 |  |
| Discussion Boards | Reviews | News | Trip Planning | Shop | Travel | Site Map |
| Disney Trip Report Archive An archive of reader-submitted trip reports | |
| Alex Stroup, editor | Search just the Trip Report Archive. |
|
Sue Holland -- January 2002 -- Walt Disney World (Offsite, AKL)Who/When/Where:
INTRODUCTION: This trip was originally planned as another ladies weekend for Kathy & I, then evolved to include Chris and possibly her sons, and then she ended up being at this resort with all of her kids over Christmas. Her kids are pretty much sick of WDW, and would rather be at home near their friends, so since Kathy had just been here for a longer stay she had second thoughts about this trip (particularly since she works on the weekend). In the meantime, Tim had been talking about taking Chris to WDW for a weekend after the holidays, and I had told him he could come along this weekend and share the cost of the rooms. That might sound strange for 2 divorced people to take a vacation together, but we have remained friends and can enjoy each other's company, so it's really no big deal. It finally ended up that the trip would be just the 3 of us. So, we have the divorced parents and the teen heading to WDW for 2 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge....concierge level. Chris, a friend of his, and I had spent an evening there with Kathy last Labor Day weekend, and we both loved the concierge lounge. Chris & his friend enjoyed running around between the pool and the lounge while wearing the bathrobes that were in the room! He had told Tim all about it, which is what got Tim interested. Tim is an experienced WDW veteran, although he goes much less often than Chris or me. He will probably be more interested in the parks, but that is ok with me - he & Chris can head to the parks and I will enjoy some solo time relaxing. Tim has never seen the resort, so it will be fun to see how he reacts to it! I have a special surprise scheduled for the morning of our arrival....the Sunrise Safari. This is a private safari at the park, available only to concierge guests at AKL. Following the safari there is a huge breakfast buffet prepared by an African chef. They limit this to 28 guests per day, and it is only done on Saturdays and Tuesdays, for an additional $40/person. Tim's birthday was January 1st, so this is his birthday gift. We decided early on that since we were paying for concierge, we wanted to arrive as early as possible. The best way to do that is to arrive the night before, and stay somewhere else <g>. I found a great rate at the Hampton Inn Maingate East (about $50), and booked it. Tim & Chris are both students, so we will drive up once Tim is finished with his class. Tim wants to go to Comedy Warehouse that night, and I have never been one to say no to that idea! We will go pick up my friend Leesa and bring her with us, and then Nancy or another friend will give her a ride home after getting off work at Pleasure Island. At one point I thought I might spend evenings at the resort, in the lounge, but realistically I imagine I will not be able to resist returning to the Comedy Warehouse. Hopefully paying for this concierge stuff will not be a waste for me <g>. So far the weather looks nice and warm, so I may head to Typhoon Lagoon while Tim & Chris fight the crowds in the theme parks. I think Tim will have the Florida resident 4-day hopper pass that is being sold for $99, so he will not have access to the water parks or DisneyQuest without buying a single day ticket. It will be a short trip, but a short trip is better than no trip :-) The plans so far... Fri 1/18: Work, Pick up Leesa, Check in at Hampton Inn, Comedy Warehouse Sat 1/19: Check in AKL, Sunrise Safari, Typhoon Lagoon? or a park, Comedy Warehouse Sun 1/20: Some park, Comedy Warehouse?? Mon 1/21: Park(s), Drive home DAY 1 - FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2002:
Actual: I left work early and drove home, where Tim picked me up at noon. After stops at the post office, bank, and Chris' school, we were on the road for real about 1, and arrived at Leesa's right on time at 4pm. We gathered her and her stuff up and headed for Downtown Disney, parking at Planet Hollywood and walking over the West Side. It was not crowded, but there seemed to be a disproportionate number of people with strange hair colors and unusual clothing - we're talking bright yellow hair, a fire engine red beard, etc. We went into Wolfgang Puck Express and the guy working asked if we were going to the show - so evidently there must have been a concert or something at House of Blues that was attracting the unusual looking young people <g>. We all got dinner - Tim & Chris each got the chicken fingers with macaroni & cheese, I got the caprese salad, and Leesa got the teriyaki chicken special. It was a zoo getting through the cash register, since only 1 was open, and there were a couple of large families trying to get through. The food was all great, as usual! The chicken fingers are now your basic WDW chicken finger - not the ones they used to serve. Both versions are very good, though. Chris & Leesa both got a strawberry smoothie, but Chris says the ones inside DisneyQuest are much better. I bought a package of the chocolate raspberry fudge - we all tried it and I gave the rest to Nancy, since we would have snacks in the concierge lounge. After dinner we walked around the Marketplace - much busier than the West Side, but not too bad. At Ghiradelli they were giving out samples of the whole filled squares...very generous - and delicious! The sunset over the lake was really pretty tonight, and it was a beautiful night to be outside. We entered Pleasure Island around 6:30, and made our way to the Comedy Warehouse. The line did not start forming until almost 7pm, and then it filled in fairly quickly. We counted, and were seated in long row, just where we wanted. I was surprised to see Jim