Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
Holli (58), friend (w,th,f)
Chris (36), my son (f,sa,su)
Amanda (34), my daughter-in-law (f,sa,su)
Ari (6), my grandson (f,sa,su)
Dates: May 24 29, 2023
Resort: Disneys Animal Kingdom Villas (Jambo House) Resort
Experience: Very Experienced 34th stay at Animal Kingdom Villas
INTRODUCTION: Now that the hot weather is here (at least in Florida) my trips will not include the theme parks. Im just not a fan of being hot & sweaty unless Im in a swimsuit with access to a shower or pool to cool off! I feel very fortunate to have gotten a reservation for club level again, and as usual Ill be moving to regular studio for the final night. This still gives me access to the lounge for the evening and saves me half the points. Ill go to the pool that morning and can shower/change in Chris & Amandas room if my new studio isnt ready early.
Ive been hearing more stuff has come back at the resort, including the cultural representatives. I wonder if that includes the people playing drums in the lobby. Havent heard those since before the pandemic. Holli is hoping theyre doing the Boma/Jiko culinary tour again she really enjoyed that. I wonder if Ill get my usual studio again most trips Im put in the one right by the lounge (6401?). Its certainly convenient, but I do hate that the connecting door is right by the couch, which is right next to my bed. A studio I had once on the other side (further away but no big deal) had the connecting door closer to the hallway, which makes it less likely to hear neighbors.
Amanda & Ari have been looking forward to the trip. Ari calls Jambo House the get your own food place, lol! Along with Chris, theyll be going into the parks each day for part of the day but will also spend time enjoying the resort and the lounge. Itll be interesting to see if there have been any significant changes since last September (our last visit).
This trip Ill get to catch up with a few friends, too. Long time dvc friend Darla is staying over at Old Key West with her twin sister Deb and a friend of theirs from high school. Its been several years since I saw Darla & Deb and their last full day (of a 2-week stay) is Thursday. Their vacation style is similar to mine, with mornings at the quiet pool so Holli & I will drive over to Old Key West and meet them at the Old Turtle Pond pool for the morning. Thats assuming its not raining, so well have to play that by ear.
My friend Mary, who I met during her Comedy Warehouse years, plans to join us Wednesday evening. She had been working as a Citizen of Main Street (Miss Inga) when the pandemic hit and afterwards Disney never brought them back. I think the last time I saw her was at her husbands birthday celebration a bit before the pandemic. Her husband Jason will be coming as well its always a pleasure to spend time with him. Hes an award-winning artist with incredible talent. If youre interested in checking out his work, his website is jasonhuntdrawings.com.
Holli will be on the trip for the first three (3) nights. Well lounge by the pool, enjoy the resort, spend time in the lounge, and watch the animals. Chris family will arrive on Hollis last night, so itll be nice to have everyone together. Its always fun sitting in the lounge eating, drinking, talking & laughing.
Im not sure if well attempt Gideons on Wednesday upon arrival or skip it and just me go the day I leave for home. The special cookie this month doesnt appeal to me, and it really doesnt make sense to have Gideons stuff in my room when the lounge is available. Well have to play that by ear. I hope the weather will be nice (no thunderstorms) in the early evening, as we enjoy going to see the animals around 7pm before heading back inside to pick up dessert at 8.
Normally I bring a cooler with eggs, bacon, wine, cheese/crackers, water, etc but for this trip none of that is necessary. The last couple of trips the concierge lounge had some hot breakfast foods, including bacon or sausage and some type of hot eggs. Wine is available upon request, water is out there all day long, and the cheeses & charcuterie from 5-7 is more than enough. They even have complimentary Mickey ice cream bars and ice cream sandwiches in the lounge any time you want! If either of us want any real food midday (lunch) theres always Mara downstairs. The midday lounge offerings are more snack stuff than lunch stuff.
Jambo House only has one pool no quiet pool. The same is true next door at Kidani Village. It seems the pools dont open until 9:00 and the gates have always been locked to keep people from entering. Its annoying to me, as by 9 its already getting hot and Id rather get out there around 8 to be more comfortable. At least at Jambo House there are chaise lounges outside the gated pool area so I can sit there and then move into the pool area when it opens. I wish they had a quiet pool, as that would open at 7am (or be 24 hours).
The day before the trip (today) I got a call from the concierge people. It seems a club level studio has a maintenance issue that needs to be addressed and they asked if Id be willing to move to a 2-bedroom suite (not villa) for my 5-night stay. We talked about it a bit, but the decision became easy when I asked what floor Id be on and she said the 2nd floor and all the 2-bedroom suites are at the end of the various hallways (similar to the dvc grand villas being the entire end of each hallway. That killed it for me I dont need all that space for just me and since this trip is about the lounge, convenience is the primary thing. If this came up 31 days before arrival I could have canceled Chris reservation and had them stay with me, but to do that now would leave me with points going into a holding account and its just not worth it. Hopefully the next person to be called jumped at the chance to move to more space.
The plans so far are:
Wednesday 5/24: Drive to WDW, Concierge Lounge w/Mary & Jason
Thursday 5/25: OKW Pool w/friends, Concierge Lounge
Friday 5/26: Pool, Concierge Lounge
Saturday 5/27: Pool, Concierge Lounge
Sunday 5/28: Pool, Concierge Lounge
Monday 5/29: Possible Gideons, Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Wednesday 5/24/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
Holli (58), friend
Plan: Drive to WDW, Concierge Lounge w/Mary & Jason
Actual: Today Holli & I both worked until noon. Since she goes home before me, we each drove our own cars, with her following me. We were on the road by 12:02. The drive down was pretty easy, with no traffic to speak of and only occasional brief showers. We pulled into Jambo House just before 2pm.
Once we got into the lobby I asked Holli if shed gotten a text about her room yet. She checked, and her room was ready (on the 5th floor). We got someone from the front desk to take us up to the concierge level (Kilimanjaro Club) since we needed to get her a key card to have access up here anyway. The cast member fixed my magic band (it did not work in the elevator) and got things squared away. She also gave me a celebration button saying I was celebrating my 1,000th DVC night. Technically I think this trip only brings me to 998 but I will celebrate it here and not next month at Boulder Ridge. Jambo House club level is more home than Boulder Ridge.
