I Want to Sell Tee-Tee to Other People!!! - July 2013 TR *UPDATE 4/29 pg. 73*

[PopArtGal]

Wow the kid has no reaction to the ice? lol

 

[IheartDDuck]

I totally forgot about the ice. Joaquin was very excited about his Cheetah.......

I had forgotten about it too until I revisited the video.

Are you done now? Seriously, every time I go back to see what I wanted to comment on, I find another update.

Hahahaha. I was on a roll.

First, you are welcome to steal my title any time.

Why am I not surprised that your mom and dad arrived at AK at the same time as you?

It turned out exactly how I thought it would, because of how long it takes with the bus system at the Treehouse Villas.

Gavin looks really proud of his pin set.

Joaquin leading the way? I bet that was real interesting.

He was super happy with the pin set.

Oh, it was interesting with Joaquin leading the way. We did go in a circle a few times.

Love the family photopass pictures.

Mark refuses to go on Kali River Rapids; he HATES getting soaked. I can't even convince him to do it on the way out of the park.

I am generally not a huge fan either, but I'm okay with it if I know we're going back to the resort to get changed.

That bear paw looks yummy; definitely have to look that up when we are there in September.

It's definitely a yummy treat.

I love your description of the safari animals that are a little difficult seeing in your photos.

Okay, I'm sure there is more, but I can't remember right now.

I hope you have a truly magical and wonderful trip.

I figured that explanation would work, due to their blurriness. LOL.

Nice cliffhanger!!

I know what you mean about eating outside at AK...we have always complained about the lack of indoor cooling places at the hottest park - AK!!

Poor Joaquin, he looks SO hot in all the pics...summer in WDW is brutal, but other than his red cheeks the rest of you look comfortable!

I hate getting water dumped on me unless I'm in a bathing suit, but I'm with you - knowing you're headed straight to the room to change, I can do that.

By the way, you look awesome in your work photo! Keep up the good work! And, have a wonderful trip!!!!!

Right?! Why on earth didn't they have more indoor options at the Animal Kingdom. Pretty much every other eating establishment in the other parks are indoors. Can't figure that one out.

Thanks! We had a great time.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Hi everyone!

In case anyone would like to know, or hasn't hopped on board, I've started my new TR! No worries, this one is still going, but if you haven't already, come on down and check it out!

That Foo's Boo Is Incredible!!! - Jan 14 TR

 

[RGirl]

Hmm - somehow I got behind before you left! Not quite sure what happened there….

Love the “creeper” pic!

Wish I had some of that Y&Y food right now - stuck at home with a sick kid and limited groceries.

The Y&Y ducks are so cute! WAY better than the creepy I’m-eying-your-food bird that was stalking us there.

Love the pics of Gavin’s first pin trade! So cool! I would have chosen a Pluto pin too.

The PP pics are great! Especially Joaquin, of course.

Whoa! The brownie paw looks amazing! Mmmmm

How bizarre (and awesome) that there was only a 10-minute wait for the safari. I wonder why!

Ugh, KRR - I just can’t stand these rides that get you soaked. I hate walking around with wet clothes! Basically, I look just like Gavin in the second pic. If I also ended up with ice in my underwear, I can’t begin to describe what my behavior would be like!

As I play catch-up from our trip, I will definitely be checking into the new TR too!

 

[DisneyJo]

Not sure quite how I missed your mega update but I'm all caught up now

That bear paw looks so delicious and so huge, it's definitely on my snack list now

The ice thing sounded hilarious

 

[IheartDDuck]

MEGA UPDATE WHOOOOT

Dude, it was seriously the biggest update I've ever done!

Props to ya for actually working out while in Disney! I was in the middle of a squat challenge one Sept and it was BRUTAL on my hips combined with all the walking in the parks #dancerprobs. Although I did hit up akl’s gym when I was down last week haha!

Jeni and I were at the gym today and the February challenge is wall sits. But, no pain no gain, right?

Great pool pics! Definitely a relaxing and awesome day in Disney, always so many things to do even without going to the parks, glad you guys had fun!!

I had decided that on lengthier trips, we needed to learn to just appreciate the resort, and we definitely had a great time.

Ah AKL, excited to read all about that majestic beauty!! And AK, I MISS THAT PLACE SO MUCH!! Ugh, no FOLK leaves no draw for that park when I’m on a short trip, and thus, makes me a very sad katt!

