Trip Report "BROOM BROOM!" A trip from a DIFFERENT perspective

Introduction

WARNING: The first three posts will be very text-heavy. I promise there will be many photos after that!

We just got back from another wonderful trip! We attended the Flower and Garden Festival, enjoyed much food and beverage, celebrated a birthday, visited family, and had a fabulous time! This trip was different from all previous trips for one significant reason, which will be revealed later.

WHO: Bee (me) and M (my DW)...and surprise guests
WHERE: The WDW Swan, with a quick trip to visit M's parents in Jacksonville
WHEN: May 22-27, 2018
WHY: To celebrate M's birthday, to enjoy one last trip before our APs expire, and...because we wanted to go!

The original version of this trip was to occur in July to take advantage of M having PTO for July 4. It was all booked and ready to go, and we were able to use points for half of the flights and a third of the hotel nights. However, I got offered an ensemble role in The Hunchback of Notre Dame in New Jersey in July shortly after we booked the original trip, so we had to adjust our plans.

And here is the PTR link: One La-ast Ti-ime (Another Swolphin Sandwich!) (This time with POINTS!)

To be continued

 

[dizfan917]

They are nautical dolphins (aka fish) rather than mammalian dolphins! Like this fountain in Italy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana_del_Tritone,_Rome

There are BEES in their scaly tails!! How perfect!

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

I didn't know FoP was relocated to AKL

 

[bee]

There are BEES in their scaly tails!! How perfect!

I didn't know FoP was relocated to AKL

DING DING DING

 

[bee]

Day 3, cont.

Finally we arrived at the entrance of AKL.

There was a backup at the gate and when we spoke to the security guard we understood why! We said we had a dining reservation and he thought we had a room reservation, so he tried looking up our names on the list of guests checking in that day. But we figured out what was going on and soon we were on our way.

Not here!

Here we are!

A real-life Minnie Van sighting!

We parked and took the elevator up to the lobby level.

We enjoyed various details as we walked down the hallways.

We were early so we had time for a bathroom break.

Up next: SANAA! Will it be as good as last time?

 

[Songbird76]

Day 3, cont.

Finally we arrived at the entrance of AKL.

There was a backup at the gate and when we spoke to the security guard we understood why! We said we had a dining reservation and he thought we had a room reservation, so he tried looking up our names on the list of guests checking in that day. But we figured out what was going on and soon we were on our way.

Not here!

Here we are!

A real-life Minnie Van sighting!

We parked and took the elevator up to the lobby level.

We enjoyed various details as we walked down the hallways.

We were early so we had time for a bathroom break.

Up next: SANAA! Will it be as good as last time?

Wow...that's some pretty incredible theming with the animal head shape in the tile when it's reflected in the mirror. I never would have thought to do that.

 

[bee]

Day 3, cont.

We checked in right at our reservation time and the host asked for a phone number so we could receive a text when our table was ready. As soon as we sat down on a bench to wait I got the text.

We had a moment to look over the drink menu before our server, Jen, arrived.

(Sorry, blurry and not rotated the right way!)

I had a glass of the Spice Route "Chakalaka" (under Alternatives/Blends). M was driving so she had the Kenyan Press Pot.

We each enjoyed our respective beverages (and I enjoyed some of her coffee, too!).

OBVIOUSLY we had to start with the bread service!

We both loved the coriander chutney (the green one). Of course we are both huge coriander/cilantro fans. We also liked the pickled garlic and pickled jalapeno. There wasn't any one dip we didn't like! My favorite bread was paneer paratha and I think M liked the traditional naan best.

As we waited for our entrees we enjoyed the colorful decor.

I had the Vegetable and Tabouleh Salad:

M went with the Paneer Tikka and Aloo Masala from the Potjie choices.

Everything was SOOOOOO good and Jen was an excellent server. We both ended up taking about half of our respective entree home because we were SO FULL from the bread service. It was another successful Sanaa meal and we will definitely come back.

After lunch we slowly waddled back toward the car.

Up next: A few more AKL photos, then Goodbye Disney (for now )

 

[lostpro9het]

We had a moment to look over the drink menu before our server, Jen, arrived.
We both loved the coriander chutney (the green one). Of course we are both huge coriander/cilantro fans. We also liked the pickled garlic and pickled jalapeno. There wasn't any one dip we didn't like! My favorite bread was paneer paratha and I think M liked the traditional naan best.

Pickled jalapeño is probably tops for me and a tie between the coriander and the ted peoper hummus for the #2 spot. But, yeah, enjoy them all too, as well as the naan.

 

[ELeigh]

Schöfferhofer Pink Grapefruit Hefeweizen

This is the only beer I have ever tasted that I enjoyed. Good choice by M!

 

[bee]

Day 3, cont.

It seemed like a very long walk to the garage elevator since I only had my cane, but I made it!

As a semi-germaphobe...I highly disagree!!

Beware of Poachers!

The wrong side of the sign!!!

This is the end of the first Disney part of my TR. I didn't take a lot of photos and there isn't much interesting to report for the Jacksonville part of the trip. I'm guessing there will be two or three non-Disney posts coming up, and I'll link to the next Disney part here once I post it, in case you want to skip ahead.

Up next: Mostly cat pictures!

 

[bee]

Day 3, cont.

