Balancing Parks, Rest and Birthdays! A July 2023 Trip Report

[becauseimnew]

Following! Only day one and I'm already jealous of your trip.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I feel Caribbean Beach has really stepped up its game. I was there resort hopping for dinner at Banana Cabana and was really impressed with the resort.

Banana Cabana is great!

I'm behind (on pretty much everything),

I am as well, so don't feel bad. But I am glad you are here!

We were at Disneyland for the first time while you were starting your trip

Are you doing a trip report on Disneyland?! I never did our trip. Maybe I will circle back on that one after this.

've been waiting for this! Glad to see you got it started. Looking forward to reading more

Thanks for being here!! Even if it took me forever to get started.

Ugh, that was a rough travel day! How frustrating that they kept texting you with flight time changes. Just pick a time and stick with it! Or at least just keep pushing it back.

once we heard about the flight crew issue, my guess is they realized that the original crew was past there time limit to fly and they needed to find someone else. At least that was my guess.

Following! Only day one and I'm already jealous of your trip.

Thanks for following along!!! I already need another trip!

 

[keh422]

I am as well, so don't feel bad. But I am glad you are here!

Are you doing a trip report on Disneyland?! I never did our trip. Maybe I will circle back on that one after this.

I wish I'd taken notes on Disneyland. We were with my sister her family, who don't slow down much, so it's all kind of a blur. But now I want to go back and spend more time just taking it all in.

 

[Stasieki]

Excited to hear about your next adventure! I would have been guzzling that beer at the airport. I always have what I call travel anxiety so the longer I am in a airport the worse it gets so I just drink more - haha.

 

[ambula603]

Glad to be reading another trip report! Your girls are getting older just like mine, they have such different personalities, just like mine!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Yay, so glad you're back with a TR for your summer trip! UUUGH on all the delays and issues you had on your way down. I always prefer the first flight out in the morning, too. I feel like the later in the day you go, the more issues that pop up. Glad you've arrived and got your groceries Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

xcited to hear about your next adventure! I would have been guzzling that beer at the airport. I always have what I call travel anxiety so the longer I am in a airport the worse it gets so I just drink more - haha.

I wish I had an excuse like that, but i was just in vacation mode and making the most of it.

Glad to be reading another trip report! Your girls are getting older just like mine, they have such different personalities, just like mine!

Welcome!!! Thanks for following along. I will have to hop over to one of yours at some point.

Yay, so glad you're back with a TR for your summer trip!

Thanks! Glad you are hear!!!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Travel Day: Animals and Dinner!

We had exactly an hour in the room. Just enough time to unpack a bit, get our groceries and just relax for a very short time.

Around 7:15 PM w headed out to meet Uber to go to dinner.

Our room was a short short walk to this round about.
Round About Near Room
We were able to have the driver pick us up at the Jamaica roundabout. Which again was really nice! We had almost no walk to and from the round about.

it was also all wet from the storm that the poor CM had to deliver our groceries in. I wanted to note that we tipped the guy as well, evn though we had to pay to have the food delivered. He seemed greatly appricative.

We waited about 5 minutes for the uber to show up and we were off to Animal Kingdom Lodge! I was excited that we were able to keep this reservation, even if it was later. It had been awhile since we had eaten here.

7:30, we arrived! Foggy Glasses Club
This became a common occurance for Morgan and Andy, Everytime we would come out of a cold place and into the heat!

As we walked in we saw a person making wooden animals in the lobbyWoodworker in Lobby of AKLodge

AK Lodge Lobby
How beautiful is this lobby?

Lobby Ceiling
Everytime we come here, I think how we need to stay here one day. Which I promptly texted my sister who I keep saying we need to stay here with.

We had some time, so we headed outside to checked out the animals out on the savannah.
View of the Sanaa: Zebra

Savannah View: Giraffe

View of the Savannah: Antelopes

View of rooms

Fun fact, you can't check in on the app when you are all the way out in the outlook area, you have to get almost all the way back to the building before it will say you are close enough. I checked us in, and we headed back inside. Andy was Hungry and READY to eat!

Andy, Morgan and Gwen AK Lodge

AK Lodge View

Once inside, we checked out some of the artifacts inside while we waited for our table to be ready.

Lobby Display

Largest Mask
This is the largest “mask” that is on display in the lobby.