Holli went down to her studio on the 5th floor to get settled and I rolled my stuff over to my studio here on club level. I didnt get my usual studio, but I also dont request anything. When I opened the door, something didnt look right then I realized this is a 1-bedroom villa! Holy crap Id been upgraded without any knowledge of it! Its a lovely room and also kind of a waste since I spend most of my time in the lounge. However, the porch runs the length of the entire villa and it will be very comfortable being in a villa vs a studio.
After unpacking I went out to the lounge and soon Holli texted to say her key card didnt work. I went down and met her at the bottom of the stairs and let her up. I told her to come see my room that it wasnt a normal studio <g>. We walked in and her jaw dropped, lol she loved it. We headed back out and I thought maybe her key card didnt work because it hadnt been used up here. We tried it on my door, and it worked. We decided to try it at the elevator and rode down then tried it to go back up and it didnt work.
We used my band to get back up to the lounge and had the cast member there fix it. After checking it again it worked, so Holli is all set. We got a table and Holli got some snacks. This time of day the pickings are pretty meager to me. They have crudite & dip, hummus, uncrustables, chocolate chip cookies and make-your-own trail mix (yogurt pretzels, goldfish and chocolate covered raisins). They also have bags of Sun Chips and some other chip.
Holli ordered the sangria and I got a glass of sparkling wine. There was a couple in the lounge ignoring their 2 young children who were literally running and shrieking from one end to the other. It was so obnoxious. When the kids got near us I turned and said SHHHHHHHH to them and they were so shocked they shut up for a short time. We think a cast member might have said something to them later, as they moved to a table in the back and actually started engaging with their kids (vs just drinking alcohol and doing stuff on their phones). That made it much better.
We moved to the opposite end, lol and Holli got a glass of sparkling wine. Mary called and confirmed our location Jason just started getting set up to work on a commissioned piece of art so he may be in the zone and not join her. I grabbed the laptop and quickly updated the report, then returned it to the villa.
In other news the drummers are back! They were playing when we arrived and later did an activity with kids in the lobby passing out instruments for the kids to play. They didnt play into the evening, which was fine by me as it would have made conversation difficult in the lounge. My guess is they wrapped up by 5pm.
Mary called to say she was about 3 miles away but being directionally challenged it took a bit longer for us to meet up. It sounds like she drove through the resort and had to back track. I went outside to meet her and she ended up coming around from the entry (again?) and managed to get into the short-term/handicapped parking lot. From there it took a while for her to park and walk up to the entrance, and we were on the phone when I finally spotted her.
It's been years since weve seen each other so the greeting was somewhat emotional. Shes been a dear friend for years, and someone who is very special to me/us. We went upstairs and joined Holli at our table in the concierge lounge. As expected, Mary and Holli hit it off immediately and it was a great evening of conversation and shared stories. Hollis brother works in entertainment so it wouldnt surprise any of us if his and Marys paths didnt cross at some point in New York City. At the very least they must know some of the same people/celebrities.
Tonight the lounge hot food was the lamb stew over white rice and the pork (like a rib). The cheeses included drunken goat and the meat was a paprika chorizo. They also had chicken bites (small nuggets), fresh fruit, various hummus, fresh veggies and crispy stuff. We got some wine and a bit of the food offerings. Everything was wonderful. The cast were also terrific, and one young lady stopped to check out my celebration button and was in awe of 1,000 nights. Its a lot, but it also means Im very old <g>.
We had an absolutely delightful evening in the lounge. At some point I offered to show Mary my room and she was definitely impressed. She also thought it was fitting that Id be gifted with the upgrade so typical of Mary. We talked about the future and hope to include her more often in our future trips. SB adores her so hopefully the next get-together will be when hes with us as well.
Mary headed out just before dark, preferring to not drive after dark something I totally relate to. Holli & I stayed in the lounge a bit longer. The desserts tonight were vanilla cones, lemon rose cones, fruit tarts and cookies (oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip). She got a vanilla cone. I had a vanilla cone, fruit tart and oatmeal raisin cookie. We talked about plans for tomorrow and she headed down to her studio around 9. I got a couple more oatmeal raisin cookies for a baggie and headed to my villa shortly after.
Once in the villa I had a major dilemma - where do I spend time??? I got the laptop and took it out to the dining room table to watch HGTV while finishing up the report. Today was a fabulous first day and being upgraded to the villa is such a treat! I walk into the room and just stand there looking around and smiling, appreciative of this good fortune.
Tomorrow we had planned to meet Darla & company by the pool in Old Key West but with clouds and the possibility of rain thats not such a great idea. Instead Holli & I will head to Disney Springs with umbrellas to visit Gideons when it opens and then catch up with Darla & company a bit later. The day seems to be a washout in terms of the pool but here we have the animals on the savannah and since I got upgraded we have an indoor space (plus the concierge lounge too) in which to visit. I did write to Darla to let her know of our plans and hopefully theyll join us either at Gideons or here later.
DAY 2 Thursday 5/25/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
Holli (58), friend
Plan: OKW Pool w/friends, Concierge Lounge
Actual: So last night I finished up the report and then was presented with such a dilemma. Do I move the laptop into the bedroom or leave it out here on the dining room table? These are clearly first world problems, but they dont exist when staying in a studio the dining area is in the bedroom. For this stay I decided to leave the laptop on the dining room table and keep the bedroom computer free for the night.
My good friend Michael tested and I shared the pictures of the villa. He attended a retirement party in Tallahassee that normally I would have attended but somehow Jambo House concierge trumped that for me. Michael & I are close enough that me being gone Thursday/Friday is hard for him (and the same would be true for me if he was off on a fishing trip) but we respect and support whats important to each other, so hell suffer through the rest of the work week.
I headed to the bedroom late for me around 10:30. How did that happen?? I then had to figure out how to turn off the various lights, using the assorted light switches. I swear this was more challenging than work, although the wine consumed may have had an impact.
I slept well and woke up at one point wondering why I was unable to see the clock radio time display across the room. Then I remembered I wasnt at home, lol! I fell back asleep and when I opened my eyes again it was light outside! It was almost 6:30, which is very late for me. The sky looked a whole lot better than expected so I texted Holli and we changed our plans back to join Darla & Deb at the OKW pool this morning.
