"Can I Get A Hangover Steak, Please?" An Adults-Only, Irma-Rific TR! - NEW PTR Link 4/11

[Mollydolly334]

Joining in here, am really enjoying your trip report!

I love all the pictures from when you and your sister were little,so cute! I always try to take a moment to get some good pics each trip, as time passes so quickly! And there are certain shots i love to get each trip, like the gardens in front of le cellier.

Yes it's very scary to be in the path of close to or Even Near the path of a hurricane. We always go in August and the threat of a hurricane is there. We stayed during hurricane Irene years ago which was nothing compared to irma, it passed by Orlando and I think made landfall in the Carolinas . But the outer bands gave us a ton of rain. The only August trip where I only got to swim in the pool once!

Anyways, can't wait to read more! marina

Hi Marina! Thanks so much for joining in!!

It was pretty scary knowing that a hurricane was nearing Florida, especially since we are from the Midwest so we know NOTHING about hurricanes! It definitely makes me pause at going in September again (although we love September because of the low prices and crowds). It was certainly an adventure, which you will soon read about

That's what I got on my last trip! It was waaay too sweet for me (I finished it anyway - can't waste alcohol!)



But they didn't drag a hippo for me! That sounds so fun!



Beautiful shot! Really captures the ambiance of the Poly and makes me excited for my first stay there



This is what I do! Extra fun when they release the holiday pins for the resorts because it kind of commemorates the season as well!



Absolutely!



Great question... I was thinking of something like Hoop Dee Doo - pretty classic food, and it's a family experience that brings everyone together, in my mind.

We loooove Trader Sam's, pretty sure it will turn into an every-trip tradition now! SO excited for you for your first stay at the Poly! It is so magical there; you will absolutely love it!

We have never tried Hoop Dee Doo but it is definitely on our list! We've tried the Luau over at the Poly a few times, so maybe next time.

Trader Sams seems like so much fun! I think I will absolutely be trying to get there next year!

I do the same thing! Well, I only have 2 so far-should add another 3 next year! I also get ornaments from every resort!

It is amazing, you DEFINITELY should! You'd love it!

Ahhh, the ornament idea is so cool. You'll have to let me know how a split-stay goes. Mom and I are intrigued but haven't pulled the trigger just yet!

Yayyyyyyyyy an update! I love the Poly too, we are staying there when my family comes down to FL (they come down 4x a year) and I CAN'T wait!

What a fun update! I love all the food and drink photos

I live in the path (direct path) of Irma, and it wasn't fun. I am glad you guys decided to stick together!

Thanksgiving dinner at Disney??! Hmmm....not sure....maybe just eating and drinking around the world? That is my favorite things ever, but I'm more of a snacker then a meal person at Disney

The Poly is the best! Lots of people don't like the dated feeling, but is it weird that that's one of my favorite parts of it??

Oh no, I hope everything turned out okay for you with Irma! We were really worried about the coast

Hmmm, snacks around the world for Thanksgiving? I like it!

It smells like tropical fruits and coconut and I think a little vanilla.





I think I'm going to start this tradition on our next trip. I always love pins but I never want to wear them on a lanyard or trade them.


If that doesn't put you into a good mood IDK what will.


Liberty Tree is definitely a good choice! I think a signature like California Grill or Citrico's would also be a nice alternative to traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

I don't wear a lanyard or trade pins either! They are like memories to me! I just have them all pinned onto a cork board hanging in my room

I've never been to either restaurant, but California Grill is in my top 5 to try next trip!

I used to watch that movie all the time



I asked Josh this the other day! There's so many places that all have special Thanksgiving meals I don't know if I could choose.



That movie is ALWAYS playing like every night we're on vacation I think back in May it was on every night and we ended up watching part of it. I saw it in theaters, but every time it was on tv it was already halfway in when we turned the tv on.

Haha, 50 First Dates is a classic!

You know, it's funny because I was reading Katie's TR from a few years ago and they watched Crazy Stupid Love as well! I wonder if Disney has a share in that movie or something?

Yes my choice would be this. Loved your update and thee mono rail story. LOL

Haha, with the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake instead of pie for dessert! Thanks, the monorail situation definitely humbled me a bit

What a fun day! One of these days we need to try to make it to Trader Sams also!

