Biergarten or Bust! day 11 - Animal Kingdom!

[Ms Finkelstein]

Time for another update - Hello again to everyone reading - pop in and say hi!

So onto our last Tuesday and it was an Animal Kingdom day. We had a breakfast ADR at Tusker House at 10.00. So we were able to lie in a bit and then head over to the park. We stopped off at the entrance for a Photopass op.

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Note my acting skills there - I was really hoping to be 'discovered' this trip, but alas the casting agents never appeared.

Then we walked through to Tusker House. Lisa was our server that day and she was really nice. The jungle juice was lovely! After getting set up with some food from the buffet (only problem was we were right at the other end of the restaurant from the buffet, so it was a long walk!) we ate inbetween visits from the characters.

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Our pal - Mickey!

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Fun with Daisy!

My boyfriend of course came to see me!

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The Donald was impressed with Ben's collection of The Donald pins - I've taught that boy well.

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More footage for my collection! Stalking is such a harsh term I think.

continued below

[Ms Finkelstein]

After breakfast we decided to spend sometime in Africa as we had spent most of our last visit to AK in Asia.

First up was the safari where Grumpy got some great photos.

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Open wide!

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I love nellyphants!

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Everyone sing! "In the jungle...the quiet jungle...the lion sleeps tonight!"

After the safari it was time for the wildlife walk.

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Some people have no shame!

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It took ages to get that photo of the gorilla outside as there was so many people watching him and trying to get photos. I don't mind waiting but most of them stood there for about 15mins - we at least took our photos, watched for a few minutes and then moved on to let the people behind us see. There was quite a few people who were there when we got there and we still left before them! OK, rant over now!

After spending a couple of hours in Africa we walked back over to Asia - the lure of the Yeti was too strong! We grabbed a FP, and then back tracked to Kali. I went on with the kids and Grumpy waited outside for us. No photos from this ride, but I was in the hot seat!

After that we walked back to Everest, having a good look at the monkeys on the way (the FP return times always seemed to be quite short!) Before we went on we grabbed some more FPs for it! Obsessed - us?

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When we came off from the first ride we saw a Photopass photog and got some photos.

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As Grumpy was in the EE shop having a look round I was waiting outside and got chatting to a lovely lady who was waiting for friends who were on EE. She had heard our accents and came over (all holiday we were told our accents were "adorable", apparently). She told us she had spent time in Scotland and Europe when she was younger as a dancer, and would love to go back.

As we still had a wee bit of time we wandered round to the Tree of Life to do ITTBAB - always really funny!

To be continued...

Di x

[Ms Finkelstein]

Walking back to Asia the kids went into some of the nature stations along the way - always try to keep up with their education!

Also took advantage of some more photo ops!

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We had adopted Simba it seemed!

Time for our 2nd lot of FPs! Just when we were walking up to the entrance to EE we heard someone shouting "Everyone! Everyone listen! We have a really special announcement! This guest here has just won a stay in Cinderella's castle for him and his party! Isn't that great! "

The Dream Squad! How cool to see it actually happen! I'd always wondered if it did actually get given out - and we had actually witnessed it! It was a young guy in his early 20's who was there with a bout 4 of his mates, he looked equal parts thrilled and embarrassed.

When we were waiting in the FP queue in EE the Dream Team were walking through the line with them, explaining it all to them.

Anyway, we rode EE again, and this time we were all in the same car and were all making a suitably 'scared' face, so we bought the photo. A slightly more complicated situation than it initially appears... you stand in one queue to pay for your photo then stand in another queue across the shop to collect it!?

While we were waiting in the 2nd queue a harrassed looking man ran up to the desk to say his grandson was lost and he needed to be found - NOW! A more senior CM immediately appeared and tried to deal with the situation. But the man was having none of it.

CM - "What was your grandson wearing? Where was he when you last saw him, sir?"

GF - "I don't know what he's wearing! He has blonde hair, about this high, you just do your job lady!"

CM - (talking on radio as well) - "I'm trying sir but I need some details, what colour were his clothes? How old is he?"

GF - "His mom knows what he's wearing - I don't! She's over there (waving vaguely in one direction), he's only 4, he was just here a second ago! You just do your job lady! He had a t shirt on, he has blonde hair and is this tall (waving hand about at mid thigh height). You just do what you have to do lady!"

CM - "That's what I'm trying to do sir, but if we could get a description..."

And on it went, as he ran out of the shop. I could totally understand his panic, but as Grumpy whispered to me "He needs to calm right down and work with them". Then we realised that in their panic they had completely abandoned their other child at the photo booth, who was by now shaking and crying. She tried to leave as well to find her family, so I stood next to her and tried to calm her down and tell her to wait here with us until they came back so she didn't get lost. After a few minutes the mother came back into the shop to get her, much to the wee girls relief.

We went out of the shop and were walking over to the wall by the lake, when we spotted the wee boy, who was being led back over to the shop by another CM - much to the relief of his family - the GF still telling the original CM to do her job! It appeared the wee boy had gotten very bored in the shop, and had decided to walk back to his pram which was parked outside and have a seat! A good result!

After this we walked through Dinoland and went into the Boneyard so the kids could play about for a while and we could have a seat.

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After about 30 mins we left and walked round, grabbing an ice cream to nibble on the way. We just missed the parade (never got to see it this trip - next time!)

Some bongo action.

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By now it was about 3 o'clock, and having seen and done everything we had wanted to, so we decided to head off to Epcot and spend some time there before our dinner ADR.

We walked back through the lovely oasis, Heather in tears by the time we got to the exit - "I don't want to leave AK, I just love it! Why do we have to leave?"

Poor poppet, we knew how she felt! But we will be back!

[wickesy]

Some great safari photos there Diane. I can understand people panicking when their children go missing but there's no reason for their manners to go missing as well. I'm sure it's almost true that when a child goes missing in WDW the cast members know before the parents do.

[mossyflossy]

some lovely photos, and a belated happy anniversary to you too!

[col2501]

Fab photos again! We're spending our first full day at AK and am llooking forward to our ADR at Donalds breakfast, my DS Brandon loves Donald the most...!

[Guest]

Loving your reports you are so funny.Great photos.
Claire

[Guest]

Sounds like a fab day. Poor Heather, I know how she feels too. I'm always in tears on our last day.

[Guest]

Another great report Di, love the photos the ones with simba in are so cute. I know panic does weird things but how rude was that man to the poor CM I hope he apologised once the wee lad was found safe.

[sungiggs]

great photos, poor gf must have been in a right panic, just delt with it the wrong way bless him