Nemo show. As we walked along we saw some friends coming out for their meet and greets:
THE WILDERNESS MUST BE EXPLORED!!! We didn't go say hello though! Why didn't we? We should have made that a super priority!
We tried to stop at Primeval Whirl for a quick spin through time but there was longer than the 10 minute wait that was posted, and we were not going to chance missing the Nemo show, so we left the line.
We waited about 25 minutes for the show to start, but it was okay. There was a lot to look at!
This was Mama's first time seeing "Nemo" and she was very excited!
We sat at the top of the bottom section house right. I've seen it from further back, which is still an awesome view because you see the whole theater, but it was neat seeing everything up close this time. I still don't know which seat I like better though! From further away you appreciate the vastness of each scene. But up close, you can see smaller details. Hmmm....I love it all!
I really, really love this show...so here are a lot of pictures. (Of course!) Enjoy!
Marlin, Coral, and family.
I love how they designed the different "props" of the sea coral. Much better than having static prop pieces that you push onto a stage and have sitting still. This way, they can move with the water.
MR. RAY! He's awesome!
I feel like Bruce's song is such an odd-ball. I like the choices they made though. They could have made the typical ominous song, but instead they made a swing-style song that made the sharks have a barbershop feel. Definitely different!
P. Sherman!
(Points if you finished the rest of the address in your head even though I didn't type it out!!!)
So many colors! I think my favorite part of this scene is how believable it is that they are in a tank. News flash. There is nothing there. No glass. No covering. But I'm totally sucked in because, duh. It's Nemo. And they are in the dentist's fish tank!
This way!
Jellies!
Dory! Are you okay????
Crush! Dude, he's totally awesome.
Things are getting a little intense for Dory.... will Nemo come to the rescue???
THEY CAME RUNNING PAST US WITH HUGE JELLYFISH BANNERS AND BUBBLES!!! BEST DAY EVER!!!!!
The whole gang!
It was a great show! Before the show I was a little moody because I didn't get to see Pocahontas, but this show picked me right up
I LOVE THIS SHOW! (Did you get that???)
Here's what I don't get. After seeing Nemo, Mama had songs from the Little Mermaid stuck in her head. Seriously? You can't even sing "Big Blue World"? She kept singing "Under the Sea" for the rest of the trip. It became her little tune. Over. And over. And over. And over....
After leaving Nemo, we left the park! We had a lunch reservation at Sanaa! I was very excited for this reservation because I am a big fan of Indian food. I was interested in their "African" spin on Indian flavors.
Next Post
Hello morning! Time for some Animal Kingdom fun! After going to sleep at midnight, we woke up at 8am. That's pretty awesome, and really normal. Who sleeps "normal" in Disney!?!?
Two weeks in Disney and we were S-P-O-I-L-E-D !!! Sleep is always good and honestly a necessity with all of our walking and the heat and our crazy schedule!
Unfortunately, Mama felt a bit sick. It looked like I had passed on a version of the cold. We got her some meds and she seemed to do okay. Better living through chemistry!
I am a firm believer in better living through chemistry. Why suffer and feel icky when popping some OTC meds will help you cope with your day? I am also very good at taking the meds as prescribed -- every 4 hours. I seem to get better faster and especially when I catch it at the very beginning of the "Ahhhh-choo Mayhem".
I had problems getting ready that morning. I really wanted to wear this new headband that I got. It had Mickey heads all over it and it was really cute! But it wasn't sitting just right with my braid and it just didn't look the way I wanted it. I wanted it to look perfect for my Pocahontas photos. Such a girl moment. I'm normally not like that at all!
That headband is soooo cute but it seemed to be too wide or something. It just didn't want to stay on her head and the Duck went Total Princess and had a moment.... (ahem) So I was happy to go get our breakfast.
Mama went to get breakfast. Our usual. Splitting a bagel and container of grapes.
We got to the bus stop at 9:15. And waited. And waited. The buses were very behind. It was the longest morning wait we had so far! Normally, things move much faster.
We finally left at around 9:45.
THEN we had to stop at Blizzard Beach. Yuck.
I must say that I was feeling a bit cranky at this point. How on Earth did this bus driver not know that we had a very important meeting to get to?!?!?!??
We didn't get to Animal Kingdom until 10:15! We were supposed to be in line for Pocahontas at this point. But that wasn't happening right now. I was sad.
But we KNEW that there HAD to be another moment. I was all set to see my baby girl stand tall like a sycamore next to her favorite Princess! Checking the guide we found other opportunities so we re-focused our energies on some other characters.
Instead, we decided to go to the Nemo show. As we walked along we saw some friends coming out for their meet and greets:
WHY OH WHY are those guys not smiling as they see Russell and Doug?!?!?!? I got really excited and gushed a bit. After all.....
THE WILDERNESS MUST BE EXPLORED!!! We didn't go say hello though! Why didn't we? We should have made that a super priority!
We really messed that up. After all --- our TR is all about Exploring the Wilderness!
We tried to stop at Primeval Whirl for a quick spin through time but there was longer than the 10 minute wait that was posted, and we were not going to chance missing the Nemo show, so we left the line.
We waited about 25 minutes for the show to start, but it was okay. There was a lot to look at!
A nice air conditioned spot and bubbles to watch with fishies swimming by.... A Broadway Show right here in Disney!
This was Mama's first time seeing "Nemo" and she was very excited!
We sat at the top of the bottom section house right. I've seen it from further back, which is still an awesome view because you see the whole theater, but it was neat seeing everything up close this time. I still don't know which seat I like better though! From further away you appreciate the vastness of each scene. But up close, you can see smaller details. Hmmm....I love it all!
I really, really love this show...so here are a lot of pictures. (Of course!) Enjoy!
Marlin, Coral, and family.
I didn't want to use a flash so I had lots of various settings being tried out. Some pics are better than others...... just sayin'.
I love how they designed the different "props" of the sea coral. Much better than having static prop pieces that you push onto a stage and have sitting still. This way, they can move with the water.
The big "fan of coral" was such a great idea. You felt like you were looking under water as the coral moved when the CM "fanned their arms". Really great effect.
MR. RAY! He's awesome!
In the beginning of the show it is very easy to watch the CMs portraying the characters. After a bit you can just get lost in the show. And such an awesome way to get Mr Ray moving around the stage. So cool!
I feel like Bruce's song is such an odd-ball. I like the choices they made though. They could have made the typical ominous song, but instead they made a swing-style song that made the sharks have a barbershop feel. Definitely different!
Oh no! I can't remember that song! (Guess we shall just have to go see it again!)
P. Sherman!
(Points if you finished the rest of the address in your head even though I didn't type it out!!!)
HOW MANY POINTS DID I GET?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?
So many colors! I think my favorite part of this scene is how believable it is that they are in a tank. News flash. There is nothing there. No glass. No covering. But I'm totally sucked in because, duh. It's Nemo. And they are in the dentist's fish tank!
These are my most favoritest pictures! All the colors and vibrancy and the memory of sitting there gives me such a smiley face. Le sigh....
This way!
So neat how they worked those fish covered hands into the shapes from the movie. Even the Sydney Opera House!
Jellies!
Dory! Are you okay????
Crush! Dude, he's totally awesome.
Loving the guy sitting atop Crush's shell doing a "hang ten" hand symbol.
Things are getting a little intense for Dory.... will Nemo come to the rescue???
THEY CAME RUNNING PAST US WITH HUGE JELLYFISH BANNERS AND BUBBLES!!! BEST DAY EVER!!!!!
We were under the sea with Nemo and Friends!!!!!
The whole gang!
It was a great show! Before the show I was a little moody because I didn't get to see Pocahontas, but this show picked me right up
I LOVE THIS SHOW! (Did you get that???)
Here's what I don't get. After seeing Nemo, Mama had songs from the Little Mermaid stuck in her head. Seriously? You can't even sing "Big Blue World"? She kept singing "Under the Sea" for the rest of the trip. It became her little tune. Over. And over. And over. And over....
No clue. No idea. Why? Why was that stuck in my head?!?!?!? And Ariel is no where in the park with us!!
After leaving Nemo, we left the park! We had a lunch reservation at Sanaa! I was very excited for this reservation because I am a big fan of Indian food. I was interested in their "African" spin on Indian flavors.
I have had only a couple of experiences with Indian food but I have liked what little bit I've had. What would I think of this Indian/African inspired food? Would it be everything I had heard it to be? Stay tuned!
Next Post
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
A Sanaa Lunch
We left Animal Kingdom and made our way to the Animal Kingdom lodge/Kidani Village bus stop. It wasn't a long wait. For those that are wondering, the first stop on the bus is for Kidani Village (and they announce it on the bus recording just in case you are visiting.)
My first reaction was that it is BEAUTIFUL! It is very lush and filled with earth tones. (They are my favorite tones, by the way.)
We were running a bit late, so we headed right to the restaurant...after asking for directions.
I had to have the Mango Lassi! It is my favorite Indian drink. Yum!
By the way, I may or may not have stressed over how to properly pronounce the name to this restaurant. Just keep your ears open around Kidani. You'll hear it at some point!
Of course, I also had a water alongside this. The lassi doesn't quite count as your drink as much as a "drinkable dessert." It was very smooth and not overly sweet. I could taste real mango which was very nice. It didn't taste like they had dumped tons and tons of sugar into it (although I'm sure they probably had....)
Look at the details of the restaurant!
I don't care who you are, your neighborhood chain restaurant looks nothing like that!
I think I was most looking forward to the bread service.
WOW! These dipping sauce accompaniments were amazing! There was a wide variety and it was a unique experience getting to try so many new flavors.
We didn't match the list to accompaniment on the day, but we think these are the correct titles:
Top (L-R): Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, Spicy Jalapeno-Lime Pickle, Tamarind Chutney
Middle: Mango Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Coriander Chutney
Bottom: Cucumber Raita, Red Chile Sambal, Coconut Chutney
My favorites were the Tamarind Chutney, Cucumber Raita, and Mango Chutney. Mama really liked the Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus.
You get a choice of three breads (Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, and Pappadum) and can either have 3 accompaniments for $8.99 or all 9 for $10.99. Obviously, we went with the latter choice. We wanted to try it all! I could be very happy choosing this option for my lunch entree, with maybe one or two pieces of additional bread added in
I can't remember which breads we chose. Probably traditional and the onion...and then I can't remember.
