ADP Live From Universal & Disney World [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

ADP

07-25-2009, 09:04 PM

Saturday, July 25th

Aaron - ADP
Kim - DW
Anna (9) - DD

Pre Trip Report

Hi Everyone!

It's kind of funny, but when you plan a trip to Orlando a year or so in advance it does kind of creep-up on you. You think about it, but as the days, weeks, and even months go by its hard to believe when you are only 1 day away from leaving for your magical trip. A good example was the podcast cruise. We talked about it for 18 months and suddenly it was upon us.

This trip has a twist to it for us. Anna and I are headed down to Orlando tomorrow and Kim will be joining us later in the week as we move over to Disney World. For me and Anna we will be in Orlando for 2 solid weeks; 4 nights at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, 8 nights at AKV Jambo House in the Kilamanjaro Club Level, and 2 nights at the new Bay Lake Tower.

We plan on seeing many of our friends during this trip. Some of them are local and others are coming in at the same time as us. A very welcomed coincidence. As someone who doesn't live locally in the Orlando area its a great feeling knowing you have connected with people on a personal level in Central Florida. We are looking forward to seeing everyone.

Here are some other things we are looking forward to during this trip:
- Seeing the progress of the new Harry Potter themed land at Islands of Adventrue
- Staying at the Royal Pacific Resort
- Attending the Wanitian Luau at the Royal Pacific Resort
- Staying in the Kilamanjaro Club Level at the Animal Kingdom Villas
- Dining at Narcoosees with Kim
- Trying the new dessert party at the Magic Kingdom
- Staying at the new Bay Lake Tower
- Meeting with several of our friends

There are many other things we are looking forward to like seeing Luxo Jr. at the Studios and seeing the refurbished Hall of Presidents.

Our plan for most of our days while at the parks will be to get to the gate early, head back to the resort around 1:00PM, take the afternoon off, and head back to a park in the evening. That strategy seems to work very well in the dead of summer. Our time at Universal will be more relaxed since we have front of the line access on most of the attractions in the parks. A great perk for being a Universal resort guest.

For the next 2 weeks I'll be updating this thread with pictures and updates of our experiences at the parks, resorts, and restaurants. I'll also be posting pictures and status updates on my Facebook page. I hipe you can follow along as we share our experiences with you.

Tomorrow is one of the best days of our trip. It's arrival day! I love riding in the tram to the main airport terminal. For us it signifies our vacation is in front of us and excitement awaits. An excellent feeling!

Much more to come! :)

Next Up:
Arriving in Orlando
Checking-in at the Royal Pacific Resort
Swimming at the Royal Pacific beach pool
Universal 360

georgemoe

07-25-2009, 09:09 PM

Aaron. Deb and I hope you, Kim, and Anna have a fantastic time. Looking forward to your report. :goodvibes

dvc at last !

07-25-2009, 09:25 PM

I am in ...

:cool1:

Tonya2426

07-25-2009, 09:27 PM

I was just thinking "I hope Aaron does a trip report" and here you are trip reporting!!! :cool1::cool1::cool1:

Have a safe trip down to the our home away from home. Can't wait to hear all about Universal. :yay::yay::yay:

crazydisneyman

07-25-2009, 09:28 PM

I am chiming in! I hope you all have a safe trip!

Hpyhiker

07-25-2009, 09:29 PM

Fantastic!!! :banana::banana::banana:

You guys are going to have such a great time. We're envious but Halloween and MNSSHP is just around the corner.

Looking forward to your reports.

auroralark

07-25-2009, 09:32 PM

Sounds like you're going to have a great trip! Can't wait to see your reports! :thumbsup2

TSWJan78

07-25-2009, 09:41 PM

Thanks for letting us live vicariously through you Aaron!! Have a great trip!!

BriarRosie

07-25-2009, 09:49 PM

Woohoo! Have a great time!

I loved front of the line access when I stayed at Portofino, and I loved the boat ride to the park. It was so relaxing! I wish you'd eat at Tchoup Chop and take food porn. Wishful thinking on my part. :teeth:

The rest of the trip sounds wonderful, too.

LMO429

07-25-2009, 09:55 PM

looking forward to your live report, I remeber the last one you did and I enjoyed it very much :thumbsup2

tlcoke

07-25-2009, 10:04 PM

Have a great time Aaron, I can't wait to read your report. My trip is 82 days away, so your report will help me get more excited for my upcoming trip.

kab407

07-25-2009, 10:04 PM

Have a great time Kim, Anna and Aaron!

ImTooExcitedToSleep

07-26-2009, 12:36 AM

Have a great trip!

tinkbutt

07-26-2009, 12:39 AM

have a great trip!!!

disneyholic family

07-26-2009, 05:30 AM

another live ADP report!!!! woohoo!!!!! :woohoo::woohoo:

have a magical time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wizard::wizard:

OKW Lover

07-26-2009, 07:15 AM

Pant Pant Pant [eagerly awaiting more reports]

Have a great time! :thumbsup2

Mouse Skywalker

07-26-2009, 07:37 AM

Have a great trip Muddy Buddy partner. That's so cool you get some Daddy-time with Anna. I can't wait to follow along.

ADP

07-26-2009, 07:39 AM

Hi Everyone!

In a few minutes we are headed off to the airport. The weather is beautiful outside here and we're hopeful for a smooth flight to Orlando.

We have some friends picking us up at the Orlando airport and taking us over to the Royal Pacific Resort. All 3 of the on-site Universal resorts are beautiful. The Royal Pacific has a Polynesian theme, specific to the region of Bali in the South Pacific.

Our family really enjoys Universal; especially the relaxed, laid back feel the resort provides. We never feel like we have to rush to anything with front of the line access. We can breeze through the parks with little waiting. Both parks are in close proximity to each other and within walking distance to all 3 resorts (Walking distance does vary by resort).

Once we arrive at the Royal Pacific and check-in we hope to make it out to the pool for the afternoon and enjoy the beach, sun and water.

Our countdown calendar is filled in and it's just about time to head out the door.
More to come! :)

georgemoe

07-26-2009, 07:51 AM

Safe flight friend and have a ball at Universal. :)

UrsulasShadow

07-26-2009, 08:00 AM

I'm on, and can't wait for more!

bettyann29

07-26-2009, 09:13 AM

Cant wait to hear more! Hope you have a great time..:banana:

shellyminnie

07-26-2009, 09:32 AM

Yay!! Can't wait to see you!! Have a great trip!!

Annette_VA

07-26-2009, 09:52 AM

A two week long ADP live trip report?! Sweet!!

Can't wait to read all your updates.

Have a great trip!

IWISHFORDISNEY

07-26-2009, 10:03 AM

Have a fantastic trip. We are headed over to the parks next week. I cant wait to hear about your adventures. Have fun. Maybe we will run into you. :)

DVCsince02

07-26-2009, 10:38 AM

Have a safe flight and can't wait to read more!

simonkodousek

07-26-2009, 11:25 AM

I love reading your trip reports and can't wait until the next installment! :thumbsup2

*NikkiBell*

07-26-2009, 12:32 PM

Awesome! Have a great time! :)

safetymom

07-26-2009, 01:04 PM

I am looking forward to your reports!!!

fightinfire21

07-26-2009, 01:41 PM

I'll be following along... Can't wait!! Hope you have a great trip!!!:cool1:

NC Belle

07-26-2009, 02:37 PM

Looking forward to your live reports!

bigmoonmullen

07-26-2009, 03:44 PM

JWren1234

07-26-2009, 03:47 PM

Excited to read your reports!

Jason

crazytp93

07-26-2009, 04:03 PM

I really enjoy your TR's!

Can't wait for more.

ADP

07-26-2009, 04:38 PM

Hi Everyone

I'm in the lobby of the Royal Pacific. It's currently raining. Anna and I are headed over to Margaritaville after the rain stops with some friends.

I'll have some photos up tonight of our day.

I'm currently posting from my IPhone. This is pretty cool!

Launchpad11B

07-26-2009, 04:44 PM

Who are these mysterious friends you keep mentioning?? Spill it! Alicia started packing today. It's a shame you're leaving the day before I arrive.

NancyIL

07-26-2009, 04:51 PM

Aaron, I'm glad you and Anna arrived safely and are at your Universal resort. Having never been to Universal Orlando all the times I've been to FL- I can only imagine the fun you'll have there. I'll look forward to reading your report for the next 2 weeks!

cocowum

07-26-2009, 05:09 PM

Woohoo! I love your live trip reports! I can't wait to read all about your trip! I am so excited to be getting together in WDW! :woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

2xcited2sleep

07-26-2009, 05:20 PM

I love live reports! Can't wait for more! popcorn:: Have a great time!! :)

LovesThumper

07-26-2009, 05:25 PM

Live trip reports are so much fun. Especially with pictures- can't wait to hear more. Trying to decide if our one day Universal Pass (for only one of us) will be worth it in November when we go. Will let you be the decider.:banana:

shellyminnie

07-26-2009, 05:35 PM

Who are these mysterious friends you keep mentioning?? .

:lmao: It's not me! Although I will be seeing him while he's here!!

Mouse Skywalker

07-26-2009, 07:03 PM

Such a good Dad taking Anna for her first margarita. By the way, Maggie's (DD11 princess: ) full name is Marguerite. Named after Dana and my favorite drink.

tickledtink33

07-26-2009, 07:04 PM

Hope to see your there Aaron.

ADP

07-26-2009, 07:29 PM

Definately Kim!! We are looking forward to it. We are in Universal Studios. They are testing Rip Ride Rockit! It looks cool! No noise from the track. It looks extremely smooth. There is a loop and corkscrew in the same element. Something i've never seen before.

klam_chowder

07-26-2009, 07:45 PM

They are testing Rip Ride Rockit! It looks cool! There is a loop and corkscrew in the same element. Something i've never seen before.

picture, Picture, PICTURE! :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

comin' along for the ride :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

cheers,
:flower3:

Cyrano

07-26-2009, 08:12 PM

Aaron, looking forward to your live updates :goodvibes

FairyGodmotherJen

07-26-2009, 11:30 PM

Two weeks???!!? Awesome! :cool1: For once, it didn't rain today here in IN - sorry you arrived to rain down there. Looking forward to plenty of updates - I haven't been to Universal since 2000, and won't be going to Disney until June, so this will be a great way to keep up with things.

ADP

07-27-2009, 02:24 AM

Sunday, July 26th

Hi Everyone,

We are back from Universal Studios. We had a very nice day. We spent some time at the Royal Pacific Pool. I managed to soak up about 20 minutes worth of sun before the clouds moved in and the rain took over.

After the pool and rain we walked over to Margaritavile located at City Walk. There is a walking path you can take from Royal Pacific that will drop you off right near Margaritaville on City Walk; very convenient.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture001-2-1.jpg

One of the staples to a meal at Margaritaville is a frozen margarita with salt. I've noticed they've made the margarita glasses smaller. Maybe 10oz instead of the usual 16oz. I was a little disappointed with it.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture004-1.jpg

Our meal was very good. We had an appatizer of volcano nachos which were HUGE! :scared1:. I had the cheeseburger in paradise while Anna had the kids Mac & Cheese. I think the food here is very good; however, it is a bit pricy. Between 3 adults and 3 children we paid $110 which included the tip because we had a party size of 6 people. I also saved us 10% with my Universal AP. We did have 3 alcoholic drinks with our meal.

One of the attractions of the restaurant is a volcano at one of the bars which erupts every 30 minutes. The volcano lava goes into a giant jar at the base of the bar.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture003-1-1.jpg

As we left the restaurant a pirate on stilts showed up and made all 3 kids baloon items.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture006-1.jpg
Afterwards we headed over to Universal Studios to catch a ride on the Simpson's attraction.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture007-1.jpg
Anna got caught in the act!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture011-1.jpg

After we rode the Simpsons we decided to stop and get Anna an air brushed tattoo. Everything was going great until the artist dropped his brush on Anna's shorts. He got black ink on them and they were ruined. I stopped up at guest relations and showed them what happened. They were very apologetic and walked us over to the Universal Studios store and replaced Anna's shorts with a new pair of Universal shorts. A very nice gesture.

While in the store I noticed this sign. If you have an American Express card this should be a welcomed site.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture012-1.jpg

During our time at Universal Studios tonight I saw testing of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. There were no people in the cars, just empty cars going through the attraction all evening.
Here are some shots of the attraction
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture008-1.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture009-1.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture010-1.jpg
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs165.snc1/6200_1130075166518_1066407891_30391904_48875_n.jpg

Finally, a shot of me and Anna enjoying our dinner at Margaritaville! :)
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture005-2.jpg

We never did make it to Universal 360 tonight; however, we did see some of the show from afar. From what I could tell, it wasn't too spectacular, but I'll withhold an overall opinion until I can see it up close and personal.

Next Up:
Islands of Adventure
Pool Photos
& More

Launchpad11B

07-27-2009, 05:18 AM

Nice face in the last picture Anna!!!! Great job so far Aaron. :thumbsup2

bettyann29

07-27-2009, 06:04 AM

Nice pictures :thumbsup2 Cant wait for more..

Mouse Skywalker

07-27-2009, 06:11 AM

Thanks for the pictures Aaron. Looks like you and Anna are off to a great start.

kab407

07-27-2009, 07:16 AM

Aaaawwwww..

Have a great Monday Aaron and Anna!

firsttimemom

07-27-2009, 08:44 AM

We stayed at Royal Pacific after the PCC- we loved it. The rooms were HUGE (or maybe they just seemed that much bigger coming off the Wonder).

