My way too short solo adventure TR - Funny Airport update...

[daisygirl902]

The Backstory
I'm heading off to the airport at 4 AM AST tomorrow morning for my first ever solo trip to WDW. It's also my first stay since buying DVC. And my first ever attempt at a trip report!! I am hoping to combine all of the elements of trip reports that have loved so far in my time on the Dis...good descriptions and stories, pictures, and FOOD (all in one).

I'm hoping this will be good practice for my epic 16 day Disney wedding trip, for which I want to try to accomplish not only a trip report but a full on "dining report" as well!! Whew - I'm stressed already!

I'll be staying at AKV Jambo in a Savannah Studio. My home resort is BLT but I booked this trip only 18 days ago...so I took what I could get - although to be honest I have been looking for the perfect excuse to stay at AKV!

Who am I?
Why, thanks for asking!

My name is Kelly and I'm 33 years old. I am a fun loving, somewhat crazy Disney lover, and I'm getting married there in September to the best man in the entire world. I'm a bit of a control freak planner, so the fact that I booked this trip only 18 days ago is a stretch for me. I'm a food lover and love the immersive experience that is (in my opinion) very unique to Disney.

I'm heading down to WDW for my wedding planning session, all the way from Nova Scotia! So I'm obviously staying a few extra days...I also did the "give a day get a day" promo, so I have a 1 day park pass.

What's the plan?
Wow, so glad you asked! What a caring and attentive audience you are!

Tomorrow I am expecting to get in around 12:30 and be at Jambo by 1:30 - going to grab a bite to eat (hoping to get there while Saana is still serving lunch) and hang out at the pool for a while till my room is ready, then get checked in and head over to DTD for some chilling out and shopping time (and to eat dinner at EOS!)

Tuesday - Heading to GF (Wedding Pavilion) for my wedding planning session, and then to Boardwalk to do a food tasting...then will probably head back tot he resort for some more pool time. After that it's either back to DTD, Boardwalk, or to another resort for food (or i may just hang out at AKV for the evening).

Wednesday - I think the park I have decided on is MK for the day (I originally said EPCOT but really want to see the Main Street Electrical Parade and new fireworks which start this week). I'm planning to spend all day in the park, eating wherever the need strikes me (although 2 places I really want to try are The Plaza for lunch and Cali Grill for sushi in the evening).

Thursday - back to foggy, rainy, dumb old Nova Scotia (until my wedding trip in just over 3 months )

We'll see as I move thru the week how much this changes. It's only a 3 day trip so it's good TR practice!

Thanks for reading - more tomorrow when I get checked in - LIVE FROM JAMBO!

 

[cj9200]

Hope you have a great time. Very interested in your take on Jambo AKV.

 

[VrBchJ]

This sounds as if it will be almost as much for us as it is for you. Enjoy your solo trip and thanks in advance for sharing your adventures with us

 

[2BoysMom]

Cool. I've been following your wedding PTR, and now I have hopped on to here, too. Can't wait!

 

[daisygirl902]

K - so I'd just like to make something very clear...I hate 4 AM A LOT...and every time I decide to book a flight to Orlando I book this same flight.

It's great cause I'm there by lunchtime, but MAN it's brutal! I think I broke records for how many times I lurched awake during the "night" thinking I had slept through my flight only to discover I had been asleep for all of 7 minutes. It was basically as if I set my alarm for 10 PM and pushed snooze all night!

OK enough ranting, thanks for tuning in...next time you hear from me it will be LIVE FROM JAMBO!!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Have a great trip! Looking forward to reading more.

Bobbi

 

[daisygirl902]

YAY - I made it and am here! Ok I have to start this by saying I do not regret my DVC membership for a second...I am SO glad I made the purchase at the ripe young age of 33....cause if I get to enjoy accomodations like THIS for the next 50 years I am a lucky woman! For those of you who don't know this - you are reading a chronicle of my first DVC trip ever!!

So the flight was fairly uneventful...I got to the airport at 4:40 AM and had to wait till 5 AM for Tim Horton's to open to get my fix (for those of you not aware of Tim Horton's it's the Canadian stand-by for coffee....I'm quite sure it's laced with something cause it is totally addictive...I can drink 4 or 5 cups of "regular coffee" at home, but my day hasn't started till I have my Tim's).

I got picked not once but twice to be searched by the airport security staff - I guess I looked suspicious with my mickey mouse earrings travelling to the Happiest place on Earth by myself! I am good natured about it though, it's their job, and did I mention I was on my way to the happiest place on earth???

We landed in Orlando to rain - like the torrential downpour type...but by the time I boarded Magical Express I could see little patches of blue sky so I knew I'd see the sun at some point. I was the last stop on the driver's route, but again I'm pretty easygoing so I chatted him up lke crazy and had a good time.

OK so we pull in to AKV....my jaw drops....it's kind of like coming around the corner into a whole new world - a new fantastic point of view...no where to tell us no or where to go.....

