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Next Entries »Our day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom & Boma
Sunday, May 24th, 2009Monday morning, we decided to wake up on the early side to get a quick breakfast using snack credit at Pop Century before heading to use the Extra Magic Hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We arrived at the park just after the major rush when it opened at 8:00. The place was pretty empty.
1. About to start the day, 2. Ready for the day at Animal Kingdom
Once we were passed security and the gates, they greeted kids with animal educators that had containers with animals. NHL, JSL and I looked at a neat looking spider. After that we wandered over to where Nana and Papa were. Here is what they were looking at:
Apparently, my mother does not look at enough poop in the micro-lab at work …she wanted some on her vacation too! Once we were done with that we wandered into the park. We stopped briefly to have one of the PhotoPass pictures taken. JL and I even stopped to have one of just the two of us. Fitting since we were wearing our matching Animal Kingdom t-shirts from our honeymoon there eight yeas ago.
It was at about that time that my parents, NHL and JSL were able to catch their first glimpses of the amazing Tree of Life that sits in the middle of the park. It truly is like nothing else you will see in your life.
Here is a closer view of the spectacular animals that are carved into this centerpice:
From here, we wandered our way through Asia and Africa to the Safari ride. We figured it would be great for everyone to do this together. Plus in the morning, the animals would be more active, feeding and not laying around from the extreme heat. The animals did not disappoint and we saw most of the. Of course, we are partial to a certain one that spent a lot of time near our group. Many of the giraffes were out and two of them kept blocking the road and were even following our vehicle. Here are some photos from our adventure.
1. Here comes our ride, 2. All of the animals to see, 3. A rhino, 4. Hippo time, 5. Danger under the bridge, 6. Watching everthing closely, 7. Giraffes by the road, 8. Little guy holding on tight, 9. Hello friends, 10. Amazing view of giraffe back, 11. Giraffe going to some other friends, 12. Close encounter of the giraffe kind, 13. Mama elephant, 14. Look what we spotted, 15. Blocking the road, 16. The lion king stood up for a minute
When we were done with the ride, we stopped to take a picture of our fun Safari driver. Here he is:
Of course, JSL wanted to go back in the car car for another ride to see more animals. Also note, he was obsessed with holding onto a park map each and every day. As you will see, his little hands have one in this photo.
When we were done with this, NHL really wanted to head toward Expedition Everest. We figured it was a good idea. We would walk over, get a Fast Pass for Papa, NHL and I and then go back later. We were floored when we walked up and the standby line was 15 minutes. Thanks to that we hopped right onto the line. The information about the Yeti and expedition teams that you can look at while on line are amazing. When it was time for the ride, NHL sat next to me and Papa rode in front of us. All I can say is it was a WILD ride. It was like no other coaster I have been on. Thanks to the darkness you never see what is happening as it moves you forward, then back and forward again.
1. Expedition Everest from a distance, 2. NHL insisted on riding this early, 3. Check out Papa’s expression, 4. The peaceful looking mountain
From here, we went to get a Fast Pass at Dinosaur. Once again, there was little line. I grabbed a child swap pass since JSL was too small to ride. Nana, Papa, JL and NHL went on. JSL was getting really tired. We walked around while waiting for everyone to come back. In fact, once he was asleep I went to get on the line for the Finding Nemo stage show. I waited there for the rest of the group to catch up. Here are some photos from Dinosaur. As you will see NHL was not a fan, so I did not get to go back on it. No big loss to me since I was not in love with it when I went on eight years ago.
1. Time to see the dinosaurs, 2. Heading off to a not little kid ride, 3. The inside of Dinosaur, 4. The Dinosaur ride photo
Finally the rest of the crew met up with me at the Finding Nemo theater. This is a TOUGH show to get into. They actually have guaranteed seating for people that make reservations at certain times at restaurants in the park. We quickly got seats and JSL stayed asleep the entire time. We had heard that this show was amazing and like a Broadway production. It was that and more. NHL sat there mesmerized and could not take his eyes off of the actors and puppets. The colors, scenes, music, singing, dancing and everything were amazing. We were all surprised to see that it was a forty minute show. Here are some highlights.