Have a great trip! I can't wait to hear more.

crazydisneyman

07-27-2009, 08:58 AM

Looks like a great time!

Anna keep your dad focused on rides, rides, rides. Don't let him get sidetracked on shows like Universal 360. :lmao:

DVCsince02

07-27-2009, 09:08 AM

Nice to see Anna got her shorts replaced.

cocowum

07-27-2009, 09:10 AM

Great report Aaron! You're making me so excited for our upcoming trip! :cool1::cool1::cool1:

BTW Does RP have free wifi? :surfweb:

georgemoe

07-27-2009, 09:16 AM

Good stuff Aaron. Enjoy your day. :goodvibes

ADP

07-27-2009, 09:32 AM

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments to our family!

Nice face in the last picture Anna!!!! Great job so far Aaron. :thumbsup2
Paul! Anna says hi! :wave:

Thanks for the pictures Aaron. Looks like you and Anna are off to a great start.
We are Dave. We are looking forward to our day today.

Aaaawwwww..

Have a great Monday Aaron and Anna!
Thanks Kathy, we will!

We stayed at Royal Pacific after the PCC- we loved it. The rooms were HUGE (or maybe they just seemed that much bigger coming off the Wonder).

Have a great trip! I can't wait to hear more.
I would say the rooms are pretty standard sized. The resort is beautiful.

Looks like a great time!

Anna keep your dad focused on rides, rides, rides. Don't let him get sidetracked on shows like Universal 360. :lmao:
:lmao: You trying to get me dizzy?

Nice to see Anna got her shorts replaced.
It was a very nice gesture. I must say they went above and beyond in my opinion.

Great report Aaron! You're making me so excited for our upcoming trip! :cool1::cool1::cool1:

BTW Does RP have free wifi? :surfweb:
Awesome Alicia! You guys are going to have a blast!
RPR offers free wi-fi to Lowes First members. You can sign-up for a free membership on the loweshotels website. You get free wi-fi and free access to the fitness room with the membership. Paul will like the free fitness room access. ;) You will also get a free single class upgrade (if available). We were upgraded from a standard view room to a pool view room because we were members.

Good stuff Aaron. Enjoy your day. :goodvibes
Thanks George! We will.

ADP

07-27-2009, 09:40 AM

Good Morning Everyone!

We headed down to the Orchid Court lounge in the main lobby for some breakfast and brought it back to our room. While I was near the lounge I noticed they have a sushi bar offering in the evenings much like the Polynesian Resort. I bet Corey would love this!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture013-1.jpg

Also, we are waking up each morning to the roar of the Hulk roller coaster. The Hulk has a very unique roar to it when the cars pass through the track. We have a great pool and Islands of Adventure view from our window in tower 3 on the 6th floor.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture014-1.jpg

We are headed out the door to Islands of Adventure this morning. I Must, MUST ride the Spiderman attraction at least 3 times. I also want to check out the progress of the Harry Potter themed land.

I'll have more later. :)

*NikkiBell*

07-27-2009, 09:46 AM

Make sure you take loads of pics of HP land! :)

cocowum

07-27-2009, 09:53 AM

Have a great day Aaron! :goodvibes We are Loews first members, so thanks for the info! :cool1:

jeanigor

07-27-2009, 09:58 AM

Sounds like a great time, Aaron! Can't wait to hear all about it.

Did anyone else see a slightly abstract hidden mickey in the blender picture in Margaritaville?

katscradle

07-27-2009, 11:06 AM

I just wanted to say hi Aaron and Anna. :)
I am enjoying your trip report.
We have never been to Universal, and I have been saying I want to hold off till HP opens.

tinkbutt

07-27-2009, 11:25 AM

great report!!! love the pics!!

ADP

07-27-2009, 03:23 PM

Monday, July 27th

Hi Everyone,

We are back from our morning/afternoon at Islands of Adventure. The park still looks great after 10 years. Spiderman is still my favorite attraction of all time. I'm sure the new Harry Potter themed land will give it new life once its completed.

Here are a few shots I took of the construction progress. I'll try and get a few more this week.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture017-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture018-1.jpg

One of the places you can grab a quick breakfast in the morning is the Crossiant Moon Bakery located just inside Islands of Adventure.
They sell pastries as well as other quick breakfast items.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture015-1.jpg

We like to head left and go clockwise around Islands of Adventure. This puts us in Marvel Superhero Island first. The Hulk was in its usual roar.
Darn finger!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture016-1.jpg

During our tour of Islands of Adventure Anna got her face painted. They did a great job!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture019-1.jpg

We also played a game or two and Anna came away with a Universal teddy bear by popping 3 baloons with 3 darts.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture022-1.jpg?t=1248721595

while in Suess Landing we saw a couple Suess characters
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture020-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture021-1.jpg

We stopped at Mythos for lunch today. I wasn't very hungry so I didn't order too much. I had a few bites of my grilled chicken sandwich and that was about it. Anna had a kids cheese pizza. The food was very good. They server you some sort of Fochaccia (sp) before you meal. The bread was a little too hard for my liking. Otherwise, our meal was perfect. With my 10% AP discount the meal came to $19 with tax and tip included.

Front of the line access worked great today. Spiderman had a 60 minute wait; however, with our room keys we only waited 5 each time we rode the attraction. Most attractions had lengthy wait times, but we waited very little.

We also survived a soaking on Dudley Do Right's Ripsaw Falls. We came off soaked, but we dried up pretty quickly in the Orlando heat.

That's all for now. I'm not exactly sure where we are headed tonight. More to come! :)

shellyminnie

07-27-2009, 03:30 PM

[B]

We also played a game or two and Anna came away with a Universal teddy bear by popping 3 baloons with 3 darts.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture022-1.jpg?t=1248721595

Way to go Anna!! :thumbsup2

Madi100

07-27-2009, 03:35 PM

Aaron, I look forward to hearing all about your trip! It sounds like it is off to a great start!

daneenm

07-27-2009, 07:42 PM

Looks like you are having a great time!

Cyrano

07-27-2009, 07:59 PM

Agree about FOTL access with room key. We went on MIB 6 times in a row.

Keep the reports coming :thumbsup2

aspen37

07-27-2009, 08:11 PM

Hi Anna! :wave2: Great job winning the Universal Bear! :thumbsup2

Great trip report Aaron. It sounds like you two are having a great time. I can't wait for the next installment. :)

LMO429

07-27-2009, 08:48 PM

enjoying your report.

I am not a Harry Potter fan but I have to admit I am very much looking forward to the wizarding world of harry potter at Universal. We have been to WDW 5 times in the past 2 years but we never go to universal but once they open the wizarding world of HP I do plan on staying onsite at universal for 2 to 3 nights. I am curious to see what kind of affect it will have on disney and universal once it opens

FairyGodmotherJen

07-27-2009, 09:56 PM

Thanks for the Harry Potter pics. I think we might squeeze in a day over there after our June 2010 Disney trip. I can't wait to see it!

dpuck1998

07-27-2009, 10:29 PM

Such a good Dad taking Anna for her first margarita. By the way, Maggie's (DD11 princess: ) full name is Marguerite. Named after Dana and my favorite drink.

Dave, Aaron couldn't name her Frozen Lemonade ;)

Great face painting pics! Love it, my kids really enjoy getting face paintings.

ADP

07-28-2009, 01:23 AM

Dave, Aaron couldn't name her Frozen Lemonade ;)

Great face painting pics! Love it, my kids really enjoy getting face paintings.
Ok...I deserved that. :lmao:
Anna loves the face painting as well. The guy who did this one did an excellent job.

ADP

07-28-2009, 01:48 AM

Hi Everyone,

We managed to make it over to Universal Studios tonight. We wanted to get a few rides in and grab a bite to eat inside the park.

Tonight we rode The Simpsons, Jimmy Neutron's Blast, Men in Black, and we made a stop over at Curious George's Playhouse.

After we finished with attractions we dined at Mel's Drive-in. I wasn't crazy about the food this time. I got a hamburger which seemed to be very overcooked. I didn't eat too much of it. Probably a good thing.

At 6:00PM the Simpson's attraction had a 40 minute wait; however, with the Express Pass we only waited 5 minutes.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture023-1.jpg

Here's a shot of inside the Men in Black attraction. I scored a measley 148,000. Not too good!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture024-1.jpg

On our way out of Universal Studios I stopped at the largest Betty Boop store anywhere! It has just about everything you could imagine.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture026-1.jpg

Tomorrow we plan on staying close to the resort. Anna and I are hoping to spend a lot of time at the pool, get a workout in at the fitness center (The Gymnasium), and attend the resort's luau (The Wanitian Luau). I'll have photos of the Luau for tomorrow night.

Up Next:
Photos of the Royal Pacific Pool
A Trip and Photos of the Fitness Center
The Wanitian Luau

P.S. I forgot to mention in an earlier post that on the plane down to Orlando Anna and I got to sit next to Divine; the tree lady who wanders and entertains guests at the Animal Kingdom. She's a contortionist who can walk on stilts. She told us all about her job and how often she works. A very cool way to start our Orlando vacation.
Here's a photo of Divine
http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/media/wldec2006/divine.jpg

Mouse Skywalker

07-28-2009, 06:19 AM

Dave, Aaron couldn't name her Frozen Lemonade ;):lmao::lmao:

Mouse Skywalker

07-28-2009, 06:23 AM

P.S. I forgot to mention in an earlier post that on the plane down to Orlando Anna and I got to sit next to Divine; the tree lady who wanders and entertains guests at the Animal Kingdom. She's a contortionist who can walk on stilts. She told us all about her job and how often she works. A very cool way to start our Orlando vacation.
Here's a photo of Divine
http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/media/wldec2006/divine.jpgWow, that's really cool you got to sit next to Divine. What was she doing in Indy? Friends or relatives there, or did she have a performance?

I'm bummed my attempt at going to Universal Studios a couple weeks ago was foiled. However, Aaron you're making me see the right way to do it. I think we need to stay on site to get the FOTL access if we go.

disneyholic family

07-28-2009, 07:28 AM

thanks for posting the pictures of the new coaster Aaron - looks SCARY!!!
no way am i going on that thing!! :eek::eek::eek::eek:

sounds like you're having a great time!!

AnneR

07-28-2009, 07:45 AM

Wow! Devine is one of my favorites. That is so cool. My girls would have gone crazy getting to meet her.

dpuck1998

07-28-2009, 09:16 AM

bigmoonmullen

07-28-2009, 09:36 AM

Hi Aaron:

It's been enjoyable reading your report and the pictures are excellent. You've shared some really nice ones of Anna.

How crowded has Universal been when comparing it to Disney parks?

Have a Great Day and looking forward to your updates...

Mark

crazydisneyman

07-28-2009, 10:08 AM

That is awesome that you got to sit next to her on the plane.

I hope you have a very relaxing day.

And stop posting at 1:48AM ????? :scared1:

You are on vacation.....

ADP

07-28-2009, 11:52 AM

Hi Everyone

I'm posting from the RPR pool. The weather is beautiful today! I hope it stays this way for tonight because we are going to the resorts luau. I believe the luau cove is covered so it should be ok as long as there is no lightening.

I'll post some photos later :)

To Kim - We miss you and love you very much. We can't wait until you get here! :)

cocowum

07-28-2009, 11:55 AM

Hi Everyone

I'm posting from the RPR pool. The weather is beautiful today! I hope it stays this way for tonight because we are going to the resorts luau I believe the luau cove is covered so it should be ok as long as there is no lightening

I'll post some photos later :)

To Kim - We miss you and love you very much. We can't wait until you get here! :)

Awwww! :love:

Cyrano

07-28-2009, 02:35 PM

ADP

07-28-2009, 03:12 PM

Wow, that's really cool you got to sit next to Divine. What was she doing in Indy? Friends or relatives there, or did she have a performance?

I'm bummed my attempt at going to Universal Studios a couple weeks ago was foiled. However, Aaron you're making me see the right way to do it. I think we need to stay on site to get the FOTL access if we go.
She was in Indy attending a private party. She actually went to a private residence and did her act. She said it was a giant BBQ behind some mansion. Sounded pretty interesting.
You've got to try out Universal Dave. They have some amazing attractions and the resorts are very nice. The room key front of the line access is so incredible; especially in the summer when the parks are more crowded. We've saved so much time. Spiderman had 60 minute regular line wait; where the express pass line only had a 5 minute wait. A HUGE diference.

Dave, that is the ONLY way to do Universal!!
:thumbsup2

Hi Aaron:

It's been enjoyable reading your report and the pictures are excellent. You've shared some really nice ones of Anna.

How crowded has Universal been when comparing it to Disney parks?

Have a Great Day and looking forward to your updates...

Mark
The Uninversal parks are not as crowded as the Disney parks; however, the wait times are up there, and more than I expected. I think the Super Bowl promo they did last February has helped. They gave away over 1 million tickets to households across the country after their Super Bowl commercial aired. A very good deal.

That is awesome that you got to sit next to her on the plane.

I hope you have a very relaxing day.

And stop posting at 1:48AM ????? :scared1:

You are on vacation.....
I like to stay up late when I'm on vacation. :)

ADP

07-28-2009, 03:45 PM

Tuesday, July 28th

Hi Everyone,

We are back from our morning/afternoon at the pool and the gym. I got A LOT of sun today. The weather has been very nice so far and the pool was very crowded.