I love AKL. It's one of my favorites. Whenever we book our DVC resort, I struggle, because there are so many good resorts to choose from!

Still haven’t seen ittbab, and probably never will…Ahahaha little kids with the park maps always just MAKES MY DAY, like, they’re the ones in charge in that moment, and you just know it’s going to be interesting!!

Don't tell me you'll never see ITTBAB, because then I'll just drag you in there.

Those faces are just amazing and priceless! And I am now going to have to try that brownie paw next time! 10 minute wait for the safari?! As if! Lol.

KRR is another that I haven’t done, it’s just never hot enough, or I don’t want to wander around all day being wet after doing it. Once I move down I’ll take a trip into AK JUST FOR IT! Oh no, this doesn’t sound like things are going great afterwards! Also, I was the child who named my bears: Pink Bear (she was clearly pink), White bear, and Jingly bear (he had a little like, rattle inside him) so, we’re on the same page there! Bahah!

The brownie paw is amazing. I absolutely loved it. I love trying new treats.

I think all kids just aren't very creative with names. I just find it so funny! I was horrible with naming dolls and stuffies. I crack up at the names I came up with.

Oh my geez! It was 11.17.13 and I was all proud "I am all caught up" and now it's, like, 2 months later!!! Seriously, I feel like I just got caught up! Ugh!! Your next trip is so close!! Woohoo!!!!

Reading the resort/relaxation day has me craving a nice long trip that isn't rushed and I can lounge around the pool!

And your family just has me cracking up constantly! Just so much fun!!!!

No worries, I fall behind on other TR's often! I feel so bad sometimes.

Nice long trips are the best. I like it when they're around 9 days, because I think that's perfect. I mean, I would prefer 14, but I can't swing that often.

Fantastic photo Danielle-you look amazing.

What a fun update. Once again Joaquin's faces are killing me. That kid is going to be a handful

Ugh KRR. It has to be really really hot for me to want to ride that one. Last time i did I had to wring out my clothes.

Love the gorillas, they are by far my faves. You got some great pics of them!

A 10 minute wait for the safari? Excellent!

Have a great trip!

Thanks Shan! I've been working pretty hard at it, so seeing pictures is always rewarding.

He is a handful. Not going to be. Is.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Wow - holy mega update!

Seriously! It was like a super mega MEK sized update.

First, you know I love that picture of you. I just love your new hair! It's perfect.

Awwww, thanks. Making me blush.

OK - BO on the bus - not good. One of the reasons we rent a car.

Yeah, sadly it was unavoidable. LOL.

Those tigers were really lounging in the heat. Gotta love cats. They know how to relax!

At first I did not realize Yeti was in the Monkey's nose and was like What????

They really do know how to relax, don't they? I wish I could just be like that.

Hahaha! It was a Yeti booger!

Kids - whenever I try to take a group shot with my nephews included I end up with those same facial expressions. It takes like 30 shots to maybe get one serious shot.

We have just accepted the fact that Joaquin is an idiot. And that we will never get him to take a serious picture.

We road Kali in October and we had ponchos. Denny never put up his hood. Big mistake - totally soaked right down the back of the poncho. Reminded me of your ice story - which did NOT sound fun AT all!

Ugh! See, soaked down the back is just not fun at all! The worst part is that I felt like I had ice in my underwear all day.

Aww look at you all fancied up. Beautiful. Nice to see that some companies still do things like this for their employees. No I'm not bitter, lol.

Awww, thanks Rob. My company has been doing that for as long as I've worked there (9 years! Can't believe that sometimes). I'm fortunate to work at a place that puts effort into showing us that they appreciate us.

Ohh, you know it's going to be a hot day when people are already stinking that early.

Oh yeah. It was that hot.

Seriously, Tough to be a Bug is the most entertaining show in Disney to just watch and listen to the audience. So much fun!!!

Gibby and Goril... quite the creattive kids you were.

I could just spend all day in ITTBAB listening to everyone's reactions.

We were so creative. Man. I can't believe I didn't have a career in a creative field.

I don't know why more people don't take advantage of that Tree of Life photopass spot. It is so much better and private than the one where you enter.

WOW, 10 minute Safari wait in July??? I'm calling shenanigans!!

Uh oh... Downhill? AND we have to wait until you get back? SHENANIGANS!!!

