Monthly Archives: August 2011

Break Day

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Every vacation we take to Walt Disney World, we plan a day where we don’t go into the parks, and do whatever we want. Those days usually consist of sleeping in, resort hopping, taking in the sights, or, in today’s case, a trip to Downtown Disney.

When we arrived, we noticed the Characters in Flight was going up. I have been wanting to ride this. Each time I made an attempt to get in line, it would be temporarily shutdown due to the weather. Today, however, I got to ride it. It’s said to be the largest tethered balloon that is slowly raised to 400 feet. The view from that height is spectacular. You can see every one of the theme parks at the fullest height. The boats on the water look like toys in a pool of water. It was an experience I won’t forget, and another memory as my son also accompanied me. It’s also an experience I probably won’t do again. I had to brace myself between the walls and move very slowly, thanks to my fear of heights.

We spent the afternoon, following the flight, ducking in and out of stores, in search of things we wanted to buy. I still don’t get the vinylmation craze. Having a vinyl doll (aka knick knack) isn’t something that I could see myself, or my family, ever getting into; Davy’s still young though, so who knows.

We made it home in time to rest up before heading out to our dinner reservation at the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. I had been there before, and so had my wife and son. But this time, we took my Mom, who had never been there before, let alone ever to WDW. We all had a great time, and Mom expressed she loved it.

If you’d like to leave a comment, I’d love to read them. You can also email me at dave@wdworbust.net. We’re found on facebook too. Stop by and check us out. We are on twitter @wdworbust or @dbostedor3. I have posted some pictures of our trip so far, and you’re invited to check them out. Tomorrow is a return trip to Epcot, as we travel to WDW or Bust.

Wednesday Picture Post – Topiaries

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There is something about seeing your favorite character up close and personal. Then there is something even more amazing seeing that character and the character’s personality captured in the still life of a topiary. These are a few of the images from some trips I have taken. Let me know what you think. Also if you want to see some pictures from this years Flower and Garden Festival please be sure to check out the Flower and Garden Festival Album. Also if you would like to share your pictures with us we may just use them in an upcoming Wednesday Picture Post. You can email them to photos@wdworbust.net. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Day Five

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Today was a magnificent day! Despite a longer than expected line at one attraction, the day went relatively smooth, and the atmosphere was pleasant. We went to Disney’s Hollywood Studios today and stay for a 3/4 day, due to a dinner reservation we had.

We arrived late for the rope drop, caused by a missed turn while on the way. As the fast pass runner, I wormed my way to almost the front of the pack, and waited for the show. Well, the show has changed, and personally, I didn’t like it as much. When the rope came down, we yelled, “Hollywood! Here we come!” The race was off. I tried to keep up with the front of the pack, but there’s a spot in the directed route that leads us through a narrow passageway. I was set back about ten feet by the hustle and bustle of everyone trying to fit in all at once.

I had heard and read rumors of the fast pass lines at Toy Story Mania, that cast members were feeding park tickets into the machines for the guests that wanted them. I had mine out and ready, and found that the rumors were all true. There was one cast member for each machine, inputting tickets and handing the whole stack back to the waiting guest. I was prepared for it and it went very well. Then we got into the standby line. We followed the elongated path for the ride, and then into the disability line, since my Mom is in a scooter this trip. The disability line was encountering disabilities, and there we waited for another 40 minutes. We finally got to ride, and we all had a lot of fun.

I foresee a strategy change on this park in the future. Maybe a fast pass retrieval, and ride something different until the fast pass return time. Who knows, but the fiasco this morning was stressing.

After our long wait at Toy Story, my wife and Mom went shopping while my son and I went to Rockin’ Roller Coaster. My son hasn’t ever been on this ride, as he was too short for it on his last visit. Normally, I would ride this alone. I now have a riding buddy, because after the first ride jitters passed, he wanted nothing more than to ride it again,…right away.

After the second ride, we went to check out the Tower of Terror; another ride my son hasn’t ever experienced before. The standby line was clocked at 30 minutes of wait time, and with our lunch reservations only 35 minutes away, that ride was eliminated. We reunited with my wife and Mom, shopped for a few more minutes, and then headed over to 50′s Prime Time Cafe.

This turned out to be a great experience. The waiter, Cousin Cooper, explained that since this was Mama’s kitchen, we needed to abide by her rules:

  • No elbows on the table. Everyone jumped and removed their elbows from the table/
  • Eat all of your vegetables.
  • No walkie-talkies (cell phones)!! This is family time and walkie talkies are unnecessary distractions, and will not be tolerated.

