It was a fairly relaxing day at the RV. We had a late buffet breakfast at the Trail’s Inn. When the bill came, we discovered that they raised the buffet rates on Sunday. Truly time to pack up and go: crowds and higher prices! I cleaned the inside of the RV, vacuuming, dusting, etc. Bill did some chores outside. We want to get away by 9 at the latest tomorrow.
Judy, the lady in the loop with all the Christmas decorations, rode by, and we gave her the refrigerator stuff to share with her neighbor. She was truly appreciative. Nancy and Bob arrived at 4:20. I picked them up at the parking lot, and we came back to the RV. Nancy was awed over our neighbor’s decorations, so we wandered around looking at the other decorations. Then we drove over to the Grand Floridian Hotel to see the decorations there and have dinner at the Café. It was a pleasant dinner. We got back to Ft Wilderness at 9. Bob and Nancy headed off to the Villages, and we came back to the RV to finish packing. It is going to be hard leaving the shorts weather for the cold of NYC, but we will be back January 20th.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Ft Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge
It was a lovely, warm, shorts-wearing day. The RV repair guys came at 11:30. In 45 minutes they fixed the spring and installed a new topper over the slideout. While they were working, several people stopped them and asked them if they could look at their RV’s. Of course they were told just like us that they needed to call and set up an appointment. I can’t believe the amount of work they can get just by showing up.
We rode our bikes on the nature trail over to the Wilderness Lodge to check out their holiday decorations. They had a huge tree in the lobby and a neat tree made of red and black plaid flannel bags in the gift shop. We stopped by their little counter service restaurant and got a sandwich to split. While we were eating, a lady came in with a tray of cookies, icing, and sprinkles. From 2-3 every day they have a kids cookie decorating project. I wandered over to look, and since she just had one little boy, she told me to sit down and I could decorate one, too. Pretty soon another lady about my age came over and sat down too. She told me I couldn’t leave until she was done. It was kind of fun talking to the little boy as we decorated and ate our cookies.
On the ride back to the campground, we passed two deer grazing in the woods. They stepped back a big and waited for us to pedal on. We also caught a bunny nibbling. It was a pleasant afternoon. I did a load of laundry before dinner and started setting stuff out to take to NYC and Raleigh for a month. It is strange to be packing from the RV, especially for a month. We had shrimp and some veggies for dinner. We are trying to clean out the refrigerator before we have to shut it down and dump or give away what’s left over before we leave on Thursday.
We rode our bikes on the nature trail over to the Wilderness Lodge to check out their holiday decorations. They had a huge tree in the lobby and a neat tree made of red and black plaid flannel bags in the gift shop. We stopped by their little counter service restaurant and got a sandwich to split. While we were eating, a lady came in with a tray of cookies, icing, and sprinkles. From 2-3 every day they have a kids cookie decorating project. I wandered over to look, and since she just had one little boy, she told me to sit down and I could decorate one, too. Pretty soon another lady about my age came over and sat down too. She told me I couldn’t leave until she was done. It was kind of fun talking to the little boy as we decorated and ate our cookies.
On the ride back to the campground, we passed two deer grazing in the woods. They stepped back a big and waited for us to pedal on. We also caught a bunny nibbling. It was a pleasant afternoon. I did a load of laundry before dinner and started setting stuff out to take to NYC and Raleigh for a month. It is strange to be packing from the RV, especially for a month. We had shrimp and some veggies for dinner. We are trying to clean out the refrigerator before we have to shut it down and dump or give away what’s left over before we leave on Thursday.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom
The crowds at Disney are increasing, so it is probably time to leave. This morning we went to Animal Kingdom. We had lunch at the Flame Tree barbeque which is always fun because seating is hidden around the lake, and we can watch Everest ride and the ducks who come for handouts. Then we took a walk through the Pangani Forest. The colobus monkeys, okapi, birds, hippo, and gorillas are always fun to watch. I posted some photos on the Disney Christmas link on the left. The gorillas were really out today, and they were magnificent to watch. The crowds started to gather, so we left the park and came back to the RV. I took a nap.
