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pflamingo · 06-15-2002, 11:55 PM

I forgot to mention this in Part 1, but the vet's picked up the tab for the tetanus shot for me, because they felt so bad for me. When I went to pick up the dogs after we got back, the entire staff came out to ask how I was and how our trip went. And my favorite vet, who wasn't there that fateful day but had heard the story, came out to shake his head and laugh at me (in a nice way). He's known me for years, and has cared for all my dogs. He thinks I'm crazy anyway -- after all, he knows George! Everyone wonders why I drive 15 miles to take my dogs to them when there are vets much closer, and this is why. They also take excellent care of the pooches. Now, on with the story.

Cast: The Kamikazes
Pat (a.k.a., PFlamingo) – grew up at WDW and never quite got over moving away
Dennis – last trip 12 years ago w/ brother, nephew, and niece – bad idea

When: June 5 – 13, 2002

Where: Animal Kingdom Lodge
Radisson Parkway (1 night)
Pat’s Parents’ House (1 night)

Reason: Me – long, hard year teaching math to 10- to 13-year-olds
Dennis – because I made it sound like so much fun
Both – because life is short, we’re not getting any younger, and we’re not willing to grow up

June 5, 2002 – Day 1 – Chapter 2: The Food Magic Begins

7:45 p.m. I swear I got chills as we drove in and got our first glimpse of the Lodge! And Dennis said, in his best awe-struck, wide-eyed, still-a-9-year-old-kid-at-heart-voice, "This is where we're staying?" As soon as we walked into the lobby, we both said we couldn’t wait to check in the next morning. Between the breath-takingly beautiful decor and the aromas from the restaurants, we were practically floating as we made our way through the lobby. We did the oh-so-tourist-like-stand-and-stare-up-at-the-ceiling thing. We had made fun of tourists in NYC doing this on street corners during our Christmas trip, but I said that it’s pretty well typical behavior at Disney. We ventured out to the Arusha Rock viewing area to look at the animals and talk to the guides a bit before heading back inside for dinner.

Future career as an AKL host, perhaps?

We arrived at the podium around 8:00 for our 8:15 ressie, so we had to wait for a few minutes. That gave us a chance to look around the waiting area, peruse the Jiko menu, and use the bathroom. Every inch of this resort is gorgeous! Even the bathrooms were themed, with lights in the stalls that matched those in the hallway. Talk about attention to detail! After just a brief wait we were shown to our table. Although this is generally a noisy restaurant, we had such a nice table, in the glassed-in alcove area, that we hardly noticed. Outside was the walkway to the pool, but between the window and the walkway was a lovely little “spring” bubbling over rocks. This area was also lit somewhat more softly than the rest of the restaurant, which made this seem a bit more “romantic” than you might expect.

The food at Boma is, in a word, amazing! The “pod” arrangement is described nicely in other places, so I won’t cover it here. I will say that it was in no way your typical “buffet” fare. It was all fresh and flavorful, the hot food was hot, and the cold food was cold. So whatever they’re doing to keep the correct temperatures, they’re doing it right. Some of it was quite spicy, which was fine with us, but there were also quite a few mild dishes. The real stand-outs for us were the Coconut Curry Chicken Soup, Seafood Stew, Tamarind Barbeque, Nut-Crusted Salmon, and Fu-Fu (a sweet potato-based dish).

The South African wine list was completely unfamiliar to us, so we had to rely on the recommendations of our server, Doug, who didn’t fail us. We had a red wine with the unlikely name of “Goats Do Roam Rhone Blend, Paarl”. I rather liked the play on “Cote du Rhone”, for all you wine connoisseurs! This was a nice full-bodied wine, similar to a merlot, and it really enhanced the flavors in all the foods. For dessert, the Zebra Domes were delicious, but our favorite was the Chocolate Mousse Crunch. These were like little chocolate clouds with a chocolate cookie-crumb crust. We ordered the Kenya AA French-pressed coffee, which put all the other coffee we’ve had before or since to shame! A rich intense coffee that blended with the taste of the chocolate that made us want to slide under the table in gastronomic ecstasy. A French-press pot is now on our “must-have” list of kitchen gadgets.

But Doug, our server, gave us our first bit of CM magic. When he asked us how everything was, and we sighed and said “wonderful”, I asked him the name of the sweet-potato dish (since I couldn’t quite tell from the sign on the “pod”), and said (in jest, really) “I want the recipe.” He said, “No problem.” He then took down my e-mail address and said that the chefs would be happy to send me the recipe. So I asked for the salmon recipe, too! (By the way, when I arrived home and checked the e-mail, there were the recipes, sent the very next day! I’ll share them with anyone who wants them.)

Everything about that meal was terrific – food, wine, and especially the service. Doug was right there when we needed anything, without hovering, and answered all of our questions without making us feel like yokels. Boma and Doug receive two big thumbs up from us! For anyone interested in the expenses, it went like this: dinner $22 (each), wine $7.75/glass (about average on this list), and coffee $6/pot (about 3-4 cups – plenty for after dinner). Worth every penny!

We came, we saw, we pigged-out!