Roberts on the keys tonight (it is not one of his usual nights), but it's always nice to see him. The 7:10 featured Philip, Jake, Greg, Jen B, and Mary - an excellent cast! They did the Should Have Said game with Mary, and then did the Madrigal Singers. In this, one actor is the conductor, and the other 4 make up a short song about some made-up tabloid headline. After their initial turn, they then mix up words from the 4 different songs to create new ones. It's almost always very funny, and tonight was no exception. They also did Cliché this show, which is unusual (generally it is done during one of the last few shows). Philip was tortured, and had to guess "The closer you get to my van, the harder I'll fart to blow you away". He struggled with a couple of the words, but it was very funny. Overall it was a good show - especially for the first one of the night. We went outside right away, and found another regular - David sitting there with his girlfriend waiting for the next show. Leesa and I chatted with them until we were all let back in. This time Tim & Chris chose to sit behind us in long row - perhaps to lean against the wall. For this show (8:15) we had Jake, Todd, Greg, Mary, & Jen B. Jen called different styles for a scene done by Greg and Mary that was excellent! Those 2 are extremely talented and work well together. They also did the Schmeopardy game this show, with Greg as the host Milton Bradley. Jen was the best contestant - a valet parker in business for herself (basically a car thief). After this show Tim & Chris went up to the street for a minute, and Leesa went to talk to Jim Roberts. I waited around, and then when the rest of the guests had cleared out Mary saw I was still there and came over with a hug. Soon Greg came out from backstage & joined us - also with a hug. Usually there is a longer gap between my visits - I started to ask him how he'd been, and we both realized it had only been less than 2 weeks! He was heading on break, but cm Joe came by and we talked for a while. I knew it was getting late, but Leesa was still busy with Jim, so I just stayed put. Krista came by and asked if she could let someone in now...Joe told her yes, so she opened the back door to let in her sister and nephew. Tim & Chris were there, and followed them in, surprising Krista. She turned and said to Joe - "I don't know them", thinking they wandered in off the street. I told her they were with me, so it was ok. We took our seats in long row and the 9:20 show featured Krista, Mary, Philip, Jen B & Todd. They opened with the name rhyme game, which Todd won. They did a musical about a toothbrush, with Jen interrupting every so often to get a suggestion from the audience. The main character ended up being Krista as Boobs McGee - an ex-Hooters waitress who went to school to fulfill her dream of being a dental hygienist. Philip set the character up - by describing her oversized breasts, and she later told us she was in the back putting on the big perky ones, but then he mentioned they were so big they dragged on the floor, so she was backstage ripping those off and putting the pair of big melons that hang to the waist on instead...frantically rushing to get out there on time <g>. It was a pretty funny musical, and anytime Krista has reason to sing that's a good thing...her voice is gorgeous! they also did Up Your Alley this show, with Krista as the host Savannah Georgia. Tonight's topic was why hot dogs and hot dog buns do not come with the same number of each in the package. Philip had the funniest character - a proper Englishman named Nigel Soggybottom. They pushed the limits of what's acceptable on a Disney stage a little - particularly Philip, and it was an excellent show! We headed back outside, where Nancy was waiting for us. We spent her break time talking to her, and Tim got to meet her. He grew up in the town she lives in now. Nancy went back to work, and then Krista came out. We have seen each other and said hi for years, but had never really had a conversation (that I can recall), so it was nice chatting (mostly non-Warehouse stuff) with her. She seems very down to earth. When it was time, we went back in for our last show - the 10:40 show. This time we had Krista, Greg, Philip, Jake & Jen B. This show they did the Conducted Story, with Philip as the conductor. The story was titled "Help Mom, I'm a potter" and Jen ended up as the winner, having to wrap up the story of a depressed young man who was thrown out of the house after his mother caught him in bed with a girlfriend. They went to Macy's to apply for jobs as Santa & Mrs. Claus and when the girl did not get hired she turned into a bat-like creature and was flying all over the city. Finally Jen explained that it was all a bad dream, that the guy was smoking marijuana, hence the title about being a "potter". It was a great show. Nancy came in when it was done, and took Chris to her car to get some information she had for me - she was giving Leesa a ride home. Tim & I left PI and met Chris where Nancy told us to go, then drove back to the Hampton Inn. A little bit on the hotel - it's a decent place, with interior hallways and nice clean rooms. The furnishings are Hampton Inn quality, as opposed to a luxury hotel. The bathroom has a sink in the bathroom and another one right outside the door, which is a nice feature. We've got 2 double beds and the usual other furniture you'd find in a basic hotel room. I like the free local phone calls at Hampton Inns, and they usually have an acceptable continental breakfast (free) each morning - but we will not bother with that this trip. We told Tim about the Sunrise Safari tonight! Last year he & Chris did the Kilamanjaro Safari but it was so cold hardly any animals were out. He had been saying how he hoped to see more animals this year, so we let him in on the secret <g>. Back in the room, we got ready for bed and I got online to do the report. Tim