HAVE A WONDERFUL TRIP BACK TO THE WORLD DANI!!!!
And say a special hello to Yeti's mountain!!

10 minute wait! For real!!!

Yeah, sadly downhill. I'll be getting to it.

PIN TRADING! Very good choice on Gavin's part. I'm so happy that you and your mom are trading this next trip.

Gavin had tons of fun with it, so we're going to be prepared with traders for him on our next trip together for the Princess 1/2 marathon.

Okay, so I've always thought Duffy was precious. I never particularly wanted one, though...but they recently announced that they're making a yellow Disney poncho for Duffy, and the yellow ponchos are a huge part of my childhood...so begins the debate of whether or not to buy myself a Duffy. Anyways, back to your regularly scheduled TR comments.

I never thought I wanted a Duffy either. And then I saw the Sully costume, and it was all over.

I also have that issue with AK QS. The hottest of the four parks and there are so few places to get some nice air conditioning while you eat.

RIGHT?!

glad Jason did a better job naming his kids than he did with his monkey, that's all I'm saying.

Jason did a whole lot better naming the ones that matter.

Those are awesome PP pics! Especially with Joaquin being Joaquin.

Oh man, that brownie paw looks gooooood. I skipped it in favor of the elephant cupcake but that may be a must-do next time.

Awww the baby elephant is one of my faves!

I hope you and the parents have SUCH a good time on your trip!!! Can't wait to hear all about it!

Anytime we have Joaquin being Joaquin, it's going to be a good time.

Get one when you go in July! It's sooooo good.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Love the update! Have a wonderful time on your trip...can't wait to hear all about it!

Thanks! It was tons of fun!

Omg, the treehouse bus system sounds... yikesy.

Gotta love a morning at the Animal Kingdom! For the most part I was pretty good at stuffed animal names, but then again, I also have Racoony. So I feel ya.

According to IG, you were heading through Tennessee five hours ago. Getting closer! I hope you have a fantastic trip!

It's definitely a resort to have a car at. The bus system is just slightly complicated. Not horrible, but you know....a bus to catch a bus.

Racoony! Awesome.

Hope you're having a fantastic time on vacation!!!

Love the photo from the employee appreciation dinner, you look fantastic!

Holy mega update indeed!

Love the Animal Kingdom day, so much fun.
Gavin is so adorable with his Duffy pin!
I still have yet to do Ittbab... I just can't put myself in a tiny room full of bugs, imaginary or no.
Yum! Yak & Yeti, but I totally agree about the annoying outdoor seating. It's why we usually end up at Pizzafari.
I have roughly the same rules about Kali. It needs to be hot.
Why is this the first I'm hearing about that brownie paw? Holy cannoli, I have to get me one of those!

Thanks Wendy!

You can do ITTBAB. Listen, the first time I went on it, I had NO idea what it was, cause this was like in 1999 when we didn't have the DIS to tell you everything you needed to know. So that scarred me a bit. But once you get over it, it's all good.

Well, now that you know about the brownie paw, you definitely have to get one!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Not us, either. We are always ready for a safari!

So good to see our mingos.


Well, if you had girls, the names would either be similar - like Ellie, the elephant, or Cougie, the cougar - or they would have have Rainbow, Sparkle, Sunshine, or Glitter as part of the name.



Hope your Disney day today is most magical!

Glad that we weren't alone in the original naming concepts.

Great update! I love that Joaquin got into pin trading. My son started to eye it up on the end of our last trip and then got into it on our Disney cruise we just finished. It's a fun way to get kids to interact with others.

I love Yak and Yeti counter service and got the same meal you did on our last visit....yummmmmm. Agree about the lack of indoor seating, though.

Have a wonderful trip and hopefully it warms up for you! We just spent 4 pretty chilly (For Florida) days in Miami, so hopefully it's nicer soon!

I love Yak and Yeti. But next time it's super hot, I'm walking that stuff over to Pizzafari to sit inside!

Wow the kid has no reaction to the ice? lol

Not much reaction. But his little scream is still funny.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Hmm - somehow I got behind before you left! Not quite sure what happened there….

That's all right, you caught up now!

Love the “creeper” pic!

Wish I had some of that Y&Y food right now - stuck at home with a sick kid and limited groceries.

I'm excellent at taking creeper pics.

I know, I want some right now too!

The Y&Y ducks are so cute! WAY better than the creepy I’m-eying-your-food bird that was stalking us there.

