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Thanks Interpreter, I believe the same can be said about you as well, No I am sure of it.

Wow RailRider I have really enjoyed reading each and everyone of your updates to your report. I have been so busy and had to resort to reading KIC updates on the IPhone. I was so happy to see an update from you and enjoyed reading about your families California adventures and the breath taking pictures you shared with us. Believe me when I tell you this, your updates brought a smile to my face and brightened my day. I have shared your report with the wife and suggested maybe we should be heading west for some of our vacations in the coming years. Thanks for taking the time.

Great trip report Robbie and sorry to be so long to respond. I really enjoyed touring Florida theme parks with a fellow coaster enthusiast and theme park lover like myself. One of my highlights and something I will never forget was ridding SheiKra in the fog especially when it was just the two of us. That quiet visual of the two of us on opposite sides of the ride (six seats separation) way up in the foggy air and not being able to see anything, it was like we were on a coaster way up in the clouds. That moment brings a smile to my face every-time I think about it. I hope we get another chance to do the Florida parks again and hope maybe a few other KICers can join us too. If so I know from our trip to slow things down a bit to enjoy the nuances of each park in more detail. I think I may have missed a great opportunity hear your thoughts about certain architectural aspects of the parks by being to rushed to get it all in. I do plan to do a separate trip report about the Sea World Christmas event as I just loved that atmosphere and entertainment line up. The souvenir that you spoke of that I bought arrived in a much larger box safe and sound. Evidently they put the smaller box with my purchased item in a mid-chest high box and plastered it all over with fragile and this end up stickers (not bad for $20 for shipping). I told the wife (Lisa) that my brother had me ship home a box from Busch Gardens with a gift for my mother from him. I worried that she still suspected something so when she was gone away from home one day I took out the smaller box and hide it. On Christmas Eve when my mother arrived at our house I loaded the big box in her van as to give the allusion that the item from Busch Gardens was really for my mother. So later that evening I brought the smaller box out and gave it to Lisa to open in front of everyone. She was very happy as she really wanted to purchase the item back in September when she first saw it and even teared up. Now every time I see it I have two wonderful memories surrounding it, our trip and a Christmas surprise. I love buying specialty souviners from them parks that offer a story and memory behind the purchase. Well anyway a great report Robbie I really enjoyed going with you and thanks for sharing this trip with everyone.

Thanks KI Kevin for the bump and yes it was a fun trip with some new fun filled activities for us. I have been wanting to get back to writing the rest as I think there is a lot I would like to share even more so than when I first started the report. Sorry for such a long break but I totally way underestimated the time the new customer route would require. Plus the fact I took a short notice long weekend trip back to Orlando and then dealing with snowy December and Holidays, if that was not enough throw on a mix of two family computers going down (currently sharing 1 laptop) and year end work with the business. Hopefully you all can understand why I have been so long now and can exculpate me. Thank goodness for my friend RailRider who has shared his wonder trip with us during my delayed trip report. I do have a bit of a dilemma now as to making another update to this trip report or doing a special Sea World Christmas Trip report first. Either way both will be done and I am happy to report that it seems as I am starting to have some more free time to devote to sharing some great park going experiences. Indyguy4KI Thanks for the response on the video most videos, editing, producing and posting was done using the IPhone and the IMovie App. The rest mainly water park pictures/video was done by the waterproof camera. Funny thing was I posted a lot of Facebook video updates towards the start of the trip and got some feedback but not enough to continue the video updates, so I thought. As the trip was winding down I received numerous comments that everyone was enjoying the vidoe updates and wished I was doing more. If I had known that others were so interested I would have kept them coming as I enjoy putting reports together and sharing. KIfan73 - Robbie and I took a trip back in December and I enjoyed going with a coaster enthusiast and have since thought it would be great if a KIC Florida trip could come to fruition.

Unfortunitly I di not take any photos with my camera phone otherwise I would be able to show you that the frirst half of the figure 8 is complete. As we entered today they were working at installing a section of track and by the end of our vist around 3pm they were finally brought that section back down. Robbie and I will upload some pictures later.

I can tell you that yes it is chili in Florida right now but so far neither Sea World or Busch gardens shut down early and all attractions have been running as normal.

looking at your pictures really makes the vast wide open have meaning. I suddenly feel very small.Keep up the great work and looking forward to more updates,

Wow just wow I have always wanted to go to Yosemite park and I love the picture of Tenaya Lodge. You mentioned that you can not wait to go back so my question for you is; if/when you go back how many days do you think would be best to for a family to plan for. I am glad to see this report pop up and look forward to the rest.

