Nala and pride the "Are we CRAZY?" trip... the trip home.... About This Page:

[ilovelilo]

I'm glad you all had a good day at the MK! And I liked the picture that Kiara took, too! Can't wait to read more!

[luvnwdwgal]

Beautiful installment Nala!!

[jakenjess]

Wonderful! Looking forward to more!

[Jillybean]

We had one evening of rain like that, so I know where you're coming from!

I can't think of a more perfect day though and I can't wait to read more!

Jill

[Nala]

We walked into the Coral Reef right at the stroke of noon and had no wait for a table. I was very excited to see Kiara’s reaction to the aquarium and she did not disappoint me. Our table was four back from the aquarium and on the far left, but since the restaurant is set up on tiers our view was perfect. At first view Kiara did not realize what was in front of her but then a few fish went by and she was immediately drawn in. And when a small shark came by she squealed and screamed “BRUCE”! It was clear to Grumpy and I that even if we hated the food, this would be a big hit for us simply for her reaction. Our waiter was upon us in record time to tell us about the specials and take our drink order. When he came back we were more than ready to order. Grumpy selected the lunch special of soup, a fish fillet on garlic mashed potatoes and cheesecake for desert. I went for the jumbo shrimp on a bed of vegetables in a tomato basil sauce and Kiara ordered the pizza. While the kids menu had a fish offering, it was a grilled fillet and not deep fried as Kiara prefers so we didn’t want to take a chance and went for the pizza. Plus, I thought $9 was a bit much for a kids meal that she may not eat a bit of! But had I known she would have torn into Grumpy’s fillet like she did it would have been money well spent.

While we waited for our meal we enjoyed watching the view in front of us. (and once again my efforts with the camera failed) The aquarium really kept Kiara entertained. She was fascinated by the fish and sharks and rays that came into view. And when she saw a sea turtle she went wild with joy. Grumpy was served his soup, the lobster bisque, and after three bites he stated it was really wonderful but too rich for him. But not for me! I gladly helped him finish it off. Our entrees came and I was thrilled with mine. I had four HUGE shrimp on my plate on top of a bed of zucchini and other garden delights in a wonderful sauce. Grumpy on the other hand took one look at his lunch and after the waiter left the table busted out laughing. His plate contained a very small fish fillet on a very small scoop of potatoes. Between his laughter he was able to get out something that sounded like “it’s smaller than lunch at Le Cellier”. (for anyone who didn’t read the January report of our trip, Grumpy had a very small lunch at Le Cellier and it became the standing joke of our last trip)

OK, so at this point I am starting to think I married Fred Flintstone. This is a man who thinks a meal should be a brontosaurs leg and a bushel of potatoes on the side. I attempted to explain the concept of fine cuisine having the focus on quality not quantity but I think it fell on deaf ears. I made a mental note to take this man to buffets with lots of ribs on future trips. He also thought the fish was strong (but he likes the Beverly????) but the sauce around it was very good. I took a bite and decided he was flat out nuts. I hate strong fish with a passion but found this one to be very mild and very good. And what he didn’t eat Kiara had no problem putting a huge dent in. She loved it!

Desert came, but only for Grumpy as I was way too full to order it. He was served a tropical fruit cheesecake with a mandarin orange sauce. He offered me a bite and I only took a small one and it was really wonderful. It was so good I would have gladly eaten the whole thing but refrained so he could enjoy it. And enjoy it he did. This was his favorite part of the meal. We all enjoyed our meal here. It was someplace we had never been, had a wonderful setting and the food was very good too. I am very glad Grumpy decided to eat here and would love to try it again sometime.

We left the Coral Reef and decided to make our way to the WS and start from Canada. And Grumpy was joking about getting fish and chips in the UK! We made our way to the WS through the rose garden and when we got to Farmer Mickey’s Maze we quickly realized it had turned into Farmer Mickey’s Zoo. The area was packed and we decided to pass. So off to Canada we went. I wasted no time finding the topiaries and taking pictures. The first ones we found were Bambi, Thumper and Flower.