Sorry I break into song sometimes....

Where was I?

OK so I get off the bus, speechless (for those of you who know me you are thinking "Yeah right" but it's true). I have seen many pictures of Jambo, but nothing prepared me for walking into the lobby....holy cow it's HUGE! And beautiful. 2 cast members said "Welcome Home" simultaneously as if they had been rehearsing for my arrival - I almost burst into tears of joy.

So they I get to the Online Check in desk...for those of you who say it's not worth it to do online check in, I beg to differ. My room keys and welcome package were ready, AND my room was ready too! Man I felt like I was on top of the world at this point - I was expecting to have to wait around for at least 2 hours (it was 2 PM). So I meander my way to my room - for those people who complain about the sheer size of Jambo, I'd say it definitely doesn't feel as vastly big and spread out as the value resorts, and there I'm lugging my luggage through the sun, not in the AC - so I was happy today. The hallways are pretty dark, but again I am not complaining, I find it quite charming!

So I open my room (5th floor Savannah view, right next to the elevator) and again , my jaw drops...this is a common theme today. Again I saw pictures prior to coming here....and again nothing prepared my for it! I thought I would be feeling a little bit guilty for giving up on POP Century....NOPE! Once I saw simba etched into the stone by the sink, I pretty much forgot POP existed!

I'll post pictures later....here's the funny part. For those who know me (a very small percentage I know) I really am OCD about taking food pics. Like really...no one is allowed to touch their food till I take pics. I was hoping to chronicle my journey in pictures, including food pics...to share with you all....but I was REALLY REALLY hungry by the time I got checked in...called and found out I had 40 minutes to get to Sanaa before they stop serving lunch.

So I truck it over to Jambo and realize I forgot my camera....UGH what a horrible start to this trip report! I got up close and personal with pretty much my favorite animals EVER (giraffes) - while waiting to get seated, and had an AMAZING meal...none of which I have any physical proof of (except an extremely full tummy). But here is how it went down....the waiter comes over (bearing a very strong likeness to Jon Heder of Napoleon Dynamite fame) and says "Would you like a Mango Lassi to start? - I pretty much did a backflip at this wonderous suggestion....(so I agreed in case you're wondering what that meant). What an amazing concoction! It was frosty but not too much so, sweet and tangy - YUM! It was like mango mixed with sweetened condensed milk then put in a slushie machine...deeelish. I then tried the Lamb Kefta for appetizer - which were spiced lamb meatballs with tamarind sauce with dried papayas mixed in. The most interesting thing about this dish was the flavor of fresh mint throughout....yum! Then I tried the Tandoori Chicken - which was also amazing. It was served on a delicious piece of pita/naan bread, on a bed of frilly lettuce, tomatoes, and fresh mint, and topped off with a yummy yogurt sauce. YUM - loved it!

After finally getting something besides gummy candies in my belly (which are my airplane trusty standby food) I feel much better! I came back over to Jambo, picked up my empty owners locker, and got all unpacked! And now this...whew I'm long winded when I am in a hotel room by myself!!!

Now time to maybe upload a few pics (don't get excited there is a good chance that won't happen till later tonight), go for a swim (that is happening next I do believe), and head to downtown Disney for a while...till I work up enough appetite for a good old sub from Earl of Sandwich!! MMMMMMMMMMM

Thanks for reading!

I love my DVC membership...

Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase...hakuna matata ain't no passing craze....

 

[daisygirl902]

AND to top off all this amazingness I just looked up and saw a GIRAFFE right outside my room basically! How freaking cool is this place?

k - I'm done now...I promise....for a while anyways.

 

[disney1474]

We love AKV and are happy it's our home resort
Don't forget to go down and try out those night vision goggles. To see the animals at night is really cool. Have a great trip and I can't wait for more pictures

 

[daisygirl902]

Night Vision Goggles!! Holy I would have totally forgotten - thanks!

Well I went swimming, and sat on my patio making friends with my new pet giraffe...now time to get some pictures up here then off to DTD for a while.

This is me at 4:53 AM waiting for coffee...not too happy.

Now I'm happy - I am on the Magical Express Bus!!

Room Shots!!

 

[lilpooh108]

How fun! Have a great time planning your wedding down there! My brother and sis in law were married at DLR and they had such a great time meeting all the wedding planners and planning their magical disney wedding...look forward to reading more of your TR and seeing some pics!

 

[daisygirl902]

More Room Pics - sorry I got a bit camera happy....did I mention this is my first time here? and that I love it? While those photos were processing I went out on my patio again and there are some new friends that have joined me....3 zebras!! YAY!

This is my favorite thing in the room so far!

Savannah View - this is before all the animals came out....sorry! But you get the gist I'm sure - you are intelligent adults...just insert a giraffe and a couple of zebras! And some Warthogs!

