Dec 2010: Mayhem Invades Disney World!!!

[MmeLeota]

Cbog40 loved those tiger pics!!!
Are you sure Skipper never belonged to Jacca? Sounds like they'd get along!

[mindflipper]

This tigger is awake and on the move...And we'll be moving along now

I thought I saw a puddy cat! I did! I did!

Great shot, Amy! And I loved the shots of the owl too.

[Polynesian Princess]

I love the detail shots of the Tree of Life! I'm amazed at all of the animals - there were quite a few I've never noticed!

I've gotten wet on only one side on Kali before. You have to be sitting on next to the people who get the big ones and get the right rotations so you don't get any of the big ones.

[Amy]

I love the detail shots of the Tree of Life! I'm amazed at all of the animals - there were quite a few I've never noticed!

I've gotten wet on only one side on Kali before. You have to be sitting on next to the people who get the big ones and get the right rotations so you don't get any of the big ones.

It was hard for me to judge how wet I would get since I was on with a father and his son who were on their second or third time around, and a couple of kids who were on their fourth or fifth time around. They were all completely soaked from having gone through that many times in a row
They all wanted me to put my phone in the "dry" box in the center of the raft. The only problem is the "dry" box hadn't been closed so it was wetter in there than under my shirt which is where I decided to tuck it to keep it relatively dry.

[Polynesian Princess]

Was that the first time you had been on it? You're definitely going to get wet and going to get soaked too most of the time as well. Those kids were probably soaked the first or second time they rode it - the rest of it was just fun! That's how my husband and I do it - we'll ride it back to back to back since we're already soaked anyways.

Yeah, the dry box usually does get some water in it, but it's probably usually the better bet than your shirt because your in trouble if the wave chooses to come over your head.

[mindflipper]

Sounds like you need to take along a large ziploc bag to hold your valuables (such as cell phone) while "dry box" is getting soaked...

[Mousekedude]

Great pictures again, Amy! I'd swear some of those were actually mine (chuckle). Seriously, though, we did take a lot of similar pictures. Keep 'em coming!

Mouseoholic and I always use hooded ponchos on KRR, but we still sometimes get wet. And yeah, the "dry" box is usually anything but....

[Amy]

Great pictures again, Amy! I'd swear some of those were actually mine (chuckle). Seriously, though, we did take a lot of similar pictures. Keep 'em coming!

Mouseoholic and I always use hooded ponchos on KRR, but we still sometimes get wet. And yeah, the "dry" box is usually anything but....

Thanks M-dude. I thought the same thing when I was looking at your photos ~ I think that is why we got along so well, we think a lot alike

Sounds like you need to take along a large ziploc bag to hold your valuables (such as cell phone) while "dry box" is getting soaked...

I think that is an excellent idea mindflipper. I will have to remember to tuck a ziploc in the backpack for the next trip!

[Amy]

Amy and F1gment ~ Day 10 continued

After Nemo we wanted to go catch the safari, but we ended up getting caught in the parade...twice! I had taken photos of the parade when we were at AK earlier on this trip so I only snapped a few photos. Here are just a few...anybody else find the parade floats a bit on the unusual side here at the AK?



This one is especially odd!




Yup, still weird on this side too!



More sights and scenery on the way to the safari...






This was a terrible time to try to take photos with the light becoming quite dim, but I do love these African crowned cranes...


Once we got to the safari, we were toward the end of the line and there were no wheelchair spots left on the safari vehicle that was leaving. Mom definitely did not want to try riding in the regular benches again as the last safari ride had left her back much worse, so we opted to wait for another safari vehicle. We ended up with a private tour!! This was awesome as the CM, after confirming that we had already been on the safari before, and we didn't mind, ended up just talking with us and sharing different tidbits of interesting info instead of the "spiel" He seemed to enjoy being able to go off script as well.




Just like the Jungle Cruise!



I miss seeing the pelicans up close like you could when they were on Discovery Island.