Our choice for Thanksgiving Dinner the last few times has actually been Boma. They have a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with traditional stuff as well as a variety of other foods. It's worked out well and we will probably eat there next year!

You guys will love Trader Sam's! It's perfect for all ages!

That's cool, I never knew that Boma did a Thanksgiving feast! We got our fill of Boma this trip, as you'll see later!

Your time at Trader Sams sounds SO fun! I really need to make it over there one day!

I'm glad everyone enjoyed Ohana! I agree that it would make a great Thanksgiving meal

YES, you would love Trader Sam's! It's really a gem.

O'hana was a trip favorite for the boys; and it's just like Thanksgiving in the fact that you wanted to go to sleep directly after

Trader Sams is on my list for March!!!!

Yay!!! You'll have to let me know how you like it

Great trip report! Definitely following .

and thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying it

I'm excited that we've booked Ohana for dinner for our upcoming trip! Maybe we can sneak in a visit to Trader Sam's too! Your trip looks amazing so far. Can't wait for more!!

Thank you so much!! O'hana and Trader Sam's is a perfect combination; you can't go wrong with that!

Remind me what day of the week this day was? I was there same time and drove home to Nashville right before Irma. So just trying to compare our days.

I would say Liberty Tree Tavern would be my choice for a Thanksgiving meal. I have to have Turkey on Thanksgiving.

This was Thursday, September 7th!

I agree with you there, it feels odd not having traditional food on Thanksgiving! Although we do always order Chinese takeout on Christmas Day, it's been a tradition for my family

Trader Sam's is such a fun place! Glad everyone enjoyed it.

I haven't been to any of Disney's signature restaurants, so Ohana still tops the list of my favorites. We ate there this past January with two of our daughters and their families. We were seated at a large round table near the windows with a fabulous view of the castle. It was one of those moments in life where you stop and think, "It doesn't get much better than this!"

I think Ohana would be a great place for Thanksgiving dinner, but considering Liberty Tree Tavern has turkey on the menu, I would probably try to go there.

We loved Trader Sam's!

Ahhh, so jealous that you got a seat right by the window at O'hana We've never been that close before, maybe next time we'll request a spot with a castle view and wait a bit longer!

I love The Poly and Ohana, I have yet to see Trader Sam’s, looks like a great place. We just got back from Disney and we had Thanksgiving dinner at Yak and Yeti, we loved it and AK was so fun on the holiday.

It's so much fun, you and Andi would love it! It's really kitschy and screams "Disney" to me

How fun!! I haven't eaten at Yak and Yeti yet, but Haley and Ryan did on their last trip and loved it! It's definitely on my list to try

What a great update. All the drinks at Trader Sam's looked so delicious. Top the evening off at O'hana's I mean it doesn't get much better than that.

Thank you!! It was the perfect end to a wonderful day


Ahhh, I love it too! The Eva Cassidy version gives me ALL of the feels

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 3: Part 1- “I Bless The Rains Down In Africa!”

Ahhh, this song is such a jam! Well, after hearing this song, it should be no surprise where we’re off to this morning…


Animal Kingdom!!





I’m going to preface our day with this:


This was, by far, my favorite day of the trip. It’s kind of strange; the two parks we went to on this day are numbers 3 and 4 when I rank the parks! Also, this is the day where stuff started to hit the fan and Irma was beginning to wreak havoc on our plans.


But, for some reason, this day just sticks out as an amazing Disney day! The few days prior, I was in major tour-guide mode. I was trying to show Tom ALL OF THE DISNEY THINGS, and as a result, I put a lot of pressure on myself to make things “perfect.” But, I think what made things so great today was that I knew for a fact that our vacation was not going to go exactly to plan, so I could just relax and let it happen! It honestly flipped a switch in me for the whole trip; instead of being an over-planner, I went with the flow and had the attitude, “There’s always next time!”


