Wild Times at the Animal Kingdom

We spent one day at the Animal Kingdom. The first ride that we rode was the safari ride. The animals are always so beautiful.





















Giraffes are one of my favorite animals.



















These are two white rhinos.



















This was the best part and we almost didn't even see it. Lauren wanted a drink when we were leaving the safari ride, so we stepped to the side at a water fountain. We noticed a pathway with a viewing area at the end and went to see what was there. This beautiful gorilla was sitting on a rock at the bottom of the waterfall.



















Meeting Koda from Brother Bear.



















Jack wanted to meet Goofy because he's Paw-Paw's favorite.



















Meeting Minnie Mouse at Camp Minnie Mickey.



















While we were meeting the characters, it was time for the stage production of the Lion King, so we left and went to see it. The acrobats were wonderful! It was a great performance.


































After the show, we went back to get more signatures. Nicole and Natalie are starting to look so grown up! Everyone kept asking which was the oldest, which made Nicole mad.



















Meeting Mickey Mouse. (Jack fell asleep in the Lion King show, so he missed it.)



















Daisy Duck



















Donald Duck



















Lauren wearing the cool 3D glasses from the show "It's Tough to be a Bug".



















A beautiful tiger in the walk through part of the Animal Kingdom.















The girls wanted to ride the Mali River ride, so I rode it with them first. Then they rode it again with Richard. We all got wet, but I think Richard got the worst of it.

Jack wanted to give Winnie the Pooh a hug.

Everyone with Winnie the Pooh, still wet from the river ride.

Eeyore

Piglet

Tigger

Here are two pictures that I left off the Epcot pictures I posted last time. These were in a play area near Turtle Talk with Crush. Lauren was trying to look scared.

Adventures at Epcot

The kids loved looking at the stingrays before the Turtle Talk with Crush show. I got this cute picture of Lauren. It looks like she is trying to kiss one. The show was so funny!





















While we were in the Canada pavilion, it started raining. We waited under an umbrella and ate some lunch, but we were still getting wet, so finally we just let the kids play in the rain.















The kids stopped at the KidCot stations in each country and had their masks stamped. This was in Morocco.




















Here we are in Japan.



















Meeting Mulan and Mushu in China.



















Richard and I had a picture taken of us in front of this troll statue in Norway, so every time we go, we get a picture of the kids in front of it.



















We sampled Coke from all around the world. Most of them were NASTY!















Of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Disney without Mickey ice cream bars.



















At the end of the Journey into Imagination with Figment ride, there were lots of interactive games. This was like a giant computer game, but you actually stood on the screen.

Monorail Co-pilots

I had read in a book that my mom gave me that you could ask to ride up front with the driver on the monorail, so when we were leaving Epcot, we asked. He said he is allowed to have four passengers up front, so Nicole, Natalie, Lauren, and I all rode with the driver. It was raining, but the view was still great! When we stoped, the driver gave us all a co-piolt's license.

More Fun at the Magic Kingdom

The kids got to meet a character they have never met before, Jimney Cricket.





















We all rode the race cars. Nicole and Natalie drove by themselves. I rode with Lauren, and Richard rode with Jack.




































































Nicole, Natalie, and Lauren loved the teacups. Jack was o.k. with it as long as we didn't spin it too fast.

The biggest surprises were that Jack LOVED the Goofy's Barnstormer kiddie roller coaster, and Natalie LOVED Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, both big roller coasters. Nicole didn't want any part of a roller coaster.

Dinner with Cinderella

We had a dinner at the Grand Floridian's 1900 Fare. All the girls wore their Easter dresses and Jack wore the tuxedo he wore in Rebecca's wedding. We rode the ferry to the Contemporary Hotel and then took the monorail to the Grand Floridian. Everyone kept asking if we were in a wedding.

This is Cinderella's step sister, Druzella.
















Prince Charming asked Jack, "Are you trying to out dress me?"















Everyone enjoyed meeting Cinderella.















She gave Jack a kiss and left a lipstick print on his cheek. He was grinning from ear to ear.







































This is Cinderella's other stepsister, Anastasia.















While Cinderella and Prince Charming were dancing a waltz, Richard danced with Lauren.




















When she finished dancing with Prince Charming, Cinderella came and got Jack and danced with him! He wouldn't dance with her very long though.






































She gave the girls lots of hugs.




















The stepsisters danced with the kids and stood on chairs and sang off key. They started fighting and the evil stepmother had to separate them. They were so funny!





























Jack gave Cinderella, Druzella, and Anastasia all kisses, but he didn't want anything to do with the stepmother!















This family portrait was taken at our chateau in Paris. (Just kidding! ;-) This was after our dinner at the Grand Floridian.)

Fireworks

The last night we were at DisneyWorld, we went down to the beach at our resort and let the kids play in the sand while we watched the water light parade and the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom.

Awards Day

We are so proud of both Nicole and Natalie! They won the same awards at Awards Day this year: All A Honor Roll, Citizenship Award for their class, and Perfect Attendance. This year's Award's Day was a little different because as soon as Mrs. Kim finished handing out the awards for 5th grade, the electricity went off! We had to finish the ceremony outside on the baseball field.