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Steve's Jan/Feb 2012 Trip - Day 5 of 6
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Steve Russo
Feb 10, 2012, 10:37:59 AM2/10/12
to
January 29 – February 3, 2012
Participants
• Steve –Your humble narrator.
• Barb – My bride of 39 years.
Beach Club Villas– Studio
Day Five - Thursday, February2, 2012 – African Fruit Bats?
Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's
cooooold out there today.
It's coooold out there every day. What is this, Miami Beach?
Happy Groundhog Day! I’m up at 7:04. Just couldn’t get moving this morning.
We make the bus stop at 8:15 just in time to see an Animal Kingdom bus
leave. This is becoming a trend. Not to worry, another is along in 5
minutes. We’re the only two on the bus (other than the driver, of
course) and make a quick stop at the Boardwalk to pick up a family of 3.
Then it’s off to the Animal Kingdom.
After, we were held at the rope in front of the Tree of Life. I pulled
out the camera for a shot and received an error message that it couldn’t
record the photo. It hit me then that I must have left the memory card
in the laptop when I downloaded the photos last evening. D’oh!
Not to worry – I have a backup… that’s safely stored in the front pocket
of my backpack which, naturally, is safe and warm back in the room. I
carry the camera in a very small case that attaches to my belt with a
Velcro strap. It’s so small, the camera just fits in there but it does
have one of those elastic nets against one wall. YES! I stored the
memory card that came with the camera there. That was the good news –
the bad is that it was only 128k. Hopefully that will suffice for this
one morning at the Animal Kingdom.
My goals here today were simple: I wanted to visit the Pangani Forest
Exploration Trail for a visit (and photos) with the gorillas and the
African Fruit Bats. Can anyone spot the obvious flaw in my plan?
First, Barb wanted to ride Expedition Everest (ExE). It’s not my
favorite and the only time I ride is when we’re here solo. I just do it
so Barb doesn’t have to ride alone. When the kids are with us, I’m off
in search of coffee or something.
At opening, the ride was basically a quick walk through the queue.
That’s just a bit unfortunate because this is really one of the best
queues on property. I overheard the young girl (13?) behind us say,
“Dad, did you see how old that computer was?” Interesting that, with all
the artifacts in that queue, she focused on a computer that’s maybe 10
years old.
I know that ExE has a great many fans but it’s not my cup of tea. I was
never a fan of outdoor coasters that featured that long, slow ascent. I
do have a fear of heights (sort of, anyway). I’m also not thrilled with
the backwards-in-the-dark part or the 85-degree drop outside the
mountain. Other than that, I love ExE.
We’re off to Harambe and I grab Kilimanjaro Safari FastPasses for 10:05
(Damn you, Wilmot!). While waiting, we walked the Pangani trail. Similar
to Stormalong Bay, there was construction in the middle so, rather than
a continuous walk through, you entered what is normally the Exit and
walked down to the gorillas and then retraced your steps backward. Then
you could enter via the Entrance for the insects and aviary areas and
backtrack again.
We spent some time with the gorillas and saw the new baby.
Unfortunately, s/he was way in the back behind some foliage and I
couldn’t get a good photo. We then walked the aviary side and when we
finished, I found a cast member and asked, “Where are the African Fruit
Bats?”
“There are none,”
Huh? Somehow, in my warped mind, these are African Fruit Bats which,
naturally, should be in Africa. This particular cast member corrected me
– she worked the bat “cage” for over a year. They are Rodrigues Fruit
Bats native to Asia. They’re on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Boy, do I
feel dumb. I’ve only seen them a dozen or so times.
It was time for a late breakfast so I hit Tamu Tamu for a ham, egg
cheese flatbread (last year it was a ham, egg and cheese bagel). Barb
went to Kusafari for coffee and a cheese Danish. We met up at a table in
the Dawa Bar.
Suitably nourished, we set off on our 3-week safari. This was a
particularly good one as we saw lots of animals up close and personal.
We saw the baby elephant, 3 cheetahs sitting up and awake and a black
rhino sharpening his tusk on some ribs about 15 feet from our truck. The
lions, however, were asleep and hiding. We saw only part of a paw up on
the rock in the back.
We walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek where I saw the non-African Fruit
Bats. I was able to snap a picture of one bat, er… to put this
delicately… pleasuring himself. Another photo filed under “Things You
Don’t See Everyday”. I got some close-up photos of the tigers but there
were asleep as usual.
We discussed taking in one of the 11:30 shows – either Finding Nemo: the
Musical or the Festival of the Lion King but, instead, opted for
Dinosaur. We haven’t ridden in several trips so it was time. We walked
past ExE and saw a Standby time of 5 minutes! At 11:00!
We rode Dinosaur after a 10 minute wait. When we first walked in the
building, I was immediately aware of how hot it was in there. Stifling,
really, and I worked up a sweat in about 30 seconds. As we reached the
podium, I overheard the cast member say “air conditioning” into the
phone. As soon as we reached the pre-show, I could feel the welcome
blasts of cold air. It made a huge difference very quickly.
We did a little shopping on the way out but didn’t purchase anything. We
had about a 10-minute wait at the bus stops. We typically make Animal
Kingdom a morning park and it always seems we have more of a wait here
than the others. I also noticed incoming buses would invariably pull up
to a stop that had no one waiting. They’d discharge their passengers and
then leave empty. I know there’s a plan in place but that just makes no
sense to me.
