The (Almost) Solo Trip - May 2016 TR (New 5/12 - Travel Day and WL Arrival)

[SimplyGoofy]

The (Almost) Solo Trip

April 28 - May 8, 2016


Welcome, everyone! Please keep your arms and legs inside the boat for a very different SimplyGoofy trip report experience!

For those that have followed my past and current trip reports, you’re likely familiar with my usual travel companion. Say hello to my sister, Anika (on the right):

Anika and I enjoyed a spectacular, 17 day graduation celebration visit in 2015, which is currently being documented in my trip report Aren’t Graduations Grand!

It’s impossible to top that vacation (17 days, people!), but that won’t stop me from visiting the World! I decided to do things a bit differently in 2016 and travel earlier in the spring. This would allow me to see my very first Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot!

Unfortunately, Anika was now a college student and could no longer travel during off-season times. I’d considered traveling to the world solo, but instead, all of my Disney chatter had led to another person being interested in visiting Disney World.

Everyone, please meet our mom!

My mom, Becky, is one of my favorite people in the world! She is truly one of my best friends, and she and I have been known to talk multiple times a day (much to the astonishment and amusement of my dad). She has been to Disneyland once many years ago, and to Disney World four times before on our family trips in 1986, 1988, 2005, and 2007. I’m so grateful that she and dad introduced us to Disney World through several childhood trips! She enjoys gardening, Sunday movie matinees, and spending time with her family and friends.

For those that are new to my trip reports, I’m Jenny. My Disney favorites include Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom (a growing favorite!), the Tower of Terror, meeting characters, multiple ADRs, and the Grey Goose slush. In addition to being a Disney fanatic, I also love good food (see all those ADRs!), Broadway shows, reading, and movies.

Even though this trip may not have been 17 days long, we still had a wonderful time in the World! You can look forward to the usual slew of ADRs, many rides on Tower or Terror, and many more character meets!

I look forward to sharing our adventures with you!

Up Next: What to Look Forward To

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Chapter Links

Pre-Trip
A Very Different Disney Trip

Day 1
Arrival in the Wilderness
A Room with a Magical View

 

[SimplyGoofy]

A Very Different Disney Trip
Pre-Trip Details

Planning a trip with my mom is not quite the same as planning a trip with Anika. Anika and I have been known to be park commandos and be in the park from early in the morning until late at night! With so many trips under our belts we’ve now been known to relax now and again, but we still enjoy making it to rope drop and seeing the late-night shows!

My mom is NOT a park commando. First, she’s a few years older than Anika and I, and second, she has a few medical issues that make trooping through the parks for hours on end a less than thrilling proposition. However, she was VERY excited about eating in a few fancy restaurants and staying at some new resorts. She was also pretty darn excited to be going on a vacation – she hadn’t had a formal vacation in years! Finally, as we were going during her birthday, I needed to include some fun experiences!

With this mind, here’s what I came up with!

We’d stay for two nights at a new to both of us resort, the Wilderness Lodge!

Followed by the last eight nights of our vacation at a favorite from our 2015 trip, Pop Century:

After hearing our stories throughout the years, I was excited to book the Hoop Dee Doo Revue:

A breakfast visit to Kona so my mom could enjoy the Macadamia Nut Pancakes:

A birthday dinner at the California Grill:

A pre-park opening breakfast at Crystal Palace:

And the one my mom was most excited about - dinner with the Beast at Be Our Guest!

Beauty and the Beast is her favorite Disney movie, and she’s been talking about this restaurant since she saw our pictures from our 2013 trip!

Mom was planning to spend a lot of time relaxing at the resorts and enjoying the pool during her vacation, so I was looking forward to some solo park time! I was able to do things I’d wanted to do for years, such as ride Expedition Everest multiple times in a row (seven times in one morning, baby!):

In addition, as my character-phobic sister would not be along this time, I looked forward to MANY character interactions! I was not disappointed with the antics!

Finally, it was fun to enjoy a few things that I’d never experienced before, such as seeing Epcot all decked out in topiaries and flowers:

And did I mention the Flower and Garden food booths?!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

And… here we gooooooooo!

