So They Want Us To Celebrate? WELL, OK!!! (We're Back)

[Raecheal]

On our second night, we are now going to eat at the "Spirit of Aloha" dinner show. We absolutely love this dinner show and haven't gone since the last time we were there in the summer, so we're really looking forward to it. We made sure we got level one seating. I can't wait!!! If you haven't gone before, it's really entertaining and the food is very good. It's worth going to. Then, we hope to go to the MK for late night. We have a 5:15 ADR for the show/dinner, so we should have plenty of time at the MK. Once we get back to our room, I'll finally get to see the surprise that my DH ordered for me. It's going to be a great night!!!

Today, we also booked the new MK Fireworks Show!!! We just saw the news about it this weekend on wdw and I was able to get it for the night we wanted! When I first called, the CM said today was the first day they were taking ressies for the party and I was her first guest for this new booking. At first, she thought there were no openings for my date, which I thought was odd, but I chalked it up to the fact that it's new and may be getting booked quickly. At any rate, she investigated further and discovered that she was trying to book it like you would regular dining when you use your dining credits! So, it all worked out.

We loved that Dinner Show.. It was so worth it!! Just the atmosphere at the poly itself is great.. the food was soo delicious too.

I think the Dessert party is a great idea!!! I'm glad you were able to make a booking. I may have to borrow that one! The photos posted on dis look really good, nice view and your right no need to wait for a spot.

As of yesterday, I am down 40 lbs!!! I'm very excited. By the time our WDW trip arrives, I hope to be a fair way through my final 28 lbs of loss. What's also cool is that I got to see family yesterday for Father's Day, and they all remarked on the major change. They noticed not only the drop in weight, but the toning, too. Made me very happy.

Also, tomorrow is my last day for work before summer break and I'm getting a lot of curriculum to write for my summer job (which I get to do on my laptop at home)!!! Life is good.

Congrats for loosing 40 pounds. Thats amazing.. you should feel so proud.

We just booked a private photo session at our resort for our third day! I can't wait to see the various locations they take us to, throughout the session. It will be so nice to have a set of professional photos from a trip I'm sure we'll remember for a long time. Having them at AKL will definitely make for some great backgrounds. Now. . .what to wear? what to wear?

Ohhh.. What to wear.. I have absolutely no idea. I still dont' know what to wear for ours with Roots. Do you think it's going to be too HOT for jeans, high heals and a light weight summery top??

I'm excited to see your photos... I'm sure they are going to turn out great!!

Now begins the major countdown! Today, I started my summer break and we begin the official countdown to WDW. Life is good.

29 more day!!!​

Life sure is good for you... summer, wdw soon... I couldn't think of anything better.. except CAKE!!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

We loved that Dinner Show.. It was so worth it!! Just the atmosphere at the poly itself is great.. the food was soo delicious too.

I know! We loved the food, the show and the romantic feel of everything.

I think the Dessert party is a great idea!!! I'm glad you were able to make a booking. I may have to borrow that one! The photos posted on dis look really good, nice view and your right no need to wait for a spot.

We have plans to eat dinner at the Crystal Palace that night, so we'll just skip their dessert in preparation for the party. The pictures do make it look amazing!

Congrats for loosing 40 pounds. Thats amazing.. you should feel so proud.

I'm very proud. I actually got a bit teary when I saw the number on the scale. It's also great that for the first time my body is getting toned, and not just losing weight. I think I'm handling the whole getting healthy much better this time around.

Ohhh.. What to wear.. I have absolutely no idea. I still dont' know what to wear for ours with Roots. Do you think it's going to be too HOT for jeans, high heals and a light weight summery top??

I'm excited to see your photos... I'm sure they are going to turn out great!!

We are still trying to figure out what to wear. Thankfully we still over three weeks to think about it. Yes, I absolutely think it will be too HOT for jeans. We've been in early July before and oh, man. . .it's crazy HOT! You may want to consider a nice outfit that includes shorts or a skirt.

Life sure is good for you... summer, wdw soon... I couldn't think of anything better.. except CAKE!!