At 5:30 we took the boat to the Magic Kingdom to see the castle lighting ceremony one last time. Then we had dinner at Cosmic Ray’s. Most people were getting ready to see the parade, so it wasn’t too crowded. However, after dinner, the parade was still going on, and it was difficult making our way down Main St to the entrance. Our boat home was packed. Bill went back to the RV while I stayed on the beach to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. I did get a photo of one of the more elaborately decorated golf carts that roam the campgrounds. That is also posted on the link to the left.
At 5:30 we took the boat to the Magic Kingdom to see the castle lighting ceremony one last time. Then we had dinner at Cosmic Ray’s. Most people were getting ready to see the parade, so it wasn’t too crowded. However, after dinner, the parade was still going on, and it was difficult making our way down Main St to the entrance. Our boat home was packed. Bill went back to the RV while I stayed on the beach to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. I did get a photo of one of the more elaborately decorated golf carts that roam the campgrounds. That is also posted on the link to the left.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Ft Wilderness and MouseFest
It was a quiet, down day for me at the RV. Bill headed out at 10 to go to MouseFest. This is a convention of Disney fans. Bill just wanted to go see what it was all about. He spent an hour at the convention meeting Anita who answers questions every week on allears.net. He also met the author of one of his favorite Disney books, Reality Land. He had lunch in Epcot and then met the author for a tour of the World Showcase to see what had been planned and discarded as Epcot evolved. He got home around 5 and really had a good day.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Disney Rain
It was an interesting day here at Disney. We had all sorts of nasty storm warnings this morning including strong thunderstorms and tornado watches. We ended up just getting some heavy rain for a few hours that cleared up by 2. The local news was full of the discovery of a child’s bones that are thought to be that of Caylee Anthony.
I wrapped Christmas presents to mail. After it stopped raining, we went down to the store and bought some little gifts to send to German Barbara. Those are now wrapped and ready to mail. So tomorrow we will be making a trip to the post office.
Bill took a bike ride over to the Wilderness Lodge. On the path over there, he saw a deer who just looked at him and continued eating. We have seen lots of deer around here along with bunnies, squirrels, turkeys, and lots of neat birds.
We didn’t want to fix dinner, so we went over to the Trail’s End for the buffet. The food was pretty good. It is a very casual, western-themed buffet restaurant, so it was a bit of a shock when one of the waiters announced that there was a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary there. I sure could have found a more romantic place to celebrate a milestone like that!
I wrapped Christmas presents to mail. After it stopped raining, we went down to the store and bought some little gifts to send to German Barbara. Those are now wrapped and ready to mail. So tomorrow we will be making a trip to the post office.
Bill took a bike ride over to the Wilderness Lodge. On the path over there, he saw a deer who just looked at him and continued eating. We have seen lots of deer around here along with bunnies, squirrels, turkeys, and lots of neat birds.
We didn’t want to fix dinner, so we went over to the Trail’s End for the buffet. The food was pretty good. It is a very casual, western-themed buffet restaurant, so it was a bit of a shock when one of the waiters announced that there was a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary there. I sure could have found a more romantic place to celebrate a milestone like that!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Disney - Ft Wilderness
It was a lovely warm day with a few clouds. We did some chores around the RV and then headed out for some major errand running. Disney is not that close to the real world, so we have to travel a ways to do what we want. Bill wanted a new Unofficial Guide to Disney, so we had to find a bookstore about 12 miles away. We did some shopping there, and then went on to a drugstore and then to a grocery store. On the way back we made a detour to Target for a few items, and then to Camping World. Bill was able to get a new connector for between the RV and the Tracker when we are towing.
Finally we made it back to the RV. It is supposed to storm Thursday, so we took down the lights from the awning so we can put it up quickly if the wind starts catching it. I took a nap. Tonight Bill watched the Indiana basketball game.