mentioned something about his snoring, and my jaw dropped. When we were married he did not snore, so I had not checked for the possibility that he does now......my friends know I cannot stand to be in a room with anyone who snores, even slightly <g>. YUCK...I was hoping he was kidding, but soon learned he was not. Damn....I imagine he will be asleep before me every freakin' night - so he may have to sleep on the balcony or in the bathtub! I guess if we have any future trips together we will have separate rooms. Chris teased him...about not saying anything until *after* we checked in! Hopefully we can figure something out - since I do not want to be awake for 3 days straight! The day went well, and we did everything planned. The shows were even better than expected, and it was fun seeing my Orlando friends again :-) DAY 2 - SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2002:
Actual: It was a long night. I tried to go to sleep at 1:30, but was unable to sleep at all until after 3:45. I yelled over to Tim a couple of times, but he was unaware he was snoring, and as soon as he'd fall asleep it would start up again. Finally he kind of kept himself awake from about 4am on, so I was able to at least nap until it was time to get up at 5! I ended up resetting the alarm for an extra half hour, though. I forgot to mention - last night when we got back to our room we could see the PI fireworks from our window, which was a nice surprise. We showered & dressed, and were out the door by 6:45. The drive to Animal Kingdom Lodge was easy, and we got there right around 7. We were met at the valet parking area and taken (with our luggage) to the concierge lounge to pick up our keys, and then directly to our room. As requested, we are on the 5th floor with a view of the Arusha Rock Savannah. The room is nice - interesting, but rather cramped, and dark. I can see how Larry was not happy with the lighting in here - it is definitely a bit dark for reading. We have a queen bed (mine), with bunk beds (Chris on the top, Tim on the bottom), and a daybed (first person to arrive after reading this gets it <g>). We've got a great view, and hopefully all the animals will circulate through. We returned to the lounge to await the Sunrise Safari. The breakfast offerings look pretty ordinary - cereals, pastries, juice, coffee. We asked for some bottled water and the concierge asked how many we wanted - it's available at no charge :-) Pretty much anything we want is available to us, at no charge. The safari guides met us and took us downstairs to board a Disney bus. The bus took us backstage at the Animal Kingdom park, and the guide explained all of the buildings and things we were passing. No camera usage was allowed in the backstage area, but I can't think of anything backstage that would be worth taking a picture of - it's all just ordinary looking buildings. We found out the AKL Resort sits on 74 acres, which includes 3 11-acre savannahs. The animals here are separate from the ones at the park. At the resort the animals are out 22 hours per day. We were dropped off on the backstage side of Harambe and entered the park to board our safari vehicle (one of the same ones from the attraction). It was an excellent safari - we saw every single animal, including the lions and cheetahs. Some were particularly close to the jeep, and the driver just parked so we would have plenty of time for taking pictures or just watching the animals. We saw the young giraffe chasing after some of the tommies and an adult giraffe, and later saw one of the zebra chasing some other antelope. One of the mandrill baboons was carrying her baby around, and he or she was adorable. The guide himself said this was one of the better safari's, since every animal was out and active. He also gave us truthful answers to some of the questions guests ask on the regular safari. There, the cm must lie and give and the Disney answer, but on a backstage tour they can tell the truth. Guests were permitted to ask all the questions they could think of, and the guides were very knowledgeable. The lady behind me asked the "Stupid Question of the Day" - did they (Disney) groom the lions. The guide looked a bit stunned, and other guests tried not to snicker <g>. He explained that these are wild animals and they do not go into the same room as them. He also said they generally do a good job of grooming themselves, but if they did not do it for some reason then they would just stink....nobody was going to groom them! Later this family sat next to us at the breakfast, and Tim mentioned that while I was up getting food this same brilliant woman was telling her family that she did not believe most of what the guide had told us...they could not possibly train the animals to do any of the stuff he said they did. Duh...some people are in their own little world I guess! After the safari we were walked back into Harambe as a group, but wouldn't you know along the way we lost part of the group.....anyone guess *which* idiot family it was?? When they did not turn up in a reasonable period (keep in mind the park had just barely opened, and there was nothing to stop at along our way, and we were walking *together*....sigh) the guide went back to find them and showed up with them after the breakfast had been explained to the rest of us. They had a separate room in the Tusker House set up for us, with a magnificent buffet with many unusual items. I wish they had labeled each plate, rather than just mentioning them all before we went up there. It was hard to figure out what some things were, and I did not want to hold up the people behind me by having a cm come over. The things I remember are banana French toast, 3 cheese omelet, eggs, ham, bacon, many sausages, biscuits & gravy, salmon cake, some cornmeal thing, breads/pastries, cereals, lots of fruit items, juices & beverages. I expected to love the French toast, but left over