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Saturday morning, Cyn and I got up and out relatively early. Very early, actually, since we had a company breakfast to go to. It was a character breakfast, and they had Mickey, Minnie, Cinderella and Snow White for the kids to meet. I actually got a kick out of watching the princesses. They have to act just like the characters in the movies. They talk in their squeaky princess voices, and, well, fawning is the best word I can come up with to describe how they act.
Then we got on the bus and headed down to Hollywood Studios. First, we picked up our fastpass for the Tower of Terror. Then we saw the Muppet 3d movie. Then we rode the Tower of Terror. Then we left. Not much in the way of must-see stuff, as far as I'm concerned. So we headed off to Animal Kingdom.
I didn't realize how much of the park I had seen the day before. I skipped Dinosaurland (both days), so that left Africa and Asia. We were able to take our time and see all the animals, as well as go on the safari. I think we saw everything out there except Rafiki's Planet Watch. We ate a decent restaurant called The Yak & Yeti. And I rode the roller coaster again. The sign said it was a 30 minute wait, and that's about my limit, so I was disappointed to actually have waited nearly 45 minutes. I was even more disappointed to find out afterwards, that there was a single rider line. I bet that line wasn't ten minutes!
Most of the Asia area is set in the fictional Himalayan town of Anandapur. I'm really impressed with the decoration in the parks. EPCOT's World Showcase pavilions are pretty good, and I like the art deco stylings of main street in Hollywood Studios, but Animal Kingdom has them beat. The towns there (also a little town in Africa) are very rustic and somewhat realistic looking. I don't know how they match up with the real thing, but they look exactly like what I picture based on photos I've seen. There are a lot of details, like vehicles, machinery, signage, posters, storefronts, and general wear and tear. I was looking at the buildings while I was waiting in line for the roller coaster. The pagoda-like buildings had carved and painted wood, and they were very weathered and worn. I wondered if they were somehow brought from Asia, until I noticed the yeti motif. Okay, very well-done.
So then we went back to the room, got our jackets, and went over to the Magic Kingdom. We took a walk around the park, stopped to see Mickey's Philharmagic, a 3d show involving Donald Duck chasing the wizard's hat through musical scenes. Then we rode the Haunted Mansion. I was a little unhappy about them crowding us in the loading area like cattle. Then we saw pirates of the Caribbean. Surprisingly enjoyable for a boat ride show. Then we got stuck in the crowds after the light parade.
Back at the hotel, we had a light supper, and then went back to the room.
I was pretty exhausted. It was a long day, and a long couple of days before that, with a lot of walking. We went to bed early, and I got eight hours of sleep for the first time in I don't know how long. We had a nice breakfast, and got packed up before getting picked up by Cyn's friends.
Before LiveJournal, Cyn was on Firefly, and still keeps in touch with some of her friends from there. The ones who live in Florida came to meet us. Chip and Ginny, who married after meeting on Firefly picked us up at the hotel. Then Ritchie and his wife Tina joined us at the restaurant, where we sat and talked for about three hours. It was a good time (it didn't seem that long!). Or maybe it was four hours?
Ritchie and Tina dropped us off at the airport, where we had trouble with our tickets. The ticket taker in Milwaukee had taken our return ticket, and it took some doing by the manager at the desk to get it replaced. But we made it on the plane, and even got back to Milwaukee half an hour early. How they managed that on a flight that lasts less than three hours, I don't know. But it was good to be back home, despite the freezing temperatures.
When people ask me how it was, I say, "good, I guess." Some of it was fun, some of it was insane, and a lot of it was just interesting to experience.
Then we got on the bus and headed down to Hollywood Studios. First, we picked up our fastpass for the Tower of Terror. Then we saw the Muppet 3d movie. Then we rode the Tower of Terror. Then we left. Not much in the way of must-see stuff, as far as I'm concerned. So we headed off to Animal Kingdom.
I didn't realize how much of the park I had seen the day before. I skipped Dinosaurland (both days), so that left Africa and Asia. We were able to take our time and see all the animals, as well as go on the safari. I think we saw everything out there except Rafiki's Planet Watch. We ate a decent restaurant called The Yak & Yeti. And I rode the roller coaster again. The sign said it was a 30 minute wait, and that's about my limit, so I was disappointed to actually have waited nearly 45 minutes. I was even more disappointed to find out afterwards, that there was a single rider line. I bet that line wasn't ten minutes!
Most of the Asia area is set in the fictional Himalayan town of Anandapur. I'm really impressed with the decoration in the parks. EPCOT's World Showcase pavilions are pretty good, and I like the art deco stylings of main street in Hollywood Studios, but Animal Kingdom has them beat. The towns there (also a little town in Africa) are very rustic and somewhat realistic looking. I don't know how they match up with the real thing, but they look exactly like what I picture based on photos I've seen. There are a lot of details, like vehicles, machinery, signage, posters, storefronts, and general wear and tear. I was looking at the buildings while I was waiting in line for the roller coaster. The pagoda-like buildings had carved and painted wood, and they were very weathered and worn. I wondered if they were somehow brought from Asia, until I noticed the yeti motif. Okay, very well-done.
So then we went back to the room, got our jackets, and went over to the Magic Kingdom. We took a walk around the park, stopped to see Mickey's Philharmagic, a 3d show involving Donald Duck chasing the wizard's hat through musical scenes. Then we rode the Haunted Mansion. I was a little unhappy about them crowding us in the loading area like cattle. Then we saw pirates of the Caribbean. Surprisingly enjoyable for a boat ride show. Then we got stuck in the crowds after the light parade.
Back at the hotel, we had a light supper, and then went back to the room.
I was pretty exhausted. It was a long day, and a long couple of days before that, with a lot of walking. We went to bed early, and I got eight hours of sleep for the first time in I don't know how long. We had a nice breakfast, and got packed up before getting picked up by Cyn's friends.
Before LiveJournal, Cyn was on Firefly, and still keeps in touch with some of her friends from there. The ones who live in Florida came to meet us. Chip and Ginny, who married after meeting on Firefly picked us up at the hotel. Then Ritchie and his wife Tina joined us at the restaurant, where we sat and talked for about three hours. It was a good time (it didn't seem that long!). Or maybe it was four hours?
Ritchie and Tina dropped us off at the airport, where we had trouble with our tickets. The ticket taker in Milwaukee had taken our return ticket, and it took some doing by the manager at the desk to get it replaced. But we made it on the plane, and even got back to Milwaukee half an hour early. How they managed that on a flight that lasts less than three hours, I don't know. But it was good to be back home, despite the freezing temperatures.
When people ask me how it was, I say, "good, I guess." Some of it was fun, some of it was insane, and a lot of it was just interesting to experience.
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no subject
Date: 2010-01-28 09:58 am (UTC)From:Disney is really all about detail and what they do is generally excellent. I read somewhere that their design people are actually sent to the places so they get it right and that they often study National Geographic photos as well.
Isn't that the way of most vacations?
;)
no subject
Date: 2010-01-28 06:34 pm (UTC)From:Even if the details weren't 100% accurate, they were good enough that someone would have to have been there. I wish I'd gotten more pictures of them.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-28 11:15 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-01-28 11:45 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-01-28 05:18 pm (UTC)From:Sea World always makes me feel perfectly at peace after a day there.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-28 06:33 pm (UTC)From:EPCOT is kinda different. There's not much to do in the World Showcase, though it does look pretty. I didn't get much out of the rest of the park.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-29 01:17 am (UTC)From: