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Why is the rum always gone? We might be responsible! UPDATE 7/13: My photos are back and other stuff



October 21, 2016-Part Two

After breakfast we headed to Animal Kingdom for the day. The lines to get into the park were awful that day. We headed straight back to the safari and the FP line was absolutely crazy. It wound all the way up the hill to the left and just kept going and going. Everyone who was walking up kept saying “this is the FASTPASS LINE?!” It actually ended up moving fairly quickly and it turns out that the MagicBand readers were down (WDW was having some serious technical difficulties this day) and the CMs were having to scan everyone in.

After the safari we took the train out to Rafiki’s Planet Watch and back, and caught Flights of Wonder, which we love. We also stopped by Warung Outpost and got some Shangri-La Berry Freezes for the boys, and a Maharaja Lime Margarita (Sauza Gold Tequila, Triple Sec, Agave Nectar, and Lime Juice), for me:





Dylan got his smoothie in this cool souvenir cup:




We rode Everest with our FP, then went to Dinoland U.S.A. so Sean and Nathan and DH could ride Primeval Whirl. I’m not a fan of those kinds of rides so Dylan and I just hung out and he figured out how to play a “song” on his new cup. Did I mention that the handle is like a flute? Yeah, I didn’t notice that when I bought it for him.

We had a little time to kill until our Kali River Rapids FP, so Dylan and Nathan and I rode Everest again, standby this time. We got to sit in the first car! Nathan and a nice guy who was riding single rider sat in the very front, and Dylan and I sat in the row behind them. Sitting that far up it seriously feels like you are going to fly off the top of the mountain where the tracks are all broken. Eeek!

We rode Kali right at the start of our 3:00 p.m. FP window. This was my first time on this, and of course Sean and I were the ones who got completely soaked. I don’t know if you can tell from this pic but we are literally dripping wet here:



We made our way out of the park and drove over to Kidani Village. Check in went smoothly, except for the part where the nice CM helping us reminded me that we had a $380 balance on our reservation. At this point my DH came up and glanced at the calculator where she’d showed me the amount owed and he thought it said $3,800 and almost had a heart attack right there in the beautiful lobby. o_O

We got our room assignment and drove over to the parking garage for our building. This was really convenient, being able to park in the structure and just take the elevator right up to the floor we were staying on. Our room was waaaay down the hall from the elevator that went to the garage, but ended up being a really short walk to the other elevator down to the lobby. We had an awesome view of the Sunset Savanna from our room:



We walked over to the Samawati Springs Pool for some down time before dinner. I suppose if I had a complaint about staying at Kidani it was that you have to walk out through the main lobby to get to the pool. Not a huge deal, but the way they laid it out is a little odd. Anyway, the pool seemed tiny after a week at Stormalong Bay but we ended up loving this pool area (and actually preferred it to the bigger pool over at the main lodge/Jambo House). It is really nicely themed and just feels lush and relaxed and vacation-y.



I don’t have pics, but knowing us I’m pretty sure we had drinks at the pool. I’m positive, actually, because Devon was still recovering from his near heart attack at check-in. I believe he got what was basically a Long Island Iced tea from the Maji Pool Bar, but it’s not on the online menu for some reason. I brought over some wine in my refillable mug because I am classy like that.



After we got back to the room Sean decided to check out the savanna with the binoculars:



You know, just checking out some zebras in his bath towel. Like you do. :laughing:


I know, I know, get to the food! That night we had dinner at one of our favorites, Sanaa. This was our third time dining at Sanaa. We had dinner there for Dylan’s birthday on our first trip, lunch there last year, and Dylan had requested that we go back for his birthday this time as well. We have always enjoyed the ambience and service, in addition to the food, and this time was no exception.

After a short walk from our room we checked in on time for our 8:15 p.m. ADR and were seated promptly. We started with a bottle of…whatever this was:



Informative picture-taking, huh? I’m guessing it was a Sauvignon Blanc since that’s our go-to when drinking white.

