Sunday September 16, 2001
The sun! The sun! The sun is out!
Sunny and wild morning.
Sunday dawned bright and early. Somehow, we wound up waking at 8am instead of 8:30, so when the housekeeping CMs pulled up almost to our door in their little stretch-limo golf cart, we were already done with the morning routine and ready to go out (nyah, nyah!). We left the hotel at 8:30 and drove the short distance to Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. When I go to AK, I almost always wind up in the area of the lot served by the very first (or last, depending on your point of view) tram stop, so we were soon moving through the turnstiles and threading our way along the trails of the Oasis. I've wandered through these trails a few times, but they're not as big an attraction for me as they are for others; on this day, we walked through fairly quickly, as our objective was breakfast.
Breakfast was in Tusker House. When I picked up my tray, I was astonished at the size of the ham/egg/cheese croissant on it. It was hefty sandwich; I was actually afraid that eating such a large breakfast, which is not my habit, would slow me down in the park, but it tasted so good, I couldn't resist. I cleaned my plate.
After breakfast, we went immediately to the Kilimanjaro Safari. The standby line was pretty short; we wound up waiting about fifteen minutes to get into a truck. Our tour guide was pretty good, as most of them are, and we were soon bouncing our way through the 'nature preserve.' For the past few years, I've wound up shooting more film on the Safari than any other single subject. Not being a nature photographer, I usually botch most of the pictures, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day (except digitals), so I usually wind up with at least one or two accidentally great shots.
Gorillas and tigers and bats, oh my!
After the Safari, we walked the Pangani Forest Exploration trail ( I usually just call it the Gorilla Trail). Although there are some great animals to see here (I got a great shot of a meerkat looking right at the camera), I tend to forget them in the face of those magnificent gorillas. There aren't enough words to describe the majesty of these animals; I shot nearly a whole roll of film of them, since a group was playing near the overlook. I even got some pictures of one of the kids; he was sitting in a tree in full view, although his back was turned.
When we left the gorilla trail, we headed over to Asia. Although the morning was already turning hot, neither of us was in the mood to be drenched, so we skipped Kali River Rapids and went directly to the Maharajah Jungle Trek. The gibbons were in fine voice this morning, and their laughing calls could be heard from quite a distance. I took a few pictures of them, and we moved into the Trek. We stopped for a while to have a look at the huge bats, then moved on to the tiger enclosure. As with the gorillas in Africa, whenever I'm on the Maharajah Jungle Trek, I forget about everything but the tigers. These beautiful creatures tend to hide when I'm around, though, so I only have a few good pictures of them, taken mostly through the glass at the viewing areas. They weren't very active on this particular morning, just laying there, watching the humans move by. There always seems to be an attitude of slight smugness about the tigers, as if they know just how beautiful and fascinating they are to us, and they get a chuckle out of the fuss we make over them.
You want HOW MUCH for that?
During the Jungle Trek, I exhausted my film supply. Now, I had brought 16 rolls of film with me on this trip, and I was in the habit of carrying tree spares in my utility belt, but when shooting Kilimanjaro Safari, I used quite a lot, and was on my last roll when I entered the Jungle Trek; and this was at only 10:30 in the morning! I had plenty of film left, but it was all back at the hotel... and spending the rest of the day without taking any pictures was simply not an option for me. So I broke down and bought a roll of Kodak Gold 400 from Mandala Gifts. One roll of film cost me $7.40 plus tax; I get a four-pack at WalMart for $7.88 plus tax. People often call Walt Disney World 'The Happiest Place on Earth'. This is something of a misnomer; that title was originally given to Disneyland. So, nowadays, when someone says that to me, I say, "No, that's Disneyland." The reply is always, "Then what's Disney World?" I simply say, "The Most Expensive Place on Earth." That's an exaggeration, of course, but there is no denying that even the most simple, commonplace item, like a roll of film, costs twice as much in the WDW parks than it does one mile outside the gates.