I made my cappuccino and got some breakfast from the lounge to eat in my villa. I had some fruit, a sausage, few bites of turkey bobotie and a warm pecan sticky bun. It was all very good. By 8 the sun was actually shining did not expect that! I returned my dirty plates to the lounge and got some cold ice water for my water bottle.
Holli texted to say she was here in the lounge, so I met her and we walked out to my car. I swear we hit almost every red light between here and Old Key West it was ridiculous!
Finally, we got to Old Key West and drove over to the Old Turtle Pond quiet pool. They have nice, shaded parking here!
Darla, Deb and their friend Kelly were all in the pool but had secured a couple chaise lounges for Holli & I. We dropped our stuff on the chairs and joined them in the pool. The water felt great not too warm and not too cool. It was great catching up, as its been several years since we were on a trip together. Eventually most of us moved to our chairs doing some reading and chatting off and on. The weather was so much better than the forecast had indicated yesterday!
Most of the morning we had blue sky and sunshine. When a cloud would roll by it would feel cool briefly, but the clouds always passed. At one point Holli got back into the pool to read her book, and Darla moved to a chair at the shady table. Deb & I enjoyed the sun and Kelly was in the pool so long she got shriveled up, lol!
While at the pool I got a text that my June 15th dental appointment in Ft Myers needed to be rescheduled (person taking that week off for vacation). I rebooked it for 6/29 and then called to reschedule the medical appointment I had booked for right after the dental appointment (also Ft Myers). Of course, I wasnt able to reschedule to the late June trip the first available appointment was in August. I knew Id be back for dental again 9/28 so I booked the medical for right after that. Later when I got back to the villa and checked my spreadsheet I saw I actually have two dental appointments (hygienist and annual exam w/dentist) but I was able to push the medical back a day to 9/29. It will mean spending 2 nights down there but thats ok.
Darla headed back to their villa around 11 so we said our goodbyes. Perhaps well see them again next year at a quiet pool. A bit later I walked over to Holli and she said shed like to go to Gideons and whenever I was ready was fine with her. She got out to dry off and I moved to the shady table to cool off. We said goodbye to Deb and Kelly and headed out around 11:30.
It was an easy drive over to the Orange Garage and there were lots of available spaces on every level. Thats a good indicator that its not horribly crowded in Disney Springs. We had to go through the silly security stuff but the cast members did a good job trying to keep people moving.
As we walked to Gideons I was pleased to see the line had not wrapped around the corner at Morimoto Asia. When we got to the corner, I was thrilled to see the shortest line ever! The employee told us it was a 5-minute wait! I guess it might have been that long, and then when we got inside the queue was shorter in there as well. We were in and out in no time! Holli got the triple chocolate and one of the cold brews (she mentioned caramel & said it tasted like caramel ice cream). I got the chocolate chip banana bread and some cookies for Chris & Amanda. We returned to the car and drove back to Jambo House.
At the gate some women was trying to use her magic band to open the gate and it was not working at all. The other lane was busy with a fairly long line of cars. Eventually the security cast member left the long line and came over to help the woman. From what I could determine, the twit hadnt checked in yet, so of course her magic band wouldnt open the gate. When I pulled up it wouldnt open for my band even when I left it on the reader for 5-7 seconds like the little sign said. Nothing was working. Holli gave me her band and the gate opened right up.
She decided to spend some time by the pool, and I took my stuff up to the villa. Housekeeping had already worked their magic (club level guests get daily full housekeeping), not that my villa needed much work! Holli texted saying the pool was mobbed, but she did manage to find a spot. I decided to head down but stay outside the pool gates, where most of the chaise lounges were empty. I did some more reading and enjoyed being a bit removed from the loudness of the pool. I also noticed the pool doesnt open until 10am still that is absolutely ridiculous! It should open at 7 or 8 in my opinion. I dont care if they dont open the slide until 10 or dont schedule lifeguards until 10.
Holli walked by and said she was going in to get cleaned up. I stayed out a bit longer but headed in at 1:30. I took my shower and got dressed, and found Holli sitting in the lounge with a glass of wine and some snacks. I took a plate of cucumber slices and some chocolate covered raisins back to the villa, along with a glass of sparkling wine.
After General Hospital I took the big camera and decided to check out the animal viewing areas. Lots of animals were out at all of the viewing areas, so it was very productive. There was a nice breeze, low humidity and the temperature was comfortable as well. Itll be so different next time in late August (humid)! It was nice to see the cultural ambassadors on duty talking about the animals, too. I took some pictures, did some watching, and headed back inside a little before 4.
I caught the beginning of the 4pm news but went out to the lounge before 4:15 with the laptop. I figured I can enjoy that just as easily as enjoying my living room. Only one other party was there (mom, dad, son) and they were nice & quiet. Down in the lobby they were getting ready to play the drums or let the kids play the drums.
Holli showed up just before 5 and I took my laptop back to the villa. They were a minute or so late having everything ready for 5pm which is unusual but not a big deal for us. Were here for the duration, so whenever its ready is fine with us. At first there were few guests in the lounge but then in a blink of the eye there was a line of people at the food where the heck did they come from???
Tonight the hot foods were the tomato soup w/paneer cheese and the butter chicken both delicious! The kiddie section had uncrustables and mealie dogs (corn dog nuggets delicious). The cheeses were blue cheese, Manchego and seahive beehive (delicious). Overall the offerings tonight were loaded with our favorites!
The wines were put out prior to 5pm so I had grabbed a glass before Holli arrived. We fixed plates once the food was set I know Ill be here for a couple hours so nibble slowly over that period. I had a couple pieces of the beehive and Manchego cheeses, and a piece of the chorizo. The chorizo was sliced very thick so I grabbed a steak knife from my villa. The knives in the lounge had no ridges or serration at all they were useless.
We each had the tomato soup and it was delicious. We also had the butter chicken I went back for seconds on that just before 7. Amanda loves this and we talked about how to get her some. Usually there are various sized bowls with lids in the villa, so I told Holli Id use the smallest size. I grabbed a couple and she did the same we took them to the villa and I started opening the kitchen cabinets to find there are no bowls with lids here! We decided to use a large glass the 4 portions filled the glass. Holli opened the plastic on the to go coffee cup and used that to cover the glass of butter chicken, which went into the fridge. When Amanda is here we can dump it onto a plate and heat it up in the microwave.