You're funny, and I agree!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

So, we are about two and a half weeks away!!! Earlier this week, we began buying travel size items of toiletries that we wanted to bring with us. We also found an amazing deal on a portable DVD player!!! It was the last one left, and it was on clearance. We had given up on the idea of getting one for the trip, until we saw this one, as we were walking through a store. So, now we can watch movies on the plane and during our down time in the room! I'm psyched about it. Now, we'll have to decide which DVDs to bring. Today, we went and got a carrying case for the DVD player, so we're all set.

I also picked up some great scented body sprays and lotions from "Bath and Body Works" that I plan to bring on the trip, too. One is mango tangerine and the other is black raspberry vanilla. They both smell incredible. Of course, I have already begun using them, but I went for scents that I would like to wear on vacation.

Hopefully, on Monday, some flip flops that we purchased online will arrive. They seem perfect for wearing on the trip. We are going to see how they are, and if they aren't what we wanted, we'll return them. We have other footwear to choose from, if needed.

Then, a jackpot purchase that I made today was at the bookstore. I always look for new WDW books, and I'm always disappointed to find nothing new or nothing of interest. . .till today! I found a great new book called "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World" by Susan Venes. It gives you background stories behind parts of the parks, attractions, etc. It provides information about the little details that add to the Disney magic, but you may never take the time to notice. Some of the information I already knew from tours we've done, but I can't believe how much of it I was totally unaware of. I'm still working my way through the part on the MK, and I'm loving it! As I've been reading, I've been highlighting things I want to notice or take pictures of, when we go. I'll add them to my Blackberry, so I can retrieve the information easily. It's just another way of adding fun to this trip.

As a complete side note, I was happy to find some great women's fitness magazines, at the bookstore, that I now plan to subscribe to. With my weight changes, as well as toning, I'm really determined to give it my all and see what can happen. These magazines have great tips that I can use. We both plan on working out some, on this trip, so I may bring the magazines with me. Though we have a fitness center at AKL, there are exercises in the magazines I can do right in the room. Though I know I'll get plenty of cardio with all the walking we'll be doing, I still want to continue on the other areas I may not get to target otherwise.

We also each bought a book to take on the trip. My DH and I are avid readers and are always reading at least one or more books, so we found ones we would like to bring along (for the plane, the room or by the pool), and knowing how hard it could be for us to not read them, we put them with our luggage, so they're out of sight.

Oh, this was cool. . .during the last months of school, I took on the task of teaching an extra period a day, for two days a week, for kids who really struggle in our school. Of course, I got paid extra for it. Well, my pay from it came this week and my DH took me to some jewelry places and I used a part of it to get a freshwater pearl necklace and a three strand bracelet in varying shades of chocolate brown. So pretty! I had already planned on bringing some other jewelry pieces to wear to some of the restaurants and during some of our evenings, and now, I'll add these. It was nice to treat myself.

I can't believe that we're only 18 days away! Too amazing. Right now, I'm listening to 4th of July fireworks that are going off around my area. I can't help but think about the fireworks at WDW. As my DH told me, it's hard to watch local fireworks so close to the trip, when we know what WDW can do. So true!

We have gotten our Magical Express info and luggage tags, but we still haven't gotten our WDW package that they normally send. If we don't get them by Monday, my DH plans to call them. They don't have anything of major importance, since we can print out all our confirmation info from online, but we do like getting the specialized luggage tags they send us. We use them on all our luggage, even the carry-ons! Pretty soon, we'll have more tags than we have bags.

We keep debating on what to wear on the plane ride. We want to look nice, since it's our first deluxe resort, but we don't want to wear our clothing for Jiko's, in case we wrinkle or dirty them between home and dinner that evening. We have changed our minds so much, it's not even funny! I know. . .it seems we change our minds a lot, but it's only when it comes to Disney trips.