While we were walking in Animal Kingdom, I picked up my Wilderness Explorer badge (sticker)!
We ordered the Butter Chicken and Beef Short Ribs along with basmati rice. Very tasty.
The short ribs were nice. Decently cooked and very tender, but I really enjoyed the chicken.
We shared it, but I had the larger portion because Mama also ordered....
Ginger Carrot Soup.
Where in the restaurant is this???
Did you figure it out?
It is on the back of the menu!
Next was dessert!
I had put Mama's birthday on this reservation so we shared the special dessert!
I honestly have no recollection of what it was called, but it was very tasty. The accompanying sauces were very fresh and it was delightfully creamy and yet light.
The chocolate butterfly was very strange though. I don't recommend it.
For "real" dessert, I had to try the trio!
Carrot Cake, Chai Cream, and Tanzanian Chocolate Mousse
The most forgettable was the carrot cake. It was okay, but I'm not huge into carrot cake. Plus, my favorite part of carrot cake is the frosting. And there wasn't a huge amount of it.
The chocolate mousse was VERY dark and I wasn't expecting that. It threw me off for a second, but I am a fan of dark chocolate so I adjusted very quickly. It was a surprise taste but still very good.
I fell in love with the Chai Cream with a chocolate spoon. Just give me a small bowl and a spoon. Even a regular spoon will do. Yum.
What amazed me was that the desserts were still savory. They were definitely desserts but they didn't have that "overly sweet" taste to them. I guess you don't need to head right to the sugar bowl to have a dessert, although I'm sure these packed the calories in!
Mama had the rice pudding. The waitress warned her that it was not "normal" rice pudding. That was definitely true, but she still enjoyed it!
We ended up stretching our lunch out to a full hour and a half. It was wonderful! Our waitress didn't rush us and we were free to digest at a leisurely pace. We didn't feel the need to rush off anywhere and we could relax and enjoy each flavor as it came. I think the trouble with having so many different and good restaurants at Disney is that you tend to rush through them to get to the next thing. We were very blessed to have the time to sit and enjoy our meal.
One last look at the restaurant before moving on.
On the way out, I stopped in the restroom. Now, I know this is weird, but this was the coolest looking bathroom ever! I loved the decoration of it and just had to take a picture! (No one else was in there, thankfully!)
I know it is hard to get the whole impact of this sink area, but the counter and the wall, sinks, lights, it all came together perfectly to match the Kidani feel. It was a surprise to expect to walk into a normal bathroom and find this.
Alright, enough about the bathroom. How about some zebras???
A few Kidani pictures...
We left Kidani and were back to Animal Kingdom around 2pm. We had a very important mission to complete!
Next Post
We left Animal Kingdom and made our way to the Animal Kingdom lodge/Kidani Village bus stop. It wasn't a long wait. For those that are wondering, the first stop on the bus is for Kidani Village (and they announce it on the bus recording just in case you are visiting.)
My first reaction was that it is BEAUTIFUL! It is very lush and filled with earth tones. (They are my favorite tones, by the way.)
We were running a bit late, so we headed right to the restaurant...after asking for directions.
I had to have the Mango Lassi! It is my favorite Indian drink. Yum!
By the way, I may or may not have stressed over how to properly pronounce the name to this restaurant. Just keep your ears open around Kidani. You'll hear it at some point!
If I remember correctly it was pronounced like (suh-nah) with an accent on the second syllable. We were originally pronouncing it (sah-nah), kinda like sauna. But honestly, it doesn't matter how you pronounce it! just get there so you can taste it!
Of course, I also had a water alongside this. The lassi doesn't quite count as your drink as much as a "drinkable dessert." It was very smooth and not overly sweet. I could taste real mango which was very nice. It didn't taste like they had dumped tons and tons of sugar into it (although I'm sure they probably had....)
Look at the details of the restaurant!
How COOL is that? I don't think it is supposed to be a jungle type feeling. More of a natural, earthy back to basics kind of thing happening. Whatever it is -- I LOVE it!
I don't care who you are, your neighborhood chain restaurant looks nothing like that!
I think I was most looking forward to the bread service.
WOW! These dipping sauce accompaniments were amazing! There was a wide variety and it was a unique experience getting to try so many new flavors.
What do I spy with my little eye? Yumminess in little containers!
We didn't match the list to accompaniment on the day, but we think these are the correct titles:
Top (L-R): Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, Spicy Jalapeno-Lime Pickle, Tamarind Chutney
Middle: Mango Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Coriander Chutney
Bottom: Cucumber Raita, Red Chile Sambal, Coconut Chutney
My favorites were the Tamarind Chutney, Cucumber Raita, and Mango Chutney. Mama really liked the Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus.
Hummus was rockin' some good flavor. Mango was fruity of course. I remember the coriander was interesting. Cumber was.... well..... cool as a cucumber! And the coconut was coco-nutty.
And then I decided to live a little and try some of the spicier/hotter ones. I coughed. I cried. I drank water. I ate bread. I cried for my mommy. I fanned my mouth. Lauren laughed. Well..... it was a bit hotter than I thought! But honestly I just wanted to try different things. I survived. And the waitress did warn me. All was well in just a few minutes....
And then I decided to live a little and try some of the spicier/hotter ones. I coughed. I cried. I drank water. I ate bread. I cried for my mommy. I fanned my mouth. Lauren laughed. Well..... it was a bit hotter than I thought! But honestly I just wanted to try different things. I survived. And the waitress did warn me. All was well in just a few minutes....
You get a choice of three breads (Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, and Pappadum) and can either have 3 accompaniments for $8.99 or all 9 for $10.99. Obviously, we went with the latter choice. We wanted to try it all! I could be very happy choosing this option for my lunch entree, with maybe one or two pieces of additional bread added in
I can't remember which breads we chose. Probably traditional and the onion...and then I can't remember.
While we were walking in Animal Kingdom, I picked up my Wilderness Explorer badge (sticker)!
We were the 2 adults without any kids standing in a circle with the Explorer CMs. We did the motto that Russell says in the movie UP along with the motions to earn our "badges".
Everyone together:
"The Wilderness must be explored! Caw Caw. Roar!"
The CM thought we did very well!!!!!
Everyone together:
"The Wilderness must be explored! Caw Caw. Roar!"
The CM thought we did very well!!!!!
We ordered the Butter Chicken and Beef Short Ribs along with basmati rice. Very tasty.
Anyone have a napkin?!?!?!?!??!?!
The short ribs were nice. Decently cooked and very tender, but I really enjoyed the chicken.
We shared it, but I had the larger portion because Mama also ordered....
Ginger Carrot Soup.
I was going along with my "trying different things" and decided to give it a go. It did NOT disappoint! Very nice flavor with a shot of ginger to give it that something special. I can't remember what the stuff was that garnished the soup but I loved every bite. Such a unique flavor. Mmmm Mmmmm Good!
Where in the restaurant is this???
Did you figure it out?
***raises hand***
I KNOW, I KNOW!
I KNOW, I KNOW!
It is on the back of the menu!
Next was dessert!
I had put Mama's birthday on this reservation so we shared the special dessert!
ANOTHER birthday surprise! What a sweet, sweet daughter I have....
I honestly have no recollection of what it was called, but it was very tasty. The accompanying sauces were very fresh and it was delightfully creamy and yet light.
Looks kind of like the color of the mango lassi. I think it was some sort of gelatinous creamy concoction.
The chocolate butterfly was very strange though. I don't recommend it.
For "real" dessert, I had to try the trio!
Carrot Cake, Chai Cream, and Tanzanian Chocolate Mousse
The most forgettable was the carrot cake. It was okay, but I'm not huge into carrot cake. Plus, my favorite part of carrot cake is the frosting. And there wasn't a huge amount of it.
The chocolate mousse was VERY dark and I wasn't expecting that. It threw me off for a second, but I am a fan of dark chocolate so I adjusted very quickly. It was a surprise taste but still very good.
I fell in love with the Chai Cream with a chocolate spoon. Just give me a small bowl and a spoon. Even a regular spoon will do. Yum.
What amazed me was that the desserts were still savory. They were definitely desserts but they didn't have that "overly sweet" taste to them. I guess you don't need to head right to the sugar bowl to have a dessert, although I'm sure these packed the calories in!
Mama had the rice pudding. The waitress warned her that it was not "normal" rice pudding. That was definitely true, but she still enjoyed it!
Now I love me some rice pudding so I was all about trying this version. Savory. Firm rice. Slightly nutty. Warm. The sauce/cream was just right. I liked it so much I didn't want to share!
We ended up stretching our lunch out to a full hour and a half. It was wonderful! Our waitress didn't rush us and we were free to digest at a leisurely pace. We didn't feel the need to rush off anywhere and we could relax and enjoy each flavor as it came. I think the trouble with having so many different and good restaurants at Disney is that you tend to rush through them to get to the next thing. We were very blessed to have the time to sit and enjoy our meal.
One last look at the restaurant before moving on.
On the way out, I stopped in the restroom. Now, I know this is weird, but this was the coolest looking bathroom ever! I loved the decoration of it and just had to take a picture! (No one else was in there, thankfully!)
Yup, we are good DISers and took pictures "in there" as well! But how cool are the colors and stone feel of this sink area? Kind of like being in an underground cave. Can't get more natural and earthy than that!
I know it is hard to get the whole impact of this sink area, but the counter and the wall, sinks, lights, it all came together perfectly to match the Kidani feel. It was a surprise to expect to walk into a normal bathroom and find this.
Alright, enough about the bathroom. How about some zebras???
yup. This is how we roll. Only the coolest lunch spot where there are zebras just strolling around outside!
A few Kidani pictures...
We left Kidani and were back to Animal Kingdom around 2pm. We had a very important mission to complete!
Would it be a Mission Impossible? Just wait and see!!!!!!!!!!!
Next Post
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
Wingapo!
We entered Animal Kingdom and went straight to the Camp Minnie Mickey greeting trails. It was time to say "hello" to Pocahontas!
It was not a long wait. I was very excited but even a bit nervous. I get so tongue tied talking to my favorite princess!
Yay! Yay! Yay!
