Walt Disney World Buddy Trip 2016, Part 6

By Nick

Who: Me and my friends Joe and Josh
Where: Walt Disney World, stayed Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village 

Part6

 
Saturday, May 14th  and Sunday, May 15th
 
As it was the last day of Alison and Jim's trip, we all went to Animal Kingdom together. 

 Josh, me, Alison, Joe and Jim

We rode Dinosaur, then everyone except me rode Primeval Whirl, followed by another ride on Dinosaur. While everyone rode Expedition Everest, I hung out in the gift shop. Motion sickness is a curse! A CURSE!

We got our photos with Mickey and Minnie at Adventurers Outpost and then went to Yak & Yeti for lunch. 

After a great meal we said goodbye to our new friends! We miss you Alison and Jim!

Josh, Joe and I went over to Kilimanjaro Safaris, then took a walk through Pangani Forest Trail, followed by a walk through the Maharaja Jungle Trek. 

We headed back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we met up with our friend Josie. We decided to just grab dinner at Sanaa, and after a short wait got a table in the lounge.

We hung around at the back of the resort watching the animals on the Savannah before saying goodnight. 

The next morning we went to the Magic Kingdom, and hit several attractions we hadn't gotten to earlier in the week as well as favorites like Haunted Mansion, before heading back to the AKL where we relaxed watching animals on the savannah before getting Magical Express back to the airport.

Another great trip with my buddies in the books!

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

Walt Disney World Buddy Trip 2016, Part 2

By Nick

Who: Me and my friends Joe and Josh
Where: Walt Disney World, stayed Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village 

Part 2
Wednesday, May 11th  

Up early, and after breakfast at The Mara we made it to the Magic Kingdom shortly after rope drop. 

Joe, Nick and Josh

It was already pretty hot, so we made a decision to head to the back of the park and ride Splash Mountain. It was the first time in all my trips I chose to go to Frontierland first, and I have to say it was a revelation! It was nearly empty!

We got photos with Chip 'n' Dale, rode Splash Mountain, then Big Thunder twice before riding SM again, all by 1015am!

We walked over to Pirates and used our FastPasses, followed by a walk through Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. 

By then it was almost 11 and we decided to have lunch at Skipper Canteen. Not only was it a very good meal, but we had a really great time talking to our server, Bridgette. 

Next up was Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs and the Railroad.

We walked around the park for awhile, grabbed ice cream at the Plaza and found a spot for the Festival of Fantasy Parade.

Afterwards I was able to meet up with my friend Molly. It was the last day of her Disney College Program, and I was happy to catch her!

We headed back to the room, and while Josh took a nap, Joe and I headed for the pool. A very nice couple held the elevator for us, and we wound up chatting with them, as they were also on their way to the pool. We got a table and some cocktails, and talked to Alison and Jim for hours. We were joined by Josh, and after awhile decided to go to dinner together.

As we headed back to our rooms, we were amazed to discover we were next door neighbors!

Because we weren't in the mood to travel, we went to Sanaa, where we managed to get a table in the lounge.

After a great meal and great company, we said good night, but it certainly wouldn't be the last time we would see our wonderful new friends! 

Part 1 can be found here : http://disneymusings.blogspot.com/2016/07/walt-disney-world-buddy-trip-2016-part-1.html

Zootopia ; A Spoiler Free Review

By Nick

I openly admit I really didn't pay a whole lot of attention to Zootopia at first. The preview I saw looked funny, but it didn't grab me. I thought perhaps we'd see it in the theater, or maybe just wait until it was released on Blu-ray.

Then, while in Walt Disney World a few weeks ago, I happened to be at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge at the same time as some of the stars of the movie, there to do press for the films release. No, I didn't actually see anyone famous, but for the first time I paid attention to who was actually voice talent in the movie. I really like Ginnifer Goodwin on Once Upon a Time, and I think Jason Bateman is a very good actor, especially enjoying his performance on Arrested Development.

Then I was in our local Disney Store last weekend, and I saw some of the merchandise from Zoo (fans of the movie are okay to call Zootopia "Zoo" for short) and that is when I saw that the character played by Jason Bateman is named Nick.

An animated Disney character named Nick. Finally! (It gets better. More on that in a bit.)

I immediately bought the plush Nick, and started watching all the various videos being released on the Disney Parks Blog.

Suddenly, I couldn't wait to see it!

It's fantastic! Beautiful to look at. Clever dialogue and story. Funny. Heartwarming. Touching. Suspenseful. Inspiring. Insert adjective here.
So many visual site gags it demands repeat viewing. It's appealing to kids while certainly not talking down to them, the very opposite in fact. It manages to be socially conscience while not being preachy.

And a shout out to one of my favorite Christmas specials!

To 3D or not 3D? I'm, not sure it's necessary, honestly.

Oh, and Nick? His full name is indeed Nicholas! Better and better!

Seriously, both my wife and I cannot wait to see it again, and, in fact, contemplated asking if there were any free seats for the next show.

Will you see or have you seen Zootopia, and what'd you think?

An Evening Out at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

One of my favorite resorts (okay, most of them are great) is the Animal Kingdom Lodge. In this post, Lisa takes us out for the evening at this wonderfully themed resort.-Nick

By: Lisa Green 

 

When we’re at Walt Disney World, there’s one resort we love to visit, even if we’re not staying there – the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Beautiful and unique, completely different from any other Walt Disney World property, the Animal Kingdom Lodge offers visitors wonderful dining options along with the chance to step out the massive and gorgeous lobby’s back door and experience something amazing – over 30 species of African wildlife roaming around the savannah.