We stayed at the pool for about 3 hours and enjoyed relaxing and swimming. Anna got caught up play volleyball in the pool. I think she could have done it all day if I would have let her.

The RPR pool is very nice, pretty large, and has several chairs around for guests to choose from. Here are some pictures I took while we were at the pool
The pool has a ship water feature which shoots water in several different directions. This pool does not have a water slide, but the ship does help make up for the lack of a slide.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture027-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture028-2.jpg

This resort has a very nice pool bar. I got the chance to enjoy a drink during our time at the pool.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture029-1.jpg

There is also an ice cream stand at the pool. You have to eat it fast though or else it will melt.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture030-1.jpg

The pool workers conducted kids actvities at the top of each hour. One of the contests was a splash contest. Anna participated in the contest and won the event out of 5 other girls. I was so proud at the splash she made belly first. :)
Here's Anna entering the pool and starting her splash.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture031-1.jpg

After the contest we took a picture with the activities coordinator.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture032-1.jpg

Once we left the pool we headed back to the room. I changed and decided to head down to the gym. this is a first for me. I never dream of working out while on vacation. I usually workout on Tuesdays back home with Kim so I wanted to stay on our routine. It wasn't the same without her. I had a good workout, but missed her company. :love:

After the workout I took some pictures of the gym. They have a combination of machines and free weights as well as treadmills and bikes. I focused on cardio, core, and upper body today; arms, shoulders, chest, etc.

Here are the photos.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture033-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture034-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture035-1.jpg

Tinight we are headed for the Royal Pacific Wanitilian Luau. We are looking forward to it. I'll have pictures and share our experience tonight.

More to come! :)

dpuck1998

07-28-2009, 03:50 PM

Mouse Skywalker

07-28-2009, 07:28 PM

Thanks for more pictures Aaron. I definitely want to try Universal. I still have my Super Bowl ticket. I just need to get down there again before Dec. 31st.

Congrats to Anna on the splash contest, and congrats to you for continuing to workout. Boy, that gym looked crowded... ;) I guess it wasn't hard to find a machine.

WebmasterLeah

07-28-2009, 09:02 PM

Thanks for the great reports and pictures! I love live trip reports!

Sooze

07-28-2009, 09:33 PM

I love your live reports!! Thanks for being so very very up-to-date!

I simply cannot WAIT until the Harry Potter attraction opens at Universal... but we will probably wait for a year after it opens to go see it. I can't imagine the MADHOUSE that place will be when it first opens!!

Glad to see you and Anna are having such a great time!!

ADP

07-28-2009, 10:00 PM

Hi Everyone,

We are back from the RPR Luau. This report will be shorter than I want because, quite honestly I'm a bit tired and not feeling 100%. I think I got too much sun today.

We attended the luau tonight and had a great time. This was the first luau I'd ever attended. Each of the main theme park resorts in Orlando offers some sort of Luau. Most of the reviews I've read put the RPR luau second behind the one at Sea World. Most put the one at the Polynesian last.

We checked into the luau cove at 5:30PM. The luau starts at 6:00. After you check-in you are given a table assignment. At 5:30 an entertainer named Duke comes out to entertain guests waiting to enter the luau. He plays a eukulale and sings.
The Wanitilan Luau check-in area
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture037-2.jpg

Anna was pulled from the line tonight and Duke showed her how to hula and a few other tricks.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture038-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture042-2-1.jpg

At 6:00PM we walked up to the luau cove and were seated at our table by a server. I was surprised to see we were sitting with 8 other people. Since we were the first ones at our table we could choose which seats of the 10 we wanted.

Here is the stage at the luau cove.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture044-2-1.jpg

Here is a photo of our table at the luau. We had a lot in common with the people at our table. 2 of the girls were in competivit cheer like Anna. One couple's parents live in Fishers, IN; where we live. We had a lot to talk about.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture045-1.jpg

The food is located in the back of the cove or seated areas. It's an all you care to eat buffet. Most of the food was asian/south pacific inspired. I didn't really find anything offensive. All the food was good. There was a carving station with a full pig roast and other meets. There was also a dessert table with dessert shots and many small tarts.

The cost of the luau included all the mai tais you could drink. I have to say they were very weak. I don't think there was very much alcohol in them if any at all.

As for the entertainment, I'd say it was above average. They had a polynesian band, 4 hula dancers, and a fire dancer. They performed various hula dances, and fire tricks. They also pulled several volunteers from the crowd.
Here are some photos of the entertainment
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture046-2.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture049-3-1.jpg

This laua was a bit expensive and for that reason I don't give it really good marks. It's good, but not worht the $80 we paid for it. $80 was for 1 child and 1 adult and as I mentioned included all the mai tais you can drink albeit weak. I also got a 10% discount for being a Universal annual passholder.

At the end of the luau a few of the hula dancers came out to take pictures.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture048-1-1.jpg

So that was our experience. If you've ever wanted to try something like this you should. It's worth a shot to try it out to see if you like it.

Tomorrow morning we are headed back to Islands of Adventure. We took today off from the parks to try and rest and relax. We still have a long way to go on our vacation.

Up Next:
Islands of Adventure
Pictures from other areas of the Royal Pacific
A stop at Portifino Bay

Launchpad11B

07-29-2009, 05:21 AM

Get some sleep buddy. Don't overdue it and make yourself sick! Do I sound like your mother???!!! :lmao: Have a great day today. Tell Anna, me and Jennie say hello! :goodvibes

Mouse Skywalker

07-29-2009, 06:14 AM

Hi Everyone,

We are back from the RPR Luau. This report will be shorter than I want because, quite honestly I'm a bit tired and not feeling 100%. I think I got too much sun today. Hey Aaron, sorry to hear you're feeling a bit run down. Take care of yourself buddy. Get some rest so you can make it through your vacation.

Sooze

07-29-2009, 08:24 AM

Sure hope you're sleeping in today! Thanks for the luau report. Do you know why the Poly is ranked so low?

ADP

07-29-2009, 09:22 AM

Sure hope you're sleeping in today! Thanks for the luau report. Do you know why the Poly is ranked so low?
I'm not exactly sure. It seemed like in the articles I read the Polynesian luau was raited lower because of the food, entertainment, price, and value.

ADP

07-29-2009, 09:30 AM

Good morning everyone,

We are going to Islands of Adventure today. Later in the day we we'll head to Universal Studios.

I'm feeling better. Thanks Paul...Anna says hi back. :wave:

We plan on grabbing breakfast at the Crossiant Moon Bakery over at Islands of Adventure. I haven't mentioned this yet, but as a Universal resort guest you get automatic priority seating at all sit down restaurants on property. When we went to Margaritaville the other day there was a 25 minute wait for our party. When I told them I was a resort guest I got the next available table for our party size. We only waited 5 minutes. It was really nice!

We also plan on taking the boat over to Portifino Bay. The resort is beautiful and I like to just stroll around. We'll probably grab some lunch while we are there.

We plan on checking out a little early tomorrow to head over to the Animal Kingdom Villas. :goodvibes

georgemoe

07-29-2009, 09:35 AM

Nice reports Aaron. Glad you are feeling better today. Deb says hello to you and Anna. Have a great day today! :)

crazydisneyman

07-29-2009, 09:37 AM

Hi Everyone,

We are back from the RPR Luau. This report will be shorter than I want because, quite honestly I'm a bit tired and not feeling 100%. I think I got too much sun today.

...

The food is located in the back of the cove or seated areas. It's an all you care to eat buffet. Most of the food was asian/south pacific inspired. I didn't really find anything offensive. All the food was good. There was a carving station with a full pig roast and other meets. There was also a dessert table with dessert shots and many small tarts.

First of all, I am glad that you had a good time at the Luau. I like the idea of the buffet. Disney should consider that I think. It would make the dinner less chaotic and rushed.

I am glad that you didn't find anything offensive. :lmao:

Interesting use of words there.

I hope you take at easy today. Three hours of Florida sun is alot. Have a great day! Tell Anna we said hello.

Sooze

07-29-2009, 12:34 PM

I'm not exactly sure. It seemed like in the articles I read the Polynesian luau was raited lower because of the food, entertainment, price, and value.

Geez, that means EVERYTHING about it is sub-par... yikes!

ADP

07-29-2009, 02:36 PM

Hi everyone

We are at The Portifino Resort enjoying some lunch at Sal's Deli. Afterwards we are going to grab some ice cream. This is a welcomed afternoon break. The Portifino is a beautiful resort. Viva Italia!!!!

ADP

07-29-2009, 04:50 PM

Hi Everyone,

We are back from our morning//afternoon. We went to Islands of Adventure and then over to Portifino Bay for lunch. We are now back in our room for an afternoon rest. We will be headed to Universal Studios later this evening.

Islands of Adventure was somewhat crowded this morning. Here is a shot of the crowd and Spiderman wait time.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture053-1.jpg

Spiderman wait time....45 minutes in the stand-by line and 5 minutes in the Express line.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture054-1.jpg

Here are some attraction wait times at around Noon today
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture056-3-1.jpg

On our way around the Islands of Adventure we stopped and paid a visit to the talking water fountain. This guy shoots water everywhere at guests. Anna got soaked!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture057-1.jpg

I mentioned this on Facebook, but Islands of Adventure is thick with Thing 1, 2, 3, and 4 merchandise. It's everywhere. It must be a big draw for Universal.

Some of the best views at Islands of Adventure can be found in Jurassic Park. The viewing areas are hidden, but if you look around you can find them.
Here one behind the Burger Digs restaurant
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture055-1.jpg

After we left Islands of Adventure we went to visit the beautiful Portifino Bay Resort. This place is gorgeous and because I'm Italian I like it even more. :)
Here are a couple shots of the resort. There are a lot of Italian flags waving around the resort.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture058-2-1.jpg

We had lunch at Sal's Deli. The pizza was pretty good.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture059-3-1.jpg

After we left Sal's we walked around a little more and enjoyed the courtyard. We took the boat back to City Walk where we transferred to the Royal Pacific Resort boat. Later we are going to Universal Studios one last time to get in a couple more attractions.

More to come later!

Dodie

07-29-2009, 05:19 PM

:wave2:

Hi Aaron and Anna. I'm loving your report! Can't wait until you get to AKL!

disneyholic family

07-29-2009, 05:52 PM

thanks for the wonderful pictures and report Aaron!!

almost like being there...

Sooze

07-29-2009, 05:57 PM

That resort is beautiful! You are making me want to give Universal a whirl!!

TXYankee

07-29-2009, 06:01 PM

Aaron,

Thanks for the trip report. I really appreciate you taking the time to make me happy!

(let me pretend that you do this just to brighten my day!)

exwdwcm

07-29-2009, 11:38 PM

Aaron and Anna, thanks for sharing your adventures, I have really enjoyed it and look forward to the disney portion and Kim joining you as well. keep it up, I'm loving it. Hope the trip continues to go great!:thumbsup2

ADP

07-29-2009, 11:57 PM

Hi Everyone,

We went to Universal Studios tonight, but some storms rolled through so we cut our evening short. We were able to hit the ice cream shop at Universal Studios and ride the Simpsons and Jimmy Neutron before we had to leave.

During our short time at the park I did manage to snap this picture of the Simpsons attraction.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture-1-1.jpg

Tonight is our last night at the Royal Pacific. We really enjoyed our time here. The staff is great, and everyone was very helpful. Our room was in great shape with a flat panel TV. The room sizes are standard, but they are well appointed. The resort amenities are very good. And I'd be amiss if I didn't mention the front of the line access at the theme parks. It saved us soooo much time. It made our vacation so much more relaxed. I'd highly suggest staying onsite; especially during the months when schools are out. The pool is very nice and very large. Big enough to accommodate the entire resort.

Here's a shot I took just roaming around the resort. You'll find a lot of spots around the resort to relax and escape the everyday hustle and bustle of life.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture036-1.jpg

Tomorrow we are moving to AKV. One of our favorite resorts. We plan to spend a lot of time at the resort since we want to avoid the heat and crowds in the afternoon hours.

More to come!

Next Up:
Checking in at AKV
Uzuma Springs Pool
Downtown Disney
Dinner at Raglan Road

katscradle

07-30-2009, 08:38 AM

Aaron thank you for sharing your trip with us, I am enjoying your trip report quite a bit. :thumbsup2

crazydisneyman

07-30-2009, 09:34 AM

Dinner at Ragland Road is always good!

Be sure to get a good seat near the table where they clog.

The live music is usually awesome too!

Say hi to Anna for us!

Mouse Skywalker

07-30-2009, 09:39 AM

We went to Raglan Road for the first time before the Podcast Cruise, and the whole family loved it. Maggie says it's one of her favorite restaurants now.

ADP

07-30-2009, 11:17 AM

Thursday, July 30th

Hi Everyone,

We've transitioned from Universal to Disney World. We checked into AKV Jambo a little while ago. The resort is still very beautiful. We are planning on heading down to the pool, and then later heading over to Downtown Disney for some shopping and dinner. On Saturday we are moving up to the Kilamanjaro Club Level. We are really looking forward to it.

