Disney Adventure 2014 -- Day 7

The weather forecast wasn't good for this day either. It was cool and quite rainy. We decided to have breakfast and then see what the day would bring. Below is the breakfast omelet which became of our favorites. Here is mine with Swiss Cheese and tomatoes, potatoes, and a southern biscuit.

We did go to the Magic Kingdom. The first thing my daughter wanted to do was to ride the train, so we up the stairs to the train station.

Well truthfully, I like the trains too. What I miss now is that train no longer stops at Fantasy Land to add water to make the steam. That whole process must be done elsewhere now. We did get off in Fantasy Land. Our first stop was as Fast Pass + station where we got three fast passes for the day. Then we noticed another circus tent and found it was a place for pictures with characters. In this one, the characters are performers in a carnival sideshow.

Here's my daughter with Minnie Mouse who has a poodle act in the circus. Notice the poodles on stands behind Minnie.

 Then we started towards Adventure Land making a stop first to ride Small World again. We arrived at the Jungle Cruise for our Fast Pass time. Because it was raining, the cast members did small loads to the boats so that everyone was under the roof of the boat out of the rain. This is always a fun ride.

Our boat captain was full of "bad" Disney jokes. Example: Why is Cinderella so bad at soccer (futbol as most of the rest of the world calls it)? Answer: Because she always runs away from the ball.

Our next stop was Pirates of the Caribbean.

I always enjoy this scene of the prisoners trying to convince the dog to bring them the key which it holds in its mouth.

We went to the Tiki Room show, surprised to see there isn't any longer a pre-show outdoors. We also rode Aladdin's Magic Carpet.

 This ride is fun on a hot day -- then the camels spit water. On this day, when the temperature was in the low 50s, the camels were quiet and well-behaved.

We then tried to have a bit of food break in the Pecos Bill restaurant. Never again! This one is too big and too unorganized. It took us five minutes of wandering around from room to room to find the place to order food. Then when we had done that, the attendant wanted other customers ahead of us to pass back the order to us -- without a tray even!

By now we were up to time for a Fast Pass for Dumbo, so across the park we went. After that we went to the Laugh Floor.

We did another round on the People Mover -- yes, I know it has another name, but it used to have this one!

Then we did a long wait to ride the Winnie the Pooh ride one more time.

My daughter wanted to ride the Carousel and the line wasn't long. This happy face says it all about being at Disney.

  We wandered back to Peter Pan to use our last Fast Pass.

By this time we were interested in having a good meal. It had been a long time since breakfast. But to keep the adventure going, we took the boat to the Wilderness Lodge. We asked about having supper at the Whispering Canyon Cafe and they told us it would be a wait of 2.5 hours. That wasn't on our agenda, so we went down to Roarin' Forks. Each of us had a very good sandwich.

Then we took a boat back to the Contemporary Hotel, where we caught the resort monorail around to the Magic Kingdom and then walked over the bus area. Our Old Key West bus arrived in about 30 seconds. Great timing. We were soon back in our room watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony -- the first Olympics I've seen since 2008, if one doesn't count trying to watch the 2012 opening --which was a little bit hard to understand, particularly with only commentary in Polish!

Disney Adventure 2014 -- Day 6

We awoke to cool weather -- at least for Florida-- and with threats of a rainy day. We moved slow and finally got to the bus stop and went to Olivia's for breakfast. Our waitress looked at my daughter and said, "Omelet plain with cheese?" She remembered us from another day, and she was right. My daughter had found the omelets to be her very breakfast favorite.

We took the bus to Animal Kingdom and walked slowly toward to the Asia area. For the first time I saw the Green Lady. Yes, she has a better name, but what it is escapes me.

Look carefully and you will see this is more than a vine crawling up a pole. 

Our goal this morning was the Finding Nemo- Musical. I had never seen this show and wow! the puppet work is absolutely amazing. 

 The above is actually a puppet.

This show is being done because Disney has closed down Lion King for six months while that theater is being relocated somehow to the Africa area. The area where Lion King has been presented is being turned into an Avatar area. 

After this we walked into Dinoland and did the tricerptors ride. 

 

 We were headed to Asia again for the bird show when we got sidetracked to go visit Pooh again. 

When we finally found the bird show we had 45 minutes to wait -- and since it was a bit rainy, standing around didn't seem like a good idea. So we went to It's Tough to be a Bug show. 

In this line we became a worker for Disney for a few minutes. Several times we've been handed a tag like this to give to the very last cast member we see in a queue for a ride or attraction. This person scans it and that updates the wait time for the attractions.

