DVC Firsts - BCV, MNSSHP, '09 Members Cruise, Kidani

[BigDogHU75]

Marsha, where are you? I hope everything is well and you've just been doing holiday things.

I'm here. I have been tired. Charles has been waking up in the middle of the night and coming into our room. We had to put up a gate at his bedroom door. Thankfully, he is not a climber but he still can wake me up by calling for me. I finally got some rest last night as he slept through the night.

How are you? You will be leaving for WDW soon. Have a safe trip.

 

[BoosGram]

I'm here. I have been tired. Charles has been waking up in the middle of the night and coming into our room. We had to put up a gate at his bedroom door. Thankfully, he is not a climber but he still can wake me up by calling for me. I finally got some rest last night as he slept through the night.

How are you? You will be leaving for WDW soon. Have a safe trip.

Oh, I'm glad you're OK. I think being tired goes along w/having a small child. I babysit my DGD18mos 3-4 days a week and I know it tires me out, too (she stays overnight, so it's 24/7 for that time). At least Charles is not climbing out yet. I dread the day when Riley can climb out of her crib.

We leave tomorrow in the snow . I just pray the roads will be clear and the planes will be deiced!

 

[BigDogHU75]

Just bumping this up and letting you know Marsha that i can't wait to read more!

Thank you. Another installment will be posted after I finish replying. Thanks for sticking with me.

I'm all caught up now - you are doing a fantastic job documenting everything! You must be so organized to have kept all the menus and itineraries. Keep it coming!

I'm only organized when it comes to anything having to do with Disney vacations.

Oh, I'm glad you're OK. I think being tired goes along w/having a small child. I babysit my DGD18mos 3-4 days a week and I know it tires me out, too (she stays overnight, so it's 24/7 for that time). At least Charles is not climbing out yet. I dread the day when Riley can climb out of her crib.

We leave tomorrow in the snow . I just pray the roads will be clear and the planes will be deiced!

We are not supposed to get snow, just rain. I hope your travel plans will not be disrupted and there will be no delays. to you & DH for safe travels and a fantastic time at WDW.

 

[BigDogHU75]

This would be our first dinner experience in Parrot Cay.

On our last cruise in 2002 we did not dine in Parrot Cay because that was our night to dine at Palo’s. So, this would be a first. We were excited to see what was in store for us.

We looked over the menu and made our selections.

For the appetizers I ordered the Baked Crab Martinique which was very delicious.

DS had fruit.

And, surprisingly DH had that Island-Spiced Seared Ahi Tuna.

I was very surprised at DH’s selection because he does not like seafood and anything that tastes “fishy.” Now, he will eat tuna salad but his was far from tuna salad. When it came out he knew he was not going to like it. But, continuing with his adventurous spirit, he tried it anyway. I even tasted a little. Neither of us liked it very much. Hopefully, DH would have better luck with his salad and dinner selections.

For the salad/soup selection I had the Cream of Green Asparagus with crabmeat.

It was tasty but I am not a big soup or asparagus fan. I do like grilled asparagus.

DH had the Parrot Cay Salad which he did enjoy.

Next, it was time for our entrees. I had the Mixed Grill. The Mixed Grill includes grilled beef tenderloin, lamb chop, bacon-wrapped sausage, and jumbo shrimp on mashed potatoes, asparagus (which I did enjoy), and grilled tomato with a crabmeat-mushroom sauce. Just typing this is making my mouth water again.

DS had the Mickey shaped pasta with the sauce on the side.

DH Had the Island-Spiced Grilled Rib-Eye of Beef which was another adventurous selection for him since he does not like anything on the bone. He did like the sides but was not too fond of the meat since it was “fatty.”

Dessert was the best part. We each had the sampler and an extra dessert. I particularly enjoyed the banana bread pudding.

DH enjoyed his dessert as well. This was his favorite part of the meal.

Now, during the dinner, the servers marched around the restaurant and the chef was introduced. It was very nice. Also, our tablemates joined us for a little while. They asked us if we had been to Shutters because there was a very nice picture of DH & DS. We had not been so we made a plan to visit. However, we could not go after dinner because we had an appointment at the Disney Vacation Club Member Clubhouse. Before we went, we did stop to take some pictures.

We headed to deck 2 to meet with the DVC rep. There were some nice offers. We ended up adding on points to AKV. The price per point was better than the incentive DVC offered when we added on 50 additional points earlier that year.

 

[BigDogHU75]

After making our purchase we went to our room since DS was getting tired and we really had to pack. Waiting in our room was a swan, our luggage tags, and other materials regarding the disembarkation process. We also had some stuff in our fish extender.

Packing was a chore. With all of the gifts that we received we had to rearrange our suitcases a couple of times. We were glad we brought an extra suitcase and were also glad that we had the duffle bags that we had been given as a gift earlier in the cruise. I was glad that on the cruise thread they told us to bring an empty bag because we would have been struggling even more trying to pack everything. After packing and setting our luggage outside our door, in the nick of time, we settled down to get some rest.

