May the Porg Be With You! A 13 day November adventure! *COMPLETED 2/23!*

[paradesintherain]

Day 2 - November 1st - Party Day, Part 5

Alright, let's finish up this party!

When the fireworks finished we decided to do some more treat trails, and check out the Haunted Mansion. I wanted to see Madam Carlotta, but nobody was out, unfortunately. Still, it was fun to see the Mansion extra spooky and foggy, and we got a Magic Shot with very little wait.

I think we're ok with the ghost driving the buggy and scared of something else in the distance.

I had the idea to check out Frontierland since we hadn't been to that part of the park yet. Along the way we checked out the spooky atmosphere on the Rivers of America and I met a Cadaver Dan.

Turns out there wasn't much to do in Frontierland with Splash Mountain closed. There was a treat trail in the Splash Mountain queue area, and it was obvious the CMs were a little bored. I'm guessing they didn't see much foot traffic with Splash closed. This worked out well for us because these CMs ended up giving handfuls of candy, and when that filled up our bags they gave us new bags with handfuls of candy. Freshly loaded down with candy we walked straight onto Big Thunder Mountain. This ride is so much more fun at night. And so much more fun at Disneyland, but that's another story.


I'm ashamed to admit it but I was just about done at this point. I had planned to watch the midnight Hocus Pocus show but my energy just wasn't there. We had been able to catch most of it while waiting for the parade, even if we were farther away, so I didn't feel too bad about skipping out on it.

We slowly made our way out of the park via Adventureland. We couldn't leave the park without picking up some Hitchhiking Ghosts, though!

Our final treat trail was the Tiki Room trail. This was probably my favorite just because it was so neat to be in the room. The centerpiece birds were down and it was just really neat. It was such an uncrowded, peaceful walk out of the park. I was really impressed with the crowd levels at the party.


Once out front I noticed this cool projection on the ground.

And I made Dad do our last PhotoPass in front of the Train Station. I thought it was going to be just a fun shot with lots of fog, like this

But it was actually the Headless Horseman magic shot!

More good bus karma was in store for us -- the POFQ bus was at the stop waiting for us! I think Dad had a beer at the bar while I went back to room and took photos of our candy. In the end, I think we ended up with close to 10 pounds of candy. Not too shabby!

Enjoy this derp-y photo


All in all it was a great event and I'd happily return to the Halloween Party. Next time I hopefully won't be so tired because I would have liked to do a lot more, but just didn't have the energy for it.



To be continued! A new day!
​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 3 - November 2nd - Lazy day and Epcot


Guys, we're finally through with the first full day of the trip report! It feels like that lasted forever, right? Today will be much more brief.


After the very long day, and change in sleep schedules I was EXHAUSTED and fully intended to sleep in. Which I did. Dad woke up earlier and went to a table outside of Sassagoula Floatworks to do some work. I don't know how people work on vacation, but I digress. Around 9:30 I finally crawled out of bed and made my way to the food court from some breakfast. I had a make-your-own omelet with spinach, onions, peppers, cheese, mushrooms and bacon with a side of potatoes that look like straight-up vomit. The omelet was FANTASTIC. Possibly the best I've ever had.

Epcot was our quasi-plan today to partake in some Food & Wine, so after our leisurely morning that was where we headed.

We headed straight to the Mexico side of World Showcase because Dad had a jalapeño margarita on his mind. I made sure to take lots of pictures along the way.

Obsessed with this Epcot 35 display and everything in it. Unfortunately, I restraint and I'm kind of wishing I hadn't.

I made Dad detour at the Festival Center. Or, as I prefer to call it: the Wonders of Life Pavilion. Fun fact: I got to visit it the last season it ever operated as the Wonders of Life Pavilion, Christmas 2006. It was pretty sad then but at least I got one more ride on Body Wars. I always wonder if the ride is still there or if it's been disassembled.

Could use a power washing, eh?

The inside has sort of a 80s/90s mall vibe. Definitely a blast from the past.

I was debating whether or not to buy the gift card wristband but decided against it. I did buy the cutest Food & Wine postcard though. I sent it back to the room so I didn't have to worry about carrying it around and keeping it from bending. Felt a little silly for shipping just a postcard, but hey vacation!


