We were still waking early. Tom and Freddie were in the pool again at 6.30 making good use of the various inflatables we bought last night. Tiredness is just a state of mind, so I was up and ready to go and do a twelve-hour park day, but I could sense others feeling it a bit.
I suggested we abandon the plan for today, no matter the many hours I had spent pre-trip putting it all together. Ultimately, the consensus was that we would do half a day at Animal Kingdom and spend the morning recharging the batteries.
I went onto the app and got a LL for Flights Of Passage for late afternoon and booked us Genie+ to lessen the impact of our late arrival. We were rested, ready and out by 11.30. After a brief drive, via Sherberth Road and that dodgy U-Turn to the car park and we left the car in Butterfly 119 and were delighted to take our first tram of the holiday.
Tom had to walk it to the park as Dougie had fallen asleep and Tom didn’t want to take him out of the stroller to collapse it for the tram. He got there first.
At this late hour, there were no ECVs left for Mum but Freddie got a stroller again. We went on the wait list but were never contacted today.
We watched Divine for a little while…
before making our way in.
I had secured us Everest as our first LL whilst back at the villa and had booked Mum on too so she had little choice but to ride. Rebecca, Tom, Freddie and Mum rode first whilst Louise and I watched a sleeping Dougie.
Mum’s face upon their return suggested she was in no rush to do it again, but Freddie and Tom joined the standby which was only about twenty minutes whilst Louise and I rode via LL. We were front row baby.
One of the best rides on property and always a good way to start your day no matter what time you get to the park. You can’t beat a good old shot of adrenaline to wash away the lingering jet lag and theme park-induced weariness.
Dougie had woken up by now. As you can perhaps spot, it was incredibly hot.
Having got a grand total of one ride under our belts, clearly, it was time to eat. To be fair we had all eaten breakfast at some stupid early hour.
As we made our inevitable journey to the Yak and Yeti quick service, I booked us onto the Safari at 1.25. We undertook some effort, moving once, to secure a table in the shade. The heat today was incredible.
Rather than list out what we all had, it looked like this and cost $115.
Look, more salads!
We walked straight over to our Safari booking now, worked out the overly complex system for stroller parking and made it to the front in a few minutes. There was then some delay that we couldn’t fathom but nothing moved for a good ten minutes.
Freddie demonstrated the expected levels of patience for a five-year-old.
We waited so long that Mum had to make an exit for a loo visit that would wait no longer. Eventually, we were on.
Louise and I had a row to ourselves, which was handy as the family in front of us had some serious body odour issues going on so I slid to the other end of the row.
I of course took my usual array of magnificent photos. I shall let you marvel at them mostly uninterrupted by words.
Which one is called Neal?
The heat kept many animals hidden as expected at this time of day.
But these Rhinos were being very familiar.
There was no camera zoom involved here.
Obviously, the truck stopped with them being so close, which is why you are getting endless Rhino photos.
As we left the ride and picked up the stroller, restrooms, drinks, ice cream and shade were needed.
I had planned to get us into It’s Tough To Be A Bug before the next Lion King show, but with all our restrooming and snacking there was no time.
We had LL so we got pretty decent seats. Spot the member of our group who had a nap.
Dougie had clearly seen the standard of my safari photography and wanted no part of it.
I somehow resisted the urge to video the show. I have done so countless times, but the quality is so high I feel it is a waste not to. You were spared a Facebook live.
Freddie hadn’t been sold on the idea of watching a show before we went in, as it was not a “fast ride” but he loved it, clapping along and singing.
I’d secured a LL for the Navi River ride just before our FOP one so we just had a little time to kill before both of those. Not that we were hot and tired today, but we stopped for another drink and a sit-down.
We all had one of those fancy Slush things, with Louise opting for the one with alcohol.
Despite what it looks like, Freddie didn’t have the one with alcohol!
He was obsessed with the poppable things on top.
Off we went to ride the river. Everybody rode.
The Russell Brand animatronic at the end needs work.
Finally, it was time for Flights Of Passage and Freddie was excited.
We were on within about ten minutes, or at least into all the pre-ride pre-amble. It was great as ever, but Freddie’s 3D glasses kept slipping off so Louise and I, on either side of him, spent a good deal of time putting them back on and trying to hold them in place for him. They could do with different-sized ones for smaller flyers.
It was 6.20 now and we needed to head out of the park and head over to our booking at the Cheesecake Factory. Booking ahead is almost always wise as the wait without a booking was horrible.
First, the bread service. I am a big fan of bread. I just felt it important to let you know. Any restaurant that starts my meal with warm bread and butter is going to have to do a lot wrong after that for me not to return.
Louise and I of course shared the Nachos as our Entree. In recent trips, we have declared the Nachos here the best ever. Tonight’s were not. They were still very, very good and were cleared without any struggle but we hoped this was an one-off blip and when (if!) we ever return to Florida we shall of course give them the chance to redeem themselves.
Tom had Steak Tacos.
Mum had a Turkey Sandwich.
Rebecca, a salad. It only had 2,000 calories in it according to the menu.
Freddie had Spaghetti and Meatballs and Dougie, some Pasta.
Tom had two milkshakes, but to be fair that was because Dougie had most of the first. Dougie then proceeded to entertain the tables around us by smiling and waving at everybody for a bit. Chocolate milkshakes have that effect on most people.
We forced ourselves to order cheesecakes and not that it gave us a complex or anything, but the waiter sounded amazed when we said they were to eat now and not to take home.
I think my safari photos were better!
With wines for Louise, the bill was $300 with a good tip.
Dangerously full, we ambled out to the car and I struggled to operate it without regularly sighing and telling everyone how full I was. Forget your turning water into wine. The biggest miracle on God’s earth is performed by fat gets like me, by being hungry again by the next morning, despite fearing and hoping for imminent death to put me out of the misery of my gluttony.
We were in bed by 10. CVS called to make sure we were OK and I reassured them that we would no doubt see them very soon.
Till the next time…..
Mkingdon's Blog 
The safari probably stopped due to animals in the way of the vehicles, happens a lot.