Up Next: The Day Before and the Travel Day

 

[chunkymonkey]

OMG am I first? YES!!!!!
Looking forward to this!! Your mom sounds super cute. BaTB is my favorite too

 

[Sailormoon2]

seven times in one morning, baby!):

Amazing!!! I tried to do this with TSMM (4x) and Space (5x) on my last solo trip.

 

[Tracy161]

Anika and I have been known to be park commandos and be in the park from early in the morning until late at night!

Hmm... this is sounding familiar... might be my style, too

We’d stay for two nights at a new to both of us resort, the Wilderness Lodge!

Yay! I was so excited to explore this resort a little in January - excited to hear about your experience!

I was able to do things I’d wanted to do for years, such as ride Expedition Everest multiple times in a row (seven times in one morning, baby!

Impressive!!!

Finally, it was fun to enjoy a few things that I’d never experienced before, such as seeing Epcot all decked out in topiaries and flowers

Epcot never looks as beautiful as it does during F&G

So excited to read more! And super impressed that you're juggling 2 TRs!

 

[pkondz]

Welcome, everyone!

Say hello to my sister, Anika

Hi Anika!

Everyone, please meet our mom!

Hi Mom!

For those that are new to my trip reports, I’m Jenny.

Hi Jenny!

My Disney favorites include Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom (a growing favorite!), my all time favorite DIS writer, pkondz, the Tower of Terror, meeting characters, multiple ADRs, and the Grey Goose slush.

Awww.... so nice that you mentioned me as your fave!


Actually, I chuckled that you included GGS in that list.
(But dang... that sucker is good!)

My mom is NOT a park commando. First, she’s a few years older than Anika and I

She is? Your own mother? That's so weird!

She was also pretty darn excited to be going on a vacation – she hadn’t had a formal vacation in years!

Then it was high time she had one!

We’d stay for two nights at a new to both of us resort, the Wilderness Lodge!

Followed by the last eight nights of our vacation at a favorite from our 2015 trip, Pop Century:

If it's not giving it away, something I was wondering about:
Now that you did that, would you recommend
1. Doing deluxe and then Value so you get right into the Disney bubble right away. or;
2. Doing Value and then Deluxe so you finish with the nicer resort?

And the one my mom was most excited about - dinner with the Beast at Be Our Guest!

And she got to meet him! Good!!!

I was able to do things I’d wanted to do for years, such as ride Expedition Everest multiple times in a row (seven times in one morning, baby!):

Seven. Times.... in a row.....

I noticed the dark band on your leg and it took me a few seconds to figure out what I was looking at. (The band I mean... I figured the leg part out)
At first I was like "Why is she wearing a black garter?" Immediately knew it couldn't be. Then thought it was the shadow from the bar.... but then you'd have it on both legs.

Then I figured it out.

Sheesh.

Awww... That's a really, really good shot. You look like you're having a total blast!

And… here we gooooooooo!

Love that ride. Okay! Let's fly!

 

[glennbo123]

Signing on! I'll have to come back to read later though.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

OMG am I first? YES!!!!!
Looking forward to this!! Your mom sounds super cute. BaTB is my favorite too

Su-Lynn! Congratulations on being first!

We had an excellent vacation - it was a great blend of park commando, relaxation, and tons of good food. Mom was so excited to be along after hearing about it for so many years!

She LOVED Be Our Guest! It was truly a magical experience for her!

Amazing!!! I tried to do this with TSMM (4x) and Space (5x) on my last solo trip.

It's so nice to see you here! Thanks so much for saying hello!

Wow, four times on TSMM?! That's very impressive given their crazy lines! Space Mountain sounds pretty awesome, too!

Hmm... this is sounding familiar... might be my style, too

Tracy! I'm so excited you're here!

The more trips I take, the better I get about taking it easy (at least occasionally! ). I know I'll get back to Disney World in the future and can do something next time, so I might as well enjoy some relaxation on my vacation! (Such an novel concept for vacation - relaxation?! )

Yay! I was so excited to explore this resort a little in January - excited to hear about your experience!

It's such a terrific resort! I really loved staying there!

Impressive!!!

Thank you! I'd wanted to do it for a while, so I was excited that it worked out!

Epcot never looks as beautiful as it does during F&G

It really IS beautiful! I'd love to go back there at the same time given the beauty and the lesser crowds!

So excited to read more! And super impressed that you're juggling 2 TRs!

Thanks! I'm going to do my best... we'll see how it goes!