Onward to Mexico! Ok, but first a pit stop at the Thailand booth because I was ready to try some food! I went with the marinated chicken. I really thought I'd love this, I ordinarily am a huge fan of peanut sauce, but this sauce was almost gritty and there was just too much of it. The veggies were also overcooked.

Marinated chicken - seared with peanut sauce and stir-fried vegetables


Now it was really time to head to Mexico, margaritas were waiting!

Love this sign

Unfortunately, there was a very long line for La Cava Del Tequila and Dad didn't want to-go margaritas in plastic cups so we left empty-handed.

Another great sign, and even better message.


Seems counterproductive but at this point we headed across to Canada. If Dad couldn't have his margarita he wanted a beer at the Rose & Crown.


Loved the Islands of the Caribbean garden, though I don't think I had a single thing from the booths there.

I saw that Refreshment Port still had Halloween cups left so naturally I had to get myself a large Diet Coke. The design is irresistible.

And the cup made a great background for our next purchase. Filet mignon and cheese soup from Canada! Dad wanted the filet, and I wanted the cheese soup. However, the filet was a big hit for me - so tender and the truffle-butter sauce was to die for. I didn't care so much for the cheese soup; it was just an odd flavor. Dad loved the soup and was just meh about the filet.

"Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with truffle-butter sauce, and Canadian Cheddar Cheese soup served with a pretzel roll

We had a lovely view from the table we snagged.

I'll leave it at that for now, board maintenance will begin soon and I don't want to get cut off
To be continued! ​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 3 – November 2nd – Lazy day & Epcot, Part 2


We left off munching on some Canadian goodies.



After our treats at the Canada booth we made a beeline for the Rose & Crown. We snagged a standing table, and Dad ordered our drinks.

He went for his favorite, Bodington’s in a REAL glass, while I tried a Bumblebee—half Bodington’s, half Guinness. I’m a fan of Guinness but it can be really heavy so cutting in half with the Bodingtons was actually really nice! Plus, it looked cool.

Dad just loves this place, and loves getting Bodingtons on draft, served properly. He told me he had it at another place and they kept dumping off the foam, but really you’re supposed to fill the glass and let it settle. Anyway.


Feeling refreshed from our tasty beverages we headed back into the World Showcase.

We (or mostly I) browsed through the shops in the pavilions and stopped for a Photopass in France. This is one of my favorite Photopass locations.

No food really caught our eyes, but these flags at Brazil did!

Morocco was next on our tour around the world, and I warn you, I find it very photogenic.

One last parting shot!

We were now in Japan and a snack caught my eye! The wasabi dumplings! I love a good dumpling, and these were no exception. They had a very unique (for a dumpling) flavor profile with the wasabi and ginger sauce. The filling was nothing exceptional, just your average pork, but I still devoured all of them.

Wasabi Shumai Steamed Pork Dumplings


No trip to Japan is complete without browsing Mitsukoshi. It was fun watching the new pick a pearl station. The Japenese cast members are so energetic! Someday I think I’ll finally pick my own pearl. This day I bought no souvenirs. But I did take this photo once back outside.

Oh did you think we were done with photos of Morocco? Just one more (for this day)! After Japan we turned around and headed back to the International Gateway. I had one thing on my mind and that was ice cream.

Oh hi Boardwalk! Did you guess where we were going?

Yes, it was finally time for me to try Ample Hills Creamery. I love “chunky” ice cream so this place was right up my alley. Plus, my friend in New York had told me how wonderful it is.

The guest service was a little odd. The CM who scooped our ice cream was fantastic and let us try as many samples as we wanted, and helped us customize what we were ordering. I wanted my ice cream in a waffle bowl, and Dad only wanted a single scoop. So she put his scoop in its own cup and told us to tell the CM at register that it was 3 scoops in a waffle cone. I guess their waffle bowls generally just come with sundaes which would be an upcharge because of the toppings and whatnot. Well, the CM who rang us out was adament that wasn’t allowed and we had to be charged the sundae price, even though she had other CMs telling her it was allowed to be charged as a cone. She kept arguing with them, and muttering under her breath, but begrudgingly gave us the cone price. It definitely put a sour taste in my mouth.