Cool I have been looking forward to this trip report for a while, I will be waiting patiently for your first day update.

Awesome photos and some very unique angles thanks for sharing.

Customers come in all shapes and sizes, I mean really they are short, tall, skinny, large, very attractive but ugly inside or visa versa or even many of the choices listed or even to include many I have not. Now understand that each and everyone of those customers have personalities that range the same myriad of choices as their physical attributes. This Olio mix equals 1 customer. A customer may order a Coke, another customer a Sprite, yet other customers may order Orange Soda. So with all these customers (2,10, 100, 1000's ect…) having various personalities and physical attributes they are in the end considered "a customer". Every customer should in the beginning be considered a customer and an opportunity to please. Granted some are easier than others but regardless the opportunity exist with each and everyone. Some are simple they politely ask for a soda choice and promptly pay with money in hand. While others maybe more curt but none the less they may offer a greater opportunity to please. They may be curt because of personality, something someone said, an incident of some sort. This type of customer can cause other customers, family, friends or park employees to feel his/her negativity So if/when the customer orders a drink in a curt way, the vendor just pleasantly smiles and serves the customer the same way as any other customer he may have just defused a less than desirable customer. In return the customer may realize his attitude and become more pleasant to be around or his friend/family may mention something to them in the way he/she treated the vendor. But make no mistake if the vendor in any way showed curtness back in body language or verbally that can easily escalate the situation into a very unpleasant experience for everyone and I do mean other park guest to park management. Plus most likely the friends/family of the curt customer now will defend their friend/family member. So to boil this all down it is almost always better to treat unruly customers the same as other customers because if you do you are creating a situation for a far better outcome to occur and that is an opportunity every employee should strive to achieve. Notice I did not mention anything here about being right or justified but rather about creating a opportunity to put in motion a more positive outcome for everyone involved. For those who can learn to have patients in ways to create positive opportunities versus the natural human instinct of being right and justified will find that trait will serve them well in life including school/work place environment and at home.

In a rush this morning and will post on everyones guys comments latter, I am in the middle of two twelve hour days. RailRider there is no need to wait for mine as it may take me longer to get done,as a new major account with the business is taking a lot of my time. I plan to try to get a lot done on the weekend and finish sometime next week.Hopefully