Hi Anika!

Hi Mom!

Hi Jenny!

Hi, Pkondz!

and thanks for coming over! I'm so glad you're here!

Awww.... so nice that you mentioned me as your fave!


Actually, I chuckled that you included GGS in that list.
(But dang... that sucker is good!)

Way to work yourself in there!

I FINALLY tried it on the 2015 trip and don't know why I waited so long! It is DELICIOUS!

She is? Your own mother? That's so weird!

It would be REALLY impressive if she was younger!

Then it was high time she had one!

Yes! We hadn't done a full "family" vacation since 2011. My dad goes on a golfing vacation in Florida every year, but that's a "Guys' Trip" so Mom doesn't travel along. She was certainly due!

If it's not giving it away, something I was wondering about:
Now that you did that, would you recommend
1. Doing deluxe and then Value so you get right into the Disney bubble right away. or;
2. Doing Value and then Deluxe so you finish with the nicer resort?

Frankly, both have plusses and minuses.

It's nice to work upward on the resorts, so it may be nice to finish with the deluxe.

For me personally, the deluxe followed by the value seems to work best. First, I'm better about enjoying the resort and taking it easy at the beginning of the vacation, so I'd get more out of the "deluxe" experience. Second, I tend to aim for an early arrival to Disney World, so I'd have more resort time with two nights at the beginning of the vacation than two nights at the end.

Frankly, I'm now a split-stay convert, so I'd be happy to do it in either order in order to experience multiple resorts on a trip!

And she got to meet him! Good!!!

He even danced with her (as he noticed the birthday pin). It was pretty awesome!

Seven. Times.... in a row.....

The other day I visited Animal Kingdom I did it SIX times in a row... it was great both times!

I noticed the dark band on your leg and it took me a few seconds to figure out what I was looking at. (The band I mean... I figured the leg part out)
At first I was like "Why is she wearing a black garter?" Immediately knew it couldn't be. Then thought it was the shadow from the bar.... but then you'd have it on both legs.

Then I figured it out.

Sheesh.

My park bag does NOT like to fit in that tiny "bag holder", so the best solution I've found for Everest is to hold the bag against the back of the car with my foot but also loop the strap around my leg (for extra protection). It does look odd in the pictures!

Awww... That's a really, really good shot. You look like you're having a total blast!

I had several great character interactions to choose from, but Chip and Dale were a riot! I'm sorry that they no longer meet there in AK as I LOVED them!

Love that ride. Okay! Let's fly!

Signing on! I'll have to come back to read later though.

Glenn! I'm so glad you're here!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Arrival in the Wilderness
Day 1 – Thursday, April 28th

It only took three Disney trips in the past four years, but I finally got smart! Rather than a repeat of the 2015 trip where I didn’t see my bed until 1:00 in the morning (yay, late-night, last-minute packing!), I thought ahead and took Wednesday off! It was GLORIOUS to have an entire day to do last-minute errands and laundry and have plenty of (daylight!) time for packing!

My mom arrived at my house on Wednesday afternoon and we embarked on our first fun experience of the trip – we got pedicures at a fancy salon. I don’t get a pedicure very often as I can do the same thing myself (for less money!), but it was fun afternoon with Mom. With the rest of the day free for cleaning and packing, I was actually in bed at a decent hour!

That was a good thing, as we were up EARLY the next day! We had a 6:30 flight out of our local airport on Thursday morning.

Mom and I left the house around 5:00 in the morning as even though the airport is only 15 minutes away, I always like to arrive with lots of spare time!

Mom had not flown on an airplane in a few years, so she was out of practice for all the TSA security procedures. I’m pretty sure the liquid ban was not in place the last time she flew. In addition, she uses a C-PAP machine due to some complications from her auto-immune disease, so we had to figure out how to get the “medical device” through the security scanners. It was more of an adventure than I’m used to in the security line!

Thankfully, the lines were pretty minimal at the airport and it didn’t take us long to get through security. It wasn’t long before we were lining up for our spots in the “A” boarding group! I love flying Southwest (no baggage fees!) and REALLY love early-bird check-in (you can pick practically any seat!).

Pretty soon, we were on the plane!

My Disney excitement is already evident! Don’t worry – my mom’s kicks in soon!

