Dining African StyleA later reservation to Boma meant that we had some time to relax in the hotel before heading out to eat. Despite the cooler temperature, Corbin went for a swim in the outdoor pool that also has a water slide. He grabbed some pool noodles and spent close to 45 minutes in the pool. The cooler weather didn't seem to slow him down.
After drying off and relaxing some more, we walked to the car and drove over to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Took less then 10 minutes to get there.
It was busy at Boma, but it didn't take to long for our buzzer to buzz. We were shown to a booth close to the buffet. Our server was top notch and knew how to handle the boys. He was very friendly, adding to the excellent atmosphere. We lined up and piled on the food.
The feature was prime rib (medium or well done). There was a great range of African-themed food to choose from. I went up three times before hitting the desert buffet. The boys finished early and laid down on both sides of Tina - I knew that the booth would come in handy.
The desert selection was excellent. It was difficult to choose a few items. Everyone was full. We recommend Boma as a place to eat.
On the way back stopped at the gas station near our hotel to see if I can pick up some milk, OJ and baked goods. Was able to score the milk and OJ (from concentrate - this stuff should be banned in Florida) and some junk food. Then we had to deal with Jeremy needing to go pee right away - of course.
Posted by Adam
Disney's Hollywood Studios aka Crazyville
Our first full day at Disney. After a quick breakfast, we walked down to the Boardwalk and grabbed a boat to Hollywood Studios. The weather was overcast but warm enough to wear shorts with sweaters.
The place was buzzing as we walked up to the front gate. Jeremy and Corbin were excited. Tina and I noticed a lot of groups of Brazil. Like everywhere. We walked over to the Tower of Terror ride. Corbin didn't want to go on it, but I did manage to talk Tina into going.
Like all Disney rides, the waiting line is broken up into section. First, you get herded into a room where Rod Sterling appears on TV, telling you what happened at the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Then you end up in the basement. Next, you are guided to a number on the floor in front of the elevator doors. The doors open and you take your seat, buckle in and wait in anticipation. The ride moves up and you are treated to some more Disney theatre.
All of a sudden the 'car' moves forward and then into a completely dark room. Oh oh. Then the car drops. And I mean it drops. Then it goes back up. It drops. Up. Drops. I swear that on one drop the hang time was at least 5 or so seconds. Tina was screaming. That was a great ride. Exiting the ride, there was a boutique that had your picture. And there was Tina and I in our glory - me with my eyes closed (or looking away from the camera) and Tina with one of the best terrified looks ever. So we had to get the picture.Corbin and I walked over to the Rock and Roll Roller Coaster and got a FastPass despite the tour groups were taking all the FastPasses. We wandered around some more, and ended up in the Pixar area. The wait for Toy Story Mania was at least 50 minutes. FastPass was available for 4:00 PM - I kid you not. So we waited in line to take pictures with Buzz Lightyear and Woody.
I noticed that the line to Toy Story Mania was much shorter and the wait was only 30 minutes. Part way through the line is a talking Potato Head that has a conversation with you. So Corbin had an excellent chat. Toy Story Mania is a ride - two people per car - where you wear 3D glasses and shot a gun at different scenes. It's a blast. Even my mom loved the ride.
Headed back to the Rock And Roll Roller Coaster. Didn't have to wait too long with our FastPass. Had an issue after boarding the ride in that Corbin put his arms inside the restraint. A castmember came over and politely told Corbin to put his arms outside. Then it was launch time. That was an amazing launch. Then loops and rolls and all sorts of crazy things. Stopped in at the photo booth and purchased the photo of Corbin and I for delivery to our hotel.
Grabbed our first Disney Dining Plan counter-service during lunch time. An ample individual pizza, salad, pop and a desert. Corbin gobbled up the pizza. Jeremy did too. The desert was good. We were all full.
Tina had had enough of Corbin's anxiety of waiting in line and walked over with Corbin to Customer Services to obtain a Guest Assistance Card. The rest of us shopped in the stores. My mom bought a beautiful jacket to keep her warm. The great thing about staying in the park is the ability to charge purchases to your room. No need to keep a lot of cash or credit cards on you.The Guest Assistance Card made a difference. We were able to utilize the FastPass line when available. It also enabled us to wait in a more quiet area for any shows. It came in handy for the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. One of the Castmembers even gave us a tip about how to beat the crowd out (wait for Indy to shoot the gun and the explosion and then leave - where you can head over the Star Tours or Jedi Training Academy and beat the crowd). The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular was a hit. We all loved it. Jeremy and Corbin were speechless.Next we took a ride on Star Tours and then walked around some more going to a few more rides and attractions before calling it quits due to the high crowd levels. Those tour groups really messed up the day.Posted by Adam
Orlando International Airport to Boardwalk VillasThe trip from the airport to the hotel took about 30 or so minutes. The Boardwalk Inn & Villas was the first stop, which was fine by us. Did I mention that it was sunny and hot?
I checked us in. Our room was not yet ready, but we did get our passes (which are also our room keys) and a whole bunch of information. While the rest of the gang waited in the hotel lobby, I booked it over to the Dolphin Hotel to pick up the car rental. It was a Toyota Rav 4. Nice. Drove back to the hotel and parked the car. Tina checked our carry on bags with Bell Services.Since the room wasn't ready and we were hungry, we decided to drive up to Magic Kingdom to get into the Disney spirit.Posted by Adam
Windsor, ON to Orlando, FL4:00 AM Time to wake up, have a quick shower and breakfast and load up the van for the drive to Detroit Metro Airport. Thankfully is stopped snowing. Everyone eventually woke up, had some food and got dressed.5:15 AM Left the house and headed toward the Ambassador Bridge. Two customs booths open. No waiting and only a few questions. I-94 was limited to one or two lanes but was drivable. The North Terminal was a bustling place at 6:00 AM. Unloaded the van and had a porter take the bags and do curbside check in while I parked the van.6:30 AM
Made it through security with no problem - talk about organized mayhem. A few more benches to put on shoes and coats would be useful. Walked over to the gate for Spirit Airlines and waited. Tina grabbed some hot food from McDonalds. More waiting. Corbin, Jeremy and myself played games on our Nintendo, Tina read a book and Babcia watched the action on the tarmac.8:35 AM
Boarded the plane and had to wait while a replacement crew member arrived. First time on an airplane for Corbin and Jeremy. Both were a little anxious. Jeremy just wanted to play with his Nintendo DS and Corbin just wanted to get to Disney. Jeremy has numerous washroom visits.It was cloudy most of the way, so there wasn't much for the boys to see. Over Florida, the clouds began to break and the boys got excited. I got excited because there was no snow on the ground. 11:50 AMWe made it to Orlando. Sun. Warmth. Palm trees. Tina simply loved it.We checked in at the Disney Magical Express line. It was long but moving at a good pace. About 15 minutes or so later we were on the bus to Disney.Posted by Adam
A Happy New Year to all. Posted by Adam
