Life is too short for self-hatred and celery sticks: final update 12/29, p.98

[rentayenta]

Very nice chairs.
I do not go hands free either. No no, I must hold on.
Ooh the lion was awake.
Loved the safari pics.
All caught up.

Thank you, I really like them too. I ended up getting one of the replaced twice. I'm kind of a pain like that. Glad I did because the first set didn't come with the throw pillows, not pictured, but the new ones did. Odd.

Then you get just how crazy it was for me to take a photo. I felt wild anyway. Lol!

The safari is always such a treat. And AK near/at night is a total must.​

 

[rentayenta]

Here's the chair with pillow. I love them. They're so worth all the Top Ramen I'm having to eat.

 

[MEK]

I'm behind; you found a job? Awesome! And that's great you'll get some of the summer off before starting. What will you be doing, what specialty?​

​

Cardiac surgery. That's what I do now. I love it. Loved it from the first time I walked in an open heart unit all those years ago. Until I actually start I don't want to give too many identifiers about the job, but let's just say there is some history involved which hopefully one day I can share. But I'm very excited and definitely on track for a May girls trip!

I love you chairs. Hopefully you don't have to eat too many ramen noodles! ​

 

[rentayenta]

Cardiac surgery. That's what I do now. I love it. Loved it from the first time I walked in an open heart unit all those years ago. Until I actually start I don't want to give too many identifiers about the job, but let's just say there is some history involved which hopefully one day I can share. But I'm very excited and definitely on track for a May girls trip!

I love you chairs. Hopefully you don't have to eat too many ramen noodles!

I'm so glad that you found something you love! That's so exciting and congratulations. I can't wait to hear more about it. And cardiac? Wow! That's big stuff. Seriously. Way cool!


Tonight it's pasta with cut up veggies on the side. As silly as it sounds, I love these chairs. I can't wait for the love seat and four more pillows. I'm officially old. Furniture floats my boat. ​

 

[rentayenta]

We left AK after a gorgeous evening with plenty of fun to be had. We said goodbye to Jenna et al and hopped the bus back to Kidani.

Kidani is simply gorgeous. Sorry for the blur. Here is the entrance. I just dug the lanterns.





The girls wanted to head back to the villa and unwind while me, Michael, and Joshua headed through the lobby and to the fire pit area. Im sure there is a proper name but I dont know what it is. We wanted to look through the night vision goggles. I had taken copious amounts of notes on must-dos at Kidani and this was one of them.

View from the fire pit:



The fire pit:



We met the sweetest CM who took to Joshua right away. There was only one other gentleman out there so we all got our own pairs of goggles. They were really so incredible. We saw giraffes mostly and it was so cool! We decided against taking pictures as not to disturb the night vision area.

We stayed for a good 30 minutes. This is Joshua and his new buddy. She was so patient and kind and gave us so many factoids about AKV. Shes the one who told us about the bead activity (foreshadowing)....we saw her multiple times through the trip and each time she said hello to Joshua, by name, and was very sweet. I think he may have developed a slight crush. She had a great accent too.



After the night vision experience, DH and I decided it was time for a drink! But first a few photos on the way back to the villa:





We took Joshua upstairs, dropped off our stuff, and headed to Sanaa. I had read him almost every menu before the trip and he still had no idea what Sanaa served. Men.

On the way:



We left the camera in the villa so all these photos were taken with my iPhone.

Sanaa is gorgeous. Its so inviting and warm and wonderful. It was pretty empty and we didnt have trouble finding a great spot. We found a cool round table with a half booth and big chair.

Upon entering:



Night caps have become one of our favorite things to do after a long day at the parks. We discovered this luxury while staying at the GCV.

Our server came over, gave us menus, and we decided what we wanted to drink. I knew I wanted chocolate, strong, and warm. I ordered a chocolate martini but asked for it warm. The bartender made it warm, added some whipped cream per my request. It was perfect and totally hit the spot. DH ordered a glass of red; Black Pearl Oro, Paarl South Africa to be exact. Both glasses hit the spot as did both of my warm martinis.



