The Real Housewives of WDW - 11/15: In Closing

[micandminforever]

You left to many cliff hangers at the end of your report, so I hope the next update is not to long in coming.

After the bee, I am glad Leo still had fun with his friends, and hope benadryl, ice, and sleep is all he needs to have a great time tomorrow.

It was also great that after all the worry and drama, you were able to have a great time with friends and a great meal.

 

[glennbo123]

That's great that you and Leo both had an enjoyable evening despite the bee sting.

I agree with you about the Kidani Standard View rooms. We had one last year, and didn't really feel like we missed-out on anything. Although this year when we had a Savanna View, the kids loved it. I know I sound like I'm contradicting myself, but what I guess I'm trying to say is that the Savanna View rooms are really cool, but it's not a big deal to get a Standard View and save a few points, especially if it means being able to spend an extra day.

 

[Tracy161]

Thanks for the tip on the DVD - I love yoga and love Housewives... perfect combo! I'm so glad that both you and Leo were able to enjoy your night out!

 

[MEK]

Awesome update for many reasons.....

1. Leo was feeling better from the bee sting!

2. You had a great dinner at Jiko. I haven't eaten there yet, but it looks and sounds amazing and I can't wait to try it.

3. I agree with you that the standard view Kidani is great. I am always point poor, so we did standard view last summer and I don't feel like I missed a thing. I had plenty of animal viewing time and I saved a ton of points on an absolutely awesome room. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Infact, I might be booking there for May when my 7 month window opens up.

and 4th........I am so getting the Brazilian blowout next summer. I already told my hairdresser to sign me up for mid May. I hear it lasts 4 months ( at least the one for color treated hair) and I suffered all summer this year because the heat and humidity were so bad. I am sick and tired of having a head of frizz no matter how much I gel or flat iron. You hair looks beautiful and its nice to hear your first hand experience.

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

I was so bummed we had to miss this night Sometimes it just stinks being responsible. I was glad you were able to make it and that Leo could get his night out. At the time, the texts about his foot had me figuring you were going to have to spend the night in the room...waiting and watching.

 

[jcc0621]

Leo slept. And slept. And slept. When he finally awoke, he was pretty groggy, but not in much pain and was determined not to let that mean ol’ bee get the better of him. Which is to say, the boy wanted his night out as much as his momma wanted hers.

Which made it sort of secret-like. Like a secret clubhouse. Just for kids. According to Leo.

Sounds cool!

Maddie and Evan were there, getting checked in, and Michael was already in and waiting. Those kids could not ditch us parents quickly enough. They all LOVE them some kids’ club time and look forward to it every year now!

A little independence is good too

Andy, T, Angela, V, LL, Tony

Great picture

I noticed that he was limping again and his poor foot had swelled up quite a bit. I had him ice it again while I changed into pajamas, gave him a Benadryl and tucked him into his three blankets for the night.

Oh no!

The next day was July 4th. Our plan was to park it at the pool all day with our friends. But the forecast I saw before falling asleep didn’t look good; rain, rain and more rain. Would we decide to tackle a park on the most crowded day of the year? Would the fireworks be rained out? Would Leo awake to a foot as big as his head?

More to come.

You can't leave us hanging too long missy

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Mmmm... Jiko. I still dream of the Corn with Crab Soup....

We felt bad bailing, but the childcare fees times 2 were practically as much as our dinner!!! Holy crap! I think next time we'll get an in-room sitter - or just bring Waldo and TE.

But, it was a wonderful meal and I'm so glad I got the chance to get to sit with Angela and chat. I never really had the chance the last 2 visits.

 

[OhMari]

Glad you and Leo made the night with your friends.
Benadryl, can knock anyone's socks off. It is the fastest acting anti-histamine, but also, it has the worst side effect of making you tired.

 

[AshClan]

Oh, I'm so glad you got your night out!

