February Florida Fun - Day 2, Animal Kingdom and Olive Garden

[Eccle]

We had an early start, today I had planned for us to go to Animal Kingdom to use the EMH, but just a few days before we left the opening time had been changed from 8am to 7am, I’m not sure I would have planned for such an early opening! We had breakfast in the villa and got our things together, again somehow everything took longer than expected and we were later leaving than we meant to be. Luckily Animal Kingdom is a very quick drive from Windsor Hills using the shortcut. We parked in the pleasingly rhyming Dinosaur 34 and headed in at around 7.15. There were swarms of people heading to Pandora even at this early hour, and the waiting time was already showing at well over 2 hours for Flight of Passage. Luckily we weren’t trying to join those crowds. We headed first to Dinosaur which we walked straight on to after getting a rider switch. I’ve only ever done Dinosaur once before as I’ve been pregnant on two of our three previous trips. Our overall conclusion was that it was basically being shaken around in the dark whilst things roared at you! I have to say that I much prefer the Indiana Jones ride in California which uses a similar track.

In the mean time David had taken Barnaby on Triceratops Spin which was so quiet they were just letting people stay on for as many rides as they wanted to (they went round 3 times!). David decided to leave going on Dinosaur himself for now as he wasn’t that bothered and we could use the rider switch ticket at any time. Steve took the three older boys on Primeval Whirl, David managed to get out of it on the basis the carriages sat 4 people! They only had a short wait and all enjoyed it. Anna and I went on Triceratops Spin with the two younger boys, bringing Barnaby’s times on it up to 5!

My plan next had been to head to Expedition Everest. Based on being there for opening I had expected to get there before the park opened to everyone at 8 and it having a short wait time (I had been tracking wait times on the app in the run up to the holiday to work out when queues normally built up for rides). Unfortunately being slightly late getting in had meant it was now just after 8, and the app was showing a 20 minute queue for Everest. We decided to carry on anyway, but by the time we walked round it was up to 40. The older boys were a bit disappointed but I promised I would sort out getting them on at some point even if it couldn’t be today. With the benefit of hindsight, after Dinosaur we should have pressed straight on to Everest and gone back to Primeval Whirl, or even gone straight to Everest when we arrived.

Plans thrown we now needed to reassess. Next on my list had been Kali River Rapids, but they were down. We had fastpasses for Kilimanjaro Safari later in the morning, but decided our best bet was to head over there now as it had a 25 minute wait which wasn’t too bad. It was around 8.20 when we joined the queue, and the posted time was pretty accurate. It didn’t feel too bad as it was moving. Whilst in the queue I managed to get David, Steve and the three older boys FPs for Kali River which would be just after we did Safari. I was actually hoping that if it stayed down they would convert to anytime FPs that they could use to do Everest, but it opened just before our window did. Anyway, it was fine as we did want to do Kali too!

We boarded the Safari ride vehicle and had a good trip round with lots of animals to see. I’m glad they dropped the whole poacher storyline that they used to have a few years ago.

After we got off we wandered back down, as we got back to close to the ride entrance we realised that we had lost Anna and Ben. I managed to get Anna on the phone, and it turned out Ben had lost his magic band and were trying to find it. I spoke to a cast member on the ride entrance, who said anything lost on the ride would be at the ride exit, but at worst we could go and see guest relations who would sort us out, and for any immediate FPs if the rest of the group had FPs and we explained they would still let Ben on. Luckily it was eventually tracked down in the stroller parking area.

By now it was about 9.15 and the park was heaving. It was also very hot (somehow I always find Animal Kingdom feels hotter than any other park). There wasn’t long until the end of our FP window for Kali, so we made our way over and got a rider switch ticket. Anna and I went with the younger two boys and watched near the ride exit and gave them some snacks. Once they came off (in varying states of wetness!) we went back round and took Sam on whilst Barnaby stayed with the others. Again I have only ever been on Kali once, I really enjoyed it and if anything it was too short! I got a bit wet, but Sam was drenched after a big wave came right over him! By the time we got off the ride the wait time was at 75 minutes so it was a good job I had got the fastpasses.

Our next Fastpass was the Mickey and Minnie meet. Even with fastpass there was a little bit of a wait. Again Barnaby was very excited. However for me it couldn’t compare with when we met them there on our last trip, and Minnie got down on the floor and did a Mermaid impression after seeing Sebastian’s Minnie Ariel cuddly toy!

By now we were all getting hot and tired and a bit fed up of the crowds, but as we had Flight of Passage FPs that didn’t start until 12.50 we couldn’t just call it a day. We fought our way through the crowds to the train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Once we were inside there we had a wander around, the younger boys spotted Doc McStuffins and wanted to meet her. Alex and Ben decided they were a bit too old. Barnaby never seems that fussed on watching Doc McStuffins but loved her! We went out into the petting area and saw all the goats and sheep. Eventually it was getting towards time for our fastpass so we headed back to the train. I had a very slow walk with Barnaby who was picking up every leaf.

