~~ Sew the crowds in WDW were frightful, but the weather was so delightful ~~Nov 2015 COMPLETE! ~~

[sewdisney]

Hi D!

Remember me? I haven't been on the DIS boards for about a year! Imagine my surprise when I decided to hop on and find out you were coming home from WDW! How AWESOME! OMG, you get to go back in 60 days?!! How totally cool!

I have to tell you how incredible I think you look. (You go girl!) I know you lost a lot of weight and really toned up a long time ago, but the fact that you kept it off is great. I am so proud of you!

BTW, I am going to WDW at the end of January! If you remember, the last 2 times I was at WDW, it was a total disaster - between emergency surgeries, broken bones, stitches and a brain injury (NOT Disney's fault - happened off property). You would think I wouldn't want to step foot in Florida, but I'm hoping 3rd time's the charm!

If you leave in 60 days, I think we will probably just miss each other - (we leave in 72 days.) I would have loved a DISmeet with you, but perhaps another time?

Can't wait to hear all about your trip and the upcoming trips you have!

 

[jordansmama]

Joining in! Sounds like a great start to the trip- landing early and AKL! Can't wait to hear about the rest! (I also can't see all of your pics- not sure if it's my computer or not.)

 

[cajunfan]

OK...see the pictures now! Don't know what was going on then!

 

[lovegrumpy]

Here!! Ds#2 and I leave in 15 days for one of his Disney trips for graduation. We are also going to Disneyland summer 2016.

 

[Tinkercc]

Joining in and looking forward to another great trip report!!

 

[DisneyTeacher01]

I'm here!! I can't wait

 

[Kari0180]

looking forward to reading your report, loved your last one with your girls!!

 

[LindseyJo22]

Joining in! I had just been reading the beginnings of your PTR earlier - and I'll catch up eventually, but I'm excited to read the first post-trip report!

AKL is high up on my list of resorts to stay at - so fun that it was a surprise!! I can't wait to see all the awesome pictures

 

[DMGeurts]

I'm here I will upload my pics tonight. Yay! It was such an amazing trip to share with an amazing friend

joining in!

Checking in!!!

Following along!

Can't wait to hear how disney survived the 3 of you ladies.

Can't wait to hear all about your adventures and fun times!

I can't wait to hear about your trip. I have subscribed to the thread so I'm crossing my fingers that I've done it right

I'm here! Can't wait to read all about it!

I'm in, too!!!

Marking my spot here.. lol!

This will be a good trip report. I just know it.

I'm here! Cant wait to hear all about your trip!

Joining in!!!

Can't wait to read all about your adventures.
Liz

Cannot wait to hear all about the shenanigans!

My DD and I are so excited to read your latest TR!

I am following! I plan to keep watching your daily posts, too. I love them so much!

I'm here! Sounds like you guys had a great trip. It was hot but we loved it considering we returned to 36 degrees.

I'm in! Would love to hear the stories behind all the wonderful pictures I've seen!

Joining in...looking forward to hearing about your adventures!

Sounds like fun...I'm in!

In!

Joining in. I was there 11-8 thru 11-14. I was mad at myself for not getting a chance to meet you!! But sick child and sick husband overruled as they should. If youre ever down Alabama way or even in Atlanta give me a shout!

YAY I'm here!! I am so excited to hear all about your trip!

I am here too. Living on the West Coast gets you page 2.

Joining in!

I'm in! It all looked so fun on FB, I can't wait to hear details!

I'm here and ready!! I saw a few posts from FB and it looked great!!!

I'm in and can't wait to hear all about your trip!

So excited to for this trip report!

Following along.

Great start.

Your poor dh having to get up so early. At least he had a full day left to do what he wanted after he dropped you off.

Yay! Arrival to friends and Animal Kingdom.

So so awesome!!! Can't wait to read more and especially hope for some of the holiday activity posts to give me some ideas for our trip.

Those should be coming early in the report - for the most part - since we did MVMCP on day 2.