Baked/Unbaked & Ooey Gooey Butter Cake in a waffle bowl

This ice cream was just out of this world. I expected to like the butter cake ice cream more, but the cookie dough pieces in Baked/Unbaked really won me over. Hands down best cookie dough I’ve ever tasted in ice cream. Dad also loved his oatmeal lace cookie ice cream.

We didn’t actually eat our ice cream there, we went to the Boardwalk lobby to get out of the heat.

These chairs are so creepy

Cutest pressed penny machines ever!

Treats gone, we left our comfy seats at the Boardwalk and made for the bus stop. Disney Springs happy hours were calling our names!

To be continued ​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 3 - November 2nd - Disney Springs

This will be a quick little update. We arrived in Disney Springs via bus from Boardwalk Inn. The bus stops let you out right by Sephora so naturally I stopped inside.

I didn't mean to but I spent a good chunk of time in the store, while Dad sat on a bench outside. There were some necessities I needed, like foundation; and I was searching for a new moisturizer. Eventually I left the store with my newly purchased foundation, chapstick, Colourpop eyeshadow, reward points items, and plenty of samples. Goes to Disney, shops at Sephora. Sounds about right.

We looked through a few of the stores and checked out menus at some of the new restaurants. This was the first time I had been to Disney Springs since construction was completed and it was so disorienting! Nothing felt the same and I had no idea where I was. Marketplace felt more familiar, and of course we spent some time in the World of Disney store. I was on a mission to find the elusive rose gold ears, but none were to be found.

After properly looking through many of the stores we made our way to Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar.

It was really nice out so we opted to sit outside in the little boat.

While browsing through the menu I found this little nod to Star Wars. There's probably some elaborate back story that I don't know.

I decided against having anything to drink as I was starting to feel sleepy again. Dad had some beer and sliders from the happy hour menu, and we shared the nachos from the happy hour menu. The nachos were really good, a lot of flavor and a little bit of heat. I'd happily order them again. I didn't try the sliders but Dad thought they were wonderful.

Jock's Loaded nachos

Double Agent Sliders - One beef slider and one pork belly slider with braised red cabbage, house-made Russian dressing

After our happy hour I took another picture of Jock Lindsey's and we wandered through a few more stores.

I was, unsuccessfully, trying to figure out what used to be in certain areas. Someday I'll look at a map. We wanted to head back to the resort and relax so we headed to the boat docks. On the bank we saw a Disney cat! I'm a huge cat lover, so this was very exciting for me, and I took many blurry pictures.

Look at its little tongue!


Our boat back to POFQ arrived quickly and soon we were floating down the Sassagoula River. Really no pleasanter way to travel.


The rest of the evening was spent relaxing. Dad probably had a beer at the pool bar, while I watched some TV. I don't have cable so it's a nice treat when I'm on vacation. My King's Cake from that first night had just been sitting around the hotel room, so I decided I better try it before it got super dry and old. IT'S A FREAKING CINNAMON ROLL! (That's what I literally wrote in my notes). I LOVE cinnamon rolls, so this was a thrilling revelation for me.

After a while I decided I was hungry and could use some vegetables so I went to the food court and ordered a salad. The way it was described made it sound unique but in the end it was just a Caesar salad with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette (I added the red onions). A perfectly adequate meal, but nothing terribly memorable.

We ended the night soaking our feet in the hot tub. The POFQ is in a really pleasant location and the water felt so nice on our tired feet.



To be continued - tomorrow we gain another member of our party!




​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 4 - November 3rd - Resort Exploring

Let's march on, it's a new day! We were really embracing the leisurely vacation. It looks like I had another omelet around 10 am. This one wasn't as spectacular and for some reason they wouldn't put the bacon in the omelet this time. But it did the job, and this time I didn't get the very unappetizing potatoes.

I hadn't made any real plans for us this day - I had thought we might possibly watch Thor: Ragnarok but that never happened. I did write that I washed my hair which I guess is super important? Anyway, after breakfast I guess I washed my hair and then we explored French Quarter a bit on our way to Riverside. This will be pretty picture heavy, so you've been warned!