We had some friends who live near us in Indy drive us from Universal to Disney World. They even made a stop for us at the nearby Wal-Mart on 535. We can't thank them enough! :)

Here are some photos I took as we transitioned between the resorts.
The RPR check-in check-out desk
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture060-1-1.jpg

The courtyard near the RPR lobby
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture061-1.jpg

The main entrance to the resort. A bridge lined with frogs welcoming you to the South Pacific
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture063-1.jpg

And finally, walking into the lobby of AKV for the first time. Nothing beats the feeling of walking into this resort lobby. The resort has a distinct smell that seems to welcome you and reminds you your on vacation.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture062-1.jpg

I'll be back with more later from Downtown Disney and Raglan Road. :)

disneyholic family

07-30-2009, 06:31 PM

RPR seems like a really nice resort.....next time we stay at universal, we'll try that resort ...

ADP

07-30-2009, 08:58 PM

Hi Everyone,

We are back from Downtown Disney and dinner at Raglan Road. I helped boost the local Orlando economy by dropping a load at the new Disney store called TrenD. The store has some unique stuff different than you'll find in any of the other Disney theme park and resort stores.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/6200_1132506587302_1066407891_30-1.jpg

Here's a shot of Anna as we left the store
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/n1066407891_30398680_8163321-1.jpg

After we left TrenD we made a stop over at the Lego store.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture064-1-1.jpg

The heavens opened up so we ducked into T-Rex....:scared1: Yes, it was loud....Very loud! We were in there long enough to hear the meteor hit the earth about 2 times. :laughing:

We put our ponchos on and hit the ground running to Raglan Road. We had dinner reservations with some friends at 5:30. I've never dined at Raglan Road so I was pretty excited to try it.

We arrived a bit early and were seated before our ADR time. Funny thing, the restaurant was empty. When my firend made the ADR about a month ago there were no tables available at 6:00PM. At 6:00PM the restaurant was still empty. Something is definately not right with Disney's ADR system.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture069-2-1.jpg

Here was our table at Raglan Road. We had a good time.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture065-2.jpg

Before our meal our server brought us a bowl full of an oatmeal bread with a sweet dipping sauce. The bread was extremely heavy. All I could thing about was the feeling of a boat anchor in my stomach after eating a piece.
The menu is very traditional with Irish cuisine. I chose to eat the Fish & Chips. The fish & chips were $18.50. Pretty pricey for that type of entree so I was expecting something good.

My entree had a good portion of chips and one LARGE piece of fish. It was servied with tartar sauce, ketchup and malt vinegar. I was expecting something good and it didn't disappoint.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture066-2.jpg

After our meal I decided to endulge a bit and have dessert. I chose the bread pudding because our server highly recommended it. Again, I was expecting something good. The dessert came out and it was pretty large. The bread pudding came in a large cup with a carmel and vanilla sauce to pour on top. I really loved it. It didn't disappoint.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture067-2-1.jpg

The restaurant has a lot of decorative Irish flair. Here is the main seating area; however, there are several other seating areas throughout the restaurant. The restaurant is a lot larger than it appears from the outside.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture068-2-1.jpg

Our total bill for 3 kids and 3 adults was $140. We did have alcohol and dessert. We saved 20% with our Tables in Wonderland card and the automatic 18% gratuity. A bit pricey, but I must say I thought the meal was worth it. I'd love to go back in the future and dine there again.

So that was pretty much our day. Tomorrow we plan on heading to the Animal Kingdom firth thing in the morning. Kim should be arriving at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at around 2:00PM. We will be back for her arrival. We can't wait to see her, we've missed her so much. :love: Tomorrow night we plan on having dinner with some friends.

More to come!

Up Next:
Animal Kingdom
Pictures from the Animal Kingdom Lodge
Meeting Friends

mainegal

07-30-2009, 09:33 PM

On our way around the Islands of Adventure we stopped and paid a visit to the talking water fountain. This guy shoots water everywhere at guests. Anna got soaked!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture057-1.jpg

This is a friend of mine from college!

He has worked at Universal for eighteen years in various capacities. His partner works Backlot Tour at Hollywood Studios. This was as of when I last saw him last December. I hope they have both survived the layoffs.

AnneR

07-30-2009, 09:43 PM

Raglan Road has become one of our favorites. We were on the dining plan in June and everyone enjoyed their entrees and desserts. The bread pudding is awesome.

NancyIL

07-30-2009, 09:48 PM

I'm really enjoying your report and photos, Aaron! I love Raglan Road, and I'm glad you enjoyed it, too. Next time you go there, try to eat closer to 9 p.m. when the Irish band starts to play. Watching the Irish dancer perform on the table is pretty cool, too. :)

georgemoe

07-30-2009, 09:48 PM

I'm glad you and Anna are having a great time Aaron. Your reports are great. When is Kim due in? You must be missing each other. :lovestruc

katscradle

07-30-2009, 10:02 PM

Hey Aaron I am glad you liked Raglan Road, it is a fav. of mine. :)

Sooze

07-30-2009, 10:09 PM

Ok, so I just came back from spending 30 minutes on the elliptical... and you show me that tasty FRIED food?!? Oh my gosh.. I am so HUNGRY now! Darn you, Aaron!!

Hooray for Kim arriving tomorrow! Big hugs are in order, for sure!!:banana::banana:

ADP

07-30-2009, 10:23 PM

This is a friend of mine from college!

He has worked at Universal for eighteen years in various capacities. His partner works Backlot Tour at Hollywood Studios. This was as of when I last saw him last December. I hope they have both survived the layoffs.
That's quite a coincidence you know this person. He did a great job entertaining the kids.

Raglan Road has become one of our favorites. We were on the dining plan in June and everyone enjoyed their entrees and desserts. The bread pudding is awesome.
I could imagine Raglan Road would be an excellent 1 table service credit meal on the dining plan.

I'm really enjoying your report and photos, Aaron! I love Raglan Road, and I'm glad you enjoyed it, too. Next time you go there, try to eat closer to 9 p.m. when the Irish band starts to play. Watching the Irish dancer perform on the table is pretty cool, too. :)
We did miss them. Our server told us when they came out, but we couldn't hang around to watch them.

I'm glad you and Anna are having a great time Aaron. Your reports are great. When is Kim due in? You must be missing each other. :lovestruc
We are George...Very much! She's due to arrive at AKL around 2:00PM.

Hey Aaron I am glad you liked Raglan Road, it is a fav. of mine. :)
I can understand why.

Ok, so I just came back from spending 30 minutes on the elliptical... and you show me that tasty FRIED food?!? Oh my gosh.. I am so HUNGRY now! Darn you, Aaron!!

Hooray for Kim arriving tomorrow! Big hugs are in order, for sure!!:banana::banana:
It really wasn't that good. If I could have done it over I probably would have had the vegetable platter.

*NikkiBell*

07-30-2009, 10:28 PM

Tren-D is my favorite store on WDW property. I absolute love it. We were lucky enough to be there when it did a soft opening in April. I was SO very happy to see everything and cannot wait to go back! :)

shellyminnie

07-30-2009, 10:32 PM

Tomorrow night we plan on having dinner with some friends.

Hmmm . . . wonder who that is :rolleyes1 :)

*NikkiBell*

07-30-2009, 10:36 PM

OH! Oh! Oh! I know! I know! Pick me! Pick me!

shellyminnie

07-30-2009, 10:38 PM

OH! Oh! Oh! I know! I know! Pick me! Pick me!

Go lay down!!

*NikkiBell*

07-30-2009, 10:42 PM

I can't! I'm fidgety! :(

shellyminnie

07-30-2009, 10:48 PM

I can't! I'm fidgety! :(

Take some of Don's vicodin!! I'm sure he'd be willing to share. :rotfl2:

*NikkiBell*

07-30-2009, 11:00 PM

I'm not quite so sure you'd want to see me on vicodin. I've never had it before. I wonder what'd happen?? ;)

Bornteach

07-30-2009, 11:04 PM

Thinks that THAT would be scarier than the new Roller Coaster!!!!
:rolleyes1:rolleyes1

*NikkiBell*

07-30-2009, 11:41 PM

Hahahahaha. Me too. Prescription meds and kamikaze do me in verrrryyy quickly.

Becx N Gav

07-31-2009, 03:19 AM

Great report Aaron and Anna, it's good to see Universal as we've never been there. Hopefully we'll go one year but Disney just keeps tempting us back :rotfl:

Hope you have a great time at AK and enjoy your dinner tonight :cool1:

Mouse Skywalker

07-31-2009, 06:31 AM

Hey Aaron, did anyone get the shepherd's pie at Raglan Road. I remember I got it, and Maggie got it off the kids menu. It was so cool because her dish looked exactly like mine only mini. We will call it "mini-meal".

bcvdreamer

07-31-2009, 07:09 AM

I love your trip reports. Enjoy the rest of your stay.

We went to Raglan Road in mid June and without ADR's and it was fairly empty too. We were a party of 10, so we thought we were going to have to wait a long time for a table. We were surprised that we were seated immediately.

jeanigor

07-31-2009, 07:45 AM

Looks like you are having a fantastic time Aaron and Anna. Glad that Kim will be joining you today though.:hug:

We went to Raglan Road before the first podcast cruise and the inside was packed; however, Anna (aspen37) and I got seated immediately outside along the fence and watched the hubbub of Pleasure Island while we dined. Our waiter was a kid that I went to high school with and I was exceedingly pleased with the quality of the food. I can see how you thought the bread was heavy. But the Raglan Road version is much softer than what is served at my family's table they double as hockey pucks.

ADP

07-31-2009, 08:49 AM

Good morning everyone,

We are headed out the door to the Animal Kingdom. The weather looks good and we should be able to get on most of what we want to experience.

Kim arrives around 2:00PM so we will be back for her arrival.

Later tonight we are headed for dinner with some friends. We can't wait to see them.

Great report Aaron and Anna, it's good to see Universal as we've never been there. Hopefully we'll go one year but Disney just keeps tempting us back :rotfl:

Hope you have a great time at AK and enjoy your dinner tonight :cool1:
You should give Universal a whirl. I think you guys would like it.

Hey Aaron, did anyone get the shepherd's pie at Raglan Road. I remember I got it, and Maggie got it off the kids menu. It was so cool because her dish looked exactly like mine only mini. We will call it "mini-meal".
I almost did Dave. I was torn between the fish & chips and shepard's pie. I wish I could of had both. Nobody had the shepdard's pie. I tried to talk Anna into the shepard's pit, but when she looked at the description it was all over. She had the Mac & Cheese.

Looks like you are having a fantastic time Aaron and Anna. Glad that Kim will be joining you today though.:hug:

We went to Raglan Road before the first podcast cruise and the inside was packed; however, Anna (aspen37) and I got seated immediately outside along the fence and watched the hubbub of Pleasure Island while we dined. Our waiter was a kid that I went to high school with and I was exceedingly pleased with the quality of the food. I can see how you thought the bread was heavy. But the Raglan Road version is much softer than what is served at my family's table they double as hockey pucks.
That's quite a coincidence about your server. The quality of the food was very good. It was really worth the price in my opinion; especially the dessert.

bigmoonmullen

07-31-2009, 09:03 AM

Hi Aaron:

Have a Great Day at AK. Tell us what you think about the new centralized fast pass distribution... if you use it.

Enjoying yor reports.

Mark

kab407

07-31-2009, 09:04 AM

Have a great day Anna and Aaron. Hope Kim arrives on time!

Enjoy dinner tonight. (Hi Shelly!)

crazydisneyman

07-31-2009, 09:13 AM

Aaron, have a great day!

Tell Anna hello!

Could you tell us how long it takes to get form AKL to the AK and back again?

I am curious as it is the closest resort.

shellyminnie

07-31-2009, 09:15 AM

Have a great day Anna and Aaron. Hope Kim arrives on time!

Enjoy dinner tonight. (Hi Shelly!)

Hi Kathy. :wave:

crazydisneyman

07-31-2009, 11:19 AM

Make sure you go to the Lion King Show!!!!

ADP

07-31-2009, 12:43 PM

Hi Aaron:

Have a Great Day at AK. Tell us what you think about the new centralized fast pass distribution... if you use it.

Enjoying yor reports.

Mark
Thanks Mark...We didn't use the centralized fastpass today, but I'll be sure to check out the next time we are at AK. We got Fastpasses at Everest. That was the only one we needed this morning.

Aaron, have a great day!

Tell Anna hello!

Could you tell us how long it takes to get form AKL to the AK and back again?

I am curious as it is the closest resort.

Make sure you go to the Lion King Show!!!!
Hey Chris...I will tell Anna. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is the closest resort. The bus ride is about 5 minutes tops.
We wouldn't miss the Lion King show...Caught the 11:00AM show. :thumbsup2

Madi100

07-31-2009, 01:02 PM

Aaron, sounds like you guys are having a great time. I'm really enjoying reading your TR.

ADP

07-31-2009, 01:05 PM

Friday, July 31st

We are back from our morning at the Animal Kingdom. The park wasn't very crowded this morning; however, as we left you could see the people pouring into the park. The sun was ducking in and out of the clouds so it wasn't oppresively hot.

We grabbed a quick breakfast at the Mara this morning before leaving for the park. The Mara is the Animal Kingdom Lodge's quick service restaurant. It was very crowded this morning. I'm glad we are moving to club level tomorrow so we can avoid having breakfast there. It's just too crowded.