Time was short so we pushed on to the UK where I found Pooh and friends.



And we took a moment to enjoy the gardens in the UK. They are always our favorite in January and were even more beautiful this trip. How much the world changes with the seasons. There were no topiaries on display in France so we pushed on to Morocco. Again in this pavilion there were no topiaries on display but we decided to take a closer look to find Jasmine. Sadly she was no where to be found which I know disappointed Kiara terribly. As we left Morocco we did see Aladdin and the Genie but the line was huge so
we elected to pass. We did stop between Morocco and Japan to take a short break. The heat was getting to all of us and Kiara wasted no time taking matters into her own hands and cooling herself off. She pulled her dress off and grabbed the full water bottle I had been carrying around and began to pour it over her head. Within minutes of her doing this Grumpy took the bottle from her and began squirting her with it. We both laughed at her squealing with delight and while we got a few strange looks, most people smiled as they walked by us. But the only thing that mattered to us was Kiara was having a ball and had found a way to cool down in the heat of the day. I was very glad I put that swim suit on her!

After Kiara cooled off we pushed on to Japan. I took a moment to admire the musical water garden there. This thing was very cool and I would love to have one in our backyard. I think it was low on water as it was moving very slow and lost some of its effect, but still the concept was very interesting. We also took a few minutes to admire the bonsai trees on display.

We passed through the American Pavilion just as the drum and fife corps was making an appearance and I felt a tad bit guilty rushing by them. We walked past Italy and as we did I noticed lots of beautiful blooms in the courtyard. But unfortunately we had limited time and couldn’t stop to admire them.

Germany was the next stop and one Grumpy was looking forward to seeing. He loves the miniature train display there and we enjoyed seeing how much it had changed since we saw it in January. All of the little house were decorated in spring colors and we thought it was very cool that even this little area was decked out for the F&G festival.

We made our way to China where I was delighted by the panda topiaries.


Grumpy was already moving ahead of me due to the fact that Kiara was getting a bit cranky. Once I got my shots in China we bolted out of the WS and went straight to the fountains outside the International Gateway. The heat was really getting to her and she wasted no time jumping into the water to play. And since she had already disrobed in Morocco she was ready to go when we stopped the stroller. And did she ever have a blast playing here!

We let her play for about fifteen minutes and then forced her out of the water. The fountains had not curbed her desire to be in water like we hoped. She no sooner hit the stroller and began to beg to go swimming. I lost count of the times the child said “Go to room and go swimming?” But before we left Epcot there was one more thing I wanted to do. And I really wanted to do it with her. Minnie’s butterfly garden. Kiara loves butterflies and this was something I thought she would enjoy. As we made our way to the butterfly garden I spotted more topiaries. And this one was just so cute.


And then I found Snow White and the seven dwarfs.


The only thing I wish I had done with this shot is have my Grumpy standing next to THE Grumpy.


We made our way to Minnie’s butterfly garden and Grumpy found a bench to sit on at the end of the walkway to the garden. He decided to wait for Kiara and I there but she refused to get out of the stroller. I asked her if she wanted to see all kinds of butterflies and she responded with “No, go swimming”. I made several attempts and each was met with the same response. I finally grew tired of the exchange, chalked it up as a lost cause and headed to the garden alone. Oh, how I wished she had been with me. This was really a wonderful display. Hundreds, maybe thousands of butterflies were flitting by everywhere inside. And the Minnie topiary was adorable. If Kiara had been with me I would have spent more time but I felt a bit guilty making her wait any longer.


How cute is the little hidden Mickey on her dress?
When I came out I showed her the pictures I had taken and she looked at me and said “go swim now?” OK kid, I get the hint.

We made our way out of Epcot and I sent Grumpy and Kiara ahead of me so I could take a few final shots.

I said goodbye to Epcot and this wonderful festival and hustled to catch up with my pride. Our wait for a bus was short and we were on our way back to the WL.


Up next….. some pool time and an evening at my second home, Ft Wilderness.

[DawnDenise]

Wonderful pics of the topiaries and the pic of the butterfly!! Great update and looking forward to more!!