Building 2 was our lovely building

Isn't it so lovely and peaceful?

This made me laugh every time I saw it.

Gate to the Sassagoula River

The lakes at the other moderates have nothing on the river

Some damage from the hurricane was still evident along the river, but for the most part Disney had cleaned everything up. The walk to Riverside is very peaceful and pleasant, and I just love seeing the Magnolia Bend mansions across the river.

More than any other moderate, and probably some of the deluxes, I think Port Orleans really transports you to the location(s) it's based on.

The walk from French Quarter to Riverside isn't bad at all, I think it took us maybe 10 minutes? We checked out the check-in area of Riverside; it's small but so beautiful. I think I prefer it to French Quarter's. Our last trip we stayed at Riverside so it was all pretty familiar, but it was nice to revisit.

Halloween displays were still up

When we were done exploring Riverside we weren't exactly sure what to do. I believe Dad is the one who suggested we return to Epcot and check out some more Food & Wine so we boarded the bus at Riverside.


To be continued. ​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 4 - November 3rd - Food & Wine

After exploring Port Orleans we ended up here around 1 pm

This is the best I could do with people taking their Photopass pics in front of it

This topiary is the cutest, I especially love the grill with the veggies on it. Precious!

Dad still wanted his jalapeño margarita so we checked out La Cava Del Tequila but the line was even longer than yesterday so we left defeated. Without anything to do in Mexico we continued on to Norway, land of Frozen.

This was my first time seeing the pavilion all open after the Frozen changes. I thought it looked really nice! I may be of the opinion that Frozen has no place in the World Showcase but I suppose it was executed well.

Dad waited in line for a beer in Norway while I continued to China. I was in search of some food! The beer Dad got was called Norwegian beer or something like that. I guess the actual Norwegian name was too close to an English curse word so Disney didn't put it on the menu. He said the CM thought that was really funny and loved telling him it.

While Dad got his beer I got the black pepper shrimp from the China stand. This was PHENOMENAL. Probably my favorite Food & Wine offering, just for the noodles. The shrimp was decent, but maybe had been sitting out too long, but the noodles had so much flavor and a little kick of heat to them. I begrudgingly shared ONE bite with Dad.

Black pepper shrimp served with garlic noodles

Here's Dad trying the dish I so generously shared with him. It looks like the girls in back are checking him out but I'm pretty sure they're taking a selfie

When you get a Halloween cup, you take a picture of it. I don't make the rules, I just follow them.

Happy after my Food & Wine success we explored China.

I wish the sky wasn't so overcast many of the days we were there. Grey skies just don't look as nice as pretty blue ones with fluffy white clouds!

Onward we marched to Germany. What better thing to get in Germany than beer? We went to the permanent indoor location because the line was A LOT shorter. I believe I had the Oktoberfest, and I think Dad had a wheat beer. I liked mine better than his.

Oh there's some blue skies!

I bought a pickle ornament in the German Christmas store. After a lot of deliberation I settled on the small crystal pickle and had it shipped back to the resort.

We continued our trek around the World Showcase, skipping right over Italy. Usually I'd skip over the American pavilion too, but when reading the menus I saw Mmmhops by the Hanson brothers! I'm a huge Hanson fan and the beer name is just plain funny so I had to try it. Sadly, the menu was wrong and they were out of it BUT they did have the Hanson Hoptown Festive Ale so I settled for that.

They serve a portion out of a big bottle, but she let me take my picture with the bottle so I could remember it. I don't remember anything about the beer, but I'm willing to bet it tasted like beer.

Since we'd now had a couple beers it was time for a snack. We didn't stop to look around the pavilions after America since we had just seen them yesterday, but we did stop for Brazilian cheese bread!

Pao de queijo - Brazilian cheese bread

This was really great and a good way to soak up some alcohol. I actually think Dad liked it more than I did. France was next and there were two things I definitely wanted to try there: escargot and the Grey Goose slushy! I've never had snails before so I figured this would be a great way to try something new.