Love the pics of Gavin’s first pin trade! So cool! I would have chosen a Pluto pin too.

They were so cute. I love ducks.

He was so excited to be trading!

The PP pics are great! Especially Joaquin, of course.

Whoa! The brownie paw looks amazing! Mmmmm

How bizarre (and awesome) that there was only a 10-minute wait for the safari. I wonder why!

Joaquin is always the star of the photos.

Right, 10 minutes?! It was crazy. We couldn't pass that up. I'm going to say it's because it was so hot.

Ugh, KRR - I just can’t stand these rides that get you soaked. I hate walking around with wet clothes! Basically, I look just like Gavin in the second pic. If I also ended up with ice in my underwear, I can’t begin to describe what my behavior would be like!

As I play catch-up from our trip, I will definitely be checking into the new TR too!

Yeah, I tried to punch Jason, but then I figured that wasn't very Disney-like behavior, and we had littles around. I didn't want to be a bad influence. LOL.

Not sure quite how I missed your mega update but I'm all caught up now

That bear paw looks so delicious and so huge, it's definitely on my snack list now

The ice thing sounded hilarious

Oh it's so good. I recommend that brownie paw to everyone.

 

[Simba22]

I swore I had replied to your mega update but apparently I didn't!

First of all, you look fantastic!

Second, you AK day looks fun! Heat and all! 10 minute wait for the Safari?!

I laughed hysterically at the close ups of Joaquin. He's so much fun!

Umm ok Brownie Paw!? AK has like 100 snacks that I've never even heard of, and I always find out about them one at a time. And then by the time I get back to WDW, I forget to hunt for them! Kusafiri had some crazy frozen coffee thingy I wanted to try and I actually made a note to get it, and then I didn't. I got a frozen lemonade instead.

I can't believe the ice actually went down your pants! I would have been running around screaming like an idiot too!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I swore I had replied to your mega update but apparently I didn't!

First of all, you look fantastic!

Second, you AK day looks fun! Heat and all! 10 minute wait for the Safari?!

I laughed hysterically at the close ups of Joaquin. He's so much fun!

Umm ok Brownie Paw!? AK has like 100 snacks that I've never even heard of, and I always find out about them one at a time. And then by the time I get back to WDW, I forget to hunt for them! Kusafiri had some crazy frozen coffee thingy I wanted to try and I actually made a note to get it, and then I didn't. I got a frozen lemonade instead.

I can't believe the ice actually went down your pants! I would have been running around screaming like an idiot too!

Dude, I hate it when that happens!

Joaquin is entertaining at all times. There's never a dull moment when he's around. I hope he never loses that.

Oh yeah, you definitely have to get a brownie paw. I'm on a personal mission in life to try all kinds of new Disney treats. Like in January, I tried those cake cups at the Cheshire Cafe. INSANE!

Oh yes. Down my pants and into my underwear. I didn't even think it was possible.

 

[IheartDDuck]

So at the conclusion of my MEGA UPDATE, we were leaving the Animal Kingdom and heading to our new digs at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We had booked a 2 bedroom at Kidani Village. I normally prefer to stay in Jambo House, but the Kidani Village 2 bedroom has THREE bathrooms. Can you say sold?!

They had texted us our room number, so the plan was to just head straight there and contact bell services to have the luggage brought up. The one thing I love about staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is that the bus ride is like super fast from the Animal Kingdom. Like POOF. You're there.

Soon we were pulling up at Kidani and heading inside.



The kids were super excited. So excited in fact that they were like super speed down the hall. Yes, that is the explanation for the blurry photo.



I love the details in the lodge though. So pretty. Jeni was already in love with the resort, and we'd only been there two minutes.





So we get to the room. Scan the key. And.....nothing.

Scan the key again. Nothing.

So none of the keys that we were given were working. And we had to head back to the lobby. Okay, not the end of the world. Dad told us to stay there, but we figured we could all just head back together. Gives us time to explore the resort. We waited in the lobby area while Mom and Dad got the keys checked. The CM told them that they needed to re-program the keys. Okee dokee.

The nice thing is though that the CM gave Mom and Dad a rose because it was their anniversary trip. Which of course, results in my Dad doing this.



Oh Popadon. Mom wanted to follow suit.



We then headed off to the room. And VOILA.....you've got an aesthetically configuration of hair that humans go nuts over!