While I’m complaining, let me add another peeve. I’ve seen this here at
the Safari, ExE and both walking trails. I’ve also seen it often at
rides like Soarin’, Test Track, and a number of others. It’s the group
of 4 to 8 people that hang out in the middle of the entrance. I’ve seen
it a lot in the FastPass queues where I surmise they’re waiting for
their FastPass time to arrive. Geez, folks, can you wait off to the side
so others can get through? The confusing thing is I’ve also seen it at
the entrance to Standby queues. Maybe not as prevalent but noticeable.
Sometimes they’re chatting with the cast member; other times I can’t
figure out why they’re there.
Back to the Beach Club where I straightened out the memory card issue.
We changed into our swimsuits and headed down to the quiet pool. It was
again low 80s and sunny. The hot tub was open today but only seemed to
have two jets working. It seemed that the force normally driving a dozen
jets was now funneled through those two because they’d just about push
you off the seat.
We took a few quick dips but mostly just lay in the lounge chairs and
chatted.
At 3:00 we went to the room for showers, got dressed then headed to the
ESPN Club for a late lunch / early dinner – “linner”, I guess.
Steve was our server and we had a bit of fun with that. It reminded me
of son-in-law Paul’s bachelor party a few months ago. We played golf and
I arrived with my son, Stephen. Paul was making introductions and we
learned later he had been planning this for weeks. He introduced Stephen
and me to his brother Stephen with a series of head bobs, saying “Steve?
Steve. Steve? Steve. Steve? Steve.” It was funnier in person.
We ordered iced tea for me and water for Barb. We split an appetizer of
hot Dingers (boneless wings). Barb had the Chicken Caesar Salad and I
deviated from my tried-and-true Dinger Sandwich. The menu had recently
changed and I was intrigued by the Italian Hot Dog. The menu said it was
topped with Fried Potatoes, Sautéed Onions, Peppers, and Mustard ($10.99).
A few words about my choice of entrée. I can eat most anything. Heck,
I’ll eat a whole shoe if you batter and deep fry it, so take my opinions
under advisement. I think I’ve only had two bad meals at Disney World in
all my trips: a Cuban sandwich at the ABC Commissary (blechhh!) and a
too-thin, too-grisly excuse for a prime rib at (surprise!) Le Cellier.
The Italian Hot Dog doesn’t quite make this list but it’s close. It
wasn’t bad but I don’t think I’d get it again.
We finished by 4:00 and set out for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We
almost never take the boat – it just involves too much waiting for two
impatient people. We thought about it today – mainly as just taking a
nice boat ride. Regrettably, there wasn’t a boat in sight so we started
walking. It really was a beautiful day but hot if you spent a lot of
time in the sun.
We took 3 more turns on Star Tours (all walk-ons) and saw different
combinations each time – but still haven’t seen the Imperial probe droid
or the trip to Kashyyyk. Maybe next time.
We walked down to the Theater of the Stars and found excellent seats for
Beauty and the Beast 15 minutes before the show. We settle into the row
directly behind the director and sound boards, controls, etc. Again,
it’s probably been twenty years since we’ve seen this and we both
enjoyed it. The actors portraying Belle and Gaston were both very good.
We left Disney’s Hollywood Studios after the show and walked back to the
Boardwalk. We stopped in at Seashore Sweets for vanilla and double Dutch
chocolate waffle cones. You can probably guess which was mine. These
cones weren’t replacing a meal at all this time; they were just a snack.
We took our cones over to the Beach Club beach where Tarzan was playing
tonight. We sat in one of the swings while we finished our ice cream. I
remarked that the view across Crescent Lake tonight was a great photo
opportunity but this is one of the rare occasions where I did not bring
my camera.
We headed for our room but made a quick stop in the Marketplace. The
cone had made me very thirsty so I picked up one of those 20 oz. Nestea
iced tea bottles (about $100 I think) and I drained it before we got to
the room.
We freshened up for a bit, grabbed the camera and headed back to the
beach for more a few photos. I experimented a bit but got the best
results when I used a railing post as a makeshift tripod.
We enter Epcot at about 8:45 and try something different tonight. We
walked into the UK and took the path alongside Yorkshire Fish and Chips.
There was a private party in the small courtyard but the patio by the
water was open. Folks had already laid claim to the benches but there
was ample room leaning against the railings behind them. This is a great
view, right at water level but… the wind was toward us tonight but
leading the smoke toward Crescent Lake, off to our right. A slight shift
and this area would not be very pleasant.
We were back in the room at 9:30.
Another question that occurred to me on the walk from the International
Gateway to the Beach Club: Why do the signs to/from the Beach Club and
Epcot point you up the hill and over the bridge? It’s more direct, and a
whole lot flatter, to take the path along the water but the signs on
both sides point you up the hill. I’m just wondering.
Miles Walked Today: 8.49.
Things I Think I Think: I think I should carry the spare memory card in
the camera case, not the backpack. I think I screwed up big time with
the “African” Fruit Bats. It lost me a lot of Disney street cred. I
think Dinosaur is a nice ride but I don’t need to do it every trip. I
think today was one of the best safaris I’ve taken - ever. I think the
Beach Club should fix that hot tub. I think I’ll avoid the Italian Hot
Dog on future trips. I think I should always have the camera with me at
Disney World. I think today was our last full day. Surprisingly, I’m not
dreading the return home as much as usual.
