Disney World - Details and Colors, Where I Find Peace

So, with this blog I've decided to let Disney World ride off into the sunset ... probably boring everyone with it anyway ... so just  few more photos of details and colors to share - I Love Them So!

This is only there to look at, it is across the river and you can see it from the bridge,

scenes and scenery everywhere you look.

Bikes anyone? 

Drink for a weary traveler?  The cup is bolted down :-) when I

pointed it out to Neal .. he went over and pulled on it to see if it

wasn't just a cup someone left there- nopers part of the setting!

Prayer tree 

The one character I've always wanted to see, but was never there at the right time.

We waited this time, see ummmm "her"? 

How 'bout now?  DeVine is her name! 

Isn't she fabulous?  It was funny when the crowd started to form around

the few of us taking photos -- "What is it, what are you looking at?"

About that time she would move, or reach over and touch them!

Okay, I must admit this is one way to keep the park attendance light!

But, But, But ... the park is that-a-way! 

So stop and smell the ... ummmm, whatever this is!  



Disney World - Pirates and Pals Fireworks Cruise

Day 8 - we had a blast knocking about the Magic Kingdom - we stayed all day and left when it was time to go for our Pirates and Pals Fireworks Cruise.  It was something that we'd never done, so we were game to try it out ... so Arrrrrr Mateys!

To start you grab some snacks and drinks and have the opportunity to meet-n-greet Smee and Capt. Hook
(Oh what we have on our heads are our pirate buffs - everyone has to wear, even if you look like a dork!)

You get to see the Electric Light Parade on Seven Seas Lagoon 

Arrrrrr Neal 

At this point I look like I've been at Disney World for 8 days

(and don't you think we both look lovely in our pirate buffs)

"OH" Peter Pan is surprise waiting on the dock when you get back so sssshhhhhh, don't tell!

Also they say the cruise is 1 hour, but ours turned out to be more like 1 hr 25 mins,

well worth the price paid! 

Best of All, of course, was Magic Kingdom's Wishes!

This is the last 4 minutes.

Disney World - Magic Kingdom Day 8

We made it to Day 8 and are on our way to the Magic Kingdom - our last park ... fitting!  So, we show up and ride a couple of rides, one of which was Splash Mountain (it was broken the other day - we had Fasspasses, but could use 'em) ... but today was our day ... so we Fasspassed Big Thunder and rode Splash Mountain.

What the "drop" looks like from below.

What the drop looks like from above! 

We then scooted over to the other side of the park for Buzz Lightyear Fasspasses 

(another ride we'd not gotten to the other day) and then we decided

we'd been good - so we had breakfast at the Main Street Bakery

Hidden Mickeys rule ... yeps see the real Mickey, then see the

plates arranged to make a Mickey - many hidden Mickeys are not this obvious! 

YUM (we used the tables at Casey's Corner) 

And you know how freak'ish I am about photos ... so we walked around and took some more! 

This is the newest castle going up at the Magic Kingdom in Fantasyland.

It belongs to the Beast!  So interesting1  It looks like a full size castle, but

it is a Disney forced perspective .... it really isn't -- so it doesn't

outshine (or overpower) Cinderella's castle at all.

This also was our only Mickey head ice creams of the whole trip,

that's are to believe ... this pic is for my Sis who knows:

You always bite their little ears off first! 

A beautiful subject 

Then we head off to the Pirates and Pals Fireworks cruise ... yes, in a blog of its own.  If I play my cards right, I could blog Disney until the end of the year :-)  ... but I won't!

Disney World - Animal Kingdom - Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is the center attraction of Animal Kingdom.  It is spectacular, to say the least!  It stands a proud 145 feet and the branches span 165 feet across with over 100,000 leaves.  The trunk is 50 feet wide and 20 artists carved into the trunk, branches and roots over 320 animals. Thousands worked 18 months on the construction of the Tree of Life.  Viewing the Tree of Life over the course of the day is a fabulous way to spent a few quiet hours in the shade, among the roots and the live animals and pools that they house.  So, anyway, how can I not dedicate an entire blog to this beautiful symbol?!

"The Tree of Life is a technological marvel, but it's also a symbol of the beauty and diversity and the grandeur of our animal life on Earth," says Joe Rohde, Walt Disney Imagineering vice president and executive designer for the park. "It's a celebration of our emotions about animals and their habitats."

Here we are with the Tree of Life growing out of our heads!

How many critters can you find on its trunk and among its branches and roots?!

(click the photos to make larger - it is worth the time to look and think)

As I've said we love the rides and characters -- but that isn't really why I love Disney so much.

It is in the details that "they" excel and I love finding the details!

Disney World - Animal Kingdom - Kilimanjaro Safaris

Day 1 and 7 both contained trips to Kilimnjaro Safaris - now is the time to share some of the pics of these wonderful animals - the thing about KS is even riding it back-to-back is that no two safaris will show the animals the same.  One trip we saw giraffes, the next only off in the distance, then we didn't see them ... the lion we saw only on one trip ... there, of course, are many more animals than what I've featured here!

You can see the manner in which Disney places their grub, which

encourges their natural grazing instincts. 

Termite mound? Not - drinking fountain! :-) 

The "ride" with autentic bad shocks! 

Black Rhino

The King 

Wildie Beasties :-) 

I didn't get very many good elephant photos this trip,

was on the wrong side of the vehicle, except one trip (and that trip they went

fast ... it was starting to get crowded.) 

White Rhinos 

Then, of course, there is a story (it is Disney afterall), there is a concern over poachers

being in Harambe, so we volunteer to go offroad through rough

territory to help chase the poachers towards the game warden.

Of course, we do and we rescue the baby elephant

(umm, no this one isn't real :-) !!) 

"Ta Dah"