I credit Animal Kingdom for my knowledge of the Thompson's Gazelle "go fast stripe" I immediately recognized these little guys when I was over in Africa!



All the animals were kind of winding down for the day ~ we didn't see a lot of them out this late in the afternoon.


The elephants were heading back to the doors to go backstage for the night...




We actually saw the cheetah at his most active we have ever seen him though...


Mom will probably not like me too well for sharing this photo, but yup, we closed out that section of the park. All the CM's seemed happy to escort us out, plus they all received an extra 15 minutes on their time card...


One of the few real baobab trees in AK


A few shots on the way out...




Pretty with the late afternoon sunlight hitting the branches...



I really think these lady bug lamps are cute ~ and even cuter when lit up at night!


A few Christmas decorations for WeWantsTheRedhead...



We loved all the birds that were coming to roost in the trees...





And here is my answer to Mousekdude's cute little squirrel photo ~ yes, we have tons of these furry critters running around our home in Michigan, but this is a Florida squirrel! Awwww!


So ends the first part of our day at the Animal Kingdom...next up...the Magic Kingdom!

[Polynesian Princess]

Sounds like you need to take along a large ziploc bag to hold your valuables (such as cell phone) while "dry box" is getting soaked...

Another option if you forget a ziploc is a gift shop bag. It won't zip, but as long as it's not too full, you can fold the bag around so that it will keep it dry.

Mouseoholic and I always use hooded ponchos on KRR, but we still sometimes get wet.

We've started doing that too. We buy them for $1 at Walmart and my husband will carry one for each of us in his pockets. It keeps us from being miserably drenched and then we just pass them on to someone standing in line who wants them. Last trip, we were on a lively raft where everyone was joking around the whole time (and we got to go around twice because one of the men begged the cm's and used his first visit pin to his advantage ). They kept making fun of us about our ponchos and how we should "take one for the team" because we had those, but of course we never got the biggest waves. Then at the end of the rides, one of the men said (in his thick British accent) "Look at you! Not a drop!" even though I showed him my whole right leg was wet.

[Amy]

Amy and F1gment ~ Day 10 continued
So, Animal Kingdom had closed and we were off to the Magic Kingdom. Off to the TTC we did go...and there was a decision to be made. Which conveyance should we take...nope, not this one...wrong park...


Not this one, too crowded!


So, we took this one!



We arrived to a really packed MK. We fought our way back to the Harbor House restaurant but once again found no accessible seating. So, we battled our way back to Main Street, found Mom a good spot to park for the parade and I went to get her a hot dog at Casey's.

The castle is so beautiful at night!




In Casey's I wondered why it smelled soooo bad Then I spotted it! The dreaded sauerkraut Right out in the open ~ with nothing to stifle it's stinkiness


Unfortunately I am not a fan of hot dogs, so I didn't get anything for myself even though I stood in a really long line at Casey's. It was getting late though so I decided I might like pizza for dinner. So I ran back to Pinnochio's to get some supper to bring back to Main Street.

While I was leaning over the railing taking this photo, people were stopping and looking over to see what I was finding photo-worthy. They looked down, looked back at me, looked back down, looked back at me, looked back down, looked back at me, shrugged and finally moved along


It was super crowded in the castle walk through but I still managed to snap this one photo...


After standing in yet another long food line, I struggled to carry the tray with pizza, side salad, drink and "dessert" yogurt back to Main Street. It was really windy and I was fighting a losing battle trying to keep my napkins and food and drink on the tray in the bumping elbows, crowded park so I finally gave up and sat down to eat my salad. I picked an out of the way window ledge to perch on and munched on my salad while watching some very hyper children and a weary father. They were running in circles, hopping up and down in the landscaping and ledges and coming ever so precariously closer to my dinner. He kept checking his watch and at one point muttered "where is your mother" I was thinking the same thing! I finished my salad and felt up to balancing the pizza and yogurt the rest of the way to Main Street. The pizza was unfortunately not very tasty so I turned with some anticipation to the yogurt until I noticed it was light yogurt. Bleh. I really don't like artificial sweeteners, but especially not in my yogurt. I tried to give the unopened yogurt away to a few people that had been chatting with Mom in the waiting area but there were no takers so I ended up eating it. I still don't like light yogurt, but at least it would keep me from starving later
The friendly CM's in charge of the disabled viewing area came along and made us move 3" to our left which left me with about 12" to stand in and no shuffling space. I experienced that lovely European closeness with this parade. As soon as the parade started I had a video camera stuck in the side of my face. It stayed there for. the. entire. parade. But, ever the trooper, I persevered and got some more photos of the MSEP I have more photos if anyone wants to see something in particular...just ask!