--
Steve
Participants
• Steve –Your humble narrator.
• Barb – My bride of 39 years.
Beach Club Villas– Studio
Day Five - Thursday, February2, 2012 – African Fruit Bats?
Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's
cooooold out there today.
It's coooold out there every day. What is this, Miami Beach?
Happy Groundhog Day! I’m up at 7:04. Just couldn’t get moving this morning.
We make the bus stop at 8:15 just in time to see an Animal Kingdom bus
leave. This is becoming a trend. Not to worry, another is along in 5
minutes. We’re the only two on the bus (other than the driver, of
course) and make a quick stop at the Boardwalk to pick up a family of 3.
Then it’s off to the Animal Kingdom.
After, we were held at the rope in front of the Tree of Life. I pulled
out the camera for a shot and received an error message that it couldn’t
record the photo. It hit me then that I must have left the memory card
in the laptop when I downloaded the photos last evening. D’oh!
Not to worry – I have a backup… that’s safely stored in the front pocket
of my backpack which, naturally, is safe and warm back in the room. I
carry the camera in a very small case that attaches to my belt with a
Velcro strap. It’s so small, the camera just fits in there but it does
have one of those elastic nets against one wall. YES! I stored the
memory card that came with the camera there. That was the good news –
the bad is that it was only 128k. Hopefully that will suffice for this
one morning at the Animal Kingdom.
My goals here today were simple: I wanted to visit the Pangani Forest
Exploration Trail for a visit (and photos) with the gorillas and the
African Fruit Bats. Can anyone spot the obvious flaw in my plan?
First, Barb wanted to ride Expedition Everest (ExE). It’s not my
favorite and the only time I ride is when we’re here solo. I just do it
so Barb doesn’t have to ride alone. When the kids are with us, I’m off
in search of coffee or something.
At opening, the ride was basically a quick walk through the queue.
That’s just a bit unfortunate because this is really one of the best
queues on property. I overheard the young girl (13?) behind us say,
“Dad, did you see how old that computer was?” Interesting that, with all
the artifacts in that queue, she focused on a computer that’s maybe 10
years old.
I know that ExE has a great many fans but it’s not my cup of tea. I was
never a fan of outdoor coasters that featured that long, slow ascent. I
do have a fear of heights (sort of, anyway). I’m also not thrilled with
the backwards-in-the-dark part or the 85-degree drop outside the
mountain. Other than that, I love ExE.
We’re off to Harambe and I grab Kilimanjaro Safari FastPasses for 10:05
(Damn you, Wilmot!). While waiting, we walked the Pangani trail. Similar
to Stormalong Bay, there was construction in the middle so, rather than
a continuous walk through, you entered what is normally the Exit and
walked down to the gorillas and then retraced your steps backward. Then
you could enter via the Entrance for the insects and aviary areas and
backtrack again.
We spent some time with the gorillas and saw the new baby.
Unfortunately, s/he was way in the back behind some foliage and I
couldn’t get a good photo. We then walked the aviary side and when we
finished, I found a cast member and asked, “Where are the African Fruit
Bats?”
“There are none,”
Huh? Somehow, in my warped mind, these are African Fruit Bats which,
naturally, should be in Africa. This particular cast member corrected me
– she worked the bat “cage” for over a year. They are Rodrigues Fruit
Bats native to Asia. They’re on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Boy, do I
feel dumb. I’ve only seen them a dozen or so times.
It was time for a late breakfast so I hit Tamu Tamu for a ham, egg
cheese flatbread (last year it was a ham, egg and cheese bagel). Barb
went to Kusafari for coffee and a cheese Danish. We met up at a table in
the Dawa Bar.
Suitably nourished, we set off on our 3-week safari. This was a
particularly good one as we saw lots of animals up close and personal.
We saw the baby elephant, 3 cheetahs sitting up and awake and a black
rhino sharpening his tusk on some ribs about 15 feet from our truck. The
lions, however, were asleep and hiding. We saw only part of a paw up on
the rock in the back.
We walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek where I saw the non-African Fruit
Bats. I was able to snap a picture of one bat, er… to put this
delicately… pleasuring himself. Another photo filed under “Things You
Don’t See Everyday”. I got some close-up photos of the tigers but there
were asleep as usual.
We discussed taking in one of the 11:30 shows – either Finding Nemo: the
Musical or the Festival of the Lion King but, instead, opted for
Dinosaur. We haven’t ridden in several trips so it was time. We walked
past ExE and saw a Standby time of 5 minutes! At 11:00!
We rode Dinosaur after a 10 minute wait. When we first walked in the
building, I was immediately aware of how hot it was in there. Stifling,
really, and I worked up a sweat in about 30 seconds. As we reached the
podium, I overheard the cast member say “air conditioning” into the
phone. As soon as we reached the pre-show, I could feel the welcome
blasts of cold air. It made a huge difference very quickly.
We did a little shopping on the way out but didn’t purchase anything. We
had about a 10-minute wait at the bus stops. We typically make Animal
Kingdom a morning park and it always seems we have more of a wait here
than the others. I also noticed incoming buses would invariably pull up
to a stop that had no one waiting. They’d discharge their passengers and
then leave empty. I know there’s a plan in place but that just makes no
sense to me.