After the bug show we went to try the safari again. On the way we enjoyed these musicians. 

I wondered if we would see animals on a rainy day, but we certainly had some luck. 

 

I like the giraffes and they were wandering all over the road. The safari truck has to stop for them and one can get some good pictures. 

Saw the white rhinos quite well too. 

The rain seemed to be coming down more seriously, so we headed back to our resort and had a late lunch there. My daughter was wanting salad so she chose that with spicy chicken soup. A good lunch for a cool, rainy day. 

 We went back to our room for a rest. Then my daughter wanted a milkshake and that wasn't on the menu at Olivia's. So we took the bus to Downtown Disney and went to Ghiradella. 

We looked in the World of Disney show and then headed back to the bus stop. This particular bus stop serves about five different resorts and is confusing the first time one uses it. Also there were people at this stop from several other countries. Mobile phones are a blessing. They could pull up the name of their resort and I could show them the line to stand in or gather information for them. 

We watched a bit of the first Olympic broadcasts in our room. A nice day at Disney.

Disney Adventure 2014 -- Day 5

While we were waiting for the EPCOT fireworks, I asked my daughter what she wanted to do the next day. She said to come back to EPCOT so that is what we did on Day 5. Elena had eaten some doughnut holes and drank some orange juice in the hotel room while I had nothing.

Disney is implementing a new system -- Magic Bands. This serves as our park ticket and I can also use it for any food or souvenir purchase. If we get Fast Passes they also are on the Magic Band, and anyone who uses the Disney photo services can also the photos somehow that way as well.

We have had problems with the Magic Band every time we enter a park. For awhile mine would work, and my daughter's would not. Then yesterday my daughter's worked, but mine didn't. When this happens the gate attendant raises his/her arm and someone comes with an I-pad and scans the Magic Band and then we can enter the park. Yesterday the person with the I-pad said something like, "Oh new technology, which we really love." You have to hear a bit of sarcasm in her voice.  Coupled with this all is a new phone app which I can make work for maps and finding waiting time for attractions, but can't make work for doing our own Fast Passes or making meal reservations. I have complained about the fact that all I see on the computer whether it is morning, noon, or night is that the "server is too busy." One cast member told me Disney is building more server farms, and I expect over time the kinks will work themselves out.

Just inside the park we found the Jammitors.

Our first stop at EPCOT was the Universe of Energy. The attraction features Ellen DeGeneres have a nightmare that she is on the Jeopardy game having to answer questions about energy.

So in the course of the ride we all learn about energy, but I think what most people like best is going back to the time of the dinosaurs.

 After this attraction we went to the Plaza Cafe and had coffee and very good breakfast sandwich.

We walked to the Land pavilion and did the Listen to the Land Ride.

Part of this attraction shows how food is grown. This time I noticed two people cleaning the tanks in the aquaculture area.

Someone had left us a joke in the green house area.

 From the Land we went to the Seas building and did the Finding Nemo ride. Then we went to the Crush show. This show features Crush, from the Finding Nemo movie, talking to guests in the theater. By talking I mean carrying on conversations with guests. I enjoy this show very much and still haven't figured out exactly how it's done. Crush is an animated figure, but his facial expression changes as he speaks to match the conversation.

My daughter had spotted the monorail going above EPCOT, and since the monorail is one of her favorite things at Disney she was ready to be done with EPCOT. So we rode the monorail over to the Ticket and Transportation Center. I was planning to then transfer to the Magic Kingdom monorail and go to one of the resorts in this area for lunch. When coming down the ramp, a cast member was there telling everyone that the fastest way to get to the Magic Kingdom was to ride a bus since one ferry boat was also down. I asked about the resort monorail and it was still down for maintenance. So we took a hike to place that provided us a bus to the Polynesian Resort.

We went to the Kona Restaurant.

My daughter had fish tacos (above) and I had a plate lunch (see below). The plate lunch really made me think I was in Hawaii.

Then we splurged on a chocolate fondue for dessert. We got strawberries, pineapple, and kiwi on a plate, along with a couple of yummy cookies. Then the waiter brought us another plate of coconut cookies to use with our chocolate. It all was so good and so much fun.

From the Polynesian we grabbed a bus back to the Ticket and Transportation Center, got the monorail back to EPCOT, and then a bus back to our resort.

We took a bit of rest and about 7 PM headed up to Olivia's again for supper. My daughter had chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. I had a fish plate, corvina fish, a new variety for me. Very good.

