Part 4: Our Trip. Oh, is that how a buffet works?
We went to the AKL bus stop and waited for maybe 30 seconds before a bus showed up. Getting back to the Lodge, we walked around the resort a little. We just love the lobby in this place. The pool is the largest of any resort weve seen. Theres more lounge chairs then it looks like theyd ever need. You can also find a shady spot or two to sit in if you like, an option not available at most resort pools. They have 2 hot tubs which are well hidden behind landscaped areas. Maybe the hidden nature of them is what keeps them from being over run with kids like the hot tub at CSR. When staying at CSR, even though there was a sign at the hot tub saying unaccompanied children are to keep out, it was always crowded with kids getting in, getting out, getting back in, spilling their virgin coladas, bumping into you, emptying their bladders, and generally making it a kidzone . Now, dont get me wrong, I know Disney is for kids, blah, blah, blah, we even have a couple of the things...BUT, cant the hot tubs be for adults, especially when theres signage requesting so? At AKL, they are sorta hidden so maybe the parents that care to keep their kids within sight dont want them going to the hot tubs. <Good idea>. The sign at the pool said it closed at 10, I believe. I had remembered at the Contemporary they said the hot tub was open 24 hours a day. I went to a lifeguard and asked if the tub was always open. He told me that the signs SAY it is only open certain hours, but as long as the noise level is kept down, it basically is open 24 hours a day.
We headed back to the room to put on the bathing suits, stopping at Zawadi, (the marketplace place), for a 6 pack of Bud Light, bottle of tylenol and the very important refrigerator magnet. ($17.63). Our plan is to quaff a few cold ones, (well, thats MY plan anyway), have a hot tub & a swim, look at a little wildlife, then head to a 7:30 PS at Flying Fish later, (we were going to attempt to show up early, eat, then hit Spectromagic). I asked the cashier CM for an extra Disneybag and stopped to fill it at the ice machine near our room. Our room has a green plastic trash can, (in addition to the regular trash trashcans), that is for recyclables.......Being the environmentally aware citizen that I am, I designate this the makeshift cooler....Well, I AM depositing all my aluminum cans in it!!! I lower the Disneybag full of ice into it, push 5 of my Bud Lights down into the ice, (The 6th Bud Light is half gone by now), and cover the whole deal with 2 folded up Mickey ponchos. Emptying the water from this and refilling with ice morning and night was a fairly painless process and I always had cold brews hanging around.
We head to the patio to look at the vultures, bongos, ankole cattle, and giraffes. On our way back from the lobby we stopped to look out on the center savannah, (cant remember its name), and saw NO animals out there. We spoke with a CM who told us that there are only 2 giraffe on the center savannah while the Sunset savannah has 3. I think the main difference between Sunset savannah and that center savannah is that the Sunset has no zebra. We were told that zebra dont get along with SOME animal on the Sunset, but we didnt get the full details of just who, exactly, the zebra dont work and play well with.
My initial disappointment with this room location has made a 180 degree turnaround. After reading many reports that said you just HAVE to be on the inside of that horseshoe near the Arusha Rock overlook, I thought being anywhere else would be comparable to staying at a Motel 6 with a view of dumpsters. This location was awesome. Not a long walk from the lobby, quiet, in a spot where we dont have people running up and down the halls all the time, (because our room isnt on the way to anywhere!), and tons and tons of animals to look at from our balcony. This always happens to us though, our room requests arent met and then we get put in rooms where we think the location is GREAT. Last year we sent a request to CSR asking for cabana 9A or B, (as everyone does), and were like crestfallen when they put us in Ranchos 7B. We loved the Rancho theme and our room was 1st floor RIGHT NEXT TO the quiet pool. After walking around the resort we found that there was nowhere else wed rather be. Again, we had our impressions formed by reading other peoples reports of what THEY consider the best location. Did ya ever notice when people have a favorite location they make up bad stuff about any other location, lol? Before going to CSR, I cant remember how many reports I read stating that it was a 15-20 minute walk from Ranchos to El Centro. Liar, liar, pants on fire, it was like 5-7 minutes. When folks have their favorites, they turn almost cultlike in their reaction to criticism of their fave and will strike out like drooling, slathering lunatics to anyone who has the audacity to disagree with them. (Have patience please, Im going to deal with you Boma cult members later).
