Kiara's Not So Scary "Surprise" thread 2 Day 3 part 7 MNSSHP part 4 updated 12/16 About This Page:

[Nala]

If you are just joining this adventure, you will find the pre trip and begining of our journey here

Luckily, Grumpy had the presence of mind to listen to the CM tell us how to get to our room and a few little extra tips about our location because I was too busy doing a happy dance over the upgrade to register anything. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] We headed off to find our room, 2026 and Grumpy lead the way down the hall past the gift shop and to the elevator. We went down one floor, walked a short distance down the hall and found our room. We opened the door to find a room that was very much like a room at the WL, but with a different décor and a bit smaller than the deluxe room we had at the AKL on our last stay. It was perfect and just what I had expected with the exception of the view. We all ran to the balcony to check it out and discovered we had a very lovely view of the oasis known as the pool. Wow! There were beautiful trees and flowers everywhere and we quickly noticed that while the vegetation was thick, our view was unobstructed. I stood and allowed my senses to soak it all in. What met my eyes was a beautiful site and I also noticed that there was lovely African music playing that we didn’t hear when we had a savannah view. I was so enjoying the moment and then it was rudely interrupted. Kiara, who was standing next to me let out a wild whoop of glee and screamed “Oh, look, GO SWIM?” I knew at that moment that having this view was going to prove to be a difficult hurdle in our trip. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img] With the pool literally right under her nose our entire stay, I knew it would beckon her to be in it twenty four hours a day! And I had also overheard Grumpy telling her on the plane that we would go for a swim before we did anything else. As I stood there watching her reaction, whiich included her squealing like someone who had just won the lottery, I felt my precious hours at my most favorite park slipping away. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Before we could swim, there were a few orders of business that had to be attended to. We needed to gather and hunt. Gather, as in call bell service and request our luggage and hunt, as in find some food. We were all starving as it was noon and we had been up for hours running on little more than the snacks served on the plane. We called bell service and our luggage arrived in minutes, delivered by the nicest CM whose name was J.P. He was so sweet and friendly. I began to unpack the luggage in my quest for something to change into. The jeans and long sleeved, black Lion King shirt were not going to do well for me in the Florida heat. As I opened the suitcases, I pointed out to Kiara that she also had a surprise wardrobe waiting for her. She was thrilled with her pink princess nightgown and robe set and then found an Ariel dress that she just had to wear. Obviously, these were things she had not seen when she found the suitcase under our bed that fateful night a few months back. Kiara and I changed, I finished the unpacking and we all headed to the Mara to get some grub.

The Mara was rather quiet with only a few people in front of us. This was our first time using the DDP and I had to ask a few questions about what was included. As Grumpy waited for our food to be done at the grill, I asked a CM at the register what besides our meal was included. I knew a drink and desert but I was unaware of the little details. Now, I had a problem understanding a word this CM said, but I think she said bottled water was considered a beverage and any dessert under $4 from the refrigerated case. As I pondered my selections, Grumpy appeared behind me, with Kiara in tow, food on tray and made his selection of dessert. Cheesecake was his choice and I grabbed a pack of zebra domes for me. When we went to check out, the CM informed us we were entitled to another desert since there were three of us. I went back to the case and grabbed a piece of carrot cake that I was surprised Grumpy didn’t claim instead of the cheesecake. We paid for our lunch, which consisted of a shrimp dinner, a fish and fries dinner, a kid’s chicken strip meal, one milk, two bottles of water, one cheesecake, one bunch of zebra domes, one carrot cake and one African beer (for Grumpy) and our total was $6.66. (nice number, huh?) Had it not been for the beer, the cost would have been zero, nada, zip, zilch, a big fat nothing! Gotta love free dining! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/dine.gif[/img]

We found a table and sat down the heaping tray of free food and I asked Grumpy if he thought his lunch was a good value. Since he had been so skeptical about the free dining plan, I figured he would give me a thumbs up, glowing review of the feast in front of us. He was not about to give me the satisfaction yet and stated $6.66 was a bit much for what we got. Of course, I knew he was joking, but sometimes I think this man was put on this earth to terrorize me! One of the problems I quickly realized would occur with the dining plan is the limited selection on the children’s menu. Kiara is not a mac and cheese or chicken strips kind of kid (and for anyone wondering, the number of adults and children in your party is now printed on your room key if you have the dining plan). In fact, I ordered the shrimp knowing full well she would want that and I would be eating chicken strips. It really didn’t matter to me what I ate, just so long as I did. We wasted no time clearing away the food with the exception of the three sweet treats on the tray. We knew none of us were going to touch them and were grateful of the fact that we had a refrigerator in our room to store them. We cleared our table of the garbage and Grumpy grabbed all three of the little plastic containers when the carrot cake, which was on top, slipped out of his hands and went crashing to the floor. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] He looked at me and said “See, I told you I didn’t want the carrot cake”. We cleaned up the mess and headed back to our room to deposit the remaining two desserts. There is a trend starting here.