Well, after such a fabulous meal and long, eventful day, all we wanted to do was find a hot-tub (a.k.a., spa) and soak our sore, overstuffed bodies. But first, we needed to pick up some breakfast staples at the grocery store. We reluctantly left the restaurant, after securing a copy of the wine list, and headed off to Publix. There is an excellent Publix on Hwy 192, a couple of miles from World Drive. We bought milk, some individual cartons of juice, cereal, and fruit. We were so tired, it’s probably the fastest trip either of us has ever made to a grocery store. The whole thing took about 30 minutes, start to finish.

Back at the Radisson we tossed the food in the cooler, changed into our swimsuits and hit the “spa”. I had agonized over buying a suit, having put on more than a few pounds in the last couple of years, and feeling very self-conscious about the weight. But, I had used the virtual model on the Land’s End website, which let me “try on” swimsuits without actually having to get naked in a department store dressing room. I mean, you scream in there, and they call security on you. I did manage to find a suit that I figured wouldn’t frighten small children (or anyone else) too badly. It was expensive, but it actually looked pretty good, and no one mistook me for a manatee, so I figured it was worth it. The spa was pretty, but it was set ‘waaaaaay too hot. We lasted about 5 minutes there, then switched to the pool. The pool at the Radisson was great – free form, with a water fall that stretched across one end of the pool, and a water slide. A few laps to stretch out the aching muscles and we were ready to call it a night.

The last task of the night was to top off the ice in the cooler. This brings up my only real complaint about the Radisson. We were on the 2nd floor, and there didn’t seem to be an ice machine there – at least, not on any of the 4 major hallways I tried, though I did find soda and laundry machines. The only one I could find was on the 1st floor, down the hall from the elevator. So I tromped on down there, still in my swimsuit and sarong, and starting to feel a bit chilly. Good A/C there.

I got back to the room, showered off the chlorine, and used my new foo stuff – Night Blooming Jasmine from B&B, woo-woo. I put in a 6:30 wake up call, jotted down my notes for the day, got my stuff organized for the morning, put on the new “jammies” that I got on sale at “Vicky’s,” and hit the sack. Dennis, who always goes to bed before me, was already “sawing wood”. So while our dinner was romantic enough, and our swim was fun, the closest we got to any “action” was unison snoring. But that’s okay. We were just happy to finally be in Orlando, safe and sound, and together.

Next episode: The Kamikazes’ Check In at AKL and Take On Epcot or Around the World (Showcase & Future) in 12 Hours

[ 07-16-2002, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: pflamingo ]

