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Anne Howard -- June 2002 -- Walt Disney World (BCR, AKL)June 26 - July 6, 2002 Cast of Characters:
This trip had its formations back in September 2001. David and I sold a rental property that we had suffered and labored with for 10 years. We made a substantial profit off of it. We dumped most of it into our retirement and college tuition plans like the responsible adults that we are. But I was determined to get a WDW vacation out of this. The last two trips that I had made with my children, I was able to travel off-season because they were in preschool. Now, our oldest was in the 3rd grade. Our school does not accept vacations as excused absences so we were stuck with traveling in the summer. School was scheduled to get out June 22 so I decided to leave on Wednesday 6/26, stay at Disney until 7/3, drive to cocoa beach and stay until Saturday 7/6. This would give us 7 nights at WDW and 3 nights at Cocoa Beach. This is basically what we did our last trip only it was 6 nights at WDW and 2 nights at Cocoa. Four months prior to the trip, I bought my airfare online through Southwest. I got the four of us round trip non-stop tickets from Baltimore to Orlando for $777 including tax. I could have gotten these even cheaper had the day we were flying home not been considered a heavy travel day. I had a lot of trouble deciding where I wanted to stay. I had stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort, Fort Wilderness and off site. My dream resort was the Beach Club Resort (BCR) but the price was so expensive I had trouble swallowing it. After doing some research, I decided to buy an Annual Pass (AP) for myself and see what AP resort discounts I could get. I called central reservations and asked if they had any AP discounts for the Beach Club Resort. The cast member (CM) said that she had a beach club Concierge level room at a rate of $350/a night. This is including tax. I really didn't know much about concierge so I said I would call back again. I did some research about concierge and decided that this is something I wanted to do. I was originally thinking about renting a car so we would have access to grocery stores. I decided to do concierge instead of this. I thought it would be convenient with less walking. I looked up the cost of a standard view concierge room at the BCR and it was $470.00 plus tax. So I booked the 350/rate for seven nights. Then I bought my AP on line. ($349) What I received was a card and certificate that has to be redeemed at the park. It does not go into effect until the date you redeem it. I made reservations at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront at Cocoa Beach. I arranged rental car reservations for only the time we would be at Cocoa Beach. This saved us about $350 I started to plan where we would go on what days. I spent a lot of time surfing the web for information. I must admit I became OBSESSED. 60 days prior I made Priority Seating (PS) for Cinderella's Royal Table breakfast. I had gotten tips off the web on the best way to do this. My husband and I each used our cell phones plus our regular telephone. At around 6:50am we started dialing 407-WDW-DINE continuously. We kept getting a recording stating that they were closed. We continuously hung up and pressed redial. I think this is about the time my husband started getting frightened. He thought I was insane. But he dialed. Around 7:00 we got through and made the reservations for 9:10am on 6/29. I was elated. David went back to bed. I didn't make any other PS until the BCR concierge contacted me. The BCR concierge was extremely helpful and friendly over the phone, especially Andy. You can fax them all the PS, Dinner shows, babysitting, transportation, spa services and anything else you need and they arrange it all. This was very nice. Then they will fax you a completed itinerary. Needless to say I changed my mind a lot up until two days prior to the trip. Every time, they graciously accommodated me. I don't think these are the same people that you see at the hotel because I didn't see anyone I had talked to on the phone. The only other change I made was that at the last minute I decided to get a fridge in the room for $10 a night. With having concierge, this was a waste of money since we hardly used it. Wednesday, 6/26 Plan: flight to Orlando, check in at the BCR, redeem AP at Epcot, and explore the BCR. I woke up at 3am. Why did I book this flight so early? We left the house around 5:20am. My wonderful, kindly, devoted father drove us. We had to return to the house for Quinn's newest beanie baby that she left behind. We left the house again at 5:26am. We arrived at Baltimore - Washington International Airport (BWI). The airport was surprisingly crowded and congested. Security was very tight. The curbside baggage claim worker, Charles, lifted our suitcase and questioned our bags. I had just bought these suitcases off the Internet. They were huge but within the size limitations. However, the baggage handler said that the one weighed over 70 lbs, which would cost extra. We followed him helplessly through the maze of Southwest until we came to an empty scale. The bags weighed in at 66 and 61 pounds. I think he felt bad for singling us out so he rushed us through and got our boarding passes for us and made sure we knew where we were going. This was great because the line was really long and looked to be slow moving. David gave Charles a tip. He really was helpful. Note: I thought I was doing a good thing by cramming all of our stuff into two huge bags for all four of us. The bags are very nice and convenient but if they had been overweight we would have had to pay $45 for each bag each way. Even though we would be allowed 12 bags for the four of us and we only had two. We headed to our gate, checked in then went to get gum, pens ($3) and a cheap watch ($12) because I had forgotten mine. Southwest operates a little differently than most airlines. They do not assign seats. When you get your boarding pass you get assigned to seating A, B or C. Then you can line up for each seating. It is a first come first seated deal. We were in seat A. We boarded the plane and took off around 8:15am. Quinn and Beth were really excited. They loved how everything got smaller and smaller. Quinn was exclaiming loudly over the little trees and cars. They liked the trip. We landed right on time at 10:15am. It was 80 degrees, cloudy, overcast and drizzling. The BCR concierge had arranged for a car to pick us up from Mears. The last time we took the Mears shuttle we had to wait hours to get a shuttle, and then it took over an hour to get to our resort. The Mears shuttle was not at all crowded today but the car was much more convenient. We retrieved our luggage, loaded it into the car and within 30 minutes we were at the BCR. We had to pay for this separately ($60 plus tip). The bellhop stored our luggage right at the front of the hotel. The BCR is beautiful. It reminds you of an old time New England cottage. The front desk was very crowded. Our room was ready which was great. The CM who checked us in, Dennis, was less than friendly. We asked him if there was anything special we needed to know since we were staying on concierge level and he said, "No." It took us a while to figure out the elevator since Dennis had not informed us that we had to use our room key to access the 5th floor. I was a little disappointed at out first impression. The concierge staff was much more helpful. As soon as we arrived on the fifth floor the staff listed all the services that they provide. When you get off the elevators, there are two desks where the concierge staff sits. Opposite that is a credenza with all of the park maps and information available. They also have small sampler menus of every restaurant in WDW. They have bowls of Hershey's kisses and jolly ranchers on the desks. My kids liked this. Off to the left of the desks is the Concierge lounge (CL). In the CL are a large screen TV, a comfortable sofa, and a lot of tables and chairs mostly grouped in twos. On the one side you have coffee, tea, flavorings, cream and condiments. On the other side is the window where you can request sodas, water or anything else. On each side of this is where they set up their buffets. They usually have pitchers of drinks, wine, or juice in the middle. The room also has a balcony. The room did get congested at times but it was very nice and literally 30 feet from our room, which was incredibly convenient. In the morning and in the late evening, some