1. Nemo and Marlin, 2. Time for fish school, 3. Bruce and the sharks arrive, 4. Fish tank friends, 5. The biggest puppet, 6. They make a plan for Nemo, 7. Dory and Marlin meet new friends, 8. Crush and Marlin, 9. Lots of turtle dudes
Once the show was over we wandered back toward the front of the park to the Pizzafari to have lunch. This was a great big air conditioned restuarant where we could use our quick service credits. Everyone was hungry and gobbled up pizza, salads and more. Even JSL woke up and had some pizza. After eating, we decided to split up and wander around without my parents. Of course, this did not last long when we saw the It’s Tough to Be a Bug show was starting soon. I called them on their cell phone and they met up with us by the Tree of Life. Needless to say right before they were going to let us into the theater for the 3D movie, NHL decided that he had to go potty. Thank goodness Papa was not thrilled about seeing this show and volunteered to take NHL. It was a good thing NHL left when he did since the show may have scared him. JL, Nana and I enjoyed it and, well, the little guy tolerated it. Here are photos before NHL left of him withe his Bug Eyes on.
1. Bug glasses ready to go, 2. Time for another show, 3. Can you tell he had something else on his mind
My mother mentioned to me that my father was itching to buy something at the store. She guessed that Papa had probably taken NHL and bought him something. Here is what we found when we were done being bugs:
Mom was right, so next we went back to the stores to look for a new safari hat for JSL. We eventually found a cute one with Mickey and Minnie on it. At that point we split up again and said we would meet before heading to Boma for dinner. None of us thought we would be able to make the Festival of the Lion King. We thought it would be a nice time to try to get some character photos with the boys. We went toward Camp Mickey and Minnie. When we got inside we saw that they were about to start the Lion King show and were still taking people inside. We jumped at the opportunity. JL and I had not seen this on our honeymoon and were upset since everyone raved about it. The show truly was a spectacle. It made you feel like part of a tribal celebration. The costumes, colors and dancing took you into the Lion King. Here are some photos from the show that both of the boys loved.
1. Pumba was even there, 2. Timon walked around saying hello, 3. Stilt walkers in costume, 4. Animals in costume, 5. Monkey time, 6. Clapping he was so happy, 7. Loved watching the show, 8. Dancing with the kids, 9. Festival of the Lion King
Once again NHL refused to have photos taken with Mickey and company. On the way back to Dinoland I spotted someone that I thought just may work. Waiting with almost no line was Pocohontas. I figured she was a great person to start with and work our way up. Please note the looks of confusion on the faces of the boys who had no clue who she was.
Just around the corner from here I spotted Lilo and Stich. There was also a PhotoPass photographer there. The boys allowed us to take a photo with JL and me in it. So here is our family portrait.
From here we went to Dinoland and the boys were excited to go on the Flying Triceratops. There was no line and we were able to go on them twice before we had to head off to meet Nana and Papa. FYI – the flying dinos are basically a new and improved version of Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride that is in the Magic Kingdom.
Had we had a few more minutes I would have loved to ride on this, but NHL was not tall enough so I passed.
When we made our way back to the main area to meet my parents, the parade was just ending. Of course, that is where we happened to bump into Nana and Papa. So we waved goodbye to Mickey and went to get a bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
As we were waiting on line for a bus, we heard someone calling my parents. Sure enough, we saw my brother’s friend, his wife and their little girl. They were also in Disney for the week and were heading to Boma for dinner as well. It still amazes me that in a place so large we bumped into someone we know. When we arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge we checked in and looked around the lobby. There were actually two PhotoPass photographers. We took the opportunity for a group picture before we went to dinner.
Our beeper was going off before we knew it, so we wandered down to Boma for our meal. We had heard that this was an amazing array of African inspired food and was vegetarian friendly for JL. The buffet was amazing and each of us quickly found items that we adored. If I have to pick my favorite meal of the trip this would probably be right up there. We will definitely be going back to Boma when we go to Disney World again. Another item that impressed me was our server noted that we were there celebrating JSL’s birthday. Without us saying anything she brought him a cupcake and sang to him. Very classy (please note this for when I review JSL’s actual B-day dinner).
After our meal, we wandered to the gift store at that resort. We bought a Disney Princess post card to send to my niece and got each of the boys a Disney safari character. NHL picked out Goofy and JSL selected Pluto. From here, we took a bus to the Magic Kingdom and transferred back to Pop Century.
