Our *outstanding* 8th trip to WDW!! (Photo's Added!!)

[Dizneyholic]

Hi everyone!!

This will be my second trip report and I'm excited to be sharing our journey again!! First thing you should know, I make what I call a "fun plan" months before every trip so we can stay on track with everything and some of our friends back here at home think I have some issues (a.k.a Type A). lol.

WARNING: The following trip report could cause severe longing and yearning for all things Disney. This report is not recommended for anyone with the following conditions: Disneyitis, Dislirium, DCD (Disney-Compulsive Disorder), Dismania and Dispression (what happens when you don't go to Disney for long periods of time). Please read at your own risk...

Details:

When: 1/22/08 - 2/1/08
Where: Animal Kingdom Lodge DVC Villa's
Who: Gus (the fiancé) & Chasity (dizneyholic)

Day One: Welcome Home!!

The Gus and I wake up at the ungodly hour of 3am to catch our 6am flight out of ONT airport here in Southern California. During the flight we check out the first season of HBO's Weeds and are instantly hooked. Unfortunately, that's all we brought so now I have to get the other 3 seasons to catch up. We then changed planes in Denver, CO where it was 2 degrees!!! Luckily, we didn't have to go outside but let me tell you...it felt like we were in Hoth just changing planes!! We touch down at MCO about 3:45, grab our bags and head to pick up our rental from Alamo. BTW, we got a great deal on the rental (10 days in a full-size for $140 total with a free additional driver!!). After 8 trips to WDW, I highly recommend getting a rental if you can swing it. The additional freedom is priceless!! We ended up getting a 4 door Chevy Impala. We were allowed to pick our own so after comparing the 5 left we took the one with a sunroof, XM Radio and heated leather seats (which I will later regret!!).

Our first stop was the Super Target off of Orange Blossom Trail for snacks and water to keep in our room. Both of us were about to start chewing on our own arms so we cruised into Steak & Shake to refuel. Neither of us had ever been there. I loved my hot fudge malt but In-n-Out Burger here in So. Cal still makes the tastiess burgers I've ever had!! After picking up the required room grub at Super Target we were FINALLY on our way to the World!!! WOOOOO HOOOOO!!! A short 15 minutes later we were turning onto Osceola Parkway and then there it was....

Gus and I had been to the Lodge before to eat at Jiko so we had already taken in all the hotel's beauty. It's about 7pm now and no one is in line to check in so we get into our room quickly. The room was on the Giraffe Trail, room 5028 to be exact. Upon entering I was mildly surprised at how small it was. We were in a value studio so I expected small and it really wasn't that bad but after staying in a Grand Villa and one bedroom it's "smallerness" was more apparent. lol. Upon check in I was under the impression that we had a savannah view but upon entering our room, this was not the case. In fact, we had no view at all as we had about 5 large trees blocking everything. I was a little bummed at first but it passed quickly. I liked the room quite a bit and thought the size ended up being fine for just the 2 of us. The bed on the other hand was a whole different story! At home we have a Cal. King and the studio bed felt like a twin!! By the 4th night Gus moved over to the sofa bed since somewhere over the years we forgot how to share space. The scene of the crime:

The one thing I really loved about the room was all the hidden mickey's placed in the bed spread, carpet, shower curtain and furniture. So, cute!!

After relaxing for a minute or two we headed to Mara for my first zebra dome and some quick counter service. We were on the dining plan so we needed to stay on track if we were going to use up all our credits...
Gus had the roasted half chicken meal & a watermelon cup for dessert and I had the fried shrimp platter and the much talked about zebra domes for my dessert. Both our meals were decent and the zebra domes were quite good as well.

Around 10:30 we both crashed for the night. Zzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Up next...Day 2 at Animal Kingdom!

 

[gavsmom]

Can't wait for more!

ps-how funny is this-I'm reading your report and listening to the radio and they're playing U2!

 

[scottishduffy]

Cute TR so far. I'm In!!

 

[shellybelly72]

I'm in too..