While I’m complaining, let me add another peeve. I’ve seen this here at
the Safari, ExE and both walking trails. I’ve also seen it often at
rides like Soarin’, Test Track, and a number of others. It’s the group
of 4 to 8 people that hang out in the middle of the entrance. I’ve seen
it a lot in the FastPass queues where I surmise they’re waiting for
their FastPass time to arrive. Geez, folks, can you wait off to the side
so others can get through? The confusing thing is I’ve also seen it at
the entrance to Standby queues. Maybe not as prevalent but noticeable.
Sometimes they’re chatting with the cast member; other times I can’t
figure out why they’re there.
Back to the Beach Club where I straightened out the memory card issue.
We changed into our swimsuits and headed down to the quiet pool. It was
again low 80s and sunny. The hot tub was open today but only seemed to
have two jets working. It seemed that the force normally driving a dozen
jets was now funneled through those two because they’d just about push
you off the seat.
We took a few quick dips but mostly just lay in the lounge chairs and
chatted.
At 3:00 we went to the room for showers, got dressed then headed to the
ESPN Club for a late lunch / early dinner – “linner”, I guess.
Steve was our server and we had a bit of fun with that. It reminded me
of son-in-law Paul’s bachelor party a few months ago. We played golf and
I arrived with my son, Stephen. Paul was making introductions and we
learned later he had been planning this for weeks. He introduced Stephen
and me to his brother Stephen with a series of head bobs, saying “Steve?
Steve. Steve? Steve. Steve? Steve.” It was funnier in person.
We ordered iced tea for me and water for Barb. We split an appetizer of
hot Dingers (boneless wings). Barb had the Chicken Caesar Salad and I
deviated from my tried-and-true Dinger Sandwich. The menu had recently
changed and I was intrigued by the Italian Hot Dog. The menu said it was
topped with Fried Potatoes, Sautéed Onions, Peppers, and Mustard ($10.99).
A few words about my choice of entrée. I can eat most anything. Heck,
I’ll eat a whole shoe if you batter and deep fry it, so take my opinions
under advisement. I think I’ve only had two bad meals at Disney World in
all my trips: a Cuban sandwich at the ABC Commissary (blechhh!) and a
too-thin, too-grisly excuse for a prime rib at (surprise!) Le Cellier.
The Italian Hot Dog doesn’t quite make this list but it’s close. It
wasn’t bad but I don’t think I’d get it again.
We finished by 4:00 and set out for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We
almost never take the boat – it just involves too much waiting for two
impatient people. We thought about it today – mainly as just taking a
nice boat ride. Regrettably, there wasn’t a boat in sight so we started
walking. It really was a beautiful day but hot if you spent a lot of
time in the sun.
We took 3 more turns on Star Tours (all walk-ons) and saw different
combinations each time – but still haven’t seen the Imperial probe droid
or the trip to Kashyyyk. Maybe next time.
We walked down to the Theater of the Stars and found excellent seats for
Beauty and the Beast 15 minutes before the show. We settle into the row
directly behind the director and sound boards, controls, etc. Again,
it’s probably been twenty years since we’ve seen this and we both
enjoyed it. The actors portraying Belle and Gaston were both very good.
We left Disney’s Hollywood Studios after the show and walked back to the
Boardwalk. We stopped in at Seashore Sweets for vanilla and double Dutch
chocolate waffle cones. You can probably guess which was mine. These
cones weren’t replacing a meal at all this time; they were just a snack.
We took our cones over to the Beach Club beach where Tarzan was playing
tonight. We sat in one of the swings while we finished our ice cream. I
remarked that the view across Crescent Lake tonight was a great photo
opportunity but this is one of the rare occasions where I did not bring
my camera.
We headed for our room but made a quick stop in the Marketplace. The
cone had made me very thirsty so I picked up one of those 20 oz. Nestea
iced tea bottles (about $100 I think) and I drained it before we got to
the room.
We freshened up for a bit, grabbed the camera and headed back to the
beach for more a few photos. I experimented a bit but got the best
results when I used a railing post as a makeshift tripod.
We enter Epcot at about 8:45 and try something different tonight. We
walked into the UK and took the path alongside Yorkshire Fish and Chips.
There was a private party in the small courtyard but the patio by the
water was open. Folks had already laid claim to the benches but there
was ample room leaning against the railings behind them. This is a great
view, right at water level but… the wind was toward us tonight but
leading the smoke toward Crescent Lake, off to our right. A slight shift
and this area would not be very pleasant.
We were back in the room at 9:30.
Another question that occurred to me on the walk from the International
Gateway to the Beach Club: Why do the signs to/from the Beach Club and
Epcot point you up the hill and over the bridge? It’s more direct, and a
whole lot flatter, to take the path along the water but the signs on
both sides point you up the hill. I’m just wondering.
Miles Walked Today: 8.49.
Things I Think I Think: I think I should carry the spare memory card in
the camera case, not the backpack. I think I screwed up big time with
the “African” Fruit Bats. It lost me a lot of Disney street cred. I
think Dinosaur is a nice ride but I don’t need to do it every trip. I
think today was one of the best safaris I’ve taken - ever. I think the
Beach Club should fix that hot tub. I think I’ll avoid the Italian Hot
Dog on future trips. I think I should always have the camera with me at
Disney World. I think today was our last full day. Surprisingly, I’m not
dreading the return home as much as usual.
--
Steve
Rudeney
Feb 14, 2012, 4:24:04 PM2/14/12
to
On 2/10/2012 9:37 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>
> Happy Groundhog Day! I’m up at 7:04. Just couldn’t get moving this
morning.