Croissant aux Escargots - escargot croissant with garlic and parsley, and La Passion Martini Slush - vodka, Grey Goose La Citron vodka, cranberry and passion fruit juice

The escargot was disappointing. The snails were mostly covered up with a garlic flavor, so it basically tasted like a garlic croissant. The slush was pretty good, but I think I liked the pink version from Flower and Garden Festival more.


We bypassed the rest of the pavilions and checked out the booths outside the World Showcase... to be continued in next update!​

 

[missangelalexis]

Such cute PP pics at MNSSHP! The parade and fireworks are the best! And looks like you got a decent amount of candy

Sounds like a nice time at Epcot, such pretty pics! And your ice cream at Ample Hills looks delicious!

Love all the Port Orleans photos, I really want to stay there one day!

 

[Lesley Wake]

I also liked the shrimp and noodle dish!

And another Hanson fan here! Too bad you weren’t able to see them at Eat to the Beat, but it probably would have conflicted with your MNSSHP! I think they also performed at DHS for the Christmas special. I would love to make my way over to WDW one year when they are performing, but they are always on Halloween and I need to stay home!

 

[paradesintherain]

Such cute PP pics at MNSSHP! The parade and fireworks are the best! And looks like you got a decent amount of candy

Sounds like a nice time at Epcot, such pretty pics! And your ice cream at Ample Hills looks delicious!

Love all the Port Orleans photos, I really want to stay there one day!

We got so much candy I had to buy another bag cause I wasn't about to have each individual piece checked in a carry-on! Haha

Epcot was great, thanks for the pic compliment. Ample Hills is amaaaaazing, I highly recommend it

And I highly recommend Port Orleans, you should definitely stay there! Both resorts are just so lovely.

I also liked the shrimp and noodle dish!

And another Hanson fan here! Too bad you weren’t able to see them at Eat to the Beat, but it probably would have conflicted with your MNSSHP! I think they also performed at DHS for the Christmas special. I would love to make my way over to WDW one year when they are performing, but they are always on Halloween and I need to stay home!

Mmm, wish I could have the shrimp and noodles right now!

It's great to meet a fellow Hanson fan! I tried figuring out ways to see them perform at Epcot but there was just no way to manage it, and I didn't realize they were performing at DHS until after it had happened. Figures! At least I got to try their beer as a consolation prize.

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 4 - November 3rd - Food & Wine


Alright guys, bear with me. Things will get more exciting once the rest of the party arrives!


So we had just exited the World Showcase and now we got to see the booths in the gardens, I have no idea what this area of Epcot is called. Coastal Eats sounded appealing so we ordered the shrimp scampi

Baked shrimp scampi dip served with a sourdough baguette

This was just ok. I think scampi is just too garlicky for me to really like, which is weird because I really do enjoy garlic. But Dad really liked this dish, so there's a win!

We didn't sample anything else, just browsed through the booths and enjoyed the nice weather.

After we passed through all those booths we ended up at what used to be Innoventions. I knew I needed to try the blue champagne from the Light Lab inside, so in we went.

Light lab had a pretty cool vibe, but other than the champagne nothing was that interesting. It was too dark in the Light Lab to take a good picture, so I took my champagne out to give it the full photoshoot it deserved. Don't worry, I'll only share a couple, but I assure you MANY were taken.

Blue Spectrum: Blanc de Bleu - Cuvee moussex with boba balls

It tasted like champagne, so I was satisfied. The boba balls were a unique touch. Honestly I'd probably buy it again just for the pure novelty of it.

While I was enjoying my champagne loveliness I decided I needed to use the restroom, so I handed my drink to Dad turned around and promptly knocked a child to the ground. He started crying immediately and I felt AWFUL. I apologized profusely to the mom and child, thankfully the mom didn't seem to bothered. What kind of monster makes a child cry at Disney World....


At some point in the day I had booked us same day FPs for Soarin' so we headed to the land to wait for them to be good. I think we thought we could ride Living With the Land while we waited but it had a 20 minute wait so we passed.

However, after we tapped our bands I pulled up the MDE app and found a Living With the Land fp for shortly after, so that worked out.

