AWilliams
Wishing on a star...
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2000
- Messages
- 325
For report with pictures:
AMY & JOE do DISNEY - Day 7
The Cast:
Amy - Trip planner and DIS fan!
Joe - Amy's DH, loves Baloo
Mel - Amy's sister, professional photographer
Justin - Mel's BF, Everquest addict
DAY 7: Thursday, May 8
Mickey called bright and early to wake us up. Mel and Justin were leaving today and Joe and I would be moving to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I called Mel to make sure they were awake and had finished packing. We planned to meet and take some photos around the resort. Mel is an awesome photographer and I was excited to get some professional shots done around this beautiful resort. We started over by the Dig Site. The pool was closed, but we asked if we could sneak in a take a few shots and the cast member said no problem. The water wasnt flowing down the pyramid yet and I kept hoping it wouldnt start while we were sitting there!! Mel took some shots around the gardens and then we went to finish up at the lagoon outside our room. She took a great picture of me in the hammock and got one of Joe doing a GQ pose on a rock. (MEL Im still waiting for copies of your pictures!!!!)
We called for our bags to be picked up and waited for the porter to arrive. We planned to say goodbye to Mel and Justin in the lobby. They had to officially check out as they were due a refund on the travelers checks they had deposited. We decided to call a cab to take us directly to AKL, I couldnt wait any longer to get there!! Our cab showed up before the Tiffany driver, so we said goodbye and were off. Our luggage was scheduled to arrive around 3:00, so I had packed a beach bag of stuff for the morning.
Animal Kingdom Lodge
As the cab pulled into the entrance to the lodge, it really looked like we were going on a safari. The entrance to the lodge wasnt as big as I had imagined, but I remembered (from the travel channel special) that this was actually the third floor of the resort. We hopped out of the cab and right up to the front desk. There was no line! The cast member called over to another desk and we were shown up to the sixth floor for check-in with the concierge. It was early (8:30 am) and the cast member helping us didnt appear to be totally awake yet. Our room wasnt ready and she had no idea what room we might get or when it would be available? I got the feeling she wanted us to go away and come back later. She gave us a package of material and since we had UHPs for today still on our CSR cards, she would finish checking us in later. I was really disappointed in the service and this was supposed to be concierge! Joe and I grabbed some coffee and snacks from the lounge for breakfast. We took a map from a table near the desk and decided to explore the resort before heading to Blizzard Beach.
We took the elevators back down to the lobby and looked around. We wanted a closer look at the pool, so we got back on the elevator and went to the first floor. The layout of this place was going to take some getting use to. The pool area was nice, but it seemed really small. With only one pool I was expecting something larger. The water looked really dirty, but Joe explained that it was meant to look that way because of the color of the concrete. Oh, okay. The tiki bar here was large and we stopped to see what specialty drinks they offered. We went back inside to try to find our way to Arusha Rock. We took the elevator up and then walked through the lobby and down some stairs and outside. We passed the fire pit and then out to the rock. There were no animals in sight, so we spent a few minutes talking to one of the guides and she explained some of the animal patterns to us. We spied a few zebras and cows hanging out in the shade towards the back of the property. It was too hot for us out here and I could only imagine how hot those animals must have been.
Blizzard Beach
We made our way back through the lobby in search of the bus stop. AKL only has one bus stop, which is really nice. We waited about 15 minutes before our bus came. It was a very quick ride to Blizzard Beach. The park had already opened so there was no line to get in. We found a couple of lounge chairs and then decided we should start off at the bar. It was early, but we were on vacation right? The bartender here made my top 5 cast members this trip list. There werent many customers, so she spent time just chatting with us about Disney, Orlando, her job, etc. She had worked at Disney for about 7 years, and it was really interesting to hear her perspective of things. It was also nice that every time she made a frozen drink and had a bit left over she would put it in a cup for Joe and I! By the time we got up from the bar stools I was sure I would drown if we went near the water. The wave pool would be a safe place to start.
The waves at Blizzard beach are much more relaxing that those at Typhoon Lagoon. The park wasnt very crowded, so we decided to head for the slides. I love the racing slides. We had lunch and then went back in the wave pool for a bit.
Our Room
At 2:00 we took the bus back to AKL. We returned to the concierge desk to find two new cast members. Our room was ready! Yeah! Maybe Thursday is a bad day up on the lounge, but we still were not impressed at all with the staff here. Our room (5419) was on the Zebra trail. The location was fantastic!! We opened the door and were greeted by a strong African scent. I didnt know if it was from the guests prior to us, or what, but it made both Joe and I really sick. I asked the bellman and he indicated that it was part of the themeing at AKL. For the rest of our stay we had to keep our slider open at all times to try to air out the place.