So did you see your shadow?
>
> Happy Groundhog Day! I’m up at 7:04. Just couldn’t get moving this
morning.
> After, we were held at the rope in front of the Tree of Life. I pulled
> out the camera for a shot and received an error message that it couldn’t
> record the photo. It hit me then that I must have left the memory card
> in the laptop when I downloaded the photos last evening. D’oh!
> Not to worry – I have a backup… that’s safely stored in the front pocket
> of my backpack which, naturally, is safe and warm back in the room. I
> carry the camera in a very small case that attaches to my belt with a
> Velcro strap. It’s so small, the camera just fits in there but it does
> have one of those elastic nets against one wall. YES! I stored the
> memory card that came with the camera there. That was the good news –
> the bad is that it was only 128k. Hopefully that will suffice for this
> one morning at the Animal Kingdom.
they are probably very expensive. Maybe even as much as Bud Light.
> At opening, the ride was basically a quick walk through the queue.
> That’s just a bit unfortunate because this is really one of the best
> queues on property. I overheard the young girl (13?) behind us say,
> “Dad, did you see how old that computer was?” Interesting that, with all
> the artifacts in that queue, she focused on a computer that’s maybe 10
> years old.
> I know that ExE has a great many fans but it’s not my cup of tea. I was
> never a fan of outdoor coasters that featured that long, slow ascent. I
> do have a fear of heights (sort of, anyway). I’m also not thrilled with
> the backwards-in-the-dark part or the 85-degree drop outside the
> mountain. Other than that, I love ExE.
> We then walked the aviary side and when we
> finished, I found a cast member and asked, “Where are the African Fruit
> Bats?”
>
> “There are none,”
>
> Huh? Somehow, in my warped mind, these are African Fruit Bats which,
> naturally, should be in Africa. This particular cast member corrected me
> – she worked the bat “cage” for over a year. They are Rodrigues Fruit
> Bats native to Asia. They’re on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Boy, do I
> feel dumb. I’ve only seen them a dozen or so times.
Asian tigers.
> We walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek where I saw the non-African Fruit
> Bats. I was able to snap a picture of one bat, er… to put this
> delicately… pleasuring himself. Another photo filed under “Things You
> Don’t See Everyday”.
See Any Day”.
> We rode Dinosaur after a 10 minute wait. When we first walked in the
> building, I was immediately aware of how hot it was in there. Stifling,
> really, and I worked up a sweat in about 30 seconds. As we reached the
> podium, I overheard the cast member say “air conditioning” into the
> phone. As soon as we reached the pre-show, I could feel the welcome
> blasts of cold air. It made a huge difference very quickly.
electronically controlled from a central location.
> At 3:00 we went to the room for showers, got dressed then headed to the
> ESPN Club for a late lunch / early dinner – “linner”, I guess.
to be this Southern thing about dinner vs. supper and it had to do with
timing and whether or not grandparents were involved, but now, anything
after about 1:00pm for me is just “dinner”.
> Steve was our server and we had a bit of fun with that. It reminded me
> of son-in-law Paul’s bachelor party a few months ago. We played golf and
> I arrived with my son, Stephen. Paul was making introductions and we
> learned later he had been planning this for weeks. He introduced Stephen
> and me to his brother Stephen with a series of head bobs, saying “Steve?
> Steve. Steve? Steve. Steve? Steve.” It was funnier in person.
> We ordered iced tea for me and water for Barb. We split an appetizer of
> hot Dingers (boneless wings). Barb had the Chicken Caesar Salad and I
> deviated from my tried-and-true Dinger Sandwich. The menu had recently
> changed and I was intrigued by the Italian Hot Dog. The menu said it was
> topped with Fried Potatoes, Sautéed Onions, Peppers, and Mustard
($10.99).
> A few words about my choice of entrée. I can eat most anything. Heck,
> I’ll eat a whole shoe if you batter and deep fry it, so take my opinions
> under advisement. I think I’ve only had two bad meals at Disney World in
> all my trips: a Cuban sandwich at the ABC Commissary (blechhh!) and a
> too-thin, too-grisly excuse for a prime rib at (surprise!) Le Cellier.
> The Italian Hot Dog doesn’t quite make this list but it’s close. It
> wasn’t bad but I don’t think I’d get it again.
battered and deep-fried. And no, I have not tried one. Other than some
spinal issues, I am fairly healthy, but I have to draw the line
somewhere and deep-fried hot dogs just scare me.
> We finished by 4:00 and set out for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We
> almost never take the boat – it just involves too much waiting for two
> impatient people. We thought about it today – mainly as just taking a
> nice boat ride. Regrettably, there wasn’t a boat in sight so we started
> walking. It really was a beautiful day but hot if you spent a lot of
> time in the sun.
> We walked down to the Theater of the Stars and found excellent seats for
> Beauty and the Beast 15 minutes before the show. We settle into the row
> directly behind the director and sound boards, controls, etc. Again,
> it’s probably been twenty years since we’ve seen this and we both
> enjoyed it. The actors portraying Belle and Gaston were both very good.
the last holdout. I wonder how long before it will be converted to a
“ride”.
> We headed for our room but made a quick stop in the Marketplace. The
> cone had made me very thirsty so I picked up one of those 20 oz. Nestea
> iced tea bottles (about $100 I think) and I drained it before we got to
> the room.