We had an easy flight to St. Louis. We didn’t have a very long layover, but I had enough time to grab this on the way to our gate:

I love soft pretzels!

One bathroom break later, we were on our second plane of the day:

Onward to Orlando!

We landed a few minutes early and made our way to the mini-monorail. I made sure to grab my favorite seat:

Mom had never experienced the Magical Express, so I led the way:

I was surprised how busy the Magical Express was on a Thursday! Anika and I have always arrived on a Saturday so I always expect weekend crowds. I was very impressed how well-coordinated the family in front of us was – it’s hard to make orange and pinkish-purple look good on multiple people!

We only waited about ten minutes before we were directed to a bus. We were fairly far back in the line, so we were solidly in the middle of the bus:

I took a picture of Mom and I and sent it to Anika (with the caption, “It’s Magical Express Time!”):

Anika responded by sending me a picture of her lunch with the caption, “It’s magical lunch time!” What a goober.

As we were further back on the bus, we didn’t get the best picture of the welcome sign:

Oh, well… who cares! We were in Disney World!



Our first stop was a resort Mom was looking forward to seeing – the Polynesian! We would be back several times during the trip, so it was fine to see it from the bus for now.

Next up was Anika’s favorite resort – the Grand Floridian:

Finally, we were up! Welcome to the Wilderness Lodge!

The entrance reminded me a lot of the Animal Kingdom Lodge (which isn’t a big surprise as I believe they were designed by the same person):

Onward, through the auto-magical doors:

What a stunning resort! My initial pictures were little dark, but you can still see how MASSIVE the lobby is:

We hadn’t gotten a text about our room being ready so we inquired at the desk. It indeed wasn’t ready, so we decided to drop our carry-on bags with bell services while we explored the resort and got something to eat.

First up was FOOD, as we were starving! We decided to walk outside to reach our destination:

It was such a beautiful day!

Our destination was Roaring Fork, which I’ve read about in many trip and dining reports and was excited to try:

Mom and I got nearly the same thing, as we were both drawn to the flatbreads. Mom chose the Tomato Basil Flatbread:

And I selected the chef’s flatbread of the day, which was Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese:

YUM! We both really enjoyed these as they were made fresh for us.

We also picked up our mugs (green for me, red for Mom):

And of course, I needed dessert! I had originally thought to get the S’Mores Cupcake, but this delicious looking strawberry cupcake won out:

Also very tasty!

While we were eating we received the text that our room was ready – that didn’t take long!

Up Next: Our room at the Wilderness Lodge

 

[SimplyGoofy]

A Room with a Magical View
Day 1 – Part II

We managed to find our way to the elevators near the Roaring Fork and headed to the sixth floor. We walked down a few hallways, and finally found room 6052:

I gave Mom the honor of the opening the door with her magic band.

Here’s the room!

It’s pretty much the same layout as the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but with the National Park/Woodsy theme rather than the African Savannah. Although my love for the Animal Kingdom Lodge runs deep, I must admit that I really liked our room!

Now, comes the most important part of having a balcony… what was our view?

I had booked a Forest View room on Orbitz, which was the least expensive view available. I didn’t have very high expectations, plus I was ridiculously turned around from looping the hallways to find our room so I had no idea which way we were facing.

First I looked down:

Meh, what a lovely service lot and view of construction?

Then I looked up and a bit over.

And saw this:

MAGIC KINGDOM VIEW, BABY!!!

The Contemporary, Space Mountain, AND the castle?!

Holy cow, how on earth did we get this view?! I was SUPER excited about it!

Mom thought it was nice, but wasn’t nearly as excited. (Doesn’t she understand that paying for a regular view and getting a park view was a BIG DEAL?!)

We’ll just say that the view certainly started our trip the right magical foot!

The Wilderness Lodge was under construction during our visit, so they included these cute pins for our trouble:

We didn’t notice the construction (we saw it, but never really heard it and it never bothered us), so that was a nice bonus even when it wasn’t necessary!

After retrieving our carry-on bags from bell services and enjoying the room for a bit, I took a taxi to the Disney Car Care Center to retrieve our rental car.