Wingapo! I love your shirt!
See...she loves me!
Deep in conversation.
We're best buddies.
Ana, Pocahontas!
I don't remember everything we talked about! Something about her home and my home. And a few other things. I got the sense that she would have kept talking for awhile, but I didn't want to overstay my welcome. I always feel bad taking up time when there are people waiting. I just need to get over that. She is my princess after all!
After saying our good-byes, we walked in the direction of the Flights of Wonder show.
Along the way, we saw some plant life walking around.
Only in Disney!
We really enjoy the Flights of Wonder show. The jokes are corny, but the tour guide is hilarious to us. It was obvious he had a bad cold but it didn't effect his performance too much beyond him sneezing in between moments of the show.
Hidden Mickey's on the building.
Follow the FLAG.
Baby bird.
Apparently our tour guide doesn't like feeding the birds.
Unfortunately, the bird couldn't catch the grape. The girl chosen to throw it was too young. The grape didn't go in the air. It went on the ground. And that's where the bird went! You could tell that the handler got a little nervous. Don't move! He might get your toes!
We walked right out of the theater and went to find a spot to watch the parade. We found a spot just in front of the "Asian ruins".
Mama went to this little refreshment stand to get us some frozen minute maid juices to cool off with. I say this because....look at how they decorated a simple refreshment stand!!!
I fell in love with this parade! The music, the characters, the look...everything! Plus, the CMs loved my shirt. They were saying "Wingapo" to me with the hand motion!
Hey, King Louie!
Rafiki!
Elephants on parade! (Hahaha! I crack myself up.)
These stilt walkers are fabulous. They were also some of the ones motioning "wingapo" to me!
If you think you have a problem narrowing down your packing list, just look at Minnie's car. You're doing just fine!
The Yeti was calling but we couldn't answer because the ride was down. Sad. Unfortunately, we knew this would mess with crowds on every other ride. There was nothing to draw them away. So we quickly made our way over to Primeval Whirl and rode after an 8 minute wait (posted 20 minute wait).
There was a really cute little girl on the ride with us. She was explaining to her brother "That wasn't the drop. THIS is the drop."
Without anything else requiring our immediate attention, we decided to head back to Maharajah Jungle Trek. A first for both of us.
Ew. Bats.
They're alright for what they are. I just don't feel the need to get up close and personal, you know?
Something must have happened to the regular camera, because I don't have any pictures left of the day from that source...
We did see the tigers! They were so cute. One was meticulously cleaning himself. Very nice to see them moving around and not just napping!
There are so many intricate decorations throughout the trek. They complement the space though, and don't try to over shadow the animals.
Except for those bird houses. Have you seen those bird houses??? Amazing! (Sorry I don't have pictures! Guess you are just going to have to see it "in living color"!)
After trekking was shopping! Of all places, we stopped in the Yak and Yeti store because some wrap skirts caught my eye. I found a very beautiful one for a very reasonable price. According to the directions, you should be able to wear the wrap skirt 1000 different ways.
I distinctly remember waiting at the register for a very long time in this tiny little shop. We were the only customers waiting to pay. And it took a very long time to be noticed.
Anyway.
Next we went for a repeat Animal Kingdom attraction. Which one??? Find out next time!
Next Post
We entered Animal Kingdom and went straight to the Camp Minnie Mickey greeting trails. It was time to say "hello" to Pocahontas!
It was not a long wait. I was very excited but even a bit nervous. I get so tongue tied talking to my favorite princess!
The conversation while waiting in line went something like this:
What do I say to her? I hope she is really nice. I wonder if she is the same one from April. That was so cool. Sarah and I had so much fun. How does my shirt look? Do I need to fix my hair? Oh look at that over there? That is so cool! are we almost there yet? I don't think anyone else in this line likes her as much as I do. are you sure my hair is alright? Oh look, we moved up 2 inches!
Yup. Nervous excitement. LOL
What do I say to her? I hope she is really nice. I wonder if she is the same one from April. That was so cool. Sarah and I had so much fun. How does my shirt look? Do I need to fix my hair? Oh look at that over there? That is so cool! are we almost there yet? I don't think anyone else in this line likes her as much as I do. are you sure my hair is alright? Oh look, we moved up 2 inches!
Yup. Nervous excitement. LOL
Yay! Yay! Yay!
Wingapo! I love your shirt!
See...she loves me!
Deep in conversation.
We're best buddies.
Ana, Pocahontas!
I don't remember everything we talked about! Something about her home and my home. And a few other things. I got the sense that she would have kept talking for awhile, but I didn't want to overstay my welcome. I always feel bad taking up time when there are people waiting. I just need to get over that. She is my princess after all!
When we walked up I immediately told the FP photographer to snap away as this was a very important meeting of the Princesses. I just stood back and watched and took video and enjoyed the moment. She was so excited for her special time and I had hoped it would go so well. As we left she looked back and smiled and then "gushed" about her moment of greatness.
After saying our good-byes, we walked in the direction of the Flights of Wonder show.
Along the way, we saw some plant life walking around.
"Along the way, we saw some plant life walking around."
Not something you read every day.
And definitely not something you SEE every day! I know DEVINE, but what is this guy's name?
Not something you read every day.
And definitely not something you SEE every day! I know DEVINE, but what is this guy's name?
Only in Disney!
We really enjoy the Flights of Wonder show. The jokes are corny, but the tour guide is hilarious to us. It was obvious he had a bad cold but it didn't effect his performance too much beyond him sneezing in between moments of the show.
Hidden Mickey's on the building.
Follow the FLAG.
Loved, loved, LOVED seeing this show with all 3 of my kids back in 2012. It was a request of my son and we just went along with it not expecting much. A real neat experience. Learning + entertainment = the Disney way!
Baby bird.
Baby Audrey!!!!
Apparently our tour guide doesn't like feeding the birds.
Unfortunately, the bird couldn't catch the grape. The girl chosen to throw it was too young. The grape didn't go in the air. It went on the ground. And that's where the bird went! You could tell that the handler got a little nervous. Don't move! He might get your toes!
We walked right out of the theater and went to find a spot to watch the parade. We found a spot just in front of the "Asian ruins".
Mama went to this little refreshment stand to get us some frozen minute maid juices to cool off with. I say this because....look at how they decorated a simple refreshment stand!!!
Some soda, water and frozen drinks sold here. It could have been a small hut with painted walls. Nope. Not good enough for Disney. Go BIG or go home. Felt like I was at a small shop in Asia. Well done ImaginEars!
I fell in love with this parade! The music, the characters, the look...everything! Plus, the CMs loved my shirt. They were saying "Wingapo" to me with the hand motion!
Hey, King Louie!
Rafiki!
Elephants on parade! (Hahaha! I crack myself up.)
These stilt walkers are fabulous. They were also some of the ones motioning "wingapo" to me!
If you think you have a problem narrowing down your packing list, just look at Minnie's car. You're doing just fine!
Everyone should have a rubber duckie for their bath time. Only Minnie would have a "Donald duckie". LOL
The girl knows how to travel. A stylin' vehicle with polka dots. Pinwheels blowing in the breeze. And lots of luggage. A whole wardrobe in fact! She is always prepared with the right outfit!
The Yeti was calling but we couldn't answer because the ride was down. Sad. Unfortunately, we knew this would mess with crowds on every other ride. There was nothing to draw them away. So we quickly made our way over to Primeval Whirl and rode after an 8 minute wait (posted 20 minute wait).
There was a really cute little girl on the ride with us. She was explaining to her brother "That wasn't the drop. THIS is the drop."
Always good to see a ride through a child's eyes. (and that's why Lauren likes me to go on rides with her!)
Without anything else requiring our immediate attention, we decided to head back to Maharajah Jungle Trek. A first for both of us.
Ew. Bats.
Smelly much?
They're alright for what they are. I just don't feel the need to get up close and personal, you know?
Something must have happened to the regular camera, because I don't have any pictures left of the day from that source...
We did see the tigers! They were so cute. One was meticulously cleaning himself. Very nice to see them moving around and not just napping!
There are so many intricate decorations throughout the trek. They complement the space though, and don't try to over shadow the animals.
Except for those bird houses. Have you seen those bird houses??? Amazing! (Sorry I don't have pictures! Guess you are just going to have to see it "in living color"!)
After trekking was shopping! Of all places, we stopped in the Yak and Yeti store because some wrap skirts caught my eye. I found a very beautiful one for a very reasonable price. According to the directions, you should be able to wear the wrap skirt 1000 different ways.
We never stop in the stores because we always have a Yeti to find or a Dinosaur to bring back alive. Today we decided to indulge our shopping side. Lots of things to look at in those shops. Once Lauren saw all the various patterns available to choose from I knew I would have to be patient. No worries. She found a color to go with alot of shirts and it is perfect for teaching the kiddies.
I distinctly remember waiting at the register for a very long time in this tiny little shop. We were the only customers waiting to pay. And it took a very long time to be noticed.
The cashier was talking to a manager of sorts who had stopped in. I was patient. And then I was done. Ahem!
Anyway.
Next we went for a repeat Animal Kingdom attraction. Which one??? Find out next time!
Next Post
dtr_angel
Sorry I'm Late
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2008
I'm finally caught up!
You've had some really great character interactions. I can't believe how many times you got to ride TSM! That will never happen again so it's cool you got to do it. The food at Sanaa looked so good I have to add that to our Disney dining bucket list. I love your headband! I'm glad you had a good character interaction with your favorite princess! We met her in May and my 9 month old loved her
You've had some really great character interactions. I can't believe how many times you got to ride TSM! That will never happen again so it's cool you got to do it. The food at Sanaa looked so good I have to add that to our Disney dining bucket list. I love your headband! I'm glad you had a good character interaction with your favorite princess! We met her in May and my 9 month old loved her
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
Nemo to Dino to Jiko
WELCOME TO THE POST OF FOUR LETTER WORDS THAT END IN "O"!
We went back for a repeat showing of.....NEMO! Seriously! Our 2nd show in a day!
I really love this show! (Can you tell?) This time we sat in the back of the auditorium, on the right hand side of the large middle section.
The show was good, but not as good as the earlier show. It was very clear that it was the last show the of the day. All of the main characters were played by the same actors and it was clear that some of their voices were feeling the strain. This gig has to be hard on the voice!