NON-DISNEY POST

We began the drive to Jacksonville and immediately hit some traffic. It was nothing crazy, but it did slow us down quite a bit.

The Eyesore on I-4! Apparently it is FINALLY going to be completed this year.

SAY NO

And now, the REAL reason you're still reading even though there's no Disney in this post...

FRISKY!!!!

That's the last photo I have from Day 3. We had a little birthday party for M and we all caught up on each other's lives. This was the first time I'd seen the in-laws (who are more like family to me than my own parents) since the fire, so they had lots of questions.

So here we go, Day 4!

Day 4: Friday, May 25

I truly don't remember much of this day.

M's mom wanted to take the two of us to see Solo on this day (the day it came out). Their local cinema has $6 tickets on weekdays, even for new movies. I just paid $17 to see The Incredibles last night (well not really, because I have MoviePass which has a monthly fee of $9.95 so if I only go once a month it's more than worth it for NY/NJ prices!).

We stopped at Donkey Donald's on the way.

The movie was...fine. I wasn't expecting anything great. Some things were fun. But it mostly felt like Disney/Lucasfilm had a checklist of Han Solo life events they were trying to cram into a movie. I don't feel the need to see this one again.

Back at home...

Up next: More of Day 4, and the beginning of Day 5 (the pre-Disney parts)

 

[bee]

Day 4, cont.

NON-DISNEY POST

We met M's brother for a late lunch. He's a HS teacher who finishes school at 2:15 so we met him at a Mediterranean restaurant near the school (which happens to be where we three all graduated from, and where M and I met, and where M's dad is now a guidance counselor...we just can't get away!).

M and I shared this giant plate of veggie kabobs.

SO GOOD!

While we were out...

Yes, yes I would!

Then M and I went to Publix (I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU PUBLIX!!!) for wine and some breakfast foods for the next two days. I was feeling very confident in my ability to walk so I tried to stay with M while she shopped, but about two minutes in I realized that was just not possible for me yet. So I sat on a bench near the cash registers and waited for her to shop.

A guy checking out...yes I am judging!

Back at home we did something? I can't remember anything if I don't take pictures of it, haha! I think M and I had our Sanaa leftovers for dinner. We watched a movie or something? I dunno! So here goes Day 5!

Day 5: Saturday, May 26

The plan was to leave for Orlando by 9:00 so we could return the rental car by 12:30 without worrying about traffic, accidents, etc. But first, FRISKY TIME!

Ft. M's mom's crocs

After a lengthy goodbye with The Frisk, we left right around 9:00. In the car we had some croissants M had purchased the day before at Publix.

And some bottled Donkey Donald's. It was pretty good!

Another early room assignment!

Everyone's favorite soon-to-be-no-longer-abandoned-building!

Getting closer!

Up next: BACK TO DISNEY!!!!!!

 

[RememberWhen]

Frisky is lovely! She looks so soft!

 

[MinnieM123]

Wow. I don't think I've ever seen a cat that was so dramatically two-toned in color. That's wild!! Gorgeous cat!

 

[bee]

Frisky is lovely! She looks so soft!

Isn’t she?? She is VERY soft and FLOOFY! She is absolutely tiny-like barely bigger than a kitten-but the floof makes her look bigger.

Wow. I don't think I've ever seen a cat that was so dramatically two-toned in color. That's wild!! Gorgeous cat!

This is a recent development. She used to be an all-dark tortie (like her front) and the red/brown has only appeared in the last few months. She’s gorgeous either way!

 

[Figgy1]

Thank you for sharing all your great pics. and I may have forgotten sunglasses and had to get a pair at Disney. Accidently of course

 

[Figgy1]

Day 2, cont.

On our walk/ride back to Epcot we enjoyed a glimpse of the sunset over Crescent Lake.

Magnolias!

Yes I totally took a photo of my cane hung on the purse hook

Security was quick and soon we were inside the park. We had been planning to get M a birthday dessert of some kind in WS but since she'd gotten the one at FF she decided she didn't need it anymore. Instead we shared a cider flight:

Cider Flight – $10.00
Consisting of: McKenzie’s Black Cherry Hard Cider, West Seneca, NY, Florida Beer Company Caribé Pineapple Tropical Hard Cider, Cape Canaveral, FL, and Ciderboys Grand Mimosa Apple Orange Hard Cider, Stevens Point, WI

I liked the pineapple best, M liked the black cherry best, and neither of us cared for the mimosa cider.

We found a great spot for IllumiNations just a few minutes before the show, and this was our view:

When the country pavilions started lighting up we had a great view of the UK lights:

No pictures of the fireworks since we were just enjoying our time together on this special night.

We took our time exiting as we didn't have early morning plan and weren't in a rush.

Okay...I may have been stalling during our exit...

That's us!

Up next: A "double feature" and "I thought I heard a duck!"

Thank you doe the after dark pics. For some reason I like WS after dark better than during the day

 

[Figgy1]

I didn't say I didn't like the black cherry...I just liked the pineapple a little more!

Exactly!

 

[Gurt]

dip dye Frisky cat looks so soft and cute

 

[93boomer]

Thank you for sharing! I enjoyed all the pix but the night ones were amazing. The food pix made my stomach growl!

 

[amjt660]

Up next: FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!

Please sir, may I have some more......


Really far behind on my reading but could not resist quoting your line
I am singing the Oliver song in my head

Max