Oh wait. Sorry, I meant, VOILA! We got into the room.

We walk into the room and right away, I feel like it smells like cigarette smoke. At first, I brushed it off because I thought I was going crazy.

Until Mom and Jeni walk into the room I'm in and bring up the fact that it smells like cigarette smoke.

Okay. At least I wasn't crazy. First and foremost. Ew.

But here's the problem. Jason has super severe allergies. And in some parts of the room, the smell was so strong that it was already affecting his asthma. Well that's not acceptable at all.

We had already contacted Bell Services for the luggage, but this was not acceptable to me. In a non-smoking hotel to have a room that clearly smells like cigarette smoke. And now my brother is having asthma problems because of it. We called the front desk immediately and they stated they would send someone up to check it out. Okay then.

15 minutes go by. And at this point, Jason has to sit on the balcony in 95+ degree weather, because he can't stand to be in the room it's making him wheeze so badly. I was getting more and more irritated by the minute.

Bell Services showed up, and as soon as she came in with our luggage, we asked her if she smelled smoke. She mentioned that it was actually the very first thing she noticed when she walked into the room. She told us that it was completely unacceptable and that the prior tenants in the room would be hit with a really hefty fine. Because I guess Disney will replace everything in the room, because of how smoke permeates the furniture. She immediately called the ops department, because we said we were not going to stay in that villa.

In all this time, the "person" that the front desk said they would send up? Never arrived.

At this point, this trip felt cursed. First I almost get hit in the face with a golf ball. Then, a golf ball smashes through the window at our Treehouse Villa. And now this?! It was crazy. They better be grateful that we are actually really laid back people. Because any other person would have flipped out on day one.

Basically, over the phone, they couldn't get anything figured out and told us that we had to come up front. The Bell Services CM (who was AMAZING, and I didn't take her name down!), said that she was going to get this figured out and took us up front with her.

So Mom and Dad are at the counter. And they're "trying" to get something figured out. They tried to find us the same room we had booked and were unable to. Okay. So upgrade us then. Because this is unacceptable. You want to know what they told us?

"Because you're DVC we can't do that. We have to put you in the exact same room."

That's a load of you-know-what! You're going to attempt to alienate people that have invested 10's of THOUSANDS of dollars into DVC, and tell them that we're basically not GOOD enough to be upgraded?! I basically said to them at that point "so what you're telling me, if we were "paying", you would get it figured out. But because we've invested, your hands are tied?" They didn't like me asking them that question apparently. Because in the end, they upgraded us to Savannah View. Oh, that wasn't so hard, was it!

I was angry to say the least. While this was going down, I also went to Concierge and basically demanded that they call Boma to have them hold our reservation. Because we had now spent 2 HOURS on this ordeal. 2 hours. I should have been settled in and changed. The concierge CM's were great and called down to Boma explaining the situation. Boma basically said whenever we showed up, they would seat us.

Finally, everything got squared away and we were finally given a new room. However, remember our lovely Bell Services CM? She basically demanded to the front desk that they put a $100 credit on our room for the debacle we went through. I'm so sorry I forgot her name! My Mom has it written down somewhere though, because she commended her later.











Now, because I'm sure that people will ask, Mom got in touch with DVC almost immediately after we got home. She sent them an email detailing what happened, and basically said that the CM's at Kidani made us feel like we were second class citizens because we were "DVC". She got a call basically the day the email was sent, by a very nice CM that was completely shocked by the treatment we received. She said what floored her the most is that Kidani Village is technically a DVC resort. She said she didn't understand why they couldn't just upgrade us immediately to a 3 bedroom or something. Mom also made sure to let her know about the amazing Bell Services CM and how great she was. She was so helpful.

My opinion on all of this? I love being a DVC member. Seriously, we can travel more freely than most people and I truly believe that the investment is worth it. However, this just made us feel like we didn't matter to them, and that was upsetting. And when you pile it onto the fact that we don't get as many perks as we should, it's just disconcerting. Truthfully, I'll stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge again in a heartbeat. But I'm not so sure I'd stay at Kidani.

We wanted to leave that whole ordeal behind us, so we headed off to our reservation. True to their word, they held it for us at Boma. We were only about 30 minutes late.

Pictures I took on our way over.





Oh hey, zebra butt!









At Boma they sat us right away and Yeti wanted to make sure he had a good sightline on the buffet.



