It's The Magic That Can Happen When It's Autumn! - Animal Kingdom Lodge - Club Level

[TheLittleKatie]

I loved this post! Your pics of California Grille, the Contemporary and AKL made me want to transport myself to Orlando right now. Thanks for the awesome TR!

Thank you for reading! I'm glad you've enjoyed it UGH I know tell me about it, I just got back from Disneyland Paris with my friend SIX DAYS AGO and I'm already bugging Jamie for another Disney trip... Looking through photos and reliving previous trips is dangerous!

Oh how I miss the welcome show!

DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS

Ooh, I like this! Maybe I'll adopt your nickname for good ol' @pkondz

I think Pedro suits him

I currently have 3/5 of these sitting in a "junk food stash" in my closet. The taffy, Caramilk, and Smarties. Canadian candy is great.

Oooh I looove the Caramilk

Oh how I also miss the Electrical Parade!! <3

I know!! Were you team Electrical Parade, or team SpectroMagic?! People seem to feel strongly about one or the other. Hopefully something better is coming for the 50th!

Hymie is becoming quite the celebrity!

He loves it too

Your California Grille pictures were beautiful! And I think that bird was an osprey.

I love that place That's a good call, whatever the bird was it was SCARY. We don't get birds like that in England

I love this picture!

Haha thanks! I think those tshirts are great for the halloween party - minimum effort, maximum detail

Yes I loved the banana one yum.

I'll eat banana flavoured EVERYTHING

I love this sweatshirt! I've almost bought it for myself so many times now!

Thanks! It's a good one, and nice and huge which is how I like my sweatshirts

So somehow only one of my quotes saved. I cant believe how far behind I was even before your marathon updates this week!

Oh no! Well don't worry, I don't expect you to go back over the thousands of updates I posted

I'm not very encouraged by your bus issues at AKL. We are staying there in a few weeks and I do hope that isn't the case for us.

I do hope you had a better experience with the AKL buses. Maybe they reduced the number of buses because it was September/a slower time of year, I don't know? Let me know how it goes!

That stinks about how your MNSSHP night started out. It wouldn't have crossed my mind about the rain messing it up that much. We are trying that for the first time in September.

I have my fingers crossed for you that you don't have a rainy party! Our party night in 2015 was PERFECT and so much fun, I hope it's like that for you.

This answers one of our questions that came up yesterday! Our 6 year old is adamant that he isn't riding Test Track again this trip but he does want to do the design. We didn't realize you could do this. So yay!

YES you can, just go in through the gift shop! There are loads of screens where you can create your own car advertisement or something, which I'm sure no one ever does... But there are just three car design studio screens. That's where Jamie gets all of his practice!!

I'm so glad you're back! I love that you did Keys to the Kingdom. We did it two years ago and loved it (I had already seen the utilidors since I worked in Fantasyland, but my family was super amazed by hallways of concrete ). I think we are going to do the Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour next!

YAY I'm so glad I'm back too!! Haha to someone who worked there it must seem crazy that people pay a lot of money to go down into the concrete hallways Oh awesome! I don't know much about the different tours you can do but I'll have to look into it!

Woohoo! Welcome back! All caught up. Great trip report updates!!! How awesome, 3 week trip!!!

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! It was so fun to go for 3 weeks and just do as we pleased! It felt so relaxed I loved it

 

[TheLittleKatie]

So we were on a trip during the same time, and I remember that night because it's the hardest it's ever rained while we were in the parks! We got stuck in AK under the area near Tusker House because it was the closest shelter, and we had been on our way to the safari. But it never let up and it got really crowded under there so we ended up making a run for it after an hour and got soaked

UGH it was terrible wasn't it. That's part of why I loved January, it hardly rained at all.

I love this, I almost bought it last trip!

You should buy it so we can be twinsss.

Found this report yesterday, and just made it through.
What a great report!
We were actually there for part of your trip! Arrived the 17th.
Also really enjoyed the first week of your report as that's when we're going this year (8/30-9/8). I would love to see the low crowd levels you saw!
How do you walk all day in flat sandals? Or Converse?? Maybe I am just too old, but I cannot do that!
Anyway, looks like an amazing trip!!

Hey thank you! I'm glad you've enjoyed it!
I really hope the crowds are low again this year! We just went in January during what was supposed to be a very quiet time and unfortunately it was quite busy Hopefully September is still a quiet time to go!
Aww! I have a lot of trouble with shoes rubbing my feet and giving me blisters, but these sandals and converse are two of very few pairs of shoes I have that don't hurt me at all! The sandals aren't great for support though. But at least I don't get blisters, I hate that!

