dmccarty
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
- Messages
- 1,233
We just got back from our WDW trip from Friday March 28 to Friday April 4th. Well we got back at 2:00am Saturday morning after a flight delay of one hour and a two plus hour flight that should have taken 75 minuts. 
At RDU, sitting on the park and ride bus, we heard even worse plane flight stories from other people so we where lucky.
Pretty sure we are driving next trip!
We had a great time with our first stay at our Home Resort of Animal Kingdom Villas. The place is simply awesome!
We can't say enough to express the wonderfulness of AKL. The details are amazing. The animals are adicting to watch. The pool is different and special. We made the right choice on buying into DVC at AKV.
I think it was Monday we tried to get to EMH morning at AK and we got sidetrack by bad advice from a bus driver. We had been waiting for the bus for maybe five minutes and the DW started to wonder if EMH was happening since there where no buses( impatient was she that morning ) and there was no one else at the bus stop. A bus stopped for Disney Studios and we asked the driver about EMH at AK. He said it was at DW that morning so off we went. I think he looked at an old schedule. The new schedule was needed to cover the day this happened.
We ended up at Disney Studios about 7:00 am and the park opened at 9:00!
We talked with some CM's at the gate who told us we where a wee bit early. 
As we talked about what to do a gardener CM who was trimming some flowers came over and presented my mother, wife and daughters with some fresh cut flowers! 
Thank you very much Mr. Gardener! As well as the other CMs up front that morning.
We wandered back to the bus stop trying to figure out what to do when Michael, a Transportation manager, found us scratching our heads. He VERY kindly drove us over to AK for the morning. We arrived 30-45 minutes "late" but we had a wonderful conversation with him about WDW bus services and systems! Well worth being "late"! Thanks Michael.
No foul to the bus driver that took us to DS he was trying to be helpful and was very nice. Pretty sure he just had a schedule that had just gone out of date.
The CMs at the AK Lodge shop also deserve a couple as well. Especially the "Gift Wrapping CM" and the Disney Partner CM. My father does not like heights, roller coasters or WDW for that matter. He has only been to WDW three times. The last two trips are because of his granddaughters. His youngest grand daughter asked him if he would take her on the "Yeti Ride." He said yes. 
Grandpa did not realize that the "Yeti Ride" was Expedition Everest and that it was a roller coaster!
He could not bare the thought of wimping out so he rode the ride after Michael got us to AK! We have the picture to prove it! As a reward I bought him a Yeti and Expedition Everest ride pin back at the AKL store. The Partner CM asked what I was up too and made some nice pin suggestions and gave me a special pin for my daughter! The Give Wrapping CM helped me later on with some gift boxes.
A big thank you to the CMs at the AKL gift shop. You helped make this "event" special.
We found ALL of the staff at AKL to have the Best Disney Spirit. We did not have one remote, itty bitty issue with any CM. The front desk, bell, mouse keeping and life guard CMs where simply perfect and wonderful. I especially appreciated the front desk CM's who on two different occasions handled some people trying to cut to the front of the line. Nicely Done. Thank you!
Simba's Clubhouse staff. WOW. We ate at California Grill, Boma, and Jiko's while the kids played at Simba's. I think for every dollar we spent on food at these restaurants we spent a corresponding dollar at Simba's. It was expensive but the kids loved the place!
For our last night at AKL we had planned a family night dinner at Jiko's. The kids rebeled and wanted to got back to Simba's for a third night in a row. We had a tough time getting the kids out of Simba's! They really loved the place. I think they liked it as much as the parks and the pool.
THANK YOU to the staff at Simba's!
We also had great service at Boma, Jiko's and California Grill. Sally and Sam at Jiko's really knew their stuff and provided great service. The food at Jiko's is really good and different. It was wonderful. Alicia and Becky at the California Grill where awesome. Alicia had us laughing and we had her laughing as well. We where on the side of the restaurant overlooking the old Discovery Island right next to the glass wall which made Grandpa kinda nervous! Becky has been our server twice now and we will ask for her or Alicia on our next trip. Becky remembered us from our October 2007 trip and was simply wonderful. We have been to the California Grill about 12 times over the last 10 years and simply love the food. Yoshi and her team makes the best sushi. Period. The rest of the food is simply unique and awesome. The wife and I go to WDW to eat great food, see the landscaping and flowers. We really appreciate the execllent food and service.
Another big THANKS to Boma, Jiko's and California Grill! 
We also had some great interactions with the various bus drivers and park CMs during our stay. They have tough jobs and they did it well. Thank you.
We had a tough time leaving AKL.
The place is just so special and wonderful.
Thank you CMs fro making our week so special!