Now off to enjoy a bit more Disney Magic!

 

[DizGirl20]

K - so I'd just like to make something very clear...I hate 4 AM A LOT...and every time I decide to book a flight to Orlando I book this same flight.

It's great cause I'm there by lunchtime, but MAN it's brutal! I think I broke records for how many times I lurched awake during the "night" thinking I had slept through my flight only to discover I had been asleep for all of 7 minutes. It was basically as if I set my alarm for 10 PM and pushed snooze all night!

OK enough ranting, thanks for tuning in...next time you hear from me it will be LIVE FROM JAMBO!!!

OMG I do the SAME thing... or used to do the same thing until I decided we can take a later flight.

Lovin' your TR! Have a nice dinner at EOS!

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Wohhoo! I'm glad you made it to WDW safely! I love AKV....I need to go back, now! I hope you have an amazing time at your planning session tomorrow! I cannot wait to hear all about it!

 

[athenna]

Great report! I am so enjoying it!
Funny, I bought a small add on @ AKLV (75pts) specifically for my solo trips, but then I got engaged in January and havent taken a solo trip there yet

 

[cj9200]

Very cool. I am really looking forward to my trip in less than two weeks. The lobby is a shocker the first time you see it. Spent a few stays there but this is the first time in a Villa.

I know you have a busy trip but any observations/pictures you can post will be greatly appreciated. Have fun.

 

[ccigliano]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and what a wonderful place for the ceremony and honeymoon. And congratulations on your DVC membership. I know exactly what you mean about the 7 minute snoozes - we usually take early morning flights too. I stayed at Kidani - savannah view studio in March and absolutely loved it and will surely go back. Isn't it wonderful that at 18 days out you can book such wonderful accommodations and enjoy it almost as much as your home resort. Good luck with all the planning and keep the pictures coming.

 

[daisygirl902]

Thanks for the comments everyone...I forgot to share one of my natural talents with you all!!! SHOPPING! So I intended to come on this trip and spent exactly $0 besides my food....welllll starting out at DTD may not have been the best plan! I did OK, but I exceeded my $0 budget a little bit. But there was this dress...the perfect vacation dress...and they had my size so I had to get it. And then they had that "If you spend this much money we'll convince you to buy a towel that you didn't really intend on NEEDING so badly until you saw it" promotions on....but I mean, the towel was practically free (at Disney I consider everything under $15 as practically fee).

Then I got to the Christmas store. And I realized that my boss's daughter is obsessed with princesses. And I am obsessed with buying Christmas ornaments for small children for their parents to keep for them throughout the years so that they have something for their first tree after they move out (she's 4 - I realized while on the bus that this will not occur for some time). THEN I saw the perfect christmas gift for her - I bet you guessed what it is by now.

YES - a full set of princess ornaments!!! YAY. So one christmas gift off my list.

While I was down there at DTD I stopped in for my "Earl's Original" and had a great time with that - I did however realize that Earl's sandwiches taste much better than they photograph so I'm leaving it off here - it looks kind of gross in the picture for some reason. I also stopped in for a yummilicious strawberry cupcake at Goofy's Candy Company...note to self - stop devouring things before taking photos...this is NOT good.

So more about AKV now that I am a bit less overwhelmed with it's awesomeness and beauty. I am now having second thoughts about this being the BEST resort in the world to bring my 5 year old step son on his first trip to Disney next year. I was certain this was the spot....but it's pretty far away from the action...bus rides seem to take a REALLY long time, which for adults is tolerable - not so much for kids...also although I like the pool - there are no "quiet pools" here which can be a bit more fun with kids (although he would love the water slide). I'm not saying I have decided it's NOT the right place - but I had one or 2 second thoughts today. We'll see....

Don't get me wrong I really love it - I'm just so new to DVC it's hard to know what the right place is going to be. We're staying at BWV the wedding week and I think I'm really going to get spoiled being that close to parks...also with BLT - being able to watch Wishes and walk home??? So cool!

I think Adrian is going to love it here though - we're staying here after our honeymoon cruise!!

More to come tomorrow - I am exhausted.

Oh and by the way there are no utensils in a studio - that seens weird to me. Or am I not seeing them? It took me a while to find the internet wire...maybe they have silverware stashed somewhere...dunno.

Thanks for reading and for the comments!

 

[ToddyLu]

We had trouble finding the internet connection cord thingy, too. They brought us one, then we found it. Love the savannah pics. We have only stayed at Kidani. I am enjoying your TR very much.

This may seem weird but we do not have public transportation on the Gulf Coast where I am. So the bus rides are part of the fun for me.

 

[mecllap]

Check up in the top cupboard for the utensils; if you don't find them (plastic), call mousekeeping. I've stayed in 4 different studios last fall and they were all in different places, with different amounts of the plates/bowls/utensils. No consistency. (Very short stays, just checking out different resorts).