What a bummer that Josh had to get up early on his day of. AKL looks great. I can't wait to hear more about your trip.

Aw what a great start. We really love AKL as well. Such a beautiful resort and just like a vacation within the vacation to be there.

Great trip report so far! Suzi did a wonderful job of keeping the resort a secret. I would love to visit the parks with a close friend.

PS I too enjoy playing Frozen Free Fall

She did - it was great! I still can't believe she was able to keep a resort that awesome from me. LOL She is GOOD!

What a great start to your trip. Hurray for tailwinds! I've never experienced cutting that much time from a flight. Poor Josh having to wake up so early. Were the girls able to make the day special for him? I am so happy that the resort was the one for which you were hoping, and I look forward to hearing about your thoughts of the resort. Had Bradey stayed at AKL previously? Did he love the resort? I've never been, not even for a meal. A Chobani with a sprinkling of muesli is my default breakfast on work days, but at the airport I always find an indulgent coffee (aka mocha) and a breakfast sandwich--a favorite treat, especially if it's on a croissant! It must have been a unique experience having had Suzi do all the trip planning. I think it would be awesome since you knew you were in the hands of a pro. In that situation, I think it would be wonderful to give up control.

I am not sure? LOL He told me that he came home and went straight back to bed. LOL

Bradey has never stayed at AKL previous to this trip... I do think he really liked it a lot! Bradey and Suzi spent a lot of time enjoying the savanna at the end of our building - while I was taking my (almost) daily afternoon nap.

It was especially great that Suzi was able to plan this trip entirely - since I have been planning Allison's grad trip, and they are so close together - I am not sure I could have planned two trips at once? I had NO worries at all about her planning the trip, and as I found out - I would let her plan another one in a heartbeat.

Am I the only one that can't see most of the pictures? The only one I can see is the first selfie of the trip (with you Suzi and Bradey)

Hi D!

Remember me? I haven't been on the DIS boards for about a year! Imagine my surprise when I decided to hop on and find out you were coming home from WDW! How AWESOME! OMG, you get to go back in 60 days?!! How totally cool!

I have to tell you how incredible I think you look. (You go girl!) I know you lost a lot of weight and really toned up a long time ago, but the fact that you kept it off is great. I am so proud of you!

BTW, I am going to WDW at the end of January! If you remember, the last 2 times I was at WDW, it was a total disaster - between emergency surgeries, broken bones, stitches and a brain injury (NOT Disney's fault - happened off property). You would think I wouldn't want to step foot in Florida, but I'm hoping 3rd time's the charm!

If you leave in 60 days, I think we will probably just miss each other - (we leave in 72 days.) I would have loved a DISmeet with you, but perhaps another time?

Can't wait to hear all about your trip and the upcoming trips you have!

I DO remember you - but your first name escapes my memory at the moment! I've often wondered about you and how you were doing - the last I remember, your DH stopped by The Dis to let me know you weren't doing well, and that was the last I'd heard. I am so glad to hear from you and to see you here!!! Please update me o how you are doing.

Thank you - it's been a work in progress for sure... I still struggle a lot with the emotional aspect of losing, and the fact that I want to continue to lose more, but my body just won't let me... Trying to find that balance of loving myself for who I am, yet finding a way to move forward has been a constant inner battle for me.

Yay for another trip! Bummer that we will just miss eachother... I would love to meet up some day!

Again - thank you so much for stopping by - you run across my mind often, and I had hoped you were doing OK - just busy.

Joining in! Sounds like a great start to the trip- landing early and AKL! Can't wait to hear about the rest! (I also can't see all of your pics- not sure if it's my computer or not.)

OK...see the pictures now! Don't know what was going on then!

Here!! Ds#2 and I leave in 15 days for one of his Disney trips for graduation. We are also going to Disneyland summer 2016.

Joining in and looking forward to another great trip report!!

I'm here!! I can't wait

looking forward to reading your report, loved your last one with your girls!!