came down in their PJ's. Our room was very nice. It had two queen beds. A small table with two chairs. An armoire where the TV, minibar and some drawer space was. A chest of drawers by the door. A closet with hangers. A double sink with lots of space. A standard bathroom with toilet and shower/bathtub. It was all decorated in peach and teal seaside theme. We had a small balcony with a table and two chairs that overlooked a beautifully sculpted garden. On the table was an updated personal itinerary for us. Also a small wooden picture of the Yacht and Beach Club resorts. We had to call concierge and re-request the fridge in our room and robes. We went to the CL for a snack. They had pretzels, chips, tortilla chips, salsa, fruit roll ups, and fresh fruit. They also had a flan cake with fresh berries. David said it was very good. It had warmed up by this time. We changed into our swimsuits and explored the pool, Stormalong Bay (SB). Stormalong Bay is quite incredible. It is actually a series of free-formed pools with slides, fountains, whirlpools and the entire bottom of the pool is covered with sand, which feels great on tired feet. It has one area that sweeps you around and around in a whirlpool. This was a favorite of the girls. It has another large area that you can slowly float around and around. It has another more shallow pool for the kids that have islands of sand in the middle for digging or building. If you walk across the walkway towards the shipwreck you find another small pool with a small slide. This pool was perfect for my six year old who does not know how to swim yet. She probably logged 1000 slides on this slide. Directly above the small slide is the stairs to the large slide. This is a great body slide. Not as crazy as the water parks but adventurous enough for the older kids. Beth loved this. The only problem with it is that it dumps you out in a whole different area of the pool so that if you are not sliding with your child it is hard to keep an eye on her the whole time. In addition to this you can rent large rubber rings to float in the pool. There is lots of seating. I am sure I am not doing the pool justice. We had many arguments with my kids over this pool. This is all they wanted to do. It was great. We bought armies at the poolside store ($2). We had a ball at the pool. Beth tried the big slide and loved it. They both loved the whirlpool. We got back to the room and could not believe that it was only 2:30pm. I went down to concierge and bought one adult 5-day park hopper ($217) and 2 children's park hoppers ($172 each). We had these put onto our room keys, which turned out to be very convenient. We went to Beaches and Cream for a late lunch. Just as we were seated there was a downpour of rain. Beaches and Cream is really cute though small. It is like a 50's seaside ice cream shop. David ordered a cheeseburger and fruit. I ordered the veggie burger and fruit. Beth ordered the grilled cheese and fries. Quinn ordered the grilled cheese and fruit. The food was excellent. The veggie burger was one of the best I have had and David said the cheeseburger was delicious. Total came to ($35.11 plus 7.00 tip). Since it was still raining we went into the arcade next door to Beaches and Cream. Personally, I do not care for arcades. My younger daughter always tries to win prizes and gets upset when she can't. There is not a lot here for young children. I convinced Quinn to come back to the room with me. I then convinced her to lie down. Her head hit the pillow and she was fast asleep. Beth and David came back from the arcade and Beth fell asleep too. Around 5:30, David and I took turns going to the CL. They served appetizers and wine. They had mini keish, corn dogs, cheese, fruit, and several varieties of wine. Over the next week, they served basically the same fare every night with a few variances. David wanted to rest and I was feeling adventurous so I donned my parka and walked over to Epcot. A short walk through the international gateway and I redeemed my annual pass. It had only been sprinkling and now it stopped completely and started to get hot again. Security was searching bags. I made my way past the United Kingdom and Canada then into Future World over to Test Track. I had not gotten the chance to ride this on our last trip. Test Track had been closed due to the rain. After a 20 min wait, Test Track reopened. I was in the singles line and walked right on. I loved the ride, the speed, the Gforces. I backtracked towards the international gateway. I stopped at the Character store. I bought a voice changer for my 6-year-old neighbor ($15 - he loved it though I'm not sure about his parents.) I bought the girls Cinderella tiaras ($30 for both) for their Cinderella breakfast. I arrived back at the room at 7:45pm. Surprisingly, the girls were up and ready to go swimming. We waited until the CL opened at 8. I had hot tea with Grand Marnier. David had Irish coffee. They had petite fours, huge cookies, cupcakes and PBJ sandwiches. We went to SB and played for a while. We had to drag them out knowing we had to get up early the next morning. David and I both went to get large glasses of wine from the CL. We were done for the night. Thursday, 6/27 Plan: Magic Kingdom (MK), 1:50 PS for the Crystal Palace, rest, either SB or possibly back to the MK for Spectromagic. We woke up at 6:30am and went to Breakfast at the CL by 7:30. Note: I did not bring a blow dryer because I knew the rooms had one. It would have taken me 2 hours to blow-dry my hair with this blow dryer. It was a gentle breeze. The blow dryer at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL) was better. Breakfast was very good. They had coffee, tea, and all kinds of juices, milk, and lots of cereal, a good variety of fruits, muffins, croissants, breads, donuts, and bagels. It was usually the same everyday. They would usually have one cake or flan or something special each day. Today it was zucchini bread and it was delicious. We were at the bus stop at 8:15 am Note: I was not very happy with the buses at the BCR. We waited a lot and a couple times more than a half hour. Then, once you get on the bus you have to pick up people at the Yacht Club Resort (YCR), Swan and Dolphin. We arrived at the MK, went through security, rented a double stroller, strolled down Main Street and through the castle. We had to wait a couple minutes for the rope to be dropped then we went to Fantasyland. Note: All of the books I read stated that the parks open earlier than the stated opening times especially in the summer. All of the parks including Typhoon Lagoon opened exactly at the stated times. I don't know if this is since 9/11 but obviously there has been a change. Note: We rented double strollers for our girls ages 6 and 9 at almost every park we went to ($15 per day). The girls weigh about 90 pounds together so this wasn't hard to do. The strollers are kind of a pain but it gave the girls a respite, especially Quinn who is not a walker. It also gave us somewhere to put our stuff. We wrapped a colorful cheap bandana around the handle so that we could easily find it in the sea of strollers. At Disney's Animal Kingdom (DAK) it was harder to navigate the stroller due to crowds and narrower walkways but it was so hot the girls were glad to have the rest. So I guess it comes down to personal preference. We were able to get on the second round of Dumbo. Then we headed to Winnie the Pooh. As the cars came around for us to get into, Eeyore and Tigger were in the cars. It worked out perfectly that Quinn rode with Eeyore and David and Beth were right in back. I opted not to ride. I ran and grabbed my camera and took pictures when they came back around. Quinn was thrilled. Next we rode on Snow White, Peter Pan and it's a Small World. We headed over to the Haunted Mansion. I thought Quinn would be afraid but both girls loved this. We decided to cool down by going into the Country Bear Jamboree. We waited inside the air-conditioned lobby for 15 minutes before the show started. I hadn't seen this since I was a kid. It's really cute and the kids liked it more than they thought they would. Afterwards, we walked right into the Tiki Birds. They had changed this a lot. It is much more Disney now and shorter too. It is still cute but I liked it better before. We made our way to Pirates of the Caribbean. We waited 10 minutes in line. This is my husband's all time favorite. When we came out he had to buy Pirate merchandise. He bought a hat ($22), a flag ($9) Quinn bought a spin around Tinker bell light ($12) and Beth and I bought matching white coral necklaces ($18 for both). At this point it was 11:30am. The temperature was climbing and so were the crowds. Next we obtained fast passes (FP) for the Jungle Cruise for 12:25-1:25. Then we climbed the Swiss Family Tree house. This has always been a favorite of mine and Beth remembered it from the last trip. We found a shaded cool spot in the green and cream gazebo opposite the tree house with lots of tables and umbrellas. It was practically empty. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and apples from concierge. We had peanuts and cookies from the airplane. We bought Dole soft serve ice cream. ($6) David and Beth shared a vanilla and Quinn and I shared a pineapple/vanilla. These were delicious and refreshing. We used our FP and walked right on. The line was very long at this point. We all enjoyed the Jungle Cruise. David and Beth played on the remote control boats while Quinn and I just rested in the shade. We made our way to the Crystal Palace. We had PS for 1:50. We were a little early. We checked in and were called within 5 minutes. One of the CM's had just announced that they were booked until 8pm. We ate here our last trip and really enjoyed it. It did not disappoint this time either. Tigger, Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore (my favorite) make their way around to everyone's table one at a time. They sign autographs, pose for pictures and give plenty of hugs. This has remained the best of the character meals that we have experienced. It is loud but somehow it is more relaxing than some of the others and the food is better. They had a delicious salad bar. They had salmon, carved roast beef, potatoes, mushrooms, breads, fruit and a lot more. The salmon was spectacular. They also had a children's buffet with pizza, chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. My kids loved the pizza. My husband had four plates of everything and really liked the food. They have several cakes and brownies for dessert plus a make your own cobbler and a make your own sundae bar. The girls liked this. Our bill came to ($55 plus $9 tip). Our server had been very nice. It was a refreshing break. We headed out of the MK, caught a bus fairly quickly and went back to the resort. It was about 3:40pm. We changed into our swimsuits and went to SB. It was a little overcast but still warm. We headed back to our rooms around 5:30pm. We went to the CL for a snack. They had chicken cordon blue, egg rolls and the usual fare. We had wine. We walked over to Epcot and walked right onto Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Last time we were here I had to take both girls screaming out of this attraction. This time we prepared them and they both loved it. They got in the fountains right outside the imagination pavilion. These are jumping fountains that if you stand in just the right place, you get soaked. There were a lot of kids doing this and mine joined right in. They both love this. We let them play for about 30 minutes while we rested on a bench. We finally made our way back to the resort. We went to the CL for desserts. They had these chocolate peanut butter confections almost every night that I loved. They had an excellent selection for desserts. We took wine and cookies back to our room and sat on our balcony to watch illuminations. We could not see any of the lower light show because of the rooms across from us but we could see all of the fireworks and the kids got a real kick out of this. Friday, 6/28 Plan: MGM, 1:30 PS for Hollywood and Vine, 6:30 girls will go to the Sandcastle Club, 7:30 Rose and Crown patio table to watch illuminations. We woke up at 6:30 and went to the CL for breakfast. Their special today was a delicious pound cake. We went to see the character caravan in the lobby of the BC from 8-8:30. Mr. Smeed, the Queen of Hearts, Goofy and the White Rabbit all signed autographs and posed for pictures. There was hardly any wait at all to see them. We took the boat to MGM. We had to wait a while for it to come, and then it stopped at the Swan and Dolphin ports. It is a slow boat. We went through security and had to wait in a long line to get our stroller. We bought a fan/water squirter ($19) since it was already pretty hot. We walked towards Honey I shrunk the kids Playground but it was closed. We were kind of disappointed because everything seemed to open at 10am. Finally, Muppet Vision 3D opened at 9:40am. The kids really liked this. Then we headed to Honey I Shrunk the kids Playground. This is the one thing both my kids remembered from last trip. They played in here for quite a while. Finally, David and I went out the exit and waited on a bench for them. There was only one way to exit so we felt pretty secure doing this. After this we went on the Backlot Tour. David got chosen to play the captain and the kids thought this was great. So did he. It was 11:30 now. We got FP for voyage of the Little Mermaid for 12:15-1:25. We went to the market stands on sunset Boulevard and got grapes, frozen lemonades, and McDonald's French fries for a snack. The frozen lemonades were delicious and cooled everyone off. We used our FP's for Mermaid. This is a delightful show perfect for my girls. They both loved it. We went to Hollywood and Vine with our 1:30 PS. This is very similar to the Crystal Palace in its lay out. The characters that come to your table are, Minnie, Pluto, Chip, Dale and Goofy. I thought the food was not as good as the Crystal Palace and the restaurant was not as well run. Minnie never did come to our table and we had to track her down for an autograph. Again, they had very good salmon, peppers and sausage, chicken, steak, ice cream bar, but not as many choices and a lot of the food were mediocre. Our bill came to ($33 plus $7 tip though looking back at that receipt, they undercharged us.) We went back to the BCR by boat. Note: The BCR definitely needs a bus to take you to MGM and a bus to take you to the front of Epcot. We were pretty tired. We all napped from 3-5. Quinn and Beth had reservations to go to the Sandcastle Club from 6:30-10:30. Beth was especially glum about going. She thought it would be boring. But when we got there, she really perked up. They have arcade games, computer games, crafts, a reading corner, housekeeping, dolls, and board games. They provide dinner for the kids. They were pretty impressed with the set up. David and I walked over to Epcot and just soaked in the atmosphere. We browsed around the shops in the United Kingdom and Canada. We checked in at the Rose and Crown at 7pm. We tried to confirm the patio table but they said there were no guarantees. We came back at 7:30 and they said there would be a wait. We sat in the biergarten and waited. It started to sprinkle rain. We were seated around 8:00 at an interior table that was practically in the middle of the flow of people and waitpersons going back and forth. The restaurant was crowded and the tables were close together. We could not see the patio at all. There were empty seats by the window. When we asked if we could be moved there, we were informed that they were already "allocated". It was raining pretty steadily by then. We decided that we hadn't come for the food so we politely told our server that we weren't going to stay. The poor guy looked relieved. Note: On the way out, we bought the girls pin collecting necklaces. We started them out with matching Minnie pins. These collectable pins were everywhere. People were wearing them on hats, bags but mostly necklaces. They have pins for characters, rides, parks, resorts, etc. I wanted one for myself but thought they were a little juvenile so I resisted. David surprised me with one two days later and I have it at work to remind me of my trip. Most of the CM's have pins and they will trade them with anyone who asks. The kids really got a kick out of this. Beth would only have princesses on hers while Quinn wanted all the cutesy ones with Dalmatians and kitties, etc. We walked back to the BCR and ordered room service. We shared Caesar salad and shrimp scampi with pasta and beer. The food was good but nothing special. Later we went to the CL for wine and desert. We went to pick up the kids at 10:30. They were having a great time and did not want to leave. The highlight of the stay was that the Sandcastle Club staff feed rabbits and ducks on their back door so the girls were able to see baby bunnies and ducklings come right up to the window. They said the ducks would tap right on the door. Saturday, 6/29 Plan: 9:10 PS for Cinderella's