Continued in next post:

 

[IheartDDuck]

Boma is a favorite of mine and my parents. It is now a favorite of Jeni's too! She voted it her favorite of the entire trip. Good taste sister-in-law!



That is literally the only food picture I got. I think I was still seething from the situation earlier with the room. We'll attribute it to that. However, the food as a whole was a hit. Joaquin really loved it. But he's the more adventurous of the two. Gavin was weird. There were things we were convinced he would like, because they're sweet and tasty. Nope. Didn't like him. However, he's the kind of kid that makes up his mind that he doesn't like something and just, well. Doesn't like it.

After dinner, we decided that we wanted to check out the pool at Kidani, because we heard it was super awesome. Well, it is super awesome. I have to give them that. It's huge, and everyone loved the slide. And you know what pool time with us means.

Pool pictures with the waterproof camera!

Tonight, they were showing Monster's Inc. as the movie in the pool.





The awesome slide that the boys loved. Joaquin was the first victim.



Gavin came shortly after.



Jeni was doing her best Miley impression with our Nemo ball.



And then. Well. Apparently the grown ups got bored.



Extreme Joaquin close up!



Seriously, my brother has issues.



Creepy Gavin shot.



Oh THAT'S what a kids armpit looks like!



I thought this one looked pretty cool.



Jeni kept insisting on going underwater, and she's like "I'm gonna keep my eyes open, I'm gonna keep my eyes open!"

She didn't.





I had to let out some frustration after the entire room debacle, so I figured screaming underwater would be a good solution. I didn't want to scare any of the people in the pool.



More slide time for Gavin. He looks so funny in this one, like he's going to go flying through the air at any moment.



Poppy and Ommi were there too!



And the grand finale....Poppy came flying out of that slide like a rocket!



No seriously. He almost kicked Jason in the face when as he was careening out of the pool.

The nighttime pool visit was exactly what all of us needed to unwind from the stressful afternoon we had. To this day, I'm still disappointed with how Kidani Village handled things. But we are a family of individuals that don't let things like that ruin our day. We were together. We were a family. And we were having fun. Nothing was taking that away from us.

Off to bed after that. Cause we had some Jedi's to train in the morning.

Up next: Jedi Tigger?

 

[Poolrat]

WOW a great day at AK then ..... THAT at Kidani!!!

I am glad you did have a CM to stand up for you and I can't believe the front desk did not want to do more and the DVC issue- I think I have heard that before from either Jambo or Kidani that they were treated poorly because they were DVC.

Dinner looks good and Boma is one place I have yet to try for dinner.

Looks like pool time really destressed everyone.

 

[KatMark]

Danielle, aside from the disaster of the smoke smelling room, why do you prefer Jambo over Kidani? We've rented points at AKL/Kidani once (2011) and have done so again for next month and in September. I'm curious why you like Jambo more?

I'm glad it finally got straightened out, but they were so very wrong to treat you that way. And I would have been a raving lunatic (and I smoke and I would have been ticked off if my room smelled like smoke).

I'm glad Boma held your ADR for you. We are eating there for the first time in September for dinner (we've done breakfast numerous times). Is there anything in particular you suggest? And don't say Zebra Domes...don't like them.

Love the pool pictures! You can tell that you are all having such a great time. I have to tell you that the first time I went down that slide, I almost kicked Cayley in the head as I whipped off it so fast.

Can't wait for the next update with the Jedis.

 

[Simba22]

Ugh, Danielle.... I'm so sorry that you guys had to go through all of that! That really was handled terribly and it makes me wonder if maybe the CM that you were working with was new? Maybe she was just sticking to the guidelines? I understand that a Savannah View costs more points than a Standard View but come on! Of all places, a resort that was specifically built to cater to DVC members should be willing and able to bend the rules when they have to. Obviously no one cared that the previous guests were smoking in the room (I mean seriously...mousekeeping didn't notice!? ) so bumping you up to Savannah View should have been a no-brainer...not a frustrating waste of two hours!

I'm not a fan of Kidani anyway, just because of those exceptionally long hallways (you know how I feel about long hallways! ) but after this, I can't blame you for not wanting to go back.

Sounds like you had a good time at dinner and the pool though! I wish we'd utilized the pool at Jambo House more than just the one time. It was really nice! I hope your Kidani experience got better after this!

 

[IheartDDuck]

WOW a great day at AK then ..... THAT at Kidani!!!