We arrived at the Animal Kingdom just after the park opened. We caught the bus at the AKL bus depot. The bus to the Animal Kingdom leaves from zone 1 and you are reminded how to get over to Kidani Village.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture070-2.jpg

It took us about 5 minutes to get over to the Animal Kingdom from the bus...A very short ride.
After a short walk we were at the front gate.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture071-2.jpg

As we entered the park I was ready with my camera. The Animal Kingdom provides some great shots. I don't have the best camera in the world, but everytime we visit the Animal Kingdom I wish I had a Cannon T1i; AKA a nice camera.
Here are a couple of shots from the Animal Kingdom
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture072-3-1.jpg

Coming out the mountain and down the hill of Expedition Everest
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture073-3-1.jpg

Sometimes it can get so hot in the Animal Kingdom you can start seeing double. :)
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture077-2-1.jpg

When we first entered the park today we went to the fastpass machines at Expedition Everest. The time to come back and ride was posted between 11:00 and 12:00. We got fastpasses and went to Dinoland. Anna wanted to ride Primeval Whirl. We got spun into oblivian and moved on to the Festival of the Lion King show. This is my favorite show on property.

As we left the Lion King Show we made a stop to catch some characters.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture076-2-1.jpg

It was our time to ride Expedition Everest. We jumped in the fastpass line at around 11:35 and waited for only 5 minutes. The standby time was posted as 45 minutes. Thank goodness for our fastpasses. The Yeti was in B mode again today. He only had the strobe lights on him as you passed underneath him. It's too bad they can't figure out how to get him to move properly. I hope they can figure it out someday.

After we rode Everst it was time for us to leave the park. The crowds were pouring in and the heat of the day was beginning to show up. On our way out of the park we saw Divine near the exit to the park. Unfortunately, this was not the same Divine we met on the plane from Indy to Orlando. Maybe we'll catch her next time.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture078-1-1.jpg

We plan on coming back to the Animal Kingdom during out trip. I'm not sure which day we'll be there, but until then: :)
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture074-1.jpg

Right now we are headed down to the gift shop to pick up some items we had shipped and purchased from Downtown Disney last night. Kim should be arriving soon, and later we are getting together with Shelly. Tonight we are dining off site in Celebration. We are really looking forward to it.

More to come! :)

Mouse Skywalker

07-31-2009, 01:13 PM

Friday, July 31st

Sometimes it can get so hot in the Animal Kingdom you can start seeing double. :)
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture077-2-1.jpgGood one Aaron! :thumbsup2 (meaning the picture and the joke).

After we rode Everst it was time for us to leave the park. The crowds were pouring in and the heat of the day was beginning to show up. On our way out of the park we saw Divine near the exit to the park. Unfortunately, this was not the same Divine we met on the plane from Indy to Orlando. Maybe we'll catch her next time.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture078-1-1.jpgWow, there's more than one Divine... who knew? :confused3 And I've never seen any of them.

Right now we are headed down to the gift shop to pick up some items we had shipped and purchased from Downtown Disney last night. Kim should be arriving soon, and later we are getting together with Shelly. Tonight we are dining off site in Celebration. We are really looking forward to it.

More to come! :)Have a great dinner. Please tell everyone I said hello.

WaltD4Me

07-31-2009, 02:11 PM

Aaron, your trip reports and pictures are the BEST, I just love when you are at Disney! :goodvibes Awesome AK pictures, love the one of Devine. Keep having a great time and keep keeping us posted!

flyingcat2003

07-31-2009, 02:57 PM

Good one Aaron! :thumbsup2 (meaning the picture and the joke).

Wow, there's more than one Divine... who knew? :confused3 And I've never seen any of them.

Have a great dinner. Please tell everyone I said hello.

Is it just me or does Devine creep any of you out as well? I know this sounds bad but she just creeps me out so bad. Kind of like a clown does.

Ms. Belle

07-31-2009, 05:38 PM

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your trip report. I feel like I'm there with you. You and your daughter look like you are having a great time. I can't wait to read more!

disneyholic family

07-31-2009, 06:20 PM

Nemo's our favorite show in AK, and Lion king our second favorite....
for us, both of them are must-sees (usually several times each trip)...

great picture of EE!

Sooze

07-31-2009, 08:24 PM

^^^^^^I Agree!^^^^^^^

I still can't decide which one I like best, Nemo or FotLK... so we always make sure to see them both as well!

How weird, when we were there in mid-July, the Yeti was janked, too! You could barely see him and he wasn't moving. Get it fixed!!

Can't wait to hear about your meal in Celebration!

SunnieRN

08-01-2009, 12:35 AM

What a wonderful trip report!!! You have really convinced me that I want to go to Universal/IOA! Staying onsite, of course!

Your daughter is beautiful!! Loved her face painting and it was so cute when she was doing the hula!! She didn't even look nervous, must be due to her cheer leading experience.

I am happy for you all that your family is now together and I hope you had a wonderful dinner!!

disneyholic family

08-01-2009, 05:58 AM

Metro West

08-01-2009, 07:12 AM

Is it just me or does Devine creep any of you out as well? I know this sounds bad but she just creeps me out so bad. Kind of like a clown does. :rotfl:

ADP

08-01-2009, 08:36 AM

Aaron - that sign for kidani village - you mean that's the sign at the AKL for how to get to kidani village?

is kidani village that far from AKL that you need to take a bus...
or am i being particularly thick today and not understanding the sign?
Correct...You can catch the bus to take you to Kidani Village. According to the DVC member website...Jambo House is 1/2 mile from Kidani Village if you decided to walk. There is a sidewalk/path that connects the two main entrances at each building.

What a wonderful trip report!!! You have really convinced me that I want to go to Universal/IOA! Staying onsite, of course!

Your daughter is beautiful!! Loved her face painting and it was so cute when she was doing the hula!! She didn't even look nervous, must be due to her cheer leading experience.

I am happy for you all that your family is now together and I hope you had a wonderful dinner!!
Thank You. Univeresal is a lot of fun. We can't wait when Harry Potter when it opens.

ADP

08-01-2009, 08:49 AM

Hi Everyone,

We are getting ready to check out of our room and check back in to our new room on the Kilimanjaro club level. We are going to grab a quick breakfast and head to the Magic Kingdom. Hopefully, it's not "crazy" crowded today.

Kim is here and now I feel our vacation has "officially" started.

We had a great time at Celebration last night. We got to dine with Kathy, Kevin, John, Kevin's mom Anna, and Shelly. It was great to see all of them again. We dined at Celebration Town Tavern. It was a fabulous meal.

Here are a couple of photos I took while we were in Celebration.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture080-2-1.jpg

Celebration Town Tavern
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture079-2-1.jpg

I had a bowl of lobster chowder which was very chunky. It was full of chunks of lobster, potatoes, and corn. It was very creamy, but delicious. I also had a side salad and an order of chips and salsa.

Kim had a grilled chicken platter. She enjoyed it. It came with a large portion of vegetables and a large baked potato.

Anna had a kids chicken fingers platter. She loves any type of chicken fingers, so it was a hit with her.

Thanks to everyone for a great evening. It was a lot of fun.

We are off to the MK. I'll be back with more later. :)

Launchpad11B

08-01-2009, 08:56 AM

Sounds good Aaron. Tell Kim we say hello. :goodvibes

OKW Lover

08-01-2009, 08:56 AM

Sounds like a fun night at the Celebration Town Tavern. Can't wait to read more of your trip report - keep it coming!

A.Mickey

08-01-2009, 09:09 AM

Hi Aaron!

Loving your live trip report!popcorn:: I am glad Kevin plugged it in a recent podcast, that is how I found out about it. :thumbsup2

See you in Indy! :yay:

Sooze

08-01-2009, 09:23 AM

Hi Aaron!

Loving your live trip report!popcorn:: I am glad Kevin plugged it in a recent podcast, that is how I found out about it. :thumbsup2

See you in Indy! :yay:

Celebrations is just beautiful, isn't it?! When Matt and I go on our adults-only trip, we may just have to venture back out there for some food! Thanks for sharing.

kab407

08-01-2009, 09:35 AM

I love CTT!

Have a great day Aaron, Anna and finally Kim!!!!

shellyminnie

08-01-2009, 09:43 AM

I had a bowl of lobster chowder which was very chunky. It was full of chunks of lobster, potatoes, and corn. It was very creamy, but delicious.

Mmmmmm . . . lobster chowder!! OMG!! That was the best chowder I have ever eaten. You must go on Fridays to try this . . It is definitely worth the trip!!

Good food . . good company . . it was indeed a great night!!

*NikkiBell*

08-01-2009, 09:53 AM

DisneyKevin

08-01-2009, 11:33 AM

Lobster chowder? Wow, that's something I'd love. I'm a lobster junkie. ;)

Question, in the tavern pic it looks like there's residential housing above the restaurant. Were those apartments? offices? I'd love to get over to Celebration to see the area one day. I've always been curious about it.

Yup....there are residential units above most of the business buildings in the small downtown area of Celebration.

It's a fun place to explore.

Had an great time last night..

Just a note to all....downtown Celebration is a cell phone "black hole" for just every carrier except ATT. Most folks find reception pretty poor. Nextel users can just about forget it.

disneyholic family

08-01-2009, 12:06 PM

thanks for that explanation Aaron - i hadn't realized kidani village is so far away from AKL...
so i guess that means it's much more self-contained than the other DVC resorts that are together with regular resorts (like boardwalk/beach club)...
interesting..

which do you think is the nicer place to stay then? jambo house or kidani village? or are they both nice in their own way?

thanks for the pictures of celebration...
i can't believe that in all the times we've been to WDW, we've never made it there...each time we're there we say this time we'll go, but then we never do....

maybe in september we will...it looks so cute...

*NikkiBell*

08-01-2009, 12:32 PM

Our prob with going is that we don't rent a car. I guess they dont want a lot of tourists that way being that it's residential and won't provide a shuttle.

jcb

08-01-2009, 01:27 PM

Am I the only one who reads this thinking, "I want to vacation like Aaron"?

alaskanmommy

08-01-2009, 01:42 PM

Thanks for the fantastic trip report Aaron. I always look forward to your pics and descriptions!! It always looks like you guys have so much fun!! Keep up the good work; I'm looking forward to some more of your Disney crack!!!:lmao:

belle8306

08-01-2009, 04:14 PM

I am all caught up on your trip report! It sounds like you guys are having a wonderful time. I have never been to Universal but your pictures make me want to go.:goodvibes

ADP

08-01-2009, 04:35 PM

Hi Aaron!

Loving your live trip report!popcorn:: I am glad Kevin plugged it in a recent podcast, that is how I found out about it. :thumbsup2

See you in Indy! :yay:
I know...I heard. Kevin and the whole crew are so kind.

Celebrations is just beautiful, isn't it?! When Matt and I go on our adults-only trip, we may just have to venture back out there for some food! Thanks for sharing.
Celebration is a very romantic retreat. A great escape if you want to get away from Disney property.

I love CTT!

Have a great day Aaron, Anna and finally Kim!!!!
Thanks Kathy!

thanks for that explanation Aaron - i hadn't realized kidani village is so far away from AKL...
so i guess that means it's much more self-contained than the other DVC resorts that are together with regular resorts (like boardwalk/beach club)...
interesting..

which do you think is the nicer place to stay then? jambo house or kidani village? or are they both nice in their own way?

thanks for the pictures of celebration...
i can't believe that in all the times we've been to WDW, we've never made it there...each time we're there we say this time we'll go, but then we never do....

maybe in september we will...it looks so cute...
We like Jambo more right now because of the available amenities. Kidani is nice, but there are certain elements of Jambo we like more.

Our prob with going is that we don't rent a car. I guess they dont want a lot of tourists that way being that it's residential and won't provide a shuttle.
I don't think catching a cab in both directions would be overly expensive. It's not terribly far away.

crazydisneyman

08-01-2009, 04:57 PM

Alright, Mr. Club level.

We want pics of the ammenities!

What is food like???

Do you feel special???

Are you taking advantage of the special safari tour with your club level access???

Are you being pampered???

Have they offered you a VIP guide to take you through the parks as an added bonus for being such a great member of DVC???

Give us the juicy details!!!

BTW, have a great time and tell Anna and Kim hello!

ADP

08-01-2009, 04:59 PM

Saturday, August 1st

Hi Everyone,

We are back from our morning/afternoon at the Magic Kingdom. We had a great time. The park was not overly crowded at all. I like going on Saturday's to the Magic Kingdom. For some reason crowds don't seem to heavy on Saturdays. I think because a lot of families are transitioning vacations; who's leaving and who's coming. Saturday seems like a day a lot of people depart and come to Disney World. Also, I believe last night was Magic Kindgom EMH. Many families opt not to come back the next day after spending the night at the Magic Kingdom.

We checked into the club level at the lodge. It was really nice to grab a quick breakfast this morning before heading to the Magic Kingdom.

Our day started heading right down Main St. U.S.A. and a look at Cinderella Castle.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture082-2.jpg

And of course the Main St. U.S.A. singers and dancers. I love seeing them; especially when arriving at the park. They bring a smile to everyone's face.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture083-2.jpg

We decided to get fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain. We cut through Adventureland and I couldn't help to snap a picture of one of our favorite signs.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture084-2-1.jpg

Also on our way to get fastpasses we ran into some characters and one of Jack Sparrow's assistants.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture088-1-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture087-1-1.jpg

After we got our fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain we headed for the Hall of Presidents. I wanted to see the newly refurbished attraction with President Obama. It didn't disappoint. We really enjoyed it. I was a little surprised how short it was. It seemed to go by very quick. I'm a big fan of Morgan Friedman so I knew I was going to love the narration. For those who've never seen the Hall of Presidents definately plan to make a stop.