We ordered the Indian-style Bread Service with all nine of the accompaniments—Red Chile Sambal, Cucumber Raita, Coriander Chutney, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Garlic Pickle, Spicy Jalapeno-Lime pickle, Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, and Tamarind Chutney:



When I asked the boys leading up to the trip what they were looking forward to eating, this is what they all were most excited about. As usual, this was wonderful. We always forego the other bread options and get two orders of the all traditional naan. We all have different favorites for the accompaniments (I like them all, but my top three are the Coriander Chutney, followed by the Tomato-Date Jam and Red Chile Sambal) so between the five of us they all get eaten, even the spicy ones. It always surprises me how much the boys enjoy these.

I ordered the Salad Sampler, which was (L to R) Watermelon, Cucumber and Fennel; Chickpeas with Cucumber and Tomato; and Nigerian Root Vegetable and Citrus...



…and Devon ordered the Butter Chicken and Braised Beef from the “Potjie Inspired” offerings, with Basmati rice:



The plan was to share these. Devon claims that I ate more than my fair share of the Butter Chicken, though he has no proof of this. :rolleyes1 We enjoyed both the chicken and the beef. The salads were good and fresh tasting, though I wasn’t a huge fan of the root vegetable and citrus one.

Sean wanted the Kids' Shrimp with Quinoa Pilaf, Seasonal Vegetables, and Sliced Apples…



...this is a terrible photo but it doesn't matter because he didn't eat it anyway, for reasons that now escape me. I’m sure it was due to some totally rational reason that a 7-year-old would come up with. We ended up getting him a Naan pizza, which is what he usually has here, and he was good with that.



The older boys both had the Tandoori Chicken with Basmati Rice:



They both say they liked this though Nathan admits he doesn’t really remember. Dylan says it was good, but he didn’t like the veggies on top of the chicken (huge surprise there).

As they have done previously, our server (who, by the way, was very good per the usual at Sanaa) brought out a fancy birthday dessert for Dylan:



I have no idea what this was. I think it may have been the Seasonal Kulfi with Chef's choice of accompaniments? I was also apparently standing on my head when I took this picture.



He enjoyed his dessert :thumbsup2

This was another successful visit to one of our favorites. We will always come back to Sanaa. The staff there is consistently wonderful, and we love the theming of the AKL restaurants. And the bread service is quite possibly our favorite Disney food item. I would seriously be happy just having that as my meal.



It was really nice to have just a short walk back up to our room. The next day was a chill/resort day, with lots of yummy food and another birthday dinner on the agenda!
 
OMG Sean in that picture is priceless!

May I suggest 1) his food was touching the other food on his plate? 2) he MEANT pizza, 3) dear god MOM WHY would you think I'd actually want shrimp?

LOL! And right? Why on earth we didn't just order him pizza to begin with, I have no idea. We must be new at this o_O
 


You are so funny! Catching up on the reading, but the rum is always gone! As is the diet dr pepper!
 
October 22, 2016-Part One

The next morning DH ventured out to the closest Apple Store to replace my iPhone (luckily I was due for an upgrade anyway). I did approximately 17 loads of laundry. My family produces laundry at an astonishing rate. It’s their superpower.

Nathan and Dylan were still passed out so Sean and I decided to walk over to The Mara, which is the quick service option at AKL. It was about a 10-minute walk from Kidani over to the main lodge, so not bad at all. Sean got a chocolate chip muffin and we grabbed croissants (surprise, surprise!) and milk for the other guys:



Since today was a non-park day for us, we debated a little bit about what we wanted to do and eventually decided to go miniature golfing at Fantasia Gardens. The course was more challenging than I had expected, and we did the easy one! It was fun, though, for the most part. There may have been a couple of thrown clubs, but for our first group effort at miniature golf it went reasonably well.



By then it was mid-afternoon and hot, so we headed back to the hotel for some pool time. We decided to check out the bigger Uzima Springs pool over at the main lodge. I sent the boys ahead on foot because I needed 15 ever-loving minutes to myself, and then ended up grabbing the hotel shuttle and got there just a couple minutes after they did. Ha!