The bathroom was gorgeous. I liked that it was private and separate from the sleeping area. We had a queen bed, bunkbeds, and a pull out couch. You could have slept 6 people in there, but all that furniture was a bit excessive for just the two of us. It made the room feel really claustrophobic. The lighting in the room was low, but I liked the mood it created. The view from our balcony was exactly what I had hoped for! We could see Arusha Rock and pretty much the entire inner circle of the resort. We found the chart of animals at the lodge and were able to pick out about 5 species right away.
The smell in our room was really making both Joe and I sick, so after unpacking a little, we went down to the pool. It was about 4:00 and we stopped at Boma to ask if we should make PS for later that night. We wanted to eat at around 7:30-8:00. The hostess said that seating wouldnt be a problem that late so we left without making a reservation.
We went outside and found that the pool area was mobbed. You could walk around in the water, but there was no room to swim or float. In most areas you couldnt even put your arm out without hitting someone. The bar was also crowded. AKL seems like a very family friendly resort, but we really missed CSR. I couldnt believe that I was more impressed with a moderate over a deluxe!!
BOMA
When we returned to our room the smell had definitely gone down. I climbed up to the top bunk and took a quick nap. I hadnt slept on a bunk bed in like 20 years! At 7:30 we got ready to head down to dinner. The waiting area in front of Boma was really crowded. I talked to the hostess and she said it would be a two-hour wait! I reminded her that just a few hours ago she told me NOT to make a PS and it would be no problem to eat at 8:00. She apologized, but said that there was nothing she could do now. She gave us a beeper and said to check back in around 9:00. We went to sit at the bar overlooking Boma while we waited. I figured I could use a few drinks at that point.
At 9:15 our buzzer still hadnt gone off. We walked down to the waiting area to find it empty. Since we didnt have a PS we were the last on the list for the night. Finally we were seated. Thankfully it was a buffet, so we didnt have to wait to order food. Joe and I tried a little bit of everything. It was much different than anything we had eaten before. Im glad we tried it, but we probably wouldnt eat there again.
We returned to our room and sat on the balcony and tried to spot the animals in the dark. This balcony was the whole reason for staying at AKL and I loved it.
AMY & JOE do DISNEY - Day 7
The Cast:
Amy - Trip planner and DIS fan!
Joe - Amy's DH, loves Baloo
Mel - Amy's sister, professional photographer
Justin - Mel's BF, Everquest addict
DAY 7: Thursday, May 8
Mickey called bright and early to wake us up. Mel and Justin were leaving today and Joe and I would be moving to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I called Mel to make sure they were awake and had finished packing. We planned to meet and take some photos around the resort. Mel is an awesome photographer and I was excited to get some professional shots done around this beautiful resort. We started over by the Dig Site. The pool was closed, but we asked if we could sneak in a take a few shots and the cast member said no problem. The water wasnt flowing down the pyramid yet and I kept hoping it wouldnt start while we were sitting there!! Mel took some shots around the gardens and then we went to finish up at the lagoon outside our room. She took a great picture of me in the hammock and got one of Joe doing a GQ pose on a rock. (MEL Im still waiting for copies of your pictures!!!!)
We called for our bags to be picked up and waited for the porter to arrive. We planned to say goodbye to Mel and Justin in the lobby. They had to officially check out as they were due a refund on the travelers checks they had deposited. We decided to call a cab to take us directly to AKL, I couldnt wait any longer to get there!! Our cab showed up before the Tiffany driver, so we said goodbye and were off. Our luggage was scheduled to arrive around 3:00, so I had packed a beach bag of stuff for the morning.
Animal Kingdom Lodge
As the cab pulled into the entrance to the lodge, it really looked like we were going on a safari. The entrance to the lodge wasnt as big as I had imagined, but I remembered (from the travel channel special) that this was actually the third floor of the resort. We hopped out of the cab and right up to the front desk. There was no line! The cast member called over to another desk and we were shown up to the sixth floor for check-in with the concierge. It was early (8:30 am) and the cast member helping us didnt appear to be totally awake yet. Our room wasnt ready and she had no idea what room we might get or when it would be available? I got the feeling she wanted us to go away and come back later. She gave us a package of material and since we had UHPs for today still on our CSR cards, she would finish checking us in later. I was really disappointed in the service and this was supposed to be concierge! Joe and I grabbed some coffee and snacks from the lounge for breakfast. We took a map from a table near the desk and decided to explore the resort before heading to Blizzard Beach.