We also ordered the infamous bread service. I had first seen the bread service on one of Alisons trip reports and it went on my must-do list.



In proper DIS fashion I took photos of the menu too:





And a final decor shot:



With Michaels many trips to Africa, he just loved this and AKV in general. Homerun!

We sat and chatted about the trip, got a little tipsy, and just chilled. It was truly the perfect ending to a very magical day. Once again, purchasing DVC was the best vacation decision ever!


To be continued......

​

 

[PrincessInOz]

What a lovely resort.

That CM looks really friendly and it seems like Joshua really liked the attention.

Nightcaps and bread service looks AAAAhMazing!

 

[MEK]

I have had the bread service and it is a must do everytime I eat at Saana. So, so good.

And having a couple chocolate martinis with the bread service seems like a win-win to me.

I, too, love DVC and have no regrets about purchasing. I even bought my first resale contract before the prices dropped after the stock market crash and still no regrets. It was a great decision and took away all the pressure about how to score a Disney deal on a resort room or package. Best move ever.

 

[Misskitty3]

We are excited to have this as our new birthday protocol and the more the merrier.




The rooms at the DLH are beautiful. DVC generally makes hotel rooms just so-so but that's not the case with the DLH.

I do have some photos of Carsland but not a ton. I'll be back in 17 days and will take a ton during our commando Disney day.




What a wonderful way to spend your 40th! Having now stayed at the GCH and the refurbed DLH, I might choose the DLH unless you're renting DVC points for the GCV. The rooms at the GCH while pretty seem smaller than the rooms at the DLH. Some of the rooms though at the GCH have bunk beds which your boys might like.

The GCH/V though are fabulous. The lobby is unreal. We love Storytellers and Whitewater Snacks. We didn't get a chance to try Trader Sam's at the DLH but it's got that cool Tiki Vive and sounds fun. The pool at the GCV is also great. Lots of shade and lots of sun.

That's a tough choice but you can't go wrong with either.






It was a big room. We had more than enough room.


How did Scotty's testing go?






I've got another mini update of sorts regarding Spring Break and a very loose itinerary. I love a good itinerary. DH has decided to join us for the first few days of Spring Break He used to go with us on all of our trips but since going into business with his buddy it's very hard to plan anything super far out. Because this little Spring Break trip is so last minute, for me , he's able to join us. So as it stands, here are our plans:

Friday: drive from SLC to Vegas, stay the night. Right now I have the newly refurbed Plaza book for $48 a night. It's on Fremont St. downtown. My very picky friend stayed there recently and promises me the rooms are very clean and the interior of the hotel has been all remodeled, except the casino. My only hesitation is that the reviews are VERY mixed on this hotel. Realistically we won't arrive until about 9 pm and really just will want a decent dinner and a clean place to sleep. I am also stalking Expedia etc for any other great deals. We've stayed at so many places in Vegas. The Orleans is my first choice but it's booked solid. I'm also looking at the Hardrock Hotel but with it being the Friday night of Spring Break, I don't want to get caught up in all that Strip traffic. I know DH will be up for come Craps so I may have to change the hotel, maybe the Golden Nugget....I just don't know.

Saturday: early start to So Cal, staying with my bestie again, the same friend we just stayed with.

Sunday: Disneyland/DCA commando day. Orginally we were only going to get a one day/one park ticket but have decided to go for the hopper. A friend of a friend was able to get us a discount on our hoppers. I'm very grateful as I had NO idea how I was going to handle DCA without Disneyland. We haven't done a commando day without a midday break since the kids were all in strollers. I think I'm going to need a stroller. I'm working on that daily itinerary right now. I'll post more specifics about that later.

Monday: beach and then DH's flight leaves at 3:30 from LGB to SLC. LGB is the best airport. And speaking of, my Kayak daily flight alert came this morning and DH's flight went down $61 so I called and now have a JetBlue credit. I love JetBlue.

Tuesday- Friday: no idea. It'll be just the kids and myself. I know we'll do some beach days and we'll see my father a few times. He's in a SNF and can only handle visits of about an hour or so, so we don't really need to plan those. Of course they're wanting another Disneyland day. At least I raised them right. These days will be weather dependent and there's nothing we've got set in stone. My friend works during the day so I'm sure we'll do a few dinners/evenings with her and hit up some of our favorites; Taco Surf, Walt's Wharf, maybe McKenna's, and a few other spots.

Saturday: drive back to SLC from So Cal, no overnight stop. We love taking out time on the way out but on the way home we just want to get home.

​

Thanks for the line from your other trip report! Just pooping over!

Wait.....Does JetBlue offer credits like Alaska? After you ticket, if the price goes down, they will give you a credit? We are flying JetBlue in June and I agree, the LGB airport is the best!!


Okay....back to reading about your Disney birthday......



Eta: Honestly, I should NOT post on threads before having my morning coffee AND trying to type on an iPad! I meant to say thanks for the LINK not the LINE to your trip report. And, definitely didn't intend to use the term POOPING but instead I was just POPPING over! Oh my.....

 

[pooh'smate]

I'm so very happy for you. Heck yeah- post them!! We like to see it all. ​

Here they are. If anybody reading has any suggestions please say them.


Tue, Sept 24 ~ Arrival, stay and hang out at resort.
Wed, Sept 25 ~ DHS ~ 50's Prime Time 4:25pm
Thu, Sept 26 ~ EPCOT ~ Rose & Crown 5:40pm
Fri, Sept 27 ~ Magic Kingdom ~ CRT 8:35am
Sat, Sept 28 ~ Animal Kingdom ~ Yak & Yeti 1:00pm
Sun, Sept 29 ~ Sleep in ~ BOMA 10:00 am ~ hang out at POP ~ go to MNSHP in the evening
Mon, Sept 30 ~ Sleep In ~ Magic Kingdom Plaza Restaurant 5:15pm
Tue, Oct 1 ~ EPCOT~Akershus 8:20am enjoy Food & Wine
Wed Oct 2 ~ Sleep in, DTD, and going to Fort Wilderness to look at the horses (Lexi loves,loves,loves horses) and Hoop Dee Doo 6:15pm
Thurs Oct 3 ~ Animal Kingdom Tusker House 11:15am
Fri Oct 4 ~ Whatever park we want (I am pretty sure it will be Magic Kingdom)
Sat Oct 5 ~ head home

 

[Misskitty3]

I have had some coffee now but still typing on the iPad .....

That Club 33 looks fabulous!! What a fun way to spend your birthday!! And really cool to be able to enjoy it with others that know and appreciate the history!

Did you know when you were there that you would be heading back to DL with your family and that you would all get to go to Club 33 together for dinner?

 

[Misskitty3]

So i just truly realized how far behind I am on the WDW part of this report. I'm going to finish my birthday Disneyland Day and then do our latest one dayer at Disneyland during Spring Break on my cruise report. I need a serious trip report intervention.


I left you all on page 63. Lunch was amazing and we said goodbye to Alison and Fran. They were heading to do a little or a lot of shopping. Sadee and I were going to watch the parade. I only have a few more photos to share of this wonderful and magical day as I'm only reporting on the Disney part.

My only character shot of the trip:

On our way back to the hotel:

I was totally on cloud 9 from lunch; full, and dazed. Another biggie crossed off the bucket list. Between this and Nantucket this past summer, my bucket list is shrinking.

Remember I told you about the desserts I took to-go? Well they made it home and were delicious as ever. I froze them once we got back to my friend's and then wrapped them and sealed them in true food freak fashion. They traveled well.

My beautiful mini eclairs:

The most amazing cookies ever, sprinkled with pixie dust:

And a ton of mints:

It was a birthday for the books. We left the park and headed to my friend's where we spent the next 2 days. We visited the beach and of course some food favorites.

Thanks for reading my birthday report and about my very special lunch. Turning 44 isn't so bad when it happens at 33 with a great meal and wonderful people!



I will continue with the WDW portion of this report shortly.



​

I am a big time chocolate eclair lover...the ones at Epcot in France are sooo delicious!! However, those sparkly cookies look delicious too! Yum!

 

[rentayenta]

What a lovely resort.

That CM looks really friendly and it seems like Joshua really liked the attention.

Nightcaps and bread service looks AAAAhMazing!

It really is such a beautiful and peaceful resort. I know peaceful and Disney don't always go together but I think DVC and Disney in general does a phenominal job with making their resorts very calm.

The nightcaps and bread service totally hit the spot. I think the kids their MNSSHP candy, cut up veggies, and bagel bites.

She was very friendly and he did enjoy the attention. He always seems to garner a lot of attention. He is very polite when out and I think adults appreciate his manners and ability to converse. Don't get me wrong, he's a goofball just like other kids but really knows how to read his audience already. He held the door open for a group of women at the DLH during our cammando day and a CM saw him and complemented him. Very cool to get poitive feedback.​

I have had the bread service and it is a must do everytime I eat at Saana. So, so good.

Its staying on the AKV must-do list for sure. It's cheap too which surpised me. Either that or I've been totally Disneyfized, like Fockerized but Disney style. ​

And having a couple chocolate martinis with the bread service seems like a win-win to me.

It was a win-win. Not enough to have ahngover but enough to sleep well. ​

I, too, love DVC and have no regrets about purchasing. I even bought my first resale contract before the prices dropped after the stock market crash and still no regrets. It was a great decision and took away all the pressure about how to score a Disney deal on a resort room or package. Best move ever.

When did you buy DVC? Where are your home resorts? It does take away the pressure on how to score a deal and I love that.​

Thanks for the line from your other trip report! Just pooping over!

Wait.....Does JetBlue offer credits like Alaska? After you ticket, if the price goes down, they will give you a credit? We are flying JetBlue in June and I agree, the LGB airport is the best!!


Okay....back to reading about your Disney birthday......



Eta: Honestly, I should NOT post on threads before having my morning coffee AND trying to type on an iPad! I meant to say thanks for the LINK not the LINE to your trip report. And, definitely didn't intend to use the term POOPING but instead I was just POPPING over! Oh my.....

JetBlue does give credits. Love JetBlue. I've never flown Alaska. Southwest had a no fee change policy which is also very nice. I fly JetBlue first whenever possible.​

Here they are. If anybody reading has any suggestions please say them.


Tue, Sept 24 ~ Arrival, stay and hang out at resort.
Wed, Sept 25 ~ DHS ~ 50's Prime Time 4:25pm
Thu, Sept 26 ~ EPCOT ~ Rose & Crown 5:40pm
Fri, Sept 27 ~ Magic Kingdom ~ CRT 8:35am
Sat, Sept 28 ~ Animal Kingdom ~ Yak & Yeti 1:00pm
Sun, Sept 29 ~ Sleep in ~ BOMA 10:00 am ~ hang out at POP ~ go to MNSHP in the evening
Mon, Sept 30 ~ Sleep In ~ Magic Kingdom Plaza Restaurant 5:15pm
Tue, Oct 1 ~ EPCOT~Akershus 8:20am enjoy Food & Wine
Wed Oct 2 ~ Sleep in, DTD, and going to Fort Wilderness to look at the horses (Lexi loves,loves,loves horses) and Hoop Dee Doo 6:15pm
Thurs Oct 3 ~ Animal Kingdom Tusker House 11:15am
Fri Oct 4 ~ Whatever park we want (I am pretty sure it will be Magic Kingdom)
Sat Oct 5 ~ head home

Jessica, your plans look wonderful and I'm so very happy for you.