Love your reports! I'm hoping you have a new one coming up after this.

Thank you! And

- new TR link is in my signature!

How would you like it if instead of opening early... they kept everyone else out for an hour after regular opening time?

MUCH better! I'm definitely a night owl!

Katie... Do. Not. Move.

Was he sad he was forced to miss the ride?

I believe he cried discrimination and was eventually let on

Why did you hate it?

I like big rollercoasters and love that you choose your music etc, but that climb is awful and feels so unsafe to me, I don't know why. And because it's right at the start of the ride it just ruined the rest of the ride for me.

I see ketchup.... that's a vegetable, so... yes. Nutritious.

Ketchup is a vegetable.
I'm getting a sign saying that for my kitchen

Of course... because if you live in London, you should travel to Florida for Irish items.

Great logic Jamie's actually half-Irish (and half-Indian) so it's totally necessary for him to embrace his heritage and buy that cat t-shirt

"Welcome to Test Track. Or perhaps you'd prefer MS orange? aka the Vomitorium?

Vomitorium is an accurate name, I'll do the green side but NOT the orange!

Yay! A great North American tradition that has nothing to do with Germany!!

People always tell me this, but it doesn't make it any less spectacular that it's a CHRISTMAS TREE COVERED IN PICKLES.

Another place I really need to get to.

Next time we meet up at Disney I'll bring you a rice crispy treat

It's gorgeous. I have a hard time choosing between that, GCH or Aulani.

We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in January it is so so beautiful and perfect!

Huh... It wasn't awkward? I mean, them basically coming up to your table while you were eating?

Haha no it was fine, they kinda kept their distance at first until we asked them what was going on

Well... it's supposed to be, I guess. It is lime.
I'm planning on making one soon.

Make a normal one instead and send me a slice.

 

[MeghanEmily]

Yeah it's crazy. Like this is Walt Disney World, you need to be prepared for when it's busy. AND IT WASN'T EVEN BUSY. Just, what is going on?! I guess they were just super super understaffed, but for no reason at all...

Absolutely! One of the last times we were at Boma we were chatting up our favourite server, and she was saying that they had never been so consistently busy there since Pandora opened, but they weren't hiring new servers because they didn't know how long it would be like that. Like, what??!! There's a need? Hire more people to fill it! The numbers were something crazy, like on a day when in past they would have put 300 people through the restaurant, they were putting something more like 1000 through with a similar number of staff.

Haha! I see what you mean! I relate to this because I won't touch ANYTHING blue... All those Frozen cupcakes they did with the blue frosting always looked SO unappetising to me... I guess blue and grey are very unnatural food colours...

100%!! Also, I'm allergic to blue dye, so seeing blue food just makes me automatically cringe a little. Blue cotton candy? No thanks! Blue raspberry icee? Hard no on that one.

Oooh I looove the Caramilk

Yummm. I don't know how it compares to the UK, but I remember reading somewhere that Canadian chocolate is creamier than American chocolate because, like, science and stuff. I believe it.

I know!! Were you team Electrical Parade, or team SpectroMagic?! People seem to feel strongly about one or the other. Hopefully something better is coming for the 50th!

I'm not sure that it's better or worse, but I have stronger memories of Electrical Parade, so that's what's nostalgic for me. I only have vague memories of seeing SpectroMagic once or twice. But at this point I'm open to any kind of nighttime spectacular that moves in a parade-type formation!!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

WOW i absolutely adored your trip report...i have read previous ones as well. I loved your AKL photos, based on those i have decided I need to slow down and look at all the many details.I have stayed there many times, and as I looked at your photos, I was like "what" where is that. I will have to do a dis meet with you some day. I lived in London for 4 years on an expat assignment, and have been going to DW for the last 25 years. Your trips reports are sooo much fun to read, and your photos rock. Thanks sooo much for taking the time to spread the magic!!!

Hey thank you! I'm so glad you've enjoyed it! I definitely recommend slowing down / taking some time to appreciate the resort, although I appreciate not everyone has time on their side like we do!
Oh nice! Where abouts in London did you live?
Thanks so much for your kind words!

Ugh. So sorry to hear about that. I've never been and you certainly aren't giving me a reason to feel I should.

I was so confused because everybody raves about Tusker House.. Hopefully we just caught them on a bad day, but I will take some convincing to go back!