 

[aandjw]

you know I am waiting for the rest of the days....


TA Jack...

 

[Dizneyholic]

Ok, here we go...hang on to your hats and glasses, folks, cause this here's the longest post on the disboards...

Day 2: Animal Kingdom (Wednesday, 1/23/08)

First let me start by saying...I LOVE this park!! I know there's some debate about it being a half day park and such but I really look forward to visiting AK and always feel so peaceful while I'm here. Not to mention it's a great park for picture taking!

Second thing, I'm notorious for my commando style park touring so since we were both hoping for some much needed relaxation we agreed not to get up early for rope drops this time. Which was very hard for me!! Not only did I beat the wake up Stitch everyday but I was showered and dressed usually before Gus even opened his eyes! Forcing me to make every obnoxious noise possible to get him up and in the shower. This particular morning we didn't make it out of the room until about 11am. I know, the horror!

As we're driving over to Animal Kingdom, it was about 68 degrees outside and cloudy which isn't bad at all. But also about 80% humidity which is like being in hell to us Californians! Anyhow, I couldn't figure out why I was so hot in the car. I was actually starting to sweat so I checked the heater and it was off so what gives? I think I'm still a little young to be having hot flashes! Then I hear a little giggle and suddenly notice my seat warmer is cranked up to high. And so starts the endless game of who can heat the others seat without them noticing until they have a hot butt!! Sometimes it's hard to believe we are in our 30's (oops, did I say that!)

So, as I sit there secretly plotting my revenge, we pull into the AK parking lot and it looks really packed already! Umm, we weren't really expecting big crowds so I hope I'm just seeing double from current heat exhaustion! 10 minute later we're at the gates and each turnstile has about 30-40 people lined up...at noon!! After about another 15 minutes we finally get in!! Yay!!

This really is a beautiful park (aka humidity trap to some people). I can't help but stop and take some pictures on our way in...

Of course the next thing we do is head to Expedition Everest for a fast pass!
When we get there, about 5,000 people had the same idea. Ok, so it wasn't quite that many but it sure felt like it. Oh and BTW, there were none left so since it was evening extra magic hours that night we decided to wait and try our luck then. Besides, I was looking forward to our first time in the park at night!! Further, I agree with all the other trip posters who say that whoever told them January was a slow month needed to see the crowds during this timeframe. Animal Kingdom was truly tree to tree (aka wall to wall ) people!! There were lines everywhere...for the bathroom, food carts, photopass peeps, shows, and we practically had to walk single file thru the stores. Anyhow, we weren't expecting this but it really didn't impact us much since we were happy just to be there. We ended up going to see the 1:45 showing of the Finding Nemo musical. We saw this for the first time in Dec 06 and really enjoyed it. I like it so much better than Tarzan Rocks (no flames please ). My favorite part is the shark revue!! Very clever!

After this we decided to use up some of our snack credits. So we cruised on over to Dinoland. Gus drove...

Gus had an Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich from Dino Bites and I had some French fries. This is where we got our one and only dream! The McDonald's hut lady was nice enough to give us a free coke! Who needs to a stay in the castle when you can have your very own 22oz's of cold, refreshing Coke...for free!!! Anyway, it really was very nice of her and we truly did appreciate it and thanked her!!

We next decided to see if there was any chance of getting on the safari before our ADR at Yak & Yeti. It took us about 20 minutes just to get over there and when we did the wait was over 70 minutes and no fast passes. And since AK closed at 5pm this day I was saddened to realize this would be the first time we have gone to AK and not done the safari!! meep

We started our trek back to Yak & Yeti but stopped for some photo's along the way...

I think Gus has found a new calling...

We still had about 20 minutes to kill so we decide to do the Maharahjah Jungle Trek. I love seeing the tigers in action so this is one of my favorite things to do!! I could stand there for hours and just watch them blink. lol. Not to mention there are some of the best hidden mickey's on this trail ever!!
Tigger is that you?? lol...

Love this Hidden Mickey. You almost need to zoom in with your camera to really see it!!