We take up spots on the patio, me enjoying a beer or 3 while Jane enjoys....Jane enjoys....Well, Jane enjoys my company. Then its changing and heading to the pool. We like taking the long way everywhere we go in this resort just because we like the surroundings so much, we have to walk by Arusha rock, then walk thru the lobby, then go up to the 5th floor and walk across that swinging bridge spanning the width of the lobby. At the pool we grab a couple towels and head for the tub....The first tub we go to has a fair number of people and kids in it, so we head to the other one...The one over nearer the Uzima Springs pool bar, how convenient. This hot tub is EMPTY, AND has a view of the savannah, AND is near the bar....Who could ask for anything more? We slip in and....owwww...This is by far the hottest hot tub we have ever seen at Disney....We believe it to be near 104 degrees, where it is supposed to be. Perhaps this is because it doesnt have kids getting in and out, in and out? Its hot and its great. As soon as Im in, Im out again to head to the pool bar for a coupla mudslides, ($14.00, tip included). Wow, he squirted Hersheys syrup all around the inside of the glass. After 15 or so minutes in the tub we begin to sweat, and Jane says when you start to sweat in water, its time to get out. Now, theres some words to live by.
We take up some lounge chairs and I hop into the pool that feels absolutely frigid after being in the tub. Then it begins to sprinkle. Then it sprinkles a little harder. Then we go sit at a table with an umbrella. Then it begins to rain. We decide to sit it out for a little while, so, of course, I hit the Uzima Bar again. Another mudslide for me and a draft for Jane, ($8.....That doesnt sound right, but I have my bill in front of me, lol). While sitting there many people finally start to leave. As I inspect the skies, however, MeterologistBob decides its about to stop, so we wait longer. We see some guy get up from his chair, gather his belongings....One of his belongings is a Disneybag full of ice which he empties on the ground. Along with the ice, out tumbles one Coors Light, he walks over to our table and without saying a word puts it down in front of Jane and walks off. Thanks, dude.
OK, stick a fork in us, were done. Its now like 4:30 and its rained for a half hour, though it has really slacked off...mostly just sprinkles now. Back to the room. Looking at my bill right now, I can see that we stopped at Zawadi again...Hmmmm, $7.61....That amount sounds suspiciously like....uhh....what could it be.....BUD LIGHT!!!! Now, to the uneducated, innocent, interloper, it may sound like a lot of alcohol is being consumed here. But, just remember, I am a trained professional, dont you try this at home.
5 minutes later we are back to our balcony perch. While enjoying our view and brew, we discuss the relative merits of keeping our Flying Fish plans. Going to FF will require more transportation related issues to crop up as we want to also see Spectro tonite. In the end we decide to try Boma, as I have read many, many glowing reports of the food here. I call to cancel the FF PS.
We arrive at the Boma desk a little before 6, and request a table for 2. We take our little beepy thing and go up the stairs to Victoria Falls, where Jane orders a Baileys on ice and I order their finest African beer, which happens to be Casablanca. I liked the Casablanca, it was a saucy little beer with a hint of a bite. By the way, Im drinking a coffee right now that seems fairly saucy with a hint of a bite....Oh, the potatoes I made to go along with last nites pork chops were a tad saucy with a hint of a bite too. Anyway, the total was $14.66 with tip.
After maybe 5-7 minutes, (15-20 minutes for you folks that stay at CSR), our beeper goes off and downstairs we go. We get a great table for 2 right next to the window. Our waiter, who Jane insists looks just like Mango from Saturday Night Live, tells us how the buffet works. I wonder if people ever look at him in wonderment and say..Ohhhh, we walk up there and put food on our plates?....Interesting
The first thing I try is a chicken/corn soup that is excellent. Jane tries a few salads, but I notice that shes not doing much more than trying them. Theres a lot of leftovers on that plate. Then I notice plates being removed from peoples tables with lots of food left on them.