Cousin Cooper then asked what we would like to drink.

Mom said, “A diet.”
Cousin Cooper: “A diet what?”
Mom: “A diet coke”
Cousin Cooper: “A diet coke what?”
Mom: “A diet coke, please.”
Cousin Cooper: “Where are your manners?”
Mom: “I am Mom, I don’t have to.”
Cousin Cooper: “Not in this diner, we require manners, Trouble.”

After a while, mom needed a refill, and Cousin Cooper explained that he didn’t see the point of wasting his day for refills for Trouble, but if she insisted…Then when he delivered it, he said, “This is number two. If you ask for number three, it’ll eventually turn into number one.” Too funny. The entire experience was great.

One more thing: My wife ordered a vegetarian dish, and had difficulty finishing it. Since rule number 2 was to finish your vegetables, she knew she would be in trouble. Since I had finished my dish, she switched plates with me, and I went to finishing it for her. Cousin Cooper returned before I had finished it, and knew that she had tried to deceive him. He called her out for not finishing her own veggies, and asked her if I was her garbage disposal. Heh. :)

After lunch, we went to see Kermit and the gang at Muppet Vision 3D. It was a relaxing time to let the food settle from lunch. After the movie, we went to see Phineas and Ferb, but the line was extremely long. I got a couple of pictures of the characters, and then we went over to Star Tours. I like the changes they made to the ride. I didn’t experience as much motion sickness as the original.

We left the park on a good note, and went home to relax a bit before dinner. Now, I only have a couple of requirements for each visit to WDW:

  • Finding Nemo: The Musical, at Animal Kingdom, and
  • BOMA

Our dinner reservations tonight were at BOMA. This African cuisine, buffet-style restaurant has been a favorite ever since I first ate there. I love the variety and the unique tastes the food has to offer. One of my favorite dishes is the bobotie. But as a finisher/dessert, the zebra domes are must. My style of eating here is to sample everything. By the time I get to the dessert, I can only handle a couple, but I got to sample about everything there.

I got to spend time this evening with my wife and son, as well as my sister-in-law and her mother. We had a good time, and enjoyed the conversation and meal. Our server’s name was Jeff, and he did an outstanding job. He was from Vienne, WV, and has been with Disney for 15+ years. He started out at one of the value resorts, then worked at Whispering Canyon Cafe. He has been with BOMA for a about six years now. If you have the opportunity to meet him, we know you’ll have a great time.

If you’d like to leave a comment or suggestion, I look forward to hearing from you. If you’d like to email me, please send it to dave@wdworbust.net. You can also find us on facebook and twitter @wdworbust or @dbostedor3. Tomorrow is our break day, but I’m sure we’ll include something WDW-oriented to write about. Until then, it’s always WDW or Bust.

Top Five- Rides not for kids

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I may get some email on this and that’s fine. Remember this is my opinion and your mileage may vary because everyone and every child is different. If you disagree and have some additions to the list please let me know in the comments section.

This week’s Top Five is one that every parent/park goer must contend with because it does affect everyone enjoying an attraction. I have begun thinking about this since almost every trip from this point forward in my life will be with a small child in tow. I would also like to add this; please do your research on an attraction. Talk to your child and if you are unsure of what an attraction is all about then ask a cast member. They will be happy to explain it to you in great detail.

  1. It’s Tough to be A Bug - if your child is deathly afraid of bugs this is not for them. I have heard more panicked screaming children being escorted from this attraction than any other. A little synopsis: this is a 3D attraction where your host Flik ( cute cuddly ant)  is introducing you to all of his bug friends that help keep our planet free from the gross stuff we don’t want to deal with. Then Hopper who is portrayed as a 4 foot tall animatronic grasshopper brings his friends in the form of wasps and spiders to the party. I know adults that get creeped out by this. Scary/creepy factor on a scale of 5 this one would be a 4.
  2. The Haunted Mansion- yes we all know that the mansion is full of 999 happy haunts but for most children this can even be scary. You do have a dark enclosed area and “dead” things popping out from behind gravestones and trying to escape from coffins. Scary factor on this would be a 2 but for some children it can be a 1 or a 5. Mandy will tell stories still of being so scared of this attraction as a 4 year old that she hid her face all the way through.
  3. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror- This is another ride where you begin to hear screams all the way at the end of Sunset Blvd. It took Mandy forever to get me on this ride. I will say that it’s my favorite ride in the park now but before I was petrified. I have also ridden in vehicles where small children were probably traumatized by the experience.
  4. It’s a small World- Just kidding. Unless you have read the Kingdom Keepers series and realize that at night the Dolls become homicidal overtakers bent on ruling the Magic Kingdom with Maleficent as their queen. Creep factor on a scale of 5 is 8. Scare factor -12.
  5. Stitches Great Escape- a nice attraction for those that love Stitch. However, this attraction has you in the dark and restrained in a chair. This probably won’t be a great place for your child or you if you don’t like dark spaces. scare factor maybe a 2.