On our way back to the lounge, carrying the 4 empty butter chicken dishes we passed the supervisor who insisted on taking them from us. So much for staying under the radar, lol. Hes very nice and I chatted with him a bit before returning to our table. Later, after 7pm, he came around with a tray full of the Mickey ice cream sandwiches and ice cream bars, offering them to everyone. We declined (full from the earlier food) but then decided to get a couple Mickey bars for my freezer. I know you can get them at any time in the lounge but this way we dont have to ask anyone if theyre not in the freezer in the lounge.
The rain had finally started during dinner and would continue until after 9pm. We stayed in the lounge and Holli tried all of the liquors that were set out in advance of the 8-10 offerings. She didnt like the Gran Marnier or Couvasier. I suggested mixing the Kahlua and Amarula (like Baileys) and having it over ice. She did, and loved it! I skipped the liquors and got a sparkling wine.
They were a few minutes late with the desserts as well, and when Id asked for sparkling wine earlier the cast member (grumpy girl) seemed somewhat put out by the request (she was headed to wipe down tables) but a cast member behind her jumped in and said hed get it right out to me. The desserts were vanilla cones, passionfruit tarts, Kenyan coffee tarts, oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate chip cookies. Holli didnt really care for the passionfruit tarts she said the taste was very lemon. We both liked the Kenyan coffee tarts, but only ate one each (caffeine concerns). I had a vanilla cone, and that was good as usual. There was a family nearby (mom, dad, young son & infant son) and the baby was going to town on the frozen strawberry bar. He was so cute! I went over and talked with the mom and she said he was teething so the cold felt good. Both parents were involved with the kids and both kids were well behaved and delightful. When they eventually left the mom stopped to wave goodbye so nice.
Holli headed down to her room around 9 and I stayed a bit longer. I ordered another glass of sparkling wine from grumpy girl and when she brought it we had a nice long conversation. Maybe this isnt the right spot for her but shes a big Disney fan and loves working at Disney (former college program person). In any event, I enjoyed talking with her and she seems like a very nice (not grumpy) person.
I headed back to the villa just after 9:30 and after talking with SB settled down to finish up the report. Today was a fabulous day went by too quickly, but from start to finish it was great! It was so nice to catch up with Darla & Deb again, I never would have imagined a 5-minute wait at Gideons, and relaxing at the pool and in the lounge was just wonderful.
Tomorrow the weather looks similar today, although perhaps cloudier in the early morning. Well enjoy the outside of our pool since we cant get inside until 10am (absolute crap), spend time in the lounge, and then were looking forward to spending the evening with Chris, Amanda & Ari in the lounge!
DAY 3 Friday 5/26/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
Holli (58), friend
Chris (36), my son
Amanda (34), my daughter-in-law
Ari (6), my grandson
Plan: Pool, Concierge Lounge
Actual: I slept very well once again. Today I woke up just before 5 but it was so comfortable in bed I didnt actually get up until nearly 6. I made my cappuccino and drank it while doing online stuff at the dining table.
Just after 7 I went out to the lounge and brought breakfast back to the villa. Today the hot foods were the bread pudding w/vanilla sauce, an egg dish with way too many ingredients (veggies, possibly some meat) for me to try, and biscuits with sausage gravy. I had some fruit, whole grain croissant and a very small portion of the bread pudding. Thats so sweet its more like a dessert! Hopefully tomorrow theyll have bacon, and be back to more plain eggs.
This morning the weather looks pretty good. Its overcast but supposed to clear by mid-morning and then rain/showers are expected all afternoon. Around 8 I changed into a swimsuit and went down to sit & read outside the pool area. Several of the flamingos were clustered together again and when I passed the other viewing area it was barricaded with a note saying flamingos are nesting and request privacy.
That made sense to me know, so I googled to learn more. They make a mound of mud to become the nest and the female lays an egg on the mound. The male and female take turns sitting on the egg and in 27-31 days the chick is born. Flamingos do this as a group, so multiple chicks are born, and the odds of survival are increased. I dont know what day theyre up to, but it looks like we should have some young ones next trip.
Holli showed up around 9 and took the chaise lounge next to mine. We were the only ones out there for quite some time. They opened the pool a little bit early, and Holli moved in there to read her book in the pool. I stayed outside the pool area on my chaise lounge. There were a lot of clouds, but there were some periods of sun as well. By 11 it started to sprinkle, then sprinkle harder, then rain, then downpour! Luckily most of my stuff was in my bag so I didnt have much to gather up. I stood under the big umbrella near the flamingos. Pretty soon other people joined me and although there was no lightning (and blue sky on the other side of the resort) people were covering up with wet towels and leaving the pool. The pool bar immediately filled up, lol!
After about 10-15 minutes of standing under the umbrella the rain had let up significantly, so I picked up the sopping wet towels from my chaise lounge and headed to the resort. It looks like its supposed to rain like this until 2pm, so Im in for the day. I went out to the lounge for a few cucumber slices and dip, then went back to catch the noon news.
For lunch I ate my Mickey ice cream bar absolutely delicious! I can see how people get addicted to these, and for me theyll remain a special treat only while staying club level. After the Mickey bar I returned my cucumber plate to the lounge and saw Holli there. Shed been snacking and I mentioned the Mickey bar. She thought that was a great idea, but instead of getting hers from my freezer she said shed just get one from the freezer in the lounge. A cast member delivered her a glass of sparkling wine and asked if Id like one but I said not right now.
I fixed a bag of trail mix for Ari, then went back to the villa to take my shower and get dressed. Once that was done I took my phones, kindle and table back out to the lounge. Holli was gone but I sat at one of the smaller tables and did some reading, then played mahjong on the tablet. I ordered a glass of sparkling wine, too. When the wine was almost gone Francisco stopped by with an open bottle and asked if Id like more. He poured the rest of the bottle into my glass, which didnt quite fill it. He then made a production of pretending to squeeze every last drop out of the bottle, lol! I told him that wasnt necessary and thanked him.
At 2 I took the sparkling wine and the electronics back to the villa to watch General Hospital. It was raining again I could see people in ponchos outside. Amanda had texted and they were on the road they should arrive between 4 & 5 depending on how bad the traffic becomes.
