A Buckeye - Better Late Than Never - Trip Report

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Great update. All I can say is if hunger is the reason for not taking pictures, I must be hungry all the time. :rofl2:

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

Great update. All I can say is if hunger is the reason for not taking pictures, I must be hungry all the time. :rofl2:

It all makes sense now doesn't it!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Great start! Looking forward to reading more.

[Hotmamac aka Misty 11]

Great work so far! Can't wait for more!!

[NVWSSV 25]

:popcorn:

[4mickey2 41]

it was great meeting you buckeye... looks like the ride down went pretty well and the trip sounds great so far. waiting for more... :)

[BuckeyeFortFan 35]

Another cool day!!!! I'm gonna be at Hoop De Doo on Thursday night!! Can't wait. I haven't been since 2004 and honestly don't remember a lot of the show, so it will all be new to me!!!!

Thanks so much and I am super envious of your upcoming HDDR plans. Have a great time, eat and drink too much and get pics!

Buckeye FF, I am really enjoying your Trip Report. Like Ol' Bob I like the large print.

Great PICS and Great story telling. Keep it coming please. :)

Thanks, and I will!

I have come to realize that I, like H and Bob, also like the big print! I have never been to HDDR, but maybe will get there one day. Kenny is a sweetie, isn't he!

Kenny is cool man, cool. Not sweet. Cool.

1. Yes, I swear I came by!! No dreaming after the punch, I believe it takes brain cells to dream.

2. Even the most intelligent people can have a lapse in judgement.

I have only two comments on the latest post

1. All you can drink milkshakes? :holysheep: How did I not know that?

2. Strawberry shortcake.

(If those bowls were a bit bigger I could wallow around in that whip cream...heaven!)

Let's see. Cute girls with big boobs personalities wallowing around in whip cream. Who's going to want to see that?

Great update. All I can say is if hunger is the reason for not taking pictures, I must be hungry all the time. :rofl2:

I am, you could be too.

It all makes sense now doesn't it!

Yep!

Great start! Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks!

Great work so far! Can't wait for more!!

Coming soon!

it was great meeting you buckeye... looks like the ride down went pretty well and the trip sounds great so far. waiting for more... :)

Good to meet you guys too. It was a great trip and I am working on the next installment now!

[BuckeyeFortFan 35]

Day # 2. Today we are heading to the Animal Kingdom. Now normally when we do the AK, I like to get an 8 am ADR for Donald’s Safari Breakfast at the Tusker House. The food is excellent and it is one of the few places to meet Daisy. Also, when you finish breakfast you just stroll outside and walk on the safari ride, ahead of the mass of humanity making its way from rope drop at the front gate. This year that did not happen. For some reason I was unable to get an ADR for breakfast before 9 am, even though I started making my ressies 4 months before the trip. This is getting to be a very popular experience I think! Oh well. We got to sleep in a little bit this morning, until 7 am. FYI, just making rope drop isn’t good enough for me. I got to be on the rope baby! Here we are at the AK waiting for rope drop. The last time I did AK rope drop it was performed through the oasis and over the bridge towards the Tree of Life so I was a little surprised to be stopped just inside the gate.

Here are the characters that do the rope drop show.

In case you can’t tell, that is Minnie closest to us and you can just make out Mickey behind her. I don’t like this rope drop situation; the view is crummy for most of the crowd. Anyway, since we didn’t have breakfast ADR’s we were going to get FP’s for the safari ride and then head to the 1^st showing of the Festival of the Lion King. The kids looked at the animal exhibits on Discovery Island while I got the FP’s.

The girls met Flick.

I love this alligator water feature in Camp Minnie-Mickey.

The girls met Mahocapontas (this is how the oldest said it when she was younger.)

Here they are during the final number of FotLK.

Now onto the Kilamanjaro Safari Ride. Here are some of our better pics.

It was about 11 am when we came off the safari, and as we didn’t have a decent breakfast we decided to try the Tusker House for lunch. It is a buffet as well, and it was good, but a little more than we like to pay for lunch.

After lunch we headed to the Flights of Wonder show, always a favorite of mine.

Here is Guano Joe. He is quite entertaining.

The Bald Eagle at the end always brings a tear to my eye.

We then headed to the Maharajah Jungle Trek and here are some of those pics….

DW and DD8 then went to watch “It’s Tough to be a Bug” while I walked the other three through some gift shops. We then set up our place for the parade.

That is all the pics we had of this day. I must have been getting hungry again. We did go over to Dinoland where the kids played in the boneyard for at least an hour. I then took the oldest on Primeval Whirl (should be called Prime Evil Hurl) and they all rode Triceratop Spin and then it was time to go. We headed to the truck and drove back to the campground. Our 6 person Kenny cart was waiting at the site.