We were very lucky that it rained from the time we entered the theater to just before we left! How's that for timing?
We went down to visit a DINO!
The wait was as long as the pre-ride video...aka a walk-on ride. We were with a group that had never been on the ride before. I LOVE those groups. So fun! Plus, they make the best ride pictures!
It was almost closing time, so we quickly ran back on for another ride!
We were a little confused on this one....
It was now 7pm. We bought some Dino shirts for Mama and Daddy and headed out. Back to POFQ? Nah. Animal Kingdom Lodge of course!
We were going to JIKO for dinner!!!
It was really an Animal Kingdom day! We were at the park all day, had Sanaa for lunch, and now Jiko for dinner!
We got to Animal Kingdom Lodge at 8pm. We had a quick stop in the bathroom off the lobby to change.
Let's discuss this bathroom. We were in a Deluxe resort. One would expect the bathrooms to look if not deluxe, at least, clean. Well. These were disgusting. There was toilet paper everywhere. Unflushed toilets. Gross. Nasty. Everything you'd expect in a gas station bathroom. Thankfully, we brought it to the attention of a cast member and someone came in quickly to remedy the situation. That cast member was just as appalled as we were!
We changed, found Jiko, and checked in. We were placed in a room separated from the rest of the restaurant. At the time, I had the sinking feeling that we were not dressed "properly" enough for the signature restaurant. But maybe they just didn't have a table in the main restaurant. I don't know. More annoying was that we were right next to the outside bar. And they were LOUD.
However, the food was so good! It was so specifically prepared with such an attention to flavor and detail. I loved the experience! Obviously, much more formal than I am used to.
I apologize for the poor quality of the food pictures. It was very dark in the restaurant and we didn't want to disturb others with the flash from our camera!
Inguday Tibs in Brik - mushrooms, spinach, cheese in crispy Tunisian filo with curry vinaigrette and apple
The apples were a pleasant addition to this dish. I wasn't expecting to like the combination but it worked very well!
Taste of Africa - African inspired Dips with pappadam, poppy seed lavosh and House-made Naan
"Mozambique Style" Tomato Salad - Heirloom Tomatoes, Peaches, Avocado, Mache, Arugula, and Feta Cheese
Something different from the "norm" for me to order. Full of flavor!
Tagine Chicken - preserved lemon, artichokes, olives, cinnamon couscous, harissa and saffron jus
Yummmmmmmm. I really liked that couscous. The chicken was cooked well, didn't care for the olives, but it was packed with flavor. Definitely not bland at all!
Another angle...
Chocolate and Tea Safari - Vanilla rooibos-Tanzanian chocolate cake, free form "kit kat" and green tea ice cream
(also happens to win "Best food picture of the night" award)
Very smooth and satisfying.
Cheesecake- White chocolate, toasted coconut, mango sauce, and pineapple chile sorbet
Surprisingly heavy! The light sorbet was necessary to balance out the thickness of this cheesecake. I really enjoyed it!
We split and shared everything, so honestly, I don't remember what belonged to whom. It was all good
After leaving Jiko, we stopped in the Zawadi Marketplace (the lobby store at Animal Kingdom Lodge). This whole place brings back so many memories. This was the very first resort we every stayed at!
Back in 2002, we came here for our very first trip! This was when Dad planned the trip and he literally had no idea what a "Deluxe" resort was, or that there were other resorts that cost less. Boy, did some Disney phone agent see him coming... Us kids didn't complain!
We went out to find the bus stop. I couldn't remember where it was! (Never ask me to go anywhere without clear directions...)
It was a horribly long trip back. We left on a Downtown Disney bus at 10:07. When we finally got to Downtown Disney, we had a small stroke of luck that a Port Orleans bus pulled right up. But wait. It's not over. The trip from Downtown to French Quarter took 40 MINUTES! How is that even possible???? They are right next door! Finally, we got back to French Quarter at 11:30pm. So, not a long time waiting for buses, but a long time actually on the buses. Were they going the long way around?
We were pretty much losing it at this point. I have in my journal that we "basically acted drunk on the way back to the room". I don't remember what we were doing.
We watched "Devil Wears Prada" as we were getting ready for bed and went to sleep in record time.
Next Post
WELCOME TO THE POST OF FOUR LETTER WORDS THAT END IN "O"!
We went back for a repeat showing of.....NEMO! Seriously! Our 2nd show in a day!
I never would have thought that I would ever"waste my Disney time" seeing a show for a second time, but, it was THAT good! Being part of a family that enjoys musicals -- performing and watching -- we have a clue about the amount of time, talent and dedication a show like this takes. Really amazing!
I really love this show! (Can you tell?) This time we sat in the back of the auditorium, on the right hand side of the large middle section.
Sitting in the back we were able to see the entire stage very easily. However; the seats towards the front were my pick of the day!
The show was good, but not as good as the earlier show. It was very clear that it was the last show the of the day. All of the main characters were played by the same actors and it was clear that some of their voices were feeling the strain. This gig has to be hard on the voice!
We were very lucky that it rained from the time we entered the theater to just before we left! How's that for timing?
Pixie Dust is our middle name!
We went down to visit a DINO!
The wait was as long as the pre-ride video...aka a walk-on ride. We were with a group that had never been on the ride before. I LOVE those groups. So fun! Plus, they make the best ride pictures!
They were hysterical. All the comments completely escape my mind, but, obviously the girl next to me was just a bit surprised/scared when the Dino roared! They were all very happy that the Dino did not hop on to our vehicle at the end of the ride....
It was almost closing time, so we quickly ran back on for another ride!
Well of course we ran back! We weren't scared of a little bitty dinosaur!
We were a little confused on this one....
It was now 7pm. We bought some Dino shirts for Mama and Daddy and headed out. Back to POFQ? Nah. Animal Kingdom Lodge of course!
We were going to JIKO for dinner!!!
It was really an Animal Kingdom day! We were at the park all day, had Sanaa for lunch, and now Jiko for dinner!
It was great to spend the whole in the land of Animals. Almost like we had traveled to a separate part of the world for a marathon of activity! (oh wait.... WE DID!)
We got to Animal Kingdom Lodge at 8pm. We had a quick stop in the bathroom off the lobby to change.
Let's discuss this bathroom. We were in a Deluxe resort. One would expect the bathrooms to look if not deluxe, at least, clean. Well. These were disgusting. There was toilet paper everywhere. Unflushed toilets. Gross. Nasty. Everything you'd expect in a gas station bathroom. Thankfully, we brought it to the attention of a cast member and someone came in quickly to remedy the situation. That cast member was just as appalled as we were!
The CM was a lovely woman who came to our rescue as well as other guests that needed the restroom. It was quite the mess but she was able to right things very quickly. I can not remember her name at the moment,but we did fill out a card commending her efforts.
We changed, found Jiko, and checked in. We were placed in a room separated from the rest of the restaurant. At the time, I had the sinking feeling that we were not dressed "properly" enough for the signature restaurant. But maybe they just didn't have a table in the main restaurant. I don't know. More annoying was that we were right next to the outside bar. And they were LOUD.
The other guests in the room were a couple with a young child, another with a slightly older child and a young couple. The kids were both well behaved. We did feel like we were "placed there", but got over that pretty quickly. The bar crowd was having a grand time. Someone was celebrating their birthday in a big, loud way. Once they left it was a much more enjoyable evening!
However, the food was so good! It was so specifically prepared with such an attention to flavor and detail. I loved the experience! Obviously, much more formal than I am used to.
I apologize for the poor quality of the food pictures. It was very dark in the restaurant and we didn't want to disturb others with the flash from our camera!
Inguday Tibs in Brik - mushrooms, spinach, cheese in crispy Tunisian filo with curry vinaigrette and apple
The apples were a pleasant addition to this dish. I wasn't expecting to like the combination but it worked very well!
A very nice starter to share. The spinach and cheese was bold compared to the "zinginess" of the vinaigrette and sweetness of the apple.
Taste of Africa - African inspired Dips with pappadam, poppy seed lavosh and House-made Naan
The bread was not my favorite part of the meal. Sanaa has stolen our palates with it's yummy variety of chutneys and salsas.
"Mozambique Style" Tomato Salad - Heirloom Tomatoes, Peaches, Avocado, Mache, Arugula, and Feta Cheese
Something different from the "norm" for me to order. Full of flavor!
I had bites of all except for the avocado. Never been a fan. The produce was fresh and the cheese added a bit of contrast.
Tagine Chicken - preserved lemon, artichokes, olives, cinnamon couscous, harissa and saffron jus
Yummmmmmmm. I really liked that couscous. The chicken was cooked well, didn't care for the olives, but it was packed with flavor. Definitely not bland at all!
Another dish that I tried that was "out of my comfort zone". I am not a fan of olives and artichokes, but I did give them a taste. All the other flavors were having a party in my mouth! We made a great choice to share!
Another angle...
Chocolate and Tea Safari - Vanilla rooibos-Tanzanian chocolate cake, free form "kit kat" and green tea ice cream
(also happens to win "Best food picture of the night" award)
Very smooth and satisfying.
Ummm.... YUM! This was my choice because I am a chocoholic and couldn't resist. The fake kit kat was nothing special but the cake and green tea ice cream was a surprisingly good combo.
Cheesecake- White chocolate, toasted coconut, mango sauce, and pineapple chile sorbet
Surprisingly heavy! The light sorbet was necessary to balance out the thickness of this cheesecake. I really enjoyed it!
Can never go wrong with cheesecake!
We split and shared everything, so honestly, I don't remember what belonged to whom. It was all good
After leaving Jiko, we stopped in the Zawadi Marketplace (the lobby store at Animal Kingdom Lodge). This whole place brings back so many memories. This was the very first resort we every stayed at!
Back in 2002, we came here for our very first trip! This was when Dad planned the trip and he literally had no idea what a "Deluxe" resort was, or that there were other resorts that cost less. Boy, did some Disney phone agent see him coming... Us kids didn't complain!