We all woke up at about 8:45, well-rested and ready to go! These were our plans for the day:


FP +

Tower of Terror- 2:05- 3:05 PM

Star Tours- 3:15- 4:15 PM

Toy Story Midway Mania- 4:15- 5:15


ADRs

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater- 5:15 PM

Beaches and Cream- 10:00 PM


The plan was to spend the morning and eat lunch at Animal Kingdom, then head over to Hollywood Studios for the rest of the night before a late dessert on the Boardwalk! Dad decided to skip out on our Animal Kingdom morning in favor of the pool, so Haley, Ryan, Tom, Mom and I headed out at 9:50! The busses from AKL to Animal Kingdom were great all trip; we boarded one immediately and were there by 10:00.


I had a healthy breakfast of Strawberry Pop-Tarts on the bus ( ), but we were in need of caffeine. We stopped at a Joffrey’s cart just outside the entrance and got two iced coffees to share.


As we were sipping on our coffee, we decided to check out the shops by the entrance!





Mom felt very proud of her safari-esque outfit today! She always says that one of these days, she’s going to buy some clothes/accessories at Animal Kingdom because they always have the cutest stuff!





Not to mention, it’s a pretty photogenic park


A Photopass CM snapped a shot of us all together!





Just missing Dad! He also managed to get my favorite photo of the whole trip…





I love this picture! We all just look so happy and loving life at Disney I really like how Photopass is starting to have props and magic shots to add some extra “oomph.” This is my Facebook profile picture!


Haley and Ryan were itching to get a look at Pandora, so that’s where we headed first!








WOW! These pictures do not do it justice. Pandora is seriously impressive; the floating rocks are super cool and everything is so detailed. Although Pandora is beautiful, I wasn’t as enamored with it as others have been. I think that it’s a bit out-of-place at Animal Kingdom, plus I’ve only seen the movie once so maybe I just don’t get the theming as much?


The standby waits for the Pandora rides were 60 minutes for Na’vi River Journey and 120 minutes for Flight of Passage Going to Animal Kingdom this morning was a last-minute decision; we had originally planned for this morning to be spent at the resort and pool. But, with Irma making her way towards Florida, we collectively decided to spend as much time in the parks as possible just in case there were any closures.


I had originally planned to spend our departure day at AK, and had managed to get 6 FPs for Flight of Passage on this day. So, we didn’t have any fast passes for today, but Haley and Ryan still wanted to get on Flight of Passage just in case. They couldn’t decide if they wanted to just get in line now or try and wait it out to see if the line would be shorter later. So, we stood in the middle of Pandora for a good 10 minutes trying to decide what to do. And, on top of this, it was approximately a million degrees outside (as it always is in AK) I basically felt like this…





Eventually, I convinced them to try for Flight of Passage later and get on all of the other rides in AK because their lines were short! With our decision made, we headed towards our ceremonial first ride at Animal Kingdom…


Kilimanjaro Safaris! It was a walk-on! I know I say this time and time again, but I am SO glad that they took out the whole “Little Red” bit. Sometimes, you just want a good ole fashioned safari without a gimmick


The animals were extremely active this morning!








Mamma and baby giraffe





Our driver was named Brandon, and he did a great job. He was easy to understand and cracked a lot of cute jokes along the way! When an ostrich came close to our van, he said “Nope, nope, nope!” and drove away As we were driving away, he said “The ostrich is the animal that I am most afraid of in this safari, by far.” Can’t blame you, dude!





Twin rhinos!





Every time I see a grown male lion, I think of Mufasa Anyone else?? No matter how many safaris we have been on, we have NEVER managed to catch the lions awake!


All in all, we were glad we went on the safari first thing to get in the shade (plus I heard that the animals are more active in the morning. Is that a thing??).


Everyone was starting to get hot, so my mom somehow convinced us to go to Kali River Rapids next.


Now, I haven’t really mentioned this in my TRs before, but I strongly dislike Kali River Rapids. For these reasons:


1. It’s not a particularly exciting ride..

2. The anxiety of being placed in the wet seat is too much for me to handle


I usually don’t mind getting wet on rides, either! I mean, hello, my favorite ride in Disney World is Splash Mountain! But you get sooooo drenched on this ride. Literally, the entire ride for me is spent worrying about being in the wrong seat at the wrong time I remember riding this when I was little and being soaked down to my underwear and socks. And NOTHING is more uncomfortable than that, not even the scorching heat we were feeling today!


I managed to get out of it last year, so Mom insisted that we ride it this year. And of course, Tom pulled the “Don’t be a party poop!” card So, I begrudgingly joined them in line.