Joining in! I had just been reading the beginnings of your PTR earlier - and I'll catch up eventually, but I'm excited to read the first post-trip report!

AKL is high up on my list of resorts to stay at - so fun that it was a surprise!! I can't wait to see all the awesome pictures

Welcome everyone!!!! I wish I could reply to each of you individually - but I just don't have the time to do that this morning - as I want to get another update in.... Please know that I've read all of your replies and I am SOOOOO HAPPY to see so many new faces and so many old friends following along here!!! This was such a great trip for me, and I cannot wait to share the rest of it with you all!!!

Please watch for another update shortly... Like I said - this will be a fast moving TR.

D~

 

[dalayney]

Woo hoo! Off to a terrific start! Along for the ride. Interested in hearing how busy it was. ... As we are going around the same time next year. Nov 1st-10th.

 

[bellesBFF]

Following along!

 

[DMGeurts]

Day 1 Part 2

Hmmmm... Where did I leave off yesterday?

Oh yes - I was complaining of ravaging hunger...

Off we went to find Mara and the food....

It seemed a little odd that you could only access this cs restaurant from the outside of the building - but I guess I really didn't care at this point - I just wanted food... I had studied a few menus of potential resorts we could have stayed at, but I must admit - I did not study this one at all really. So, I asked Suzi for suggestions... She told me that I must try the couscous over the fries. So, I did. And while looking through the refrigerators, I saw a cold curry pasta salad - YUM - I love curry!

So, in the end, I ordered the chicken pita with couscous and a curry salad with an ice water on the side... All excellent choices and I wasn't so full when I was done - I found this meal to be very refreshing and satisfying. And I agree with Suzi - the couscous was amazing! Suzi had the exact same thing minus the salad. And I think Bradey had the chicken tenders with butter nut squash soup?

Just as we were finishing up our food, Suzi received the text that our room was ready! Whoot!!!! That was quick - we weren't expecting that - even though we were hoping for it. LOL We were given room #5454 - and little did we know, that this was the most perfect room for us - location was great, view was spectacular... We couldn't have asked for a better room!

Believe me.... Every picture of this fridge looks like it is dented - but I assure you, it is not... It was just some strange optical illusion.

While we were exploring our room and taking pictures, one of Suzi's bags was delivered... We were still waiting on 2 of her's and my one bag to come.

We decided to explore the resort some more...

We decided to walk over to Kidani to check out their pool... and let Bradey play on the splash pad. That was quite a hike and it was pretty hot out this day. Both Suzi and I agreed - though we liked Kidani, we much preferred Jambo.

While Bradey was playing... I spotted an empty bench next to us - and thought it looked good for a short snooze... Little did I know - I would actually fall asleep. LOL I told Suzi that I could sleep almost anywhere - and I am not sure she believed me? LOL I woke to Suzi snickering as she was sneaking pictures of me. This is not the first time I've taken a nap on a park bench - if you read my TR from Aug 2014, you'll remember that I took a long nap on a bench in Tomorrowland on that trip...

Nap over and feeling rejouvinated... We decided to take the hike back to Jambo to see if our luggage had arrived.

Thankfully - all of our luggage was there... We unpacked - ahem - Suzi unpacked... I opened my suitcase. I explained to Suzi that I never unpack, I just live out of my suitcase... Then she explained to me, she always unpacks and then as she wears her clothes, she puts them back into her suitcase - so when the trip is over, she is packed. Hmmmm.... Novel idea! I didn't try it at this point in our trip - but once things got confusing in my suitcase a few days in - I tried Suzi's strategy and it worked out really well for me. Supa Smaat!

I think this is all the photos I have room for in this update... So, you'll have to hear about our dinner and our evening adventures tomorrow.

Link to Day 1 Part 3

D~​

 

[kittylady1972]

GREAT report! We actually usually stay at Kidani, and I must say we LOVE the pool there and the slide is awesome. However you do have to walk back to the main lodge for food but it isn't a bad walk.