I go up and bypass the carving station as I want to try some of the more unusual food, (Of which there is a lot), that folks rave about. I fill my plate with some brown stuff, some green and yellowish stuff, some crumbly stuff, and some other things and such. As I sit down I notice that more and more plates are walking by on the way to the kitchen half loaded with food. Then I notice the line getting longer and longer at the carving station. I try the brown stuff. The first couple bites taste ok, but I quickly tire of it. Then I try the greenish yellow dish....not crazy about it. The other things and such are the same. Mango comes by and removes my plate. I head for the prime rib line, then search for something recognizable to go with it. Bread. I make a couple trips to the prime rib line till I get my moneys worth, with Mango removing my empty plate each time. One thing I have to say is the desserts are great. The fresh, pressed at your table coffee is great. I load up on zebra domes, cheesecakes and various and sundry other sweets.
I honestly dont know what folks are raving about with this place. I guess walking up to the desk at 6:00 pm at one of the busiest times of year without a PS and only waiting 5 minutes for a table should tell me something. In the real world, restaurants open to the public, offer their food, make adjustments to what they offer, make adjustments to their recipes as required. At Boma, they offer food that nobody has ever had before, so theres their excuse. Even if something is awful, they just say, Well, its exotic and different and you just dont know what youre talking about. Nobody ever says, Gosh chef, I think you need just a touch more ostrich saliva in that Foo Foo, or, If you sprinkled just a touch more hummingbird eyes over this crumbly stuff, well, ummmmm.
If it were just me, I could live with that. But I think more food was going into the busboys bucket than was going into peoples mouths. And the line at the prime rib stop just got longer and longer. Oh well, we just wont go back there. ($62.97)
Then it was off to Spectro. We saw this for the first time last month and really loved it. Bus came in maybe 5 minutes and it took 15 to get to the MK. We walked in to the right of the train station and decided to just take up a spot on that first outside corner. It was now 8:15 and we were waiting for the 9:00 parade. There was a guy leaning against a light pole, and his family was sitting on the curb. Jane threw down a poncho and sat behind his family while I stood next to the guy. Even though there was a walkway maybe 10 feet to our right, people just kept squeezing between us and between his family on the curb to walk through. He finally says to me, Lets stand closer together to block these people:...OK, lol.....
People start stacking up behind us. One family sends their kid up front to squeeze between lightpoleguys kids and wrestle a curb spot away from them. Ok, fine....then that squeezing kid in front of me begins to have an argument with his Dad, behind me, about how Every other kid has a light up parade toy and HE WANTS ONE TOO!!!! This goes on and on till the kid gets his toy, and by that time his Dad has squeezed in next to him so they have taken even more valuable ALREADY TAKEN curb space. Aint America great? Sometimes these parades just arent worth the buttwads you have to put up with while waiting.
Anyway, when the parade starts at 9, I back up a little to let a girl in a wheelchair behind me come up closer to the curb with her 2 little girl friends. She has an excellent view as for one of the only times in my parade experience the people in the front row dont STAND UP to watch the parade.
After the parade we debate whether or not to follow it up Main St in order to see Tinkerbell fly and then watch the fireworks. When we see, however, how many people have that SAME idea, we bag it and head for the bus. We only wait a few minutes for the bus and before we know it we are back at Zawadi shopping some more.
We sit on the balcony and I enjoy a beer, while Jane enjoys my company. I fill out my breakfast hang card thingy for a pot of coffee....some pastries...oh, and lets have one of those $4 bagels too, request a 7-7:30 delivery, and hang it outside my door. Do the wake up call for 6:30, Jane falls asleep while I turn on the tv and let it watch me for awhile before I wake up and turn it off.
The 90% chance of rain turned into some off and on sprinkles and rain for a couple hours late in the afternoon!!!