Now it was time for more shopping, so we headed back to Discovery Island and made the rounds through the shops. We also looked up the Annual Passholder Lounge. This pavilion, located in the dining area around Flame Tree Barbecue, is a small pavilion set aside for those individuals who hold WDW Annual Passports. Since Frank and I had both purchased APs upon our arrival Wednesday, we decided to check out the Passholder lounge to see what it was all about. I had heard from some of my good friends on the web that the lounge had a Cast Member on duty at all times to help with Priority Seating arrangements and other Guest Services, and that there was a nice free water cooler available to thirsty guests. When we finally found the place... it was empty. No CM, no other Passholders, no water cooler (although the stand was there). After emerging from the dining area, we ran into a couple of Guest Services CMs hanging out to answer questions; we asked about the lounge, and they checked via radio with the park's central Guest Services office, and we were told simply that "The Passholder Lounge is closed for the day." Oh, well; maybe on my next trip.
Then we rode Dinosaur, after which we were hungry, so we went back to Tusker House for lunch.
Lunch... and bugs.
There are a bunch of places to eat in Animal Kingdom; they serve a variety of food, and all are Disney quality, but for some reason I can't explain, I've never eaten anywhere but Tusker House. I just love the place. The food is always very tasty, service is fast and efficient, as is typical in WDW parks, and the portions are unusually large, even for Disney. On this day I got a rotisserie chicken platter with mashed potatoes. It was as good as I expected, and kept me busy for nearly a half hour... after which I needed a bathroom break to wash the chicken residue off my hands. I love chicken, but it's a messy meal.
Next up was It's Tough to be a Bug. I hate bugs; insects, arachnids (spiders), slugs, whatever. They gross me out to a level I can't even put into words. I hate them so much, it's an act of great difficulty for me to even step on one. I usually just run away and hide. Maybe someday I'll overcome this character flaw, but in the meantime, the only bugs I can stand are the wonderfully amusing (and surprisingly talented) stars of It's Tough to be a Bug. I was fortunate enough to have seen this terrific attraction long before Flick and Company graced the big screen with A Bug's Life, and the show has gotten even better with age. It's one of my must-see attractions in Animal Kingdom.
After Tough to be a Bug, we felt that we'd done all we cared to do in AK for the day (knowing that we'd probably be back later in the trip), so we headed out of the park. We stopped first at All-Star Music, so I could replenish my depleted film supply, then made a quick trip to Walgreens so that I could drop off the four rolls I'd shot that morning (along with two rolls from yesterday). Some of the ladies at the photo counter were beginning to recognize my face.
What to do next... "Let's go to the Studios," Frank said. I carefully considered my reply, and could come up with nothing better than, "Okay."
I like it here much better when it's not raining!
On arrival at the Disney MGM Studios theme park, we couldn't decide what to do first, so I suggested we simply sit down, have a snack, and look over the park map and status board to determine our next move. Those of you who plan your daily itineraries out with carefully-orchestrated 15-minute blocks may find this approach somewhat cavalier, but I've always preferred to wing it; not knowing what's going to happen next is part of the fun of a Disney vacation for me.
Our snack was a couple of Mickey bars. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed this traditional WDW confection, and after pulling a disposable handi-wipe out to clean the ice-cream residue off my hands, I pulled out my park map and dowsed a bit to see which way I'd be pulled. Something pulled me toward MuppetVision 3d, so that's where we went.
The Rainbow Connection.
