3 Families doin' a Surf & Turf Trip! AKL CL & Dream...Good-Byes

[hstrickland]

All caught up! I would've been just like you--it's off to the pool EARLY!!

I have to admit. ..I booked our 2013 stay (before our Dream cruise) at Wilderness Lodge last Wednesday, but your report is making me consider switching to AKL. AKL has always been my favorite, and I'm feeling a little homesick for it!

Decisions, decisions....then changes and more changes! This is what happens when we read TRs WL is a good choice, though...it's Bill's favorite resort.

Great update! I am loving all the pool time. It's fun to get a different perspective, and it is so cool that they have such interesting activities by the pool

AKL is just amazing. I am so glad you decided to stay there so that I could check it out in more detail.

Ya know...it's kind of an entirely different trip when you don't do the parks...a bit more relaxing. And the older my children get, the easier it is by the pools. I can actually read a magazine now!

 

[amandaw]

What a fun day at the pool! I love all of the pictures.....y'all really got a lot of great ones!

I especially love the water slide pictures of you, Faith & your mom. But, my favorite has to be Jessie! I literally laughed out loud when I saw the picture of him on the slide. Too cute!

I like how they had really educational activities on hand, also. Very cool!

 

[podsnel]

Hi! I am really enjoying your TR! It is getting me excited for two upcoming trips to Jambo- one this November with extended family (but we won't be Concierge for that one) in a Grand Villa, and then in May with girlfriends- that one will be in Concierge. Your photos are FABULOUS- I have stayed concierge there twice before, and I think it's a wonderful way to spend a vacation!

I'm looking forward to hearing about more of your trip......

 

[Sweetpeamd]

Joining in!!!! We just returned from our summer vacation and I found you! I have really been looking forward to your TR, it's always a highlight of my summer.

We fell in love with AKL last fall when we added one extra night to our stay and tried it. It was wonderful! We spent hours sitting on our balcony and watching the animals. What an incredible experience! The pool was absolutely gorgeous, too. I'm loving your TR, it's so great to revisit the resort! Just the other day, my husband was saying that he would love for us to tack on a couple of days at AKL at the end of our next trip. Sounds great to me!

You mentioned Stephen having more freedom on this vacation. It's funny, there's something about AKL that makes you feel safe and isolated. We, for the very first time, let our older ones (9 and 11 at the time) go off on their own around the resort a little. They went out to Arusha rock to view animals (we could see the kids from our balcony) and went to explore the pool area by themselves. They had a wonderful time.

 

[mickeyfan71]

Funny that we are in the same county! Do your kids play sports with the rec dept? If yes then we have probably passed each other at ballparks.
Not sure if the 2013 trip will be during Fall break. My youngest graduates this coming year. I'll have 2 in college during the trip but, its just hubby and I going with my sister, her hubby and my neice who will be almost 3 when we go. It's her first trip and I didn't want to miss seeing it through her eyes!

 

[pas130]

You got me on that one! Funny thing is, the one shoulder look is back in style.

You are so right with the bathing suits...my DD6 doesn't like the look she says its crooked

heather I am loving all the pics! I like the underwater Faith pic...very cool! We loved the pool since we have the little ones, but they are getting more adventurous the older they get.... In May, ALL the kiddos went down the Hard Rock Hotel slide

 

[mirage0306]

Okay, I am ridiculously behind, but finally read your AKL CL reviews and pics and I am sold. When we go back, we are doing AKL (DH's request) and I am going to put in a good word for CL. Not only will we be able to do the sunrise safari, but I love how they set things up in the lounge for the kids, with the area for them, the food table, and the WII! So awesome! Thanks so much for the incredibly detailed pics, info, and review!!

 

[hstrickland]

What a fun day at the pool! I love all of the pictures.....y'all really got a lot of great ones!

I especially love the water slide pictures of you, Faith & your mom. But, my favorite has to be Jessie! I literally laughed out loud when I saw the picture of him on the slide. Too cute!

I like how they had really educational activities on hand, also. Very cool!