Please take everything I have listed with a grain of salt. You ultimately know your child and what they may or may not like. I would never have known that I love roller coasters if it wasn’t for my dad making me ride with him. Ultimately we need to remember that Walt Disney World is for children of all ages and some rides you have to grow into.

If you have a comment on my Top Five please leave on below. I really do like to know what you think. I would also love to hear some parenting tips for overcoming fears in the parks.

Send us a message on Twitter @wdworbust or Facebook. You can also email me at garland@wdworbust.net and even leave a comment below. Wow so many ways to stay connected when we are WDW or bust!

Epcot

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The title says it all. Epcot! The park for the day. There is just too much to do and say about this park. We spent the first half of the day here, then went to lunch. On the way out, for our break, we rode one more ride. We returned later in the day and stayed until the fireworks began, and came home tired and sore. Epcot has to be the park where the most walking is done.

Our day began with the drive into the park. This year we are traveling with my mom who is disabled, and is in a scooter for the duration of the trip. She has a handicapped parking permit that hangs from her rear view mirror. My personal preference, when dealing with this extra added feature, is to drive to the designated area, select a parking lane and then add the placard on the mirror. I dislike having it on the mirror while I am driving as it interferes with my line of site.

As I approached the person that was directing us to a parking area, my wife flashed the blue placard at the attendant. At the last minute, she realized we were trying to get to the handicapped parking lot. She said to hang it from the mirror at that time. I explained to her that it interferes my line of sight. Her reply was classic: “It’s ok, this is private property.” Uh, does that mean it’s alright to not be able to see while maneuvering around the parking lot as long as I am on private property?

Once inside the gates, we did the rope drop scamper to Soarin, and got a fast pass. We rode in the standby line immediately afterwards. This was my Mom’s first time on this ride, and it didn’t take long for her to realize there was too much swaying and lifting for her. She expressed she wouldn’t be riding it again, but was happy that she atleast tried it. We went to Living with the Land next for the comfort and ease. It was good to have a settled ride.

Now, my goal has been met!! Last year, when I left WDW, I weighed 330 pounds. My wife and I had gone through the line, during our trip, for The Sum of All Thrills. We designed a rollercoaster and walked up the stairs to ride our mega ride. We secured our carried items in a locker, then boarded the ride. My wife was settled into the ride, with the monitor in place, when they started lowering the monitor over me. The monitor wouldn’t reach the clasp, and they apologized with a result that I was too large to fit on the ride. I was disappointed and embarrassed. I walked back down the stairs upset. That was 2010.

I made it a goal that I would lose some weight and attempt to ride it in 2011. My son and I walked into the queue, designed our ride, and the infamous walk to the robotic arm had me wondering if I had lost enough weight to fit on the ride. I locked my phone and my son’s fanny pack in the locker, then sat in the seat. My scrawny son had absolutely no problem with the monitor locking over him. Then they came to me and lowered the monitor. It locked in place with room to spare! I rode the Sum of All Thrills with my son, and was able to create another memory with him. To those that are wondering what weight was lost to accomplish this goal; I lost a total of 92 pounds. I may have been worried whether or not I lost enough because I know I have a lot more that needs to be lost in order to get to my ideal weight. Perhaps in the years to come,…but that doesn’t matter as much anymore. I got to ride, and I was proud.

Next, we headed over to Mission Space. I have ridden the Orange side before, and was sure I could handle it with my son; meanwhile, my wife was sure she could only handle the Green side, so we went our separate ways. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I was hungry at the time, or if the extra pounds I had the last time padded the affect, but I will willingly admit: I cannot handle the Orange side any longer. My son loved it, I did not. Those little baggies in the cockpit were looking pretty enticing. So, from now on, it’s the green side for me.

