I'm not sure if Day 4 was the hottest day of our trip or if it just felt that way because we were at the Animal Kingdom and there were precious few places in the air conditioning. For those not familiar, the Animal Kingdom tries to cross the San Diego Wild Animal Park with an amusement park and I'm not sure that they're successful with either one and they end up with some weird hybrid. They have a safari tram ride that goes through the habitats of the real animals (similar to the Wild Animal Park). However, it also has a storyline about poachers and the tram has to go and rescue the animatronic elephants. I would have liked it better without the Disney part at the end and just the real animals. On the other side of the park, they have a brand-new roller coaster which goes through Mt. Everest and is fully themed in classic Disney style. That is a far more successful endeavor. Both Matthew and I enjoyed that ride, which focused more on Disney storytelling and thrills than on wild roller coasters.
While I certainly won't say a Disney park was bad, I will say this was our least favorite of the four. We think Benji would concur with this assessment. He slept more at this park than any other. And as we learned at the National Zoo over Memorial Day, Benji really isn't impressed with large animals so he was far more interested in the trees and other plants than the animals on the safari tram ride.
In the early afternoon the weather was looking threatening so we decided to call it a day at the part and go to Downtown Disney. Just as we were getting to the bus shelters the skies opened up and it poured. When we finally got to Downtown Disney (it takes a surprising number of buses to get there) it had stopped actively raining, thankfully. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening there, shopping, eating dinner, and dodging the periodic rain. Surprisingly I didn't buy very much there but it was still fun to go to the largest Disney store anywhere. So many ways they can rid you of your money. Some of our favorites include the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique in which they will give your little girl a makeover, hair styling, and/or manicure for exorbitant prices as well as the Princess Chest where you pay $18 and you can fill a tiny jewelry box with Mardi Gras beads. My actual favorite is the Disney Mr. Potato Head. Benji can now dress his Potato Head as Dumbo, Buzz Lightyear, or Donald Duck (with Mommy's help, of course).
Benji and Mommy on the safari tram.
We have no idea if Benji really noticed any of the animals on this ride.
An attempt at a family self-portrait.
Matthew just can't pass up anything musical. Of course, he's got so much natural talent in this arena that it always sounds good when he plays with random instruments.
i sincerely do not know what you are doing here. are you lost? were you
looking for your delicate calico cat, and did you follow her up two flights of stairs
to this room? she is not here. she was here, yes. we gave her a warm bowl of milk, we talked with her about campaign finance reform for a time, and then she bid us good day. i believe she was
going to the post office two blocks down, but i don't quite recall.
for surely you did
not find your way from prinsiana, the least traveled site on
the internet. if you did, though, perhaps you are looking for humor. perhaps you are looking for profundity. perhaps you are looking for answers.
i'm sorry, but you shall go naught-for-three.