At this point, I still have to:
- put our itinerary on my Blackberry
- post our itinerary on here (still waiting, just in case)
- finish reading the new WDW book and then copy the info from it
- pack (of course!)
- finalize our outfits for the formal pics we're having done!!!
- get the dog groomed (he goes this week)
- get my hair cut and nails done (hair scheduled for the Saturday before we go and nails the day before)

So, besides all of the above, how will I occupy the time, between now and the trip? On Thursday, I picked up my summer curriculum writing work that I typically do each summer. It's a great way to make extra money in the summer, since I enjoy doing them (for anyone who knows what curriculum writing involves, yes, I know that sounds weird) and I can do it from home. Can't beat that! That will take up a good amount of time. This week, I'll begin working on that, with the goal of getting done before we leave. I also plan to go to the local waterpark at least once a week, hopefully, for the enjoyment and to work on my tan before facing the Florida sun. Eighteen days will go fast, I know.

Stay tuned. . .since I'm home for the summer and I tend to go nuts the closer we get to the trip (How many more days? Why can't we leave yet? Is it too early to pack? No, I'm not kidding. ), I'm sure I'll be back more often.

 

[njdisneyfreak]

I've been reading the postings on the AKL/AKV thread and someone posted the June list of activities. We're excited! They have culinary tours of Boma and Jiko's at 4 p.m. daily. We may get to try that on the day we arrive, but if not, we have other afternoons to try this.

They also have African Storytelling by the Arusha Fire Pit at 7:30 each night. The English teacher in me can't wait for those. We also can't wait to do the night vision animal watching that begins each night at 8:30. Then, apparently, they have something called the cultural safari, which is a 20 minute tour of the native homeland of their cultural representatives at 8:30 each night. They also offer nightly family portraits in the lobby, each night, that can be put on your Photopass.

This is the first time we're staying at a resort that offers so much, and that's not including all the kid related activities. Can you tell how psyched I am???

 

[joelp]

... just wait till you're into single digits!!

Don't bother with "fancy" clothes just because AKL is a Deluxe resort - shorts and t-shirts are the "preferred attire" ... (as at any other WDW resort ...)

You can get a little "dressed up" for Jiko, but otherwise - casual, casual, casual ...

 

[dogodisney]

The countdown is on! It has come pretty quickly. At least it seems that way to me, I'm sure it hasn't for you. But if you are going to do some work before you leave the time will go faster.

 

[disneygirlinnj]

I can't believe it's so close for you guys! And the culinary tours sound right up my alley. Hope you get to do them

 

[njdisneyfreak]

... just wait till you're into single digits!!

Don't bother with "fancy" clothes just because AKL is a Deluxe resort - shorts and t-shirts are the "preferred attire" ... (as at any other WDW resort ...)

You can get a little "dressed up" for Jiko, but otherwise - casual, casual, casual ...

We'll be in single digits shortly. It's hard to imagine.

As for fancy clothes, that isn't what I meant. I was referring to wearing something more than denim shorts and t-shirts. We will still be in shorts and casual attire, just nicer than usual.

The countdown is on! It has come pretty quickly. At least it seems that way to me, I'm sure it hasn't for you. But if you are going to do some work before you leave the time will go faster.

Yes, having stuff to do is definitely making the time move quicker. It actually has come pretty quickly in retrospect, but it's still hard to wait, especially knowing we're so close.

I can't believe it's so close for you guys! And the culinary tours sound right up my alley. Hope you get to do them

I'll be sure to share in my PTR how that tour goes. It's definitely something we're looking forward to doing. 15 days from this moment, we'll already have been at WDW for several hours. Hard to imagine.

 

[njdisneyfreak]

So far, I have put our itinerary on my Blackberry. I have finished reading ther new WDW book and have gotten through a quarter of copying the info from it. We have finalized our outfits for the formal pictures session. Seems like we're moving right along. We have officially bought everything we need.

Also, our new footwear arrived yesterday. They are essentially flip flops. My DH got the typical flip flop, while mine has the slight heel to them. They are amazing! So comfortable. They seem to form right to the foot. They are made with reflexology in mind, so they provide complete foot comfort. It's kind of shocking how good they feel. To top it off, they are completely plastic, so they can withstand rain, without problem, while still adhering to our feet.