Avatar's 2010 Fall Vacation Part 2 Day 4 September 28, 2010 Animal Kingdom We woke today feeling a bit relaxed from the day before and looked forward to actually going into one of Disney World Park. We decided to start with animal kingdom as it closes early and that would allow getting more rest before a long day tomorrow. We walked back to the Kilimanjaro Safaris and grabbed a set of fast passes then picked up some quick breakfast items at some of the carts in the area. One of the reasons we love Animal Kingdom so well is that it has a much laid back feel to it and is highly themed in every way including the lush vegetarian We spent the rest of the morning roaming the Safari Then watch Flights of Wonder show and riding Kali River rapids, I just cannot say enough of how the great the theme is in Animal Kingdom and love how they integrate Everest into the scenery of the whole park including parts Kali River Rapids ride. Here is Miss Rae describing her experience on Kali River Rapids but you can see how well the loading platform is themed as well. <object width='640' height='360'> <param name='movie' value='http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf' /> <param name='flashvars' value='config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=76e86cb1f4b7efe7e4af461a838d842d%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116417041%26w=640%26h=360' /> <param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /> <param name='bgcolor' value='#000000' /> <embed type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='640' height='360' allowfullscreen='true' bgcolor='#000000' src='http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf' flashvars='config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=76e86cb1f4b7efe7e4af461a838d842d%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116417041%26w=640%26h=360'></embed> </object> Time to point something out, if you noticed Miss Rae was wearing a animal print Mickey ears. This is because the first year back in 2006 we took a picture of Miss Rae wearing her animal print Mickey ears during the Safari and we decided this was a good opportunity to take a picture of Miss Rae to document her growth as she grows up. We knew back then that because of her school schedule that we would be returning about the same time each year. Also I knew the way she was seated in the vehicle I would get a similar pose. So now it was time to slow things down and check-in before lunch. <object width='640' height='480'> <param name='movie' value='http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf' /> <param name='flashvars' value='config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=6c3562bdba5afee15cbb62a4b516ecbb%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116417037%26w=640%26h=480' /> <param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /> <param name='bgcolor' value='#000000' /> <embed type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='640' height='480' allowfullscreen='true' bgcolor='#000000' src='http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf' flashvars='config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=6c3562bdba5afee15cbb62a4b516ecbb%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116417037%26w=640%26h=480'></embed> </object> After Lunch we finished riding many of the rides and watched the amazing show of Lion King. It was getting close for them to have their daily parade but we noticed the rain clouds were building and many people were leaving in fear of the forthcoming downpour. I suggest since the crowd was light we could get a quick ride on Primeval Whirl, so as we got on and they dispatched you probably guessed have guessed right. The rain started scratch that the down pour started, I mean it came down in buckets so of course we were the last to be dispatched and had to complete the circuit. We just sucked it up and laughed and screamed the whole time, wow what a memory that is. When we got off the ride we could not be any more wet then if we stood under a waterfall. We noticed 99% of the crowd cowering under anything that could give shelter. My first instinct was to find a place to wait the rain out all the while it is still pouring so it was at this point I told the family we are already wet let's just leave and since there was only a hour left to get ready for dinner. As we walked down the paths the water was over our ankles. The good news is, that was the only time it rained on us for the whole trip. One of the reasons we keep going to Disney during the fall is because they offer the Disney Dinning Plan for free to entice guests to stay there. I often say and it is true that it is cheaper to stay at Disney that it is for us to stay at my brother's house for free. We are treated to many nice sit down meals and since some nights we are away at other Central Florida locations we save those credits to use so we may dine at Disney signature dinning locations for no extra charge. We look forward to eating at Disney Signature restaurants so much that it has become part of the overall vacation experience, even as much as the parks. So tonight we are dinning at one of our favorite Disney Signature restaurant called Jiko. As you dine the walls change colors very subtle. The Jiko is located in the Animal Kingdom Lodge so the chef cooks with an African flair to his creations. When the waiter walked up I noticed him from a previous visit and he told us he is one of the few remaining staff from opening 11 years ago. I wanted something different and anguished over 3 menu items I asked the waiter for some advice but still it was hard to narrow it down to just one item. He asked me several questions and now we narrowed it down to two choices, so now it was time to decide I looked straight at the waiter and said "surprise me", he smiled and said you will not be disappointed. Dinner arrived and Travis raved at the roasted duck. So here is my "surprise me" meal OH WOW!!!! Yum yum Maize –crusted Halibut with vegetables at the moment and Tomato-Butter Sauce So since desert is included I had the waiter pick that as well. I was so glad I let him pick for me as it was good but fun to be surprised like that. I made sure he knew how appreciative I was with his service. Due to the fact this is the first of the month I must stop and finish the month end billing but promise to get the next three days done by Friday night or Saturday morning but I did at least want to get something up tonight..

(What it is! All nice and easin' from the crew This is super cat and sugar ray riding through) <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUtnwcv-quE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUtnwcv-quE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUtnwcv-quE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

I am alright with this as it is good for newer coasters to go farther, higher, faster as long as they become safer. It gives the coaster makers something new to achieve new concepts that park marketers are looking for to keep the guests interested and engaged. Please do not be sad for The Beast, it holds something that all similar newer coasters can never achieve or take away and that is its history and most likely in my lifetime the record for holding the longest wooden coaster for this long. The Beast has achieved greatness for so long and it will be here for many many years to come so now when we ride it it will be like riding a part of history.