I didn’t have my phone or camera with me, but here are a couple photos of the pool area that I took earlier that morning when Sean and I went over to grab breakfast:







I think Devon ordered a margarita and I think I got one of those mystery iced teas. Because we don't have photos, we really have no idea. I just texted Devon to see if he remembered and was like "I know we got drinks there." His response: "That sounds like us." :laughing: Oh! The iced tea is on the menu for Uzima Springs: Big Island Iced Tea--Pau Maui Handmade Vodka, Sammy's Beach Bar Rum, Henderick's, Cointreau, and Sweet-and-Sour with a splash of Coca-Cola. These were really good.

So after about seriously 15 minutes in the pool the boys all announced that they liked the pool over at Kidani better. I actually agreed—it was smaller and less crowded and just had a more relaxing vibe—so we grabbed our towels and went back over to Kidani. We played for a while and were getting hungry and thirsty so we hit up the Maji Pool Bar again. “Maji” is apparently Swahili for “water,” but to us it meant "booze." We got:





A Piña CoLAVA for Devon—this is Barcardi Black Razz Rum blended with Piña Colada Mix and Raspberry Purée—and another Big Island Iced Tea for me. We thought the Piña CoLAVA (yes, that is Disney’s dumb spelling) was really sweet and we probably wouldn’t order it again, but it was kind of fun to try. When else are you going to drink silly fruity tropical drinks if not poolside on vacation, right? We also got some snacks:



A Mickey pretzel with cheese sauce, and some chips…with cheese sauce. Can you ever have too much cheese sauce? I think we all know that the answer is obviously no.

We enjoyed our yummy drinks and unhealthy snacks and goofed around in the pool for a while longer:







Then we made our way back to the room to relax before our big fancy dinner that night!
 
Just found your dining review. I had to jump in partway through to say I for 1 am so glad you posted your family pic from your room balcony. I am looking forward to our first stay at the Beach Club in a couple weeks, and as Yacht Club veterans, I have been fretting over which floors have full balcony. Your picture helped me visualize. And your boys are wicked cute! Now that you have found the Schofferhoffer beef cart, you will never walk by it again. (It was likely there the whole time!) Disney heaven for me is walking into around World Showcase with one of those in my hand. My little hack is to pour the beer into a Disney mug, as I can't stand spilling the beer over my hand, which I inevitably do if I attempt to drink from the plastic cup while walking. A side benefit is you can walk out of the IG back to your room if there is any left. Shh. I know CMs don't want you taking drinks out of Epcot, but chugging as you try to leave the park is not fun. I am also a CA native, now leaving on the East Coast. I can't wait to read the rest of your report.
 
Looks like a great day at AK and great room at AKL. Of course 2 days in a row of pool drinks is a great vacation in my book. We're staying at AKL in February, but Jason has been waffling on it a bit because of how far it is from most of the parks. Love the idea of selling him on the solitude and relaxing vibe though. And fingers crossed we can get some pool time (and drinks) in.

Your Sanaa meal looks amazing as always. I can't get enough of that bread. Perfection!
 
Just found your dining review. I had to jump in partway through to say I for 1 am so glad you posted your family pic from your room balcony. I am looking forward to our first stay at the Beach Club in a couple weeks, and as Yacht Club veterans, I have been fretting over which floors have full balcony. Your picture helped me visualize. And your boys are wicked cute! Now that you have found the Schofferhoffer beef cart, you will never walk by it again. (It was likely there the whole time!) Disney heaven for me is walking into around World Showcase with one of those in my hand. My little hack is to pour the beer into a Disney mug, as I can't stand spilling the beer over my hand, which I inevitably do if I attempt to drink from the plastic cup while walking. A side benefit is you can walk out of the IG back to your room if there is any left. Shh. I know CMs don't want you taking drinks out of Epcot, but chugging as you try to leave the park is not fun. I am also a CA native, now leaving on the East Coast. I can't wait to read the rest of your report.

Thanks for joining in! That room at the Beach Club was perfect. I cannot believe I didn't write down the room number...I need to figure out which one it was.

Where are you from in CA? You had me fooled with the "wicked cute" comment (thanks, BTW!)...we lived in Boston for three years, had you pegged for an East Coaster ;)

And pouring your beer into your Disney mug. Why has this never occurred to me??? Genius!
 