> Another question that occurred to me on the walk from the International
> Gateway to the Beach Club: Why do the signs to/from the Beach Club and
> Epcot point you up the hill and over the bridge? It’s more direct, and a
> whole lot flatter, to take the path along the water but the signs on
> both sides point you up the hill. I’m just wondering.
> I think I should carry the spare memory card in
> the camera case, not the backpack.
> I think I screwed up big time with
> the “African” Fruit Bats. It lost me a lot of Disney street cred.
Oh wait...
> Surprisingly, I’m not
> dreading the return home as much as usual.
--
- RODNEY
Next WDW Vacation?
Who knows!
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Steve Russo
Feb 15, 2012, 8:01:24 AM2/15/12
to
On 2/14/2012 4:24 PM, Rudeney wrote:
> On 2/10/2012 9:37 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
> >
> > Happy Groundhog Day! I’m up at 7:04. Just couldn’t get moving this
> morning.
>
> So did you see your shadow?
I have no shadow.
> On 2/10/2012 9:37 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
> >
> > Happy Groundhog Day! I’m up at 7:04. Just couldn’t get moving this
> morning.
>
> So did you see your shadow?
> > Not to worry – I have a backup… that’s safely stored in the front pocket
> > of my backpack which, naturally, is safe and warm back in the room. I
> > carry the camera in a very small case that attaches to my belt with a
> > Velcro strap. It’s so small, the camera just fits in there but it does
> > have one of those elastic nets against one wall. YES! I stored the
> > memory card that came with the camera there. That was the good news –
> > the bad is that it was only 128k. Hopefully that will suffice for this
> > one morning at the Animal Kingdom.
>
> You know, I think they sell memory cards in the gift shops. Of course
> they are probably very expensive. Maybe even as much as Bud Light.
to buy AA batteries in DHS and needed a small loan.
> > We then walked the aviary side and when we
> > finished, I found a cast member and asked, “Where are the African Fruit
> > Bats?”
> >
> > “There are none,”
> >
> > Huh? Somehow, in my warped mind, these are African Fruit Bats which,
> > naturally, should be in Africa. This particular cast member corrected me
> > – she worked the bat “cage” for over a year. They are Rodrigues Fruit
> > Bats native to Asia. They’re on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Boy, do I
> > feel dumb. I’ve only seen them a dozen or so times.
>
>
> Yea, that makes sense – they are on the same trek as the tigers. The
> Asian tigers.
>
> > We ordered iced tea for me and water for Barb. We split an appetizer of
> > hot Dingers (boneless wings). Barb had the Chicken Caesar Salad and I
> > deviated from my tried-and-true Dinger Sandwich. The menu had recently
> > changed and I was intrigued by the Italian Hot Dog. The menu said it was
> > topped with Fried Potatoes, Sautéed Onions, Peppers, and Mustard
> ($10.99).
>
> Hmm, that doesn’t sound bad, but $11 for hotdog?!
> I bet you would if they changed it to the Southern hot dog and served it
> battered and deep-fried. And no, I have not tried one. Other than some
> spinal issues, I am fairly healthy, but I have to draw the line
> somewhere and deep-fried hot dogs just scare me.
deep-fried anything. I've never even had a corn dog - just never looked
all that appetizing.
>
> > We finished by 4:00 and set out for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We
> > almost never take the boat – it just involves too much waiting for two
> > impatient people. We thought about it today – mainly as just taking a
> > nice boat ride. Regrettably, there wasn’t a boat in sight so we started
> > walking. It really was a beautiful day but hot if you spent a lot of
> > time in the sun.
>
> I guess the knee is doing OK.
> Maybe to keep the pedestrians out of the path of the surrey bikers?
>
> > I think I should carry the spare memory card in
> > the camera case, not the backpack.
>
> Better yet, why not carry one in your wallet?
tiny, leather business card case. It holds the KTTW, TiW, APs, and my
ID. I suppose I could squeeze in the spare card.
>
> > I think I screwed up big time with
> > the “African” Fruit Bats. It lost me a lot of Disney street cred.
>
> That’s Ok, it’s not like you are a tour guide book author or anything.
> Oh wait...
--
Steve
Rudeney
Feb 15, 2012, 3:05:16 PM2/15/12
to
On 2/15/2012 7:01 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
> On 2/14/2012 4:24 PM, Rudeney wrote:
>> On 2/10/2012 9:37 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>> >
>> > Happy Groundhog Day! I’m up at 7:04. Just couldn’t get moving this
>> morning.
>>
>> So did you see your shadow?
>
> I have no shadow.
Hmm, I never took you for the transparent type. Now Keane, Maybe...
> On 2/14/2012 4:24 PM, Rudeney wrote:
>> On 2/10/2012 9:37 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>> >
>> > Happy Groundhog Day! I’m up at 7:04. Just couldn’t get moving this
>> morning.
>>
>> So did you see your shadow?
>
> I have no shadow.
>> > Not to worry – I have a backup… that’s safely stored in the front
>> > of my backpack which, naturally, is safe and warm back in the room. I
>> > carry the camera in a very small case that attaches to my belt with a
>> > Velcro strap. It’s so small, the camera just fits in there but it does
>> > have one of those elastic nets against one wall. YES! I stored the
>> > memory card that came with the camera there. That was the good news –
>> > the bad is that it was only 128k. Hopefully that will suffice for this
>> > one morning at the Animal Kingdom.