[Tara O'Hara]

Great update Nala and beautiful pictures as usual!! I love Coral Reef too! The atmosphere is wonderful and I have yet to be disappointed with a meal there!

[Colexis Mom]

Great update Nala Love the picutues

More please

[lauren-roxy]

Great update Nala and the pictures are really beautiful!! I cn'at blame Kiara for wanting to swim, my kids are exactly the same way!! Can't wait to read more of your wonderful report!!

[Cinderbrella]

Great update, Nala! Kiara is having so much fun playing in the water! I can't believe there was a black bird that flew into your room. Talk about brazen!! Those birds freak me out whenever I'm trying to eat outside. I'm looking forward to your next update!

[Jillybean]

Mary Devall now thinks that the only place with swimming pool is Disney, so I know where you're coming from with your little swimming fiend.

Jill

[Nala]

We made it to our room and Kiara wasted no time getting ready for the pool, which consisted of pulling off her dress and grabbing a towel. I was now cursing my brilliant wardrobe choice as she nagged Grumpy and I to get ready for the pool. Had she not been so easily ready for the pool we would have been able to grab a few minutes of rest before heading down to join the masses in the chlorinated water. We realized there would be no rest for the weary until we got Kiara to the pool. Grumpy and I quickly changed and it was off to the pool for all of us.

It came as no surprise to us to find the pool packed with people. We looked around for a single chair to put our stuff on but couldn’t find one. While we searched Kiara constantly begged to get in the water. We finally found a table on the side of the pool bar but it did not allow us a view of the pool. Grumpy and I decided to take it and take turns with Kiara in the pool while the other guarded the goods. Grumpy planted himself in a chair and told me I was first. So off I went to the pool with a very happy little girl. When it was his turn in the pool Grumpy got very brave with Kiara and let her go down the slide by herself. He later told me about the horror of sending her into a long line and waiting what seemed forever for her to come down the slide. After about a hour and a half of fun time in the pool, we were able to pull Kiara way with only a mild hissing and screaming incident.

As we headed back to the room Grumpy brought up the subject that is always on his mind. Food! What were we going to do for dinner? We had many options but decided to stay close to the lodge. We really didn’t want to go to a park and both of us agreed on one thing. It would be nice to make a visit to Ft Wilderness. When we reached our room I informed Grumpy he was in charge of getting a PS at TE while I got Kiara changed. He got on the phone and was told to come to the concierge desk in the lobby for help with the PS. (the CM on the phone also told him TE did not take PS, but I informed both Grumpy and the CM that they DID take PS and started to do so in January) Once again I found it humorous that I knew more about the ins and outs of WDW than the CMs. He made the trip to the lobby and came back with a slip of paper with a PS number on it. I was thrilled that on a holiday weekend, and a Saturday to boot, we were able to get a PS anywhere.

Just before we left the room I remembered to call housekeeping and request turn down service. Grumpy asked me what I was calling for and I told him. He gave me a confused look and I realized he had no idea what I had requested. I just smiled and told him to wait until we came back to the room that night to see what I had called for.

We headed to the dock and entertained Kiara with a handful of bird/fish chow while we waited for a boat. We took the small launch that went to the Contemporary and soon were on our way to Ft Wilderness.


When we reached the dock I felt an overwhelming sense of being home. This is where I have spent so many trips at WDW and having the chance to be here in our limited time in the world was a very special treat. We made our way to Trails End and Grumpy went to the podium to put in our name. While he did this I entertained Kiara at the playground.

Within a few minutes our buzzer thingy went off and we were seated at our table. In Crocket’s Tavern. I was shocked to be seated there as I have never seen TE so busy. Guess the secret is out. Grumpy assured me that the secret was not out, but chalked the crowd up to it being Memorial Day weekend and the campground probably being full. But regardless of the place being packed and having to wait for the chicken and ribs to be refilled while in line, we still enjoyed our meal.

We left TE feeling like three stuffed pigs and pondered how to get back to the WL. I suggested now was the perfect time to take the mile+ trail back to the lodge. The walk would do us all good. So off we went paying little attention to the setting sun and the fact that darkness sets quickly in Florida.

