A Disney Honeymoon Looking for Fun & Furry Friends ~ May 6-13, 2014 UPDATED: 8-13

[MidnightParade]

Great parade pics! Kinda sad that I won't get to see it ever again! The little animal floats are really very neat and I love the design of them. Oh well maybe it will return once Pandora/Avatar opens up.

 

[dramadrew]

It was nice to see the Tree of Life up close. More animals!


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr

We saw this little gem in the waiting area:


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr

We both enjoyed It’s Tough to be a Bug. If anything, it’s nice to get so close up to the Tree of Life. I also liked looking at the parody posters they had in the lobby area. I located the stinger in my chair before the show and was anticipating that moment. My body must have known because I never felt it. Perhaps my back moved slightly forward without me knowing it! This was definitely and enjoyable show for the late afternoon. However, if you’re a parent with young children, you may want to avoid it. I had a couple kids screaming their heads off towards the end!

At this time, we tried to get a FP to meet Mickey and Minnie. There were none were left for the day. I believe the wait time was 20 minutes so we decided to wait it out. I believe it turned out longer than that, but honestly, there was not much left to do. We enjoyed meeting both of them and they were once again charming to visit.


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr

One of my favorite photos from the trip.

Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr

It was time to head back to Africa since I was unable to take advantage of using my camera on the previous days. Here are some photos while walking the trail.

Okapi

Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr

I love their nests.

Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr

Hammerkop

Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr


Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr

We saw this on our way out

Animal Kingdom by ak82984, on Flickr

I would have done the Kilimanjaro Safari again, but we decided to head on out. We had dinner reservations at Sanaa.

Up Next: Eating with the Animals.

 

[MidnightParade]

That grass nest-ball is so cool!!!

The Tree of Life is amazing! I wish I could sneak in after park close and just get to climb all over it and discover the animals!

I love how you guys are so committed to your hats and wear them everyday!!

 

[dramadrew]

That grass nest-ball is so cool!!!

The Tree of Life is amazing! I wish I could sneak in after park close and just get to climb all over it and discover the animals!

I love how you guys are so committed to your hats and wear them everyday!!

It was really never an option for me not to do so. The top of my head is bald so I wanted that away from FL sun as much as possible. Plus I loved wearing it and never wanted to take it off while in the parks. Especially since we lost them one day.

 

[dramadrew]

I am sorry for the delayed posts. I've been busy and I think I'm prolonging this as we're getting near the end.

 

[dramadrew]

We got on the bus and headed towards Sanaa restaurant.

The lobby area.
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

I think we were an hour early so we decided to explore a little bit. We first went out in the patio area and admired the animals.

The beauty of the African crowned crane.
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Why hello!
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Baby zebra! (Hot wiring, get out of my way!)
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

We then went back in the lobby area and checked out their convenience store. This is where we saw their rapid refill station and they had raspberry ice tea! Come on Coronado Springs, step up your game! Unfortunately we did not have out mugs with us. We went out in the balcony are, sat in rocking chairs and enjoyed the view. We could see giraffes in the distance and we could see their holding area in a back corner.
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

What a view!
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Caught with a mouth full!
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

When we were called in for our reservation, we were about two tables back from the windows. I was still able to view the animals so I was happy about it. During dinner, one of the baby giraffes came up to the window to eat. Like I mentioned in a previous post, unlike the guests who went up behind my chair to get a good view, I stayed where I was seated. Thank goodness for the zoom feature of a camera.

Baby!
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Here comes an adult!
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Oh BABY!
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Well I didn't notice that glare until now...
Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

UP NEXT: Dinner beyond Giraffes

 

[dramadrew]

Alright, let's move on to the food and atmosphere!

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Even on the dining plan, we were able to get the mango lassi as long as we did not get refills on it. SOLD! We adore mango lassi. Next time we will definitely need to try the bread sampler, but this time we didn’t because it was not on the dining plan. Our dinner was delicious. I believe I got the tandoori chicken and DH got the dinner where you could pick two choices. See if you can tell through these photos.

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Dessert was also decadent. So pretty! I got the dessert trio and DH got the ginger cake. We highly recommend both choices.

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Sanaa by ak82984, on Flickr

Back out in the lounge
Resort in Kidani Village by ak82984, on Flickr

We headed over the the Animal Kingdom Lodge to meet up with DH’s college friend. She lives in the area and still also works part time for Disney, for the perks of course!

Hello, gorgeous view!
Animal Kingdom Lodge by ak82984, on Flickr

We met her fiancée and they were both lovely ladies. The lodge was beautiful and we even went outside to spot some more animals. It was impossible for me to get any photos due to the lighting.

Animal Kingdom Lodge by ak82984, on Flickr

Animal Kingdom Lodge by ak82984, on Flickr

Animal Kingdom Lodge by ak82984, on Flickr

We went into Victoria Falls Lounge and got some drinks. Their treat; yes please! Next time I need to write down everything we ate and drank. They were specialty drinks and both delicious. This is a very nice hotel to go to during the evening to wind down.

Animal Kingdom Lodge by ak82984, on Flickr

Animal Kingdom Lodge by ak82984, on Flickr

Oh could it be? We leave tomorrow and will only be at Epcot for half the day. How sad.