This cart wasn’t quite as nice as the orange 4 seater. It was still faster than a Disney cart but had a tendency to not always stop when the breaks were applied. The extra room was great for the kids and stroller though. I would probably rent it again. Not crashing into things is way over rated anyways.

We finished the day with a quick swim for the girls (I napped on a lounge chair as it was too chilly for me), dinner at the campsite (sirloin steaks, pasta salad) and then I took the 3 oldest kids to the beach for the fireworks. There was a huge party happening down at the River Country end of the beach, a private affair, with 2 huge lit balls for lighting, a stage and what I assume were the performers from the Spirit of Aloha show. Looked like quite the production. That is all for today.

Tomorrow is our 1^st MK day!

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I have never seen/noticed this:

It is really neat! Thanks!

[stefa70 205]

Gee where do I start? I might have more than 2 comments this time.

Love the girls with Flik! :heart:

I never noticed the alligator water thingy either.

Mahocapontas :rofl2: Too cute!

It looks like you scared the CM at the Lion King, like you were sneaking up on him.

Great safari pics. The giraffe looks like me getting out of my chair after a couple glasses of punch.

The lion looks like Donald Trump with the comb-over

You're absolutely right about the golf cart. If I haven't "leaned on" (NASCAR term for rubbing up against ) a tree or two while in a cart, my trip isn't complete.

I will not say anything about 2 huge lit balls. It's better that way.

Carry on, this TR rocks!!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Love the update!!!1

[H in SC 85]

I agree with Stefa, THIS TR ROCKS!!! Tusker House we like as well, however even more so before it was a buffet.

Isn't it just great watching the fireworks from the beach after a park day. Again, really enjoying this TR. :)

[SCTigerCock 171]

Enjoying the TR!!!

:heart:

[BuckeyeFortFan 35]

I have never seen/noticed this:

It is really neat! Thanks!

You are welcome. It is very cool, just look off of the bridge to the right as you are heading into Camp Minnie Mickey.

I will not say anything about 2 huge lit balls. It's better that way.

Carry on, this TR rocks!!

It is better that way. Thank you.

Love the update!!!1

Here comes another!

I agree with Stefa, THIS TR ROCKS!!! Tusker House we like as well, however even more so before it was a buffet.

Isn't it just great watching the fireworks from the beach after a park day. Again, really enjoying this TR. :)

I don't think I ate at TH before it was a buffet but that is interesting. The beach was nice but there were some rowdy boys their who needed a swift ass kicking. Of course there parents were nowhere to be seen.

Enjoying the TR!!!

:heart:

Thanks!

[BuckeyeFortFan 35]

Sunday October 23^rd. MK day. The plan is to again be at rope drop and hit as many rides as we can before the crowds arrive. The park had an unexpected 8 am opening, so to be there by 7:30 we have to be at the Fort boat dock shortly after 7 am. And that is what we did. Sunrise over Bay Lake…

Back towards the beach…

And off to the west.

Here are some views from the boat trip.

Waiting for rope drop.

After opening ceremonies we always speed up Main Street, through the castle and into Fantasy Land. We hit Dumbo, get FP’s for Peter Pan, and then ride Winnie the Pooh. Then we head towards Tomorrow Land and ride Buzz and the TTA. BTW, most of your probably don’t know that I am an official Galactic Hero on Space Ranger Spin. Check me out!

No autographs, please.

Don’t you wish you had one of these for your kids at home!

I grabbed some FP’s for Space Mountain and then it was back to Peter Pan and Philharmagic. The rest of the Buckeye Clan rode Small World while I hoofed on down for BTMRR FP’s. We met back up and marched down to Adventure Land, rode the Jungle Cruise and the Magic Carpets and then headed over to POC. POC was closed when we got there, and of course the cast members were unable to tell us how long it would be down. The Captain Jack Sparrow show was just starting so we watched that for a few minutes. Some time while we were watching the show POC opened back up, so DD8 and DS4 and I rode that. DD6 is a super scaredy cat and refuses to ride dark attractions. We then hit Pecos Bill’s for lunch. We used the self-serve lines where you order your food on the screen, which actually worked well for us. My 2 riders and I then hit BTMRR with our FP’s twice and then we all walked back to Liberty Square. We started to go into Hall of Presidents but I noticed that the line for Tiana was relatively short. The girls had not yet met her so we went over there.

We then went back to HoP and took in that show. My kids loved it, which is so encouraging as a father. We then hopped on the big riverboat. I can’t remember the last time I had actually ridden it!

It was now time for the 3 o’clock parade. We parked ourselves just off the bridge into Liberty Square. I went to get a Dole Whip float and drinks for the kids while they held our spot. While I was gone these dancers came through.

Some parade pics….

After the parade DD8 and I went to Space Mountain while the wife took the rest of the kids to the barber shop for DS4’s haircut. Waiting outside the barber shop…

Before…

And after.