half of the piece on my plate. It was coated in sugar (& perhaps cinnamon) and tasted like banana but it was too strong for my taste. One particular sausage was excellent, and came with sautéed onions and peppers - that was delicious! The cm's encouraged us to ask for anything we did not see, and they would get it for us. We ate until we were full, and before leaving a cm gave us 3 Fastpasses for the regular safari. The Sunrise Safari was a big hit - Tim gives it 2 thumbs up, and repeated commented that it was awesome. Chris wants to do it again, so perhaps when we are back in July with Larry & his family we can do it - if Larry is interested. None of us was interested in doing the other safari, and after doing the special one I would think the regular one would be a letdown! On the way out of the park we found a family of 3 and gave the Fastpasses to them. We made a quick stop on the Pangani Forest Trail to look for Gus, but he was nowhere to be seen. Only one of the bachelors was out, and none on the family side (unless they were down by the glass - we did not go past that part). We left the park at this point, and must have just missed the bus because it seemed like an awful long wait. A friend of Tim's called and razzed him about the snoring <g>. Tim couldn't figure out how the friend knew he snored....lol....but he does now. Back at the resort we went up to the room and changed into shorts. It is quite warm today - expected to get into the 80's. We stopped in the lounge to pick up more water & soda to take with us, and the concierge mentioned Kathy being one of their loyal repeat guests. I told her Kathy was the friend who introduced me to AKL concierge. We headed out to the bus stop, and boarded the waiting Epcot bus. There were long lines at the ticket booths...people waiting to buy tickets. I swear each window had a line at least 40 people deep. The lines to get through security were not too bad, and then there were more delays at the turnstiles. They had 1 cm working 2 turnstiles, and unfortunately it seemed like nobody except us knew how to insert the pass and do the biometric thing. Surely they are not all first-timers??? We went to Test Track, where Tim & I used the single rider line and then caught up with Chris where the new cars are kept. We spent quite a bit of time in there, since they both like cars. Next they went to Ice Station Cool for soda while I sat outside waiting. World Showcase had just opened, so we walked to Norway and rode the Maelstrom. Chris decided to ride a second time, and I decided to head back to the resort. Frankly, I am exhausted, but I also wanted to get the pictures transferred from the digital camera so I could get "caught up". Typhoon Lagoon will wait for another day, or another trip. It was a short wait for the bus back to AKL, with me as the only passenger. I stopped by the lounge to see what their lunchtime snacks were, and was surprised to see it consisted of mixed nuts, pretzels, cheddar goldfish, Gummi bears, and stuff like that - no real food or good stuff <g>. One of the concierge staff came over and asked if she could get me anything - a bottle of water, soda, etc. I got a bottle of water and returned to the room to update the report and download the pictures. The guys came back about 2, and sat in the lounge for a little while. Tim said he had never seen Epcot so uncrowded. The animal feeders were moving around on our savannah, so we figured soon we would have something to look at - so far it had been pretty empty out there except for some pelicans. Tim & Chris had looked in Epcot for earplugs, but found none. I decided to head out with the car and try. It took 2 stops, but I finally found some - and filled the car up with gas while I was out. I had planned to self park the car, since I hate the possibility of having to wait for the car to be brought up, but the lot was so full I decided to just bring it back to valet, since we had paid for the whole day anyway. Back upstairs the 2 guys were taking naps, so I checked out the Afternoon Tea offerings in the concierge lounge. They still had the gummi bears & cheddar goldfish, but the other stuff was replaced by tea cookies, rice krispie treats, and the absolute BEST brownies! Now this was more like it, lol! Everything is nice & small, so you can try a number of things. I went back to the room and got online to check email and post the 1st installment of today's report. Finally, around 3:40 or so we had a zebra out back <g>. Soon lots of antelope were directly below my balcony, and I could see giraffes getting closer. By 5 everyone had woken up from their naps and was ready to return to the lounge for the Twilight Offerings. WOW - was this wonderful! :-) Among the many items available were tamarind pork on a skewer, beef satay on a skewer, Durban chicken on a skewer, vegetable wrap, tamarind chicken flatbread, veggie flatbread, chicken nuggets, peanut butter & jelly pockets, cheeses, crackers, spicy shredded beef, and a few other items. Also, the Cape Indaba wine was out - chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot. I ate & drank far too much, lol - encouraged by the evil concierge staff who kept pointing out that I was on vacation <g>. They brought out my favorite sauce - Boma Mustard, when I asked about it. It's great with the Durban chicken - just like the sugar cane chicken from the food & wine festival. We spent almost an hour and a half in the lounge before I left to head to PI. Between the 3 of us we tried just about everything, and everything was declared delicious. Chris and Tim are drinking that African Smooth juice like it's going out of style, but I stuck with my wine. The only thing missing was Kathy....at the AKL concierge lounge she is supposed to be here! I headed for PI about 6:30. This time I called valet from the room - they assured me they would bring the car around right away. Hey, I might just get used to