I remember one of our days at this resort way back when. The kids and I went to the pool and Daddy was doing some laundry in the room. We did not take a key card because he was going to be there. when we got back upstairs he was not in the room! We were locked out! So we waited in the hallway until he came back with a huge smile on his face and a shopping bag in his hand. He had gone down to Zawadi to purchase souvenirs for each of us! Little sister Sarah was all of 2 years old and she was given a Micky baseball hat. She was in love!!!!! So much so, that she didn't want to take the hat off for bath time or bed time!
We went out to find the bus stop. I couldn't remember where it was! (Never ask me to go anywhere without clear directions...)
Perhaps you could borrow Jasmine's Genie Positioning System?
It was a horribly long trip back. We left on a Downtown Disney bus at 10:07. When we finally got to Downtown Disney, we had a small stroke of luck that a Port Orleans bus pulled right up. But wait. It's not over. The trip from Downtown to French Quarter took 40 MINUTES! How is that even possible???? They are right next door! Finally, we got back to French Quarter at 11:30pm. So, not a long time waiting for buses, but a long time actually on the buses. Were they going the long way around?
We were pretty much losing it at this point. I have in my journal that we "basically acted drunk on the way back to the room". I don't remember what we were doing.
When we get tired we get really silly. I remember walking down the sidewalk and just giggling with abandon. I am sure that if someone saw us they would have thought us to be a bit tipsy. Nope. Not a drop. It was just the norm for us!
We watched "Devil Wears Prada" as we were getting ready for bed and went to sleep in record time.
Next Post
DisneyJo
Missing my tags!
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2006
Oh Lauren your Pocahontas meet did make me laugh, what will you be like when you have kids?
Wow you really did have an AK day with 2 meals at AKL, I'm not good with spicy food but love reading about the food there (although I have eaten at Jiko but I chose steak
), plus what a great setting eating whilst Zebras roam outside 
Wow you really did have an AK day with 2 meals at AKL, I'm not good with spicy food but love reading about the food there (although I have eaten at Jiko but I chose steak
), plus what a great setting eating whilst Zebras roam outside
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
Goodbye French Quarter...Hello Yacht Club!!!
We woke up for the last time in our French Quarter beds! It is RESORT SWITCHING DAY! Mama woke up at 9:00 and I woke up at 9:30 with the alarm. That means we got 8-9 hours of sleep. In DISNEY. What is the world coming to???
Mama was ready to go in no time at all! She was basically pushing me out the door she was so excited!
We packed and found all of our odds and ends. Will it all fit into our bags??? It was a good thing we had this "first try" at packing. With all of our souvenirs, we needed to find a way to make everything fit well together. We needn't have worried. Everything fit just fine.
We watched Stacey while packing....of course!
Around 10am I showered and dressed. Mama did the same after. Once we were presentable, we called luggage services and they picked up our bags at 11am. They were very prompt and very nice!
If you are ever switching resorts, it is so easy! You ring for luggage services and give them a time. They'll come collect your bags, give you a receipt for bags collected and an estimated time for when your bags will be waiting for you at your destination. Then they transfer your bags to the new resort. When you arrive, ring their luggage services for your bags to be delivered. Simple!
We kept one bag of laundry to do, did one last sweep of the room, and said good-bye to our home away from home.
We went to find the "Laundry on the Levee"...we've never had to actually do laundry here before! We happened to do laundry right after the "switch" to digital. It wasn't coin operated. Instead, you can use a credit or debit card. We sorted and started two loads.
After getting that started, we went over to Sassy's for "breakfast". Unfortunately, we were a little late and lunch food was already being served. We decided to split an Angus Mushroom burger and fries.
I tried the BBQ sauce available....it was not good
I'm critical of my barbeque sauce.
We filled up our mugs and went back to the laundry to put the clothes in the dryer. (This ended up being a critical error for one of my new dresses. Apparently, delicate does not actually mean "delicate" on these dryers...it shrunk my brand new Mickey dress! I now wear it as a shirt with leggings. Still cute, but not the dress that I had purchased
)
We decided to go around French Quarter and take lovely pictures. Lots of wonderful memories in this place....and we will be home here in 3 weeks and 5 days!!!!! With our WHOLE FAMILY!!! Mom, Dad, Me, Bryan, and Sarah. ALL of us. I am so excited!
This was not our door from this trip....this was the door from January 2012. The trip that started it all! Mama, Lauren, Bryan, and Sarah stayed here!
Our view from said room. We were upgraded from a standard to this beauty. Not bad!
I admit one of my reasons for taking this picture is that I never got a good one while we were there. HA! Now I have a great picture!
Another angle...
These horses are everywhere!
Signs just in case you (or I) get lost....
Hey look....it's the laundry!
We still had some time to kill, so we decided it was postcard time! We went to the store to buy 2 extra postcards and stamps. And since I was there, of course, I had to pin trade with the board!
In fact, I found the best pin EVER! It is a DONALD pin, and he is playing PIANO, and it says MUSIC. How perfect is that???? It's ME!
We went to the lobby to fill out the postcards. We ended up sitting at an empty table at the Scat Cat Club off the lobby. It wasn't any trouble finding a table...the trouble was actually finding a clean one!
I went up to a Cast Member in the lobby and asked to borrow a pen. He said I could keep it. Thank you, kind sir!
We sat and filled out our post cards until 12:45. The laundry is done!
We put the postcards in the lone suitcase we still had, neatly packed up the clean laundry, and took the luggage to drop off for transfer. Our other luggage was still there, so we just added it to the group.
We were bursting with joy at this point. It was time to get a taxi to our next destination! We weren't going to deal with bus transfers and all that. Oh, no. We were going to arrive in style!
It was the funniest thing to get a taxi! We asked the guy at bell services and he held up a Mickey glove as a signal to the cab driver parked in the parking lot!
We got in the cab and were pleasantly surprised that the cab driver had a church service on the radio. Of course- it was Sunday! It brought us back to reality a little bit. It was a wonderful cab ride. Best $10 we ever spent. Taxi ride with a sermon.
Once we got to the Yacht Club, we had a little freak out. We were really there!!!
We took some pictures of the beautiful, classy lobby.
Pssst. There's a guy hiding behind the flowers!
Very elegant looking. I don't think I can act like my childlike self 24/7 roaming around this joint. (But you know that didn't last, right?)
We're getting closer to check-in!!
Oh, my goodness. Did I have troubles deciding which side of the resort to stay in. Beach Club. Or Yacht Club. Maybe we should we should stay over there? Maybe we should stay here? It went on and on. In the end, I think we made the right choice! (I'm sure you'll figure out why......)
We practically bounced into check-in.
Guess what, we finally got the magic bands!
Room check-in went along as usual. Or so we thought.
Now, something you should know is that about a month prior to the trip, I called reservations and just asked how much it would be to upgrade to a water-view room. Since we were already getting such an amazing discount, I thought I could surprise Mama. Well, the cost was way more than I could handle, so I said thanks but no thanks.
Fast forward to present day.
Apparently, they hadn't assigned our room yet. So the cast member was asking us to choose between floors. FOR OUR WATER VIEW ROOM.
Honestly, it didn't sink in at the time. I just asked him which would be better, he told me, I chose the 3rd floor, and we moved on.
He said it so matter-of-factly, I think our actual reservation was changed! I don't know if they put a water-view room on the reservation to make up for the annoyance of the magic-band fiasco of the other day or if it was pixie dust from the phone call a month ago, but whatever the reason, it was a very welcome surprise!
It started to sink in. While we were in the elevator.
And while we were in the hallway.
We found room 3011 (which is totally ironic because our room at POFQ was 3110) and opened the door with our Magic Bands!
I see a window! I see a window! I must look!
WATER!!!!
It's hard to tell in that picture, but guess what we are looking at???
The Eiffel Tower. Yup.
And the bridge connecting the UK and France. Yup.
So guess what we'll be able to see?
ILLUMINATIONS!!!!
FROM OUR BALCONY!!!!
Room pictures!!!
Desk, with pull out table. I love the Mickey head detailing about the mirror.
Mama in a Mirror!
Mickey lamp.
Another lamp. Very nautical looking.
Day bed.
Pillow.
More room pictures on the way...
Next Post
We woke up for the last time in our French Quarter beds! It is RESORT SWITCHING DAY! Mama woke up at 9:00 and I woke up at 9:30 with the alarm. That means we got 8-9 hours of sleep. In DISNEY. What is the world coming to???
When we made our plans way back when we decided that today was a "resort switch, laundry, lah-dee-dah" kind of day. By waking up so late it appears we took it to heart!
Mama was ready to go in no time at all! She was basically pushing me out the door she was so excited!
I was just a teensy bit excited. After reading TRs and seeing pictures for so long I was actually going to be checking in to the YC!
We packed and found all of our odds and ends. Will it all fit into our bags??? It was a good thing we had this "first try" at packing. With all of our souvenirs, we needed to find a way to make everything fit well together. We needn't have worried. Everything fit just fine.
I wasn't worried. Ask me at the end of next week. Then we can talk extra luggage fees! (or a possible Mickey luggage purchase.....)
We watched Stacey while packing....of course!
Around 10am I showered and dressed. Mama did the same after. Once we were presentable, we called luggage services and they picked up our bags at 11am. They were very prompt and very nice!
If you are ever switching resorts, it is so easy! You ring for luggage services and give them a time. They'll come collect your bags, give you a receipt for bags collected and an estimated time for when your bags will be waiting for you at your destination. Then they transfer your bags to the new resort. When you arrive, ring their luggage services for your bags to be delivered. Simple!
We kept one bag of laundry to do, did one last sweep of the room, and said good-bye to our home away from home.
We went to find the "Laundry on the Levee"...we've never had to actually do laundry here before! We happened to do laundry right after the "switch" to digital. It wasn't coin operated. Instead, you can use a credit or debit card. We sorted and started two loads.
The only place we have ever gone for 2 weeks is the family cottage in NH. And that is a rarity. But 2 weeks in DW is super duper rare! But, I don't thing purchasing clothes for the second week while in Disney was an option. So laundry time was necessary. Oh well.....
After getting that started, we went over to Sassy's for "breakfast". Unfortunately, we were a little late and lunch food was already being served. We decided to split an Angus Mushroom burger and fries.
Pretty good burger. Nothing spectacular.