Finally we made it back to the RV. It is supposed to storm Thursday, so we took down the lights from the awning so we can put it up quickly if the wind starts catching it. I took a nap. Tonight Bill watched the Indiana basketball game.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Ft Wilderness and Epcot
It was a gorgeous day in Disney with temperatures in the 70s. Bill went to the Trails End for our free coffee, and we sat outside enjoying the lovely weather. Last night while I was down watching the fireworks, Bill heard a loud noise that shook the RV. When he went outside, the awning over the slideout had sprung. So this morning when the RV repair guy was next door, we asked him to come take a look and see what he could do. Judy (the lady with all the lights on our loop) rode by in her golf cart and stopped to chat. She diagnosed a broken spring. She said these RV guys were good and reputable. So we hung out and waited. The guy took one look and said “spring”, but he didn’t have the right spring. We are going to get the spring and a new awning replaced as soon as they get the parts.
Bill rode down to the main check-in area on his bike. I stayed here and labeled photos, a never-ending job. At 5 we drove over to Epcot to hang out until our 7:30 reservations at China’s Nine Dragon restaurant. It was fairly crowded, and there really wasn’t anything we wanted to do, so we checked in early and were seated. It is a strange restaurant – a sitdown, higher end, restaurant. The service was excellent, but the food was strangely mediocre and the service rushed. Bill had hot and sour soup, and the fried rice entrée with shrimp. I just had two appetizers: summer rolls and shrimp and taro. Our waiter was really nice. He was from Beijing and has been here for 10 months. He has only worked at this restaurant for 2 weeks. The rest of his time he worked the fast food counter outside. We did get a dessert to share (even though Chinese don’t really eat dessert) called Banana Cheesecake Eggroll. Now this was good! It was a large eggroll filled with a banana cream, drizzled with caramel sauce and served with caramel ginger ice cream!
Bill rode down to the main check-in area on his bike. I stayed here and labeled photos, a never-ending job. At 5 we drove over to Epcot to hang out until our 7:30 reservations at China’s Nine Dragon restaurant. It was fairly crowded, and there really wasn’t anything we wanted to do, so we checked in early and were seated. It is a strange restaurant – a sitdown, higher end, restaurant. The service was excellent, but the food was strangely mediocre and the service rushed. Bill had hot and sour soup, and the fried rice entrée with shrimp. I just had two appetizers: summer rolls and shrimp and taro. Our waiter was really nice. He was from Beijing and has been here for 10 months. He has only worked at this restaurant for 2 weeks. The rest of his time he worked the fast food counter outside. We did get a dessert to share (even though Chinese don’t really eat dessert) called Banana Cheesecake Eggroll. Now this was good! It was a large eggroll filled with a banana cream, drizzled with caramel sauce and served with caramel ginger ice cream!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Down day at Disney
Yes, there are down days at Disney. We didn’t go to any parks at all today. We slept in. Bill got up first and already had a load of laundry going. I actually felt well enough to have coffee for breakfast. After a light lunch, we headed out for Wal-Mart to fill our water jugs, get some milk and Christmas wrapping paper. Then we tried to find a post office. There is not one that is close to Disney, but our GPS found us one down Interstate 4. I mailed my Christmas letters and the cards that Mandy had done.
On the way back we stopped at Downtown Disney Marketplace which is a huge store that carries every Disney piece of merchandise imaginable. I went in to see if anything struck my fancy, but in my weakened state, I couldn’t deal with the crowds and the awesome array of stuff, so we just came back to the RV. While we had been gone, a huge trailer parked two spots away from us. There is barely room for the huge honking pickup truck that tows it to park. They have outlined their trailer with Christmas lights and set up all kinds of lights and junk around them. We are thrilled that there is a trailer between us as a buffer.
At 8 I wandered down to the beach to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. They are good, but the ones they do on the nights of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are much better.