After the Hall of presidents we stopped over at the Haunted Mansion. As usual it was a great and spooky ride. We stopped for lunch over at Columbia Harbour House. We needed a rest so I told Kim and Anna we should go upstairs away from the crowd. The upstairs at Columbia Harbour House is rarely crowded because most people don't know its there. A nice secret spot to get away from the crowds.

After lunch we decided to head over to Toon Town because Anna wanted to see the new Pixie Hollow area with Tinker Bell and the fairies. When we arrived to the character tent the posted wait time was 30 minutes; however, it felt like we waited about 45 minutes. A little longer than I wanted to wait.
Here are a couple shots I took at Pixie Hollow
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture092-2-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture095-2-1.jpg

At about 2:30 we decided it was time to leave the Magic Kingdom and head back to AKL. Our room was ready so we needed to get our luggage. On our way out of the park we caught the Celebrate Dreams Come True parade
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture097-3-1.jpg

We made it back to AKL and went to our room. We had a chocolate surprise waiting for us from the club level staff.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture102-2-1.jpg

And here is the view from our room looking at some ostriches
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture100-2-1.jpg

We are headed down to the Jambo House pool to catch some sun and fun. Later we may take in some night vision of the animals. The resort provides night vision goggles between 9:00 and 11:00PM so you can view the animals at night.

More to come! :)

georgemoe

08-01-2009, 06:06 PM

Thanks for the updates Aaron. Sounds like you had a wonderful time last night with friends. :goodvibes

Enjoy the rest of your day. :wave2: Kim, :wave2: Anna

ADP

08-01-2009, 10:40 PM

Hi Everyone,

We are back from the pool and we took another trip to Downtown Disney. We also got to enjoy some of the hot foods served in the club level. Tonights hot foods included BBQ pork ribs, African meatballs, assortmants of cheese and crackers, PB&J, assortmants of beers and wines.

The pool was rather crowded late this afternoon. The water was very warm, probably in the upper 80 degree temperature. It felt great and the weather was wonderful; all day for that matter.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture104-1-1.jpg

Here are a couple photos of the AKL pool slide at Jambo House
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture105-2-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture106-2-1.jpg

After we left the pool we headed up to the club lounge where we enjoyed some hot foods, beer, wine and other foods. There were also olive and vegetable assortmants as well tonight. I'll post more photos of the club offerings later in the week.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture107-3-1.jpg

After we enjoyed our food we took the bus to Downtown Disney to specifically check out the Christmas store. We always try and purchase an ornament or two whenever we visit Walt Disney World. 150 more days until Christams; better start making out your list now. :)
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture108-2.jpg

Tomorrow we are planning on visiting Hollywood Studios in the morning. In the early afternoon we have plans or lunch at Backlot Express with some friends, and then later in the afternoon we have dinner plans with other friends. We have quite an action packed day planned tomorrow.

More to come!

Up Next:
Hollywood Studios
Lunch at Backlot Express
Dinner at Boma

Sooze

08-01-2009, 11:24 PM

:scared1:Only 150 days til Christmas?!?! I'd better get going!
:rolleyes:Thanks for the updates, Aaron! It's fun to know what you are doing while we are stuck at home!

disneyholic family

08-02-2009, 05:06 AM

i'm loving your pictures and report Aaron!!!

thanks for taking us along on your vacation!!

bettyann29

08-02-2009, 07:46 AM

great pictures and great report.. Thank you for sharing your trip with us

ADP

08-02-2009, 08:16 AM

Good Morning Everyone,

We are headed out the door to Hollywood Studios after we have breakfast in the club lounge. We're hopeful to get to ride Toy Story Mania as soon as the park opens.

We're also meeting some friends for lunch at the Backlot Express.

We're looking forward to checking out some of the Streetmosphere characters that roam around Hollywood Blvd.

I got a great run in this morning from Jambo House to Kidani Village. I ran the path that connects the two resorts twice. That is a approximate total of 2 miles. It wasn't terribly humid this morning so it was a pretty good run.

I'll have more later.

Ciavobella

08-02-2009, 12:56 PM

We love dining in Celebration. When I saw the picture below I thought you ate at Cafe D'Antonio which is excellent and our favorite. Thanks for sharing your trip, I love live reports. :)

Hi Everyone,
We had a great time at Celebration last night. We got to dine with Kathy, Kevin, John, Kevin's mom Anna, and Shelly. It was great to see all of them again. We dined at Celebration Town Tavern. It was a fabulous meal.

Here are a couple of photos I took while we were in Celebration.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture080-2-1.jpg

exwdwcm

08-02-2009, 04:20 PM

still loving the trip report Aaron, thanks for all the great details.

let me know how the FP goes at TSM- we are hoping for our first ride in December and will only have one morning at HS (plus 2 nights)- so i am nervous about getting our fastpasses or being able to ride more than once without huge waits. do you guys recommend getting a FP first and then riding? or the other way around?

Good Morning Everyone,

We are headed out the door to Hollywood Studios after we have breakfast in the club lounge. We're hopeful to get to ride Toy Story Mania as soon as the park opens.

We're also meeting some friends for lunch at the Backlot Express.

We're looking forward to checking out some of the Streetmosphere characters that roam around Hollywood Blvd.

I got a great run in this morning from Jambo House to Kidani Village. I ran the path that connects the two resorts twice. That is a approximate total of 2 miles. It wasn't terribly humid this morning so it was a pretty good run.

I'll have more later.

ADP

08-02-2009, 04:38 PM

Hi Everyone,

We are back from our morning/afternoon from Hollywood Studios. We had a great time. We arrived at the park around 9:15 and headed immediately to get fastpasses for Toy Story Mania. The wait at the fastpass machines was about 10 minutes. Our return time was 11:20.

The crowd wasn't to bad when we arrived, it just seemed everyone wanted to get over to Pixar Place and get fastpasses or ride TSM.

The crowd on Hollywood Blvd this morning
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture109-3-1.jpg

Here was the line to get a fastpass at Toy Story Mania
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture110-3-1.jpg

We were able to experience Muppets 3-D, we saw the UP characters in the animation courtyard, Star Tours, Anna got her hair wrapped, we rode Toy Story Mania, and we had lunch at the Backlot Express.

It was kind of funny, but the rest of the park was really empty this morning. Here's proof of it. Hardly anyone was in the Streets of America around 10:00AM this morning. We felt like we had the park to ourselves.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture111-3-1.jpg

While we were at the Animation area I found some hidden Mickey's on the floor while waiting for us to see the UP characters.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture114-3-1.jpg

We eventually made it through the line and saw the UP characters.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture116-3-1.jpg

Afterwards we had lunch at the Backlot Express. I had a very good chicken salad. It was pretty large and had more chicken in it the last time I remember having it.

While we entered the Muppets 3-D attraction I snapped this photo of the ticket booth. The Muppets attraction has a ton of detail to it
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture112-2-1.jpg

Here's a shot of one of the robots inside the Star Tours attraction. Another great queue for details.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture113-3-1.jpg

On our way out of the Studios we stopped at Sid's. If you answer the 5 questions on the chalk board you get a certificate.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture119-2-1.jpg

We also caught a glimpse of some of the streetmosphere. Next time we visit the Studios I'm making it a point to see more streetmosphere.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture120-3-1.jpg

Tonight we are headed downstairs to eat at Boma. I'll have more later on our meal. :)

dpuck1998

08-02-2009, 05:11 PM

Did you check under the mat?

Cyrano

08-02-2009, 05:33 PM

Sounds like a great DHS day :) How was your scores on TSM ?

ADP

08-02-2009, 07:41 PM

Did you check under the mat?
Not this time. There's so much going in the Muppet queue and preshow it's impossible to take it all in.

Sounds like a great DHS day :) How was your scores on TSM ?
I scored 199,000, Not bad, but not my best. I think the all time high score is 325,000. I'm not exactly sure how someone did that, but they did.

dpuck1998

08-02-2009, 07:47 PM

Not this time. There's so much going in the Muppet queue and preshow it's impossible to take it all in.

I scored 199,000, Not bad, but not my best. I think the all time high score is 325,000. I'm not exactly sure how someone did that, but they did.

I once got stuck in a spot and was able to amass a huge score. Did this on Buzz also and hit 999,999! I think TSM was in the high 200,000's

ADP

08-02-2009, 07:54 PM

I once got stuck in a spot and was able to amass a huge score. Did this on Buzz also and hit 999,999! I think TSM was in the high 200,000's
Interesting...Maybe that's how the high score was achieved. Never thought of that.

dpuck1998

08-02-2009, 08:05 PM

Interesting...Maybe that's how the high score was achieved. Never thought of that.

Last time I was on and got stuck the scoring turned off and it defaulted to a "non-scoring" mode. Buzz is still able to rack up a huge score if you get stuck though.

Mouse Skywalker

08-03-2009, 07:52 AM

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture095-2-1.jpgAaron, you are starting to look buff. Look at those arms, the workouts are really paying off. Paul's going to have to watch out soon!

Great report Aaron. I'm so impressed with you being able to get together with so many friends while you're there. Just goes to show what a nice guy you are.

ADP

08-03-2009, 08:51 AM

Aaron, you are starting to look buff. Look at those arms, the workouts are really paying off. Paul's going to have to watch out soon!

Great report Aaron. I'm so impressed with you being able to get together with so many friends while you're there. Just goes to show what a nice guy you are.
Thanks Dave...I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life right now thanks to you guys. Not that I'm in great shape or anything. It all started with the Muddy Buddy and a 5K I ran almost a year and a half ago. My family has been a big inspiration to me as well. I'm almost certain I could kick Puck around the football field right now. ;) Paul on the other hand; that's going to take much more time, focus, and effort.

Getting together with friends has been fun. It's amazing how many people I've come to know and become friends with during my time on these boards and other communities. I'm just glad we can get together every once in a while to see each other.

ADP

08-03-2009, 09:07 AM

Good Morning Everyone,

We are headed out the door to EPCOT this morning. We want to stroll around World Showcase later today and take another whirl on the Kim Possible adventure.

Tonight we are going to the Polynesian beach to meet with fellow Polynesian enthusiasts. We plan on having Dole Whips. I'm sure it will remind me a lot of our May experience before the podcast cruise.

Last night we had our dinner at Boma. I must say, it was very good. The food, as you would expect, was very spicey. Kim and Anna loved the Mac & Cheese served at the restaurant. Quite honestly, so did I. Don't get me wrong, the other food was very good as well.

After we left Steve, Tara, Darby, and Kai (our friends) we headed for the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom had evening Extra Magic Hours last night. They were open until 2:00AM, but we only made it until Midnight.

I took a couple pictures of Cinderella Castle last night. They are a little dark. I had my flash on, but for some reason the flash didn't reach the 300 yards to the castle (I thought Kathy would like that comment :lmao:).

They did turn out rather spooky though.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture121-1-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture123-1-1.jpg

One of the things we did last night was visit the character tent. Anna wanted to see the Princesses. We decided since the parade was going on we would see how long the wait would be. We only waited about 5 minutes. Since so many people were watching the Spectromagic parade we were able to breeze right through the line. If you ever want to experience an attraction with a long wait time just do it during a parade or fireworks. The lines are much, much shorter.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture122-3-1.jpg

We may not be back to the resort this afternoon considering today's schedule. I'll have pictures and more from EPCOT and the Polynesian beach tonight. :)

safetymom

08-03-2009, 09:15 AM

Love the photos. It's a shame your flash didn't reach that far. :)

georgemoe

08-03-2009, 09:23 AM

Thanks for the updates Aaron! Enjoy your day!

crazydisneyman

08-03-2009, 09:35 AM

Have a great day Aaron and family!

Yes, Aaron I do believe that you could kick Puck around the football field. :lmao:

dpuck1998

08-03-2009, 10:48 AM

Thanks Dave...I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life right now thanks to you guys. Not that I'm in great shape or anything. It all started with the Muddy Buddy and a 5K I ran almost a year and a half ago. My family has been a big inspiration to me as well. I'm almost certain I could kick Puck around the football field right now. ;) Paul on the other hand; that's going to take much more time, focus, and effort.

Getting together with friends has been fun. It's amazing how many people I've come to know and become friends with during my time on these boards and other communities. I'm just glad we can get together every once in a while to see each other.

Have a great day Aaron and family!

Yes, Aaron I do believe that you could kick Puck around the football field. :lmao:

Until you stop lifting on those machines and pick up some free weights you have a long ways to go Young Padawan!! Sounds like Chris wants in on the action!

aGoofyMom

08-03-2009, 10:51 AM

Love the report!!! But now I want to go to Universal on our next trip and stay on site.

Enjoy the rest of the trip!

ADP

08-03-2009, 01:18 PM

Until you stop lifting on those machines and pick up some free weights you have a long ways to go Young Padawan!! Sounds like Chris wants in on the action!

Free weights are a part of my routine; especially the upper body. Hopefuly, I'll be able to continue increasing the weight and reps. We are gping to try and hit the Kidani Village fitness room tomorrow. I'll snap some photos of the facility during our workout.

crazydisneyman

08-03-2009, 01:41 PM

Free weights are a part of my routine; especially the upper body. Hopefuly, I'll be able to continue increasing the weight and reps. We are gping to try and hit the Kidani Village fitness room tomorrow. I'll snap some photos of the facility during our workout.

I remember seeing that fitness center when we were there in May.

