Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation
Coming to you live from Animal Kingdom Lodge!
Beth, our travel agent is on hand for the premiere of Expediton Everest:
"There sure were a lot of puffy eyes at Boma this morning during breakfast! That's because the big press/industry event to celebrate the grand opening of Expedition Everest was held last night at Animal Kingdom. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start with check-in.
My 8-year-old daughter and I arrived (after having lunch at Trail's End in Ft. Wilderness) around 2:00 yesterday (Thursday). Check-in at the front desk was uneventful and nothing out of the ordinary. We headed to our room and found that we had a great location on the fourth floor overlooking the central savannah. We quickly unpacked and headed upstairs to the event hospitality suite. This was set up in the Vice Presidential suite on the 5th floor. Wow! Now THAT's a hotel room! Anyway, after signing in, I was given two complimentary 4-day hoppers with 4 water park + admissions. (The tickets expire in a few days and I apparently can't pay to make them not expire.) I also received a welcome gift bag.
There was a big tray of assorted huge cookies and a nice beverage selection, so we each grabbed a cookie and a soda and headed back to the room to check out the contents of the gift bag. It was an Expedition Everest lunch bag covered on one side with white fur and the EE logo. Pretty cool. Inside we found two beverages from the Coke-Cola Co that we didn't even know existed. There was a t-shirt, a VERY nice watch, several light-up key chains and such, a special EE edition box of Nestle Snowcaps candy, a pack of Sharpie markers, and a compass/clock/clip from the Discovery Channel.
After cramming everything back in the bag, we changed into swimsuits for a quick jaunt to the hotel pool. Refreshing, as always! Then we ran back to the room to change, and I took my daughter to Simba's Clubhouse. (This is AKL's childcare facility.) I had to help her select what she wanted for dinner from a menu, sign her in, and sign for a beeper. The staff was very friendly, and my daughter ran off with them without looking back.
Then off to the bus for me. They had special buses outside for us that carried us over to a backstage entrance at Animal Kingdom. The park was closed by then, so it was a little odd to be the only ones in sight as we headed into the industry cocktail party at the Tusker House. The main room had three tables of food - including one with a mountain of shrimp (yum!) - and some high tables... the kind you stand at while you eat. The second room had a bar (open bar service all evening with beer, wine, and mixed drinks) and many tables with chairs. Each table had two types of center pieces. One was an ice sculpture with the EE logo etched into the center of it, and the other was a sculpture of a mountain with white carnations used to simulate the snow-capped peaks.
Around 7:00 we were escorted around the park to the Asia section where we had to pass through a thick cloud of (dry-ice) "smoke" and were subsequently greeted with street performers and a lineup of people draping colorful scarves around our necks. Crossing into the event area there were two directions to go, but both offered table after table of buffet items and countless bars serving exotic drinks like mocha martinis and mango cosmopolitans. (Plenty of beer, wine, soda, coffee, etc., too.) There were several bands playing, street performers all over the place, and of course - Expedition Everest which was available to ride all evening with no lines to wait in! (And no, I haven't yet worked up the nerve to ride. Apparently I didn't try enough of the cocktails.)
We all got very cool lanyards with a "pass" for the evening. One side was sort of an "admit one" ticket, while the other side was a map of where the food, entertainment stages, open attractions, and evening finale were located. Nice touch. Another fun touch were the bags of white cotton candy "snow balls" used as decoration. My daughter wasn't happy that she couldn't attend the event with me, but one of those "snow balls" earned me her forgiveness pretty quickly. The theme of the evening was "fire and ice." The ice carvings, wandering people in parkas, and snow balls (plus a looming Everest) achieved the snow part, while the finale on the lagoon - a dramatic achievement in fireworks and flames - accomplished the fire part nicely. Other more subtle reminders of both - like lanterns on all the dining tables - furthered the theme.
OK, on to the main event. After breakfast this morning we were taken by buses to the main entrance of Animal Kingdom and led by guide through separate bag-check lines, and then around the park and into the roped off area. (Expedition Everest doesn't open to the general public until 2PM today.) We were given small bottles of cold water, a Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund button, and a battery-operated flashlight/fan (on carabiner clip) as we entered. Not sure how I managed this, but I ended up right in front of the stage with a clear view of the podium.
Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, was master of ceremonies. He started by announcing that last night five $100,000 checks were presented by the Disney Wildlife Conservation fund to some very special people: actors John Cleese and Isabella Rossellini, Jane Goodall, and two others including a Nobel Peace Prize winner and another person (sorry - had a hard time taking notes!), all of whom are very active in conservation efforts. Each of these people was on hand (except Jane who was here last night, but had a representative today). We were also introduced to the sons of the first people to climb Mt. Everest and a man from the Discovery Channel who talked about the many shows that will be airing in conjunction with the opening of EE. I forget how many new species of creatures were discovered during the research for this attraction, but it was a bunch. Can't wait to see these shows.
Anyway, we then moved over to the front of the attraction where Disney's president and CEO, Bob Iger, did a brief introduction, and then Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teeter officially cut the ribbon - at which point amidst a great deal of "smoke" the first train came flying down the side of the mountain with the cast of Disney's hit made-for-TV movie High School Musical aboard. Afterwards, guides were available to take people on tours of the park. I, of course, ran back to the bus and to the hotel to file this report!
So it's officially open! I'm happy to say that my daughter enjoyed her time this morning with the sitter I hired from Kid's Nite Out, and we're now officially done with our grand opening events. I'm going to head up to the suite to grab a few sodas for our frig, and then we'll head out to a park. It's a gorgeous day, so I'm thinking maybe Typhoon Lagoon for a bit....
Well, that's all for now. Disney sure knows how to throw a party!"
John
AffordableDisney.Com
The Full Mickey - At a Discount!