Thank You TombraigerFTW, windshawne, Ogrmac and everyone else for reading and the kind comments. It looks like I will be finishing this one all the way through. Thanks GYK every child is different, now Travis he always did better in sports when he had a Bobby Night style coaches versus a Tony Dungy style, that still holds true in other aspects of his life as well. But Miss Rae she is a Daddies girl and she does better by building trust by listening to her and just by being there, She strives at school and at home because she wants approval. That moment was a conscience decision several years back in hopes that it would pay off some day and it did in a big way. It was hard for her brother, Mom or even my brother to understand but I think when they seen the result they got it and they never said another pushy word to her or suggest I push/bribe her since. I wish you had a better experience but keep in this is my second time around as there is 15 year age difference between the two, in other words I learned from trail and error and have learned to have more patience. Thanks for the vote of confidence it means a lot to dad to hear. As for the time machine I hear they are getting pretty Universal!!! I do not know your circumstances as if it is age, out of work or debt that would possibly prohibit you from going on a trip but I do understand your statement as it relates to us to this day. My main goal when I put up rices in my post is to help some understand that the prices maybe better than what they have perceived. I went most my adult life without taking a vacation and at some point realized I will never be able to afford one so I just did it anyway. Well at the end of that trip as we sat around a table reminiscing about the trip I told them we no longer could afford to not go on vacation. I admit we go during the off season and look for every deal we can find not to just save money but so that we may stay longer on vacation. Same here buddy I loved you photos of SeaWorld Christmas and I can not wait to see it first hand and hope you are available to show us around. I just warn you that you may not want to get between me and Manta when we first arrive. LOL I want me some G.s You are already part of the family...the KICentral family at the least and we always have someone joining us on our trips and you are welcomed too. On fact many KIC have been talking about taking a trip down to Orlando one of these days Thanks J.D. yes we do have a similar picture in a frame on the living room mantle. The wife took advantage of that situation and went frame shopping during our time at Clearwater Beach I hope you get to see the rest of the pictures and video if not let me know i will give you a link so you can see them. I am glad you made the reference "from work" and I hope that is doing well. Well your proding did help last week and I am thankful for that as I enjoy others reports so I like to share in return. Yeah I had no intention of even thinking about asking her it was while I was ridding that i said to myself this id=s like a kiddie ride with a loop that gave me the idea. OH boy that so worked out, I know you know how we still cherish that moment. Just whenever and if you have time I do look forward to seeing one or more of your recent trips.