After General Hospital I headed out to check the viewing areas before retrieving the electronics and settling in the lounge. It was very humid outside and also windy. Quite a few animals were wandering around. I ran into the mom of a pair of really good parents with 2 well-behaved children and was talking with her. She laughed out loud when I said her children were so well behaved, so I guess theyre not always that way <g>. The older brother was 2 years old and the younger is an infant. What struck us about them was the kids sitting quietly and both parents being actively engaged with them rather than ignoring them while staring at their cell phones. Weve unfortunately had a few horrible children shrieking and/or running like maniacs this trip and the parents are just oblivious.
I didnt stay out long, given the humidity (yuck). After dropping off the camera in the villa I took the phones, kindle & tablet out to the lounge. Theres a small bird who has been flying around since I arrived, and a family was trying to take a video of it. Poor thing got in somehow and I imagine has no clue how to get back outside.
Chris & Amanda arrived around 4:30 Holli got here around 4. Id pulled two 2-top tables together and then took the extra chair from storage to create seating for the 5 of us. Theyre in the room right next door to Holli, so theyre both convenient to the lounge. I let them up via the stairway and gave Amanda a key card for future access.
It was great to see Ari again hes such a great kid! He also greeted Holli with a hug. Tonight they had macaroni & cheese and it was delicious!! It was much better than any of us expected. They also had seafood stew over rice and the sweet corn pudding with Durban chicken (very spicy but good). For cheeses they had drunken goat again, but I really loved the Toma with the dark rye crispy things.
Francisco was bringing some people special drinks so I let him know my son would like one. Chris got something green, with 3 layers. I dont think he was a huge fan of it. I tried it and it was pretty good. Another cast member had seen my celebration button (1000 dvc nights) and brought me a plate with a zebra dome surrounded by whipped cream. That was very nice, but I dont like zebra domes at all, lol. Once I showed Ari it was chocolate mousse inside, he tried it and ate the whole thing.
After eating Chris family headed to Animal Kingdom to ride the safari (5-minute standby wait). Theyd hoped for Flight of Passage but that was still 110 minutes! Holli & I took the rest of our wine and walked over to Kidani Village to find the pretty African crowned cranes or storks. There were a bunch out there, but they were far away. However, we enjoyed all the other animals, and it was a very productive viewing area.
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We walked back to Jambo House and the flamingos were still nesting. One got up from the nest and another flamingo immediately came over we assume those 2 were mates. At the Arusha viewing area we watched some zebra and giraffe, but there were plenty of animals of all species. People were toasting marshmallows those are free, but they now sell smore kits to add the chocolate and graham cracker. I remember when it all was free.
The desserts tonight include orange sesame cake, chocolate almond cake, zebra mousse tart and vanilla cones along with the usual cookies, ice creams, etc. I brought the laptop out to the lounge to update the report and by the time I finished the Hollands had returned. They had a good safari but didnt see any giraffe. When the food came out we got some desserts everything was very good but the chocolate almond cake was my least favorite. Ari loved the vanilla cones the best and ate several of them. Holli mixed the kahlua and amarula together again and I got sparkling wine. I think Ari made some hot chocolate. It was nice sitting there talking, and especially nice when Ari laid his head on my lap and told me he loves me every grandparent loves hearing that!
Holli headed down to her room and shortly after that the rest of us called it a night. They stopped by my villa to pick up their Gideons stuff and some things Id brought for Ari. By 9 I was settling down in my villa. Other than the rain today was a delightful day. Its nice having everyone together again. The resort continues to be fabulous and the food and company tonight was great.
Tomorrow the Hollands head to Magic Kingdom for the morning. Ill spend the morning by the pool. Holli plans to stash her stuff in my villa so she can spend the morning at the pool before driving back to Gainesville. The Hollands plan to go to the pool in the afternoon and then well be in the lounge for the evening. Life is good!
DAY 4 Saturday 5/27/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
Chris (36), my son
Amanda (34), my daughter-in-law
Ari (6), my grandson
Plan: Pool, Concierge Lounge
Actual: I slept well, and this morning got up just after 5. I dressed and went out for a walk (inside the hallways) before returning to make my cappuccino. After the sun came up a giraffe was outside on the savanna near my room. As I was taking a photo Amanda texted me the phone shed taken of the same giraffe, lol. Their room is one flight down and just around the corner.
Just after 7 the lounge was very busy! The hot foods today are bacon swiss bobotie, bacon, oatmeal, and the warm sticky buns again. I got a table and soon Chris family joined me. I had some bobotie, fruit and a pecan sticky bun. The bacon was very limp and greasy, which was disappointing. Ari enjoyed getting his own breakfast a couple bowls of fruit loops, couple hard boiled eggs, and some pastry. Amanda put aside some of the mini chocolate chip muffins for Monday morning those must be her favorite.
Chris is looking really good hes lost 40 pounds recently. Unfortunately, all the clothes he bought before going on a diet no longer fit. Theyre headed to the Magic Kingdom and have boarding group #2 for Tron. They dont plan to be in the park very long and will come back to enjoy the pool. They headed off to the bus stop and I went to my villa to get my metal water bottle. The ice in the ice bucket was all melted so I took the bottle out to the lounge and ran into Holli getting her breakfast. She was sorry shed missed the giraffe this morning!
I got a cup of ice and added it to my water bottle, then headed back to get ready for the pool. Its a very chilly morning near record low temp for this time of year. Im hoping the sun will make it tolerable. Around 8:20 I headed down to the pool and sat by the flamingos.
It felt great out there in the sun not too cool at all. Nothing had changed since yesterday except today there wasnt a cloud in the sky! Holli showed up around 9 with her Mickey ice cream bar and stood in the shade to eat it. Once finished she sat on a chaise lounge until the pool opened at 10. I stayed outside on my chaise, and she went into the pool to read her book. I guess shes never dropped it, thank goodness!
Amanda & Ari enjoyed riding Tron its Aris favorite right now. They all headed to Disney Springs and joined the virtual queue for Gideons. The wait was about an hour, so they wandered around and had lunch at the Polite Pig. Chris checked to see if I wanted anything from Gideons, but I still have most of my cookie from a few days ago. With the lounge food its hard to keep up with anything else.
Just before 11:30 I moved into the shade to cool down and just after 11:30 Holli stopped by to say she was getting on the road. I went up to the villa to shower and was happy to see housekeeping had come earlier today and the room was already done. As I got ready I started packing up some of my stuff, since tomorrow I have to change rooms.