I tried the BBQ sauce available....it was not good
I'm critical of my barbeque sauce. We filled up our mugs and went back to the laundry to put the clothes in the dryer. (This ended up being a critical error for one of my new dresses. Apparently, delicate does not actually mean "delicate" on these dryers...it shrunk my brand new Mickey dress! I now wear it as a shirt with leggings. Still cute, but not the dress that I had purchased
)Such a sad moment........
We decided to go around French Quarter and take lovely pictures. Lots of wonderful memories in this place....and we will be home here in 3 weeks and 5 days!!!!! With our WHOLE FAMILY!!! Mom, Dad, Me, Bryan, and Sarah. ALL of us. I am so excited!
26 days! 26 days! 26 days! 26 days! 26 days!
This was not our door from this trip....this was the door from January 2012. The trip that started it all! Mama, Lauren, Bryan, and Sarah stayed here!
Our view from said room. We were upgraded from a standard to this beauty. Not bad!
What a wonderful trip we had. Such great memories with my kids! le sigh.... And the view could not be beat!!!!
I admit one of my reasons for taking this picture is that I never got a good one while we were there. HA! Now I have a great picture!
Another angle...
These horses are everywhere!
Signs just in case you (or I) get lost....
Hey look....it's the laundry!
We still had some time to kill, so we decided it was postcard time! We went to the store to buy 2 extra postcards and stamps. And since I was there, of course, I had to pin trade with the board!
The smarter one of us went to the pin trading board. I kept getting stuck looking at the ones on the rack for purchase. And you know I couldn't leave with out something!
In fact, I found the best pin EVER! It is a DONALD pin, and he is playing PIANO, and it says MUSIC. How perfect is that???? It's ME!
We went to the lobby to fill out the postcards. We ended up sitting at an empty table at the Scat Cat Club off the lobby. It wasn't any trouble finding a table...the trouble was actually finding a clean one!
It was a great place to sit since there were no other customers and it was air conditioned of course. Just had to come up with some witty comments for each card!
I went up to a Cast Member in the lobby and asked to borrow a pen. He said I could keep it. Thank you, kind sir!
We sat and filled out our post cards until 12:45. The laundry is done!
We put the postcards in the lone suitcase we still had, neatly packed up the clean laundry, and took the luggage to drop off for transfer. Our other luggage was still there, so we just added it to the group.
We were bursting with joy at this point. It was time to get a taxi to our next destination! We weren't going to deal with bus transfers and all that. Oh, no. We were going to arrive in style!
a.k.a. we wasted enough time on laundry and now we had a schedule to keep!
It was the funniest thing to get a taxi! We asked the guy at bell services and he held up a Mickey glove as a signal to the cab driver parked in the parking lot!
We got in the cab and were pleasantly surprised that the cab driver had a church service on the radio. Of course- it was Sunday! It brought us back to reality a little bit. It was a wonderful cab ride. Best $10 we ever spent. Taxi ride with a sermon.
Definite reality check which is always good. Made me mindful of all the blessings I have been given.
Once we got to the Yacht Club, we had a little freak out. We were really there!!!
We took some pictures of the beautiful, classy lobby.
Pssst. There's a guy hiding behind the flowers!
Well so much for his game of hide and seek -- you just gave him away! LOL
Very elegant looking. I don't think I can act like my childlike self 24/7 roaming around this joint. (But you know that didn't last, right?)
We're getting closer to check-in!!
Oh, my goodness. Did I have troubles deciding which side of the resort to stay in. Beach Club. Or Yacht Club. Maybe we should we should stay over there? Maybe we should stay here? It went on and on. In the end, I think we made the right choice! (I'm sure you'll figure out why......)
We practically bounced into check-in.
Sometimes it seems to take forever for check-in. Probably no more than 10 minutes but feels like a half hour at least!
Guess what, we finally got the magic bands!
Room check-in went along as usual. Or so we thought.
Now, something you should know is that about a month prior to the trip, I called reservations and just asked how much it would be to upgrade to a water-view room. Since we were already getting such an amazing discount, I thought I could surprise Mama. Well, the cost was way more than I could handle, so I said thanks but no thanks.
Fast forward to present day.
Apparently, they hadn't assigned our room yet. So the cast member was asking us to choose between floors. FOR OUR WATER VIEW ROOM.
What's funny is that I was so lost in lala land taking pictures and what-not that I didn't even catch the part about a water view room. I just knew we were picking which floor we wanted and trying to get the best location! (call me oblivious)
Honestly, it didn't sink in at the time. I just asked him which would be better, he told me, I chose the 3rd floor, and we moved on.
He said it so matter-of-factly, I think our actual reservation was changed! I don't know if they put a water-view room on the reservation to make up for the annoyance of the magic-band fiasco of the other day or if it was pixie dust from the phone call a month ago, but whatever the reason, it was a very welcome surprise!
It started to sink in. While we were in the elevator.
And while we were in the hallway.
I love that we can be such nuts together!
We found room 3011 (which is totally ironic because our room at POFQ was 3110) and opened the door with our Magic Bands!
I see a window! I see a window! I must look!
WATER!!!!
NO WAY!!!!!
It's hard to tell in that picture, but guess what we are looking at???
The Eiffel Tower. Yup.
NO WAY!!!!!!!
And the bridge connecting the UK and France. Yup.
NO WAY!!!!!!
So guess what we'll be able to see?
ILLUMINATIONS!!!!
FROM OUR BALCONY!!!!
(jaw dropping) HOW COOL IS THAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Room pictures!!!
Desk, with pull out table. I love the Mickey head detailing about the mirror.
Mama in a Mirror!
Mickey lamp.
Another lamp. Very nautical looking.
Day bed.
Pillow.
More room pictures on the way...
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Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
I'm finally caught up!
You've had some really great character interactions. I can't believe how many times you got to ride TSM! That will never happen again so it's cool you got to do it. The food at Sanaa looked so good I have to add that to our Disney dining bucket list. I love your headband! I'm glad you had a good character interaction with your favorite princess! We met her in May and my 9 month old loved her
Me <3 Characters! Much more than I did before. I still have to meet Peter Pan. I feel like he would be a fun meet and greet.
That was my justification this whole trip. I knew that FP was going away, so why not????
You will love it! That became one of my "must-do" restaurants! I'm sad that it doesn't quite fit into our plan for our upcoming family trip. No one except for my Mom and I will eat those flavors, so it would be a waste to drag everyone over to Sanaa. I'll just have to save it for the NEXT trip then
Of COURSE he loved her! Everyone does! (At least in my head!) I made a new version of my 'Wingapo' shirt. It's on better material, much more comfortable and easier to wear. Plus, I added some words on the back. It now says, "This is the path I choose. What will yours be?" SO EXCITED to show it to her!!!!
Oh Lauren your Pocahontas meet did make me laugh, what will you be like when you have kids?
Wow you really did have an AK day with 2 meals at AKL, I'm not good with spicy food but love reading about the food there (although I have eaten at Jiko but I chose steak
I don't know what you mean
I think I'm perfectly normally abnormal in the most abnormally normal way We figured it would be the best use of time for the day. It does take a bit transferring over to the AK area...might as well make the best use of it! It really was a great day of good flavorful food! Not a boring chicken nugget in sight!
dtr_angel
Sorry I'm Late
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2008
Great updates! Wow you really went all out on Animal Kingdom day! The dinner at Jiko looks amazing but especially the desserts!
8-9 hours of sleep sounds amazing. I don't think I've had that much sleep at one time in over 2 years. That is about what I average in a week haha.
What an amazing upgrade, I love getting pixie dusted. I love your YC room and the view!
8-9 hours of sleep sounds amazing. I don't think I've had that much sleep at one time in over 2 years. That is about what I average in a week haha.
What an amazing upgrade, I love getting pixie dusted. I love your YC room and the view!
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
It's a Yacht Club Room!
Get ready for some more room pictures!!!
Picture...with not-so-hidden Mickey.
What do you call this? A bed runner?
My bed!
Bedside table.
The iPod set up is nice...unless you have all windows products!
TV cabinet/drawer combo set up.
Very ship shape.
Mama's bed...with towel Mickey!
More art.
The closet space was wonderful! In the moderate resorts, you get "space" but it is just an open rack. It works, definitely serves it's purpose, but it was nice having a closet to stow away luggage, shoes, and clothes. If I don't see the mess, does it exist?
Dresser.
It was nice having this separate dresser because there wasn't a whole lot of useable space in the typical tv cabinet combo. This gave us room to actually unpack for the week. Without this, I don't know how it would have been possible. It was also nice having it next to the bathroom and closet area. No more traipsing all over the room to collect clothes in the morning.
Sailboat, anyone?
In case of emergency.
We are literally on the furthest inward facing corner of the resort. I don't know if that helped our view of the fireworks any besides stretching us out past some trees....but it couldn't hurt!
The sink area of the bathroom.
DOUBLE MIRROR SHOT!
Shower area. Gets the job done.
I mean, it's nice and all, but the Little Mermaid bathroom still wins the prize!
There is a PHONE next to the TOILET.
#PhoneFromTheThrone #TweetFromTheSeat
Toiletry items. We may or may not have lifted extras of these throughout the week.
Fancy hand towels. Of course!
I did notice a difference between the quality of the hand towels. Deluxe was definitely the winner. The value/moderate resort towels were very thin and scratchy. Resort towels were plush. Very "normal" feeling (like one a person might actually have in their own home) but I guess when you are on vacation, to find that in a hotel is "deluxe".
Details of the sink.
Shower curtain. I forget. What is the theme of this resort?
Artsy bathroom mirror shot.
Full sink/vanity area. We kept with the "same sides" as POFQ, so as not to be confused. Haha. I was the right hand side.
Mickey Towel!
You could definitely tell the added space from the Value to Moderate to Deluxe. I know "square footage" wise it doesn't add leaps and bounds, but every little bit adds a ton when you are talking about a hotel room. More space to spread out in the mornings. Not a huge deal when you are talking about the two of us, but for a family, I can see the appeal.
Next Post
Get ready for some more room pictures!!!
Picture...with not-so-hidden Mickey.
What do you call this? A bed runner?
My bed!
Bedside table.
The iPod set up is nice...unless you have all windows products!
TV cabinet/drawer combo set up.
Very ship shape.
Mama's bed...with towel Mickey!
More art.