Another one of the many...can you spot it???

The Great Hidden Jafar...

Leaving the Trek...

It's about 4:25 now so we quickly head over to check in for our 4:30 ADR.

No one is waiting and we're seated right away! As we sit down the parade is passing by our window (kinda cool). We spend some time looking over the menu and Gus decides on the: Baby Back Ribs (slow-roasted ribs, hoisin BBQ sauce, chicken fried rice, sweet chili slaw) and I get the Crispy Honey Chicken (tempura chicken, broccoli, carrots, honey sauce). Suprisingly, our food comes out within minutes! BTW, I didn't take pictures of everything this time...sorry! Overall, Gus's ribs were tender and sweet. So far, the best ones we have had at WDW. My entree was good but not great. I'm a fan of P.F. Chang's Crispy Honey Chicken and this just didn't compare. However, I still thought it was good. I also loved the jasmine rice and broccoli that came with it!! Just enough food.
For dessert Gus had the Mango Pie (shortbread cookie crust, fresh whipped cream, raspberry sauce) and I had the: Fried Wontons (skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons, vanilla ice cream, honey vanilla drizzle).
Of course we shared and his Mango pie was so unique and refreshing. I've honestly never had anything like it and thought it was fabulous!! My wontons were also good but I didn't like them as much as Gus did. We should have just traded!

By the time we finished the park has closed and it was extra magic hours. After getting our wrist bands we were able to walk right on Expedition Everest and then again about 40 minutes later when it was dark!! I just love this ride!! We always wait for the front row...good times!

After this we took a few more pic's, rode dinosaur, saw Tough to be a Bug and went on my giggle machine...Primeval Whirl!!! Who doesn't love a good whirl?? Um, Gus!! He's nice enough to go on with me but it's not his favorite ride!!

Gus getting in touch with his inner bug...

About 7:45 we headed home!! Just as we pull into the AKL parking lot, I notice a burning sensation coming from my bottom...he got me again!!! Stupid seats! That's 2-0 for anyone counting.

Since it was still kinda early I talked Gus into checking out the pool and spa. It wasn't exactly warm outside which was perfect for the spa! The first spa we checked had about 10 people and even more kids so we asked if there was another and we found one down a quiet path that only had 3 or 4 people and they all got out when we showed up. After about 15-20 minutes we were done boiling and I took a quick dip in the ginormous pool!! The water was about 70-75 degrees so it was nice but getting out was rough. On our way back to the room we noticed some cast memebers out at the savannah's with night vision goggles so we take a peek but I was dripping wet and cold so we headed back up to the room and turned in for the night!!

Up next: Day 3: Visiting my new favorite place...Celebration, FL!!

 

[Dizneyholic]

you know I am waiting for the rest of the days....


TA Jack...

I didn't know you lurked here!! BTW, you never called me back last night!

 

[sharonW]

Enjoying your TR so far...keep it coming!!

 

[tksbaskets]

Super trip report! I'm looking forward to sharing the rest of your trip

 

[TnkrBoo]

Enjoying your tr! The seat heater game seems like a game my DF and I would play, it totally made me laugh! You're so lucky you got to stay at AKL. We've been over there a few times but never stayed there, it's on my list though. Can't wait for the next update!

 

[Dizneyholic]

Thanks for all your awesome comments so far!! I might be able to get started on Day 3 tonight. I think I underestimated how long it would take to edit, upload & post all my pic's!


TnkrBoo - Good to know there are people out there as crazy as us!!! Hey, I also noticed your location as Disneyland! We might be neighbors!!

 

[Dizneyholic]

Since I have some time to kill (shhh, don't tell anyone) I thought I could squeeze in half of day 3 tonight!

Again, I was already up and dressed by 9:30am and managed to get Gus out the door by 10:30!! The secret is to not turn on the T.V. Once that thing is on, it's all over!! lol.

We decide to spend some time checking out our hotel a little more. After all, it may be a long time until we are able to get this at the 7 month window again. So, let's look around:

The Main Lobby

The Indoor Super Warm and Cozy Fire Pit

The Outdoor Super Warm and Cozy Fire Pit

One of the Savannahs

Zebra!!