Jesse is the child who likes to break the rules whenever possible...I think the life guard knew him on a first name basis As you know, it's feet first on the waterslides....Jesse did head first on the back, head first on the stomach, sideways, etc...Thank goodnes he is the last child

Hi! I am really enjoying your TR! It is getting me excited for two upcoming trips to Jambo- one this November with extended family (but we won't be Concierge for that one) in a Grand Villa, and then in May with girlfriends- that one will be in Concierge. Your photos are FABULOUS- I have stayed concierge there twice before, and I think it's a wonderful way to spend a vacation!

I'm looking forward to hearing about more of your trip......

So glad you're enjoying our TR! Lucky you...a Grand Villa!!! I've seen pictures and they look wonderful and LOTS of space. For us, extended family trips have worked well. Y'all will enjoy making lots of memories with family. And I'm jealous...a girls CL trip....sounds GREAT!!!

Joining in!!!! We just returned from our summer vacation and I found you! I have really been looking forward to your TR, it's always a highlight of my summer.

We fell in love with AKL last fall when we added one extra night to our stay and tried it. It was wonderful! We spent hours sitting on our balcony and watching the animals. What an incredible experience! The pool was absolutely gorgeous, too. I'm loving your TR, it's so great to revisit the resort! Just the other day, my husband was saying that he would love for us to tack on a couple of days at AKL at the end of our next trip. Sounds great to me!

You mentioned Stephen having more freedom on this vacation. It's funny, there's something about AKL that makes you feel safe and isolated. We, for the very first time, let our older ones (9 and 11 at the time) go off on their own around the resort a little. They went out to Arusha rock to view animals (we could see the kids from our balcony) and went to explore the pool area by themselves. They had a wonderful time.

Hi Again!! Good to 'see' you! For some reason I thought your trip last year was CR or BLT, but I didn't see that in your signature....did I dream that And you're getting ready for another trip in 3 months!!!

Isn't it nice when the kids are old enough to venture off on their own?! I was saying earlier that this trip was the first time that I could actually read a magazine and relax by the pool. All 3 kids can swim now and it's soooooo nice! Jesse still wanders off from time to time, but he usually comes back

Funny that we are in the same county! Do your kids play sports with the rec dept? If yes then we have probably passed each other at ballparks.
Not sure if the 2013 trip will be during Fall break. My youngest graduates this coming year. I'll have 2 in college during the trip but, its just hubby and I going with my sister, her hubby and my neice who will be almost 3 when we go. It's her first trip and I didn't want to miss seeing it through her eyes!

No rec ball...Cheer Savannah and Taekwando...well, and soccer this fall with Jesse.

Your niece will be in sensory overload!! How exciting for her and for y'all. Maybe y'all can take her to BBB That was one of Faith's greatest experinences at WDW.

You are so right with the bathing suits...my DD6 doesn't like the look she says its crooked

heather I am loving all the pics! I like the underwater Faith pic...very cool! We loved the pool since we have the little ones, but they are getting more adventurous the older they get.... In May, ALL the kiddos went down the Hard Rock Hotel slide

I keep forgetting you have 4 kids...no 5!! You must have eyes in the back of your head to be able to keep up with them You're Wonder Woman, aren't you....just posing as an average mom?????

Okay, I am ridiculously behind, but finally read your AKL CL reviews and pics and I am sold. When we go back, we are doing AKL (DH's request) and I am going to put in a good word for CL. Not only will we be able to do the sunrise safari, but I love how they set things up in the lounge for the kids, with the area for them, the food table, and the WII! So awesome! Thanks so much for the incredibly detailed pics, info, and review!!

You're very welcome....here's a little to convince your DHubby to stay CL....shouldn't be too hard if you throw in all the advantages Basically it's just super convenient and you'll have a great savannah view. Let me know what y'all decide to do.

 

[chica622]

Subscribing! We are doing a "Surf and Turf" trip next summer, so can't wait to read your report!