Back in the main Animal Kingdom the crowds were now crazy, the worst I have ever seen in a Disney park. We fought through the solid walls of people around Festival of the Lion King to walk around to Pandora. We found the Flight of Passage entrance. Unfortunately Sam was just too short for it, so Anna stayed with him and David stayed with Barnaby (who had fallen asleep in the pushchair) whilst Steve and I took Alex, Sebastian and Ben on. After everything I had read about Flight of Passage I was really excited to go on it, and I spend ages securing fastpasses for it. I hadn’t been able to get any at 60 days, a week or so later I got lucky and had managed to pick 6 up, but not for a day I planned to be in Animal Kingdom, then a little while later they randomly released a load of FPs for our week and I was able to get the day we wanted.

There was a long walk through, and then maybe 10 minutes or so waiting beyond where the lines merged. We spoke to a nice older couple behind us from Quebec who had been queueing for 3 hours, they said they hadn’t known about Fastpass before coming. We eventually made the preshow room (this seemed to go on forever, I think I could have lived without this!), then the second preshow. And finally into the ride itself. Even then there was more waiting whilst we sat there for ages before it started! I had read things about children having issues with the glasses, but whilst the children seemed to be fine, mine would just not stay on my head at all. I had to use one hand to keep them on, and I think it really detracted from the ride for me as it took away from the immersion, at one point I was looking around at all the rows of other riders around us. I have to say I came off disappointed, it was good, but I didn’t feel the wow and the emotional reaction that lots seem to. It was just me though as all the others loved it.

We got back out and Barnaby had woken up and was upset. David and Anna went on the ride and took the three older boys back on using the rider switch. We walked through Pandora past Tiffins, and found a cart to buy some ice creams and a frozen lemonade for me, which was so refreshing. We did think about trying to do a ride, but even Triceratops Spin had a 30 minute wait by now.

I have to say that rider switch is great when you have a toddler in your group, but it does take a lot of time on some rides for two groups to go through, and Flight of Passage was definitely one of these. Once the others eventually reemerged we had all had enough of the heat and crowds so headed to the cars.

We decided on Olive Garden for food. We’ve been fans of Olive Garden since our first trip to the States in 2004. They had a good deal on where Monday to Thursday between (I think) 3 and 5 some mains were only $8.99 including their breadsticks and salad. I had Fettucine Alfredo which I added chicken to, and David had lasagne. Altogether with tip we paid $52.99 for the five of us.


We headed back to the villa and some relaxation!

An apology that I didn't seem to take many photos today!

[Excitedx4]

Another good day, you do seem to get better use of FP with the use of rider switch. Animal kingdom always feels so hot and humid probably because of the trees and rainforest like trees.

[mick]

Another great day

Joan

[collybird]

The offsite prices are crazy compared to eating onsite, you are feeding the whole family for the price of one adult at Chef Mickey's dinner!

I feel so sorry for the couple in line at FoP, and others line them they don't know about FP before they arrive, it must all seem very overwhelming.

Was this your friend's first visit?

[Eccle]

Originally Posted by Excitedx4

Another good day, you do seem to get better use of FP with the use of rider switch. Animal kingdom always feels so hot and humid probably because of the trees and rainforest like trees.

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It's definitely really useful to have when you have a little one with you, I did tell my older two they were very lucky that having a little brother meant they got multiple rides on FOP

Originally Posted by mick

Another great day

Joan

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Thank you!

Originally Posted by collybird

The offsite prices are crazy compared to eating onsite, you are feeding the whole family for the price of one adult at Chef Mickey's dinner!

I feel so sorry for the couple in line at FoP, and others line them they don't know about FP before they arrive, it must all seem very overwhelming.

Was this your friend's first visit?

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It is a huge difference, and crazy when you think of it that way. I think a lot of my motivation to do some time onsite next time is to have the chance to try some more of the Disney restaurants with free dining, as it's hard to justify the cost otherwise, especially as on our next trip Alex will class as an adult and Barnaby would be over 3 so need to pay in disney restaurants.

I felt bad for the FOP couple too and a bit guilty as they asked us how long we had waited and was the FP queue really quicker (which it clearly was).

It was our friends first visit, they really enjoyed it all

[Zomax25]

What a great day. Rider swap is really useful but we’ve not done FOP. It’s good for when there are 4 of you and one is too short. My elder daughter got to ride everything twice last time!

[Mortimer Mouse]

It never ceases to amaze me that people don't know about FP's before they arrive. Some people don't seem to research their trips at all and some first timers who you mention it to, are reluctant to do anything about them before they go.

I like the sound of that Olive Garden deal.

[Eccle]

Originally Posted by Mortimer Mouse

It never ceases to amaze me that people don't know about FP's before they arrive. Some people don't seem to research their trips at all and some first timers who you mention it to, are reluctant to do anything about them before they go.

I like the sound of that Olive Garden deal.

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No it's the same for me, and the planning is part of the fun of it all for me. I often read comments on the Orlando related Facebook groups about people not wanting to plan and wanting to go with the flow, but for most things that would involve lots of queuing

It was a great deal at Olive Garden, we love it there