I took the laptop out to the lounge and updated the report while eating lunch cucumber slices with masala dip, chocolate covered raisins, goldfish crackers and a glass of sparkling wine. It wasnt terribly crowded up there so it was pretty quiet. After finishing the sparkling wine I put the laptop back in the villa and went out to wander around seeing animals.
Not too many were visible on the Arusha savanna but I did see a giraffe eating near the end of one of the hallways. I went to the outside stairwell at the end of that hall and watched him for a while. A herd of light brown animals were huddled in the shade between some trees and the fence that separates this from the Uzima savanna. I watched for a while then headed to another spot. Amanda had texted saying they were headed to the pool.
I ended my tour in that area and went into the pool area to find them. The slide was broken and a few maintenance guys were trying to get it fixed. The pool was quite busy, which is expected. There arent nearly enough chairs for everyone inside the fence so many people had to sit outside. I talked with them for a while, and a lady noticed my celebration button and came over to comment about the 1,000 dvc nights. I told her it took me 26 years! Of course, I enjoyed every night, too!
I decided to head back inside. They werent planning on staying at the pool much longer and then theyd need to take their showers and get dressed. We talked about meeting in the lounge around 4. Amanda had given me one of Aris old magic bands, so Id be able to access their room tomorrow. When I check out of this beautiful villa the plan is to store my luggage in their studio until my studio is ready. If need be I can shower there too (while theyre at the parks or pool). I got a couple large plastic cups from the lounge and transferred the butter chicken from the glass (from my villa) to the plastic cup. Amanda expected to eat it for lunch today, but they went to Polite Pig instead. The magic band worked fine and once I put the butter chicken away in their fridge I went back to my villa.
Some child was screaming (crying) down in the lobby so obnoxious! I waited for the noise to end before opening the door to leave the villa. Holli texted to say she hit horrific traffic on the turnpike and I-75. I think the 2-hour trip took closer to 3 hours not good. Id been thinking about spending a little time at the pool before driving home but now Im not sure what Ill do.
For now however, I grabbed the kindle and tablet and went out to the lounge. Another glass of sparkling wine landed on my table funny how that happens <g>. The others showed up around 3:30 or so, after Ari had decorated a water bottle down by the pool. We hung out in the lounge and at 4 Amanda took Ari down to the lobby to participate in the drums activity. He got to play with the 2 cultural ambassadors and earned a charm in the shape of a drum for his participation. Chris and I watched him from the railing outside my villa.
They were a bit late getting stuff together tonight, and initially some of the food signs were incorrect. They were last nights offerings. When the food came out they quickly made the adjustment. It was probably 10 after 5 or so before they got the wines and beers out. They had plenty of people working, but they just seemed off their game.
Tonight the hot foods were some rice thing I didnt understand, the chicken corn chowder (excellent) and Tamarind bbq meatballs (also excellent). The cheeses and meats were identical to last night. Despite somewhat of a repetition everything was very good. At times the line for food was ridiculous, and at times people were unsuccessfully looking for a table. I cant help but think Disney oversells this when people are willing to buy. In the old days the concierge rooms had specific extra amenities (like bathrobes), which no longer exist so I think pretty much any cash room can be booked with club level access for extra $$$.
I had a meatball and some Toma cheese. It was much better last night with rye crispy breads. Tonight they had the crispy olive bread, so I spent my time breaking it into pieces to remove anything that looked like an olive. We left around 6 and headed outside to see the animals.
We checked the outside savannas and some of the stairwells. At the flamingos we watched one big flamingo stalking a slightly smaller one. It was pretty funny! Around 6:45 we returned to the Arusha savanna and went to the campfire for Ari to toast marshmallows. For whatever reason, the cast member took a liking to him and gave him a smores kit for free. He toasted and ate 6 marshmallows, then we opened the kit. This had a big marshmallow square with 2 Mickey graham cookies and some chocolate pieces. He toasted the marshmallow but then didnt follow Chris instructions and the cookies ended up on the ground. He ate most of the marshmallow, and the piece of chocolate that had gotten stuck to it.
We went back inside and Amanda took him to the restroom to wash the sticky marshmallow stuff off him. We stopped by their room intending to replace their dirty towels with clean ones from my villa but there was a cart across the hall with several clean towels. I took clean ones from there and put their dirty ones on the bottom shelf of the cart. When Amanda took the towels from me her fingernail hit my arm and tore the skin off I bruise too easily and now besides bleeding Ill have an ugly red spot for the next 2 weeks. Luckily she had a bandaid so we put that on my arm.
We went back up to the lounge and it was full of people even though it was between the food offerings! We saw the cart of desserts and could see the vanilla cones and what looked like the Kenyan coffee tarts. They sat in the lounge while I ran to the villa to update the report before joining them.
By 8pm the lounge was mobbed and the desserts quickly disappeared. When I went up there was a single vanilla cone left, so I tried the lemon rose cone (not nearly as good). They had the passionfruit tarts and berry tarts so I took a berry tart. Those are very good. Ari ate a Mickey ice cream bar, which surprised me after all the marshmallows! We headed out just before 8:30, with Chris getting a frozen strawberry bar to go.
Today was another lovely relaxing day here at the resort. The pool time was great, and not being as hot as it usually is this time of year was a real treat! Ive really enjoyed having my big villa, but tomorrow I have to move to a studio for the final night. Its not ideal moving for the last night but doing so saves me half the points for that night and its a necessity to stretch my points at this resort.
DAY 5 Sunday 5/28/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
Chris (36), my son
Amanda (34), my daughter-in-law
Ari (6), my grandson
Plan: Pool, Concierge Lounge
Actual: I slept well, waking up around 4:30 but choosing to stay in bed being lazy until 5:30. Id already packed up all my clothes, and didnt feel like walking the halls in a swimsuit & coverup, so it was a lazy morning. I made my cappuccino and did some online stuff, then went to the lounge for breakfast just before 7:30.
The lounge was very busy, and I had to circle around on the hunt for a table. Finally, I found a round 2-top table and pulled a couple extra chairs over. The Hollands arrived and we all ate breakfast before they left for Epcot. Chris had gotten them boarding group 1 for Guardians of the Galaxy. Today the hot foods were turkey bobotie, sausage links, oatmeal and warm pecan sticky buns. I went back to my villa and moved some of my stuff down to their studio using the stairs at my end of the hall.
