disneycub
King of Hugs & Smoochies!
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2000
- Messages
- 2,388
Dates: September 29th through October 14, 2001
Accommodations: Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah View (9/29-10/7), Walt Disney World Dolphin (10/7-10/14)
Airline: United (approximately $425 for me, $250 for Malcolm)
Transportation: Avis Rental Car (1st week) National (2nd week)
Cast of Characters:
Steve (46) - Author of this report. Annual Passholder. This will be my fifth trip this year, with a sixth coming in late November/early December
Malcolm (50-something) - Friend of above. This will be Malcolms third trip within a year, with a fourth coming during the Wine & Food Festival.
This trip started out as a whim. I wanted to come down and see what all was going to happen with the 100 Years of Magic Celebration starting in October. The original intent, way back when, was to use this as my first DVC trip. However, after having signed up at the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, some things started falling apart financially (in my mind, anyway) and I was able to opt-out of the DVC contract. Anyway, my friend Malcolm decided to come along for the ride. We travel pretty well together, and don't work each others nerves......too much, anyway .
Uncompensated plug for Dreams Unlimited Travel: I have used Dreams for my last two vacations. Not only will they make your reservations for you, but they will also help plan your itinerary. This really helps when you don't want to get up at 5:00 am Denver time to get a PS for Cindy's Castle. Tammy is helping me out this time, and she's been wonderful. I think I was quoted an AKL price of $327.00 per night upon my initial reservation. At the time of this writing, Tammy has priced my reservation down to $187.00 per night, which is a significant savings.
Saturday 9/29/01
Malcolm lives in Colorado Springs, about a sixty-minute drive from Denver, so he is flying up to Denver International and we'll meet at the gate for the trip to Orlando. We should arrive around 4:00pm.
We have a PS for Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge around 8:00pm.
Sunday 9/30/01
Today we have a PS for Cinderella's Castle at 8:00 am. I just thought it would be a hoot.
We are taking the Keys to the Kingdom Tour at 10:00am. This is the five-hour tour that takes you into the Utilidors. After that, we're hoping to see the new "Share a Dream Come True" parade around 3:00.
I learned through the AP flyer that annual passholders get $20.00 off tickets to Cirque du Soleil through September 30th. I was able to get 2 tickets, so we'll be doing that around 6:00 Sunday night.
Monday 10/1/01
Today will be spent at Islands of Adventure. Malcolm and I got to go on our last trip in April, and we had such a wonderful time, we knew we had to come back. Love those coasters!! I'd like to do lunch at Mythos, and then we thought we'd hang around City Walk for dinner and music.
Tuesday 10/2/01
Magic Kingdom Day
The last time Malcolm and I were at WDW together, the Magic Kingdom was an absolute zoo. The only crowd I can equate it to would be the 4th of July at Disneyland. You couldn't move or breathe. After waiting in line for Splash Mountain for an hour only to have it break down, and after being run over by marauding strollers numerous times, we decided to call it a day, vowing never to return.
Malcolm has since read my report on MousePlanet about another one of my trips, and he now knows that the MK is very special to me. Actually Disneyland takes that prize, but he has conceded a day at the Magic Kingdom just to make me happy (awwww!). Film at 11. We have a PS at Spoodles for that evening.
Wednesday 10/3/01
EPCOT all day. I want to see the "new" Tapestry of Dreams Parade, and maybe get all the way around World Showcase just once. We have a PS at Rose & Crown around 7:40pm. I'm hoping we can be seated outside so we can watch Illuminations from there.
Thursday 10/4/01
MGM is our favorite park. Malcolm for RNRC and TZTOT, and me for Fantasmic! Also this park is supposed to be the focal point for the 100 Years of Magic celebration. I have promised myself that I will finally see Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback while we're there. Also the Stars and Motor Cars Parade. We have a PS at the 50s Prime Time Café for a late lunch, and well stay for Fantasmic!
Friday 10/5/01
Tree hugging and animal loving liberal that I am , today we are taking the Animal Kingdom Backstage Safari. It's a three hour tour (sound familiar? Hope we don't get shipwrecked .) behind the scenes at DAK. We're looking forward to that.
We'll probably spend most of the morning and part of the afternoon at AK if it doesn't get way too hot.
Friday night we are hoping will be an E-ticket night at the MK. We plan on getting there around 6:00pm, having dinner at the Liberty Tree, watching Spectromagic and the fireworks, and then doing the E-ticket night.