We were moving quickly through the 10-minute standby, and my blood pressure was starting to heighten…


When all of a sudden, we came to a standstill right at the ride entrance! All of the ride vehicles were backed up and stopped, but we figured that there was just someone who needed assistance exiting. We waited for about 10 more minutes, then heard a voice on the intercom: “Sorry ladies and gentleman, Kali River Rapids is experiencing some technical difficulties and is closed for the time being.”





I’ve never been so excited about a ride at WDW being closed The Disney gods were definitely smiling down on me then! But, Tom and Mom were still determined to get me on this awful ride sometime today.


Would my luck last? You’ll have to find out next update, where we manage to travel to a different continent in 5 minutes


Coming Soon- Day 3: Part 2- “I’m On A Mission, In The Destination Unknown...An Expedition!”




​

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a fun, laid back morning at AK! That PP picture of the 4 of you in the frame is super adorable!

Haha I am glad you avoided KRR...for now!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Love the PP pictures so cute, your mom looks great in the hat. I agree with her about the good items at AK. I always find a shirt there I can’t live without.

I’m with you on the Kali river rapids, I avoid it even when it is sweltering out!

 

[Raeven]

You know, it's funny because I was reading Katie's TR from a few years ago and they watched Crazy Stupid Love as well! I wonder if Disney has a share in that movie or something?

Maybe one of those movies they play a lot on tv, but no one notices until they only have hotel room cable with limited channels

(plus I heard that the animals are more active in the morning. Is that a thing??

I think so at least some of them are.

 

[paradesintherain]

This is so cute! I can see why it's your favorite from the trip

This is a great picture! I'm not sure I've ever seen a pic of Pandora from this exact vantage point

he said “The ostrich is the animal that I am most afraid of in this safari, by far.” Can’t blame you, dude!

UH YEAH, those things are terrifying, little mini-dinosaurs, no thank you!

1. It’s not a particularly exciting ride..

2. The anxiety of being placed in the wet seat is too much for me to handle


I usually don’t mind getting wet on rides, either! I mean, hello, my favorite ride in Disney World is Splash Mountain!

Agreed x1000! If it were a fun ride it would cancel out the fear of getting wet, but it's just so short and lame!

 

[Catvondita]

I feel you on not wanting to go on Kali. I hate being drenched in clothes but my fiance always tries to get me to go on this ride. I haven't budged and still have yet to go on it with him.

 

[westcoastfldisneygirl]

I love that PP photo of the 4 of you! How cute!

Oh mann I dislike Kali River Rapids also and I thought I was the only one!

Flights of Passage is amazing! I am curious to see if any of you guys got on!

 

[oceanmarina]

I'm afraid of Kali , not for getting wet, but because I'm a ride wimp! The drop looks intense to me !

 

[Neverland_Girl]

Ahhh, this song is such a jam! Well, after hearing this song, it should be no surprise where we’re off to this morning…

I love the Straight No Chaser 12 days of Christmas version of this

Everyone was starting to get hot, so my mom somehow convinced us to go to Kali River Rapids next.


Now, I haven’t really mentioned this in my TRs before, but I strongly dislike Kali River Rapids. For these reasons:


1. It’s not a particularly exciting ride..

2. The anxiety of being placed in the wet seat is too much for me to handle


I usually don’t mind getting wet on rides, either! I mean, hello, my favorite ride in Disney World is Splash Mountain! But you get sooooo drenched on this ride. Literally, the entire ride for me is spent worrying about being in the wrong seat at the wrong time I remember riding this when I was little and being soaked down to my underwear and socks. And NOTHING is more uncomfortable than that, not even the scorching heat we were feeling today!


I managed to get out of it last year, so Mom insisted that we ride it this year. And of course, Tom pulled the “Don’t be a party poop!” card So, I begrudgingly joined them in line.

I haven't been on the River Rapids in so long because it's either too cold, I'm not in the mood to get soaked or it's broken down.

 

[AaronInWI]

I usually don’t mind getting wet on rides, either! I mean, hello, my favorite ride in Disney World is Splash Mountain! But you get sooooo drenched on this ride. Literally, the entire ride for me is spent worrying about being in the wrong seat at the wrong time I remember riding this when I was little and being soaked down to my underwear and socks. And NOTHING is more uncomfortable than that, not even the scorching heat we were feeling today!

