Dreams come true...WDW 8/30-9/16

[jaycns]

After a filling, fun and pretty darn tasty meal at the Rainforest Cafe, we ventured out into dangerous (at least for our bank account ) world of Disney shopping. I admit it. It's not just glowing things that I have a soft spot for. That list also includes things that change color in the sun and especially Disney stuff!! So...DTD is a dangerous place to turn me loose.

Our first stop was the candy store. A GREAT straight after a big meal thing to do. The kids want MUCH less by way of sweet treats. We still had a great time looking around!

After the candy shop we hit the Christmas shop, the toy store (doesn't seem to matter if they are full or not on the toy buying end of things ), the World of Disney store, the Disney art store, the pet stuff store, the Pooh store, the everything under $10 store and the pin store. Here are a few pictures from our time out and about at DTD.

On top of all of the stores we stopped at the silhouette cutting cart and had one made of the three boys together. These are some of my all time favorite souvenirs EVER! I love the silhouettes we have collected over the years. They are priceless to me! I will try and get a picture snapped and post it later in the report.

Then the boys found the water!! They spent about 15 minutes running in and out of the ever surprises water pop jets. It was a great way for them to burn up the energy that had built up over the long drive to WDW.

Notice how wet their clothes are in this after shot! We had a very soggy "Stitch" and "Goofy" as we made our way to do yet more shopping.

Soggy would soon be replaced by soaked...because the rain, rain, rain DUMPED down, down, down!! While we were in Earl of Sandwich picking up dinner to take back to our hotel it started to pour. Bucket after bucket fell from the sky. We tried to wait the storm out before heading back to our van but it soon became apparent that we might as well sit down and eat right then if we were going to spend any more time waiting for the rain to let up. So, out into the pouring rain we went. I figured we were heading straight to our hotel and we could towel off and change once we got there. Also we tucked our purchases and meals safely into plastic bags and headed out. It was actually a whole lot of fun to walk through an almost empty DTD (most sane people were taking shelter in the stores) in the pouring rain, splashing in puddles (you couldn't get anymore wet) and just enjoying acting like ducks.

By the time we made it to our van we were closer to drowned rats then ducks...but that doesn't change that fact that we had a great time splashing our way out of DTD.

It was now time to check into our hotel. We chose the Comfort Suites Maingate because it slept 5 people, appeared to be well kept on the website, was close to AKL and upon further investigation was highly recommended by both AAA and other travelers.

We got there at about 4:30. We brought our overnight bag up, put on dry clothes and consumed a DELICIOUS Earl of Sandwich meal (I had the Caprese and the iced tea lemonade...YUM). After that, we all felt the effects of such a long drive through the middle of the night catching up with us. So we laid down and took a nice long nap.

By the time we all started to stir it was close to 8:00 PM. So we pondered what to do next...and what did we come up with? We would head over to Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum.

But that is for the next installment...to be continued...

 

[SoonerGirl]

What no photos of the drowned rats after you splashed your way out of DTD??

Great pics of your boys - I can't believe how big they've gotten since your last trip!

 

[winkers]

I'm loving your report! The picture of your boys sleeping is adorable!

 

[jaycns]

I so glad you father is doing better, and I pray that he continues to get better each and every day. I went through a touch and go situation with my father 3 years ago. Like you, I was at the hospital all day and sometimes all night as family members would take turns staying in the room with him. At the end of the day I felt like I had been digging ditches all day. I can't even begin to imagine how hard that would have been if I had been pregnant. You difinently needed to get away for a little while.

Can't wait to read more, and your boys are absolutely adorable.

Your description is right on...digging trenches just might have been relaxing compared to waiting on pins and needles. I am so sorry you had to go through that. It's such a hard thing to do (but sadly one most people will go through eventually).

And thanks, I too think they are adorable, and most of the time they don't have red demon eyes. I should have photoshopped that out but then it would have been another few weeks before I could have started writing the report. I am not "that" computer savvy!

What no photos of the drowned rats after you splashed your way out of DTD??

Great pics of your boys - I can't believe how big they've gotten since your last trip!

Umm...we couldn't get the drowned rats to pose. Yeah, that's it! HA HA HA Actually the camera was wrapped in a plastic Disney bag to keep it from shorting out.

The boys are so big. It breaks my heart. Lucky for them, I probably won't try and shrink them with another little one on the way to distract me.

I'm loving your report! The picture of your boys sleeping is adorable!

Nothing is quite so precious as a sleeping child. Hmmm...well, they are cute awake too...but cute and QUIET asleep! Thanks for joining in!