Sounds like this will be our busiest day of the week.
Saturday 10/6/01
This will be our last day at the World, or at least in Florida. We have nothing on the agenda as of yet, but the possibilities include Universal Studios, going to the beach, or revisiting MGM or EPCOT. Or maybe doing nothing special.
Sunday 10/7-14/01
Malcolm leaves for Colorado Springs, and I check into the Dolphin for another week at the World. I plan on sleeping in late, decompressing from the week before, and maybe visit a park every other day. I'm also hoping to get down to casting and possibly interviewing for a job after the first of the year. Keep your fingers crossed!
The For Real Trip Report
In between the terrorist bombings and some financial difficulties for Malcolm, I just wasnt sure whether we were going to make it or not. Im not terribly fond of flying anyway, and the remote possibility of having a terrorist onboard our airplane didnt help. But things settled down a bit, and we decided to go. I had not been feeling well for about the past two weeks (severe stomach cramps, etc.), but I threw caution to the wind and headed to the World.
Saturday, 9/29/01 or How Could I Get Lost Here?
I got up at the ungodly hour of 3:00am and had a friend pick me up and take me to the airport. Arrived around 6:00am for a 10:40am flight. Security was very tight and the line to the ticket counter was horrendous. It took around 1.5 hours to get through the line. That didnt bother me at all. Id rather be safe than sorry. Met up with Malcolm at the gate, and our flight got off on time with no incidents.
Got our National Rental Car with a minimum of muss and fuss. Being a member of their Emerald Isle Club makes things so easy. You just pick up the car you want and go. And membership is free if you are a member of the Disney Club.
Mr. Brilliance (me) decided to download Mapquest directions onto my PDA before I left, and so we decided to use those directions to get to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Wrong! Before we knew it, we had entered a rather seedy part of town, nowhere near Disney. Moral of this story: follow the signs on the freeway. Malcolm finally called the AKL and they gave us simple directions from wherever we were. 2 hours of running about the greater Orlando area, and we finally made it to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
The AKL is absolutely breathtaking. It is reminiscent of the Wilderness Lodge but somehow on a more intimate level. There is beautiful African art throughout the lodge, and the CMs are very friendly and helpful. A lot of Disney deception is at work here. Some of the roofs are thatched close down where you can see them, but on the higher levels of the ceilings where it looks like thatch-work has been painstakingly cut and color-coordinated, it is actually concrete sprayed (rather artfully) with different colors so it appears hand-made. Unbelievably beautiful, however.
A word about the layout of the AKL: it is arranged in a horseshoe type pattern, with the main lobby, restaurants, etc. in the center. There are 5 pods on each side of the main lobby, 4 floors each. Most of the rooms have savannah views. However, if you are in one of the last pods, make sure your legs are ready for a hike after a long day in the parks. I would venture to say that from the lobby to the last pod (where our room was) was a good three-quarters of a mile.
The views, however, are spectacular. Our room looked out on the savannah on the Zebra Trail, where Zebras, Angola Cows, Wildebeasts, and Reticulated Giraffes are much in evidence during the morning and all through the night. I found out later during one of our tours that the animals are housed during the mid-morning to late afternoon when guests are at the parks.
The room we were assigned had a large closet, separate room with double sinks, a bath with commode and bath/shower, two queen beds, an armoire that held drawer space and a television, and a small table with 2 chairs. Two data ports are provided for those who have a laptop. The balcony had a small table and two chairs. African art is featured throughout the room. If you look closely at the carpets and the hall and the bed comforters, you will find hidden Mickeys in abundance.
Animal Kingdom Lobby, taken from bridge
The View out from the lobby to a savannah viewing area
An example of the incredible artwork at the AKL
The view out from our room - Reticulated Giraffe - OK, so it was dusk and I don't know the digital camera that well.
After we had pulled ourselves together from our travels, we went to Jiko (The Cooking Place) for dinner. I had Duck Firecrackers for an appetizer, a tenderloin steak for my entrée (call me unadventurous), and some kind of crème brulee concoction for dessert. Malcolm had flatbread for an appetizer, some sort of fish (probably salmon) for his entrée, and some chocolate something or the other for his dessert. We also had 2 glasses of a South African wine as well. OK, I had about 3 or 4 sips (not a drinker) and Malcolm finished it up for me. Price for dinner with tip: $120.00. Not exactly the place where youd want to pick up the tab for a party of 8. But the food and the atmosphere were wonderful.