Then accidentally we went on another adventure. I asked the bell service if the Downtown Disney buses would go to South Point (the bus stop for our room) before leaving the resort and was told yes. So we boarded a Downtown Disney bus and much to our surprise were taken directly to Downtown Disney. We got off and went to the bus stop for Old Key West and waited for a bus back. Glad the weather was pleasant!

Tonight we actually went to Downtown Disney intentionally. Coming back we went first to the Hospitality House, which surprised some riders. A woman on the bus explained, "The Downtown Disney bus runs backwards from the others, except once in awhile for when it doesn't." Well, we certainly found the once in awhile bus last night!

Disney Adventure 2014 -- Day 4

Our Day 4 adventure began at Hollywood Studios. We walked first to the Beauty and the Beast Show. We arrived around 10:00 and the weather was almost hot. I was glad we waited less than 10 minutes in the sun before we could enter the theater.

Here are a couple pictures.

From here we walked to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Our next plan was American Idol. We had a Fast Pass for this attraction, so we entered the theater area early. We were part of group that shot a fan video for one of the contestants. Later we saw this video within the show, and we really looked quite good! With a Fast Pass we were able to sit in the second row and we ended right at center front. There was on open space in front of us for the camera men. I found it interesting to watch how they shoot the video for a show such as this and then to compare what I could see on the camera monitor with what is shown on the screens in the theater.

Here is my daughter on the "set." This is a fun show. The winner in the session we attended was a man who owns a recording studio in Nashville. He is an excellent vocalist.

After this we found a place to get a cold drink. Then we began to walk to the Great Movie Ride. We were surprised to meet Donald Duck in the street. He doesn't make a lot of appearances at Disney World.

We waited for what seemed like forever for the movie ride, standing in the group that would be the very next. I don't know what went wrong. The cast members kept peeking inside the ride area, but didn't tell us why we couldn't load. I think we stood there at least 15 minutes. I know the movie video that runs while one waits repeated itself three times!
 
After the movie ride we headed for the Indiana Jones Stunt Show.

Following this show we went to the bus and returned to our resort for awhile.

As it became dark we left for EPCOT. It was great time to see the fireworks. The temperature was about 80 degrees (26 C).  We didn't even have to put on our jackets the whole evening, including walking back to the bus later. What a change from the below zero temperatures in Minnesota.

Here's a bit of the EPCOT fireworks.

Disney Adventure 2014 -- Day 3

On day 3, also known as Pooh Day, we wandered back to the Magic Kingdom. My daughter came to Disney for the first time when she was 4 years old. At that time it was very unusual to see characters. One day right by the train station at the Magic Kingdom we ran into Pooh, and Pooh has been her favorite ever since.

The most guaranteed way to see Pooh is to go to a meal at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, so we made a reservation for 3:20 PM.

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom around 10 in the morning and went to a FP+ kiosk to make some fast passes. Our first ride was through Buzz Lightyear, one of my favorites. I didn't make a very good score, but we had fun.

Next we rode the People Mover.

Then we did the Carousels of Progress Show.

By this time we were ready for a coffee break so we walked into Fantasy Land to Gaston's Tavern. I remembered the cinnamon rolls from my visit last year. Certainly one was enough for the two of us. Take a look at the size of it in the photo below.

After this it was close to the time for our Fast Pass for Dumbo so we headed in that direction. My daughter loves elephants and so Dumbo is necessary.

We then went back to the Under the Sea ride where we saw Ariel and Ursala on the walls.

Our next stop was the Liberty Belle boat ride.

From the boat one gets a great view of the Haunted Mansion.

Here is a more typical river picture.

After this ride we went to the show in the Hall of Presidents.

When leaving we saw ropes up, looking like a parade was coming. I didn't think there was an afternoon parade, but a cast member told me it would be at 3 PM.  Then about two minutes later I asked again, and another cast member told me it was "more like a celebration" and would be along around 2:20. So we decided to wait. Finally an announcement came explaining it would be the MVP from the Super Bowl -- you know, "So and So, what are you are doing next? I'm going to Disney World. "

Following the parade we walked over the Crystal Palace. We were a bit early, but they gave a buzzer and we waited and we seated about 3:00. We had hardly sat down when my daughter's wish came true.

We also got photos with Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore. And we had a fine lunch, too. One thing I had was kielbasa with red cabbage -- a taste of Poland!

Leaving the restaurant we stumbled into a Celebration Street Parade.