On the way back we stopped at Downtown Disney Marketplace which is a huge store that carries every Disney piece of merchandise imaginable. I went in to see if anything struck my fancy, but in my weakened state, I couldn’t deal with the crowds and the awesome array of stuff, so we just came back to the RV. While we had been gone, a huge trailer parked two spots away from us. There is barely room for the huge honking pickup truck that tows it to park. They have outlined their trailer with Christmas lights and set up all kinds of lights and junk around them. We are thrilled that there is a trailer between us as a buffer.
At 8 I wandered down to the beach to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. They are good, but the ones they do on the nights of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are much better.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Disney - Epcot
It was a chilly day at Disney, but I am finally feeling human. The news said it was the coldest night of the season so far. Bill woke up not well and grew progressively worse through the day. Mandy got packed and ready to fly out tonight. She and Bill took her bag down to the reception area of the campground and checked her in for her flight. Bill decided he wasn’t up for the lunch at the German Biergarten in Epcot, so we canceled those reservations. Mandy wanted to go there anyway for a few hours, so we all drove over about 12:30.
We got the worst parking place ever in Disney. We were totally at the end of the row away from the trams, 75 cars away!! We got to the entrance and took a roundtrip monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom and back. Mandy has always loved the monorail. When we got back to Epcot, Bill was feeling worse, so he took the bus back to the RV. Mandy and I picked up fast passes for Fast Track and then went to the Sunshine Seasons restaurant in The Land. This is one of the best counter restaurants at Disney: no burgers, no fries, lots of salads, fruit, fresh wraps, chicken, Asian food, soups. I had a turkey and Muenster cheese on foccacia. Mandy had a fruit and cheese platter.
We then went on the Spaceship Earth ride which has been redone and is really rather neat, portraying the evolution of communication of man. We decided to go see if we could get on Fast Track before our fast pass time. The Single Rider line was only 20 minutes, so we did that. We stand in line together the whole way and then end up in different cars, filling in where an empty spot exists. After that we headed back to the Tracker (past all 75 cars!) and came back to the RV. Bill was huddled up asleep in bed. He didn’t feel well at all. Mandy finished getting ready, and I drove her down to reception where she caught the bus to the airport.
Bill was up and down most of the evening. He did rally to watch the final episode of the Amazing Race. We were totally pleased with the outcome. I went down to the beach to watch the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom – 15 minutes of amazing fireworks reflecting over the lake with Christmas music playing over the PA. So neat!
We got the worst parking place ever in Disney. We were totally at the end of the row away from the trams, 75 cars away!! We got to the entrance and took a roundtrip monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom and back. Mandy has always loved the monorail. When we got back to Epcot, Bill was feeling worse, so he took the bus back to the RV. Mandy and I picked up fast passes for Fast Track and then went to the Sunshine Seasons restaurant in The Land. This is one of the best counter restaurants at Disney: no burgers, no fries, lots of salads, fruit, fresh wraps, chicken, Asian food, soups. I had a turkey and Muenster cheese on foccacia. Mandy had a fruit and cheese platter.
We then went on the Spaceship Earth ride which has been redone and is really rather neat, portraying the evolution of communication of man. We decided to go see if we could get on Fast Track before our fast pass time. The Single Rider line was only 20 minutes, so we did that. We stand in line together the whole way and then end up in different cars, filling in where an empty spot exists. After that we headed back to the Tracker (past all 75 cars!) and came back to the RV. Bill was huddled up asleep in bed. He didn’t feel well at all. Mandy finished getting ready, and I drove her down to reception where she caught the bus to the airport.
Bill was up and down most of the evening. He did rally to watch the final episode of the Amazing Race. We were totally pleased with the outcome. I went down to the beach to watch the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom – 15 minutes of amazing fireworks reflecting over the lake with Christmas music playing over the PA. So neat!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Disney World - Animal Kingdom
We all rallied today, but we took it fairly easy as Mandy and I were still not 100%. We had the breakfast buffet here at the Trail’s End restaurant, and then came back for a nap. Bill and Mandy stayed out late last night drinking their way around The World Showcase at Epcot.