this! By the time I got downstairs the car was just arriving. Parking at PI was a nightmare again. They had the sign up at the first West Side entrance to turn here for Downtown Disney parking, and I learned my lesson last trip so I turned right in. Good thing - they had the next parking lot blocked off with traffic cones! I ended up parking at Cirque du Soleil, in the farthest row - by the main road. I hurried over to PI and went right to the Warehouse. Virginia and Bob were in line so I joined them and we became a party of 3 for the first show. Virginia commented that I usually ended up in line with them, so I asked her what number they counted to....not knowing if they were so anal as to count people like some of the rest of us <g>. They immediately gave their number, which was just 1 or 2 off from mine, lol, so that is why we unintentionally end up together in line when we are all here. The time passed quickly because we were talking, and we ended up seated in long row :-) The 7:10 show featured Josh, Greg, Jen K, Krista, and Philip. They opened with the name rhyme game, and then Jen called Styles for a skit done by Philip & Krista. I forget what it was about, but it pretty much dragged, and was not as good as I expected. The show got better during Up Your Alley, which was about wine tonight. Philip was the host, Dr. Jim Konofel Huffelfinger. Greg was Kenny Sutter Home, a very gay guy who promotes drinking. Josh was a guy who was always drunk from wine bought at the local 7-11 store. Jen was Jessy, a 6 yr old with a 3 yr old sister who whines. I noticed the jerk guy from NY who had been so obnoxious during all of the shows on my last night of the last trip, but thankfully this show he just sat there and enjoyed the show. When the show was done I left immediately to get in line again, and ended up seated in the row behind tech row for the 8:15 show. There was an empty seat next to me and eventually it got filled - with none other than NY guy (Brooklyn, according to him). This time he ordered a drink, so after sucking down 16 ounces of beer in 10 minutes he started *participating* more in this show. I ignored him. He had no interest in me - but was actively trying to pick up these 2 drunk women across the aisle. It was like a sitcom, lol! Greg opened this show, and was joined by Philip, Krista, Jen K & Christine. They did Emotions, with Greg & Krista calling for Jen & Chris. They acted a scene, and from time to time would have to change to the emotion called for them. It is usually funny, and tonight was no exception. They also did Schmeopardy, which was very funny. Jen was the host - Big Bertha. Contestants were Krista as Liv Tower - a custom elevator installer, Greg as Helen Degeneres - a lesbian PE teacher, and a hysterical Philip as Grandpa Bob - a guy who does nothing but watch cartoons and other kids' TV shows. He had his pants hitched up over his belly, and a bald wig on, and made exaggerated facial expressions (typical for Philip <g>). This show was much better than the first one. In my haste to return to AKL before the lounge closed, I forgot to stick around to talk to Jen K about the email her computer had sent me while she was out of town a couple of weeks ago. I waved goodbye to Greg on the way out, and high-tailed it back to Cirque to get the car. Back at AKL I self-parked this time, and stopped at the concierge lounge before returning to the room. There were only a couple of guests, and not much food left. I got another little brownie, and a couple of small chocolate cake things, and a couple of caramel truffles. To drink I took a glass of water (Vittel?) and a glass of Bailey's Irish Cream over ice. When I got to the room, they were evidently listening for me....when I opened the door the room was dark and quiet, so I tried to be quiet coming in. As I passed the end of the bunk beds, Tim started with a fake LOUD snore - obviously they were both awake and playing games <g>. They had been disappointed with the desserts in the lounge, but said the oatmeal raisin cookies were very good. Tim had a Bailey's and Kahlua, and Chris had a cafe latte with his desserts. Tim mentioned the crickets outside were very loud, and when Chris opened the door to the balcony, I couldn't believe the racket from those things! Either Disney is piping in that sound, or this resort is infested with the noisy bugs! I got changed and got into my bed to finish the report (will save the online time for tomorrow) and decided to put in the ear plugs. After a few tries, it seemed to work. Of course, I could see them over there talking about me and laughing....but that's nothing new! It was another good Disney day, and we did everything planned. I feel like I've been on vacation longer than just a day and a half - perhaps that's because I am tired from lack of sleep?? Memorable question of the day...from Tim to me: Do you always walk this fast?? Not everyone thinks I walk fast, but I many do - I guess since he's OLDER than me it is hard to keep up <g>. Not sure what Chris' excuse is, though! DAY 3 - SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2002:
Actual: With the ear plugs last night, I SLEPT! I slept for almost 7 hours! It felt great <g>! However, the earplugs are something I cannot use for very long, as one of my ears is already a little sore from having something in there all night. However, it's the price I am willing to pay in order to get some sleep - I will still stick to solo travel though, unless I get a written guarantee from the other person that they are snore-free ;-) I got up at 6:30 and showered - the showers here are wonderful. I went up to the lounge and got a latte, which was delicious. They had a bunch of pastries & cereal up there, so I grabbed a small apple turnover which was pretty good. The guys were still in bed, but Tim got up around 7:30 to get ready, and Chris soon followed. 3 people tried to claim the daybed yesterday, but the winner was Maria. That figures, since she was stalking from the savannah and had the least distance to get here <g>. She could have brought John, since I had room for another person in my bed, but for some reason she did not think to ask about that. Today it is supposed to be cloudy, and since my many umbrellas are in my car in Ft Myers, I am hoping it will not rain. We have some antelope and a zebra roaming around outside, and a truck is most likely putting food out. From the rooms across the hall, they see giraffes this time of day. While waiting for the guys to get ready I checked email and talked to Kathy and then Darla for a while. Darla is a digital camera collector <g>, and just bought her latest new model! She's the expert I went to when researching which one I wanted. I joined the guys in the lounge and had another latte, along with a taste of the oatmeal. I ordinarily do not like oatmeal at all, but at Kathy's recommendation gave this a try. It was not awful, but not something I really want to try again. I imagine if you like oatmeal, this would taste wonderful! A ladybug was crawling on our table, so Chris carried it until he was able to release it outdoors. Tim suggested he treat us to dinner somewhere tonight, but with the concierge stuff available for dinner we decided on lunch tomorrow instead, and we picked someplace he wanted to try. There really isn't anywhere Chris & I like that we don't go to all the time, and Tim is here less frequently. We went out to the car, and Tim suggested I drive - it is bad enough driving a strange car, but it is especially stressful when that car's owner is in the car! His clutch is totally different from mine, and it takes me a while to get used to it so it doesn't sound like I'm racing the engine when I start moving - he commented "well, there goes a half tank of gas"! We managed to make to the Grand Floridian without using up all of the gas I bought yesterday, and from there got on the waiting monorail to the Magic Kingdom. It was 9:30 and the entrance was jam packed due to the ridiculous security measures. Chris went up ahead and got in the Guest Services line since he had no packages and Tim would need to exchange his voucher for an actual pass. By the time Tim & I got through security, Chris was next in line. Tim decided to upgrade his unused 4 day pass for a FL Resident Seasonal, and then we went into the MK. First stop was Tomorrowland, where I got a 10:20 Fastpass for Space Mountain while they were getting 10:15 Fastpasses for Buzz Lightyear. We rode the Haunted Mansion - there was not any real wait, but the group of people let in filled the entire room. We walked through Fantasyland, but did not stop to ride anything there. It did not feel horribly congested, but just about everything had 30 minute waits. We decided to ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, where we ran into another "idiot family". This group I think was trying to manage to be in the front car, so they stood still and blocked access for everyone. Most places that would be no big deal...so it takes a few minutes longer to get on the ride, but here it was very busy (we had to wait in line to get through the turnstile) and we were on a moving ramp that does not stop just because there is nowhere for us to go! People starting bunching together, and finally the cm came over and made them move their butts onto the loading area before people behind us got hurt! By the time we finished our ride on the TTA it was time for our Fastpass return. Tim & Chris claimed their Buzz guns were not working right, as they had pitifully low scores. I had a great ride on Space Mountain - the track felt really fast for some reason, and it was lots of fun. I was slightly delayed by an idiot dad, though. This man & his very small daughter tried to enter with 2 Fastpasses. The cm standing there with the measuring stick stopped them and the little girl was so far below the bar I swear I could have waved my hand under there without hitting either the stick or the top of the girl's head! The dad kept telling the cm she had ridden it many times before.....yeah, sure <g>. Unless the kid shrunk about 2 inches overnight, the dad was lying through his teeth. The cm just kept saying "No, Sir", "No, Sir", "NO Sir" until the dad took her and left. Maybe she'll be big enough on next year's vacation. The cm did not offer one of those front of the line passes I have heard about for kids who try to ride but are too short. Maybe if the dad had not tried to push it with a lie the cm would have been more accommodating. I met up with the others and Chris wanted to ride the Jungle Cruise so we headed there to check it out. The wait was posted at 30 minutes, but the line extended beyond that point. The Fastpass machines were not open, so we did not have the option of getting a Fastpass and doing something else in the interim. So, we decided to just leave the MK. We stopped at the candy store on the way out, and got some truffles. They were also giving out samples of the new Disney coffee and some fudge and chocolate covered pretzels. We rode the boat over to Wilderness Lodge and rented a 4-seater Surrey Bike. DVC members get a 10% discount, but with the tax it still costs almost $20 for a half-hour. We rode on the trail over to Ft Wilderness, but once there found that the Surreys are not permitted on the regular bike trails (which does make sense). We rode back, and were gone less than the 30 minutes allowed. After returning the bike we showed Tim the Villas units and the lobby area/Iron Spike Room. The DVC cm was saying VWL is expected to be sold out in 2 weeks, and confirmed the price of points was going up in June. She had not heard anything about Beach Club Villas points going on sale in February - she only knew by Fall they would be on sale. I think I read on the internet that February 3rd was the start of pre-sales. We returned to the dock