Carpe Diem Feb 09 - Tuesday 10th Animal Kingdom, Swimming and Wishes

[Skywatcher]

Well its 5.30 am and Matthew is again wide awake and talking garbage again. We try allthe usual threats an bribes at our disposal but only manage to eek out the whole family waking up until 6 am

After getting dressed and adding to the surprising large pile of dirty laundry we elect to do the first 'wash' of the holiday and I troop over to the laundry room which is unsurprisingly empy at 6.10 on a Tuesday. Decide to have a slightly healthier breakfast of toast today ( thinks : if we make breakfast more boring maybe Matthew won't be in such a hurry to wake up each morning ) We have this in the room whilst making the boys complete their 'holiday diaries' honestly from the fuss they were making you would think we had put them on the rack and stuck pins in them

I escape with my life giving superstrong caffeine with a hint of coffee to the laundry to play a game called 'guess the drier' - through bleary morning eyes there is a 95% chance that I will put all my quarters in the wrong slot for the drier and a 79% chance that the drier I feed with coins will actually contain someone elses clothes thereby meaning I have to play my other laundry room fav - 'Take the bleedin' dollar note you stupid flippin change machine' - a hidden Disney gem if ever there was one I get back to the room and lisa has been watching the cardinals outside the room that have gone when I get there - (the birds I assume and not a passing Monty Python sketch) I see a bunny , after 20 minutes I return to feed more coins to the drier that has basically made all our washing warm and wet rather than dry - seriously I get this every year - just charge me more and do it for longer !!

Well after the domestic stff is over with its time to go to my once favourite park 'Animal Kingdom' - as Stacey says its 'a lot like going to the real Africa without all the malaria shots and stuff' - which as well as being inacurate ( there are no shots) is pretty insulting really - its like an advert for DLP saying ( affect a french accent for this) 'Its a lot like going to ze real America wizzout getting shot and stuff'

Anyway Animal Kingdom, my sanctuary , the oasis of calm amongst the parks - well it was once anyway.

We arrive just after park opening ( the bus was heaving) and I admire the banners they have up - each park has one of these - balloons with a different icon for each of teh parks


As you can see the animal kingdom seems to be represented by a stalk of broccoli for some reason.

Through the gate and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh the music,the animals, the bamboo



Obligatory photo infront of the tree and the first pic of the holiday that I am in



just to prove I went.

Up into Africa and into a huge crowd of people - I mean it was heaving! literally 5 minutes after park opening there was a 40 minute wait for the safari and FP were over an hour away on a Tuesday in February when all the other parks are pretty empty bizzare. So we grab a FP and go on the pangani forest trail to avoid the crowds

or not really we seem to have come on 'bring your electric scooter and enormous stroller and take it on the Pangani forest trail day' it is crowded to the point of being unpleasant

Gorillas made up for it by being out in the early morning cool



Do our usual thing of stopping to get some fruit but have to search for a place away from the crowds - we sit at the back of the 'school' and eat melon and strawberries whilst listening to Mickey



The safari when we got on was great, animals all very active , apart from a lack of girrafe in the savannah bit, the 'commentary' was different and on our truck at least all the spiel about 'little red' had gone. The cheetahs seem to have gone as well

The Lions were up and about though



Just time for Thomas to have a quick winnie and Matthew to point and giggle at some Harambe signs before we go to the bird show , which is something we have wanted to do for years with the boys who love it - we are also told that the bald eagle is now officially not endangered which is kind of cool

Time for lunch now so we eat at the counter service place in Asia and get some lovely veg and rice - even though its chinese food it feels like the first 'normal' sort of food we have had in a while - daft isn't it but a good place to get veg if you are a Brit. I run off to get Everest passes whilst the family munch through the rest of the meal. On the way there I come accross a chap who is virtually screaming at his girlfriend that Everest is in India

Well we have a little time to kill and after we explain to Matthew that the attraction is a ride called Kali River Rapids and not a field of bunnies call Kali River Rabbits he is more keen to go look at the Tigers.

This trail is much less busy and the Animals are still pretty active - first time we have seen the Tigers walking around



We have a nice slow walk around here and Pal Mickey tells us all about the different animals we aer looking at which is nice.

Time for the FP's so we go off to India ( apparently)

Lisa takes the boy on first , whilst I take Matthew in the shop and shout 'No' and 'careful' and 'stop' at him then she takes Matthew into Dino land to try and win cuddlies whilst I go on with Thomas

fantastic ride as ever and they have put a strobe on the yeti since we last went on so you hardly get to see him at all now

Thomas loves this ride




to be continued....

[josh.p.]

that pic of Thomas at the end is brilliant!
Nice tip about the vegetables in Animal Kingdom.... I could have killed for some nice healthy food when I was there in '05.
Is the laundry room at the disney resorts really that bad?

[Dawn]

Harambe!

[MystikPiglit]

whilst making the boys complete their 'holiday diaries' honestly from the fuss they were making you would think we had put them on the rack and stuck pins in them

I get the same reaction from DH when I ask him to write the day's events.

'Take the bleedin' dollar note you stupid flippin change machine' - a hidden Disney gem if ever there was one

I do love the laundry experience though. It never fails to amuse.

I get back to the room and lisa has been watching the cardinals outside the room that have gone when I get there - (the birds I assume and not a passing Monty Python sketch)

- its like an advert for DLP saying ( affect a french accent for this) 'Its a lot like going to ze real America wizzout getting shot and stuff'

Oh, thank you for those gems. I have tears from laughing so much.

[Debbie2]

I just hate laundry days and agree the driers are useless. Had a giggle when you made it onto a photo ...my DH is the same - barely on any of them

[Mari]

lovely report!

you are greeat at writing Chris! Its always always funny

HARAMBE!

[Jodie]

Melon and strawberries sound yummy

[minnie-me]

Never realised you could get strawberries in the parks - definately be on the look out as Jodie loves Strawberrys.

Nice morning for you so far x

[Beccaberry]

Awesome photos all around on this one, mate!!