When I woke up it looked like it was raining. It was still pitch black outside. It was wat too early to be up.

Since we had early seating for dinner, we also had an early breakfast time if we wanted to have a sit-down meal. We could have chosen to eat at Beach Blanket Buffet but we decided to do the sit down meal. We got a chance to say goodbye to our tablemates. We really enjoyed their company.
We had been told on several occasions that there was a really nice/sweet picture of DS & DH in Shutters. So, after breakfast we strolled to Shutters and viewed our pictures. Of course, I had to make a purchase.

This is the picture that DH did not know the photographer was taking. It melts my heart.

After purchasing some pictures from Shutters, we headed off the ship. The process was very simple. We easily found our bags and breezed through customs. The only trouble we had was finding our car. DH forgot where he had parked. So, we and the porter walked the entire length of the two parking lots. I was not a happy camper and neither was DS who decided that he did not want to walk. Once we found the car we had to manage to get all of the bags to fit in the car. It was like playing Tetris. We somehow managed (we really had no choice unless we were going to leave some things behind). I was thankful we were not flying. I’m sure the fees would have been astronomical. Once we were all settled into the car we headed off to Kidani.

More cruise related pictures:

I don’t remember who designed this for our DIS group but I really liked it. Thank you. This was used on our mini-navigator that we had with our group info.
This is the RCI pin that was given to us after the Drawn to Vacation presentation.

 

[BoosGram]

After making our purchase we went to our room since DS was getting tired and we really had to pack. Waiting in our room was a swan, our luggage tags, and other materials regarding the disembarkation process. We also had some stuff in our fish extender.

Packing was a chore. With all of the gifts that we received we had to rearrange our suitcases a couple of times. We were glad we brought an extra suitcase and were also glad that we had the duffle bags that we had been given as a gift earlier in the cruise. I was glad that on the cruise thread they told us to bring an empty bag because we would have been struggling even more trying to pack everything. After packing and setting our luggage outside our door, in the nick of time, we settled down to get some rest.

When I woke up it looked like it was raining. It was still pitch black outside. It was wat too early to be up.

Since we had early seating for dinner, we also had an early breakfast time if we wanted to have a sit-down meal. We could have chosen to eat at Beach Blanket Buffet but we decided to do the sit down meal. We got a chance to say goodbye to our tablemates. We really enjoyed their company.
We had been told on several occasions that there was a really nice/sweet picture of DS & DH in Shutters. So, after breakfast we strolled to Shutters and viewed our pictures. Of course, I had to make a purchase.

This is the picture that DH did not know the photographer was taking. It melts my heart.

After purchasing some pictures from Shutters, we headed off the ship. The process was very simple. We easily found our bags and breezed through customs. The only trouble we had was finding our car. DH forgot where he had parked. So, we and the porter walked the entire length of the two parking lots. I was not a happy camper and neither was DS who decided that he did not want to walk. Once we found the car we had to manage to get all of the bags to fit in the car. It was like playing Tetris. We somehow managed (we really had no choice unless we were going to leave some things behind). I was thankful we were not flying. I’m sure the fees would have been astronomical. Once we were all settled into the car we headed off to Kidani.

More cruise related pictures:

I don’t remember who designed this for our DIS group but I really liked it. Thank you. This was used on our mini-navigator that we had with our group info.
This is the RCI pin that was given to us after the Drawn to Vacation presentation.

Oh, Marsha, I just LOVE those pictures of Corey and Charles on CC! Adorable! And the ones w/Donald and Daisy. You all are photogenic folks. And another thank you for your detailed account and helping us relive our vacation.

 

[Tinks "SS"]

Thank you for the fabulous report Marsha! It is great to read more.

Ya know, when little ones start to have changes in sleep( too little or too much), it usually means that they are getting ready for a major milestone or growth spurt. Hopefully that is why he hasn't been sleeping well. (i need a fingers crossed smiley here). Hope it gets better and i know how tiring it can be. Here's to more sleep and can't wait to hear about your kidani stay!

 

[jessrose18]

 

[Crystal_27]

I just can't get over the goodies that you received onboard. That alone makes me want to do a members' cruise.

 

[BigDogHU75]

Oh, Marsha, I just LOVE those pictures of Corey and Charles on CC! Adorable! And the ones w/Donald and Daisy. You all are photogenic folks. And another thank you for your detailed account and helping us relive our vacation.

Thank you & You're welcome. How was your trip?

Thank you for the fabulous report Marsha! It is great to read more.

Ya know, when little ones start to have changes in sleep( too little or too much), it usually means that they are getting ready for a major milestone or growth spurt. Hopefully that is why he hasn't been sleeping well. (i need a fingers crossed smiley here). Hope it gets better and i know how tiring it can be. Here's to more sleep and can't wait to hear about your kidani stay!