 

[hstrickland]

Subscribing! We are doing a "Surf and Turf" trip next summer, so can't wait to read your report!

"Surf & Turf" is a great way to spend a vacation! You'll have the both of best worlds Enjoy planning your trip!

 

[hstrickland]

Day 2
Kidani Village and Sanaa
Part 1


It's lunch time and we're hungry!!!!! Let's head over to Kidani for a little change of pace...

If you decide to venture over to Kidani Village, you can walk or you can take the AKL Courtesy Van. Since the sky was gray, we decided to play it safe and ride. While waiting, one of the staff members allowed the kids to play his drum….so super friendly!!

Just so you can get a visual of where AKL is in location to Kidani Village, I’ve provided a map. Ignore the yellow dotted lines this was an older map before Kidani was complete.

The ride of course was very short. I don’t remember exactly how long it would take you to walk….I think they said around 10 minutes or so. We didn’t wait any time for the van to arrive…very quick.


Arriving at Kidani, I immediately noticed that there were very few people (not that AKL ever got crowded and crazy)


…..and another map for your informational purposes.

It also appeared that Kidani was more spread out than Jambo House. For example, if you were staying on the far right side at the end, it looks like it would take forever to walk to the pool…just an observation.


The lobby was very ornate and African…just as pretty as Jambo but on a much smaller scale. There weren’t many people at all…very quiet which was nice.

We had a few minutes before the lunch ressie, so we used our time very wisely….to get more pics of the animals, of course! Again, the savannah overlook is much smaller than Jambo, but very nice, and there are still plenty of animals to observe.

Looking back at the Kidani’s lobby area….

Finally time for lunch! ….. 1:00pm reservation



Just a little FYI about the restaurant…

“Sanaa serves African cuisine with Indian flavors for lunch and dinner. Sanaa means "artwork" in Swahili, and as its name suggests, Sanaa offers its guests beautifully prepared food, served in an artistic atmosphere with a stunning view of the savanna.” (DisneyWorld.com)

Experience: Special & Unique Dining
Service: A la Carte
Price Level: $15 to $35.99



When I approached the hostess, I noticed that it wasn’t busy AT ALL! Hopefully this means we can get a view by the window. She was very helpful and explained that there were only a couple of tables that would seat 6 by a window, but she would be happy to see what she could do. She gave me a pager and said it would be just a short wait for the window seat. While I was getting a picture, she offered for Stephen to jump in with her. (Can you see the Hidden Mickey???)

I think we looked around a bit more, then the pager started buzzing…..as promised….a table by the window!

We couldn’t have been any closer to the Sunset Savannah….perfect seat!

While looking at the menu, we notice this very ornate bird leisurely passing by and occasionally glaring at us….

This is the only picture I have of the waiter…don’t remember his name, but he was very accommodating and informative….good service.

When the waiter brought our drinks, I noticed that both Faith and Jesse had these light-up straw things…not sure I remember ordering them special drinks. Faith informed me that SHE ordered them…..nice.

Remember the bird….well here he is AGAIN…

Time for some food pics!


Appetizer….


Choice of three breads and three accompaniments…. I don’t remember which breads or sauces we chose (sorry) all I remember is……… EVERYTHING was unbelievably, undeniably DELICIOUS!!!

Main Course…


Faith and Jesse had the usual burger, but believe it or not…very tasty.

Dad’s entrée….I’m assuming he liked it because it was ALL gone.

Served Open-faced on Naan Bread with minted Greens, tomato, onion, and cucumber raita…

MaHopie, Stephen and I had the choice of two….slow-cooked in gravy, simple and well-seasoned served with Basmati Rice or Five-Grain Pilaf…


IGNORE the part that says Tandoori Chicken….it’s wrong…..it’s actually Butter Chicken.

MaHopies….

Stephen’s entrée ….the Butter Chicken was fabulous!!! The short ribs were good, but it tasted like the roast beef I cook at home. If I had known, I would have ordered the shrimp or another choice….still good though.

