October’s “Not So Scary” Food and Fun Trip – Day 4
This morning we were up a little after 6:00 a.m. and on the bus to Animal Kingdom around 6.45 to make it for the Extra Morning Hours, which started at 7:30 this morning. (Every morning the parks open 30 minutes early for Disney Resort Guests) We arrived at Animal Kingdom a little after 7:00 and were in the park right at 7:30. We headed straight to Pandora to ride Flight of Passage. This ride usually has a long wait time, except first thing in the morning or towards the end of the day, and it was a must-do for Riley and Jessica. We were off the ride around 8 a.m. By then the wait time was already 85 minutes, which proves my point of getting there early. Next, we rode Navi River Journey before getting coffee for Jess and I and a snack for Riley.
After finishing our coffee, we headed to the 10:00 showing of The Festival of The Lion King. This is one of my favorite shows in all of the parks and I try to catch it every trip if possible. After the show, we stopped at Pizzafari for Riley to get one of his favorite meals in Disney…Pizza!
When he was done eating, Riley and Jess took the train out to the Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch to check out the exhibits and pet the goats. I stayed behind in Harambe and grabbed lunch and a beer at the Harambe Market. I was able to find a quiet table overlooking the train tracks to relax and watch for them to get back. When they got back we rode Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest. On our way out Riley thought we should stop and see It’s Tough To Be a Bug one last time, as they are closing it soon, so it can be transformed into a Zootopia-themed show. Just as we were about to enter the theatre, the show shut down so we decided to skip it and head back to the resort for a nap instead. While Riley and Jess napped, I headed down to the pool to relax, until it was time to get ready to head to Epcot to watch Hoobastank in the Eat To The Beat Concert Series.
I made it back to Epcot a little after 5:00 and headed straight to the American Gardens Theatre to see Hoobastank’s first set. The theatre was already packed, so I found a spot at the back of the theatre to stand. After the first set, I grabbed dinner from the Flavors of America Kiosk…I got Chilaquiles and the beer flight…then noticed they were letting people back in the theatre for the 6:45 show, so I headed back to find a seat for the show.
Just as this set was ending, Riley texted me that they were back in Epcot, so I met them in France to ride the Ratatouille ride. Next, we stopped at the bakery to grab a macaron for Jess, then walked over to the UK where she had the fish and chips for dinner. I found a quiet little place down by the water, which was a perfect location to watch the fireworks show, Epcot Forever. Riley and Jess didn’t want to stay for the fireworks as they were both tired, so they headed out via the International Gateway to catch the Skyliner back to Hollywood Studios, where they could catch a bus back to Saratoga Springs. They wanted to get back using this mode of transportation not only because they wanted to watch the fireworks from the Skyliner, but it was also less walking than going all the way to the front of Epcot and had way less crowds to deal with.
I watched Epcot Forever then made my way back to the resort, where I ended my night in the hot tub, while Jess and Riley relaxed in the room. It was a great 4 days spending time with the two of them. They head home tomorrow evening, while I am moving over to Port Orleans Riverside for 4 nights by myself.