LOVE your nap on the bench. I have had that same experience myself, once napped on a bench in EPCOT near the World Showcase and it was THE best. I only woke up when Duffy the Bear came clomping past me! Disney park naps are NICE!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[ljcrochet]

Room looks great. Looks like the trip is off to a great start

 

[Vernie822]

Your quick service meal looks awesome! In the 3 days we spent at Kidani last week, we didn't make it to the Mara. I had hoped to. Next time for sure.

And that room I love it! That pool view looks amaaaaazin!

 

[LindseyJo22]

All the room pictures are amazing!! I just love the shower/tub detail - Disney does know how to make even the most mundane things cute and fun!

Glad you got to explore the resort so much - we tend to be so busy that it doesn't get priority

The food at the Mara looks awesome, especially for QS! Can't wait to read more

 

[JoeyEmmaMomma]

I've never been to AKL. Excited to get to see your pictures and hear about it!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Hey D! I am loving your TR so far!

Is that a Donald mug I see - what a perfect way to start a Disney day!

I landed 45 minutes early - the pilot came over the loudspeaker and said "we had one heck of a tailwind!" Cool! It's always good to start a trip with an early landing. I texted Suzi right away, and she also had a good tailwind, she was already on the ground waiting for me...

Yay for landing early!

Riding the fake-o-rail to the terminal...

Gosh i love that view when going on the Fake-O-Rail, only when arriving of course lol, it just makes me so excited!!!

I was dumped out of the fake-o-rail on the other side of the security check point, Suzi and Bradey were right there waiting for me!!! It was great to see them - big hugs all around! And I think both of us stifled back a couple of tears - I know I did anyways. Suzi is just one of my bestest friends - and it's so hard that we have to live so far away from eachother - it's always such a wonderful day when we get to see eachother again! She looked great - Bradey looked great! Eeep!!!

Our first selfie together, of the trip...

SO cute! All of your smiles say it all!

We wanted to explore this gorgeous resort - having only ever been here once myself, for a rushed dinner reservation at Boma - I was so excited to see everything! Suzi couldn't have done a better job picking or planning this one - honestly!

AKL is beautiful! There is just so much to see and explore! And the lobby is just beautiful!

So, in the end, I ordered the chicken pita with couscous and a curry salad with an ice water on the side... All excellent choices and I wasn't so full when I was done - I found this meal to be very refreshing and satisfying. And I agree with Suzi - the couscous was amazing! Suzi had the exact same thing minus the salad. And I think Bradey had the chicken tenders with butter nut squash soup?

That sounds very yummy

Just as we were finishing up our food, Suzi received the text that our room was ready! Whoot!!!! That was quick - we weren't expecting that - even though we were hoping for it. LOL We were given room #5454 - and little did we know, that this was the most perfect room for us - location was great, view was spectacular... We couldn't have asked for a better room!

Loving that view!

This is one of my favorite AKL room touches...it's so cool! I always wish I could have that in my bathroom at home!

Giraffes! My favorite animals at AKL. All the animals in general are just so much fun to see!
And loving the bag!

While Bradey was playing... I spotted an empty bench next to us - and thought it looked good for a short snooze... Little did I know - I would actually fall asleep. LOL I told Suzi that I could sleep almost anywhere - and I am not sure she believed me? LOL I woke to Suzi snickering as she was sneaking pictures of me. This is not the first time I've taken a nap on a park bench - if you read my TR from Aug 2014, you'll remember that I took a long nap on a bench in Tomorrowland on that trip...

LOL, I remember reading that - you are good sleeper, that's a good thing! Glad you were able to get in a nice nap after your busy morning getting to Disney!

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Chicago Mo]

Fun!!!! Yes I wonder if you were snoring?!?!

 

[jandlinz]

I love the resort pictures. AKL is on my list of resorts to try. I'd love to hear why you thought Jambo was better. That is so funny that you fell asleep on the bench. I guess if you're so tired anywhere seems reasonable.