Largest Mask
Molly pointed this out during a video so I pointed out that it was actually a Mask!

African Art

African Staff

African things
You really could spend a lot of time just looking at all of the stuff in that lobby! It is a mini museum.

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After I took many pictures in the lobby, Andy finally forced me to go downstairs to wait. It was pretty busy down in the check in area. But we were able to grab a seat by the fountain and wait.

Around 7:50, we got a Text Message that our table was ready.

We were sat almost immediatly and our waitress came over shortly after. She took our drink orders and said we could head up to get food.

For drinks:
Andy got a diet coke

Morgan and Gwen ordered the Watermelon Lemonade
Minute Maid® Premium Lemonade and Watermelon
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The girls said the lemonade was really good.

I ordered the Coffee Old Fashioned.
Coffee Old Fashioned
This was REALLY good. I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of the description, it was a special, so it isn't online anywhere. The combo of coffee and bourbon made it almost taste chocolaty.

Morgan started with meat and more meat: Oak Roast Pork Rib and a piece of the African Spiced Beef Striploin.
Morgan's 1st Plate
Morgan loved both but mostly the striploin. It was perfectly cooked how we like it, nice and red.

Gwen started with Mac and Cheese and some meatballs
Gwen's 1st Plate
Gwen said the meatballs were good and gave the mac and cheese and "ok" rating. Both I think were perfect for her, being less adventurous of an eater than Morgan.

Andy's first plate.... well, there is no photographic evedince. He got his food faster than me, and had eaten half of it before I had even gotten back. He was starving! Ha.

My first plate, I got a slice of Beef, a rib, the peanut rice, Salmon, South African Spicy Tomato Stew, and a Avocado, grapefruit and papaya salad,
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All of this was so good!

• The Peanut Rice was really good! Very peanutty. I told Morgan and Andy that they needed to try it, as they are both big peanut butter fans.
• The salmon was also really good, it was in a light cream sauce with almond slices. And it was just really nice. Not spicy at all.
• Seafood Stew was really good as well, It had Scallops, shrimp and salmon pieces in a seasoned tomato broth. It was fairly simple flavor palate but it allowed the seafood to taste like what they were.
• The Watermelon Papaya and Avacado Salad was a little weird. There was a light sauce on it and it was tart. It was def the "fail" of the options I grabbed this round.

Gwen’s 2nd Plate: We made Gwen try at least one new thing. She decided on the Lamb Bobotie. And she liked it! She also got a plate full of grapes. Some things just won't change with her...

Morgan’s second plate included: beef, sweet potato mash, corn bread and strawberries
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Morgan and Andy really liked the sweet potato mash. Morgan LOVES sweet potato caserole, so this was right up her alley.

Andy's second plate included: beef, a rib, the rice I told him to try, some Lamb Bobotie and Sweet Corn Pudding.
IMG_1905
Andy really liked the Sweet Corn pudding, and he liked the bobotie.

I also grabbed a “bread plate for everyone Cilantro Hummus, butter and a bunch of breads.

• The Hummus and Coriander was soooo good. I need to find a recipe.
• There was french rolls and the outside was super hard, but once you cracked that open, the inside was so soft and fluffy. They were surprisingly really good. And were really good with butter and some fo the coriander hummus.

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My dessert plate: Zebra dome, Passionfruit cheese cake tarts, Ghanaian Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding, pineapple things and a Kenyan Coffee Tarts,
Morgan and I really liked the passionfruit cheesecake tarts. It was very lemon merange pie like.

I know this is an unpopular oppinion, but I just don't like Zebra domes.. I don't like alcohol in my desserts. Andy and Morgan really liked the bannan bread pudding.

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Andy didn't mess around with the other desserts.

This meal was sooo good. It hit the spot and really saved the day. If we hadn't done dinner, it would have felt like more of a waste of a day.

We haven't been in awhile since we have been going to Sanaa for bread service, but this reminded us, how much we like this place. It was a perfect meal on a travel day when we hadn't eaten much are weren't over loaded with food from a full week of eating yet.

Around 9:10 we rolled out of BOMA and waited for an uber back to the hotel. The girls and I wandered around the gift shop while we waited. I didn't want to sit down at that point. I didn't know if I would have gotten up, I was so full and tired!

We made it back to the room in no time, and got ready for bed.