At 3 we headed to the Animal Kingdom for an early light dinner at Yak and Yedi. Mandy had not been there before. It is a nice Asian restaurant. I settled for Won Ton soup. Bill had some ahi tuna and chicken lettuce cups. Mandy had some rice, green beans tempura, and some mixed veggies. We had a nice view of the Animal Kingdom parade which was fun.
Tonight Bill and Mandy went to the campfire movies here to see “Lilo and Stitch” and “High School Musical 2”. I stayed behind and went to the beach here at the campground at 9 to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks. They have them every night, and they last about 15 minutes and are pretty awesome!
I must talk about the huge displays of Christmas decorations that many of the campers put out. Neither words nor pictures can describe the unbelievable amount of money that has been invested in these setups. One woman on our loop is from New Orleans and she has to have at least 30 Christmas blowups, a million miles of colored lights, and a ton of wood/plastic stick items in the ground items. It is truly breath-taking. And she is not alone.
I keep posting photos on the Disney Christmas 2008 site, so just click on the link to the left.
At 3 we headed to the Animal Kingdom for an early light dinner at Yak and Yedi. Mandy had not been there before. It is a nice Asian restaurant. I settled for Won Ton soup. Bill had some ahi tuna and chicken lettuce cups. Mandy had some rice, green beans tempura, and some mixed veggies. We had a nice view of the Animal Kingdom parade which was fun.
Tonight Bill and Mandy went to the campfire movies here to see “Lilo and Stitch” and “High School Musical 2”. I stayed behind and went to the beach here at the campground at 9 to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks. They have them every night, and they last about 15 minutes and are pretty awesome!
I must talk about the huge displays of Christmas decorations that many of the campers put out. Neither words nor pictures can describe the unbelievable amount of money that has been invested in these setups. One woman on our loop is from New Orleans and she has to have at least 30 Christmas blowups, a million miles of colored lights, and a ton of wood/plastic stick items in the ground items. It is truly breath-taking. And she is not alone.
I keep posting photos on the Disney Christmas 2008 site, so just click on the link to the left.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Sick Day
I spent today in bed sleeping and trying to recover from the stomach bug. Bill and Mandy headed out to take the boat ride from the Port Orleans resort to Downtown Disney. It is a nice ride, giving some back views to some of the Disney areas. They came back and napped and then took off for Epcot. They were going to try to drink their way around the World Showcase and have dinner at Tokyo Dining. They keep calling and checking on me, and luckily I am improving, so maybe by tomorrow I will be human again.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Disney Hollywood Studios and Osbourne Spectacle of Lights
It was another lovely day at Disney. Mandy was still feeling a little sick, so we hung out around the RV until we headed to Hollywood Studios for lunch at the Brown Derby at 2. Bill loves the Cobb salad there. After lunch we went on the Muppet show and wandered around. We stopped a few times to give Mandy a rest. At 6pm they turned on the Osborne Spectacle of Lights. This is what we came to see. They have a two blocks in the park that are like street scenes for movies. They are covered with lights, and every half hour or so, they put on a light show flashing them. It really is an incredible sight, and I got some fantastic photos.
We got home at 8. Bill and Mandy went over to the beach to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks. I was sicker than a dog. I think I got Mandy’s bug. They said the fireworks were great. I will get to see them some other night.
We got home at 8. Bill and Mandy went over to the beach to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks. I was sicker than a dog. I think I got Mandy’s bug. They said the fireworks were great. I will get to see them some other night.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Disney World - Ft Wilderness and Candlelight Processional at Epcot
It was a beautiful day at Disney World. It warmed up, and the sun was shining. Mandy had a rough night with a sick stomach and spent a good part of the day in bed. Bill and I did chores around the RV. We had a light lunch and took a ride on our bikes around the campground. Mandy rallied, and we all took off for Epcot at 4pm. We had dinner reservations at the Rose and Crown as part of the Candlelight Processional package.