JSL quickly fell asleep on the bus. When we got back to our room, NHL was still ready to go. We decided to let him go swimming with JL. Papa stayed back in the room with JSL to watch television in the AC. Nana went with me to wander. The boys were in the 80′s computer pool right by our room. Nana told them about the Goofy Spray area and Hippy Dippy Pool (better photos from the day coming soon). Thanks to that, we all went to explore the resort more in the "cooler" evening temperatures.
We were eventually able to pull NHL away from swimming and head back to the room. When we got back JSL was starting to stir. When we took off his sandals, we noticed blisters on his little feet. We put band-aids on them, showered everyone and went to bed.
Up next, our first full day at the Magic Kingdom and dinner at The Wave.
G’day Mate (Aloha 22)
Friday, November 14th, 2008Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the Mr. Linky there if you are participating.
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My question for this week:
Where is your dream vacation destination and why do you want to go there?
I love Disney World, but as much as I enjoy going there it is not my "dream" destination. One day I would love to go to Australia. For as long as I can remember I have been mesmerized by photos of Sydney, parts of the Outback, and The Australia Zoo. I credit a lot of my fascination of Australia to my late cockatoo Moose and of course the late Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter). Watching episode of The Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet I saw the wildlife, scenery and wonder of Australia and secretly hoped to get there one day. Of course one of the major factors stopping me (aside from money) is the flight that would take nearly an entire day to get there. For now this girl will dream of one day stepping foot into Australia to see cockatoos flying wild and visit the wonderful home land of Steve Irwin.
Lions, and Tigers and Bears . . . Oh My!
Sunday, July 13th, 2008On the 4th of July we were visiting my brother, sister-in-law and niece for the long weekend. Uncle I had to work in the morning, so we decided to head to the zoo later in the day when he was done. We had a quick lunch at Moe’s and then went to the zoo.
When we arrived nearby the zoo and parked, NHL decided to lead the way. He has been to this zoo two other times (just a year ago when we went to Aunt M’s baby shower), so he knew the way. The stroller brigade followed with Cousin S sleeping for the start of her first time to the zoo. JSL was awake and curious about all of the fuss.
NHL was on a mission. He wanted to see the lions and tigers. He was a little upset that we missed the last giraffe feeding, but was fine with just going to view them. We made our way all around the zoo and saw a lot of animals. Here is a sampling of the photos that were taken by JL.
It was a very warm day, so many of the animals were resting in the shade, hanging out in their watering holes, or hiding completely out of view by this point in the afternoon. We did have an "interesting" educational moment. The bear area is a crowd favorite. First there were the grizzly bears that were lounging. They could have cared less that we were there watching them. Next the polar bear was pacing. He/she definitely seemed to be sizing up lunch on the other side of the barrier. I have to say it was a little unnerving. Then we saw the Spectacled Bear. This bear was smaller than the rest and was quite active. The spectacled bear put on quite a show of nature. He came over to the edge of the enclosure and proceded to empty his bladder and then do the rest of his business. No, no pictures of that. However, here is a picture when he was done and NHL’s priceless reaction to the event.
At the end of the visit JL asked NHL what his favorite animal was. Without missing a beat he quickly replied it was the spectacled bear. When asked why he immediately replied "Because he peed!" Yes, he is a boy of almost 5 you know so not a shocking response.
Eventually Cousin S woke up to see some of the animals. I believe she may have enjoyed her first bomb pop at the zoo more than the actual zoo itself. Of course it is always fun watching my little brother as a daddy. My question to you, who looks better in the pink hat?
NHL also enjoyed going on the merry-go-round and the zoo’s playground. I have to say the playground is rather impressive. They did an amazing job making it follow a zoo theme.
Just before JSL fell asleep from the heat and lack of napping all day, I asked to have a picture of both of the boys. Of course try to get them to look at the camera. Nope, that did not happen. Instead each looked in a completely different direction!
Just before the zoo closed at 5:00 JSL was sleeping and everyone else went to look at the sea lions underwater. JL captured my little niece with her daddy watching them. Too cute!
A fun trip to the zoo. The only part missing was the elephants because their home was being redone and will not be open until August.
Aloha Friday #4
Friday, July 11th, 2008Aloha and TGIF everyone!
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello.
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My question this week is inspired by our visit to the zoo last Friday.
What is your favorite animal and why?