Off to update my signature with our last trip date and resort.
At RDU, sitting on the park and ride bus, we heard even worse plane flight stories from other people so we where lucky. Pretty sure we are driving next trip!
We had a great time with our first stay at our Home Resort of Animal Kingdom Villas. The place is simply awesome!
We can't say enough to express the wonderfulness of AKL. The details are amazing. The animals are adicting to watch. The pool is different and special. We made the right choice on buying into DVC at AKV.I think it was Monday we tried to get to EMH morning at AK and we got sidetrack by bad advice from a bus driver. We had been waiting for the bus for maybe five minutes and the DW started to wonder if EMH was happening since there where no buses( impatient was she that morning
) and there was no one else at the bus stop. A bus stopped for Disney Studios and we asked the driver about EMH at AK. He said it was at DW that morning so off we went. I think he looked at an old schedule. The new schedule was needed to cover the day this happened.We ended up at Disney Studios about 7:00 am and the park opened at 9:00!
We talked with some CM's at the gate who told us we where a wee bit early. As we talked about what to do a gardener CM who was trimming some flowers came over and presented my mother, wife and daughters with some fresh cut flowers! Thank you very much Mr. Gardener! As well as the other CMs up front that morning.
We wandered back to the bus stop trying to figure out what to do when Michael, a Transportation manager, found us scratching our heads. He VERY kindly drove us over to AK for the morning. We arrived 30-45 minutes "late" but we had a wonderful conversation with him about WDW bus services and systems! Well worth being "late"!
Thanks Michael.No foul to the bus driver that took us to DS he was trying to be helpful and was very nice. Pretty sure he just had a schedule that had just gone out of date.
The CMs at the AK Lodge shop also deserve a couple
as well. Especially the "Gift Wrapping CM" and the Disney Partner CM. My father does not like heights, roller coasters or WDW for that matter. He has only been to WDW three times. The last two trips are because of his granddaughters. His youngest grand daughter asked him if he would take her on the "Yeti Ride." He said yes. Grandpa did not realize that the "Yeti Ride" was Expedition Everest and that it was a roller coaster!
He could not bare the thought of wimping out so he rode the ride after Michael got us to AK! We have the picture to prove it! As a reward I bought him a Yeti and Expedition Everest ride pin back at the AKL store. The Partner CM asked what I was up too and made some nice pin suggestions and gave me a special pin for my daughter! The Give Wrapping CM helped me later on with some gift boxes.A big thank you to the CMs at the AKL gift shop. You helped make this "event" special.
We found ALL of the staff at AKL to have the Best Disney Spirit. We did not have one remote, itty bitty issue with any CM. The front desk, bell, mouse keeping and life guard CMs where simply perfect and wonderful. I especially appreciated the front desk CM's who on two different occasions handled some people trying to cut to the front of the line. Nicely Done. Thank you!
Simba's Clubhouse staff. WOW. We ate at California Grill, Boma, and Jiko's while the kids played at Simba's. I think for every dollar we spent on food at these restaurants we spent a corresponding dollar at Simba's. It was expensive but the kids loved the place!
For our last night at AKL we had planned a family night dinner at Jiko's. The kids rebeled and wanted to got back to Simba's for a third night in a row. We had a tough time getting the kids out of Simba's! They really loved the place. I think they liked it as much as the parks and the pool.THANK YOU to the staff at Simba's!
We also had great service at Boma, Jiko's and California Grill. Sally and Sam at Jiko's really knew their stuff and provided great service. The food at Jiko's is really good and different. It was wonderful. Alicia and Becky at the California Grill where awesome. Alicia had us laughing and we had her laughing as well. We where on the side of the restaurant overlooking the old Discovery Island right next to the glass wall which made Grandpa kinda nervous!
Becky has been our server twice now and we will ask for her or Alicia on our next trip. Becky remembered us from our October 2007 trip and was simply wonderful. We have been to the California Grill about 12 times over the last 10 years and simply love the food. Yoshi and her team makes the best sushi. Period. The rest of the food is simply unique and awesome. The wife and I go to WDW to eat great food, see the landscaping and flowers. We really appreciate the execllent food and service.Another big THANKS to Boma, Jiko's and California Grill!
We also had some great interactions with the various bus drivers and park CMs during our stay. They have tough jobs and they did it well. Thank you.
We had a tough time leaving AKL.
The place is just so special and wonderful. Thank you CMs fro making our week so special!
Off to update my signature with our last trip date and resort.
It really upset the DD. She mentioned it a few times afterwards how she really wanted to find Goofy. She brought it up on the plane trip home, and even after we R2R, Returned To Reality.