Looks like a great day at AK and great room at AKL. Of course 2 days in a row of pool drinks is a great vacation in my book. We're staying at AKL in February, but Jason has been waffling on it a bit because of how far it is from most of the parks. Love the idea of selling him on the solitude and relaxing vibe though. And fingers crossed we can get some pool time (and drinks) in.

Your Sanaa meal looks amazing as always. I can't get enough of that bread. Perfection!

I could eat that bread service alllll day long. So good.

I am sure you guys will love AKL, even if it's not the most conveniently located resort (we didn't take the bus at all while we were there so I'm no help there...maybe it's no worse than the others?). They really do such an excellent job of making it feel removed from the rest of WDW, though. It's so peaceful and relaxing. And pool/drinks time is a must! :D
 
I am so enjoying your report! Raglan Road remains one of my faves even with the new crop of great spots. I have had a table next to the stage and agree it is LOUD. I think we communicated in sign language for much of the meal! :rotfl2:
I don't blame you one bit for being upset with the Cape May situation. I'm lucky enough to have that be my home DVC resort so I stay there semi-regularly and I have to say the lobby/check-in process seems chaotic on the best of days - can't imagine when systems are down! :scared:

I totally agree on the relaxing vibe at AKL. LOVE that pool area. Thanks for a couple of laughs this morning: "watching zebras in your towel... as one does". :rotfl: And "sounds like us" re: having drinks. Sounds like me too. :thumbsup2

I have yet to try Sanaa but it is definitely on my list!!

Looking forward to more!!
 
I am so enjoying your report! Raglan Road remains one of my faves even with the new crop of great spots. I have had a table next to the stage and agree it is LOUD. I think we communicated in sign language for much of the meal! :rotfl2:
I don't blame you one bit for being upset with the Cape May situation. I'm lucky enough to have that be my home DVC resort so I stay there semi-regularly and I have to say the lobby/check-in process seems chaotic on the best of days - can't imagine when systems are down! :scared:

I totally agree on the relaxing vibe at AKL. LOVE that pool area. Thanks for a couple of laughs this morning: "watching zebras in your towel... as one does". :rotfl: And "sounds like us" re: having drinks. Sounds like me too. :thumbsup2

I have yet to try Sanaa but it is definitely on my list!!

Looking forward to more!!

Thanks so much for reading along! You really must try Sanaa, though I can understand with having Beach Club as your home resort that it's not exactly convenient. I'm not sure I would ever leave the Beach Club! :P We definitely took advantage of the great dining options at AKL while staying there.

Drinks on vacation...and at home for that matter...are a must. I have to keep my sanity and sense of humor somehow! o_O
 
Really enjoying your dining report! We are huge fans of kidani village and have stayed there quite a few times. We love the pool area there and my husband and brother in laws have a serious LOVE of those big island ice teas. My sisters and I joke that we funded the beloved bartenders summer home with their love of these drinks. I still miss the tropical mojito that they took off the menu.
 
All caught up. I love the reviews-- both dining and other trip bits. I currently have Sanaa booked for a lunch as a back up, because we can't get into Yak and Yeti. (Xmas week trip.) However, your review reminds me of why I personally will be happier if our back up ends up happening! I love Yak and Yeti for convenience in AK, but I have been dying to try that bread sampler.
 
Thanks for joining in! That room at the Beach Club was perfect. I cannot believe I didn't write down the room number...I need to figure out which one it was.

Where are you from in CA? You had me fooled with the "wicked cute" comment (thanks, BTW!)...we lived in Boston for three years, had you pegged for an East Coaster ;)

And pouring your beer into your Disney mug. Why has this never occurred to me??? Genius!
I grew up in Piedmont (Bay Area), however I have lived in ME for 19 years, so I have done a pretty good job with the lingo. Our room reservation is a standard view, so we likely won't end up on that side of BC, but I am happy to see full balconies on the 2nd floor. We like to walk out/skip elevators, and their don't appear to be any standard view rooms on first floor, which is what we really like due to patio. I can handle 2nd, though.
 
We love the pool area there and my husband and brother in laws have a serious LOVE of those big island ice teas. My sisters and I joke that we funded the beloved bartenders summer home with their love of these drinks.

Ha, that is too funny! :rotfl2:

Glad you're enjoying the report, thanks for reading! :-)
 

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