I am glad you did have a CM to stand up for you and I can't believe the front desk did not want to do more and the DVC issue- I think I have heard that before from either Jambo or Kidani that they were treated poorly because they were DVC.

Dinner looks good and Boma is one place I have yet to try for dinner.

Looks like pool time really destressed everyone.

I know! It was such a good day to start, and then boom. Just crumbled. It was nice to have the CM on our side though and she really made sure that she knew we mattered to her.

You definitely need to eat at Boma! It's one of my favorites.

Danielle, aside from the disaster of the smoke smelling room, why do you prefer Jambo over Kidani? We've rented points at AKL/Kidani once (2011) and have done so again for next month and in September. I'm curious why you like Jambo more?

I prefer Jambo just because I like being in the main building better. It's in the same building as the Mara, which Kidani doesn't have. Let's just say I like being close to food.

No, that's really the main reason. I find the main building to be more convenient. I enjoyed Kidani, I mean there's nothing there about it that would make me not like it. Just comes down to preference and convenience for me. I wasn't a huge fan of the refillable mug thing either. The tiny mug station in the store was just always jam packed.

I'm glad it finally got straightened out, but they were so very wrong to treat you that way. And I would have been a raving lunatic (and I smoke and I would have been ticked off if my room smelled like smoke).

Having many friends who smoke, I totally get it. No one I know smokes in their home simply because of how it lingers in everything. No one finds that pleasant.

I'm glad Boma held your ADR for you. We are eating there for the first time in September for dinner (we've done breakfast numerous times). Is there anything in particular you suggest? And don't say Zebra Domes...don't like them.

I admit, the zebra domes aren't for everyone.

My favorites there is the Durban Chicken and the Salmon. The sweet potato fufu is always a winner. My favorite dish is the bobotie. Just so yummy. They have a corn dish that's amazing too. I just can't remember what it's called. It looks like creamed corn, but it is so much more.

Back in the day, their desserts used to be better if I'm being honest. They had this chocolate mousse that was ridiculous. I'm sad they went away.

Love the pool pictures! You can tell that you are all having such a great time. I have to tell you that the first time I went down that slide, I almost kicked Cayley in the head as I whipped off it so fast.

Can't wait for the next update with the Jedis.

That slide was crazy, right?!

Ugh, Danielle.... I'm so sorry that you guys had to go through all of that! That really was handled terribly and it makes me wonder if maybe the CM that you were working with was new? Maybe she was just sticking to the guidelines? I understand that a Savannah View costs more points than a Standard View but come on! Of all places, a resort that was specifically built to cater to DVC members should be willing and able to bend the rules when they have to. Obviously no one cared that the previous guests were smoking in the room (I mean seriously...mousekeeping didn't notice!? ) so bumping you up to Savannah View should have been a no-brainer...not a frustrating waste of two hours!

My biggest frustration honestly was how it was handled. The smoke. I could have dealt with that to an extent. You can't control what other people do. But you do have control of how you can handle something. I was curious about Mousekeeping not noticing too. It just surprised me that no one smelled it? It was strange.

I'm not a fan of Kidani anyway, just because of those exceptionally long hallways (you know how I feel about long hallways! ) but after this, I can't blame you for not wanting to go back.

Sounds like you had a good time at dinner and the pool though! I wish we'd utilized the pool at Jambo House more than just the one time. It was really nice! I hope your Kidani experience got better after this!

All of AKL has exceptionally long hallways. I can deal with those. I just prefer the location of Jambo better.

We made sure to get good use out of that pool.

 

[MEK]

So did they not want to move you out of the room or were they just insistent that you move to a standard room? Either way - why the heck would someone smoke in that room and why would they not want to move you immediately? I'm glad you got it worked out but it took a lot of time and frustration.

I prefer Jambo too, after staying at both of them. Jambo is a bit more intimate, although I do like that Kidani has 3 bathrooms.

I'm glad you were able to blow off some steam in the pool that evening.

 

[DisKH]

I would have been FURIOUS!!!!! HOW CAN THEY NOT IMMEDIATELY UPGRADE YOU! the upgrade was necessary and the $100 dollars was definitely nice but I would expect more (maybe i just expect too much of Disney) but seriously, I would have been like I want Boma on the house tonight! Zebra Domes for Life!

Really that's just unacceptable after all that happened but I'm glad it didn't ruin your trip or your opinion of Disney World!