WDW Day 5

Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Highlights: Animal Kingdom, Tusker House, Fantasia Gardens mini golf, Artist's Palette

No more relaxation. We were heading to Animal Kingdom and for early extra magic hours. When we got in, the turnstiles were broken so there was a very large crowd gathering at the entrance of the park. They dealt with the problem rather quickly and before we knew it, we were in and making our way around Discovery Island. We headed straight for Expedition Everest to get our fast passes and were actually able to get more than we needed because half of my family was not interested in riding. After that we took a ride and said "Jambo" at Kilimanjaro Safaris. It was early in the morning so I was hoping we would see more animals than we would later in the day. Sure enough, I was right! I got a bunch of good photos of elephants, giraffes, Thompson's gazelle and a lazy warthog, among others. The safari is always a family favorite. Afterward, we headed back to Expedition Everest to ride twice. I got a little queezy going backwards the second time but was a trooper. After riding, we headed to Finding Nemo - The Musical to meet the rest of our family. They were already sitting in the crisp air-conditioned auditorium so we found some room next to them and were ready for the show. The costumes and scenery had such vibrant colors and the puppets were so animated. It was Dad, Mom, AR and UG's first time seeing it and they really were pleased. After the show, I needed food. We had burgers at Restaurantosaurus and they really hit the spot. Then we hit Dinosaur, Festival of the Lion King and It's Tough to be a Bug. Then we decided to walk through Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and view Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade before our reservation at Tusker House. It is the first Disney parade I have actually seen in a few years.

At Tusker House, Dad made a lot of disappointed noises while eating. He is really not into the African food that they serve there. I liked some of it but would have rather eaten at Boma or Jiko. The hummus was a little too watery for my liking but I had a bottle of Safari Amber that I could only get at Animal Kingdom or AK Lodge so, that was pretty special. With that, Animal Kingdom came to a close and without riding Kali River Rapids, unfortunately.

Back at the room, I passed out for a little bit on the couch but got up with enough time for TK and I to go play mini-golf at Fantasia Gardens. We played the fairways course and it was HARD. I wasn't expecting to win and almost had a temper tantrum because I was not playing up to par, pun intended. After a hurtful loss, we headed back to the resort and I took a walk down to Artist's Palette to scoop up a snack for TK and I. I got TK a chicken and artichoke flat-bread and myself a pepperoni flat-bread and refilled my refillable mug with Coke Zero. I even got a free sugar cookie because our flat-breads took way too long and one of the chefs felt bad for me. After my walk back to the room with heat lightning darting across the sky, we ate and headed to bed. Tomorrow we are going to Magic Kingdom with another wonderful time to be had.

WDW Day 4

Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Highlights: Saratoga Springs Spa, Downtown Disney, Spirit of Aloha Luau

It is a great feeling when you wake up in the morning and know you are headed to a spa to get pampered and have the ability to concentrate on your personal health and wellness. That is how Tuesday began. Mom, AR and I headed to the spa for our appointment to relax and revitalize and TK, Dad, UG and CG headed to play golf at Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. Mom and AR were receiving the Disney Vacation Club package that included a massage, a facial, a pedicure and a manicure. I signed up for the Mystical Forest Therapy which included a massage and reflexology. We were shown to our lockers and changed into the robes and slippers provided for us. Then we went to the lounge to wait for our separate appointments. My massage was nice. She covered my back, neck and head. Then she started on the reflexology which focuses on your feet. I felt bad for Amanda, who was my masseuse because she had to rub my feet after a day at Epcot and a day at Typhoon Lagoon. My piggies were not looking or feeling their best. She used a special Mystical Forest Lotion that smelled like mint and a garden after it had rained. She even gave me the remainder in a little cup so I could use it for the next few days. After my services were done I went back to the locker room to wait for Mom and AR to finish. I knew it would be about an hour until they were done so I put my bathing suit on and enjoyed the sauna (so hot), steam room (could barely breathe) and the jacuzzi (lovely). I enjoyed each twice and showered before I went in the jacuzzi each time. Then I sat on a chaise lounge with a magazine about rich Floridians and pretended I could afford to visit the spa once a week. One can dream, especially in Disney. Finally the ladies were done and I showered for the last time, washed my hair, did my hair and got ready to go, using all of their complementary toiletries of course. Then we headed back to our respective rooms to drop off our bathing suits and prepare for a little visit to Downtown Disney.

We walked to Downtown Disney and stopped at the Earl of Sandwich for lunch first. I got the Hawaiian BBQ sandwich and it came with grilled chicken, ham, pineapple, cheddar cheese (because I hate Swiss) and barbecue sauce. It was sooooo delicious. I also got a Strongbow cider to wash it down because I just love that stuff. It was pretty inexpensive for the sandwich but I had to be crazy and add an alcoholic beverage and a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips to it so it got a little more pricey. Then we trolled around the shops and found ourselves heading into Ghirardelli for a little ice cream. We weren't hungry enough for a sundae so we all got cones and kept walking. I had Rocky Road and it had real mini-marshmallows in it. The only negative was that it started melting immediately after exiting the ice cream shop. It even dripped on my flip flops at one point. Oops!

When we returned to the room, the guys were already there and we all started to get ready for the luau. We were all decked out in Hawaiian gear. TK and I even had ensembles straight from our Hawaiian honeymoon. When we got to the Polynesian resort I was excited to cross an item off of my life list: Drink a cocktail out of an actual pineapple. They sell a drink at the Tambu Lounge in the Polynesian resort called Lapu Lapu that is served in a pineapple. TK and I bought one for everyone which cost us a small fortune (even with the Tables in Wonderland discount) and then we all headed to the luau pavilion. We received itchy yellow flower leis, which I inherited from the rest of my family because they couldn't take the itchiness around their necks, and took a family photo upon walking in. I completely loved the show and the food. The pineapple bread was so soft and sweet and the salad was so tart and tangy that I would have been content eating them all night but knew that the ribs were on their way. The ribs were moist and delicious, much better than the ribs we had prior at Whispering Canyon. We also had veggies, chicken and rice. I enjoyed the fact that the Bud Light was all you could drink and did just that. The dessert was a little volcano called a Kilauea Volcano Delight and a delight it was not. I was not a fan. The show was great though and I strategically went to the bathroom at the exact time they asked if there were any couples celebrating an anniversary. I have gotten pretty good at avoiding eye contact at attractions as to not get chosen to participate in any embarrassing stunts. CG actually called me on it during the luau but it still worked. I saw an actual Hawaiian luau in Maui on my honeymoon and enjoyed Disney's version slightly more. I mean it was amazing just being in Maui but Disney just made their luau more fun. So, after the luau and the numerous photos in front of the Polynesian foliage, we headed back to the room to get to bed before our next day at Animal Kingdom. Aloha!!