It is very nice!!!!!

BTW, I only lift using free weights. :thumbsup2

ImTooExcitedToSleep

08-03-2009, 01:42 PM

It was kind of funny, but the rest of the park was really empty this morning. Here's proof of it. Hardly anyone was in the Streets of America around 10:00AM this morning. We felt like we had the park to ourselves.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture111-3-1.jpg

We probably passed right by each other and didn't even know it.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v5207/31/80/1078190639/n1078190639_30335038_4207222.jpg

We were down there by 10:30am waiting for the Power Rangers.

ADP

08-03-2009, 03:01 PM

Hi Everyone

We are sitting in the Germany pavillion. The crowds at EPCOT are moderate for the summer. Wait time for Test Track is 100 minutes and Soarin is 70 minutes.

World Showcase isn't very crowded at all.

SunnieRN

08-03-2009, 05:43 PM

Am I the only one who reads this thinking, "I want to vacation like Aaron"?
Absolutely not! I feel the same exact way! (Except for the 2 mile run.;))

Ok, is it wrong to never have been somewhere and want to live there? My daughter wanted to move to Celebration last year. (She is an adult and has my two young grandsons:goodvibes). Well every time I see a picture of Celebration I fall more in love! At the time I didn't think it was such a great idea.. Now I'm "homesick". lol

Your family pictures are great!! I love Annas hat!! Too cute!! By the way, we have a concierge stay booked for February and I can't wait!! :thumbsup2 Looking forward to more!!

ADP

08-03-2009, 11:18 PM

Monday, August 3rd

Hi Everyone,

We are back from a very long day at EPCOT and the Polynesian resort. It was a great day despite some rain we encountered later in the afternoon.

The crowds at EPCOT were moderate today for early August. By 1:00PM the heat and humidity started to reer it's ugly head. Typically, we would have headed back to our resort for an afternoon break, but because we had an informal meet planned at the Polynesian we wanted to just head over there after we left EPCOT.

We started our day in the club lounge where we enjoyed our breakfast. I got a few photos of the club lounge. I'll post the food offerings later this week.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture124-3-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture125-3-1.jpg

After breakfast we took the bus from AKV to EPCOT. We arrived around 9:45 and immediately went to get fastpasses for Soarin. The return time was already at 1:25PM. No problem though, since we were going to be around EPCOT most of the day.

We even got some time to take in a character or two.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture126-3-1.jpg

As I mentioned earlier, I felt the crowds at EPCOT were pretty moderate for this time of year. Here were a few of the posted wait times around Noon. The 100 minute wait time for Test Track is rather high.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture128-3-1.jpg

While we were in the Land pavillion today I took notice of the hot air balloons at the top center of the pavillion. Have you ever noticed how they represent each season of the year Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. A very nice detail.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture129-3-1.jpg

On our way to World Showcase we decided to stop off and cool down in one of the best misters in all of Walt Disney World. The Cool Wash next to Test Track.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture130-3-1.jpg

After we rode Soarin, Figment, and Nemo and got cooled off we headed to World Showcase to play Kim Possible. Our mission started in China. We did 3 missions in 3 different countires; China, Germany, and France. I thought Germany had the best mission of all the missions we've done in the past. I won't spoil it for you, so don't ask. :)
Here's where we picked up our Kimunnicator in the Norway pavillion.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture132-3-1.jpg

On our way around World Showcase I had to stop in the France bakery for a Neopolitan (or Napoleon for you proper people :) ). It tasted just as good as the last time I had one in May; although Puck ate most of that one. ;)
This dessert is the bomb. I love them.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture131-3-1.jpg

It started to rain so we decided to head for the front of the park. On our way past the International Gateway I snapped this photo of the landscaped spider near the back entrance of EPCOT.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture134-3-1.jpg

We needed to catch the monorail from EPCOT to the TTC and transfer to the Magic Kingdom resort monorail. This was our way to the Polynesian. We love the monorail ride from EPCOT to the TTC. It's one of the best rides in all of Disney World.

When we arrived at the Polynesian we grabbed a quick bite to eat. We relaxed in the Great Ceremonial House until 8:00PM when our informal gathering would start behind the Hawaii longhouse on the Polynesian beach. The gathering was for fans of Disney's Polynesian resort. Tonight there were several give-a-ways and we got to meet several friends and new people.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture136-3-1.jpg

The Polynesian is my favorite resort on Disney property. Despite the rain earlier today the clouds started to part and made way for a beautiful sunset from the Polynesian beach.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture133-3-1.jpg

I was very fortunate tonight. I won one of the grand prizes. A hand carved wooden tiki almost half the size of me. It was carved by the same person who carved many of the tikis you'll find at the Polynesian Resort. It's something I'll treasure forever.
Now...How do I get it home? :idea: :lmao:
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture135-3-1.jpg

Today was a long and exciting day. Tomorrow we plan on taking it easy and staying close to the resort. Our plan is to sleep in, go over to the Kidani Village fitness center and workout, and then spend some time at the pool. Tomorrow night we are going over to the Boardwalk to eat, shop and take in some of the free entertainment along the way. It should be a relaxing day.

I hope to do a lot of this. :)
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture137-1-1.jpg

Next Up:
The Kidani Village fitness center
Photos of the Kilimanjaro Club food offerings
Disney's Boardwalk

cruisinpenguin

08-03-2009, 11:27 PM

That Tiki you won is awesome!! Congrats!! Great photos too especially the sun set. Thanks for sharing enjoying your trip and getting us ready for ours is 16 days!! Thanks, Laurie :)

Madi100

08-03-2009, 11:36 PM

Love your prize, Aaron.

Launchpad11B

08-04-2009, 05:12 AM

Congrats on the tiki bro! Your report on the club level is making my last week at work seem like a year!! :lmao::lmao: Have a good day today. :thumbsup2

safetymom

08-04-2009, 07:25 AM

Our favorite mission is Germany also.

mainegal

08-04-2009, 07:33 AM

How are you going to get that big tiki home?!

Mouse Skywalker

08-04-2009, 07:56 AM

Hey Aaron. I love your sunset picture at the Poly. How'd you win the tiki? That's so awesome!!!

Wait... tiki-fest??? I thought I heard another pod-caster talking about tiki-fest... hmmmmmmm...

dpuck1998

08-04-2009, 08:11 AM

Absolutely not! I feel the same exact way! (Except for the 2 mile run.;))

Ok, is it wrong to never have been somewhere and want to live there? My daughter wanted to move to Celebration last year. (She is an adult and has my two young grandsons:goodvibes). Well every time I see a picture of Celebration I fall more in love! At the time I didn't think it was such a great idea.. Now I'm "homesick". lol

Your family pictures are great!! I love Annas hat!! Too cute!! By the way, we have a concierge stay booked for February and I can't wait!! :thumbsup2 Looking forward to more!!

We actually looked at property in Celebration....man is it expensive!! Ohh..we've never been there either! :thumbsup2

cocowum

08-04-2009, 08:20 AM

Hey Aaron, great report! :goodvibes Did Tiki fest have a big turnout? Are you going to the dessert party on Thursday? Just curious. Congrats on the Tiki! :goodvibes

See you in a couple of days. :)

Ciavobella

08-04-2009, 08:44 AM

Wow, you went to Tiki fest. :thumbsup2 I love Steve's site. Very cool prize.

ADP

08-04-2009, 10:28 AM

Congrats on the tiki bro! Your report on the club level is making my last week at work seem like a year!! :lmao::lmao: Have a good day today. :thumbsup2
Trust me...As fast as our trip is moving it will be here before you know it. You are going to love it up here Paul.

How are you going to get that big tiki home?!
Not sure yet. I may have to call Southwest and see what my options are. I think I can carry it on the plane; however, security may have a field day with me.

Hey Aaron. I love your sunset picture at the Poly. How'd you win the tiki? That's so awesome!!!

Wait... tiki-fest??? I thought I heard another pod-caster talking about tiki-fest... hmmmmmmm...
Right Dave, but you didn't hear me mention that. ;)

We actually looked at property in Celebration....man is it expensive!! Ohh..we've never been there either! :thumbsup2
It is expensive, but what a place. It's worth it in my opinion. I'm not sure, but if you ever wanted to buy in Celebration this maybe the time to do it with the way housing is right now. There are many other nice place in the Orlando area though. Celebration is not the "end all, be all".

Hey Aaron, great report! :goodvibes Did Tiki fest have a big turnout? Are you going to the dessert party on Thursday? Just curious. Congrats on the Tiki! :goodvibes

See you in a couple of days. :)
We'll be at the dessert party. I think 70 people have signed up to attend. See you guys soon Alicia. I'm hoping all of us can get together this week; you guys, us, Kim, shelly, and maybe some other DISers.

scarlett873

08-04-2009, 11:11 AM

Wow...that's a big tiki you have there...

Love the sunset pic! When are you guys heading home? I need to know when I'm going back to Zumba...:rotfl:

crazydisneyman

08-04-2009, 11:17 AM

Wow...that's a big tiki you have there...

Love the sunset pic! When are you guys heading home? I need to know when I'm going back to Zumba...:rotfl:

Brandie,

I would agree that size does matter when you are transporting a tiki on an airplane that could take up it's own seat! :lmao:

exwdwcm

08-04-2009, 12:09 PM

Congrats on the Tiki prize Aaron, that's great!

and love the sunset photo at Poly!

ADP

08-04-2009, 01:57 PM

dpuck1998

08-04-2009, 02:04 PM

Hi Everyone,

We are at the Kidani Village pool. The sun is in and out. We used the Kidani Village fitness center earlier. Later we plan to head to the Boardwalk.

Brandie, we are coming back on Sunday. Kim said you need to go tomorrow night for the both of you.

Sounds awesome! loved the pool complex, can't wait to be back in Dec. How was the gym? Any free weights or all machines?

ADP

08-04-2009, 04:23 PM

Sounds awesome! loved the pool complex, can't wait to be back in Dec. How was the gym? Any free weights or all machines?
The pool was great! We did a lot of the activites today; which included hula hoop, chicken dance, and bingo.

The fitness center is pretty nice. They only have dumbells/barbells for free weights. We used them to do bench press, arms and upper body work. I used the locker rooms afterwards. They are pretty nice; however, there's only 1 large shower.

dpuck1998

08-04-2009, 04:26 PM

The pool was great! We did a lot of the activites today; which included hula hoop, chicken dance, and bingo.

The fitness center is pretty nice. They only have dumbells/barbells for free weights. We used them to do bench press, arms and upper body work. I used the locker rooms afterwards. They are pretty nice; however, there's only 1 large shower.

So you two had to shower together :love:

ADP

08-04-2009, 04:51 PM

Tuesday, August 4th

Hi Everyone,

We are back from our day. We took the walking path from Jambo House to Kidani Village. We used the fitness center, locker rooms, and spent a good chunk of the afternoon at the Kidani Village pool complex. The weather was pretty good today. The sun was in and out most of the afternoon, but we still got a lot of sun.

We slept in and then walked down to the club lounge for some breakfast. Afterwards we came back to our room, changed for the fitness center, and packed our pool bags.

We took the walking path between the two AKV resorts. Something new I noticed the other day during my run was new signage directing you to Kidani Village and Jambo House. On the signs there are questions about animals. When you get to the next sign you will find the answer. Pretty cool!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture146-2-1.jpg

We arrived at the fitness center at around 11:30AM. The center has quite a few lifting machines and a decent amount of cardio equipment. There's also rows of barbells which we used to do some free weight lifting. The one thing we really enjoyed about the fitness center was the floor to near ceiling windows most of the way around the room.
Here are some photos of the fitness center
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture147-2-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture148-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture139-2-1.jpg

The locker rooms are located across from the fitness center. They are very nice; however, there's only 1 very large shower in each room.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture140-2-1.jpg

After we finsihed our workout we changed and headed down to the pool area. We really enjoy this pool. It was crowded today. Kidani Village is only half open. I'm afraid when the entire resort opens this pool is going to be crowded all the time. There may not be enough personal space in the actual pool for everyone.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture144-2-1.jpg

Water play area
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture145-3-1.jpg

At 2:00PM pool activities start. Some pretty nice prizes are awarded. Activites included hula hooping, chicken dancing, and bingo.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture143-2-1.jpg

We left the pool around 3:45. We walked back to Jambo House. We are headed down to the club lounge for a quick bite to eat. Afterwards we are going to the Boardwalk. We'll probably stop over at Beaches and Cream for some ice cream later provided the weather cooperates.

More to come! :)

NC Belle

08-04-2009, 05:01 PM

I like your Tiki.
:rotfl:
Great report. The equipment looks great and what an empty gym.

OKW Lover

08-04-2009, 06:41 PM

I think Disney security needs to do an inventory of the Tiki room before ADP leaves. ;)

safetymom

08-04-2009, 07:36 PM

We'll be at the dessert party. I think 70 people have signed up to attend. See you guys soon Alicia. I'm hoping all of us can get together this week; you guys, us, Kim, shelly, and maybe some other DISers.

If you are having an unofficial meet somewhere just let me know. I can always find an excuse to visit the parks.

shellyminnie

08-04-2009, 07:57 PM

scarlett873

08-04-2009, 08:04 PM

ADP

08-04-2009, 10:36 PM

So you two had to shower together :love:
One in each locker room. I should have clarified. :lovestruc

I like your Tiki.
:rotfl:
Great report. The equipment looks great and what an empty gym.
The equipment is very new as you would imagine. It didn't look very used.