In terms of the AKL and savannah views, I am with ya! I haven't used points there, but have stayed in the lodge a couple of times. The first time, we were in a pool view room, just ONE door from the elevator. It was HEAVEN. The second time, we coughed up the extra cash for a savannah view and had about a 25 minute walk to the pool, the elevators, and/or the lobby. And the bus stops! I swear it took us about an hour to get to the bus stops! So, though the view was nice, there are so many lovely viewing areas around the resort, I don't know I'd go for the extra money or points to get another savannah view room.

I hope Leo's foot was better in the morning. That weather forecast doesn't sound good

 

[dsnygrl377]

I've been reading your trip report from the beginning and I love it! I, too, love the Housewives on Bravo! I'm glad that Leo was ok with that bee sting and he was able to have a great night, while you had some time with your friends!

Thanks for sharing your report with us. I can't wait to read more!

 

[hucifer]

Leo slept. And slept. And slept. When he finally awoke, he was pretty groggy, but not in much pain and was determined not to let that mean ol’ bee get the better of him.

Atta boy.

I hadn’t previously commented on our room view, and this is a good time to do so. I booked Standard View to save on DVC points. Remember I’d also requested a room in the Rafiki section of Kidani. What we wound up with was a ground floor unit on the side of the main entrance’s traffic loop. It was surprisingly quiet – I never really heard the noise of Magical Express buses passing by. And there was a tall screen of shrubbery between our railings and the road, so the view wasn’t bad at all.

I like standard views, actually. Parking lots are pretty quiet. And quiet to me is a lot more important than views.

Maddie and Evan were there, getting checked in, and Michael was already in and waiting. Those kids could not ditch us parents quickly enough. They all LOVE them some kids’ club time and look forward to it every year now!

Ooh, good to know. Are they free? I'm so clueless.

Listen, we adore our kids. Clearly, we love spending time with them and probably spoil the heck out of them. But with 10 days in Disney, they needed a break from us and vice-versa.

No need to explain to me...I've got a 3yo. I plan on dumping him a lot at the kids' club on our Hawaiian cruise. A LOT.

I noticed that he was limping again and his poor foot had swelled up quite a bit. I had him ice it again while I changed into pajamas, gave him a Benadryl and tucked him into his three blankets for the night.

Aww...poor little guy.

Would Leo awake to a foot as big as his head?

I sure hope not!

 

[PrincessV]

You left to many cliff hangers at the end of your report, so I hope the next update is not to long in coming.

Me too! I'm back to school in 2 weeks, which will suck up all free time. I need to get this thing wrapped up!

It was also great that after all the worry and drama, you were able to have a great time with friends and a great meal.

It really was! Though I spent a lot of the night worrying about him still.

I know I sound like I'm contradicting myself, but what I guess I'm trying to say is that the Savanna View rooms are really cool, but it's not a big deal to get a Standard View and save a few points, especially if it means being able to spend an extra day.

I know exactly what you mean!

Thanks for the tip on the DVD - I love yoga and love Housewives... perfect combo! I'm so glad that both you and Leo were able to enjoy your night out!

Thanks, and my pleasure - it's a good one!

2. You had a great dinner at Jiko. I haven't eaten there yet, but it looks and sounds amazing and I can't wait to try it.

Defintiely worth trying, but I'll be reporting later in the story about an even BETTER dining experience!

and 4th........I am so getting the Brazilian blowout next summer. I already told my hairdresser to sign me up for mid May. I hear it lasts 4 months ( at least the one for color treated hair) and I suffered all summer this year because the heat and humidity were so bad. I am sick and tired of having a head of frizz no matter how much I gel or flat iron. You hair looks beautiful and its nice to hear your first hand experience.

Thank you! It's truly life changing, crazy though that sounds. I was about 6 weeks post-Blowout at the time of this trip and still mostly frizz-free. The Jiko night, I'd blow-dried and flat-ironed, but other nights I shot the blowdryer at it for a few minutes, then let it air dry and it was wavy, but still free from frizz!

I was so bummed we had to miss this night

Us, too, Kate! But we totally understood - and you got a HOUSE for being responsible adults!

A little independence is good too

So true - they need that!

We felt bad bailing, but the childcare fees times 2 were practically as much as our dinner!!! Holy crap! I think next time we'll get an in-room sitter...