Tomorrow .The Princess (and Prince) Diaries ..
Accommodations: Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah View (9/29-10/7), Walt Disney World Dolphin (10/7-10/14)
Airline: United (approximately $425 for me, $250 for Malcolm)
Transportation: Avis Rental Car (1st week) National (2nd week)
Cast of Characters:
Steve (46) - Author of this report. Annual Passholder. This will be my fifth trip this year, with a sixth coming in late November/early December
Malcolm (50-something) - Friend of above. This will be Malcolms third trip within a year, with a fourth coming during the Wine & Food Festival.
This trip started out as a whim. I wanted to come down and see what all was going to happen with the 100 Years of Magic Celebration starting in October. The original intent, way back when, was to use this as my first DVC trip. However, after having signed up at the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, some things started falling apart financially (in my mind, anyway) and I was able to opt-out of the DVC contract. Anyway, my friend Malcolm decided to come along for the ride. We travel pretty well together, and don't work each others nerves......too much, anyway .
Uncompensated plug for Dreams Unlimited Travel: I have used Dreams for my last two vacations. Not only will they make your reservations for you, but they will also help plan your itinerary. This really helps when you don't want to get up at 5:00 am Denver time to get a PS for Cindy's Castle. Tammy is helping me out this time, and she's been wonderful. I think I was quoted an AKL price of $327.00 per night upon my initial reservation. At the time of this writing, Tammy has priced my reservation down to $187.00 per night, which is a significant savings.
Saturday 9/29/01
Malcolm lives in Colorado Springs, about a sixty-minute drive from Denver, so he is flying up to Denver International and we'll meet at the gate for the trip to Orlando. We should arrive around 4:00pm.
We have a PS for Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge around 8:00pm.
Sunday 9/30/01
Today we have a PS for Cinderella's Castle at 8:00 am. I just thought it would be a hoot.
We are taking the Keys to the Kingdom Tour at 10:00am. This is the five-hour tour that takes you into the Utilidors. After that, we're hoping to see the new "Share a Dream Come True" parade around 3:00.
I learned through the AP flyer that annual passholders get $20.00 off tickets to Cirque du Soleil through September 30th. I was able to get 2 tickets, so we'll be doing that around 6:00 Sunday night.
Monday 10/1/01
Today will be spent at Islands of Adventure. Malcolm and I got to go on our last trip in April, and we had such a wonderful time, we knew we had to come back. Love those coasters!! I'd like to do lunch at Mythos, and then we thought we'd hang around City Walk for dinner and music.
Tuesday 10/2/01
Magic Kingdom Day
The last time Malcolm and I were at WDW together, the Magic Kingdom was an absolute zoo. The only crowd I can equate it to would be the 4th of July at Disneyland. You couldn't move or breathe. After waiting in line for Splash Mountain for an hour only to have it break down, and after being run over by marauding strollers numerous times, we decided to call it a day, vowing never to return.
Malcolm has since read my report on MousePlanet about another one of my trips, and he now knows that the MK is very special to me. Actually Disneyland takes that prize, but he has conceded a day at the Magic Kingdom just to make me happy (awwww!). Film at 11. We have a PS at Spoodles for that evening.
Wednesday 10/3/01
EPCOT all day. I want to see the "new" Tapestry of Dreams Parade, and maybe get all the way around World Showcase just once. We have a PS at Rose & Crown around 7:40pm. I'm hoping we can be seated outside so we can watch Illuminations from there.
Thursday 10/4/01
MGM is our favorite park. Malcolm for RNRC and TZTOT, and me for Fantasmic! Also this park is supposed to be the focal point for the 100 Years of Magic celebration. I have promised myself that I will finally see Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback while we're there. Also the Stars and Motor Cars Parade. We have a PS at the 50s Prime Time Café for a late lunch, and well stay for Fantasmic!
Friday 10/5/01
Tree hugging and animal loving liberal that I am , today we are taking the Animal Kingdom Backstage Safari. It's a three hour tour (sound familiar? Hope we don't get shipwrecked .) behind the scenes at DAK. We're looking forward to that.
We'll probably spend most of the morning and part of the afternoon at AK if it doesn't get way too hot.
Friday night we are hoping will be an E-ticket night at the MK. We plan on getting there around 6:00pm, having dinner at the Liberty Tree, watching Spectromagic and the fireworks, and then doing the E-ticket night.
Sounds like this will be our busiest day of the week.
