3 Families doin' a Surf & Turf Trip! AKL CL & The Dream- The Last Day! - Page 2 - The DIS Discussion Forums

Sue M · 07-03-2012, 04:12 PM

waiting to hear about AKL CL

mirage0306 · 07-03-2012, 04:23 PM

Sounds like a blast. I'm in!

Grumpy's Wife · 07-03-2012, 04:25 PM

Hi

I really enjoyed reading your last trip report and I'm sure this one will be great too.

amandaw · 07-03-2012, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hstrickland

Hey there, Amanda!! You found it...you saved me an email

Hope all is well with your family. I'm sure you're in the middle of planning your trip(s)

Hi! I was so happy to see you had started your TR. We are doing very well! I can't wait for our trip to get here!

ProudMommyof2 · 07-03-2012, 10:30 PM

Signing on! We love AKL and we are planning our 1st cruise ever on the Dream next April!

Sue M · 07-04-2012, 12:40 AM

hstrickland · 07-04-2012, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue M

waiting to hear about AKL CL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue M

You're killin' me! You'll get a little info in the next installment, and by the first of next week you'll have it all

...plenty of pictures and details....I promise!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mirage0306

Sounds like a blast. I'm in!

It was a blast for sure!!!

Glad to have you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy's Wife

Hi

I really enjoyed reading your last trip report and I'm sure this one will be great too.

back! Good to 'see' you again! I'm hoping this TR will be up to par...I'm in grad school and having to split my time

It might take me a little longer to get installments done...we'll see.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amandaw

Hi! I was so happy to see you had started your TR. We are doing very well! I can't wait for our trip to get here!

Are y'all running one of the Disney races??

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProudMommyof2

Signing on! We love AKL and we are planning our 1st cruise ever on the Dream next April!

The Dream is awesome!!!! Y'all have so much to look forward to. Are you doing the 3, 4, or 5 night? Our friends did the 3 night Dream this past April during our Spring Break, and they are planning on doing it again next April...you may see them

basketlacey · 07-04-2012, 07:31 AM

Found It! :-D

Can't wait to hear all about your trip! Your family is gorgeous. Is that you and dh on the ship balcony? You guys look stunning!

Missoutandabout · 07-04-2012, 09:11 AM

OOooh, signin' up!

(Thanks for posting that link over in the thread, my sigs don't work either!)

jennyf2 · 07-04-2012, 10:30 AM

Great start-- LOVE the pictures so far

Can't wait to read the rest.....

2xcited2sleep · 07-04-2012, 10:55 AM

So excited to follow along on another trip with you and your fun family!

AKL club level and the Dream sound like a good combo to me!!

And happy 45th to your folks!

hstrickland · 07-04-2012, 02:04 PM

Happy 4th of July to everyone!!!

Just got back from a small get together at the river...now back to the DisBoards

Quote:

Originally Posted by basketlacey

Found It! :-D

Can't wait to hear all about your trip! Your family is gorgeous. Is that you and dh on the ship balcony? You guys look stunning!

Yay! You found me over here! Thanks for the nice comments, and yes that's the hubby and me on our balcony getting ready for dinner at Remy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Missoutandabout

OOooh, signin' up!

(Thanks for posting that link over in the thread, my sigs don't work either!)

Hi there

You must be using an iPad, too. Why don't the signatures show up on those things? Do all the smilies and all pictures appear? Can you tell I'm iPad illiterate

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennyf2

Great start-- LOVE the pictures so far

Can't wait to read the rest.....

Glad to have you join in!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2xcited2sleep

So excited to follow along on another trip with you and your fun family!

AKL club level and the Dream sound like a good combo to me!!

And happy 45th to your folks!

back, Christine!! Hope all is well in CT (you are in CT, right?

) That's nice of you to wish my parents a Happy Anniversary!

Hopefully I'll have another installment done by tonight...
Heather

hstrickland · 07-04-2012, 06:51 PM

Day 1
Checking In

Some of you already know that we’re early risers (or at least I am). I wanted to make sure we were on the road by 7am, but we didn’t leave until 7:30ish…already behind schedule! Dad’s making the picture…do you notice who is missing??? Poor Bill…he couldn’t get off work, bless his heart. Of course he’s probably thinking… “3 days without screaming kids!!”

We stopped for breakfast…and made it quick!

Hit the road once again….headed to the World! Ignore the speed on the GPS….I’m quite sure it’s inaccurate.

Finally…Disney World is in our sights! The weather isn’t looking good, but any rainy day at the World is better than a sunny day at home.

And what true Disney Fan doesn’t get the obligatory shot of the infamous marker?? There’s just something about driving under “Walt Disney World” that makes the trip come alive! To this day, I still get excited when I see it!

Now we’re really close because we all spot….(can you hear the loud screams of excited children....and perhaps an adult or two?!)

When we drove into the Animal Kingdom Lodge area, we immediately felt like we were in another country….it soooooo did not look like Florida! The architecture and foliage were perfectly laid out to resemble Africa.

We pulled up to the guard shack and were instantly greeted with “Welcome Home!” When we gave the security guard our names, he immediately called the lodge and stated that he had 2 parties of Club Level guest that would be arriving within minutes. He kindly told us to drive up to the Lodge and a Concierge Cast Member would be greeting us and taking us directly to the lounge for check-in.

He was correct! Before I could even open the door of the van, there was someone there waiting. They loaded our luggage onto a cart and swept it away. The very friendly cast member then told us a little about the Lodge, and we followed her into the resort.

Beautiful fresh flowers welcomed us in…the arrangements throughout the resort were just stunning.

Our Concierge hostess spoke a bit more about the lodge while we stood inside, then she took us to the elevator to go check-in on the 6th floor.

Sorry this isn’t a better picture…we were in a hurry

. But, you can see our hostess over to the side kindly escorting us the entire way. I’m sure I’ll say this time and time again, but every cast member we met at AKL were extremely friendly!! We are still talking about the hospitality shown throughout our stay…probably some of the best we’ve encountered at WDW….seriously.

Would you believe that I didn’t get any pictures while checking in

….or should I say, MOM didn’t get any pictures while dad and I were checking in. Of course she was running after 3 very excited children...so I’ll let her off the hook. I believe she was prying their little hands off the chocolate chip cookies while we chatted with concierge staff.

Dad did manage to get this shot from the 6th floor…basically this is the view from the lounge. The lobby area is quite impressive.

They told us that we would be staying on the 4th floor on the ….

This is an old aerial view…(notice that the Villas aren’t over to the left of the picture)…but will give you a visual of where our room was located. We had a great view of the Savannah (more on that later...with lots of pictures

)

Our rooms were not ready, but no big deal. We kinda expected that since it was noon when we checked in. We had lunch ressies at TRex so it worked out perfectly. The concierge staff said they would text me with the room number when the room was ready.

We looked around briefly, but then decided to go ahead and drive over to DTD and eat lunch.

Up next

….lunch at TRex with a dining review!

Mousemommy1 · 07-04-2012, 07:02 PM

An early riser?? You???? LOL.

Wow! It was like the red carpet was laid out for you, how nice!!! Can't wait to see pics of your room!!

And, no....I have not started packing yet...we just got back from MD yesterday and are packing up for a weekend wedding that we leave for tomorrow...and then on Sunday...when we are back...I will start packing for Disney

pas130 · 07-04-2012, 07:22 PM

Great check-in, great so far!!! I love the feeling that you are far far away that you get from AKL

Can't wait to see the pics from your balcony

07-03-2012, 04:12 PM	#16
Sue M DIS Veteran Join Date: May 2009 Location: B.C. Posts: 7,445	waiting to hear about AKL CL __________________ Past Trips: Aug 2003 WDW Marriott Courtyard, [B]Aug 2005 [/BSeaWorld, Universal, Busch Gardens Hilton Garden Inn, ]Aug 2007 WDW CBR, Jan 2008WDW WL, Aug 2008St. Pete Beach, Universal-HRH, Sea Workd & Aquatica- Hyatt Place & Doubletree, Jan 2009WDW AKL, Aug 2009Key West Sheraton Suites, Cocoa Beach Hampton Inn, & WDW POR/WL, Jan 2010WDW Poly, Jan 2011WDW POR, Aug 2011WDW POR/BC CL, Jan 2012WDW WL, Aug 2012AKL CL, Jan. 2013POFQ Next trip GF & YC Aug 2013

07-03-2012, 04:23 PM	#17
mirage0306 DIS Veteran Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 708	Sounds like a blast. I'm in! __________________ Me, DH, DS (10) and DS (7) Wilderness Lodge: June 2011 Caribbean Beach/Boardwalk Inn CL/Animal Kingdom Lodge: June 2012 Pop Century/Animal Kingdom Lodge CL: July 2013 my trip report bit the dust

07-03-2012, 04:25 PM	#18
Grumpy's Wife Dollar Tree gal here sissy fluffed, sissy fluffed! I'll have one of what ever the tag fairy is drinking tonight Chocolate is a girls heaven Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Mandeville, La Posts: 25,882	Hi I really enjoyed reading your last trip report and I'm sure this one will be great too. __________________

07-03-2012, 10:30 PM	#20
ProudMommyof2 DIS Veteran Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: RedSox/Patriots Nation Posts: 2,069	Signing on! We love AKL and we are planning our 1st cruise ever on the Dream next April! __________________ Me(Pam) DH DS14 DD11 1986 Disneyland, 1988 Disneyland, August 1991- WDW Offsite, May 1997- WDW Offsite, May 2007- Wilderness Lodge, May 2009- BCV & AKV, August 2011- Poly & AKV,April 2013- WBC- Universal & WDW

07-04-2012, 12:40 AM	#21
Sue M DIS Veteran Join Date: May 2009 Location: B.C. Posts: 7,445	__________________ Past Trips: Aug 2003 WDW Marriott Courtyard, [B]Aug 2005 [/BSeaWorld, Universal, Busch Gardens Hilton Garden Inn, ]Aug 2007 WDW CBR, Jan 2008WDW WL, Aug 2008St. Pete Beach, Universal-HRH, Sea Workd & Aquatica- Hyatt Place & Doubletree, Jan 2009WDW AKL, Aug 2009Key West Sheraton Suites, Cocoa Beach Hampton Inn, & WDW POR/WL, Jan 2010WDW Poly, Jan 2011WDW POR, Aug 2011WDW POR/BC CL, Jan 2012WDW WL, Aug 2012AKL CL, Jan. 2013POFQ Next trip GF & YC Aug 2013

\|
The DIS Register to remove Join Date: 1997 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,000,000

07-04-2012, 07:31 AM	#23
basketlacey DIS Veteran Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kentucky Posts: 1,095	Found It! :-D Can't wait to hear all about your trip! Your family is gorgeous. Is that you and dh on the ship balcony? You guys look stunning! __________________ me dh dd13 ds11 dd8 ] Disney trips:6/2003: All Star Movies;11/2005: Offsite - Vacation Home;10/2009: Offsite - Vacation Home;11/2010: Port Orleans Riverside;11/2011 - Animal Kingdom Lodge;10/2012 - Beach Club

07-04-2012, 09:11 AM	#24
Missoutandabout DIS Veteran Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chicagoland, IL Posts: 1,726	OOooh, signin' up! (Thanks for posting that link over in the thread, my sigs don't work either!) __________________ Miss E My 2012 Food & Drink & Drink & Drink Recap My 2012 POR - Royal Guest Room & BC Split Review (Arriving Late is the PITS!) *Thanks to The Kook.*

07-04-2012, 10:30 AM	#25
jennyf2 DIS Veteran Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,089	Great start-- LOVE the pictures so far Can't wait to read the rest..... __________________ Single Minnesota Mom to 2 GREAT boys Me (40) DS (19) DS (12) # of trips---13 & counting Next: June 25th - Universal .....

07-04-2012, 10:55 AM	#26
2xcited2sleep DIS Veteran Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 7,116	So excited to follow along on another trip with you and your fun family! AKL club level and the Dream sound like a good combo to me!! And happy 45th to your folks! __________________ Christine

07-04-2012, 06:51 PM	#28
hstrickland The Perpetual Planner Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The Deep South Posts: 2,493	Checking in at AKL Day 1 Checking In Some of you already know that we’re early risers (or at least I am). I wanted to make sure we were on the road by 7am, but we didn’t leave until 7:30ish…already behind schedule! Dad’s making the picture…do you notice who is missing??? Poor Bill…he couldn’t get off work, bless his heart. Of course he’s probably thinking… “3 days without screaming kids!!” We stopped for breakfast…and made it quick! Hit the road once again….headed to the World! Ignore the speed on the GPS….I’m quite sure it’s inaccurate. Finally…Disney World is in our sights! The weather isn’t looking good, but any rainy day at the World is better than a sunny day at home. And what true Disney Fan doesn’t get the obligatory shot of the infamous marker?? There’s just something about driving under “Walt Disney World” that makes the trip come alive! To this day, I still get excited when I see it! Now we’re really close because we all spot….(can you hear the loud screams of excited children....and perhaps an adult or two?!) When we drove into the Animal Kingdom Lodge area, we immediately felt like we were in another country….it soooooo did not look like Florida! The architecture and foliage were perfectly laid out to resemble Africa. We pulled up to the guard shack and were instantly greeted with “Welcome Home!” When we gave the security guard our names, he immediately called the lodge and stated that he had 2 parties of Club Level guest that would be arriving within minutes. He kindly told us to drive up to the Lodge and a Concierge Cast Member would be greeting us and taking us directly to the lounge for check-in. He was correct! Before I could even open the door of the van, there was someone there waiting. They loaded our luggage onto a cart and swept it away. The very friendly cast member then told us a little about the Lodge, and we followed her into the resort. Beautiful fresh flowers welcomed us in…the arrangements throughout the resort were just stunning. Our Concierge hostess spoke a bit more about the lodge while we stood inside, then she took us to the elevator to go check-in on the 6th floor. Sorry this isn’t a better picture…we were in a hurry. But, you can see our hostess over to the side kindly escorting us the entire way. I’m sure I’ll say this time and time again, but every cast member we met at AKL were extremely friendly!! We are still talking about the hospitality shown throughout our stay…probably some of the best we’ve encountered at WDW….seriously. Would you believe that I didn’t get any pictures while checking in….or should I say, MOM didn’t get any pictures while dad and I were checking in. Of course she was running after 3 very excited children...so I’ll let her off the hook. I believe she was prying their little hands off the chocolate chip cookies while we chatted with concierge staff. Dad did manage to get this shot from the 6th floor…basically this is the view from the lounge. The lobby area is quite impressive. They told us that we would be staying on the 4th floor on the …. This is an old aerial view…(notice that the Villas aren’t over to the left of the picture)…but will give you a visual of where our room was located. We had a great view of the Savannah (more on that later...with lots of pictures) Our rooms were not ready, but no big deal. We kinda expected that since it was noon when we checked in. We had lunch ressies at TRex so it worked out perfectly. The concierge staff said they would text me with the room number when the room was ready. We looked around briefly, but then decided to go ahead and drive over to DTD and eat lunch. Up next ….lunch at TRex with a dining review! __________________ Surf & Turf Trip Report AKL CL & The Dream Poly CL May 2010 TripReport DH & Me DS 11 DD 7 DS 6 FW & CR - May/June 2011 TripReport CR x 4 - WL x 2 - GF - ASMo - PolyCL - FW- AKL CL - Dream - POR

07-04-2012, 07:02 PM	#29
Mousemommy1 DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: NH Posts: 7,233	An early riser?? You???? LOL. Wow! It was like the red carpet was laid out for you, how nice!!! Can't wait to see pics of your room!! And, no....I have not started packing yet...we just got back from MD yesterday and are packing up for a weekend wedding that we leave for tomorrow...and then on Sunday...when we are back...I will start packing for Disney __________________ Me DH DD(9) DD(6) 7/1985 OFFSITE • 7/1989 OFFSITE • 3/2000 ASMO • 9/2000 ASMU • 9/2002 ASSP • 11/2009 POP • 2/2011 CBR • 7/2012 WL CL 4/2013 YC CL • 9/2013 POP

07-04-2012, 07:22 PM	#30
pas130 DIS Veteran Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 5,492	Great check-in, great so far!!! I love the feeling that you are far far away that you get from AKL Can't wait to see the pics from your balcony __________________ JungleCruiserSarah,forever in my heartTY Kook

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