No worries - we understood and weren't very far behind! And I thought about that for next time... I wonder if it would be cheaper for us all to load the kids into one room and hire a sitter?

Benadryl, can knock anyone's socks off. It is the fastest acting anti-histamine, but also, it has the worst side effect of making you tired.

OMG, yes! That's all there was when I was a kid; I spent every Spring in a mental fog.

I haven't used points there, but have stayed in the lodge a couple of times. The first time, we were in a pool view room, just ONE door from the elevator. It was HEAVEN. The second time, we coughed up the extra cash for a savannah view and had about a 25 minute walk to the pool, the elevators, and/or the lobby. And the bus stops!

And have you seen the layout at Kidani?! The walk to some of those savanna view rooms scare me!

That weather forecast doesn't sound good

Nope, it sure didn't.

I've been reading your trip report from the beginning and I love it! I, too, love the Housewives on Bravo!

Yay, welcome aboard! I admit, after an iffy premiere, I'm enjoying the DC Housewives; it's refreshing to not have anyone screaming at each other.

I like standard views, actually. Parking lots are pretty quiet. And quiet to me is a lot more important than views.

ITA! I almost always wind up with standard because I'm using an AP discount or saving points, but I generally like the convenience of being near my car and a quiet location.

Ooh, good to know. Are they free? I'm so clueless.

Sadly, no. But worth every penny! I think they're at $11ish per hour now.

No need to explain to me...I've got a 3yo. I plan on dumping him a lot at the kids' club on our Hawaiian cruise. A LOT.

LOL - right on!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

ACK - cliffhangers!! I'm on pins and needles waiting to see what happens next - you're so good at ratcheting up the tension!

Glad that both you and Leo got some time for yourselves. So important.

 

[Disneygrl36]

So glad you got your adults night out. I love Jiko. It's one of my favorites & we had a fabulous dinner there when we were there a week & a half ago!

Can't wait for the next update to see what happened on the 4th.

 

[Parla]

Leo likes to thoroughly inspect a pool area before diving in, so to speak. He wants to be aware of all options and potential pitfalls. And so he’d walked around the pool deck, dipped into water in several spots, inspected the slide. He then wanted to take a look at the splash zone, where a maze of interesting things squirt water. He liked it in there. He was having a good time, running between a couple spraying thingies, when all of a sudden he went down. Looked at me horrified, but silent, for a moment. And then screamed bloody murder.

“BEE! BEE!! BEEEEEEE!!!!!”

“Where?! Where is it?!” asked I.

And he showed me the bottom of his foot. To which was attached, yes, a bee. Know what? They really do die when they sting. I know now, because I grabbed a leaf off the ground to shoo the bee away, and it just fell off. Leaving behind its stinger. In my baby’s foot.

FYI, I’m good to have around in an emergency. Because I go into instant paramedic mode and freak out later. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I remembered “never pull the stinger out, scrape with a credit card.” No credit card, but I did have our room keys with me and I quickly scraped the stinger up and out.

Poor Leo! How scary to be on the cusp of a systemic allergy and not be able to get a prescription for an epi-pen. I've always thought that they should be over the counter and everyone should have one. A lot of people have allergies they don't even know about until it's too late. I'm sure there are dangers and side effects to keep them from doing that but it would be cool.

Know what I hadn’t done at all yet on the trip? Work out. And I was feeling it. Yes, we’d had plenty of walking, but my back and shoulders were tight. Made tighter by the whole bee sting situation, too, I’m sure. Some yoga was just what I needed while Leo slept.

So I got out my laptop, popped in my Body by Bethenny DVD and yoga’d it out. At the end, laying in relaxation pose, the tears started. Then the sobs. Like I said, I’m good in an emergency, but I freak out later. It was time to release, apparently. The bee sting scared the crap out of me. Because, as a person with major allergies, I know how it goes; what triggers a localized reaction the first time can easily result in a systemic reaction the next. You just never know. And that’s just plain scary.

I have only ever done yoga on my wii fit. My friend has talked me into taking a class with a lady that has traveled all over India and has little monks that barely speak English come and stay with her when they are visiting here. I'm really looking forward to it.