I think Disney security needs to do an inventory of the Tiki room before ADP leaves. ;)
I know of no back entrance to the attraction....Just sayin'.

If you are having an unofficial meet somewhere just let me know. I can always find an excuse to visit the parks.
I'll let you know Kathy. I've got some phone calls to make so we can coordinate something. I'll send you a quick PM when we know for sure.

Count me in!! Just let me know when!
We'll call you Shelly and let you know. :)

No way...lol :rotfl:
Yes way! :banana:

ADP

08-04-2009, 10:58 PM

Hi Everyone,

We had a change of plans tonight. Instead of heading to the Boardwalk Kim and Anna decided they wanted to see G-Force. So we headed to Downtown Disney. I had my eyes on a few things I needed to pick-up for our Labor Day meet in Indy. I picked up what I needed in the Marketplace.

Before we left for Downtown Disney we ate in the club lounge. The food offerings change each night, but are on a 7 day schedule. Here are some photos of the hot and cold food offerings served between 5:00 and 7:00PM.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture149-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture150-1.jpg

Beer, pop, and milk are available in a small refrigerator around the corner. There is Bud Light, 2 African beer selections, and Heiniken.

One of the benefits of staying club level is daily maid service and evening turndown service. Even though DVC members are not supposed to get daily maid service and evening turndown service you get these benefits when you stay club level at AKV as a DVC member on points.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture151-1.jpg

Here's our view from the 6th floor club lounge overlooking the AKL lobby.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture152-1.jpg

I actually walked over to the West Side tonight. I had not been over there for a few years. It's changed a bit. During my walk from the Marketplace through Pleasure Island I saw a close-up of the new Characters in Flight balloon.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture153-1.jpg

After the movie we caught the AKL bus from the Pleasure Island bus depot. When we got back to our room a package we had delivered from EPCOT yesterday was waiting for us. It was the poster we had made for Anna in the Kodak Imagination Labs.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture154-1.jpg

Tomorrow morning we are headed over to the Animal Kingdom. We want to watch the Finding Nemo stage show and take a ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Tomorrow night Kim and I are headed to Narcoosees for dinner. Anna will be in the AKL kids club.

More to come! :)

Up Next:
Animal Kingdom
Photos in and around the Animal Kingdom Lodge
Dinner at Narcoosees

A.Mickey

08-04-2009, 11:23 PM

tickledtink33

08-05-2009, 12:18 AM

Count me in for a meet. Just let me know when. :)

katscradle

08-05-2009, 12:53 AM

Wow, that's a pretty nice prize to have won.
Love the tiki! :thumbsup2
I am really enjoying your trip report.
Thank you! :)

ADP

08-05-2009, 08:47 AM

All caught up!!

Where exactly is Sid's trivia in DHS? I have never heard of it!

Oh yes.....Napoleon's are the BEST!!

That is a pretty awesome Tiki!! I think you will have to get another ticket for the Tiki! :eek:
It's at the front entrance to the park. If you are facing the scorcer's hat Sid's is to your left hand side. It has a ton of famous star memoribillia you can purchase; like a pair of signed Fred Astair shoes, etc. It really is one of the coolest shops in all of Walt Disney World. The trivia board is near the entrance to the store.

Count me in for a meet. Just let me know when. :)
We'll be in touch Kim.

Wow, that's a pretty nice prize to have won.
Love the tiki! :thumbsup2
I am really enjoying your trip report.
Thank you! :)
Thank you Katherine. Tell John I said hi.

ADP

08-05-2009, 08:48 AM

Hi Everyone,

We are headed out the door for the Animal Kingdom. We hope to catch the Nemo show, ride the safari, and catch a ride on Expedition Everest.

I'll be back later with more. :)

bigmoonmullen

08-05-2009, 08:55 AM

Hi Aaron:

Great Reports, as always.

Have a Great Day at AK.

Mark

ADP

08-05-2009, 04:20 PM

Wednesday, August 5th

Hi Everyone,

We are back from our morning/afternoon at the Animal Kingdom. We were able to travel to Rafiki's Planet Watch, ride on Kilimanjaro Safari, and experience the Finding Nemo show.

Our day started in the AKL club lounge. We enjoyed our breakfast in the lounge. The offerings include oatmeal, Quinoa, fruit, pastries, bagels, cereal, and drinks. Here are some photos of the food offerings for breakfast.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture155-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture156-2-1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture158-1.jpg

We arrived at the Animal Kingdom around 9:30AM. The crowds weren't too bad, but you could tell things would get crowded quickly.

We tried out the new centralized fastpass system. It's located next to the entrance to "It's Tough to be a Bug". We got fastpasses for Kilimanjaro Safari at the new fastpass station. Currently, you can only get Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, and Kilimanjaro Safari at the new fastpass station. There are signs telling you which attaction goes to which fastpass machine.
Here's a photo of the new centralized fastpass station.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture171-1.jpg

After we got our fastpasses we headed back to Africa where we caught the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch. Anna wanted to see some characters and experience the petting zoo. One of the things you will see while on the train to Rafiki's is a lot of the backstage area of the animal holding areas.
Here is the holding area for the elephants.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture160-1.jpg

We caught up with the characters at Conservation Station. Rafiki, Jimminy Cricket, and Poccohontis were out.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture166-1.jpg

We made our way outside to the petting zoo where we saw something kind of strange, but amazing at the same time. Some of the goats had hidden Mickey's and Minnie's cut out of their fur. :lmao:
Hidden Mickey
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture163-1.jpg

Hidden Minnie
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture165-1.jpg

We left Rafiki's and it was time to use our fastpasses for Kilimanjaro Safari. Our wait was only 5 minutes.
During our safari we got very close to a few giraffes.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture168-1.jpg

After the safari we walked over to the Theater in the Wild where the Finding Nemo show takes place. This show is worth the price of admission into the Animal Kingdom. It's very well done and very creative.
On our way over to the theater I snapped a photo of Expedition Everest in the distance.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture169-1.jpg

After the Finding Nemo show it began to rain. We were planning on leaving the park anyway so we high-tailed it back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We made our way over to the club lounge where I was surprised to see how extensive the afternoon snack offerings were in the lounge. There were 2 kinds of warm cookies, rice krispy treats, potato chips, trail mix, goldfish crackers, dried fruit, and drinks. The lounge also offers something called an African Smoothie; which I must tell you is very, very, very sweet. It's so sweet I can't even drink it. If you want a quick sugar rush go have a glass, otherwise avoid it all together.
Here's a photo of the afternoon offerings at the club lounge.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture172-1.jpg

We are now back in our room. Tonight Kim and I are headed to the Grand Floridian for dinner at Narcoosees. This will be the first time we've ever dined there. We are really looking forward to it. Anna is going to be spending this time in the Animal Kingdom Lodge kid's club called Simba's Clubhouse. I'll have more about our experience later.

More to come! :)

georgemoe

08-05-2009, 04:48 PM

Great update Aaron! I hope Anna enjoys the club and you and Kim have a fabulous dinner. :thumbsup2

Dodie

08-05-2009, 05:02 PM

Be careful with that Tiki, Aaron!
Remember what happened to Greg and Peter!
:scared1:

:rotfl:

ADP

08-05-2009, 05:02 PM

Great update Aaron! I hope Anna enjoys the club and you and Kim have a fabulous dinner. :thumbsup2

Thanks George! One of my missions tonight is to find out the right pronunciation of the restaurant.

Is it:
Nar-cu-sees

or

Nar-coo-sees

wildfan1473

08-05-2009, 05:11 PM

Wow, that tiki is awesome!

As always, you have a terrific trip report. Keep it coming!

jcb

08-05-2009, 06:24 PM

I may never stay concierge at the AKL (or AKV) but I have to ask, while I have the opportunity, is the food served there similar in flavor to the food at Boma?

Cyrano

08-05-2009, 07:21 PM

Agree about the Finding Nemo show. It blew Festival of the Lion King away IMHO :)

ADP

08-05-2009, 10:42 PM

I may never stay concierge at the AKL (or AKV) but I have to ask, while I have the opportunity, is the food served there similar in flavor to the food at Boma?
Yes, in fact the food comes from the same kitchen as Boma.

aspen37

08-05-2009, 11:05 PM

Be careful with that Tiki, Aaron!
Remember what happened to Greg and Peter!
:scared1:

:rotfl:
:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2: You might have to take it back Aaron. :rotfl:

What did you think of Narcoossee's?

ADP

08-05-2009, 11:18 PM

Hi Everyone,

We are back from our evening at Narcoosees. We had an incredible evening. Let me just say there are certain things that can happen at Walt Disney World that you will never forget, and for us tonight was one of them.

We dropped Anna off at Simba's Clubhouse around 5:45PM. We headed for the AKL bus depot and took the bus to the Magic Kingdom. We decided it was such a nice night we would take the boat over to the Grand Floridian. While waiting for the boat I snapped this picture of the Grand Floridian from afar.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture174-1.jpg

We took the boat over to the Grand Floridian where it dropped us off right by Narcoosees. Actually, it was Kim's idea to take the boat. It was a great idea and saved us a lot of time. We checked in 5 minutes before our ADR time and we were seated within 3 minutes. We had a seat right by the window with a beautiful view of the Contemporary, BLT, and the Magic Kingdom.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture175-1.jpg

We both ordered a glass of house white Chardonay. We started with an appetizer of fried calamari. Narcoosees specializes in fish selections so the calamari didn't disappoint. It was delicious!

For our main dishes Kim ordered the free range chicken with mashed potatoes and spinach greens on the side. I ordered the filet mignon with scalloped potatoes and green beans.
Here's a photo of my entree.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture176-1.jpg

After we finished our entree we decided we would split a dessert. We both agreed the strawberry shortcake sounded refreshing so we gave it a try.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture177-1.jpg

We finished our dessert and received our bill. The total bill with the 20% Tables in Wonderland discount and 18% grauity came to $107. I felt the meal was worth the price; especially the company. :love:

As we left Narcoosees Kim suggested we take the walking path from the Grand Floridian to the Polynesian. So we took a leisurly stroll along the walking path. Some of you may know along this walking path is Disney's Wedding Pavillion. We decided to stop along the way and look at the pavillion from the outside. We were surprised to see the gate was open so we decided to go inside the gate. We looked inside the main entrance and unbelievably the front door was open and the lights were on in the chapel. No one was there and the theme song to Beauty and the Beast was playing through the speakers. I was literally overwhelmed. Here we were inside Disney's wedding pavillion with no one there and great music in the background. We shared some words inside the pavillion I'll never say on these boards, but they were very special to us. :love: It was something I'll never forget for the rest of my life.
Here are some photos from inside the wedding pavillion.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture178-2.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/cdpa4d/Picture179-1.jpg

After we left the wedding pavillion we finished our walk to the Polynesian. We took the resort monorail to the Magic Kingdom where we caught the bus back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We had a great night. I couldn't imagine a better setting for our evening.

Anna had a great time at Simba's Clubhouse. The best compliment I can make for Simba's Clubhouse is Anna wants to go back tomorrow. I don't think that will happen, but it was nice to hear she had such a good time.

Tomorrow we plan to head back to EPCOT later in the day. Tomorrow night we have an Illuminations Dessert party planned in the Italy pavillion. We are looking forward to seeing many of our friends there.

More to come!

Up Next:
EPCOT
Illumnations Dessert Party

kpadalik

08-06-2009, 01:23 AM

Sounds like you had a great day! The wedding pavilion story is so sweet :) That moment was obviously meant to happen and one that won't be forgotten, for sure. I can hear the music now...

Mouse Skywalker

08-06-2009, 07:08 AM

Wow, what a magical evening Aaron. It sounds wonderful. Give my best to Kim.

dpuck1998

08-06-2009, 08:30 AM

You're kill'en me DelPrince! I'm glad my wife doesn't read the boards!

crazydisneyman

08-06-2009, 09:15 AM

The Beauty and the Beast song is one of my favorites too.

We loved Narcoosses. Absolutely LOVED it!

I am gald your experience was so magical.

The whole night sounded very Disney.

Have a wonderful day at Epcot. Can adults do the Kim Possible missions, too?

DVCsince02

08-06-2009, 09:23 AM

I'm all teary. I am so happy you are having a magical trip.

ADP

08-06-2009, 11:17 AM

Sounds like you had a great day! The wedding pavilion story is so sweet :) That moment was obviously meant to happen and one that won't be forgotten, for sure. I can hear the music now...
It was really special for us. We couldn't believe it was open with the music playing. We were a little nervous of someone walking in on us, but we took the chance. It was so worth it.

Wow, what a magical evening Aaron. It sounds wonderful. Give my best to Kim.
I will Dave. Thanks! I'm enjoying your report of Colonial Williamsburg. Hope you had a great time.

You're kill'en me DelPrince! I'm glad my wife doesn't read the boards!
You know me Puck. I'm one BIG Sap! :lmao:

The Beauty and the Beast song is one of my favorites too.

We loved Narcoosses. Absolutely LOVED it!

I am gald your experience was so magical.

The whole night sounded very Disney.

Have a wonderful day at Epcot. Can adults do the Kim Possible missions, too?
Thanks Chris! Yes, the adults can play. It wouldn't surprise to see just adults playing, although we haven't seen that as of yet.

I'm all teary. I am so happy you are having a magical trip.
Thanks Jen! We can't wait to see you guys again.