UP NEXT: Final day at Epcot.

 

[MidnightParade]

Aww baby giraffe!! So cute! Your dinner looks wonderful, especially the desserts! Love AKL just so gorgeous!

Boo to leaving day! I hope Epcot gives you a nice send off!

 

[Guatemommy]

Found your TR yesterday and am lovin it! Congrats on your wedding too! Hopefully your move was a success too.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Those are some really great animal pictures you got!

Your meal at Sanaa looks really good - very pretty desserts. That is one place we haven't been yet that we have to get to at some point

Glad you got to meet up with your husband's friend from college - very cool! Especially since they offered to pay!

 

[dramadrew]

Found your TR yesterday and am lovin it! Congrats on your wedding too! Hopefully your move was a success too.

Thank you! It was a successful move. We were lucky that no one was in the apartment the month before so they allowed us to gradually move in after we got back from vacation. I think it helped our sanity to do small trips in a two week span vs. everything all at once!

 

[dramadrew]

Aww baby giraffe!! So cute! Your dinner looks wonderful, especially the desserts! Love AKL just so gorgeous!

Boo to leaving day! I hope Epcot gives you a nice send off!

It wasn't the best day of the trip, but we also had half a day there and had the mindset of leaving. I would have enjoyed an extra magic moment somewhere, but we were lucky earlier in the trip many times.

 

[dramadrew]

Bumping up for new people to discover this thread. Maybe tomorrow I'll start on my final day. I am probably putting if off because it will be sad to complete the review.

 

[dramadrew]

Oh my goodness, an actual update that is an actual entry! I was convinced that I actually typed out my last day already and all I needed to do was add the photos. I was wrong! So I guess I'll go on a whim.

After checking out of Coronado Springs and handing over our bags, we headed over to Epcot. It was EMH and we probably got there 30 to 15 minutes before the actual opening. We decided to do the character spot before the line got full. It did not actually open until the park did, but it let us get a spot in line. I always hear this line goes quick, but even being there before opening, it was a little longer than I anticipated.

First up was Mickey and there was just something off with him. We didn't really connect with him. He posed well for pictures, but meeting Mickey so many times, this one didn't deliver.


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Notice how my smile is a little tense...

Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


mickep by ak82984, on Flickr

You can always count on Goofy! He was animated, very in tune with his environment and us, and very welcoming and warm!

Notice the difference in our smiles...

goofep by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

HIGH FIVES!

Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Then comes Minnie Mouse. Hi...oh a handshake, no hug, oh okay.... Well, here are the photos.


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Well at least she made physical contact for photos!

minnieep by ak82984, on Flickr

Alright, we needed something positive so we went back to Test Track! It was as much fun as it was the previous time. We must have did it later in the hour span because we headed to our second FP after this, Mission Space.


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

DH kept saying we were going to do the orange course and I cringed thinking about it. I put off this attraction until the last day in case I got sick. However, he decided we would do green and my stomach was so happy! It was a fun ride and we did not get sick at all!

I think until our next FP we went into Innoventions and also checked out Club Cool again. We would wrap up Future World with the Nemo ride. It was nothing too exciting, but we enjoyed it and I liked the technical aspects of it.


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

UP NEXT: The World Showcase

 

[HarkiQuinn]

Aww I'm sorry your interactions with Mickey and Minnie were lackluster. ): At least Goofy is dependable. I think my favorite Goofy is Goofini though!

 

[amberg93]

Oops, I have no clue how I missed these updates.

But, Sanaa looks delicious and AKL is sooo beautiful.

Departure day is the saddest day At least you could squeeze in park time though.

Sorry about Mickey and Minnie, but at least Goofy was on point.

And I'm all for the green side over the orange side, every time.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

bummer about your Mickey interaction on your last day not being so hot - but yeah for your stomach doing well with Mission Space!

I think Nemo is cute - though my favorite part of it is how cool the queue feels on a hot day

 

[dramadrew]

As much as I've put it off, it's sort of appropriate to conclude my trip report 3 months from my departure date at Disney. Since it's been 3 months, the details have sort of faded away. I know we finally saw the film in France, rode Maelstrom again, and ate some food from the vendors. I'll just post some photos to narrate the sights we saw to wrap up our vacation.

How to be classy in France:


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Some sightseeing...


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Japan


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Germany


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

After being turned away from their previous set, we returned to Morocco to meet Aladdin and Jasmine!


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

I had an awkward goodbye with Aladdin as he extended his hand and I did not see him. "Oh, okay..." DH knew how to properly say goodbye to them.

China


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Pandas!


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Pre-Frozen Norway


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

This means we're exiting, WHY!!


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

I cropped this photo because the amateur photgrapher didn't do the greatest job and I had some undesirable looking guests in the photo as well.


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Goodbye Dame Judi Dench!


Epcot by ak82984, on Flickr

Off we go to head back to our resort and board the Tragical Depress. We had a blast! This thread may not be over yet, I'll probably add some photos not featured in the other posts. Oooo!

 

[MidnightParade]

Awww, sorry to see it end! Happy that you posted it still though! Love the classy pics and the fez pics in Morocco!