I'm typing this towards the tail end of my midnight shift. So... me.

EW midnight shift... Is that normal for you?

Oh look. The main course is just outside.

HAHA my friend and I were at Disneyland Paris last week and we went to this rodeo/wild west show thing, and they served ribs while cows were just wandering around in front of us... my friend was horrified and couldn't eat them

Awww... poor Katie. Love the term rage quit, though.

I love a rage quit

Isn't it wonderful? I mean... seriously... isn't it???

YES I will be back to Karamell-Kuche for sure!

Mexi-droid!

El Droido

Don't ever change that, Disney. Guardians is good... but TOT is better.

Pedro I would be SO upset. Tower of Terror is my second favourite attraction (after Splash), and a close second at that. WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS.

Now that is quite the story!
I didn't think you were allowed to take anything into the tank.

I thought that too, but it sounded like a member of staff was in on it and accompanied them with the banner.

It's the only one I have that is pink and is my favourite. And I have a lot.

YAY I'm glad you like it, even though it's not officially part of your self-bought collection

POR was the first resort I ever stayed at on site.

Me too! Back when it was Dixie Landings when I was like 4 years old. Alligator Bayou is so nostalgic to me

Some day I need to see Yehaa Bob.

YES YOU DO. Go to the later showing, it's a bit more.. rowdy and adult-based

Something I really want to do. I've not heard a single person who hasn't liked it.

Everyone loves the Hoop.

Come to Winnipeg and I'll make you a banana bread that'll knock your socks off.
It can be cold here, so bring extra socks.

You can make a banana bread that can knock multiple pairs of socks off? I challenge you.

My #1 reason for not wanting to stay there. Shame. Otherwise it's a wonderful resort

It's such a shame. I would definitely stay there again but I would probably have to rent a car.

Now who would do such a thing????

Hahaha nothing you've said Pedro, just some bitter people who can't take advantage of the tip...!!!

Ack! Erk! Agh! Can't.... breathe....

Yep. I went for the same reason.
Like the theming though.

Did you like the food at Skipper Canteen?

I can imagine... but I'm glad you got to see at least one. Did the horseman come out? Or was it too wet still?
(Also how I figured out we were on separate nights. They did both parades.)

No I don't think I saw the horseman! What date did you go to the party? Was the weather ok for you?

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Loving your report, as always!! Glad you had such a fab time at Keys to the Kingdom...that tour is on my list of things I need to do at WDW, maybe when my girls are old enough to join in! And please tell Jaime that his antics make me laugh out loud!

Yay thank you! If you're a super Disney geek you should definitely do the Keys to the Kingdom tour! I thought I knew a lot about WDW but apparently there is so much more to learn! Haha I told him, he's always thrilled to get a compliment! Honestly he thinks he's the star of the show and maybe he's right He's a great travel buddy!

Wish that was available to people not from the US.

Have fun with the portrait and the rose?

It's a great touch!

Oh! Is that the first time you rode that?

I JUST LOVE THE PEOPLE MOVER OK

Cool! Jamie wasn't interested?

He was until I told him the price, then he opted for a lie in

Nice shot of the sis's.

Their colour schemes are fabulous

That's really interesting... and it's true. You can't see it.

I thought I knew everything about WDW but I learnt so much on this tour! I highly recommend.

Knew that too. Thanks Google!

I had the ballroom scene explained to me directly and I still don't understand it care to dumb it right down for me..!?

I've posted it, actually.

Well even though I know your real name, I think I prefer Pedro

I wonder what the odds are of that?!?!?

Well I guess it was theme park view / club level, so the odds aren't, like, CRAZY because there aren't a huge amount of rooms in that category. You're definitely going to be in the Hawaii (club level) longhouse, on the lagoon side... and there are only 3 floors in the longhouse. And I don't think there are many TPV rooms on the ground floor anymore because they have an obstructed view since the waterside bungalows were built... I would guess that there are about 20 rooms on floor 2 and 20 on floor 3... maybe?! I guess it is still very unlikely that we would get the same room!

Well, that certainly makes up for it. Best interaction ever!

I wish you were there to see it!

She's absolutely great! I really enjoyed meeting all of you.