Royal Table; DAK; 5:30 Polynesian Luau We woke up early again and headed for the MK bus. I surprised the girls with their blue Cinderella Tiara's. They were tickled pink and wore them till around noon. We got to the gates around 8:50. They would not let us in early even with our PS. When we finally got into the castle it was packed with people. Quinn wanted the fairy godmother's autograph so we waited in a LOOONG line to get that. We waited 40 minutes to get her autograph and another 25 minutes to get seated. While I was in line for the autograph I talked with another couple behind me who had two daughters. She had been in the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) for years and she was telling me all about it. My interest was piqued. She was staying at the AKL and she said she loved it. We were seated at the far right of the banquet room right at the entrance where everyone comes in. The banquet room is quite incredible and we did not get to appreciate it from this vantage. Our server was really great. She could not have been nicer. Breakfast was pre-plated meals. The girls got pancakes and bacon. The adults got bacon, sausage, eggs, fruit and a cheese Danish with warm cinnamon apples on top. We were offered seconds but I think the only one who opted was Beth who had a second helping of bacon. The food was very good. We were finished eating before any of the princesses came over. Then they came over all at once. We spent time with, Belle, Cinderella, Mary Poppins, Snow White and Aurora. Note: I think this would be a really great thing to do on the first morning of your trip. By the time we did it, we had already had several character buffets and we were tired. I just don't think we appreciated it as much as we could have. Our plan was to go to the DAK after breakfast because we figured the crowds would be bad by Saturday afternoon. They really weren't and the girls wanted to stay. We walked right on to Snow White and the Carrousel. Beth had loved Ariel's grotto last time with all the waterspouts and fountains but none of the water was running. I asked a CM about this and she said that they had not been running the water for over a year for safety purposes. There is a similar area in Toon Town that is also not running water anymore. Beth was disappointed. Note: the girls bought Penny Press books and started their penny press collection. There are penny presses at every park and every resort. They liked this and it gives them something to remember their trip. I talked Beth into trying Space Mountain (SM) with me. We went to Tomorrowland and got a FP for it. David and Quinn got FP's for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (BLSRS). We all walked right on Tomorrowland Transit Authority. David and Quinn went to ride BLSRS while Beth and I went to SM. We waited no more than 10 minutes with our FPs. I really thought that Beth would chicken out and go out the exit. She looked really nervous. I reminded her that she could go out the exit if she wanted. She was determined. SM is just as fun as I remember. I laughed through the whole thing. Beth liked the ride but she said she was glad when it was over. Mostly, I think she was proud of herself. I bought her a silver SM key chain to put on her backpack for school. We met David and Quinn at the Coke cooling station, which blows cool mist all over you. They had really liked BLSRS so we got FP's for that. While we were waiting we got on the Carrousel of Progress. I loved this as a child. Quinn really liked the dog. I liked the old tune, "Now is the time." Much better. We rode BLSRS. Personally, I thought this ride was dumb but David and the girls all liked it. I hate cartoons so I guess that's why. You are in a car that you can spin with a lever on the dash of the car. You go through rooms of bright Buzz storyboards and shoot at targets. My laser was not working properly so I couldn't see what I was shooting at. At the end of the ride, it tells you how many points you scored. It was almost 2 now and we were all hungry, tired and thirsty. We checked out Cosmic Ray Café but it was jam-packed. We headed to the castle and caught Cinderella's Surprise. This is a little musical that is put on at the castle with tons of characters. It was really cute and the girls really liked it. We also checked out the ice cream parlor on Main Street but it was also packed. We just headed out, caught a bus back to the BCR. David and I ended up having to stand the whole way back on the bus. Not what you want to do when you are exhausted and footsore. We rested in the room for 30 minutes then went swimming. I actually found myself nodding off watching Quinn in the little pool. We went back to the room, changed for the Polynesian Luau. We had concierge call a taxi ($15 including tip) and we met them at the front door at 4:30pm. It is a 10-minute drive over to the Polynesian. We had never been to the Polynesian before. It was really incredible. The lobby is in a South Seas theme with lush foliage and waterfalls everywhere. They handed Quinn and Beth each a red balloon upon arrival. We headed for the Luau cove, a short walk away. We waited about 15 minutes before they led everyone into the seating area. We were one of the first ones to be seated. We couldn't have asked for better seats. We were in the very front table right in the middle. This made up for some of our other seating. They started out with coconut banana bread, fresh pineapple and mixed salad with orange and mango dressing. All of this was excellent. For dinner they served chicken and BBQ spare ribs both of which was outstanding. They also served shrimp fried rice which was bland. The kids ate chicken nuggets or macaroni and cheese both of which were OK. It started with a steady drizzle of rain that really did not stop. The dancers were really incredible. It is a very entertaining show. Beth was especially impressed with the fire throwers. This fascinated her. For desert we had chocolate and vanilla cakes covered with mousse and fudge. These were mouth-watering nirvana. I worried that my girls would find this too adult but they really liked the presentation of the food and the show kept them mesmerized. Towards the finale, Quinn laid her head in my lap and promptly fell asleep. We had planned on exploring the Polynesian then taking the monorail and the bus back to the BCR but it was still raining and Quinn was still asleep so we quickly caught one of the taxis waiting outside and were back at the BCR in 10 minutes. Honestly, at this point we were exhausted. I think we definitely crammed too much into these first three days. I fell asleep as soon as I got into the room. I presume my family followed shortly thereafter. Sunday, 6/30 Plan: 9:00am massage for Anne; hang out at the pool, 2:00pm massage for David; 6:00 girls will go to the Sandcastle Club; 6:30 PS for the Yachtsman Steakhouse. This is supposed to be our relaxation day and do we ever need it. I 'slept in' till 7:30am, showered and hit the CL for breakfast. They had a yummy coffee cake today. I also had fruit and tea. I left my sleeping children and showering husband at 8:40. I went to the ship shape health club located in between the BCR and YCR. A very nice CM at the front desk checked me in and had me wait in the Jacuzzi room. This health club was absolutely spotless with sophisticated treadmills, bikes, ski machines, stair steppers and free weights. The Jacuzzi looked inviting. It was cleverly done to look like you are on cruise ship. The ides of taking an aerobics class or doing the stair master at WDW is insane to me but there were about a half dozen people partaking. NOT the way my legs and feet felt about then. My massage therapist, Debra took me to a spotless comfortable room. After changing, she dimmed the lights, played soothing music, had me choose lotions and started the massage. ($75 plus tip for a 50-minute Swedish massage.) It was wonderful. I have had firmer massages, which I like but her skill and attention to pressure points was really good. She gave me a bottle of water afterwards and I felt very relaxed. I came back to the room. David and the girls were just finishing up breakfast. We went to the pool, rented tubes ($3/hour) for a while so we could float around the pool. The girls slid on their respective slides and ended up playing on the shallow sandbar for a long time. We had lunch at Hurricane Hanna's. David and I got cheeseburgers and chips. Quinn got a lunch bucket with PBJ, cookies and chips. Beth got chicken strips that she said were excellent, French fries and lemonade. I got a frozen drink called a 'Bay Smash'. This was excellent and I got this drink several other times I came out to the pool. Note: The birds and ducks are quite aggressive. Do not leave your food unattended. ******!!!!!!!!!!!THIS IS WHERE IT HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!!!