Beth, our travel agent is on hand for the premiere of Expediton Everest:
"There sure were a lot of puffy eyes at Boma this morning during breakfast! That's because the big press/industry event to celebrate the grand opening of Expedition Everest was held last night at Animal Kingdom. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start with check-in.
My 8-year-old daughter and I arrived (after having lunch at Trail's End in Ft. Wilderness) around 2:00 yesterday (Thursday). Check-in at the front desk was uneventful and nothing out of the ordinary. We headed to our room and found that we had a great location on the fourth floor overlooking the central savannah. We quickly unpacked and headed upstairs to the event hospitality suite. This was set up in the Vice Presidential suite on the 5th floor. Wow! Now THAT's a hotel room! Anyway, after signing in, I was given two complimentary 4-day hoppers with 4 water park + admissions. (The tickets expire in a few days and I apparently can't pay to make them not expire.) I also received a welcome gift bag.
There was a big tray of assorted huge cookies and a nice beverage selection, so we each grabbed a cookie and a soda and headed back to the room to check out the contents of the gift bag. It was an Expedition Everest lunch bag covered on one side with white fur and the EE logo. Pretty cool. Inside we found two beverages from the Coke-Cola Co that we didn't even know existed. There was a t-shirt, a VERY nice watch, several light-up key chains and such, a special EE edition box of Nestle Snowcaps candy, a pack of Sharpie markers, and a compass/clock/clip from the Discovery Channel.
After cramming everything back in the bag, we changed into swimsuits for a quick jaunt to the hotel pool. Refreshing, as always! Then we ran back to the room to change, and I took my daughter to Simba's Clubhouse. (This is AKL's childcare facility.) I had to help her select what she wanted for dinner from a menu, sign her in, and sign for a beeper. The staff was very friendly, and my daughter ran off with them without looking back.
Then off to the bus for me. They had special buses outside for us that carried us over to a backstage entrance at Animal Kingdom. The park was closed by then, so it was a little odd to be the only ones in sight as we headed into the industry cocktail party at the Tusker House. The main room had three tables of food - including one with a mountain of shrimp (yum!) - and some high tables... the kind you stand at while you eat. The second room had a bar (open bar service all evening with beer, wine, and mixed drinks) and many tables with chairs. Each table had two types of center pieces. One was an ice sculpture with the EE logo etched into the center of it, and the other was a sculpture of a mountain with white carnations used to simulate the snow-capped peaks.
Around 7:00 we were escorted around the park to the Asia section where we had to pass through a thick cloud of (dry-ice) "smoke" and were subsequently greeted with street performers and a lineup of people draping colorful scarves around our necks. Crossing into the event area there were two directions to go, but both offered table after table of buffet items and countless bars serving exotic drinks like mocha martinis and mango cosmopolitans. (Plenty of beer, wine, soda, coffee, etc., too.) There were several bands playing, street performers all over the place, and of course - Expedition Everest which was available to ride all evening with no lines to wait in! (And no, I haven't yet worked up the nerve to ride. Apparently I didn't try enough of the cocktails.)
We all got very cool lanyards with a "pass" for the evening. One side was sort of an "admit one" ticket, while the other side was a map of where the food, entertainment stages, open attractions, and evening finale were located. Nice touch. Another fun touch were the bags of white cotton candy "snow balls" used as decoration. My daughter wasn't happy that she couldn't attend the event with me, but one of those "snow balls" earned me her forgiveness pretty quickly. The theme of the evening was "fire and ice." The ice carvings, wandering people in parkas, and snow balls (plus a looming Everest) achieved the snow part, while the finale on the lagoon - a dramatic achievement in fireworks and flames - accomplished the fire part nicely. Other more subtle reminders of both - like lanterns on all the dining tables - furthered the theme.
OK, on to the main event. After breakfast this morning we were taken by buses to the main entrance of Animal Kingdom and led by guide through separate bag-check lines, and then around the park and into the roped off area. (Expedition Everest doesn't open to the general public until 2PM today.) We were given small bottles of cold water, a Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund button, and a battery-operated flashlight/fan (on carabiner clip) as we entered. Not sure how I managed this, but I ended up right in front of the stage with a clear view of the podium.
Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, was master of ceremonies. He started by announcing that last night five $100,000 checks were presented by the Disney Wildlife Conservation fund to some very special people: actors John Cleese and Isabella Rossellini, Jane Goodall, and two others including a Nobel Peace Prize winner and another person (sorry - had a hard time taking notes!), all of whom are very active in conservation efforts. Each of these people was on hand (except Jane who was here last night, but had a representative today). We were also introduced to the sons of the first people to climb Mt. Everest and a man from the Discovery Channel who talked about the many shows that will be airing in conjunction with the opening of EE. I forget how many new species of creatures were discovered during the research for this attraction, but it was a bunch. Can't wait to see these shows.
Anyway, we then moved over to the front of the attraction where Disney's president and CEO, Bob Iger, did a brief introduction, and then Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teeter officially cut the ribbon - at which point amidst a great deal of "smoke" the first train came flying down the side of the mountain with the cast of Disney's hit made-for-TV movie High School Musical aboard. Afterwards, guides were available to take people on tours of the park. I, of course, ran back to the bus and to the hotel to file this report!
So it's officially open! I'm happy to say that my daughter enjoyed her time this morning with the sitter I hired from Kid's Nite Out, and we're now officially done with our grand opening events. I'm going to head up to the suite to grab a few sodas for our frig, and then we'll head out to a park. It's a gorgeous day, so I'm thinking maybe Typhoon Lagoon for a bit....
Well, that's all for now. Disney sure knows how to throw a party!"
John
AffordableDisney.Com
The Full Mickey - At a Discount!
posted by AffordableDisney.Com at 1:41 PM
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