Avatar's 2010 Fall Vacation Hello good to see you here. It has been a while for me to write up a trip report and in truth I did not plan to do this one but I did want to share some highlights from our trip so that you may consider some of the parks in your plans next time you're in Central Florida area. I will go ahead and include the whole trip in this report but will skim through some of the park days, mainly Disney as I have reported extensively on it in other reports including our 2080 vacation here Avatar's 2008 Fall Vacation This year the total trip included a total of 16 days and we stayed at Disney's Pop Century as our home base which included the regular Disney Dinning Plan, although we did venture off to stay a couple nights at other destinations we never checked out of Pop Century. Below you will find our basic day to day Picture Itinerary which gave us an idea of what we would be doing on those days. I really try to get the best deals I can find that way we can stay longer and include some extra activities that we otherwise would not be able to afford. I would say that we saved about 40+% off the regular cost for the entire vacation on a whole. By doing that it caused us to tour certain parks before October or to go to a Beach resort before October. We also scheduled around the trip to include my brother Dennis (who lives in the area) to join on weekends. So let's get Started shall we September 24, 2010 My Wife Lisa, step son Travis, 10 y/o daughter Miss Rae and myself arrived at the airport to start the journey. I had decided earlier to share parts of my trip with family and friends through face book postings and it also gave me a way to tryout my new Imovie app which let me take pictures/videos and produce a quick video all by using just the IPhone. So here was that first video. <object width="640" height="360"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=f0647df22399ee2f18ce93b0acf421ae%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116127195%26w=640%26h=360"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=f0647df22399ee2f18ce93b0acf421ae%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116127195%26w=640%26h=360" width="640" height="360"> </object> So everything went well with checking in to the room as tradition decorated our home away from home window to give it a more personal touch. Saturday September 25, 2010 We start this day by meeting my brother at the resort as he will be spending the next 3 very busy days together. We load up the van so we can go spend the first couple days in the Tampa/Clearwater Beach area Here is the view from our room and to be honest we were very happy with the activities and beach walk in the area. Then we spent some time on the beach having fun but realized if you want ocean waves the Gulf side is the wrong side to be on. Here is a quick short video of our beach time. <object width="640" height="360"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=305607f779f1f874aadfad4822421bcf%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116151432%26w=640%26h=360"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=305607f779f1f874aadfad4822421bcf%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116151432%26w=640%26h=360" width="640" height="360"> </object> Before we left home I told everyone that I wanted a nice beach picture of the family and that we will be wearing similar shirts so if they had any problems that they better speak-up then, even though they will be overruled. So that evening we took a few pictures and here is one of them. Sunday September 26, 2010 We packed the van back up and started our drive to visit Busch Gardens Tampa for the day. It was a beautiful day and started out day trying to figure our way through the park as they had large sections of the park hidden behind construction walls as they are planning a nice coaster attraction for next year. I must say as a family Busch Garden really offered many rides and attractions that a family can do together and for all levels of adventure. We rode some very awesome thrill rides including SheiKa and I just loved dangling over the top when we rode the front seat while the ride positioned itself for the dive. We absolutely loved having a animal habitats mixed in to give our thrill side a break every now and then. The train was very similar (same type) as Kings Island but you travel through and African safari with animals roaming freely (sort of). We enjoyed everything Busch Gardens Tampa had to offer including the food and buying some unique souvenirs. We did not get so see everything we wanted but decided after only a few hours that we will be returning. A BIG momentous occasion occurred for our family while visiting Busch Gardens and I want to share that moment with you. Miss Rae is scared of coasters but rides occasionally if they are small and she feels they won't go very fast. Well I rode Scorpion which is the smallest single looping coaster I have ever ridden and did so to get the coaster credit. After ridding it I approached Miss Rae and her that it was small and if she was ever going to try one that one was the one she should start with. Well everybody started to try to coax and bribe her to go on and finally I told them all in a nice way to give me and Miss Rae some time alone. I have been building trust for years with Miss Rae about riding coasters and never push her to do so. So I said "Miss Rae I do not want to buy you anything and I am not going to push you to ride Scorpion but I have been honest with you for a long time and I am being honest now I know after riding this one you can do it, I will be very proud of you and you know the others will be too but most important you will be proud that you did it and faced your fear of a looping coaster. Please trust me and ride with me just this one time and you know if you want to you can back out". We sat there alone for about 5 minutes hardly speaking but letting her control our conversation and ultimate decision. Well you know by me explaining it that she did nervously agreed she would try. We got up from our seat and I waived everyone to come on and as they entered the line with us I told them we are nervous and need to concentrate and not talk about it. How did it go you may be asking. Look for yourself. I had goose bumps for the rest of the day and at the time we did not realize how much of an impact it had on the rest of the trip when it came to riding coasters. To finish this day up I will end this with a video I made using the Iphone again. <object width="640" height="360"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=cbc9ac78c572cdb5ac3c81826c129f4a%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=112612126%26w=640%26h=360"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=cbc9ac78c572cdb5ac3c81826c129f4a%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=112612126%26w=640%26h=360" width="640" height="360"> </object> We drove back to Disney and had dinner at Boma Café then back to Pop Century Resort. Monday September 27, 2010 I will start this day by letting my video announcement tell you what is store for us on this day as I think it explains it better than trying to type that atmosphere. <object width="640" height="480"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=7ad440ecfeb7e903ed3a1b92263bf73b%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116179525%26w=640%26h=480"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=7ad440ecfeb7e903ed3a1b92263bf73b%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116179525%26w=640%26h=480" width="640" height="480"> </object> Truly truly just an awesome day words can never express a day at Discovery Cove from just the enormous opportunity to experience Sea Life/Mammals up close was tremendous but seeing your children walking around with large smiles on their face was more than I bargained for. When you go to Discovery Cove for the price it includes everything for one price. You may choose to swim with the dolphins or everything but the dolphins swim as long as at least one person in your party does the swim. This includes a entry photo, breakfast and lunch while a live tropical band plays, all drinks (including beer and wine) and snacks, a free 14 day ticket to the your choice of one other SeaWorld central Florida parks, all activities in the park