We barley made it past what we could see of Ft Wilderness behind us when we encountered three white tailed deer cross the path in front of us. We stopped to let them pass and laughed when Kiara said in a whisper “oh, Bambi”. We moved forward and Kiara spotted rabbits along the way and stopped to take pictures with her Ariel fan that had become her pretend camera. Both Grumpy and I were impressed with her eye as we would have never noticed what she was seeing. And at this moment Grumpy decided she needed a disposable camera to capture the world from her eyes. This trail was a wonderful reprieve from the crowds and one of the few places we found we were totally alone. It was almost surreal to be there knowing that thousands of people were in the area but in this spot we were completely by ourselves.

The trail seemed to stretch on before us for what seemed forever and darkness was setting in. As we walked along we could here the rustling of wildlife in the bushes on both sides of us. While I was enjoying our walk I was also hoping to see the light of the WL come into view soon. Being caught in the dark woods/swamp of central FL was not something that was on my top ten list of things to do. And then I heard Grumpy say the words that would make my feet move like they were on fire. As we walked along the path he suddenly stopped and said “Did you see that?” To which I responded “No, what?” And he replied “A snake just slithered out in front of me!” Needless to say I was gone. And dragging Kiara behind me at a pace she found difficult to keep up with. Within a few seconds the lights of the WL came into view and I was very happy to see the end of the trail.

I really did enjoy our walk. I loved seeing the fuzzy, furry wildlife of FL but really could have done without the legless variety that Grumpy encountered. This path was something we had always wanted to do when we had been at FT Wilderness but never had time. I was very grateful for the chance to do it this trip. And I found it a bit ironic that on a very short trip we managed to do something we never found the time to do on a long trip.

We made it back to our room and opened the door to find our beds turned down and chocolates on our pillows. The room smelled very fresh and clean and better than it had our entire stay. Kiara wasted no time diving into the candy and Grumpy looked at me and said “They do this for free? “ Yes darling, they do.

A side note here. Just last week I was telling my mom that Grumpy was very impressed with the turn down service I had requested and told me he had never heard of it. He responded with “Where I come from we only have Motel 6 and the most they will do is leave the light on for you” Needless to say I thought my mom and I were going to die laughing.

We settled in for the night and Grumpy got a big kick out of me closing the draperies when I changed into my pajamas. His comment was “Afraid the otters might see you?” Good point. I opened the drapes and took in my view of the Contemporary and the MK in the distance. I knew Wishes was about to start and I hoped that we were far enough away for Kiara to enjoy it.

Wishes started and while Kiara wanted to see the fireworks the booms chased her back into the room. She spent the time the display was going on between sitting on the bed with her fingers in her ears and coming to the deck to sneak a peek at the explosion of light that erupted in the sky above us. While she did seem to get a bit braver about facing the fireworks from this vantage point, I still don’t think we have made much progress in that department. Maybe in ten years we will be able to actually watch Wishes from Main Street.

After Wishes was over Kiara wasted no time climbing into bed. She had had a very full day and was out like a light in no time. I was grateful she was able to fall asleep so quickly and so early compared to the last night. Grumpy and I took a few moments to enjoy our balcony seats and the night time songs of the creatures in the woods below us. Over the noise of the tree frogs in the woods I also heard the whistle of the WDW Railroad on Main Street. I closed my eyes and once again took a moment to appreciate where I was. I looked in at my sleeping princess and smiled to myself as I thought about my blessings.

Not only was I able to be in my happy place but I was also sharing it with the two most precious people in my life.


Grumpy and I both turned in shortly after that and closed another perfect day at WDW.

Up next….. an unexpected morning at AK as per Grumpy’s wish (like I’m going to fight that one?)

[TheGoof]

Great update Nala!

Can't wait to catch up when I get back. Leaving tomorrow, you know.

[Tara O'Hara]

Great update Nala!! That picture of Kiara sleeping is adorable!!

[DawnDenise]

What a wonderful update!!! More please!