So here's my Kali River Rapids story. A few years ago, we were at WDW at the end of August. It was near the end of our AK day, and we wanted to ride KRR. Because we were going back to our resort after riding this ride, we didn't care how wet we got. In fact, I was actually hoping to get drenched, because it would have been a welcomed relief from the heat. The first time we went down, barely a drop got on me. The ride was basically a walk on because it was nearing closing time, so we rode again so I could get wet; again, nothing. The third time, a little splash on my shoulder and one leg, but besides that I was dry. After the fourth time, my wife had enough. By this time, it wasn't even about cooling off or anything like that; it became more of an obsession of just wanting to finish what I had set out to do. So, with her standing on the bridge shooting water, my wife let me ride it again. And again. The 7th ride was the closest. I was in what should have been the wet seat, but the raft wasn't even 1/2 full so we didn't have the weight or momentum to really cause the big splash. I got a little wet, but not soaked. I could tell my wife was getting bored watching me ride, so I gave up, dry and disappointed.

 

[Tigger's ally]

So here's my Kali River Rapids story. A few years ago, we were at WDW at the end of August. It was near the end of our AK day, and we wanted to ride KRR. Because we were going back to our resort after riding this ride, we didn't care how wet we got. In fact, I was actually hoping to get drenched, because it would have been a welcomed relief from the heat. The first time we went down, barely a drop got on me. The ride was basically a walk on because it was nearing closing time, so we rode again so I could get wet; again, nothing. The third time, a little splash on my shoulder and one leg, but besides that I was dry. After the fourth time, my wife had enough. By this time, it wasn't even about cooling off or anything like that; it became more of an obsession of just wanting to finish what I had set out to do. So, with her standing on the bridge shooting water, my wife let me ride it again. And again. The 7th ride was the closest. I was in what should have been the wet seat, but the raft wasn't even 1/2 full so we didn't have the weight or momentum to really cause the big splash. I got a little wet, but not soaked. I could tell my wife was getting bored watching me ride, so I gave up, dry and disappointed.

Yeah, i think you might have been in our boat before. We get soaked. You are dry. It's the way it works for me and my wife. But, i love it.

 

[Mollydolly334]

Sounds like a fun, laid back morning at AK! That PP picture of the 4 of you in the frame is super adorable!

Haha I am glad you avoided KRR...for now!!

There's always such a relaxed vibe at Animal Kingdom... I love it!

Thanks We'll see if I avoided it all day..

Love the PP pictures so cute, your mom looks great in the hat. I agree with her about the good items at AK. I always find a shirt there I can’t live without.

I’m with you on the Kali river rapids, I avoid it even when it is sweltering out!

Haha, thanks It was really fun this year staying at AKL too..especially with the two hurricane days! We looked at that gift shop A LOT

Maybe one of those movies they play a lot on tv, but no one notices until they only have hotel room cable with limited channels



I think so at least some of them are.

Haha, true We've been doing morning safaris for a few years now, and I definitely see a little difference in how they are in the morning vs. the afternoon.

This is so cute! I can see why it's your favorite from the trip



This is a great picture! I'm not sure I've ever seen a pic of Pandora from this exact vantage point



UH YEAH, those things are terrifying, little mini-dinosaurs, no thank you!



Agreed x1000! If it were a fun ride it would cancel out the fear of getting wet, but it's just so short and lame!

Awww, thanks I was kind of snapping pictures at random at that point; there was so much to look at, I didn't know where to start!

Glad to know we share the same views on KRR. No, thank you!!

I feel you on not wanting to go on Kali. I hate being drenched in clothes but my fiance always tries to get me to go on this ride. I haven't budged and still have yet to go on it with him.

Glad you feel the same way Haha, if your fiancee still bugs you about riding it, I suppose you could always wear a poncho?

I love that PP photo of the 4 of you! How cute!

Oh mann I dislike Kali River Rapids also and I thought I was the only one!

Flights of Passage is amazing! I am curious to see if any of you guys got on!

