Disjointed Kitsch

I’ve been to EPCOT and Magic Kingdom multiple times but Animal Kingdom (slide show) was completely new for all of us. We arrived mid-morning to a light crowd and were able to ride the “don’t miss” attractions without using FASTPass with the exception of the Safari. Expedition Everest was fun but the vote was still for Rockin’ Roller Coaster as the best. We skipped the River Raft ride as the guide book indicated a drenching would happen. We’re into being dry today.

The mini-mouse trap type roller coaster in Dinoland USA was unexpectidly fun. As a bonus, Hannah ran into another friend from home. The Donosaur expeditiontrack/simulator ride was fun but not intense as the guide book would lead us to believe.

Lunch was at the counter service Yak and Yeti. Good but expensive for a counter service. The safari expedition and the treck though the nature trail were unexpectly well recieved. We all enjoyed the animal exhibits, especialy the gorillas which who were active later in the day.

It’s A Bus Life was great! Another piece of Disney 3D magic enjoyed by all. Lots of sensory input beyond just visual. We headed home around 3:30 ish due to darkening clouds. We were lucky as it started to rain later in the evening.

We attempted to go to Downtown Disney again but turned back after getting drenched as we navigated the entrance area. We were attempting to meet another of Hannah’s friends to take to DisenyQuest but the rain and wind forced us back on the bus. We dined at the resort restraunt, again expensive but good.

Pedometer reading for Animal Kingdom: 10,621 (~ 5 miles)

More of a laid back day today. We’re headed to Tyhpoon Lagoon  (slide show) to relax, catch some rays, cool off and enjoy some water rides. It took for flipping ever to find a spot and we were there just 40 minutes after the park opened! Guess if you’re going to go, be there when it opens if you want a spot with a lounge chair.

Hannah and I spent the first 2+ hours riding all the slides and rides which were enjoyable without scaring the crap out of me. I liked the speed slides the best. The Crishin’ Gusher was good as well. The other “raft� rides were OK but didn’t get me worked up like the speed slides. Yvette and Hannah cooled off in the HUGE surf pool. The waves were simply enormous!

By 3 PM we were ready to go. That Florida sun can take a lot out of you in a short amount of time even if you’re doing about nothing. We all took an afternoon nap, had Bubba Burgers and Tater Tots for dinner (third “at home dinner� in a row) and then were at Hollywood Studios (slide show) park for Monday’s Extra Magic Hours. We took in the Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Roller Coaster both of which were extremely well done. Best rides so far. A tour around the Great Movie Ride and we were ready to call it a night. We skipped Fantasmic! but got dinner reservations for Wednesday so we can see the show without the 1.5 hour suggested wait time.

I did not count steps at Typhoon Lagoon since my pedometer isn’t water proof. Lots of stairs in addition to walking. The lines were short so I climbed a lot of steps quickly.

Pedometer step count for Hollywood Studios: 5,309 (~2.7 miles).

Still the happiest place on earth! I haven’t been to the Magic Kingdom (slide show) since November of ’91 with my then two year old son. It’s changed a lot, but the attractions that I remember from my youth in Florida and even from when I visited Disney Land at age are still there - Dumbo, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean. Of course we rode the more adult rides with my 13 year old daughter - Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain. I did make her go on the Pooh ride just because I can.

Still, for some reason it seemed “smaller� this time. Oh the castle is still big and most things seem oversized, but my memories from being a youth in this happy place built it up to be larger than life. Now it seems relatively normal in scale. Age and perspective I guess.

Still it was a fun day. Lots to do, see and remember. As I rode the daughter-maligned Pooh ride (which really wasn’t as great as the guide book made it out to be), I felt like a kid again by simply enjoying the fun of it all. No work worries, no pressure, no daily grind to think about. Just seeing Pooh and his pals having a great time and enjoying it with them.

We left earlier in the day and opted to use our Extra Magic Hours as resort guests from 8-11 PM to return to the roller coaster mountains just one more time.

Oh, we did end up meeting some friends from Keene purely by chance outside Space Mountain at about 9:30 AM! Talk about pure luck! Out of all the people in the park that AM and of all the places we could have been, we saw people we knew from our own small New Hampshire town there. Guess the Magic still works, but all day there will make your magically tired!