We took the elevators back down to the lobby and looked around. We wanted a closer look at the pool, so we got back on the elevator and went to the first floor. The layout of this place was going to take some getting use to. The pool area was nice, but it seemed really small. With only one pool I was expecting something larger. The water looked really dirty, but Joe explained that it was meant to look that way because of the color of the concrete. Oh, okay. The tiki bar here was large and we stopped to see what specialty drinks they offered. We went back inside to try to find our way to Arusha Rock. We took the elevator up and then walked through the lobby and down some stairs and outside. We passed the fire pit and then out to the rock. There were no animals in sight, so we spent a few minutes talking to one of the guides and she explained some of the animal patterns to us. We spied a few zebras and cows hanging out in the shade towards the back of the property. It was too hot for us out here and I could only imagine how hot those animals must have been.
Blizzard Beach
We made our way back through the lobby in search of the bus stop. AKL only has one bus stop, which is really nice. We waited about 15 minutes before our bus came. It was a very quick ride to Blizzard Beach. The park had already opened so there was no line to get in. We found a couple of lounge chairs and then decided we should start off at the bar. It was early, but we were on vacation right? The bartender here made my top 5 cast members this trip list. There werent many customers, so she spent time just chatting with us about Disney, Orlando, her job, etc. She had worked at Disney for about 7 years, and it was really interesting to hear her perspective of things. It was also nice that every time she made a frozen drink and had a bit left over she would put it in a cup for Joe and I! By the time we got up from the bar stools I was sure I would drown if we went near the water. The wave pool would be a safe place to start.
The waves at Blizzard beach are much more relaxing that those at Typhoon Lagoon. The park wasnt very crowded, so we decided to head for the slides. I love the racing slides. We had lunch and then went back in the wave pool for a bit.
Our Room
At 2:00 we took the bus back to AKL. We returned to the concierge desk to find two new cast members. Our room was ready! Yeah! Maybe Thursday is a bad day up on the lounge, but we still were not impressed at all with the staff here. Our room (5419) was on the Zebra trail. The location was fantastic!! We opened the door and were greeted by a strong African scent. I didnt know if it was from the guests prior to us, or what, but it made both Joe and I really sick. I asked the bellman and he indicated that it was part of the themeing at AKL. For the rest of our stay we had to keep our slider open at all times to try to air out the place.
The bathroom was gorgeous. I liked that it was private and separate from the sleeping area. We had a queen bed, bunkbeds, and a pull out couch. You could have slept 6 people in there, but all that furniture was a bit excessive for just the two of us. It made the room feel really claustrophobic. The lighting in the room was low, but I liked the mood it created. The view from our balcony was exactly what I had hoped for! We could see Arusha Rock and pretty much the entire inner circle of the resort. We found the chart of animals at the lodge and were able to pick out about 5 species right away.
The smell in our room was really making both Joe and I sick, so after unpacking a little, we went down to the pool. It was about 4:00 and we stopped at Boma to ask if we should make PS for later that night. We wanted to eat at around 7:30-8:00. The hostess said that seating wouldnt be a problem that late so we left without making a reservation.
We went outside and found that the pool area was mobbed. You could walk around in the water, but there was no room to swim or float. In most areas you couldnt even put your arm out without hitting someone. The bar was also crowded. AKL seems like a very family friendly resort, but we really missed CSR. I couldnt believe that I was more impressed with a moderate over a deluxe!!
BOMA
When we returned to our room the smell had definitely gone down. I climbed up to the top bunk and took a quick nap. I hadnt slept on a bunk bed in like 20 years! At 7:30 we got ready to head down to dinner. The waiting area in front of Boma was really crowded. I talked to the hostess and she said it would be a two-hour wait! I reminded her that just a few hours ago she told me NOT to make a PS and it would be no problem to eat at 8:00. She apologized, but said that there was nothing she could do now. She gave us a beeper and said to check back in around 9:00. We went to sit at the bar overlooking Boma while we waited. I figured I could use a few drinks at that point.
At 9:15 our buzzer still hadnt gone off. We walked down to the waiting area to find it empty. Since we didnt have a PS we were the last on the list for the night. Finally we were seated. Thankfully it was a buffet, so we didnt have to wait to order food. Joe and I tried a little bit of everything. It was much different than anything we had eaten before. Im glad we tried it, but we probably wouldnt eat there again.
We returned to our room and sat on the balcony and tried to spot the animals in the dark. This balcony was the whole reason for staying at AKL and I loved it.