We may have stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge only once, but we make sure we spend an evening there on every Walt Disney World vacation.  We make our visit to this spectacular resort fit into our plans in one of two ways:  If we’re dining at Boma, we head straight there from the Animal Kingdom Park (a relatively short bus ride) at the end of the day.  Boma’s casual and relaxed atmosphere makes it fine for us to eat there in our park-touring attire.  If we’re eating at Jiko, we like to dress a little nicer, so we’ll make time to go back to our resort and clean up before striking out for the Animal Kingdom Lodge – which may take an hour (or more) to reach by Disney transportation – sounds like a time drain, but believe me, it’s worth it!

We try to arrive at least 60-90 minutes before our dining reservation.  This gives us plenty of time to stroll through the lobby, go out onto the savannah overlook, take in the views from every angle, talk to an African Cast Member about their home country, and see how many different types of animals we can spot.  There are chairs available for relaxing while checking out the animals.  If you’re traveling with children and looking for educational opportunities, the savannah overlook is an excellent one.

Before dinner, we like to stop for a beverage at either the Cape Town Lounge and Wine Bar (near Jiko) or the Victoria Falls Lounge (overlooking Boma).  Both of these watering holes offer wonderful selections of African wines and beers (and non-alcoholic options).  Not sure what to order?  The bartenders are knowledgeable and friendly – they’ll be happy to help you with your drink selection.  It’s the perfect way to relax, unwind, and soak up the atmosphere so special to Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Our entire family loves the food at Animal Kingdom Lodge!
Boma – Flavors of Africa:  This buffet is unlike anyplace else at Walt Disney World!  There is absolutely something for everyone.  Picky eaters in your group?  They’ll find plenty of choices.  Adventurous appetites?  Yes, indeed – this is the place!  I love trying new foods and my biggest problem at Boma is making sure to save room for dessert.  I love the soups and salads (especially the watermelon rind salad – it’s delish!), then I love the amazing variety of African-inspired dishes from which to choose.  Finally, the dessert selection, which includes the much-loved Zebra Domes, offers a wide variety of different confections – sure to please anyone with a sweet tooth.

Jiko – The Cooking Place: A bit fancier than Boma, I’d put Jiko on par with the likes of the California Grill (at Disney’s Contemporary Resort) or the Flying Fish Café (at The Boardwalk).  While there is an extensive kids’ menu, this is my recommendation for families with older children or couples out for a romantic evening.  The service is excellent and the meal is paced for enjoying more slowly.  If you’re like us and enjoy wine with dinner, select a bottle with your server’s assistance, or have a pairing with every course to sample a few different types of African wines.  The artisanal cheese platter is our favorite appetizer here and no entrée has ever disappointed.  Even our picky eater (Joseph) loves eating at Jiko. (This is a signature dining experience and does have a dress code – read more here.)

Sanaa – Designed to recreate the feeling of a spice market, Sanaa (located in the resort’s Kidani Village area) offers a variety of dishes from chicken, beef, and lamb to fish and vegetarian selections.  Raymond and I will be experiencing our first dinner at Sanaa in October and cannot wait to try the highly praised Indian-Style Bread Service appetizer.

If you want an evening away from the parks to relax and enjoy some excellent food and amazing sights, a visit to the Animal Kingdom Lodge is an excellent option!  It’s also a great way to check out the resort for a potential place to stay on a future visit to Walt Disney World.

Have you visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge?  What are your favorite things to do there?





 

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Wordless Wednesday: Giraffes from Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Photos Nick and Barbie

The Disney Exchange- Episode 8 Show Notes: Dining at Animal Kingdom Lodge

By Nick

Podcast:  Play in new window | Download

-The Disney Exchange is Lisa Green, David Hodges, and me, Nicholas Maglio 

-Main Topic- Animal Kingdom Lodge Table Service 

-Before getting into our main topic we talk about a subject near and dear to my heart. Me.
More specifically my most recent trip to Walt Disney World in January, when we stayed at the Boardwalk Villas with my favorite view from a resort, maybe, perhaps, ever.

-I also talked about going with 2 children of different ages, and how different it was, as we have only ever been with one. Lisa asked about some first time experiences from that trip, and I talk about Hollywood and Vine, and Trattoria al Forno.

-We talk about the highlight of the trip. Meeting Dave Hodges.

- I get somewhat negative about a not so magical evening at the Magic Kingdom. We keep it real on The Disney Exchange folks.

-On to our main topic. First we discuss Sanaa, which is located at the Kidani Village side of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. This was the best service Dave has had at Disney.

Dave and Lisa argue about discuss the best thing on the menu.

Various menu items, such as the bread service are discussed in detail.

-Next is Jiko at Jambo House. Lisa and I talk about what is so wonderful about it, and wine is talked about on more than one occasion.

I mention it being my favorite meal of 2011. The whole year maybe.

-We hop over to Boma, my favorite buffet.  

(Please note, and forgive me-this episode had connectivity issues, as you will be able to hear, and I talk over Dave a couple of times, even more than usual, due to the fact that at I was unable to hear him speaking.)

I talk about favorite menu items, specifically the beef on the carving station and Zebra Domes.

-We briefly discuss The Mara, the counter service restaurant located at Jambo House.

-The Wheel of DIStany: Favorite attractions that have been around half our lives:
Dave: Space Mountain
Me: Haunted Mansion
Lisa: Jungle Cruise

Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the show, please leave feedback on iTunes!
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