We hadn’t eaten dinner here before, so it was a treat. Mandy didn’t eat much, but Bill had a fruit and cheese plate as an appetizer. I had Samosas that were really good. Bill had steak and fish for his entrée, and I had pork tenderloin with a tamarind sauce. Both were pretty good. Dessert came with the dinner. Bill had a Bailey’s Irish Cream trifle, and I had a sticky toffee pudding which was excellent. After dinner, we found Mandy a spot to rest while Bill went to smoke his cigar, and I went shopping. I did find some cute books for some of the kids for Christmas.
Everyone started lining up for the Candlelight Processional program which was held in the big outdoor theater in front of the American Pavilion. This program has a full orchestra, a choir with at least 200 singers, and a celebrity reader. Tonight’s reader was Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser). The show combines classic Christmas carols with a reading of the Christmas story interspersed with he songs. It was really quite good and moving. We all really enjoyed it, and it was a nice part of our Disney Christmas.
I have posted more photos which can be viewed by clicking on the Disney Christmas link on the left
We hadn’t eaten dinner here before, so it was a treat. Mandy didn’t eat much, but Bill had a fruit and cheese plate as an appetizer. I had Samosas that were really good. Bill had steak and fish for his entrée, and I had pork tenderloin with a tamarind sauce. Both were pretty good. Dessert came with the dinner. Bill had a Bailey’s Irish Cream trifle, and I had a sticky toffee pudding which was excellent. After dinner, we found Mandy a spot to rest while Bill went to smoke his cigar, and I went shopping. I did find some cute books for some of the kids for Christmas.
Everyone started lining up for the Candlelight Processional program which was held in the big outdoor theater in front of the American Pavilion. This program has a full orchestra, a choir with at least 200 singers, and a celebrity reader. Tonight’s reader was Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser). The show combines classic Christmas carols with a reading of the Christmas story interspersed with he songs. It was really quite good and moving. We all really enjoyed it, and it was a nice part of our Disney Christmas.
I have posted more photos which can be viewed by clicking on the Disney Christmas link on the left
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Disney World - Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
The day didn’t start too well for me. I awoke with my stomach punishing me for the enormous amount I ate at Boma last night. Bill and Mandy headed over to Hollywood Studios, and I went back to bed. They had lunch at the Sci-Fi Drive In and got home about 1:30. I felt much better by the time they got home. We hung out around the RV, napped, and had a light dinner.
At 5:30 we headed over to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This is a special charge ticket, and the park is open from 7-midnight for those who have purchased this ticket. The first thing we did was find a good spot for the castle lighting ceremony at 6:30. They had characters on a stage in front of the castle, and finally the fairy godmother lights the castle with the special icicle lighting.
We stopped to share a funnel cake, went on the Haunted Mansion ride, and then Thunder Mountain. There really weren’t any lines for the rides. We basically walked right on most of the rides. After that, we walked to Pirates of the Caribbean to look at a small display of items that are only for sale during the party. I got a sweatshirt, and Mandy got a T-shirt and Santa mouse ears hat. We then walked right on the Pirates ride. Then it was time for the special parade. Some nice older ladies let Mandy and I squeeze in beside them next to the ropes, so we had a pretty good view. The parade really was neat with lots of huge floats with a Christmas theme. I will post some of those photos tomorrow.
We walked over to smoking area so Bill could have a cigar, and Mandy and I could stake out a place to watch the fireworks. There were tables and chairs in this area so we grabbed a table and waited for the special fireworks at 9:30. Christmas music played as the fireworks went off over the castle. It was an impressive show. Finally we went to see the half hour show, Mickey’s Night Before Christmas. There was singing and dancing by life performers. It wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t go back. And to top off the night, we spent the last hour riding some rides: the People Mover, Small World, Peter Pan, Snow White, and the Tea Cups. At midnight we headed for the entrance and caught the boat back to Ft Wilderness. It was rather cold tonight – down in the 40s, but we stayed warm and enjoyed the party!