>>
>> You know, I think they sell memory cards in the gift shops. Of course
>> they are probably very expensive. Maybe even as much as Bud Light.
>
> Laugh it up, fuzzball.
Regulations Handbook to make at least two Bud Light cracks per Russo TR.
I thought that one was pretty darn smooth.
> I'm reasonably certain you're right. I once had
> to buy AA batteries in DHS and needed a small loan.
replace that revenue stream with something similar. And really,
batteries, at least for Disney, are going the way of film, too, since
many modern cameras use proprietary rechargeable batteries. Now, if
someone would just standardize them, then Disney could offer an exchange
program - trade in your discharged battery for a freshly charged one
(for a ridiculously huge fee, of course).
>> > We ordered iced tea for me and water for Barb. We split an appetizer of
>> > hot Dingers (boneless wings). Barb had the Chicken Caesar Salad and I
>> > deviated from my tried-and-true Dinger Sandwich. The menu had recently
>> > changed and I was intrigued by the Italian Hot Dog. The menu said it
>> was
>> > topped with Fried Potatoes, Sautéed Onions, Peppers, and Mustard
>> ($10.99).
>>
>> Hmm, that doesn’t sound bad, but $11 for hotdog?!
>
> It was about 1/2 pound of hot dog.
WDW, of course).
>
>> I bet you would if they changed it to the Southern hot dog and served it
>> battered and deep-fried. And no, I have not tried one. Other than some
>> spinal issues, I am fairly healthy, but I have to draw the line
>> somewhere and deep-fried hot dogs just scare me.
>
> Although I joke about it - I'm really not too keen on battered and
> deep-fried anything. I've never even had a corn dog - just never looked
> all that appetizing.
chips and tortillas are OK, but that's it). I am also not a big
deep-fried eater, except for some things - french fries, chicken
fingers, cheese sticks and okra. I hate the fried desserts 9candy
bars). That's just nasty.
>>
>> > I think I should carry the spare memory card in
>> > the camera case, not the backpack.
>>
>> Better yet, why not carry one in your wallet?
>
> Actually, I don't carry a wallet at WDW. I go bare bones and carry a
> tiny, leather business card case. It holds the KTTW, TiW, APs, and my
> ID. I suppose I could squeeze in the spare card.
to carry this neat SD card in it - it was hinged so it folded in half to
reveal a USB plug. I think I eventually lost it or it broke, ICR. Now
I just use my phone - it has a 32GB card in it with BT, wifi or USB
connectivity. Of course that would do me no good for my camera, but it
replaces that old SD card for just being a data transfer tool.
Jenny
Feb 15, 2012, 7:24:30 PM2/15/12
to
>
> Although I joke about it - I'm really not too keen on battered and
> deep-fried anything. I've never even had a corn dog - just never looked
> all that appetizing.
>
--
Jenny
Debbi
Feb 16, 2012, 9:30:00 AM2/16/12
to
On 2/15/2012 8:01 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>> I bet you would if they changed it to the Southern hot dog and served it
>> battered and deep-fried. And no, I have not tried one. Other than some
>> spinal issues, I am fairly healthy, but I have to draw the line
>> somewhere and deep-fried hot dogs just scare me.
>
> Although I joke about it - I'm really not too keane on battered and
>> I bet you would if they changed it to the Southern hot dog and served it
>> battered and deep-fried. And no, I have not tried one. Other than some
>> spinal issues, I am fairly healthy, but I have to draw the line
>> somewhere and deep-fried hot dogs just scare me.
>
> deep-fried anything. I've never even had a corn dog - just never looked
> all that appetizing.
In Shanghai, and apparently all over China, they seem to have just
> all that appetizing.
discovered deep-FAT frying. The difference is that you can get almost
anything fried in almost any restaurant (many of them have a sign that
roughly translates to 'we do American-fry of all item'. Ever tried fried
soup ?? On the other hand, I could not find corn dogs anywhere
(tempura-bites were the closest I could find).
ab
Laura Gilbreath
Feb 16, 2012, 4:42:22 PM2/16/12
to
In article <jhejfc$5qr$1...@rudeney.motzarella.org>,
I never thought of the Studios as a foot fashion mecca. :-) Though there
is that "badshoe.com" web site featuring "unfortunate theme park
footwear."
Laura
**************************************************************************
Email: lgil at lgil dot net or remove "REMOVETHIS" from "Reply to" address.
Visit Tigger's Vacation Page:
http://www.travelswithtigger.com
Rudeney <rud...@mickeypics.com> wrote:
>
>I remember when MGM was full of great shoes, and now, this seems to be
>the last holdout. I wonder how long before it will be converted to a
>ride.
>
>I remember when MGM was full of great shoes, and now, this seems to be
>the last holdout. I wonder how long before it will be converted to a
I never thought of the Studios as a foot fashion mecca. :-) Though there
is that "badshoe.com" web site featuring "unfortunate theme park
footwear."
Laura
**************************************************************************
Email: lgil at lgil dot net or remove "REMOVETHIS" from "Reply to" address.
Visit Tigger's Vacation Page:
http://www.travelswithtigger.com
Keane
Feb 16, 2012, 4:52:42 PM2/16/12
to
On Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:42:22 +0000 (UTC), lg...@REMOVETHISlgil.net
(Laura Gilbreath) wrote:
>In article <jhejfc$5qr$1...@rudeney.motzarella.org>,
>Rudeney <rud...@mickeypics.com> wrote:
>>
>>I remember when MGM was full of great shoes, and now, this seems to be
>>the last holdout. I wonder how long before it will be converted to a
>>ride.