The closet space was wonderful! In the moderate resorts, you get "space" but it is just an open rack. It works, definitely serves it's purpose, but it was nice having a closet to stow away luggage, shoes, and clothes. If I don't see the mess, does it exist?
Dresser.
It was nice having this separate dresser because there wasn't a whole lot of useable space in the typical tv cabinet combo. This gave us room to actually unpack for the week. Without this, I don't know how it would have been possible. It was also nice having it next to the bathroom and closet area. No more traipsing all over the room to collect clothes in the morning.
Sailboat, anyone?
In case of emergency.
We are literally on the furthest inward facing corner of the resort. I don't know if that helped our view of the fireworks any besides stretching us out past some trees....but it couldn't hurt!
The sink area of the bathroom.
DOUBLE MIRROR SHOT!
Shower area. Gets the job done.
I mean, it's nice and all, but the Little Mermaid bathroom still wins the prize!
There is a PHONE next to the TOILET.
#PhoneFromTheThrone #TweetFromTheSeat
Toiletry items. We may or may not have lifted extras of these throughout the week.
Fancy hand towels. Of course!
I did notice a difference between the quality of the hand towels. Deluxe was definitely the winner. The value/moderate resort towels were very thin and scratchy. Resort towels were plush. Very "normal" feeling (like one a person might actually have in their own home) but I guess when you are on vacation, to find that in a hotel is "deluxe".
Details of the sink.
Shower curtain. I forget. What is the theme of this resort?
Artsy bathroom mirror shot.
Full sink/vanity area. We kept with the "same sides" as POFQ, so as not to be confused. Haha. I was the right hand side.
Mickey Towel!
You could definitely tell the added space from the Value to Moderate to Deluxe. I know "square footage" wise it doesn't add leaps and bounds, but every little bit adds a ton when you are talking about a hotel room. More space to spread out in the mornings. Not a huge deal when you are talking about the two of us, but for a family, I can see the appeal.
Next Post
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
It was a complete AK day. I don't think we could have packed more Animal Kingdom fun into that day!!! That meal was fabulous top to bottom. Mmmmmmm. So many flavors.
Isn't crazy how Disney-life can be more tiring than normal life??? We needed that sleep to get through the next week!
I'm still in love with our room. I got so giddy looking at all these pictures. It makes me sad to think of strangers staying in "our" room, haha.
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
What a great room you got and I love the shots of you and your Mom all excited - soooo cute
Excited? I don't know what you mean????
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
We just did what???
The room was amazing! After we stared at it awhile longer, we finally got focused again and decided to move on to the next adventure.
First we had to put on our MagicBands!
I had pink and Mama had red. It's like we had super powers.
There is a mirror on the ceiling of the elevator!
The whole, amazing place. We are literally on the farthest left-hand side of the Yacht Club. I liked our view because it wasn't "blocked" by buildings. We were out far enough that we didn't have to look past any other buildings in order to look into Epcot. Very cool.
What a lovely view from the lobby.
The happy traveler.
C'mon Mama. Let's go!
We took a little tour of the area. Everything is just so pretty!!!
This is just the top of the slide!
No big deal. There's just a lighthouse over there.
STORMALONG BAY IS SO COOL!
Surprisingly, we never made it over to the Boardwalk...
We kept walking through International Gateway. How cool is that!? Epcot-here we come! Originally, our plan for the day was to check-in and take the bus to Magic Kingdom. It didn't take much to convince us to stay local...
The first thing we did was stop at the MagicBand kiosk at the International Gateway. We had some Fastpasses to change!
There weren't any FP+ available for Test Track or Soarin'. For reference, this was early August, and I believe it was just Pop, Animal Kingdom, Contemporary and Yacht that were testing at this point. We ended up choosing Figment, Character Spot, and Mission Space.
As we were walking in, a familiar face greeted us! WINGAPO!
She liked my Pocahontas pin. Of course!
There was a string of random characters in a row! And of course, my favorite Princess was there!
(Shhhhh! I think we stumbled on random "CM trainee" grounds.)
It was a perfect day for walking around Epcot!
(What???? We did what???? WE JUST WALKED INTO EPCOT!!!!!)
It was my first time riding Figment. I'm in LOVE.
No dancing. And please, supervise your children.
Directing with Figment!
We made a green Figment and emailed him home to Sarah.
Happy Girl!!!
We decided to wait in line for Chip and Dale.
Aren't they cute?
And literally a second later, the skies opened up and it POURED.
We ran for cover!
Run, Chip! Run!
So cute! We ran under the overhang by Character Spot.
The only sad thing was that I never got my picture with Chip and Dale
Next Post
The room was amazing! After we stared at it awhile longer, we finally got focused again and decided to move on to the next adventure.
First we had to put on our MagicBands!
I had pink and Mama had red. It's like we had super powers.
Not "like". We HAD superpowers! The ability to go where no Duck and Mouse have gone before!
There is a mirror on the ceiling of the elevator!
We were so giddy and silly that we were taking pictures of just about everything it appears.......
The whole, amazing place. We are literally on the farthest left-hand side of the Yacht Club. I liked our view because it wasn't "blocked" by buildings. We were out far enough that we didn't have to look past any other buildings in order to look into Epcot. Very cool.
What a lovely view from the lobby.
I am repeating myself but, it was so cool to see it in person after seeing all the various pictures in trip reports. Gotta love all our good DISers that take lots of pix!
The happy traveler.
C'mon Mama. Let's go!
We took a little tour of the area. Everything is just so pretty!!!
This is just the top of the slide!
Don't worry Mr. Slide -- we will be back!
No big deal. There's just a lighthouse over there.
STORMALONG BAY IS SO COOL!
Surprisingly, we never made it over to the Boardwalk...
Soooo close but yet so far! I should have just at least walked along the boardwalk. Never got to the bakery over there or saw any nighttime entertainment. What is wrong with me?!?!??!?!?
We kept walking through International Gateway. How cool is that!? Epcot-here we come! Originally, our plan for the day was to check-in and take the bus to Magic Kingdom. It didn't take much to convince us to stay local...
Well let's see ***putting my hands up to weigh my options*** Walking casually over to Epcot with "our own private entrance" or taking a bus ride to the kingdom?????? It was too cool to pass up the chance!
The first thing we did was stop at the MagicBand kiosk at the International Gateway. We had some Fastpasses to change!
There weren't any FP+ available for Test Track or Soarin'. For reference, this was early August, and I believe it was just Pop, Animal Kingdom, Contemporary and Yacht that were testing at this point. We ended up choosing Figment, Character Spot, and Mission Space.
Who in their right mind chooses Figment as a FP+ ?!?!?!??!?! WE DO! Not much else to choose so it was just another silly thing for us to do.
As we were walking in, a familiar face greeted us! WINGAPO!
Only a tiny little wait so we hopped right in line. (Who am I kidding --- if it was a longer line we were STILL going to wait!)
She liked my Pocahontas pin. Of course!
There was a string of random characters in a row! And of course, my favorite Princess was there!
(Shhhhh! I think we stumbled on random "CM trainee" grounds.)
It was a perfect day for walking around Epcot!
(What???? We did what???? WE JUST WALKED INTO EPCOT!!!!!)
Time for a FP+ reservation. What is up first for our spur of the moment decision type day?
It was my first time riding Figment. I'm in LOVE.
No dancing. And please, supervise your children.
The Duck was way excited and kept flapping her arms around and getting up to quack. However, I did my best to supervise her. Some days are just easier than others....
Directing with Figment!
See? I told you she was flapping her arms!
We made a green Figment and emailed him home to Sarah.
Green is her favorite color so of course that is what we made for her. But I think this Figment looks alot like a character on the kid show Dragontales from PBS!
Happy Girl!!!
We decided to wait in line for Chip and Dale.
Another spur of the moment decision,but it was one of those characters that you meet when you can kinda thing. Here's our chance! Chip and Dale are my Daddy's favorite!
Aren't they cute?
And literally a second later, the skies opened up and it POURED.
We ran for cover!
Run, Chip! Run!
So cute! We ran under the overhang by Character Spot.
The only sad thing was that I never got my picture with Chip and Dale
Well that is a bit sad. Something to do on the next trip perhaps?
Next Post
Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
Mission to Poly
Well, we decided to go to Character Spot, using our FP+. I think it saved us all of 5 minutes. Or maybe more because of the rain. I think people came inside to escape the weather. Either way, it was fun to meet Mickey again!
Hello Mr. Mouse!
Pluto kissed me again!
Pluto danced with Mama!
Minnie wished Mama a Happy Birthday!
We are such girly girls.
I wrote these journal updates sitting in the breezeway just outside of Character Spot. While I was updating, I was also approached by a research CM. Since I wasn't rushing off anywhere, I agreed to participate, hoping for a little pixie dust. I was just asked a bunch of research questions. Just basic "how many times have you visited" and "where are you staying" questions. Nothing came of it. Oh well.
I also treated myself to a Mickey ice cream sandwich!
If it wasn't my first, it was certainly one of the few I've ever had. Most of the time, I automatically go with the Mickey bar. I can wholeheartedly recommend the ice cream sandwich as well!
While I was finishing up the journal updates, Mama was off chatting on the phone. After she finished up, we headed towards Mission Space.
WAIT. Test Track has a 10 minute single-rider line. We must stop! You don't get the full design process, but you get to choose some features, so that is fun. Mama came in 2nd place and I was in 4th place. It was a good ride! Plus, we were very lucky and happened to be placed in the same car anyway!
Mission Space was next. There was a whole lot of space gadgetry.
Plus a secure looking door.
And this thing.
What is my mission, Lieutenant Dan?
Our mission wasn't quite a success. I missed expanding the wings, so we had a computer override. Whoops. Thank goodness for technology! We made it home safe from Mars.
I discovered something new inside this ride. I'm always so focused on the larger screen during the ride that I never look at the smaller screens during the ride. My lesson to you is to LOOK AT THE OTHER SCREENS. They also change during the ride! Very cool.
After returning safely, we walked out of Epcot and headed straight for the monorail. We were making our way to the Polynesian Resort!
The view from the monorail. Why can't I see this everyday on my commute?
Which one were we dining at?
Random hut in the middle of the lobby.
