Trip Log:

Started off the day heading for breakfast at Everything Pop around 7:30am. We were in line for the bus to Animal Kingdom by 8:15am. We arrived at the park just before 9:00am, a solid 30 minute bus ride! Once in the park we split up. Some headed for Everest and the others to grab Fastpasses for the Safari. Everest had a 20 minute wait posted already when we arrived but due to it still being early and no Fastpass return times yet it was really closer to 5 minutes. They road and I walked the queue taking pictures. They jumped off and then back in line for a second go around. This time about a 10 minutes wait. Then we all headed over to Africa and used our Fastpasses. After the Safari we walked Pangani Forest and then took the train out to Conservation Station. We spent a bit of time exploring the station then headed back to Harambre for lunch. Everyone but me ate at Tusker House. I headed to the park entrance and Guest Relations to grab the voucher for our free Everest picture, then headed off to Dinoland to grab a bite to eat. I wandered back through the Tree of Life Garden and met up with the group at Tusker House. Some split off to go Fishing on Bay Lake and the rest of us continued on to Asia. We walked the Jungle Trek then headed back to catch the Wonders of Flight show. Next up a walk out to Camp Minnie Mickey and the Festival of the Lion King followed quickly by Pocahantas. Then we cut through the Tree of Life Garden again and out to Asia to pick up our free Everest photo. It was nearing about 3:30 and we were fading fast so we headed to the front of the park and hopped a bus over to the Yacht Club where we had 5:30 dinner reservations at Yachtsman. The Fishermen joined us and we killed some time walking the Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. After our great meal we walked along the lake and into EPCOT via the International Gateway. We wandered around World Showcase to the American Pavilion to catch the 7:00pm Grass Roots concert. After their set we finished our trek around the World Showcase lagoon stopping in a couple gift shops to see if there was anything new. Grabbed an ice cream sandwhich for a dessert and continued on our loop. We ended up in the UK and caught the finale of the British Invasion set. Then we continued on to the bridge toward France. We made a U-turn and headed for a spot to watch Illuminations. After the show joined the masses exiting the park and headed back to Pop Century to call it a night.

Thoughts & Observations:

• We headed to Animal Kingdom again this morning and again just want to re-iterate how dumb I think it is that you have to go to Blizzard Beach on both the way there and the way back from the reseort. Especially first thing in the morning. If no one is going to BB the bus should not have to stop there on the way..

• While taking pictures in the Everest gift shop I was asked not to take pictures of the screens that show the previews of people's pictures as they come off the screen. I noticed this cast member talk to several people about this. Is this a new policy or just a CM acting on their own? In all other attractions at all the other parks I have been to no one has mentioned anything about this before?

• I had received a free Everest 5x7 by playing the Yeti Vision game online. In order to redeem this picture you have to go to guest services at the front of the park and they give you a voucher. You then have to go to the area in the Everest gift shop to purchase the photo then another area in the gift shop to pick it up. This would not have been so bad except we did not read the certificate and had to hike to the front of the park to get the voucher. Also I was suprised to learn that photos stay in the onride photo system for three days before being deleted. Wonder if there are plans to link these systems into the Photopass system. Seems to me it would be nice if you came off the ride and were able to swipe your card under the monitor with your picture and then off you go. No need to remember the car number.
  
  
• Went to see the Pocahontas show since we were in Camp Minnie Mickey and had some time. I thought the performer playing Pocahontas sounded a bit off.. especially in her singing moments. Not as bad as the last Tarzan Rocks show I saw but still not good like the Lion King usually is.
  
  
• Ate dinner at our favorite restaurant, Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club. For those who have never tried it, we think its the best steak on property and one of the best places to each in terms of service and overall quality, unfortunately it is also one of the most expensive options too, but worth it in our books.
  
  
• While walking around World Showcase the Geek’s Brother had a revelation on something he wants to see.. while we walked past the topiaries of the other six dwarfs near Germany (Dopey is out front by Snow White as you enter World Showcase) and a CM road by on a Segway it came to him.. he wants to see the Seven Dwarfs on Segways roaming EPCOT.. and no he had not been drinking..
  
  
• Caught the last song in the British Invasion set at the UK. I think they are pretty good, but the Fab 4 that make appearances at Disneyland seem quite a bit better, but then again we are not Beatles experts so who knows.

Pedometer Information for the day:

Enough with the text.. onto the pictures

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