The Houghs' Return to Florida: Day IV

(contd.)

Day IV

The Condo, the Pool, and Animal Kingdom

Everyone slept in this morning, having the previous two days totally exhausted ourselves thoroughly doing Universal Resort.  Once up, however, Kris took the kids - and, apparently, their newly-acquired stuffed animals - on a walk to a Dunkin Donuts that was right in front of our condo (much to Kris' delight, as she's slightly obsessed with Dunkin and depressed we don't have one anywhere near us.)

Enjoying some non-caffeinated, frozen, sugary awesomeness on the veranda. 

A beautiful morning.  We totally lucked out with weather this week (except for the heat, of course.)

This is where we'd spend a good portion of our morning.

 

After coffee, we headed downstairs so the kids (and us) could get in a few hours of swimming.

Kris and her resting bitch face.

After getting some lunch, we loaded up into the car and headed back over to Hunter's Creek.  We wanted to see a few people from our decade or so of being Floridians, and this was really the only day we could do so.  Kris dropped me off at Miller's Ale House, right next to good ol' Stogies (pictured here), where the guys from work and I used to go for beers and cigars all the time.

I was meeting my buddy Melvin for lunch and a few beers while Kris drove over to Sunchild Academy to visit with her old coworkers.

 

After visiting Sunchild, Kris took the girls up the road to our old subdivision in Ginger Mill.  The girls found their square still intact in the neighborhood park, which neither kid remembered doing.

The infamous Melvin.

Kris went by our old house on Majorama Drive, which looks totally different now - blue paint (WTF?), no Monster Bush, etc.  Still has the ugliest palm tree in existence, so it's got that going for it I guess.

In the late afternoon, we came back to the condo to get ready for our evening activity - hitting up Animal Kingdom with the Voigts.  Here the kids are trying to get me to smile for the camera, which, I guess, is not something I do all that often.

The next few days we'd be switching gears from Universal Resort to Walt Disney World, and honestly this is the part of the trip I was looking forward to the most (I like Disney a hell of a lot more.)

Had to pay way too much to park for three hours, but whatever.  It would've been cool to pay a pro-rated amount for such a short period of time in the park, Disney.

Remember where you park, folks.

Hitchin' a ride from the tram, as we were about ten miles from the park entrance.

All aboard.

Always need one of these pics.

That's more accurate, honestly.

As usual, the Voigts were nice enough to get us into the park.  That shit's way too expensive.

We only had, like, three hours before the park closed, so the Voigts got us a few fast passes to speed things up a bit.

Didn't get a family pic in front of that giant-ass tree, but if you really wanted one I guess you can check out ours from 2015, 2013, and 2011.

Heading into Africa.

Always have to get a pic of the Cannonball in front of this Africa sign.  For whatever reason.

Adam and his son, Jack, cross the bridge. . .

Mount Everest (not to scale.)

East Africa doesn't smell as bad as West Africa, I'll say that much.

Africa, minus the smell of piss and plastic bags littered everywhere.

A fully functional cannon.

Houghs and Voigts.

 

Thank Jesus.

The first thing the Voigts got us FastPass tickets for was the Festival of the Lion King show - a half-hour-long musical/stage mini-production.  It was lame, but the kids enjoyed it.

After the show, we headed across another bridge, back towards the main island. . . whatever the hell it's called.

Photobomb.

I don't think this is a thing. . .

 

Heading into Avatar land. . . or Pandora. . . or whatever.

 

This area of the park is fairly new, and - as most things Disney - has a ridiculous amount of detail to it.

Pretty impressive to say the least.

We came over this way to grab some dinner, and as time was kinda short we didn't have much time to check the place our thoroughly.

An abandoned mech unit Kris wouldn't let me go try out.

Floating mountains.

Inside of the restaurant

Moms, checking out menus.

Interesting menu at this place - kind of a weird mix of various Asian with Mediterranean, all super healthy.

Abby is not impressed with the food options at this joint.

After placing the girls' order - and picking up Yours Truly a Pandora beer - I snagged us a table big enough to accommodate our two families.

This about sums up every dining experience my family's ever had.

Following dinner, we set off back to Africa, where the Voigts had FastPasses for the Safari.

Abby led the way, using a park map (which has become a regular thing over the last few days.)

 

A really awesome Africa gift shop we sadly didn't have time to go in.

 

I love baobob trees.

It's kinda crazy that of all the dozens of times Kris and I have been on this ride over the years, we've not once gone in the evening.  I guess it's something they've recently started doing, and it's an interesting experience.

Jack scans his face.  'Cause children.

This guy's so over the top.  You may remember him from the shit-show that was Grandma's Boy. 

The Ghost of the Forest.  Forget what they're actually called. 

Pictures didn't really turn out all that great, on account of the low-lighting and the fact I was using a telephoto lens, so it's slim pickings this time around, I'm afraid.  If you want better pics, feel free to check out my pictures from other years we've gone on this ride.

 

I once had to help free one of those water buffalo from a mud pit in Niger, using nothing but a rope, a board, and my own imposing strength.  True story.

We didn't see any rhinos or elephants this time around, but we did see more giraffes than all the other times we've gone combined.

Lots of grazing lion food walking around this evening, too.

 

 

See?  Frickin' giraffes all over the damn place, it was crazy.

 

The girls got a huge kick out of seeing young giraffes hanging around, too.

 

Coming back into Africa.  I wanted to check out the big souvenir store, but we were running out of time to hit up the last Fast Pass the Voigts got for us:  the Na'vi River Journey, back in Pandora.

Some hand-crafted African wares, that I sadly didn't have time to check out.  I probably have too much of that lying around the house anyway, but whatever.

Waiting while folks use the bathrooms before our next ride.

Kris and Adam picked up ice creams for the kids to keep them placated for yet another cross-park walk.

Mt. Everest, one more time.

Leaving Africa.

Back in Pandora.  The evening lights here are pretty incredible, I could've spent a lot of time walking around this part of the park.

Heading into our last ride of the evening, trying to get the kids to hurry up and finish their damn ice cream. . .

The Na'vi River Journey - I definitely want to buy some wax melts for this ride's scent, that's for sure.

After the ride, the Voigts took off in order to put their younger kids to bed, and we stopped off into a few souvenir stores on our way out of the park.

Abby's been really wanting to buy a set of ears on this vacation.  Totally random.  She hasn't found a set she likes yet, though.

One more day in the books.

To be continued. . .

- Brian