including no charge lockers, animal feed and life vest. The price ranges through the year basically from $199.00 to over $300+ for a day at Discovery Cove. I was pleased when I found a discount online that let me get everyone in for $149.00 per person. We started the day in a bit of a rush to get in on the first dolphin swim so we had to change eat breakfast and pick our lounge chairs in about 50 minutes. But that was fine as it gave us more time for the rest of the park without worrying about being back to meet up for the dolphin swim. The Dolphin swim last a half hour and is a rare opportunity to for a brief moment in time connect with another Mammal. I have a video of my family swimming with Dash and may share that special family time if someone is interested to see that. Otherwise here are some pictures of that time. Miss Rae being pulled around by Dash We spent some time in the Ray Pool We were even given some shrimp to feed the rays <object width="640" height="360"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=e4a354084a2a236a1f9dd1246a5316ac%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=111501768%26w=640%26h=360"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=e4a354084a2a236a1f9dd1246a5316ac%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=111501768%26w=640%26h=360" width="640" height="360"> </object> Then we snorkeled in the Reef Pool for a bit <object width="640" height="360"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=f57bceef069c93fe49816a8585cdf498%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=113761781%26w=640%26h=360"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=f57bceef069c93fe49816a8585cdf498%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=113761781%26w=640%26h=360" width="640" height="360"> </object> Keep in mind that there is no zoom going on with the camera and as you can see there is an abundance of fish and rays. <object width="640" height="360"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=a8a803f15dfed50eaa4b34e965a394ee%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=113761949%26w=640%26h=360"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=a8a803f15dfed50eaa4b34e965a394ee%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=113761949%26w=640%26h=360" width="640" height="360"> </object> We got a little hungry and decided to have one of their many scrumptious lunch dishes while we enjoyed some smooth tropical sounds being played live from the house band. We decided that from there it would be nice to float around the biggest and longest lazy river I have ever seen. Some areas are barley waist deep while other places along the river is very deep <object width="640" height="360"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=82541614b437adb5f8994e4a55bab9eb%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=111500859%26w=640%26h=360"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=82541614b437adb5f8994e4a55bab9eb%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=111500859%26w=640%26h=360" width="640" height="360"> </object> About half way around the lazy river you come upon a huge bird aviary, you can float trough it or get out and bird watch/explore. If you like you can ask a Discovery Cove associate for some food from one of the few feed carts for no charge and enjoy feeding a large variety of birds or do like me and just enjoy the moment of watching you child enjoy the interaction with the birds. <object width="640" height="360"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=76e5854815cd6d0857411dcfa7646ebd%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=111497794%26w=640%26h=360"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=76e5854815cd6d0857411dcfa7646ebd%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=111497794%26w=640%26h=360" width="640" height="360"> </object> After spending a good amount of time in the aviary it was time to finish going around the lazy river. In areas they have some nice props to explore under the water. <object width="640" height="360"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=4e8e360da9dd56a7dcac2172e1b46903%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=111499645%26w=640%26h=360"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=4e8e360da9dd56a7dcac2172e1b46903%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=111499645%26w=640%26h=360" width="640" height="360"> </object> Towards the end of the lazy river there is a glass window below the water that lets you see into the coral reef area. I was surprised how real it seemed looking through the glass under the water. It was like there was nothing there. So after his we went back to our chairs to get a break from the water Travis and Miss Rae stayed at the lounge chairs while Lisa and I went shopping and to purchase some keepsake photos of our day. It is at this point that I must stop and thank someone not just for valuable information through the years he has shared and not just because he helped us save some money but because he exemplifies what a generous, helpful and someone who is willing to go out of their way to help type of person he is. A type of friend everyone hopes for. I am talking about KICentral's very own Deliriun_Guy. Through the years during the planning stages of some of our Orlando trips, Todd contacted me and offered some very valuable information and in turn I started to contact him to ask for advice around the parks. I knew Todd works with Sea World Entertainment and at present at Discovery Cove. So this gave us a great opportunity to meet up while we focused in on touring Sea World parks. I did run into Todd early in the morning on our day at Discovery Cove. Todd checked-in with us a few times and offered us an opportunity to save some money for any purchases we may be interested in and stayed after work to make sure that happened. What a friend. We discussed the rest of our trip plans with Todd and he felt there were a few days he may be able to join us and Sea World was one of those dates YES, I could not think of a better person to show us around Sea World than Todd. I will have more to share on this in later post of this trip report but for now I just want everyone to know how much I appreciate some out of town KICentral hospitality. A big THANK YOU Todd for hanging out with us we really enjoyed your company and generosity. The family says Hi. So at this point the day was starting to wind down and we made a quick run around the lazy river before departing for the day. Here is a short video of my final thoughts about Discovery Cove, notice how much my excitement had changed from earlier in the day. <object width="640" height="480"> <param name="movie" value="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf">'>http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=dfcab37b406a4714cacba3bd32f79790%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116179541%26w=640%26h=480"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" src="http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=player&.swf" flashvars="config=http://albums.phanfare.com/video_config.ashx?m=conf%26hs=dfcab37b406a4714cacba3bd32f79790%26u=1009485%26a=4807297%26i=116179541%26w=640%26h=480" width="640" height="480"> </object> We made our way back to Pop Century to shower say goodbye to my brother Dennis then head for dinner at Artist Point in Disney's Wilderness Lodge. OK this ends this part of this trip report I will try to do the next update within the next few days as long as you all want me to. The first three days were very busy with new adventures so this one is bit longer than what I expect future updates to be. I hope you all enjoyed this one this far and thanks for reading. </w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:lsdexception></w:latentstyles></xml></m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></m:brkbinsub></m:brkbin></m:mathfont></m:mathpr></w:word11kerningpairs></w:dontvertalignintxbx></w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables></w:dontvertaligncellwithsp></w:splitpgbreakandparamark></w:dontgrowautofit></w:useasianbreakrules></w:wraptextwithpunct></w:snaptogridincell></w:breakwrappedtables></w:compatibility></w:donotpromoteqf></w:validateagainstschemas></w:punctuationkerning></w:trackformatting></w:trackmoves></w:worddocument></xml>