After dinner, T and Andy sprang Maddie and Evan from Simba’s Clubhouse, while the rest of us detoured to Victoria Falls for an after-dinner drink. And there, I discovered my first new, exciting and delicious drink of the trip: an “Eco-tini.”

I have no idea what’s so “eco” about it, but the ingredient list is what caught my eye: it includes agave nectar and a liqueur derived from the acai berry. Why is that so exciting? Because acai is a major component in the best thing I did to prepare for this trip – the Brazilian Blowout. The Brazilian Blowout is a keratin smoothing treatment for hair that turned my fuzzy mess into a frizz-free work of art… even in the humidity of a Florida summer! What a difference it made during my Disney trip. Never before have I been able to wear my hair down outdoors in Flroida, in summer, but I did multiple times during the trip. It was wonderful!

So I thought it fitting to order an Eco-tini in honor of the majestic acai. That it was wonderfully tasty was icing on the cake! Not too sweet, a little sour, crisp and refreshing. Yes, it was a grand choice.

I'm sure that I'm not the first to say that when I read the phrase, "Brazlian Blowout." I wasn't thinking it had anything to do with your hair.

 

[PrincessV]

ACK - cliffhangers!! I'm on pins and needles waiting to see what happens next - you're so good at ratcheting up the tension!

Thank you - I try!

So glad you got your adults night out. I love Jiko. It's one of my favorites & we had a fabulous dinner there when we were there a week & a half ago!

It's one of the few WDW restaurants left that consistently pleases me.

I have only ever done yoga on my wii fit. My friend has talked me into taking a class with a lady that has traveled all over India and has little monks that barely speak English come and stay with her when they are visiting here. I'm really looking forward to it.

Oh wow, that sounds fun! And exhausting, lol! I'm betting she's hard-core.

I'm sure that I'm not the first to say that when I read the phrase, "Brazlian Blowout." I wasn't thinking it had anything to do with your hair.

Nope! LL, T and I all had ours done and the comments all over Facebook were hysterical!

 

[Lauralee131]

So Leo and I waved to our cattle friends as we passed by on our way to the car. We drove over to the Jambo building, valeted the car, and went in search of the kids’ club, Simba’s Clubhouse.

We’d never been to that one before, and I just expected it to be near the lobby and restaurants. FYI, it’s not. It’s actually on the far side of the pool, all tucked away and not at all obvious. Which made it sort of secret-like. Like a secret clubhouse. Just for kids. According to Leo.

Yeah, if you're not staying at AKL, it's not exactly convenient to get to

Maddie and Evan were there, getting checked in, and Michael was already in and waiting.

I may or may not have slowed down to 30 and thrown his little butt out of the car...

Well, truth is, he was so anxious to go that we dropped him off early and sat at the bar and waited for ya'll to get there...

Those kids could not ditch us parents quickly enough. They all LOVE them some kids’ club time and look forward to it every year now!

It's ALWAYS on M's list of things to do on vacation...I don't know what we're going to do when they get too old...

Lauralee (LL) and Tony, Tracy (T) and Andy, our DIS friend and Orlando-ite Angela, and I settled into a C-shaped booth. We ordered wine and cocktails, started talking and laughing and, well… never stopped. Talking and laughing. Which is why I don’t have a whole lot to report about the night! I don’t remember everything we said, and I wouldn’t rehash it all here, anyway. But trust me when I say that we had a remarkable time and I’m so glad I was able to make it!

Andy, T, Angela, V, LL, Tony

Notice the Vodka/Tonic in front of my husband...he had a couple too many that night - and he hardly EVER drinks more than like 1 drink or something. He gets loose lipped when he drinks...UGH

I also seem to recall that this was the SECOND table we were seated at...remember the broken glass?! And our poor server - as sweet as she was, I think she was getting frustrated that we were doing more drinking/laughing then eating/paying/leaving!

She was sweet though...Tony tipped her an extra (GULP) $50 - on top of the 18% that they put on the bill...Not just loose-lipped, but Mr. Moneybags when he drinks...