Our family is quite partial to the giraffe. I am quite fascinated with the giraffe’s long body and neck. It is amazing to watch these animals move with such ease given their size. Another favorite for me is the cockatoo. Growing up we had pet birds and eventually decided to get a parrot and then a second. We had a sweet cockatoo named Moose who passed away almost 4 years ago and saved NHL’s life.
More photos from our zoo visit and others from last weekend coming soon. The week has been crazy and I have not had time to get them ready to blog.
Visit to Bubbe & Grandpa – Day 1
Friday, January 4th, 2008Sunday morning at 9:30 we hit the road to go and visit Bubbe and Grandpa (JL’s parents). We had not been there in a LONG time. JL only had to use one day of vacation time since he worked Christmas and had New Years Day off. Not too shabby. Before we left I e-mailed our neighbors next door to see if they would keep an eye on our house and help us shovel the little storm that we were supposed to get that evening. At that time they were predicting 3-5 inches. . . recall this amount.
Both of the boys fell asleep quickly. At the half way point in the trip we arrived at the point where there are no more rest areas on the crazy roads. We stopped took NHL to the bathroom, changed JSL’s diaper and went back into the car with a snack so I could nurse JSL. NHL spent a lot of the trip asking "Are we there yet?" Who knew that kids started this at 4?!?!
We quickly arrived at my in-laws in good time, even without two kids. The boys were happy to be out of the car. After unpacking the car we went to eat lunch at a new hamburger place called American Roadside Burger. The food was good and perfect for a lighter lunch since it was late. Next we went to Trader Joe’s. *sigh* I so wish we had one of these by us. If you have ever been to one than you know what I mean. There just is nothing else quite like a Trader Joe’s and we had a list from people to get things to bring home. Here is the result of the first of two trips to TJ.
Once we got back to the house JSL was VERY hungry and wanted to nurse. We went to the bedroom to take care of business. A little while later he unlatched, rolled over and went to sleep. As you will see this became a pattern throughout the visit thanks to teething. Here is the little guy resting peacefully:
Soon after I went to check on everyone else. NHL and JL had already found out where Noggin was located at Bubbe and Grandpa’s house.
NHL would not admit that he was tired. He was zoning badly. Thanks to this we opted to stay home and get pizza for dinner. Check out these tired eyes:
Even Lacey (Bubbe and Grandpa’s 15 year old dog) was tired. Side note: I am horribly allergic to Lacey. Most times I get so sick that even my allergy medication does not help and I end up using my rescue inhaler to breathe. Thanks to nursing I was only allowed to take an over the counter product and was very afraid of how sick I would get.
Here is Lacey resting on the couch:
Meanwhile back in the bedroom JSL continued to nap – something others of us should have been doing!
JL and his father went to pick up the pizza. We all ate and then NHL had a tub. Before bed we had to set up the futon. Our fear was NHL falling off since he did not have a bedrail that would work on it. Here was our solution thanks to lots of regular and body pillows:
Meanwhile in our room JSL attempted to sleep in a Pack N Play. He always started off there and then would end up in bed with us. The poor little monkey was SO miserable from those pesky two top front teeth refusing to cut through. He even whimpered when he was in bed with us. Teething is EVIL I tell you!!!!
Once the boys were sleeping, JL and his father went out to get things for breakfast.
I am going to break off now since I may not finish this tonight.
Where O, where O, where is JL?
Thursday, December 27th, 2007This morning JL left for work and I tried to call him on the cell phone to remind him to take his boots. We are supposed to get 1-3 inches of the white stuff today at about the time he will be leaving to come home.
Anyway, he did not answer his phone. The odd thing is I knew I did not hear his car go. So I went flying out the door and saw JL on the ground with his camera out looking at a tree across the way.
*gasp*
Shocked aren’t you that he had his camera 
When he went outside he heard a bird calling from across the way and saw this:
As he stood there he heard something calling back to the bird seen above. JL wanted to get closer shots, so he used the great zoom on his camera and was able to get the following pictures to help us identify what we suppose is a hawk here in the middle of the city.
Check out this BIG/SHARP beak:
And man these eyes are certainly made for hunting:
Sitting and waiting for an answer from it’s bird friend:
Maybe this "little" bird will help to control the squirrel population or even the crow troubles the area is having. I just hope it stays WAY up there when we are outside.