Thanks You are definitely not the only one!! But spoiler alert- some of us didn't ride it

I'm afraid of Kali , not for getting wet, but because I'm a ride wimp! The drop looks intense to me !

Haha, the drop is very intense, especially for a raft ride! Definitely my least favorite at AK, if not all of WDW!

I love the Straight No Chaser 12 days of Christmas version of this


I haven't been on the River Rapids in so long because it's either too cold, I'm not in the mood to get soaked or it's broken down.

Oh yeah, you guys usually go in February! OMG, riding KRR in February is literally my worst nightmare.

Side note, how is Disney in February? Just scheming for future trips... We've never gone in the winter before, but have tried summer, spring, and fall!

So here's my Kali River Rapids story. A few years ago, we were at WDW at the end of August. It was near the end of our AK day, and we wanted to ride KRR. Because we were going back to our resort after riding this ride, we didn't care how wet we got. In fact, I was actually hoping to get drenched, because it would have been a welcomed relief from the heat. The first time we went down, barely a drop got on me. The ride was basically a walk on because it was nearing closing time, so we rode again so I could get wet; again, nothing. The third time, a little splash on my shoulder and one leg, but besides that I was dry. After the fourth time, my wife had enough. By this time, it wasn't even about cooling off or anything like that; it became more of an obsession of just wanting to finish what I had set out to do. So, with her standing on the bridge shooting water, my wife let me ride it again. And again. The 7th ride was the closest. I was in what should have been the wet seat, but the raft wasn't even 1/2 full so we didn't have the weight or momentum to really cause the big splash. I got a little wet, but not soaked. I could tell my wife was getting bored watching me ride, so I gave up, dry and disappointed.

HAHA! What a great story! I think that you are the only one who actually WANTS to get soaked on KRR! Isn't that how life always works; when you actually want to cool off you don't get the wet seat. Technically, according to your experiment, there's less than a 1/7 chance of getting the wet seat... Maybe the odds aren't so bad after all

Yeah, i think you might have been in our boat before. We get soaked. You are dry. It's the way it works for me and my wife. But, i love it.

Haha, all the power to you for loving KRR! I wish I could make myself like it.... but I just can't

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 3: Part 2- “I’m On A Mission, In The Destination Unknown...An Expedition!”



Hi friends! As I'm writing this update, it's a winter wonderland outside! Growing up in Wisconsin, you basically expect all of December through March to be cold and snowy Although it's beautiful, it definitely has it's drawbacks!

Me watching the snow fall outside my window...






Me driving on the freeway during a blizzard!






Where I last left off, I managed to avoid riding Kali River Rapids in the event of an unexpected closure Our morning at Animal Kingdom was going off to a good start!


Also, since I completely forgot these in my last update, here are some vintage Animal Kingdom pictures for you guys





Haley, Mom, and I in 2000.





My dad and I on Kilimanjaro Safaris in 2000.


Since Kali River Rapids was down, we headed for Plan B- Expedition Everest!





We found a Photopass CM and got a shot of us all together. Now that we had decided to purchase Memory Maker, we needed to get our money’s worth! Honestly, it was so worth it; I don't think we’ll ever go back now!





As we approached Expedition Everest and Tom saw how high it was, he basically was like this…





Remember how on the first day, Mom and Tom had a handshake-binding deal? To refresh your memory, this deal stated that Tom must try every ride in Disney World at least once. But, he could have ONE ride that he could completely pass on.


Now, I was always assuming that Tom’s “nope” ride would be Tower of Terror. We had been teasing him about it all year (I know, we’re so nice ) and he was not budging on trying it! However, when he saw how tall and steep Everest was, he immediately said, “I’m not going on that!”


I didn’t try to steer him away at all. I knew that if I made Tom ride Everest, he would have never forgiven me for it Since I’m such an understanding girlfriend ( ), I told him that I would be okay with him passing on both Expedition Everest and Tower of Terror. I mean, of course I wanted him to experience all of the rides, but having fun is way more important! But, Tom said, “Nope, a deal’s a deal, and I’d rather try Tower of Terror than this.”





My Mom was absolutely shocked, but thrilled that she could now experience one of her favorite rides with Tom! So, Tom called his family while we took on the Yeti. It was only a 10-minute wait!