Time for lunch was quickly approaching, so we started making our way into the World Showcase. Before we got there, however, we decided to stop by and visit Figment on his Journey into Imagination. After the ride, we walked to the UK, and checked into Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room for lunch. Our table wasn’t ready yet, so we stopped at the bar for a Black & Tan. I tasted it, and my wife finished it; then we went to the table. Lunch was delicious, but tempers were rising in the high heat and sore feet. We left the UK, heading to the front gate when we decided to stop at Test Track.

It began to rain, and lightning was in the area, so Test Track was temporarily closed down. We rode Spaceship: Earth instead, and it was a good slow ride for an after lunch atmosphere. After the ride, we went home for a break; which included a swim and some rest before heading back to Epcot.

I don’t know what it is with the attendants in the parking lot today, but they were exceptionally crabby today. On the way into the parking lot, at 15-20 mph, the attendant went to great lengths to let us know we were going way too fast. The posted speed limit is 15 mph, so I was just going by that. He didn’t stop flagging me until I was rolling at about 3 mph. My Mom’s scooter could go faster! Determined to not let it phase me, we found a parking lane and started into the park.

Since my Mom isn’t a fan of the rides in this park, we met up with my brother and traded the scooter rider for his son. Then we headed for Test Track. As we stood in line with this newbie, I explained the rough road test, the heat and cold chambers, the corrosion chamber, the hairpin turns, and the crash test into the wall at the end. He believed it all!! He soaked it in, and the pre-ride show emphasized it all. He was nervous, as each test proved true. Then we lined up for the crash test. I looked back at him and let him know it was about to happen. He braced himself for impact, and when the wall opened up to let us out on the track, he relaxed and learned to love the ride. We went right back onto it and rode it again.

After the second ride, we decided to head over to Soarin and use our fast passes, obtained earlier in the morning. We requested B1 for what we consider to be the best seat in the house. Front row, center, no feet dangling over our heads. Once that was completed, we made our way into the World Showcase again. We met up with my brother and his family in France, where we collected the kids and my Mom to allow some time for him and his wife to spend together. The kids were hungry anyways, and wanted hamburgers and hotdogs, so we took them to the American Adventure Pavilion. We left my Mom and the kids there and my wife and I headed over to Tangierine Cafe, in the Morocco Pavilion. We took our order back to the American Adventure Pavilion and ate dinner with the rest of the family that had come along with us.

When we were getting cleaned up to go meet up with my brother and his wife, a gentleman came over to take our trash and talk a bit. He then took our tray away, and we sat a while longer, communicating with my brother about where to meet him again. When we were all standing to leave, my Mom gasped loudly. We all whipped our heads over in her direction, and she explained that she had left her scooter key on the tray that the guy had taken away. I went to the front of the restaurant and explained the situation to them, and they went to see if they could find it. It turned out it was the manager that had come out and taken the tray away, so they went to get him. He walked over to the trash can and there it sat, and couple of plates down. The key was removed from the trash and taken to the kitchens where they cleaned and disinfected it before its returning. Bravo to the staff that helped us out in what could have been a bad night. My hat is off to them and their willingness to help. :)

We met up with my brother 15 minutes before the start of the fireworks, and then made our way out of the front gate for the night. It was a beautiful day, and a great ending to it. Tomorrow is rope drop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

If you’d like to drop me a line, you can do so by leaving a comment below, or by emailing me at dave@wdworbust.net. You can find us on facebook or on twitter @wdworbust or @dbostedor3.

From Jambo to Jiko

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Today was a day of leisure. We slept in this morning. It was great to just wake up, and get ready at our own pace. My brother and his family went to Hollywood Studios. Our destination was a return trip to Animal Kingdom. Since we saw the shows we wanted to see and rode the rides we wanted to ride on our last trip, we decided to take my son to a part of the park neither one of us have ever been to: Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

This trip began by boarding a rickety old train. Along the route, points of interest were described, which included large paddocks for some of the animals, including the cheetahs, white rhinoceros, and giraffes. Once we pulled into the station, we exited the train and began walking along a pathway. There were some small Tamarin monkeys along this path, as well as a medium-sized turtle that was attracted to the color yellow. The kids were encouraged to touch the shell as it walked about.

The path finally ended at a pavilion called the Conservation Station. Inside, we found several aquariums with a variety of insects, snakes, lizards, and frogs. There were windows with people inside using science in a variety of ways to ensure that our plantlife and wildlife will be around for generations to come. While we were walking around the walls and reading the placards, a cast member walked by us holding a small bird on a gloved hand.

The cast member and the tiny screech owl made their way to center stage, and conducted an interactive lesson on all owls, but used this particular owl as a showcase. I have some pictures of it that I will post later. One question the cast member asked was, “What is one way that we, as humans, can positively affect owls and other wildlife we encounter?” I’m interested in your thoughts, and hope you would leave a comment.