DS has been sleepiing better, thank God. I am able to get some *****turbed sleep which is much needed. Work and the holiday prep has been keeping me pretty busy.

We loved Kidani! My Kidani installment is coming.

Grab another bag of popcorn. Here is my next installment. Mostly pics.

I just can't get over the goodies that you received onboard. That alone makes me want to do a members' cruise.

The goodies were great. They definitely made the cruise a little more special. We enjoyed coming back to the room to see what we had received from DVC & the FE.

 

[BigDogHU75]

We had an easy drive to AKV. It had turned out to be a beautiful day. We arrived at the security gate of AKV in no time.

We pulled up and I gave the security guard my name. She gave me my parking pass and told me to go to Jambo. Even the parking pass had Jambo on it. I wondered why she was directing me to Jambo and why the parking pass had Jambo on since I had reservations for Kidani. I hoped that my reservation did not fall through during the time we were on the ship. But, I did as the security guard said and drove to Jambo.

I parked the car and told DH to wait in the car with DS since DS was sleeping. I went to the front desk and explained to the CM that I had reservations for Kidani and that I even did online check-in. She looked my name up in the computer and explained that since I had originally made reservations for Jambo and was waitlisted for Kidani that my name was not removed from the parking pass system for Jambo even though our waitlist came through. So, it was off to Kidani.

I must say, valet parking was a wonderful thing. We took the bags that we were carrying up to the room and let the CMs handle the rest including parking our car. We entered the lobby of Kidani and both commented on how smaller it was. But, we still liked it. We went to the online check-in podium and I gave the CM my name. She found the folder but there were problems with the KTTW card. I was listed as the child and DH & DS were listed as the adults. How did that happen? She did not know. So, a new card for me had to be reissued. While waiting for the cards, the CM told us that our room, 7751, was ready. She also went over the daily activities.

 

[BigDogHU75]

Once I had my corrected card, we headed up to our room. I must admit the hallways were long. I was thankful that DS was cooperating by walking on his own. He loved the long hallways. It gave him a chance to run.

Finally, we reached our room.

When we opened the door, both DH & I were amazed at how big the room was. We really liked the spaciousness of the room. Plus, it was very well decorated. The pictures do not do the room justice. It was beautiful and inviting!

When we entered the room, the bathroom was to the right.

The laundry closet was to the left.

When we walked into the room a little further, the kitchen was on the right.

The door leading to the studio was on the left.

The kitchen table was pass that door also on the left.

Further into the room was the television and chair on the left.

The sofa was on the right.

And, of course, the balcony was straight ahead.

 

[BigDogHU75]

The kitchen was well equipped.

 

[BigDogHU75]

The door leading to the master bedroom was by the kitchen.

Front view

Back view

Master Bathroom

 

[BigDogHU75]

 

[BoosGram]

Marsha, as always, great stuff! Kidani looks wonderful. It was really nice to see that the rooms have a separate shower stall. Getting in and out of the tub at Jambo is tricky for me, being as vertically challenged as I am . We're planning to stay at Kidani next December, so I'm really glad to have had an inside view.

I love your photographic kitchen inventory . My biggest problem w/the contents was that the coffee cups were thimble-sized (probably around 6 oz.). We like our big mugs at home (somewhere around 16 oz. or so).

How did Charles like seeing the animals? It's priceless watching them react to new and interesting things like that.

 

[BigDogHU75]

Marsha, as always, great stuff! Kidani looks wonderful. It was really nice to see that the rooms have a separate shower stall. Getting in and out of the tub at Jambo is tricky for me, being as vertically challenged as I am . We're planning to stay at Kidani next December, so I'm really glad to have had an inside view.

I love your photographic kitchen inventory . My biggest problem w/the contents was that the coffee cups were thimble-sized (probably around 6 oz.). We like our big mugs at home (somewhere around 16 oz. or so).

How did Charles like seeing the animals? It's priceless watching them react to new and interesting things like that.

Thank you. I am glad that there was a separate shower too even though I am not vertically challenged. Charles loved the animals. He particularyly enjoyed looking atthe and saying the word okapi. I cannot wait to stay there in September after the members cruise. This time we will be staying four days.

 

[wdwgirl03]

AWESOME pictures of Kidani!!! I love all the details they have in the rooms. I see hidden Mickeys on the carpet! Ahhh is it April yet? You have me really excited now.

 

[Crystal_27]

WOW.WOW.WOW - - awesome pictures of Kidani!!! I can't believe all the little details that the designers created in the rooms. Just gorgeous!

 

[BoosGram]

Thank you. I am glad that there was a separate shower too even though I am not vertically challenged. Charles loved the animals. He particularyly enjoyed looking atthe and saying the word okapi. I cannot wait to stay there in September after the members cruise. This time we will be staying four days.

That's great; I hope you have a fantastic time in September between the members' cruise and AKV.

Does Kidani have different savannas like Jambo House? If so, which view did you have?