I am working on the next update right now!

 

[jaycns]

Okay, so Ripley is no Disney...but it is another interesting stop in the Orlando area. It had been 6 years since our family toured the museum...I am sure most of the stuff was the same, but being as I had forgotten most of it (as had everyone else). It still made for a fun, bizarre and strangely interesting night.

**HELPFUL HINT- Learn at our expense, we were dumb...we should have checked the hotel lobby for the buy one get one free coupons that were just sitting there, ready to be used, BUT we didn't see those until the next morning. I have never seen the pamphlet stands at a Disney resort, but it just may be worth a stop at another nearby hotel to grab one if you are heading out to Ripley's or any other area "non Disney" tourist attraction. We paid $18.95 for each adult and $11.95 for each child. We could have paid one adult and only two children's admissions. Our savings would have been $30!! Just an FYI, be smarter then us! **

Once we had paid our admission we entered a building full of the most bizarre displays. It was freakishly fun!

Some of my favorite displays were:
-a display figure and story of a man who would sit in an oven with a piece of roasting lamb and he would stay in until the lamb was done and then climb out unharmed
-the pool table room where everything seemed to tilt one way but in reality tilted the other and you instantly lost balance upon entering the room.

-pictures made of toast, lint, pennies and postcards. They looked really good! The one made of toast recreated the Mona Lisa and it was a pretty good knock off!
-all of the cool fertility and other idols carved by native cultures from around the world

-the shrunken heads (yes, there is something wrong with me). They were utterly gross but still fascinating (in a horrible kind of way)
-the section dedicated to urban myths. Notice the huge alligator behind the boys!

-the car recreated from matchsticks
-the two headed animals
-the clothes of the world's smallest human
-the figures of the world's heaviest and tallest men

-the strange furniture

-one of my favorites was an explanation of the phrase "saved by the bell". Medicine was supposedly so "backward" in the middle ages that people would get buried alive sometimes...so in order to save people who might not truly be dead upon burial, they inserted a string in the coffin attached to the bell, when the "corpse" woke up, he/she would pull the string and ring the bell...thus alerting those above that they were not truly dead and should be dug up!!
-a cute photo spot was a HUGE tire. I cannot imagine the vehicle that thing was on!

-the video loop of strange things that ran over and over in a viewing room
-a section of the Berlin wall

-a tunnel where black lights, strobes, spinning and tilting contributed to you feeling so off balance you could barely walk through. It doesn't look like much in the picture, but the feeling of being "way off" was very strong while walking through it.

All in all it was a fun night. I haven't even scratched the surface of all of the strange things found inside in my list...but those are some of my favorites. Ripley's is not a place I would stop every year or even every other year...but every 5 years or so, it makes a very interesting side trip!!

Upon leaving Ripley's we were hungry. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed back to the Comfort Suites Maingate for our first and last night's sleep there. In the morning we would be heading over to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and I was REALLY looking forward to that!!

Up next Animal Kingdom Lodge!!!

To be continued...

 

[LindaBabe]

Looking at the photos, I can't believe how much the boys have grown since your last report!

It was SUCH fun meeting you and your family, Jaycns. Your guys are GREAT!

 

[jaycns]

Looking at the photos, I can't believe how much the boys have grown since your last report!

It was SUCH fun meeting you and your family, Jaycns. Your guys are GREAT!

OH LINDA!! I had such a grand time meeting you! You are going to have a cameo appearence in the next installment!! That was when I was lucky enough to get to meet you!! Well, for the first time anyways! Oh and many thanks are in order. I cannot belive how sweet that thoughtful package was of you! SO...don't go anywhere. You are shortly to make a grand enterence into this trip report!!!!!

 

[Magic2000]

Can't wait to read more! I never thought about going to Ripleys in Orlando - maybe we'll check it out next summer!

 

[pikaboo27]

OK, time to do the Jay-is-writing-a-new-trip-report dance!!! He he he Can't wait to read it! Best wishes for your dad and your new disney-fanatic-to-be!

Oh, and to momoftriplets, I just read your trip report, and my DH and I were there on our honeymoon in 2005 when you were there! It was so exciting to read about the different things you did and wondering what I was doing at that time.

 

[jaycns]

Day 2- Time to head to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge!!!