Giraffe!! Who is jealous that they don't make Giraffe Domes!!! lol.

As you can see, everything is wonderful here! It was hard to leave but we were eager to explore undiscovered territory! But first, we needed feeding. A hungry Gus and Chasity just don't mix well with others!

A few trips ago before the dining plan, we discovered Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney and really liked it. We don't have one close enough to where we live so this was a must! I know it's not a good value on the plan but trust me we made up for it elsewhere!! Anyway, we always get the same thing: The All American - Roast Turkey, Buttermilk Ranch, Cranberries (on the side for the Gus), Cheddar Cheese & Lettuce!! We also get the Grilled Caesar Salad and share both of them. I always get the chocolate cupcake thingy for dessert and Gus gets a cookie of some sort. It's a tasty little lunch and we're both always so gloriously satisfied by it!! As we walked out I eyed the Ghirardelli shop but decided my hot fudge sundae didn't need conquering just yet!

It's about 12:45 and we are at last on our way to the magical far away land of Celebration, FL. Ok, so it turned out to be just 6 minutes down Interstate 4 but my version is much more exciting!! As we exited the first thing we saw was a power line tower shaped as a Mickey head!! And my first thought was I love this place already. I tried to take a picture but speed racer zoomed by it so quickly it was just a blur. We then passed some office buildings and the hospital and suddenly the sun glowingly shined upon the magical far away land that they call Celebration!! Now, why Disney ever decided to sell this place I do not know (I really should look that up). It really was love at first sight for me!!!
Everything was bright white and the grass and trees were so green that it seemed like animators drew them in. Now, some say that this place is a little creepy but I say they just don't know heaven when they see it. I've vacationed quite a few places that were surreal in beauty but no place I would want to call home 365 days a year. Celebration isn't where you go on vacation, it's where you come home to after vacation!! I could just feel right away that it was all about community and pride. Gus thought it was a bit Wisteria Laneish. A little too perfect. Which is funny because not a few seconds later we passed a road called...Wisteria Lane!

Here's some of the majesty:

Aww, I think the guy out fishing just sells this place even more! It's like they put him there just to lure us in...get it, "lure" us. I know, I'm a dork!

I'll take one of these please!

Anyway, we drove down about 100 different streets just looking at all the houses. It was so cute to see the little touches of Disney people out on there porches or lawns. I'm sure this place has all kinds of rules about what you can do but I can live with that. It's better than the full garbage bags my neigbhor leaves outside his front door because he's to lazy to take it down to the trash. I have a feeling that might be frowned upon here.

During our drive we kept seeing these wooden walkways everywhere that just disappeared into the trees and decided to investigate!! What can I say, I love the little things...

Not a great picture since I'm squinting from the blinding glare of small town perfection!!

After another 10 minutes of house gawking we decided it's time to check out the downtown area, Market Street...

The Main Hub

Lots of cute shops and places to eat! And did I mention the Ice Cream & Candy Shop??? Oh yeah, they have the cutest little bookstore there with a fireplace and every Disney book you could imagine!

Everything I ever needed in one cute perfect little package called Celebration!

The quaint Celebration Hotel

View from the half mile walking trail across the lake.

So, in case I didn't mention it already, I loved this place!! Not only was it charming and quiet but it seemed calm and friendly. Just the kind of place I need in my life. As for Gus, he wasn't quite as ready to move in as me but I have a feeling he'll come around someday. He thinks it's more of a retirement community and I almost agreed until I did some research and found that 30.8% of the town is made up of 25 to 44 year olds. Only 6.9% is 65 or older. Check out the Wiki if you think I'm DISlusional...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebration,_Florida

After all that, I have to admit, I'm happy here in California (for now) but I will continue my not so secret love obsession with Celebration and hopefully be able to call it home someday (if for only 3 months out of the year!).

Oh yeah, and I'll need to find an extra half a mil laying around somewhere...