06-15-2002, 11:55 PM	#10 (permalink)
pflamingo Community Rank: Trekker Join Date: May 2002 Location: Geogia Posts: 1,016	Re: The Theme Park Kamikazes: Do It All or Die Trying Now With Pictures! I forgot to mention this in Part 1, but the vet's picked up the tab for the tetanus shot for me, because they felt so bad for me. When I went to pick up the dogs after we got back, the entire staff came out to ask how I was and how our trip went. And my favorite vet, who wasn't there that fateful day but had heard the story, came out to shake his head and laugh at me (in a nice way). He's known me for years, and has cared for all my dogs. He thinks I'm crazy anyway -- after all, he knows George! Everyone wonders why I drive 15 miles to take my dogs to them when there are vets much closer, and this is why. They also take excellent care of the pooches. Now, on with the story. Cast: The Kamikazes Pat (a.k.a., PFlamingo) – grew up at WDW and never quite got over moving away Dennis – last trip 12 years ago w/ brother, nephew, and niece – bad idea When: June 5 – 13, 2002 Where: Animal Kingdom Lodge Radisson Parkway (1 night) Pat’s Parents’ House (1 night) Reason: Me – long, hard year teaching math to 10- to 13-year-olds Dennis – because I made it sound like so much fun Both – because life is short, we’re not getting any younger, and we’re not willing to grow up June 5, 2002 – Day 1 – Chapter 2: The Food Magic Begins 7:45 p.m. I swear I got chills as we drove in and got our first glimpse of the Lodge! And Dennis said, in his best awe-struck, wide-eyed, still-a-9-year-old-kid-at-heart-voice, "This is where we're staying?" As soon as we walked into the lobby, we both said we couldn’t wait to check in the next morning. Between the breath-takingly beautiful decor and the aromas from the restaurants, we were practically floating as we made our way through the lobby. We did the oh-so-tourist-like-stand-and-stare-up-at-the-ceiling thing. We had made fun of tourists in NYC doing this on street corners during our Christmas trip, but I said that it’s pretty well typical behavior at Disney. We ventured out to the Arusha Rock viewing area to look at the animals and talk to the guides a bit before heading back inside for dinner. Future career as an AKL host, perhaps? We arrived at the podium around 8:00 for our 8:15 ressie, so we had to wait for a few minutes. That gave us a chance to look around the waiting area, peruse the Jiko menu, and use the bathroom. Every inch of this resort is gorgeous! Even the bathrooms were themed, with lights in the stalls that matched those in the hallway. Talk about attention to detail! After just a brief wait we were shown to our table. Although this is generally a noisy restaurant, we had such a nice table, in the glassed-in alcove area, that we hardly noticed. Outside was the walkway to the pool, but between the window and the walkway was a lovely little “spring” bubbling over rocks. This area was also lit somewhat more softly than the rest of the restaurant, which made this seem a bit more “romantic” than you might expect. The food at Boma is, in a word, amazing! The “pod” arrangement is described nicely in other places, so I won’t cover it here. I will say that it was in no way your typical “buffet” fare. It was all fresh and flavorful, the hot food was hot, and the cold food was cold. So whatever they’re doing to keep the correct temperatures, they’re doing it right. Some of it was quite spicy, which was fine with us, but there were also quite a few mild dishes. The real stand-outs for us were the Coconut Curry Chicken Soup, Seafood Stew, Tamarind Barbeque, Nut-Crusted Salmon, and Fu-Fu (a sweet potato-based dish). The South African wine list was completely unfamiliar to us, so we had to rely on the recommendations of our server, Doug, who didn’t fail us. We had a red wine with the unlikely name of “Goats Do Roam Rhone Blend, Paarl”. I rather liked the play on “Cote du Rhone”, for all you wine connoisseurs! This was a nice full-bodied wine, similar to a merlot, and it really enhanced the flavors in all the foods. For dessert, the Zebra Domes were delicious, but our favorite was the Chocolate Mousse Crunch. These were like little chocolate clouds with a chocolate cookie-crumb crust. We ordered the Kenya AA French-pressed coffee, which put all the other coffee we’ve had before or since to shame! A rich intense coffee that blended with the taste of the chocolate that made us want to slide under the table in gastronomic ecstasy. A French-press pot is now on our “must-have” list of kitchen gadgets. But Doug, our server, gave us our first bit of CM magic. When he asked us how everything was, and we sighed and said “wonderful”, I asked him the name of the sweet-potato dish (since I couldn’t quite tell from the sign on the “pod”), and said (in jest, really) “I want the recipe.” He said, “No problem.” He then took down my e-mail address and said that the chefs would be happy to send me the recipe. So I asked for the salmon recipe, too! (By the way, when I arrived home and checked the e-mail, there were the recipes, sent the very next day! I’ll share them with anyone who wants them.) Everything about that meal was terrific – food, wine, and especially the service. Doug was right there when we needed anything, without hovering, and answered all of our questions without making us feel like yokels. Boma and Doug receive two big thumbs up from us! For anyone interested in the expenses, it went like this: dinner $22 (each), wine $7.75/glass (about average on this list), and coffee $6/pot (about 3-4 cups – plenty for after dinner). Worth every penny! We came, we saw, we pigged-out! Well, after such a fabulous meal and long, eventful day, all we wanted to do was find a hot-tub (a.k.a., spa) and soak our sore, overstuffed bodies. But first, we needed to pick up some breakfast staples at the grocery store. We reluctantly left the restaurant, after securing a copy of the wine list, and headed off to Publix. There is an excellent Publix on Hwy 192, a couple of miles from World Drive. We bought milk, some individual cartons of juice, cereal, and fruit. We were so tired, it’s probably the fastest trip either of us has ever made to a grocery store. The whole thing took about 30 minutes, start to finish. Back at the Radisson we tossed the food in the cooler, changed into our swimsuits and hit the “spa”. I had agonized over buying a suit, having put on more than a few pounds in the last couple of years, and feeling very self-conscious about the weight. But, I had used the virtual model on the Land’s End website, which let me “try on” swimsuits without actually having to get naked in a department store dressing room. I mean, you scream in there, and they call security on you. I did manage to find a suit that I figured wouldn’t frighten small children (or anyone else) too badly. It was expensive, but it actually looked pretty good, and no one mistook me for a manatee, so I figured it was worth it. The spa was pretty, but it was set ‘waaaaaay too hot. We lasted about 5 minutes there, then switched to the pool. The pool at the Radisson was great – free form, with a water fall that stretched across one end of the pool, and a water slide. A few laps to stretch out the aching muscles and we were ready to call it a night. The last task of the night was to top off the ice in the cooler. This brings up my only real complaint about the Radisson. We were on the 2nd floor, and there didn’t seem to be an ice machine there – at least, not on any of the 4 major hallways I tried, though I did find soda and laundry machines. The only one I could find was on the 1st floor, down the hall from the elevator. So I tromped on down there, still in my swimsuit and sarong, and starting to feel a bit chilly. Good A/C there. I got back to the room, showered off the chlorine, and used my new foo stuff – Night Blooming Jasmine from B&B, woo-woo. I put in a 6:30 wake up call, jotted down my notes for the day, got my stuff organized for the morning, put on the new “jammies” that I got on sale at “Vicky’s,” and hit the sack. Dennis, who always goes to bed before me, was already “sawing wood”. So while our dinner was romantic enough, and our swim was fun, the closest we got to any “action” was unison snoring. But that’s okay. We were just happy to finally be in Orlando, safe and sound, and together. Next episode: The Kamikazes’ Check In at AKL and Take On Epcot or Around the World (Showcase & Future) in 12 Hours [ 07-16-2002, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: pflamingo ]