I have seen so many pictures of this greenery section in the middle of the lobby. I always thought that pictures didn't do it justice. And that is completely right. To understand the idea of this lobby, you just have to experience it!
This is a nice place to rest. I could get used to this!
Hidden Mickey's in the carpet!
Another view. It is so lush and beautiful.
The lobby is really stunning if you just take it all in.
After wandering the lobby, we went through the shops. We even took a peek in the Wyland Gallery, not that we could even consider buying anything. Luckily, the salesperson recognized that, but he still showed us some neat things.
He took a painting into the "viewing" room for us. You can place a painting that you are thinking of purchasing into a room that has dim-able lights, so you can see it in a variety of lighting levels. When you put this particular painting into the room at a lower light level, it looks like a real hand is coming through!
Just a few other paintings...
I'm so glad they didn't have a problem with us taking pictures!!!
Next Post
Well, we decided to go to Character Spot, using our FP+. I think it saved us all of 5 minutes. Or maybe more because of the rain. I think people came inside to escape the weather. Either way, it was fun to meet Mickey again!
The fun part of this was when the CM let us go to the front of the line from "our private entrance". An interesting kind of Pixie Dust for our day!
Hello Mr. Mouse!
Pluto kissed me again!
What is it about you and that doggie? Does he have a little thing for you? Could be.....
Pluto danced with Mama!
Pluto was really excited to see both of us this day! A little twirl on the dance floor for the birthday girl!
Minnie wished Mama a Happy Birthday!
We are such girly girls.
LOVE HER! Such a girly girl! (and I am not......)
I wrote these journal updates sitting in the breezeway just outside of Character Spot. While I was updating, I was also approached by a research CM. Since I wasn't rushing off anywhere, I agreed to participate, hoping for a little pixie dust. I was just asked a bunch of research questions. Just basic "how many times have you visited" and "where are you staying" questions. Nothing came of it. Oh well.
I do wonder how many times they are told no before someone agrees to take their survey. Has to be hard to meet their daily quota...
I also treated myself to a Mickey ice cream sandwich!
That looks so yummy! Why oh why can we not purchase these in our local grocery stores?!?!?!? In fact; a co-worker asked me today if I would take a cooler with me on my next trip. She is dying to try a Mickey Premium bar! She offered some dry ice, but somehow I don't think I could make it work.
If it wasn't my first, it was certainly one of the few I've ever had. Most of the time, I automatically go with the Mickey bar. I can wholeheartedly recommend the ice cream sandwich as well!
While I was finishing up the journal updates, Mama was off chatting on the phone. After she finished up, we headed towards Mission Space.
Had to talk to the hubby before we blasted off to Mars --- no idea when we'd be back!
WAIT. Test Track has a 10 minute single-rider line. We must stop! You don't get the full design process, but you get to choose some features, so that is fun. Mama came in 2nd place and I was in 4th place. It was a good ride! Plus, we were very lucky and happened to be placed in the same car anyway!
Mission Space was next. There was a whole lot of space gadgetry.
Plus a secure looking door.
And this thing.
What is my mission, Lieutenant Dan?
Our mission wasn't quite a success. I missed expanding the wings, so we had a computer override. Whoops. Thank goodness for technology! We made it home safe from Mars.
Just making a mental note that the duck should never be the navigator. I like to return from my trips as scheduled. We would still be looking for someone to ask for directions if she was our guide.... (tee hee hee)
I discovered something new inside this ride. I'm always so focused on the larger screen during the ride that I never look at the smaller screens during the ride. My lesson to you is to LOOK AT THE OTHER SCREENS. They also change during the ride! Very cool.
After returning safely, we walked out of Epcot and headed straight for the monorail. We were making our way to the Polynesian Resort!
The view from the monorail. Why can't I see this everyday on my commute?
Seriously. Wouldn't that be the greatest thing to see on your daily commute? Sure beats the same old buildings I see each day!
Which one were we dining at?
Random hut in the middle of the lobby.
I have seen so many pictures of this greenery section in the middle of the lobby. I always thought that pictures didn't do it justice. And that is completely right. To understand the idea of this lobby, you just have to experience it!
This is a nice place to rest. I could get used to this!
Hidden Mickey's in the carpet!
Those little Mickeys are just popping up all over the place!
Another view. It is so lush and beautiful.
Trying to get all artsy with the pictures. The bamboo doesn't mind, but that other guest is a bit perplexed.
The lobby is really stunning if you just take it all in.
After wandering the lobby, we went through the shops. We even took a peek in the Wyland Gallery, not that we could even consider buying anything. Luckily, the salesperson recognized that, but he still showed us some neat things.
He took a painting into the "viewing" room for us. You can place a painting that you are thinking of purchasing into a room that has dim-able lights, so you can see it in a variety of lighting levels. When you put this particular painting into the room at a lower light level, it looks like a real hand is coming through!
Just a few other paintings...
I'm so glad they didn't have a problem with us taking pictures!!!
They let us TAKE the pictures? Wish I would have known. But how did you ever fit it into your luggage? (ha ha ha ha ha ha )
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Happy Duck
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
feasting at 'Ohana!
We continued exploring the Polynesian.
We found this dude hanging out by the store.
But of course there is a stone statue hanging out. WDW wouldn't have the decor any other way. I wonder if he has a name? Should we call him Bob?
More lobby greenery pictures. Why? Because it's awesome!
LOVE this pic of the two of us.
This picture is very interesting and kind of weird too.
I remember that i wanted to grab a pic of you and then you turned and walked away so that is the result. Or maybe it is because you walk soooo fast?
This is very authentic looking. I love that Disney includes very authentic details in their decorating. They could use reproductions, but more often then not, they find the real deal.
Mickey and Minnie are getting into the Polynesian spirit!
For hula lessons just call 1-800-MICKEYS
The many dining experiences offered here at the Polynesian.
The ceiling. Of all things. I'm sure it is supposed to be a modern interpretation of palm leaves, but all I see is zebra print!
That was the top of the elevator as we journeyed around the Poly.
We walked around the store, and Mama finally found a dress that she's been looking for! Having sufficiently spent our time wisely wandering, it was now time to check in for our reservation----- 'Ohana!
We checked in early. Maybe 15 minutes early? Of course, you never get in right away. That's okay, though. We didn't mind. We had time to sample some adult beverages!
I went over to the bar. I felt a little ignored by the bartender for awhile. I get this from time to time. I don't "look" old enough to drink to some people so I often get ignored. Very annoying. And rude!
there were two guys tending bar and the one was quite friendly with some of the patrons. the other guy was picking up all the slack, but it was definitely a waiting game.
I did take a look at the menu book, but of course, I had only one drink in mind!
I'd waited a looooong time to try this little beauty. The Lapu Lapu! (It is rum and fruit juices.)
Of course, I had to post that to facebook...bragging rights were in effect. Plus, people were shocked to see me with an actual alcoholic beverage.
It was very tasty.
Mama had this:
It was one of the drink specials, A pina colava I believe. whatever it was, it was yummy in a glass.
We were called in about 6:40. Our ADR time was for 6:30, but we had checked-in early. Not too bad all around.
It was time for food!
If anyone has not been to 'Ohana, it is an all-you-can-eat meal. You feast on the following:
Welcome Bread
Honey Coriander Chicken Wings
Mixed Greens (aka salad)
Pork Fried Dumplings
Asian Barbecued Pork Loin
Marinated Sirloin Steak
Oak Grilled Chicken
Spicy Grilled Peel n Eat Shrimp
Egg Noodles
Stir Fried Vegetables
Ohana Bread Pudding
Now that you know the menu----enjoy our 'Ohana meal!
We were seated along the windows on the left hand side of the restaurant. If I leaned out to my right, I could just make out the castle out of the window. Not very convenient for a view, but that wasn't the point of this meal.
We started with the bread.
So yummy and moist it didn't require butter. But ya' know..... gotta' live a little!
It was tasty, but we tried to not fill up on it. We had much more on the horizon.
It wouldn't be the Poly without a tiki!
Salad. It was very light, even with the dressing. I enjoy that. Too often, restaurants dump dressing on their salads. I'm sure you could request "dressing on the side" if you wanted to.
Nope. Not happy at all.....
Salad is a must and this did not disappoint. The only problem is that the tummy can only hold so much food and I had to limit my portion.
Chicken wings and potstickers. I really enjoyed the potstickers. As far as the wings go, I was pleasantly surprised by the sauce. Much better than typical BBQ sauce. However, I'm not a huge fan of chicken wings in general, so I didn't go crazy over them.
Now....these noodles?
Yummmmmmmmmmm. So good. Whatever sauce/seasoning is on them, it is perfect. I couldn't care less about the vegetables.
Now onto the meat!
Chicken- this was my favorite! It was very tender and flavorful.
Yup, I agree. My favorite protein on the table was the chicken. The pork was a little chewy and the steak was very tasty. But the chicken? It was the winner!
This guy came out and did a little interactive show with the kids. It was kind of cute, but I was glad that we were off the "parade route" and back away from the action.
Mid feasting...
Just a light meal for two.
Half a pineapple!
And by the end of the meal that half of the pineapple was empty!
Apparently, I didn't get pictures of the pork or steak. The steak was okay but the pork was not good. We were not fans. We didn't bother getting the shrimp. We don't eat shrimp anyway.
We got extra potstickers before the end of the meal. They came on a plate with extra chicken wings even though we didn't ask for them. That led us to wonder what they do with all of this extra food! We only wanted a potsticker or two apiece, not a whole table serving. How many people do the same thing? Every single day? All year?
Dessert time!
Cue the heavenly angels singing. I literally wrote in my journal "My mouth has been missing this."
This blew away all of our expectations. It was truly an incredible dessert. Very creamy, rich, and just overall delicious. We were in love.
Oh. My.
Pass me a napkin please.
Pass me a napkin please.
We finished up, paid with our Tables in Wonderland card, and rolled our way out.
We certainly got our money's worth with the TIW card. This trip alone saved us a bunch.
A blurry picture of the open kitchen... I'm glad that we were seated far away from this kitchen. It was very warm next to the fire (obviously...)
I need to learn to fully stop and take pictures. I was trying to be sneaky,but that obviously wasn't a good idea. Oh well. You get the general idea.
Where should we go now? Back to Magic Kingdom of course!!!
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Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