At 5:30 we headed over to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This is a special charge ticket, and the park is open from 7-midnight for those who have purchased this ticket. The first thing we did was find a good spot for the castle lighting ceremony at 6:30. They had characters on a stage in front of the castle, and finally the fairy godmother lights the castle with the special icicle lighting.
We stopped to share a funnel cake, went on the Haunted Mansion ride, and then Thunder Mountain. There really weren’t any lines for the rides. We basically walked right on most of the rides. After that, we walked to Pirates of the Caribbean to look at a small display of items that are only for sale during the party. I got a sweatshirt, and Mandy got a T-shirt and Santa mouse ears hat. We then walked right on the Pirates ride. Then it was time for the special parade. Some nice older ladies let Mandy and I squeeze in beside them next to the ropes, so we had a pretty good view. The parade really was neat with lots of huge floats with a Christmas theme. I will post some of those photos tomorrow.
We walked over to smoking area so Bill could have a cigar, and Mandy and I could stake out a place to watch the fireworks. There were tables and chairs in this area so we grabbed a table and waited for the special fireworks at 9:30. Christmas music played as the fireworks went off over the castle. It was an impressive show. Finally we went to see the half hour show, Mickey’s Night Before Christmas. There was singing and dancing by life performers. It wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t go back. And to top off the night, we spent the last hour riding some rides: the People Mover, Small World, Peter Pan, Snow White, and the Tea Cups. At midnight we headed for the entrance and caught the boat back to Ft Wilderness. It was rather cold tonight – down in the 40s, but we stayed warm and enjoyed the party!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Disney World - Animal Kingdom
It was an Animal Kingdom day! Mandy wanted to get there for the early opening at 8, so we headed out at 7:30. As soon as we arrived, we headed for the Kilimanjaro Safari. Each time we do this ride, we see something different. Today it was giraffes. There were two adult and one baby giraffe that followed our truck, ran across the road in front and then in back of us. The baby frolicked, bounding and kicking. It was so cute. From there we went to Pizzafari for some breakfast. Bill and I had the breakfast plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuit, and hashbrowns. Mandy had a breakfast pizza with cheese, eggs, and two kinds of peppers and was quite good.
We went to see the 9:30 Lion King show, but it had been canceled due to technical difficulties, so we headed over to Dinoland. Bill and Mandy went on a few rides while I went to watch the monkeys in Asia. We got fastpass tickets for the Everest roller coaster and went on the Maharajah Jungle trek while we waited for out turn at the roller coaster. We saw most of the animals: komodo dragon, tapir, tigers, and many wonderful birds. After the Everest ride, we went back to the Lion King, and Mandy finally got to see that show. We did some shopping, and then headed to the car.
We all relaxed at the RV before we went to the Animal Kingdom Lodge to Boma for dinner. That is one of my all-time favorite restaurants, an African buffet. We totally stuffed ourselves. The soups weren’t as good as usual, but the Bobuti and the Geelrys rice were great as were the desserts. It was a fun day. The weather was great, sunny and not too cool.
I have posted photos on my flickr page which can be reached by clicking on the Disney Christmas 2008 on the left side of this page.
We went to see the 9:30 Lion King show, but it had been canceled due to technical difficulties, so we headed over to Dinoland. Bill and Mandy went on a few rides while I went to watch the monkeys in Asia. We got fastpass tickets for the Everest roller coaster and went on the Maharajah Jungle trek while we waited for out turn at the roller coaster. We saw most of the animals: komodo dragon, tapir, tigers, and many wonderful birds. After the Everest ride, we went back to the Lion King, and Mandy finally got to see that show. We did some shopping, and then headed to the car.
We all relaxed at the RV before we went to the Animal Kingdom Lodge to Boma for dinner. That is one of my all-time favorite restaurants, an African buffet. We totally stuffed ourselves. The soups weren’t as good as usual, but the Bobuti and the Geelrys rice were great as were the desserts. It was a fun day. The weather was great, sunny and not too cool.
I have posted photos on my flickr page which can be reached by clicking on the Disney Christmas 2008 on the left side of this page.
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