I received an alert letting me know my room wasnt quite ready. I would imagine my room hasnt even been vacated by the previous occupants <g>. Shortly after 8 I packed up the laptop and stopped by the concierge check-in people to let them know I was out of the villa and to TRY to get a card that would give me access to the lounge later. It seems every trip it doesnt work and then I have to go to the front desk and have them work something out. I have access to the lounge until midnight, but without a way to get there its challenging (the problem is being checked in to another room vs being checked out & headed home).
After taking care of that I went out to my usual spot across from the flamingos to enjoy the morning. It was beautiful out there but a bit warmer than yesterday. By 10 the sun had made it a bit uncomfortable, even without much humidity at all. I didnt feel like getting the swimsuit soaking wet since Im homeless today. The pool opened just before 10 and the slide was fixed.
I lasted until just before 11 and then moved to the shade to cool off before going up to Chris & Amandas studio for my shower. This beats the showers in the pool bathroom but its still a bit of a pain because the clothes and stuff I need are in various bags. I had to do some unpacking to get what I needed. Once I was showered, dressed and my hair blow-dryed I packed everything back up and decided to take the pool bag down to the car since I wouldnt be using any of that tomorrow. Its supposed to be even warmer than today, so sweating out by the pool before hitting the road isnt going to happen.
Along the way I detoured to put the pool towels Id used for my shower into the used towel bin. I noticed they had a couple towel animals by the main gate to the pool area never saw that before! I came back into the resort and a group of people were seated in the chairs just outside the gift show (where cast members sit to do activities) and this obnoxious little brat was spinning around wildly on the floor being ignored. I tried to avoid him but he was moving so quickly and so much the edge of his shoe knicked my shin, tearing a chunk of skin off in the process. I was pissed! I yelled at him to stop and mom came over. I told her my leg would be bleeding shortly. She asked if it was from her son and I said yes while he was spinning wildly across the floor where people would be walking. She apologized and I told her I had bandaids and needed to get going.
I took the elevator up to the 5th floor and got a bandaid on before the blood started running down my leg. Its not a deep gash, but my skins so thin it just tears off and then the blood comes to the surface of the newly exposed layer. Ill have an ugly dark red blotch for 2 weeks there now. Not knowing who may have a condition like this or something else that can harm a person, why cant people keep control of their kids and make them act respectfully?? I dont think its asking too much to be able to walk through a resort lobby without some kid spinning like a top on the floor.
I went to Chris & Amandas studio to get my electronics bag and went up to the lounge. Not knowing how long Id be waiting for my room I decided to charge my phone and fire up the laptop. I decided on a Mickey ice cream bar for lunch and when I got back to my table around 12:20 I heard a couple of texts come in my room is ready! I wasnt going to waste a Mickey bar so I stayed put and ate that, then updated the report before going down to check out my new studio on the 5th floor. Im directly across from Chris & Amandas room we can wave to each other from our balconies. As expected, as soon as I tapped into my new room with my magic band it stopped working to access the lounge. Thankfully the key cards Id saved do work for today.
An ostrich was outside eating seeds on the ground. A couple of the African crowned cranes were there as well. Once they moved out of sight I grabbed the phone, kindle & tablet and went up to the lounge. The others were waiting for the bus to come back to the resort (from Epcot).
I played some games and enjoyed some sparkling wine. The others showed up for snacks theyd had orange chicken for lunch at Epcot. I think Ari used his money and bought a Disney rubics cube seems very difficult to me! Theyd had a nightmare of an experience at Mission Space this morning, with the ride first shutting down after they got into the ride vehicle, then after being moved and subjected to the preshow yet again it broke down. They were given the opportunity to exit out and repeat the preshow in another area but they wisely said, HELL NO and got out of there. Ari likes this one, but its not worth all that time (he agreed).
They headed out to the animal tracking activity over at Kidani by the Pembe overlook. Ari made a feeding station for the animals, receiving what looked like a big nest and stuffing it with lettuce, carrots and pellets. Some animal will have a nice dinner tonight thanks to him! When that ended, they rushed back to the lion bead activity by our pool. Hell earn a bead for his necklace at each of these activities.
Concierge cast member Megan stopped to talk with me. The other night Id asked her for something, and she gave off a very grumpy girl vibe, but when she brought whatever Id asked for she stayed and chatted and was much nicer. Today I learned she did some program here (at Polynesian) and loved it so much she wanted to move here and work for Disney. She made it happen, moving from New Jersey, and is loving it. She doesnt miss the cold weather and potential snow at all!
Somewhere after 3 I brought the tablet/ipad down to my studio and picked up the laptop to further update the report. When the others get here prior to 5pm Ill take it back downstairs. Amanda texted to say they were heading back to the 4:30 activity in Kidani and then would be up for dinner in the lounge. Around 4:30 I quickly ran my laptop down to my studio and picked up my kindle instead. The cultural ambassador from Botswana stopped by to chat and asked me for my name. Wed spoken before in passing, but thats about it. If she calls me by name next trip, that will rival HALs crew and their ability to remember names!
The others arrived just before 5, and the lounge was a madhouse tonight! Several larger groups (6-8 people or more) were present, and it was mobbed. Tables disappeared quickly and some people had to eat standing up. The cast struggled to keep up, and most food items disappeared quickly, then had to be replenished. The hot foods were buttered chicken and the tomato soup with paneer cheese again. They also had the mealie dogs (corn dog nuggets). All of those things are excellent, so I didnt mind them repeating. It is odd though to have things repeating so often, so evidently, theyve cut down on the number of different menu items they rotate through here. Im glad they kept the stuff picky me likes the best!
In stupid/ignorant parent news, a family came up with 2 toddler/preschoolers in a freakin WAGON. Those arent allowed in the parks, although Chris said they saw plenty of them. The family had the wagon in line to get food and then managed to find a table at the very far end (near the elevators). The kids were allowed to run around like maniacs, unsupervised. Amanda noticed them and mentioned it to me. Before long one of the little darlings was running at the far end (near us) of the lounge and stumbled into the cart a cast member was using to clear dirty dishes. She leaned down and hugged him to make him feel better the parents never seemed to even be aware of it. I wasnt really concerned about the kid kids recover quickly. This kid should NOT have been running around unsupervised in a crowded area where his parents either cant or dont give a crap about seeing him. I will say that weve seen our share of obnoxious shrieking for no apparent reason while parents ignored them children, but weve also seen some really nice families who engaged with their kids and kept them in line.