Saturday 10/6/01
This will be our last day at the World, or at least in Florida. We have nothing on the agenda as of yet, but the possibilities include Universal Studios, going to the beach, or revisiting MGM or EPCOT. Or maybe doing nothing special.
Sunday 10/7-14/01
Malcolm leaves for Colorado Springs, and I check into the Dolphin for another week at the World. I plan on sleeping in late, decompressing from the week before, and maybe visit a park every other day. I'm also hoping to get down to casting and possibly interviewing for a job after the first of the year. Keep your fingers crossed!
The For Real Trip Report
In between the terrorist bombings and some financial difficulties for Malcolm, I just wasnt sure whether we were going to make it or not. Im not terribly fond of flying anyway, and the remote possibility of having a terrorist onboard our airplane didnt help. But things settled down a bit, and we decided to go. I had not been feeling well for about the past two weeks (severe stomach cramps, etc.), but I threw caution to the wind and headed to the World.
Saturday, 9/29/01 or How Could I Get Lost Here?
I got up at the ungodly hour of 3:00am and had a friend pick me up and take me to the airport. Arrived around 6:00am for a 10:40am flight. Security was very tight and the line to the ticket counter was horrendous. It took around 1.5 hours to get through the line. That didnt bother me at all. Id rather be safe than sorry. Met up with Malcolm at the gate, and our flight got off on time with no incidents.
Got our National Rental Car with a minimum of muss and fuss. Being a member of their Emerald Isle Club makes things so easy. You just pick up the car you want and go. And membership is free if you are a member of the Disney Club.
Mr. Brilliance (me) decided to download Mapquest directions onto my PDA before I left, and so we decided to use those directions to get to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Wrong! Before we knew it, we had entered a rather seedy part of town, nowhere near Disney. Moral of this story: follow the signs on the freeway. Malcolm finally called the AKL and they gave us simple directions from wherever we were. 2 hours of running about the greater Orlando area, and we finally made it to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
The AKL is absolutely breathtaking. It is reminiscent of the Wilderness Lodge but somehow on a more intimate level. There is beautiful African art throughout the lodge, and the CMs are very friendly and helpful. A lot of Disney deception is at work here. Some of the roofs are thatched close down where you can see them, but on the higher levels of the ceilings where it looks like thatch-work has been painstakingly cut and color-coordinated, it is actually concrete sprayed (rather artfully) with different colors so it appears hand-made. Unbelievably beautiful, however.
A word about the layout of the AKL: it is arranged in a horseshoe type pattern, with the main lobby, restaurants, etc. in the center. There are 5 pods on each side of the main lobby, 4 floors each. Most of the rooms have savannah views. However, if you are in one of the last pods, make sure your legs are ready for a hike after a long day in the parks. I would venture to say that from the lobby to the last pod (where our room was) was a good three-quarters of a mile.
The views, however, are spectacular. Our room looked out on the savannah on the Zebra Trail, where Zebras, Angola Cows, Wildebeasts, and Reticulated Giraffes are much in evidence during the morning and all through the night. I found out later during one of our tours that the animals are housed during the mid-morning to late afternoon when guests are at the parks.
The room we were assigned had a large closet, separate room with double sinks, a bath with commode and bath/shower, two queen beds, an armoire that held drawer space and a television, and a small table with 2 chairs. Two data ports are provided for those who have a laptop. The balcony had a small table and two chairs. African art is featured throughout the room. If you look closely at the carpets and the hall and the bed comforters, you will find hidden Mickeys in abundance.
Animal Kingdom Lobby, taken from bridge
The View out from the lobby to a savannah viewing area
An example of the incredible artwork at the AKL
The view out from our room - Reticulated Giraffe - OK, so it was dusk and I don't know the digital camera that well.
After we had pulled ourselves together from our travels, we went to Jiko (The Cooking Place) for dinner. I had Duck Firecrackers for an appetizer, a tenderloin steak for my entrée (call me unadventurous), and some kind of crème brulee concoction for dessert. Malcolm had flatbread for an appetizer, some sort of fish (probably salmon) for his entrée, and some chocolate something or the other for his dessert. We also had 2 glasses of a South African wine as well. OK, I had about 3 or 4 sips (not a drinker) and Malcolm finished it up for me. Price for dinner with tip: $120.00. Not exactly the place where youd want to pick up the tab for a party of 8. But the food and the atmosphere were wonderful.
Tomorrow .The Princess (and Prince) Diaries ..