I asked for front row, like I always do, but the CM said it would be a 20 minute wait?! That didn't make sense as no one was waiting in A and C, so I'm guessing she thought we wanted Group B, Row 1. We passed on waiting and ended up in Group B, Row 2. This was the first time in YEARS that I had ridden in a row other than 1, so yay feet in your face! It wasn't too bad though, and at least we were in the middle so the Eiffel Tower wasn't bent. It was my first time riding new Soarin' at Disney World, and I got a little surprise when the ending was Epcot! I just assumed it would end with Disneyland still, for some reason.

Once we got off Soarin' it was time for LWTL. I always intend NOT to take photos, but then it's just so lovely I feel compelled.

Just noticed the little Hidden Mickey made out of pumpkins!

This ride has a lot of Hidden Mickeys

I think Dad wanted to ride Spaceship Earth so I pulled up the app and booked a FP that was good shortly. Dad thought it was silly, but when we got to the line there was a 20 minute wait so it actually ended up being useful. I took some photos inside the ride to see if my new camera could handle dark rides. It can't. So here's some photos of the exterior instead!

I'll probably always miss the old Spaceship Earth with the fiber optics at the end and Jeremy Irons as the narrator, but the interactive element is at least kind of fun. Like... who's driving this spaceship?

After our journey through space we headed back to the resort to relax and wait for Allie. Turns out her flight was delayed so we had plenty of time to relax!

I had a snack of those amazing french fries, and finally finished up the King's Cake. Mostly I watched TV while waiting, but I did soak my feet in the hot tub a bit too.


Allie arrived about an hour later than originally planned, but luckily I had been able to move our Raglan Road ADR to a later time. She basically set her things down in the room, freshened up a bit, and then we hopped on a boat to Disney Springs.

Raglan Road was basically the only meal Allie requested, since she's Irish. I thought after her cross-country flight with delays she might be too tired, but she rallied. Dad had to lead us through Disney Springs because once again I don't understand it. We were seated at the very back of Raglan Road so we didn't have a great view of the stage, but at one point they did set up a mini stage right in front of our table where two performers did some tap, so that was cool!

Our meal started with soda bread and guinness/olive oil dip

I wasn't very hungry after my day of snacking so I just ordered a side of brussels sprouts. These were good, and even better once I added some lemon to them.

Smokey Bacon and Almond-roasted Brussels Sprouts

Allie ordered the Heritage tomato salad, that she shared with me. I love arugula! I think she also ordered some truffle parmesan fries.

Dad ordered onion rings to share. I didn't get a picture, but they were ok. A little too heavy on the batter.


Bellies full and happy we wandered back to the boat stop. However, I can't pass World of Disney without going in. And that's where the Porg from the report title comes in. They had these little Porg stuffed animals in the store, and I don't know what possessed me, but I decided to buy one. Maybe it was the AP discount burning a whole in my pocket?

Full confession: I haven't even seen the trailer with the Porgs. I watched the first Last Jedi trailer and then decided not to watch anymore so when the time comes I'll be more surprised. I've obviously seen memes of the Porgs, but I have no idea if they'll be great characters like Chewbacca, or duds like Jar Jar. But I bought the Porg and named it Porridge, and it sort of became the trip mascot.

Just look at its stupid face!

After the boat ride back to POFQ, we pretty much just went to sleep, new Porg snuggled beside me of course.



To be continued... and we gain the last members of our party!​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 5 - November 4th - Animal Kingdom Lodge


Today was an exciting day, we were saying goodbye to POFQ and hello to Animal Kingdom Lodge! Also, the last members of our party were arriving; my brother, Aaron and his girlfriend, Shelby.

It was a little sad to be leaving POFQ, I loved it a lot, and the room location was just too perfect. But we still had one more matter of business before we could say goodbye to the resort: beignets! A nutrient rich, fortifying breakfast if there ever was one.

Allie enjoyed the beignets, or beign-YAYs as we dubbed them on our trip in 2008

The beignets are delicious and cooked to order and half the fun is getting powdered sugar everywhere. They're really not quite the same as the famous beignets at Cafe du Monde, but they're great in a different way.


Now it was time to say goodbye. Dad successfully booked us a Lyft and we waited.