We went to the AKL bus stop and waited for maybe 30 seconds before a bus showed up. Getting back to the Lodge, we walked around the resort a little. We just love the lobby in this place. The pool is the largest of any resort weve seen. Theres more lounge chairs then it looks like theyd ever need. You can also find a shady spot or two to sit in if you like, an option not available at most resort pools. They have 2 hot tubs which are well hidden behind landscaped areas. Maybe the hidden nature of them is what keeps them from being over run with kids like the hot tub at CSR. When staying at CSR, even though there was a sign at the hot tub saying unaccompanied children are to keep out, it was always crowded with kids getting in, getting out, getting back in, spilling their virgin coladas, bumping into you, emptying their bladders, and generally making it a kidzone . Now, dont get me wrong, I know Disney is for kids, blah, blah, blah, we even have a couple of the things...BUT, cant the hot tubs be for adults, especially when theres signage requesting so? At AKL, they are sorta hidden so maybe the parents that care to keep their kids within sight dont want them going to the hot tubs. <Good idea>. The sign at the pool said it closed at 10, I believe. I had remembered at the Contemporary they said the hot tub was open 24 hours a day. I went to a lifeguard and asked if the tub was always open. He told me that the signs SAY it is only open certain hours, but as long as the noise level is kept down, it basically is open 24 hours a day.
We headed back to the room to put on the bathing suits, stopping at Zawadi, (the marketplace place), for a 6 pack of Bud Light, bottle of tylenol and the very important refrigerator magnet. ($17.63). Our plan is to quaff a few cold ones, (well, thats MY plan anyway), have a hot tub & a swim, look at a little wildlife, then head to a 7:30 PS at Flying Fish later, (we were going to attempt to show up early, eat, then hit Spectromagic). I asked the cashier CM for an extra Disneybag and stopped to fill it at the ice machine near our room. Our room has a green plastic trash can, (in addition to the regular trash trashcans), that is for recyclables.......Being the environmentally aware citizen that I am, I designate this the makeshift cooler....Well, I AM depositing all my aluminum cans in it!!! I lower the Disneybag full of ice into it, push 5 of my Bud Lights down into the ice, (The 6th Bud Light is half gone by now), and cover the whole deal with 2 folded up Mickey ponchos. Emptying the water from this and refilling with ice morning and night was a fairly painless process and I always had cold brews hanging around.
We head to the patio to look at the vultures, bongos, ankole cattle, and giraffes. On our way back from the lobby we stopped to look out on the center savannah, (cant remember its name), and saw NO animals out there. We spoke with a CM who told us that there are only 2 giraffe on the center savannah while the Sunset savannah has 3. I think the main difference between Sunset savannah and that center savannah is that the Sunset has no zebra. We were told that zebra dont get along with SOME animal on the Sunset, but we didnt get the full details of just who, exactly, the zebra dont work and play well with.
My initial disappointment with this room location has made a 180 degree turnaround. After reading many reports that said you just HAVE to be on the inside of that horseshoe near the Arusha Rock overlook, I thought being anywhere else would be comparable to staying at a Motel 6 with a view of dumpsters. This location was awesome. Not a long walk from the lobby, quiet, in a spot where we dont have people running up and down the halls all the time, (because our room isnt on the way to anywhere!), and tons and tons of animals to look at from our balcony. This always happens to us though, our room requests arent met and then we get put in rooms where we think the location is GREAT. Last year we sent a request to CSR asking for cabana 9A or B, (as everyone does), and were like crestfallen when they put us in Ranchos 7B. We loved the Rancho theme and our room was 1st floor RIGHT NEXT TO the quiet pool. After walking around the resort we found that there was nowhere else wed rather be. Again, we had our impressions formed by reading other peoples reports of what THEY consider the best location. Did ya ever notice when people have a favorite location they make up bad stuff about any other location, lol? Before going to CSR, I cant remember how many reports I read stating that it was a 15-20 minute walk from Ranchos to El Centro. Liar, liar, pants on fire, it was like 5-7 minutes. When folks have their favorites, they turn almost cultlike in their reaction to criticism of their fave and will strike out like drooling, slathering lunatics to anyone who has the audacity to disagree with them. (Have patience please, Im going to deal with you Boma cult members later).