and just missed the boat that would eventually reach the Contemporary, so we rode back to the MK instead. From there we boarded the monorail and rode around to the Grand Floridian. Kathy was working but was not busy so we got to have a nice visit with her. Chris thinks she's really cool, and Tim really liked her also. She'd brought in some stuff to show me, and I had some things for her. We talked about doing an AKL concierge stay together, and if we do, we'll do a girls room and a boys room - so I can sleep! Kathy will let us know when any great *deals* can be had :-) Tim is definitely hooked on this concierge stuff - and I could never stay at AKL and not do concierge. However, I have no desire to try concierge at any of the other resorts. We said goodbye to Kathy and drove back to the AKL, stopping to allow a large group of wild turkeys to get themselves out of the road over by the Magnolia Golf Course. We were hungry, so we headed to Mara and got lunch to go. Tim & Chris each got the bacon double cheeseburger and fries, and I got a cup of the chicken pepper pot soup. We brought our food up to the concierge lounge and got our beverages for free up there. Tim's loving the African Smooth juice, so he drinks that all the time. I had more of the very expensive Vittel water, which tastes the same to me as any water....whether from a bottle or from the tap. I tried some of the snack stuff - they have a spicy trail mix that was good, and pumpkin seeds that are already out of the shell, so they are not salty at all. Lunch was great, but there was so much chicken in the soup I was unable to finish it. We got to meet Beau (cm) - Kathy, he said they are going to keep a room ready for you to move into here! If so, I know where I will spend my weekends <g>. I left them in the lounge and returned to the room to start on the report, and was disappointed to find that housekeeping had not been there yet. When we left at 8 we purposely put the "Service Room" sign out to signal that we wanted it cleaned up quickly. Now it was 3pm and it was still a mess! I knew Tim & Chris were planning another snore-fest, so I went up to the lounge and talked to the concierge. She called the housekeeping manager to have someone sent right over. When 2 of them arrived, we just had them do the basic stuff - to get it over with quicker, since we had no plans to be anywhere other than in the room. At 3:30 Chris & I went back to the lounge to check out the Afternoon Tea stuff. I swear, staying on concierge for very long would be way too fattening...I am not used to eating so much and am almost looking forward to going home so I can stop feeling so full! Simply not eating it would be a logical solution, but that's no fun! We brought back a plate full of brownies, rice krispie treats, and a tea cookie. Fortunately, Chris ate just about all of it - I just had a couple of bites of one of the brownies. I did get a decaf latte - those things are good! I downloaded the few pictures I had taken today, then escaped to the balcony with the laptop to stay out of earshot of the snorefest! It was very reminiscent of when we were married - Tim & Chris napping away Sunday afternoon while cartoons were on the TV.....the only thing different was having zebra, giraffe and antelope roaming around in the "yard" <g>! Shortly after 5 Chris went in to wake up Tim. It was time for dinner - and I was still full from the last latte. It was nice spending the afternoon on the balcony - except for the loudly talking neighbors on the next balcony. I know more about his lawsuit against his employer, how much the settlement was, what prescription drugs he's on now, and how much he saved on car insurance for his daughter while she's in college than I ever wanted to know <g>. We went to the lounge, where tonight's offerings included salmon, chicken wings, pork tamarind, chicken nuggets, veggie wrap, tamarind chicken flatbread, veggie flatbread, cheeses, crackers, and a few other things. They had all the sauces out tonight, too. I was stuffed, so basically just drank wine and had a few crackers with cheese and a chicken wing. Chris was not hungry either - I am not sure when was the last time that happened! Tim was the only one who really ate. Chris walked around taking pictures with the digital camera, taking pictures for a future article. He did a good job, so I will make sure to give him the photo credit. We stayed in the lounge after dinner, and waited for the desserts. Actually, it is so comfortable up there it is hard to leave! Priscilla came over to talk to us for a while, and when the football game ended they were going to bring us a DVD but we decided to watch the Golden Globe pre-show and awards instead. People started arriving before dessert, with one lady commenting to me "you were here when we left" ;-) I had decided to skip Comedy Warehouse. As much as I love that place, after a few glasses of wine I figured I was better of just staying put. When dessert came out they had chocolate mousse tarts, a vanilla custard tart with fruit on top, cookies, and the same stuff from afternoon tea. I poured a glass of Bailey's over ice, and Tim got a latte with Bailey's. We only ate a little bit - all too full to do much damage <g>. Around 8:30 the guys each got a soda to go, and we headed back to the room to watch the Golden Globes from our beds. I was able to get online - so it was a typical Sunday night for me....on the laptop in bed, with the TV on mostly being ignored <g>. We were surprised to find we had received turndown service, but last night I had put the do not disturb sign out when we left the room, so that would be why we did not get it last night. Chocolate mints were on each bed, each bed was turned down, the robe was laying across the bottom of my bed, and they had left a card with an African proverb. They had also emptied the trash again. We did not really follow the plan for today, but it was a great day. I am glad we got to see Kathy, and have really enjoyed the time spent here at the resort. Oh yeah, we went to the Magic Kingdom - big deal <g>. The Comedy Warehouse will be waiting for me in a few weeks when I return, and I do not regret missing it tonight. When we got back to the room, Tim went out on the balcony and called to Chris to come out and see the sky writing from PI.....he said it was saying "Sue, where are you?"! He was probably just kidding, though <g>. Tomorrow will be a short day - a leisurely morning (no alarm set) followed by lunch at Planet Hollywood and then heading home. I will get the rest of the pictures posted and post the URL in tomorrow's report, which will be the final installment....posted after we get home. DAY 4 - MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2002:
