Solo-on-a-Scooter takes the A-Train. LIVE TR, 8/29 - 9/11/2015 About This Page:

[a_bernard]

sounds like you had a very nice day.

[Pris]

It sounds like you had a very productive day at AK yesterday. I love the baby gorillas. I'm so glad they were in a good spot to entertain you. Sorry the safari was so rough on you, but glad you got to experience it one more time. Too bad about the guy taking pictures with his iPad and blocking your view a bit.

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by DMA

What a wonderful day! The procedures they do at the vet window really amaze me! Mostly because...how do they know this teeny little bird has a broken toe! Or the hedgehog has bad teeth?! It really goes to show how well they look after each and every animal at the park.

I'm glad you were able to stay in the park long enough to have lunch, do the safari and visit the gorillas. for getting to Epcot today!

Donna, I'm so glad you asked about how they know when the animals need attention. It's a question that gets asked often at the window. I'll cover the answer in my report later today.

Originally Posted by dutchdisneyfamily

I loved all of your day. Once again I felt as if I were right along side you. That was a very long, but much needed nap. Those gorillas brought a smile to my face!

Thank you! I thought it was an amazing day!

Originally Posted by cubfancolleen

You had a great day! Although sorry the safari was so hard on you. I hope your long nap and a good night's sleep allow you a good day at Epcot!

I did have a good time at Epcot today, but it's SO hot and SO humid, I couldn't stand another moment outside.

Originally Posted by KimmyAnn1147

Great installment! So glad you were able to last so long. I agree with Donna, it amazes me that they have such keen eyes on each and every animal, even the tiny birds.

The weather looks good for your Epcot trip. You are probably already on your way down there at this point. I'm wondering if you will enter through the friendship gate or the main gate....since you are staying at Boardwalk. Do they open the friendship gate at park opening, or only at WS opening? See how ignorant I am?

I hope you have a wonderful time today, Laurie.

Thanks, Kimmy! I did have a wonderful time. The International Gateway opens when the front gate opens. You can walk to the right, for breakfast at the QS in France, or left, past England, Canada and Mexico for breakfast in Norway. The other Pavilions are completely closed, but it's so nice to walk through with no crowds. I'm going to explain about how they know when the animals need to be seen by a vet in today's report.

Originally Posted by Bee

Love the updates! I have to make it to the conservation station my next visit!

I love it there, obviously! The vets work in the mornings and occasionally there's a procedure in the afternoon if they get backed up or if there's something urgent.

Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara

What an amazing day by any standard!! You got way more accomplished than we did on our last trip to AK!!. I absolutely adore your descriptions and photos of the procedures taking place at the vet window!! thank you so much for sharing them!! I feel like I am right there with you.

I'm so glad that you got to ride the Safari one more time and your photos of the gorillas are wonderful!

Thanks, Tara. My times at the window are very special!

Originally Posted by pamcarey

What a great day yesterday! I'm so glad you were able to do all that you wanted to do! Your lunch looked really good. I can't wait to check out Harambe Market.

I was very happy with that lunch!

Originally Posted by DawnK

You are doing well!! Little hedgehog toes....so cute! Your lunch looked really good, even if I am not a fan of tofu!

I'm glad you appreciate the little toes, Dawn! I couldn't resist a photo. I'm not a huge fan of tofu, either, but this was marinated and tasted pretty good. I'll confess I mostly ate the veggies, though, and the chickpea salad was good enough to make a meal of.

Originally Posted by a_bernard

sounds like you had a very nice day.

I really did!

Originally Posted by Pris

It sounds like you had a very productive day at AK yesterday. I love the baby gorillas. I'm so glad they were in a good spot to entertain you. Sorry the safari was so rough on you, but glad you got to experience it one more time. Too bad about the guy taking pictures with his iPad and blocking your view a bit.

People are so clueless! I'm not that great at taking photos on the bumpy truck, though, so it's no big loss. It was a wonderful day.

[KMB733]

Glad you got to enjoy a few days at AK! Its especially great that you were able to do all the things you love about the park!

[Grammy Grumpy]

I hope you enjoyed your day at EPCOT. I follow The Relocated Tourist (Amy) on FB and now on Periscope and she gave her followers live streaming tours of EPCOT today. She's a local now. The lack of people was amazing! Can't wait to hear what adventures you had.

[clio]

I'm glad you had a good day at Animal Kingdom and got to do so much. i hope you have a good day at EPCOT.
Liz

[Principessa_di_Fata]

I'm late to the party, but better late than never!! What a wonderful TR so far! I am so happy that you're there!

[lexiemom]

What a wonderful trip so far! I'm so glad PrincessSharon was able to stop for a visit and keep you company!

