On Monday we woke and took the bus from the Polynesian Resort to Animal Kingdom here we had breakfast at Rainforest Cafe. We then took the train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch where the petting area was open and we got to see and pet goats and sheep and a few other exotic, medium size animals. After returning to the main area of the Animal Kingdom we happened by “Finding Nemo, the Musical” which had no wait, as it was just abut to begin. We went in and were glad we did! It was an incredible performance.
Next was lunch at Tiffin’s, a new “upscale” restaurant right there in the Animal Kingdom. Our dining plan included three meals for each night we stayed. Given that we were leaving on Wednesday afternoon before dinner, we needed a way to use up an extra meal. Several of Disney’s dining venues are so “posh” that they take two meal credits when you eat there. Tiffin’s is one such place. The lobster/Thai curry bisque I had to an appetizer was worth the price of admission! Yummy!
After lunch we took the Kilimanjaro Safari. I applaud Disney’s conservation efforts, but I wish they weren’t so fake about it all. Don’t point to a cast cement “wall” painted to look like clay and tell us elephants were gouging it with their tusks 5 minute before we drove up. Even the mud ruts are cement!
Over to “Asia” for the Karl River Rapids. We used a FastPass for this. We got to the end of the line and got in our “tube”…and waited. We could see the escalator/platform that lifted the tubes to the top of the rapids, but it wasn’t moving and neither were we. We sat there for about 15 minutes. I returned a phone call. Our launch attendant hadn’t been informed abut what was going on. Then we were moving! The ride continued without interruption, and when we got back to the beginning we were told we could go around again! Wahoo!
Now soaked, we wandered into “It’s Tough to be a Bug” (No waiting!). It was a fine source of schadenfreude when Hopper came out and several kiddos were frightened out of their wits and had to be removed by their parents. I don’t like seeing kids cry, but parents should pay more heed to the content warnings! Still soaked, we returned too our hotel to shower and change before dinner.
Dinner was at EPCOT’s Coral Reef restaurant with windowed views of the massive aquarium Disney has. Sharks, rays, and sea turtles were among the undersea dwellers to be seen while we dined. Early for our dinner reservation, we took in the Finding Nemo ride in the same pavilion. (Also no waiting!). After dinner we went on “Soarin’,” which we were not able to catch last year because it was always a 3 hour wait with no fast passes. WOW! Part ferris wheel, part IMAX, it really can’t be described.
EPCOT was closing, so we headed back to the Magic Kingdom by Monorail for one of the last performances of the Main Street Electrical Parade before it is packed up and shipped to Disneyland. As we got to the park, fireworks following the 9:00 performance of the parade were just ending. Tons of people exited the park. Amanda and I planted ourselves on the “downstream” side of a trash can just north of the main street buildings on the east side of the street and waited. About 20 minutes later, the crowd subsided and we waited some more. In short order, Disney’s salute to animation was portrayed on the front of Cinderella’s Castle, which is “transformed” into a projection screen in a way that only Disney could pull off. By now we are tired of standing, so we sit on the curb in preparation for the 11:00pm showing of the Main Street Electrical Parade. (11pm and I couldn’t believe how many strollers were still there.). I live streamed the parade on Facebook, much to the delight of several friends.
Although I didnt feel it, something went wrong while I was sitting on the pavement for those 90 or so minutes. When the parade was over and I attempted to stand, I had difficulty. My entire right leg was dead! I had lost all feeling in it. It was there, but I only knew that because I could see it. I figured it had just fallen asleep, so I turned down the offer of a wheelchair by a cast member. Amanda and I stood there for about 10 minutes waiting for the feeling to come back, but it didnt. We returned to the boat launch, me using Amanda as a crutch the whole way. I went to bed hoping it just needed a little time.