>
>I never thought of the Studios as a foot fashion mecca. :-) Though there
>is that "badshoe.com" web site featuring "unfortunate theme park
>footwear."
What, you don't like Ed Sullivan impressions anymore?
(Laura Gilbreath) wrote:
>In article <jhejfc$5qr$1...@rudeney.motzarella.org>,
>Rudeney <rud...@mickeypics.com> wrote:
>>
>>I remember when MGM was full of great shoes, and now, this seems to be
>>the last holdout. I wonder how long before it will be converted to a
>>ride.
>
>I never thought of the Studios as a foot fashion mecca. :-) Though there
>is that "badshoe.com" web site featuring "unfortunate theme park
>footwear."
(If anyone doesn't know who I'm talking about, then I'm
depressed.)
Keane
--
When stars are born, They possess a gift or two,
One of them is this, They have the power to make a wish come true...
-- Wishes
Visit my site: http://keanespics.com
Steve Russo
Feb 16, 2012, 6:19:00 PM2/16/12
to
Keane <ke...@keanespics.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:42:22 +0000 (UTC), lg...@REMOVETHISlgil.net
> (Laura Gilbreath) wrote:
>
>> In article <jhejfc$5qr$1...@rudeney.motzarella.org>,
>> Rudeney <rud...@mickeypics.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I remember when MGM was full of great shoes, and now, this seems to be
>>> the last holdout. I wonder how long before it will be converted to a
>>> ride.
>>
>> I never thought of the Studios as a foot fashion mecca. :-) Though there
>> is that "badshoe.com" web site featuring "unfortunate theme park
>> footwear."
>
> What, you don't like Ed Sullivan impressions anymore?
>
> (If anyone doesn't know who I'm talking about, then I'm
> depressed.)
>
> Keane
I'm still amazed you knew the "hot diggety" lyrics. I thought only I was
> On Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:42:22 +0000 (UTC), lg...@REMOVETHISlgil.net
> (Laura Gilbreath) wrote:
>
>> In article <jhejfc$5qr$1...@rudeney.motzarella.org>,
>> Rudeney <rud...@mickeypics.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I remember when MGM was full of great shoes, and now, this seems to be
>>> the last holdout. I wonder how long before it will be converted to a
>>> ride.
>>
>> I never thought of the Studios as a foot fashion mecca. :-) Though there
>> is that "badshoe.com" web site featuring "unfortunate theme park
>> footwear."
>
> What, you don't like Ed Sullivan impressions anymore?
>
> (If anyone doesn't know who I'm talking about, then I'm
> depressed.)
>
> Keane
that old.
--
Steve
Rudeney
Feb 16, 2012, 10:36:21 PM2/16/12
to
On 2/16/2012 3:42 PM, Laura Gilbreath wrote:
> In article<jhejfc$5qr$1...@rudeney.motzarella.org>,
> Rudeney<rud...@mickeypics.com> wrote:
>>
>> I remember when MGM was full of great shoes, and now, this seems to be
>> the last holdout. I wonder how long before it will be converted to a
>> ride.
>
> I never thought of the Studios as a foot fashion mecca. :-) Though there
> is that "badshoe.com" web site featuring "unfortunate theme park
> footwear."
Oh.....DAMMIT!
> In article<jhejfc$5qr$1...@rudeney.motzarella.org>,
> Rudeney<rud...@mickeypics.com> wrote:
>>
>> I remember when MGM was full of great shoes, and now, this seems to be
>> the last holdout. I wonder how long before it will be converted to a
>> ride.
>
> I never thought of the Studios as a foot fashion mecca. :-) Though there
> is that "badshoe.com" web site featuring "unfortunate theme park
> footwear."
Keane
Feb 17, 2012, 1:45:20 AM2/17/12
to
On Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:19:00 +0000 (UTC), Steve Russo
<sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
>
>I'm still amazed you knew the "hot diggety" lyrics. I thought only I was
>that old.
It's the reason my memory is so bad lately. It's filled to capacity
<sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
>
>I'm still amazed you knew the "hot diggety" lyrics. I thought only I was
>that old.
with useless crap like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jVECp5Dzp4
Warning: It's not quite "it's a small world", but it's close...
Jenny
Feb 17, 2012, 8:40:24 AM2/17/12
to
On 2/17/2012 12:45 AM, Keane wrote:
> On Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:19:00 +0000 (UTC), Steve Russo
> <sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> I'm still amazed you knew the "hot diggety" lyrics. I thought only I was
>> that old.
>
> It's the reason my memory is so bad lately. It's filled to capacity
> with useless crap like that.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jVECp5Dzp4
>
> Warning: It's not quite "it's a small world", but it's close...
>
> Keane
THIS is the song that has been playing in my mind ad infinitum and ad
> On Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:19:00 +0000 (UTC), Steve Russo
> <sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> I'm still amazed you knew the "hot diggety" lyrics. I thought only I was
>> that old.
>
> It's the reason my memory is so bad lately. It's filled to capacity
> with useless crap like that.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jVECp5Dzp4
>
> Warning: It's not quite "it's a small world", but it's close...
>
> Keane
nauseum all week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxhoGTq_Sms
--
Jenny
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