Actual: Last night we watched the Illuminations fireworks from the room - never expected that! I also saw Christine of the Warehouse in a TV commercial for a hospital - I was saying "That's Christine" and Tim was saying "Who???" - lol. Anyway, the guys were asleep by 10:30, despite their naps, and I turned out the light around 11:30. I did not sleep as well as last night, perhaps because I was not exhausted! Wearing earplugs just feels strange, and I kept waking up. Finally at 7 I turned on the TV, and Tim got up a few minutes later. We've been sleeping with the drapes open, so I could see it was somewhat foggy, but it burned off quickly. Some zebra were out and soon the big-horned antelope came by. The express checkout was on the door - along with a note wishing us a safe voyage and advising us of the weather conditions back home. The USA Today newspaper was also out there. I noticed on the bill that they had not charged us for valet parking - we only had it in valet for part of the first day, so I am not sure whether it is no charge for concierge guests or whether we were not charged because the car was not in valet overnight. After showering I went up to the lounge and brought back lattes for Chris & me. It looks like just about everyone is checking out today, judging from all of the express checkouts hanging on doorknobs! We went up to the lounge for breakfast shortly after 8. I am going to miss this latte machine, but we could not think of a way to sneak it out of there and strap it to the car for the 200 mile trip home! Tim is whining about leaving also - claiming this resort is his home now <g>. We eventually ended up leaving the resort around 9. We drove to the Boardwalk and killed some time walking around the lake. Tim had never seen Stormalong Bay, so we walked through there. At the Beach Club I took a couple of pictures of the DVC construction - it is really coming along! Back at the Boardwalk we stopped in the bakery to get some chocolate/vanilla pretzels to bring home. They are still using the granulated sugar, but at least they have added back the drizzled chocolate icing again. We left the Boardwalk and drove to Old Key West, arriving around 10 am. It was still cloudy, so we left the laptop and everything in the trunk. At Hank's we rented 3 bicycles and rode around this resort and the Disney Institute. The Institute was very strange - most buildings were not occupied, and I could see in the windows that the beds were stripped bare and some of the furniture was stacked up. No cars were in the parking lot at all in many places. It looked like the Town homes were completely empty and only a few of the Bungalows had occupants. After returning the bikes we browsed in the shop before catching the bus to Downtown Disney. We got off at PI and went for lunch at Planet Hollywood. We were seated without a wait, since they were not busy at all. I got their LA Lasagna, and brought 1/2 of it home. Chris got fajitas and Tim got the bbq pork sandwich. They also shared the spinach/parmesan cheese dip. We were all pretty stuffed when we got out of there, and walked back to the Marketplace. By now the sun was shining, and we had a very pleasant ride on the Trumbo Ferry back to OKWR. We were ready to head home at this point, so we left pretty much as soon as we got there. Except for some awful traffic on I-4 (due to either construction or an accident), the trip was uneventful - no spinning across the median or anything like that <g>. SUMMARY: This was a short but wonderful trip - except for the snoring <g>. Although a few of my friends really dislike Animal Kingdom Lodge, we all loved it - but I cannot imagine ever staying there if I was not on concierge! Most likely, since we live in Florida things that are bright and tropical are no big deal...we have that at home, every day, so the theming at AKL is a treat for us. Despite the shortness of the trip, I got to spend time with a few of my friends, and am very happy about that. Tim really enjoyed meeting Leesa, Nancy & Kathy - and commented that I have really nice friends - and I agree with him :-) We spent very little time in the parks, but that was by choice. The main focus of this trip was the resort, and it was very relaxing watching animals roam around while we drank latte after latte and waited for the next assortment of food! The concierge staff were all wonderful, and seemed to genuinely enjoy taking care of the guests. The Sunrise Safari was incredible, and likely something Tim will remember for a lifetime. I have heard from Larry already, and he is interested in it, so it looks like we could end up doing it again in July :-) The pictures are from the trip are posted on Ofoto, and the URL is http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=67833671303&n=1390187917 I have grouped them together - Sunrise Safari, Comedy Warehouse, Resort, Misc. My next trip will begin February 8th - not too long to wait :-) I'll spend that Friday night with Leesa, then move to OKWR for 3 more nights. Until then, thanks for reading! Sue Holland wdw1972@aol.com Mail a Comment to Sue Holland |
|