We wandered into wakefulness, feeling much more refreshed than our early start the previous day. We had breakfast in our room and then made our way to the Animal Kingdom. Kidsister's roommate met us there and spent most of the day with us.
Our first stop was the Safari Ride which is a jeep excursion through the wildlife preserve. We had amazing, close views of many kinds of animals. E waved and called to the them, somewhat solemnly, as if she was still taking it all in. L bounced happily next to Grammy and Papa while A cuddled into Daddy's lap. We loved the giraffes and elephants in particular. Next we went to the Lion King show. It was the first time I had seen it and I loved it. The girls were less impressed, probably overwhelmed by the loud costumes and thundering music. But the large floats with Lion King characters, powerful music and intricate costumes were incredible. Our favorite was a close call between the tumbling monkeys and ballet birds, all with such impressive talent. We stopped for a picnic lunch in a quiet shaded area outside of the theaters, perfect for letting the kids wiggle and play.
We filled our afternoon with wandering and watching shows (if I had the pictures I could probably list everything we did but I'm doing it from memory for now) and in the late afternoon, it began to rain. We were in the Finding Nemo stageshow (one of our favorites, E went nuts over the falling bubbles, I loved the music and the big girls loved the dancing characters acting out a storyline they know so well) when it started. We wandered over to DinoLand and rode a few rides there (in the rain. which was actually pretty fun.) but since we were getting soggy by then, the group split up. Kidsister left to take Katy home while we visisted more characters. We got to meet Goofy and then we went to meet Tigger and Pooh. Due to the rain, the park had emptied so when Tigger and Pooh arrived, we had them to ourselves for at least ten minutes. Smiling, they met Pooh, giving him hugs and posing for pictures. But when Tigger arrived, they raced to him squealing (sorry Pooh), nearly knocking him over with their exuberance. E still shied away but smiled and blew kisses from a distance.
Our last adventure there was the roller coaster. A doesn't like roller coasters, we're still not sure if it's the motion or the height but since we didn't want to push it, I took A and E for an ice cream treat while Daddy and L rode the roller coaster. She came bounding off, full of excitement. We traded places, Daddy staying with the littler girls while L took me on the roller coaster. We giggled and screamed in delight.
After that we made our way back to the hotel, playing in our room for awhile and watching Disney Junior (quite possibly their favorite part of staying in a hotel). We went to dinner at the hotel in the cafeteria style dining, enjoying their "make your own pasta" bar. After dinner, they discovered more "Tinkerbell Magic" and opened new beach towels which we promptly took to the pool with us. They had a fantastic time swimming and splashing and listening to the underwater music.
Soon a very tired E was tucked into bed and L was settled in watching a cartoon. Daddy and I took A for a walk back to the cafeteria for a little ice cream date in honor of her birthday. She absolutely shines with a little one-on-one time so it was delightful to spend that with her. We got a little candle and sang to her (three times actually because she asked so sweetly) before wandering the store for a few minutes. Each of the girls had been given (by Grandma) a $15 gift card and we promised them they could choose a toy before we went home. So throughout the trip they looked and looked. A and E continually landed on the same item but L deliberated much longer. Soon we took her back to the room and tucked her in too.
Miscellaneous:
--It rains in Florida. A lot. They sell ponchos but they're expensive and flimsy so take umbrellas and hope for rain because the parks will empty and it's fun to play in the rain. Most rides will continue to operate, most storms are short and even in a downpour, it's still hot.
--I've been to Disney in March, June, August and September. So far? Smallest crowds in Sept. Coolest weather in March. And it rained at least once every time I've been there.
--I love Animal Kingdom. not a lot of rides but lots of nature trails, birds and animals. Animals are most active in the morning and the park closes by 6 so it's another good one to combine with another park if you're short on time.
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