******* David and I were sitting at a table by the pool sipping our drinks, watching the kids play in the sand and shallow water. We were commenting on how much we liked the BCR, the concierge, the pool, how nice the day was, etc. David gestured at the kids in the pool and said, "Who needs the beach when you have all this?" I commented that I had previously thought about staying at Disney for our entire trip. (We had planned on spending the last 3 nights at Cocoa Beach.) He said that we should. This got the wheels turning in my head. The girls and I got back in the pool. David left to shower then go to his massage. We swam until 1:30pm when a storm came and they closed the pool. We relaxed in the room for a while. I walked down to concierge and asked them what the availabilities were for 7/3-7/6. The CM said our present room was available for 7/3 but the entire resort was booked for the 4th. I advised him I would call reservations and get back with him. I called CRO from my room and asked about the first resort I could think of the AKL. They did have an opening at the AKL for 7/4-7/5 for a savannah view concierge room at almost the same AP rate we were staying at now. I booked it, and then booked 7/3 in our present room. We traded in our 5-day park hoppers for 6-day park hopper pluses. I was genuinely surprised that they allowed us to do this. Next, I canceled my hotel reservations for Cocoa and my rental car. I was excited but my whole meticulously planned trip was now in upheaval. We watched a cute movie on the Disney channel and just took it easy. David returned from his massage a new man. This was his first massage and I think he was ready to runaway with her. He had stubbed his toe on the way to his massage. It was black and blue and he feared that it was broken. Around 5:30 we went to the BC penny press outside the arcade and the girls added these to their collection. Then we dropped off the girls at the Sandcastle Club. Note: My girls loved the Sandcastle Club. The staff couldn't have been more pleasant and fun for the girls. It does get pricey at $16/hour for both girls together, but living in a hotel room 24/7 with the kids, we needed our breaks and we should have utilized it more. We had 6:30 PS for the Yachtsman Steakhouse. We went a little early and were seated right away. I don't think I ever saw this restaurant crowded during the whole trip. This was the best meal we had during the whole trip. We started out with Portobello and flank steak kebobs. We both had glasses of wine. We both had the filet mignon. The steaks were incredible with a crusty oak flavoring. This was in the same league as Ruth Criss and the Prime Rib, which are elite steak houses back in Baltimore. David had mashed potatoes, I had baked. David had coffee, I had tea. Everything was incredible. Our server was wonderful. He could not have been more informative, attentive or friendly. We would have loved to get dessert but we just could not stuff it in at that point. Our bill came to ($110 including the tip). We walked through the YCR lobby and explored a little. It is also beautiful with a little more formal nautical theme. We walked to the Boardwalk. We browsed some of the shops including ESPN zone. We walked through to the International Gateway then back and sat on the Beach at the BCR for a while. Then we explored the Dolphin. The lobby is huge and spectacular. There was a wedding party in the lobby taking pictures. Can you imagine what a wedding at Disney would cost? But wouldn't that be the ultimate? This was a big party too. We walked through the gift shops and an empty but really cute fish themed lounge. This place was huge. We got lost. We found an ice cream parlor. David got a milkshake and I got a chocolate ice cream cone. It was excellent ice cream. However, the service.... let's just say you can tell the Dolphin is not a Disney property. We walked to the Dolphin pier and caught the boat back to the BCR. While we were on the boat, illuminations started. We strolled slowly back to the BCR, picked up the kids, stopped at the Atlantic Emporium and bought some pins. David bought some bandages for his toe. We stopped at the CL for a glass of wine. Beth watched the same Disney channel movie but didn't last long. Monday 7/1 Plan: Well, the itinerary has been completely altered. The weather forecast was calling for rain all day, David's toe was really bothering him, so we decided not to do a park today. Instead, we decided to check out Downtown Disney. Note: The weather forecast in Orlando is completely unreliable. Practically every day they called for high temperatures with clouds and thunderstorms. Several days they called for all day downpours. This simply did not happen. We did get brief storms some of them strong but not nearly as much as they were calling for. On the plus side I think the rain forecasts is why the parks were not as crowded as we thought they would be. My advice: Don't watch the forecasts and go ahead with your plans. If it rains, deal with it as it happens. We slept in till 8:30, went to the CL for Breakfast then went on the bus stop to go to Downtown Disney. It took us almost an hour to catch this bus and get there. We went to the 24-theatre AMC movie house. They were just opening up. We got tickets to see the 11:30 Lilo and Stitch showing. This was really a cute Disney movie. David and I laughed through the whole thing and the girls loved it. I was really shocked and disappointed last year with Atlantis. This movie seemed to be a return to typical Disney. It was rated PG but I could not see why. We shopped at Virgin Records; bought a Betty Boop lunchbox for my sister from the memorabilia store. We went to the magic store, the magnet store. We had lunch at Planet Hollywood. This was not the best experience. It was really loud and flashy. The tables were too small, too crowded, and too close to other tables. They have people actually come to the tables selling PH merchandise. We declined. A gentleman came to the table to take our picture. None of us looked our best. We politely declined and he harassed us. We said no three times. He finally took the hint and went to harass someone else. David got a roast beef club that he said was OK. Beth and I got fajitas but the chicken had a processed taste to them. Quinn's pizza was the best of the bunch and she ended up sharing with Beth. The French fries were great. We were not happy with the entire experience. We walked through Pleasure Island. They had started to put up 4th of July decorations. The kids played at Lego land, World of Disney and the Toy Shop. The kids splashed and played in the fountains. They are fountains that alternate spouts and they had a ball. We had brought towels and a change of clothes in preparation for this. I went in the gourmet shop. I bought small tins of hard candy with different Disney characters on the front for the girls at work ($3.95 each) I bought coffee samplers and chocolate discs for several of my neighbors. I bought a chocolate latté w/ whip cream for David and I to share. I took them in the bathroom so they could dry off and change. We went into the World of Disney. The girls each bought rings. Note: Downtown Disney is one of the few places that lets you use your AP to get a discount. You get 10% off any purchase over $25. We waited another 45 minutes for a BCR bus. But at least we had a seat while waiting and a seat on the bus. We arrived back at the BCR around 5:30. We went to the CL for snacks. They had deviled eggs, sandwich wraps and the usual fare. David and I had wine. David and Beth slept while Quinn and I walked around. We walked around the lobby then over to the Beach Club Villas (BCV). They are part of the Disney Vacation Club and they had just opened this very day. Everything was stunning. They had several lounges that were beautiful. Everything was done in hardwood floors. I started a conversation with the DVC representative and he showed Quinn and I the BCV models. They are really nice. The one bedroom would be perfect for us. It has a full kitchen, king size bed, queen size sleeper sofa, whirlpool bathtub, 2 TVs and DVD's. I really liked it. If David could see me now. When I came back to the room he was not happy about where I had