We take up spots on the patio, me enjoying a beer or 3 while Jane enjoys....Jane enjoys....Well, Jane enjoys my company. Then its changing and heading to the pool. We like taking the long way everywhere we go in this resort just because we like the surroundings so much, we have to walk by Arusha rock, then walk thru the lobby, then go up to the 5th floor and walk across that swinging bridge spanning the width of the lobby. At the pool we grab a couple towels and head for the tub....The first tub we go to has a fair number of people and kids in it, so we head to the other one...The one over nearer the Uzima Springs pool bar, how convenient. This hot tub is EMPTY, AND has a view of the savannah, AND is near the bar....Who could ask for anything more? We slip in and....owwww...This is by far the hottest hot tub we have ever seen at Disney....We believe it to be near 104 degrees, where it is supposed to be. Perhaps this is because it doesnt have kids getting in and out, in and out? Its hot and its great. As soon as Im in, Im out again to head to the pool bar for a coupla mudslides, ($14.00, tip included). Wow, he squirted Hersheys syrup all around the inside of the glass. After 15 or so minutes in the tub we begin to sweat, and Jane says when you start to sweat in water, its time to get out. Now, theres some words to live by.
We take up some lounge chairs and I hop into the pool that feels absolutely frigid after being in the tub. Then it begins to sprinkle. Then it sprinkles a little harder. Then we go sit at a table with an umbrella. Then it begins to rain. We decide to sit it out for a little while, so, of course, I hit the Uzima Bar again. Another mudslide for me and a draft for Jane, ($8.....That doesnt sound right, but I have my bill in front of me, lol). While sitting there many people finally start to leave. As I inspect the skies, however, MeterologistBob decides its about to stop, so we wait longer. We see some guy get up from his chair, gather his belongings....One of his belongings is a Disneybag full of ice which he empties on the ground. Along with the ice, out tumbles one Coors Light, he walks over to our table and without saying a word puts it down in front of Jane and walks off. Thanks, dude.
OK, stick a fork in us, were done. Its now like 4:30 and its rained for a half hour, though it has really slacked off...mostly just sprinkles now. Back to the room. Looking at my bill right now, I can see that we stopped at Zawadi again...Hmmmm, $7.61....That amount sounds suspiciously like....uhh....what could it be.....BUD LIGHT!!!! Now, to the uneducated, innocent, interloper, it may sound like a lot of alcohol is being consumed here. But, just remember, I am a trained professional, dont you try this at home.
5 minutes later we are back to our balcony perch. While enjoying our view and brew, we discuss the relative merits of keeping our Flying Fish plans. Going to FF will require more transportation related issues to crop up as we want to also see Spectro tonite. In the end we decide to try Boma, as I have read many, many glowing reports of the food here. I call to cancel the FF PS.
We arrive at the Boma desk a little before 6, and request a table for 2. We take our little beepy thing and go up the stairs to Victoria Falls, where Jane orders a Baileys on ice and I order their finest African beer, which happens to be Casablanca. I liked the Casablanca, it was a saucy little beer with a hint of a bite. By the way, Im drinking a coffee right now that seems fairly saucy with a hint of a bite....Oh, the potatoes I made to go along with last nites pork chops were a tad saucy with a hint of a bite too. Anyway, the total was $14.66 with tip.
After maybe 5-7 minutes, (15-20 minutes for you folks that stay at CSR), our beeper goes off and downstairs we go. We get a great table for 2 right next to the window. Our waiter, who Jane insists looks just like Mango from Saturday Night Live, tells us how the buffet works. I wonder if people ever look at him in wonderment and say..Ohhhh, we walk up there and put food on our plates?....Interesting
The first thing I try is a chicken/corn soup that is excellent. Jane tries a few salads, but I notice that shes not doing much more than trying them. Theres a lot of leftovers on that plate. Then I notice plates being removed from peoples tables with lots of food left on them.