Pedometer step count for Magic Kingdom: 22,780 (~11.4 miles)

I’m up at 7:15 this morning determined to get this group moving so we can be there by opening at 9 AM. Want to get a jump on the major rides there before the crowd sets in. I’m ready by 8 AM, but everyone else is dragging - ok, we’re on vacation so I’ll settle down.

We wait at the stop for what seems like forever. There are plenty of Disney Transport buses, just none to EPCOT (slide show). After about half-hour of waiting, one arrives. After more stops in Old Key West, we arrive at EPCOT around 10 AM - an hour after opening.. ok, ok, we’re on vacation…

First thing is to hope the tickets I purchased through Undercover Tourist work. After inserting the ticket and pressing my index finger down, I’m in! Guess they work after all. We all head around Spaceship Earth (man this place has changed since I was here last in Nov of ‘91) and toward the FastTrack - 40 minutes wait so we decide to try FastPass and move onto Mission Space - a 30 minute wait that takes most of that. We opt for the “green side” which is billed as “less intense” than the orange side. It an interesting simulator ride but we all feel we could do the “orange” one. Couple of pit stops and some looking around and it’s time to head to the Fast Track with our FastPass.

We’re in line for less than 15 minutes and into the boarding area. FastPass for me. The ride’s OK, the best part is outside - really zoom around out there. By the time we get off it’s starting to sprinkle hard so we head indoors to shop and wait out the rain. Eventually we move over to “The Land” to check out “Soarin’” - a 50 minute wait.. FastPass again .. UGGG.. 4 PM. OK, lunch break. Then walking in raindrops and downpours around the World Showcase window shopping.

We take in O’ Canada! Maelstrom in Norway. Easy rides that get us out of the rain. Mexico has a Margarita stand that’s just what I want. We decide to try out the “orange side” of Mission Space and it does give us some motion sickness.. perhaps it was the Margarita. More shopping and walking and it’s time to head to Soarin’ - which is flipping AWSOME. Well worth the 3+ hour time walking around the park.

We pick up another Margarita (line is longer now and the only one I’m really interested in waiting in) a snack or two, more shopping and then it’s time to go. A quick ride back on the bus and we’re ready for a quick dinner and some decompression. But.. my bag’s not here but I call the bell service and to my surprise they have it!!! Ya! I can get on the computer and charge my cell phone.

Gonna try and get some sleep since we’re at the Magic Kingdom tomorrow and it’s going to be a long day.

I’m keeping my pedometer with me. EPCOT touring was 18,066 steps or a little over 9 miles. That should work off that Swiss Chocolate I got at the Germany pavilion!

Todays day 1 of our Disney World vacation! We caught the 7:30 AM flight out of Boston (they de-iced the plane before we took off) and 3.5 hours later we’re in sunny, warm and sticky Orlando. It’s good to be warm. The trip to Old Key West Resort via the Magical Express bus was enjoyable and once here we were in our room almost immidately instead of the normal 4 PM time! The groceries I ordered from Green Grocer a few days earlier arrived as ordered within the hour. Since our luggage would arrive later we settled in mimimaly and then headed to Downtown Disney via the Disney Transport system The trip was reasonabally quick  - we’re close to DTD and we didn’t wait long at the stop.

First stop in DTD was to eat since it was passed lunch. We dined at Rainforest Cafe which was nice. Food was typical Rainforest fare that we had when we were in Cancun a couple of years ago. Next stop was the pin store for pin trading stuff - evidnely this is something my daughter has heard about. From there we enjoyed the sunny day and window shopped our way across DTD through the club area and on to the West Side. Along the way we met a “cast member” from Long Beach, NY from whom we swapped our first pins! Scoped out the Harley store, the giant Virgin Record store and the House of Blues. Took a water taxi back to the resort.

Our luggage was in our room - well most of it. I was missing a garmet bag that had Yvette’s bathing suit, some shoes and electornic cables for the computer, cell phone, ipod, etc.. Oh no!! I called the bell services so they could start looking for it.

We’d been up since 3:45 AM in Boston and it was closing in on 9:30 PM so we all turned in early so we could enjoy our day at EPCOT tomorrow.