We loved meeting you!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Hi Katie,
Funny story....
So I’m sitting here yesterday afternoon (Australia time) trying to kill time before Free Dining and Room Only discounts the for the Fall dropped. I thought sure- I’ll just read this trip report to kill some time as it looks interesting- good plan!
Long story short, by the time I was through reading and by the time discounts dropped, my months of calculations and carefully planning for values and moderates flew out the window and we’ve are now booked at AKL for part of our trip . Thanks for the descriptions and photos- how could I NOT book a Savanna View Room with a sizeable discount staring me in the face???
Thanks for the report- much appreciated .
Stacey

Hi Stacey! OMG I love this hahaha! So sorry that all of your planning and calculating went to waste, but I think you made a great decision! Will you get to eat at Sanaa, Jiko and/or Boma? I can't believe three of my favourite restaurants are all within the same resort - I recommend all of them! (Boma for dinner AND breakfast!) Eeek you will love it! Where are you staying for the other part of your trip??

Thanks for reading!!

Huh... so that's what.... 364 sandwiches this trip?

I LOVE SANDWICHES

Very stylish. Vogue cover shot.

Hahah bug glasses are the next big thing

I actually like that view. Especially if you've always had a view of the opposite direction. Nice change.

That's true, it was a nice change I suppose! I like the view too

Um.... we used to say a "pretty boy" was one who was... um... more interested in boys than girls.

HAHA oops. NOT what I meant... I hope Is that a Canadian thing? Here we've always used "pretty boy" in a different way to how I used it, I meant it in a nice way I promise but we would use it as a slightly derogatory/teasing way to describe a guy who takes a lot of care over his looks.. When Zac Efron was younger and super baby-faced, he was the ultimate "pretty boy"

...now he is a MAN

It looks like it might be a turkey vulture:

Note the wingspan and the red face.

Omg yes you might be right. That thing is terrifying, I don't ever see anything like that here in England. Did you ever see The Birds...

Nice shot of you two. Who took it?

Some kind stranger just offered out of no where, then we took one of them too! Disney people are great.

Nice of him. I'm going to have to say I had a $100 gift too.

*gift CARD

You still have stuff... after 19 days?

I tend to relax a little too much on these 2/3 week trips, then I have to cram at the end of the trip

Did you happen to come across the frozen goat?

The WHAT

Nice thing about a sloth, if he tries to get handsy, you can dodge easily. You'll have plenty of time.

Haha oh yeah, what is he going to grab there...?!?!

Really!
You guys have seen/done so much that it always takes me by surprise when I've done something you haven't.

Well of course you've seen a show with Ariel in it..!!

I like this one even more. You guys look adorbs, just so you know.

Aww thank you!

I always think of you when anyone mentions CHH.

Hahaha I'm glad CHH is something that makes people think of me

Do you miss the old red head?!

Next time don't fight it. You know what you need to help with calming you down to make these decisions?

A zen garden.

HAHA I like this. SOLD.

And yet.... my country is about the same.
(Depends on how you look at it to determine who's older.)

So who do you think is older?!

What was he thinking????

What????

No day 22 update?


Slacker.

Sorry, it will be no surprise to you that I had to break from posting about Disney to go to Disneyland

 

[pkondz]

HAHA quoting because rediscovering this "large bug/but' typo gave me a laugh again

MUCH better! I'm definitely a night owl!

I sorta noticed! "Today we slept in until seven pm."

Terrifying

I believe he cried discrimination and was eventually let on

That'll work.

Ketchup is a vegetable.
I'm getting a sign saying that for my kitchen

Well, it's true!

Great logic Jamie's actually half-Irish (and half-Indian) so it's totally necessary for him to embrace his heritage and buy that cat t-shirt

makes total sense.

Vomitorium is an accurate name, I'll do the green side but NOT the orange!

I won't voluntarily do the orange side again.

People always tell me this, but it doesn't make it any less spectacular that it's a CHRISTMAS TREE COVERED IN PICKLES.

Well... good point!

Next time we meet up at Disney I'll bring you a rice crispy treat

I'll love ya forever.

Haha no it was fine, they kinda kept their distance at first until we asked them what was going on

Okay.

Make a normal one instead and send me a slice.

Via surface mail.

EW midnight shift... Is that normal for you?

Anywhere from 2-4 times a month, maybe?

HAHA my friend and I were at Disneyland Paris last week and we went to this rodeo/wild west show thing, and they served ribs while cows were just wandering around in front of us... my friend was horrified and couldn't eat them

I love a rage quit

That is.... awesome.

El Droido

ooooh... I like it.

Pedro I would be SO upset. Tower of Terror is my second favourite attraction (after Splash), and a close second at that. WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS.