Here are a couple of interesting facts about owls:

  • Their eyes are huge, and take up about 70% of the room in their heads. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “The wise old owl,” there’s nothing wise about them because how much will fill the other 30% of their head?
  • Their ears are asymmetrical. In correlation with our ears, theirs are located right above where ours are, on one side of their head, and just below the other, on the other side of their head. This allows them to hear their prey without even seeing them. They could center in on them and prepare to strike, based on their hearing alone.
  • Their feathers are extremely soft. This softness allows them to fly silently, as to sneak up on their prey.
  • Owls can turn their heads about 275 degrees.

We finished looking over the animals in the aquariums, and then went outside to let our son pet the animals. We saw plenty of goats, a pig, and a cow. Then we washed our hands and left toward the train station to return to the parks. We shopped in a few stores before heading back to the car and, ultimately, home. We rested at home, but didn’t nap. Swimming was a priority. After the swim, it was a quick shower then off to Jiko, for a quiet dinner, alone with my wife.

Now, I have eaten at some fine restaurants, but this one took the cake. I felt out of my element as soon as we were seated. The lady that seated us explained some of the finer elements of the restaurants, including the birds that hung from the ceiling implied prosperity to those seated under them. There were some lighting that changed colors throughout the evening, and that meant something as well, but I cannot recall that right now. She removed my wife’s napkin from the table, shook it open, and placed it in her lap. She did the same with my napkin and instructed us that our server would be with us soon.

Our server approached the table, introduced herself, Michelle, then offered each of us a hot, rose-scented wash cloth to wash our hands. Uh, I have never seen this before… I went along with it, and soon we were ordering our appetizers: Grilled Wild Boar and a cheese selection. We took our time sampling the appetizers and then ordered the entree, asking for the server’s opinion in what wine would compliment our meals. My wife had a white wine, and I had a bold red wine.

My wife’s entree was the vegetarian plate, and I ordered the highly praised Filet Mignon with sweet corn risotto. Dee-Lish-Us!! The whole experience was outstanding and memorable. I foresee a return visit! It was definitely our best dining experience ever. At the close of the meal, we declined dessert, but our server brought us a miniature Amarula Creme Brulee to enjoy. Before we left for the night, our server told us to wait one more minute, as she had one more thing for us. She brought out these mini star shaped cookies, and said they were a gift from the cook.

This was definitely a night to remember, and I’m happy I got to spend it with my wife.

Tomorrow is another promising day of adventure, at Epcot!! If you’d like to leave a comment or suggestion, please feel free to do so. You can also contact me at dave@wdworbust.net. Please check us out on facebook by searching for wdworbust. We are also on twitter @wdworbust or @dbostedor3.

Good Morning, Good Morning!

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The Magic Kingdom was the park of choice today. We arrived a bit too late to make the rope drop, but we didn’t have a real agenda set for the day, so strolling in was a good way to start it out.

We immediately went for the castle and into Fantasyland. We went to Peter Pan’s Flight and grabbed some fast passes. I was about to let a cast member know that one of the machines was spitting out two fast passes for each ticket entered until I noticed that the second ones read, “Surprise Fast Pass for Mickey’s Philharmagic.” I didn’t see a reason to have them, but it was neat none-the-less. I had never seen a “Surprise Fast Pass” before. Also, the new queue line for Peter Pan is great. If the line ever stood still, the kids would have plenty to do while waiting.

After riding the Peter Pan ride, we followed it with a trip into Pooh’s imagination, with Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. We then went to ride the Snow White’s Scary Adventure, which is rumored for removal, and replaced with the Princess Fairytale Hall.

We went to visit the Haunted Mansion next, and I need to make it a point to take the alternate queue on our next visit. It looks pretty entertaining after the sign that gives you the choice of going down the graveyard queue or the standard queue. Since we were traveling with my mom, who is in a scooter, we chose the traditional side. At the end of the ride, the hitch hiking ghost was on top of our cart, instead of in it with us. That gave us a chuckle, and was a pleasant surprise.

Frontierland was next on the unplanned route. My wife made her way over to Splash Mountain to get some more fast passes while my son and I went to Big Thunder Railroad. When we finally were done climbing the queue line, we were directed to “any line we wanted.” It was a walk on ride at that point. So, we chose the front car, directly behind the train engine. My son was grins from ear to ear, and exclaiming, before the ride was even over, that he wanted to go again. I sent my wife a text message, and we went right back into the stand-by line and rode it again. At the end, my son and I were ready to hit Splash Mountain.

