So very sorry for anyone who was reading my Trip Report that I didn't finish it sooner. I have another TR to write, and a PTR, so I'm going to finish this one and then start my next TR, from November 2014. So enjoy!
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012 It was time for a park we hadn't yet visited - ANIMAL KINGDOM! I love this park, it's so different from the other parks, and so beautiful in my opinion.
We had to stop and admire the tree.
We first got our FastPasses (with the old system) for Kilimanjaro Safari, then went to Expedition Everest and rode it twice, there was no line! This was my first time riding it, I absolutely loved it! We realized that the back is more intense. Overall, what a fun ride!
Next up was Dinosaur - this is a favorite of J's, he loves anything with dinosaurs (as evidenced by that photo of him in Jurassic Park). I, however, do not like Dinosaur, and I was reminded why - the only thing I enjoy is Phylicia Rashad at the beginning. The ride itself is much too rough for me to enjoy it. Just a personal preference.
Back to KS for the safari! Our driver wasn't the best, but we still had an awesome safari ride.
Next up - Finding Nemo the Musical! This was a first for all of us but one, and we all really enjoyed it! J took one of my favorite photos from this trip while we were waiting for the musical to start...
G, S and me showing our best fish faces.
Then it was on to lunch at the Flaming Tree BBQ. I had the ribs platter, so good! One of my favorite CS locations in all the parks.
We had to of course see It's Tough to be a Bug, not new to any of us, but we like it. However, the little boy sitting next to us did not like it and became so upset that his mother took him out of the theater in the middle of the show when it was (spoiler alert) pitch black, climbing over us. Not the best show for little ones, there were several who were crying.
Since it was a fairly warm day, we decided to brave the Kali River Rapids next! We all got wet, but J and G bore the brunt of it. But we were all smiles afterwards!
Next Up... Back to the Magic Kingdom! Then a special last-night dinner at California Grill.
Day 4, Part 2 - Back to the Magic Kingdom, and a special dinner!
We caught a bus from AK to MK and were back on Main Street USA in no time!
Since we were already wet from the Kali River Rapids, we decided to add to it and go on Splash Mountain! This is my favorite attraction in the MK and in my top 2 at WDW, so I was so excited! G and J were in the front and got totally soaked! I loved every second of it.
Next up - Jungle Cruise! And what a way to start, with a smiling skipper!
After the fun cruise, I had to satisfy my craving - back to Aloha Isle for another Dole Whip! I had my very first Dole Whip on Day 1, oh what a heavenly experience! I once again got the soft serve pineapple and vanilla (why mess with perfection?). Amazing.
Next up - BTMRR! It was better than I remembered, it had been at least 12 years since I'd ridden it. Why oh why did I stay away so long?
We grabbed FastPasses to Under the Sea (fairly new at that time and very popular), then waited in one of the longest lines for the Enchanted Tales with Belle. This was very new and very popular! This isn't the greatest photo of me, but it gives you an idea of how long the line was.
I loved all the details to this attraction. It seemed a little awkward at the end to have everyone wait while all the 'actors' got photos with Belle - I'm not sure if this has changed yet or not, but we were getting antsy to move on. But overall, we really liked it!
Back to Under the Sea to use our FastPasses - this was a new attraction to me. As a big Little Mermaid fan, I enjoyed all of the scenes and the queue, but I felt it was a little lacking in imagination.
We headed toward Tomorrowland to ride Space Mountain! On the way, I took this photo of the back of the castle - so pretty, all decorated for Christmas.
Space Mountain was terrific, as always!
It was time to head back to AOA to prepare for our big evening out! We all showered and had some adult beverages - I just love that kitchenette in the suites at AOA! So handy.
We decided to take a bus to MK and then walk to the Contemporary for our dinner at California Grill. When we boarded the bus at AOA for the MK, we had the entire bus to ourselves! We struck up a conversation with our awesome bus driver, Bridgette - she heard our dinner plans, radioed the dispatcher, and dropped us off right in front of the Contemporary! Thanks for the magic, Bridgette! What a great start to the evening.
We were all looking pretty spiffy. I love this photo of us all.
We had a wonderful meal. I should have written this TR soon after our trip, then I could go into detail. We had some sushi appetizers, plenty of great drinks, and yummy entrees. Oh, and G must have his dessert, so he and I split something chocolate. In the middle of dinner, it was time for Wishes outside! Our waiter clued us in that there are actually 2 areas to go outside, so he showed us to the lesser crowded one. What an experience! I teared up, it was all absolutely wonderful and magical.
We weren't ready to call it a night yet, so we walked over to the MK after we finished our dinner and took a bus to the Boardwalk. I had never walked through the Boardwalk Inn, it was very pretty! And all decked out for the holidays.
We had one round of drinks at Atlantic Dance Hall and danced a bit, but it was totally dead - not even 10 people in the place. We walked along an empty Boardwalk. There was a $12 cover to go in the piano bar, so we decided to pass. We wandered around more, enjoying the views.
We cabbed it back to AOA and then called it a night! What a long but fantastic last full day for us all!
Next Up... We say goodbye to G, then S, J and I hit 2 more parks before heading home on Day 5!
G had to leave early to get back home for work, so we woke up and sent him off, then packed and checked our bags in for the ME later that day. S, J and I were on a mission - we had 2 parks to hit before we had to be back at AOA for the ME late that afternoon! The bus lines were crazy, and the buses were taking so long, so we made the decision to grab a taxi to DHS, our first stop of the day.
Not too crowded for mid-morning!
I had yet to ride my favorite attraction in this park, and also in my Top 2 attractions overall at WDW...
I love it so much! S was ready to ride it with me. J wanted to ride Rock 'n Roller Coaster, so we split up - not enough time for us all to ride both. Plus, I think J isn't the biggest fan of TOT. I forgive him.
Me being cheesy scared in the hotel lobby...
It is SUCH a fantastic attraction, from the time you start walking up to it until you leave! I love it so much. I already wrote that, didn't I? That's how much I love it.
We next hit one of our other faves...
I so love the Muppets. I hope Frozen doesn't take this over like it has taken over the MuppetVision 3D at Disneyland now. I digress...
Those were the only attractions we had time for, because we had a plan! We caught a bus to the TTC, then a monorail to the MK. We headed straight for Be Our Guest restaurant! It was around 11:00 AM, we had a 30-minute wait until it opened for lunch. It was warm, and we entertained ourselves.
S is the beast - get it? We thought it was funny at the time.
I ordered the Croque Monsieur and the triple chocolate cupcake. J had the steak sandwich. Now keep in mind that this was November 2012, but we were not at all impressed with our food. My cupcake was watery, my sandwich was just ok. J's steak sandwich was dry. But the rooms were absolutely breathtaking, that atmosphere can't be beat.
We headed to one of J's absolute favorites and one we'd already ridden on Day 1, but why not go for another visit to the Haunted Mansion? Always a goodie!
We then experienced the Enchanted Tiki Room. Now, I don't know why, but I have no recollection of experiencing this attraction as a child when we would come to WDW. I later asked my parents, and they confirmed we didn't go in it. I absolutely loved it! I fell in love with all those birds and tiki gods and flowers. Wow! This is now on my must-do list for every WDW trip.
Next up, another of J's must-do's, and a crowd fave - POTC once again. I then talked J into riding It's a Small World with me. He's a good sport. We then rode Peter Pan, always special. And finally, we went shopping on Main Street on our way out of the MK. We caught the end of the band's performance.
We glumly left the MK and got a bus back to AOA, picked up our carry-on bags we had stored there, and waited on the ME. Our fabulous 5-day WDW trip was coming to an end.
Until next time, WDW! Thanks for the magic and the memories!
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