Well... according to my friend who goes to DL about every week...
TOT in DL was nowhere near as good as TOT in DHS. So there's that.

I thought that too, but it sounded like a member of staff was in on it and accompanied them with the banner.

Would have to be?

YAY I'm glad you like it, even though it's not officially part of your self-bought collection

But it meets the criteria. I can point to the chips and say "I went to every one of those places."

YES YOU DO. Go to the later showing, it's a bit more.. rowdy and adult-based

Okay!

You can make a banana bread that can knock multiple pairs of socks off? I challenge you.

Oh, yes. Come on by and I'll prove it.

Did you like the food at Skipper Canteen?

Honestly? It was definitely.... just okay.

No I don't think I saw the horseman! What date did you go to the party? Was the weather ok for you?

I think it was... 2 days after you did?

I JUST LOVE THE PEOPLE MOVER OK

Call it the WEDway peoplemover and we'll be just fine.

He was until I told him the price, then he opted for a lie in

Well even though I know your real name, I think I prefer Pedro

Okay, then. But.... sheesh!

Well I guess it was theme park view / club level, so the odds aren't, like, CRAZY because there aren't a huge amount of rooms in that category. You're definitely going to be in the Hawaii (club level) longhouse, on the lagoon side... and there are only 3 floors in the longhouse. And I don't think there are many TPV rooms on the ground floor anymore because they have an obstructed view since the waterside bungalows were built... I would guess that there are about 20 rooms on floor 2 and 20 on floor 3... maybe?! I guess it is still very unlikely that we would get the same room!

Shakes head that she actually did the math...

I wish you were there to see it!

Me too!

We loved meeting you!

I LOVE SANDWICHES

Really? It doesn't show.

HAHA oops. NOT what I meant... I hope Is that a Canadian thing?

Hmmm... not anymore. Old timey slang. from... the 50s? 70s?

I never did finish that beer...

Did you ever see The Birds...

Actually.. no I never had... which is ridiculous.

Some kind stranger just offered out of no where, then we took one of them too! Disney people are great.

The WHAT

Someone has not read my TR...

Haha oh yeah, what is he going to grab there...?!?!

well, obviously....



Your cash.

Well of course you've seen a show with Ariel in it..!!

Hahaha I'm glad CHH is something that makes people think of me

Broccoli....

Do you miss the old red head?!

I haven't seen the new one.... so not yet.

So who do you think is older?!

tbh... never gave it much thought. We're both young compared to the rest of the planet.

Sorry, it will be no surprise to you that I had to break from posting about Disney to go to Disneyland

No it's not.

 

[Raeven]

I always wonder about people with really unique or foreign names, and how ET handles them.. If he can't get yours right there is NO hope for others!

The Disney system can't even handle my name I called to reserve things before, and normally you can go through the automated system, and it seems to be okay with my last name, but once I spell my first name it seems to get confused, and always says "hold on we'll connect you to an operator".

I'm only quoting this because I hope you don't remember what it was about so you can have a #OutOfContext moment

I'll always remember watermelon fish!

How exciting when are you going?!

Well we ended up switching to RPR for the Universal portion when I found it at a good rate with our AP, but we leave in 3 days!

OH NO we just ate at Trail's End and really enjoyed it! That sucks. I guess with Tusker House I had high expectations because everybody loves it, so that made the experience even worse.. I don't know. It's a shame, maybe we should give these places a second chance some day...

Some day... if I can ever convince Josh to go back.

Ohh interesting, I've never seen it before but maybe it is a thing. I wonder if Disney ever go up there and clear them out?

I don't understand it either

After my future wedding and the birth of my future children... This is next event I will cherish forever

I'm glad you got some good ones in December, ours in January weren't as good as September, but hopefully it was just an off-day

I heard somewhere that they were cutting the narration part and making it mostly a singalong, I hope that isn't true because that's the best part.

YES that is exactly it! It's too sweet, and the consistency is just cake. It's not appropriate before dinner!! I feel strongly about this

I agree!

UGH it was terrible wasn't it. That's part of why I loved January, it hardly rained at all.

Yes! That night was probably the worst rain we've been caught in there. May was a pretty dry time of the year although last year there was drought so I assume it'll rain a bit more this year, but it wasn't as bad as Sep. Dec was pretty rain free too, but it was so cold this year!

You should buy it so we can be twinsss.

Yes! I might if I see it this time, I have it in my basket on the ShopParks app too because it says low stock, but I was waiting to see what other sweatshirts they have now.