Animal Kingdom

Our first official park day was at Animal Kingdom. We have been in Florida for two full days by then but both days were spent at the water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach). It was sooo hot and humid at AK that day and you can just see it with Eleanor's rosy cheeks below.

My Mom flew from Indiana again and joined us just like last time! The kids were so excited and happy to see their Lola. This trip was planned in less than two weeks and we're all so glad she was able to join us even with the very last minute notice.

Up! The Great Bird Adventure Show. Look at the wingspan of that bird! I believe it was 10-feet wide.

Amelia was being shy and didn't want to give Russell a hug. But Hubs didn't leave him hangin' ;) It's funny because Amelia keeps saying the Wilderness Explorer call now--complete with the hand gestures. The wilderness must be explored. Caw caw! Roar!

Nathaniel gave Dug's ear such a good scratch that his paw started tapping!

Eleanor loves puppies but didn't want to touch Dug. Poor Dug! Actually, it was like that for most of the trip. Eleanor was all about meeting the characters. She loved them until they get near her then she is all, "hands off me!"

Kilimanjaro Safari

I love going on this "ride" because every tour is guaranteed to be different. You never know what animals you'll see! The flamingos below are still very young, hence they haven't turned pink yet. It usually takes two years of eating shrimp before their feathers turn into that lovely shade of pink.

The children picked up a Wilderness book so we tried to hit as much education spot as we can. We also rode the water thing. Amelia was very hesitant about going on it but she ended up loving it! She asked if we could do it again but without a fast pass, it was going to be more than a hour late. Plus, Eleanor apparently cried the entire time with Lola. :( She didn't like it that both Mommy and Daddy were gone.

We visited the new World of Pandora and it was just absolutely beautiful. We wanted for 45 minutes to go on the River of Na'Vi since all of the fast passes were taken (weeks in advance!). It was worth it though and the kids enjoyed it. We all loved the bioluminescent plants.

On our way out, a few entertainers were walking so we decided to follow them and watch the show. My entire family was eventually asked to participate and it was so much fun. After the show, one of them told me, "You're family is fun. Never stop being amazing." 

Dinner reservations that day was at Tusker House. Unfortunately all dining reservations were mostly taken so we had to "settle" with TH. We have been here before and it was actually our favorite from last time so we didn't mind as much. And since it was after the dinner rush, Safari Mickey, Donald, Pluto, ... they ended up visiting our table several times! I made a huge mistake and didn't check my DSLR battery so the camera died after taking the photo below. I had to use my iPhone for the rest of the evening. 

I made sure we made it to the River of Light since we were so tired last time and missed it. You will just have to take my word for it (since no photos) and believe me when I say it was beautiful!