I go up and bypass the carving station as I want to try some of the more unusual food, (Of which there is a lot), that folks rave about. I fill my plate with some brown stuff, some green and yellowish stuff, some crumbly stuff, and some other things and such. As I sit down I notice that more and more plates are walking by on the way to the kitchen half loaded with food. Then I notice the line getting longer and longer at the carving station. I try the brown stuff. The first couple bites taste ok, but I quickly tire of it. Then I try the greenish yellow dish....not crazy about it. The other things and such are the same. Mango comes by and removes my plate. I head for the prime rib line, then search for something recognizable to go with it. Bread. I make a couple trips to the prime rib line till I get my moneys worth, with Mango removing my empty plate each time. One thing I have to say is the desserts are great. The fresh, pressed at your table coffee is great. I load up on zebra domes, cheesecakes and various and sundry other sweets.
I honestly dont know what folks are raving about with this place. I guess walking up to the desk at 6:00 pm at one of the busiest times of year without a PS and only waiting 5 minutes for a table should tell me something. In the real world, restaurants open to the public, offer their food, make adjustments to what they offer, make adjustments to their recipes as required. At Boma, they offer food that nobody has ever had before, so theres their excuse. Even if something is awful, they just say, Well, its exotic and different and you just dont know what youre talking about. Nobody ever says, Gosh chef, I think you need just a touch more ostrich saliva in that Foo Foo, or, If you sprinkled just a touch more hummingbird eyes over this crumbly stuff, well, ummmmm.
If it were just me, I could live with that. But I think more food was going into the busboys bucket than was going into peoples mouths. And the line at the prime rib stop just got longer and longer. Oh well, we just wont go back there. ($62.97)
Then it was off to Spectro. We saw this for the first time last month and really loved it. Bus came in maybe 5 minutes and it took 15 to get to the MK. We walked in to the right of the train station and decided to just take up a spot on that first outside corner. It was now 8:15 and we were waiting for the 9:00 parade. There was a guy leaning against a light pole, and his family was sitting on the curb. Jane threw down a poncho and sat behind his family while I stood next to the guy. Even though there was a walkway maybe 10 feet to our right, people just kept squeezing between us and between his family on the curb to walk through. He finally says to me, Lets stand closer together to block these people:...OK, lol.....
People start stacking up behind us. One family sends their kid up front to squeeze between lightpoleguys kids and wrestle a curb spot away from them. Ok, fine....then that squeezing kid in front of me begins to have an argument with his Dad, behind me, about how Every other kid has a light up parade toy and HE WANTS ONE TOO!!!! This goes on and on till the kid gets his toy, and by that time his Dad has squeezed in next to him so they have taken even more valuable ALREADY TAKEN curb space. Aint America great? Sometimes these parades just arent worth the buttwads you have to put up with while waiting.
Anyway, when the parade starts at 9, I back up a little to let a girl in a wheelchair behind me come up closer to the curb with her 2 little girl friends. She has an excellent view as for one of the only times in my parade experience the people in the front row dont STAND UP to watch the parade.
After the parade we debate whether or not to follow it up Main St in order to see Tinkerbell fly and then watch the fireworks. When we see, however, how many people have that SAME idea, we bag it and head for the bus. We only wait a few minutes for the bus and before we know it we are back at Zawadi shopping some more.
We sit on the balcony and I enjoy a beer, while Jane enjoys my company. I fill out my breakfast hang card thingy for a pot of coffee....some pastries...oh, and lets have one of those $4 bagels too, request a 7-7:30 delivery, and hang it outside my door. Do the wake up call for 6:30, Jane falls asleep while I turn on the tv and let it watch me for awhile before I wake up and turn it off.
The 90% chance of rain turned into some off and on sprinkles and rain for a couple hours late in the afternoon!!!