been. He had been trying to steer me away from the DVC. David's toe was bothering him so I agreed to take the girls swimming. Beth did the slide once, and then they agreed to stay on the ledge below the spa so I could get in the spa for a while. I got into a conversation with a man from Dundalk, a town in Baltimore. We talked about the superiority of the blue crab and the DVC. He was a DVC member staying at the BCV. We went to Beaches and Cream and got ice cream. It was excellent. The kids played in the sandy shallow pool. We watched illuminations from the pool. I had to literally drag them out. I stopped at the CL for a glass of wine. Also I purchased one adult ticket to Typhoon Lagoon since my AP did not include this. Our toilet overflowed. We called engineering and they came and fixed it right away then housekeeping came and cleaned up the mess. Housekeeping also took some dry-cleaning for me. Note: I had several blouses and dresses dry-cleaned at Disney. You get it to them early in the morning and they have it hanging in your closet by the same evening. Very convenient. However, I thought they did a lousy job. It looked like they just pressed the clothes and didn't clean them. My one dress had blue stains on it that I was pretty sure were not there to begin with. Tuesday 7/2 Plan: Typhoon Lagoon (TL), lunch, Epcot, 6:30 PS Living Seas; Illuminations We woke up early and went to the CL for Breakfast. We originally did not have plans to go to any water parks. Honestly, with SB I don't think there was any reason to. However, with the extended schedule, our park hoppers included it and Beth had her heart set on a water park. She really wanted to go to Blizzard Beach but I talked her out of it because all of our books said that TL was better for younger children. We took the bus to TL and arrived just prior to 9am opening. We staked out a table in the middle of Ketchakiddie Creek. David and Quinn started to play. Beth had her heart set on water slides. There wasn't any wait for any of the slides. We rode on Keelhaul falls, which is a moderate fun raft ride. Then we went on Humonga Kawabonga. This is a nearly vertical body slide. I have to say this was almost too much for me. I got the wedgie of my life and my gluteus maximus actually hurt. Beth looked shaken. Next we got on the Storm Slides. These are pretty traditional body slides. I think Beth was shell shocked from Humonga Kawabonga. She was done with the slides. We passed by the shark reef. People actually get in wet suits and flippers and swim with fish and rays. We went down below this where they have an observation room. You can see all of the fish from under the water. Then we headed back to Ketchakiddie. This is a great area for young children. It has a pirate ship with water guns that you can shoot out and others that you can shoot at the ship. It has a little tube ride that was Quinn's favorite. She would have ridden this all day long. There are fountains and water squirting everywhere. Next we went to the wave pool. The wave pool alternates between bobbing waves and surfing waves. The bobbing waves are more like what I have seen at other wave pools. Out in the deep, the waves just bob you around. In the shallow end they come slowly rolling in and are suitable and fun for young children to splash around in. The surfing waves are another thing. When these are on you here a loud boom every 90 seconds and here comes a furious crashing wave. It is so strong it pretty much knocks you off your feet even in the shallow end. I guess if I had been able to go out in the deep end this might have been enjoyable to me but since we were with the kids we had to stay in the middle ground and I didn't enjoy getting knocked over every 90 seconds while trying to keep a firm grip on Beth. Beth, however, loved this and we got into several arguments over leaving this pool. We got on the lazy river and we all liked this. It takes about 45 minutes to do a loop around the whole thing but they have exits every 8 minutes or so. At one point Pluto was on a bridge overlooking the Lazy River. The kids waved and exclaimed at him. By 12pm the lines for the slides were outrageous and they stayed that way until we left. We ate at the Leaning Palms. I had a foot long hot dog. David and the girls all had cheeseburgers. We all agreed that the food was hot and good. We got on the Lazy River again then Quinn and I went back to Ketchakiddie. David and Beth went to the wave pool. Quinn took a little break and ate some rainbow ice-cream dots. These were little tiny frozen ice cream balls. A photographer had taken Quinn's picture on the little tube ride. She insisted on buying this. It was pretty cute. It cost me ($16) for 4 wallets, a key chain holder and a magnet holder. We decided to skip our PS at Epcot since it was pretty late and we were all tired. We went back to the BCR. Beth and I took naps while David and Quinn took a walk. We woke up around 6 and went to the CL for a snack and drink. David wanted to go to the Cape May Café at 8:30 so he went and made reservations. We went a little prior and were seated pretty quickly. We got an extra bucket of snow crab legs for ($12). They were excellent. The whole buffet was one of the best we ate at. They had peel and eat shrimp, salad, braised beef tips, fish, potatoes, rolls, and pasta. They had an incredible desert selection most of which we had already tried at concierge. Note: I did 2 loads of laundry over by the quiet 24-hour pool. I am very glad that we weren't staying in any of these rooms because they are a long confused path to the lobby. Also, the 'quiet pool' got quite loud after 11pm when SB closes and a bunch of kids moved into the quiet pool. I witnessed this another night too. If my room faced the quiet pool I would not be too happy about this. The laundry machines put blue stains on a good number of my clothes. Wednesday, 7/3 Plan: DAK, Fantasmic dinner package, Mamma Melrose, Fantasmic This day started out bad. David thought he had set the alarm but it didn't go off so we overslept. We were tired and footsore. I couldn't find my prescription sunglasses and wasted a bunch of time looking for them at Cape May and the laundry room. It turns out they were on the floor of the resort room. We went to the CL for breakfast and we didn't get to the bus stop until after 9. The first bus came at 9:30. Even though we had been waiting the longest everyone crowded onto the bus, it filled up and we couldn't get on. I was getting frustrated. The next bus came around 10 and we got on this one. DAK was packed. It took us over 60 minutes to get through the gates, through security, get a stroller and get to our first attraction, It's tough to be a bug. We got FP for 11:25am. Then we went to Tarzan Rocks. Quinn did not want to sit through this so I came out early with her. David said the show was really good. We went to It's Tough to be a bug. We waited in the crowded, hot preroom for a while. Beth decided she didn't want to see this. I think she was grumpy too. So I left with her though I wanted to see the show. We waited for David and Quinn to come out. We got FP for the Kali River Rapids. Then we went through the Maharajah Jungle Trek. My kids love anything dealing with animals or nature so they loved this. We got on the Kali River Rapids. This was a favorite from the last trip. Since it was broiling hot, this felt great. We waited 10 minutes with our FP as opposed to the regular line, which was quite long. We really enjoyed this and when we got off we got 4 more FP for this ride. We went to the bone yard. My kids could play here all day. The photographer took 2 pictures of Quinn digging in the sand. We rode Kali River Rapids again then we went to Africa. On the way a photographer took a picture of all of us in an overlook with a view of the Tree of Life. We had lunch around 3:00 at the Harambe Fruit Market. This is served cafeteria style. We got served right away and the food was excellent. Beth and I split the rotisserie chicken, David really enjoyed a huge chicken salad and Quinn ate all of her macaroni and cheese. This was a nice cool place for a break. Next, the girls and I got our faces painted. This is a cute feature and the girls loved it. As soon as they were finished painting, we found ourselves in a perfect spot for the Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade. It was really colorful and I enjoyed it a lot. The crowds were really starting to thin out now. We walked right onto Kilimanjaro Safaris. We all loved this and Quinn bought completely into saving 'Little