As for the food, first up for me was a seasonal salad, with Florida peaches and blue cheese. Yum! For my entrée, I had the maize-crusted halibut and it was fabulous. Not quite as fabulous as two other meals that come later in the trip, but still fabulous. It was light, which felt right in the heat of summer, and went beautifully with the South African white wine recommended by both Angela and our server. The artisan cheese plate that I ordered for dessert didn’t fare as well. It was good, but didn’t quite wow me. I was also pretty full.

We had an amazing dinner!! I got the filet with the mac & cheese and Tony got the tuna - both of which were fabulous. My favorite part?? The Wild Boar appetizer...OMG - one of the most amazing things I've ever put in my mouth! (Easy there Tracy)

After dinner, T and Andy sprang Maddie and Evan from Simba’s Clubhouse, while the rest of us detoured to Victoria Falls for an after-dinner drink. And there, I discovered my first new, exciting and delicious drink of the trip: an “Eco-tini.”

I have no idea what’s so “eco” about it, but the ingredient list is what caught my eye: it includes agave nectar and a liqueur derived from the acai berry. Why is that so exciting? Because acai is a major component in the best thing I did to prepare for this trip – the Brazilian Blowout.

So I thought it fitting to order an Eco-tini in honor of the majestic acai. That it was wonderfully tasty was icing on the cake! Not too sweet, a little sour, crisp and refreshing. Yes, it was a grand choice.

Oooh - you forgot the bracelet that the Eco-Tini DOESN'T come with

It had been such a nice evening in the company of friends, I was loathe to let it end. But Leo needed to be picked up and I was getting sleepy. We said goodnight to Angela, with promises to get together again next time I’m that way, and Leo and I headed back to Kidani. He said he’d had a fun night with his friends, too.

I was so glad Angela came!! We never get to see her enough! (Angela - if you're reading this (((HUGS)))!!!!)

The next day was July 4th. Our plan was to park it at the pool all day with our friends. But the forecast I saw before falling asleep didn’t look good; rain, rain and more rain. Would we decide to tackle a park on the most crowded day of the year? Would the fireworks be rained out? Would Leo awake to a foot as big as his head?

More to come.

Yeah, the AccuV forecast pretty much sucked...

Can't wait to read more!!

 

[jcc0621]

[/SIZE]

Yeah, if you're not staying at AKL, it's not exactly convenient to get to

Guess they don't want the common folk there

I may or may not have slowed down to 30 and thrown his little butt out of the car...

I don't know what we're going to do when they get too old...[/SIZE]

What is the age cut off?

 

[PrincessV]

]I may or may not have slowed down to 30 and thrown his little butt out of the car...

It's ALWAYS on M's list of things to do on vacation...I don't know what we're going to do when they get too old...

I keep wondering when the day will come when they say "I don't want to go THERE - that's for babies!"

She was sweet though...Tony tipped her an extra (GULP) $50 - on top of the 18% that they put on the bill...

OMG, I over-tipped, too! Not by $50, but some. She did well that night, for sure!

My favorite part?? The Wild Boar appetizer...OMG - one of the most amazing things I've ever put in my mouth! (Easy there Tracy)

Oooh - you forgot the bracelet that the Eco-Tini DOESN'T come with

I did! No doubt because I NEVER got one.

I was so glad Angela came!! We never get to see her enough! (Angela - if you're reading this (((HUGS)))!!!!)

Ditto that!

Can't wait to read more!!

Coming up in a bit!

What is the age cut off?

I want to say 11 or 12. Just about when they'd refuse to step foot in there.

 

[PrincessV]

Speaking of “explosive”… what do you think of the NJ Housewives reunion?! Holy cow. I finally turned it off halfway through; I’m so sick of screaming, name-calling and threatening. I originally began watching the first OC Housewives because California is like another planet to me – I enjoyed seeing how a group of people so very different from me lived their regular lives. I’m over Bravo’s attempts to ratchet up the drama.



Anyway, few things are more dramatic than those that go BOOM!, so let’s move on to day five of our trip, the halfway point and my favorite holiday, too!

