Disney Recap!

We did a lot last week. I can't hit all of the highlights, and I won't bore you will a blow by blow of every little thing. I'm just going to tell you about my "firsts". For as many times as I have been to Disney World with my family, there are always first. This trip, there were a lot.


Alex and I rode the Astro Orbiter and went to Tom Sawyer's Island for the first time. I had honestly never given a second thought about riding the Orbiter. We did it though, on Alex's suggestion. Its a spinning ride a la Dumbo, only you have to take a non-air condition elevator up to a non-shaded platform with 30 of your newest, closet friends. It wasn't horrible, and if you want a good aerial view of the new DVC tower and a hefty whiff of BO, I would highly recommend it. Tom Sawyer was a different animal. I had been wanting to go to the Island for years, I just never have. It seemed like great fun and I expected something in the vein of The Swiss Family Robinson's Tree house, only more. If I had never been in any actual caves, or hiked through actually back woods by real rivers, I might have been more impressed. All and all it was pretty anti-climatic and HOT. Very Hot. I will probably have to let my memory fade before I revisit either of these attractions, but at least I can now say I have done everything in the Magic Kingdom.

It was my first time in Disney World with a Brother-in-Law. Jason was a good one to experience Disney with because he is a geek who appreciates things on a geek level. Also he is organized and appreciates that you have to be organized if you are going to get anything out of a Disney vacation. So that was fun and I would go with him again. I just hope he learns the true meaning of free day is ... "free to do whatever you want." Not, "free to call me and ask what I think you should do."


First time to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, along with my mother, sister Jill and Alex. The lodge is beautiful. It was really awe-inspiring. To sit on our balcony in the morning and see the animals slowly coming out to eat was amazing. I don't know how Disney managed it, but I saw some of the most colorful and beautiful sun rises I have ever witness during my stay at the Lodge.


Unfortunately, it was also the first time I have ever had to wait for over an hour and half to catch a bus back to the hotel after the Magic Kingdom closed. I give major props to the people I stood in line with because no one over the age of 3 had a total break down or even really complained that much. Still... that night lead to another first.

It was the first time I have ever had to complain to a manager at Disney about something. The morning after we left the Magic Kingdom at 10:30pm and didn't get back to our room until 1:30am, I went to the desk and asked to change hotels. They were very nice about it and found us a room at the Polynesian where we have stayed many times before. It has bigger rooms, and more importantly, the monorail.

It was also the first time we ate at Jiko. Its a fine dinning restaurant at the Animal Kingdom Lodge that has a full South African wine list. The wine was awesome. The food was great. (I had the vegetarian maize pudding). It was the perfect way to spend our last night in the World.

So that was it for first. I'll post some pictures once I have time to go through them.