The Porg enjoyed the lobby

This is one of my favorite pictures, and kind of sparked "Porg-ing". Pretty simple, basically you make the same face the Porg is making and the results are hilarious.

A short Lyft drive later we had arrived at our new home!

Walking into the lobby never fails to amaze me. The smell, the architecture, the memories. It truly feels like a home to me. We had opted to transfer our own luggage, so we checked our belongings with bell services because our room wasn't ready yet. Our plan was to stick around the hotel until Aaron and Shelby arrived, so we browsed the gift shop. Pretty quickly, though, I got a text that our room, Room 5208, was ready. I FREAKED out because I was pretty sure it was the exact room I had requested on TouringPlans. Originally, I thought we would all wait to see the room together but I was too excited, I had to know if it was the room I thought it was.

So Allie and I took the elevator to the 5th floor and followed the signs. For a second it seemed like our room was down a trail, but it was actually in the lobby, right in front of the bridge! This was the EXACT location we wanted. Dad wanted close to lobby and I wanted a partial savannah view for our 1-bedroom, and this had both!

I did a brief photo tour, but I was so excited the pictures didn't turn out that great.

Main living area with the pull-out couch and chair

Here's the view, I definitely shrieked when I saw it!

Somehow my camera turned to square mode. The bathroom had lots of storage and double sinks. The toilet was in a separate closet and it had a HUGE jacuzzi tub. It was nice, but actually kind of hard to climb into. The painted tiles had characters from The Lion King on them.

The king bed in the bedroom. Aaron and Shelby got this room.

TV stand and dresser in the bedroom

Full kitchen stocked with every kind of utensil you could need.

Dining area

TV and stand in the living area. The dresser is so cute! And it had USB outlets, plus regular outlets so it was really useful.

Pull-out couch that Allie and I slept on. It wasn't the most comfortable but at least it was a queen size bed.

Hallway. Behind the doors are the washer and dryer. To the right is the bedroom, and to the left is the bathroom. It was pretty nice to have a washer and dryer in room.

And this is the view to the left of the front door. It never got old.

Quick tour of the room completed we headed outside to wait for the Magical Express. Like always, I had big hopes of getting a cute departing-the-Magical-Express shot but I got this instead.

Oh well, my brother probably did that on purpose to be honest. We grabbed our bags from bell services and led everyone to the room. I was super excited for everyone to see it.

View from the bridge

Our room is right at the end of that bridge! Just unreal. The location was so convenient. Super easy to get to the bus stops or the restaurants/pool. Not quite as easy as POFQ though!

Up next, lunch at Sanaa!
​

 

[paradesintherain]

Real Life-ish Update

It's kind of real life, but kind of mostly still vacation related. I was finally cleaning out my suitcase and I found all the little pieces of art I accumulated over the vacation. Mostly I've missed posting them when I acquired them so I figured I'd just show it all off here.

I probably got these first, at the Wonderland Gallery... or whatever it's called in the Marketplace Co-Op.

These next prints were on the table of our AKL room, from the DVC. We're not DVC but I'll gladly take these beauties! I especially love the Stitch one. Stitch is best when he's calm and docile, otherwise I'm not a fan.

I got this after lunch at Tiffins. It's a print of an original sketch by Joe Rohde!
\

This is the postcard that I picked up at the Festival Center and had sent back to the room. It's so sweet, I wish they'd gone with this theme on more of the stuff instead of the Figment theme.

The Tangled print allowed me to complete this frame. I never had enough vertical prints to complete it or enough horizontal prints that matched well. The Lion King print is my all time favorite:

And, for fun, here's the rest of the prints that don't have homes yet.

For good measure, here's Princess Leia resting on the suitcase. It's upright because I'm FINALLY going to put it away. Shhh, don't tell the cats.

​

 

[missangelalexis]

OoOoh that champagne looks so cute! Very photogenic!

Hahaha I love that the porg became your mascot! So cute!

Your room and view at AKL is lovely!

I love all your prints! The frame looks awesome

 

[Boardwalkin]

Great trip report. Loving all the photos. We were there the same week and I am half expecting to see myself in one. Your day spent at Epcot to Boardwalk to Disney Springs was an awesome plan. Very jealous of that day.