I love the look of your room, the colors are very inviting. And your gift basket was such a wonderful surprise! The socks from your basket are now on my souvie list for next year, they are my kind of socks.

Your meals so far have sounded so good, especially your dinner at Flying Fish.

Both of your days at AK sound like great (although tiring) days! That little hedgehog was too cute!

I hope you enjoyed your day at Epcot today, can't wait for more!

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by KMB733

Glad you got to enjoy a few days at AK! Its especially great that you were able to do all the things you love about the park!

I'm so happy to be able to visit my favorite things!

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

I hope you enjoyed your day at EPCOT. I follow The Relocated Tourist (Amy) on FB and now on Periscope and she gave her followers live streaming tours of EPCOT today. She's a local now. The lack of people was amazing! Can't wait to hear what adventures you had.

What fun to see Epcot. Yes, there are NO people around! Really makes it nice. There's no need at all for any FP. I'm thinking over the holiday weekend the crowds will pick up.

Originally Posted by clio

I'm glad you had a good day at Animal Kingdom and got to do so much. i hope you have a good day at EPCOT.
Liz

Very good day at Epcot. I've never had a bad one at that park!

Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata

I'm late to the party, but better late than never!! What a wonderful TR so far! I am so happy that you're there!

Thanks, Mel! I'm happy that I'm here, too!

Originally Posted by lexiemom

What a wonderful trip so far! I'm so glad PrincessSharon was able to stop for a visit and keep you company!

I love the look of your room, the colors are very inviting. And your gift basket was such a wonderful surprise! The socks from your basket are now on my souvie list for next year, they are my kind of socks.

Your meals so far have sounded so good, especially your dinner at Flying Fish.

Both of your days at AK sound like great (although tiring) days! That little hedgehog was too cute!

I hope you enjoyed your day at Epcot today, can't wait for more!

Thank you, Aimee. I guess other people get the same "there's no place like home" feeling that I get when I'm here! I saw the socks today at Mouse Gears.

[mcneal]

I am so happy for you that you were able to last so long at AK! Your lunch at Harambe Market sounded and looked delicious. Hope your day at Epcot was enjoyable and maybe had a few magical moments!

[num1DVCfan]

I loved your day at AK and felt like I was right there along side with you. The little hedgehog feet are so adorable. I'm looking forwarding to hearing about your Epcot day -- no crowds?! That must be wonderful.

[Cam22]

What a wonderful (even though tiring) day you had at AK! I hadn't even thought (though I should have) that the truck might be took much for you. It really isn't the easy ride on a body. So glad you got to see Cory! I think watching the gorillas is so calming. But I totally agree that it would be nice to have a clean window for the viewing. I can't wait to eat in Harambe Market next May.

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by mcneal

I am so happy for you that you were able to last so long at AK! Your lunch at Harambe Market sounded and looked delicious. Hope your day at Epcot was enjoyable and maybe had a few magical moments!

I'm glad the long rest day paid off and I finally had enough stamina to be in the park for 4 hours!

Originally Posted by num1DVCfan

I loved your day at AK and felt like I was right there along side with you. The little hedgehog feet are so adorable. I'm looking forwarding to hearing about your Epcot day -- no crowds?! That must be wonderful.

Really, no crowds at all, anywhere!

Originally Posted by Cam22

What a wonderful (even though tiring) day you had at AK! I hadn't even thought (though I should have) that the truck might be took much for you. It really isn't the easy ride on a body. So glad you got to see Cory! I think watching the gorillas is so calming. But I totally agree that it would be nice to have a clean window for the viewing. I can't wait to eat in Harambe Market next May.

I'm with you, Cam. The gorillas are endlessly fascinating. Even watching Benga sleep was wonderful.

[lauriep]

Day 6, Wednesday. Very hot and humid. Bright, blazing sun! The feels-like temperature was 104!

At least it isn’t raining, so I have no scooter issues, but it’s so uncomfortable in the heat! So humid it’s hard to breathe. If you can put up with it, the crowds are super-low this time of year, though.

I got up early and headed to Trattoria al Forno to try their breakfast. I like the way the restaurant looks now, especially the beautiful copper ceiling.