The forecast was correct: it was to be a rainy July 4th. And I do believe we’d all discussed trying Epcot that morning, or maybe Animal Kingdom. And I’m pretty sure at least one or two of my housewife friends actually did hit a park that day.


Leo and I did not.


His foot was swelling again, which meant more ice and more Benadryl, which left him drowsy and not real motivated to get anywhere. We took our time waking up, did some more laundry, watched a little TV and generally just relaxed away the morning.

Until Leo felt a sudden desire to GO. Somewhere. And that’s how I wound up buying my boy a new car.


I’d heard so many good things about Ridemakerz, that store at Downtown Disney (DTD) where you can pick all the components to make your own vehicle, and had mentioned to Leo at some point that if he was interested, I was willing to take him and buy him a car. Well, July 4th was the day.

I stuck a big ol’ Bandaid on his foot, grabbed the umbrellas and rain jackets and we drove over to DTD. The rain seemed to be working in our favor, as the place was nearly deserted – no lines, no crowds, lots of open space and access to Ridemakerz staff to help us. And believe me – we needed help, lol!

Here’s how it works:

First, you pick out a body. There are many, many options in a multitude of colors and shapes.

Next, you pick your chassis – either regular or remote-controlled. I felt so bad for poor Leo limping around, that I offered up the remote-control option, but he said he preferred plain. Huh.

A Ridemakerz employee fitted the body onto the chassis and we were sent to pick tires and rims. Those, you put on yourself with a nifty drop-down screwer-inner-thingy. Neither of us had ANY idea how to do that, but again a kind Ridemakerz employee was there to show us how, and Leo got to work.

Finally, it was time to decorate. They have tons of chrome accents, “paint” stickers and racing stripes from which to choose. Leo wasn’t into the chrome, but selected a sheet of skull and flame themed stickers, most of which he adhered to the car.

Once he was satisfied with the results, we paid for the new Leo-mobile and went back to the car… in the pouring rain. Clearly, we weren’t going to catch a break and get any pool time that day. And I confess – that was making me rather grumpy.

See, I looooove Independence Day. And I’d been thinking about how much fun this particular one was going to be, spent among friends, frolicking in the Kidani pool… and there we were, not among friends and nowhere near a pool.

I was trying to cover it, but I know my grumpiness was evident to Leo.


As we left DTD, I decided to stop at the grocery store on our way back to Kidani, since we never made it the day before.

That just made me grumpier. I did NOT want to be grocery shopping on my favorite holiday!

And then, just as I reached the turn for the store, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Leo – sound asleep. Looking like the angel-baby he’d once been and will always remain in my heart.

My grumpiness faded as I realized being stung by a bee and half knocked out on antihistamines probably wasn’t Leo’s preferred way to spend vacation time, yet he put on a happy face, made the best of it and carried on.


Sigh.

I turned the car around and drove back to Kidani, minus groceries but with a much better attitude. I didn’t want to wake Leo and march him through a big store, and between Kidani and Jambo, I was sure I’d find the bare necessities we’d need for breakfasts and snacks the next few days. I even stopped thinking of just how much more I’d spend buying those items from The Mouse.

As I pulled into the main Animal Kingdom Lodge entrance, Leo woke up. We both were hungry for lunch, so we detoured to Jambo House to grab something at the Mara. We enjoyed a quiet lunch (falafel pita for me, pizza for Leo), and continued on to Kidani, where we went shopping.

Here’s a shocker – food prices weren’t bad at all! In fact, my eggs, milk and butter were LESS than what I pay at home! Gramma reminded me later that what I buy at home is organic and therefore more expensive in the first place. Whatever. I was just happy that a dozen eggs weren’t going to run me $8.50. A banana, however, was $2.00. Damn Mouse gets you every time.

With some lunch and a nap under his belt, Leo was feeling much perkier and took his new car out for a spin when we got to our room.

FYI, I haven’t seen that thing out since we came home. Oh well, it was a good activity at the time.



We killed a little more time watching a movie and getting showered and dressed before our big, big, BIG night.


Continued in next post...