Please excuse my strange double-jointed arms and tummy showing, and just look at all of our faces


After the ride, Mom turned towards me and said, “You’re right, Tom would have hated that!” We met up with Tom, said hi to his parents, and ventured towards our next destination- DinoLand USA!


As soon as we entered the area, Tom was in love Tom tends to be drawn to things that are familiar, and the kitschy, carnival theme of DinoLand reminded him of his childhood. Basically, his only experience with theme parks before this was a day at 6 Flags with me, a day at Sea World in San Diego, and lots of summers at Bay Beach amusement park (Wisconsin/Green Bay peeps, you know what I’m talking about )


I know that this is an unpopular opinion, but I actually love this area as well. The corniness is cute and has to be a big hit with kids!


Had to get a couple tourist shots…








Wheee!


Hmmmm, let’s see… if we’re in DinoLand, that must mean we are going to…


Dinosaur!! Finally It was closed for refurbishment on Mom and I’s last trip, and it’s in both of our top 10 favorite rides. I was also pumped for Tom to ride; I knew that he would love it!


Haley, however, has different feelings about Dinosaur. It has basically been a running joke since we were kids that Haley is terrified of this ride. I mean, it’s not a joke, she absolutely hates this ride and gets so scared! The first time we rode Dinosaur, we had to buy the ride picture because it was pure gold


We said hi to Clair Huxtable, and walked directly on to a ride vehicle!


And the verdict was…





Wait a second… let’s look at this closer, shall we?





Even closer?








Oh Haley, it never gets old! Not surprisingly, Haley and Ryan decided to split up from us after this They were checking out wait times on MDE, and the waits for Pandora hit a slump!


As Tom, Mom and I exited Dinosaur, we were met with torrential rain So, we did what any rational family would do, and turned right back around to ride again Once again, we walked right on!





We all tried to be silly in this picture; Tom got the timing a bit off, Mom was pretending to be a T-Rex, and I was trying to be all nonchalant. Side note- the people in the front row give me life


As we pulled into the exit dock, the CM asked if we wanted to ride again!! We almost did, but we decided that two was our limit and that we wanted to move on.


Tom loved Dinosaur; he couldn’t stop laughing about how bumpy the ride was! On our second ride, we both decided not to hang on and flop around like wet noodles just to be funny It’s actually way harder than it sounds; I felt so dizzy and disoriented afterwards!


We looked in the gift shop for a bit and saw some adorable tee-shirts. I almost pulled the trigger and bought a Safari Minnie plush, but decided against it. Luckily, the rain had stopped as quickly as it came, and Mr. Sun was out!

And I’ll leave you all with this beautiful song, which is the perfect description of how we were feeling


Coming Soon- Day 3: Part 3- “Welcome To The Jungle, We Got Fun and Games!”

​

 

[thumper*]

We all tried to be silly in this picture; Tom got the timing a bit off, Mom was pretending to be a T-Rex, and I was trying to be all nonchalant. Side note- the people in the front row give me life

LOL

 

[wrestlingchick26]

Oh Haley’s face

 

[missangelalexis]

Haha poor Tom, couldn't brave EE! But that was very noble of him to say he would still go on ToT! Can't wait to hear how that goes!

That Dinosaur picture

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Also, since I completely forgot these in my last update, here are some vintage Animal Kingdom pictures for you guys





Haley, Mom, and I in 2000.





My dad and I on Kilimanjaro Safaris in 2000.

These are too cute!

But, Tom said, “Nope, a deal’s a deal, and I’d rather try Tower of Terror than this.”

Honestly, I can understand this. EE is REALLY high!

Haley, however, has different feelings about Dinosaur. It has basically been a running joke since we were kids that Haley is terrified of this ride. I mean, it’s not a joke, she absolutely hates this ride and gets so scared! The first time we rode Dinosaur, we had to buy the ride picture because it was pure gold

I'm with Haley. My mom loves Dinosaur, so I ride it for her, but it certainly wouldn't hurt my feelings if we didn't!

 

[AV007]

EE is the best! And so is your sister's face on Dinosaur!!!

 

[AaronInWI]

Yeah, i think you might have been in our boat before. We get soaked. You are dry. It's the way it works for me and my wife. But, i love it.

So you're the ones always hogging the wet seat!