Red'. We walked the Pangani Exploration Trail. The CM's answered all of our questions and the girls loved the insects. There was a long line to get our proofs of the pictures. I would advise not trying to buy these at the end of the day. We were back at the BCR by 7pm. Again, it was late so we changed our evening plans and decided to see illuminations. We went to the CL for dessert and Irish coffee. We walked to Epcot and staked out a spot on the bridge between the United Kingdom and France to watch illuminations. We watched illuminations at 9pm. The girls were impressed by the show. We had worn our bathing suits under our clothes and went swimming at SB. We were all hungry. We walked over to Beaches and Cream but they had a 45-minute wait. We ordered pizza and beer from room service. Thursday, 7/4 Plan: sleep in, finish packing, check out, SB, Lunch at Beaches and Cream, 3:00 DVC presentation, check in at AKL, 6:30 PS for Jiko. We slept in till around 8am. We went to the CL for breakfast. We checked out. David waited in the room until the bellhop came for the luggage. They said they would take care of transporting the bags over to the AKL. We changed into our swimsuits and went to Stormalong Bay. We hung out by the pool and watched the kids swim and frolic. They never tired of this pool. I got another Bay Smash and David got a Heineken. Around 1:00pm, I put our name in at Beaches and Cream and they gave us a beeper and said it would be about 20 minutes. It turned out to be over an hour wait. They were really crowded. It started to rain hard. Once we were seated we waited another 30 minutes for our food. David got a double cheeseburger. Beth and I shared a cheeseburger and Quinn got a grilled cheese. Afterwards, we all shared a No Way Jose, which is an incredible peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream creation that is delicious. This was plenty for the four of us. Note: Beaches and Cream has what they call the Kitchen Sink. 26 scoops of ice cream with every topping they have. They make a big production of this and everyone ooohs and aaahs when it is brought to the table. The four of us certainly couldn't do justice to this but it is a neat thing. It was now 3:30pm. We had made an appointment with the DVC over at the Boardwalk at 3. We called them and informed them that we had been delayed and they said they had a van right now in front of the BC that could bring us over. So we rode over to the Boardwalk with them. The Boardwalk has a beautiful lobby done in an old time carnival theme. They have an incredible carousel horse chandelier and novelties everywhere. We checked Quinn and Beth into the DVC's kids club. We went through a 60-minute presentation about the Disney Vacation Club. It was a nice presentation and the presenter did a good job. However, it was not completely 'pressure free' as advertised. They offered you a discount if you signed before you checked out. Also, the DVC rep that showed me around the models said that with your 150 annual allocated points you could rent the 1 bedroom suite for a week. This was not true. You can rent it for five nights as long as it is Sunday to Thursday. For a full seven nights you would need almost double your 150 points. We were honest and said we would not be making a decision until after we were home. They gave us 8 FP's to use any time we wanted. Afterwards, they offered to drive us anywhere we wanted to go. We asked to be taken to the AKL. Note: I am still deciding about the DVC. I loved the BCR, the villas, the location. I think if you were going to come to the BCR every year or every other year, it would be a good deal. If anyone wants to email me about the DVC, I would be happy to discuss it. The AKL is absolutely incredible. The lobby is breathtaking. It is an incredible huge room that soars to at least six stories high. It has huge floor to ceiling cracked glass windows. The lobby is furnished with very comfortable wicker seating, a fire pit, and a fountain river floating 1 floor down. African art is everywhere. Unlike at the BC, our reception here was incredible. We never got to the receptionist desk. We asked the bellhop about our luggage and he took care of everything. We were pleasantly shocked to find out they had upgraded us to an incredible 2 bedroom suite. The suite was incredible. It consisted of a regular room with 2 queen beds, bathroom, TV and veranda that overlooked the savannah. This room was connected to a 2-room suite. Off of the entrance was a powder room with double vanity and toilet. The living room had a mini kitchen with small refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker and a table and chairs that seated four. It also had a sofa, chairs, TV, DVD player, desk and savannah view veranda. The bedroom had a king size bed, TV, armoire, DVD player, chairs and a savannah view veranda. The suite also had a sitting area with vanity and make up mirror. There was a huge bathroom with a tub, separate shower and double vanity. A separate room held the toilet and a pedestal sink. It really was incredible and it was nice to have a little more space after spending a week together in one resort room. The girls were excited about having their own room and their own beds. The bellhop couldn't have been more helpful. He spent about 20 minutes showing us around and giving us information. The AKL is six floors high. The lobby is actually on the 3rd floor. The second floor is where Boma, the African buffet and Jiko, the more upscale restaurant is. Victoria Falls Lounge is on the 2nd floor and the 2nd floor leads to the Savannah view where you can view the animals. The first floor leads to the pool area. It is a huge free form pool. It has several entrances one of which is a zero depth entry. It has a waterslide that was perfect for Lanie at 6. It may be too much for younger children. There is a Tiki bar by the pool that serves snacks plus a full bar. The tropical vegetation is incredible. We settled into our room and went to the CL. The CL was on the 6th floor overlooking the lobby. They had a much nicer and more spacious lounge then the BC. They have a big screen TV with lots of grouped seatings and some very comfortable love seats. They usually had Disney movies showing on the TV. My daughters requested The Little Mermaid II and they put it on. They had coffee, tea, soda, water and a cappuccino machine available at all times. Most of the concierge rooms are on the sixth floor overlooking the lobby a short walk from the lounge. Since we had been upgraded to a suite ours was not. On the one hand our room was a very long walk to the lounge so this was pretty inconvenient. On the other hand the lobby was quite noisy and the sound carried up to the top floor where the concierge rooms were. I don't think I would have liked this. The food selections were excellent for breakfasts and after 5pm. The selections were pretty meager during the afternoon. We got there shortly after 5 pm. They had beef and pork on sticks with a variety sauces. This was scrumptious. They had three different kinds of hummus with a selection of crackers. The sun-dried tomato was very good. They also had meatballs, juice boxes, chocolate milk, fruit, veggies, gummy worms, gold fish crackers, nuts, and animal crackers. David and the girls wanted to explore. I was tired so I went back to the room. I lounged around watching TV and reading and just enjoying some quiet time with the animals. Around 9 I could hear fireworks. I could see lights from the balcony but it was over the tree line. You could hear the same thing all night long until well after midnight. I saw Zebras wandering around in the twilight. It was kind of eerie. David and the kids came back around 10. At around midnight, David and I discussed going to MGM the next morning. We were both exhausted and the idea of getting up around 6am was not appealing. We opted to sleep in. Friday 7/5 Plan: sleep in, pool, hair wraps, Boma 5:00, MK, Spectromagic and fireworks. We did sleep in and went to the CL for breakfast. They had a great selection. They had a huge fresh fruit platter. I made the girls hot cocoa. They had small jars of jams and marmalades that Quinn wanted to use. The CM was so sweet. She heard Quinn asking us for regular bread so she went downstairs to one of the restaurants and carried back a whole loaf of bread. She told Quinn any time she wanted some just to knock on the staff door. The AKL concierge staff was really incredible. We went swimming. The pool is really nice but cannot compare to SB. However, the slide was perfect