And here we go again with the bird! Faith and Jesse were having a hard time finishing their food, and Stephen was flashing pictures left and right.

Then, the bird just stops and starts glaring at us…actually it was quite humorous. I've never seen a bird with behavior like this.

Stephen captured this 'up close and personal' shot of our new found friend…..

Up next….desserts and more Kidani Village...





​

 

[nemofans]

Was the food at Sanaa spicy or fairly mild? We may need to hit there during our trip. DH would love it.

 

[hstrickland]

Was the food at Sanaa spicy or fairly mild? We may need to hit there during our trip. DH would love it.

I don't remember anything being super spicy. One of the sauces we tried had a little bite to it, but nothing that made my eyes water. I'm not big on super spicy stuff and I thought it was fine. It was a great lunch spot for us...I would certainly go back

Heather

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

I love this update, because we've never been brave enough to try Sanaa! Maybe we'll do that next time! We stayed at Kidani for DS's first trip in 2009. I love that resort! It is so pretty! You are right, though--we stayed down the right side, and it is a lonnnnnngggg walk to the pool (or at least it seemed like it!). Still a beautiful resort, though!

 

[hstrickland]

I love this update, because we've never been brave enough to try Sanaa! Maybe we'll do that next time! We stayed at Kidani for DS's first trip in 2009. I love that resort! It is so pretty! You are right, though--we stayed down the right side, and it is a lonnnnnngggg walk to the pool (or at least it seemed like it!). Still a beautiful resort, though!

As my husband was looking through the pictures, he keeps saying that Kidani's savannah looks better than what we had (he didn't go to Kidani...poor guy had to work). It had to be a long walk...the more I look at those maps, the longer it looks. I'm curious...when you went to the pool, did you walk all the way through the halls of the resort to get there, or did you walk outside? Of course we were only there a short time, but couldn't figure it out. The location of the pool seems like it's kinda out in front of the resort. Anyway...still a very nice place, and a resort that you could actually relax in and have some peace and quiet.

 

[jecskc]

We loved Kidani. We didn't get the chance to try Sanaa though. Jiko is on our list for Thanksgiving.

 

[RGirl]

Sanaa looks so good! YUM!!!

The bird is HILARIOUS! Perhaps a few of those butter chickens had once been friends of his?

 

[amandaw]

Love the review of Sanaa!

I love how Faith ordered light up drinks for her & Jessie! She's making sure they enjoy their vacation!

That bird is really pretty. That close up shot Stephen took is fantastic!

 

[shan23877]

Sounds like a great meal! I'm not sure that I'm adventurous enough (African and Indian are two types of food that I just haven't tried) for it though! I'm afraid that I'd eat bread and a kids meal

Great pictures as usual, but I love the one you got of Stephen taking pictures. That's really sweet. He got a great shot of your bird friend!

 

[Sweetpeamd]

Great review of Sanaa and Kidani! We tried Sanaa for an early dinner (once it's dark, you can't see the animals out the window) and we enjoyed it. We also LOVED the bread appetizer, delicious! Our entrees were pretty good, my husband and I both ordered some combo of the 3 dishes like you did and we liked them. I don't remember anything tasting too spicy or unusual at all. The atmosphere at Kidani and Sanaa is so unique and beautiful, it's worth a visit just to see it in person.

I haven't updated my signature in a while. Last fall, we spent a week at BLT followed by a night at AKL. For Spring Break, we spent a week at OKW and surprisingly fell absolutely in LOVE! I had heard so much about the resort and its sort of cult following but we had never tried it. We were afraid that the location was not going to suit our needs. We were soooo wrong. The resort is incredibly beautiful and laid back. We could not believe how huge the villas were. Our 2 BR was bigger than our first apartment!!! We are now fans of OKW for sure.

We have an October trip planned with stays at VWL and BLT. After reading your report, we'll probably add on a night at AKL or Kidani at the end!

I'm looking forward to your next installment!!!! As always, your pics of your beautiful family are wonderful. Stephen has quite the talent, too. The photo of the bird is great!