When we reached the room, Grumpy gave Kiara a choice of what to do next. Her options were go swimming or go to the AK and ride Ema (Triceratopspin). I held my breath as I waited for her answer and what she said was music to my ears. “Ride Ema!” YES!!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] My entire logic in planning this trip back in March and starting our journey on a Wednesday was based on the AK having extra magic hours in the evening. I just love the AK at night. So we were off to my favorite park. We took the long way to the bus stop, as we had not yet discovered the shortcut the CM had told us about [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img], and waited just a few minutes for a bus. After a short ride, we were dropped at the gates of my utopia where wild adventures were around every corner.


Up next: Why commando touring is not always a good idea


Dessert count in our room refrigerator: 2

[DrDolphin]

Great update!!! I remember you telling me about the challenge of the pool!

[Princess_Wantabe]

Great update!

My DH was just as sceptical about the dining plan Oct 05. We had the free dining and at 1st he couldn't believe everything would be covered. He loves the dining plan now!

Keep the updates coming [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img]

[BethC]

Great update! Glad you got to your favorite place instead of the pool.

[Jillybean]

Glad that you get to visit your beloved AK at night -- what a great way to start your trip! You were apparently sending Kiara some really strong AK vibes - - or if you're like us "Would you rather swim in this freezing cold water or go have fun, fun, fun at AK and eat anything you want?" [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

And the dessert count has me intrigued! That would never last in our family where the motto is "we never waste chocolate."

Jill

[Tink and co.]

Hmmm...a dessert count! This is gonna be a great trip!

[WDWfan]

Nala -
Great update. I underatand about taking the desert back to the room. The CS meaals are so huge,I rarely had room for my desert. Can't wait to hear about your evening at AK.

[Nala]

Grumpy and I did our usual ritual of I take the bag through bag check and he heads to the gate with Kiara and gets the stroller. This has always worked out great for us as by the time I clear bag check, he has Kiara in a stroller and is waiting for me and we are ready to roll. This time was no exception and once I was through the gate I found my pride waiting for me and Kiara was sitting in her wheels and ready to go for a ride on Ema. We did have a bit of confusion as we saw a sign stating EMH wrist bands were being distributed right past the stroller rental area as there was no CM there giving them out. Grumpy stepped back to the stroller rental area and asked about them and the CM pointed him to the area of the sign that was still lacking a CM to pass them out [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]. Still, we took another look. Nope, no CM there. We went back to the stroller rental area and another CM told us that they didn’t start distributing them until around three PM. She then told us that we could get them in various areas of the park such as Discovery Island and Dinoland. So on we went, making our way up the path towards one of my favorite sites in all of WDW. And I couldn’t wait to see it. The Tree of Life.

Much like Cinderella’s castle, even though I have seen it time and time again, the Tree of Life still takes my breath away and brings a tear to my eye.[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img] As we made our way to the top of that gentle hill and cleared the Oasis, that incredible icon came into full view. And as it has done every trip, it forced me to stop and marvel at its wonderful beauty.


But, this time something was different. There was something very obvious (like screaming obvious) that I had never noticed before. As I stared at the tree, I told Grumpy to stop and take a good look. He saw it too and turned to me and said out loud what I was thinking “How have we missed that all these years?” [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]



A hidden Mickey! In all our trips to the AK, I can honestly say that I have never noticed that. Grumpy said the same thing. Since he is the person who is always soaking up the little details in everything, I found it hard to believe that between the two of us, it had been missed on past trips.

After we got over the shock of missing a blatant hidden Mickey, we made our way to Dinoland and I took Kiara on Ema for a spin. This ride did not disappoint her and while we were on the ride, Grumpy went to the carnival games and took a prize away from some other poor little kid to give to his darling daughter. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] When Kiara got off the ride she was greeted by her beloved father holding yet another stuffed frog to add to her all ready over large collection. Kiara hopped in the stroller, clutched her new found object of affection and we were off to Everest to get a fast pass or check out the wait time.