Hey Standbyme thanks and great to hear you guys are returning to Disney soon and you need not worry about going, Disney is still great and offers an abundance of activities as always. I certainly would not hesitate in returning but was just referring to the lack of great discounts while they cut back basically paying the same rates for less services. Many visitors will not notice a thing but the dedicated fans do notice and are very inclined to take Universal and Sea World up on their out reach right now. As you know we just returned from our annual trip and had a great time and enjoyed the food and concerts while there (we love the free dinning deal), I am in the process of writing a trip report to share here. J.D. I do not know if you have done Sea World or Busch Gardens Tampa lately or plan to go on this trip but I must say I was thoroughly impressed with Sea World so much so that we ended up going back to Sea World for a second time during the trip. It is a bit different type of park obviously but it was both a relaxing and thrilling. Sea World offers a luau in the evening, I have some great money saving tips for that if you want to go plus you get into the park a bit early and can sneak a ride on Manta. Also Standbyme if you enjoy my Disney updates then you should make sure to keep a close eye-out for Delirium_Guy's post as he has great up-to the minute updates and gets to see things from a different perspective than what we tend to get through the press.I always make sure I read what he has to say on the subject in and around Central Florida.

True in many ways but me personally I think I would rather wait a year for the landscaping if it meant getting a nice atmosphere lighting package this year because it seems once a ride is installed it seldom gets an update for a while. I appreciate either one but it would be a nice touch to have both and they would compliment each other nicely. It would be like building a nice deck in the back yard overlooking a sculpture or waterfall/pond and just putting up a spotlight to illuminate it instead of accent lighting. It adds an additional expense sure but it makes a big difference in overall appearance and enjoyment. Your post reminded me of my visit during Ride Warriors Weekend at Kings Island back in 2009 on May 8th. I was walking with Captain Picard and his wonderful wife from The Beast to go up Coney Mall for a scheduled event and when we got by Juke Box Diner I looked over to the right and seen a bunch of white shirt and tie guys surrounding a one Mr. Kinzel and they are walking up from about the area that the WindSeeker is being planed. Mr Kinzel was very approachable and we had a nice short conversation about Kings Island and I was able to get a quick picture with him. I remember discussing with Captian Picard in wondering if they where discussing a possible new addition around that area as we were a bit perplexed why so many white shirts and Mr. Kinzel would all be in that area together like that. I was hopping that maybe they would be exploring a new addition for 2010 of something like Cedar Points Nights of Fire Show to be put at the end of that area. Obviously that did not happen but now wonder if that meeting had something to do with WindSeeeker placement. I guess we will never know but I thought I would share.

I am personally excited to see the completed WindSeeker standing tall above Kings Island skyline and to see the height looking more and more higher with every step I make walking down Coney Mall. I am also excited to ride WindSeeker for my first time but in truth you probably will not see me running to ride it first everyday or even with every visit as I tend to feel a bit queasy with some rides that go super high while my feet dangle below. What I hope for more than anything with WindSeeker is that it gets some type of light package and not just floodlight typ lighting. I think having a light package will really make the Kings Island skyline really pop and add a fresh look to the evening skyline. I am adding another thought here as it does relate to this topic but relates to other topics as well especially when Kings Island puts out information. I feel that when Kings Island puts out information other than through press releases, they often present it in a heuristic way. I feel this serves them well as most discussion about Kings Island is good, it keeps interest and at times builds excitement for the park. I have come to feel this is in a way good for this community as I have witnessed when some other parks put out information it is often very informative and leaves little out for readers imaginations or for discussion. Sure at times it is a bit frustrating to figure things out but like in this thread it has been a informative learning experience and lead to exploring a variety of scenarios from the past to the future. I mean if we get to far off base it seems a carrier pigeon gets sent from Kings Island to KICrentrals Admin office, so in a way no big harm if we explore the various options. I do enjoy when fellow members offer up their knowledge from their own experience to wild theories as sometimes when a combination of the two gets thrown out there as a group we are challenged to think out side the box, versus just have the plan up front facts on a subject. This community should feel proud because not only do we become more insightful because of heuristic information but because at times when we wonder off base to much at least we have secured job security for carrier pigeons and the KICentral Admin's.

