A June Joyride...*****COMPLETED!!! 7/9***** About This Page:

[lindawdw]

I'm sad your TR is coming to a close! The breakfast sounded delicious at Boma. I'm glad your mini trip turned out so wonderful and that you enjoyed the AKL so much. Looking forward to reading about your closing comments.

[Artzkathy]

Sounds like you had a very magical, long weekend with your family at WDW!!! Can't wait for the wrap-up!

Kathy

[disneydani]

WRAPPING IT ALL UP…..

Lucky for us, we had another magical trip to the World! It was a bit hectic in the short term planning but we were lucky that all our ducks were in a row in terms of hotel, flight, ADRs.

Southwest: given we were traveling on reward tix, we can’t complain about the cost! Our flights were minimally delayed both ways but it seems to be the norm these days. Checking in is a breeze since we have it down to a science. I love the numbers system and it allows for a much more relaxing pre-flight. Of course, what makes it the easiest is that Paul is an “A lister” which means he is always among the first to board (following those with disabilities) and can get Izzy’s seating area all cleaned up and ready to go before we catch up to him.

Dollar: We are express members, which is free to those who sign up, and this makes getting a car fairly quick and painless. I found a great coupon code so the cost was reasonable. Return at the airport took less than 5 minutes.

Undercover Tourist: After reading about several other PP doing this….I took the plunge and purchased our tix at UT and then upgraded at guest services, saving a nice chunk o’change for us.

Spoodles: Been quite some time since our last meal, too long, in fact. We had a great meal. My only recommendation: go early as we did if you would like it a little less hectic.

Citricos: We have enjoyed a few stellar meals here, I love to leave the park for a while and enjoy a meal at a hotel. The food and service are top-notch!

Jiko: Fast becoming our family’s favorite, it was nice to stay at the AKL and have Jiko right downstairs! The seasonal menu changes are quite welcome and I look forward to heading back in August and seeing what is new.

Boma: Our first visit to breakfast… definitely won’t be our last! The fresh and varied selection was wonderful.

Star Wars Weekend/Gay Days: We were not affected at all by the crowds and I would not hesitate to travel during this timeframe again.

Quickie Three Night Trip: I was really concerned this just would be too short and we would be exhausted trying to take it all in. Since it wasn’t our first (or last) trip, we decided to make a very short list of priorities. We also wanted to really enjoy the resort as it was our first stay there. We always made it to park opening and then returned to the hotel for a midday swim, nap, relax before evening activities. It worked great and while I prefer to visit longer, I wouldn’t say no to a short trip. Since we have free airfare and an AP, it makes a mini trip even more reasonable to complete.

Last but by no means least….

Animal Kingdom Lodge: Some of you know my kids have been on me for the past few visits to book a stay at the AKL. I was resistant, for a variety of reasons. However, on our last stay, I promised the kiddos our next stay would be at the AKL. I have to say, I am glad my kids kept nagging me! Our family fell in love with the hotel. I can’t say for any one specific reason but more so for multiple. The hotel exudes warmth that I haven’t experienced before. The theming is absolutely fabulous; the savannahs are breath-taking and having a balcony overlooking them was a major bonus! My kids adored the pool area as well as the various activities that took place during the resort throughout the day. The concierge lounge had some unique treats and they did a great job handling Izzy’s allergy needs. All the CMs we encountered were wonderful and kind. So many of them took great pride and joy in their work. I could go on and on but you get the idea. Of course, my kiddos are reveling in the “I told you so”. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of a stay here to book it; I don’t think you will be disappointed.


As a follow-up….

Remember Izzy’s on again/off again rash? Well, the day after we returned, she woke up and was covered from head to toe in the worst rash I have ever seen…I mean she seriously looked grotesque. We rushed her into the pediatrician and two of the docs came to examine her while they called another one of her doc down at Hopkins. Poor kiddo, she had a nice course of oral and topical steroids, antibiotics, antihistamines…the works. Took about a week but it did get better, I am just glad it didn’t happen while at WDW!

***So, that about wraps it up. I want to thank all of you for coming along for the ride and commenting along the way…always motivates me to finish!***

danielle

[Lemap760]

Glad you enjoyed your stay at AKL.
I would never turn down a quick trip to the world either.

[chezp]

What a great wrap up.

How awful about the rash - I'm glad that's all cleared up now.

[Jillybean]

We do love our quick trips too since they make up the majority of our visits to Disney! For some reason, they always feel more relaxing to me!

Glad that you were able to get Izzy to the doctor and have that rash cleared up - - poor girl!

Are you guys staying at AKL in August or back to GF? Can't wait to read all about it!

Jill

[DyanKJ130]

Nice finish, Danielle! to hear Izzy's rash flared up even more, but so glad it happened once you got home and could see her regular doctors! for sharing your TR with us! I have enjoyed reading it and can't wait for the next one

[Colexis Mom]

Great finish Danielle I'm glad you guys fell in love with AKL And got so much done during your short trip And glad Izzy's rash waited for full blown exposure after you got home (the poor thing )!!

Great report as usual

[lexiemom]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us. I enjoyed it from start to finish! Glad to hear Izzy is doing ok with her rash.

[DebbieG]

What a wonderful trip you had. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Glad to hear that Izzy's rash is better.

debbie

[Artzkathy]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!! It has me so excited about our upcoming trip in Oct!! So glad to hear Izzy's rash is better!!

Kathy

[LLaffinPlace]

Great wrap-up, Danielle!

I'll take your advice on Spoodles the next time, but I seem to remember our ADR was something like 7:20 pm or so. I guess it was just a busy night.

I am so glad you loved the AKL--I do, too, and we would have been there part of our trip this year except for a little problem with availability of concierge rooms (we wanted to "do" the Sunrise and Sunset Safaris). But I cannot complain too much, because this gave us the opportunity to enjoy the Boardwalk Inn.

Anyway, thanks for writing up the trip and I look forward to your next one in August!

[ariel14]

Poor Izzy and her rash! I'm glad you were able to get it all cleared up!

Happy to hear that you fell in love with the AKL-we love it, too!!!!

[disneydani]

Originally Posted by Jillybean

Are you guys staying at AKL in August or back to GF? Can't wait to read all about it!

Jill

Cue music...."ya got the best of both worlds" (can you tell I live with a six year old Hannah Montana fan?)

Since the August trip was booked before this whirlwind weekend and my "next stay will be at the AKL promise" was still in force, I had booked a split stay through the bounceback offer during our previous March trip.... 3 nights at AKL, 3 nights GF.(That was a mouthful!)

We are thrilled to be able to spend time at each resort!

danielle

[tammyd_rn]

Thanks for sharing your trip report with us. I thoroughly enjoyed it especially since you gave a lot of details of AKL.
I am glad that Izzy's rash is all cleared up and sorry to hear she had to go through the works to get better.
How fun to be staying at two of your favorites for your August trip. Look forward to reading your next trip report.