Well today is a very warm one as was yeterday.\u00a0 The weather is getting better and better each day, although that\u00a0is set to end about Thursday when it will rain and get colder again.\u00a0 It’s Monday morning and as work emails fly into both mine and Paul’s mailboxes we sit in the sun by the pool and couldn’t care less!!\u00a0 Paul has actually been in for a swim – the water is nice and warm.<\/p>\n
Yesterday I left you as we headed out to Downtown Disney.\u00a0 It was after 11 when we went out and very warm, enough to wear shorts and t-shirts.\u00a0 We parked outside Cirque du Soleil and picked up our tickets for Thursday from the box office.\u00a0 We also took a look around the shop.\u00a0 They have some fab things, especially the venetian masks, but they are really pricey.\u00a0 I had my photo taken wearing one instead of purchasing!<\/p>\n
We wandered down to the balloon as this was the first thing we wanted to do.\u00a0 There was a fairly big queue but we decided to go for it.\u00a0 The original estimate was 30 minutes but it was actually an hour.\u00a0 Good job it was a nice day really!\u00a0 It took a while as the loads had been reduced to 10 passengers since there was some wind.\u00a0 After weatching it go up and down endless times it was finally our turn.\u00a0 Paul had been in it before in his previous trip so at least knew he had no problem with the height.\u00a0 Our ascent was smooth enough and after 2.5 minutes we were at 400 feet.\u00a0 The views accross Disney\u00a0were excellent being a clear day and you can see all the parks.\u00a0 The only thing you can’t see is Cinderalla’s castle as it is hidden behind the Contempory Resort hotel.\u00a0 No one was allowed to walk around, we had to stay in our positions but we manged to get a good view ok.\u00a0 After 5 minutes we began our descent.\u00a0 We were told we would sway quite a lot and it could be bumpy but it felt fine.\u00a0 We had seen from the ground the balloon sway a lot and figured it must feel a bit scary but it actually feels much less severe when in it than when observing it!\u00a0 We landed absolutely fine.<\/p>\n
We got off and decided to walk around to Market place to go in the Disney store.\u00a0 We walked through Pleasure Island and as we went past the Irish pub we both smelt the chips and said we really fancied some.\u00a0 So, we took a quick pit stop, sitting outside in the sun drinking root beer and munching on a bowl of chips.\u00a0 I took the opportunity to give mum a quick call too.<\/p>\n
After the unplanned pit stop (it was not on our strict itinerary but we coped – just about :-)) we continued over to marketplace.\u00a0\u00a0We made a\u00a0quick stop in the lego shop to see how the new technoloigy works; you hold a box to a camera and screen and it shows you holding the box with a virtual image of what can be made from the\u00a0 bits inside – very neat really!\u00a0 We then went into the Disney store which was quite busy.\u00a0 The bibidy bobidy boutique was a popular as ever with little girls coming out all made up with scraped back sparkly hair (I so want to do it!).\u00a0 Paul bought some key rings and I bought a Tinkerbell notebook.<\/p>\n
After this we decided to get a water taxi back to the other side so made our way to the dock area.\u00a0 It was only a couple of minutes wait before we boarded the boat.\u00a0 We got off by the House of Blues and headed back to the car.\u00a0 We had thought about doing the Diana exhibition but decided to give it a miss.\u00a0 We headed into the Yacht club hotel as I wanted to look in the shop there.\u00a0 We were slightly interrogated by the Security Guard who wanted to know what we were visiting so we lied and said we were hiring a boat!\u00a0 In the shop I got some Tinkerbell Christmas cards and a silver Cinderalla’s coach charm from a new designer range.\u00a0 We were only there about 20 minutes so if the guard saw us leave then he would have thought we had a really short boat ride, that or he thought his last hour on duty went real quick!!<\/p>\n
\u00a0After the Yacht club we headed to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.\u00a0 It has been extended with a new area called Kidani Village that has not only rooms but a reserve area with animals that you can view and even feed.\u00a0 We managed to get past security this time with a\u00a0story about wanting to check out the restaurant and parked up.\u00a0 (There are so many things you can do at Disney for free that Paul should write a book but the problem is that if everyone knows they will be swamped and may be taken away so we are keeping them to ourselves!)\u00a0 We made our way to the reserve viewing area.\u00a0 It is an outside platform with wooden rocking chairs overlooking a grassy reserve area with trees.\u00a0 The Ranger was just driving around putting food out so our timing was great.\u00a0 We saw all the Giraffes come for feeding and wathced them graze.\u00a0 Their food was placed on the ground so they had to really bend to reach it.\u00a0 They even have to spread their front legs to get down as their knees don’t bend properly.\u00a0 One clever Gafflee figured that if he took a branch from the feeding pile and walked over to a palm tree he could wedge the branch he was eating in the palm tree fronds (the old brances that have been cut off in previous seasons on the tree trunk).\u00a0 Very ingenious I thought and figured he was a very bright Gafflee until he took his second branch to another tree that was not a Palm and hence had a straight, smotth trunk.\u00a0 We watched him as he tried to hook his branch several times and each time it just fell to the floor.\u00a0 There were other animals in the reserve too; we saw emu, zebra, antelope and wilderbeast.\u00a0\u00a0 It was nice and warm in the sun and we sat there for some time watching them.<\/p>\n
We eventaully headed home about 5pm and as it was still warm sat out back.\u00a0 Paul took a dip in the pool and I dangled my feet in.\u00a0 We had a cuppa and watched some TV and decided to go out to eat about 7pm.\u00a0 Longhorn was on the itinerary and as it was Sunday we thought it could be busy so tried to call ahead.\u00a0 For some reason the phone was not connecting so in the end we had to just go.\u00a0\u00a0 When we got there it was not that busy at all so we reckon the Thanksgiving weekenders must all have headed home – we hope so and that we we have a quiet week ahead!<\/p>\n
We both had the 7oz filet and it was really succulent.\u00a0 Service was a little too quick though as mains arrived before we had finished our salads.\u00a0 The food was good and we supped root beer to accompany it.\u00a0 After we finished we decided to go into Target to get some washing powder and some more bagals.\u00a0 Being able to shop at 8 or 9pm on a Sunday, or whenever you feel you need something really, is one of the great things about this place and what sucks about the UK!<\/p>\n
We came home earlier than previous nights with no fireworks and got in about 9pm.\u00a0 We were tired so it was nice to relax.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Well today is a very warm one as was yeterday.\u00a0 The weather is getting better and better each day, although that\u00a0is set to end about Thursday when it will rain and get colder again.\u00a0 It’s Monday morning and as work emails fly into both mine and Paul’s mailboxes we sit in the sun by the … <\/p>\n