Next Up...Day 3, Part 2: Our snowy adventure at Winter Summerland Mini-Golf! Did Gus beat me to claim our first WDW mini golf title or was it a devasting blow out by the mini golf master (yours truly).

 

[BeeBopp]

I'm a little late, but all caught up! Your room looks so nice! Hopefully I will be able to stay there someday, DH parents are VC owners.

 

[Dizneyholic]

I'm a little late, but all caught up! Your room looks so nice! Hopefully I will be able to stay there someday, DH parents are VC owners.

Aww, congratulations on your Disney wedding! I wish we could afford one of those!

 

[BrittBritt]

First off, you guys are too funny with the seat heaters.
I loved reading the info about Yak & Yeti. We're thinking about eating there in Oct., and I've read some mixed reviews. Fantastic picture of EE at night.
I second your decision to move to Celebration. It also wouldn't bother me if it is a retirement community. It all looks just too perfect.
Great job so far. Can't wait to see the final tushy-warming score!

 

[krismom]

I love your report and photos-
WE stalked Celebration as well... it's not under Disney ownership anymore... maybe that will lower the prices for us?
Looking forward to more!

 

[Dizneyholic]

BTW, I forgot to add that while we were there we picked up a flyer for Segway tours of Celebration!! How awesome it that? I think it's the perfect way to take a look around there!! In fact, if we make it back in 2009 with our friends, I'm gonna try and talk them into it! Yeah, that's you Kristin & Frank! lol

We have done the Epcot World Showcase Segway tour and just recently the Fort Wilderness one (more on that one later!!). We also did one in Washington DC and we really love seeing the sights this way!! For those of you intimated...it's easy to get the hang of and so much fun!!!

Here's the website if anyone is interested...
http://www.zetours.com/

 

[BeeBopp]

Aww, congratulations on your Disney wedding! I wish we could afford one of those!

Thanks! We kept it as small and cheap as we could. We were blessed to have our parents that helped out with the costs. It's actually not as expensive as one might think if you do it right

 

[Dizneyholic]

I know, I know...finally!! Sorry, life has been all consuming this past week. Hopefully, you guys are still with me...

Day 3: Part 2 - Our Winter Summerland Adventure

We headed back from Celebration (aka my own personal heaven) around 4pm and decided since our Raglan Road ADR wasn't until 8:00pm we would have our very first WDW mini golf off!!

As we were turning onto Buena Vista Dr I felt a familiar warmth come over me...and what do you know...my seat was again cranked up to high and my buns were roasted. That's now 3-0 Gus.

We picked Winter Summerland based on looks alone. Shallow, I know. lol. Actually, I'm a sucker for all things Christmas and this course was like my mini golf dream come true!!

When we first arrived I was instantly giddy at the sound of Christmas music filling the air. I felt the holiday spirit rise up within me and there was no way Gus was going to be victorious...

We pay Mrs. Santa ($20 bucks with DVC discount) and we each pick a ball...always blue for me and always green for Gus.
** Gus & Chas Fun Fact: The color choices are our favorite colors which are self absorbedly based on the color of our own eyes!! **

Since it was about 60 degrees & cloudy we picked the Winter side. There was also a slight drizzle in the air so we pretty much had the course to ourselves!! Well, except for this guy...

Anxiety fills the air as we approach the first hole. I convince Gus that he should go first and then I causally note every twist and turn the ball encounters to fine tune my technique. Right off the bat Gus's ball goes flying off the green and into the bushes. This is gonna be easier that I thought.
Stroke 2 actually makes it onto the green and it's game on...but I come in under Par and Gus takes a painful 4!! Ouch!!

As I'm waiting to sweep Gus on the second hole, I can't help but sing along to It's a Holly Jolly Christmas!! I'm pretty sure they had my world famous Christmas playlist streaming from my iPod because all my favorites were floating around me like musical Christmas snowflakes.
Suddenly, I realize Gus has already made his move and I've now missed my chance to size up the hole. Hmm, this could be bad. However I come in under par again and Gus just barely squeaks by.