IMG_6976 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

IMG_6978 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

I wasn’t all that impressed, though, with either the service or the food. The food was good, but not great. I ordered the frittata, which they make with peppers, onions and prosciutto. I asked if it was possible to get it without the meat, and the waitress said that would not be a problem. She then asked if I’d like a croissant or toast. I chose toast. Well, when my plate came, there was a croissant and no toast. I pointed out that I’d asked for toast and she said, “whoops!”, grabbed the croissant off the plate and took off. Then I looked at the frittata— filled with pieces of prosciutto. I tried to catch the waitress before she got to the kitchen for the toast, but she stood with her back to me while they made the toast and then came back. I pointed out the meat in the frittata. She grunted, plopped the plate of toast on the table, and left with the frittata. I sat and waited and the toast got cold while the new frittata was made. Finally I got my meal and it was just mediocre. I barely ate 1/3 of it. What I don’t like about having a vegetarian selection made by removing the meat from the food is that the recipe is created with the flavor of the meat and they make no adjustments to the seasoning when the meat is eliminated. Usually this makes for an unsatisfying meal that is not representative of the chef’s style. It was my fault, I suppose, for ordering it. I’m going to try breakfast here again next week and will order a non-meat entree!

IMG_6979 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr.

Off to Epcot I went, loving being out on the Boardwalk and scooting the beautiful path to the International Gateway and an empty World Showcase.

IMG_6981 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

IMG_6987 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

IMG_7005 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

I first rode Spaceship Earth, which I always enjoy. Why, though, can’t they figure out the glitch with the photos that make them unable to see gray hair as part of the person’s head? Weird.

IMG_6995 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

I next went to the Seas, watched the manatees for a while and did Turtle Talk. Really, no wait times at all for anything today. I spent some time in Mouse Gears. Didn’t buy anything, but I’ll be back. World Showcase had opened, and I started my tour with Canada. I watched the movie because I wanted to see the snow. I thought, after last winter, I never wanted to see it again, but on a day like today it was a refreshing sight. I bought some cute pajamas for my granddaughter in the Trading Post, my first purchase of the trip. Had a nice time browsing in the other countries on the way to check out the train layout in Germany for Cam and Luke.

IMG_7006 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

IMG_7008 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

IMG_7010 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

Sorry, Luke, it’s still all shut down, with a hedge in front of that area. I asked inside the pavilion and they said it’s definitely going to re-open, though. They had some derailments and will be laying new track. I peered through the hedge and it didn’t look like anything’s being done, so I’m guessing it will be a while.

IMG_7013 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

At this point I was in need of some lunch and, more importantly, a rest in the air-conditioning. I figured Tutto Gusto would be perfect, and oh, boy was it! This place is just fantastic, like a small-plate version of Tutto Italia next door. They have several menu items that serve two and are made up of 3 small-plate items each. I first made sure that they would pack up the leftovers for me and then ordered. The waitress told me I could mix and match, but I chose the one with marinated artichokes, olives, and bruschetta. This was just SO GOOD! Bright, fresh flavors. This is my favorite kind of meal, with a selection of tastes. I ate what I could and will have the rest for dinner tonight. This is a very economical way to eat at Disney!

IMG_7015 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

IMG_7018 by Laurie Prencipe, on Flickr

Full and very satisfied with what I’d accomplished today, I was back in the room by 2:30 and probably won’t go out again today.

Now I want to answer a question that Donna brought up about the veterinarians at Rafikis. She asked how they know that a hedgehog is having dental problems or a bird has a bone infection in its foot. The answer is that the keepers at Disney know each individual animal, not just each species. They know their habits— what they like to eat, how active they usually are. Just like with our pets we know when they’re not themselves. An animal with a leg or foot problem may be favoring one leg, or just moving more slowly than normal. Dental problems are suspected when an animal’s eating habits change, or they are drooling, or moving their jaws in a strange way. The keepers, even those in the aviaries, are required to observe each individual twice a day and if they think something’s not quite right, they’ll schedule a visit to the clinic. They use binoculars to read the numbers on the leg bands if it’s a bird (like the green-wing doves) that they have about eighty of, and must find all of them. I once saw a fish have an internal tumor removed and I asked the vet how they knew it was there. He said the keepers noticed that it wasn’t swimming straight! They did an ultrasound and found the tumor. In the case of the little hedgehog, she started choosing only soft-bodied insects and worms instead of her usual favorite, crickets. The keeper thought that was odd. The little thing would have died from infection if they hadn’t caught the decay when they did. That’s why there is always a keeper in the room when an animal is being worked on. They can communicate important details to the vets and the vets can describe their findings and how to care for the patient when it returns to the habitat. Because prey animals must mask illnesses so that they don’t look vulnerable to predators, the keepers must be alert to every little change.

Back to AK tomorrow!

[Cam22]

One of my favorite aspects of BWI and BC is the privilege of walking through the IG to a fairly empty World Showcase. Thanks so much for checking on the train and even asking a CM. Luke gave me a huge smile when I showed him the photo and read your report. He has been studying that layout for years in preparation for putting up his own. I've been telling Luke we needed to try Tutto Gusto and now I'm even more sure that will be on our list for May 2016.