I know you must be wondering why on earth we didn’t get a rental car at the airport? A few reasons. First, as Mom had never ridden the Magical Express I wanted to provide the full Disney experience. Second, I rather enjoy riding the Magical Express myself as it seems to signify the “start” of a vacation for me. Third, MAGICAL EXPRESS LUGGAGE DELIVERY. Not having to retrieve our bags and truck them to a rental car and then to our room was enough of a reason alone! Finally, I’d always had such good experiences renting from the Disney Car Care Center (it was my third time in the past four years), that I was happy to give them return business!

Plus, I got a heck of a deal on the rental, so it was about the same price as what I would’ve paid at the airport PLUS we got to experience the Magical Express and enjoy the luggage delivery! WIN!

Here was our vehicle for the week, a Chevy Malibu:

Next up was a trip to the grocery store, for a selection of snacks and a flat of bottled water. Anika and I made a similar grocery stop in 2015 and really enjoyed having the handy water bottles! I also picked up some distilled water for Mom’s C-PAP machine and for a nasal rinse she does daily.

I had to drive outside the Disney gates to go to the grocery store, so you better believe I took these on my way in:

(Don't worry - I wasn't as much of a road hazard as it appears! I rested my camera on the steering wheel with my finger over the picture button. I hit the button a bunch of times and hoped for the best - and they turned out great!)

That said, it's amazing there aren't more accidents by that darn welcome sign!

I made my way back to the Wilderness Lodge, and got a picture of their entrance gate as well:

Welcome home!

I brought up the groceries, which wasn’t much fun as I was carrying a flat of water, a gallon of distilled water, and several additional bags of snacks. I used the water as a tray of sorts and managed to get it in with one trip.

We had a few hours before we needed to leave for dinner. I rested in the air conditioning for a bit, and then Mom and I went to sit by the pool.

An hour later, we headed down to the boat dock to catch our ride for dinner:

Part of the reason I chose to stay at the Wilderness Lodge first is so we’d have easy transport to our kick-off dinner. I was starting off big by introducing Mom to a highlight from our last trip, the Hoop Dee Doo Revue!

Up Next: Hoop Dee Doo Revue, The Sequel!

 

[therealdisney01]

Joining in!!

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Joining in! It sounds like you have an awesome trip ahead!

Hoop Dee Doo is one of my all time favorite things in WDW!

Can't wait to read more

 

[xlsm]

The Wilderness Lodge is my FAVORITE RESORT on property. I love, love, love it, and it is my home sweet home. I hope you enjoyed your time there before switching!!

I also hope you got one of the s'mores cupcakes at some point, because they are also one of my very favorite Disney snacks.

Excited to read along...I'll be taking my mom on her first ever trip in October, so I'm curious to see how your trip went.

 

[Sailormoon2]

WOW!! That Lobby! And your room looks great! Getting some snack foods, and especially water I find just makes the whole experience so much easier. Awesome start so far.

 

[Tracy161]

(Such an novel concept for vacation - relaxation?! )

Indeed it is!

I love soft pretzels!

Me, too!!!

As we were further back on the bus, we didn’t get the best picture of the welcome sign

Even still... sure beats the road signs we see on our way to work, right? I'll take a bad view of that sign any day!

And of course, I needed dessert!

This is basically my life motto.

The Contemporary, Space Mountain, AND the castle?!

 

[chunkymonkey]

My mom arrived at my house on Wednesday afternoon and we embarked on our first fun experience of the trip – we got pedicures at a fancy salon.

Nice!! I get pedicures before a vacation too so I love when I get one as it signifies I'm going on vacation!!

I love soft pretzels!

Me too!

Anika responded by sending me a picture of her lunch with the caption, “It’s magical lunch time!” What a goober.

Haha, sisterly love!

Oh, well… who cares! We were in Disney World!

YAY!!!

What a stunning resort! My initial pictures were little dark, but you can still see how MASSIVE the lobby is:

Gorgeous!!

YUM! We both really enjoyed these as they were made fresh for us.

Yum, looks delicious!

It’s pretty much the same layout as the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but with the National Park/Woodsy theme rather than the African Savannah. Although my love for the Animal Kingdom Lodge runs deep, I must admit that I really liked our room!

Love it! I can't wait to stay at AKL next weekend!

MAGIC KINGDOM VIEW, BABY!!!

The Contemporary, Space Mountain, AND the castle?!

WHAT!!! Amazing! Could you watch Wishes at night?!?