Since no one in their right mind has time for a complete play by play here's some of what we experienced...

Toasty campfire...

A round of hockey...

The force is strong with this one

Ice Castles...

Frozen Narnia style Mickey...

Santa might of needed a little help...

So, we get to the 16thish hole and I'm still rockin' out to some awesome Christmas jam (hehehe) and I oogle the cute looking snowman as Gus gets his ball ready. I decide we must have a picture here and run down to pose next to cute snowman. Well, Gus claims we'd get a better shot if I would just stand over here...I see him drop the ball into the hole and by the time I realize something is up, the snowman has spit right into my armpit.
Don't let his cool twig smile fool you! He is now officially dubbed, the "rude" snowman!! We'll just forget what I officially dubbed the Gus.

The offender...

18 snowy holes later the winner (by one point!!!!) is...








The Gus

I don't know what happened. I made Par on almost every hole! But around 5:30 the Christmas lights started coming on and I think between all that glorious music and twinkling lights, I lost focus of what really mattered...winning!! Yeah, I let myself down but Gus did use the force after all and who can compete with that!! I demanded a re-match but this time on more neutral grounds. Fantasia Garden it is!!

After my shocking defeat, we didn't have time for another round but wanted to check out the summer course so here's what we found:

Boys will be boys...

He kinda had it coming...

In the end, we managed to still like each other

It was now about 6:30ish and we headed over to the Island of Pleasure for our 8pm ADR at Raglan Road. We had been there on a previous trip just to hang out but so far hadn't tried the food. We walked around PI until about 7:45 and then checked in to RR. The hostess offered to seat us right away but when she took us to the buttcrack of the restaurant we let her know we were hoping to catch the entertainment and she informed us that we would have to wait for a table in the main area. We told her that was fine and she took us back up front and handed us a pager. After about 15 minutes we were seated right in the middle section with a great view of the band and irish dancer.

Since we were both starving by this point, we decided to start off with an appetizer. Yes, we had to pay out of pocket for this but we didn't care at this point and in the end still came out ok. After much consideration we went with the: Drunk Chicken - a whiskey glazed chicken kebab served with lime cilantro dipping sauce. Personally, we didn't think it was all that great. The chicken was dry and the sauce wasn't very flavorful. We wish we would have gone with the ribs instead.
It's about 8:35 now and it's time to order. I get good ole' Fish n Chips and Gus goes for the: Serious Sirloin Steak - 10 oz sirloin topped with Irish whiskey glazed, drizzled with gresh basil oil. Served with mashed potatoes and topped with crispy fried onion strings. Both of our meals were excellent. In fact, I enjoyed these fish and chips even more than the ones at Epcot!
As we started eating, the band came up and played for about 15 minutes. At this point the Irish dancing girl came up and did a jig (hehe). Then, more music. Good times.
Gus had the Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding for dessert which was just amazing. I don't even like bread pudding and I highly recommend this!
I had a triple mousse sampler not listed on the normal menu. It was very good as well but I was more impressed by the bread pudding.

We hung out until about 9:30 and then made our way over to the Adventure's Club. Gus and I first went here about 3 trips ago and fell in love with it. Gus has done a lot of theater and loves stuff like this so this was right up his alley. I'm the shy one who prefers not to be in the spotlight but I'm happy as long as no one singles me out. And since that hardly ever happens we always have a great time here. If you have never been here I really suggest you give it a try!

We stay until about 11 and then head home for the night. About 10 minutes later, it finally happens!!! I get my revenge. Gus doesn't notice as I gently tap his seat warmer to high heat...not long after I hear, WTH??? That's now 3-1 baby!!

Ah, vengeance is sweet....


Up next on the Gus & Chas show....
Day 4: Eating our way thru Epcot!!

 

[BeeBopp]

Great update! I loved the mini golf pics. I laughed b/c DH and I are also pretty competitive at mini golf. He has only ever beat me ONCE and it happened to be there at WinterLand! Can't wait to hear more!