Here's a picture of my black pair:

We each got a pair in black and brown. They were also only $15 a piece! Hard to beat. On Friday, we'll be spending the day in New York City, so we're going to see how well they do for that long of a day and that much walking and standing. Hopefully, they work well for us, because we won't have to bring as much footwear on the trip. That will leave more space for souvenirs!!!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

In the past, we've always left our mousetipping in plain envelopes and would mark them as Mousekeeping or Tip. This time, we decided to use this website: http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/trip/mousekeeping.shtml and make fancy Mousekeeping envelopes. They are so cute! We just finished printing them out.

Of course, we got the AKL themed one! Can you tell we're excited? Later this afternoon we're going to get the cash to put in the envelopes and then tips will be taken care of.

ONLY 2 MORE WEEKS TO GO!!!​

 

[joelp]

Cool ...

Last trip I just brought plain envelopes - and a couple hundred Disney stickers ... Each morning the DD and I (ultimately - after the "thrill" wore off for the DD... just me ... ) would put a bunch of stickers on an envelope and leave it before heading out ...

But this coming trip I may do things differently ...

Only 2 weeks??!!??

Guess you're all packed, huh?

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Cool ...

Last trip I just brought plain envelopes - and a couple hundred Disney stickers ... Each morning the DD and I (ultimately - after the "thrill" wore off for the DD... just me ... ) would put a bunch of stickers on an envelope and leave it before heading out ...

But this coming trip I may do things differently ...

Only 2 weeks??!!??

Guess you're all packed, huh?

That's funny how your DD left you to do the rest of the stickers on the envelopes alone. Doing the envelopes I did made them look nice and took hardly any time at all. You may want to try it.

Funny you should mention packing! We layed out our clothes, to see what we plan to bring, and since my DH won't be wearing a lot of the clothes we're taking anytime soon, he put many of them in one of the suitcases. So, technically, we've started packing! Oh, how you know us.

 

[Raecheal]

WOW... You've been posting alot...how many days left until you leave? Your countdown gets cut off in sig for me!

I've been reading the postings on the AKL/AKV thread and someone posted the June list of activities. We're excited! They have culinary tours of Boma and Jiko's at 4 p.m. daily. We may get to try that on the day we arrive, but if not, we have other afternoons to try this.

They also have African Storytelling by the Arusha Fire Pit at 7:30 each night. The English teacher in me can't wait for those. We also can't wait to do the night vision animal watching that begins each night at 8:30. Then, apparently, they have something called the cultural safari, which is a 20 minute tour of the native homeland of their cultural representatives at 8:30 each night. They also offer nightly family portraits in the lobby, each night, that can be put on your Photopass.

This is the first time we're staying at a resort that offers so much, and that's not including all the kid related activities. Can you tell how psyched I am???

WOW.. I had no clue they offered so many activities.. oh... this makes me want to stay at the AKL... Your going to love it.. I can't wait to see your photos and hear all about it..

So far, I have put our itinerary on my Blackberry. I have finished reading ther new WDW book and have gotten through a quarter of copying the info from it. We have finalized our outfits for the formal pictures session. Seems like we're moving right along. We have officially bought everything we need.

Also, our new footwear arrived yesterday. They are essentially flip flops. My DH got the typical flip flop, while mine has the slight heel to them. They are amazing! So comfortable. They seem to form right to the foot. They are made with reflexology in mind, so they provide complete foot comfort. It's kind of shocking how good they feel. To top it off, they are completely plastic, so they can withstand rain, without problem, while still adhering to our feet.

Here's a picture of my black pair:

We each got a pair in black and brown. They were also only $15 a piece! Hard to beat. On Friday, we'll be spending the day in New York City, so we're going to see how well they do for that long of a day and that much walking and standing. Hopefully, they work well for us, because we won't have to bring as much footwear on the trip. That will leave more space for souvenirs!!!

Wow.. only 15 dollars... what a steal. I always try to pack less to leave more for souvenirs!!

In the past, we've always left our mousetipping in plain envelopes and would mark them as Mousekeeping or Tip. This time, we decided to use this website: http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/trip/mousekeeping.shtml and make fancy Mousekeeping envelopes. They are so cute! We just finished printing them out.