As we approached the queue of Everest, the posted wait time was 50 minutes. Too long to wait. So we headed to the Fast Pass distribution area. Closed. As in not open for business. I assumed that this late in the afternoon they had already been distributed for the end of park hours. We decided to check back later as I hoped more would open up for EMH. We then decided to head off to Asia for a ride on Kali. It was hot and what better way to beat the heat then to get soaking wet. The posted wait time in stand by was 20 minutes so we headed into the line. This was the longest time I have spent in the Kali queue but I didn’t mind as it is one of the most well themed and it gave me a chance to take pictures.


And yet another AK detail I have missed is that these heads all have a moustache. And all this time I thought they were female!


As we stood in the “20 minute wait time” line, it became clear to us that the posted wait time had not been updated recently and was off a bit. In fact, a CM stopped us and directed us into one of the seemingly never ending queues that go around like a rat maze. Good news was we walked right through it and came out right behind the family that had been in front of us the entire time. And as we stood and watched the Fast Passers pass us by, Grumpy overheard the father of a large brood behind us fielding off questions about why other people were passing them by. His response shocked Grumpy, (which he quickly shared with me) “Because, they paid extra for the privilege to go to the front of the line, and I‘m not paying for that.” When I heard this, the internal battle began. Did he know about the value of a FP (and that it was free) and was just saying that to pacify the kids? (whom, might I add, were wild in the line and had Grumpy cursing the fact that he had worn sandals as they were stomping all over his feet) Or was he completely in the dark and had a bad case of theme park confusion? Did I speak up and tell him the facts? No. I decided that I didn’t want to open my mouth to a parent who may already know the facts and was trying to cover in front of the kids. As we moved through the line, I found myself wondering how anyone goes to WDW without doing any research and planning. Sadly, those are the people who don’t have a good time and come back with nothing but negative things to say. In hind site, I guess I should have shared my wealth of information I have gained over the years on this board. Shame on me.

After that, time in the queue passed quickly and we were on our way down the Kali river and prepared to get beyond wet. We were ready to get soaked. Considering how hot it was, I was all for that.

OK, so this next part of the trip report may be TMI (too much information) for some readers who embarrass easily, so if that is you, skip to the next paragraph. Ye have been warned!

We made our way down the river and it came as no surprise that we not only got wet, we got soaked. This truly was not a bad thing as it was blazing hot and the dousing of cool water really felt good. As we approached the disembarking area, I realized I had a very serious problem. While I refuse to do the world commando style, as in touring, I have no problem doing it Joey Tribbiani commando style. Problem was, I didn’t think about this before I put on a pair of paper thin shorts and went on a ride that would soak me from head to toe (and everywhere in between) Just before we got off the ride, I told Grumpy my problem and asked him to tell me how bad it was as I got off the ride. As soon as I stood up and got one foot on the deck, I heard him rolling with laughter. I made my way up the exit ramp and turned around and asked him “Is it really that bad?” After he caught his breath from laughing so hard, his response was “Honey, you gotta cover up, at least until you dry.” And then he busted out laughing some more. So I stopped and started to dig through the backpack for something to use as a shield for my way too wet backside. I made the mistake of handing Grumpy the camera, so I didn’t drop or knock it over as I went through my frantic search for cover and what did he do? Take a picture. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] The only one he took the entire trip, might I add. And no, I will not be posting it! Fortunately, I had packed our Mickey rain ponchos and one of them was enough to tie around my waist and cover my wet, over exposed backside. Once I had found a way to make myself decent, we headed out to continue our adventure in the AK.



OK, TMI section of trip report over.

Up next: A mad dash to Dawa to say Hi to Bryon and catch MJJP!


Dessert count in our refrigerator: Still 2, but give us time!

[simbarel]

[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]

[disneydani]

[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] I really let out quite a giggle just trying to imagine myself in your shoes, or shorts for that matter. That is too funny! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[BethC]

[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] I am so sorry but [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]

[mattnkatsmum]

[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] Go on......... post the picture ..........[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]

[chezp]

[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] Now we know there's a picture, you know we're going to want to see it! You so shouldn't have mentioned that... [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502no_prv.gif[/img]

[Princess_Wantabe]

[ QUOTE ]
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] Now we know there's a picture, you know we're going to want to see it! You so shouldn't have mentioned that... [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502no_prv.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/yeahthat.gif[/img]

[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]

[lindawdw]

Thanks for sharing the pic of the hidden mickey! I've never noticed that either. Hope you got on EE during the EMH. Hurry back with more. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]