Morning for us started at about 9:00 AM. I jumped out of bed and hopped into the shower...well, I didn't really jump or hop. At this point my poor tootsies were swollen up like little sausages, so I gingerly stepped out of bed and sort of fell into the shower. But swollen feet or not I was walking on sunshine...today I FINALLY (after all of the should we go/could we go worry, after the stress of a sick parent and a high risk pregnancy, after the months of planning and dreaming and replanning the same things) was going to get to check in to one of my favorite places...the Animal Kingdom Lodge!!

After a quick breakfast at the hotel we packed up the few things we had in the hotel and we were quickly underway.

Pulling up to AKL, I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer for my dad and the baby and finally felt the tension easing out of my shoulders. And then I saw it...

I saw the beautiful lodge we would call our home for the next 9 days and a huge smile broke out over my face. The boys were about to go wild themselves trying to get unbuckled and out of the van and really, finally start our Disney vacation! Even dh was grinning from ear to ear. Ahhh...what a beautiful sight for stressed out/over excited eyes!!

As dh unloaded the luggage and the bell services stacked it on the cart, I sat there on a bench and couldn't stop smiling! As the bellman led us into the lobby (where we waited for dh to park the car and return to us) I braced myself for construction noise, dust, workers or just plain disruption...to my VERY relived surprise there was NOTHING going on. Unless you count some black drapes hanging up on the 5th and 6th floors.

By the time dh made his way back to us I was silently applauding my decision NOT to move to another resort when they called us to try and move us due to construction. I was still nervous about future possible noise or the sight of machines and dirt mounds right outside of our rooms...but I was so happy to see that at least in the main lobby it looked like "lodge as usual".

All of us together, we were led to the elevators where the bellman slipped in his card and took us up to the 6th floor for check in. We have stayed at AKL before and we have stayed concierge(club) level before but never AKL club level. I was already in LOVE with the IPO (Itinerary Planning Office-basically those who helped us with planning before we arrived on site). So many wonderful, helpful and down right magically friendly cast members had helped me plan what would be, one of the best trips of my life. So, up up up we went. Very quickly in fact (at least compared to the s-l-o-w elevators we would encounter later in the vacation at the Grand Floridian) we arrived on the 6th floor. We stepped out of the short hall and into the big open lobby area with overlook of the entire lobby and I just had to stop and look!! It was a gorgeous view!!

Sorry that they block the shot, I will have more of the lobby later. In this shot you can see the black drapes hanging on the 5th and 6th floors. VERY unobtrusive.

While I was busy checking us in, dh and the boys started in on the snacks that we being set out. Didn't we just eat a late breakfast?! Oh well...they were enjoying themselves. Dh and "Goofy" loved the African Smoothie (not an iced drink but a blend of juices). All three boys went crazy over the Goldfish Crackers (like we don't have those at home?!) and the chocolate chip cookies. Dh started his love affair with the cappuccino machine.

I was a bit nervous while checking us in. Originally we had been booked into one deluxe club room...however, construction was running ahead of schedule so they no longer had any deluxe rooms in their inventory. They had tried to bump us to another resort but I had politely but firmly (and repeatedly) insisted we didn't want to move to another resort. That led to them giving us two regular club rooms. I was assured that due to the circumstances we would be guaranteed connecting rooms (having young kids and having originally booked a room that would put us all together). True to their promises we were assigned connecting rooms and had gotten two of them for the price we originally booked one deluxe for. I was very happy with their resolution of that snag. BACK TO CHECKING IN...my nervousness had been for naught and we were warmly welcomed by the on-site staff. Upon our arrival we had a gift bag full of small surprises waiting for us. I was touched at their thoughtfulness! And it really did make us feel welcome.

We got an African carved wooden figure wearing a beaded skirt and three pens with animals carved into them and three pencils with beaded areas where the erasers would normally be.

After that wonderful welcome, I found myself drawn to the snacks as well (oink oink ). My pick? And one of my all time favorite cookies? Oatmeal, cranberry, white chocolate chunk cookies. OH SO GOOD! My mouth is watering while I type about them! For those wondering, they also had brownies, sugar cookies, gummy bears, granola and nuts. For drinks they had sodas, the African Smoothie juice blend, iced tea, lemonade, Evian water, Perrier water, apple juice, milk and chocolate milk. Yum!


Full and ready to see our rooms we headed down to the 4th floor of the Zebra Trail section of the lodge. We had two rooms on the Arusha savanna. Along the way we snapped a few pictures with the African art which decorates almost every nook and cranny at the resort.