Of course, we got the AKL themed one! Can you tell we're excited? Later this afternoon we're going to get the cash to put in the envelopes and then tips will be taken care of.

ONLY 2 MORE WEEKS TO GO!!!​

WOW... 2 weeks and your gone.. time is going by soo fast.. THANK YOU- THANK YOU for posting that link for the Mousekeeping envelopes. We've already printed some.. that is such a great idea.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Getting so close to your trip! You have such fun & unique stuff planned. The portrait session will be perfect and I will be anxious to hear all about the culinary tour at AKL!

Can I ask where you got those flip flops with the heel? I them!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

WOW... You've been posting alot...how many days left until you leave? Your countdown gets cut off in sig for me!

Once my summer break begins each year, I tend to go online a lot more!

I only have 11 days left. . .yippee!!!

WOW.. I had no clue they offered so many activities.. oh... this makes me want to stay at the AKL... Your going to love it.. I can't wait to see your photos and hear all about it..

Those were just some of the activities. There's actually more. You will appreciate staying there more when you have more than a weekend. I'm sure for this trip, you'll be happy to have saved the extra resort cost. Besides, POP is fun, and you'll be too busy to enjoy all AKL has to offer if you stayed there for the first time. . .But, don't worry. . .I'll fill you all in when I return, for sure.

Wow.. only 15 dollars... what a steal. I always try to pack less to leave more for souvenirs!!

I love good footwear, especially if it looks good and the cost was reasonable. Packing less to make more room for souvenirs just seems like a WDW trip necessity.

WOW... 2 weeks and your gone.. time is going by soo fast.. THANK YOU- THANK YOU for posting that link for the Mousekeeping envelopes. We've already printed some.. that is such a great idea.

Yeah, the time has been going faster than I thought it would. Then, every so often, my DH and I will stop and look at each other saying, "Man, I wish we were already in Disney."

I'm glad you were able to make envelopes, too!!! I think they're fun, and it also lets the mousekeeper know you cared enough to think ahead like that, in my opinion. Which ones did you pick?

Getting so close to your trip! You have such fun & unique stuff planned. The portrait session will be perfect and I will be anxious to hear all about the culinary tour at AKL!

Can I ask where you got those flip flops with the heel? I them!

We tried to make this trip extra special. There are a lot of neat things planned, and I'm so psyched for all of it!

Don't worry. . . I'll be sure to share all about the photo session and the culinary tour.

Of course, you can ask about the flip flop with heels. They are at this website: http://store.okabashi.com/okabashi-womens-splash-thong-heel-shoe-made-in-the-usa.aspx

They have been absolutely amazing! If you know anything about reflexology foot massages, they were made with reflexology in mind, so your foot is getting the pressure it needs at the right points on the foot, to ease any tension, while also making the toes comfortable. They are the best pair of footwear I've ever put on my feet. My DH loves his pairs, too. Of course, his don't have heels like mine! I would definitely recommend them. I've actually been complimented on them, too. So, they must look as good to others, as they do to us. Let me know what you think of them.

 

[njdisneyfreak]

At this point, we have more items in the suitcases. Yes, we still have 11 days left, but there are different things that we can pack already, so why not, right?

I have filled all the mousekeeping envelopes with the tip money, so they're all set.

I made what I believe will be out last dining change. I think we made some great choices. I'll give it another day or two or three before officially posting the list. If you've been with me long enough, you know we change our dining choices quite often, so it's better to wait.

Today, Photopass called and left a message about our photo session at the AKL, but only said they'd call back tomorrow. Well, we didn't want to wait. What if they had to cancel or something major, so we called them back. They only needed to move our time back a half hour, which is fine. That will give us more time to get ready for it. We only planned stuff for that morning and then for the evening, leaving the afternoon wide open. So, thankfully, it's all good! I'm so excited about getting these pics done.

We've also been checking out the various savanna views, looking at pictures and reading reviews. Though we know it's up to the AKL people to ultimately decide, we are going to request the Arusha Savanna. It seems to have the best views and variety of animals, from what we've been able to gather. In a day or two, we will be able to check-in to the resort online, so we'll make the request then. Since checking in online is new, this is the first time we're trying this. How crazy that you can do this online, but we'll give it a shot.