Every character you can think about is this parade except for the Disney Princesses. Hope the video gives you an idea of the energy of the parade and street celebration.

From this parade we walked to the Winnie the Pooh ride, where we had to stand in line for bit. The new FP+ system which is supposed to be better actually made us stand in more lines than the former system. After that we did Small World again, and then used a Fast Pass to ride Peter Pan.

We were getting tired and headed back to the resort for an evening of rest. A great day at the Magic Kingdom!

Disney Adventure 2014 -- Day 2

After having a busy first day, we slept late. When we had ourselves together for another day we grabbed the first bus that came along and rode it to the Hospitality House. There I made us a lunch reservation for Wednesday and then we went to Olivia's Restaurant and had a lovely omelet breakfast.

Next we took a bus to Hollywood Studios, not to go to that park, but to grab the boat that goes between the Studios and Epcot. We took it all the way to Epcot where we arrive a bit after 11:00 at the International Gate. We took a left turn and went to the UK Pavilion. There my daughter got her photo taken the Alica in Wonderland as well as with Mary Poppins.

Next we went along to France where first we watched the lovely film, Impressions of France. After the film we split a ham and brie sandwich and each of us had a bottle of orange juice.

Our next footsteps took us to the Morocco exhibit. We wandered through the different areas and then almost literally stumbled into a chance to meet Aladdin and Jasmine.

Our next steps took us to the Japanese Pavilion where the drummers were just beginning.

 We noticed the performers, the Ziti Sisters, at Italy just coming out to the plaza and decided to watch. Good thing we did. My daughter was thrilled that she got to dance with them.

Next we went to the American Pavilion where we enjoyed the short concert given by the Voices of Liberty.

Then we watched the presentation about American History.

We then walked to the Chinese Pavilion to see the acrobat show. Here is one of the acrobats holding a figurine in both hands, on both feet, and in her mouth.

Then we walked to the Mexico Pavilion and did the boat ride there.

By this time we were getting tired and hungry. We made our way, using a couple of boats, to the Beach Club Resort where we went to the Beaches and Cream restaurant.

This proves one can now eat healthy at Disney. The hot dog is smothered with cabbage and red peppers, and we had apple slices rather than French fries. However, I did top off my meal with a hot fudge sundae and my daughter had a vanilla malt. All of this was very, very good.

From the Beach Club we took a bus to Downtown Disney and from there another bus back to our resort, Old Key West.

Disney Adventure 2014 -- Day 1

We had a bit of orange juice and oatmeal cookies in our room and then made our way to the near-by bus stop. The check-in receptionist was indeed right -- we do have a good location in relation to the bus stop.

We were off to Animal Kingdom. Just as we got off the bus, rain showers began so we put on our jackets and walked quickly into the park. We made our way to Pizzafari and had a cinnamon roll and hot beverages. By the time we were done the rain had stopped and we made our way to Safari.

We saw lots of animals.

a black rhino

hippos -- and our driver told us a group of hippos is called a bloat -- isn't that a great word!

 elephants -- but my pictures aren't the best because most of the animals were on the left side of the road, and I had a seat on the ride side of the car.

Entering into the savannah we go by the baobab tree. On this safari trip I learned this tree is dormant 9 months of the year in order to conserve water, and the tree holds water in the bark.

 I had a glimpse of a giraffe and learned from our driver that a group of giraffes is called a tower -- another great word.

And here's an antelope that was on the my side of the wagon.

Following the safari ride we took a walk down the Pagani Trail.

We got a good view of the gorillas.

From here we made our way to Rafiki's Area. We saw a monkey getting X-rays and an ultrasound because it had an abdominal blockage. We also enjoyed seeing the types of foods the various animals eat.

Next we tried to find a character meeting on Discovery Island. We walked aimlessly around and finally learned it had been cancelled because of the rain. Instead we stumbled into a chance for my daughter to have her picture taken with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Back to Pizzafari were we shared a pizza and then headed back to our hotel room for a rest.

Later in the day we grabbed a bus to the Magic Kingdom. We made a trip around Magic Kingdom on the train and then got off at the Frontierland Station. We wandered down to Columbia Harbor House and had supper. Then we went to Small World. I noticed how dramatic the roof tops of Fantasyland looked against the stormy sky.

Raindrops continued to fall so we made our way to Country Bears.

When the show was over I found some benches under an arcade that were dry so we sat ourselves down to wait for the Electric Parade. This is one of my favorite things.

Above is a bit of video of Pete's Dragon float in the parade

We found our way to the bus and then back to our room. We had a great first day.