OK I am going to come at this from another angle. Disney World markets itself as a destination vacation spot to be enjoyed every few years, while at the same time enjoy the luxury of having a very loyal fan base who choose to visit on a more regular basis. Back during the 2001 tourist destination collapse, Disney relied heavily on its very loyal fan base and offered deep discounts to those who came often through their annual pass. During the past couple years of economical challenges Disney did not offer as deep of discounts as they did percentage wise as they did several years back to either their loyal fans or to the General public. They announced they had learned from there past and knew how to control cost through cost saving measures, basically cutting out some of the back-up show, middle management positions and so forth while saying that the public will not notice. They even announced late last year that they would not need to offer as deep of discounts as they have the prior few years as it looked like the economy and room occupancy was improving. It was almost like they were wishing for a quicker turn around and thought that if they made a statement like that then everyone would run to the phones to book a great deal when in actuality they were just average discounts. I do not believe that scheme worked well for them as this article shows they are still flat. Add all that to a growing number of visitors who have noticed the cut backs and feel that some of the special Disney Magic is farther in between than it once was and that paying rates twice the amount with less services than their rival across town with a shinny new toy ( Harry Potter) then you have a Olio mix for loyal fans to run across town and enjoy something new. I Think Disney over played their hand and took their loyal fans for granted. I know without a doubt Disney World will realize their misfortune and will figure a way to win back their straying fans. I do believe that the new Fantsyland area in Magic Kingdom will be hard to avoid for any parent of a young princess as they will want their princess to have a fairytale day, if you doubt that just go read Railriders trip report to Disnyland. To be honest at this moment I do not have a standing reservation to return to Disney and this is a first time in many years for that. I think Disney World is a great value compared to other other destinations parks but at this point a bit pricey if they are going to play it safe and not offer the Disney Magic moments as much to help save cost, because when they cut that back then they are just another amusement park and they will find they have others waiting for loyal customers to try what they have. I think Disney needs to understand guests did not mind paying more for their vacation at Disney just as long as they got the full experience. Basically give the people what they want and they will happily pay for it, even in a down economy. CoastersRZ; I hear this time of year is a good time to go without the huge summer crowds. come to think about I suddenly have a craving for a frozen Butter Beer.

Hey buddy, I do not know if you can get away on Friday Dec 10th through Sunday 12th, but if you can you are welcome to join me to go to Sea World, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens Tampa and possible visit to Universal Studios. My brother lives close by so we can stay there and he will be going with me to the parks so he will do all the driving. before you say no consider this fantastic opportunity; Everything except Universal and air fare will cost you only $175.00. keep in mind if you book DC right now it would cost you $199, so for $175 you get a full day at DC including a swim with the dolphins and all your food and snacks that day, a night at Sea World and a day at Busch Gardens. Come on buddy take the plunge and go, I just decided a few days ago to do this and love these kind of spontaneous trips. Todd thanks for the update hopefully you may be available during that weekend, if so I would love to meet up with you for part or all of that weekend.

Keep in mind CoastersRZ that the rest of the other parks are seasonal including 2 of them being stand alone water parks, except BGT which seems to do OK. I am sure with BGT new coaster addition next they will see a big increase with their numbers. Thanks Interpreter for the article, it looks like I will be able to go down on a solo trip in two weeks from today for the weekend. A night at Sea World is on the list.

alluna - there have been various rumors through the years about Disney getting into the stand-alone water park resorts. Here is an article that talked about this very possibility clear back in 2007 http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9159&st=0&p=150174&fromsearch=1entry150174 Obviously nothing so far has happened at least from what we know, unless you count their under construction resort in Hawaii as a water park resort combo.

Coney Islander I am sorry you have not been here long enough to understand where I was coming from in my post (but wish you were) but I know those who have do and more important those that can make a big difference do. I do feel with every new member who joins, this site becomes better as all opinions and points of view help us all understand the amusement park and Kings Island better. I will be the first to admit that I have lots to learn about the amusement park business and owe most of what I do know to KICentral. See it's members like yourself who contribute which makes this place what it is so please do not misunderstand me as saying KICentral is a bad place to go visit but my current opinion is KICentral falls way short of its full potential. But I know all members old and young, new or soiled have a love for Kings Island and love to discuss it here while making great friends. I am glad you are here and contribute with your opinions and thoughts from your point of view and experience. I will Just add one more though here I am glad to have been a member here and enjoyed everything it has given me through the years but more importantly I am thankful of the great friendships that I have now due to this site.