Also, after we came home today from getting massages, we decided to call the AKL fitness center and spa and get some price quotes for their massages. Why not, when it's right in our resort, right? There were a couple of options we liked, so we are going to keep that open as an idea, in case our bodies need it on the trip. They said you can typically book the same day and get the time you want. I guess not a lot of people consider using them, when the first place most people think of going for massages is GF. At the very least, we are thinking of getting massages again the day before we leave for WDW. We haven't decided on that for sure, though.

Today, we were looking at pics of the AKL interior and discovered that each floor of the resort has amazing Africa art everywhere! We were so excited to see that. We knew they existed on the main level, but we never imagined how extensive their collection was. We plan to do a lot of exploring on our first day and are so glad that we didn't plan anything for once we arrive, but dinner at Jiko's. This will allow us to get acquainted with all the AKL has to offer and figure out what we want to do throughout our trip. We're hoping to end our evening with some time in one of their hot tubs/saunas, over by the pools, before getting some sleep for our first morning at the parks.

We really need to work more on getting tan, before heading on our trip. So, today we had hoped to lay out by the pool, but the weather wasn't cooperating with us. We figure though, between the pool and the water park, we still have plenty of time to get a base tan before dealing with the notorious Florida sun. This has been such an unusually cool summer, relatively speaking, than in the past over here. So, we're hoping for some weather that cooperates with us between now and our trip.

Finally, the dog has gotten groomed and he's completely ready for his trip at the dog boarding resort, not that he knows that. Leaving him is the only part of trip planning and leaving that we don't like, but at least we know he's in a good place while we're gone and well cared for.

Up Next. . . Our itinerary.

 

[joelp]

Sounds great!!

My wife got a massage at AKL last Dec - she had no problen booking a time (with all the other stuff going on, I guess that "activity" is not all that popular ...)

I'll see if I can get the DW to check out your new shows, too - she always seems to have "foot/shoe" problems at WDW (me? - I just wear my running shoes ...)

And with this unseasonably cool weather we've been having in NJ, you may want mentally prepare yourself for the physical shock of FLA in July ... ... I would have "going easy" in the back of your mind - and drinking LOTS of water ... and dole whips ... and Mickey Ice Cream bars ...

This has definitely not been our typical NJ summer so far - I haven't had the AC on since a couple of nights in late April, and the DW hasn't even mentioned putting the screen in the front storm door ...

You're almost into single digits!!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Sounds great!!

My wife got a massage at AKL last Dec - she had no problen booking a time (with all the other stuff going on, I guess that "activity" is not all that popular ...)

I'll see if I can get the DW to check out your new shows, too - she always seems to have "foot/shoe" problems at WDW (me? - I just wear my running shoes ...)

And with this unseasonably cool weather we've been having in NJ, you may want mentally prepare yourself for the physical shock of FLA in July ... ... I would have "going easy" in the back of your mind - and drinking LOTS of water ... and dole whips ... and Mickey Ice Cream bars ...

This has definitely not been our typical NJ summer so far - I haven't had the AC on since a couple of nights in late April, and the DW hasn't even mentioned putting the screen in the front storm door ...

You're almost into single digits!!

Glad to hear about the massages at AKL, since we won't know till practically last minute if and when we want to get them.

I hope your DW likes the flip flops. They are seriously amazing!

It's definitely an usual NJ summer. Don't worry about us adjusting to the Florida heat. You must have read our minds! We do plan on drinking LOTS of water, eating Dole Whips and getting Mickey ice cream bars! In fact, we are bringing along Crystal Light Packets to use in the water bottles, from time to time. Also, I still have my Disney water misting fan from our last summer trip. I definitely plan to bring that, too!

We are in single digits today!!!. . .so hard to believe, but I'm so thrilled.

 

[disneygirlinnj]

I can't believe your trip is coming up so quickly! The massages sound like a great idea!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

I can't believe your trip is coming up so quickly! The massages sound like a great idea!

I can't believe it either! Hopefully, we will get massages and get to report back on them to everyone.