Our rooms were amazing. We had one room with two queen beds connected to another with one queen and a set of bunk beds. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

And best of all? The views from our balconies!! Not one construction vehicle, mound of dirt or other disturbance in sight!! We were just to the right of Arusha rock so we didn't look out over the rock but rather to the right of it. We were in a GREAT location. Close to everything yet far enough along the trail to have great animal views!!

All of the above pictures were taken during an hour and a half time period in the early afternoon! None of us could help but be drawn out on to the balconies. We spent the first hour in our rooms running back and forth between the balconies and calling out to each other about the animals we were seeing! It was a really wonderful time! In fact, we were having such a good time that we almost missed getting the kids down to Simba's Clubhouse in time to take part in the AKL's Bush Camp.

Bush Camp at AKL is for kids ages 6-14. It takes place on Saturdays from 1:00-4:00 PM. The cost is $70 per child (with a portion of that going to the Disney Conservation Fund). The official description was "Learn about African culture through games, activities, foods and crafts. Play along with a character from the Lion King!"...

In reality it was so much more then that! My boys ADORED Bush Camp! I would highly recommend it. They started out by making hemp and bead bracelets. Next they played some African instruments and had a snack of African food (chicken of some sort and some tomato something or other...helpful descriptions from my kids ) . After that they went for a safari around the resort viewing the animals and learning about them. When their safari finished Timon was waiting for them at Simba's Clubhouse and they got to play the "Bongo" with him (it was a game like bingo played with questions about African animals). They finished up by each getting to take a picture with Timon and being presented with a certificate of completion of AKL's Bush Camp.

On top of all of that fun they each also got a safari hat and a backpack (a small sling one) full of goodies. They got small stuffed African animals, stickers, a notebook and a few other small goodies. Of course they also got the photo of them and Timon. All three of my boys had a lot of fun.

We were not to discover just how much fun our boys had until very late that night. Directly after Bush Camp our boys were staying at Simba's Clubhouse for the nightly children's club. When we dropped off the boys for Bush Camp we had filled out the paperwork and picked up the beeper for Simba's that night. We had also picked out a dinner for each of them (I think they asked for hot dogs and fries all around).

What did us grown ups have planned while the boys played the day (and most of the night) away? First, I needed to get a small snack so we headed over to the Mara and I got a bowl of the African Stew. YUM! That was OH SO GOOD! And the bread bowl they served it in was delicious as well (yep, I finished it right down to eating up the entire bowl). While I was enjoying that and dh was feasting on pepperoni pizza who should wander in to the Mara and recognize dh and myself but LINDABABE herself! I felt like a DIS star! Now, I need to clarify that I did know in advance that she was staying at AKL. She had PMed me several weeks before with a kind offer of helping us pull off a surprise for the boys. However, life sort of got away from me in that last month before we left with my dad's health and all and I never really got anything "sewn up". I was regretful of what I thought was a missed opportunity to meet a very sweet DISer.

Back to the Mara...Linda saw dh and I sitting there and introduced herself and said such sweet kind things about my previous trip report and our family that I was so very touched! What she didn't mention (due to her modesty) is that she is one of the sweetest people ever! So I had to mention that to her dh myself. After a quick meet and greet, Linda went to order her food and I finished up my yummy bread bowl of stew. It was just as I finished up my stew that I started kicking myself for not having my camera with me. However, I made my way to the ordering line and had another short chat with Linda and her friend before heading out of the Mara and back to our room to get ready for our next adventure.

Coming up: An evening filled with some of the most wonderful memories! A Wanyama sunset safari on the savannas of the lodge itself followed by a chef served meal at Jiko!!

To be continued...

 

[Spartangirl]

Your rooms at AKL look really cool and your balcony views look SPECTACULAR! I think my DH and I need to book AKL for a future trip....wow!

 

[winkers]

The pictures from your balcony are gorgeous! I can't wait to hear about your evening!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I was so happy to see that you had started a new trip report when I signed on to the DIS this evening. I loved your report from last year and I have to tell you that it was one of the factors that helped me to decide on booking a Disney cruise!

I have to say your boys sure have grown up a lot over the past year! Also congratulations on the pregnancy!

I was so sad to read about everything your family has gone through recently and I am glad to hear that things are improving and I agree with the others when I say that you definitely deserve this vacation after all that stress and worry.

The AKL rooms are beautiful and the view from the rooms is great.

Can't wait to read all about the rest of your trip!

 

[jaycns]

Can't wait to read more! I never thought about going to Ripleys in Orlando - maybe we'll check it out next summer!

It really was a whole lot of fun! Not in any sort of Disney way but a lot of fun none the less. If you do end up going, I hope you really enjoy yourselves!!