The barber in the picture is Michael. He is working every time we go to the barber shop, which is just about every visit. I actually think it is the only place DS4 has gotten his hair cut. We don’t have another visit planned for a year. He is going to be pretty shaggy by then!

I grabbed some FP’s to meet Mickey and we rode the steam train around the park until the FP’s were valid. The kids then met Mickey Mouse.

By this time it was past 6 pm and there was a MNSSHP tonight so we headed out. Earlier in the day we had used my wife’s Droid app to make ADR’s at Artist Point, again in the Wilderness Lodge. We took the boat on the other side of the dock from the Fort boat to the WL and had an excellent dinner. Sorry, no food pics. I guess I feel that we already get some “looks” from the uppity types dining around us when the six of us sit down to dinner at the nice restaurants. My kids are well behaved, but they are kids after all. If I started taking pictures of the food, who knows what they would think about us trailer park hillbillies! I know, I know. I shouldn’t care, but I do all the same.

After dinner we took the boat back to the Fort and rode the cart back to the TT for some much needed rest. We were tired, but we kicked the MK’s ass today. Tomorrow, EPCOT.

[lklasing 16]

Loving this report! :pc:

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Our 6 person Kenny cart was waiting at the site.

This cart wasn’t quite as nice as the orange 4 seater. It was still faster than a Disney cart but had a tendency to not always stop when the breaks were applied.

OMG! We had the same cart last week...and the brakes are still possessed from time to time. DW crashed into our cooler with it, and my oldest DD nearly took out someone's decorations. I also had an issue with the brakes once but I didn't crash into anything, as I was demonstrating for my wife how it must feel to drive Bob's cart so we simply coasted to a slow stop when the brakes failed.

Sorry, no food pics. I guess I feel that we already get some “looks” from the uppity types dining around us when the six of us sit down to dinner at the nice restaurants. My kids are well behaved, but they are kids after all. If I started taking pictures of the food, who knows what they would think about us trailer park hillbillies! I know, I know. I shouldn’t care, but I do all the same.

Trailer park hillbillies? Welcome to me! :rofl2:

[momof3kids-Yvonne 594]

Loving this trip report!! I am especially enjoying the parade photos. I love the Disney Parades, but no one else in my family seems to enjoy them as much as me. I think part of the reason I like them so much is that I can remember watching the parades with my grandparents when they took us (sister, brother and me) to Disney for the first time. I find myself becoming more nostalgic the older I get.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Wow, ya'll are really on the move!!! Relax some already!!!!

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I am impressed, y'all did kick MK butt! What did you think of Artist Point? What did you and your wife order? Give us a few tidbits here!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Well, I got a late start reading this one, but I'm caught up now.

I have just one word to say about your report:

AWESOME!

You are doing a great job!

Great photos and great commentary.

My comments:

1. Good job on the use of a cliffhanger in your first post. People hate that. But I happen to like cliffhangers.

2. I definitely consider getting a site a night early and a discount a magical moment. That was a sweet way to begin your trip.

3. Good job on the 617 photo!

4. I, too, am a rope drop fan. We haven't done an AK RD in a while. I have heard about keeping folks back in the entry area. Boo on that! I don't like it either. They have moved the Epcot RD waiting area closer to the Epcot entrance, and I believe the same thing is being done at HS as well. Boo!

5. I have never noticed that Alligator water feature at AK either. I will be on the look-out for it on my next visit.

6. Why did Brutus have to stay home? I'll bet he will be on all your future trips. Congratulations on your new coach!

I think that is enough comments. I am looking forward to the rest of your report.

TCD

[H in SC 85]

This Trip Report definitely has the, "I'm along for the ride" feel to it, and I'm loving it!

Great job Buckeye. :)

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Love these pictures!

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

I am impressed, y'all did kick MK butt! What did you think of Artist Point? What did you and your wife order? Give us a few tidbits here!

Rita,

This was not our first time at the Artist Point. The kids love the place because of the "painting" dessert. They have a 4 piece white chocolate mickey puzzle that the kids put together on their plate and then they use a real paint brush to paint it with 3 colors of frosting. As Steve said our kids are good in a "fancy" place like that, but it's easier to be good when you know there something great at the end. They also have those cool Mickey Mouse straws in every kid cup that comes to your table. Those straws will put you back $.49each at the Columbia House in MK.

But that's not what you asked....

Steve got the tenderloin and I got the sweet potato gnocchi. The beef was excellent as always, but I won't be getting the gnocchi again. it was pan fried and just a little weird for gnocchi. In June, I ordered the Buffalo steak and it was AMAZING!!!! The wait staff will tell you it is slightly sweet when you ask about it, but don't let it keep you from ordering it. It was Deeeelicious.....

[Heidi-meetsTCD@TSM 5]

I was so happy to read the latest updates today........really, really enjoying this report!

We do rope drop at all the parks too, its the ONLY way to go for us!!!

your kids are so cute! Love the haircut pics!!!

Heidi