The queue for Splash Mountain was backed up to about 20 minutes, and I regretted leaving my phone with my wife. It would have given me something to do while I waited. :) Once on the ride, it was stop and go for most of the ride. The ride took longer than it took to stand in line. The rest of our group arrived and we directed our path to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. This ride was a walk on ride also.

We then felt the need to cool off a bit and walked over to Aloha Isle and purchased some Pineapple Dole Whips. After consuming the treats, we headed home for a restful break; to return after dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe.

This dinner reservation was made for the sole purpose of ketchup. My brother and his family had no clue when we arrived. After learning of the birthdays and anniversaries in the room, we sang a rendition of the Hokey Pokey, then settled in to eat. It didn’t take long for my brother, who loves ketchup, to learn what happened at tables when the red condiment was requested. The table that had the ketchup had to deposit every single bottle onto the table of the family that requested it. By the way, the request was vocalized loudly, after a count to three. By the time every bottle was delivered, you could have about 20-30 bottles of ketchup on your table. My brother looked at his wife and kids and said, “No one is to ask for a bottle of ketchup!” I felt that they were left out, and made the request myself, on my nephew’s behalf, as he needed some for his cheeseburger. It was fun, and we all had a good time.

After dinner, we returned to Magic Kingdom for the parade and fireworks. This was my first time seeing the Mainstreet Electrical Parade. It was an awesome display of lights and theme. I took some pictures and will be posting them soon. The day was full and long, and tomorrow is a late arrival back at the Animal Kingdom. So, for now, I am looking forward to sleeping in a bit, to be well-rested for our adventures tomorrow.

If you’d like to leave a comment, please feel free. I always look forward to them and will read them all. If you’d like to email me, you can send them to dave@wdworbust.net. Please swing by facebook and visit us there, or catch us on Twitter: @wdworbust or @dbostedor3. Until next time, I am still WDW or Bust!!

Day One

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Jambo Everyone!!

Well, the first day is in the record books for our trip to the World. Our first day was spent at Animal Kingdom, and we stayed until our feet hurt and the sweat was unstoppable. The magic is missed from not staying on-site, as penned earlier, but we are determined to make this trip as memorable as possible.

We started out making the rope drop run to the Safari. After getting a fast pass, we boarded the bus and set out in search of some poachers in the area. We ended up finding the lost elephant, but not before seeing many of the animals up close and personal. The giraffes, in particular, were a hit, as they were walking back and forth across the road. If you haven’t ever seen a giraffe run, it’s like watching a deer run in slow motion. It was quite the show.

After a close up of the gazelles, vultures, and elephants, we drove into the carnivore area, spotting a cheetah trotting about, and then the infamous lions, which the female was standing on a rock while the male sunned himself on the ridge. It was a lot of fun, and we got to see a lot of the sites before making our way back to base.

Once we were safe from the predators and vultures, we paced ourselves to Expedition Everest. We grabbed a fast pass, then went into the standby line to be boarded on the last car. Such fun with all of the queue line sites, and the following pictures taken! We left there excited for the rest of the day.

Dinosaur was our next stop, where we rescued a small dinosaur during a meteor shower. Lunch was immediately after that, where our party went from ten to four, as the rest returned to our home to eat, and we made our way to Pizzafari. Pizza and salads all around!! The food was good, but I especially liked the Caesar Salad. It was during this meal that we realized the loss of the “Magic” on this trip. Free dining is a perk we always take advantage of when we tour, when it’s available. The receipt is a reminder of how careful we need to be during this trip.

We followed lunch up with the Festival of the Lion King, and the usage of our fast passes to return to Expedition Everest. Feeling tired from the day, we decided to hit one more show then head home for the day. We went to see my most favorite show of Animal Kingdom: Finding Nemo – The Musical. This show is well-rehearsed and well acted. The actors are all seasoned pros at this, and they produce an emotional result.

Afterwards, we headed back to the gate, then to our car. If one thing made an impact on me today, it was my wife saying, “You cannot come to Disney World and be in a bad mood!” Ya know, she’s right. Tomorrow will be another fun and exciting day! Rope drop at Magic Kingdom is next on the schedule. Until then, check us out on facebook and twitter at @wdworbust or @dbostedor3. As always, we like the comments and suggestions, or you can email me at dave@wdworbust.net.

Keep an eye on the following links. I will be updating daily: