AKV CL PTR/TR - taking practically first timers -TR starts on P. 17 (completed)

[momof2disprincesses]

Just joining in. I'm so enjoying your report! Thanks for sharing!!

I'm especially enjoying seeing pictures of the club offerings. We've never stayed club level before, so I'm excited to try the new foods.

We are staying in a club level studio over Christmas. We will have 4 of us in the room, so I know it will be a little tight, but we don't expect to be in the room too much.

Can't wait to hear more.

[dolphingirl47]

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

I chose the Panasonic DMC-FZ60 which has a 24x optical zoom and a 48x intelligent zoom. I have not figured out what an 'intelligent zoom' is. I think it has to do with what setting I have the camera on. Still lots to learn about this bad boy. I'm hoping it will last many years so I can figure out everything about it

I thought for a moment that you had the same camera that I have, but I have the slightly older model, the Panasonic DMC-FZ45. Still, the zoom and intelligent zoom are the same. I think I may have to give this a good trial run before our vacation to see what the camera is capable of.

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

We left R & M to settle into their room and went back to the CL for some more delicious appetizers and some pictures.









I must have gotten this picture at just the wrong time, because they always kept things full.





Pitas to enjoy your hummus with.





These olives were absolutely amazing.



I did not try the carrots but the peanut salad was delicious.



These were also absolutely scrumptious.



I tried one of these and unfortunately had an allergic reaction to them. There must have been crab in them. I have never had a reaction like it so was not on guard.





none of us tried these





R & M really enjoyed these.






Mom really enjoyed the hummus and we all enjoyed the cheeses. Every night they had the hummus, olives, and veggies, but the other items changed. We tried to get back to the CL most evenings. It was always fun to taste the new goodies.

The food looks delicious. Falafel is gorgeous. I also love hummus and I would have been all over that popcorn chicken, too. I am sorry that you had an allergic reaction.

Corinna

[MEK]

Wow Pam, now I am even more convinced I want to stay concierge at AKL same day. Maybe I just need to waitlist it at 7 months and see what happens. Seriously, all that food is right up my alley. I so love any kind of hummus. I also love olives and cheese. And those chicken wings - yum!

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by momof2disprincesses

Just joining in. I'm so enjoying your report! Thanks for sharing!!

I'm especially enjoying seeing pictures of the club offerings. We've never stayed club level before, so I'm excited to try the new foods.

We are staying in a club level studio over Christmas. We will have 4 of us in the room, so I know it will be a little tight, but we don't expect to be in the room too much.

Can't wait to hear more.

Welcome, thanks for joining!

You're going to love it! Lots more pictures to come. I really tried to get as many of the CL offerings as I could.

Over Christmas, wow that will be so magical. I hope it won't be too tight for you guys. Is that what you usually stay in?

[franandaj]

The food looks pretty good, some I would eat, some not. I would enjoy the adult beverages and the chicken wings. I'll be excited to see more!

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by dolphingirl47

I thought for a moment that you had the same camera that I have, but I have the slightly older model, the Panasonic DMC-FZ45. Still, the zoom and intelligent zoom are the same. I think I may have to give this a good trial run before our vacation to see what the camera is capable of.

I almost got that model, but this one came out the week before I left. I was really cutting it close with getting it shipped instead of buying it at a store, but I was able to save quite a bit. Panasonic didn't change too much between them, just tweaked a few things I think. I'm really happy with it. I still need to find a better camera bag.

Originally Posted by dolphingirl47

The food looks delicious. Falafel is gorgeous. I also love hummus and I would have been all over that popcorn chicken, too. I am sorry that you had an allergic reaction.

Corinna

We really looked forward to getting back to the resort and trying the nights' offerings. We didn't get back every night, but most of them we did. Thanks, I'm just glad it wasn't worse. I know I need to stay away from crab seriously now, each time I've had it the reaction gets worse.

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by MEK

Wow Pam, now I am even more convinced I want to stay concierge at AKL same day. Maybe I just need to waitlist it at 7 months and see what happens. Seriously, all that food is right up my alley. I so love any kind of hummus. I also love olives and cheese. And those chicken wings - yum!

Absolutely, you must! Aside from all the fabulous food the staff are just wonderful. I really loved the daily mousekeeping and turn down service. I didn't think I'd miss the daily cleaning with DVC but I do. I know you can pay for it still, but the price keeps me from doing that.

Those olives were divine!

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by franandaj

The food looks pretty good, some I would eat, some not. I would enjoy the adult beverages and the chicken wings. I'll be excited to see more!

There were some items on other nights I think you would like better. They were refilling the chicken very often, it was a big hit. They were originally going to be for the kids table but the chef made the sauce too spicy. People really liked them.

Lots more to come.

[franandaj]

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

There were some items on other nights I think you would like better. They were refilling the chicken very often, it was a big hit. They were originally going to be for the kids table but the chef made the sauce too spicy. People really liked them.

Lots more to come.

Yeah, I know I enjoyed the offerings on some night more than others when we stayed CL. I don't care for olives or garbanzo beans, so that rules out half of what they had there that night! When you come to DLR, you will love one of the offerings at one of the places we are going!

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by franandaj

Yeah, I know I enjoyed the offerings on some night more than others when we stayed CL. I don't care for olives or garbanzo beans, so that rules out half of what they had there that night! When you come to DLR, you will love one of the offerings at one of the places we are going!

I did think about you when I saw the olives. I love them so much I was surprised when I learned you don't.

I'm very excited about my trip out there. I'm glad I decided on a week instead of a shorter trip.

[dgbg100106]

I miss CL... It has been awhile for us. I want to go back and do resort only while staying CL.

Sorry you had a reaction, everything looked as wonderful as ever..

[Pinkocto]

Originally Posted by dgbg100106

I miss CL... It has been awhile for us. I want to go back and do resort only while staying CL.

Sorry you had a reaction, everything looked as wonderful as ever..

I've wondered if I could do a resort only stay, and right now I don't think I could be so close to the parks and not go in.

I hope you'll be able to get back soon.

[Pinkocto]

Sorry for the tardiness in updates. I have to admit I got Once Upon a Time season 1 and have been absolutely obsessed. Sadly I have finished it and have no knew show to watch. Until I find one I at least have some time to post some updates One coming up shortly.

[Pinkocto]

We left R & M with the plan to meet up at the pool, so after enjoying our snacks we suited up and headed down. They still weren’t down there, and the snacks weren’t quite enough to satisfy my appetite so we stopped in the Mara for the first time to get a veggie flatbread and some fries to split. R & M showed up while we were waiting and ordered some items as well. M had a chicken flatbread and R had a chicken gyro which I missed getting photos of, sorry. We all enjoyed the food very much.



M had the excellent idea to bring a soda from the CL so after we finished our food we left R & M to go grab some drinks for everyone. As luck would have it the desserts were out so of course we had to grab some.



This little beauty was absolutely divine. It tasted like the inside of a key lime pie. Unfortunately we only got one each.



We took the drinks and some cookies down to R & M and after they had finished their dinner we headed over to the pool and grabbed some lounge chairs. This was my third trip to Jambo House and my first time in the pool. The first visit was in January and just too cold, and the second we just never made time for it. Well I had been looking forward to cooling off in the pool for a few hours so jumped right in. And jumped right out. I was freezing. Shivering freezing. I couldn’t stop my teeth from chattering freezing. I wrapped myself up in a towel and just had to find a hot tub to warm up in. R & M jumped in and said the water was fabulous, they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. In afterthought I was actually suffering from a fever that the crab pastry had brought on. Mom came with me on my hot tub hunt and the first one we came across was full of people so we continued on to the next one. We came across the poolside movie for the first time, The Muppet Movie, which I really wanted to stop for but was just too cold. We continued on to the second hot tub and there were unfortunately people occupying that one as well. Mom spied a giraffe on the savannah so we went to the outlook to watch it, and stumbled upon some CMs doing the night vision goggles. Also a first for us. Since there was no one else using them they gave us both a pair to use. Apparently it’s only one pair per group but you can use them for an hour. We didn’t stay for long, I was very very cold, but it was very magical watching the giraffe in the night.

We walked back to the first hot tub and despite the crowds we went in. I finally got comfortable. There was a family enjoying the heat as well and I asked them if they were enjoying the resort. Turns out they were also DVC members and we had a good long wonderful chat. I didn’t want to stop chatting so stayed in the heat a bit too long. They were at the end of a three week stay and I’m hoping we convinced them to try DCL sometime soon. We sang its praises so well they thought we worked for Disney. I absolutely love finding people who love Disney just as much as I do, which is why I enjoy being on the DIS so much.

R & M found us and joined us for a while but then said goodnight because the heat was too much for them. We left shortly after that, we were all getting a bit toasty.

I suffered with a fever most of the night and thankfully it resolved itself by morning. I will be avoiding anything with crab much more seriously from now on. I get out of bed around 7:20 and caught my first Disney sunrise.









Mom woke up with me opening the curtains so we got ready and went out to get some breakfast.

[Pinkocto]

There were the same offerings every morning.





Honey and tea box





Creamer and coffee syrups