Many of you will remember The Muppet Show. I grew up watching that show, both first-run and in repeats. Kermit, Fozzy, Piggy, Gonzo, Dr. Honeydew and Beaker, the Swedish Chef, Sam the Eagle... the list goes on and on. I love them all, both as treasured memories of my childhood, and as funny, well-defined comic characters that even an adult can appreciate. MuppetVision 3d puts me right into the Muppet theater, with the two old guys in their balcony, the penguin orchestra in their pit, and all the rest of my favorite Muppets on screen. The show is made even more special by the fact that it was originally shot before the passing of Jim Henson, so Kermit the Frog is still voiced by his creator. I have nothing against whomever has replaced Jim Henson as the voice of Kermit; I think the new guy has done a wonderful job of keeping Jim's spirit alive in the character, but plainly speaking, nothing beats the original. Jim Henson's own gentle warmth and good humor comes out in his many Kermit performances in a way that no one can ever duplicate. While I watch the show, I'm not moved, I don't dwell upon the fact that Jim is gone, I simply watch Kermit as he tries to get the mayhem and chaos of a typical Muppet performance under control. It's only after the show that I realize what a masterful performer Jim Henson was, and how well he drew me into his act. To me, Kermit has always been a living, breathing person, a friend to whom I could turn when I desperately needed a laugh. This is why I love MuppetVision 3d so much.
Besides, it's a darn funny show. And I got a really good picture of the Swinetrek in the lobby!
More rides, more fun.
Since the Backlot Tour isn't too far from MuppetVision 3d (MGM is a small park; nothing is too far from anything else), we went there. A nice, sit-down tour was just what we needed. It was getting hot, and we were starting to feel it. Although I had been carrying a water bottle all day, I just didn't feel that the water was doing enough. I needed to replenish my blood sugar, which is usually about 90%, so I got a great big root beer before getting into the Backlot Tour queue. We had about a ten-minute wait, looking over stuff from the movie Pearl Harbor, so I sipped and looked, and took a few pictures. I noticed as soon as we entered the first show area, however, that things were substantially different from the last time I'd seen the show. Instead of the lame tug boat 'Miss Fortune', there was a US Nave PT boat in the water. I guessed right away that the whole show had been re-themed along the lines of Pearl Harbor, and I was right. I must say, I enjoyed the show much more in it's new configuration, especially since there are now a total of four guests chosen to participate. The water cannons have also been slightly re-configured, with one blast splashing the crowd.
The rest of the Backlot Tour, including Catastrophe Canyon, was pretty much how I remembered it from last year, and the year before... It hasn't changed much since the early nineties, excepting periodic additions to the Boneyard.
Then it was time for Star Tours again. I can never get enough of that ride!
After Star Tours, we discovered to our dismay that we had missed the last showing of the day of the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. We wound up browsing the gift shop, where I bought an Indy action figure and a Nazi plane (the one from Raiders that blew up).
Powering down.
We intended to see Fantasmic! that night, but I wanted to time it just right to get a good seat, so we stalled a little by walking past the 50's Prime Time cafe and Hollywood & Vine, reading the menus posted outside. We weren't very hungry just then, and nothing on the menus really jumped out at us, so we meandered over to Sunset Blvd. and got a snack at the little booths in front of Tower of Terror and the Fantasmic! entrance.
The sun was setting as we ate (I had an apple, Frank got a turkey leg that he said was the best he'd ever tasted). I could see people beginning to go into the Fantasmic! arena, but I figured we could still wait just a little longer. When we entered the park that day, we had some stuff that we wanted to put into a locker; instead of getting our stuff out on the way out of the park, I decided to go get it now, and avoid the mad rush after Fantasmic! let out. On the way back, I stopped in one of the stores on Sunset Blvd. to get some a name tag for my niece. By the time I got back, Frank was done with his turkey leg, and we headed into the Fantasmic! arena.
My idea was a good one, but we executed it badly. Instead of waiting just enough to get a seat in the middle of the bowl, we had waited too long, and the only seats left were the last section on the right. We probably could have handled that section, but they were filling the front rows, and we wanted to sit near the back so we could get out quicker when the show ended. We wound up sitting on a bench in front of the restrooms until the show started, but by then, we were so tired that we just didn't feel like braving the crowd, so we decided to call it a night. I was a little disappointed that we couldn't see the show, but with five days left on our trip, I was certain that we'd be able to see it before we left for home.
We left the park and drove out to Walgreens to pick up my film, then headed back to All-Star Music.
Our day was done.