After being sandwiched in for so long, Mom and I were both ready for a bathroom break. By the time we battled over there and made it through the line we only had 8 minutes until the fireworks So we settled for watching from over by Casey's. Not the ideal location with the crowds and trees, but we saw most of the show ok.

[dichuy]

Amy, What wonderful photos you take!! I'm eating them all up. I can't believe you looked for my brick lol, and so generous to post a pic, how very thoughtful of you. Glad to braved the water to visit yours . I had forgotten how long of a trip you had!

Less than 48 hours to go and I can hardly stand it now. The last two days always seem the most difficult.

[Amy]

Amy, What wonderful photos you take!! I'm eating them all up. I can't believe you looked for my brick lol, and so generous to post a pic, how very thoughtful of you. Glad to braved the water to visit yours . I had forgotten how long of a trip you had!

Less than 48 hours to go and I can hardly stand it now. The last two days always seem the most difficult.

Thanks dichuy! Your brick was easy to find with the wonderful directions you gave me. It was sort of fun to "know" another brick at WDW!
48 hours ~ getting very close now isn't it?!?!

[Amy]

Amy and F1gment ~ Day 10 the conclusion
Mom decided she had a long enough day at this point and headed back to the hotel. I stayed to take advantage of the EMH. Here are a few of my favorite nighttime photos from the rest of my evening at the MK.



Pirates of the Caribbean is so much shorter than DL


Splash Mountain was very chilly this evening!


Country Bear Jamboree was up next. I have more of the lobby pictures if anyone is interested in one in particular...




Somebody was wondering about the wandering eyes in CBJ, I suppose they were a little off but I don't know what ones are meant to be that way for the characters themselves








Big Thunder Mountain Railroad


Then I was off to the Haunted Mansion




Somehow the bride's face does not look quite right on her in this photo...




Peter Pan's flight was still packed and had a 35 minute wait time posted, so I skipped that



A tea party sounded like a fabulous idea on this evening when it was chilly enough to see your own exhaled breath
I can't complain too much though since it had been up to 68 with lots and lots of sun during the day




Even the castle looked all white and icy tonight!


The speedway was fun at night...


Off to the Astro-Orbitor ~ I saw a guy in a Theme Park Review sweatshirt in the elevator but I didn't ask him about it. Once I found subsonic, I realized that I am mostly interested in just one brand of theme park ~ Disney. Since I'm not real active on TPR, I was pretty sure I wouldn't have known him anyhow...






I took a little time to battle the evil Emperor Zurg



Decision time ~ Monster's Laugh Floor or Stitch. I chose Stitch since I was pretty sure F1gment would not want to go see Stitch, but she might want to see MLF. The last show started at 1 am and that was also the time the park closed so this would finish up my chilly evening at the MK




I used up a snack credit to buy a hot cocoa so I could maybe feel my fingers after holding it for awhile!
I watched the kiss goodnight at the castle and scurried off to the bus stop. A bus was pulling away just as I was getting close, but another bus came along mere minutes later. That got me back to the hotel about 2 am.

An interesting side note to today. I downloaded photos every night and I had been averaging about 500 photos per day. This day however, with the parade and fireworks and everything else fun going on, I came in at 1370 pictures!

[Polynesian Princess]

Love the photos as always! I think the last firework picture is my favorite.

That is a lot of photos!