I made the girls hide in the bathroom while I laid out the Tinkerbell Gifts since I forgot to lay them out before we left for dinner.

Tinkerbell Pjs. Morgan
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It was the traditional PJs for the first night, so I wanted to make sure I layed them out. They loved them, and promptly put them on and climbed into bed. They watched a little YouTube but it was lights out at 10:00. We had an early morning tomorrow!

Up next our first park day!!! Will we get a boarding group for Tron?

 

[Paulaparm]

Love, love, love the Animal Kingdom Lodge! The sights, the smells...
And of course, Boma. We enjoy the breakfast there too.

 

[missjackiemcg]

AKL looks so incredible, and is still a place we've not visited!! Glad this meal saved your day and helped end it on a sweet note!

And I LOVE that you still do Tinkerbell gifts for the girls. Just a little extra magic for the trip, no matter how old they get.

 

[amazingact21]

Your dinner sounds really good! The peanut rice and sweet potato mash, especially. One day I'll have to try a Boma dinner.
Glad you all were able to visit AKL and have nice meal. I'm sure it ended the night on a high note after the travel frustrations.

 

[footballmouse]

 

[vamassey1]

Boma saves the day!

We haven't had dinner here in a very long time. I loved the breakfast I had last April. I don't care for the zebra domes either. Don't hate them, just don't like them much.

AKL is so stunning. So much to look at everywhere.

Looking forward to your first park day.

 

[Newsies]

Your AKL photos are terrific! It looks like you had a great night

I ordered the Coffee Old Fashioned.
Coffee Old Fashioned
This was REALLY good. I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of the description, it was a special, so it isn't online anywhere. The combo of coffee and bourbon made it almost taste chocolaty.

Okay, this looks and sounds amazing!!! Coffee and bourbon sounds heavenly! The rest of the dinner looks great too-- so interested in that peanut rice!

It was the traditional PJs for the first night, so I wanted to make sure I layed them out. They loved them, and promptly put them on and climbed into bed. They watched a little YouTube but it was lights out at 10:00. We had an early morning tomorrow!

This is too cute, I love when families do things like this!

So excited to hear about your first park day

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Love, love, love the Animal Kingdom Lodge! The sights, the smells...
And of course, Boma. We enjoy the breakfast there too.

We haven't done breakfast yet. I keep saying that when we stay here, we will do breakfast then. One day!

And I LOVE that you still do Tinkerbell gifts for the girls. Just a little extra magic for the trip, no matter how old they get

I keep saying that I am going to stop but I also keep thinking how sooner than later they won't come with us on trips.

The peanut rice and sweet potato mash, especially. One day I'll have to try a Boma dinner

You def need to. It's nice cause they do have regular food, so you can try stuff and if you don't like it there is always mac and cheese and pasta as backup.

I'm sure it ended the night on a high note after the travel frustrations

It def saved the day!

Welcome!!

I don't care for the zebra domes either. Don't hate them, just don't like them much.

Same... The first time we went to BOMA Morgan wanted one cause they look so pretty. She was sad that she couldn't have it.

AKL is so stunning. So much to look at everywhere.

It really is so beautiful. It is the second best lobby.

so interested in that peanut rice!

I think I need to try and find a reciepe for it! It was that good.

This is too cute, I love when families do things like this!

I keep telling myself that I am going to stop but I can't help myself.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Dinner sounds and looks lovey!
It is so nice to have a relaxing evening on arrival day!
We love AKL. One of my favorite places to stay!
Good to know at the bigger resorts Uber will pick you up at your building!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Good to know at the bigger resorts Uber will pick you up at your building!

I don't know if that is a new thing but we loved it. If feel like back in the day, you weren't allowed to.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I LOVE the Animal Kingdom Lodge - I’d love to stay here again once my kids are out of car seats and it’s easier to use Uber.

Your dinner at Boma looked so good! I loved our food at this dinner (and I’m also a huge fan of their brunch). I’m so glad you made it there despite your rough travel day - and good for Gwen for trying something new!

 

[vamassey1]

It really is so beautiful. It is the second best lobby.

What is the best lobby?

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

’d love to stay here again once my kids are out of car seats and it’s easier to use Uber.

The transportation is the rub with this resort... And with little kids it can feel like a lot.

What is the best lobby?

I was wondering if anyone would ask. ha!

Wilderness Lodge, in my oppinion