for Quinn. It was a little more adventurous than the kiddie slide at SB. David ordered a Swahili Colada from the Tiki bar, a jazzed up Pina coloda. I ordered a Nyami Nyami, which was a rum and ice cream concoction. The girls shared a Paw Paw Smoothie, a virgin strawberry coconut daiquiri. All were refreshing and delicious. We went back to the room around 2:30, I took a shower while the girls dried their hair completely for the hair wraps. We had seen them doing this the other day and the wrapper said she would be there today from 12-5. They each got a small strand from the front of their hair wrapped in colorful threads. It took about a 1/2 hour each and the total cost depending upon the length of the hair and the beads they choose is $25-40. I spent $80 in total including the tip I gave to the girl who was very nice. David was meeting us at Boma for our 5pm PS. We were a little early so we had to wait. I thought Boma was good but I had heard so many things about it, I was a little bit disappointed. The girls certainly could not do the African fare justice. And to be honest, neither could I. The girls stuck to the children's menu: spaghetti, chicken nuggets, etc. I tried different things but it just wasn't my cup of tea. My husband really liked it especially the flank steak. I had some of the prime rib, which was good but very rare. The deserts were delicious. I had to stop at one. We headed out to the bus stop and caught the bus to the MK. We only waited 5 minutes for this bus. The MK was quite crowded. We decided to take the train. We got on the train right away. On the train was a little girl with her face painted. The girls asked her where she had it done. They said Toon Town. So we stopped at Toon Town. Toon Town is probably my least favorite part of the MK. It was packed today. We pressed on until we got to the pavilion where they were painting faces. The girls both got their faces painted. ($24 for both) The girls painting faces were very sweet. Beth and Quinn loved this. We walked around Toon Town for a while but it was really crowded. Quinn wanted to get Mickey's autograph. We walked into Mickey's country home but the line was unbelievable. Also, he was simply stamping his signature. I talked the girls into getting back on the train. We got back on the train. Rode all the way to Frontier town. We tried to decide on a good spot for the parade. We finally opted for a wooden raised platform between the Country Bear Jamboree and the shooting gallery. This way we could sit while we were waiting. We took turns saving the seat and walking around browsing the shops. The girls especially liked the Western store directly behind us. They had a big box full of colored stones and the CM told them that there were magic rocks in there but only a few. It turns out they were magic because they were magnetic. The girls had fun looking for the rocks. They bought a bag of rocks to share. ($5) It got dark and vendors came around with light up toys. The girls bought light up pink fuzzy Minnie ears. ($16 for two) The castle was changing colors. There was music in the air. The parade reached us around 9:30. I love this parade. It is my favorite. The music and lights are really magical. I am glad we saved this for the last night. The girls loved it. After the parade we waited for the fireworks. We saw Tinker bell fly. Beth and Quinn could not get over this. They were amazed. This was the first time I had seen that too. When the fireworks started, trees obstructed our view. We ran over to the riverboat docks and finished watching them. They were very nice. We started to head out. As we were walking around the castle, Quinn said she wanted to touch the castle one last time. I was touched. We went up to the castle, took some last photographs. With our last view of Fantasyland, none of us could resist. We walked right on the Carousel, and then walked right on it's a Small World. Quinn was thrilled that we got in the very front. Quinn sang with the ride the whole way. By this time, both girls were pooped. It was approaching 11pm. We really left this time. Everyone was lining Main Street for the 11pm parade. Our bus was waiting for us, thank goodness so we had a seat right away. David had to carry Quinn all the way back to the room. The girls went right to sleep and so did we. Saturday, 7/6 Plan: CL for breakfast, finish packing, view the animals, cookie decorating, town car to airport, flight home, my parents will pick us up. Note: I have found an AKL drawback. David and I were both awakened by a loud consistent hooting presumably coming from one of the large birds on the savannah, around 5am. It continued until we finally got up. We are ready to go home. It has been a long trip. We are all tired. We finished the last of our packing. Beth was having a fuss because her face painting had smudged off in the night. She wanted all her friends to see it when she got home. She was grouchy. Finally, we made peace and headed to the CL for Breakfast. They had an incredible assortment of fruit and muffins. Quinn had her bread with Marmalade. Beth had a bagel. I made both girls hot cocoa. I had tea and fruit and a muffin. David had a little of everything. We went back to the room, finished packing. Note: When packing for WDW you need to leave half your suitcases empty. You don't realize how the little trinkets add up. The girls and I went to check out while David stayed in the room relaxing until they came for the luggage. We checked out at the CL. We asked for sodas then headed to the lobby. The girls watched cartoons while I relaxed. The furniture in the lobby is really made for comfort. I could have taken a nap. After David came down we went into the gift shop. I bought shirts for my father, mother and brother. The girls made beaded necklaces and bought them. We went out into the Arusha Rock Savanna Overlook to view the animals. They had a CM to answer any questions you had. The AKL had cookie decorating at Boma at 1:00pm. There were about 15 kids with giraffe shaped cookies. They had different colored frosting, candy and sprinkles. David and I were shocked that there was no fee for this. Actually, the AKL had a whole listing of daily activities including tours and animal feedings. From here we hung out on the pool deck. We got fried shrimp, French fries and some snacks from Mara ($18) I got a chardonnay from the pool bar and David got a Pina Colada drink. The girls got another Paw Paw Smoothie to share. ($20) I really liked the South African wines that was served at this resort. David and the girls played in the arcade for a while, and then we all headed up to the CL. We had more drinks and the girls watched a movie. We were just killing time till our car arrived. We left at 3:45. The car took us to the airport. Southwest informed us that we were TOO early to obtain our boarding passes. I found this interesting since on the phone, they recommended that we arrive 2 hours prior. We stopped at a bookstore and browsed. We stopped and got drinks. By the time we got to Southwest we were in the C group which gets last priority. I was worried that we would not be able to get a seat with the girls. But it worked out OK. We got seats together in the very back of the plane. The girls fell asleep 15 minutes after takeoff and we had to wake them up to get off the plane. We had a lot of turbulence and our landing was pretty bumpy. Note: I would definitely fly Southwest again. The rates are great and I found it pretty hassle free. After departing the plane, I called my Dad to tell him we were in Baltimore. He said he would leave right away. David had to carry Quinn to the luggage pickup, which of course was the furthest point at BWI that it could possibly be. We got our luggage, waited 15 minutes then headed outside. My parents picked us up in our van. The girls were very excited to see them and vice versa. We got home. My dog was happy to see us. The girls were glad to be home. We got to sleep in our own bed. In closing:
AKL * Animal Kingdom Lodge AP * Annual pass BCR * Beach Club Resort BCV * Beach Club Villas BLSRS* Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin BWI * Baltimore Washington International Airport CL * Concierge lounge CM * Cast Member DAK * Disney Animal Kingdom DVC * Disney Vacation Club FP * Fast pass MK * Magic Kingdom PS * Priority seating SB * Stormalong Bay SM * Space Mountain TL * Typhoon Lagoon YCR * Yacht Club Resort WDW * Walt Disney World Anne Howard weneppott@aol.com Mail a Comment to Anne Howard |
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