We loved 50's! If your DH is playful ask for Loukilli as your server. I posted all about him and he was so much fun. He went above and beyond.

Boma. I haven't got to that part of the trip but when we ate there we ended up in what we lovingly refer to as a Boma Coma. I need to copyright that. ​

I have had some coffee now but still typing on the iPad .....

That Club 33 looks fabulous!! What a fun way to spend your birthday!! And really cool to be able to enjoy it with others that know and appreciate the history!

Did you know when you were there that you would be heading back to DL with your family and that you would all get to go to Club 33 together for dinner?

I had no idea we'd be going back to Club 33. I received an email from someone I'd never met asking if we'd like to have dinner on Easter Sunday. Of course I said yes and the reservation was made. The sponsor wishes to remain anonymous but emailed me all of the reservation info and we were all set. It was such a generous and unexpected treat. Both dinner and lunch are out of this world. I'd go back to either in a second. ​

I am a big time chocolate eclair lover...the ones at Epcot in France are sooo delicious!! However, those sparkly cookies look delicious too! Yum!

I love France's eclairs too and their Napoleans are to die for. Heavenly. The sparkly cookies were were very light with a hiny of lemon. They were incredible.​

 

[franandaj]

Nice update! I like the way you and Michael steal away for your night caps. If you saw the bread service on one of my reports, it was stolen from someone else's TR! I didn't have first hand experience at the bread service until this past January. I think I stole it from Brandi, but I had been dying to try it, and it did not disappoint!

I hope the rest of your stay was equally as magical!

 

[rentayenta]

Nice update! I like the way you and Michael steal away for your night caps. If you saw the bread service on one of my reports, it was stolen from someone else's TR! I didn't have first hand experience at the bread service until this past January. I think I stole it from Brandi, but I had been dying to try it, and it did not disappoint!

I hope the rest of your stay was equally as magical!

Thanks to Brandi. Yours was the first report I remember seeing it on and knowing I had to try it.

Admittedly it took me many years but I finally realized and put into practice the fact that even at Disney, Michael and I need our time without the kids. It's so nice to touch base and relax together after the craziness, fun, and sweet chaos of a day at Disney.​

 

[dolphingirl47]

It never occurred to me to ask for a warm Chocolate Martini, but it sounds utterly delicious. I also love the sound of the bread service.

Corinna

 

[rentayenta]

It never occurred to me to ask for a warm Chocolate Martini, but it sounds utterly delicious. I also love the sound of the bread service.

Corinna

It was! I think they made it with a hot chocolate base. I didn't ask but should have. It wasn't coffee or I would have been up all night. I'm very sensitive to caffeine.

The bread service was perfect and seriously like $9. That's the same as we'd pay here in Utah. ​

 

[Linda67]

Playing serious catch up here but I loved seeing your photos from Club 33

It looks like you had a wonderful dinner at Sanaa. What a great idea to have a warm chocolate martini

 

[rentayenta]

Playing serious catch up here but I loved seeing your photos from Club 33

It looks like you had a wonderful dinner at Sanaa. What a great idea to have a warm chocolate martini

Sanaa was great. We didn't do dinner that but did later in the trip. The food is fantastic. I could live at AKV no not see a Disney park and be perfectly happy.


Club 33 was great, thank you. It's fun sharing with other Disney lovers. ​

 

[pooh'smate]

Was your Boma meal breakfast? We had a Boma coma when we ate supper there on our last trip.

 

[rentayenta]

Was your Boma meal breakfast? We had a Boma coma when we ate supper there on our last trip.

Did you like it? We went to Boma for dinner and it was awesome. Good food, great vibe, and again being at AKL can't be beat. I'm really thinking about figuring out how to add an AKV day or two to the beginning of our cruise in January- no parks though. If we get our villa at the GCV for this December then we'll be out and even borrowed out of points. ​