OK, time to do the Jay-is-writing-a-new-trip-report dance!!! He he he Can't wait to read it! Best wishes for your dad and your new disney-fanatic-to-be!

Why thank you for that dance. I guess that means I should do the Pikaboo-is-here dance! Thanks for the well wishes!

Your rooms at AKL look really cool and your balcony views look SPECTACULAR! I think my DH and I need to book AKL for a future trip....wow!

The rooms were really nice and the views were beyond belief! I loved walking out and seeing big African animals. It's a great treat!!

The pictures from your balcony are gorgeous! I can't wait to hear about your evening!

I cannot wait to share. It was one of the best evenings ever (for me at least)!

I was so happy to see that you had started a new trip report when I signed on to the DIS this evening. I loved your report from last year and I have to tell you that it was one of the factors that helped me to decide on booking a Disney cruise!

I have to say your boys sure have grown up a lot over the past year! Also congratulations on the pregnancy!

I was so sad to read about everything your family has gone through recently and I am glad to hear that things are improving and I agree with the others when I say that you definitely deserve this vacation after all that stress and worry.

The AKL rooms are beautiful and the view from the rooms is great.

Can't wait to read all about the rest of your trip!

Did you book that cruise?! When are you going? We have another one booked for September '08.

Thank you for saying such kind things about my trip report from last year! I sure did have fun writing it!

I don't know about deserving this vacation but I do know that it was so VERY needed!! The rooms are even more beautiful then those pictures show! They are very "rich" and soothing. And those veiws...ahhh...simply spectacular!!

 

[swankybeth]

Great updates! Looking forward to hearing about your meal at Jiko, it's my favorite WDW restaurant.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Did you book that cruise?! When are you going? We have another one booked for September '08.

I booked the cruise a few weeks ago. It is going to be me and my mom. We are on the Dec 6, 2008 eastern cruise. Can't wait!

We of course are also doing a few days at Disney before the cruise. Can't pass on a chance to visit the mouse, especially around the holidays!

 

[OhMari]

I have to read and moderate so many reports, but I went back to look at your other TR's and now I remember your family, your boys have gotten so big.

 

[SoonerGirl]

Yay! You've arrived at AKL! The rooms look so nice, and your balcony views are amazing!! Bush Camp sounds like fun, I bet my boys would love it. Looking forward to hearing about your evening.

 

[jaycns]

The Wanyama Safari. A truly outstanding experience. Before I go any further, just let me say, if you ever have the chance to take part in this amazing experience...JUMP AT YOUR CHANCE!!

Tonight was the night that had been picked for dh and I to celebrate our 12 year anniversary. It was actually still a few days away, but on our actual anniversary we had plans to be at a Pirate and Princess party...SO...this was our anniversary celebration.

We started out by meeting our safari group at Jiko. While we waited for our guides we were given bottles of water and made our introductions with the other safari members. Turns out that only one other couple had booked the safari for this night so we were a huge group of four! This other couple was also celebrating their anniversary (28 years) and even more coincidentailly they were from my hometown in Wisconsin! We had a great time getting to know them and the safari was even better for us sharing it with them!

Very shortly our safari guides arrived. Our safari guides were wonderful! Not only did they quickly become part of our friendly group, they were never ending sources of great information.

The safari started with our group being led back behind the scenes and to a safari vehicle (an open air truck/van type vehicle with benches). Then we got to the good stuff. The vehicle slowly made it's way out on to the savanna and the amazing views began. From here...I will let the pictures do most of the talking!!

The giraffes came so close that if I had reached a hand out, I would have been petting giraffe! A quick giraffe fact, they have black tops on their tounges because it helps prevent sunburn. What a cool adaptation!

More safari to come!!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I can't get to sleep tonight (I have a cold and I am about ready to drug myself to sleep with some Nyquil) so I decided that if I can't sleep then there is nothing else to do but DIS! So I logged on and what do I see but your wonderful update. Those pictures are fantastic. What a great and unique experience. Is this safari something that anybody could book or do you need to be staying concierge?

I also once was close enough to pet a giraffe. When I was a kid my family went to a park here in Canada called the African Lion Safari or something like that. Anyways at this park you could take a "safari" ride through the "savanna" The driver of the truck stopped near some giraffes. One came over brought its head down to look into the truck and proceeded to drool on my arm. YUCK! Anyways your story about the giraffe being close brought back that memory so I though I would share. BEWARE of drooling giraffes!