The Wilderness Lodge was under construction during our visit, so they included these cute pins for our trouble:

How cute!!

Finally, I’d always had such good experiences renting from the Disney Car Care Center (it was my third time in the past four years), that I was happy to give them return business!

Good to know! I've always wondered about renting a car.

That said, it's amazing there aren't more accidents by that darn welcome sign!

Hahaha. Let's hope it stays that way! Or maybe it's a statistic that doesn't get published...

Part of the reason I chose to stay at the Wilderness Lodge first is so we’d have easy transport to our kick-off dinner. I was starting off big by introducing Mom to a highlight from our last trip, the Hoop Dee Doo Revue!

Oooooh can't wait to hear about this!

 

[Dugette]

seven times in one morning, baby!

Wow! That's a lot of backwards time! Closest thing I've done to this is one of our childhood trips, my brother and I went on Space Mountain 6 times in a row. We just kept running out and back in, as there was no line. I think my dad only stuck with us for like 2 of the rides, then let us keep going (we were old enough to ride w/o him, I guess).

In addition, as my character-phobic sister would not be along this time, I looked forward to MANY character interactions! I was not disappointed with the antics!

Ha, I never realized Anika had a character-aversion. Cute pic of you with Chip and Dale!

My park bag does NOT like to fit in that tiny "bag holder", so the best solution I've found for Everest is to hold the bag against the back of the car with my foot but also loop the strap around my leg (for extra protection). It does look odd in the pictures!

This is one of the best things about having a stroller now in the parks - so much easier to deal with bags! I used to have to squish them in with me, but now just leave it all (except valuables) in the stroller.

It only took three Disney trips in the past four years, but I finally got smart! Rather than a repeat of the 2015 trip where I didn’t see my bed until 1:00 in the morning (yay, late-night, last-minute packing!), I thought ahead and took Wednesday off! It was GLORIOUS to have an entire day to do last-minute errands and laundry and have plenty of (daylight!) time for packing!

That is smart. I THINK about doing that every trip, but can't convince myself to spend a vacation day NOT on vacation.

MAGIC KINGDOM VIEW, BABY!!!

The Contemporary, Space Mountain, AND the castle?!

Holy cow, how on earth did we get this view?! I was SUPER excited about it!

Nice!!

I brought up the groceries, which wasn’t much fun as I was carrying a flat of water, a gallon of distilled water, and several additional bags of snacks. I used the water as a tray of sorts and managed to get it in with one trip.

Once again, you are reminding me of all the benefits of having a stroller in the parks. They are super handy for hauling heavy stuff.

 

[rdkeim]

Enjoying your TR! Time with your Mom and also solo time - the best of both worlds!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Joining in!!

Thanks so much for joining in! I'm happy to have you here!

Joining in! It sounds like you have an awesome trip ahead!

Hoop Dee Doo is one of my all time favorite things in WDW!

Can't wait to read more

Veronica! Thanks for joining!

Mom and I both had so much fun on this trip - she enjoyed relaxing, I enjoyed the solo park time, and we both enjoyed many delicious meals.

Hoop Dee Doo is such a great show! I'm glad I was able to introduce it to Mom.

Thanks! I should have another post up later this week!

The Wilderness Lodge is my FAVORITE RESORT on property. I love, love, love it, and it is my home sweet home. I hope you enjoyed your time there before switching!!

I also hope you got one of the s'mores cupcakes at some point, because they are also one of my very favorite Disney snacks.

Excited to read along...I'll be taking my mom on her first ever trip in October, so I'm curious to see how your trip went.

Thanks so much for joining in!

We LOVED the Wilderness Lodge and I'd love to stay there again! Since my husband adores the National Parks and the Wilderness Lodge looks like a replica of several park lodges, I think I have a good chance!

Would you believe it, I DIDN'T! I guess this just means I'll have to visit the Wilderness Lodge again so I can try the cupcake!

You'll have a great time with your mom! My mom didn't do a lot of park touring with me, but she enjoyed her time at the resort and really enjoyed trying all the new restaurants!

WOW!! That Lobby! And your room looks great! Getting some snack foods, and especially water I find just makes the whole experience so much easier. Awesome start so far.

The lobby is AMAZING! It's so much bigger than it looks in pictures!