 

[ChosenBelle]

following.... We were there the same time!
I think I am going to attempt to do my first TR

 

[ChosenBelle]

Great trip report. Loving all the photos. We were there the same week and I am half expecting to see myself in one. Your day spent at Epcot to Boardwalk to Disney Springs was an awesome plan. Very jealous of that day.

We were also there the same week and stayed at the Boardwalk!

 

[paradesintherain]

OoOoh that champagne looks so cute! Very photogenic!

The most photogenic champagne in the world!

Hahaha I love that the porg became your mascot! So cute

You'll see a lot of this guy throughout the trip.

Your room and view at AKL is lovely!

I couldn't agree more! It was a perfect room.

I love all your prints! The frame looks awesome

Thank you! One of my favorite things to collect.

Great trip report. Loving all the photos. We were there the same week and I am half expecting to see myself in one. Your day spent at Epcot to Boardwalk to Disney Springs was an awesome plan. Very jealous of that day.

Thank you! Lemme know if you spy yourself in the background of any picture haha!

The Epcot day was great, worked out perfectly!

following.... We were there the same time!
I think I am going to attempt to do my first TR

oooh maybe you'll see yourself in one of my pictures!

Let me know if you do write a TR, I'd love to read it!

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 5 - November 4th - AKL & Sanaa


Once we'd explored the room we made the walk to Kidani Village. This was my first time visiting Kidani! The walk was pleasant on this day, but I imagine if it was any hotter it wouldn't be much fun.

The lobby is nowhere near as grand as Jambo House, but it's still very beautiful.

I love that the lobbies are similar, but different. I almost like this window better than Jambo!

We checked into Sanaa early, and asked for a table by the window. They told us it would be a bit of a wait, which we were fine with.

We spent a good chunk of time on the savannah watching the animals.

Zebra butt!

This is one of my favorite pictures. That bird was having a great time staring at itself, and the people inside must have had a great view.

It got a little hot outside, so we went back inside and waited. We were all getting a little hangry at this point. Especially the Porg.

There were supposed to be tortoises outside the windows by Sanaa and we searched for them for a long time while waiting but never did find them. Maybe they were on a break?

Right as we were going to give up on a table by the window they called our name. This was our first time at Sanaa and we had high expectations! Our table was about a row back from the windows, but the view was still great. The restaurant is really unique, and has some pretty decorations.

We, of course, started out with the bread service. This was INCREDIBLE. All the breads were out of this world delicious (we definitely ordered more). The accompaniments were outstanding, too. I wasn't a huge fan of mango chutney, or coriander chutney just because I don't like mango or coriander.

Choice of Five Breads - Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kucha, or Paneer Paratha. Choice of Three Accompaniments - Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chuntey, Garlic Pickle, Red Chile Sambal, or Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle

For my entree I ordered the Potje inspired dish.

Potje inspired: Butter chicken & aloo masala with jasmine rice

WOW. This was FANTASTIC. The butter chicken blew my mind; one of the best chicken dishes I've ever had. The sauce was also great with the naan bread. The aloo masala was potatoes, essentially, and also really good. I'd try something other than it next time. And the rice looks basic, but it was somehow a standout as well.

I didn't take pictures of anyone else's food, but they were as equally impressed as I was. Our first meal may just have been the best meal of the trip.

I did take a picture of the Porg chilling in my purse while we ate. He's just so funny!

The only bummer about the meal was that our server wasn't that attentive. He was friendly, but he just seemed stretched too thin between the tables. But no big deal! We'll FOR SURE be back to Sanaa in the future.


When our meal was done I saw that the giraffes were really close to the viewing area, so I ran back outside.

Kidani was nice, but it was time to walk back to Jambo! Not sure why we walked back to Jambo instead of taking a bus from Kidani, but I'm guessing somebody needed something in the room.

Mystery mission accomplished, we headed back to the bus stop, where we had a short wait for our bus to the Magic Kingdom!

Up next... Magic Kingdom!
​

 

[missangelalexis]

Such nice photos! I'm glad it was a good meal at Sanaa!

 

[Shrfleen]

​

I love this!