Cheeses tonight were Manchego, seahive beehive, and the usual blue cheese. Lines formed instantly and remained constant until around 6pm. After that it was much easier, although most of the tables remained occupied. Chris, Amanda & Ari headed down to the pool for a bit around 6 and I stayed in the lounge to hold our table. We took the one off by itself at the top of the stairs, and that worked out well. Theres an outlet here so I got the laptop again and was able to plug it in.
My friend Michael texted so we chatted back and forth for a while, and I updated the report. Just before 7 a cast member stopped by to let me know theyd be pulling the food back in about 5 minutes. I was full and told her everything was great tonight. By 7:10 the food was gone, but I still saw a few people hovering, waiting for empty tables. I think Disney needs to sell fewer rooms with club level access, but I wont hold my breath waiting for that to happen. I know I wouldnt be happy to be paying $700-1000 per night for an ordinary resort room and then have trouble finding a table, having to stand in line for all the food, etc.
By 7:30 the cart full of desserts had arrived. It looks like more vanilla cones, Kenyan coffee tarts, passion fruit tarts, and cookies. They are certainly repeating things much more frequently this trip. If you dont want repeats, better not stay longer than 2 nights. I dont know if means Im just a pig, but Im ok with it for the overall experience. It would be nice to see more variety but from what theyre serving repeatedly theres enough that I like so Im certainly not going hungry!
Amanda texted around 7:40 saying once Chris was dressed, they were heading up here. I didnt bother bringing the laptop downstairs instead, when they got here I just moved it to the floor next to the table. Tonight is Sunday, so that godawful trashy show 90 Day Fiance is on (the 2nd of 3 Tell Alls) and I definitely want to be back in my studio to catch most of that!
The Hollands arrived and we sat around chatting. At 8 this huge line formed extending past our table. It was not moving at all. Ari joined the line at one point. I knew the food had to be out there so I went up to see what the problem was. The first person in line was standing there because there are 2 stands for the vanilla cones and the 2nd one had nothing on it. He thought the food wasnt all out yet, lol! I told him that would just be more of this, and to get moving. Oh my god.
The line dissipated in no time, once that fiasco was ended. We enjoyed our desserts, and Chris made a drink once the cordials were brought out (around 10-20 minutes after 8). The cast members are really struggling Amanda heard someone had called in sick, leaving them short, but also the number of guests was massive.
Shortly after 8:30 we decided to head back to our rooms. Ill see them again in 31 days when I spend a night with them prior to returning for a Boulder Ridge stay. My studio is a value studio so its a bit smaller but its more than enough for me or a couple. I cant imagine having kids or other adults sharing a studio even if it was huge, but thats just me. If the kids dont sleep in your bedroom at home, why would you want that on vacation? Thats not what DVC used to be about.
Today was a great day relaxing, and a pleasant surprise when the studio was ready so early. The lounge food was great, but the excessive crowds were a bit of a negative. Ill share those thoughts on my satisfaction survey when it arrives. A really nice thing can become a not so nice thing if you open it up to too many people at one time.
Tomorrow my plan is to enjoy breakfast at Mara before hitting the road early, which means tomorrows report will be ridiculously short. I did take some photos with the real camera and will get that album set up (mostly animals) to include the link in tomorrows installment.
DAY 6 Monday 5/29/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
Plan: Possible Gideons, Drive to Gainesville
Actual: My studio was nice and quiet and I slept well. I was up at 5 but couldnt get the coffee maker to turn on (it was plugged in, the outlet was working, etc) so I heated water in the microwave in order to make my cappuccino. It looks like another beautiful day, although warmer than yesterday.
I went down to Mara just after 7 and learned they dont start serving real food until 7:30. Before then its just muffins, pastries & crap with no nutrition or protein. I recall learning this same lesson on a previous trip but evidently some lessons arent learned very well <g>. I sat at a table inside and did some reading to pass the time. At 8:25 the app let me order the bacon gruyere quiche. The earliest window was now it said 7:35 until around 8 and I selected that. At 7:31 it let me say Im here fix my food and Im pretty certain it was ready by 7:35 or maybe a minute before. The app told me where to find my food so I walked over to the shelf and picked it up.
I went back to the table Id used to read and opened the box. Wow it comes with potato barrels but I wasnt expecting so many of them. They were outstanding, too! The quiche was also great! I love this meal but it only seems to be served at Mara. I was able eat about half of the quiche and potato barrels and sadly threw the rest away. Later I got to thinking maybe I could have taken it home and used the air fryer to make another meal out of it. Next time if I have nobody to share it with I might try that.
After breakfast I went back up to the studio to get my stuff, checked out via the app, and went down to the car. I was pulling out of the parking lot at 8am and was home 2 hours later, with no traffic to slow things down.
This ended up being a really great trip! I was really fortunate with all the great room assignments. My upgrade to a villa was a huge surprise, and very much appreciated. The other studios were all very conveniently located, so no complaints about the lodging! The lounge is repeating the food offerings much more frequently, but everything was tasty, and we didnt go hungry. It would get old on a long stay, however. They used to have a 7-day menu but now it seems to be 2 or 3 days at the most.
The cast members continue to be great and take good care of their guests. They work very hard but do so with a smile. Id like to see Disney sell fewer club level access rooms, but since thats not likely to happen they really need a couple extra people working during the peak hours.
Ari loved doing all the activities, and its so nice having the cultural ambassadors back! Thats one of the things that sets this resort apart from others, so its nice to see them again. Time spent with friends was wonderful both here and at Old Key West.
I did take quite a few animal photos and put them in an album on Snapfish at https://www.snapfish.com/share?via=l...23060/SNAPFISH
My next trip starts in 31 days, and like the old days itll start with a dental appointment before I make the drive to WDW <g>. Boulder Ridge is a resort I havent stayed at for many years and with the recent refurbishment I wanted to check it out. What started out as a solo trip in a studio morphed into a 1-bedroom that includes SB for a couple of nights and Holli for several nights. Well enjoy Hoop Dee Doo Revue since were in the neighborhood Hollis never been, and SB loves it but we havent been since well before the pandemic. Should be a nice relaxing trip, although itll be HOT & humid!
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Originally Posted by spectromen
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