It was a very nice room, and I think I like it even better since they updated the rooms a few years ago.

Anika and I really enjoyed having the snacks (especially the extra water) so handy in the room. It was nice to not have to walk to a store or quick service spot just to obtain a beverage or a quick bite!

Indeed it is!

Yeah, "relaxation" and "Disney" don't really go together! I am getting better at it the more times I go, so that's something!

Me, too!!!

Carbs, salt, and butter... what's not to love!

Even still... sure beats the road signs we see on our way to work, right? I'll take a bad view of that sign any day!

Very true. Even if your welcome sign picture is bad, at least it still signifies that you're in Disney World!

This is basically my life motto.

I knew I liked you!

It was so unexpected! I think it helped that we were on such a high floor.

Nice!! I get pedicures before a vacation too so I love when I get one as it signifies I'm going on vacation!!

It's great way to kick off a trip!

Me too!

I think you, Tracey, and I need to meet up one day and eat soft pretzels...

Haha, sisterly love!

At it's finest!

Despite her funny responses, she appreciated me sending her messages about the trip. She missed being there!

YAY!!!

It's always great to drive through that arch!

Gorgeous!!

The lobby is so amazing. I didn't have much time to sit and enjoy it, but it was so nice!

Yum, looks delicious!

They were very good! I know the flatbreads sometimes get a bad rap, but we really enjoyed them!

Love it! I can't wait to stay at AKL next weekend!

PLEASE TAKE MANY PICTURES FOR ME!

I LOVE the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but must admit that I really liked the Wilerness Lodge, too!

WHAT!!! Amazing! Could you watch Wishes at night?!?

YES! We watched both nights we were there! It was pretty amazing to see the fireworks from your room - something I'd never experienced before!

We couldn't quite hear the music (I think it was playing somewhere in the resort as we could hear it, but it was pretty faint where we were). The second night I got smarter and listened to the soundtrack from my iPod during the fireworks. (Nope, I've not listed to the Wishes soundtrack many times, at ALL... )

How cute!!

They were a nice surprise!

Good to know! I've always wondered about renting a car.

I've always had really good experiences with them! You sometimes have to wait in a short line, but they've always been very efficient and I've always gotten a very clean car. I highly recommend them!

Hahaha. Let's hope it stays that way! Or maybe it's a statistic that doesn't get published...

Oooooh can't wait to hear about this!

It was a great time! I should have our Hoop Dee Doo experience up later this week!

Wow! That's a lot of backwards time! Closest thing I've done to this is one of our childhood trips, my brother and I went on Space Mountain 6 times in a row. We just kept running out and back in, as there was no line. I think my dad only stuck with us for like 2 of the rides, then let us keep going (we were old enough to ride w/o him, I guess).

Yes, and it was GREAT!

Six times on Space Mountain?! That's awesome! I think Space may be harder to do six times in a row now (as MK always seems busier than AK, even on "quiet" days), but it would be fun to try!

Ha, I never realized Anika had a character-aversion. Cute pic of you with Chip and Dale!

Yes, she refers to them as "The creepers in the costumes."

Don't even get her started on face characters - although she knows what they look like, she doesn't like them either as she has to TALK with them!

It's a good thing I like her, as this "disliking characters" business is a strike against her.

Since I had the chance to meet tons of characters, I had so many great pictures! The characters that met in pairs were always the most fun!

This is one of the best things about having a stroller now in the parks - so much easier to deal with bags! I used to have to squish them in with me, but now just leave it all (except valuables) in the stroller.

I'm sure (I hope!) I can look forward to that one day. That will be nice!

That is smart. I THINK about doing that every trip, but can't convince myself to spend a vacation day NOT on vacation.

I wasn't super gung-ho about the idea to begin with, but as I travel for work I wanted to ensure I'd be local and have plenty of time. Plus, I get tons of vacation time and thought it would be a nice change. I'd do it again for a longer trip!

Nice!!

I was so excited! It was amazing to look out and see that view!

Once again, you are reminding me of all the benefits of having a stroller in the parks. They are super handy for hauling heavy stuff.

I bet!

Enjoying your TR! Time with your Mom and also solo time - the best of both worlds!

Thanks so much for commenting!

It was indeed a great blend of exposing my mother to new things at Disney World and enjoying many experiences by myself. It was a great trip!